1st-century Hebrew preacher and later Christian saint
POPULARITY
Categories
The Wilderness E8 –– In the Bible, God often turns wilderness wanderings into times of testing, purification, and preparation for returning to the garden land. The tragedy of the Hebrew Bible, however, is that when people do return to the garden, they keep following their own distorted wisdom and desires. This is why the beginning of every gospel account features a wild prophet named John, who is out in the wilderness by the Jordan River, preaching a baptism of repentance. It's a symbolic reenactment of when God purified the exodus generation through the deadly chaos waters and treacherous desert. But then Jesus approaches John, also asking to be baptized. Why? In this episode, Jon and Tim unpack the background and ministry of John the Baptizer and how Jesus' baptism connects to his larger Kingdom mission.CHAPTERSRecap of Theme and Setup for John the Baptizer (0:00-15:53)John's Background and Words to the Pharisees (15:53-38:03)Why Jesus Participates in a Baptism of Repentance (38:03-44:47)The Heavenly Announcement After Jesus' Baptism (44:47-51:33)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English, translated by Geza VermesYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Lunch Break ft. Abstractv” by Lofi Sunday“Old Record” by Lofi Sunday, Marc VanparlaBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
We love stories that tie up neatly — the music swells, the hero wins, the credits roll. But life doesn't always play out like that. Sometimes things break, people disappoint, and endings don't come with closure.In this message, Pastor Fredo Ramos explores one of the most unsettling stories in history — a story full of regret, compromise, and pain. Through the lives of Herod, John the Baptist, and those left grieving, we discover uncomfortable but hopeful truths about our choices, our conscience, and what to do when the story doesn't resolve the way we hoped.--Support content like this and the vision of Sandals Church at http://sandalschurch.com/support/Join our email list for content updates: http://sandalschurch.com/subscribeDownload the Sandals Church App: http://sandalschurch.com/app/If you have questions, need prayer or want to get connected, please email us anytime at online@sandalschurch.com!
What can we learn from Jeremiah and John the Baptist?Reading Plan: Old Testament - Jeremiah 18-20Psalms - Psalm 119:41-48Gospels - John 3:22-36New Testament - James 3:1-12Visit https://www.revivalfromthebible.com/ for more information.
I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Friday morning, the 17th of October, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to the Book of Acts 13:25. This is Paul speaking and he says: “And as John (John the Baptist) was finishing his course, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.' Then we confirm it in the Gospel of John 1:19-20: “Now this is the testimony of John, (John the Baptist) when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”We need to be so careful, you and I, that we don't touch God's glory. I remember a beautiful story I read long ago about St. Francis of Assisi, a man who gave up his wealth to live in the countryside, where he rebuilt a small monastery and cared for the poor, the needy, and society's outcasts. One day, some people came to him and said, “There is a young baby in the village who has been born and is severely physically handicapped. Please come and pray for the baby so that God can heal the baby.” Francis said, “No, I can't do that because if I heal that baby you will think it was me and then you will start to worship me. I can't do that. They said, “Please” - the parents were there, they were begging him. Eventually, reluctantly, he came to the village. He saw the little baby in the cot was completely physically handicapped. He laid his hands on the baby and in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Healer, he prayed, “Be healed.” The little baby opened up, started smiling, gurgling, and the people were ecstatic. He was completely restored to normal.They were so overwhelmed by the miracle of God that they did not even notice that Francis of Assisi quietly disappeared. As they turned around to thank him and to admire what God had done through him, he was nowhere to be seen. Today, be careful we do not touch God's glory. Do not draw people to yourself. John the Baptist never did that. Draw people to Jesus Christ!Have a wonderful day,God bless you and goodbye.
As we spend these weeks reflecting on The Mysteries of the Rosary, it is helpful to begin with something so familiar that we rarely stop to ponder it . . . the very names of the sets of mysteries themselves. Each conference will center on these sacred mysteries, inviting us to notice how the Church, in her wisdom, presents them to us in a particular and meaningful way. Join us for three Conferences offering prayerful reflection and fresh insights into The Mysteries of the Rosary, deepening our understanding of this treasured devotion. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Meditations on the Mysteries of the Rosary The Joyful Mysteries: The Heartbeat of the Rosary As we reflect over these three conferences . . . three weeks . . . on The Mysteries of the Rosary, it's important to begin with something obvious that we seldom simply pause and consider in itself, and that is the names of the sets of mysteries. Today we are focusing on the Joyful Mysteries, and it's important to recognize that in giving these five mysteries, this particular name as a set, the Catholic tradition is presenting them to us in a certain way. The Joyful Mysteries remind us that our faith begins with joy . . . the joy that the Savior has come. At the heart of the Rosary is the Hail Mary, not a prayer written by man, but a heavenly greeting that began salvation history: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.” Every mystery rests on this divine message. The Rosary starts with The Mystery of the Annunciation . . . the Incarnation . . . the moment the Word became flesh in Mary's womb . . . containing within it all of Christ's life, death, and resurrection. When We ray the Rosary, We do so with Mary When we pray the Rosary, we do so with Mary, who helps us understand and treasure the mysteries of her Son. Her humility in the Annunciation leads to charity in the Visitation, where she “sets out in haste” to serve Elizabeth. There, joy overflows: the unborn John the Baptist leaps, Elizabeth rejoices, and Mary sings her Magnificat, the Church's first hymn of praise. These mysteries invite us to share Mary's joy, humility, and love as we draw closer to Jesus through her. Listen to this Meditation Media. Listen to The Joyful Mysteries: The Heartbeat of the Rosary ------------------------------------------------------------------- Art Work Madonna of the Rosary: Spanish artist: Esteban Murillo: 1650
Pastor Bryan shares the second half of a lesson from John 3. Dr. Chapell investigates the life of John the Baptist who first declared the coming of Jesus, and is later sent out by Him on mission. It is a life full of great trial, but also the promise and hope of grace. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1286/29
Mark 6:14-29 (ESV)Andrew, Isack, and Edwin discuss the execution of John the Baptist.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here. Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=23108The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/
Welcome to Episode #187 of the Way of the Bible podcast. This is our third of eight episodes in our Twenty-Fourth mini-series entitled The Return of Jesus Christ [3]. On today's episode, we will continue expanding upon the greatest news for the church, the Great Snatching Away, harpazo/rapture, the resurrection/translation of the bride of Christ.We'll start with a quick context reminder and then hit our lesson for today, which will be the first half of 1 Corinthians 15. But before then, why the harpazo/rapio, the great snatching away? The reason for the great snatching away in the Bible is to remove the church from the world before God judges the world with great tribulations and wrath. We will address that near the end of this mini-series. The New Testament writers, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, clearly wanted the body of Christ to know that Jesus was coming back and to anticipate his return at any moment. The normal Christian life, as described in the epistles, is not sitting on one's hands in regard to one's faith life while playing with trinkets in the world, passing away the time to break the boredom of communing with God. The normal Christian life is to live your new life in the kingdom, a holy and righteous life of love for God and neighbor as we wait for our Savior, the bridegroom, to appear in the sky above to take us, his bride, home.John the Baptist spoke of the church and Jesus in John 3:29 – The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.In the New Testament, Jesus is the bridegroom, the church is the bride, and the Old Testament saints, including John the Baptist, are friends of the bridegroom. It says of the bride of Christ in Revelation 19:6-8 – Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.)Jesus spoke to his disciples in the Upper Room discourse about his wedding preparations to bring home his bride. John 14:1-3 – “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. We know that Jesus, our bridegroom, went away physically on the day of his ascension into heaven. Acts 1:10- They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”As Jesus went up in the ascension, so shall he return in like manner. We see that in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 – For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God.That catches us up on what we need to know for today's episode. We'll do some tying up of loose ends after our next episode, where we finish an overview of 1 Corinthians 15. And before we get to the first portion of 1 Corinthians 15 for today, let's put what Paul is about to address in context.
Pastor Bryan shares a lesson from John 3. Dr. Chapell shares of how Christ is to be king of our entire lives –– a lesson John the Baptist learned as he experienced life with Jesus. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1286/29
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 - John 3:22-36 - John's humility, Jesus must increase, God's testimony about His Son, eternal life through faith.
I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Wednesday morning, the 15th of October, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of John 1:15: “John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' ” (John the Baptist talking about Jesus Christ). Then we go to the Gospel of Matthew 18:4: “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”We are talking today about humility. I have heard humility described as controlled strength. A humble person doesn't have to be a soft person. What do they say about Moses? They said the softest part of Moses was his teeth! If you don't understand what I am saying, young person, ask your dad. He will tell you. He was a tough man to lead the whole nation through the desert for forty years. John the Baptist, there was nothing soft about him, but the amazing thing is, Jesus says, ”There has never been a man born from the womb of a woman, greater than John the Baptist.” What a compliment, coming from the Master!I want to tell you a little story. I read a book called, “Take Your glory Lord.” It was the life story of a Zulu pastor who lived down in the South Coast of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. His name was William Duma. He was an extremely anointed preacher and had a wonderful healing ministry. He was invited up into Zambia, to preach at a Baptist churc,h and the church was packed on that Sunday morning. They were all waiting to hear the word of God from this man from South Africa, and he was late! 9 o'clock came and there was no sign of him. The pastor of the church was worried. He thought, “I will just have to pull one of my sermons out of my top pocket” because he just wasn't coming. Then all of a sudden, he heard a knock-knock through the curtain that separated the back door, where the cleaning lady would come in and where everything was stored. He went through the curtain, opened the door and there was the man of God, standing at the servant's entrance - humility!Today, go out and be humble. Be humble, prefer your fellowman to yourself. Don't forget the older people. Don't forget to take care of the young children, and Jesus Christ will do the rest!God bless you and goodbye.
• Stage 3: Gentiles become part of the church (Acts 8–11) • Mini-Pentecost #3: “Old Testament” believers • Stage 4: The Gentiles are officially recognized as part of the church (Acts 15:1–32) • Stage 5: The church grows within the Gentile nations (Acts 16, 21, 28) • The Holy Spirit directs the church into Asia Minor, Europe, and then Rome • The church today Will we see the same signs and wonders occurring in churches today as they did in the beginnings of the Church Age? Listen to this lesson to learn that unusual miracles occurred then in order to establish the apostleship of the disciples and that a definite change took place that is operational today. Hear about those early days and see how it formed the unity of all believers in the body of Christ as followers of John the Baptist, other Old Testament saints, and Gentiles became officially accepted. Learn about how the Holy Spirit distributed spiritual gifts that differed according to the focus needed at the time. Be encouraged that God always fulfills His plan for all believers.
The Pharisees and the Sadducees were often at odds with each other concerning doctrine and philosophy, but they had a common link in their skepticism about Jesus. Today they ask Jesus to display his power with a sign from heaven. Christ has already performed numerous miracles, but these men have been blind to the truth; they can't read the signs of the times. Later, Peter makes what is often called “the good confession,” which is that Jesus is not John the Baptist resurrected or Elijah, but the Messiah. Jesus says that he will build his church on this confession, but those who follow him will have to take up their cross in order to do so. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org
This week on The Follow Up, Bill, Jeff, and Jack go deeper into The Gospel of John chapter 3—looking at Nicodemus, what it really means to be “born again,” and why John the Baptist's words “He must increase, I must decrease” are still radically countercultural.They explore the difference between rule-keeping and true transformation, talk through how faith grows over a lifetime, and share some behind-the-scenes insight into how pastors choose sermon illustrations that make Scripture stick.
John 6 recorded signs 4 and 5 - the feeding of the 5,000 and our Lord's walking on the troubled sea. The feeding of the 5,000 took place in spring - a time of abundant green grass. It was Passover time (12 months before Jesus' crucifixion) and just after the death of John the Baptist. Jesus, in testing Philip, asks where can Jesus and his Apostles purchase sufficient bread in the wilderness for this crowd; for our Lord already knew what he was going to do. From the personal lunch of a lad - five loaves and two fish Jesus feeds 5,000 and collects 12 baskets full of fragments. Having full bellies, the multitude wants to forcibly make Jesus their king. Our Lord rapidly disperses the crowd and sends the disciples away by boat. Jesus goes into a mountain to pray. The Lord comes to the disciples walking on the water. No sooner had he joined them than they arrive at Capernaum - the city of comfort. This is a parable illustrating our vain toiling on the troubled sea of nations as we await the return of our Master. As soon as Jesus returns we will receive the peace he brings and the comforts of the kingdom age. At the synagogue in Capernaum a discussion takes place as Jesus tells them that he is the 'bread of life' - in contrast to the wilderness manna eaten by their fathers. The Son of God has been sealed in his thinking by his Father; and what they need to do was believe. Their being saved is through what the Father has done through His Son and all they can do is to accept this by believing on His Son. Isaiah 55 is a key link to this chapter and it focused on resurrection - "the sure mercies, i.e. 'chesed' of David". Note the emphasis in John 6 and how many times Jesus refers to resurrection - verses 39, 44. Verse 45 quotes from Isaiah 54 verse 13. All who believe thefaithful message of the gospel are "taught of God". Jesus found that many would-be disciples leave him being unable to cope with the challenging ideas our Lord Jesus presents. Peter's encouraging and supportive words for his Lord particularly and for every potential disciple when says in verses 68-69, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and come to know, that you are the Holy One of God". ESV Jesus though encouraged reminds Peter and the other Apostles of the rocky road ahead when he refers them to the challenges that are to come from Judas Iscariot: see verses 70-71. Let none of us trust in ourselves for the heart of mankind is "diabolos' - treacherous.
John the Baptist exemplifies what it means to be "a voice crying in the wilderness"—someone who cries out to God rather than complains about circumstances. His journey from bold proclamation to imprisoned doubt reveals how to navigate life as a true Christ follower when God's will doesn't align with our own desires. Even when Jesus doesn't meet our expectations, we are called to trust the evidence of His work and remain faithful without being offended by His methods or timing.Julian Lowe CONNECT WITH US!Engage with this message: https://tpcc.org/messagesVisit our website: https://tpcc.orgWe believe in the power of prayer: https://tpcc.org/prayer Instagram: https://instagram.com/traderspointcc/Twitter: https://twitter.com/TradersPointCCFacebook: https://facebook.com/TradersPointCC/
How do you stand firm for your faith in a world that pushes back? In this week's message, Facing Opposition & Making a Stand, we look at the story of John the Baptist to learn how to respond to hostility toward our faith with truth, love, and courage. Discover how God uses opposition not only to strengthen us but also to reach those who oppose us. If you've ever felt pressure to compromise what you believe, this message will equip and encourage you to stand strong in a Christlike way—and help you make sense of why God allows opposition in the first place.
https://www.madisonchristian.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Ordinary-People-Extraordinary-Accomplishments-dates.png Ordinary People, Extraordinary Accomplishments: John the Baptist – I Must Decrease, He Must Increase false
The post The Birth of John the Baptist – Luke 1: 57-80 appeared first on Red Village Church.
Join Tyler Grant as he explores the profound impact of beholding Jesus in 'Dare to Be: Voices in the Wilderness.' Reflect on the teachings of John the Baptist and the transformative power of focusing on the Lamb of God. Discover how to live intentionally by fixing your eyes on Jesus, receiving the Holy Spirit, and bearing witness to His love and forgiveness. This enlightening sermon encourages a deeper connection with faith, urging viewers to prioritize Jesus above all distractions.
Are You Ready for the Marriage Feast? (audio) David Eells – 10/12/25 “Hurry” Repent, Bride Escapes V. W. - 3/11/19 (David's notes red) I had a dream which I think is an encouraging exhortation. It was daytime, and I was standing in a tunnel that was made to walk through. The ground was covered with sand, and the light was coming in from the outside, so I could see. This was a short tunnel, and it somehow led into a longer tunnel. I was alone in this tunnel. After I woke up, I asked the Lord what this tunnel represented, and I believe he showed me that it meant death to self to rise on the other side. (like a baptism) And I asked for a scripture about the tunnel, and received by faith, at random, 2Ki.20:5 Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the prince of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee; on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. (The third day is resurrection of the Man-child Jesus, and Hezekiah represents the end time Man-child who is caught up to the throne of God on the third day. V.W. here represents the Bride.) While I was standing there, I heard a man just outside the tunnel. There was a lot of brush and some small trees outside where he was. He was advertising his product, which was shoes (or something to spray on your shoes). The advantage of the shoes was for the protection of the person wearing them, “that fire would not hurt them and that smoke from fire could not be smelled on them”. (The shoes represent the walk of repentance and faith) (Dan.3:27 The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king's high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.) (What these 3 lost in the fire was their bonds, which represent the flesh.) He had a loud voice as he proclaimed this and it seemed he really wanted whoever heard him to wear the shoes, and he was urgent about it. But I did not see anyone out there because it was a rural area. (Mat.3:3 For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!) (The repentance spirit in the John the Baptist ministry is crying loudly urgently to those in the wilderness or rural areas to prepare them for the coming of the Lord. It is urgent that we hear and repent quickly before He comes in the Man-child ministry. It will be too late to be in the Bride body once the Man-child ministry starts. Jesus chose the Bride then. John said, “He that hath the Bride is the Bride Groom”) Then I realized I had those shoes on, and they were white dressy sandals. (Eph.6:14-16 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, 15 having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.) After a while, I saw he had a torch that was a large stick. And he started lighting the brush and small trees on fire. He was still proclaiming these shoes, and I thought he was demonstrating how the fire could not hurt the shoes or the smoke from it be smelled. So I took off my right sandal to see if he was right. I smelled it and there was no smell of smoke, and I put it back on. (Fire, representing judgment, will come before Jesus manifests in the Man-child ministry body. Therefore we must be ready to walk through it without being burned. Isa.62:11 Behold, Jehovah hath proclaimed unto the end of the earth, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. Mat.3:10 And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Mat.3:12 whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire. Mat.5:22 but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire. I had been standing there this whole time listening to this man. Then he came into the tunnel with the torch and with urgency and in a loud voice was saying to me, “Hurry up, Hurry up”. (He meant to hurry and run through the tunnels.) “I am right behind you with this torch.” (Hurry, saints, repent and believe so the fire doesn't catch you). After I woke up, I asked the Lord what I was supposed to do quickly and received by faith at random, Luk.22:54. And they seized him, and led him away, and brought him into the high priest's house. So I think the Lord is telling me to hurry up with denying myself and dying with Christ. I started to run and felt like he was getting closer. I asked for a word about my running in this tunnel and received by faith at random, Rom.4:16 For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace: to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. (Repentance must come before faith, with which we are accounted as righteous and are given grace as power to obey.) At first it seemed like I was climbing, and I had to use my hands also. I knew I could not look back and I was not afraid, but knew I had to hurry to get to the end of the tunnels. Php.3:13 Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before. 14 I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye are otherwise minded, this also shall God reveal unto you: I did not think of him as an enemy, but someone who was admonishing me to run faster. As I was running, I could hear from outside the tunnel other brethren cheering me on. Heb.12:1,2 Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Even though he was behind me with the torch and I thought he was getting closer to me, I did not feel the fire. I got through the first tunnel and into the 2nd longer tunnel. On the path where I was running, I saw broken glass on the right side. (Representing the pain of walking with our cross of death to self. The nail in the feet of Christ represents this.) I didn't like running on the glass and it made it harder to keep running, but I did not trip. I asked the Lord for a word by faith at random about this glass and received Lev.19:37 And you shall observe all my statutes, and all mine ordinances, and do them: I am the Lord. I found these verses about not stumbling. Psa.119:165 Great peace have they that love your law; And they have no occasion of stumbling. 1Jn.2:10 He that loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. Jude 24 Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy. The glass in the path made me think of going to the left side where the ground was clear and smooth, but I didn't have time. (We must endure the pain of walking contrary to the world). I know I got through the 2nd tunnel because I came out on the other side and saw some of the brethren, and we were standing on a large rock that was up high. After I woke up, I was hearing the song in my head, “We want to see Jesus lifted high”. (Psa.61:2 From the end of the earth will I call unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.) So I did most of what I needed to do today. I believe that something is going to happen very soon where the extra food, water and gas is going to be necessary. I've never had dreams like this that the Lord impressed me to hurry and get something done. I also had a dream about the Man-child and Bride coming right after this dream to get supplies. I believe from this that the anointing of the Man-child and choosing of the Bride are not far behind the preparations. Exhortation to the Bride-to-Be T. C. - 02/26/2013 (David's notes in red) I had this dream on Monday night after the prayer meeting. I was going to grab a pair of everyday shoes (because in the dream I did not realize that we were preparing for a wedding), when the mother (or woman in charge) set out the proper pair of pointed-toe formal dress shoes in pearl white satin material. (This wedding is to the King. The Bride will have the most elegant and pure shoes, representing her walk with Him, so watch your step, saints.) The shoes were set on a counter and I only saw the front of the shoes. I thought, oh, this is really going to be dressy! Then I looked across the room and got a quick glance of the white wedding dress; it was elegant and brilliant, unlike anything I had ever seen -- something royalty would wear. I then saw the husband/groom; he had a serious look on his face. I knew in the dream that the Groom and bride had already been married, and that is why I saw him as the husband. (The serious look represents his authority over the betrothed woman. In the Biblical Jewish marriage betrothal, or erusin, the woman was legally married but she remained in her father's house. She could not be with another man unless she got divorced from her betrothed. The wedding, or nissuin, meant only that the betrothed woman, accompanied by the virgins, friends of the groom, etc., were taken from her father's house to the house of her husband and the marriage consummated.) I only saw the dress and the shoes, not the bride. That is when the mother/woman in charge explained to me that the bride had died. (The Bride is dead to self; she is dead to her natural father's house, which will be represented in her works.) However, by having the wedding it would bring her back to life. (She will be given resurrection life through the filling with the Holy Spirit.) I knew in the dream the bride's wedding gown was going down the aisle by itself, and if the people at the wedding would believe, that is when they would see her body appear in the gown. (We should believe in order to fill that gown.) Then the scene changed. I saw myself standing in a white slip and I could see that I was pregnant. My husband was in the room talking with me. (The Bride will be spiritually very pregnant with the life of the seed of Christ's Word or she will not be in the Bride company.) There was an excitement about being together for the celebration after the wedding. (This is the seven-day wedding feast, representing the seven year tribulation where all feed on the bread and wine of the Word and nature of Jesus.) In the dream, I had a vision and saw myself walking down the aisle in a wedding dress, which showed me pregnant but not full-term. (The full maturing of the Bride will come when she walks with the Man-child, just as it was with Jesus when John said, “He that hath the bride is the Bridegroom”.) At this point, I knew I needed to take a shower to get ready. (Hurry, brethren! Time is running out to get cleaned up in our walk and works.) When I turned on the shower, I reached in with my right hand and felt the water. The temperature was just lukewarm. (The lukewarm will not be in the Bride.) I knew I needed to wait for the hot water tank to heat up the water before I could get in the shower and get dressed for the wedding. Then I woke up. I wanted to go back to sleep so I could finish the dream. When I was writing down the dream, I was getting very excited thinking about it. I asked for a word and the Lord gave me 2 Kings 6:7. My finger went down on the word “put” but I felt led to read 1-7. (2Ki.6:1) And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too strait for us. (2) Let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. (3) And one said, Be pleased, I pray thee, to go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. (4) So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood. (5) But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water; and he cried, and said, Alas, my master! for it was borrowed. (6) And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and made the iron to swim. (7) And he said, Take it up to thee. So he put out his hand, and took it. (Going to the Jordan means going to the wilderness and, in this case, it is to build a house. So will the Bride. Also, the axe head floated supernaturally in the water, just like we have been given supernatural gifts in the water of the Word. But the text given is an exhortation to put out our hand and take the supernatural gifts of God, like righteousness, holiness, purity of walk and works, for the Lord said, “Take it up to thee.” So he put out his hand and took it.) After typing out the dream, I asked for another word and got Colossians 3:6 and felt led to read 1-6. (Col.3:1) If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. (2) Set your mind on the things that are above (So, seek ye first the Kingdom; there is no time left for distractions.), not on the things that are upon the earth. (3) For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (4) When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested (when the baby, “Christ in you”, is at full maturity), then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory (He will be born for the world to see). (5) Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; (6) for which things' sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience. Too Late for the Wedding Feast B. A. - 05/03/2014 (David's notes in red) Concerning the title, Too Late for the Wedding Feast, this is also Too Late for the Bride because she is the Bride before the Wedding Feast starts and she is on time. See Supernatural Warnings to Prepare for the Bride. I dreamed I was walking around Israel. (“Walking around” means worldwide and “Israel” represents the Church) I was in sackcloth and ashes. (A symbol of grief at the apostasy of the Church -- worldwide and local.) I was praying in the Spirit for mercy for the “rebellious” house. (The rebellious house represents the group below who has rebelled against UBM and this is also happening worldwide. The Church is not the Bride and is often opposed to her, as we see in the Song of Solomon.) Then, suddenly, I was shown a banquet room (the Wedding Feast/Tribulation) with a very long table, and a group of people standing by the table waiting to be seated. One by one, each person was led to their seat. I watched as everyone was seated. I saw that there was a smaller group sitting on the right of the table with a very large gap separating them from the group on the left of the table. The Lord was showing me that there was a large gap representing a “wide” spiritual difference between these two groups. (The long table represents the spiritual food with the true sheep on the right side of this feast and the goats to the left of it. Below we discover that both of these groups represent the factious people who were taken into captivity but one-third of them on the right repented before the Wedding Feast and two-thirds did not and fell away to go into Tribulation bondage to the beast.) At this particular point in the dream, I woke up and I looked over at the clock and it read 4:43 or one minute before 4:44 or tribulation. (This is the second revelation of one minute left. Two other times, we also received 11:59 in dreams or one minute to midnight when Israel left Egypt for the wilderness tribulation. In the last two days before this revelation was given, I had looked at the clock at 11:59 two times. When the Trib starts, so does the 7-day/year Wedding Feast and the Bride is chosen before then so that she can be honored in the feast. There are two groups who need to be on time for the feast: the invited guests and the Bride. If anyone is late, they cannot be in the Bride.) As I fell back to sleep, I watched as the people seated on the far right of the table were being served broccoli (symbolizing trees with life. [This is food recognized to be healthy; in this case, spiritual health food. The first-fruits of our broccoli crop was harvested today.]) This was served with white sauce (the pure Word). At that point, I became very jubilant as I saw that this group had repented and were eating pure, nourishing food again! Praise the Lord! (This could be the part of the factious who repent before the Marriage Feast, as B.A. believes.) However, I noticed that the group seated at the far left of the table had not been served. They were not ready for this feast. (They have refused the healthy food from Heaven, the Word, which causes one to mature and be healthy, like the Bride.) And, as I was considering this group, I saw a large axe come down over the gap that separated the two groups of people at the table and cut the table in half. (This is like the bridge that fell in B.A.'s dream between the factious and righteous. This is also the dream we had of the house divided by a crack between the tall, righteous and glorious people on the right and the short, stunted, angry, factious people on the left who were prevented from attacking the righteous by a wall with no knob on the door in the wall. When the crack broke, there was no foundation under the factious side of the house as it fell away.) I watched as the group of people on the left fell away. (In Jesus' parable of those invited to the marriage feast, He threw out the one who had not on a wedding garment [meaning they were not dressed up with the works of Christ], for many are called but few are chosen. Mat.22:1 And Jesus answered and spake again in parables unto them, saying, 2 The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son, 3 and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the marriage feast: and they would not come. 4 Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast. 5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise; 6 and the rest laid hold on his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them. The factious assassinate the character of those who call the Church to the feast. 7 But the king was wroth; and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Just like what happened physically in 70 AD, the Lord sent a spiritual Beast army to destroy apostate Jerusalem, the false Bride, and her people.) 8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore unto the partings of the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast. 10 And those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good (from among the saved and unsaved): and the wedding was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment.... Representing the works of Jesus: Rom.13:13 Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof]. Rev.19:8 And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright [and] pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Back to our text in Mat.22:12 and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless (we call this clueless). 13 Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few chosen. Notice the cutting off of those on the left and the cutting off of the bridge of those on the left below. Meaning they will not have an invitation or be in the Bride, for they have not put on the works of Jesus.) Just then, I woke up again and the clock read 5:13, or grace had been given to the rebellious house that had repented. (The one-third on the right.) I asked B. A., “Could you tell what percentage the people on the right were?” She said about one-third on the right repented and returned. She said, “From what the Lord showed me, some will not make it back in time for the Bride company (which is finished before the Marriage Feast). About the same time this revelation came to us, in our morning prayer meeting, we received a text from the Lord by faith: Dan.5:5 In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king's countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was celebrating the conquering of God's people by drinking wine (blood) from the gold and silver vessels (God's people) which were taken from the Temple in Jerusalem during the falling away (1-5). Daniel, the Man-child, interpreted the Father's writing of judgment on the wall, and the king was slain by the Medio-Persian Empire, headed by Cyrus. It was his decree in Ezra 1 that the first-fruits from among God's people in the Babylonian captivity return to build the Temple in Jerusalem. In effect this is being accomplished by President Trump. And also his plundering of Babylon paid for this. It was said of Cyrus, Isa.44:26 that confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith of Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited; and of the cities of Judah, They shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places thereof; 27 that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers (He diverted the Euphrates River to conquer Babylon); 28 That saith of Cyrus, [He is] my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure, even saying of Jerusalem, She shall be built; and of the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid. 45:1 Thus saith Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut: 2 I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth; I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron. (The army went under the bars across the lowered Euphrates and the gates along the Euphrates into the center of the city were unlocked. They invaded and conquered because of God and so shall we. On 6/01/14, Jim Tofflemire wrote: “I saw a D-Day Normandy invasion movie recently and I felt the Lord told me the revival and Trib would be a grand production of God like that, and we need a lot of preparation” (to set the captives free by a war with the principalities and powers and rulers of this darkness through prayer and faith). 11 Thus saith Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: Ask me of the things that are to come; concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands, command ye me. 12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens; and all their host have I commanded. 13 I have raised him up in righteousness (Christ, hidden in the type of Cyrus), and I will make straight all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward, saith Jehovah of hosts. ... 15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. This conquering of the Northern army brings to mind another text the Lord has given us many times. At a time when the Northern army was invading Israel and Judah, which Joel likened to an army of locusts for multitude, there came up a cry for mercy from the inhabitants of Zion, the Bride, just like Esther did and everything was turned around for those who escaped captivity. Joe.2:12 Yet even now, saith Jehovah, turn ye unto me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto Jehovah your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth whether he will not turn and repent, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meal-offering and a drink-offering unto Jehovah your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; 16 gather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17 Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Jehovah, and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? 18 Then was Jehovah jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. Notice a cry for mercy from the Bride turned the Beast captivity around and brought the great revival of the Latter Rain. Remember that Babylon left Jeremiah, to prophecy to the people of the Promised Land, while the rest had been taken to captivity. Let us cry for those in captivity with fasting and prayer. Last Supper Before the Feast B. A. - 10/12/2012 (David's notes in red) Before sharing this word with the broadcast audience, I asked the Lord to give me a Word concerning this and another revelation. With eyes closed, I flipped my Bible open and put my finger down on (Jer.26:2) Thus saith Jehovah: Stand in the court of Jehovah's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in Jehovah's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word. I had a short dream last week where I was in a large house (the UBM house). I heard noise coming from the kitchen, so I went to the kitchen to see what was going on. I saw David Eells at the stove, cooking a meal. (David here represents the end-time David ministry preparing a spiritual meal.) I asked David if I could be of help and he replied, “Sure. Go through the entire house and tell everybody the meal is ready, and it's important to be on time”. (This is the Last Supper, which was a parable to prophesy the crucifixion of the body and blood of Christ for the Church to eat or partake of. The Church was told: (Joh.6:53) Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves. (54) He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day. (55) For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. (56) He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. So I went through the house and spread the word that dinner was ready and everyone needed to be on time at the dinner table. Soon, everyone took their seat at the dinner table. David then brought the food to the table and told everyone, “I'm glad you all made it to the table on time, as this is the last regular meal before the feast”. We were all very joyful and sang praises to the Lord. (All of the disciples or witnesses of the Man-child were at the table to partake of the bread and wine, representing the future sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus. Notice that this was a “regular meal before the feast”. It was a spiritual type of what was to happen in the Marriage Feast of seven days of tribulation. (Mat.26:26) And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it; and he gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. (27) And he took a cup, and gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; (28) for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins. So we see, the Last Supper or type of the Marriage Feast came first; then the crucifixion; and then they partook of that sacrifice of the body (Word) and blood (nature) of Jesus through repentance and faith. This latter is the manifestation of the Marriage Feast and will go on for the seven years of tribulation. In this way, we can understand David's command to gather the guests as Jesus' command to gather the guests. “Go through the entire house and tell everybody the meal is ready, and it's important to be on time”. (22:4) Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast. We have seen in revelations from God that the Davids are going through crucifixion, death and resurrection to be prepared to receive the anointing to lead the flock through tribulation wilderness. It was so with Moses, Joseph, David, etc., before they reigned. In crucifying these Davids, the apostates are crucifying Jesus again, just as their forefathers did. (25:40) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, [even] these least, ye did it unto me. However, the benefits of this sin will raise up the body of Christ through the anointed Davids in whom Jesus will live through the Word and crucifixion. Marriage Supper M. L. - 03/20/2014 (David's notes in red) A dream of standing near the beginning of many, many small round tables as far as the eye could see in any direction. The tables were covered with white tablecloths and four chairs per table. It was my job to see that a small two-tiered wedding cake was exactly centered on each of the tables. This cake was to be divided equally among the four people who would be seated there. (Those who are invited to the Marriage Supper.) Knowing that these cakes were the exact likeness of a larger one that was at the table of honor. (This is the table of the Groom and His Bride.) The tables did not yet have their place settings or name cards, but knowing that that would take place soon. (The trials and testing to come in the tribulation marriage feast will prove who it is who is invited to the Marriage Supper in Heaven. The foolish virgins do not bear fruit and will not be invited.) (Rev.19:7) Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, Write, Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are true words of God. (Mat.25:1) Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them: 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast (The Greek word here, gamos, should be translated “marriage”, not “marriage feast”, for this is the whole marriage ceremony. This would give a person who knows about the marriage customs to discern what part of the marriage is being spoken about. The virgins escort the Bride and Groom to the Groom's home in Heaven after the Marriage Feast of seven days (tribulation) where there is a Marriage Supper. The foolish virgins who have not borne fruit do not go to Heaven, as Jesus said here.): and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour. Luk.12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; 36 and be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord, when he shall return (Greek: analuo, meaning “depart; break up”, as in Philippians 1:23. This is the only place in the NT that this word is translated “return”. Those at the Marriage Feast will break up to go to the Marriage Supper; the Groom will “depart” from the Marriage Feast with the Bride to be escorted by the virgins to the Marriage Supper in His heavenly home and some will not be counted worthy.) from the marriage feast; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may straightway open unto him. 37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and shall come and serve them. Get Ready, Bride Jacob Patek - 01/04/2012 (David's notes in red) I had this dream this afternoon that I would like to share with you. I work shift work, so that is why the dream was in the afternoon. I woke up at 12:30 pm and asked myself if I should get up at that time or not. I ended up going back to sleep and this is the dream the Lord gave me. I have had two brothers who encouraged me to type this out and send it in. It was not until this afternoon (1/05/12) that I came to find out that brother David had given a study on the Bride. I had been talking with a sister in the Lord the night before I had the dream. While I was at work, I had prayed that the Lord would give His permission for His daughter's hand in marriage and continued to pray that He would lead and direct me in wisdom, teaching me to not cover my head and be the spiritual head that He has called me to be. This is the dream: I was in my house preparing to go to a fellowship. I was in the living room while a female friend was in the bathroom, who was also getting ready. She was putting on a bridal gown. This girl was my age (mid-20s). While still in my dream, I was sitting in the living room, and G. W. called me and told me he had to tell me about a dream that he had just had. He said that in his dream, I was getting ready to go to church with a girl. She was putting on a bridal gown, and once we made it to the fellowship, there would be a man who would walk in during the middle of the message. He would walk in and say, “I am here for my bride.” The brother who was giving the Word would then say, “Take your bride”. Then the man who walked in said, “You will have to do the ceremony”. (Men who share the word with the Bride serve in the ceremony of the Wedding Feast, as seen below.) I could see the man kneeling at a cross that was in the middle of the room. At this point in my dream, G. W. stopped talking, and my female friend and I were there. I could now see more detail, as it was from my perspective and no longer G. W. talking about his dream. (Here he begins to see in his dream the confirmation of G. W.'s dream above. This symbolizes that the dream is doubled and is guaranteed by God to come to pass shortly. (Gen.41:32) And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh, it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.) The brother giving the message was speaking English but he had an interpreter. The man walked in through the large double doors at the front of the building. I remember the doors being 20 feet tall or so and the man who walked in was very meek in appearance but quite tall. (He is head and shoulders above all the rest; a giant of the Kingdom.) He had on a white suit or robe and his hair was a brilliant white. He was standing in the doorway and the light that was coming in from behind him through the open doors was brilliant and bright. He said, “I am here for my bride”. The brother giving the message said, “Take your bride”. And sure enough, the man said, “You will have to perform the ceremony”. At this time, I noticed the girl I had come with started to get up. She was walking toward the door through which the man entered. This is when the man grabbed her by the arm gently and with care and he looked at her with great affection. He did not say anything, but in my spirit I heard him say, “I am here”. (He is here in spirit.) The moment he said this, the girl who was my age turned into an old woman dressed in a dress that was a brilliant white, just like the light that was coming through the doors. (She has the maturity and righteousness of many years.) At this, I fell prostrate on my face and began to weep. It was a joyful cry. Now I was watching from a third-person point of view. I could see myself lying on the floor and weeping while the ceremony was taking place. It was over in an instant. Then we were leaving the meeting. The man was walking with us, then was no longer there. I didn't see where he went but the moment he left, in my spirit I heard, “I'm coming back for her. Make sure she is prepared”. Then she turned back into a woman of my age and we proceeded back to my house, where I began to tell her about all that had happened and about G. W.'s dream and it coming to pass. She laughed and kind of shrugged it off, and then I said I had the video on my phone of G. W. and I talking about it. G.W. called me in the beginning of my dream but on the video we were sitting down on the same couch face to face. As I started to play it, G. W. called me in real life and woke me from my dream. (This is confirmation to us again that we are about to begin the ceremony, and the bride needs to be ready. So cut the sin and get ready or miss a once-in-forever chance.) I told him, “Man, I have to tell you about this dream I just had”. We were both very encouraged, and I pray that you are too. The Bride Is Almost Complete Eve Brast - 04/30/2016 (David's notes in red) I had a dream this afternoon that is very encouraging for us. I dreamed I was standing in the middle of the driveway as you top the hill to the Shaw's house. It was sunny outside with almost a white sunlight, like when the sun is close to or at the noon position. (This is the perfect day because there are no shadows; darkness is defeated before the Sun/Son.) I saw all the local UBM brethren clearing all the vines and weeds away from the Shaw's house. Some were pulling with their hands and others with tools. (Exactly like we were doing in real life today when helping to clean and trim, and weed around their house.) Between where I was standing and the front corner of the house was a large square tower made of white stones. (The white stone tower is the Bride who is being put together as her members are sanctified. Mic.4:8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, yea, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.) Three of the sides were complete and we were six or seven stones (people sanctified) away from completing the fourth and final side. (Pray for these six or seven saints to be set free.) The stones were all about a foot or so in diameter and the tower was larger at the base and more narrow as it reached the top. 1Pe.2:5 ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Although this is a promise for the true Church, the principle is the same but the Bride comes to this maturity before the Church and is therefore more beautiful to the Lord. It was flat on top, almost like a huge stone altar. As the brethren cleared away the wild vines and weeds out of the flower beds surrounding the house, they would uncover these stones, and then they would supernaturally disappear from the beds and reappear in their perfect position in the tower, which was almost as high as the roof of the house. (As the lives of these living stones were freed from the weeds and vines of bondage. Then they were supernaturally and spiritually resurrected out of dirt burial to be in the Bride.) Then I woke up. I thought of the Shepherd of Hermas when I began to meditate on this dream and what it meant. (The tower was in the building stage there too and it was said that the stones could go into the tower as long as it was being built but after it was finished, no more stones could be included.) When the Bride Is Sanctified, Judgment Comes Anna Stewart - 04/27/2016 (David's notes in red) The dream I shared on the conference fellowship last night was where Matthew and I were in an old red '90s model F-150 pickup (which we don't really have in real life) and we had three bales of hay in the back. We were driving up this narrow one-way dirt road up a mountain (Zion) and the farther up we got, the less hay we had. I said, “By the time we get to the top of the mountain, we won't have any hay left”. (This represents the further up Zion we go, the less flesh we have, since Peter said “all flesh is as grass”. (Hay is dead grass or flesh. The three bales being that which comes from the earth in spirit, soul, and body.) Being in an old red truck may be the first way that the apostles gave us and the red being covered by the blood and the ride being in the rest.) 1Co.3:10 According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 each man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward. Wood, hay and stubble would not abide in fire because it represents the works of man.) When we got to the top, there was a meadow and I saw a tornado (When the Bride is mature enough to be chosen, then come Judgments like large earthquakes, volcanoes, economic crash, martial law, etc.), but I wasn't scared. As it touched down, the sky went black (The gross darkness, volcanic activity, blackouts, a time of judgment). I could see stars and all the other planetary stuff which you could never see with the naked eye, and straight up above were these two bright lights. In the dream, I knew that there were two suns. (When the Bride is chosen. This could account for the earthquakes, which bring the Man-child when she reaches the top to be chosen.) And then in the dream I was telling Michael what had just happened, so that's why I wanted to share it. Most Don't Make the Cut One other thing I wanted to share. We had eight lambs this year, and I was believing we wouldn't lose any, as we usually lose at least one to something or other, and we didn't have any bottle babies, which might have been a first. But two were born dead, then just recently one died of an unknown cause, two went missing, which must have been coyotes, but we have never had any go missing before, and one got its head eaten off through the fence (coyote?). I just thought that it all kind of lined up with the parable of the sower pretty well because God calls His people sheep. The stillborn sheep would be the wayside ones because they never had life; the missing ones are the ones sown on the rocks because they fell away when temptation arose (I know that they strayed away from the others when they were eaten because the others were not frightened, which they always are for a few days when something scares them). The one that died of who-knows-what was then picked by birds, and the one who lost its head would, I guess, be the third group who didn't bring fruit to perfection. And then, of course, that leaves the last two living ones to be the ones who were sown in the good ground. Even though it was sad what happened, I saw it as kind of a parable and a warning too, because just like the parable of the sower, only 1/4 of them made it. One other thing is that my nieces wanted to name some, so they decided on Marly and Charley. Then Mallory was like, “I know, I'll name mine Jesus!” So Tasha decided to rename hers God. I told them that might get a little confusing, “God, get out of the hay!” “Jesus, don't be so greedy”. Etc. So we stuck with Marly and Charley. I just thought it was interesting that Marly was going to be Jesus, but stuck her head through the fence out of curiosity and got taken out. Because everybody plans on manifesting Jesus, but fence-straddlers (or those halfway through the fence) won't make it. Below I will share an excerpt from Hidden Manna For the End Times -- Chapter Three: “When Do We Go?” The ceremony is according to ancient Jewish custom. It begins with the Marriage Feast as the groom in the Man-child feasts with the Bride for seven day/years. During this time, She has all the rights and advantages of a wife, except the marriage is not consummated. At the end of the tribulation, the virgins escort the Bride and Groom to the Groom's home, where the Marriage Supper is served. The Marriage Feast Excerpt from our book, Hidden Manna For the End Times After seven days of the marriage feast, God's people will go to the Groom's home. Jacob served seven years for each of his wives and he had a marriage feast of seven days for each of them (Gen.29:18-28). This is a parallel revelation. These seven days represent the last seven years or the seventieth week of Daniel, the Tribulation. Samson kept a seven-day marriage feast for his betrothed but left without taking her on the seventh day so she was given to another man just as the harlot will, in our day (Jdg.14:12-15:2). Jesus will feast with His Bride in spirit for seven days/years, after which they are escorted by the virgins to the Groom's home in heaven where she will legally be His. This Hebrew custom is shown in The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1976, page 97 under “Marriage”. My notes are in parentheses. The bridegroom was the king for a week (seven-day/year wedding feast). During the whole week their majesties wore their festal clothes, did not work, and merely looked on at the games – except that now and then the queen joined in a dance. Accompanied by his friends (John the Baptist was a friend of the Bridegroom in John 3:29) with tambourines and a band they went to the bride's house (which is obviously on earth) where the wedding ceremonies were to start. The bride richly dressed, adorned with jewels (Psa.45:14-15), usually wore a veil (meaning submission in 1Cor.11:5-13), which she took off only in the bridal chamber. Escorted by her companions (the virgins), the bride was led to the home of the bridegroom (heaven). This is clear. After the seven days/years of the feast, representing the Tribulation, on the eighth day, which is the day of circumcision when the flesh is cut off, the Groom, the Bride, the friends of the Groom, and the virgins, all leave dressed in their new bodies to go to the Groom's home in heaven. It will be just as when Moses and all Israel left Egypt together. Even the dead in Christ will join the procession. (1Cor.15:51) ...We all shall not sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump... That the Lord takes His people after the seven days/years of the marriage feast is clearly proven by Scripture. As we have seen, a great multitude comes out of the Great Tribulation to the throne of God. (Rev.7:9) …A great multitude…out of every nation…standing before the throne and before the Lamb…. (14) …These are they that come out of the great tribulation…. Only after “the great tribulation,” this “great multitude,” which is made up of all who attend the marriage, announces that the Bride is ready and the marriage is come. (Rev.19:1) After these things I heard as it were a great voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying…. (7)…the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (8) And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright [and] pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (9) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they that are bidden to the marriage supper of the Lamb…. Notice that the marriage supper is in heaven, after the seven-day feast on earth. Let's go back and look more closely at what will be eaten at the marriage feast. Jesus said, “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves” (Joh.6:53). What does this flesh and blood symbolize spiritually, for Jesus said, “It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life” (63)? Jesus' flesh was the unleavened bread: the manna of the pure Word of God. (51) I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. (Joh.1:14) And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us... The wine represents the blood of the life of Christ, Who is the Word. (Lev.17:11) For the life of the flesh is in the blood... Those who are obedient to attend will feast on the flesh, bread, and wine of the eternal life of Christ for the last seven days of the Tribulation. God is preparing the Man-child ministry of Revelation 12 to walk in the steps of Jesus and to once again serve this feast to the true disciples of our day. I will share more on this later. Although, to a lesser extent, this marriage feast has been served on earth since Christ first came, it is the last seven days that the majority of God's people will feast on the pure bread and wine. Natural Israel was invited to come and partake of this marriage feast in the Gospels, but most had worldly excuses and failed to feast on the life that Jesus served. (Mat.22:1) And Jesus answered and spake again in parables unto them, saying, (2) The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son, (3) and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the marriage feast: and they would not come. (4) Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast. (5) But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise; (6) and the rest laid hold on his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them. (7) But the king was wroth; and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. This was the end of the Jewish age, when in 70 A.D. the Romans slaughtered the Jews and burned Jerusalem. As they were rejecting the feast, the Gentiles were invited to partake. (Mat.22:8) Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy. (9) Go ye therefore unto the partings of the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast. (10) And those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good (Gentiles and Jews): and the wedding was filled with guests. John the Baptist pointed out that the disciples were feasting on the Word of Jesus as a marriage feast and as a type and shadow for our day. (Joh.3:29) He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, that standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is made full. The Marriage Supper All who have been sanctified through the feast will be ready to leave for the Groom's home in heaven. (Luk.12:36) And be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord, when he shall return (Greek: analuo, “depart”) from the marriage feast (seven days); that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may straightway open unto him. Analuo is not translated “return” anywhere else but is correctly translated “depart” in places like Philippians 1:23 where Paul speaks of departing this life. The encyclopedia is clear that the groom, his bride, and friends, “depart” from a marriage feast of seven days and are escorted by the virgins to the groom's home. (Mat.25:1) Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. A common false teaching is that the virgins here are the bride who leaves before the seven-year tribulation. That is not only contrary to the Hebrew custom I cited above from the encyclopedia, but other experts on this say the same. I quote the famous The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Edersheim, Book III, Chapter IV. My comments are in parentheses. On the evening of the actual marriage (after the seven-day marriage feast) the bride was led from her paternal home (on earth) to that of her husband (in heaven) ….covered with the bridal veil, her long hair flowing, surrounded by her companions (bride's maids or virgins), and led by the friends of the bridegroom…some carried torches or lamps on poles (ten lamps)…. Here it is clear that the Bride and virgins are two separate entities, just as in all cultures. After the seven-year marriage feast, the virgins will accompany the Bride to the Groom's home. In Book V, Chapter VII, Edersheim explains the parable of the Ten Virgins with their lamps thus: According to Jewish authorities, it was the custom in the East to carry in a bridal procession about ten such lamps. … Ten was the number required to be present at any office or ceremony (to witness the kethubah or marriage document)…. He also says here: The ordinary Jewish marriage-procession where the bridegroom, accompanied by his groomsmen and friends, went to the bride's house, and thence conducted the bride, with her attendant maidens and friends, into his own or his parents' home.
Throughout Scripture, God always redirects his people to live according to His perfect will. His primary method was through specific individuals attuned to hear God's voice. These were the Prophets. In this series, Pastor Matt will take us through some unique stories of the Prophets' lives and how their actions and words continue to influence us today. In this episode, we will hear from one of our staff pastors, Tony Shackleford, who will teach from this series.
Welcome back to the podcast! We've all been told that if you really trust God, you'll never have questions or doubts. But that's simply not true. Listen today to find out why!--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --Believable Lie #4: Real Faith Means No DoubtsMany Christians quietly carry a burden they rarely admit out loud: “If I really had faith, I wouldn't have doubts.” The idea sounds spiritual, but it's simply not true. Even the Bible's greatest heroes wrestled with questions—including John the Baptist. Real faith isn't the absence of doubt; it's the choice to keep trusting Jesus even when life leaves us with a boxful of questions.John the Baptist Looked Like a “Super Christian”When John the Baptist burst onto the scene, he seemed like the last person who would ever doubt. He preached with fiery conviction:“But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. ‘You brood of snakes!' he exclaimed. ‘Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.'” (Matthew 3:7-8, NLT)John didn't mince words. He lived boldly, called people to repentance, and baptized crowds in the Jordan River. He even recognized Jesus for who He truly was:“Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, NLT)At first glance, John seemed like a rock of unshakable faith. But even this great prophet had questions.John's First Doubts: “Why Me?”When Jesus came to be baptized, John tried to stop Him:“But John tried to talk him out of it. ‘I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,' he said, ‘so why are you coming to me?'” (Matthew 3:14, NLT)John didn't fully understand what Jesus was doing. His theology was still “under construction.” And that's an important lesson for us: you don't have to have perfect doctrine before you belong to Jesus. From the very beginning of Christianity, the core message was simple—Jesus is God, He died and rose again, and those who repent and believe will be saved. (Acts 2:36-39)If John the Baptist could wrestle with holes in his understanding and still be called a man of faith, then we can, too.John's Expectations of Jesus Didn't Match RealityLike many Jews of his day, John expected the Messiah to bring immediate judgment:“He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” (Matthew 3:12, NLT)John pictured a Messiah who was fiery, fierce, and forceful—someone who looked a lot like himself. But Jesus...
Daily Dose of Hope October 10, 2025 Scripture – John 5 Prayer: Holy God, How amazing it is that we can come before you today. You are God of all things, Lord of everything, and yet you care about each of us. We give you glory and praise. We thank you most of all for Jesus, who made it possible for us to walk hand in hand with a holy God. Help us see today's Scripture through fresh eyes. Keep teaching us, Lord. Continue to reveal yourself to us. We are open and grateful. In Your Name, Amen. Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida. As most of you know, we are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts. Today, we dive into John 5. The chapter starts with a narrative about the disabled man who had not been able to walk for thirty-eight years. There are a couple reflections I had from the text. You may have noticed them too. First, when Jesus asked the man if he wanted to get well, the man did not say yes. Instead, he blamed his circumstances for why he was disabled. “Well, no one will help me into the waters and then people go ahead of me.” He takes no responsibility, and he puts all his trust in this mystical pool. How many times have we done the same thing? Maybe we haven't put trust in a pool, but we have wanted to blame others or blame the whole world for our deep-rooted problems. Second, when the religious leaders find out Jesus healed on the Sabbath, they become angered. They say nothing about how this man experienced healing after thirty-eight years of disability. How crazy is it that all they care about are the rules? They have no concern for individual people. Jesus turned social and religious norms upside down. He was less concerned with convention and more concerned about the souls of people. The Pharisees totally were missing the point. How often do we miss the point? Healing on the Sabbath only makes Jesus more of a target for the religious establishment. This begins a discourse of Jesus' authority. One of the more important questions we have here is – what is the relationship between the authority of the Father the authority of the Son? Jesus says that the son can do nothing on his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. This is where we have to be careful in our interpretation. What can we learn from these verses? The Son doesn't operate independently of the Father. The Son is in constant touch with the Father. The Son does what he discerns the Father is doing. The Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. The key to Jesus' Sonship is constant communication with and obedience to the Father. Thus, he is the perfect expression of the Father here on earth. In chapter 1 we read, "No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known." (1:18) The chapter ends with testimonies about Jesus. The reality is that anyone could come and make claims about divinity and sonship. Jesus knew this. He says if it were just his personal testimony, then basically no one should believe what he has to say. But Jesus says there are other witnesses that can attest to who he is. First, there is God the Father. He comes in his Father's name. Then, there is John the Baptist. Next, there are many signs and wonders which attest to his divinity. There is plenty of testimony that Jesus is who he said he is. Basically, everything in the Scriptures points to Jesus. John says that if we fail to recognize that, then his Word doesn't dwell in us. Blessings, Pastor Vicki
The Old Testament is filled with biblical prophecy, historical facts, and archaeological and scientific discoveries, along with Israel's history and its importance to God. It displays God's holiness, power, judgment, His character and His ways. The foundation for government, waging war, and moral law is also given in the Old Testament. Many people believe we no longer need to read or observe the Old Testament since Christians live under the New Testament, however there is nothing to support this belief. In fact, Jesus quoted the Old Testament 28 times, and it is quoted 53 times by Matthew Mark, Luke, John, John the Baptist, Paul and Peter. The new didn't start until after Jesus' death and resurrection so do we ignore all that Jesus said prior to that? Listen as Bill and Annette share more about the relevance and importance of the Old Testament. For more information about Bill Wiese and Soul Choice Ministries please visit us at: https://soulchoiceministries.org/ You can find more of Bill's teachings at: BillWieseTV-YouTube
Earlier in Matthew we learned that John the Baptist had been imprisoned, and in today's episode we learn the specifics surrounding that event. Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, reigns as tetrarch over Galilee, which in short, is similar to a duke in medieval times. Sadly, John's imprisonment ends in execution, an unjust end that foreshadows the even more audacious crucifixion of Christ. We'll also hear Matthew's account of Jesus feeding the 5,000, the account of Christ walking on water far from shore on the Sea of Galilee, and more accounts of Jesus healing the sick, even those who merely touch the end of his robe. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org
Introduction: In a world where messages are often diluted, Episode 201 of "That's In The Bible" brings a refreshing call to action. Robert Militello, speaking from Pensacola, Florida, challenges us to embrace the role of faithful messengers, delivering God's truth with courage and conviction.The Urgency of the Message: Robert Militello emphasizes the importance of delivering the full message of God without fear. He draws parallels between historical messengers like John the Baptist and today's believers, urging us to proclaim repentance and the reality of spiritual warfare. "The Lord wants faithful messengers," he asserts, reminding us that the stakes are high and the time is now.Lessons from the Past: Reflecting on his own journey, Robert shares personal anecdotes and biblical references that highlight the need for unwavering faith. He recalls the impact of a faithful messenger who changed his life 47 years ago, underscoring the power of truth spoken boldly.A Call to Action: This episode is a wake-up call for believers to stand firm in their faith. Robert's message is clear: "Put out more truth, continuously." As we navigate a world filled with distractions and falsehoods, the need for faithful messengers has never been greater.Conclusion: Episode 201 is more than just another episode; it's a rallying cry for believers to rise up and fulfill their calling. As Robert Militello reminds us, "America needs Jesus, and God wants faithful messengers." Let's heed this call and make a difference in our communities and beyond.Send us a textEmail us at thatsinthebible@gmail.comWebsite: thatsinthebible.comOur podcast theme song "Jesus Is Coming Soon", courtesy of His Reflection a Gospel Quartet from Buckley Road Baptist Church, Liverpool, NY.
Shalom andHhag Sameach, which is Happy Holiday. Now you have heard already, I'm sure that the emphasis of our life, if we're going to be disciples of the Messiah, the emphasis of our life, because the emphasis of His ministry was clearly on the kingdom of God. We see that when Messiah began his first message, he said, just like John the Baptist said, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And therefore we see that his emphasis was indeed the kingdom of God. We also know that his parables focus in as well on the kingdom of God. To donate please visit us at:https://loveisrael.org/donate/Checks may be sent to:LoveIsrael.org
Welcome to the Grace in Focus podcast. Today, Bob Wilkin and Philippe Sterling are answering a question about John the Baptist, baptism, repentance and remission of sins. Was this about a national or an individual relationship with God? Please listen today and each weekday, to the Grace in Focus podcast!
Welcome to Episode #186 of the Way of the Bible podcast. This is our second of eight episodes in our Twenty-Fourth mini-series entitled The Return of Jesus Christ [3]. On today's episode, we will continue expanding upon the greatest news for the church, the Great Snatching Away, of the church before tribulation, the great tribulation and wrath, and the Day of the Lord.Before we get started today, I want to add some additional context to our discussion to avoid confusion. There are several views on the events and timing of the events mentioned in scripture about Jesus' return. The far majority of these views believe Jesus is going to bodily return. There is a view that his return will be merely spiritual; which we will not deal with here. But the other views regarding his bodily return, I must at least mention.The view of eschatology (view of the end times) I am presenting here is called the premillennial pretribulation rapture view. It is the view taught by Jesus in the gospels and the book of Revelation and by the apostles in their letters and epistles. It teaches that believers are "harpazo'd or raptured" to heaven before Israel signs an agreement with its neighbors that begins a seven-year period of intense persecution of the Jews and an outpouring of the wrath of God called the tribulation. This tribulation ends in great tribulation on the Day of the Lord, when Jesus will return bodily to the earth with all the church saints to judge all mankind on the earth and to establish a literal 1,000-year (millennial) reign. This view has as its foundation the method of biblical interpretation that views prophecies as still unfulfilled and to occur in the future.Our last episode we had an overview of the first phase of his return, which is aerial, for the purpose of snatching away the bride of Christ before the coming judgment of God. The judgment and wrath of God will be in tribulations, the great tribulation, and finally the Day of the Lord, when Jesus bodily returns in the second phase to save a remnant of Israel and judge the world in righteousness. We spoke of how this first phase snatching away is not uncommon in the Scriptures, with two examples in the Old and five examples in the New Testament (Enoch, Elijah, Jesus, Philip, Paul, the body of Christ, and John). Paul says the Harpazo [Greek], the Rapio [Latin, from which we get Rapture] is a mystery. Are you unaware of this significant upcoming event in the church?We noted on our last episode the basis for the harpazo/rapture was established in John 3. In this chapter, Jesus noted a significant difference between those who believe and gain eternal life and those who do not believe and remain condemned already. In John 14, Jesus provides some important details of the harpozo and ties them in prophetically (via pattern fulfillment) with the Jewish wedding ceremony. Jesus is the bridegroom, the church is the bride, and John the Baptist and all Old Testament saints are friends of the bridegroom. (John 3:27-36, John 14:1-14) I mentioned last episode, and will continue emphasizing during this mini-series, that we have to understand with our heart, mind, and soul that heaven is a real place. A supernatural place beyond dimensionality where God dwells. We and all of creation and the cosmos with us, experience existence in a four-dimensional space-time reality. We observe and have been taught that our observations are fact: you live, you suffer, you die, and that's it. Entropy, time, and chance rule: everything is subject to corruption and decay.This teaching denies God, who is: Spirit, an unquenchable fire, who dwells in unapproachable light. Jesus, who is God in the person of the Son, came to earth to make a way for mankind to escape our enslavement to the devil in this four-dimensional prison of darkness, sin, and death. This escape is both for those who have died, now asleep in Christ and for us who believe.
In this episode, we continue our posture of discovery, tracing the theme of water throughout the Gospels to shape our understanding of baptism today. Rather than ending with a concrete definition, we'll reflect on key moments that provide more insight into what baptism is specifically as we see it in the gospels. Whether you're new to the Bible or a seasoned theologian, join us as we dive into the story.Connect With Us providenceomaha.org | Instagram | Facebook Email Us formation@providenceomaha.org
Great Restoration and Revival (audio) David Eells 10/8/25 Tommy Hicks – 7/25/1961 (David's notes in red) (This is a powerful vision given to American preacher Tommy Hicks, who was a major figure in the 1954 Argentina Revival.) A vision of the Body of Christ in the End-time ministries. (My message begins July 25, about 2:30 in the morning at Winnipeg, Canada. I had hardly fallen asleep when the vision and the revelation that God gave me came before me. The vision came three times, exactly in detail, the morning of July 25, 1961. I was so stirred and so moved by the revelation that this has changed my complete outlook upon the body of Christ, and upon the end-time ministries. The greatest thing that the church of Jesus Christ has ever been given lies straight ahead. It is so hard to help men and women to realize and understand the thing that God is trying to give his people in the end times. I received a letter several weeks ago from one of our native evangelists down in Africa, down in Nairobi. This man and his wife were on their way to Tanganyika. They could neither read nor could they write, but we had been supporting them for over two years. As they entered into the territory of Tanganyika, they came across a small village. The entire village was evacuating because of a plague that had hit the village. He came across natives who were weeping, and he asked them what was wrong. They told him of their mother and father who had suddenly died, and they had been dead for three days. They had to leave. They were afraid to go in; they were leaving them in the cottage. He turned and asked them where they were. They pointed to the hut and he asked them to go with him, but they refused. They were afraid to go. The native and his wife went to this little cottage and entered where the man and woman had been dead for three days. He simply stretched forth his hand in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and spoke the man's name and the woman's name and said, “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I command life to come back to your bodies.” Instantaneously, these two heathen people who had never known Jesus Christ as their Savior sat up and immediately began to praise God. The spirit and the power of God came into the life of those people. To us that may seem strange and a phenomenon, but that is the beginning of these end-time ministries. (I talked to a sister 3-6-25 whose husband had been dead for 81/2 months when I called him back in the name of Jesus and by the grace of God he came to her in her kitchen. In another case a husband, wife and children had been killed by Satanists as witnessed by Eve and my angel and I called them back and all immediately returned by God's grace. God can use a donkey. Back to Tommy's message.) God is going to take the do-nothings, the nobodies, the unheard-of, the no-accounts. He is going to take every man and every woman and he is going to give them this outpouring of the Spirit of God. In the Book of Acts, we read that “In the last days,” God said, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.” I wonder if we realized what God meant when He said, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.” I do not think I fully realized nor could I understand the fullness of it, and then I read from the Book of Joel: “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain…” (Joel 2:23). …He is going to give to his people in these last days a double portion of the power of God!) As the vision appeared to me after I was asleep, I suddenly found myself in a great high distance. Where I was, I do not know. But I was looking down upon the earth. Suddenly the whole earth came into my view. Every nation, every kindred, every tongue came before my sight from the east and the west, the north and the south. I recognized every country and many cities that I had been in, and I was almost in fear and trembling as I beheld the great sight before me: and at that moment when the world came into view, it began to lightning and thunder. As the lightning flashed over the face of the earth, my eyes went downward and I was facing the north. Suddenly I beheld what looked like a great giant, and as I stared and looked at it, I was almost bewildered by the sight. It was so gigantic and so great. His feet seemed to reach to the north pole and his head to the south. Its arms were stretched from sea to sea. (Meaning: A great corporate body of saints.) I could not even begin to understand whether this was a mountain or a giant, but as I watched, I suddenly beheld a great giant. I could see his head was struggling for life. He wanted to live, but his body was covered with debris from head to foot (Sin and false doctrines), and at times this great giant would move his body and act as though it would even raise up at times. And when it did, thousands of little creatures seemed to run away. (Demons) Hideous creatures would run away from this giant, and when he would become calm, they would come back. All of a sudden this great giant lifted his hand towards heaven, and then it lifted its other hand (Praising the Lord!), and when it did, these creatures by the thousands seemed to flee away from this giant and go into the darkness of the night. Slowly this great giant began to rise and as he did, his head and hands went into the clouds. As he rose to his feet he seemed to have cleansed himself from the debris and filth that was upon him, and he began to raise his hands into the heavens as though praising the Lord, and as he raised his hands, they went even unto the clouds. Suddenly, every cloud became silver, the most beautiful silver (purified through heavenly fire) I have ever known. As I watched this phenomenon, it was so great, I could not even begin to understand what it all meant. I was so stirred as I watched it, and I cried unto the Lord and I said, “Oh Lord, what is the meaning of this?” and I felt as if I was actually in the Spirit and I could feel the presence of the Lord even as I was asleep. And from those clouds suddenly there came great drops of liquid light raining down upon this mighty giant (light is truth), and slowly, slowly, this giant began to melt, began to sink itself in the very earth itself, and as he melted (bearing their cross), his whole form seemed to have melted upon the face of the earth, and this great rain began to come down. Liquid drops of light began to flood the very earth itself, and as I watched this giant that seemed to melt, suddenly it became millions of people over the face of the earth. As I beheld the sight before me, people stood up all over the world! They were lifting their hands and they were praising the Lord. At that very moment, there came a great thunder that seemed to roar from the heavens. I turned my eyes toward the heavens and suddenly I saw a figure in white, in glistening white; the most glorious thing that I have ever seen in my entire life. I did not see the face, but somehow I knew it was the Lord Jesus Christ, and he stretched forth his hand, and as he did, he would stretch it forth to one, and to another, and to another. And as he stretched forth his hand upon the nations and the people of the world, men and women, as he pointed toward them, this liquid light seemed to flow from his hands into them, and a mighty anointing of God came upon them (The latter rain), and those people began to go forth in the name of the Lord. I do not know how long I watched it. It seemed it went into days and weeks and months. And I beheld this Christ as he continued to stretch forth his hand, but there was a tragedy. There were many people, as he stretched forth his hand, who refused the anointing of God and the call of God. I saw men and women that I knew. People that I felt would certainly receive the call of God. But as he stretched forth his hand toward this one and toward that one, they simply bowed their head and began to back away. And each of those that seemed to bow down and back away seemed to go into darkness. Blackness seemed to swallow them everywhere. (Faction and falling away) I was bewildered as I watched it, but these people that he had anointed, hundreds of thousands of people all over the world, in Africa, England, Russia, China, America, all over the world, the anointing of God was upon these people as they went forward in the name of the Lord. I saw these men and women as they went forth. They were ditch diggers, they were washerwomen, they were rich men, they were poor men. I saw people who were bound with paralysis and sickness and blindness and deafness. As the Lord stretched forth to give them this anointing, they became well, they became healed, and they went forth exactly as the Lord did. And this is the miracle of it - this is the glorious miracle of it. It seemed as if there was this same liquid fire in their hands - those people would stretch forth their hands and say, “According to my word, be thou made whole.” These people continued in this mighty end-time ministry. I did not fully realize what it was, and I looked to the Lord and said, “What is the meaning of this?” And he said, “This is that which I will do in the last days. I will restore all that the cankerworm, the palmerworm, the caterpillar - I will restore all that they have destroyed. This, my people, in the end times will go forth. As a mighty army shall they sweep over the face of the earth.” As I was at this great height, I could behold the whole world. I watched these people as they were going to and fro over the face of the earth. Suddenly there was a man in Africa and in a moment he was transported by the Spirit of God, and perhaps he was in Russia, or China or America or some other place, and vice versa. All over the world these people went, and they came through fire, and through pestilence, and through famine. Neither fire nor persecution, nothing seemed to stop them. Angry mobs came to them with swords and with guns. And like Jesus, they passed through the multitudes and they could not find them, but they went forth in the name of the Lord, and everywhere they stretched forth their hands, the sick were healed, the blind eyes were opened. There was not a long prayer. And after I had reviewed the vision many times in my mind, and I thought about it many times, I realized that I never saw a church, and I never saw or heard a denomination, but these people were going in the name of the Lord of Hosts. Hallelujah! As they marched forth in everything they did, as the ministry of Christ in the end times, these people were ministering to the multitudes over the face of the earth. Tens of thousands, even millions, seemed to come to the Lord Jesus Christ as these people stood forth and gave the message of the kingdom, of the coming kingdom, in this last hour. It was so glorious, but it seems as though there were those who rebelled, and they would become angry and they tried to attack those workers who were giving the message. (As in Jesus' day so it is in ours) God is going to give the world a demonstration in this last hour that the world has never known. These men and women are of all walks of life; degrees will mean nothing. I saw these workers as they were going over the face of the earth. When one would stumble and fall, another would come and pick him up. There were no “big I's” and “little you's,” but every mountain was brought low and every valley was exalted, and they seemed to have one thing in common - there was a divine love, a divine love that seemed to flow forth from these people as they worked together, and as they lived together. It was the most glorious sight that I have ever known. Jesus Christ was the theme of their life. They continued and it seemed days went by as I stood and beheld this sight. I could only cry, and sometimes I laughed. It was so wonderful as these people went throughout the face of the whole earth, bringing forth in this last end time. As I watched from the very heaven itself, there were times when great deluges of this liquid light seemed to fall upon great congregations, and they would lift up their hands and seemingly praise God for hours and even days as the Spirit of God came upon them. God said, “I will pour my Spirit upon all flesh,” and that is exactly this thing. And to every man and woman that received this power and anointing of God, the miracles were without end. (We have talked about miracles. We have talked about signs and wonders, but I could not help but weep as I read again this morning, at 4 o'clock the letter from our native workers. This is only the evidence of the beginning for one man, a “do-nothing, an unheard-of,” who would go and stretch forth his hand and say, “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I command life to flow into your body.” I dropped to my knees and began to pray again, and I said, “Lord, I know that this time is coming soon!”) And then again, as these people were going about the face of the earth, a great persecution seemed to come from every angle. Suddenly, there was another great clap of thunder that seemed to resound around the world, and I heard again the voice that seemed to speak, “Now this is my people. This is my beloved bride.” (In Revelation, we see the Bride in her “lampros,” liquid light garment who has been doing miracles all over the world. Rev.19:7 Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright (Lampros) and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. John the Baptist saw Jesus' first fruits disciples and called them the Bride for he said, “He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom.” This Bride went forth to do miracles in the gospels and in Acts and to pass this anointing on to the rest of the church. Then in Revelation we see the rest of the church in a white or “leukos” garment who are invited to the marriage. Rev.19:14 And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white (Leukos) and pure. And below we will see in Tommy's revelation the dead in Christ rising to be joined with them at the end of the seven-year tribulation.) And when the voice spoke, I looked upon the earth and I could see the lakes and the mountains. The graves were opened, and people from all over the world, the saints of all ages, seemed to be rising. (The dead in Christ will rise first.) And as they rose from the grave, suddenly all these people came from every direction. From the East and the West, from the North and the South, and they seemed to be forming again this gigantic body. As the dead in Christ seemed to be rising first I could hardly comprehend it. It was so marvelous. It was so far beyond anything I could ever dream or think of. But as this body suddenly began to form and take shape again, it was in the form of this mighty giant, but this time it was different. It was arrayed in the most beautiful, gorgeous white. (In Rev.19:14 this is the white or “leukos” garments of the church.) Its garments were without spot or wrinkle as its body began to form, and the people of all ages seemed to be gathered into this body, and slowly, slowly, as it began to form up into the very heavens, suddenly from the heavens above, the Lord Jesus came, and became the head. (Now, Jesus is the head of the Bride, John said was Jerusalem, just as David, as a type of the Man-child reformers, was head of the Bride, Jerusalem. In this way Jesus and David were also the head of the rest of the Body of Israel; a type of the Church. We see this same relationship of Esther as the Bride head of the body of Israel and the Shulammite in Song of Solomon as the Bride head of Israel.) I heard another clap of thunder that said, “This is my beloved bride for whom I have waited. She will come forth even tried by fire. This is she that I have loved from the beginning of time.” As I watched, my eyes suddenly turned to the far north, and I saw destruction of men and women in anguish and crying out, and buildings in destruction. Then I heard again, the fourth voice that said, “Now is My wrath being poured out upon the face of the earth.” (The Day of the Lord's wrath upon those who persecuted God's people.) From the ends of the whole world, the wrath of God seemed to be poured out and it seemed that there were great vials of God's wrath being poured out upon the face of the earth. (The seals and trumps of the tribulation were followed by the vials of wrath in the day of the Lord. There are seven years before the Bride and Church are caught up followed by the year of wrath on the wicked who persecuted them. Isa.34:8 For Jehovah hath a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.) I can remember it as though it happened a moment ago. I shook and trembled as I beheld the awful sight of seeing the cities and whole nations going down into destruction. I could hear the weeping and wailing. I could hear people crying. They seemed to cry as they went into caves, but the caves in the mountains opened up. They leaped into the water, but the water would not drown them. There was nothing that could destroy them. They were wanting to take their lives, but they could not. Then again I turned my eyes to this glorious sight, this body arrayed in beautiful white, shining garments. Slowly, slowly, it began to lift from the earth, and as it did, I awoke. (This is the catching up of the lampros Bride and white Church body at the end of the tribulation before the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord.) What a sight I had beheld! I had seen the end-time ministries - the last hour. Again, on July 27, at 2:30 in the morning, the same revelation, the same vision came again exactly as it did before. My life has been changed as I realized that we are living in that end time, for all over the world God is anointing men and women with this ministry. It will not be doctrine. It will not be a churchianity. It is going to be Jesus Christ. They will give forth the word of the Lord. I heard it said so many times in the vision, “And according to my word it shall be done.” Joel's Restoration Begins Sandy Shaw - 3/30/12 (David's notes in red) In this dream we were in a place that looked like Tahlequah, Oklahoma but it was bigger and prettier. It was really beautiful. (In Cherokee, Tahlequah means, “just two or two is enough”. Just as Jesus sent out the disciples and the 70 two by two, so it will be in our day when Jesus in the Man-child ministers will send out the two witnesses in the Great Revival.) There were a lot of people from UBM there, not just local but from all over. The people there were like-minded. There were many ages, from babies all the way up to old men. There was singing, praying, eating, and all kinds of fellowship and the kids were playing. It was like in a big meadow with a lot of shade trees. There was just ‘a oneness' there; it was peaceful and really beautiful. The sun felt so good. Then it started to rain while the sun was still shining, and the rain lasted only a few seconds before it began to pour down like a waterfall. It was just a steady, flowing stream of water hitting everyone there, from the babies to the oldest. (A renewal of the former rain upon the saints and then the beginning of the latter rain upon the David reformer ministries before it's given to the saints, just as Joel spoke of and the Gospels show in type: (Joe.2:22) Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth its fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength. (23) Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God; for he giveth you the former rain in just measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first [month]. (Note: Hos.6:3… he (the Lord) will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth. The Lord will come as the anointing of the Holy Spirit not in the air or in a rapture of the Church!!) Back to Joel (24) And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. (25) And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm (representing the curse on God's people), my great army which I sent among you. (26) And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of Jehovah your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you; and my people shall never be put to shame. (27) And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Jehovah your God, and there is none else; and my people shall never be put to shame. (28) And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: (29) and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. Everyone was feeling this water and it was filling us up. It was freshness and newness and it didn't feel like any other kind of anointing one has ever felt before. We knew that we knew, it was there to stay. Everyone had their faces up to the water, to the anointing, feeling the water. (I am not doing it justice in explaining how it felt; how it was filling us up and how we all felt; even to say, “Walking on a cloud” is not the right words but I don't know any other words.) I saw people walking on stones and stickers in the ground, and we were barefoot, and it didn't hurt us, like we didn't feel it. (Representing walking above the curses of this world with no hurt.) We knew that we knew, our entire body was anointed of God. We knew what we were doing was ordained of God and we were just doing it. There were no questions. (I just can't explain the oneness or the way our hands felt; like they were not our hands, but the Lord's hands. …Each step was ordained of the Lord. We knew that nothing could take away what God had given to us. We were being completely used by Him. It was like walking or moving on clouds.) ... When everyone was filled, ... that's when we heard God tell us, “Ok, get busy; we're going to work now”. (The beginning of the spread of the revival.) Revival Beginning at UBM Charlie Smith - 12/12/12 (David's notes in red) Notice the date of this dream: 12/12/12, the fullness of the elect. In the early hours of the morning, the Lord gave me this dream. In it, suddenly, I appeared in a large room where I saw brother David (representing the David Man-child reformers) and about 10 or 12 brethren standing around. (I asked the Lord if this was 12 and got a yes, which fits with Jesus and his 12 when revival began then.) I knew David, but his features had changed some. I mean, he really looked great. I could really see God in the man like I never had before. (David, here is a type of the Man-child reformers who will start this revival, just as Jesus, the Son of David, did in His time. The things that have been are the things that will be.) And I knew him, but the other brethren I did not recognize, although I really did know who they were. As I stood looking, a man came over to me and He was the Lord! The brethren were being taught how to minister to the needs of the people. Brother David walked across the room to pray for a man who came for healing. He stood before the man and said, “Be healed,” and the man was healed instantly. David turned and walked back to the other side of the room. (God's power is made perfect in man's weakness, so that no flesh can glory.) The brethren, as well as I, were amazed that the man was healed, and we started praising God and giving thanks. As we rejoiced, another man came forward for healing who was blind. One of the brethren came forth and laid hands on the man's head, saying, “Receive your sight”. And the man cried out, “I'm healed and I can see!” Other people in the room who were in need came forth immediately, some with missing or deformed limbs, twisted bodies, crippled, all such of humanity that was so pitiful; they came up and every one of them was healed instantly. I said, “Oh, God, how is it that everyone was healed instantly, so fast, so easily? Some had hands laid on them and others did not, but they were all healed”. The Lord smiled and said, “You could not see”. Then the Lord opened my spiritual eyes and said, “Now look”. And He showed me again the part where David said to the man, “Be healed”. This time I could see the words “Be healed” coming out of David's mouth, like a mist, and entering into the man. And as the word went into the man, he was instantly healed. I received a few scriptures that go with this dream: (Isa.55:11) So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please; and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Jer.1:12) I watch over my word to perform it. (Eze.12:25) For I am Jehovah and I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall be performed. (Rom.10:8) The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart. And I was still wondering about the mist that I saw, and I got (Joh.6:63) The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. So I understood that, like Jesus spoke the Word, and it came to pass, so these brethren operated on that level. The scene changed and we were in a different, larger room. David and about 100 or more other brethren were gathered together. The brethren were being taught how to minister and were then sent forth. They went forth preaching the Word and healing the sick everywhere. The brethren covered much of this area and you couldn't go anywhere without seeing them. (Many Man-child ministers are coming here and they will send forth disciples as Jesus did.) And then the scene quickly changed again, and we were at another place outside. It was a large, grassy area with parking nearby, but I don't know where it was. Brother David and maybe as many as 500 brethren were gathered together and crowds of people were coming from everywhere. It looked like thousands or even hundreds of thousands were coming. The meetings ran day and night. One night, all the people saw a pillar of fire burning in our midst. They were being drawn by the Lord, and it was a holy move of God. So many saints were now coming together. Again, the scene quickly changed and I was lifted up, looking down on the earth, and I saw the saints running through all the earth, spreading the gospel and the light was shining all over the earth. I think what I saw was a revival to prepare the saints to manifest sons of God in the earth to do the will of the Father. I also believe that this is a revival for the Man-child because in every one of those scenes where David and the brethren were gathered, they were being taught how to minister the Word and heal the sick. And I noticed that everything was on a higher level than what we're used to now. They didn't spend a lot of time and use a lot of words when they prayed; they just commanded it and it was immediately done. And when they gave the Gospel, they didn't have to stand there for hours trying to nail a point down. It was just like the glory of the Lord fell. When these brethren got around people out here on the streets to witness, the glory of the Lord was so strong that they just automatically fell down and cried, “Save me!” This was definitely a sign to us all that God's getting ready to do something wonderful here. I'm just like my brothers and sisters here. I want to be a part of it because I know God's going to do a fantastic work here and it's going to spread worldwide because I saw the lights cover the whole earth. I don't know when this is going to happen, but I know it will. Amen. We are informed by the Lord in many more dreams and scriptures that there is coming a great revival here and across the country and world. It will be in the midst of darkness and turmoil and many will come out of darkness. (Isa.60:1) Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee. (2) For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but Jehovah will arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. (3) And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. (4) Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: they all gather themselves together, they come to thee; thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be carried in the arms. (5) Then thou shalt see and be radiant, and thy heart shall thrill and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned unto thee, the wealth of the nations shall come unto thee. We have a part in this. The principalities and powers of darkness have been put under our feet, but we must fight the good fight of the faith and cast them down from over UBM, this area, the U.S, and many other countries. (Luk.10:18) And he said unto them, I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven. (19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. (20) Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Let us have fasting and prayer and praise meetings and confess our sins and cast down these powers. Let us decree freedom from bondage and darkness. I received this: (Job 22:28) Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; And light shall shine upon thy ways. (29) When they cast [thee] down, thou shalt say, [There is] lifting up; And the humble person he will save. (30) He will deliver [even] him that is not innocent: Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands. Prophet Phillip shared this vision with us: (Spearheading the Man-child) I have prayed for three days now for the Holy Father's will in this matter of sharing the vision I received during a meeting with David as the speaker (in Phoenix, a type of resurrection life). (I had never seen Phillip before this.) I am permitted to share the following: As I prayed with David at the start of the meeting, I saw the room change into a stadium filled with people and David was at the podium shouting through a microphone that was in the shape of a shofar. He wore a silver yarmulke that glowed as he spoke, and from above it came a white golden light pouring down from the sky as a beam of glory growing brighter with each outpouring. From David's clothing came the same glory lights pouring through the tzit-tzit on his garment, flowing like fingers through the people. They touched the forehead and were grabbed by the right hand of people who became pregnant (with Christ) and began shouting as they were covered in glory. This is the vision I had at the meeting. The Holy Father says that David would know its meaning, if not now, very soon. (All glory to God, He chooses the weak to show this. He can speak through a donkey.) Months after that meeting, we received this from Phillip: Holy Yahweh is forming this ministry into His Image to spearhead the Man-child Ministry Birthing and Delivery to the World! Amen! He has given this to me in a mighty vision that ran and continued for three nights along with some other things that I can't say just yet. In short, brethren, the “white golden light pouring down from the sky as a beam of glory” will flow through obedient servants in whom Christ is manifested through the latter rain and belief in the truth. It will flow first through the man-child and then through the witnesses to the Church at large. (This light is pouring down from the sky upon the giant body of Christ in Tommy Hick's revelation.)
Ben goes solo for a monopod on the life of John the Baptist, and how we can use it as a blueprint for successful lives of our own.----------------------Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Culture in Crisis—a must-read guide for anyone longing to reach those who may never step foot in a church. Packed with real-world insights and practical strategies, this book could be the breakthrough you've been searching for.Don't wait—get your copy today!Click HERE to check it out on Amazon.For more information, go to: jesusinthesecularworld.com------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Click HERE to receive news, thought-provoking articles, and stories directly in your inbox from Ben, David, Luke, and Chad!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke GreenwoodSend us a text
The Dead Sea Scrolls preserve the beliefs of the Essenes, an ancient Jewish sect that were, like Jesus and John the Baptist, expecting the end of the world. Dr. Bart Ehrman joins me today to talk about whether Jesus and John were actually Essenes.
Daily Dose of Hope October 7, 2025 Scripture – John 3:22-36 Prayer: Almighty Father, You always know what is best for us. Thank you for that. We are sorry for the ways that we resist. Help us to want what you want for us. Help us to want to be patient, to want to be kind, to want to be obedient. Conform our will, Lord, In Your Name, Amen. Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida. Currently, we are doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts. Today, we finish John 3. After the nighttime conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus and John the Baptist are in the same storyline again. They are both baptizing in the same part of the river. John's disciples are a little miffed that people are headed over to Jesus for baptism and not to John. And this would have been understandable, as disciples had a tremendous amount of pride in their rabbi. When you were a student of a rabbi, you basically dedicated your life to that person. You sit under his teaching and learn everything about faith from him. So, there would be a certain amount of pride and protection of that rabbi. And that is kind of what we have here. They recognize Jesus as the one to whom John bore witness but they don't understand why he is now standing down. John tells them that their ministry, as well as Jesus', receives what heaven gives, not what they earn or create with their own skill. John knows he isn't the Messiah, but Jesus is. John feels privileged to just be a part of what Jesus is doing. There is no envy. Then John gives an analogy of a wedding. John basically describes himself as Jesus' best man – he does all the prep for the big day and he measures his success by the groom's happiness and joy at being united with his bride. Receiving the groom's kind words at the end of the day are the only reward he needs or wants. It's interesting that John uses the picture of the bridegroom to describe his relationship with Jesus. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus refers himself as the bridegroom several different times and the New Testament letters describe the church as the bride. There was no way John could have known this, so we can see how the Holy Spirit was guiding his words even here. While John may not have understood his purpose initially, it's clear that he does now. John tells his own disciples that being a rabbi is not the greatest thing one can be. Jesus came from heaven, and thus is greater than him or any other rabbi. But if we think of John like the best man, then it makes sense. He is there to support Jesus, to prepare the way for him, to point to him as the one who is the guest of honor. We really see John's heart here. There is no jealousy. He understands that he must decrease so that Jesus can increase because Jesus is the true Messiah. He is the Son of God. John's joy will be complete when his disciples also understand that Jesus, the bridegroom, wants to have a relationship with them as well. John is willing to do anything, even look like a failure, if it means more people will come to Jesus. Are we willing to do anything for Jesus? Take a moment and think about this today. Blessings, Pastor Vicki
I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 7th October, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to the Gospel of Luke 24:32: ”And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the scriptures to us?” Two men walking towards Emmaus, which is approximately 7 miles from Jerusalem, 15 kilometres, probably the same distance from the farm Shalom to our little town, Greytown. These two men were walking along, minding their own business, speaking to one another about what had happened in Jerusalem, when another man came and joined them. He asked them a question, ”What are you talking about?” They said, ”Well, haven't you heard what has happened?” “No, no. What has happened?” It was Jesus folks! It was Jesus and He walked with them and they just loved it. They said, ”Didn't our heart burn within us?”, because they persuaded Jesus to spend the night with them. He sat with them and when He had broken bread at the dinner table. “Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.”Luke 24:31You and I have to be Jesus to many broken, hurting, lonely, desperate people. We must decrease, like John the Baptist said and He must increase within us. I was at a prayer meeting the other night, and a young girl who has just joined our fellowship is a schoolteacher in town. She said to us that her mother was so happy that she was at our church on the farm. Her mother, many, many years ago, went through tremendous trials, and there were two old ladies on the farm, Shalom, who ministered to her and helped her tremendously through her problems. I was able to say to the young school teacher, ”I knew them very well. One was Aunty Peggy, and the other was Aunty Moira. They were my intercessors on the farm. They travelled with me wherever I went. While I was preaching, they would be praying.” Oh yes. This young lady's mother clearly saw Jesus in those two women, as I did too. I cannot wait to meet them in Heaven. Today, go out and be Jesus to those who are lost.Have a wonderful day! Jesus bless you and goodbye.
This was the first Sunday in our new series through the book of Mark. Steve taught on Mark 1:1-8. This was a description of John the Baptist and his ministry, preparing the way for Jesus to come.
Monday, 6 October 2025 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”'” Matthew 13:30 “You allow both to co-grow until the harvest. And in the harvest season, I will say to the harvesters, ‘You gather first the darnel, and you bind them into bundles to incinerate them, and wheat you collect into my barn'” (CG). In the previous verse, Jesus said that the servants of the landowner were instructed not to gather up the darnel, lest they should also uproot the wheat with them. He continues the landowner's words, saying, “You allow both to co-grow until the harvest.” A word is seen only here in Scripture, sunauxanó, to co-grow. It is derived from sun, with or together, and auxanó, to grow. As for the words of the landowner, there is no point in causing harm to the efforts of the sower and those who then tend to the wheat as it grows. Leaving the darnel, though it may affect the growth of surrounding plants due to soaking up needed moisture, is not something that will destroy them. As the labor needs to be done at one point or another, there is no reason for causing more harm than good while the crop is maturing. As such, he continues, “And in the harvest season.” The Greek reads, “and in season the harvest.” The article is before harvest, but it is lacking before season. There is a season when the harvest will be ready. It is then that the harvest is gathered. At this time, the landowner continues, “I will say to the harvesters, ‘You gather first the darnel.'” Although the truths found in the parable can apply to any dispensation to some extent, these words negate the parable being applied specifically to the church age. There is no indication in Scripture, and every reason to reject the notion, that false teachers will be gathered out of the church before the pre-tribulation rapture. The timeline for the rapture is set by God through Paul's writings. It is his writings that revealed the mystery, including its very specific details concerning the event and its timeline. As such, though points from the parable can be used to refer to truths within the church age, such as not pulling up the darnel before the harvest, the gathering of false teachers before the rapture is not something that will occur. As for this harvest, the landowner continues, “and you bind them into bundles to incinerate them.” Unless Jesus is simply making a point about false teachers being spiritually gathered for the day of judgment, having been identified as such at the time of the rapture, these words continue to dispel the notion that this is referring to the church age. Such an analysis, though highly unlikely, is not out of the realm of possibility, but the gathering and binding of false teachers is not a physical event that will take place during the church age. Therefore, if these words are referring to the church age, there needs to be a specific spiritualization of some of what is being said. Based on Jesus' coming explanation, the points He makes do not accurately fit into the doctrine of the rapture at the end of the church age. Either way, the landowner finishes his instructions with, “and wheat you collect into my barn.” John the Baptist has already given hints of this event and what precedes it, saying, “Whose winnower - in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing-floor. And He will gather His wheat into the granary, but the chaff He will incinerate – fire unquenchable.” Therefore, there is judgment on those who are considered darnel, there is a separation of those who are considered chaff, and then there will be a time when these will be cast into unquenchable fire, incinerating them for eternity. Jesus will explain this parable later in the chapter, but its truths are readily discernible by understanding the metaphors He uses. Life application: As noted, this parable, though containing truths that exist in the church age, does not fit the sequence of events as laid out by Paul concerning the rapture. The sequence of events as the church age closes out is carefully detailed by him – 1) Rapture of the church, 2) the falling away and the revealing of the Antichrist, 3) the day of Christ (Day of the Lord). The rapture is an event that will have no sign preceding it. It will occur suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, and the church age will end. Until that day, we should be about the business of the church. Too many hours are squandered away by believers who have an unhealthy fixation on the rapture. Be productive, know that Christ is coming, and in the flash of an instant, we shall be gathered to Him. This is great news for those who are His. For the rest of the world... not so much. Glorious God, what a wonderful hope we possess because of what You have done in the sending of Jesus. May we be busy in sharing this news with others as we await the wonderful day when we are gathered and brought into Your glorious presence. Amen.
Join Chris Montgomery as he delves into the teachings of John the Baptist, exploring how his life and ministry can inspire us today. This sermon takes us through the Gospel of John, emphasizing the importance of humility and the call to be a light in the world. Discover the significance of inward repentance and outward expression through baptism and learn how to live a life that reflects the presence of God.
This has got to be one of the great engineering feats in the world - packing the trunk of our car for a family trip. Oh, those were the days. Maybe you can relate to that. We had a family of five - quite a challenge to get all of that luggage in one trunk. So, I would stuff every corner, trying the suitcases every which way, and then I'd see if there was something the kids could sit on during the trip. And if all else failed, I called my wife and she could figure it out. Finally, you get it all in, but just barely of course. And then the big moment comes. There's a drum roll as I try to close the trunk, and after a couple of tries, it closes - barely! Then along comes one of the kids with one more bag I didn't know about. So, the frustrating search begins - looking for a place to put just one more thing. We would try to cram one more thing in this space that was already jammed. Wait a minute! That sounds a lot like our lives doesn't it? I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The One More Thing Syndrome." Now, our word for today from the Word of God catches Jesus in the middle of this in Luke 4, and beginning at verse 40. It says, "When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness." Okay, His day is almost over, but it looks like it's just about to begin again. "And laying His hands on each one, He healed them." Now, listen to this, "At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for Him, and when they came to where He was, they tried to keep Him from leaving them. But He said, 'I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.' And He kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea." Now, here's a side of Jesus we don't often think about. Jesus knew how to say "no." Did you notice that? There were more needs; they begged Him to stay. But He said, "No, I can't." He had set His priorities, and the people were crying, "Just one more!" And He said, "No." Maybe some of us should learn to do that. We live in a constant state of being behind, I think, because of the 'one more thing' syndrome. You know, it's time to leave and we say, "Oh, just one more call; just one more email. I'll just get one more task done." And we end up frazzled, over extended, late and not at our best. Oh, you can add peace and sanity to your life if you discipline yourself to say no to that one more thing before you go. Look at the bigger picture. There are so many needs crying for your time, for your attention, and you can only do as much as you can do well. Maybe you're doing that right now. And then like the child running out to the over-packed trunk, "One more thing!" Why do we say yes? Usually because we underestimate the job; we don't really count the cost of what it's going to take, or we overestimate ourselves and think it's got to be us that does it. Or we forget about Murphy's Law: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." Realize you can't meet every need - not even Jesus did. Five liberating words from the mouth of John the Baptist in John 1: "I am not the Messiah." See, God might want to develop somebody else to do it, and you'll get in the way if you do it. Maybe the people who asked you are ahead of God's schedule. Maybe you need to unpack something else before you put this in. You don't do anyone a favor by taking on more than you can really do well. You're saying to people, "Depend on me" but you know you won't be able to be dependable - not in all of that. Now, we're telling teenagers today when it comes to drugs, "Just say no." Well, that's not just good for drugs. It's good for us responsibility addicts too. I'm one. I know. The next time you're tempted to over-commit yourself, think of that trunk that's jam packed with all that it should hold. Have the wisdom and courage to resist that temptation to add just one more thing.
Episode 193 - In this episode, Fr Sean Danda and Nathanael Rea discuss the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, focusing on the significance of the Baptism of the Lord. They discuss the role of John the Baptist, the importance of understanding our identity in Christ, and how these mysteries call us to live out our baptismal promises. The conversation emphasizes the transformative power of the Holy Spirit and the need for Christians to recognize their access to divine grace and their role in God's plan.
We learn later in Matthew's gospel that John the Baptist was imprisoned because he had been telling Herod the tetrarch that it was unlawful to have his brother's wife. Herod wanted to kill him, but kept him in prison because he was afraid of the crowds. John the Baptist was a faithful prophet and forerunner to Christ, but he was still just a man who didn't have all of the answers. Today, he asks if Jesus is the one who is to come, or if there is someone else. Christ's response is to point to the signs and wonders he is performing while validating John's ministry. By contrast, Jesus condemns his critics as well as those towns that did not repent after he performed miracles within them. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org
(00:00-27:59) Doug's worried we're not gonna know what's real anymore. Niko Mikkola gets a $40M extension with the Panthers. Ball Knowers Corner. Audio of Chaim Bloom talking with The Cat about the Cardinals giving him the proper resources. Gorman and Walker and their future with the Cardinals. Mo will live on forever on this show. Doug interviewed Aaron Judge's personal hitting coach for SoundStory. Kurt is on the phone lines and he has an issue with being groomed for CBC. An affinity for Porta Pottys.(28:07-37:48) Paramore. Bicycle accidents. Greg Amsinger and St. John The Baptist. Livin' on the periphery got him. Driving to 7th grade and doing donuts in the parking lot.(37:58-38:57) QuickieSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Wednesday October 1, 2025 1. Jesus answers the question of his authority with the authority of His forerunner who pointed to Him. Who is John the... for full notes: https://www.cgtruth.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=3205
Friends of the Rosary,Yesterday, the Church celebrated the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, who are venerated in the Christian tradition.Michael (Who is like God?), the archangel who fought against Satan and all his evil angels, is our protector from the snares of the devil. Gabriel (Strength of God) announced to Zachariah the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist, and to Mary, the birth of Jesus. His greeting to the Virgin, "Hail, full of grace," is one of the most frequent prayers. Raphael (Medicine of God) is the archangel who took care of Tobias on his journey.The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that the existence of spiritual, non-corporeal angels is a truth of faith. The name angel means servant or messenger of God.In the liturgy, the Church joins with the angels to adore the Trinitarian God, invoking their assistance,Angels are pure, celestial, or heavenly spirits created on a higher order than human beings. They have intellect and will, and are immortal.They are a vast multitude, but each is an individual person. Archangels are one of the nine choirs of angels listed in the Bible. In ascending order, the choirs or classes are 1) Angels, 2) Archangels, 3) Principalities, 4) Powers, 5) Virtues, 6) Dominations, 7) Thrones, 8) Cherubim, and 9) Seraphim.Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• September 30, 2025, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET
September 28, 2025 | Pastor Ben Mandrell preaches on the ministry of John the Baptist from John 3:22–30 and asks a series of questions on how we can be more like this prophet in the wilderness. God has a purpose for your life. Will you play your role? God has placed us in this exact time and place to be part of the work He is doing.For more sermons each week, be sure to subscribe so you can stay in the know. If you've liked what you've heard in this message, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Spotify. Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, TN | bellevue.org
In this Bible Story, we learn about the brutal beheading of John the Baptist. The man who spends his entire life paving a way for the Son of God is executed. However, his death would not be in vain. He would be embraced by God the Father into the gates of heaven. This story is inspired by Mark 6:12-29, Luke 9:6-9. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Mark 6:15 from the King James Version.Episode 192: Out of anger, Herod imprisoned John the Baptist, and though he feared John, he would not kill him. His wife, however, manipulated Herod to make him promise to kill John. And though he regretted this offer, his social standing meant more to him than doing the right thing. Afterward, Jesus' fame began to rise more and more and Herod once again became worried.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fr. Mike explains the many parables we hear today in Matthew, including the return of the unclean spirit, and the danger of ornate souls. He emphasizes that when God sweeps the sin out of our souls, we must replace it with virtue, otherwise our souls remain empty without a relationship with God. Today's readings are Matthew 11-13 and Proverbs 19:5-8. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.