Podcasts about jesus christ god

Daily Devotion with Pastor Balla – May 13, 2025“The Leveling Power of Death” – Ecclesiastes 2:12–17 (ESV)Solomon confronts the ultimate futility of life “under the sun”: wisdom may guide us better than folly, but in the end, death claims both the wise and the fool alike. In this devotion, Pastor Balla reflects on the sobering truth that death levels all human striving and silences every earthly boast.But the Good News breaks through the sorrow. Jesus Christ—God's Wisdom in the flesh—has overcome death for us. What Solomon saw dimly, we see clearly: death is no longer the end, but the beginning of life eternal for those in Christ.Join us as we find comfort in Christ's victory and rest in the hope that even death cannot take away.Please like, share, and subscribe for more Christ-centered encouragement from Ecclesiastes.#Ecclesiastes #PastorBalla #WisdomAndDeath #VictoryInChrist #LutheranDevotion

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN: THE DEITY AND TEACHING OF JESUS CHRIST“God's Glory In Our Pain”John 9:1-5 NKJVChrist's Bible Fellowship - Barrigada, Guam USASpeaker: Pastor Avery FerrerasSunday, March 30, 2025

This is a turbulent time for American democracy. Years, perhaps decades, of social change is manifesting in the form of distrust, violence, chaos, fear, loneliness, and despair. But Conversing, along with Comment magazine, is about hope, healing, and hospitality. For this special 200th episode of Conversing, Mark Labberton invites Anne Snyder (Editor-in-Chief, Comment magazine) for a close reading and discussion of the 2025 Comment Manifesto, a hopeful new document offering a vision of Christian Humanism for this era. Together they discuss: The meaning and intent behind a new Comment magazine Manifesto for Christian humanism The Incarnation of Christ for what it means to be human Hospitality in an era of exclusion Healthy institutions and the importance of communal agency Individualism vs communitarianism Learning to perceive the world in fresh, surprising ways About the Comment Manifesto To read the Manifesto in its entirety, visit comment.org/manifesto/, or scroll below. To watch a reading of selections from the Comment Manifesto, click here. About Anne Snyder Anne Snyder is the Editor-in-Chief of Comment magazine, which is a core publication of Cardus, a think tank devoted to renewing North American social architecture, rooted in two thousand years of Christian social thought. Visit https://comment.org/ for more information. For years, Anne has been engaged in concerns for the social architecture of the world. That is, the way that our practices of social engagement, life, conversation, discussion, debate, and difference can all be held in the right kind of ways for the sake of the thriving of people, individuals, communities, and our nation at large. Anne also oversees our Comment's partner project, Breaking Ground, and is the host of The Whole Person Revolution podcast and co-editor of Breaking Ground: Charting Our Future in a Pandemic Year (2022). Show Notes Giving thanks for 200 episodes of Conversing! 2000 years of Christian thought to the public square James K.A. Smith, the former editor of Comment Magazine Seeking a positive moral vision A turbulent moment for democracy MANIFESTO SECTION 1 “We are Christian humanists…” What it means to be human in our age—our infinite dignity, relationship to the earth, and woundedness The significance of Jesus Christ for what it means to be human What the Incarnation of Christ means for our world “So many people we know and love and respect feel ecclesially homeless, obviously politically homeless.” MANIFESTO SECTION 2 “We believe it's time to build…” Agency Called to a co-creative project Productive and constructive “Contributing the true and good and beautiful in a messy world.” MANIFESTO SECTION 3 “We believe in institutions…” Collective, common, and communal Institutions, as part of the social architecture of our world, can be extraordinarily positive. “I always get asked, ‘Why do you believe in institutions? Why? You don't need to! They're gone! They're dead!'” “Healthy institutions are channels within which you can actually realize your sense of agency in a way that might be more moving than you ever would have imagined just by yourself.” Yuval Levin's take on community (paraphrased): “All the tumult we're experiencing, we're just having a big fight about what kinds of what community means.” Polarization MAGA as a kind of community “I consider myself a bit of a communitarian.” Christian humanism throughout history always has four projects connected to it: Theology, character formation, political economy, and aesthetic. MANIFESTO SECTION 4 “We believe in the transformative power of encounter—encountering reality, encountering those unlike us.” Addressing the fractured social fabric and isolation of this age Encounter and trust Hospitality— ”taking one another's being and doing in the world seriously enough” Enter the room listening MANIFESTO SECTION 5 “We believe Christianity is perpetually on the move. There is no sacred capital.” “This is our most aggressive claim.” Distinguishing Comment from peer publications such as First Things “All cultures are fallen, and we're part of another kingdom.” Galatians 5 and the Fruit of the Spirit Civilizational Christianity The smallness of “faith, family, flag” “So much of my Christian identity has been rewritten by experiences of Christian faith that are completely outside the, the social reality that is my fundamental location.” ”When Christianity seems to be running the dangerous risk of being captured, captured by a certain kind of ideological political social frame that feels as though it's really making itself primary simply by its Napoleonic capacity for self-crowning, that is a very, very dangerous thing.” MANIFESTO SECTION 6 “We believe there are different ways of knowing—that the thinker and the practitioner have equally valuable wisdoms worth airing, that relationship and context matter for the ways in which we perceive reality, that the child with Down syndrome perceives truths that a Nobel Prize winner cannot, and that there is a need for those who inhabit these myriad ways to share space and learn how to pursue understanding—perhaps even revelation—together.” Perceiving the world differently Down syndrome and the expression of a different kind of knowing or wisdom Full circle with the first principle of the imago Dei Functioning out of either confidence, uncertainty, or anxiety Mark Labberton's friend Dustin (R.I.P), who had cerebral palsy Fatigue, trying to get our bearings Looking for moral and eschatological coherence Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment Magazine and Fuller Seminary. The 6 Primary Sections of the 2025 Comment Manifesto To read the Manifesto in its entirety, visit comment.org/manifesto/. We are Christian humanists, those who believe that Jesus Christ—God become man—is the ultimate measure of what it means to be human. We believe that every human being is created in the image of God, whole persons who are at once fallen yet gloriously endowed, finite and dependent, yet deserving of infinite dignity. We seek to stay true both to the wonder and to the woundedness of life this side of the veil, even as our eschatology floods us with hope: Jesus has walked with us, died, risen, and ascended, and he will come again to make all things new. We believe it's a time to build, that the creative imagination and the Christian imagination are mysteriously linked. We want to begin with the Yes in Christ, not our own noes. While there is an important role for criticism baptized in a study of what is true, good, and beautiful, it is a means to an end—the basis for wise repair and imagination, not the justification for destruction or erasure. We are committed to keeping orthodoxy and orthopraxy married, taking seriously our job to translate between them. We believe in institutions: government, guilds, families, schools, universities, the church. We recognize that in our age of individualism, institutions are often painted as the enemy. We try to change that, seeking to shape the character of today's most formative institutions while exploring what kind of reimagined social architecture might compel the next generation's trust. We believe in the transformative power of encounter—encountering reality, encountering those unlike us. Loving enemies is bedrock for Comment, hospitality core. We are champions of the difficult room. We believe in the deeper truths that can be discovered when different life experiences and distinct sources of wisdom are gathered around one table. We intentionally publish arguments with which we disagree, including those who don't hail Christ as Lord, not for the sake of pluralism without conviction, but because Christians have always better understood the contours and depths of their faith when crystallized through exchanges with strangers turned friends. We believe Christianity is perpetually on the move. There is no sacred capital. While the audience we serve is navigating a North American context, we serve this audience from an understanding that Christianity is an intercultural, polyglot religion. At a time of rising religious ethno-nationalism, we insist that no culture can claim to represent the true form of Christianity, and we actively seek for our authors and partners to reflect the global reality of the church. We believe there are different ways of knowing—that the thinker and the practitioner have equally valuable wisdoms worth airing, that relationship and context matter for the ways in which we perceive reality, that the child with Down syndrome perceives truths that a Nobel Prize winner cannot, and that there is a need for those who inhabit these myriad ways to share space and learn how to pursue understanding—perhaps even revelation—together. ... Our theory of change takes its cues from the garden, less the machine. We are personalists, not ideologues. We follow the logic of Jesus's mustard seed, of yeast transforming a whole pile of dough, of the principle of contagiousness and change happening over generations. We believe in the value of slow thought. We are skeptical of the language of scale in growing spiritual goods. While we wish to be savvy in unmasking the either/or reactivity of our age and will always call out dehumanizing trendlines, we are fundamentally animated by the creative impulse, by a philosophy of natality expressed through hospitality. This feels especially important in this time between eras when no one knows what's next, and we need one another to recalibrate, to reflect, and to shape a hopeful future.

Many relate to Church the same way we do restaurants or stores. We may happen to attend with many other people, but everyone's disconnected, without regard nor obligation to any but one's own interests. While this may be the predominate understanding of church and the Christian faith in our modern world, it couldn't be farther from the Biblical teaching on the Faith Community. In this message, we dive in and hear the truth echoed from all over the Scriptures - how our faith binds us together, to a larger body. We hear both Old and New Testaments stress the importance of vulnerability, accountability, and our shared responsibility. Listen as we define Christianity the way that Jesus did - and still does. If we are following Him, we will belong to His Body and take serious the role we play and the relationships we are called to embrace. From the first faith community in the Garden of Eden to the newly minted Church of Jesus Christ - God's command to every believer is to put WE over ME.

5 January 2025: We believe in God the Father and in Jesus Christ our Lord This sermon by David Browne is part of a series called Foretold: God has spoken by his prophets. A full transcript can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JBDpb2ejKWjP-3anJtlu34RPhQE50zwY/view?usp=sharing

This message was taught by Kyle Fitzgerald on 12/22/2024. We are a confessional church based on the London Baptist Confessional 1689 whose ultimate authority is God's Word.Bible Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone, to the Glory of God Alone.Please Visit us online athttps://www.bbcstockton.churchhttps://www.sermonaudio.com/source_de...https://www.facebook.com/bbcstockton

1. Born according to God's eternal decree2. Born under very shameful circumstances3. Born as the Son of Man

Drew begins our Advent series as we seek to prepare our hearts by celebrating the Truth of Christmas - this is the season for us to appreciate the coming of Jesus Christ: God with us, Immanuel! As we consider Jesus as the 'Ultimate Christmas Gift', we begin by examining Isaiah 9:6-7, where we see the Giver, the Gift and the Recipients laid before us. As we do so, we can see that this Greatest Gift was totally Undeserved, yet graciously Presented, in order to bring salvation.You can watch this message via: https://youtu.be/zeD3Fh9AH88 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introduction A. Housekeeping I want to start with a matter of internal housekeeping. Sort of a family issue. If you are visiting this morning, I beg your pardon, as this is a family matter we need to take care of. On Sunday, August 4, 2024 (about 2 months ago), I preached a sermon on The Armor of God…

Series:  Enduring the Dragon Title:  Redemption Song Text:  Revelation 14:1-5 Today's Takeaway – Sing with all your life and all your might the glorious song of redemption through Jesus Christ God has redeemed you and sealed you for salvation forever God has redeemed you and made you completely holy God has redeemed you and devoted…

Pastor Adam       PS 2:6-7 , PS 110:1 , Matt 3:16-17 , John 1:14 , Acts 2:36 

What you believe about God will determine the course of your life. Join us today as we teach from the Word of God about whether or not God allows hardship in your life for His greater purpose, to teach you a lesson, or just allows things to happen to you at random. Find all of our podcasts, videos, and more by going to our website: Https://www.wordontheway.com To support our show click this link: Https://www.wordontheway.com/give Follow us on all platforms: Https://www.YouTube.com/@wordotw Https://www.instagram.com/wordotw Https://www.TikTok.com/wordotw #faith #hope #Bibletruth #wordotw #Jesus #Christ #God #podcast #christian --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wordontheway/message

Although God mysteriously reveals Himself in many ways in Scripture, His clearest revelation if through Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. 

Although God mysteriously reveals Himself in many ways in Scripture, His clearest revelation if through Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. 

Introductory: Jesus Christ, God and Man

John 11:27 | April 21, 2024 | Raymond Billy Raymond Billy is teaching on John 11:27 as part of a sermon series on The Apostles' Creed. We hope you are blessed and equipped by today's message. To find out more about Shorebreak Church or to partner financially, visit www.shorebreakchurch.com To share your story or ask questions, contact aloha@shorebreakchurch.com Mahalo for listening!

Ben Langford preaches a sermon on John 1:14 in a series entitled "One Faith: The Creed and the Christian Life."

In verses 18 and 19 of Colossians chapter 1, several words are used of the savior. These are head, beginning, firstborn, preeminent and all fullness. Dr. Mitchell will be examining these two verses concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus has first place in all things. He has first place, the preeminence in each believer's life and in the church which is His body. Dr. Mitchell brings out the fact that Jesus is first because He was the first to be raised from the dead by the Father. Christ is the firstborn from the dead. He is Lord. You will read in Acts 2:36 that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. God has put this Jesus as the preeminent one in whom all the fullness of the God-head dwells bodily and permanently. Open your Bible to Colossians 1 verse 18 with Dr. Mitchell. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unchanging-word/message

Penal Substitution      Penal substitution is the idea that Jesus bore the penalty for our sins on the cross. He was judged in our place and bore the wrath of God that rightfully belongs to us. The record of Scripture is that “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed” (Isa 53:5), and “the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him” (Isa 53:6), for “by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities” (Isa 53:11), and “the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering” (Isa 53:10a). Jesus is presented in the NT as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). We're also told that God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf” (2 Cor 5:21), and that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us” (Gal 3:13), and that “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1 Pet 2:24). In this way, the sins of all humanity were imputed to Christ while He was on the cross, suffering as our substitute. And we must always remember that the sacrifice of Christ was purely voluntary, as He said, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11), and “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative” (John 10:18). And Jesus has “been offered once to bear the sins of many” (Heb 9:28), and “Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust” (1 Pet 3:18).      Louis Berkhof states, “The Bible certainly teaches that the sufferings and death of Christ were vicarious, and vicarious in the strict sense of the word that He took the place of sinners, and that their guilt was imputed, and their punishment transferred, to Him.”[1] And Charles Ryrie adds, “Only the substitutionary death of Christ can provide that which God's justice demands and thereby become the basis for the gift of eternal life to those who believe.”[2] And according to Lewis Chafer, “The doctrine of satisfaction embodies the conception of Christ's death, that it was a penal substitution which had the objective purpose of providing a just and righteous ground for God to remit the sins of those for whom Christ died.”[3] John Walvoord agrees, saying: "This point of view, variously described as vicarious or penal, holds that the atonement is objectively directed toward God and the satisfaction of His holy character and demands upon the sinner. It is vicarious in the sense that Christ is the Substitute who bears the punishment rightly due sinners, their guilt being imputed to Him in such a way that He representatively bore their punishment. This is in keeping with the general idea of sacrifices in the Old Testament and is explicitly taught in the New Testament (see John 1:29; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 3:13; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 2:24)."[4] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. states: "The punishment incurred by Adam when he sinned—spiritual death—is passed down to the entire human race. Everyone is born under this penalty of sin, hopelessly in debt to God. The debt has been paid by the perfect humanity of Christ, whose substitutionary spiritual death on the cross “canceled out the certificate of debt” (Col 2:14). Man now stands free to accept Jesus Christ and receive the gift of an eternal relationship with God."[5]      What's unique about Jesus is that He is both our High Priest as well as the sacrifice for our sins. In the OT, priests would offer animals to die as the sacrifice, but Jesus offered “Himself as a guilt offering” (Isa 53:10) in order to take away sins. The writer to the Hebrews states, “Christ appeared as a high priest” (Heb 9:11), and this in order “to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb 9:26), and this was a once-for-all sacrifice, as He “offered one sacrifice for sins for all time” (Heb 10:12).      Sin is the breaking of God's law, for “Everyone who commits sin also breaks the law; sin is the breaking of law” (1 John 3:4 CSB). The penalty for breaking God's law is death, for “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). Jesus took our sins upon Himself and “bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1 Pet 2:24), and He “died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18). And He died for the sins of everyone, for “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). Though Christ died for everyone, the benefits of the cross are applied only to those who believe, and “everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins” (Acts 10:43; Eph 1:7). Additionally, we receive “the gift of righteousness” (Rom 5:17), and “eternal life” (John 10:28). At the moment of faith in Christ, we are “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24).   Propitiation      Jesus' death on the cross was a satisfactory sacrifice to God which completely paid the price for our sin. We owed a debt to God that we could never pay, and Jesus paid that debt in full when He died on the cross and bore the punishment that rightfully belonged to us. In Romans, Paul states that we “are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith (Rom 3:24-25a ESV). Here, Paul used the Greek word hilasterion (ἱλαστήριον)—translated propitiation—to show that Jesus' shed blood completely satisfied God's righteous demands toward our sin, with the result that there is nothing more for the sinner to pay to God. Jesus paid our sin-debt in full. The Apostle John tells us “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:2; cf., 4:10). Jesus' death on the cross forever satisfied God's righteous demands toward the sins of everyone for all time! God has “canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Col 2:14). Regarding Christ's death, J. Dwight Pentecost states: "You can be adjusted to God's standard, because God made Christ to become sin for us. The One who knew no sin, the One in whose lips had never been found guile, took upon Himself our sin in order that He might bear our sins to the cross and offer Himself as an acceptable substitute to God for us—on our behalf, in our place. And when Jesus Christ identified Himself with sinners and went to the cross on their behalf and in their place, He was making possible the doctrine of reconciliation. He was making it possible for God to conform the world to Himself, to adjust the world to His standard so that sinners in the world might find salvation because “Jesus paid it all.” You can be adjusted to God, to God's standard, through Christ, by His death, by His cross, by His blood, and by His identification with sinners."[6] John Walvoord adds: "The work of Christ in salvation has still another major aspect of what is called in the Bible “propitiation,” “the sacrifice of atonement,” or satisfying God's righteous demands or judgment upon a sinner. Illustrations of this can be found in Romans 3:25 and 1 John 2:2; 4:10. The idea of propitiation is that God as a righteous God must demand punishment for those who sin against Him. Christ in His death on the cross provided propitiation, atonement, or satisfaction of that claim, so that God is fully satisfied now in saving a person who does not deserve to be saved."[7] Robert Lightner states: "The death of Christ satisfied the righteous demands of God the Father. Because of sin His holiness had been offended, and only a sinless sacrifice could meet His righteous demands. Jesus Christ the Righteous One provided in Himself the perfect sacrifice. Paul set forth Christ as the propitiation for the remission of sins (Rom 3:25). Because of the blood He shed Christ provided in Himself the appointed place where a holy God could meet sinful man. Christ is now our place of meeting—our mercy seat (cf. 1 John 2:2; 4:10). The need for propitiation stems from the sin of man and the holiness of God. It is man who needs to be reinstated or reconciled with God. God's holiness and righteous demands remain unchanged. Since there must be a basis upon which God may receive sinners, satisfaction must be made for sin: propitiation provided just such a basis through the death of Christ."[8] Paul Enns states: "Propitiation means that the death of Christ fully satisfied all the righteous demands of God toward the sinner. Because God is holy and righteous He cannot overlook sin; through the work of Jesus Christ God is fully satisfied that His righteous standard has been met. Through union with Christ the believer can now be accepted by God and be spared from the wrath of God."[9]      There are several concepts at work in the doctrine of propitiation. First, God is holy which means He is completely set apart from sin and cannot look on wickedness with favor. The Scripture states, “Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot look on wickedness with favor” (Hab 1:13), and “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Because all mankind is marked by sin, we are all in danger of the fires of hell, unless we turn to Christ as our Savior. Second, God made a way for His righteousness to be satisfied, and this through the cross of Christ. As Christians, we “are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Rom 3:24-25a ESV). And John tells us “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:2a; cf., 4:10). God is forever satisfied with the death of Christ. Third, the wrath of God is removed because Jesus was judged in our place and bore the punishment that rightfully belongs to us. Paul wrote, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him” (Rom 5:8-9). Dr. Steven R. Cook     ___ [1] Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 376. [2] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology, 357. [3] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. 3, 143. [4] John F. Walvoord, Jesus Christ Our Lord, 157. [5] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Barrier”, Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, 22. [6] J. Dwight Pentecost, Things Which Become Sound Doctrine, 89. [7] John F. Walvoord, What We Believe (Galaxie Software, 2007), 76. [8] Robert P. Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology, 195. [9] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, 325.

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Join Mark Ordus in Week 2 of "What We Believe," delving into the Apostles' Creed's profound declaration of faith in Jesus Christ, God's only Son. This sermon explores the unique identity of Jesus as our Prophet, Priest, and King, revealing how each role enriches our understanding of His mission and our salvation. Mark challenges us to embrace the full scope of Jesus' ministry, not just as a historical figure, but as the living embodiment of God's love, authority, and truth. Discover how accepting Jesus in all these roles can transform our lives, guiding us toward a deeper, more fulfilling relationship with God.

Series: Lord's Supper CommentsService: Sun AMType: SermonSpeaker: Joshua Gurtler

Dr. Mitchell shares with us the example and mind of Christ, here on the Unchanging Word Bible Broadcast. In Philippians chapter 2 verses 5 and 6, Christ is our pattern both in His humiliation and then in His exaltation. But first of all, Dr. Mitchell speaks of Christ in His humiliation. This refers to Christ Jesus, who existing in the form of God, emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant. Dr. Mitchell, through the Scriptures, shows how the Lord existed with the other members of the Trinity before time began. The apostle Paul says that Christ is still existing in the form of God even after having died and been raised from the dead and now exalted and seated at the right hand of God. There is now a real man in heaven, Jesus Christ, the God-Man. Let's join Dr. Mitchell, Phil. 2:5. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unchanging-word/message

The Trinity is: God, Jesus & Their Spoken Living Word (Christ)My Books: Amazon.com/Richard-A-Hardin/e/B09J2YHCVB The Trinity is not as impossible or as difficult to understand as ministers have made it out to be. The Trinity did not exist until Jesus was resurrected and EXALTED to the fullness of the Godhead. An earthly physical trinity existed in Genesis Chapters 39-50. The Pharaoh ruled Egypt by His Word. The Pharaoh then exalted Joseph to the 2nd highest position in Egypt and gave him the everyday rule, except over the Pharaoh, to Joseph. The rule of Egypt was then: The Pharaoh, Joseph, and Their Word. The Trinity Godhead Rule now is God the Father, Jesus the Son, and either of their Word, Christ. For more details listen @KLRNRadio 6AM CST Sat #GPWF #Christian or anytime at rahardin.com (Radio)

Isaiah 7:14 appears on a lot of Christmasware, but do we understand what it meant to the man who first heard it? Do we need to in order to understand what it means? Is there a connection between Isaiah's prophecy and the virgin birth in Bethlehem?

Discover how Jesus is the perfect image of God the Father.

Discover how Jesus is the perfect image of God the Father.

Ever driven past the home you grew up in, and were a little heartsick? Maybe it's fallen into disrepair and looks so uninviting. It's not the way it used to be, you say to yourself. Well imagine what the Lord must think of the world He created. After the fall of Adam and Eve, the culture just kept on falling. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie shows us what's ahead for planet earth. We'll see the Lord has big plans, and believers will see the “big reveal.” Listen on harvest.org --- Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org . A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever driven past the home you grew up in, and were a little heartsick? Maybe it's fallen into disrepair and looks so uninviting. It's not the way it used to be, you say to yourself. Well imagine what the Lord must think of the world He created. After the fall of Adam and Eve, the culture just kept on falling. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie shows us what's ahead for planet earth. We'll see the Lord has big plans, and believers will see the “big reveal.” Listen on harvest.org --- Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org . A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I love the way the Bible begins in Genesis: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters (1:1-2). On the sixth day of creation, God made mankind, in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (v. 27). The three commands given to the first couple were simple: 1) Have lots of children and fill the earth with people who worship me, 2) manage creation and subdue it, and 3) do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because, on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die (2:16-17). Eden was the very first temple that Adam and Eve, as the people of God, were able to worship and enjoy God both as His children and as His royal priesthood. This is why Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden after they sinned against God. This is why the very last verse of the infamous third chapter in Genesis ends with these words: So He drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life (v. 24). But before they were expelled from the Garden, God made this promise to the first couple and the serpent who deceived Eve: And I will make enemies of you and the woman, and of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel (3:15). Israel Enjoyed an Ancient Glory There is nearly 2,500 years separating Adam from Moses, and all that history is crammed in between Genesis 4 and Exodus 2. Within those 2,500 years, God honored His promise to Abraham to multiply his descendants into a nation of people who would experience 400 years of slavery in Egypt, only to be miraculously liberated as His people. As a freed people, God spoke through Moses to all of Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel (Exod. 19:46). God gave Israel the Ten Commandments and the rest of the Law; He also instituted a sacrificial system to address their sins, religious feasts to remind His people of His faithfulness to them, and the plans for a Tabernacle that would eventually be used to build a Temple. Its design would serve to remind them of the Garden and what Adam and Eve enjoyed, and it would serve as the place where the presence of God would be known, experienced, and seen, so God told Moses: Have them construct a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them. According to all that I am going to show you as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, so you shall construct it (Exod. 25:89). The Tabernacle, and eventually the Temple, would serve as the center of worship for Israel as a people. In the wilderness as pilgrims journeying to the promised land, God would lead them by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When the presence of God moved, Israel moved; when the presence of God rested, Israel rested. At the center of the Temple was the Ark of the Covenant where it would sit in the place known as the Holy of Holies. The Ark of the Covenant is the container where the broken tablets of the 10 commandments were placed among a few other things, it is also symbolic of the presence of God. Nearly 500 years after Moses died and Israel finally entered the land God promised Abraham, David was anointed as King over Israel. Even though most of the psalms that are in the Bible were written by David, because he was a man of war, he was not permitted to build a Temple modeled after the Tabernacle. However, God did allow Solomon (a son of David) to build the temple in Jerusalem where the presence of God would be known, experienced, and seen. The Temple would forever be known as Solomons Temple not because it was dedicated to Solomon, but because of the great care that Solomon invested into the building of it. When it was finally completed and dedicated before the people of Israel, God spoke to Solomon: if you turn away and abandon My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight; and I will make it a proverb and an object of scorn among all peoples. As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, Why has the Lord done these things to this land and to this house? And they will say, Because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods, and worshiped and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them. (2 Chron. 7:1922) Solomon started off so well, but his life ended so tragically. Solomons life did not end well, for he loved many foreign women (1 Kings 11:1). Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines he was the Hugh Heffner of his day. The thing is, Solomon knew his Bible well, he knew what Exodus 34:16 said, You shall not enter into marriage with foreign women, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomons heart turned away from God and participated in the worship of other gods that included child sacrifice, rampant sexual immorality, and set the entire nation on track to do the same. So, the thing that God warned Solomon and Israel would happen if they turned from Him, happened. After the death of Solomon, all of Israel would eventually become known not for the nation that worshiped Yahweh, but the nation that worshiped the gods of the other nations. God judged the nation of Israel and eventually they were handed over to a foreign nation. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were driven from the presence of God, but in the wake of Solomons idolatry, the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and left the place He promised Israel (Ezek. 10:18). Not long after the glory of God departed the temple and Israel, Solomons Temple was destroyed by Babylon. Israel Pursued a New Glory After hundreds of years in exile and the desperate prayers of those who truly loved and worshiped Yahweh, God allowed a small remnant of Hebrew men and women back into Jerusalem. The two things that were in ruins were the temple and the walls of Jerusalem; Ezra would eventually oversee the building of the temple, while Nehemiah would manage the building of the walls of Jerusalem. The first six chapters of Ezra give us the back story for Ezras role in overseeing the construction of the temple. The first three chapters tell us about the very initial planning for a new temple; I only want to focus on the first three chapters and the very last verse in the book of Ezra. The only thing that happens in Ezra 3 is the exiles set up the altar where the sacrifices could be made, then the people began to celebrate the different festivals that were designed to remind them of Gods faithfulness, then hired masons and carpenters, and then laid the foundation of the temple. It would take another 20 years before the new temple would be completed. The best illustration I can come up with the kind of frustration the exiles in Jerusalem must have experienced, is to think of I-25 from Fort Collins to Denver. Just so you know, it was not because the workers were part of the Union or that they worked for the federal government that it took so long to build the temple. There were legitimate obstacles the people faced by real adversaries. God stirred and moved King Cyrus to make a proclamation that bore the authority of any of the laws of Persia. The very first sentence in Ezra begins: Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia (Ezra 1:1). So, the king proclaimed that the Hebrew exiles could return and rebuild their temple (vv. 2-4). King Cyrus would not live to see the day when his proclamation was finally fulfilled. Just after the foundation of the temple was laid, a group of people in Jerusalem who did not want the temple built, frightened them from building, and bribed advisers against them, to frustrate their advice all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia (v. 5). For ten years the building of the temple was put on hold. In Ezra 3, with the laying of the foundation of the temple, the people celebrated, but before they could begin, Ezra 4 happened! In chapter 5, the work began in the second year of a new king (Darius) and four years later, it was finally completed (Ezra 6:15ff). When it was finally finished, the people rightfully celebrated: And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. They offered for the dedication of this temple of God a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. Then they appointed the priests to their divisions and the Levites in their sections for the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses. (vv. 16-18). What I find most startling about the book of Ezra is that the people seemed to have been in a really good place spiritually in their lives. As soon as they entered the land, they set up the altar before anything else so that they could worship God. They celebrated the feast of booths, which was also known as the Feast of Tabernacles as a way to celebrate the ways God preserved Israel in the wilderness and how his presence dwelled among them. They also celebrated all the other important days such as the Day of Atonement, and so much more. And, just after the new temple was dedicated, they celebrated Passover together! Everything was going so well until we come to Ezra 9 and learn that the people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites did the same thing Solomon did that led to great evils in Israel they married the same type of women Solomon married who turned his heart away from God, and so the very last verse in Ezra serves as the epitaph of a story that began so good but ended so badly: All of these men had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children (10:44). Israel Missed a Better Glory I believe we are given a clue as to why Ezras book ends tragically. Notice how the people respond to the new temple in Ezra 3:10-13, And they sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His favor is upon Israel forever. And all the people shouted with a great shout of joy when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, because the people were shouting with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away. This is so easy to miss if you are not paying attention! Out of joy the people sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His favor is upon Israel forever (see also 2 Chron. 7:3). The people sang the same thing the people in Solomons day sang when the first temple was completed; this is how I know they were expecting the glory of God to return: Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lords house. All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, Certainly He is good, certainly His faithfulness is everlasting. Everything the people practiced in Ezra 3 was good. But the reason why the old men wept was because they could not get past the beauty of Solomons temple and failed to appreciate the point and purpose of the temple in the first place. I also believe the younger men missed the point of the new temple for the same reasons the old men wept. The point was not a building for Gods glory to dwell in, but to know and worship the God whose plan has always been to dwell with His people face to face! The reason why the men turned to foreign women is the same reason Solomon turned to foreign women who worshiped other godsthey failed to appreciate that there was a greater glory than the lie Adam and Eve believed, the wisdom and women of Solomon, and the illusion of the past that what is gone was better than what God is doing today. Conclusion Now, there was no way for Israel to understand all that God was doing in the world, but what He was doing was more beautiful than Eden, greater than Solomons temple, and more permeant than the blood of bulls and goats (see Hebrews 10:4). The greater glory they missed was the promise of a deliverer who would remedy their sin. The greater glory they missed was the One the Passover and all the feasts pointed too. The greater glory was not the history of the Davidic kingdom or Solomons Temple, but a better and greater Son of David whose kingdom will know no end and will endure forever (2 Sam. 7:14). He is the greater glory who lights up the darkness (Isa. 9:2-7). We have the benefit of being able to look back to Ezra with New Testament eyes and see that the greater glory Israel missed was the glory that would come in the form a person who was fully God and fully man. The glory eventually returned to Israel, but not in the way Israel ever saw coming. The glory came and it was heard in the sounds of an infants cry; see if you can hear the overtones of what we explored through scripture in the words of the Gospel of John concerning Jesus: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt [tabernacled] among us; and we saw His glory, glory as the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-5, 14). Here are some of the things we learn from the first three chapters of Ezra and the promise of the greater glory, who is Jesus Christ: God is faithful on His terms, in His ways, and according to His character. While Israel was experiencing the just and severe discipline of God, it was God who promised that the discipline was for a season and not the end of their story. In Jeremiah 29:10, God made the following promise: For this is what the Lordsays: When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope (Jer. 29:1011). Unbeknownst to those in exile and those in Jerusalem, overwhelmed by the ashes of what once was, God was working and moving in one of the more powerful men in the world: Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia (Ezra 1:1). Just because you cannot see or understand what God is doing, does not mean that He is not working out His purposes for His glory and your good. The best way to fight fear, is through faith in the God who is bigger than your problems. I believe this is the reason why Israel built and installed the alter and worshiped God even though they were terrified of the people who surrounded them. Remembering the ways God delivered their forefathers from the great and tyrannical power of Egypt enabled them to fight against the terror they experienced. The people fought their fear by remembering who God was, the problem is that they were nearsighted and failed to see a greater glory existed for their good. The safest place to be is in the will of God. The story of Gods people is a lesson on this principle. The reason why there was a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night that guided His people was so that they moved only when He moved and that they stayed only when God remained. Anytime the people of God moved when God was not moving or stayed when God was moving, they found themselves in trouble. If you are a Christian, the glory we follow is Jesus, and we are to go where He goes and stay where He stays. If you are not a Christian because you have not surrendered your life to Jesus as the one who died for your sins and conquered the grave by raising from the dead, then you need to run to Him who stood in your place to bear the wrath of a holy God that you deserved.

I love the way the Bible begins in Genesis: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters (1:1-2). On the sixth day of creation, God made mankind, in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (v. 27). The three commands given to the first couple were simple: 1) Have lots of children and fill the earth with people who worship me, 2) manage creation and subdue it, and 3) do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because, on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die (2:16-17). Eden was the very first temple that Adam and Eve, as the people of God, were able to worship and enjoy God both as His children and as His royal priesthood. This is why Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden after they sinned against God. This is why the very last verse of the infamous third chapter in Genesis ends with these words: So He drove the man out; and at the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life (v. 24). But before they were expelled from the Garden, God made this promise to the first couple and the serpent who deceived Eve: And I will make enemies of you and the woman, and of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel (3:15). Israel Enjoyed an Ancient Glory There is nearly 2,500 years separating Adam from Moses, and all that history is crammed in between Genesis 4 and Exodus 2. Within those 2,500 years, God honored His promise to Abraham to multiply his descendants into a nation of people who would experience 400 years of slavery in Egypt, only to be miraculously liberated as His people. As a freed people, God spoke through Moses to all of Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel (Exod. 19:46). God gave Israel the Ten Commandments and the rest of the Law; He also instituted a sacrificial system to address their sins, religious feasts to remind His people of His faithfulness to them, and the plans for a Tabernacle that would eventually be used to build a Temple. Its design would serve to remind them of the Garden and what Adam and Eve enjoyed, and it would serve as the place where the presence of God would be known, experienced, and seen, so God told Moses: Have them construct a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them. According to all that I am going to show you as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, so you shall construct it (Exod. 25:89). The Tabernacle, and eventually the Temple, would serve as the center of worship for Israel as a people. In the wilderness as pilgrims journeying to the promised land, God would lead them by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When the presence of God moved, Israel moved; when the presence of God rested, Israel rested. At the center of the Temple was the Ark of the Covenant where it would sit in the place known as the Holy of Holies. The Ark of the Covenant is the container where the broken tablets of the 10 commandments were placed among a few other things, it is also symbolic of the presence of God. Nearly 500 years after Moses died and Israel finally entered the land God promised Abraham, David was anointed as King over Israel. Even though most of the psalms that are in the Bible were written by David, because he was a man of war, he was not permitted to build a Temple modeled after the Tabernacle. However, God did allow Solomon (a son of David) to build the temple in Jerusalem where the presence of God would be known, experienced, and seen. The Temple would forever be known as Solomons Temple not because it was dedicated to Solomon, but because of the great care that Solomon invested into the building of it. When it was finally completed and dedicated before the people of Israel, God spoke to Solomon: if you turn away and abandon My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight; and I will make it a proverb and an object of scorn among all peoples. As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, Why has the Lord done these things to this land and to this house? And they will say, Because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods, and worshiped and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them. (2 Chron. 7:1922) Solomon started off so well, but his life ended so tragically. Solomons life did not end well, for he loved many foreign women (1 Kings 11:1). Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines he was the Hugh Heffner of his day. The thing is, Solomon knew his Bible well, he knew what Exodus 34:16 said, You shall not enter into marriage with foreign women, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomons heart turned away from God and participated in the worship of other gods that included child sacrifice, rampant sexual immorality, and set the entire nation on track to do the same. So, the thing that God warned Solomon and Israel would happen if they turned from Him, happened. After the death of Solomon, all of Israel would eventually become known not for the nation that worshiped Yahweh, but the nation that worshiped the gods of the other nations. God judged the nation of Israel and eventually they were handed over to a foreign nation. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were driven from the presence of God, but in the wake of Solomons idolatry, the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and left the place He promised Israel (Ezek. 10:18). Not long after the glory of God departed the temple and Israel, Solomons Temple was destroyed by Babylon. Israel Pursued a New Glory After hundreds of years in exile and the desperate prayers of those who truly loved and worshiped Yahweh, God allowed a small remnant of Hebrew men and women back into Jerusalem. The two things that were in ruins were the temple and the walls of Jerusalem; Ezra would eventually oversee the building of the temple, while Nehemiah would manage the building of the walls of Jerusalem. The first six chapters of Ezra give us the back story for Ezras role in overseeing the construction of the temple. The first three chapters tell us about the very initial planning for a new temple; I only want to focus on the first three chapters and the very last verse in the book of Ezra. The only thing that happens in Ezra 3 is the exiles set up the altar where the sacrifices could be made, then the people began to celebrate the different festivals that were designed to remind them of Gods faithfulness, then hired masons and carpenters, and then laid the foundation of the temple. It would take another 20 years before the new temple would be completed. The best illustration I can come up with the kind of frustration the exiles in Jerusalem must have experienced, is to think of I-25 from Fort Collins to Denver. Just so you know, it was not because the workers were part of the Union or that they worked for the federal government that it took so long to build the temple. There were legitimate obstacles the people faced by real adversaries. God stirred and moved King Cyrus to make a proclamation that bore the authority of any of the laws of Persia. The very first sentence in Ezra begins: Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia (Ezra 1:1). So, the king proclaimed that the Hebrew exiles could return and rebuild their temple (vv. 2-4). King Cyrus would not live to see the day when his proclamation was finally fulfilled. Just after the foundation of the temple was laid, a group of people in Jerusalem who did not want the temple built, frightened them from building, and bribed advisers against them, to frustrate their advice all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia (v. 5). For ten years the building of the temple was put on hold. In Ezra 3, with the laying of the foundation of the temple, the people celebrated, but before they could begin, Ezra 4 happened! In chapter 5, the work began in the second year of a new king (Darius) and four years later, it was finally completed (Ezra 6:15ff). When it was finally finished, the people rightfully celebrated: And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. They offered for the dedication of this temple of God a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. Then they appointed the priests to their divisions and the Levites in their sections for the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses. (vv. 16-18). What I find most startling about the book of Ezra is that the people seemed to have been in a really good place spiritually in their lives. As soon as they entered the land, they set up the altar before anything else so that they could worship God. They celebrated the feast of booths, which was also known as the Feast of Tabernacles as a way to celebrate the ways God preserved Israel in the wilderness and how his presence dwelled among them. They also celebrated all the other important days such as the Day of Atonement, and so much more. And, just after the new temple was dedicated, they celebrated Passover together! Everything was going so well until we come to Ezra 9 and learn that the people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites did the same thing Solomon did that led to great evils in Israel they married the same type of women Solomon married who turned his heart away from God, and so the very last verse in Ezra serves as the epitaph of a story that began so good but ended so badly: All of these men had married foreign wives, and some of them had wives by whom they had children (10:44). Israel Missed a Better Glory I believe we are given a clue as to why Ezras book ends tragically. Notice how the people respond to the new temple in Ezra 3:10-13, And they sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His favor is upon Israel forever. And all the people shouted with a great shout of joy when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, because the people were shouting with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away. This is so easy to miss if you are not paying attention! Out of joy the people sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His favor is upon Israel forever (see also 2 Chron. 7:3). The people sang the same thing the people in Solomons day sang when the first temple was completed; this is how I know they were expecting the glory of God to return: Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lords house. All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, Certainly He is good, certainly His faithfulness is everlasting. Everything the people practiced in Ezra 3 was good. But the reason why the old men wept was because they could not get past the beauty of Solomons temple and failed to appreciate the point and purpose of the temple in the first place. I also believe the younger men missed the point of the new temple for the same reasons the old men wept. The point was not a building for Gods glory to dwell in, but to know and worship the God whose plan has always been to dwell with His people face to face! The reason why the men turned to foreign women is the same reason Solomon turned to foreign women who worshiped other godsthey failed to appreciate that there was a greater glory than the lie Adam and Eve believed, the wisdom and women of Solomon, and the illusion of the past that what is gone was better than what God is doing today. Conclusion Now, there was no way for Israel to understand all that God was doing in the world, but what He was doing was more beautiful than Eden, greater than Solomons temple, and more permeant than the blood of bulls and goats (see Hebrews 10:4). The greater glory they missed was the promise of a deliverer who would remedy their sin. The greater glory they missed was the One the Passover and all the feasts pointed too. The greater glory was not the history of the Davidic kingdom or Solomons Temple, but a better and greater Son of David whose kingdom will know no end and will endure forever (2 Sam. 7:14). He is the greater glory who lights up the darkness (Isa. 9:2-7). We have the benefit of being able to look back to Ezra with New Testament eyes and see that the greater glory Israel missed was the glory that would come in the form a person who was fully God and fully man. The glory eventually returned to Israel, but not in the way Israel ever saw coming. The glory came and it was heard in the sounds of an infants cry; see if you can hear the overtones of what we explored through scripture in the words of the Gospel of John concerning Jesus: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt [tabernacled] among us; and we saw His glory, glory as the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-5, 14). Here are some of the things we learn from the first three chapters of Ezra and the promise of the greater glory, who is Jesus Christ: God is faithful on His terms, in His ways, and according to His character. While Israel was experiencing the just and severe discipline of God, it was God who promised that the discipline was for a season and not the end of their story. In Jeremiah 29:10, God made the following promise: For this is what the Lordsays: When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope (Jer. 29:1011). Unbeknownst to those in exile and those in Jerusalem, overwhelmed by the ashes of what once was, God was working and moving in one of the more powerful men in the world: Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia (Ezra 1:1). Just because you cannot see or understand what God is doing, does not mean that He is not working out His purposes for His glory and your good. The best way to fight fear, is through faith in the God who is bigger than your problems. I believe this is the reason why Israel built and installed the alter and worshiped God even though they were terrified of the people who surrounded them. Remembering the ways God delivered their forefathers from the great and tyrannical power of Egypt enabled them to fight against the terror they experienced. The people fought their fear by remembering who God was, the problem is that they were nearsighted and failed to see a greater glory existed for their good. The safest place to be is in the will of God. The story of Gods people is a lesson on this principle. The reason why there was a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night that guided His people was so that they moved only when He moved and that they stayed only when God remained. Anytime the people of God moved when God was not moving or stayed when God was moving, they found themselves in trouble. If you are a Christian, the glory we follow is Jesus, and we are to go where He goes and stay where He stays. If you are not a Christian because you have not surrendered your life to Jesus as the one who died for your sins and conquered the grave by raising from the dead, then you need to run to Him who stood in your place to bear the wrath of a holy God that you deserved.

Is Jesus Christ God Almighty? This podcast will investigate the ideas surrounding if Jesus Christ is God Almighty. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/anthony-rizzo3/support

Info Instead of saying Zombie this or that, it's really demonic possession worldwide that is taking over. At least according to world traditions and world trends in demonology, no matter the culture or religion--it's real, God teaches us. God is the only remedy through Jesus Christ God. It's also QUANTUM DEVIL day.... i.e. you reap what you sow. 2 hours ago #demon, #demonic, #exorcist, #jesusexorcist, #possession   Spiritual, political and philosophical observations along the way. And now music and information on Zeph E. Daniel and Crazed House, Ltd, film production.  Zeph E. Daniel is known for his screenwriting for the films “Girl Next”, “The Quantum Devil” and “Dementia”. Zeph also co-wrote other horror classics such as “SOCIETY”. His film production Crazed House has received numerous awards, reviews and enthusiast. Zeph is mostly recognized for his veracious and subversive podcast, THE ZEPH REPORT. For over 20 years Zeph has been reporting on observations to his faithful listeners. Author of the books GIRL NEXT, GLASS BACKWARD and LAMB. For decades Zeph has used music to candidly unveil the atrocities of our current world situation. Joining forces with DCP (Death Camp Parade) Rich Keltner, Trish Daniel, Kellie Rowley and other artist. Find the full Podcast of THE ZEPH REPORT; clips, shorts, films and books in the links below. LINKS Z Media Worldwide- Video shorts and Zeph's Music Catalog.
https://www.youtube.com/@ZMediaWorldwide https://crazedhouse.com/ https://www.spreaker.com/show/zephreport https://rumble.com/c/c-3417648 https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/x298c-70519/The-Zeph-Report-Podcast https://zephedaniel.substack.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Glass-Backwards-Zeph-Daniel/dp/193085966X https://www.amazon.com/Lamb-Zeph-Daniel/dp/1930859317  

Instead of saying Zombie this or that, it's really demonic possession worldwide that is taking over. At least according to world traditions and world trends in demonology, no matter the culture or religion--it's real, God teaches us. God is the only remedy through Jesus Christ God. It's also QUANTUM DEVIL day.... i.e. you reap what you sow.

We might be drunk this episode haha. Michael finally got his collection of whiskeys and custom glasses, while Ryan picked up a bottle of Bulleit Bourbon and we went to town. We talk about everything from Lizzo's new hilarious sandal to the power of Jesus Christ/God/inspiration and forgiveness. Thanks for watching everyone! Love y'all! Website

So, if Paul is commanding us to walk in wisdom, how do we do that? The answer to our question is that the Spirit empowers us to walk in wisdom. In verses 15-17, Paul lifts up “making the best use of the time” and “understanding the will of the Lord” as examples of wise, Spirit empowered living. To me, both of these things sound nearly impossible. How in the world am I supposed to make the best use of the time in such an evil day, and how does one know the will of the Lord? Here's what we need to understand about this passage. As Paul is contrasting wise living with foolish living, he is giving us specific examples of what it looks like to live wisely - making the best use of the time and understanding the will of the Lord. To do those things, is wise. To not do those things is foolish. So to understand Paul's commands here, we need to understand some of Paul's thoughts about true wisdom. I think that it is abundantly clear that Paul teaches that true wisdom is found in Jesus Christ. Colossians 2:3 says that, “Christ, (is the one) 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In the Son are hidden ALL of the treasures of wisdom. True wisdom is seeing all of life from God's perspective, and we know the Father through the Son. In Ephesians 1, Paul prays earnestly to God that those reading his letter would be given “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of (God the Father).” It is through the revelation of God in Jesus Christ - God the Son incarnate - by the power of the Spirit, that we can know true wisdom. In contrast to the true wisdom revealed in Jesus Christ by the power of the Spirit, foolishness is revealed in the fleshly living of those who do not know Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 says, “18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 4 These verses reveal that the wisdom of all the earth is not sufficient on its own to cause anyone to truly see God, and because of this the wisdom of the world is really no wisdom at all. As people, we either have wisdom in Christ or we do not have true wisdom. This walk in true wisdom that Paul calls us to in verses 15-17 is only possible for those who are sealed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. For those of us who are followers of Christ, we used to walk in this world as those who were blind to the wisdom of Christ. Though we could see with our earthly eyes, our spiritual eyes were unenlightened by the powerfully, piercing light of the gospel. But, through faith in Jesus Christ our eyes have been opened to the glories of gospel truth, and we can now walk in true wisdom. If you are here today, and you do not know Christ, our collective prayer is that the Holy Spirit would open your eyes to the true hope that we have in Jesus. Please believe in the Christ who died on the cross, defeated sin and death in His resurrection from the dead, and ascended on high in order to carry out this glorious exchange - blindness for sight, foolishness for wisdom. Application: To those of us who believe, how do we make the best use of our time in this evil day? We, in the power of the Spirit, continue to drink more deeply of the gospel of Jesus Christ. How do we know the will of the Lord? We, in the power of the Spirit, follow the way of Christ. How do we walk wisely? We walk wisely in the power of the Spirit who unites us to Jesus Christ. For some of us, walking wisely will look like taking opportunities to evangelize at the playground with the other moms. For others, walking wisely will look like mowing the grass of a widow in our church. Boys and girls who are in here, what do you think it could mean for you to walk wisely? Maybe for you, it would be something as simple as putting away your toys the first time that your parents ask. 5 For all of us, though, walking wisely will look like obeying the commands of Christ through the power of the Spirit in whatever opportunities lie before us. As we move to verse 18, we're going to see that not only is the believer's walk in wisdom empowered by the Spirit but we will also see that the believer's walk is empowered by the fullness of the Spirit. In verse 18, Paul lays out one of the most crucial commands of the book of Ephesians when he says, “be filled with the Spirit.” Because the fullness of the Spirit empowers our growth in holiness, we dare not live the Christian life without dwelling deeply on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. As we seek to follow all of the commands of Scripture, it is the fullness of the Spirit that enables us to grow in obedience. As we examine this command in verse 18 to be filled with the Spirit, I'm not going to spend much time on the prohibition of drunkenness. While it's a sin to be drunk, and I would sternly condemn drunkenness, Paul's main priority in this prohibition is to contrast drunkenness with the filling of the Spirit as his central command. So, unlike the hyper fundamentalist churches that I grew up in, who usually only focused on condemning alcohol with this passage, I'm going to spend the majority of my time with this passage focusing on what it means to be filled with the Spirit. There are thousands of things that we should not be filled with, but the emphasis here is that we should be filled with the Holy Spirit. When we come to the command to be filled with the Spirit, there are several questions to answer to grasp the topic of filling with the Spirit. The first question that we must answer is “what is fullness with the Spirit?” Because every believer is indwelled by the Spirit at conversion, we must first understand that the fullness of the Spirit is not the initial indwelling of the Spirit. While the Spirit certainly intends to fill the vessel that he indwells, the command to continue to seek the fullness of the Spirit indicates that we are speaking of further growth in the Spirit beyond the initial indwelling of the Spirit. 6 Along the same lines, we must realize that Paul is assuming that the believers he is writing to in Ephesians already have the Spirit, and that they are sealed by the same Spirit. Paul's use of the phrase “filled with the Spirit” is different from the sealing or indwelling of the Spirit. Throughout Scripture, the filling of the Spirit can be explained in three broad categories. I'm drawing from John Stott's wonderful little booklet, Baptism and Fullness as I explain this to you. If you can, get this booklet to help as you seek to engage more thoroughly with the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Of the three broad Scriptural categories for the filling of the Spirit, the first is that, in Scripture, the fullness of the Spirit is used to refer to the normal characteristic of every dedicated Christian. We see one example of this in Acts 6:3 as the Apostles were choosing deacons. It says, “Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.” It's clear here that these men were to be characterized as being full of the Spirit before they were ever chosen for service as deacons. Certainly, fullness of the Spirit should be normal for the growing, faithful Christian. Secondly, the fullness of the Spirit refers to a special foundation for a particular ministry or office. An example of this would be in reference to John the Baptist from Luke 1:15 which says, “15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.” Even in the womb, John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit for his special ministry of being the forerunner of Christ. Thirdly, there are occasions when the fullness of the Spirit is given to equip people not so much for special, lifelong ministry as for an immediate task. An example for this comes from the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts 7:55 which says, “55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” As Stephen was martyred, the Spirit filled him to be able to boldly proclaim Christ and to endure suffering. So, what is the fullness of the Spirit? I believe that in the context of this passage and the broader categories of Scripture that fullness of the Spirit refers to the characteristic pattern of the believer's walk being strongly influenced by the Spirit rather than being strongly influenced by the flesh. 7 In contrast to the way that being drunk causes one to be so influenced by the alcohol that they turn to all kinds of uncontrollable actions, being filled with the Spirit means that a believer is so strongly influenced by the Spirit that their life results in the controlled actions of the fruit of the Spirit. The second question that we must answer when it comes to the filling of the Spirit is “how can I be filled with the Spirit?” To answer this question, in the clearest way, I think that we must turn to the teachings of Jesus. In Luke 11:13, Jesus says, “13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Fullness of the Holy Spirit is something that we must relentlessly and humbly ask the Father for. The Father's desire is for His children to know the fullness of the Holy Spirit, yet so often we do not ask our Father for the fullness of the Spirit. Why don't we ask the Father for the fullness of the Spirit? For some it's because we've never understood what the fullness of the Spirit even is. For others, it's because we're afraid of the dangerous excess and lack of Scriptural foundation of some strains of modern day Pentecostalism. For most of us, though, we do not ask the Father for the fullness of the Spirit because we do not believe in the urgency of the spiritual battle that we are in Christian brothers and sisters, we are at war! While victory is guaranteed through the work of Christ on the cross, Satan still has a foothold in our flesh, and our self-sufficient, proud hearts are all too eager to turn away from the battle for holiness. We must battle this incredible tension that we experience in this age of the “already but not yet - this time between the inauguration and consummation of Christ's kingdom - by the fullness of the Spirit! Because of the constant war with our flesh that we face as believers, it is only through the filling of the Spirit that we can see true, lasting, increasing victory over sin and holiness in our lives. 8 Do you want to conquer sin through the fullness of the Spirit? Ask God to fill you with his Spirit. It is through this empowering work of the Spirit that we can see true victory as we live in obedience to the commands of God. The second teaching of Jesus that helps us to answer our question “how can I be filled with the Spirit” is found in Luke 7. Verses 37-39 say this, “37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' ” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” In this passage, Jesus stands up and paints a picture of one who thirsts in a way that only Jesus can satisfy. Those who are separated from Jesus are parched, dry, and panting for water, and Jesus bids them come to Him so that He can quench their thirst. Only those who drink of Jesus will have the thirst quenching satisfaction of a mighty river of living water. But what is this living water? Verse 39 tells us that the rivers of living water are the Holy Spirit. Fullness with the water that is supplied by Jesus is fullness with the Spirit. Application: If you desire to be full of the Spirit, you must drink deeply of the waters that flow from Jesus Himself. Savor Him. Worship Him. Fill your mind with His Words. Oh church, may we never tire of Jesus. May we go to Him time and time again for the rivers of living water, and in doing so, Lord, may we be filled with your Spirit anew. As we move on to the next verses in our passage, we can see that they answer the question “what are the marks of being filled with the Spirit,” and the answer is that fullness with the Spirit empowers the believer's walk in worship. One of the primary identifiers of one who is filled with the Spirit is that they participate in true worship. Verses 19-21 are some of the most powerful verses on worship in the New Testament because they are so deeply connected to the role of the Holy Spirit in empowering our worship. As we look at these verses, we must note that these verses clearly highlight the Godward as well as the corporate aspects of worship in the church. Verses 19 and 21 address the corporate aspects of our worship as Christians. 9 It's no mistake that Paul notes one of the first marks of being filled with the Holy Spirit is addressing or speaking to one another in a way that propels our worship. Now, when Paul says that we ought to address one another in “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,” he is not implying that being filled with the Spirit means that we can only sing at each other as our primary means of communication, even though, as a church family, we often do encourage one another through our sung worship. What Paul is trying to press home here is that the content of our communication, our addressing of one another, whether sung or otherwise, should be filled with the same mingling of truth and emotion that is found in the greatest songs of the Christian faith. What makes great Christian music such an important part of the historic Church? It is the unique blending together of emotion and truth that binds our hearts to each other and to God in singing. Just as our music ought to convey both emotion and biblical truth, so too should all of our conversations with each other cause emotional, truthful worship to be taking place. The second corporate aspect of worship that Paul addresses in these verses as a mark of being filled with the Spirit is found in verse 21. Paul says that we should be submitting to one another. I believe that local churches are the greatest, most tangible displays of the gospel in our world, and I believe that a church that truly grasps living together in mutual submission provides one of the greatest apologetics for Christ in our present day. In a time of polarization due to politics and in a day where genuine connection with others is lacking due to the commonality of online interactions, a church that lives in the unity and connection that comes from mutual submission to each other will help the world to see what true worship looks like. Additionally, there's nothing that inflames the worship of a church more than unity in the gospel manifested in mutual submission. In verses 19 and 20, Paul also addresses the marks of fullness in the Spirit that are displayed in Godward worship. 10 One of these marks is the giving of thanks to God always and for everything in the name of Jesus Christ. The giving of thanks in everything is a God glorifying act of worship, because it is a right response to the truth about our sovereign King. What could be more God glorifying than responding to God's self revelation in His sovereignty over all things with true, heartfelt thanks? While there's genuine evil in this broken, sinful world, and we must not be ones to call evil good and good evil, we can rest confidently in the fact that only in Christ Jesus can “…all things work together for good…” Application: Cling to this promise my dear brothers and sisters and let this promise propel you to give thanks to God in everything as an evidence of the fullness of the Spirit in your life. The final mark of the fullness of the Spirit that Paul mentions here is singing that is directed to the Lord and is done with the whole heart. As I mentioned earlier, the combination of emotion and truth in singing is something that has united the church for centuries, and we get to join in this chorus of all ages when we sing here at church, in our homes, and on our ways to work. While many of us do not have the greatest of voices, I hope that you know what it means to engage in singing with all of your heart for the glory of God alone. Sing out church, because in doing so we are offering pleasing sacrifices to the Lord himself. As God's new covenant people, we are, as it says in 1 Peter 2:5, “a holy priesthood, to offer sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Application: In our singing, we offer, as a body, acceptable worship to God. And, each and every one of us has a part in that. Our worship team should never be the primary worshippers of Faith Community Bible Church on a Sunday morning. Our elders should not be the primary sacrifice offerers. The guitars and drums should not be the primary instruments of praise. The primary worshippers of FCBC on a Sunday morning should be you, the priesthood of believers, using the instrument of your voice to lift praises to God in Christ Jesus with all of your heart. 11 That is evidence of the fullness of the Spirit empowering your walk in worship. Conclusion: If you remember the story about being lost that I told you at the beginning of this message, well, obviously we eventually found the path. The problem, though, was that we still had a ton of miles left to walk even after we had spent all that time wandering in the woods. Eventually we made it to the end of the hike, though, and it felt so good to reach our final destination. Finally, we could rest! The Christian life is a lot like this arduous hike. It's no short jaunt. It's a long walk of obedience in the power of the Holy Spirit. Because of this, I believe that it is incredibly important that each of us leave here today with a deep understanding that our walk as believers is empowered by the Holy Spirit. In all that comes in life, let us, as followers of Jesus, seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit which empowers our walk. In the parenting of a stubborn teenager, only the Spirit's power can cause you to speak words that He carries to their heart. In the death of your dearly loved ones, only the Spirit's power can enable you to see the hand of a good God at work in every aspect of their life and death. In all of the transitions and changes that our church has experienced, only the Spirit's power can keep us worshiping with white hot passion that displays God's glorious gospel to the rest of the world. In the words of Psalm 95, and in earnest desire for the filling of the Holy Spirit, I say to you Faith Community Bible Church, “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods…Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…”

In our study this week, we focus on Jesus. So many people say the name of Jesus and know the name of Jesus, but have no idea of who He really is. In this podcast, Shelley reminds us that the more we know of Jesus, the more we discover there is to learn! So, let's get ready to dip our thimble into the ocean of riches that is Jesus, “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).   To join a Harvest women's small group, go to virtue.harvest.org/studies  Learn more about Virtue women's ministry at Harvest Christian Fellowship by going to virtue.harvest.org/about/. Support the show: https://harvest.org/donate/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.