Podcasts about jesus there

Nothing worthwhile comes without suffering. This is generally true for almost all things in life. And it's no different when it comes to living for Jesus: There is no worthwhile pleasure presented to Jesus, that does not come with some suffering. Yet why do we resist and avoid suffering for Jesus? Pastor Johanan answers this critical question in The Glorious Reward from 2 Corinthians 4:7-12, 16-18.

Paul is about to set the Corinthians straight on the resurrection of Jesus: There were over 500 witnesses of Jesus being risen from the dead The Old Testament Scriptures prophesied about Jesus rising from the dead Why did Jesus have to rise from the dead? The core basic of Christianity is that Jesus had to rise from the dead Why cultural Christianity is not a lifestyle worth living   Click all these links from P40: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnh-aqfg8rw Ko-Fi - https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries  Website - https://www.p40ministries.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p40ministries  Contact - jenn@p40ministries.com  Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-6493869  Books - https://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Kokal/e/B095JCRNHY/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk  Merch - https://www.p40ministries.com/shop  YouVersion - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/38267-out-of-the-mire-trusting-god-in-the-middle    Support babies and get quality coffee with Seven Weeks Coffee  https://sevenweekscoffee.com/?ref=P40   This ministry is only made possible due to your generous support https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries

This week we are looking at the hymn "Seek Where Ye May to Find a Way" (Hymn 383 in The Lutheran Hymnal), written by German hymn writer Georg Weissel who wrote about 100 years after the Reformation and the time of Martin Luther. This hymn is found in the Faith and Justification section of our hymnal, and it fits well here. It is a beautiful description of what make the Christian faith different from any other religion, and the hope that is found in Jesus alone.  This hymn is based on a variety of passages from the Old and New Testaments, weaving in passages from the Psalms, Romans, the Gospels and other places in Scripture. It is amazing as we study hymns like this to see the thorough familiarity that these hymn writers had of the Scriptures, to  be able to use passages and weave them together is a poetic, beautiful and meaningful way. Knowing the Scriptures so well is something that we should aspire to as well! Study this hymn with us, as we are reminded of work of God for us in the person of Jesus and the fact that there is no hope in any other religion apart from Christ. Peter declared about Jesus: "There is no other name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved"! (Acts 4:12). How true indeed!  The LORD bless your worship and proclamation of this truth, both this weekend, and always!

Week 1, we learned that: We must know we are a part of a larger spiritual battle Today, we are looking at an important Biblical theme The theme is LIGHT AND DARKNESS Scripture uses several themes to separate the THINGS OF GOD and the THINGS NOT OF GOD Good and Bad Wisdom and Foolishness Righteous and Unrighteous Another of those themes is LIGHT AND DARKNESS An example of this is… 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. This leads to the questions: What exactly is LIGHT? What exactly is DARKNESS? Let's Start with… Biblical Theology of Light and Dark   Genesis 1:1-4 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. God created light The light was GOOD   Darkness represents CHAOS Formless Empty Without purpose So we can say that… God's Creation thrives in the light   Psalm 27:1 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life whom should I dread?   A new layer of what light is… Light Represents God and His Salvation   Isaiah 9:2 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. Darkness is a state we can live in Perpetually God's light (SALVATION) pulls us out of Darkness But this is not a physical darkness… Romans 1:21-22 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools… This darkness affects our hearts and minds But… John 1 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light (Salvation) of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it. The light of God's Salvation in Jesus overcomes the CHAOS and hard hearts of the World   What is this Darkness? Darkness is the fallen state of humanity, the created world, and the kingdom of evil. It started in the Garden of Eden and continues through humankind's rebellion. Darkness refers to falsehood and evil. To live as children of light means to be directed by what is good, right, and true. Symbolizes sin, ignorance, and separation from God This is important because it challenges our modern perception of: GOOD VS BAD God is not some heavenly principle – BAD God is not a sky Santa Clause – GOOD This leads us to say things like… “I think I'm a good person who sometimes does bad things…” “I'm not perfect, but I know my own heart…” “I think as long as you do good things and aren't mean to people, you are a good person…” This isn't what the Bible is trying to say AT ALL   Some practical ways to better understand how this darkness affects us Darkness of Understanding Unknowing Ignorance Darkness of Decisions Falsehood Wickedness Bad Choices Chaos Darkness of Separation From God From Life From Salvation   Let's better understand what is in the dark… There are Monsters in the Dark There is more to this darkness that scripture speaks about… Colossians 1:13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.   This darkness is a kingdom against God and His creation   There is an agency to evil   We need to rid our minds of the medieval caricature of Satan. Dispensing with the horns, the hooves and the tail, we are left with the biblical portrait of a spiritual being, highly intelligent, immensely powerful and utterly unscrupulous. ~ John Stott   Ephesians 6 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.   What we need to know about Satan and His kingdom of darkness 1: This “kingdom” is structured to wage war against God and his church An organized hierarchy 2: He doesn't just influence people but also nations Idolatry Evil on a large scale The destructive malice of Satan against all humanity, and particularly against the church, is channeled through human agents and the systems and institutions they have built. Humanity in general is afflicted by the destroyer through the structures of injustice and oppression of which the flesh and the devil are joint architects, and Christians are murderously attacked by individuals and governments ultimately directed by Satan. ~ Richard Lovelace   Lord's Prayer: Your KINGDOM COME… We wage war on evil to see this happen   3: He would rather you not know he exists Like the mob, works in Darkness C.S. Lewis – Either disbelieve he exists or excessive interest Lastly… 4: He does have SOME authority over this world The temptation of Jesus   There is tremendous hope because scripture teaches… The Light of God Is Always Victorious Against Darkness   Jesus has ULTIMATE Authority and has defeated satan on the CROSS   Our Goal is the WALK IN THE LIGHT   Ephesians 5 6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God's wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. 7 Therefore, do not become their partners. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— 9 for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth— 10 testing what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Don't participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13 Everything exposed by the light is made visible, 14 for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

JESUS - There is no other Name given under Heaven to mankind whereby we Must BE SAVED. JESUS Is LORD, MASTER ADONAY, Is a Hebrew Word meaning "Lord",a Name that implies Relationship

Last week I shared goals that were developed from the input that was received at our gatherings this past year. I need to let you know that they are still in progress and are being reviewed by the call committee. They will then go back to the council for final approval. You will then be able to see them in the Ministry Site Profile. The Ministry Site Profile was formulated and written by the Transition Team, is now being fine-tuned by the Call Committee and will then be brought back to the council for approval and then shared with you. Mike Nussdorfer is the head of our Call Committee. We will be installing them in September. Next week there will be news in the E-news from the Call Committee. I know the talk  about process gets old, but in reality this is what life is. The transition that we are in is a process and takes many turns, many that we do not expect. We would like to know how it is all going to go, but unfortunately that is not how God works. Everything is in God's time. During times of transition, anxiety and sometimes frustration, is the best time to work on our relationship with Jesus. This is what our lessons are talking about today. It is when we are not focusing on trying to figure everything out that the way often becomes clearer. The Jewish leaders in our Gospel lesson are trying to make sense out of what Jesus is talking about. It doesn't make sense that Jesus is saying that they are to eat him. Then Jesus goes on to say that unless they eat of his flesh and drink his blood that they will not have life within them. Those who do eat his flesh and drink his blood will have eternal life .If we think about this literally, our stomachs will probably be turning. In a sense Jesus tries to clarify to a point what he is talking about in saying that it is about abiding in him and he in us. Jesus is talking about our relationship with him. The Greek word for abide is meno which can mean reside in. Think for a moment about how Jesus resides in you. Do we recognize Jesus in us? We can be taken back by that to even consider us seeing Jesus in ourself. The closer that we grow to Jesus, the more others will see Jesus in us. It doesn't mean that we are perfect. If anything, it means that we realize that we are not perfect, yet try to love all the people the best that we can. In our own lives, those whom we have close relationships have an influence on how we live our lives. When we have someone that we trust, we allow them to point out things that may not be working or things that they see that they point out as something positive and healthy.  This is our model for being in relationship with Jesus There are all levels of relationship based on trust. We are all wired differently and that means even levels of intimacy are influenced by that with others and Jesus. When we are in loving intimate relationships with another human being, it is not always something that we understand. It just is and the more we try and understand it, the less sense it makes. We learn to trust and go with it or not. It takes being vulnerable and trusting that another person doesn't take advantage of us. It is no different with Jesus when it comes to trusting and being vulnerable. I don't believe that anyone of us has seen Jesus, yet we learn about Jesus and are asked to trust him. I want us to be reminded that Jesus desires us. We often think of this in a sexual manner, but this is much deeper, it is intimacy. It is Jesus residing in us. Jesus desires us to be vulnerable with him. We know that is not easy to do with another human being, let along Jesus. Even though we may admit that Jesus knows everything about us, the question is, are we willing to recognize who we are. Are we willing to stand totally open or as open as we can be before Jesus? Jesus was saying to the Jews and says to us, I want to be a part of every area of your life. I am going to reside in you. I want you to be at home with me. When Jesus says that he wants us to eat him, it really means that he wants us to continue to learn about him and be in relationship with him. This means recognizing his presence in us and others. In the beginning of the Gospel of John we hear that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God and that the Word became flesh and dwelled among us.” From the beginning of this Gospel, we hear that Jesus was God and that God in Jesus wants to be in relationship with us. God in Jesus Christ comes to us through Word and Sacrament. The word for eat in this passage can also mean gnaw or chew on. For me this means to really taste it, to get the fullest possible experience of it. This is what Jesus desires us to do with him through Word and Sacrament. Jesus wants us to get the fullest possible experience with him that we are able to. The Word is not only the Bible, but God in Jesus Christ can come to us through people and experiences. They can come to us through reading other things, watching things, but always listening for God in Jesus Christ. God in Jesus Christ comes to us through our two sacraments. Baptism and Communion. In Baptism, Jesus comes to us and if we are infants at the time, parents, sponsors and the beloved community promise to help us gnaw on and be in relationship with Jesus. At confirmation, we promise to continue being in relationship with Jesus and gnawing on him. This is what abiding is all about, eating and drinking Jesus. This is where we learn to trust Jesus and recognize his presence in our lives. Sometimes this means just letting go of as many fears and what ifs that we can and stepping out and being vulnerable before Jesus. Remember Jesus walks with us and loves us unconditionally. No matter how many fears and what ifs that we have Jesus is right there with us. I challenge each of us this week to look at how we relate to Jesus. How do we foster our relationship with Jesus? How do we gnaw or chew on Jesus? How do we recognize Jesus' presence in our lives? It does not only mean reading the Bible or coming to worship and hearing the Word and receiving the sacrament. It's more than all of that but includes Word and Sacrament. Through times of transition and change is exactly the time that we are called to spend more time seeking Jesus and putting away our wants and desires and asking Jesus what he wants and desires. When we are vulnerable before Jesus, Jesus will show us the way forward. It will not happen on our time, but his time. Jesus the bread of life resides in us and wants and desires us to recognize him in our lives. When we place our focus on what Jesus wants and desires we will be able to experience the abundant life that Jesus has for us now and in the future. Dear Jesus, Our fears and what ifs often draw us to our wants and desires. Today, we put ourselves before you vulnerably, asking you what your desires are for our lives and life of our church. We put our days in your hands. We desire to grow closer to you and recognize your presence in our lives. Thank you for walking with us. In Jesus' name, Amen

Don't miss the mark You are God's child  It is all taken care of by Jesus  There is freedom in Christ 

The Hard Sayings of Jesus: There are some seriously hard sayings in the Bible, either because they're hard to understand or because they're so counter-cultural. These teachings might even make us question the truth or goodness of God's word. It's helpful to see that God's word has always been challenging or even downright offensive to some. But if the gospel is true, the words and way of Jesus are the only way that leads to life. Recorded on Oct 15, 2023, on John 6:41-71 by Pastor David Parks. Finding Life in Jesus' Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John's life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God's power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe. Sermon Transcript So, all year, we're going through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus' Name. And today, we're finishing up John 6 with what I think is a very relatable teaching on dealing with the hard sayings of Jesus. Have you ever wondered about that? There are some seriously hard teachings in the Bible, either because they are hard to understand or because they are so counter-cultural that if we live them out, we will stick out (not in a good way). Sometimes, as Christians, some of these hard sayings might be thrown in our faces as evidence of the absurdity of our faith. Other times, the hard sayings of Jesus might make us question the truth/goodness of God's word/way. I think sometimes Christians are hesitant to even admit they wrestle with certain texts or concepts from the Bible, but we need to be honest about this. Usually, when things are kept in the dark, they have way more power over us than if we bring them out into the light. So let me bring this out into the light here for myself. I question the Bible all the time. If it's true, if it's truly God's word, then it'll hold up under our questioning, right? Well, there came a time in the ministry of Jesus when many people who had been following him started grumbling about some of the things he was saying. And it got so bad that many people stopped following him because they were offended by his teaching. Can you imagine that? Walking away from Jesus in the flesh? But in this controversy, we learn so much about what to do with the hard sayings of Jesus and the offense of the gospel. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 6:41. John 6:41-42 (NIV), “41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven'?” Let's pause here and get some context before we continue on. Jesus had just had the biggest, most impressive day of ministry the day before. He had fed the five thousand, and then that night, he walked on the water and calmed the storm, revealing both a sign of provision and a sign of power over his creation. Then the next day, after all that, they were in Capernaum, a small town at the north end of the Sea of Galilee, basically home base for Jesus during the first few years of his public ministry, where the Apostle Peter had a house. And Jesus was teaching in the synagogue where, as we saw last week, he made the claim, “I am the bread of life.” This was the first of the seven “I AM” statements of Jesus in John's gospel. But in this teaching, Jesus claimed to have come down from heaven so that “…everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” It was at these claims that the Jews there in Capernaum ...

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Devotional Prayer by Be Inspired by His word © Song There is power, there is power There is power In the blood of Jesus There is healing, There is healing There is healing In the name of Jesus Oh, my God, deliver me from my enemies; put me out of reach from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from evildoers; save me from the bloodthirsty. Psalms 59:1‭-‬2 CEB Prayer Almighty God I honour your name and give you all the praise and glory due to you Lord thank you for this awesome day and privilege of life Lord thank you for forgiveness of sin and your blood shed for my salvation Father have your way in my life, let my life be lived to glorify you always Lord arise and fight for me, silent all opposition and works of darkness Lord eliminate every seed of hatred sown into my lineage known or unknown Father destroy all power risen to challenge my faith in all aspects of life Lord concerning this nation destroy all the power of darkness Lord concerning this nation and nations around the world terminate the agenda of evil that is manifesting or about to manifest Lord cancel every mishap planned from the pit of hell against my destiny Lord erase all negative ordinances militating against your purpose in and around me Abba put an end to failure, stagnation and unpleasant occurrence Father let your plan manifest above the plans of the wicked in my life Lord concerning the vessel used for this daily prayers all impacted by it and our household create in us a heart that loves and serves you forever in Jesus name *Intercede for your nation and nations around the world* Thank you abba father for answered prayers in Jesus name *Confess Daily: Sin shall not have dominion over me I am operating in the power of the word of God. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus by faith as Jesus is so am I in this world. I am a Victor never a victim. I am moving in the direction the lord has ordained for me. My life is a living testimony, I am above all works of darkness because greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. I am forever grateful to God for His works in my life. Hallelujah!* Today's Prayer by Be Inspired (by His word) © 10th November 2022 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/be-inspired-by-his-word/message

Would you like to help Kerrigan continue to preach the gospel? Have you been edified by Kerrigan's preaching? Prayerfully consider giving financially towards the work of the Lord in PinPoint Evangelism: PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/pinpointevangelism Cash App - $PreacherKerrigan Venmo - @Kerrigan-Skelly Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/KerriganSkelly   Regular mail: PinPoint Evangelism PO BOX 1302 Franklin, GA 30217   Need Gospel Tracts? - www.store.gospeltract.org Need a Gospel Sign? - https://store.gospeltract.org/Buy-Gospel-Preaching-Signs_c_67.html Need a Gospel Sandwich Board? - https://store.gospeltract.org/Buy-Gospel-Sandwich-Boards_c_70.html Thank you and God Bless!   Kerrigan Skelly of PinPoint Evangelism http://www.pinpointevangelism.com and Maranatha Fellowship http://www.maranathacry.com teaching a new series on "The Schemes of the Enemy."  This is part 3. In this teaching, he talks about the doctrine of us being "born with a sinful nature." To examine this doctrine, he looks at the following passages: -Ephesians 2:1-3 -Romans 2:12-15 -Romans 1:24-28 -Galatians 2:11-6 He also talks about the following Schemes of the Devil: -"If you don't sin every day, you're saying that you don't need Jesus" -"There's no grace in this life that can help you overcome sin, even for 24 hours" -"We'll stop sinning when we get our new bodies"

Life lesson from the master “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:2-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬focus our eyes on Jesus There are many thing that could distract we are foreigner ( just traveling to earth

Who is Jesus- There is no more important question. And the final days of Jesus' earthly life give us a powerful answer-

Who is Jesus-- There is no more important question. And the final days of Jesus' earthly life give us a powerful answer-

He Sent His Servant Luke 14:16-23(NLT) 16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.' 18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.' 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.' 20 Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can't come.' 21 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.' 22 After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.' 23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.  I. God Prepared! Galatians 4:4-5 English Standard Version (ESV) says, 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.   II. He Sent His Servant He sent me!  Inviting people to God's house is a command.  III. It's Urgent! The Master recognized the urgency to fill His house with guests.   Bring people to Jesus    There's still room!   A growing church is a going church.

And a very good morning to you! It is Sunday morning, the 13th of February, the year 2022. And this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth , will draw all peoples to myself.”John 12:32What a name, the name of Jesus. There is power in this name, there is life in this name. There is healing in this name, there is peace in this name. There is salvation for the lost man in this name and there is a future in this name. It is not the name of an organisation. Oh no! It is not the name of an NPO - not at all.It is the name of my Friend and, I trust, your Friend too. And He has said, “If you lift Me up I will do the rest". Oh yes, He is the Weatherman. I know that only too well. Yes, and He is The Miracle Worker. I know that one as well but you know, He is so much more, isn't He? He is the friend of sinners, He is the comforter of those who are bereaved. He is the Teacher for those who are trying to find the way. He is the Son of God.Polycarp was one of the early church fathers. He was an old man. He was arrested by the Romans. They took him to the arena. They were going to burn him at the stake but just before they did, they said to him, “Just deny the name of Jesus and honour the gods of Rome and we will let you go home and die a peaceful death" And with probably tears running down his face, that old gentleman who was 86 years old said, “Oh, He has been faithful all these years. How can I deny Him now? “ And they killed Him. It is that name, Jesus. What does that name mean to you and me today? Do you remember that old song? I am going to try and sing it for you. A beautiful song. It goes something like this:Oh Jesus, Jesus, oh Jesus There is just something about that name.Oh Master, Saviour, Jesus, like the fragrance after the rain.Oh Jesus, Jesus, oh Jesus, let all Heaven and Earth proclaim.Kings and kingdoms, they will all pass away and there is something about that name.Go out today and tell people about Jesus, your friend. The soon-coming King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Don't be ashamed of Him. There is nothing to be ashamed of.God bless you and have a wonderful Sunday. Goodbye.

As Christians we are called to be bringers of the good news, yet we witness in a nation in decline of faith… From 2000-2020 45%, now to 25% actively follow Jesus…There is a connection between the decision-making good news we give, and the absent passion of following Jesus we see. I believe we have a good news problem. Do we know what Jesus calls the good news?

Date: October 31, 2021 Speaker: Pastor Ryan Kimmel Scripture: Matthew 7:21-23 (Page 1032) Theme: Arguably the most frightening thing we read from Jesus: There will be those who believed they are saved Christians, but actually are not… How can we have assurance of salvation and knowledge that our personal relationship with Jesus is truly a two-way street? https://vimeo.com/641160670

Date: October 31, 2021 Speaker: Pastor Ryan Kimmel Scripture: Matthew 7:21-23 (Page 1032) Theme: Arguably the most frightening thing we read from Jesus: There will be those who believed they are saved Christians, but actually are not… How can we have assurance of salvation and knowledge that our personal relationship with Jesus is truly a two-way street? https://vimeo.com/641160670

WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God's principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God's manual for life. AN INVITATION TO YOU: To subscribe to this blog, click here.  To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________   Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today's blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/102921_7_Pillars.mp3 ___________________________________________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, November 1, 2021, and this is Episode #38 of Series 2021. This episode is titled “The Seven Pillars of the Holy Spirit."  _______________________________ In the Book of Isaiah 11: 1-2 NKJV, the Word of God says this in speaking about Jesus: “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” (underlining mine) This passage describes seven attributes of Jesus that are referred to as the Seven Pillars of the Holy Spirit. The Seven Pillars of the Holy Spirit--also called the seven Spirits of God--are mentioned here in the Book of Isaiah and four times in the Book of Revelation: Revelation 1: 4; Revelation 3: 1; Revelation 4: 5, and Revelation 5: 6. They are not seven different spirits of God but seven attributes of one and the same Holy Spirit. The seven pillars of the Holy Spirit symbolize seven key aspects of the Holy Spirit. In Biblical numerology, the number seven refers to completion. So, the seven pillars of the Holy Spirit are seven aspects of the Holy Spirit that symbolize His fullness, completeness, and perfection. Let's take a brief look at each one. 1) THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD. This is the Holy Spirit Himself, Whom we receive when we are born again. 2) WISDOM. The ability to use knowledge correctly. Wisdom helps us to know God and to place more value on eternal things than on temporal things. 3) UNDERSTANDING. Understanding gives us insight into spiritual matters and natural matters. 4) COUNSEL. Scriptural advice that enables us to navigate life. 5) MIGHT. The strength and power of God in us. 6) KNOWLEDGE. A clear grasp of that which exists; of a subject; learning; a skill. 7. THE FEAR OF THE LORD. What is the fear of the Lord? Contrary to popular opinion, the fear of the Lord is not a cringing fear that God will hit us over the head with His gavel. No. The fear of the Lord is a holy reverence and a sacred respect for God and His Word. It is a knowing that because God is God, He knows all things. Because He knows all things, He is all-wise. Because He is all-wise, He always knows best. When we have the Holy Spirit within us, we have: __Wisdom: The ability to use knowledge correctly. 1 Corinthians 1:30 NKJV - “. . . you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom . . . .” __Understanding: Insight into spiritual matters and natural matters. Proverbs 28: 5 KJV - “Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.” __Counsel: Scriptural instruction that enables us to navigate life. Psalm 73: 24 NKJV – “You will guide me with Your counsel.” __Might: The strength and power of God in us. Colossians 1: 11 NKJV – “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power . . . .” __Knowledge: A clear grasp of that which exists (the Word).

In the passage we'll be studying from Chapter 12, we're confronted with the most important question of all time- just who is Jesus----There are always several options. But answering this question is key to determining where you will spend eternity. So, is Jesus just a man with good intentions and special abilities or is Jesus a diabolical liar, intent on deceiving the public for his own benefit-- Or, is Jesus just who He claims to be - the son of God and God the Son--

In the passage we'll be studying from Chapter 12, we're confronted with the most important question of all time- just who is Jesus---There are always several options. But answering this question is key to determining where you will spend eternity. So, is Jesus just a man with good intentions and special abilities or is Jesus a diabolical liar, intent on deceiving the public for his own benefit- Or, is Jesus just who He claims to be - the son of God and God the Son-

Pr. Nick preached on keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus through the storms of life. A little homework for you: Self-inventory or personal zone of assessment: Identify strongholds in your life — (Like a fortress built to harbor the enemy) strongholds can be anything like lies we believe, un-forgiveness, generational sins, unconfessed sins) Identify areas of your life that cause worry (Things you're hold onto dearly you shouldn't, things you cannot control and things that cause anxiety) Identify areas of distraction (Things taking precedence over Jesus) There is both something physical & spiritual going on… …There is an enemy attempting to keep the work of God from taking place on earth as it is in heaven! We are not alone, Jesus is fighting the battle on our behalf & the victory has been won by Christ on the Cross!! In Matthew 14, Peter steps out of the boat - his safety and security in the storm and goes out to Jesus… …We think so often that the safe place is the human built safeties like the boat where we are secure - when all along the safest place to be is where He called us out to be with Him. Do what God calls you to do, not what feels the safest. Go to the one who is Lord over the opposition, the chaos and the struggle… …The weapons of our warfare that destroy strongholds are: Prayer, time in the Word of God, and Worship. We would love to pray with you today! https://www.emmauslutheran.org/prayer Fill out our virtual Connection Card: https://emmauslutheran.churchcenter.com/people/forms/152121 Connect with us online… www.emmauslutheran.org www.facebook.com/Emmaus.Church www.instagram.com/emmaus_aflc/ www.twitter.com/Emmaus_AFLC

The name of Jesus- There is no other name by which men can be saved, the name of Jesus is incomparable. Principalities bow at this name, every stubborn situation gives way to that name. The matchless, ageless name of Jesus. Lean in as Pastor Waiganjo tells us about this wonderful name and be rest assured your life must be transformed in that name. The name of Jesus.

“Eager for Jesus” There shall we laud You and adore Forever and forevermore. Forever and forevermore. Isaiah 64:1-9 Intro: After 2020, are you eager for Jesus to return? I. Isaiah’s two-sided desire for God to come A. His disgust with God’s enemies 1. Make it scary2. Remove the doubt of the skeptics 3. Demand respect B. … Continue reading November 29, 2020 Sermon “Eager for Jesus”

What does it look like to live faithfully as a believer in today's world? What does a life look like that has been changed by Jesus? There is a blessing promised to those who trust in Jesus and live out a Christ-like life. Check out this message...

Have you ever felt like you didn’t stand a chance with Jesus? There was a faithful little outcast woman, Syro-Phoenician by birth, who came to Him one day with a desperate petition: “My daughter is possessed of a devil, Lord, … Read More

The Transformative Powerof Personal TestimonyJohn and James, the sons of Zebedee, were known as the “ ‘Sons ofThunder’ ” (Mark 3:17, NKJV). In fact, it was Jesus who gave themtheir nickname. An illustration of John’s fiery disposition took placewhen Jesus and His disciples were traveling through Samaria. Whenthey tried to find a place of lodging for the night, they met with opposi-tion due to the prejudice of the Samaritans against the Jews. They wererefused even the humblest of accommodations.James and John thought they had the solution to the problem. “WhenHis disciples James and John saw this, they said, ‘Lord, do You want usto command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just asElijah did?’ ” (Luke 9:54, NKJV). Jesus rebuked the brothers, and they allleft the village quietly. Jesus’ way is the way of love, not combative force.In the presence of Jesus’ love, John’s impetuosity and anger weretransformed to loving-kindness and a gentle, compassionate spirit. InJohn’s first epistle, the word love appears nearly 40 times; in its variousforms, it appears 50 times.Read 1 John 1:1–4, 1 John 3:1, 1 John 4:7–11, and 1 John 5:1–5. Whatdo these passages tell you about John’s testimony and the changesthat took place in his life because of his interaction with Jesus?__________________________________________________________________________________________________________There is an eternal principle of the universe. Ellen G. White statesthis principle well in these words: “The exercise of force is contrary tothe principles of God’s government; He desires only the service of love;and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority.Only by love is love awakened.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 22.When we are committed to Christ, His love will shine through us toothers. The greatest testimony of Christianity is a changed life. Thisdoes not mean we will never make mistakes and that we might at timesnot be the conduits of love and grace that we are supposed to be. But itdoes mean that, ideally, the love of Christ will flow from our lives, andwe will be a blessing to those around us.How well do you reflect the love of Christ to others? Think aboutthe implications of your answer.

What area of your life are you holding back from Jesus? There’s no part of us that should be off limits, nothing that Jesus can’t affect, and it’s with our one-and-only lives that Jesus wants to change the world.

Scripture: Eph. 4:15-16; 2 Tim. 2:24-26 Leading Question: How can we overcome deeply-rooted negative attitudes? Galatians 3:28 lays out the agenda for those of us who follow Jesus: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (NRSV). Our most stubborn prejudices seem to be rooted in the impulses which Paul mentions in this passage. Especially crucial in our day are those attitudes that come under the heading of racism or sexism. Identifying negative attitudes is one thing; changing them is ...

Today Pastor Todd brings a message titled, “Listen To Him.” Who is Jesus? There are many people who claim to... The post August 9th, 2020 Listen To Him appeared first on Mountain View Church.

Our third daily activity is we should know what we believe. Why do you follow Jesus? There was a man who was possessed by an army of demons and he became the first marketplace missionary. Jesus healed the man and the demons took over a herd of pigs that ran into the sea and drown. The people were amazed, but they asked Jesus to leave the region. They didn't want him to hang around. The man naturally asked if he could go with Jesus, but Jesus wouldn't let him go.   With no more than one sentence of training, Jesus left this man in a hostile country with no support mechanism. All he received besides this encounter with Jesus was one sentence of seminary. Jesus sent him to tell others about his experience.   You're an expert in your experience with Jesus. Think about it. Be able to give someone the one and two sentence answer to why you follow Jesus. As you live praying for, appreciating and serving others, they'll see that you're different and they will ask. This man was known as being demon possessed. People would see the difference and Jesus encouraged this man to share what the Lord did for him and how he had mercy on him.   People who work with you trust you. You're normal like they are. But if you live a different life, they'll want to make the connection. We'll talk Friday about what to do when you're asked. Today, practice your answer. Use "I" and "me" statements and simply answer the question, "Why do you follow Jesus?" Or, "Why did you go out of your way to help me?" Live like you follow Jesus and you will get the opportunity to share. Practice to be ready.   Also, check out last week's podcast episode, One Thing I Know.

Phil spoke from Acts 3 and 4 about Peter and John healing a lame beggar in Jesus's name.Gospel with powerIntroduction• Religion - mans pursuit of God ?• Most would say Religion seems to be about rules and regulations to somehow make us acceptable to God• Jesus came and took upon himself all that was needed to make us acceptable to God Jesus came to give us life and freedom not burden us with rules and regulations. Look at a story from the New Testament Acts 3 - Story do the lame man begging at the temple gate called beautiful. Acts of the Apostles 3:4-8https://www.bible.com/116/act.3.4-8.nltPeter saw the opportunity and shared the good news of the kingdomIn chapter 4 we find that the religious leaders confronted Peter and JohnAnd arrested them because what they did and preached did not line up with their religious practice which had no life in it only rules and regulations.They could not deny the healing of the lame man it was obvious as he had been lame from birth and they would have seen him at the gate begging daily. Paul write to the Corinthians“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.”1 Corinthians 4:20 NIVhttps://www.bible.com/111/1co.4.20.nivThere is power in the name of Jesus,To forgive sinTo bring freedom from guilt and shameTo heal sickness of the mind, body and soulTo release those who are oppressed and captive to bad habitsTo those who don't know Jesus It's not about choosing to follow a religion its about choosing to have a relationship with Jesus who can do all those things and give you lifeYou can find out more by joining the Alpha courseBefore the religious council Peter again took the opportunity to speak of Jesus “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.””Acts of the Apostles 4:12 NLThttps://www.bible.com/116/act.4.12.nltTo ChristiansPeter saw the opportunity1. To bring healing and demonstrate Gods goodness in healing (Jesus himself possibly passed by this same man) 2. To share the good news of Jesus and in “But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.”Acts 4:4 NIVhttps://www.bible.com/111/act.4.4.nivConclusionAfter Peter and John had been released they returned to the believers and told them all that had happenedThey then pray together and I think God loves this kind of prayer Acts of the Apostles 4:29-31https://www.bible.com/116/act.4.29-31.nltThe result of this prayer was they were filled with the Holy Spirit and preached the word of God with Boldness. Maybe this is the greatest opportunity we have had in our lifetime so far, so may we too be bold enough 1. to pray this way 2. Like Peter see the opportunity for the Good news of the kingdom, whether in action or word. After all he is still the same Jesus, the way the truth and the life to all who chose to believe. QuestionsWhat are your expectations in sharing the gospel What opportunities have you had for the gospel over the last 3 months? Is lack of boldness and courage a hindrance to sharing the gospel? How and why? What needs to change and how can it?

Who is this Jesus? There are many speculations in culture about who Jesus is. What does scripture say about Him? As we dive into the book of Matthew, we see deeper aspects of Jesus revealed.

How will every one of your family members and friends know you are a follower of Jesus? There’s only one way according to Jesus. He actually calls it something new. His design is that it will be the basis of who we are and how we live our everyday, ordinary lives.

How will every one of your family members and friends know you are a follower of Jesus? There’s only one way according to Jesus. He actually calls it something new. His design is that it will be the basis of who we are and how we live our everyday, ordinary lives.

How will every one of your family members and friends know you are a follower of Jesus? There’s only one way according to Jesus. He actually calls it something new. His design is that it will be the basis of who we are and how we live our everyday, ordinary lives.

How will every one of your family members and friends know you are a follower of Jesus? There’s only one way according to Jesus. He actually calls it something new. His design is that it will be the basis of who we are and how we live our everyday, ordinary lives.

What does it mean to face and follow Jesus? We face our fears, our future, and our families. We choose to follow our favorite sports team, influencer, or artist. Do you have the same drive for Jesus? There's no better time then now! Come join our chat. Hope you enjoy! Instagram: connect.patrick.patricia Join our circle, and let's do this thing called Life Together. Music | Forward @declandpmusic

Faith For Living with Dr. Michael Milton February 18, 2020 – A study from John 15. Have you experienced the healing that only comes from a growing relationship with Jesus?There’s a Balm in Gilead

Faith For Living with Dr. Michael Milton February 18, 2020 – A study from John 15. Have you experienced the healing that only comes from a growing relationship with Jesus?There’s a Balm in Gilead

Original Broadcast: July 2010 Monthly Theme: Seventh Commandment [Judas] said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. (John 12:6) Judas Talk about stealing from God! Judas was a thief. He was known to be a thief, but Jesus still entrusted him with taking care of the books. Judas knew EXACTLY how much was in Jesus' treasury at any given time. He counted all the contributions. He kept the books. He skimmed off the top. Is it any wonder that he betrayed Jesus? There wasn't much to trust, but Jesus put him into a place of authority among His Apostles. It just goes to show what Jesus tried to tell everyone while He was on earth: "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10). Jesus uses sinners to bring people to Him. He's doing that right now. This sinner, on the other side of the microphone from you, has been called by God to bring the Gospel of repentance to you. To bring you to the cross of Jesus Christ. To bring you the forgiveness of your sins. Amen.

In this video we look at the literary parallel of Jesus and Samson in the annunciation in Matthew 1:18-25.Support the Channel: https://www.patreon.com/thebibleisartWebsite: https://www.thebibleisart.comEmail: thisdivineart@gmail.comTwitter: @johnbhiggins| Transcription |Welcome back to the Bible is Art where we explore the literary artistry of the Bible and this week we're talking about the riddles of Jesus and Samson.Let me read for you the annunciation scene from Matthew's Gospel:“Now the birth of Jesus took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, look, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.' All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Immanuel' (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus”There are many parallels in the OT to Jesus' annunciation, where the angels come and announce that a woman will have a son. For instance, Sarah and Hannah both have angels visit them with this news. But the closest parallel is to Samson's mother. So why make the strongest connection to Samson, what connection does Matthew want us to make between Samson and Jesus?Samson is a strange judge and he's different from the 11 other judges. His is the longest narrative and it is also the most puzzling. Samson was a nazirite from birth. A nazirite was someone who specially devoted themselves to God for some period of time, in Samson's case, his whole life. And there were some rules for being a nazirite, one of them being no touching dead animals and no eating or drinking anything from the vine. Another law that will be important for understanding Samson is that the Israelites were not to marry wives of some foreign places. And finally, we have to remember that the author of Hebrews places Samson in the hall of faith among the men and women of greatest faith.With this as the background we can start puzzling over Samson. The first thing that Samson does in the story is demand a Philistine wife. His parents protest but Samson insists. Seems like not an ideal first action for the climactic judge.Next, when he goes down to get his wife he stops in the vineyards of the city of Timnah. Strike two, why would he stop in a vineyard when he couldn't partake of anything there?While he's there a lion attacks him and he kills it, presumably touching a dead animal, then later he will scoop out honey that is in that dead animal. Strike three.Now if Samson is so great, as the author of Hebrews tells us, if he's the climactic Judge, which he is, and if his birth is the closest parallel to Jesus, and it is, why all the disobedience? Why all the strangeness? And we haven't even talked about all the weird things. Not only does he kill a lion and eat honey out of it but he presents puzzles to his enemies, has strength in his hair, and ties foxes tails together, lighting them on fire to destroy crops, and, this might be the craziest thing, in the end commits suicide. I mean, what's...

November 10, 2019 Psalms 1-150 Many have called the book of Psalms the songbook of the Old Testament, and that is true. But this songbook was organized and inspired by God. The Psalms are written over 1000 years, dating from 3500 years ago to 2500 years ago. But what are the Psalms, and are they really applicable to us? It is hard to summarize 150 chapters because there are multiple ways to look at it. None of the ways to summarize the Psalms are wrong, but none of them do justice and leave us feeling like we are ready to get the most out of this book. I want to summarize the book in three different ways tonight. First, we will look at the Psalms from the broadest perspective, understanding the primary themes and the ultimate message. Then, we will see how Jesus fits into the Psalms. Finally, we will dig into how this book helps us. What are the Psalms About? 1. Themes and Ultimate Message First, I want to recommend that there is a design to this book. Most scholars believe that the returned exiles compiled it. So what message would the exiles wish to all of those in the following generations to understand? Blessed Living At the beginning of Psalms, we have two chapters that seem to lay the groundwork for the rest of the book. These two chapters contain the two most prominent themes of the Psalms. These themes are intermingled and are supposed to be considered throughout the Psalms. Psalm 1 points to the first theme of the Psalms by saying, “Blessed is the man who... delights in the law of God.” The law of God brings us back to the five books of the Torah. Interestingly, the five books of the Torah would be discussed in the introduction to another five-book volume. The Psalms point us to the first five books of the Bible as our source for blessedness. This theme is fully explored from many angles. There are times when it may not seem like those who do live by the Torah are blessed, but in the end, they are blessed, and the wicked are cursed. The Lord Reigns Psalm 2 gives us the second major theme of the Psalms, “The Lord reigns.” In this text, we see a description of God destroying the enemies of his anointed for him. God is always in control. He provides for his anointed, protecting him from the enemy. This theme is found throughout the book as David, the Lord’s anointed, faces trials and calls out to God for deliverance. The worst thing anyone can do is rebel against God or his anointed representative. This theme is fully explored, as well. There are times where it may not seem like the Lord reigns, but in the end, we will always see that he does reign. Praise His Name These two themes are pointing to the one big message of the book, “Praise the Lord.” The Lord is the one who gives us the law so that we can live a blessed life, and the Lord is the one who rules over the kingdoms of men so that evil does not grow beyond the boundary God has set. This book is ultimately intended to be about praising and exalting God because of who he is and what he has promised. It starts kind of rough with several lamentation Psalms, Psalms that express doubt and fear. But they always come back to praising and adoring the Lord. There is a gradual movement throughout the Psalms from a mixture of lamentation, confusion, and praise to only praise and adoration. Eventually, the book crescendos with the idea of praising the Lord in the final five Psalms, all of which begin and end with the phrase “Praise the Lord.” It could even be said that every Psalm is either about lament or praise. Why is the book laid out like this? This is intended to help us see the maturity process that is supposed to take place in our lives. We are all going to go through periods of suffering and weakness in this life. But over time, we will develop our understanding of God’s reign and wisdom. We will see his patience toward others and toward us. We will see his many blessings that have been showered upon our heads. This will all result in a life of praise, glory, and honor for God. He has shown his steadfast love and faithfulness to us, even though we do not deserve it. This Is A Book For Us Understanding that God blesses those who do what is right and that the Lord reigns are foundational for our faith as well. Throughout this book, we see that the writers are struggling to see these truths in their lives, but they eventually understand it to be true. They give us this understanding at the beginning so that we know the conclusion of the matter before we start. What should we do as a result of being blessed and having the Lord over all as our God? Praise his name. This is the message of the Psalms. But there is more to see here. 2. Five Books, One Messiah As we begin reading the Psalms, we can’t help but feel like they are organized with an even bigger purpose in mind. If you look above Psalm 1, you will see the title, “Book One.” The Psalms are divided up into five books (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150). In the Torah, we have five books of the law, and in the Psalms, we have five books of praise and exaltation. It is most likely that these five books were joined together into the current form during the exile period that we have been studying. Whoever put all five of these books together ended each book with the phrase “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,” except for the last book, which ends with five Psalms praising God. These books do not appear to be in random order. They progress in the story of God’s rule through his anointed. Book 1 (1-41) The first book then starts with instruction and a coronation of David to be God’s anointed. The rest of the Psalms in book 1 are about David in distress as the nations rage against him. But God always saves David and exalts him. Then David turns to praise God. This should be no surprise to us because Psalm 2 said that the nations would rise against God and his anointed. Lament Psalms are prevalent throughout book one. David has to deal with several sorrows and lamentation in his life, and he relies heavily on God for help. In spite of his hard life, David praises the Lord and exalts his name. The first book ends with Psalm 41. This Psalm repeats the ideas of Psalms 1 and 2, illustrating how those two truths have held for David. He starts out saying, “Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble, the Lord delivers him.” God blesses him because he has chosen the path of righteousness. Verses 8-13 show that, though his enemies are rising against him, God delights in David and will not let the enemies triumph over him. Book 2 (42-72) In the second book, others join with David in praising the Lord. There are more lamentations, but still more praise as the sons of Korah and Asaph add their Psalms to more of David’s Psalms. The Psalms in this second book take on a national tone as well as the individual tone, but they give the same message as the first book. The unique part of this book is how it ends. At the end of this book, Psalm 72, we see the heading, “Of Solomon.” This final Psalm speaks of the son of David as the ideal king who is given universal authority. This Psalm seems to focus on the covenant God has made with David in 2 Samuel 7 and ask God to make Solomon into that king. Then, there is something else added to this book at the very end, “The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.” This appears to be a final Psalm of David’s, and this marks a transition point in the Psalms. The anointed one has much fewer Psalms after book two. Book 3 (73-89) Book three seems to be a book of crisis. It begins with Asaph questioning the validity of Psalm 1. He does not see the righteous being blessed, and it ends with two Psalms (88-89) of despair, questioning God’s commitment to the David covenant, saying, “But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed. You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust. You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins.” It seems like these Psalms are reminiscing on the time of David’s reign and asking for God to restore the kingship for Israel to rise again. Book 4 (90-106) The fourth book looks back to the time when there was no king in Israel by starting with Moses’ Psalm. Instead of taking on the negative tone of lamentation, we begin to see a maturing of God’s people to praise God for being their king. Book four seems to answer the problem and distress of collection one by saying that God was able to save without a king at the beginning, and he still reigns over the kingdoms of men. Over and over again in this book, we see the theme of Psalm 2 repeated, “The Lord reigns,” “The Lord reigns,” “The Lord reigns.” The people seem to come to the determination that looking for another king like David is disappointing, but they have the Lord. He can save them and strengthen them. It ends reflecting on the promises of God, reflecting on the sins of the people, and calling for God to remember those who delight in his word and provide the salvation he has promised. Book 5 (107-150) The final book of the Psalter brings great hope as it focuses on God’s faithfulness to his covenant promises. God’s anointed one comes back into the picture, and he is saved to do what Psalm 2 says he would do, “The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses” (Psalm 110:5). This book also brings up Psalm 1 again, showing that God’s steadfast love endures forever toward those who love him and delight in his word. In Psalm 119, we find the longest chapter in the Bible. It is entirely focused on how amazing God’s word is, and it tells how God blesses those who live by his word. After Psalm 119, we have several songs that would be sung as the people ascend to Jerusalem during the feasts. These Psalms are encouraging everyone to come and bless the Lord for how wonderful and majestic he is. The book ends with some great Psalms that praise the name of the Lord and ask for God’s continual deliverance against evil. The Anointed One One thing that you might have picked up on is the focus around Israel’s relationship with God through a mediator, king David. David is given particular interest because of the prosperity Israel receives from God through him. They are in a time of disparity. They are living without the anointed one, but then, there is a return of the king. All of this points us to Christ. The book of Psalms is the most used book in the New Testament. It has been said that much of the Psalms are mostly the songs of Christ. The suffering of the lamentation Psalms represent the suffering of Christ, and the glory and exaltation of the praise Psalms represent the glory that Christ gives to God or the glory that Christ receives from God. Jesus used the Psalms to verify who he was. Jesus used Psalm 110 to point out that David called his son Lord, he used Psalm 82 to say that he is not blaspheming when Jesus calls himself the son of God, and he used Psalm 41 to say that one who shares bread with him will lift up his heel against him. Psalm 22 is the perfect example of Jesus quoting a Psalm on the cross to say, “This is all about me!” Every Psalm is not about Jesus (There are Psalms where they confess sins that do not fit Christ). But for the most part, we can see how these Psalms were looking forward to our anointed one (Messiah) from a big-picture point of view. That anointed one will trust the Lord to be faithful and will endure great hardship as the nations rage against him and the God he loves. He will call for God to save him and will be delivered. Then, he will tell of his goodness to all of those around him. 3. Why Do We Need The Psalms? The Messiah aspect of the Psalms is enough to get us interested in them, but the Psalms can also have a tremendous impact on our everyday lives. As Christians, we are supposed to live “to the praise of his glory.” But sometimes, we struggle to remember the Lord when times are good, and sometimes we forget to remember the Lord when times are hard. Instead of recognizing the Lord and following his path, we may think only about what we will do next or about how others are to blame for what has happened to me. Instead of responding in a godly way, we may react with frustration. We may find ourselves taking out those frustrations on those around us. If we do remember the Lord, we struggle to know how to express ourselves in either situation correctly. We need a book that guides our feelings and helps us express our emotions so that our hearts are tender and loving toward each other and our Lord. The need for this kind of book is not missed on God, who provides us with 150 Psalms. The Psalms help us to understand what to think about God, but they also touch on our emotional side, telling us how to feel. They dig down deep into our hearts and help us on a deeper level. In the Psalms, there are feelings of loneliness, awe, sorrow, regret, remorse, discouragement, shame, triumph, marveling, delight, joy, gladness, fear, anger, peace, grief, desire, hope, broken heartedness, gratitude, zeal, pain, and confidence. The list of feelings goes on and on. Many of these emotions we may struggle to connect with if our life experience is limited, but as we grow older, we will connect with them more and more. John Piper put it like this, “The Psalms carry, express, and shape our feelings and emotions.” I think that sums up the benefits. Psalms teach us to correct and express our emotions. If we don’t know what we are feeling, we can find our feelings in the Psalms. If we know what we are feeling but struggle to express those feelings, we can see the Psalmist expresses it better than we could ever hope to. And if we need guidance on how we ought to feel when our feelings are betraying what we know is right, some Psalms encourage us to remember the love of God and put our trust in him. These songs do more than refine our doctrine. They refine the feelings of our hearts as we try to do what is right. An example of this is Psalm 73. As Asaph envies the wicked, who prosper in this life, he says, “All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.” Have we ever felt envious toward a wicked relative or neighbor and started questioning all of the sacrifices we are making for the Lord? Then, we go to the sanctuary, like Asaph, and discern the end of the wicked. Then, we turn our hearts like Asaph and say, “When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire beside you.” The Psalmist points to our deepest and darkest feelings, and then he brings us out of it to see what matters most! We are given Psalms of lament and praise because we need both to handle the two extremes in life. The Psalms help us understand how lamenting or grieving over bad things is normal, but also how God is expecting us to see all that he has done and praise him anyway. Do we struggle with that? How many of us forget what God has done when things get tough? Make your default response to go to the Psalms. Conclusion The message of the Psalms is to praise the Lord. This is what all of the instruction is leading us toward. Ultimately we are created for this purpose, to be, “To the praise of his glory,” and we must come to understand that the Lord alone is worthy of the highest praise. No matter how difficult or enjoyable our life becomes, we must praise his name. We praise his name in song, we praise his name in prayer, we praise his name by telling what he has done to those around us, and we praise his name by putting our faith in him when things get tough. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines reformation as the act of “putting or changing something into an improved form or condition.” When it comes to re-forming our beliefs, it requires an imaginative vision, and it demands that we're willing to ask tough questions. This week in our series on building a faith after deconstruction, we move toward reconstruction or re-formation, which can be a disorienting experience, but also a time of great freedom and creativity. Re-forming our faith begins by asking the same question we asked at the beginning of our faith journey - “Who is Jesus?” There are as many answers to this question as there are people, but our answer creates the framework upon which our faith is built. For some, Jesus is a model for the way we live our life. For others, Jesus is the Savior who rescued them from a certain demise. This question has created denominations, invited people into a life of benevolence, caused a number of wars, and made people leave behind everything they have known to start a new life. Sometimes, churches have told us that this question should only be asked once, and the answer should lead us to a particular prayer that seals our answer to the question. Scripture seems to give us a different example. Even after walking with Jesus in the flesh, his own disciples are asked, “Who do you say that I am?” This question and their answers will define the next steps in their faith. In reality, it serves us well to ask this question often as we create a healthy framework to build our faith upon. Listen in as Pastor Sarah shares why we have to answer "Who do you say that I am?" more than once, and why that is good news.

Hello Friends! With yesterday being the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, in today's episode, we're taking a closer look at the Seven Sorrows of Mary along with the concept of being open to life, even if it leaves your arms empty (or emptier than you want them to be).  We're talking specifically about infertility but as Catholic Women, practicing natural family planning can leave our families looking very different than we've envisioned, so everyone can get something from this episode (we hope :-) ) The devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows is closely connected with the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross which has been celebrated since the year 326. Many of the great saints have written on her sorrows and Mary recently encouraged this devotion in the 1980s when she made several visits to school children in Kibeho, Rwanda.  There is also a religious order that originally formed around a devotion to Mary at the foot of the cross called the Servites, formed in 1239.  The Seven Sorrows are: The prophecy of Simeon  The flight into Egypt  Loss of the Child Jesus for three days  Mary meets Jesus on his way to Calvary Crucifixion and Death of Jesus  The body of Jesus being taken from the Cross  The burial of Jesus There is even a special form of the rosary with seven 'septets' instead of five decades (maybe you have one in your house put to the side because you thought it was defective. haha).   We talk about the temptation to compare joys but also compare sorrows... She has it better than me. Or my struggle is more difficult than hers.  But the fact is: there is no way to objectively rate someone else's pain on a scale of 1 to 10.  God doesn't rate our suffering. Katie speaks about the loneliness and 'compassion fatigue' (or maybe burnout?) that comes with infertility.  It's hard to be sympathetic with a friend who is 'accidentally' pregnant or suffering from morning sickness, but the fact is their suffering is real too.  And pain is only magnified when we're trapped in it.  Our Mother can help us with our sorrows. She is with us in this pain. She knew loneliness (Exile in Egypt), anxiety (the Christ Child is lost for three days), and desolation (seeing her son crucified).   There is so much to learn and so much comfort to find meditating on our mother's sorrows.   One More Thing: If your parish or diocese is offering some sort of a ministry for those facing infertility: Please share with us!  We'd love to get more happening all across the US. Your sisters in the small things, Nancy and Katie   Things we mentioned in this episode:   Katie's New Book: Waiting with Mary: A Seven Sorrows Devotional for Catholic Women facing Infertility (Lulu Link will be added here within the next week and a half...  follow TheJoyfulLeap on IG or FB for updates)   Naprotechnology: medical treatment of fertility issues that are in line with Church Teaching on Human Dignity and Sexuality   Organic Conceptions (Online emotional support program for couples dealing with delayed conception/infertility; Coupon Code for J1ST Listeners: JUSTONESMALLTHING)   This instagram post  

On Episode 34 of What Now with Anna & Eric we ask the question, how can I look like Jesus? There are people in our lives that we can recognize Jesus in, sometimes even in the first few minutes of meeting them. How can we have lives that reflect Jesus to those around us? Studies have shown that the closer we get to other people the more we imitate them. Likewise, the closer we get to Jesus the more we will imitate who he is. Are we pursuing a relationship with Jesus? Do we hang out, talk to him and listen to him? What now? Hang out with Jesus Ask someone how they hang out with Jesus

Who is Jesus? There's a lot to be said for that topic in 1 Corinthians so we broke our discussion into two sections. Jesus is a life-changer for Paul, and in this letter he breaks down exactly how that looks in 5 different categories that the Corinthians struggle with and, surprise surprise, they're still relevant issues today! Thanks for listening, let's do this!!

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At Church June 9, 2019, we covered the following topics: What does it mean to believe in Jesus? A man who’s afraid of women should forgive his mother. You don’t need to “process” your resentment. How do you know you believe in Jesus? There’s a difference between learning and knowing. Do Buddhists overcome anger? Jesse comments that with God there is no time. A European man was told that his father was an “A—hole”! We read about blessings and curses from Deuteronomy. Jesse presents his new Biblical Question: Are you blessed or cursed? READ / WATCH MORE: https://rebuildingtheman.com/whats-the-proof-in-your-life-that-you-believe-in-jesus-church-jun-9-2019/

Saul was a man who despised Christians. In fact, it was his job to hunt down Christians and take them to prison. He even gave approval as the first martyr was killed. The on the road to Damascus, he encountered Jesus and was blinded. It wasn't until he reached the destination that his sight was restored and his life changed forever. He now had a relationship with Christ, and even had a name change. Paul was born again. Join Dustin and Jonathan as they ask the question, "Why are people blind to Jesus?" There are so many things that prevent us from a relationship with Jesus and we could all have our eyes opened a little bit more. Open your mind and come join in as they try To Land the Plane! Listen and Subscribe anywhere podcasts are found! Visit Bonita Wieseler Artistry for great decorative pieces! | Find her on Facebook | and Instagram About the Podcast We are a couple of dads taking on the challenge of parenting, marriage and living the Christian life. Answering questions like "Why is life so hard? Does anyone care? Why am I in this mess?" are all topics we discuss. Bible stories that just don't seem to make sense or are super challenging are covered as well. Hey, raising kids, being married, dealing with co-workers, going to church, and following JESUS is tough - let's do it together! Listen, laugh, learn and be a part of great community as we try to Land the Plane! Subscribe to the Podcast iTunes / Apple Podcasts| Google Play Land the Plane Store Land the Plane on TeePublic Connect with Us Follow us on FacebookGet Some Instagram InspirationKeep us with us on TwitterSend us an Email

SWAT Bible Study Matt. 27:1-26 This week, Matthew reveals two questions that we all must deal with...How am I dealing with my sin? and What am I doing with Jesus? There are two ways to deal with our sin. Listen as Doug shares how Jesus is the only real answer! Hislight International Ministries, Doug McCary

Has there ever been anyone stronger in your life than Jesus? There is no safer place than His presence and no greater refuge from the storm than in His arms. Jesus is our Stronghold! Being in the presence of God is being in the stronghold. When we are in the stronghold we increase our awareness of victory, gain strength in times of weakness, and remain safe from our enemies. Put your trust and faith in Jesus for He is your Stronghold, a mighty fortress.

“Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, 'Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.'” That is the sermon text from Deuteronomy at the core of this sermon by Pastor Steve Herder of Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks, California, along with Denise Cortes, director of the new Harbor House social welfare organization. Looking for a place to find Jesus? There is an answer here.

Who’s the person in your life who knows you’re a Christian, and you have not talked to them about Jesus? There’s nothing more fear-inspiring than sharing your faith with your friends, co-workers, family, or anyone else you run across regularly. Watch as Pastor Chad breaks down several easy tips to share your testimony with the lost. Spoiler alert: it’s a lot easier than you think.

1st Sunday of Advent, Year CHappy New Year everyone!Today is the first Sunday of Advent and in our Christian calendar the beginning of a new lectionary year – the cycle of readings we use on Sundays over the course of the year that follow Jesus’ life, from hopeful anticipation of Jesus birth in Advent, through his birth, life and teachings, his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension, to the giving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and finally growing in grace and truth through the rest of the year until the celebration of Christ the King, the consummation of the reign of God we celebrated last Sunday. Whew! It’s quite a ride every year.So why do we rehearse, rehear, remember, re-enact, and reapply the story of Jesus and God’s story of God’s love and forgiveness each year? Why do we come Sunday after Sunday to take some of the most common elements of the fruit of the earth, bread and wine, and ask God to bless them to be for us the body and blood of God’s son – consuming the symbols of the eternal becoming temporal, bread and wine representing the life of the one who gave himself so that we might see God’s love poured out for us - not so much as a penalty for our brokenness, but to demonstrate both God’s love for us and the futility and inherent evil of human violence.We come together weekly to remember the story, because we so easily forget. We come together weekly to ask forgiveness for that same anger we hold in our hearts that if left unchecked grows into hatred and violence that led to the cross. We gather in order to experience, to taste, to see, to hear, and to feel that no matter what happens in our lives, we are loved with a love that is not some gooey affirmation that there is nothing wrong with us and that we are perfect the way we are, but that even with the imperfections we all know we carry, we are still fearfully and wonderfully made in the image and likeness of the one who is without flaw and limitless in God’s love for us.We come together because we sometimes find ourselves weak and in need of comfort, close to despair and in need of hope, lonely and in need of friendship. We come not only because we need to experience God’s love, but because we need each other. Grace is not just a beautiful concept, but a divine relationship that plays itself out in the relationships we have with one another.Those relationships matter. We are not a club that pays dues in order to belong, we are the body of Christ who are baptized and confirmed and received into an organic whole that is knit together in the womb of God’s heart by God’s Spirit to be God’s representatives to a world that desperately needs the love and forgiveness we experience here.We come together not for our own sakes but for the sake of others. And it is only as we follow Jesus into our neighborhoods and classrooms and businesses to love others as we experience God loving us, that we will see the peaceable kingdom of our Savior becoming incarnate in our day.Advent is about expectation and the hopeful realization of that expectation, that we might see Jesus born anew in our hearts, in our lives and in our world. But that is only one side of Advent. The readings for these first few Sundays in this new season of the church point us toward another coming, one of promise and fulfillment and judgment.But how does that coming judgment square with the picture of a loving God we have in Jesus? There is a movement in the church that is attempting to reconcile some of the violent images of God we find in the Bible with the non-violent Son of God who showed us another way to be in the world, resisting and even absorbing the violence of the world in order to transform it.This movement is not really new though, it was there in the Garden when rather than executing Cain for the murder of his brother Abel, God saved Cain’s life and sent him out of the Garden under God’s protection. It was also there in another Garden when Jesus was arrested and one of Jesus’ closest friends drew his sword and cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear, but Jesus healed that servant and said to his followers to put away their swords.So we find ourselves in this in-between time, this period of waiting for the promise, the time between the already of Jesus first coming and the not yet, looking for what his second might be, because even as Jesus himself said, no one knows the time or the day.But maybe the fulfilling of God’s reign of love emerges in every generation of those who follow in the way of Jesus. Maybe in our own in-between time of celebrating what has been in our lives and hoping for what is to come we may find our way to God’s peaceable reign in our lives as God loves us into God’s present moment. Because the future will take care of itself and the past is already done, so all we really have is today, the eternal now where God lives and loves us - to love and be loved, to serve and be served, to practice what Jesus taught, and to remember, rehearse, re-enact, and reapply together the life we are to live now.The Psalmist said it best,Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.Amen.

Who was Jesus? There were lots of opinions going around during his day, but his disciples said it correctly: he was the incarnate Son of God. But what does that mean for us?

Global Alarm Clock that is Ringing JESUS CHRIST IS LORD! REVIVAL HAS BEGUN. Christians Joining Together and are prepared to Stand Side by Side to make certain that Evil has no place to Hide in the Church. Nothing can stop this Movement it has Spread from the Shores of our Beautiful Country and is Awakening Minds across the Globe each day by the Power of Prayer.Literally Unfolding before our Eyes anyone who continues to deny that something big is Underway is lying only to themselves. they will Fail... For when it is all said and done this will be Remembered as the Greatest Story Ever Told...Jesus Christ made it very clear Satan is a defeated individual through the power of His name, JESUS!  There is an awakening of developing consciousness OF GOD'S PEOPLE.Remember when Barack Obama would not speak at Georgetown (Catholic) University, unless they covered “the name of Jesus (IRS)” that was attached on a crucifix?  No other person in history has the power and authority that Jesus Christ has. Why do the Illuminati elite work so diligently to stamp out the name of Jesus? There is superior power in the name of Jesus. They are honoring Lucifer by literally trying to blot his name out of every place in America and the world.  

Episode 100 Encouragement in our walk with Jesus Christianity can be complicated. How many Bible Schools are there that seek to teach the proper doctrines, yet there are many differences that divide and often in a very deep way. Why is that? Is there an answer? Is unity in Christ Jesus possible? Jesus prayed that we may be one, even as the Father and He were one. Yet if we look around us at the general world of Christianity, oneness does not seem to be the characteristic. If it is, it is often on the surface level. The oneness of the Father and Son is not superficial. They are one in life, in very essence. Today I want to share some simple encouragement with us that I trust will be of help in our walk with Jesus. Be faithful to your relationship with Jesus in the truth that He has made real to you. Be faithful to the brothers and sisters God has put in your life Be content with the “ones and twos”. God will take care of the multitudes All truth is important when God brings it to you (don’t evade) There will be opposition There will be failure (not all will go on with Jesus) There will be cost that will require sacrifice There will be emotionally challenging times Truth does take time to assimilate and walk in God is in charge It is a spiritual battle We must avail of spiritual weapons Focus on knowing God—That will overflow in our whole life There will be times of failure in our lives—get up and keep going The battle was won at Calvary. Our victory is to stand in His victory Our passion is to know Him (Phil 3)   Additional resources at  http://www.ntchurchsource.com/ Theme song “Will Your Anchor Hold” sung by J. Ashley Milne Comments and questions welcome. Email David@AnchorOfTruth.com  

Who was Jesus? There are a lot of opinions as to the answer to that question. Some say He was just another man, a good man, but a man nonetheless. Others say He was a great teacher and left us a wonderful example to follow, not unlike Gandhi or Mother Teresa. Still others claim He never existed at all. He is a myth, a figment of man’s fertile imagination. And yet, there are still those who believe Him to be who He claimed to be: The Son of God and the Savior of the world. The author of the book of John, also known as the Gospel of John, would fall into the latter category. And because the author of John was the disciple of Jesus who bore that name, He has some very strong and extremely personal opinions about who Jesus was and what He came to accomplish. John’s gospel is very intimate, providing us with an up-close and personal glimpse into the life of the Son of God. He will introduce Jesus as the Word of God, the co-creator of the universe, working alongside the Father and the Spirit to produce all that exists in the world. But Jesus is also the God-man, God in human flesh, come to earth to redeem sinful men from the self-imposed death sentence. In the very first chapter alone, John will use a wide range of names, titles, metaphors and designations to describe His teacher, friend, rabbi, and Savior.   

A daily devotional through the recorded words Jesus spoke while He walked alongside us. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com. Thanks for joining me today for "A Little Walk with God." I'm your host Richard Agee. Jesus makes us think about sleep in some ways you might have never thought about sleep before. Some may even think it a little weird. Scripture John 11:9-11 Jesus: There are 12 hours of daylight, correct? If anyone walks in the day, that person does not stumble because he or she sees the light of the world. If anyone walks at night, he will trip and fall because he does not have the light within. (Jesus briefly pauses.) Our friend Lazarus has gone to sleep, so I will go to awaken him. Devotional I wish I could face the reality of death as easily as Jesus did. Of course, He knows the other side of that curtain and we don't. He tells us about it. We hear reports of near death experiences from some, but we really don't know what lies on the other side of the grave until we actually go through that process. I don't know about you, but I'm not anxious to go through it. Not necessarily afraid of death But not anxious to go through it to face that unknown Lazarus experience help us face that unknown better Just sleeps Waiting to wake up Most wake up on the other side of this life He woke up again on this side Sleep is the time our bodies heal Minds organize the day through dream process Cells work their hardest to repair the damage done through the day Empties themselves of toxins and sends them to the liver and kidneys Body mends and prepares for the next day Jesus looked to the tomb and saw something besides decay and death and finality He saw life and vitality He saw joy and renewal and continued relationship He saw beyond the grief of the moment and looked into the future where He would receive His friends in heaven We all need sleep in this life and Jesus knows we will sleep before we move into the next one He did not call it death because He doesn't want us to fear it He wants those who believe in Him to recognize it for what it is, transition from one state of life to another When we follow Him we don't need to fear death It will be like Lazarus experienced and Jesus described “Our friend Lazarus has gone to sleep, so I will go to awaken him.” If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don't, tell me. I hope you'll join me again tomorrow for "A Little Walk with God."  

A daily devotional through the recorded words Jesus spoke while He walked alongside us. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com. Thanks for joining me today for "A Little Walk with God." I'm your host Richard Agee. Have you ever seen a celebrity in a restaurant or out of character and not recognized them at first. What was your reaction? Did you finally wake up and believe it was them or blow it off and miss the chance to meet them? Scripture John 5:36-40 Jesus: There's another witness standing in My corner who is greater than John or any other man. The mission that brings Me here, and the things I am called to do, demonstrate the authenticity of My calling which comes directly from the Father. In the act of sending Me, the Father has endorsed Me. None of you really knows the Father. You have never heard His voice or seen His profile. His word does not abide in you because you do not believe in the One sent by the Father. Here you are scouring through the Scriptures, hoping that you will find eternal life among a pile of scrolls. What you don't seem to understand is that the Scriptures point to Me. Here I am with you, and still you reject the truth contained in the law and prophets by refusing to come to Me so that you can have life. Devotional Growing up in Nashville Not uncommon to see country-western singers around town Treated like ordinary people with special talents instead of flocked by camera hounds Often would eat at a restaurant and overhear a fan talking about them Walk up to the table and be unrecognized Sometimes the fan would argue about identity Star gives evidence of identity with information Birth statistics Favorite foods, color, songs Others might agree with identity Fan still skeptical Might even sing to show fan that he is who he says Jesus felt the same way John testified as to His identity Father testified with voice at baptism and descending of the dove Scripture testifies of His identity Still some refuse to believe He is the One sent by the Father, the Messiah When a fan refuses to believe a singer or celebrity is not who they claim to be, they miss out on meeting a popular person; when we refuse to believe Jesus is the Messiah, the savior of the world, we miss out on eternity Maybe we should be a little less skeptical and start listening to the evidence around us If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don't, tell me. I hope you'll join me again tomorrow for "A Little Walk with God."  

Do you know if you are a Fan or a Follower of Jesus? There are those who claim to know Jesus, but really don't. We need Jesus' diagnosis to know if we are a Fan or a Follower.

Episode 52 The Kingdom of God This is David Sheats on Anchor of Truth. Jesus said we should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. What is the kingdom of God? Is it something in the future or now? Is it a kingdom that can be seen or is it hidden? How do we obey this command of Jesus? There is much discussion related to this subject, and as with so many subjects, we can hardly begin to answer the questions in such a short time. But Jesus spoke much about the kingdom of God so I believe He expected us to have some understanding on how it applies to us. While this is a big subject, let us focus on what it means to us today. • Some statements by Jesus concerning the kingdom of God o Seek first the Kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33) o It does not come by observation, is within you (Luke 17:20-21) o You must be born again to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3) o “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36) o There are mysteries relating to the kingdom (Luke 8:10) • God chose Israel as a nation to express Himself in this world (Deut. 6:7-8) o Jesus was the king of the Jews (Matt. 2:2, 27:11, 27:37) o Israel did not recognize or receive Jesus as their king (Matt. 21:33-46, John 19:15) o The kingdom of God was taken from Israel and given to another (Matt. 21:43) • God chose the church as the Body of Christ to express Himself to the world o Jesus expounded truths pertaining to His kingdom after His resurrection (Acts 1:3) o The Holy Spirit was given to bring the kingdom of God within (Acts 2:36, I Cor. 12:3) o The church is the present expression of the kingdom of God on earth (Eph. 2:19, I Peter 2:9) o The disciples taught truths concerning the kingdom of God (Acts 8:12, 14:22, 19:8) • The authority of God is manifested in earthly bodies and has physical effects o Christ was the expression of the kingdom of God during his earthly ministry o The church is the present Body of Christ o The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17) o Where Christ reigns as Lord, the character of God is revealed in this world o God’s purpose is that the local assembly of believers should be a pure expression of God • One day the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of God (Rev. 11:15, 12:10) • Additional resources at  http://www.ntchurchsource.com/ • Theme song “Will Your Anchor Hold” sung by J. Ashley Milne • Comments and questions welcome. Email David@AnchorOfTruth.com

Explore what Irenaeus stated about the Church. Who is Jesus and why does it matter? Consider what Paul asks in Romans 10:14-17. Explore the background of Irenaeus’ On the Apostolic Preaching. Consider positive influences, which include Ignatius of Antioch. Christ is both the content and the source of our faith. The bishops carry forth the truth of what the apostles have said and preserve the gospel message. Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. Justin Martyr in Dialogue with Trypho asserts that the Old Testament foreshadows Christ. Negative influences are the Gnostics and Marcion. Explore that Christ is either the Messiah of the Old Testament or Christ is something else entirely. Consider major contextual issues. Irenaeus wanted to understand and situate Christ within the entire history of redemption. Jesus belongs perfectly within the context of the Old Testament. Irenaeus wanted to recognize textual authority. It demonstrates that the apostolic witness is in line and on par with the Old Testament and the true account of Christ. Who is Jesus? There are three major methods of understanding Jesus. Some divorce Jesus from the Old Testament and Yahweh; some understand Jesus through the lens of the Old Testament; and some understand the Old Testament through the lens of Jesus and covenantal fulfillment.

How should we respond when the world does not want us to talk about Jesus? There are three things we can do that will ensure a fresh work in your life. 1. Repent. 2. Walk with God. 3. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Check out what we mean.

Cash is the oxygen that lets your business breathe. And just like oxygen, when there is none available it's all you can think about because you need it to survive. Sometimes your business just needs a fast infusion of cash, and today I'll show you 3 ways to get cash quick. Best of all, they are legal, moral, and ethical! Tip Of the Week I have a new friend, and I love him. His name is Edgar. Let me explain. Most of our social media updates go to waste. They’re only seen by a fraction of our total audience, falling victim to things like time of day, mysterious algorithms and other factors that are beyond our control. Fewer and fewer people see our social media updates. To keep up, we’re forced to publish more frequently, just to stay engaged with our audiences. This can make social media marketing a real burden, one that grows heavier each day… and one that offers diminishing returns. Edgar to the rescue! No longer do you publish your updates just once and then watch them sink beneath the waves of obscurity, missed by most and forgotten by all (even you) within hours of publication. Edgar catalogs your social updates into a library that grows over time. You curate the library, and Edgar republishes those updates on a schedule you set. He publishes only what you want, and only when you want it done. What happens once Edgar publishes all of the updates in a category (like “My Blog Posts,” for instance)? He just pulls more updates from your library. You can handcraft each update and even write several fresh updates that point to the same resource, blog post or podcast episode. Your social media posts don’t go to waste. Your “old” posts can become new again. And you have time to catch up on the latest episodes of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones. You can read a whole stack of 44 cool Social Media Marketing tips like this in this article at Social Media Examiner. Spiritual Foundations The Bible says that where sin abounds, grace abounds much more. (Romans 5:20) But grace is about more than the forgiveness of sins. Check this out: “And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” Luke 2:40 Jesus did not sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21) So why and how was God’s grace was upon Jesus? There must be some way a human can abound in God’s grace even when he has not sinned. The word “grace” is first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 6:8, which says that “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord”. Noah’s name means “rest”. So the verse is literally saying that rest found grace. Grace was upon Jesus because He lived a life of rest, and trust in His Father. He said, “The Son can do nothing of Himself. He can do only what He sees His Father doing.” (John 5:19) Grace comes upon us when we rest and trust God. But what if nothing happens? Honestly, if after you have given the matter to Jesus and nothing happens, what can you do? If Jesus Himself can’t do anything about it, do you think you can? But here's the truth: once the problem is handed over to Jesus, He can and will do a perfect work of taking care of it for you! So live a life of rest. Have this attitude and tell the Lord, “I just rest in You Lord and I trust You.” Feature Presentation: The Fastest Path to Cash Sometimes your business just needs a fast infusion of cash, and today I'll show you 3 ways to get cash quick. Best of all, they are legal, moral, and ethical! Provide a service. Consult. Do a combination for more leverage. Where do you find these customers? Your employer or past employers. Your customers or past customers. People you know, or people they know. Question: Which path to fast cash could you take this week – and will you? How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in iTunes and give us a rating and review. Go ahead and subscribe now, and give us your star rating and review on iTunes. We will definitely mention you on this show. If you don't already get the email newsletter, sign up for that and get the new free video: “3 Keys to Change the World and Make Your Business Grow.” Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn. Get The Transcript Click here to get the transcript. Transcripts provided by SuccessTranscripts – a great solution if you need your podcast, sermon, speech, or other audio transcribed.  

How are you doing at following Jesus? There is a real danger in our relationship that we can move away from Jesus if we are not careful. Location is revelation.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013 A New Goal for a New Person 2 Corinthians 5:1-21 NLT For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. -------------- Here is your chance for a clean slate. Time for a reality check. What are you living for? What is your goal? What is your purpose? Why are you living, breathing, and getting up each day? Paul recognises the wearisome need of a new body. And as each and every one of us age, suffer with sickness, battle brokenness or deformities we long for new bodies. And a new body you shall receive if you are in Christ. So what to do with this news, what is the proper response to being given a new body? It is to use the one we got in faith to proclaim our hope. We don't have to hold back, we don't have to be miserly with our energy. We've got a job to do and a promise to sustain us. So life is for living! We can swallow the weary pain of dying bodies by living up life as we live toward our new bodies. We can begin to erase the brokenness and sorrow of death, disease and destruction by living for life, by living for Christ. We can choose to believe our future is secure and our purpose is clear. This will fill us with the life giving Spirit of God. We can reject the shortsighted living for now earth perspective and choose to believe the life giving God's new home, new body point of view. So your new goal is to please God. Live for Jesus. Live to persuade others. Who are you telling? Come on. Answer that question. Who have you told? How is your life persuading people to trust Jesus? There is a clear task here in this passage. Are you a secretary in an office? Well then you are the office ambassador for Jesus. Are you a factory worker on an assembly line? Then you are the factories representative for Jesus. What do you stand for? You stand for life! You stand for the promises of God. You stand for judgement on sin. But you stand for grace, the gift of life, the promise of a new body, the purpose of God's glory, and the message of Jesus' glory. Sounds like you've got your hands full, but it sounds like you've got all the resources you'll every need and instead of dying you are actually getting closer and closer to life. Real life is inching its way towards you and is taking over this dying life. A lasting and solid life is hurtling into your wearisome decent towards death and atom by atom replacing every bit of you with a new, improved living breathing, loving gracious representative of Life, the life giver and an eternal life.

Is it possible to amaze Jesus? There are actually two times in the gospels when we see this happen. However, as we're going to see in this text, amazing Jesus isn't always a good thing? What was Jesus so surprised by? Listen to this sermon...

Why do we come up with so many answers when it comes to following Jesus? There are so many things we could be, should be doing, sometimes it can get overwhelming. Let's get back to the simplicity of following Jesus.

Why do we come up with so many answers when it comes to following Jesus? There are so many things we could be, should be doing, sometimes it can get overwhelming. Let's get back to the simplicity of following Jesus.

2010-05-30-0830 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning May 30th, 2010 in the 8:30 service. Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2 Topic: Endurance Notes:-- Story about jogging with grapes in mouth... athletic binges.- We are to run the race with endurance; others will trip you up- When you fall, get up again; don't blame those who trip you- Our only example should be Jesus- There is no easy way, secret or shortcut: trust, serve and obey- We see Jesus through lenses: Calvinism, Arminianism, Pentecostal- Some get caught up in structure, timing, history of the Bible and miss the life revealed in it.- Our life comes from Jesus; Bible only makes Jesus real- In a race it's only you. Make your load light; stare at Jesus only- Thank God for every situation; for the people who bring you pain and for the good He does in your life because of them- Release people from the pain they’ve caused you... forgiveness (read letter he'd written to someone who'd wronged him)- We all have family situations... people problems; lay them at the feet of Jesus    Endurance

2010-05-30-1030 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning May 30th, 2010 in the 10:30 service. Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2 Topic: Endurance Notes:-- Story about jogging with grapes in mouth... athletic binges.- We are to run the race with endurance; others will trip you up- When you fall, get up again; don't blame those who trip you- Our only example should be Jesus- There is no easy way, secret or shortcut: trust, serve and obey- We see Jesus through lenses: Calvinism, Arminianism, Pentecostal- Some get caught up in structure, timing, history of the Bible and miss the life revealed in it.- Our life comes from Jesus; Bible only makes Jesus real- In a race it's only you. Make your load light; stare at Jesus only- Thank God for every situation; for the people who bring you pain and for the good He does in your life because of them- Release people from the pain they’ve caused you... forgiveness (read letter he'd written to someone who'd wronged him)- We all have family situations... people problems; lay them at the feet of Jesus    Endurance

2010-04-11-1030 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning April 11th, 2010 in the 10:30 service. Scripture: John 20:19-30; 21:1-3 Topic: Faith Notes: - After resurrection, Jesus visited disciples, then they went home- Jesus sent them out, gave Holy Spirit, told them live in forgiveness- Thomas wrestled with divinity of Jesus- There is nothing that will finalize your faith; just have to trust Jesus- God doesn't operate within the confines of my mind- Faith doesn't come from the head but from the heart- Disciples went fishing-Jesus appeared- Must start over each day, we are dying people born of the spirit- We have spiritual highs;  must return to the mundane life by faith- Woman on the phone interrupted by tongues "God talking"...- Until Pentecost the disciples lived in fear; Holy Spirit gives boldness- Lazarus and rich man- A miracle will not make you a stronger follower or save a sinner- Have confidence in the Word of God

2010-04-11-0830 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning April 11th, 2010 in the 8:30 service. Scripture: John 20:19-30; 21:1-3 Topic: Faith Notes: - After resurrection, Jesus visited disciples, then they went home- Jesus sent them out, gave Holy Spirit, told them live in forgiveness- Thomas wrestled with divinity of Jesus- There is nothing that will finalize your faith; just have to trust Jesus- God doesn't operate within the confines of my mind- Faith doesn't come from the head but from the heart- Disciples went fishing-Jesus appeared- Must start over each day, we are dying people born of the spirit- We have spiritual highs;  must return to the mundane life by faith- Woman on the phone interrupted by tongues "God talking"...- Until Pentecost the disciples lived in fear; Holy Spirit gives boldness- Lazarus and rich man- A miracle will not make you a stronger follower or save a sinner- Have confidence in the Word of God

The words of Jesus at the Passover meal are realized on the cross.“This is my body broken for you.This is my blood poured out for you.This is my life given up for you.”When an act of sacrificial love takes place, justice and communion result. Jesus is the lamb who is slaughtered as God acts to set people free. We call this the Paschal Mystery; it’s symbolic roots are found in Egypt when Moses broke the bonds of Egyptian slavery. There is reconciliation in this freedom. The divorce between God’s life and human life is annulled. Communion is possible once again. You might ask, ‘how is this done?’ The answer is given simply … and it is profound. By divine love, by messianic obedience, and by a sacred ritual of forgiveness … the Cross!In the words of Jesus: “There is no greater love than this: to give your life for another.”This is the way.This is the benchmark. This is the answer.Kyrie

2007-04-01-1030 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning April 1st, 2007 in the 10:30 service.Scripture Ref: Rom. 1:16; Rom. 10:13-15; Rom. 11; Isaiah 53Topic: God's ChosenNotes: - After the flood, God began a new spiritual race- One is not a Jew only by blood, but by faith as Abraham- Gentiles are given the opportunity to be grafted into the olive tree- All who believe are children of Abraham- Many in Israel have not heard the truth about Jesus- There is revival in Israel among Jews and Arabs- Rabbinical Judaism says that belief in Jesus is to abandon Judaism- Christians have tried to convert Jews, asking them to abandon Judaism- Replacement theology: the church has taken Israel's place- Conversations with security man at hotel in Israel- History of Christianity (Catholic), persecution of Jews- We need to provide resources to those who can bring Jews to the faith- The Temple could go up in a matter of weeks, worship restored- Give out of poverty; He’ll bless the motive and multiply the gift

2007-04-01-0830 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this morning April 1st, 2007 in the 8:30 service.Scripture Ref: Rom. 1:16; Rom. 10:13-15; Rom. 11; Isaiah 53Topic: God's ChosenNotes: - After the flood, God began a new spiritual race- One is not a Jew only by blood, but by faith as Abraham- Gentiles are given the opportunity to be grafted into the olive tree- All who believe are children of Abraham- Many in Israel have not heard the truth about Jesus- There is revival in Israel among Jews and Arabs- Rabbinical Judaism says that belief in Jesus is to abandon Judaism- Christians have tried to convert Jews, asking them to abandon Judaism- Replacement theology: the church has taken Israel's place- Conversations with security man at hotel in Israel- History of Christianity (Catholic), persecution of Jews- We need to provide resources to those who can bring Jews to the faith- The Temple could go up in a matter of weeks, worship restored- Give out of poverty; He’ll bless the motive and multiply the gift