Podcast appearances and mentions of jeremiah jeremiah

Did Jeremiah commit treason?

This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body and refocus your mind to experience the reality of God's presence. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination.  Genesis 2:7 NIV “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” The apostle says to the pagan philosophers in Athens… Acts 17:25, 28 NIV “He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. …‘For in him we live and move and have our being.'” God speaks through the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah… Jeremiah 23:24 CSB “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” Psalm 73:23 NIV “...I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body and refocus your mind to experience the reality of God's presence. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination.  Genesis 2:7 NIV “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” The apostle says to the pagan philosophers in Athens… Acts 17:25, 28 NIV “He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. …‘For in him we live and move and have our being.'” God speaks through the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah… Jeremiah 23:24 CSB “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” Psalm 73:23 NIV “...I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

What were the letters of the exiles and of Jeremiah?

Who would win?

This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body and refocus your mind to experience the reality of God's presence. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination.  God speaks through the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah… Jeremiah 23:24 CSB “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” The apostle says to the pagan philosophers in Athens… Acts 17:25, 28 NIV “He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. …‘For in him we live and move and have our being.'” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body and refocus your mind to experience the reality of God's presence. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination.  God speaks through the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah… Jeremiah 23:24 CSB “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” The apostle says to the pagan philosophers in Athens… Acts 17:25, 28 NIV “He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. …‘For in him we live and move and have our being.'” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

Moses, Jesus, Old Covenant, New Covenant G'day and welcome to Partake! We are now on day 23 of our series "Glimpses", looking at the story of the Bible in 30 days, from the time of creation through to the time of the fullness of redemption! Last time we looked at the beating, humiliation, scourging, crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus Christ - . Today we look at the significance of Jesus' death. As we have seen through this series, throughout history, God had made covenants with: Adam & Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and the nation Israel through the New Covenant. From the time of Adam & Eve's disobedience, God had promised through these covenants, that He would make things right once more and people could be restored to relationship with Him on an individual basis. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, that was the fulfilment of those covenants. That's why he yelled "It is finished! Into your hands I commend my Spirit!" Can you remember back and see what promises God made concerning in each of the covenants? New Covenant Lets look at the last of these covenants: the New Covenant. This New Covenant is to be contrasted with the Old Covenant or Mosaic covenant as we have called it so far, because this New Covenant finalizes what the Mosaic Covenant could only point to: the follower of God living in a life conforming to God's holy character - and that only through the death of Jesus. How is this so? The New Covenant, you may remember, had four features: Regeneration, Restoration, Indwelling and Forgiveness. Combined, these show a God of grace! This New Covenant would be all God's doing and not on what any individual person or group could do! WOW! That's, as we shall see, the significances of Jesus' death. But let's go look and the Mosaic Covenant and its relationship to the New Covenant Moses and Jesus Moses to the Jews was a super-hero and revered because it was to him that God revealed His will, law and face! Moses was the key figure in the establishment of Israel as a nation! Moses had great zeal for God and was willing to sacrifice everything for God. He had fellowship with God. It was this Moses who was held in such high regard by the Jews. Yet all this is merely a shadow and a sign of what was to come in Jesus. God's long promised Messiah would need to be greater than Moses! Was this Jesus? Lets go see! The Mosaic or Old Covenant Under the Mosaic or Old Covenant, Moses and Aaron represented God's house in Israel; Moses was the Apostle or Prophet and Aaron was the High Priest. Jesus, an Apostle and Prophet as well as being the High Priest, joined the two together. By Apostle, I mean as a Messenger - that's what an apostle is - a messenger or representative. As the Apostle of our faith, Jesus was faithful. Jesus was God's representative for us, making God known to us. Jesus was totally faithful, means to be both trusting and to be capable of being trusted. Moses was the one to whom the Law was given - the Mosaic covenant under which the Jewish people lived. This covenant with Moses commenced with the stipulation "Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me" (Exodus 19v5). This covenant was to Israel in order that those who believed God's promise to Abraham, could know how to live how God wanted them to live. This covenant with Moses covered the three areas of life: The commandments were given so they would know how to relate socially to God (Exodus 20v1-6) The judgments were given in order that they could relate socially to each other (Exodus 21v1 - 24v11) The decrees dictated their religious life so that God could be approached by humanity on His terms (Exodus 24v12 - 31v18). This Old Covenant was never meant to be as a means for providing salvation but Israel was meant to be a shining light to the nations of their God! It was given so that they could realize the helplessness and futility of their own efforts and their need of God's help. It was to serve only as a protective fence until the long promised Messiah came; the long waited for Saviour of all humanity, so that the whole world, Jew and Gentile, could be made right with God through faith and faith alone. In Comes Jesus And that is where Jesus comes in. As the Messiah and Saviour, Jesus ushered in the New Covenant, which was promised by God. Remember Jesus spoke about Himself in this role - a lot! And his claims were backed up with action! We have seen since the beginning with Adam and Eve, that it is sin, which separates humans from God - that's why they were banished from His presence! As a consequence, this leads to both a spiritual and physical death. In the Old Testament, sins were dealt with by blood sacrifices of atonement as coverings for sin, for without the shedding of blood there could be no remission of sin. A blood sacrifice is God's way of dealing with sin. These blood sacrifices of the Old Testament signified several things: Provided a covering for sin. Showed the great cost of sin. Was an exchange or substitution. Was only always going to be a temporary measure, as it pointed forward to the Messiah and until that time, it needed to be done over and over again. Go Compare! So how is Jesus better than Moses? The answer lies in the solution to sin. The ultimate solution to sin lies not in the continual animal sacrifice under the Old Covenant with Moses. This is because the blood of animals cannot take away sin but was only ever going to be a veneer or a covering. That was why it was necessary to repeat time and time again! So we see, it is only through the victorious death of Jesus, that sin is permanently taken away, because Jesus is the permanent sacrificial substitute! How is this related to the New Covenant? Remember from a couple of days ago when Jesus said at on his last night "This is the new covenant." The new covenant is a new meal, in order to remind his followers in every age about the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. In the new covenant (Luke 22v20) Jesus claims that his death was spoken about by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31v33-34). It was a new covenant in which God's people will be able to know him intimately, for their sins will be forgiven. When ever we eat the bread and drink the wine, we remember symbolically Jesus' death on the cross. Some say the bread and wine, mysteriously turn into the actual flesh and blood of Jesus Christ, but this cannot be so. For if that were to be so, the sacrifice would be seen to be done again and again: Jesus would be being re-sacrificed and that is untenable! According to Hebrews 7v27, talking about Jesus' death on the cross: "For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself." The sacrificial death of Jesus was a one time event and the bread and wine are symbolic of that one sacrifice. Jesus often talked symbolically such as when he said he was the bread of life or the living water. This new covenant was sealed only through the perfect sacrifice of the God-Man Jesus on the cross. His blood ensures the truth of this New Covenant. This New Covenant, sealed by Jesus' death, finalizes what the Mosaic Covenant could only point to: the follower of God living in a dynamic relationship with God. The death of Jesus on the cross, epitomises God's glory. Jesus Christ, simultaneously fully God and fully man, died on a Roman cross. He took on the sins of the world, paying the greatest price, so that people could choose to be restored to a dynamic relationship with God the Father. But the story doesn't finish with Jesus dying as some tragi-hero on the cross! Oh no! There is more to come! For Jesus said something about being raised on the third day and that he was the resurrection and life? How could this be if he was dead and buried? But for that you will have to wait until tomorrow! Thank you! Right mouse click or tap here to download as a MP3 audio file

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Abstract: Samuel the Lamanite expressly drew on the words of Isaiah (Isaiah 30:10) and possibly Jeremiah (Jeremiah 23:12) with a clever, powerful wordplay on forms of the Hebrew verbal root ḥlq: ḥălāqôt (“flattering words,” literally “smooth things”) and ḥălaqlaqqôt (“slippery [things]”) in Helaman 13:28–36. This wordplay established a genetic relationship between yielding oneself to those […] The post Smooth Words and Slippery Things: Samuel the Lamanite's Prophetic Use of Hebrew ḥlq first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Reading Jeremiah 11:1-23 where the people rebel against a prophet of God and even plot to kill him, beginning a new section where Jeremiah goes through many trials. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Send us a textWould you have stopped to listen to the words of gloom and doom from a crazy prophet? Or kept on walking? Sometimes, it's important to listen to things we would rather not hear.Contact and resources:Substack: https://joniscott11@substack.comInstagram Bio with Links: https://www.instagram.com/joni_scott.prayer/Facebook Page: Faith and FastingLinks to all the stuff:https://joniscott.my.canva.site/

Title:  A Broken Flask Moment – Jer. 19. | KIB468 Kingdom Intelligence Briefing   Description: Welcome to episode 468 of the Kingdom Intelligence Briefing podcast with Dr. Michael Lake and Mary Lou Lake. In this thought-provoking episode, we delve into spiritual warfare, biblical truths, and the urgency for believers to break free from Babylonian systems. This episode touches on themes of repentance, restoration, and God's divine judgment against evil. Topics Covered: Upcoming Conferences: Updates on future ministry plans, simplified schedules, and a renewed focus on impactful teaching and personal ministry. Biblical Insights from Jeremiah: Jeremiah 19's lessons on judgment and brokenness. How sin and rebellion block blessings and lead to desolation. Ancient Atrocities: A historical exploration of cannibalism, pagan practices, and their spiritual implications, tracing back to Genesis 6 and the Nephilim. Modern Parallels: Connecting ancient Babylonian practices to current societal issues, such as child trafficking, occult influences, and food contamination. Breaking Spiritual Curses: Powerful prayers for deliverance, restoration, and breaking generational curses related to unintentional consumption of spiritually tainted elements. Hope and Restoration: A call for believers to return to God's ways, embrace sanctification, and prepare for divine assignments in the end times. Key Takeaways: Sin separates us from God's blessings, but repentance leads to restoration. Understanding ancient practices helps us discern modern spiritual battles. God is equipping His remnant with wisdom and strength for the days ahead.

Reading Jeremiah 1:1-3 introducing us to a prophet named Jeremiah and the time in which he prophesied, and doing an overview of this book to consider its main themes and message. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Jeremiah - Jeremiah's call and commission. The almond rod and boiling pot. Judah's apostasy. Acts - Paul's defense before Agrippa.

Midweek - Jeremiah - 51 - Closing Jeremiah - Jeremiah 52

Basic Bible Study | Lamentations & Obadiah (Part 5) This is part 5 of 5 In today's podcast, join Chris and Robyn as they continue their discussion in Lamentations & Obadiah. Here is a breakdown of what was discussed: - the Gedaliah story unfolds much slower in Jeremiah - Jeremiah served as a prophet for 40 years - the remaining Judeans went against God & traveled to Egypt - what to read for next time “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ABOUT Opening a Bible for the first time can be intimidating. Join Amy & Robyn in an easy-to-follow discussion. This Basic Bible Study is perfect for beginners & those who have never read the Bible. Look for new podcasts every Tuesday & Friday! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BIBLE RESOURCES https://biblehub.com/ https://www.bible.com/ http://betterdaysarecoming.com/bible/pronunciation.html https://biblespeak.org/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/mybasicbiblestudy WEBSITE http://www.mybasicbiblestudy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You can contact us through e-mail or regular old snail-mail: Basic Bible Study 7797 N. 1st St. #34 Fresno, CA 93720 basicbiblestudy19@gmail.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WISE - Disciple Tap or click to save/download this Podcast as a MP3 file The concept of a Disciple was not new in the time of Jesus Christ. Christian Discipleship as evidenced in the New Testament has three primary sources. Old Testament Old Testament prophets such as Samuel (1 Samuel 19vv20-24), Elijah (2 Kings 4v1), and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36v32) all had disciples. These disciples saw the prophets as their master and this thinking was throughout the society of Israel. Take for example Isaiah, who refers to the people around him as disciples, where the relationship is primarily educational (Isaiah 8v16). The disciples referred to here were not only followers of Isaiah, but also of God. The relationship was based on a reciprocal support in order to reveal what the Lord was saying to Israel. Greek culture Classic Greek literature refers to disciples in three senses: learner (general), adherent (technical) and institutional (restricted). For those who were in the adherent context, they followed rules set by their master. Another aspect of some first century Greek thought was that a person’s highest achievement was to become like god. First century Judaism Within Jewish society at the time of the New Testament, disciples were attached to recognized masters, teachers or groups. The disciples of the Pharisees were probably attached to an academic group. Those who followed John the Baptist were seen as radical, eschewing as they did normal Jewish society. Those Jesus referred to as the disciples of Moses, concentrated on their ‘honoured’ status as followers of the one to whom God had made Himself known. One major stream of Jewish thought at the time, said that the goal of discipleship was to see God. Jesus’ Disciples Of course there were those were disciples also of Jesus, and not just the 12 disciples but all who followed him. The word we have for disciple means a pupil or learner. Therefore a Christian disciple in its base level is a follower of Jesus. A learner is a person who is undergoing life change and transforming increasingly into the image of Christ. A Christian disciple is somebody learning to be like Jesus in every facet of life, practising His presence with them and engaging their life so intimately with Him that He truly lives through them. As a Disciple of Jesus Christ, if you are one, you are called to be growing and maturing in a process that is called discipleship. This will inevitable lead to your being asked the reason for which you have your hope in Jesus Christ. If you are not actively growing and maturing, then why would anybody ask you the reason for the hope that you have in Jesus Christ? Jesus said that for you to be His disciple, it meant you have to love God totally and love other people openly. It is perhaps the best measure of the seriousness of your discipleship of Jesus Christ. Tap or click to save/download this Podcast as a MP3 file

Keywords: Jeremiah,Book of Jeremiah,Revival, Character Of God,Free Sermons, Video Sermons, Jesus Christ, What Is The Gospel, Sermon Index, What Is The Truth, kjv bible, Audio Bible, Bible, God, God's Love, Scriptures, Holy Bible, Prophets, Apostles, KJV, Jesus,Christ, audiobook, book, holy life, love, bible verses, king james bible audio, audio bible KJV, king james bible online audio, bible audio, online bible kjv, audio bible kjv, daily bible verse, bible verse of the day, KJV audio, Remastered, Best Version, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, The Chosen, Salvation, Saved, Christian, Suffering Servant, Arm of the Lord, Plants Roots, Despised Rejected, Sorrows, Peace War, Crucifixtion, The Cross, Violence, Judgement, Master Servant, Life Death, Old Testament, Exposed, Music, Education, Great Tribulation, Endtimes, Top Bible Verses, Bible Topic Prayer, Amazing Love Story, Epic, HOPE, FAITH, The MESSIAH, bc, biblical commentaries, bible commentaries, Evangelical commentaries, New Testament, Old Testament, Evangelicalism, bible study, Word of God, scripture, scriptures, Matthew Henry's biblical commentary, bible commentary, Matthew Henry commentary, God's Word, Matthew Henry, studying the Bible, understanding the Bible, God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Spiritual, Hope, Jesus Answers Prayer, Answers to Prayer, Prayer, Pray, God Answers Prayer ⚠️ Support our ministry: https://ko-fi.com/jesusanswersprayers ❓️ How does this chapter apply to you?

Episode #169 Jeremiah is known as the ‘weeping prophet'— and he genuinely had a lot to ‘cry about'! The people of Judah would not listen or repent. He was the last prophet to a culture that was headed for destruction. And, Jeremiah watched as the enemy burned the 400 year old Jewish Temple of Solomon to the ground. A LOT to weep about! But still, in his ‘lamenting' (the book of Lamentations was written by Jeremiah) Jeremiah found hope in a God who remembers— ‘great is your faithfulness' (Lamentations 3:23)!

This week, we explore Jeremiah 42 and 43 and discover our contact battle between repentance and rebellion. We also hosted two Mother's Day interviews, which we have included at the end of the message on the podcast. Thanks to the moms who shared this week! Speakers: Michael Bayne, Chelsea Bayne, and Special Guests Text: Jeremiah 42 and 43

Mark 9:43–48 (ESV) And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'The Facts About HELLThe Bible refers to the idea of hell some 54 times.OT references use the word Sheol & Hades11 out of 12 times Jesus used the phrase GehennaNT "GehennaOT "Hinnom," a valley south of JerusalemThe History Of The Valley Of Hinnom:Reign of King Ahaz - (2 Chronicles 28, 33) the valley was used by Baal worshipers to offer their children in their furnaces to their god Molech.Ministry of Jeremiah - (Jeremiah 7, 19) referred to the valley as "The Valley of Slaughter."Reign of King Josiah - (2 Kings 23:10) proclaimed "defiled" and no one was allowed to use it for any purpose.Ministry of Jesus - valley evolved into a garbage dump. Trash was burned around the clock, as well as the bodies of dead animals, criminal corpses. It was a well known hangout for lepers and the sick. There was continual smoke, stench, maggots and flies. At night, dogs could be heard fighting over the trash. The Lies About HELL/AFTERLIFEHell Does Not ExistThe Dead Cease To Exist - the atheistic belief that man, upon death, forever ceases to be and quietly rots into nothingness. Annihilationism - the belief that all the ungodly will be annihilated by God.Restorationism - The belief that all men will be given a second chance to make the choice for God that they did not make during this life.Purgatory - the belief that all those who die at peace with the church but are not perfect must undergo penal and purifying sufferings in order to go to heaven.Reincarnation - the belief that individuals return to life again in a form determined by the quality of life previously lived. Universal Heaven – the belief that everyone who believed in something arrives at heaven with everyone else who believed in something.The TRUTH About HELLHell Is Happening Right NowLuke 16:19–20, 22-23 (ESV) “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his sideHell Includes Memories Of This Life Luke 16:27–28 (ESV) And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.'Hell Will Take Anyone – it will try to claim good and bad, religious and non-religious, black and white, rich or poor, sick or healthy… it will even take youMatthew 7:22–23 (ESV) On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'Hell Is A Place Of Torment Matthew 25:30 (ESV) And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'Hell Has No Holidays - no breaks, timeouts, holidays, day off's, no future starting point to wait for or stopping point to bring comfort. Mark 9:48–49 (ESV) ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' For everyone will be salted with fire.Hell Is A Fixed DestinationLuke 16:26 (ESV) And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.'Hell Is Eternal Separation From God2 Thessalonians 1:9 (ESV) They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,You Deserve HellEzekiel 18:20 (ESV) The soul who sins shall die.Hebrews 9:27 (ESV) And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,Christ Paid Our Price To Escape HellIsaiah 53:5–6 (ESV) But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.Acts 2:38–39 (ESV) And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”You Can Impact The Future Destination Of OthersMark 16:15–16 (ESV) And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.Jude 21-23 "Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear - hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."

13. Jesus’ Last Night Luke 4:16-21 - He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’ A lot of businesses and a lot of churches have mission statements. This is Jesus’ Mission statement and after 3 years of ministry from that point, Jesus has preached the good news of God’s salvation. He has healed the sick. He will release the oppressed by His death on the cross. His mission will be fulfilled at the cross. Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles were the three most important feasts in the Jewish calendar (Leviticus 21). All Jewish men were expected to visit Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16). The Feast of Passover was to commemorate the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, and it was a time for remembering and rejoicing (Exodus 11-12). In Luke 22, we come to Jesus’ last night before He goes to that cross. Jesus Plans (Luke 22:1-6) Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve, and Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. Jews were expected to remove all yeast from their houses (Ex.12:15) as a reminder that their ancestors left Egypt in a hurry and had to eat bread without yeast. Jesus had warned his disciples about the “yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1). In other words, the religious leaders had cleansed their houses but not their hearts. The last thing the religious leaders wanted was a messianic uprising during Passover (Luke 19:11) Judas was motivated and energized by satan (John 13:2, 27) Judas was never a true believer because his sins had never been cleansed by the Lord (John 13:10-11), therefore Judas had never believed or received eternal life (John 6:64-71) Judas had been given authority and had been preaching the same message. This proves how close a person can come to the kingdom of God and still be lost (Matthew 7:21-29) 2. Jesus Prepares (Luke 22:7-13) – Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover." "Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked. He replied, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there." They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. Disciples needed a room within Jerusalem itself, and also required food - a lamb, bread, bitter herbs and wine. (Luke 22:14-23) – When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfilment in the kingdom of God." After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him." They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. The Passover meal contains historical and theological symbolism regarding the death of Jesus. This is why this meal is the model for the central act of Christian worship, which is Holy Communion. Opening Prayer First cup of wine and a dish of herbs and sauce. Story of the Passover was recited. Psalm 113 was sung Second cup of wine Prayer of Grace Main course of roast lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs A further prayer Third cup of wine. Psalm 114 to 118 were then sung. Fourth cup of wine. 3. Jesus Serves Jesus washes the disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17) As part of the custom of the day, a servant or slave usually undertook foot washing of guests. Since none of the disciples had done this, Jesus Himself undertakes the task (John 13:4-5). Peter, recalcitrant and resistant as always, objects (John 13:6, 8). Peter learns that only those cleansed by Jesus and trusting in Him fully, can be a part of the kingdom (John 13:7, 9). As we look back at this episode, knowing what we do now of the Cross, we learn how this simple act of washing feet is symbolic of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the Cross. Both events display great love and service. Just as Peter opposed Jesus going to the cross (Matthew 16:21-23), so he objected to having his feet washed here Jesus’ getting up to serve symbolizes His coming to serve. As he took off his cloak, this symbolizes the taking off of His glory when He became man. Girding Himself with a towel, symbolizes his taking on human flesh at the incarnation. As the water cleansed the feet, so Jesus death and blood cleanse from sin. As He returned to where he was sitting and sat down after finishing this act of service, Jesus returned to the right hand of God after his work on the Cross. When we became Christian Disciples, our sins were forgiven through Jesus’ death on the Cross. That is when we had our “bath” as it were. That is the point when we were justified before God and we are declared His child. Having been justified already, we don’t need a bath anymore! But we do need the equivalent of a feet-washing daily, and or every time we take Holy Communion, and a cleansing of our sin when we confess it before our God and repent. 4. Jesus Speaks (Luke 22:24-38) Reading Luke 22: 25-30: Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. In this teaching we see that The disciples, the new leaders, will judge the tribes of Israel His followers are to serve gladly His followers will be tested His followers will be persecuted and are to show love. Compare the Plans! Plans – The contrast between the plan of Jesus and those of his enemies. Plans of Jesus Jesus is in control Plans the Passover meal (Luke 22:7-12) The meal is part of His plan (Luke 22:16) He knows Judas’ plan (Luke 22:21-22) Replaces the old leaders of God with his men (Luke 22: 30) Plans of His enemies Plotting to kill Jesus (Luke 22:2) Arranges for Judas to betray Jesus (Luke 22:3) Satan’s purpose is to destroy Jesus (Luke 22:3, Luke 22:31) All the elements in the plot conspiring against Jesus had been allowed for. The death of Jesus was no accident (1 Peter 1:18-21) “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” New Covenant The new covenant is a new meal, in order to remind his followers in every age about the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. In the new covenant (Luke 22:20) Jesus claims that his death was spoken about by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:33-34). It was a new covenant in which God’s people will be able to know him intimately, for their sins will be forgiven. For more to think about please ask yourself the following questions and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together. Q1. How often are my feet washed or my sins confessed? Q2. Read Philippians 2. How does this passage relate to John 13 and how should I react to it? Q3. How often am I prepared to serve and do the little jobs that need doing, instead of waiting for somebody else to do them? Right mouse click or tap here to save this podcast episode as a mp3

Bible Studies with Russ Bonus Study - The Cry of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 2)

The Book of Jeremiah is a collection of prophetic writings filled with God's confrontation with people who have walked away from Him. These are people He loves. These are people He will work through to bring Jesus to the world. Jeremiah is called to speak directly to a stubborn and rebellious people. The book is filled with themes of judgment, justice, grace, & hope. Speaker: Mike Kuckel Text: Jeremiah 1

Rachel's Story Right mouse click and save to download the file of this sermon. Genesis 29v14-30 Now that may be to some a long passage, but it helps set up the story of Rachel. Sounds like a modern day soap opera like Holby City, Eastenders or Coronation Street doesn't it? Rachel had a fairly complicated family structure as we have seen, so lets try to unravel it! Rachel's sister Rebekah was Jacob's mother. Rebekah trained Jacob to scheme in order to gain his father's blessing and promised him that she would take the results of the deceitful act upon herself. Rachel became Jacob's wife, but only after Laban had tricked him into marrying Leah, the older daughter first. We can wonder if Rachel encouraged Jacob in his trickery, or if she was influenced by him to think first of herself at the expense of others. Whether his mother and/or his wife influenced Jacob, or indeed if he influenced them, both Rebekah and Rachel serve as examples of the outcome of sinful deceit and discontent. Some personal details about Rachel So, who was Rachel? Born in Aramea (Syria) Daughter of Laban Second wife of Jacob, her first cousin. Mother of Joseph & Benjamin. Ancestress of three tribes of Israel- Benjamin, Ephraim & Manasseh (Sons of Joseph). Possessed great beauty (Genesis 29:17) Devious (Genesis 31:19, 34-35) Not single-minded in devotion to God. Probably did not put away her idols until shortly before she died. Her sorrow is depicted by Jeremiah (Jeremiah. 31), to signify the sorrow of Israel's people at the exile of Israel to Assyria and Babylon. Now let us look at some of the main people involved in the life of Rachel: her father, sister, husband and children. Her Father Firstly, here is Laban - her dad! Laban was a crafty sort of character. Over the course of 20 years he switched Jacob's wives, wages and livestock for his own advantage. He was devious and deceitful. It was probably his philosophy that Rachel imitated in her long search for fulfilment, for she too, was always looking to protect or enhance her own position be means of cheating and deceit. Although she resembled her father in this way, Rachel had little respect for him. The only subject about whom she seemed to agree with Leah about was that their father had cheated them. Jacob told his wives that he had noticed that Laban's attitude toward him had changed (Genesis 31:2), and that God had directed him to return to the land of his fathers (Genesis 31:14-16). But Rachel went one further step than her sister. She stole her father's household gods, the inheritance, and Jacob did not know either. When Laban found out, and caught up with Jacob, Jacob angrily insisted that Laban search among his goods, and he promised to put to death anyone found to have taken them (Genesis 31:33-35). Her Sister Secondly, lets look at Rachel's sister Leah. To a certain point, Rachel's relationship with her sister affected her marriage with Jacob since Leah also happened to be married to Jacob (Genesis 30:11). There began a fierce competition between the Leah and Rachel over their rights to Jacob's sexual attention. Rachel insisted that Jacob sleep with her maid Bilhah so that she could build a family through her servant. Two sons were born, Dan & Naphtali (Genesis 30:1-8). When Leah stopped bearing children of her own, she gave her maid Zilpah to Jacob. Two more sons were added. Rachel was far from satisfied her jealousy was not eased. (Genesis 30:14-16) During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." But she said to her, "Wasn't it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son's mandrakes too?" "Very well," Rachel said, "he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son's mandrakes." So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. "You must sleep with me," she said. "I have hired you with my son's mandrakes." So he slept with her that night. We may be surprised to see in this passage Jacob's abdication of his own authority over the household in the face of these fighting sisters!!! We see Leah's readiness to drive a hard but petty bargain when she had the opportunity. But we also see the extent to which Rachel jealously guarded her territorial claim to Jacob against her sister. Rachel was not the older sister, nor the first wife, but she was clearly the more dominant woman. Though she granted her a night with Jacob in exchange for mandrakes, Rachel would have had to answer no the Leah's question, "Wasn't it enough that you took away my husband?" No, she would have to respond! Discontent continued to smoulder within her, as not one thing was ever enough for Rachel. Her Husband Thirdly here is her husband, Jacob! When Jacob fled from the wrath of his brother Esau, he obeyed his mother's advice and went to Haran in search of his uncle Laban. First he found Rachel, a shepherdess, and daughter of Laban. Jacob identified himself as her cousin, kissed her, and wept aloud. Rachel was a very beautiful woman, and Jacob was soon falling head over heels in love with her. He offered to work for Laban to earn Rachel as his bride. (Genesis 29:20). On the wedding night, however, the crafty Laban put his daughter Leah into the marriage bed. Jacob was angry, but there was nothing to be done but to fulfil Leah's bridal week and then marry Rachel. (Genesis 29:30). Later, in the wake of the sisters' competition over children, two maidservants were elevated to wife status as well, but Rachel was always the most loved. We see this in the care with which Jacob protected her by placing her with Joseph at the end of the caravan when he met Esau again after 20 years (Genesis 33:1-3). Years later, Jacob's preference for Rachel's children Joseph and Benjamin was painfully obvious to his other ten sons (Genesis 37:3, 45:18-19). Unfortunately, the only person who failed to recognize this supreme love and to rest in it, was Rachel herself. God's gifts of love, beauty, or intelligence, can only reach their full potential for His glory when they are acknowledged and received by the individual who has received them. The extent to which these gifts are developed depends largely on the person's attitude and response to them. In the same way, a woman may be loved by a man, but she will only radiate that love the degree that she chooses to receive and rest in it. Rachel was more beautiful and beloved than her sister Leah, yet Leah learned to find peace through focusing on God's care in the midst of her difficult circumstances. Neither God's blessing of physical beauty nor the love of Jacob was enough for Rachel. Her Children Now finally: her children. For 13 years Rachel was childless. The social problems for women with no children were terrible. Rachel must have suffered a lot whenever Leah, Bilhah and Zilpah became pregnant, while she remained childless. She took out her frustration on her poor husband Jacob, even though it was not his fault and he would not have it put upon him (Genesis 30:2). God's participation in the miracle of life is evident in these chapters, especially Genesis 29:31; 30:17 when God remembered Leah, and also when Rachel finally becomes pregnant Genesis 30:22-24. Rachel had waited a long time for God to bless her in this way. Perhaps He was waiting to see whether her attitude might improve. It did not. Rachel stubbornly refused to be satisfied with her circumstances. She persisted in looking at the negative side of her situation. When Rachel's maid Bilhah bore Jacob a son in her name, she named him Dan (Genesis 30:6) which means "God has vindicated.". While recognizing God had heard her prayers, she regarded the child as her right to make up for her past suffering, rather than a free gift to her out of His love. When Bilhah's second son was born she named him Naphtali, which means "my struggle". Again she considered the child a sign of victory over her sister in reward for her unhappiness. Even the birth of Rachel's own son Joseph did not satisfy her (Genesis 30:23-24). One son was not enough. Nothing was enough. Many years passed. Jacob built up his herds and left Laban (Genesis 31). He was reconciled with his brother Esau (Genesis 32 & 33). He settled in Shechem, where his elder sons killed all the men and plundered the city in revenge for the violation of their sister (Genesis 34). God told Jacob to move his family to Bethel, where he renewed his covenant. (Genesis 35:16-18). Here Rachel aptly expressed her perception of her whole life and revealed her capacity for self-pity when as she died giving birth, named her baby Ben-Oni "son of her trouble." Her devoted husband over-ruled her choice and gave him the name that means "son of my right hand", Benjamin, suggesting that perhaps not only that he would treasure this son in a special way, but also that Rachel had been like a right hand to him. Rachel was probably a very positive supportive wife for Jacob, but this cannot be proved from what the Bible says. When Rachel died, Jacob honoured her tomb with a pillar, and to this day the site apparently remains an important landmark for Jews in Bethlehem. In her lifetime, however, it seems that all Rachel constructed - was a monument to her own misery. The Story continues There we have the pen portraits of Rachel's father Laban, Rachel's sister Leah, Rachel's husband and Rachel's children - with an gleaning idea of her relationship with all of them. Here it is perhaps helpful to discuss 2 points about culture at that time. First, the household gods represented tokens of inheritance more than just symbols of idolatry. Whoever had them, could lay claim to a man's property after his death. Second, as God later spelled out for the Israelites, it was considered an act of uncleanness to touch a woman during her period of menstruation or anything on which she sat (Leviticus 14:19-23). God intended it as a health precaution, but Rachel used it to hide her theft. As she expected, Laban did not bother searching any further. Because she had an older sister and several brothers, Rachel must have realized that she had no real claim to her father's property, regardless of who had the idols. Her act was spontaneous, motivated by a desire to retaliate against her family rather than for self gain. The combination of stealing and lying was simply another expression of the dissatisfaction. The household gods were buried after Jacob commanded them to be (Genesis 35). What alternative did Rachel have? How can people resolve their feelings of resentment in productive, permanent ways? Leah's life demonstrates a determination to face facts, confess her feelings and focus on the Lord as a reliable source of fulfilment in every circumstance. Jacob also learned to accept his difficult situation by finding evidence of God's blessing even in the midst of hardship (Genesis 31:5, 7, 9). But Rachel consistently refused to be comforted by the blessings God had faithfully provided. She chose instead to brood over her father's treachery, her sister's fertility, her husband's conflicting duties and her own failure to have children. Rather than making the best of her current circumstances, she was haunted be the past and her unfulfilled dream of what could have been; and consistently entered into self-pity parties. She insisted on trying to twist the future into what she wanted. To be lovely and much loved is what so many people want to be and have. Yet it wasn't enough for Rachel: she wanted more. So why is Rachel in the Bible? Firstly she is mentioned in Jeremiah 31, where she signifies the sorrow of Israel's people at the exile to Assyria and Babylon. Then there is Matthew 2, where she symbolizes the sorrow of the women of Israel weeping at the loss of the babies during Herod's killing of children in the early years of Jesus. But thirdly and perhaps the most important reason is found in Ruth 4v11, where she is honoured with Leah by later generations as those "who together built up the house of Israel". This would seem to suggest that despite her obvious and many faults, Rachel with Leah, were well respected by the Jews as the "mothers" of Israel. There were 12 tribes of Israel, all sons or grandsons of Jacob, and heard his prophecies concerning them & their future (Genesis 49). The names of the twelve tribes were Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Dan, Naphtali, Benjamin and the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. Levi, the third son was not included amongst the tribes given land. Moses instead set the Levites apart to be priests (Numbers 3:1-4, 49). Conclusion Perhaps there are 3 kinds of people here tonight. Firstly, if you are a Christian here tonight, how and in what way are you like Rachel? As you go through your day, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you ways in which you may well be deceitful, vengeful, dwelling on the past bitterly or engaged in constant self-pity. Are you like Rachel, headed downhill on a course of dissatisfaction that may end in dishonesty and deceit, or in disappointment and despair? Accept God's love. Believe that in every trial He desires us to draw closer to Him, so that we can be energized by Him and realize that He alone and only He is enough. Ask for forgiveness for dwelling on the past and any inappropriate behaviour where those things were involved. God is faithful and just and will forgive if you go to Him with a penitent heart. Then no long dwell on those things, for they are in the past, are forgotten and not to be remembered any more. So forgetting what is past, go into the future with a new outlook of service to God and others. That way your life will be a living prayer and a living witness to others about the great God you serve, love and worship. Secondly, you may be a Christian but you are the victim of somebody else's deceit and dishonesty - then forgive them before God and as far as it is possible, ask that person for forgiveness. Bitterness, envy and pride can eat away and cause much misery, sin and depression. Finally, if it happens that you are not a Christian here tonight, then please do see one of the leaders or myself and we would be glad to tell you how you can be free from a life of dissatisfaction, deceit and dishonesty - both as the victim and perpetrator of such things. Know that Jesus Christ is above deceit, never dissatisfies and is never dishonest - His word is true and He seeks you, to be in a relationship with you, where His love is always serving, always humble and always satisfies. As I said, come and see one of us after if that is you.. Thank you. Right mouse click or tap here to to download the MP3 file of this sermon.

In this week's episode I was joined by Jeremiah Boucher, founder of Patriot Holdings. We chatted about a large project he has underway and how he's applying creative strategies to deal with it. 0:00 - Introduction 0:37 - A 350,000 sq ft industrial building 15:08 - Dealing with short term leases 21:21 - Marketing to small tenants 26:08 - Other challenges 32:23 - Jeremiah's forecast for industrial 36:40 - Connect with Jeremiah -- Jeremiah's website: https://jeremiahboucher.com/ Get Jeremiah's new book Finding Your Edge: How to Win at the Game of Commercial Real Estate Investing (Investor's Edge): https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-E... -- Popular videos:

Jeremiah - Jeremiah's call and commission. The almond rod and boiling pot. Judah's apostasy. Acts - Paul's defense before Agrippa.

Jeremiah - Jeremiah's Call and Commission, The Almond Rod and Boiling Pot, Judah's Apostasy Acts - Paul's Defense before Agrippa

The book of Jeremiah gives us a glimpse into the heart of a suffering prophet and is instructive in how we think about our own emotions and the emotions of God.

How God Speaks to us Does God speak? Old Testament:Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:9-19).Noah (Genesis 6:13-22).Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3)Sarah (Genesis 18:9-15).Moses (Exodus 3:1-10) Aaron (Exodus 28:1-3).Miriam (Numbers 12:1-15)Joshua (Joshua 1:1-9)Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1-18)David (2 Samuel 12:1-15)Solomon (1 Kings 3:5-14).Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-13).Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:4-10).Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:1-3).Daniel (Daniel 7:1-28).Elijah (1 Kings).Jonah (Jonah 1:1-2).New Testament:Mary (Luke 1:26-38).Joseph (Matthew 1:20-24; Matthew 2:13-15).Zacharias (Luke 1:5-25).Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-45).The Shepherds (Luke 2:8-20).The Wise Men (Matthew 2:12).Simeon (Luke 2:25-35).Paul (Acts 9:1-19) Does God still speak today? Yes and No. If you hear God, you might not be crazy.96% of evangelicals talk to God, 45% believe God talks to them.Do you hear His voice? There is no formula. Hebrews 1:1-4 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. How does God speak? Prayer Acts 12:12-17 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place. Mother Teresa (1910-1997 CE)"God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer."Scripture 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. Spiritual Leaders and Communities2 Peter 1:19-21 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Morning Star - “Light Bringer” Phosphorous - illumines hearts “carried along” = pheromenoi. Luke used this word in referring to a sailing vessel carried along by the wind Nature and Creation Romans 1:19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

The Call of Jeremiah - God's prophet of judgment on Jerusalem and the nations.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/lets-talk-scripture/donations

UWACU Campus Bible Talk (25 July 2023)

Jeremiah 1:1 Send Kurt a postcard! c/o Faith Baptist Church
 4105 Plank Road
 Fredericksburg, VA 22407

Message from Bryan Blazosky on January 8, 2023

Sunday, December 18, 2022 5:00pm

What do we know about prophecy in the time of Josiah (640-609 BCE)? According to the biblical narrative sources, we know that Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:1-3) and Zephaniah (Zephaniah 1:1) were hearing from God during the reign of Josiah. But readers of these texts are left with questions. Did Josiah even know these two prophets? The […]

Jeremiah // Jeremiah was called to speak of the uprooting and destruction of nations, including Judah, and their eventual rebuilding and replanting.

October 10-16 Jeremiah was foreordained for the tough prophetic job he was called to do. The Lord said, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). We often point to those verses as a reminder that the Bible does refer to a pre-mortal existence, but something else strikes us additionally here. It is as if the Lord said, “Jeremiah, I am going to send you one of the toughest, most heart-rending missions that a prophet can have, preaching to a society who have obstinately doomed themselves, and who will never listen to you, but I have chosen you, because I know you. My eye has been upon you. I've seen you from the beginning and I trust you for this mighty, unpopular and sometimes agonizing calling.

Scripture Reading: John 10:1-42 1 “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not recognize the stranger's voice.” 6 Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.7 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the solemn truth, I am the door for the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. 13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, he runs away.14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This commandment I received from my Father.”19 Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind! Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, can it?”22 Then came the feast of the Dedication in Jerusalem. 23 It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area in Solomon's Portico. 24 The Jewish leaders surrounded him and asked, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus replied, “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds I do in my Father's name testify about me. 26 But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father's hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”31 The Jewish leaders picked up rocks again to stone him to death. 32 Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good deeds from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jewish leaders replied, “We are not going to stone you for a good deed but for blasphemy because you, a man, are claiming to be God.”34 Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods'? 35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods' (and the scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,' because I said, ‘I am the Son of God'? 37 If I do not perform the deeds of my Father, do not believe me. 38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, so that you may come to know and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” 39 Then they attempted again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches.40 Jesus went back across the Jordan River again to the place where John had been baptizing at an earlier time, and he stayed there. 41 Many came to him and began to say, “John performed no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man was true!” 42 And many believed in Jesus there.Main ThemesShepherds in AntiquitySheepIn the ancient world, both Jew and Gentile, sheep were prized. They provided wool; meat; milk that could be turned into cheese; and, leather that could be turned into “canteens” to carry liquids. Shepherds cared for sheep and oftentimes goats as well.Sheep (and goats) would learn to follow the voice and pipe of the shepherd. (Forgive me, I tried learning more about what a shepherd's pipe may have looked like or sounded like, but I did not gain a good level of confidence on the material I found. Suffice it to say, it was some kind of flute, perhaps made of reeds.) Obedient animals could be led by voice and pipe without requiring the use of a staff. We have modern examples of shepherds guiding over 200 sheep by walking slowly and giving them a call about every forty seconds. In our daily lives, the closest analogue to this would be our relationships with our dogs.Shepherds' ReputationsShepherds were important in Old Testament times. Moses was a shepherd (Exodus 3:1). David was a shepherd (1 Samuel 16:11). Yet, despite the greatest patriarchs of the Jewish people being shepherds, the profession became despised by the elite during Jesus' time. As Craig Keener points out in his John commentary, contemporary texts portrayed shepherds as rogues, thieves, and murderers. Shepherds were considered the only class of people lower than peasants. And these texts include not only gentile sources. Surprisingly, Jewish rabbis shared these opinions considering shepherds as dishonorable—like tax collectors.In Chapter 10, Jesus is obviously speaking with a positive outlook on shepherds, very much in keeping with the Old Testament precedent. What we might not consider as we read the text is that Jesus is speaking to the religious elite, who probably do not share Jesus' positive description of pastoral life. This does not change the theological meaning of the text, but it informs us about the tone of the conversation. By this point in Chapter 10, the argument between Jesus and the religious elite has reached a boiling point. Jesus' use of shepherds in his parable probably did not bring the temperature down.The SheepfoldMany households would have owned sheep in Jesus' time. If the sheep were being kept “at home,” then they would be kept in the modern equivalent of the yard. (Perhaps our closest equivalent word would be the curtilage.) The yard was surrounded by a tall wall made of a permanent material, such as stone. There would be a door to enter the yard. Teenagers who were part of the household may be hired to care for the sheep. This may be the image we encounter in the first few verses of Chapter 10.Large herds, though, were not kept in anyone's backyard. They would be out in pastures and moved around from pasture to pasture as the seasons changed. The herds would have been taken higher into the mountains during summer and low into the valleys in winter. Neither the shepherd nor the sheep were safe during all this travel. Lions, wolves, and criminals posed dangers. We will discuss these dangers in a minute. For now, I want to focus on the kind of enclosure in which sheep could be kept when out in the pastures. A shepherd could use a cave, build a temporary shelter with thornbushes for sides, or perhaps use a temporary summer shelter built of stone walls topped with briars. This last kind of shelter would have no door but simply an opening, so the shepherd would sleep across the opening, himself acting as the door.Different shepherds might share the same sheepfold at night. We may think that separating the animals would be difficult in the morning, but that was not the case. The sheep would distinguish the voice of their shepherd and follow him.Thieves and RobbersThieves and robbers were common at the time. Technically there was a difference between the two. Generally, thieves broke into homes and robbers assaulted travelers.Robbers may not only steal sheep but kill the shepherd. Bands of robbers could grow powerful enough to require military intervention. Shepherds had to be ready for combat, which was part of the reason they carried a staff. They also had vicious dogs with them, but it is unclear how often dogs were used by Jewish shepherds. (Dog's were ceremonially unclean.)Of course, the words thieves and robbers were also used as insults. For example, a politician who exploited his people might be referred to as a robber. Pagan nations oppressing Israel could be referred to likewise.Shepherds in the Old TestamentThe last bit of background we need to better understand Chapter 10 is Ezekiel 34. Certainly Ezekiel 34 is not the only chapter in the Old Testament that calls Israel sheep, but it is the primary allusion in John 10. I quote verses 1-24 below,1 The Lord's message came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the choice animals, but you do not feed the sheep! 4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled over them. 5 They were scattered because they had no shepherd, and they became food for every wild beast. 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over the entire face of the earth with no one looking or searching for them.7 “‘Therefore, you shepherds, listen to the Lord's message: 8 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, my sheep have become prey and have become food for all the wild beasts. There was no shepherd, and my shepherds did not search for my flock, but fed themselves and did not feed my sheep. 9 Therefore, you shepherds, listen to the Lord's message. 10 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand my sheep from their hand. I will no longer let them be shepherds; the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, so that they will no longer be food for them.11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will seek out my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a cloudy, dark day. 13 I will bring them out from among the peoples and gather them from foreign countries; I will bring them to their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams and all the inhabited places of the land. 14 In a good pasture I will feed them; the mountain heights of Israel will be their pasture. There they will lie down in a lush pasture, and they will feed on rich grass on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will feed my sheep and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 I will seek the lost and bring back the strays; I will bandage the injured and strengthen the sick, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them—with judgment!17 “‘As for you, my sheep, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture that you must trample the rest of your pastures with your feet? When you drink clean water, must you muddy the rest of the water by trampling it with your feet? 19 As for my sheep, they must eat what you trampled with your feet and drink what you have muddied with your feet!20 “‘Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: Look, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with your side and your shoulder, and thrust your horns at all the weak sheep until you scatter them abroad, 22 I will save my sheep; they will no longer be prey. I will judge between one sheep and another.23 “‘I will set one shepherd over them, and he will feed them—namely, my servant David. He will feed them and will be their shepherd. 24 I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken!The Parable of the Shepherd and the SheepForgive me, that was a lot of background information before we got to today's text. But, hopefully, all that information will help us understand the text with more depth.Parables in John's GospelOne final side note. You may have heard that the Gospel of John contains no parables. Yet, in John 10:6 you see the word “parable.” Why would people say that, then? The Greek word in John 10 is paroimian. When the Gospel of Matthew, for example, introduces a parable, it uses the word parabolēn. Some people argue that these two terms are not synonymous. The former might mean something more like a riddle while the latter truly means parable. However, both terms are used in the Septuagint to translate the Hebrew term “mashal,” and the paroimian in John 10 behaves just like a parable in Matthew's gospel: Jesus uses earthly shepherds as analogies. I do not believe that there is any meaningful distinction between John's paroimian and Matthew's parabolēn, so I will call the text in John 10 a parable.Sheep Kept at HomeIn verses 1 through 6, Jesus seems to describe the very familiar situation in which sheep were kept “at home.” As I explained above, sheep would be kept in the modern equivalent of the front and backyards. The yard was surrounded by a tall, stone wall. Someone was tasked with watching the sheep and the door. In the parable, the one who enters through the door is one who belongs to the household. He is known to the doorkeeper. The thieves and robbers do not belong to the household, so they must sneak in. Moreover, when the member of the household returns, his sheep recognize him. Notice that there is a bidirectional familiarity described here. Of course the “household member” is familiar with his household; but also, the household (i.e., the doorkeeper and the sheep) is familiar with him.To better understand the parable, let's recall the passage from Ezekiel I quoted above,The Lord's message came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the choice animals, but you do not feed the sheep! You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled over them. As the last piece of the puzzle, let's also recall Matthew 23. In the first 7 verses of that chapter, Jesus speaks of the Pharisees as follows,[T]hey do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long. They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces and to have people call them “Rabbi.”I think the connection of John 10, Ezekiel 34, and Matthew 23 is hard to deny. Jesus' parable demotes the religious leaders from selfish shepherds (like in Ezekiel) to outright thieves and robbers—people outside the household and unrecognizable to the sheep. This is a harsh condemnation of the Pharisees. They are outside of the God's family. Of all people, those who considered themselves most holy stand damned.Sheep Out in the FieldIn verses 7 through 13, Jesus continues to use the shepherd analogy but seemingly changes the setting. Now Jesus seems to be describing a situation in which sheep are being kept in a temporary, summer sheepfold. As I described above, this would have been a temporary structure made of stone and briars. It would not have a door, so the shepherd slept across the opening and became the door himself. If this is the situation that Jesus had in mind, describing himself as the door makes perfect sense. Notice he is still the shepherd, so there is no lack of continuity in the parable.For anyone to enter the fold properly, they must go through Jesus. If they enter the fold any other way, they are nothing but a thief or a robber. Remember, the Jews believed that they were already part of God's family. They shared in God's inheritance because they were descendants of Abraham. Jesus is denying this. Jesus is denying there is any other way to enter God's family but through faith in him. The parable goes a step further. It accuses these impostors of causing harm to the sheep. The Pharisees are not innocently mistaken people; they have evil desires.In verse 11, the parable becomes prophetic. The good shepherd will sacrifice his own life for the sheep. Jesus will do exactly that on the cross. Contrast the good shepherd with the “hired hands.” We understand the difference between an owner and a hired hand very well. People do not take good care of things that are not theirs. The sheep owner is willing to risk (and lose) his life protecting the sheep. The hired hand says, “they don't pay me enough for this” and runs away. If Jesus is the good shepherd, who are the hired hands? Probably the Pharisees. Parables tend to have one message and not multiple, complex messages. Jesus is probably repeating that same, simple message multiple times. In this last iteration of the parable, the Pharisees are described as cowards who did not take real “ownership” of their jobs and left the sheep to die.Knowing GodThe idea of knowing God is found throughout the Old Testament. For example, in Exodus 6:7 God says, “I will take you to myself for a people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from your enslavement to the Egyptians.” In John 10, however, this “knowledge” grows exponentially. Jesus explains that his “own” know him and he knows them—just as the Father knows Jesus and Jesus knows the Father! We must stop and consider the weight of this statement. Consider the intimacy that exists between the Father and the Son. They are one. Believers somehow are elevated to a similar level of closeness with God.Of course, I am not suggesting that believers become one in substance with God. That would be heretical, to say the least. We are creation, he is creator. There is an unbreachable ontological chasm between us. But that is the very reason that we should be shocked when Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” We are brought into a “knowledge” of God that far exceeds that of even the biblical prophets. Remember the words of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 24:7), “I will give them the desire to acknowledge that I am the Lord. I will be their God, and they will be my people. For they will wholeheartedly return to me.” Our division with God is finally fully remedied. How is this accomplished? Consider John 14:15-17, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments. Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept because it does not see him or know him. But you know him because he resides with you and will be in you.”Another SheepfoldJesus will call another sheep “that do not come from this sheepfold.” Who are these other sheep? Let's consider the alternatives. This could be referring to uniting Ephraim and Judah—that is, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel. In Jesus' time, the northern kingdom was called Samaria. Jesus could also be referring to the Diaspora Jews. For example, when the high priest in Chapter 11 refers to gathering “God's scattered children,” he is referring to Diaspora Jews. This also seems to be the most obvious meaning in passages like Ezekiel 34:13, “I will bring them out from among the peoples and gather them from foreign countries.” The last alternative is that Jesus is referring to Gentiles. I think this is the correct interpretation for multiple reasons. The passage speaks of sheep that are not of “this sheepfold.” Both Ephraim and the Diaspora Jews would be of “this sheepfold.” They are scattered, sure, but they are from the same source. The words of the high priest in Chapter 11 are not dispositive of what Jesus meant in Chapter 10. Also, although Ezekiel's listeners would have interpreted his prophecy to mean Diaspora Jews, we understand Old Testament prophesies were often “bigger” than the original audience would have understood. The Jews expected a political king; they received a king of the universe instead. The Jews expected deliverance for their nation; they received deliverance for the whole world instead. The Jews expected a gathering of the Diaspora; they received a gathering of the whole world instead. Contemporary Jews already believed that Gentiles who converted to Judaism became part of the Jewish people. So, the idea of sheep from another sheepfold becoming part of the Jewish sheepfold would not have been strange. And, finally, this is the interpretation favored by the New Testament. Consider, for example, Romans 11:17. Paul explicitly refers to Gentiles (“wild olive shoots”) as being grafted onto the main olive tree. This is an equivalent analogy to the sheep of another sheepfold.Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah)The SettingHanukkah is an extrabiblical feast—it was not ordained in the Old Testament. A website explains the origin of the feast as follows:When Israel was under the Syrian-Greek Empire, the Temple in Jerusalem had been desecrated and set up as a house of worship to Zeus. A faithful Hebrew priest, Mattathias and his family, known as the Maccabees, led a rebellion for several years to restore Israel's independence and their ability to worship Yahweh properly. According to the second book of Maccabees, the time for the festival of Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles, which is a remembrance of Yahweh's provision for the Israelites in the wilderness) passed shortly before their victory. But the Jewish people did not celebrate because the Temple was not in order.However, when they did achieve victory, they began to restore the Temple and they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles in conjunction with a rededication of the Temple to Yahweh.Hanukkah is celebrated approximately three months after the Feast of Tabernacles, in the wintertime. The season alone would have made it a less popular feast. Like the Feast of Tabernacles, Hanukkah was celebrated for seven days. Notice that Hanukkah celebrated national liberation, not a religious theme. Naturally, we may expect fewer connections between the feast and the biblical passage in John 10.Using a “portico” or porch during the wintertime would have been natural. It provided some shelter from the elements while a speaker gathered with his audience.The Messianic SecretThe Jewish leaders surround Jesus and demand an answer. “Tell us who you are!” (I am paraphrasing, of course.) This naturally raises the question of the Messianic Secret, which I will explain in a minute. However, before we even get to that, let's get to the main irony. In verse 30, Jesus humors them and clearly replies, “I am God.” (Again, I am paraphrasing.). And the Jewish leaders try to kill him. The answer to their question has been clear, it is made clear again, and it is simply not an answer they are willing to accept.What is the Messianic Secret? As a Christian website explains,The Messianic Secret is a theme of biblical criticism developed in 1901 by a German Lutheran theologian named Wilhelm Wrede. The Messianic Secret involves Wrede's explanation for Jesus wanting to hide His identity from His enemies by commanding the disciples to keep silent about His mission on earth and the miracles He performed. Wrede claimed that Jesus did not ever think He was the Messiah and that Mark (and the rest of the New Testament authors) sensationalized Jesus and made Him into the Messiah. Wrede claims Mark added the Messianic Secret in an attempt to give a reason for why Jesus was not accepted by many as Messiah until after His death. Wrede's theory enjoyed some popularity during the 1920s but faded soon thereafter.Is there any biblical basis for Wrede's theory? It is undeniable that Jesus told His disciples on several occasions to keep what He had done secret. Each of those incidents, however, has a much more plausible explanation than the one put forth by Wilhelm Wrede. Further, each is consistent with the other Gospel accounts, and not an invention by Mark.In Mark 1:43–45 Christ commanded the leper He had healed, “‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.' But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.” Jesus knew the publicity about the healing would hinder His ability to minister in the area, which is exactly what happened when the leper disobeyed, and worse, the sensationalism caused by miraculous healings would hamper the spreading of His message. Because of the leper's disobedience, Jesus could no longer enter a city without being mobbed by those seeking healing, causing Him to abandon His ministry in the city and keep to relatively uninhabited areas. The healing of the leper is also found in Matthew 8:1–4 and Luke 5:12–16, with Luke reiterating the reason for the command for secrecy in verses 15–16.Further “evidence” for Wrede's theory of secrecy involves the explanation for Jesus speaking in parables in Mark 4:11 where He tells His disciples that the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God had been given to them, but to others He spoke in parables so that, “though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.” This is not, however, a plea for secrecy. Rather, it is an explanation of divine revelation in the hearts of true believers, revelation that is unavailable for those who, like the Pharisees, continued to reject the truth. The “mysteries of the kingdom” are revealed to those who have “ears to hear” but not to those whose hearts are darkened. As the Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus would have been able to distinguish between those two groups. Again, this is not an invention of Mark, as it is reiterated in Matthew 13:11–17.Let's assume the Messianic Secret for a minute. Let's assume that, particularly in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus conceals his identity until the “end of the story.” Is this consistent with what we see in the Gospel of John. I think so. Remember that Jesus' brothers ask him to go do public miracles during the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus declines and makes his public appearance during the middle of the festival. He performs a miracle (healing the blind man) but he does not perform a highly public miracle, like the feeding of the 5,000. Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks using imagery that confuses his audience (e.g., “born again,” “living water,” “bread from Heaven”). In fact, the Gospel of John seems to explain the Messianic Secret. Jesus' “own” will listen and believe. Those who are not his sheep will not. Notice that this “listening” is not primarily an intellectual hurdle. In verse 31, the Jewish leaders clearly understand that Jesus is calling himself God. The intellectual component is there. They do not believe, however.You are GodsIn verse 34, Jesus begins to make a how-much-more kind of argument. This line of argumentation is called qal vaomer, and it was commonplace in religious debates among Jesus' contemporaries. Although verses 34 through 36 may seem a little confusing, the argument is as follows:Your* scripture uses the term “god” for people who merely received the word of God.(*When Jesus refers to “your law,” he is not dissociating himself from the Old Testament. He is highlighting the fact that his adversaries are already committed to this first premise.)I did not merely receive the word of God, God set me apart and sent me (i.e., God considers me unique and special). (Notice that the reader is filling in the blanks as well, thinking, “I did not merely receive the word of God, I am the word of God.”How much more should the term “god” be appropriate for me.Bonus Argument: And I do not even call myself “god” but “son of god.” (Notice that Jesus consistently makes himself one with the Father ontologically but subject to the Father in rank.)

“Prophecies to Identify the Messiah, Which Jesus Does Not Fulfill: 1) Matthew 1:23 says that Jesus (the messiah) would be called Immanuel, which means “God with us.” Yet no one, not even his parents, call him Immanuel at any point in the bible. 2) The Messiah must be a physical descendant of David (Romans 1:3 & Acts 2:30). Yet, how could Jesus meet this requirement since his genealogies in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 show he descended from David through Joseph, who was not his natural father because of the Virgin Birth. Hence, this prophecy could not have been fulfilled. 3) Isaiah 7:16 seems to say that before Jesus had reached the age of maturity, both of the Jewish countries would be destroyed. Yet there is no mention of this prophecy being fulfilled in the New Testament with the coming of Jesus, hence this is another Messiah prophecy not fulfilled. Prophecies Christians Use to Verify Jesus as the Messiah, Yet Clearly Fail: 4) The gospels (especially Matthew 21:4 and John 12:14-15) claim that Jesus fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. But the next few verses (Zechariah 9:10-13) show that the person referred to in this verse is a military king that would rule “from sea to sea”. Since Jesus had neither an army nor a kingdom, he could not have fulfilled this prophecy. 5) Matthew (Matthew 2:17-18) quotes Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:15), claiming that it was a prophecy of King Herod's alleged slaughter of the children in and around Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus. But this passage refers to the Babylonian captivity, as is clear by reading the next two verses (Jeremiah 31:16-17), and, thus, has nothing to do with Herod's massacre. 6) John 19:33 says that during Jesus' crucifixion, the soldiers didn't break his legs because he was already dead. Verse John 19:36 claims that this fulfilled a prophecy: “Not a bone of him shall be broken.” But there is no such prophecy. It is sometimes said that the prophecy appears in Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12 & Psalm 34:20. This is not correct. Exodus 12:46 & Numbers 9:12 are not prophecies, they are commandments. The Israelites are told not to break the bones of the Passover lamb, and this is all it is about. And Psalm 34:20 seems to refer to righteous people in general (see verse Psalm 34:19, where a plural is used), not to make a prophecy about a specific person. 7) “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” Hosea 11:1. Matthew (Matthew 2:15) claims that the flight of Jesus' family to Egypt is a fulfillment of this verse. But Hosea 11:1 is not a prophecy at all. It is a reference to the Hebrew exodus from Egypt and has nothing to do with Jesus. Matthew tries to hide this fact by quoting only the last part of the verse (“Out of Egypt I have called my son”). 8a) “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2 The gospel of Matthew (Matthew 2:5-6) claims that Jesus' birth in Bethlehem fulfils this prophecy. But this is unlikely for two reasons. 8b) “Bethlehem Ephratah” in Micah 5:2 refers not to a town, but to a clan: the clan of Bethlehem, who was the son of Caleb's second wife, Ephrathah (1 Chronicles 2:18, 2:50-52 & 4:4). 8c) The prophecy (if that is what it is) does not refer to the Messiah, but rather to a military leader, as can be seen from Micah 5:6. This leader is supposed to defeat the Assyrians, which, of course, Jesus never did. It should also be noted that Matthew altered the text of Micah 5:2 by saying: “And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah” rather than “Bethlehem Ephratah” as is said in Micah 5:2. He did this, intentionally no doubt, to make this verse appear to refer to the town of Bethlehem rather than the family clan.” --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/antonio-myers4/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/antonio-myers4/support

In this episode we discuss the book of Jeremiah and the playing out of the covenantal cycle as developed in Deuteronomy. Various passages illustrate this cycle, but chapter 25 particularly sets the pattern of covenantal determinism which is developed in the apocalyptic literature. A unique example of the forward projection of Jeremiah's covenantal cycle is also seen in the Baruch tradition. Show notes Brief overview of Jeremiah (3:18) Covenantal maintenance in Jeremiah - Jeremiah 2:1-3, 23-24, 26-27; 3:12-18; Jeremiah 16:9-15; Jeremiah 23:1-8; Jeremiah 30:1-18 (5:18) Covenantal determinism in Jeremiah and Jewish apocalyptic literature - Jeremiah 25:11-13; 4 Ezra 12-13 (19:46) Chronology and numerology in context to the covenant (25:43) The New Covenant - Jeremiah 31:31-34; Deuteronomy 30:1-6; 1 Baruch 2:31-35 (32:04) The apocalypticizing of Jeremiah - 2 Baruch 10:2-5 (39:01)

2217 - This final program in our series features an interview with author and radio host Dr. Michael Brown. From the studio, Dr. Seif discusses the applications and takeaways from the life and writings of Jeremiah with David and Kirsten Hart.

Did you know that 95% of how you show up, your attitudes, actions, beliefs, essence, and the beauty of the person you are is ingrained by the time you're 35 years old? The question then becomes, who created the person I am today? The way you evolve and grow in the future will be determined by how you answer that question. On this episode of Destined to Be, I'm sharing the paradigm shift that happens when we open ourselves up to expanding our consciousness and commit to doing the inner work around the emotions and behaviors that keep us stuck in our stories and maintaining the status quo. I'll explain why you get that gut-wrenching feeling when you're out and about and something triggers you. And why, even though you are sure you are long over what happened your body still reacts. Listen in for insight into your ego and how it and your brain function in your life to keep you safe. I'll walk you through how you can connect to what is causing your personal triggers, and I'll share some techniques for working through those emotions to get back to center.  Key Takeaways The AHA moment I had at the gym with a listener Why what your mind forgets, your body will always remember How our brain sorts through our everyday experiences What is the ego responsible for The difference between your mind and your ego The 2 ways energies enter our bodies and trigger us How to use your breathing to return to your safe place when you're triggered Connect with Jeremiah Jeremiah on Instagram Destined to Be Podcast Like, Share, and Review Destined to Be on Apple Podcasts Destined to Be on Instagram

The Secret of a Life of Faith - Apr 1-30- Pick up Daily in His Presence by Andrew Murray at the Mariners Bookstore- Visit marinerschurch.org or download the Mariners App for more information

Nathaniel Brown

Nathaniel Brown

Nathaniel Brown