Podcast appearances and mentions of israel john

John Spencer returns to the Break It Down Show with Pete A Turner to discuss his latest findings during a recent trip to Israel. When Hamas launched a terrorist attack targeting a music festival in Israel John began traveling to the region to study in real time the evolution of urban warfare. Since John is a universally regarded expert/historian/academic in the modern war space, he gets unique access to the battleground and leaders from the region. Many opinions, many of them professional, contribute to helping us understand the conflict. Yet, John's influence has exploded over the past few years as he's examined the Israeli and Ukrainian conflicts. Why? It's the quality, depth and ground truth nature of his work.

On today's Quick Start podcast: NEWS: Iran's Shocking Attack on Israel, Terror Attack in Tel Aviv FOCUS STORY: John Kerry Suggests Changing First Amendment MAIN THING: Chris Mitchell from Israel LAST THING: Psalm 122 SHOW LINKS 2024: https://www2.cbn.com/news/us/campaign-notebook-after-trump-nh-win-fat-lady-singing NEWSMAKERS POD: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/newsmakers/id1724061454 DC DEBRIEF POD: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/d-c-debrief/id1691121630 CBN News YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CBNnewsonline CBN News https://www2.cbn.com/news Faithwire https://www.faithwire.com/ Email us! QuickStartPodcast@cbn.org

Full Text of ReadingsFeast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle Lectionary: 629The Saint of the day is Saint BartholomewSaint Bartholomew’s Story In the New Testament, Bartholomew is mentioned only in the lists of the apostles. Some scholars identify him with Nathanael, a man of Cana in Galilee who was summoned to Jesus by Philip. Jesus paid him a great compliment: “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him” (John 1:47b). When Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him, Jesus said, “I saw you under the fig tree” (John 1:48b). Whatever amazing revelation this involved, it brought Nathanael to exclaim, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” (John 1:49b). But Jesus countered with, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this” (John 1:50b). Nathanael did see greater things. He was one of those to whom Jesus appeared on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias after his resurrection (see John 21:1-14). They had been fishing all night without success. In the morning, they saw someone standing on the shore though no one knew it was Jesus. He told them to cast their net again, and they made so great a catch that they could not haul the net in. Then John cried out to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When they brought the boat to shore, they found a fire burning, with some fish laid on it and some bread. Jesus asked them to bring some of the fish they had caught, and invited them to come and eat their meal. John relates that although they knew it was Jesus, none of the apostles presumed to inquire who he was. This, John notes, was the third time Jesus appeared to the apostles. Reflection Bartholomew or Nathanael? We are confronted again with the fact that we know almost nothing about most of the apostles. Yet the unknown ones were also foundation stones, the 12 pillars of the new Israel whose 12 tribes now encompass the whole earth. Their personalities were secondary—without thereby being demeaned—to their great office of bearing tradition from their firsthand experience, speaking in the name of Jesus, putting the Word Made Flesh into human words for the enlightenment of the world. Their holiness was not an introverted contemplation of their status before God. It was a gift that they had to share with others. The Good News was that all are called to the holiness of being Christ's members, by the gracious gift of God. The simple fact is that humanity is totally meaningless unless God is its total concern. Then humanity, made holy with God's own holiness, becomes the most precious creation of God. Saint Bartholomew is the Patron Saint of: Plasterers Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Talk 33 Mark 11:1-10 The Triumphal Entry Welcome to Talk 33 in our series on Mark's Gospel. Today we're looking at what is often referred to as Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This is found not only in Mark 11:1-10, but also in Matthew 21:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19. We will be concentrating on Mark's account, but we'll also refer to the other accounts where they enrich our understanding of this wonderful event in the life of Jesus. But first, let's read Mark 11:1-10.   1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.'" 4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" 10 "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!"   Today we're going to look at six things this passage teaches us about Jesus, but first let's set the scene in the overall context of Jesus' life and ministry. Jesus had spent three and a half years teaching his disciples, meeting the needs of the people, forgiving sinners, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, driving out demons, giving sight to the blind, cleansing the lepers, and raising the dead. He is now on his way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover with his disciples and where within less than a week he will be crucified.   The Passover was the annual festival celebrated by the Jews in memory of their ancestors' deliverance from slavery in Egypt. It was called the Passover because the angel of death sent by God as the final judgment on the Egyptians passed over the Israelites when he saw the blood of a lamb sprinkled on the doorposts of their houses. What Jesus was to do later that week was to become the final Passover Lamb whose blood was to be shed on the cross to save not only the Israelites but those of all nations who would trust in him as the atoning sacrifice for their sins.   Few, if any, in the crowd who were praising Jesus as the coming king would have understood this. It's more likely that they were expecting him to use his miracle working power to overthrow the Romans, but God's plan and purpose was far bigger than that. Jesus had not come to save Israel from the power of Rome, but the entire world from the power and consequences of sin. So Jesus comes, not as a military conqueror riding on a horse or in a chariot, but as the humble king of peace, riding on a young donkey as prophesied in Zechariah 9:9: Rejoice greatly O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. So, having set the scene, let's now see what the passage teaches us about Jesus. As we saw right at the beginning of Mark's Gospel, Mark's intention is to proclaim Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah), the Son of God. This has been clear throughout all he has taught us about Jesus so far, but nowhere is it clearer than in today's passage. First, we see that   Jesus was a man with authority He tells his disciples what to do, and they do it. Note the words of instruction in verses 1-3.   Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you… you will find a colt tied there … Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.'"   Jesus expects unquestioning obedience from his disciples, and this includes the owner of the donkey – Tell him, The Lord needs it. In fact, with the exception of the Pharisees (Luke 19:39-40), everyone in the story accepts the authority of Jesus. Even the crowd of pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover festival acknowledge that Jesus is the one who comes in the name of (with the authority of) the Lord (v9). They even proclaim him as the King of Israel (John 12:13).   And finally, it seems that even the young donkey seems to have accepted his authority. No one had ever ridden him (v2). He was an unbroken animal. But the lowly beast submits to the authority of his Maker and carries Jesus on his final journey into Jerusalem.   Jesus was a prophet He was a man who received supernatural revelation and this gave him detailed foreknowledge of future events. Notice what he says in verse 2 : Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.   Now Jesus was on his way up from Jericho where he had healed blind Bartimaeus and the village where the donkey was was ahead of him. He had certainly not been there recently. He had travelled over 100 miles from Capernaum at the northern end of the Sea of Galilee. There is no suggestion that he had made a private arrangement with the owners. Yet he knew exactly where the donkey was – just at the entrance of the village. He knew it was tied there. He knew that no one had ever ridden it. He knew it would be available.   Of course, if you have a mind to, you can possibly think of a natural explanation of how Jesus knew all these things, but please bear in mind that Jesus frequently knew things by supernatural revelation. He knew that Peter would catch a fish and find a coin in its mouth, enough to pay the temple tax (Matthew 17:24-27). He knew that the woman of Samaria had had five husbands and that the man she was living with was not her husband (John 4:17-18). And in Mark 14:12-16 he knew that when he sent two of his disciples to go and prepare for the Passover meal, when they went into the city they would find a man carrying a waterpot. And in Luke 19:41-44 when he finally reaches Jerusalem he weeps over it and predicts in detail the tragic events which were to take place there some forty years later in AD 70.   So the Gospels are very clear that Jesus often knew things supernaturally. But was this because he was God, or was it because as a man he received supernatural revelation through the Holy Spirit? In answering this question it's important to stress that Jesus is and always was God, and God is omniscient. He knows everything. And Jesus did not cease to be God while he was here on earth. However, although he was God, it seems that as man he did not know everything. Returning to our passage, we see in verse 3 that, although he knows about the donkey, he says, If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' rather than Someone will ask you. And, as we'll see in our next talk, there's another illustration of this in verse 13 where we're told that:   Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he (Jesus) went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs (v13).   So in my view, the flashes of supernatural revelation Jesus received while he was here on earth are best understood to result not from his deity, but from the revelation of the Spirit. If they do not in themselves prove his deity, they certainly show how close was his relationship with his Father in Heaven. They were supernatural gifts from the Holy Spirit, and if we keep filled with the Spirit, similar gifts may be ours too as, of course, the Holy Spirit determines (1 Corinthians 12:11). Remember how Peter knew that Ananias and Sapphira were lying (Acts 5)? Peter was not God, but he received revelation from God, the Holy Spirit. Jesus, even though he was God, was also man, and he received revelation in the same way. But that brings us to the next lesson about Jesus.   Jesus was the Messiah Now if, as we have just been saying, Jesus received prophetic revelation through the leading and power of the Holy Spirit, the same is true of the miracles he performed. The miracles were the reason for the people's joy on Palm Sunday: When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen (Luke 19:37).   They were longing for the coming of their long-awaited Messiah, which in Hebrew means anointed one. You will remember, of course, that when he was preaching in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus had read these words from Isaiah 61:1-2:   The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour (Luke 4:18-19),   and had gone on to say, Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing (v21). In saying this he was claiming to be none other than the anointed one (the Messiah), and he had gone on to prove it by preaching good news to the poor, proclaiming freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight to the blind, and releasing the oppressed. So the people on Palm Sunday were praising God not only for all the miracles they had seen, but because those miracles might well indicate that at last the Messiah had come. So they acknowledge Jesus as the Son of David, (Matthew 21:9), the king who comes in the name of the Lord (Luke 19:38).   So Jesus was a man of authority. But he was more than that. He was a prophet. But he was more than that. He was the Messiah. So what does our passage teach about what should be our attitude towards him?   Jesus is worthy of our worship Among the crowd around Jesus on that first Palm Sunday, there must have been surely a variety of opinions and attitudes. There were the twelve disciples who had already come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. There were undoubtedly other followers who had either already formed the same opinion or who were at least on the point of doing so. There may also have been those who, caught up in the excitement and emotion of the moment joined in the celebration without really understanding what was happening. And there were of course those like the Pharisees who understood what Jesus was claiming to be and who wanted to kill him because of it.   So can we really say that they were all worshipping Jesus? Three things suggest to me that many certainly were. First, their actions indicate it. Some threw their cloaks and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road in front of Jesus (v8). Secondly, their words, taken from all four Gospels, imply it:   Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest! Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Blessed is the King of Israel!   And thirdly, the Pharisees seem to have interpreted it as worship. They said to Jesus: Teacher, rebuke your disciples! But Jesus replied, I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out (Luke 19:39-40).   So if this wasn't worship, it certainly looked like it! And their worship was centred around three main things: o   What Jesus had done for them (working miracles) o   Who he was (the Son of David, the King who comes with the authority of the Lord) o   The coming Kingdom of God. And these are just the reasons we should worship him too. Jesus is worthy of our trust But Jesus is not only worthy of our worship. He is worthy of our trust too. The two disciples he sent ahead to get the donkey had come to trust Jesus, even when what he asked them to do might have been questionable. But they had not always. Remember, for example, the feeding of the 5,000? Jesus says, You give them something to eat. But, they reason, that would take eight months of a man's wages. Again and again, they had questioned his instructions, but by now they were learning to trust him. They obey his instructions and, of course, find things just as Jesus has said. They had learned to trust him, because they had discovered that Jesus knows best. And we can trust him too. He sees what we cannot see. He knows what we do not know. He has detailed knowledge of future events.   And, of course, we can trust him, not only because of his knowledge, but also because of his power. He is not only omniscient. He is omnipotent. He is no longer here on earth as man, exercising power as he was led by the Spirit. He is seated at God's right hand. All authority has been given to him in Heaven and on earth. We can trust him because he has the power and authority to accomplish whatever he knows is best for us.   And we can trust him because he is good. An all-powerful God who was not good would not be someone to trust, but rather to fear. But our God is not a king who comes to terrorise his people. Like Jerusalem of old, we can rejoice greatly because our king comes to us gentle and riding on a donkey. The gentleness, the humility, the goodness and love of Jesus assure us that we can trust him. And finally…   Jesus is worthy of our obedience and sacrifice We have already seen the trust and obedience of the two disciples Jesus sent to get the colt. But we also see the sacrifice of those who spread their cloaks on the road (v8).  No thought of how dirty or how damaged they might get, not only from the hooves of the donkey but also from the feet of the crowd who were following Jesus. Their worship was expressed in an extravagant disregard for their worldly possessions. And they did not understand that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem to suffer and die for the forgiveness of their sins. But we do. How much more extravagant should be our commitment to the Lord Jesus? But now, one final thought. We have seen in this passage that Jesus was a man of authority, a man who received supernatural revelation of future events. We have seen that he was the Messiah, the Son of David, the king of Israel. And yet the story reveals that he needed something. He needed a donkey! Note those words in verse 3 – The Lord… needs it. The Lord, the Creator of the universe needed a donkey! It was to play a part in the fulfilment of God's purposes. And, believe it or not, he needs you too. Of course, he could fulfil his purposes without us, but he has chosen not to. He has chosen to use donkeys like Peter and Andrew and James and John, like you and like me. Do you know who he is? How extravagantly will you worship him? How much will you trust him? To what extent will you obey him? Jesus is worthy of your sacrificial obedience. He won't enforce it. But doesn't his love demand it. Isaac Watts certainly thought so: Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were an off'ring far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.    

Jon Stewart tackles the media's obsession with Trump's hush money trial, while the GOP freaks out over Biden's new energy efficiency standards and a name change for the Boy Scouts. Meanwhile, Biden slows the flow of weapons to Israel, and after Trump shames Jewish Biden supporters, the Best F**kin' News Team stops by to give Jon a guilt trip. Also, John Della Volpe, Harvard IOP polling director and author of “Fight: How Gen Z is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America,” joins Jon to discuss the Harvard Youth Poll and how economic stresses have been hard on Gen Z.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

April 19, 2024 - Friday 10:00AM MPR 4 Speaker   Speaker: Dan Winkler   Exegesis: To glean out of the scriptures what is actually said Logos: the word The rhyme and reason of things To Greeks held everything together   Matthew - The plan of God Mark - the power of Jesus Luke - Jesus involving himself with other people John - the other gospel, totally different, say this is God's son   John 1 Prologue of book Preparation of Jesus' ministry from John the Baptist Dan's Goal: realize how special Jesus is   We place a lot of attention on the church and particulars on becoming members. But do we place a lot of attention on Christ? Let people hear about the church of Christ and the Christ of the church! We have to buck the world's thoughts of church of Christ as a denomination Young people need to fall deeply in love with Christ properly, not just memorize   John 1 has 2 sections Testimony of John the apostle (verses 1-18) I saw that and I can still see it in my mind Dan - I lost my son 18 years ago but Ilan still hear his voice in my head Eternity - (verses 1-8) "Was" in Greek was imperfect - continues to develop Jesus has always been and always will be Though he was rich for your sake became poor 2 Corinthians 9 Poor - beg to exist Deity Word was with God and was God Imprint or character of God Creativity (verses 3-13) All things made through him 1 Corinthians 8:6 Life, light Physically, spiritually, eternally Humanity (verse 14) Only begotten, only born (John 7:12, 8:42,  9:38) Jesus as flesh fathered by Holy Spirit Charity We have received grace upon grace, Authority Truth through Jesus Is our High Priest Hebrews 8:1 Minister - public official Hebrews 8:2 Testimony of John the Baptist (John 1:19 - Uses possessive prepositions to describe Lamb of God (John 1:29) Took our sins away Son of God (John 1:34) Chosen one Did no sin Son of Joseph (John 1:45) Did Holy Spirit make a mistake? HoIy Spirit wants us to know Joseph was in life of Jesus King of Israel (John 1:49) Son of Man (John 1:51) Daniel 7   Conclusion 3 other descriptors Lord Messiah - anointed of God Rabbi - teacher Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FjC_AoNMM4   Duration 43:30

#UNSC: Biden Administration changes the US position toward Israel. John Bolton, former Ambassador to the United Nations https://thehill.com/opinion/international/4554664-will-biden-allow-hamas-a-terrorist-veto/ 1950 UN

John 12:12-1412 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' The King of Israel!” 14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt.”

As we read John's account of the crucifixion, we see so many stories and images from the Old Testament coming together. In particular, we will look at the creation account from Genesis 1&2 and the Passover from Exodus. Rev.Peter Lebhar | March 17, 2024 ----------------------------------------------- We're Incarnation Tallahassee! Visit our website! www.incarnationtallahassee.org/ Watch the Livestream youtube.com/live/ZSeuKYY3J2w

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On today's Quick Start podcast: NEWS: IDF Confirms Scores of Hostages Dead, Multiple Pastor Tragedies, Gina Carano Sues Disney MAIN THING: Chris Mitchell Gives Latest on Israel LAST THING: John 15:5 SHOW LINKS + NEW PODCAST ALERT!! CBN's 2024 Campaign Notebook CLICK HERE!! Listen and SUBSCRIBE to CBN's Newsmakers podcast HERE Listen and SUBSCRIBE to CBN's DC Debrief Podcast HERE Subscribe to the CBN News YouTube Channel! CBN News https://www2.cbn.com/news Faithwire https://www.faithwire.com/ Email us! QuickStartPodcast@cbn.org

On Sunday, December 31, 2023, Pastor Joe Troutman preached "Hear, O Israel" from John 10:22-30. "Jesus Christ, of one substance with the Father, is the Good Shepherd from whose hand no one can snatch his sheep." 1. Insufficiency of Evidence (vs. 22-26) 22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 2. Faith Comes from Hearing (v. 27) 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 3. The Strength of the Shepherd (vs. 28-30) 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” mcopc.org/podcast

John Kiriakou is a former CIA analyst, case officer & chief of counterterrorism in the Middle East. EPISODE LINKS http://johnkiriakou.substack.com https://twitter.com/JohnKiriakou SPONSORS: https://marekhealth.com/danny - Use code “DANNY” to save 10% off. https://factormeals.com/DJP50 - Use CODE: DJP50 for 50% off. FOLLOW DANNY JONES https://www.instagram.com/jonesdanny https://twitter.com/jonesdanny JOIN ON PATREON: https://bit.ly/koncretepatreon OUTLINE 00:00 - Prisoner exchanges 07:45 - American Privacy 12:45 - Joeseph Goebells on privacy 16:51 - How Mossad communicates with agents 18:16 - Does the US gov REALLY spy on its citizens? 20:20 - Newsguard & the Pentagon 32:26 - Intelligence officials who run Newsguard 35:02 - Code Pink 41:38 - How do you stay ontop of Intelligence? 47:00 - Exposing a FAKE black-ops guy 49:58 - Billy Waugh 53:04 - How Billy Waugh caught Carlos the Jackal 01:06:17 - Abu Zubaydah is NOT who we thought he was 01:13:12 - How Abu Zubedah's story will end 01:15:14 - Khalid Sheikh Mohamad 01:19:07 - Saudi Arabia 01:21:15 - The history of Ukraine & Russia 01:28:43 - NATO 01:36:11 - China / Taiwan 01:42:35 - What would a US v China war look like? 01:44:29 - Israel Hamas Conflict Dynamics 01:54:41 - Israel Iran Saudi Geopolitical Hatred 01:58:08 - How China Becomes Powerful 02:01:02 - Isreal relationship w/ Jordan 02:12:18 - Russia / Iran relationship 02:19:36 - Story of covert CIA meeting about Iran invasion 02:24:41 - DOD powerplay against CIA leading up to Iraq war 02:26:30 - How the Pentagon used a fake informant to invade Iraq 02:40:55 - Kiriaku's experience with Bill Clinton in the 90's 02:45:18 - Meeting HIllary Clinton 02:51:51 - Next Presidential Candidates? 03:03:47 - Working on the BRUNO movie in the middle east

The declaration from Yeshua (Jesus) that “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30) was in line with messianic expectation. While there are directives in the Torah, Prophets and Writings about blasphemy, those Scriptures also contain details for the calling card of Messiah. This Bible study suggests that these clues should have inspired introspection among Yeshua's critics who knew the Scriptures — who were “elohim” of Israel (John 10:34-35). And the leaders' judgment could have been informed by the timing (Festival of Dedication, aka Chanukah or Hannukah) and location (Temple) of Yeshua's alleged blasphemy.

The Gosslings

A new MP3 sermon from Treasuring Christ Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Unbelief of Israel (John 12:35-37) Subtitle: Topical Sermons Speaker: Boyd Johnson Broadcaster: Treasuring Christ Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 11/19/2023 Bible: John 12:35-37 Length: 30 min.

Treasuring Christ Church - Athens, GA. Pastor Boyd Johnson

Luke 7: A “Chapter” in Jesus' Life (4) Luke 7:18-35 John the Baptist Portrait of a Great Life I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” Luke 7: 28 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Matthew 11:11 ✓ Jesus' words as John' ministry was ending ✓ John and his John's disciples were not present ✓ Spoken for our benefit How can I enter the kingdom of God/heaven Key Biblical Passages on the Life of John the Baptist ✓ Matthew 3:1-17; Matthew 11:1-15; Matthew 19:23-32 ✓ Luke 1:5-24; 39-45; 57-80; Luke 3:1-21; Luke 7:18-35 ✓ Mark 1:1-11 ✓ John 1:1-34; John 3:22-36 Before John was imprisoned ✓ It was prophesied that John will be great before his birth ✓ John prepared Israel for the Messiah (Christ) ✓ John introduced the Messiah to Israel ✓ John voluntarily exits the stage for the Messiah ✓ Jesus was about to begin his public ministry ✓ Heavens were opened to him ✓ God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were present ✓ Jesus' baptism • Pictured death, burial and resurrection • Pictured ‘the baptism on the cross' by which God will impart righteousness to sinners • It will be through Jesus' death, burial and resurrection that God would “fulfill all righteousness” ✓ God the Holy Spirit endorsed Jesus • Holy Spirit rested upon him without measure ✓ God the Father endorsed Jesus • “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” ✓ The Father said “this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” • Summed Jesus' life from birth till now • Jesus last mentioned at 12 years old, now He is 30 years • He had no sin, could not sin ✓ Jesus had not performed a single miracle or taught yet ✓ Jesus had not spoken about his person or work yet ✓ Next event in Jesus' calendar was the temptation by Satan Water baptisms in the New Testament 1. Water baptism of repentant Jews(Israelites) by John the Baptist • Happened before Jesus was identified as Messiah, Lamb of God, Son of God • Looked forward to salvation through Jesus • Temporary, not necessary today 2. Water Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist • Served to reveal Jesus as the Messiah, the Lamb of God, the Son of God • Served as a picture of how sinners will be saved (obtain righteousness) by Jesus • Pictured Jesus death, burial and resurrection for sinners 3 Water baptism of believers in Jesus Christ by other believers • Started after John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Messiah, the Lamb of God, the Son of God • For all believers today • It does not save a sinner • Carried out in obedience to Jesus' command • It serves as a public proclamation of Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord • Symbolises the spiritual reality that the believer is already buried and raised with Christ What made John the Baptist great? ✓ John the Baptist was the first person to identify Jesus as • The Eternal God • The Messiah • The Lamb of God • God's Lamb not man's, sin of the world not just Israel • End of daily (2), yearly, family, personal animal sacrifices • OT-where is the lamb; GP-behold the lamb, Here He is…, RV-worthy is the lamb • The Holy Spirit and Fire baptizer • The Son of God ✓ John the Baptist identified the person and works of Jesus before • Jesus performed a single miracle • Jesus spoke a single word concerning himself ✓ John the Baptist called himself a nobody ✓ John the Baptist had one goal, to exalt Jesus and point people to Jesus What made John great? John had the mind of Christ (a humble attitude)

Find out more at https://www.rushtoreason.com/show-notes/10-18-2023/

2 Samuel 7:12-16  God promised David that He would raise up one of his descendants to build God's house and to rule on the throne forever. David's son, Solomon, failed to live up to that expectation; as did Rehoboam, his grandson. Jeremiah 23:5  Most of David's descendants who reigned as kings did not serve God well, though a couple did. By the time of Jeremiah, hope was waning. God reaffirmed His commitment to David, promising to raise up a descendant to reign as king in the land. Luke 1:30-33  By the time of Jesus, it had been a millennium since God's promise to David and five centuries since Jeremiah's prophecy. Still, the Jewish people held out hope that one day the Messiah would come. Then God sent His angel Gabriel to Mary and promised that the time of waiting was finally over. Psalm 2:1-9  This second messianic prophecy tells us that the Son of God was not just the king of Israel. Additionally, he will receive the nations as his inheritance and the ends of the earth as his possession. Son of God Messiah (Luke 4:41; John 20:31) Son of David (Matthew 12:22-23) King of Israel (John 1:49; Matthew 27:42-43) Matthew 4:8-11  What qualifies Jesus to be the Messiah is that he has already passed the ultimate test. The devil offered him all the kingdoms of the world and he said, “No,” preferring instead to trust God's way. Matthew 10:37-39  Is Jesus your King? Have you committed yourself to his Kingdom? Anyone can come to him. Anyone can follow him. Anyone can receive salvation. The only requirement is total and absolute commitment.The post Jesus is the Messiah first appeared on Living Hope.

2 Samuel 7:12-16  God promised David that He would raise up one of his descendants to build God's house and to rule on the throne forever. David's son, Solomon, failed to live up to that expectation; as did Rehoboam, his grandson. Jeremiah 23:5  Most of David's descendants who reigned as kings did not serve God well, though a couple did. By the time of Jeremiah, hope was waning. God reaffirmed His commitment to David, promising to raise up a descendant to reign as king in the land. Luke 1:30-33  By the time of Jesus, it had been a millennium since God's promise to David and five centuries since Jeremiah's prophecy. Still, the Jewish people held out hope that one day the Messiah would come. Then God sent His angel Gabriel to Mary and promised that the time of waiting was finally over. Psalm 2:1-9  This second messianic prophecy tells us that the Son of God was not just the king of Israel. Additionally, he will receive the nations as his inheritance and the ends of the earth as his possession. Son of God Messiah (Luke 4:41; John 20:31) Son of David (Matthew 12:22-23) King of Israel (John 1:49; Matthew 27:42-43) Matthew 4:8-11  What qualifies Jesus to be the Messiah is that he has already passed the ultimate test. The devil offered him all the kingdoms of the world and he said, “No,” preferring instead to trust God's way. Matthew 10:37-39  Is Jesus your King? Have you committed yourself to his Kingdom? Anyone can come to him. Anyone can follow him. Anyone can receive salvation. The only requirement is total and absolute commitment.

”War in Israel” / John Torell / Omegaman Episode 10513 Recorded 10-12-2023 on OMEGAMAN  omegamanradio.com  

”War in Israel” / John Torell / Omegaman Episode 10513 Recorded 10-12-2023 on OMEGAMAN  omegamanradio.com  

Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Monday October 9, 2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Monday October 9, 2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Piya Chattopadhyay explores what led to the Hamas attack on Israel and what may come next with The Economist's Gregg Carlstrom, University of Ottawa's Thomas Juneau and American University's Dan Arbell, The Globe and Mail's John Ibbitson talks about what two former Canadian prime ministers can teach us about navigating the country's modern challenges, our monthly brain game That's Puzzling! returns, and we meet the communities rekindling relationships with mnoomin. Discover more at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday

The Bible was meant to be read in 3D!Our guest, Dr. John DeLancey, Director of Biblical Israel Ministries, helps us understand how the literal topography of the land of Israel helps to more accurately interpret the bible. John calls this understanding the bible through the context of the land.The topography of Israel is unlike any other place on earth. You gain a much deeper understanding of scripture as you learn about the role this unique landscape had on the people and events of the Bible. You'll never read the bible the same again!Also, you'll learn more about the trip to Israel John and Mike will be co-leading next September, 2024. Email Mike Hatch (mhatch@clchq.org) or Dr. John DeLancey (DrJohn@BiblicalIsraelTours.com) for more information about the trip.Dr. John DeLancey served as lead pastor for 26 years in two evangelical churches. He's led 86 tours of Israel, numerous of these trips included both Jordan & Egypt. In addition, John has excavated at 7 archeological sites in Israel. John has authored two books, including Devotional Treasures from the Holy Land and Connecting the Dots Between the Bible and the Land of Israel.RESOURCES:BiblicalIsraelTours.comDrJohnDelancey@BiblicalIsraelTours.comDr. John's cell: (412)999-5697Biblical Israel Tours Digital CoursesSeptember 2024 Israel TripTour Code: Empower24Devotional Treasures from the Holy LandConnecting the Dots Between the Bible and the Land of IsraelBringing the Bible to Life WebinarContact Mike Hatch: mhatch@clchq.orgOrder Mike's book, Manhood: Empowered by the Light of the GospelJoin the Empowered Manhood Facebook GroupCLC Website: https://www.clchq.org/Contact Chris Bolinger: https://chrisbolinger.com/author/Chris' Devotionals:Daily Strength for Men: A 365-Day Devotional52 Weeks of Strength for Men

Main Idea: Jesus is the Lamb of Sacrifice and the King of Israel. Outline: 1.) The King and the Lamb. 12–13 2.) Reigning through sacrifice. 14–15 3.) Understanding through the resurrection. 16–19

As we walk into the days that follow Easter, we have such a unique opportunity to engage the truly incredible work Jesus not only did on the cross and walking out of the empty tomb, and how the world was literally turned upside down in the remaining days He was on Earth and after His ascension to Heaven and the coming of the Holy Spirit and the call to take the Gospel to the ends of the Earth.   This is Dr. Bryan Litfin's area of expertise. We've had a chance to talk about Dr. Litfin's works of fiction on the podcast before, where he shares a story of an early Christian woman and a young warrior in Constantine's army and how the trials of the time and their faiths are tested and proved, but today, we're going to put all his various degrees to work as he shares with us about his newest non-fiction book Wisdom of the Ancients: 30 Timeless Lessons from the Early Church. Dr. Litfin is a Professor at Liberty University teaching theology and New Testament classes, and a former professor at Moody Bible Institute, and as we walk into this season that celebrates the birth of the early church, this conversation with Dr. Litfin is the perfect place to spend time. Dr. Litfin walks us through the context of what he means by “the ancient period,” which his latest book focuses on and he defines it as within the time of Christ on earth in the 1st century through the 500 years or so that would follow leading up to the Middle Ages. For a lot of western Christians in particular, we sometimes grapple with the context of the early church and get confused about what happened when, how decisions were made, and we tend to skip from the end of Revelation to the Reformation or something like that. Dr. Litfin gives us a picture of what the world looked like as the Gospel spread. Then, he shares from his latest book some specific and perhaps surprising lessons we can consider and adapt to our modern faith walks and churches, and it is truly fascinating.    Jesus is alive, He came that we would have life to the full, not always easy, but full and never alone. His passion for His family has not changed, and I pray that ministers to you today.    Connecting with Dr. Litfin: Books Facebook Website   Sponsor for this Episode: Hopefuel Use the code 'SIMPLY15' for 15% off Instagram Website   References: -Episode 69 and Episode 116 The other episodes featuring Dr. Litfin on the podcast  -Dr. Litfin's fiction trilogy: Constantine's Empire -His latest work: Wisdom of the Ancients: 30 Timeless Lessons from the Early Church -Liberty University -(Just being honest) the yuck from the top, but isn't the heart of the university -A glimpse into Paul's missionary journeys -The Protestant Reformation -Constantine's rise  -Plato  -Middle Ages -Paul's missionary journeys (geographically and timeline) -Saint Patrick and the spreading of the Gospel to Ireland -Early church in Ethiopia  -Soteriology -Jupiter -“Death Was Arrested” -The God of gods -Over the powers and principalities -Dr. Michael Heiser's documentary about spiritual dominion and a deep dive into this -Also see his book Supernatural, and Unseen Realm and he has since passed away, but our conversation on the podcast was mindblowing.  -witness means martyr in Greek -Catacombs -Necropolis —> a cemetery (this was interesting, pardon the language) -Temple prostitutes of Rome - “The Chosen” -Christocentric and Christotelic -Life of Moses study from BSF -Sally Lloyd Jones -Episode of “The Chosen” showing the raised up snake on a pole (Season 1, episode 7) -Nicodemus' struggle on “The Chosen (Season 1, episode 7 also lol) -Gnostic gospels -Passover / Seder  -Getting to Know the Church Fathers -Early Christian Martyr Stories -After Acts   Scripture References: Mark 16:15- Go and share the Gospel with all the world Acts 1:6-11- Jesus' ascension  Book of Acts (a lot of Paul's missionary journeys) Acts 1:8-The outermost parts of the Earth Hebrews 13:8-Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever Deuteronomy 10:17, 1 Chronicles 16:26, Psalm 97:7, Psalm 96:5- God is the god of gods John 14:6-Jesus is the way the truth and the life Ephesians 3:1-6-Paul calls the Gospel a mystery 1 Peter 1:12-even the angels marveled at the mystery  John 12:24-Jesus said unless a seed falls and dies it cannot grow  1 Corinthians 15:52-a trumpet will sound Matthew 27:55-61,Mark 15:40,Mark 15:47,Mark 16:1,Luke 24:10,Luke 23:49-56, Luke 8:43-48, Luke 8:1-3, John 8:1-11-Jesus mingled with women (those who followed Him and provided for Him), touched them (Bleeding Woman), and gave love to them (Mary Magdelene, woman caught in adultery) Luke 1:39-45-Jesus revealed Himself first to Mary and Elizabeth John 20:11-18-Jesus revealed Himself as a risen Savior first to a woman 2 Corinthians 3:4–6-The letter kills, the Spirit gives life Luke 24:13-35-Jesus and His followers on the road to Emmaus Genesis 22-Isaac and Abraham Hebrews 11:17-19-the book of Hebrews points out Isaac is a type of Christ Numbers 21:4-9-Moses and Aaron put snake on a pole to save Israel  John 3-Nicodemus coming to Jesus by night Hebrews 4:12-The Bible is alive and active  Exodus 12-Passover Matthew 26:17-30,Mark 14:12-26,Luke 22:7-23,John 13:1-35-Jesus' last supper  Ecclesiastes 2:25-A time for fasting and a time feasting John 15:5-Apart from Jesus we can do nothing John 14:18-He will not leave us as orphans Hebrews 12:2-We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses   JOIN OUR PATREON COMMUNITY!!!! I would be honored to have your support to keep the Simply Stories Podcast going. You can sign up for as little as $3 a month and each tier offers gifts that I hope will bless you in return.    Connecting with Emily and Simply Stories Podcast: Instagram (Em life // Podcast Life) Facebook Twitter Blog 

Jerusalem has long been at the centre of world history. It's true today, and it was true nearly 2000 years ago. On one day, Jerusalem was in uproar. It was a day of great rejoicing when huge crowds lined the streets with palm branches to recognise Jesus as their King - the Messiah whose coming had been foretold by prophets for centuries. The significant events of Palm Sunday are recorded in all four Gospels: Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12. As Jesus came into Jerusalem his arrival on a donkey caused a great commotion. There was so much shouting and celebration that no one could fail to know something very big was happening. It was a major public event. Matthew 21:10-11 says ‘When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred' and asked, “Who is this?”' This is the question everyone needs to answer. Who was and who is Jesus? That there was a historical Jesus is clear. But who he was was the cause of much dispute then, as it is today.It was evident from the joyful reaction and shouts of the crowds that many accepted him as not just a prophet but as their long-awaited King. Palm Sunday should be a day of celebration for each of us too, for it's a day where we can experience the coming of the King into our lives and circumstances. Jesus is the humble King (John 12:14-15; Philippians 2:5-8; James 5:6; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Matthew 23:12; Mark 2:16-17; 1 Corinthians 2:8)Jesus is the children's King (Matthew 21:15-16; Mark 10:13-16; Mark 10:15; Matthew 18:4)Jesus is the King of all (John 12:13; Luke 2:10; John 3:16; Matthew 11:29)Apply  Where they had thought the Messiah would be a triumphant military hero liberating them from the oppression of the Roman Empire, Jesus came lowly and riding on a donkey, making time for the lowest of the low (John 12:14-15). This was so offensive to them that it was actually these religious elites who crucified him. Their pride blinded them to seeing the reality of the Messiah before them. Jesus was the King of all, but he humbled Himself in so many ways on earth (Philippians 2:5-8). The Bible has many references to the awfulness of pride and the awesomeness of humility (James 5:6; Proverbs 6). When people turn from their pride, ego and self-justification and humbly call on God, He will always bring great healing and salvation (2 Chronicles 7:14). Jesus was the perfect model of humility: born in the humblest of circumstances; He came as a vulnerable baby; He subjected Himself to all the limitations of a human body; He taught that the least valued, like children and the poor in spirit, would become the greatest in the kingdom of God (Matthew 23:12); teaching His disciples not to be preoccupied with their own position and image but to be ready and willing to serve; and finally to save and serve all humanity, He renounced all His rights and endured the humiliation of crucifixion. Rather than preoccupying himself with earthly positions, privileges and power, he spent his time with the vulnerable, the rejected, the down and outs (Mark 2:16-17). Jesus showed how the Kingdom of God was not what the intellectuals and religious elites were expecting (1 Corinthians 2:8). Jesus gave up everything so that no matter who we are, and no matter what our background, age, ethnicity, social status, bank balance, education, qualifications or circumstances are today, we can experience every blessing, especially the blessing of knowing him. To really know Jesus for ourselves, we need to come humbly to him. To bow before him. To receive him with humility like he modelled here on the earth. Are you willing to do that today?  Jesus made a special point of caring for those despised by society, in particular, children (Matthew 21:15-16). In the events of the first Palm Sunday, the little children really stood out for they saw that this was the real Messiah come to them. And this made the chief priests very angry because they looked down on children. They were upset that Jesus would not put the children in their place. But Jesus has no intention of putting the children down, rather showing how God works in the lives and lips of children (Psalm 8:2). Jesus was saying that the children were clearly recognising what was happening and praising God in response, even though the religious leaders and many adults couldn't see it (Mark 10:13-16). So what do we learn here about children?  - God loves and cares for children: His kingdom cares for those who adults often despise, abuse or neglect. - Every child matters to God:The kingdom of God is where people, including the young and vulnerable, can be safe, innocent and happy. The children recognised God's love in Jesus. Today God cares for every child and for everyone who may feel like a little child - the vulnerable, ordinary, despised, the least, the smallest - you matter to God.- Children can know the love of God for themselves: They can have a personal experience of salvation and know the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Many of the greatest preachers in history came to know Jesus at young ages.  - Children show us the way to God: (Mark 10: 15; Matthew 18:4). It's not that the Lord wants us to be childish. It's that God wants us to have a child-like faith and trust in who he is. No pretence - just be real. Just as the children simply accepted Him that first Palm Sunday, so he invites you to today.  Jesus was clearly recognised as the King of Israel (John 12:13). Within a week he would be crucified on a Roman cross with the title written above him ‘King of the Jews'. Jesus was a Jew and the Bible says that He was the Messiah that the Jews were looking for. He loved the Jewish people then and He loves them today. But right from His birth the Bible makes clear that Jesus was the king who came for all people (Luke 2:10; John 3:16). Jesus was on his way to shed his blood to save us all from all our sins and free us from the power of evil. To give each one of us real hope and a future. Here then is a picture of what King Jesus is really like. He came as the humble King who invites us to come humbly into relationship with him. He is the children's King and He's the king for all. At first many wondered what to make of Jesus. In the end it came down to two reactions. Those who were against Jesus and tried to get rid of Him: religious elites, Roman rulers and others would not accept Jesus as having any claim to their lives or right to challenge their behaviour and control. They would not change. And so they set in process the events that led to Jesus suffering and being cruelly crucified. But others made the decision to be for Jesus and worship Him. Many understood who Jesus was and gladly worshipped Him. They saw that in Him lay the fulfilment of all their deepest hopes and desires. Despite being crucified, Jesus would not go away for the grave could not hold Him. He came back from the dead and one day He will come to earth to rule and reign for ever.  Until he comes again, there is a choice to make: to receive Christ as King or to reject Him. Today, Palm Sunday, can be a day of complete change and transformation in your life, if you become a follower and worshipper of Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:29). So today, do you take the decision to reject Jesus or receive Him?

Jerusalem has long been at the centre of world history. It's true today, and it was true nearly 2000 years ago. On one day, Jerusalem was in uproar. It was a day of great rejoicing when huge crowds lined the streets with palm branches to recognise Jesus as their King - the Messiah whose coming had been foretold by prophets for centuries. The significant events of Palm Sunday are recorded in all four Gospels: Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12. As Jesus came into Jerusalem his arrival on a donkey caused a great commotion. There was so much shouting and celebration that no one could fail to know something very big was happening. It was a major public event. Matthew 21:10-11 says ‘When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred' and asked, “Who is this?”' This is the question everyone needs to answer. Who was and who is Jesus? That there was a historical Jesus is clear. But who he was was the cause of much dispute then, as it is today.It was evident from the joyful reaction and shouts of the crowds that many accepted him as not just a prophet but as their long-awaited King. Palm Sunday should be a day of celebration for each of us too, for it's a day where we can experience the coming of the King into our lives and circumstances. Jesus is the humble King (John 12:14-15; Philippians 2:5-8; James 5:6; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Matthew 23:12; Mark 2:16-17; 1 Corinthians 2:8)Jesus is the children's King (Matthew 21:15-16; Mark 10:13-16; Mark 10:15; Matthew 18:4)Jesus is the King of all (John 12:13; Luke 2:10; John 3:16; Matthew 11:29)Apply  Where they had thought the Messiah would be a triumphant military hero liberating them from the oppression of the Roman Empire, Jesus came lowly and riding on a donkey, making time for the lowest of the low (John 12:14-15). This was so offensive to them that it was actually these religious elites who crucified him. Their pride blinded them to seeing the reality of the Messiah before them. Jesus was the King of all, but he humbled Himself in so many ways on earth (Philippians 2:5-8). The Bible has many references to the awfulness of pride and the awesomeness of humility (James 5:6; Proverbs 6). When people turn from their pride, ego and self-justification and humbly call on God, He will always bring great healing and salvation (2 Chronicles 7:14). Jesus was the perfect model of humility: born in the humblest of circumstances; He came as a vulnerable baby; He subjected Himself to all the limitations of a human body; He taught that the least valued, like children and the poor in spirit, would become the greatest in the kingdom of God (Matthew 23:12); teaching His disciples not to be preoccupied with their own position and image but to be ready and willing to serve; and finally to save and serve all humanity, He renounced all His rights and endured the humiliation of crucifixion. Rather than preoccupying himself with earthly positions, privileges and power, he spent his time with the vulnerable, the rejected, the down and outs (Mark 2:16-17). Jesus showed how the Kingdom of God was not what the intellectuals and religious elites were expecting (1 Corinthians 2:8). Jesus gave up everything so that no matter who we are, and no matter what our background, age, ethnicity, social status, bank balance, education, qualifications or circumstances are today, we can experience every blessing, especially the blessing of knowing him. To really know Jesus for ourselves, we need to come humbly to him. To bow before him. To receive him with humility like he modelled here on the earth. Are you willing to do that today?  Jesus made a special point of caring for those despised by society, in particular, children (Matthew 21:15-16). In the events of the first Palm Sunday, the little children really stood out for they saw that this was the real Messiah come to them. And this made the chief priests very angry because they looked down on children. They were upset that Jesus would not put the children in their place. But Jesus has no intention of putting the children down, rather showing how God works in the lives and lips of children (Psalm 8:2). Jesus was saying that the children were clearly recognising what was happening and praising God in response, even though the religious leaders and many adults couldn't see it (Mark 10:13-16). So what do we learn here about children?  - God loves and cares for children: His kingdom cares for those who adults often despise, abuse or neglect. - Every child matters to God:The kingdom of God is where people, including the young and vulnerable, can be safe, innocent and happy. The children recognised God's love in Jesus. Today God cares for every child and for everyone who may feel like a little child - the vulnerable, ordinary, despised, the least, the smallest - you matter to God.- Children can know the love of God for themselves: They can have a personal experience of salvation and know the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Many of the greatest preachers in history came to know Jesus at young ages.  - Children show us the way to God: (Mark 10: 15; Matthew 18:4). It's not that the Lord wants us to be childish. It's that God wants us to have a child-like faith and trust in who he is. No pretence - just be real. Just as the children simply accepted Him that first Palm Sunday, so he invites you to today.  Jesus was clearly recognised as the King of Israel (John 12:13). Within a week he would be crucified on a Roman cross with the title written above him ‘King of the Jews'. Jesus was a Jew and the Bible says that He was the Messiah that the Jews were looking for. He loved the Jewish people then and He loves them today. But right from His birth the Bible makes clear that Jesus was the king who came for all people (Luke 2:10; John 3:16). Jesus was on his way to shed his blood to save us all from all our sins and free us from the power of evil. To give each one of us real hope and a future. Here then is a picture of what King Jesus is really like. He came as the humble King who invites us to come humbly into relationship with him. He is the children's King and He's the king for all. At first many wondered what to make of Jesus. In the end it came down to two reactions. Those who were against Jesus and tried to get rid of Him: religious elites, Roman rulers and others would not accept Jesus as having any claim to their lives or right to challenge their behaviour and control. They would not change. And so they set in process the events that led to Jesus suffering and being cruelly crucified. But others made the decision to be for Jesus and worship Him. Many understood who Jesus was and gladly worshipped Him. They saw that in Him lay the fulfilment of all their deepest hopes and desires. Despite being crucified, Jesus would not go away for the grave could not hold Him. He came back from the dead and one day He will come to earth to rule and reign for ever.  Until he comes again, there is a choice to make: to receive Christ as King or to reject Him. Today, Palm Sunday, can be a day of complete change and transformation in your life, if you become a follower and worshipper of Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:29). So today, do you take the decision to reject Jesus or receive Him?

Full Text of ReadingsFeast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle Lectionary: 629All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint BartholomewIn the New Testament, Bartholomew is mentioned only in the lists of the apostles. Some scholars identify him with Nathanael, a man of Cana in Galilee who was summoned to Jesus by Philip. Jesus paid him a great compliment: “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him” (John 1:47b). When Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him, Jesus said, “I saw you under the fig tree” (John 1:48b). Whatever amazing revelation this involved, it brought Nathanael to exclaim, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” (John 1:49b). But Jesus countered with, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this” (John 1:50b). Nathanael did see greater things. He was one of those to whom Jesus appeared on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias after his resurrection (see John 21:1-14). They had been fishing all night without success. In the morning, they saw someone standing on the shore though no one knew it was Jesus. He told them to cast their net again, and they made so great a catch that they could not haul the net in. Then John cried out to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When they brought the boat to shore, they found a fire burning, with some fish laid on it and some bread. Jesus asked them to bring some of the fish they had caught, and invited them to come and eat their meal. John relates that although they knew it was Jesus, none of the apostles presumed to inquire who he was. This, John notes, was the third time Jesus appeared to the apostles. Reflection Bartholomew or Nathanael? We are confronted again with the fact that we know almost nothing about most of the apostles. Yet the unknown ones were also foundation stones, the 12 pillars of the new Israel whose 12 tribes now encompass the whole earth. Their personalities were secondary—without thereby being demeaned—to their great office of bearing tradition from their firsthand experience, speaking in the name of Jesus, putting the Word Made Flesh into human words for the enlightenment of the world. Their holiness was not an introverted contemplation of their status before God. It was a gift that they had to share with others. The Good News was that all are called to the holiness of being Christ's members, by the gracious gift of God. The simple fact is that humanity is totally meaningless unless God is its total concern. Then humanity, made holy with God's own holiness, becomes the most precious creation of God. Saint Bartholomew is the Patron Saint of: Plasterers Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Thanks for joining us for today's Sunday Service!Link to Give - https://tithe.ly/give?c=606484,please contact the Church for bank details,or visit www.peace.org.au/give for more information.

Full Text of ReadingsFeast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle Lectionary: 629All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint BartholomewIn the New Testament, Bartholomew is mentioned only in the lists of the apostles. Some scholars identify him with Nathanael, a man of Cana in Galilee who was summoned to Jesus by Philip. Jesus paid him a great compliment: “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him” (John 1:47b). When Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him, Jesus said, “I saw you under the fig tree” (John 1:48b). Whatever amazing revelation this involved, it brought Nathanael to exclaim, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” (John 1:49b). But Jesus countered with, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this” (John 1:50b). Nathanael did see greater things. He was one of those to whom Jesus appeared on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias after his resurrection (see John 21:1-14). They had been fishing all night without success. In the morning, they saw someone standing on the shore though no one knew it was Jesus. He told them to cast their net again, and they made so great a catch that they could not haul the net in. Then John cried out to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When they brought the boat to shore, they found a fire burning, with some fish laid on it and some bread. Jesus asked them to bring some of the fish they had caught, and invited them to come and eat their meal. John relates that although they knew it was Jesus, none of the apostles presumed to inquire who he was. This, John notes, was the third time Jesus appeared to the apostles. Reflection Bartholomew or Nathanael? We are confronted again with the fact that we know almost nothing about most of the apostles. Yet the unknown ones were also foundation stones, the 12 pillars of the new Israel whose 12 tribes now encompass the whole earth. Their personalities were secondary—without thereby being demeaned—to their great office of bearing tradition from their firsthand experience, speaking in the name of Jesus, putting the Word Made Flesh into human words for the enlightenment of the world. Their holiness was not an introverted contemplation of their status before God. It was a gift that they had to share with others. The Good News was that all are called to the holiness of being Christ's members, by the gracious gift of God. The simple fact is that humanity is totally meaningless unless God is its total concern. Then humanity, made holy with God's own holiness, becomes the most precious creation of God. Saint Bartholomew is the Patron Saint of: Plasterers Saint of the Day Copyright Franciscan Media

Israel’s military has said that it's ground and air forces are attacking targets in the Gaza Strip as residents reported a massive bombardment, amid fears that Israel would launch an incursion into the blockaded territory. John has been living in Israel since 2008 and spoke to Fran on Tipp Today...

Most of these titles are available as videos from our site https://cdvideo.org Visit and Subscribe to our other main podcast here...https://cdvideo.org/podcast https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/ku3h2-a6b6f/Christadelphians-Talk-Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/christadelphians-talk/id1448751691 https://christadelphianstalks.podbean.com/ https://anchor.fm/Christadelphians-Talk other thoughts on our site here https://bibletruthandprophecy.com/category/thought-for-the-day-2/ Part of the Christadelphianvideo.org network Visit our audio site http://christadelphianstalk.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/christadelphians-talk/message

“The Humble Triumph of the King of Israel” John 12:12-19 Introduction: Many live for recognition --- Jesus fled from it … Question: Why then did he allow it here? 1. Establishing Prophesy (Zech. 9:9) 2. Endorsing His Throne Rights (Genesis 49:10-11) 3. Exposing the Impotence of His Opposition (19) 4. Envisioning His Ultimate Coronation (Isaiah 45:23) I. A Kingly Honor … Palm Branches / Hosannas (13) II. A Kingly Bearing – Humility (14-15) 1. Beast of burden … not of splendor 2. Donkey associated with the pursuit of peace in the O. T. 3. Passover season --- deliverance from slavery III. A Kingly Fame That Would Soon Fade (17, 18)

Aim: To see how Jesus reveals himself as the true Messiah-King of Israel (John 12:12-19; Luke 19:41-44; Mark 11:15-19; Matthew 21:18-19) YouTube live stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdJJ7bxf0x4

Jesus teaches us about the vine and the branches.John 15: 1-17Guest: Elijah EatherlyThis episode was recorded on September 2nd, 2020

"Is it because there is no God in Israel that we pray to human rulers?" Preached originally on Sunday, June 7, 2020 at Christ Community Church of the Nazarene in Syracuse, NY.

Through Elijah God asked King Ahaziah, "Is it for lack of a God in Israel that you go to seek the Lord of flies, the gods of Ekron?"  Now we must ask ourselves, "Is it because there is no God in Israel that we seek salvation from human rulers?" Presented by Minister Joshua Johnson on Sunday, June 7, 2020. If you wish to support this ministry financially, you can make a tax-deductible donation at: https://cccsyracuse.churchcenter.com/giving.

The son of Joseph, a rabbi from Nazareth, is the Son of God and King of Israel. [37 minutes]

Guest Speaker: Marty Wolf (from Friends of Israel) John 10:22-42 (NASB) 22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. 24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26 But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” 39 Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp. 40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. 41 Many came to Him and were saying, “While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true.” 42 Many believed in Him there.

He is the link to the bible chapter he is speaking about https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus+23&version=NIV

John 3:1-2. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews, which means that he was a member of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin were the “Supreme judicial council of Judaism with 71 members, located in Jerusalem.”[3] We are also told that he was a teacher of Israel (John 3:10) who came to Jesus by night. This late visit was undoubtedly made so as to go unnoticed by his peers. The first words we have recorded from his mouth are “rabbi,” meaning “teacher” (See John 1:38), which should interest us considering Nicodemus’ position among the Jewish people. Quoting Moulton and Milligan, Vincent writes, “We may be sure that a member of the sect that carefully scrutinized the Baptist’s credentials (1:19–24) would not lightly address Jesus by this title of honor, or acknowledge Him as teacher.”[4] Such an address gives us an understanding that Nicodemus’ visit was one of sincerity and not for the purpose of assault or accusation.Nicodemus’ use of the plural in “We know that you have come from God as a teacher” (John 3:2b) shows that this was a subject of discussion amongst the Pharisees. Not only was it concluded that Jesus was a teacher and that YHWH had sent Him, but that the signs that He performed were a testimony to the uniqueness of His ministry and person, serving as a statement that God was with Him (3:2c). In light of what is later concluded by the Pharisees in Matthew 12:24, we see a solid witness against the anti-belief of accusing Jesus of wielding the power of the devil. Also in light of Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:28, we see that even the signs that He had performed in His early ministry already served as a testimony that “the Kingdom of God has come upon you” being done by the power of the Spirit of God. For the Pharisees, there was no excuse. All of them should have responded as Nicodemus did because God’s revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ along with the signs that He performed are Biblically assessed as sufficient revelation. John 3:3-6. Jesus responds to Nicodemus’ conclusion about Him in stating that one must be “born again” in order to “see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3b). While much has been written on the phrase “born again/born from above,” it is clear that something needed to happen in Nicodemus’ life in order for the kingdom of God to be a reality for him. The theological term for “born again” is “regeneration,” a vital term that can be understood as meaning “receiving spiritual life, that is, eternal life. Christ is this life (Jn 14:6). We only receive this life as we receive Christ, who then may be said to be in us, ‘the hope of glory’” (Col 1:27).[5] All men are dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1) and this is a fact regardless of the dispensation under consideration. However, it must be clearly stated that in Jesus’ earthly ministry, regeneration and the baptism of the Holy Spirit were still two separate things and they did not become something that occurs at the same time at the moment of faith in Jesus Christ until after the founding of the Church in Jerusalem in Acts 2. In that time period, we see a noticeable transition that takes place between OT saints (who were saved and justified before God by faith, yet were without the Holy Spirit), and those who are Church Age believers after the events of Acts 2, with the book of Acts demonstrating that the Holy Spirit would come upon already believing individuals as an evidence of their redemption (See Acts 19:1-7 for an example).Jesus’ use of the term the “kingdom of God” is consistent with every mention that we have seen in Scripture thus far. Therefore, this orthodox Jewish teacher and prominent societal figurehead would have automatically been drawn to the future, literal time of Messiah’s reign on Earth as He sat upon the throne of David, ruling with a rod of iron (Ps 2:9a). It is clear from Nicodemus’ response in John 3:4 that he is unsure of what Jesus has just said. His reply shows his logical progression in thinking through only the physical. Can an old man be reborn? Is it possible to retreat into the womb only to appear again? All of this was nonsense, for such feats were impossible. However, Jesus restates His antidote adding further clarification for Nicodemus’ sake. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Now we have the introduction of the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit in connection with the kingdom of God. According to Jesus both “water” and the “Spirit” are necessary for this birth, not one physically reentering the womb. In this verse, we can also see that Jesus has connected the idea of “seeing” the kingdom from v.3 with “entering” the kingdom in v.5. While our previous lessons have shown that “entering” the kingdom must be understood by its surrounding context to be speaking to either one’s justification or sanctification, it is obvious from this context that justification is in view. The idea of being born “of water and the Spirit” has seemed to confuse many regarding what it means to be “born again.” For example, in referring to the Old Testament overtones of this idea in the Greek, Barry writes, “Ezek 36:25–27 clearly combines the imagery of cleansing by water with inner renewal by the spirit (pneuma) from God.”[6] However, this cannot be correct because Jesus does not say “of water by the Spirit,” but “water and the Spirit.” There are obviously two births that must happen, not just one. Another explanation finds Borchert going to great lengths to explain the idea of being “born of water and the Spirit.” He writes, “the linkage between water and Spirit would have been familiar to the Jews since both are related to the theme of life. For a people like the Jews, who lived on the edge of the desert, water was an indispensable requirement of life (e.g., Exod 15:22–27; Pss 23:2; 42:1; 63:1), and even Christians viewed heaven as having a life-endued stream flowing from the throne of God (Rev 22:1). Concerning the life-giving Spirit, one only needs to be reminded that the breath of God brought life to Adam (Gen 2:7), and the Spirit/wind/breath of God brought life to dry bones (Ezek 37:1–14).”[7] This understanding has been concluded from specifically chosen examples in the Old Testament. Borchert’s view finds friction in that his example of Christians in the first century and their understanding of how to view “water” is derived from the book of Revelation, which had not yet been written at this point. Why not connect the “Spirit” in John 3:5 to the “Spirit” being upon King Saul or David? With no clear direction given in the text that we should understand the water and the Spirit in light of the Old Testament, we must conclude that such interpretations have no credible merit.So what is the answer? Most reasonably, and in maintaining a consistent, literal interpretation, it would seem that Jesus provides the explanation in John 3:6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, being a “natural” or “carnal” birth. However, that which is born of the Spirit is spirit, which aligns itself perfectly with the need for one to be born of “water and the Spirit” in order to “enter the kingdom of God” (3:5b). Thus, being “born of water” is one’s natural, physical birth. One must be a flesh and blood human being. This would exclude animals and demons, if for no other reason than that Jesus did not die for them. However, He did taste “death for every man” (Heb 2:9). Being “born of the Spirit” would be “regeneration,” which is something that must be elaborated upon, which Jesus does in 3:7-16.John 3:7-13. At this point, Nicodemus’ mouth must have been standing open. Jesus tells him not to be amazed (3:7). The new birth that takes place by the Spirit is likened to the wind (3:8). MacDonald writes, “Just as no one can fully understand the wind, so the new birth is a miraculous work of the Spirit of God which man is not able to comprehend fully. Moreover, the new birth, like the wind, is unpredictable. It is not possible to state just when and where it will take place.”[8] What is astonishing is that Nicodemus is seemingly ignorant of these truths (3:9). Such ignorance causes Jesus to ask, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?” (John 3:10). How could one who holds the responsibility of leading Israel in their understanding, worship, and devotion to YHWH not know these truths? Obviously, Jesus is upset with Nicodemus’ inadequacy regarding spiritual things.He then elaborates that He is testifying to what He knows and sees, which probably has a connection to Jesus’ later statements like “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure” (John 3:34) and “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 5:30). Jesus’ testimony and words are in complete consistency with those of the Father because they are from the Father and not from Jesus Himself. Such statements show us that, though He is equal with God, being perfectly God Himself, He was intentionally subservient to God, humbling Himself to do the Father’s will. In this example, Jesus shows us how to live a life on Earth that is walking with God at all times. Nicodemus’ greatest problem is that he does not accept Jesus’ testimony (John 3:11b), though He is testifying about what He knows and sees (John 3:11a). He continues in stating that Nicodemus’ rejection of earthly things shows that he cannot begin to understand “heavenly things” (John 3:12b). Jesus can testify to these things because He is the Son of Man, the One who has ascended and descended to and from heaven (John 3:13). These statements are lead to the necessary means of being “born again” by the Spirit. “If Nicodemus couldn’t grasp the meaning of spiritual truth as conveyed by concrete analogy, how would he do so if it were couched in an abstract statement? No one had ever entered into heaven to experience its realities directly except Jesus himself, the Son of Man, who had come from heaven. Revelation, not discovery, is the basis for faith.”[9] John 3:13 shows Jesus testifying to His own credibility as a sound witness to those things that He is conveying; namely that being born again is a spiritual truth that is necessary to “see/enter” the kingdom of God. He knows this because He has ascended into, and descended from, heaven.John 3:14-15. Meeting Nicodemus where he is, Jesus draws from a historical account that every Israelite would have been immediately familiar with- the serpent in the wilderness (Num 21:1-9). After being given the victory over the Canaanites (21:3), the people became impatient and began to complain about their situation. To discipline them, fiery serpents were sent among them and some of those who were bit died (21:6). In acknowledging their sin, the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help. The Lord had Moses make a bronze serpent and place it in the midst of the people. Those who looked upon it would live, even though they had been bitten (21:8-9).Jesus’ use of this historical incident serves to communicate the spiritual truth of one being born again. Jesus likens the “lifting up” of the serpent by Moses in the wilderness to His own “lifting up” that must take place on the cross (John 3:14; also 12:32-33). Jesus then supplies the reason that He must be lifted up in John 3:15 stating, “whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (ESV). Just as the people whose veins were circulating with venom were told to look upon the bronze serpent that Moses had crafted so that they could live, Jesus tells Nicodemus, with sin coursing through his being, that in order to be born again he must “look” (believe) upon Jesus and live.Look and live! That is the requirement. This “looking” is encapsulated in the word “believe,” being pisteuō in the Greek, meaning “to think to be true; to be persuaded of; to credit, place confidence in.”[10] This meaning is consistent with the idea of “conviction” and “assurance” as found in Hebrews 11:1. The result of believing is having “Life” in Him, which is eternal life. As told in John 1:4, the Life is in Christ Jesus, and only in Him; and by believing in Him, one is then given this Life. This life is eternal in that it can never be lost, since it is found in Him (Christ). Upon believing in Jesus Christ, one is imparted with Life, and this Life comes from being born again by the Spirit. Hawley writes, “While it is Biblically true that apart from Christ, the unregenerate (along with the regenerate) can do nothing to merit God's favor, faith is not meritorious and the Bible clearly teaches that regeneration is the result of faith, not the other way around.”[11] The one who believes is regenerated, meaning that they are now alive to God, have been born of the Spirit (John 3:5-6).John 3:16-18. This truth is then elaborated upon, and there is some debate about whether this elaboration (which stretches to the end of the chapter) is that of John the author, or a continuation of Jesus’ dialogue with Nicodemus. While well known, the truths of v.16 are paramount. God loves people. This is the motivation behind Him supplying a Savior for the world. People are unable to save themselves and will never be redeemed apart from some sort of intervention. God’s love sends forth His Son to live perfectly and to die perfectly for those who are imperfect. This death provides the satisfaction necessary so that justice is upheld, wrong is paid for, and guilt is extinguished. The death of Jesus Christ makes righteousness available to all who believe. This “belief” is not something that is only possible by a few, but all may believe, seeing that their sins have been paid for in full. Belief in Jesus guarantees that they will not perish but have now been given “eternal life” because they have been born again by the Spirit.Verses 17 & 18 provide clarification. In fact, v.17 speaks of God’s reason in sending His Son, namely for the purpose of saving the world. Apart from Jesus coming to Earth, there is no salvation for the human race. Jesus Christ is God’s provided perfection for the infinitely ill-deserving. His first coming was not about judgment but providing salvation for the world. However, His second coming will be a visitation of judgment in which the world will not escape (Rev 1:7, 13; 11:18; 14:7; 19:1-2, 11). But with v.18 we find that judgment is not an issue for the one who has believed in Jesus. It is only those who have not believed that are in danger of judgment. For them, the free pardon from sin’s penalty, power, and presence that Jesus supplied in His death and resurrection has not been applied. By believing (faith), this pardon is applied, and forgiveness of sin occurs. This situation is so certain that judgment is “already” upon the unregenerate person, and the cause for this condemnation is the same pitfall that has plagued mankind from the beginning: Unbelief.Jesus Christ is the Name above all names. “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). When one believes in Jesus that person is born again. The Holy Spirit makes that person alive unto God, regenerating them so that they are now a forgiven and full accepted child of God.

Though much is revealed in the Word of God regarding the Spirit of God, much of it seems to be misunderstood and/or abused for one’s own purposes and notoriety. A brief examination of the Spirit in the Old Testament and the Gospels will prepare us for Jesus’ teachings on the Spirit in John chapters 3, 14, and 16.A Brief Overview of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word for “spirit” is rauch, and can be understood as speaking of the Holy Spirit, but is also commonly understood as "breath, wind, spirit,”[1] with each context determining the meaning. The first occurrence of the Spirit of God comes in the midst of the Creation narrative. In Genesis 1:2 we read, “The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” At the beginning of the Bible we are introduced to God’s Spirit, present and active at the creation account. The second occurrence of the Spirit of God is seen in Exodus 31:1-5. “Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, 18in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship.’” In this instance, Bezalel is “filled” (literally “full”) of the Spirit of God for the purpose of constructing the Tabernacle, all of its items for worship, and all of its furniture according to the exact specifications of YHWH (See also Ex 35:30-31). There is no indication that this “filling” persisted beyond the completion of the task at hand, and it is understandable why Bezalel would need this divine assistance, seeing that the entire concept of the Tabernacle and its artifacts are merely “shadows” or replicas of the Temple and its various items of worship that are already a reality in heaven (Heb 8:4-5, 9:1-10, 24). Divine enlightenment by the fullness of the Spirit ensured that the work was an accurate representation.It is worth consideration that Joseph’s “skill as a ruler” was due to having a “divine spirit” (Ex 41:38). This is the conclusion reached by Pharaoh. This shows us that such wisdom and understanding is a manifestation of the Spirit’s presence, just as it was with Bezalel in Exodus 31:1-5. In Numbers 11 we finds another incident of complaining among Israel. It is clear that the Spirit was upon Moses and that the same Spirit would be distributed by God upon the elders of Israel in order to distribute the burden of dealing with Israel’s issues (v.17). Those seventy elders on whom God distributed the Spirit all prophesied as a result (11:25, 26). This act lead to an objection from Joshua, but Moses expressed his zeal for this wonderful occurrence, stating “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” (Num 11:29). Joshua is later appointed as the heir to lead Israel, being one who already had the Spirit of God upon him (Num 27:18). Reading this verse, one may be struck by the wording which states “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.” Did the Spirit of God reside “in” Joshua? (We must note that the use of a capital “S” in translating “Spirit” is a translator’s choice). There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit was upon Joshua as is evident in Deut 34:9 with the specifics being that he was “filled” with the Spirit. However, it is the preposition “in” that troubles us, since it is apparent that the Holy Spirit dwelling “in” someone was something that is strictly characterized by those in the Church Age dispensation and not before it. The answer may lie in the semantic range of the Hebrew word being used, which occurs 14,428 times in the Old Testament. While the dominate meaning of this word is “in,” it can also mean “with, on, among, by, when, at, into,” or “against.”[2] Consistency regarding the context of the entire Old Testament would tell us that the Spirit of God is “on” His people, but the Spirit indwelling a person is a clear distinctive of the Church Age believer.This examination of the presence and functions of the Holy Spirit is not meant to be exhaustive, but there are two more occurrences that coincide with one another that will increase our understanding so that we are better equipped to grasp Jesus’ teaching. The first King of Israel was Saul of Kish, a man on whom it was said “the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man” (1 Sam 10:6, see also v.10). Later we read that “the Spirit of God came upon Saul mightily when he heard these words, and he became very angry” (1 Sam 11:6). The threats of Nahash the Ammonite would not go unpunished and Saul assembled all of the able-bodied men to defeat them (11:11). The Spirit of God drove King Saul to fight for righteous causes, saving Jabesh-gilead from their enemy.Saul’s actions under the Spirit’s guidance are important because of his later disobedience which is chronicled in 1 Samuel 15. Being confronted by Samuel, Saul confesses his motives behind his sin, stating “I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice” (1 Sam 15:24). Samuel’s response it chilling. He tells Saul, “you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel” (15:26), and “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you” (15:28). Saul’s failure to obey YHWH’s commands caused him to forfeit his right to be king. But this wasn’t the only consequence to his disobedience. In 1 Samuel 16:1, Samuel is commanded to go and anoint a son of Jesse as the next king of Israel. This man is David. In 16:13 we read, “Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.” Knowing what we do from the New Testament, this is a joyous occasion. However, the next verse should be heavily considered, seeing that Saul’s relationship with the Holy Spirit is brought to an end. “Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrorized him” (16:14). Just as the Spirit of God had come upon Saul, so was the Spirit removed because of His failure to obey God’s commands. This brief examination from the Old Testament shows us that the Holy Spirit would bless, guide, and even cause men to prophesy while also granting knowledge, wisdom, and skill for the tasks that the Lord desired to see accomplished. It is also clear that the Spirit could be removed due to disobedience.A Brief Overview of the Holy Spirit in the Gospels.In the New Testament, the importance of the Holy Spirit is placed at the forefront once more. In Matthew, we see that He is the One who brings about that which is conceived in Mary’s womb (Matt 1:18, 20). John the Baptist’s case is interesting, with the angel Gabriel stating that John will be “filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15). During his ministry, John tells the Jews that the Messiah will baptize them by “the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matt 3:11).Upon baptizing Jesus, John sees the Holy Spirit descend upon Him like a dove (Matt 3:16). The Spirit then leads Jesus into the wilderness to undergo temptation (Luke 4:1). Returning from the wilderness as led by the Spirit (Luke 4:14), Jesus begins His teaching ministry in the synagogue at Galilee. Upon opening the scroll of Isaiah, He states, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19). In quoting Isaiah 61:1, Jesus shares that the Holy Spirit being upon the Messiah is something that was prophesied of old.While all of these instances are intriguing, it would seem that John’s Gospel provides some of the greatest truths about the Holy Spirit in connection with the believer in Christ. For this first part of our consideration of the Holy Spirit, we will examine John 3, while giving a greater consideration to Jesus’ teaching in John 14-16 later. John 3:1-2. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews, which means that he was a member of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin were the “Supreme judicial council of Judaism with 71 members, located in Jerusalem.”[3] We are also told that he was a teacher of Israel (John 3:10) who came to Jesus by night. This late visit was undoubtedly made so as to go unnoticed by his peers. The first words we have recorded from his mouth are “rabbi,” meaning “teacher” (See John 1:38), which should interest us considering Nicodemus’ position among the Jewish people. Quoting Moulton and Milligan, Vincent writes, “We may be sure that a member of the sect that carefully scrutinized the Baptist’s credentials (1:19–24) would not lightly address Jesus by this title of honor, or acknowledge Him as teacher.”[4] Such an address gives us an understanding that Nicodemus’ visit was one of sincerity and not for the purpose of assault or accusation.Nicodemus’ use of the plural in “We know that you have come from God as a teacher” (John 3:2b) shows that this was a subject of discussion amongst the Pharisees. Not only was it concluded that Jesus was a teacher and that YHWH had sent Him, but that the signs that He performed were a testimony to the uniqueness of His ministry and person, serving as a statement that God was with Him (3:2c). In light of what is later concluded by the Pharisees in Matthew 12:24, we see a solid witness against the anti-belief of accusing Jesus of wielding the power of the devil. Also in light of Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:28, we see that even the signs that He had performed in His early ministry already served as a testimony that “the Kingdom of God has come upon you” being done by the power of the Spirit of God. For the Pharisees, there was no excuse. All of them should have responded as Nicodemus did because God’s revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ along with the signs that He performed are Biblically assessed as sufficient revelation. John 3:3-6. Jesus responds to Nicodemus’ conclusion about Him in stating that one must be “born again” in order to “see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3b). While much has been written on the phrase “born again/born from above,” it is clear that something needed to happen in Nicodemus’ life in order for the kingdom of God to be a reality for him. The theological term for “born again” is “regeneration,” a vital term that can be understood as meaning “receiving spiritual life, that is, eternal life. Christ is this life (Jn 14:6). We only receive this life as we receive Christ, who then may be said to be in us, ‘the hope of glory’” (Col 1:27).[5] All men are dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1) and this is a fact regardless of the dispensation under consideration. However, it must be clearly stated that in Jesus’ earthly ministry, regeneration and the baptism of the Holy Spirit were still two separate things and they did not become something that occurs at the same time at the moment of faith in Jesus Christ until after the founding of the Church in Jerusalem in Acts 2. In that time period, we see a noticeable transition that takes place between OT saints (who were saved and justified before God by faith, yet were without the Holy Spirit), and those who are Church Age believers after the events of Acts 2, with the book of Acts demonstrating that the Holy Spirit would come upon already believing individuals as an evidence of their redemption (See Acts 19:1-7 for an example).Jesus’ use of the term the “kingdom of God” is consistent with every mention that we have seen in Scripture thus far. Therefore, this orthodox Jewish teacher and prominent societal figurehead would have automatically been drawn to the future, literal time of Messiah’s reign on Earth as He sat upon the throne of David, ruling with a rod of iron (Ps 2:9a). It is clear from Nicodemus’ response in John 3:4 that he is unsure of what Jesus has just said. His reply shows his logical progression in thinking through only the physical. Can an old man be reborn? Is it possible to retreat into the womb only to appear again? All of this was nonsense, for such feats were impossible. However, Jesus restates His antidote adding further clarification for Nicodemus’ sake. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Now we have the introduction of the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit in connection with the kingdom of God. According to Jesus both “water” and the “Spirit” are necessary for this birth, not one physically reentering the womb. In this verse, we can also see that Jesus has connected the idea of “seeing” the kingdom from v.3 with “entering” the kingdom in v.5. While our previous lessons have shown that “entering” the kingdom must be understood by its surrounding context to be speaking to either one’s justification or sanctification, it is obvious from this context that justification is in view. The idea of being born “of water and the Spirit” has seemed to confuse many regarding what it means to be “born again.” For example, in referring to the Old Testament overtones of this idea in the Greek, Barry writes, “Ezek 36:25–27 clearly combines the imagery of cleansing by water with inner renewal by the spirit (pneuma) from God.”[6] However, this cannot be correct because Jesus does not say “of water by the Spirit,” but “water and the Spirit.” There are obviously two births that must happen, not just one. Another explanation finds Borchert going to great lengths to explain the idea of being “born of water and the Spirit.” He writes, “the linkage between water and Spirit would have been familiar to the Jews since both are related to the theme of life. For a people like the Jews, who lived on the edge of the desert, water was an indispensable requirement of life (e.g., Exod 15:22–27; Pss 23:2; 42:1; 63:1), and even Christians viewed heaven as having a life-endued stream flowing from the throne of God (Rev 22:1). Concerning the life-giving Spirit, one only needs to be reminded that the breath of God brought life to Adam (Gen 2:7), and the Spirit/wind/breath of God brought life to dry bones (Ezek 37:1–14).”[7] This understanding has been concluded from specifically chosen examples in the Old Testament. Borchert’s view finds friction in that his example of Christians in the first century and their understanding of how to view “water” is derived from the book of Revelation, which had not yet been written at this point. Why not connect the “Spirit” in John 3:5 to the “Spirit” being upon King Saul or David? With no clear direction given in the text that we should understand the water and the Spirit in light of the Old Testament, we must conclude that such interpretations have no credible merit.So what is the answer? Most reasonably, and in maintaining a consistent, literal interpretation, it would seem that Jesus provides the explanation in John 3:6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, being a “natural” or “carnal” birth. However, that which is born of the Spirit is spirit, which aligns itself perfectly with the need for one to be born of “water and the Spirit” in order to “enter the kingdom of God” (3:5b). Thus, being “born of water” is one’s natural, physical birth. One must be a flesh and blood human being. This would exclude animals and demons, if for no other reason than that Jesus did not die for them. However, He did taste “death for every man” (Heb 2:9). Being “born of the Spirit” would be “regeneration,” which is something that must be elaborated upon, which Jesus does in 3:7-16.John 3:7-13. At this point, Nicodemus’ mouth must have been standing open. Jesus tells him not to be amazed (3:7). The new birth that takes place by the Spirit is likened to the wind (3:8). MacDonald writes, “Just as no one can fully understand the wind, so the new birth is a miraculous work of the Spirit of God which man is not able to comprehend fully. Moreover, the new birth, like the wind, is unpredictable. It is not possible to state just when and where it will take place.”[8] What is astonishing is that Nicodemus is seemingly ignorant of these truths (3:9). Such ignorance causes Jesus to ask, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?” (John 3:10). How could one who holds the responsibility of leading Israel in their understanding, worship, and devotion to YHWH not know these truths? Obviously, Jesus is upset with Nicodemus’ inadequacy regarding spiritual things.He then elaborates that He is testifying to what He knows and sees, which probably has a connection to Jesus’ later statements like “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure” (John 3:34) and “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 5:30). Jesus’ testimony and words are in complete consistency with those of the Father because they are from the Father and not from Jesus Himself. Such statements show us that, though He is equal with God, being perfectly God Himself, He was intentionally subservient to God, humbling Himself to do the Father’s will. In this example, Jesus shows us how to live a life on Earth that is walking with God at all times. Nicodemus’ greatest problem is that he does not accept Jesus’ testimony (John 3:11b), though He is testifying about what He knows and sees (John 3:11a). He continues in stating that Nicodemus’ rejection of earthly things shows that he cannot begin to understand “heavenly things” (John 3:12b). Jesus can testify to these things because He is the Son of Man, the One who has ascended and descended to and from heaven (John 3:13). These statements are lead to the necessary means of being “born again” by the Spirit. “If Nicodemus couldn’t grasp the meaning of spiritual truth as conveyed by concrete analogy, how would he do so if it were couched in an abstract statement? No one had ever entered into heaven to experience its realities directly except Jesus himself, the Son of Man, who had come from heaven. Revelation, not discovery, is the basis for faith.”[9] John 3:13 shows Jesus testifying to His own credibility as a sound witness to those things that He is conveying; namely that being born again is a spiritual truth that is necessary to “see/enter” the kingdom of God. He knows this because He has ascended into, and descended from, heaven.John 3:14-15. Meeting Nicodemus where he is, Jesus draws from a historical account that every Israelite would have been immediately familiar with- the serpent in the wilderness (Num 21:1-9). After being given the victory over the Canaanites (21:3), the people became impatient and began to complain about their situation. To discipline them, fiery serpents were sent among them and some of those who were bit died (21:6). In acknowledging their sin, the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help. The Lord had Moses make a bronze serpent and place it in the midst of the people. Those who looked upon it would live, even though they had been bitten (21:8-9).Jesus’ use of this historical incident serves to communicate the spiritual truth of one being born again. Jesus likens the “lifting up” of the serpent by Moses in the wilderness to His own “lifting up” that must take place on the cross (John 3:14; also 12:32-33). Jesus then supplies the reason that He must be lifted up in John 3:15 stating, “whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (ESV). Just as the people whose veins were circulating with venom were told to look upon the bronze serpent that Moses had crafted so that they could live, Jesus tells Nicodemus, with sin coursing through his being, that in order to be born again he must “look” (believe) upon Jesus and live.Look and live! That is the requirement. This “looking” is encapsulated in the word “believe,” being pisteuō in the Greek, meaning “to think to be true; to be persuaded of; to credit, place confidence in.”[10] This meaning is consistent with the idea of “conviction” and “assurance” as found in Hebrews 11:1. The result of believing is having “Life” in Him, which is eternal life. As told in John 1:4, the Life is in Christ Jesus, and only in Him; and by believing in Him, one is then given this Life. This life is eternal in that it can never be lost, since it is found in Him (Christ). Upon believing in Jesus Christ, one is imparted with Life, and this Life comes from being born again by the Spirit. Hawley writes, “While it is Biblically true that apart from Christ, the unregenerate (along with the regenerate) can do nothing to merit God's favor, faith is not meritorious and the Bible clearly teaches that regeneration is the result of faith, not the other way around.”[11] The one who believes is regenerated, meaning that they are now alive to God, have been born of the Spirit (John 3:5-6).John 3:16-18. This truth is then elaborated upon, and there is some debate about whether this elaboration (which stretches to the end of the chapter) is that of John the author, or a continuation of Jesus’ dialogue with Nicodemus. While well known, the truths of v.16 are paramount. God loves people. This is the motivation behind Him supplying a Savior for the world. People are unable to save themselves and will never be redeemed apart from some sort of intervention. God’s love sends forth His Son to live perfectly and to die perfectly for those who are imperfect. This death provides the satisfaction necessary so that justice is upheld, wrong is paid for, and guilt is extinguished. The death of Jesus Christ makes righteousness available to all who believe. This “belief” is not something that is only possible by a few, but all may believe, seeing that their sins have been paid for in full. Belief in Jesus guarantees that they will not perish but have now been given “eternal life” because they have been born again by the Spirit.Verses 17 & 18 provide clarification. In fact, v.17 speaks of God’s reason in sending His Son, namely for the purpose of saving the world. Apart from Jesus coming to Earth, there is no salvation for the human race. Jesus Christ is God’s provided perfection for the infinitely ill-deserving. His first coming was not about judgment but providing salvation for the world. However, His second coming will be a visitation of judgment in which the world will not escape (Rev 1:7, 13; 11:18; 14:7; 19:1-2, 11). But with v.18 we find that judgment is not an issue for the one who has believed in Jesus. It is only those who have not believed that are in danger of judgment. For them, the free pardon from sin’s penalty, power, and presence that Jesus supplied in His death and resurrection has not been applied. By believing (faith), this pardon is applied, and forgiveness of sin occurs. This situation is so certain that judgment is “already” upon the unregenerate person, and the cause for this condemnation is the same pitfall that has plagued mankind from the beginning: Unbelief.Jesus Christ is the Name above all names. “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). When one believes in Jesus that person is born again. The Holy Spirit makes that person alive unto God, regenerating them so that they are now a forgiven and full accepted child of God.[1] Richard Whitaker et al., The Abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew-English Lexicon of the Old Testament: From A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament by Francis Brown, S.R. Driver and Charles Briggs, Based on the Lexicon of Wilhelm Gesenius (Boston; New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1906).[2] See Francis Brown, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs, Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977), p. 88–91.[3] Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Sanhedrin,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), p. 1902.[4] Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 2 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), p. 89.[5] Merrill F. Unger, The Baptism and Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Chicago: Moody Press, 1974), p. 23.[6] John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Jn 3:5.[7] Gerald L. Borchert, John 1–11, vol. 25A, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), p. 174.[8] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), p. 1478.[9] Merrill C. Tenney, “John,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: John and Acts, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 9 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), p. 48.[10] Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon, p. 511.[11] Grant Hawley, The Guts of Grace (Allen, TX: Bold Grace Ministries, 2013), p. 158.

Listen as writer David M. Israel tells about the hero of his life, his grandmother Rosie, her love and her chicken soup. Television writer for Hulu’s The Path, John O’Connor, served our  country in Afghanistan and it took his baby boy to inspire him to tell what it was really like. Radnor & Lee play their soulful, folksy song, Be Like the Being.

The Names and Titles of Jesus – The King of Kings Episode 103 This series of the names and titles of Jesus will give us a more in-depth understanding of Jesus Christ our Lord. This is eleventh in the series. Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth Abraham blessed by Melchizedek 7 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. 4Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people— that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. 6This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor Judah Genesis 49:10 “Judah, your brothers will praise you;… The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. Israel Rejects God 1 Samuel 8 (NIV)6But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” 1 Samuel 12:12(NIV)… you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king. The Anointing of King David (1 Sam. 16) David was not “the” king of promise “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah ... For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 33:14-26). “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body and I will establish his kingdom ... Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure before me forever” (II Samuel 7:11-16). David was not “the” king of promise Isaiah speaks of the coming son who will shoulder the government “upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom ... from this time forth and for evermore” (9:6-9) Ezekiel says that the Lord “will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David” (34:23). “My servant David shall be king over them ... forever” (Ezekiel 37:24-25). Psalm 45:6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 7You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows. Once again their King would be God. God The Son Matthew 1:1-17(NIV) This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham--Jesse the father of King David David --Josiah the father of Jeconiah[and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. 12After the exile to Babylon---16and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. 17Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah. 18This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[e] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[f] because he will save his people from their sins.” 22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[g] (which means “God with us”). Luke 1 New International Version (NIV) God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Matthew 2 New International Version (NIV) 2 After Jesus from as born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ Matthew 3 The Baptism of Jesus In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him, I am well pleased.” Jesus reveals himself as the king of the Jews “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” John1:49 Teaching Parable, Parable, Parable, Parable about the kingdom of God Demonstrating His Power as King over—Satan—nature—sickness—time and space—death. Fulfilling Prophecy—Prophecy—Prophecy--Prophecy The Coming of Zion’s King Zechariah 9 9.Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth Hey Vav Hey Yod YHVH . Hebrew language reads right to left. – – Sound, pictographs meaning, and numerical value. Yod = Means extended arm and hand. Hey = Means the breath of God, behold or reveal, Abraham – 5 for Grace, Vav = Means spike or nail. It is also the number 6 in the Hebrew alphabet meaning man and is the exact center of the Torah. Hey = Means the breath of God, behold or reveal, Abraham –or  5 for Grace, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” 18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Hebrews 1 8But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” 1 Timothy 6 (NIV) Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,15which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. Revelation 3:21 King James Version (KJV) 21To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Revelation 19 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”[a] He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Psalm 21 Why do the nations conspire[a]and the peoples plot in vain? 2The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the LORD and against his anointed, saying, 3“Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” 4The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6“I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” 7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. 8 Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.9 You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. 11Serve the LORD with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. 12Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Takeaways From Psalm 2 Vs. 4-9 We have a King. Greater than all Kings, God says, My King Vs. 1-3 Tells us we, as human beings hate that King. Vs. 11-12 Declares though we who have hated Him we need the King. We will never have blessedness until we serve the King and kiss The King. He is the King of the Jews (Matt. 2:2). He is the King of Israel (John 1:49). He is the King of the nations (Rev. 15:3–4). He is the King of Heaven (Dan. 4:34, 37). He is the King of righteousness (Heb. 7:1–3). He is the King of peace (Heb. 7:1–3). He is the King of glory (Ps. 24:7–8). He is the King of the ages (1 Tim. 1:17). He is the King of all kings (Rev. 10:12, 16). Worship Jesus the King. Subscribe to the podcast: {Apple Podcasts}{Stitcher}{Google Play}{IHeartRadio}{YouTube}{Spotify}{CastBox}

THE TEN TRIALS – Trial - THE LIVING WATERSExodus 17:1… There was no water for the people to drink... and they complained against MosesAnd the Lord said to Moses, ‘Take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river. I will stand before you there on the rock between you and Mount Sinai; and you will strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may have water.” So he called the name of the place Massah (testing) and Meribah (dissatisfaction), because they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord’s presence among us or not?” That was the real test and the real complaint! 1Corinthians 10:1 I don’t want you to forget about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago.. . All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that traveled with them, and that Rock was Christ. These things were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age so that we would not crave evil things as they did. So from Christ our Rock pours forth the water (The Holy Spirit) satisfying thirst and giving life.So what is God saying to us here?GOD IS SAYING THAT HE WILL JUST KEEP SHOWING UP FOR US. BUT HE WANTS TO GIVE US A HUNGER AND A THIRST FOR HIM. John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. JESUS AT THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES (Jesus prophetically fulfilled all the feasts of Israel)John 7:37 On that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink, he who believes in Me.” As the Scripture has said, “Out of His heart will flow rivers of living water.” (The Temple Ezek 47, and the Rock Exodus 17, Zech 14). He was speaking of the Holy Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive (embrace) The activities of the FEAST OF TABERNACLES were something to make a song and dance about 1. The ceremonial drawing of water each morning from the pool of Siloam (reflected in 7:37-38)2. A reminder of the water that came from the rock smitten by Moses, when the people were in danger of perishing from thirst (Exod 17:1-6)3. A golden pitcher was filled with water and carried back to the temple. 4. Trumpet blasts and singing of Isaiah 12:3, "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." 5. A chosen priest ascended the altar then the priest called for people to come and get the water. When Jesus "stood and cried out" at that moment when the priest at the altar lifted up his hand to signify the calling to come and get the water, the effect of the cry on the multitude would have been as a thunderclap from heaven. Everybody would have known whose cry it was, and many would have seen its significance, namely that Jesus had come to embody all that past experience in the wilderness. (vs. 40 Surely this is the Prophet etc.) The police officers said ‘no one has ever spoken like this man. Nicodemus defended Jesus saying the Law couldn’t judge unless people have heard what the man has to say. Jesus had turned their historic feast into a proclamation of their (and our) salvation, our present faith, and our future hope, an astounding fulfillment of prophecy.

Lenten Study 2018 No.3: Rev'd Tom Duncanson Jesus The King of Israel John 12 v 12-33

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#WAVC 1 Kings and 2 Kings

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The book of Revelation is filed with numbers and symbolic imagery...which has led to much speculation over the centuries by interested (and imaginiative!) readers. One number that has generated a good bit of speculation is the "144,000" from the tribes of Israel John sees in his vision. Who are these people? End times believers? Jews who come to faith during the Tribulation? Or something else entirely?

Bishop Creek Community Church 7-22-12 “The Gospel Methods" # 10 in a series on The Gospel John 3:1-21 Introduction A Night Visitor John 3:1-9 Teaching the Teacher of Israel John 3:10-15 The Evangel John 3:16-21 The Challenge