Podcasts about jerusalem listen

Jeremiah 11 NIVThe Covenant Is Broken1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Listen to the terms of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. 3 Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant— 4 the terms I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.' I said, ‘Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. 5 Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey'—the land you possess today.”I answered, “Amen, Lord.”6 The Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them. 7 From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, “Obey me.” 8 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.'”9 Then the Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. 11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them. 12 The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they will not help them at all when disaster strikes. 13 You, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.'14 “Do not pray for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.15 “What is my beloved doing in my temple as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes? Can consecrated meat avert your punishment?When you engage in your wickedness, then you rejoice.[a]”16 The Lord called you a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form.But with the roar of a mighty storm he will set it on fire, and its branches will be broken.17 The Lord Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused my anger by burning incense to Baal.Plot Against Jeremiah18 Because the Lord revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. 19 I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying,“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.”20 But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously and test the heart and mind,let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause.21 Therefore this is what the Lord says about the people of Anathoth who are threatening to kill you, saying, “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord or you will die by our hands”— 22 therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine. 23 Not even a remnant will be left to them, because I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.”Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 11:15 Or Could consecrated meat avert your punishment? / Then you would rejoiceJeremiah 12 NIVJeremiah's Complaint1 You are always righteous, Lord, when I bring a case before you.Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?2 You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit.You are always on their lips but far from their hearts.3 Yet you know me, Lord; you see me and test my thoughts about you.Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter!4 How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered?Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished.Moreover, the people are saying, “He will not see what happens to us.”God's Answer5 “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?If you stumble[a] in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by[b] the Jordan?6 Your relatives, members of your own family— even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you.Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.7 “I will forsake my house, abandon my inheritance;I will give the one I love into the hands of her enemies.8 My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest.She roars at me; therefore I hate her.9 Has not my inheritance become to me like a speckled bird of prey that other birds of prey surround and attack?Go and gather all the wild beasts; bring them to devour.10 Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field;they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland.11 It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me;the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares.12 Over all the barren heights in the desert destroyers will swarm,for the sword of the Lord will devour from one end of the land to the other; no one will be safe.13 They will sow wheat but reap thorns; they will wear themselves out but gain nothing.They will bear the shame of their harvest because of the Lord's fierce anger.”14 This is what the Lord says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the people of Judah from among them. 15 But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. 16 And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives'—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people. 17 But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 12:5 Or you feel secure only[b] Jeremiah 12:5 Or the flooding of

Jeremiah 11 NIVThe Covenant Is Broken1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Listen to the terms of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. 3 Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant— 4 the terms I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.' I said, ‘Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. 5 Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey'—the land you possess today.”I answered, “Amen, Lord.”6 The Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them. 7 From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, “Obey me.” 8 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.'”9 Then the Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. 11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them. 12 The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they will not help them at all when disaster strikes. 13 You, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.'14 “Do not pray for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.15 “What is my beloved doing in my temple as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes? Can consecrated meat avert your punishment?When you engage in your wickedness, then you rejoice.[a]”16 The Lord called you a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form.But with the roar of a mighty storm he will set it on fire, and its branches will be broken.17 The Lord Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused my anger by burning incense to Baal.Plot Against Jeremiah18 Because the Lord revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. 19 I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying,“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.”20 But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously and test the heart and mind,let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause.21 Therefore this is what the Lord says about the people of Anathoth who are threatening to kill you, saying, “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord or you will die by our hands”— 22 therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine. 23 Not even a remnant will be left to them, because I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.”Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 11:15 Or Could consecrated meat avert your punishment? / Then you would rejoiceJeremiah 12 NIVJeremiah's Complaint1 You are always righteous, Lord, when I bring a case before you.Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?2 You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit.You are always on their lips but far from their hearts.3 Yet you know me, Lord; you see me and test my thoughts about you.Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter!4 How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered?Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished.Moreover, the people are saying, “He will not see what happens to us.”God's Answer5 “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?If you stumble[a] in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by[b] the Jordan?6 Your relatives, members of your own family— even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you.Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.7 “I will forsake my house, abandon my inheritance;I will give the one I love into the hands of her enemies.8 My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest.She roars at me; therefore I hate her.9 Has not my inheritance become to me like a speckled bird of prey that other birds of prey surround and attack?Go and gather all the wild beasts; bring them to devour.10 Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field;they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland.11 It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me;the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares.12 Over all the barren heights in the desert destroyers will swarm,for the sword of the Lord will devour from one end of the land to the other; no one will be safe.13 They will sow wheat but reap thorns; they will wear themselves out but gain nothing.They will bear the shame of their harvest because of the Lord's fierce anger.”14 This is what the Lord says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the people of Judah from among them. 15 But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. 16 And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives'—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people. 17 But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 12:5 Or you feel secure only[b] Jeremiah 12:5 Or the flooding of

Jeremiah 11 NIVThe Covenant Is Broken1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Listen to the terms of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. 3 Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant— 4 the terms I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.' I said, ‘Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. 5 Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey'—the land you possess today.”I answered, “Amen, Lord.”6 The Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them. 7 From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, “Obey me.” 8 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.'”9 Then the Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. 11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them. 12 The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they will not help them at all when disaster strikes. 13 You, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.'14 “Do not pray for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.15 “What is my beloved doing in my temple as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes? Can consecrated meat avert your punishment?When you engage in your wickedness, then you rejoice.[a]”16 The Lord called you a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form.But with the roar of a mighty storm he will set it on fire, and its branches will be broken.17 The Lord Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused my anger by burning incense to Baal.Plot Against Jeremiah18 Because the Lord revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. 19 I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying,“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.”20 But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously and test the heart and mind,let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause.21 Therefore this is what the Lord says about the people of Anathoth who are threatening to kill you, saying, “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord or you will die by our hands”— 22 therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine. 23 Not even a remnant will be left to them, because I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.”Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 11:15 Or Could consecrated meat avert your punishment? / Then you would rejoiceJeremiah 12 NIVJeremiah's Complaint1 You are always righteous, Lord, when I bring a case before you.Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?2 You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit.You are always on their lips but far from their hearts.3 Yet you know me, Lord; you see me and test my thoughts about you.Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter!4 How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered?Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished.Moreover, the people are saying, “He will not see what happens to us.”God's Answer5 “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?If you stumble[a] in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by[b] the Jordan?6 Your relatives, members of your own family— even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you.Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.7 “I will forsake my house, abandon my inheritance;I will give the one I love into the hands of her enemies.8 My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest.She roars at me; therefore I hate her.9 Has not my inheritance become to me like a speckled bird of prey that other birds of prey surround and attack?Go and gather all the wild beasts; bring them to devour.10 Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field;they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland.11 It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me;the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares.12 Over all the barren heights in the desert destroyers will swarm,for the sword of the Lord will devour from one end of the land to the other; no one will be safe.13 They will sow wheat but reap thorns; they will wear themselves out but gain nothing.They will bear the shame of their harvest because of the Lord's fierce anger.”14 This is what the Lord says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the people of Judah from among them. 15 But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. 16 And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives'—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people. 17 But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 12:5 Or you feel secure only[b] Jeremiah 12:5 Or the flooding of

Jeremiah 11 NIVThe Covenant Is Broken1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Listen to the terms of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. 3 Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant— 4 the terms I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.' I said, ‘Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. 5 Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey'—the land you possess today.”I answered, “Amen, Lord.”6 The Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them. 7 From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, “Obey me.” 8 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.'”9 Then the Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. 11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them. 12 The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they will not help them at all when disaster strikes. 13 You, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.'14 “Do not pray for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.15 “What is my beloved doing in my temple as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes? Can consecrated meat avert your punishment?When you engage in your wickedness, then you rejoice.[a]”16 The Lord called you a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form.But with the roar of a mighty storm he will set it on fire, and its branches will be broken.17 The Lord Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused my anger by burning incense to Baal.Plot Against Jeremiah18 Because the Lord revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. 19 I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying,“Let us destroy the tree and its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.”20 But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously and test the heart and mind,let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause.21 Therefore this is what the Lord says about the people of Anathoth who are threatening to kill you, saying, “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord or you will die by our hands”— 22 therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine. 23 Not even a remnant will be left to them, because I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.”Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 11:15 Or Could consecrated meat avert your punishment? / Then you would rejoiceJeremiah 12 NIVJeremiah's Complaint1 You are always righteous, Lord, when I bring a case before you.Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?2 You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit.You are always on their lips but far from their hearts.3 Yet you know me, Lord; you see me and test my thoughts about you.Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter!4 How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered?Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished.Moreover, the people are saying, “He will not see what happens to us.”God's Answer5 “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?If you stumble[a] in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by[b] the Jordan?6 Your relatives, members of your own family— even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you.Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.7 “I will forsake my house, abandon my inheritance;I will give the one I love into the hands of her enemies.8 My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest.She roars at me; therefore I hate her.9 Has not my inheritance become to me like a speckled bird of prey that other birds of prey surround and attack?Go and gather all the wild beasts; bring them to devour.10 Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field;they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland.11 It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me;the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares.12 Over all the barren heights in the desert destroyers will swarm,for the sword of the Lord will devour from one end of the land to the other; no one will be safe.13 They will sow wheat but reap thorns; they will wear themselves out but gain nothing.They will bear the shame of their harvest because of the Lord's fierce anger.”14 This is what the Lord says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the people of Judah from among them. 15 But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. 16 And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives'—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people. 17 But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.Footnotes[a] Jeremiah 12:5 Or you feel secure only[b] Jeremiah 12:5 Or the flooding of

Most of us don't realize the battles that have been fought for the gospel to have made its way to us.  Tune in to learn about some of the ways Paul fought for us and to be challenged about what we will give to the next generation!  GIVE TODAY, text any amount to (859) 459-0316  to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give . ------------------- OPENING ILLUSTRATION: Ever had to fight the same fight twice?-Maybe you beat cancer and then had a recurrence and had to fight it again-or with your kids, you've had the same exact argument about cleaning your room a million times-Or you are for the 10th time having the same coaching conversation with your new salesman trying to get him to JUST do his job Paul gets it, Paul in the book of Galatians is fighting a fight and a battle he's already won once… He has been describing to the Galatians who he was - the history they already knew - he had been a persecutor of Christians-He had been zealous about the faith of his fathers - the Jewish faith-and he had understood that Christianity seemed to be a perversion of it Paul's story was amazing, he went from being the guy that dragged Christians out of their home, to being the guy who was leading people to become Christians-he had an incredible conversion story - God blinded his eyes and called him-he told him he would suffer for the call God was placing on his life Paul began preaching to non-Jewish people - the gentiles and as he did, they began to turn to Jesus in droves Paul begins to do ministry in the church at Antioch-he and Barnabas are sent out on their first missionary journey-and when they return, they find out that there have been people coming from Israel to try and tell the gentile Christians that Jesus was not enough for them This is the first time Paul has had to fight for Christians whom he has had a part in leading to know Jesus… Acts 15:1-2 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. We talked about this last week a little bit. There were Jewish Christians coming to the non-Jewish Christians, and they were telling them, "You have to become Jewish to follow Jesus" And that starts with circumcision… ILLUSTRATION: I've had some bad jobs in life - done some things I'd never want to do again…  But trust me, if becoming a Christian was dependent upon you getting circumcised, I'd have my work cut out for me… Pun intended! There is a reason Paul and Barnabas get into a sharp dispute with them They are putting up unnecessary barriers to becoming a Christian Paul and Barnabas are offering a completely new way of life and these guys are wanting to drag people into a way of life that doesn't work…   As a matter of fact, the law was set up to show you how you couldn't make it work And so Paul, Barnabas, and Titus make their way to Jerusalem to get advice and a ruling from the leaders in Jerusalem… Listen to how Paul describes that encounter from Galatians Galatians 2:1-2 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. Paul wants to make sure the race he has run is not in vain This is not just something he's saying - Paul had been an ardent fighter for the law of Moses and had left it behind to follow a new way of life in Jesus He legitimately wants to know if he walked away from everything for nothing… ILLUSTRATION: Some of you get that, right?  I had a friend who when she came to Christ and got baptized immediately had her husband walk out on her — he didn't want anything to do with Christianity.  She was left with 3 kids at home and did not know how she was going to support them… Some of you get what it's like to have walked away from everything you've known and hope you are not running your race in vain. BRING IN FOR A LANDING: back to Jerusalem… Acts 15:4-9 & 12 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. 5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” 6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. Paul argues so successfully and points to the fact that God brought the Spirit upon these people without them obeying all the law - they just needed Jesus.  The apostle James will speak up and the apostles will make the judgment that Christians are not beholden to the Jewish law. And now…Paul is fighting the exact same fight over again for the Galatian church People have come in and have deceived them with false ideas-Paul has had to step back into the ring… “So what?” I get it, Paul fought for people's faith, but what does that matter to me… ILLUSTRATION: years ago when the movie saving Private Ryan came out, I remember sitting in the movie theater watching it.  If you've never seen it, the first 15 minutes or so they take you to the beaches of Normandy during WWII.  I remember about halfway through it realizing I was gripping the seat as hard as I possibly could.  As I watched I became overwhelmed because it hit me, my grandpa and granddad both fought in that war.  They had put their lives on the line to try and protect the world and provide freedom to people and they had done it when they were my age at that time…  I was in college pulling pranks and staying up WAY too late, and they were putting their lives on the line for something bigger… There are times in your life when you “Grow up” right, usually, it's not a gradual thing, it's when you come across a realization… Can I tell you something, Paul fought for the believers of his day to know Jesus deeply. Who is going to fight for people to know Jesus in today's world? Who is going to be the leaders who step up to make the church a beautiful place of grace for those who are looking? Who's going to take on gathering together believers to pray for the lost? Who's going to get so deep into God's word that you are going to step away from your secular job to start preaching God's word? Who's going to be next? It strikes me that so many have gone before us and fought to get the church of Jesus where it is.  What are we going to do to Advance the Kingdom for the generations that will follow us? --------------

It's our sincere prayer that Nigeria experience PEACE again. The Scripture admonishes that we pray for the peace of our Jerusalem, here we are Nigeria is our home, as such we desire good. we desire to prosper in our Land to enjoy peace and abundance. We have not stop praying for Nigeria, The PEACE of our own Jerusalem - Listen to it , let it motivate you to keep the CIRCLE of prayer. The TIMES & the SEASON we've found ourselves is not the time to be weak, silent nor remain weary. Let your proficiency be orchestrated by your obedience & Knowledge of the WORD of God that's able to build and strengthen you. when the Church prays God intervene. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/david-okpara/message

Why did Jesus make such a show of entering Jerusalem- Listen to learn more.

Are classical education and Christian education opposed to one another? Join Lisa Bailey, Jennifer Courtney, Marc Hays, and Daniel Shirley as they explore how Christianity actually fulfills the classical quest to unite knowledge and responsibility. They visit the age-old question “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?” Listen in as they compare Greek tragedy and sin. Learn how Christianity allowed optimism about education.

New International Version (NIV)This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Listen to the terms of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem.Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant— the terms I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.’ I said, ‘Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey’—the land you possess today.”I answered, “Amen, Lord.”The Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them. From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, “Obey me.” But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.’”Then the Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape.Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them. The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense,but they will not help them at all when disaster strikes. You, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.’“Do not pray for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.“What is my beloved doing in my temple as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes? Can consecrated meat avert your punishment?When you engage in your wickedness, then you rejoice.”The Lord called you a thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form.But with the roar of a mighty storm he will set it on fire, and its branches will be broken.The Lord Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused my anger by burning incense to Baal.

What did David learn from his first attempt to bring the ark to Jerusalem? Listen to this lesson to understand that in order to please God things must be done God’s ways. Find out that after a man died after touching the ark, David took time to find out God’s precise directions which He had revealed. Hear the events surrounding the thrilling arrival of the ark in Jerusalem as it was honored as God’s dwelling place. This should make us ask ourselves whether we are submitting to the authority of God in our lives or whether we are trying to do things our way as we submit to our sin natures. Dr. Dean mentioned a book entitled A Harmony of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles during this Bible study.

Heading to Jerusalem? Listen to our Jerusalem podcast for tips on what to do with 24 hours in Israel's capital.