Podcasts about Judas Iscariot

Were more of Jesus' twelve disciples connected than we realize? In Matthew 10:2–4, the Gospel writer does more than list the names of the apostles. He appears to arrange the Twelve in pairs. Peter and Andrew are brothers. James and John are brothers. But what about the other pairings? Were Philip and Bartholomew friends before they followed Jesus? Is Bartholomew the Nathanael described in John's Gospel? Could James son of Alphaeus have been related to Matthew/Levi? Why was Thomas known as "the Twin"? What did Simon's title—"the Cananaean" or "the Zealot"—mean? And why does Matthew preserve Judas Iscariot's betrayal in the very list of apostles? In this episode of the Cold-Case Christianity Podcast, J. Warner Wallace opens Matthew's list like a cold case file. He separates what the Gospel writers explicitly say from what can reasonably be inferred, what remains merely possible, and what later tradition has added. Along the way, he examines the meanings of the apostles' names, their alternate names, their potential relationships, and the remarkable kind of mission community Jesus formed. The Twelve were not a random collection of religious professionals. They included brothers, fishermen, a tax collector, men with politically charged labels, men with duplicate names, men whose stories remain largely hidden, and the disciple who would betray Jesus. What can their relationships—and the mysteries still surrounding them—teach us about Jesus, the Gospels, and the kind of family Christ came to create? Get J. Warner Wallace's book, Cold-Case Christianity: https://amzn.to/42XtJhu For more resources, articles, videos, and training, visit: https://coldcasechristianity.com Subscribe to the Cold-Case Christianity Podcast: Libsyn: https://pleaseconvinceme.libsyn.com RSS Feed: https://pleaseconvinceme.libsyn.com/rss Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cold-case-christianity-podcast/id259695657 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7aSbO4B9TAnP4unGDhpKhL Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ea8f5694-4d2c-4e37-a75b-2a5695db91ea/the-cold-case-christianity-podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ColdCaseChristianity Please subscribe, follow, rate, and review the Cold-Case Christianity Podcast wherever you listen. Your reviews help others find evidence-based resources for investigating Christianity. The show is hosted by J. Warner Wallace and focuses on the evidence for God's existence, the reliability of the Bible, and the truth of the Christian worldview.

Today, in Luke ch 22, we read of the arrest of Jesus.  Before this he and the disciples had a Passover meal of the bread and the wine: it would only be later the disciples would see the wonder of all their Master said on that occasion and remember his words, “Do this in remembrance of me.” [v.17] and learn the lesson to be like him in being “as one who serves.” [v.27]  The reward for their service would come when they “eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” [v.30]There is a certain mystery early in our chapter, when it states, “Then Satan entered into Judas” [v.3]. This increases when Jesus later says to Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith many not fail.” [v.31,32]  What does Jesus mean by Satan?  On one occasion Jesus rebuked Peter telling him, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God' [Mark 8 v.33]  In today's chapter Peter 3 times denies knowing his Master, he had not heeded his Master's advice on the Mount of Olives when he told the disciples to “pray that you may not enter into temptation” [v.40]  In the verses that follow we read how Jesus is surrounded by satans, led by Judas Iscariot. What is the cause of temptation?   The word ‘satan' personifies negative human feelings, leading one to think in ungodly ways.  Judas was so dominated by thoughts of the benefits money was bringing him that he was ready to make more money by betraying his Master, believing, we conclude, that Jesus would escape from trouble as he had seen him do in the past – recall what we read in Luke 4 v. 28-30.   Paul tells the Romans how “sin came alive” in his mind, so that “I died.”  He admits, reflecting back on his life, “I do not understand my own actions … I do the very thing I hate … I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out …  ” [Romans 7 v.9,15,18] But in his next chapter he tells the Romans how he learnt “to set the mind on the Spirit” and this brought “life and peace.”  [v.4-6] Paul does not use the word “Satan” in Romans until the very end – and then he means a literal enemy as Judas became. “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” [16 v.20] That will happen soon to our world!Turning back to Luke 20 we see how Jesus takes his disciples, “as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives … And when he came there he said the words we quoted earlier, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.' [v.39,30]  Let us make that our prayer too for our world is full of satans whose minds are set on the very opposite to the things of God.  

Judas Iscariot is one of the most infamous figures in the Bible, known as the man who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. But his story is about far more than one man's failure. It is a mirror held up to every believer, asking a deeply personal question: Have you truly surrendered your whole heart to Jesus?In this message, we explore three powerful lessons from the life of Judas that are just as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.First, proximity to Jesus is not the same as intimacy with Jesus. Judas walked with Jesus for three and a half years. He heard every teaching, witnessed every miracle, and participated in ministry. And yet his heart never fully surrendered. You can sing the songs, quote the scriptures, and show up every week while still keeping God at arm's length. Judas is proof that being around the things of God is not the same as being transformed by God.Second, what we hide, we give power to. Six days before the Last Supper, Judas used spiritual-sounding language to object to Mary's act of worship, but his real motive was greed. He had been stealing from the ministry's money bag all along. He had learned to cover his heart with religious words. This is a pattern many of us know well. We rationalize, redirect, and sound concerned about the right things while avoiding what the Holy Spirit is actually trying to address in us. Hidden sin does not stay small. It grows in the dark.Third, your greatest weakness can become the place of God's transforming power. The difference between Judas and the other disciples was not that they were stronger or more faithful. Peter denied Jesus three times. Thomas doubted. They all failed. The difference was what they did with their failure. They brought it back to Jesus. Judas did not. And First John 1:9 reminds us that God does not simply pardon our sin. He cleanses us and transforms us from the inside out.If you have been hiding something, rationalizing something, or carrying something alone, this message is for you. Jesus is not waiting to condemn you. He is waiting to restore you.Topics covered include: Judas Iscariot, betrayal in the Bible, John 13, the Last Supper, heart surrender, hidden sin, spiritual hypocrisy, proximity vs intimacy with God, Psalm 139, confession and forgiveness, 1 John 1:9, Christian growth, discipleship, and what it means to truly follow Jesus.Whether you are a longtime believer or someone just beginning to explore faith, this message will challenge you to stop hiding and start surrendering.

This sermon examines the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, contrasting Judas' self-serving plan with the disciples' obedient preparation for the Passover. The message highlights that while Judas acted out of greed and deception, his actions ultimately fulfilled God's sovereign plan for redemption, as seen in the fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy. The preacher emphasizes the danger of covetousness, urging believers to examine their hearts for hidden sins and idolatry of money. In contrast, the disciples' immediate obedience to Christ's instructions illustrates that God's commands are not burdensome when believers understand their identity in Christ. The sermon concludes with a call to genuine self-examination and repentance, reminding the audience that while one may deceive others, one cannot hide from the Lord.

In this three-part series, David is reflecting on Mark 10. In verse 23, Jesus looked at his disciples and made a comment: “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into the kingdom of God!” The disciples were so astonished, so surprised, that Jesus repeats the statement. They then ask, “How can anybody get saved?” Jesus gives a straight answer: “For men it's impossible, but not with God. For with God, all things are possible.” Salvation is free, but Jesus is teaching that the way into the kingdom is not broad and easy; there's a price to pay. The Impossibility of Self-Salvation (Mark 10:23–27) In Mark 10, Jesus challenges worldly assumptions about security and status by declaring how difficult it is for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God. When the disciples express shock, He clarifies that the issue lies in trusting in riches rather than God. To illustrate this, Jesus references the "eye of the needle" – alluding to the narrow wicket gate in ancient city walls. A pack camel could not navigate this gate until its heavy cargo was entirely removed, and even then, passage required great effort. In the same way, entering the Kingdom requires shedding self-reliance, material pride, and personal status. When the disciples ask who then can be saved, Jesus offers an uncompromising reality: human salvation is fundamentally impossible through human effort. It can only be accomplished by God. The Cost and the Promise (Mark 10:28–31) When Peter points out that the disciples abandoned their livelihoods and families to follow Him, Jesus does not dismiss their sacrifice. Instead, He promises a hundredfold return in this present life – restored community, provision, and spiritual family – culminating in eternal life. Crucially, Christ notes that these blessings will be accompanied by persecutions. Divine reward does not exempt the believer from suffering; rather, sacrifice and reward remain deeply intertwined. The Mystery of Judas (Mark 10:32–34) En route to Jerusalem, Jesus pulled the Twelve aside to detail His impending betrayal, condemnation, and execution. Remarkably, Judas Iscariot was among this intimate circle. Christ knew Judas's heart from the beginning, yet He washed his feet, commissioned him for ministry, and allowed him to witness and perform miracles. The inclusion of Judas serves as a sobering reminder that proximity to divine power and active involvement in ministry are not substitutes for true heart fidelity. Watch the YouTube version https://youtu.be/ov5gJoK5K6M  For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

In this sobering message, we are confronted with the warning Jesus gave His disciples before His crucifixion and the tragic example of Judas Iscariot. Through Luke 22 and Matthew 26, this sermon explores how spiritual compromise can begin subtly, how persecution, division, and deception can test our faith, and why simply being close to Jesus does not guarantee a surrendered heart. Judas walked with Jesus, witnessed His miracles, heard His teaching, and was numbered among the twelve—yet his heart slowly drifted toward betrayal. This message challenges us to examine whether we are truly following Christ or merely close enough to look like disciples. We are reminded to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, remain spiritually discerning, guard against compromise, and never allow proximity to replace genuine surrender. For many, betraying Jesus doesn't happen in public—it happens in private.

God Empowers the Weak (5)  (audio) David Eells, 9/20/26 I'm going to continue about letting God teach us how to use faith. Some of you know my testimony of when my oldest daughter, Deborah, was a little girl, and I was going to pick her up from pre-school. We had put her in a Christian pre-school one year. We homeschooled her all the rest of the years. I was going to pick her up, but God decided He was going to teach me a lesson. I got about two or three blocks from that school and my car just shut down; it just died. I tried to start it several times, and I ran the battery down doing that. Just revved right on down to nothing. So I got out and started walking. And I tell you what, the sky had just turned totally black. I mean, I could tell that it was about to dump on me. So, as I was walking along, the Lord spoke to me at the very moment it began to rain, and I knew I was going to be soaking wet before I made another 20 feet. The Lord spoke to me. He asked, “Why don't you command that to stop?” And I said, “Okay.” I was sure enough God had spoken to me that I did it immediately. I mean, He asked, “Why don't you command that to stop?” like, “Why don't you do it?” Normally, in our religious thinking, we might ask God to do it, but really that's not God's plan. Jesus asked, “Where is your faith?” He is here as the Master. We are here as His disciples to learn to walk like Him. Ask Him to take you by the hand and show you what He wants done, to put faith in your life in circumstances, and show you how to change circumstances. So I said, “Okay, I will.” And I rebuked that rain. I commanded, “Rain, stop in the name of Jesus!” I even waved my hand. “Stop in the name of Jesus!” And boy, I'll tell you, it just stopped like I cut it off with a knife. Not another drop fell on me, and I walked for a block or more, and I picked up my daughter. As we were walking back, I was telling her what happened, and she was just all giddy and laughing. And I said, “Well, if God can do that, He can take care of that car, can't He?” And she said, “Yeah.” Well, when we were getting close to the car, I said, “You know what? When we get to that car, we're going to lay hands on that car and God's going to start that car.”  God taught me another lesson about weakness when I got to that car. We got to the car, we got in, and we laid our hands on that dashboard. Then we commanded that car to run in the name of Jesus and I turned the key. Now, you can run a battery all the way down, but if you stop for a few minutes, that battery will partially build back up. And it had built back up a little bit. And I turned the key and it started turning over kind of wiggly, but it started turning over. But I still just held the key on, and it went all the way down to nothing until I was totally weak and the machine was totally weak. If a miracle came, it had to come from God. I wouldn't let off the key. I ran it all the way down. You know, as soon as that thing went all the way down to whump, whump, whump, then it started up like a shot. I knew it was God. You run the battery down on a vehicle, and it won't ever start like that. God showed me that it wasn't the power of that vehicle, but it was the power of faith that would change things, and the power of weakness.  There's a power in weakness because God doesn't want to share His glory with this world. We have the funny idea that God needs us or He needs men to handle these situations, that He needs their ingenuity and their figuring everything out. No, God's already figured it out and His method is faith. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4). But when you get a few of these little experiences of the Lord taking you by the hand and showing you these things, you begin to quit doubting you can handle anything. That's not to say that you can't have a miracle one moment and doubt the next. You sure can. Remember that even after the loaves and the fishes (Matthew 16:5-12), the disciples still wondered the next time, “Well, what are You going to do, Lord? Here we're all hungry again.” Somehow it's like they didn't remember what He had done the last time. Sometimes we have really short memories, too, don't we? Sometimes we forget the great miracles God's done for us in the past. He doesn't ever want to stop that. He never wants to stop that. He wants to be our provider and He wants us to know that He's our provider. He wants to be our deliverer and He wants us to know He's the deliverer. He does not want us to share that glory with anybody else. He wants to be our healer and He wants us to know He's the healer, to know that He doesn't need man to heal. Find that in the Bible. God uses the hand and the faith of His believers to heal, but He uses the word of faith out of their mouth to do that. He has not changed. Men have changed Him, but He hasn't changed. His methods are the same because they take the glory from man and give it rightfully to God, where it belongs. He doesn't want to share His glory with another (Isaiah 42:8). This is our thinking that God needs the help of the flesh. He doesn't need the help of the flesh. You know what we are? Do you know who the hand of God is? The believers. The Bible says, “to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (Isa.53:1), and that's obviously Jesus. He's the arm. But the Bible also says that we are the hand (Isaiah 53:10). Don't expect God to do something that He's told you to do. This is the problem. Everybody's praying to God to handle this or handle that, but where in the Scriptures do you find the disciples, when they were ministering to someone else, asking God to heal or deliver them? You can't find that. The disciples realized that was what they were there for, not to ask God to do it. God was manifesting this situation in front of them so that they would do something about it. Did you ever notice this? (Isa.53:10) Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin…. What happened when God made Jesus' soul an offering for sin? He died, right? Jesus entered into eternity. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong his days…. Do you see that? “He shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong his days.” This is the 42nd generation written in Matthew, but there's one missing. It says, “unto the Christ” (Mat.1:17) is the last one, but there's one generation missing. That's His seed. The body of Christ is the 42nd generation because there's one missing in the list. Count it as many times as you like. One is missing and God revealed to me that the 42nd generation is His seed; it is the body of Christ. “He shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong his days.” Jesus went into eternity. There are no days in eternity. But you know where He's “prolonging His days”? In you and in me. Jesus lives in you and in me. (Isa.53:10) … He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. It's God's people; it's you and me who are the hand of the Lord.  When the angel came to Cornelius (Acts 10:3), why didn't that angel preach the Gospel? He knew the Gospel better than Peter did. But the angel wouldn't do it, would he? He told Cornelius to send for Peter to preach the Gospel because that's God's method. God wants to use His people as His hand to do His work in the earth, and yet they're steadily begging God, “Will You do this? Will You do that?” Now, wait a minute. When Jesus left, He delegated authority and He said, “as the father hath sent me, even so send I you” (Joh.20:21). “As the Father sent Me, so send I you.” We've been delegated authority to do this, but unless we understand the Lord's methods, we're not going to agree with Him in the process.  We have to know God's method. God's method always gives all the glory to God. It's not of our works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:9), for in Christ Jesus we were created for good works (Ephesians 2:10). Sounds like schizophrenia, doesn't it? But it's not because one work is talking about your works and the other work is talking about God's work through you. And there's only one way we can get an understanding of how God works through us. The truth is in the Bible. The Gospels and the Book of Acts reveal how God works through us and He does it that way. I don't care what men say; that's His method. And He chose that method because it takes the glory away from man and gives it to the rightful Owner, and that's God. He's the One Who's doing this. It's His power. (Rom.8:13) … But if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body…. He said, “If you by the Spirit.” “IF you.” There's an “if” in front of “you.” “If you by the Spirit.” See, it's God's power, it's His Spirit and it's His power, but it's still an “if” on you. The Bible commands us to take the promises of the Word of God and cleanse ourselves (2 Corinthians 7:1). Everybody's praying to God to cleanse us. No. Look at what the Bible says. (2Co.7:1) Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit…. That's heresy in most churches, but it's what the Bible says. God gave you a weapon. It's a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) to go into your promised land and to put to death the old man, to cut him up and live in his house (Deuteronomy 19:1). If you stand outside the promised land and don't win this battle, it's nobody's fault but yours. God gave a weapon that the enemy could not stand up to.  He told Joshua, “there shall not any man be able to stand before thee” (Jos.1:5). No man will be able to stand before you, but guess who has to fight that battle? If you don't fight that battle, you lose. If you don't fight, you lose. This is not one where you can stand on the sidelines. If you don't fight, you lose, and you can't afford to lose this one. The stakes are too high. We can't afford to lose. The most important thing that we're on this earth for every day is to put to death that old man and do the work of God. So, as we've seen from Isaiah 53, we are the hand of the Lord. And since it was by the hand of man that this earth was turned over to the curse and the devil, God determined that it's going to be by the hand of man that this earth is going to be turned back. The Bible says it plainly in Daniel. Did you know that? I want to show you this because a lot of people don't believe this, but God is going to do what He said He's going to do. And He's going to use man to do it. Notice that everything that came to pass in the Old Testament was manifested through the mouth of the prophets. God first spoke it through the mouth of man. Man confessed what God was going to do and then God used man to do it. God did it; it was His power all along. (Dan.7:25) And he (this is the beast) shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time. (26) But the judgment shall be set, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. (27) And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. (28) Here is the end of the matter. In the Book of Revelation, there's a great similarity between those curses poured out on the earth and the ones poured out in the past, such as those spoken through Elijah and Moses. Did you ever notice that? Well, the ones poured out in the past came out of the mouth of men and, I'll tell you, the ones in the Book of Revelation will come that way, too. They've been spoken by faith. The Scriptures teach us to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39). We are like lambs in the midst of wolves (Luke 10:3), Jesus said. But there's a time coming when things won't be the same because grace is going to be taken away from the Gentiles. Do you know why these curses are spoken in the Book of Revelation? They're spoken because grace is being taken away from the Gentiles. Yes, there will be people speaking curses, just like in the Old Testament. I don't know what you understand about the two witnesses in Revelation 11. (For a detailed study of this subject, read chapter nine of my book “Hidden Manna For The End Times.”) If you only understand them to be two men, that's fine, but notice that they spoke curses. The two witnesses brought some of the exact same Old Testament curses in the New Testament. God spoke it through the two witnesses, and then those curses came to pass because they brought judgment out of their own mouths. A brother had a dream or a vision of me; he saw me walking across this country speaking judgments. He said everywhere I spoke one, they fell. And I prayed, “Lord, if You want me to speak the judgments, okay, but I'd love to speak the grace first. I'd love to see people delivered. I'd love to see Your blessings poured out.” But, you know, there's coming a time when, as much as you would like to do that, the Bible says, “the night cometh, when no man can work” (Joh.9:4). That was spoken in Jesus' day because shortly after Jesus there came a time when no man could work. What was He talking about? He was primarily talking about how He came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24), but God was turning out the light to Israel. God was taking away their grace. There came a night when nobody could work on Israel anymore. It was a waste of time for you to witness to the Israelites. That was what they call the “early rain” (James 5:7). Now we're coming to the “latter rain” (Hosea 6:2,3) and just the opposite is about to happen. God is going to pour out His power in a great way, but we're coming to a night when no man can work. Work while you have the light because we're coming to a night when no man can work.  I recently had a vision in which I was preaching to the Jews and explaining to them a judgment that was falling on the United States. I've never had a dream before that I was preaching to Jews. God is planning to turn to the Jews, and you'll be wasting your breath on the Gentiles. God is doing a special work in these last days, the last hours of this light. You know what that work is? I'll tell you right now; He's expending much energy. He is sending His angels, and He is putting a special emphasis on bringing in the children and relatives of the believers. He showed me that. But “the night cometh, when no man can work.” Work while you have the light. Who else is going to do it? Who's going to preach the Gospel? Angels can't do it. The Bible won't let them (Hebrews 1 and 2).  When the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, God is going to turn back to the Jews (Romans 11:25). When I was studying the Book of Acts, I received my own revelation of when that will happen. The Book of Acts was called the “early rain” (Hosea 6:3), but in the Book of Acts, during the early rain, God was already in the process of turning away from the Jews to the Gentiles. Now we're coming to the latter rain (Hosea 6:3). And, guess what? It's the same in reverse. God will be in the process of turning away from the Gentiles to the Jews. And great power is going to be poured forth; great miracles are going to happen, the same as in the early rain, except far greater! There will be many more people involved and much greater miracles. We've heard that the latter rain is the Pentecostal revival in this country, but that's not the latter rain. The true latter rain is about to begin with the Biblical gifts being restored to the Church. Many Pentecostals call their revival the latter rain, but I'm convinced it's not, because we have too many signs from the early rain showing us what the latter rain's going to look like. And besides, Solomon said, “that which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done” (Ecc.1:9). Everything that's happening in these days has happened before. Everything. You can go back in the Bible and find out what's going to happen because it's happened in the past. If you want to know what's going to happen in the latter rain, just go back and look at the early rain. The only thing is the cast of characters was much smaller in the early rain. Look at what happened to Jesus in His days when He walked the earth. That's going to happen again. This was a revelation of the end time. He said that Jesus and the children whom God gave Him were for a sign (Isaiah 8:18). A sign of what? A sign of the future. What happened there is going to happen again, even up to the destruction of Jerusalem. All that is going to happen again. That was a sign, a parable, if you will, of what's going to happen. Also, if sometimes a prophetic word doesn't fit into that sign, you can throw that prophecy out because it's wrong. The end time fits in the Gospels. We have every character there in the Gospels. We have Christ and we have the Christ on the earth today, which is His body. The cast of characters is much bigger, but the sign is there. We have Judas among the disciples and still today we have the Judases. “A man who is a city” is what “Judas Iscariot” means. He represents a group of people. We have the harlot, which was the Judaistic religious system in Jesus' day, and we have the apostate religions of today. We have the Beast that was the Roman government back then. Everything that happened there is happening right now. It's beginning right now. Get ready for it and watch. When you read the Gospels, let God show you these signs because they're in there so clearly. Then the Book of Revelation is just a fulfillment of it. But to return to our original topic, Jesus took me by the hand when I asked Him to when I was a baby Christian, and He's still doing that with me, and He's showing me things. Ask Him to do that for you, too. Have a relationship with Him. If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, that means you are a learner and a follower of Him. He is taking you by the hand; He's leading you through the earth and He's teaching you. Why do we get into circumstances and situations? Why did the disciples end up out in a boat in the middle of a storm on a very dangerous lake? Why? They got into that situation because God wanted to teach them something. When you get in a situation, don't fear; just remember God is your guide. You're there for a reason. He wants to take you by the hand and teach you something. And, believe it or not, you have authority over the situation and the circumstances because Jesus paid for that on the cross. But people don't understand. “Saved.” “Sozo.” It's the same thing. (Eph.2:8) For by grace have ye been saved…. “By grace have you been.” That's what it says in the original. “Have you been” means it's already accomplished. How do you enter into it? You enter into it through faith. (Eph.2:8) For by grace have ye been saved through faith…. Hebrews 4 says the same thing. Listen, “the works were finished from the foundation of the world” (Heb.4:3). The thing that remains is for us to enter into those works through faith. What works? Well, for one thing, Jesus became accursed for you (Galatians 3:13)). And when you go back and read the curse in Deuteronomy 28, you'll discover that it means just about anything detrimental that ever happened to man. If Jesus became accursed for you, does that mean that God wants you to escape that? Yes, it does. Will everybody escape it? No, they won't.  We can look at our lives right here, and we can see that, to a measure, each one of us has learned with the faith that we have to enter into parts of God's deliverance, God's salvation, God's sozo. Some of us have more faith in some areas than others, but when we get together, when we share things, we begin to receive understanding from other people's gifts, and it encourages us. And sometimes we can even use someone else's faith to add to our faith to help us to overcome a circumstance or a situation.  Now Peter had guts. He stepped out of the boat, didn't he? He knew God wanted to teach him. What was the purpose? We may think that there has to be a reason, but there doesn't have to be any reason but one. God wants to show you what He has invested in you. The Bible says “that the fellowship of thy faithmay become effectual, in the knowledge of every good thing which is in you” (Phm.6). The word “fellowship” means “sharing”; it means “communicating”; it means “using it,” or “sharing it with one another.” (Phm.6) That the fellowship of thy faith may become effectual, in the knowledge of every good thing which is in you, unto Christ. Do you know what God has invested in you? The seed of Christ. He put it in there so that Christ could live in us and do what He did in us. That's why He put it in there. We should expect God to use us to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus came here to destroy the works of the devil. Am I saying we're going to get out of going to our cross? Absolutely not. We have to go to our cross. You won't be any use to God unless you, daily, will bear your cross. No, no, deliverance from the curse does not include deliverance from your cross, so don't get mixed up with that. That's the teaching of the “prosperity” folk. They want to use the faith to get rid of their cross, but you can't do that. (1Jn.2:15) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. If you love this world, the things of this world, the love of the Father is not in you. We're not here for that purpose. We came here to die. We came here to lose our life. And it's conditional. Jesus said, “If you lose your life, you will gain your life” (Luke 17:33). Now, this isn't talking about you dying at the end of your sojourn down here. He's talking about the death of the old man. Every day God brings us into circumstances where we can say no to the old man and yes to the new man, and that's crucifixion. This is what we're here for. Don't waste your time. It's a race to get through that door before it closes. Every one of our lives is that way. I've shared Mary's vision with you: how God showed her it's a race to be won, and the treadmill is picking up speed, going in the opposite direction. You're going to have to run to go through the door. This is what we're here for. And don't let the devil use fear. Fear is the thing you have to fight against. It is faith that's going to get you there.  God brought you this far to bring you there. Just count on it. And He also made the world so strong that they would look like giants to you, but guess what? They're supposed to look like giants because it's supposed to be impossible for you. God put you in an impossible situation. He gave you “this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves” (2Co.4:7). But instead, what do we do? We try to do it with these earthen vessels; we try to do it ourselves. The methods God wants us to use make everybody know that when the answer comes, it didn't come from us; it came from Him because His methods are “weak” to the world. His methods are foolish to the world. He just spoke it. He just commanded it. And when you get in situations, remember, God put you in that situation for you to do something about it, not for it to do something to you. God put you there for you to do something about the situation. And there doesn't have to be a reason for the situation. I've been tempted like this and said, “There has to be a reason; I mean, I have to accomplish something.” You may not be accomplishing much in what you do, other than learning something from God. It's very important that we overcome this flesh. If the only thing we do in overcoming a circumstance is to cause our spirit man to grow, that's an accomplishment. I've shared with you about when the Lord brought us to the beach. We didn't get to go to the beach very often, and so we prayed a prayer to the Lord. “Lord, we're asking You to give us a nice day at the beach. Nice, sunshiny day. And we ask You to find us a place on the beach where there's not a lot of naked people and we ask You to …” I prayed three things. I don't remember what the three things were. Now I only remember two of them, but I asked God for three things. So when we went out there, we just kept driving and driving along the beach, and there were cars, and more cars, everywhere. I said, “Well, I don't know how the Lord's going to fulfill this,” but I prayed the prayer, right?  Don't forget that Jesus said, “all things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received them, and ye shall have them” (Mar.11:24). Don't forget. It may look impossible, but you believe you have received because God is all-powerful. And so, we finally picked a spot. There were still cars there, but we went over the dunes, and we went on out to Pensacola Beach. We looked up and down the beach and, boy, I'll tell you, it was just packed with people from end to end. We hadn't been there very long before another one of those big, black storms just came rolling in from Pensacola toward the beach.  It was just a big old black storm rolling toward the beach. And I didn't see God's hand in it at the time, but He had taken me by the hand, and He wanted to show me something. We're so ignorant, but God wants to use us to change circumstances. We've been delivered from the curse in circumstances in Christ, and God wants us to change things in this world. Listen, God is always going to use a very small force to overcome a very big force. He's always done that. You go back and look at Gideon's army (Judges 7). Look at just about every battle Israel ever won. If they weren't outnumbered, they couldn't win the battle. If they said, “We're not outnumbered,” (Joshua 7:3) God wouldn't let them win. He told Gideon, “Look, you have too many people for me to give this bunch into your hand” (Judges 7:2,4). Wait a minute now! I mean, the Amalekites, Midianites and the children of the East were coming as the sands of the sea against Gideon (Judges 7:12). This was a lot of people. They had them vastly outnumbered, but God said, “Gideon, you have too many people. You'll be bragging about what you did. I'm going to have to whittle you down.” So God whittled him down to 300 men. God makes it impossible on purpose. He wants you to know that the battle is not yours; it's His, and He has already won the battle.  Well, anyway, out on the beach was this big black cloud racing toward us, and I think maybe even a few raindrops fell. Lightning was popping and crackling, and lighting up the sky, and everybody cleared out. I stood there and watched, and Mary was saying, “We better get outta here! We better get outta here!” And I was looking up and down the beach and pretty soon I saw there wasn't a dog on the beach. What I prayed for came perfectly to pass. Not a dog on the beach; there was nobody on that beach as far as the eye could see from end to end. And then God spoke to me. He didn't command me, but He said, “Why don't you go blow that storm back?” I looked over at Mary, and I walked away from her a little bit because I didn't want her to see me blowing. That's exactly what I did. I'm telling you the truth. I'm as bashful as I can be. And I walked away from her because I didn't want to look like too big a fool and I started blowing. I turned toward the storm, and I started blowing.  That storm came up, and moving real fast; the clouds moved really, really fast, and then the storm just stopped dead when I was blowing at it. I mean, it backed up and backed up. It stopped right in its path and backed up and it stood right there over Pensacola. The sun broke through and shone on us the whole time we were there. It was a beautiful day. It was everything I prayed for. All the naked people were gone, and I was out there in the sunshine, and we had a beautiful day. And when we got in our car to go back to Pensacola, we got halfway to the bridge, and it was storming. We could barely see out of the car windows because it was storming. After we got back home, we learned that a tornado had passed through right at our corner. It hit the Western Auto, knocked a bunch of trees down on the golf course, and knocked out the neighbor's back fence. I told my kids, “I blew too hard.” But, you know, you can't count on your power; it's nothing. We have to count on His power in us. What we're going through right now is mostly education, and there's going to come a time when we're going to need this education. Did you know the Bible says we can walk as He walked? (1Jn.1:6) If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: (7) but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. He said, Ask, and it shall be given you (Mat.7:7). He also said that “ye have not, because ye ask not” (Jas.4:3). Don't put anything beyond God. If it's a part of the curse (Deuteronomy 28), it doesn't matter what the circumstance is when things come against you. Our property belongs to God. You don't own anything. Nothing's yours. If you're doing what you want, then you're still the owner of it; you haven't learned anything yet because it doesn't belong to you. We are stewards, not owners, and that includes this tithing business. You'd better look more closely at the New Testament because Jesus said you have to renounce it all (Luke 14:33). All. “If you don't renounce everything, you cannot be My disciple.” A disciple is a learner and a follower of the Lord. He did not possess and own the things He had. It was only a stewardship entrusted to Him. So what we have belongs to God, and if it belongs to God, then the devil can't destroy it. Jesus has already bound the strong man, and He gave you the command to go and spoil his goods (Matthew 12:29; Mark 3:27). What good is a great outpouring of God's power if you don't believe that you can do anything with it? See, right now God is preparing us for a great outpouring. Remember the vision I had about the rabbit and the turtle, and the anointing oil that fell on the rabbit who was on the edge of a wilderness? Well, we're on the edge of that right now. Right now. The anointing oil of God is going to fall on a rabbit to run through that wilderness. Power is going to come on God's people. And right now, we're going through a little education stage. God is just showing us how to walk. If the lesson doesn't appear really important, it's enough for God if it educates you and it causes you to overcome the old man, the old, unbelieving old man. That's enough reason for it. Don't think there has to be a big reason for it because it could be something really simple. It doesn't matter what your need is, for “my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory” (Php.4:19). It doesn't say “greed”; it says “need.” God said if you had a need, it would come in, and if you didn't have a need, it wouldn't. That's good. Praise the Lord! Why would you want to store up treasures on earth? All you need is your need met. But having food and covering we shall be therewith content (1Ti.6:8). Why would you need more than that? We don't. Isn't it so wonderful that it doesn't matter what the need is? God brings it in according as you have need. Don't ever fear making a bold statement of faith. You may think, “Well, is this God?” Don't worry about it. If it's to meet your need, if it's to overcome the curse, don't worry about it. I remember once when I called Sid, and we were talking about what happened the time my washing machine seal had gone out. Sand had gone in it and ruined the seal. Sid had volunteered and said, “Oh, I have a friend who works on those things. I'll get him to come by there and get it.” So I agreed, and he came by and picked it up. Sid called me back a few days later. He said, “Look, he fixed this and he fixed that, and it'll just cost you $70.” I said, “Fine. Bring it on over.” Well, I knew Sid was coming over the next day to drop off the washing machine, and I only had $20. And so I prayed a prayer. I said, “Father, You said You supply my every need according to Your riches in glory and I thank You for it.” Then I stuck my finger out there and I pointed at the mailbox. I said, “And in the name of Jesus, that $50 is in that mailbox.” Do you know, I went out to that mailbox, and there was a $50 check inside that mailbox with a note. It read, “God wouldn't let me go to sleep. It's now after midnight and God wouldn't let me go to sleep until I sent you this check for $50.” And the funny thing was, I don't ever look at postdates, but I looked at the postdate on the check, and it had been sent two weeks before this day, a full two weeks before this day when I stuck my finger out and pointed at the mailbox. That envelope had been hung up in the mail somewhere for two weeks, wandering around, and it didn't make it into that mailbox until the right time. But God wouldn't let this poor guy sleep until he went out there and wrote the check and stuck it in the mail, even though it wandered around in the mail. I don't know what the reason was for it, but it didn't arrive until it was time for it to be there. God answers before we call (Isaiah 65:24). Do you realize that? God does not dwell in time, but we do. Don't think it's too late because it's never too late for God. God has the answer coming when you speak it, and I've seen the biggest miracles happen when a bold statement of faith is made. The devil is telling you all the time, “Nah, nah, nah,” in your ear, saying, “Boy, you're going to look like a fool!” But God won't let you be put to shame. The Bible says that He won't let you be put to shame (Romans 9:33). Anybody who puts their trust in Him shall not be put to shame, the Lord says. (Rom.10:10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. You need to actually say it.  That was an education for me because there have been other times when I just prayed over a leaking washing machine seal, and God sealed it up. And there have been times when I've prayed over a carburetor, and God fixed it. Then there have been times when I decided I would take that carburetor off and fix it, like one time with my daughter's car. I took the carburetor off there, and I tore it down. And I'm not bad at working on carburetors. So I tore it down, checked it out, cleaned it up, and put it back in there, but it did the same thing. I took it back out. It wasn't easy to get out either, but I took it out and went through it again. I said, “Nothing's wrong with this car. I don't see a thing wrong with this carburetor,” and I put it back in, but it still did the same thing. Finally, the revelation came to me: “The devil is messing with you; he's robbing your time.” And so I rebuked the devil off that carburetor. I commanded the devil to lose it. Do you know that there doesn't have to be something wrong with a piece of equipment? The Lord showed me that many times. The devil is real, and he can manifest himself in the physical realm and he can take advantage of you. Until you take the Word of God and fight him, he can take advantage of you. He was doing that to me. He robbed my time twice to fix that carburetor. And you know what? Just because you don't see something manifest immediately doesn't mean it hasn't happened. The Bible says, “all things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received them, and ye shall have them” (Mar.11:24). So I commanded that carburetor to be healed in the name of Jesus. Then Mary went and got in the car, but when she cranked it up, it was doing the same thing. I said, “Just go; it's healed.” She said before she got to the end of the street, it straightened right out, and I never had another problem with it. You see, sometimes you have to walk it. If you believe it, you confess it, walk it. It's like the 10 lepers who were doing according to the Law (Luke 17:12). They had to go show themselves to the priest healed (Leviticus 14). But when they were walking, they weren't healed. It didn't come until they walked it out that they got healed (Luke 17:14). So you have to walk it out. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). Just remember that. Some of Jesus' miracles didn't happen immediately. And He didn't even pray twice. We are disciples of Jesus now. We can't see Him, but we're walking with Him, and He wants to take us by the hand and show us the way through every problem and situation we come to because it's already been provided for. It says in Scripture, my God shall supply every need of yours…. (Php.4:19). It doesn't matter what the need is. Why does it say that? Why did Paul say that? He said that because he knew it was taken care of at the cross. The curse was put upon Jesus. You can't imagine what this world would be like if there was no curse. Can you imagine what it was like in the Garden of Eden with tomato plants growing 20 feet tall, everything working, nothing breaking, including you, without the curse? Now I realize nobody is totally entered into whatever this means about being delivered from the curse, but individually God's people are entering into different parts of it. The body needs one another because sometimes other people have the faith we don't have in a situation that we're in, and we need to pray for people and exercise our faith over one another. But don't think it's not possible. We're going to see God do things in the next few years that we would have considered impossible, that we would have just wondered, “Is that real?” Yes, God's going to do things we haven't seen. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit, this outpouring of power, has never been on this earth that God's getting ready to do. People are going to walk on water again. People have done it before in these years. I don't know if any of you ever read Like a Mighty Wind or Gentle Breeze of Jesus. They are about the Indonesian revival where, many times, many people saw people walk on water. Those little islands out there where they were trying to get the Gospel to; in some cases, it was the only method. It was necessary and they didn't let the circumstances stop them from doing the Will of God. The Will of God was to go, and so they went. They did not let the circumstances get in the way. They walked on the water and many people witnessed it. Yes, the day is coming when you may need to drive a car that doesn't have any gas in it. I've done it quite a few times and it works. When you're going by faith, it works. Or you may have to command some gas into that car and God puts some in it. He's done that for me, too. Listen, circumstances can't stop you. Circumstances didn't stop Jesus from doing the Will of God. Did you notice that? It's the same Jesus Whom we have that your “faith may become effectual, in the knowledge of every good thing which is in you” (Phm.6). Wait a minute! He was talking to the saints, people on this earth. That's right. But that's Jesus Christ in the heart of the believer. He has all the power that He ever had. But if you limit Him, you won't let Him speak that word out of your mouth; you won't walk that walk with your feet; you won't do those things. I'm not saying this is the most important thing to do. The most important thing, of course, is to overcome sin, and we've studied that in other teachings. Right now we're talking about not limiting God in this sozo and seeing just how big it is. It doesn't matter what your need is. God has promised to meet your need. Do I say you won't be tried? Absolutely not. You're going to be tried. How do you get tried? You get tried by lack. God suffered the Israelites to lack so that He might know what they would do (Deuteronomy 8:2,3). What are you going to do when you lack? Do you never get sick? No, you get sick sometimes, but the Bible says by His stripes you were healed (1 Peter 2:24). It's a trial of your faith. God wants to see, “What are you going to do with this?” We are being tried. We are going through the wilderness just like the Israelites did. When they went through the wilderness, they suffered lack in this kind of a way and then in that kind of a way and then in this kind of way, and God answered miraculously. Right now, the righteous, just like always, shall live from faith (Galatians 3:11). The life of faith is an exciting walk with the Lord. You'll see many miracles if you walk the walk of faith. That's our purpose for being here. God considers a person who walks by faith and speaks faith, and uses faith in the circumstances they get into, to be righteous. He calls them “righteous,” like Abraham when he believed God about his seed. That didn't have anything to do with salvation. God called Abraham righteous because he believed God in that point and, you know what? God calls you righteous every time you believe the Word of God. Every time you believe in the prayers that you've prayed, whenever you pray believing you have received (Mark 11:24), when you keep on holding onto that in faith until you see it manifested, then God calls you righteous. Look at it as if Jesus is taking you by the hand. He's going to show you something tomorrow. He is going to do a miracle through you tomorrow. Big or small, He's going to show you how to walk by faith. Jesus walked by faith. His disciples walked by faith. People who are in the world are under bondage, but people who walk by faith are not under bondage. When Jesus sent out His disciples, He told them, “Don't take anything with you, don't take any money” (Matthew 10:9,10; Luke 10:4). He sent them out in total weakness and later He asked them, “Well, when I sent you out without all these things did you lack anything?” and their answer was, “No, Lord” (Luke 22:35). They found out what it was to walk by faith. They didn't need to bring their own supply because God was there. He did it on purpose. Now, in this day, the church is supposed to be doing the same thing. If you obey what Jesus said, you'll be weak, because Jesus made some statements in there that put you in a position of weakness; but every time, you're going to see miracles. When you obey the principles of Jesus, you're going to see miracles because you're always in a position where you can't do it, you can't handle it. He does that on purpose. (Mat.14:25) And in the fourth watch of the night he came unto them, walking upon the sea. (26) And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a ghost; and they cried out for fear. (27) But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. (28) And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the waters. (29) And he said, Come. And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters to come to Jesus. (30) But when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me. That's the word sozo right there. By grace are you saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8).  (31) And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (32) And when they were gone up into the boat, the wind ceased. (33) And they that were in the boat worshiped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. You know, the Lord saved Peter here even in his failure, didn't He? Every trial is from God. Every trial. God is sovereign. (Joh.3:27) … A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven. The circumstances you get into are not by accident. There's no such thing as an accident or luck. The worldly pagans believe that. When Peter took his eyes off Jesus and saw the wind, then he judged by the circumstance instead of judging by the Word. If he had judged by the Word, when the Almighty God said, “Come,” Peter must have been able to do it, since He said it. That's the way we have to look at these promises. We must be able to do it because He said it. It's really simple. Peter believed if Jesus said it, he'd be able to do it, and he stepped out of the boat, but then he got his eyes on the circumstances.  You always get fearful when you get your eyes on the circumstances because you don't have any hope. Get your eyes on the Savior. You can walk on water when you get your eyes on the Savior. Listen, the laws of faith are totally above the laws of nature; they're always above the laws of nature. You just can't fathom how God could do some of these things. You can't fathom how the lot can come up like it does. Can you think about flipping a quarter up in the air and it coming down exactly the way God wants it to come down? The lot worked. Go back and study it. The lot worked. Why? That wasn't gambling because they believed in a sovereign God. Some people might think it was gambling, but it wasn't to the Israelites. They believed in the sovereignty of God, and they believed God would answer that way and He did. He did consistently, even to the extent of finding one man out of all Israel, and that happened quite a few times. Saul was picked out that way (1 Samuel 10:21). Saul's son was picked out that way when he made a mistake with eating the honey (1 Samuel 14:32). Jonathan was picked out of all Israel. You know they took the lot by the tribe, then they went to the lot by the family, then they went to the lot by the house. They cast lots several times. But you know what? If you believe in luck, what are the chances of the thing coming out to pick one guy out of all Israel? That's phenomenal. That's a lot of numbers. But God is sovereign. Well, it can be done in our day, like I said, with a quarter. I don't recommend people lead their lives that way, but I have seen mighty miracles come to pass that way, where the answer had to be from God. But I'm just pointing out that there's no such thing as luck. The world believes in luck and chance, but everything that comes to you is by the hand of God, even if it comes through the hand of the devil. If you remember from reading in the Book of Job, there was no luck involved with that. God was sovereign, even over the devil, and He's still sovereign. God sends the devil against you so you can ‘whoop him real good.' Did you know that? God will send him against you so you can whip him, so that you learn how to walk by faith and not by sight. In most cases, it's the devil who administers the curse. Who sent the curse? The Bible says that God sent the curse (Deuteronomy 28). I don't care what men say; the Bible says God sent the curse. Who administers it? The devil does. He loves to do it. It's his nature to do it. But I'll tell you, God sent the curse, and God sent Jesus to deliver from the curse. He's working from both sides. God sent the curse to cause people to repent and turn to Him. He sent Jesus to those who will repent. And in the circumstances that we get ourselves into, God wants to show us how to give the devil a bloody nose. He wants to show us how to overcome in the circumstances, just like Jesus did. Jesus wants to move through His hand. (Isa.53:10) … The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. That means God is going to be successful in doing what He did through Jesus, through you. That's what it means. God is going to do that. We should consider it done. He did this for Peter, but what was the whole point? You may think there has to be some real reason for this, that you had to be saving souls or something. No. It didn't do anything for Peter to get out of the boat, except that he learned a lesson. We should ask God to bring us these lessons. It's really valuable to have these lessons we can look back on and tell others to encourage them in the faith and so on. God wants to do miracles through us. Right now we have a short time left to learn some lessons from God; and then great trouble is going to come, greater trouble than this land has ever seen. The people who walk in Psalm 91-type faith and who understand about the curse are the people who are going to be saved through the midst of this great trouble. A lot of the people are not going to be saved. A lot of Christians, the majority, are going to die through this trouble because the people coming against this land don't like Christians. Let's look at the story of the Gerasene demoniac. (Luk.8:36) And they that saw it told them how he that was possessed with demons was made whole. And the word there is sozo. For Christians, for God's people, this has been accomplished. It's part of sozo. It's by grace. It's not by grace you will be. It says by grace you have been saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8). So it's not a matter of trying to convince God to deliver this person. It's not that. Jesus never tried to convince God to heal or to deliver anybody. By grace have you been. It's all past tense. Now there are some places where the people whom we want to deliver are not in covenant with God. And it's strange but most of the church does not even believe that Christians can have demons. I'm going to show you that's not true from the Scriptures. I'm going to show you that it's a lie and anybody who has the gift of discerning of spirits knows that it's a lie. I can truthfully tell you almost all the people that I've ever cast demons out of were Christians.  When I'm talking discernment of spirits, I'm talking about the Biblical gift and that is when you see the demons. You see them manifested in their face, you see them manifested in their eyes, and in their body. The gift is manifested in different ways, but the discerning of spirits is to be able to see those demons. Anybody who has that gift knows that Christians can have demons. And I'll tell you what the Lord showed me about it. Those who don't believe that Christians can have demons quote, “My spirit will not dwell in an unclean temple,” but there's no verse like that in the Bible. It's not there. What the Bible actually says is that the flesh is an unclean temple (Galatians 5:19). Did you know that? It's an enemy. It's at enmity with your spirit. It is the enemy of your spirit (Galatians 5:17).  The covering over the tent of the tabernacle in the wilderness was animal skins, and guess what kind of animal skins they were? Goats. Who were the goats? The goats were those placed on the left, while the lambs, the sheep, were on the right. Well, that was goats' hair covering it. Why? Because the flesh is the enemy of God. The flesh cannot go to Heaven; ever.  (1Co.15:50) … Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God…. You either get a new body or you don't go. You either go in spirit and in soul, or you don't go because this body doesn't go there. You get a new one. The flesh is the enemy of God.  God showed me this years ago. I had to have a theological reason because I was casting demons out of Christians and everybody said you can't do that. So I went to God and said, “God, show me in the Scriptures.” And God brought me back to the tabernacle in the wilderness and He showed me, as I read about the tabernacle in the wilderness, how it represents us because we are the tabernacle in the wilderness. The holy of holies, of course, is your spirit because that's where God dwells. And then there's the holy place representing your soul. And there's the outer court, which represents your flesh. What God showed me I've never forgotten because I learned what the Christians told me was the difference between oppression and possession. They say that oppression is when the devil's on the outside and possession is when he's on the inside, but the Lord showed me that's not true. When we look at the outer court in the wilderness, we see that many wicked men went into the outer court. In fact, wicked men even came near unto the holy place and some were even killed in the holy place because they went in. But no wickedness ever entered into the holy of holies because the high priest had to be in good shape with God, or he'd better not go into the holy of holies. They even tied a rope onto the foot of the high priest, so if he went in there and he wasn't walking in right covenant with God, they could drag out his body. They weren't going in after the high priest because you'd be smitten dead if you didn't walk in right covenant with God. The tabernacle in the wilderness represented a Christian because God Almighty dwells in the holy of holies. We have examples in the Scriptures of wickedness coming into both the outer court and the holy place, but not into the holy of holies. God was showing me that in your holy of holies dwells the Spirit of God, and only Jesus, Who is the High Priest, can go in there. By the way, ministers don't have a right to get into your holy of holies. They have to stay without. The One Who is the head of your being is the Lord, always the Lord. If a minister becomes your head, you become a disciple of him and you, in a way, put him in your holy of holies. That's dangerous for him and you because then he's between you and God. Remember from our example that wickedness entered into both the outer court and the holy place.  Now here's what the Lord showed me about oppression and possession. Did you know that God seeks to possess you? He just comes from a different direction; that's all. He comes from your spirit, seeking to possess. What He really wants to possess is your soul. He wants to possess your soul, which is your actions and your nature. That's your whole walk. But the demons come in through the flesh, and they also seek to possess your soul. They want to come into the holy place. They want to rule in the holy place because that's the control over your actions; that's the control over your thinking, and the control over your life. They want to control your life.  But the fallacy of the worldly church view gives us is that oppression is without; possession is within. However, the demons can dwell in your flesh, and as long as they're just in the flesh but not in the holy place, not in the soul, they're still in; they're just not in possession. Possession is when they reach into your soul. If you watch demon-possessed people, you'll see this happen. One moment they'll be totally normal, but don't think the demon left. He hasn't left; he's still there. I've had this experience with Christians. Everybody who is led by the flesh is not led by the Holy Spirit, and a Spirit-filled Christian can be led by the flesh. The flesh is made in the image of the devil and you're a son of the devil if you walk after the flesh. You're manifesting being a son of the devil. But here's the point. If you walk after the flesh, you're opening yourself up to let the devil in. You are the one who either permits or forbids. (Mat.16:19) I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Those demons can come into your flesh. If you give in to some sin, they can come into your flesh, but what they want to do is reach into your soul. Your soul is your nature; it is the controlling factor of your life. When the demons reach into a person's soul, that's when everybody says that a person is possessed. But, you know what? They'll back out of the soul into the flesh, and the person will be relatively normal. Then they'll come in again; they'll manifest, and they'll back out. We've seen people who look and behave totally normal. Then, all of a sudden, when you're right in the middle of preaching the Gospel, demons manifest in these people and they start crying out. The demons cry out. Why? Were they there all the time? Yes, they were there all the time. Did they leave the person? They never ever left the person; they were there all the time. So you can be oppressed as long as the demon is in the flesh, but when he reaches into your soul, then that is possession.  Who has the right to have demons cast out? Well, let me give you a few examples. First of all, what we have in the New Testament is Jesus dealing with His Covenant people, which was Israel. That was the type and shadow of what God does today. Jesus was dealing with Covenant people, and He even said, “I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mat.15:24). Who was He dealing with when He cast out demons? It was the lost sheep of the house of Israel. When the pagans came, such as in the instance of the Syrophoenician woman, then Jesus said, “it is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs” (Mat.15:26). Well, what was He talking about? He was saying that the lost have no right to God's provision.  The biggest proof to me is my experience. The only time God ever let me cast demons out of a lost person, I had to get His permission to do it. You have to have permission to do it because you can destroy someone by casting demons out of them. The Bible even says they'll come back with seven worse. (Luk.11:26) Then goeth he, and taketh [to him] seven other spirits more evil than himself; and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first. So casting demons out of a lost person is not good business unless you have God's permission, since they have no right to God's provision. God's provision of deliverance and healing and other blessings is for Covenant people. We are Covenant people; they are not. They have no right to it. Don't try to give God's pearls to the swine (Matthew 7:6); they have no right to it.  I'm going to prove it to you now from Scripture. (Mar.7:25) But straightway a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet. (26) Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. And she besought him that he would cast forth the demon out of her daughter. (27) And he said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs. He's calling casting out demons “the children's bread.” It's not for the world. No, it's only for the children. Now not only did this woman's daughter have a demon, but she also had a spirit of infirmity. We know this from the same story in Matthew. (Mat.15:28) … And her daughter was healed from that hour. So her daughter was healed at the same time that Jesus cast out the demon. The children's bread is deliverance from demons and healing in the body and all these things. Why? Jesus said that His Body is our bread. Were there any demons or any sickness in Jesus' body? The reconciliation was that He gave His body for your body. See, only we have a right to have a holy, delivered body. The world does not have this right. (Mar.7:26) … And she besought him that he would cast forth the demon out of her daughter. (27) And he said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs. (28) But she answered and saith unto him, Yea, Lord; even the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. (29) And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the demon is gone out of thy daughter. (30) And she went away unto her house, and found the child laid upon the bed, and the demon gone out. And in Matthew, it says she was healed.  So we can see, as a revelation from this example by Jesus, that someone who is a Jew according to the flesh is not necessarily a Jew according to this New Covenant. Only Jews in this New Covenant are the ones who walk in the faith of Abraham. You can't recognize the Jew according to the flesh anymore; it's whether they are a believer or not. It's according to your faith or your unbelief as to whether you're grafted in or broken off (Romans 11) – totally according to your faith. If you have faith, you're a child. You have a right to the children's bread. The world has no right to the children's bread because they are not in covenant with God. Our part of the Covenant is faith. God's part is supply. We enter into it by faith and God enters into it with supply. It's kind of a lopsided covenant, but that's the way He designed it. We got a good deal and that's why it's called the Good News. 

This sermon contrasts the heart of adoration demonstrated by Mary of Bethany with the heart of hypocrisy embodied by Judas Iscariot, using the narrative of Jesus' anointing in Matthew 26. The message highlights how Mary's costly act of worship, which prepared Jesus for his impending burial, was scorned by the disciples but affirmed by Christ as a perpetual memorial. In contrast, Judas's concern for the poor is exposed as a pretext for theft and betrayal, revealing the tragic consequences of a life devoid of genuine faith. The preacher urges the audience to examine their own motives, warning against the subtle dangers of hypocrisy and encouraging a deep, personal intimacy with Christ through time spent at His feet. Ultimately, the sermon calls believers to offer their most precious possessions in worship, trusting that Jesus cherishes the gifts of a yielded heart.

Send us Fan MailIn the episode, Pastor Dom teaches us how to align ourselves with the will of God. Romans 12:1-21 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.Romans 12:22 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.1 John 2:15-1715 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.Proverbs 23:77 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.2 Corinthians 10:55 …bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,Jeremiah 29:1111 For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,' says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.Matthew 15:33 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?Mark 7:7.7 …Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'1 Thessalonians 5:2222 Abstain from every form of evil.2 Corinthians 10:55 …bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,Matthew 12:43-4543 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”Colossians 3:22 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.Joshua 1:88 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.Colossians 3:1616 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…Psalm 119:15-1615 I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. 16 I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.Ephesians 4:21-2421 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.John 6:6464 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. John 6:70-7170 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” 71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.John 12:4-64 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.Matthew 26:5050 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?”Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.1 Corinthians 11:23-2623 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is [b]broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

This Bible Study examines the selection of Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot in the apostolic group, arguing that this act was a human initiative rather than a direct divine command. The speaker contrasts this with the explicit biblical teaching that Jesus personally chose the original twelve and later called Paul directly on the Damascus Road. By citing Paul's own letters, the text asserts that Paul, not Matthias, holds the true position of the twelfth apostle by divine right. The discussion highlights the theological distinction between human choice and God's sovereign appointment, suggesting that the early church's casting of lots was a premature action that God ultimately superseded with His own perfect plan.

This sermon provides an introductory study of Acts chapter one, emphasizing the historical value and supernatural evidence supporting Jesus' resurrection. The speaker details the 'infallible proofs' of Christ's physical return from the dead and distinguishes between water baptism and the subsequent baptism with the Holy Spirit. Attention is given to the ascension event and the angels' promise of Jesus' future return, while clarifying that the timing of this event remains solely under God's authority. The narrative concludes by examining the early church's gathering and the selection of Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot among the apostles.

This sermon provides an introductory study of Acts chapter one, emphasizing the historical value and supernatural evidence supporting Jesus' resurrection. The speaker details the 'infallible proofs' of Christ's physical return from the dead and distinguishes between water baptism and the subsequent baptism with the Holy Spirit. Attention is given to the ascension event and the angels' promise of Jesus' future return, while clarifying that the timing of this event remains solely under God's authority. The narrative concludes by examining the early church's gathering and the selection of Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot among the apostles.

John 12:1-8 NIVSix days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” 

John 12:1-8 NIVSix days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” 

On Ron's Amazing Stories this week, we're listening a little differently. Our main focus is sound effects and the remarkable people who created them. On The RAS Signal, we explore how sound-effects artists could build an entire world using little more than everyday objects, ingenuity, and a well-placed microphone. Then we head into the Inner Sanctum for a tale involving murder, revenge, thirty pieces of silver, and one very unusual clock. We'll also bring back another old RAS favorite — Q&A with Ron — with listener questions about the changing podcast and how classic science-fiction radio created sounds for things that didn't even exist. In This Episode The RAS Signal: Sound Effects — A look behind the microphone at the artists, equipment, and techniques that helped listeners see with their ears. Inside the Inner Sanctum — We talk about producer Himan Brown, Raymond Edward Johnson, that famous squeaking door, and how commercials became part of the program itself. The Judas Clock — A classic 1945 episode of *Inner Sanctum Mysteries*, presented with its original Lipton Tea commercials intact. Q&A with Ron Returns — Mary and Brandon ask about the direction of the podcast, while Leo takes us back into the world of classic radio sound effects — including spaceships, magnetic tape, electronic circuits... and even a cow. Featured Story The Judas Clock — Inner Sanctum Mysteries (April 17, 1945) Thirty years ago, a man was murdered using a strange clock said to require the thirty pieces of silver paid to Judas Iscariot for his betrayal of Jesus. Now the murdered man's son has returned — and he has plans for The Judas Clock. This episode includes its original commercials. Inner Sanctum often blended its advertising directly into the program, and removing the Lipton Tea spots would take away part of the character and atmosphere of the original broadcast. Ron's Amazing Stories Is Sponsored by: Audible - You can get a free audiobook and a 30 day free trial at audibletrial.com/ronsamazingstories. Your Stories: Do you have a story that you would like to share on the podcast or the blog? Head to the main website, click on Story Submission, leave your story, give it a title, and please tell me where you're from. I will read it if I can. Links are below. Music Used In This Podcast: Most of the music you hear on Ron's Amazing Stories has been composed by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0. Other pieces are in the public domain. You can find great free music at FreePd.com which is a site owned by Kevin. Program Info: Ron's Amazing Stories is published each Thursday. You can download it from Apple Podcasts, stream it on YouTube or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Thursday at 10:00 pm and Sunday Night at 11:00 PM (EST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link. Social Links: Main Podcast Site by LibSynThe Blog Site by WordPressFacebook LinkTwitter Link Contact Links: EmailStory Submissions Contact Ron

Blake Boylston preached on the hymn "He Will Hold Me Fast" as part of our series, Theology and Music: How the Songs We Sing Shepherd Our Souls. This message was delivered on Sunday evening, September 6, 2026, at Chaffee Crossing Baptist Church in Barling, AR. Chapters (00:00:00) - Alex Hanold Free Soloed The Taipei 101 Skyscraper(00:06:10) - The Character of Judas Iscariot(00:11:16) - Simon Being Sifted by Satan(00:17:58) - An Eclipse of the Faith(00:18:47) - "He Will Hold Me Fast"(00:24:45) - God's Love for Failed People(00:29:20) - He Will Hold Me Fast hymn(00:32:58) - God's Faith Will Not Fail

12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and he passed the whole night in the prayer of God.Factum est autem in illis diebus, exiit in montem orare, et erat pernoctans in oratione Dei. 13 And when day was come, he called unto him his disciples; and he chose twelve of them (whom also he named apostles).Et cum dies factus esset, vocavit discipulos suos : et elegit duodecim ex ipsis ( quos et apostolos nominavit) : 14 Simon, whom he surnamed Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,Simonem, quem cognominavit Petrum, et Andream fratrem ejus, Jacobum, et Joannem, Philippum, et Bartholomaeum, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon who is called Zelotes,Matthaeum, et Thomam, Jacobum Alphaei, et Simonem, qui vocatur Zelotes, 16 And Jude, the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who was the traitor.et Judam Jacobi, et Judam Iscariotem, qui fuit proditor. 17 And coming down with them, he stood in a plain place, and the company of his disciples, and a very great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast both of Tyre and Sidon,Et descendens cum illis, stetit in loco campestri, et turba discipulorum ejus, et multitudo copiosa plebis ab omni Judaea, et Jerusalem, et maritima, et Tyri, et Sidonis, 18 Who were come to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases. And they that were troubled with unclean spirits, were cured.qui venerant ut audirent eum, et sanarentur a languoribus suis. Et qui vexabantur a spiritibus immundis, curabantur. 19 And all the multitude sought to touch him, for virtue went out from him, and healed all.Et omnis turba quaerebat eum tangere : quia virtus de illo exibat, et sanabat omnes.St Bartholemew the Apostle is believed to be the same as the Nathanael that was praised by Jesus as the Israelite in whom was no guile. His name means son of Tholemy. He preached in India and Armenia. He was flayed alive and then beheaded in AD 71 for his faith.

In this message from The Follow Me Series, Pastor Putnam takes an honest and challenging look at the life of Judas Iscariot. Though Judas walked closely with Jesus, witnessed His miracles, and was one of the twelve disciples, his heart gradually drifted through compromise, greed, and unresolved offense. This powerful message challenges us to examine our own hearts and recognize the warning signs of spiritual drift. Being around Jesus is not the same as truly belonging to Him. Pastor Putnam reminds us of the importance of prayer, God's Word, worship, accountability, forgiveness, and complete surrender. Most importantly, this message offers hope: even when we have drifted, Jesus is still reaching for us. Don't ignore the drift—wake up, turn back, and draw near to Him. To hear more about what God is doing in Sheboygan County and beyond, visit us at posc.church!

He sat in the place of honor. He preached the gospel. He cast out demons. And Judas Iscariot still walked straight into the darkest corner of hell — without ever seeing it coming.In this episode, we dig into John 13 and Matthew 26–27 to answer a question every believer should wrestle with: what actually went wrong with Judas? It wasn't a single dramatic moment of rebellion — it was a slow, quiet hardening that looked a lot like normal Christian life right up until it didn't.We walk through four warning signs from Judas's life that show up in ours too:Loving money — how a small compromise (pilfering the money box) became a 30-piece-of-silver betrayalA seared conscience — why sin that once kept you up at night can eventually let you sleep like a babyRejecting the Savior's love — Jesus washed his feet and fed him bread, and Judas still walked out into the nightRemorse without repentance — the crucial, often-missed difference between feeling guilty and actually turning to Christ (2 Corinthians 7:9-10)We also contrast Judas's despair with Peter's repentance — two disciples, two failures, two radically different endings — and talk honestly about what it looks like to examine your own heart instead of pointing at someone else's.

ABOUT THE NEWWe are a people of love and excellence who are result-oriented, spirit-led, word-rooted, prayer-driven, and kingdom-conscious. Led by Pst. Shola Okodugha, we are on a divine assignment; to raise a movement of people who will shape culture through the spirit of faith and love, bringing great joy to cities and nations.——Partner with us to spread the influence of God all over the world. Give - https://pay.squadco.com/TheNewglobal——BROADCAST DETAILSMinister: Date: ——Stay ConnectedSubscribe to the latest content: http://bit.ly/subscribethenewliveWebsite: http://wearethenew.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearethenew_global/#TheNewLive #SholaOkodugha

Is it possible to be close to Jesus and still far from God? The most infamous disciple, Judas Iscariot, has one of the most sobering stories in Scripture. He heard the sermons, saw the miracles, walked with the disciples, and still missed the very thing that could have changed his life. Listen in for the finale of The Twelve Disciples of Our Lord as we examine the difference between knowing about God and truly knowing Him.

It is good – and much to be preferred – to always focus on the positive words that we find in Scripture, but in doing so we must not be blind to the concerns that arise and threaten to distract the community of those following Christ. As Paul brings his letter to the Romans to a conclusion, after writing of all the foundations to a true faith and the way of life in that faith, he then finds it necessary to write, “I appeal to you brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles  contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, for by smooth talk and flattery they deceive …. “[v.18] Judas Iscariot served himself while giving an outward appearance of serving Christ.  If we should encounter such let us follow Pauls' advice, “ … I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.” [v.19] In the previous chapter we read “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” [v.13]  We cannot miss the emphasis on “hope.”   How much do we need a real hope in our hearts in 2026 – a hope that creates “all joy and peace” as we face the challenges of godlessness that abound in today's world; we must develop a sense of total commitment so that we can more easily avoid distractions.What total commitment Jeremiah must have had, so many enemies, efforts to put him to death, as we read today in ch. 26 (v.11) But God saw to it that he had some support.  He was God's mouthpiece in warning the people of God's impending judgements. How effective are you and I in doing that?  Do we feel weak?  That seems natural, we do not have the direct contact with God that Jeremiah experienced, but we do have the full revelation of his whole purpose in the 66 books of the Bible. Let us take special note of Paul's final words to the believers in Rome, “Now unto him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel  … according to the command of the eternal God to bring about obedience of faith – to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ!  Amen.”     May we so live that we witness that coming glory.

I am sorry to say that much of legerdemain and trickery are to be met with in the religious world. Why, there are those who pretend to save souls by curious tricks, intricate maneuvers, and dexterous posture-making! A basin of water, half-a-dozen drops, certain syllables—heigh, presto!—the infant is made a child of God, a member of Christ, and an inheritor of the kingdom of Heaven! This aqueous regeneration surpasses my belief; it is a trick which I do not understand: the initiated only can perform the beautiful piece of magic, which excels anything ever attempted by the Wizard of the North. There is a way, too, of winning souls by laying hands upon heads, only the elbows of the aforesaid hands must be encased in lawn, and then the machinery acts, and there is grace conferred by blessed fingers! I must confess I do not understand the occult science, but at this I need not wonder, for the profession of saving souls by such juggling can only be carried out by certain favored persons who have received apostolic succession direct from Judas Iscariot.

I am sorry to say that much of legerdemain and trickery are to be met with in the religious world. Why, there are those who pretend to save souls by curious tricks, intricate maneuvers, and dexterous posture-making! A basin of water, half-a-dozen drops, certain syllables—heigh, presto!—the infant is made a child of God, a member of Christ, and an inheritor of the kingdom of Heaven! This aqueous regeneration surpasses my belief; it is a trick which I do not understand: the initiated only can perform the beautiful piece of magic, which excels anything ever attempted by the Wizard of the North. There is a way, too, of winning souls by laying hands upon heads, only the elbows of the aforesaid hands must be encased in lawn, and then the machinery acts, and there is grace conferred by blessed fingers! I must confess I do not understand the occult science, but at this I need not wonder, for the profession of saving souls by such juggling can only be carried out by certain favored persons who have received apostolic succession direct from Judas Iscariot.

I am sorry to say that much of legerdemain and trickery are to be met with in the religious world. Why, there are those who pretend to save souls by curious tricks, intricate maneuvers, and dexterous posture-making! A basin of water, half-a-dozen drops, certain syllables—heigh, presto!—the infant is made a child of God, a member of Christ, and an inheritor of the kingdom of Heaven! This aqueous regeneration surpasses my belief; it is a trick which I do not understand: the initiated only can perform the beautiful piece of magic, which excels anything ever attempted by the Wizard of the North. There is a way, too, of winning souls by laying hands upon heads, only the elbows of the aforesaid hands must be encased in lawn, and then the machinery acts, and there is grace conferred by blessed fingers! I must confess I do not understand the occult science, but at this I need not wonder, for the profession of saving souls by such juggling can only be carried out by certain favored persons who have received apostolic succession direct from Judas Iscariot.

Austin Hutton 8/2/2026 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” John 12 v3-8 (NIV) Offering all that we are to God in worship changes us.

Jesus is walking with his disciples and teaching them about his relationship with the Father, with the Holy Spirit, and with his disciples. In today's reading, we'll hear Jesus pray for himself, for his disciples, and for all those believers who come after them. This section is often called “the high priestly prayer,” as Jesus is interceding for those whom he loves based on his status before the Father. Directly following this prayer, Jesus will be betrayed by Judas Iscariot into the hands of the Jews who wished to put him to death, including the chief priests, Pharisees, and a company of soldiers. As such, this prayer serves as a kind of parting of ways, as Jesus will now face the cross. :::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

SummaryThis sermon focuses on Judas Iscariot, the disciple most associated with betrayal, and draws out lessons about faith, loyalty, worship, and redemption. The pastor walks through key moments in Judas's life, from being chosen by Jesus to sitting beside Him at the Last Supper, highlighting that Judas was close to Jesus in proximity but never truly surrendered His heart. Despite witnessing miracles, being trusted with the money box, and being given every opportunity to turn back, Judas chose greed, deception, and ultimately regret without repentance.The sermon also brings in the encouraging contrast of the other Judas (Thaddaeus), who remained faithful and is believed to have written the book of Jude. The pastor challenges the congregation not to let hypocrites, past hurts, or betrayals become barriers between them and God. The central call is to love anyway, forgive anyway, and trust that the same grace available to Peter and the other disciples is available to everyone, no matter what they have done or been through.Key Verses- John 6:70- John 12:3-6- John 13:2- John 13:18- John 17:12- Matthew 27:3- Jude 1:24Life ApplicationThis week, identify one relationship where hurt, betrayal, or disappointment has caused you to pull back from loving or trusting others. Make a deliberate choice to take one small step toward that person or toward a community you have been avoiding. It does not have to be a grand gesture. It might be a text, a prayer for them, or simply showing up. Ask God to give you the grace to love anyway, just as He has loved you anyway.

"There is no crime to fit this sentence; there is no sentence to fit this crime." The words of the Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate echo across the centuries in Daniel Grace's first novel In the Wake of Golgotha, a daring retelling of "the greatest story ever told." As the specter of Pilate collides with a modern-day incarnation of Judas Iscariot in the shadows of a New York City basement, a profound religious mystery unfolds in a dark and dazzling literary thriller. The book is a bit of a departure for Daniel Grace, the London-born, California-bred former owner of an internationally-acclaimed advertising agency, who now produces award-winning wines at his family's winery, Il Molino di Grace, in Panzano-in-Chianti, Italy, and who has come to believe that his creative pursuits—as a novelist, advertising executive, and vintner—are all of a piece. He joins us on the podcast to discuss his love of wine and literature, and his determination to share the stories to be found in the bones of a well-crafted Super Bowl commercial, in the bottle of an old world Classico or Super-Tuscan wine, or between the lines of his long-awaited debut novel. Learn more about Daniel Grace: Website Instagram Il Molino di Grace Instagram Please support the sponsors who support our show: Ritani Jewelers Daniel Paisner's Balloon Dog Daniel Paisner's SHOW: The Making and Unmaking of a Network Television Pilot Heaven Help Us by John Kasich Unforgiving: Lessons from the Fall by Lindsey Jacobellis Film Movement Plus (PODCAST) | 30% discount Libro.fm (ASTOLDTO) | 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 when you start your membership Film Freaks Forever! podcast, hosted by Mark Jordan Legan and Phoef Sutton Everyday Shakespeare podcast A Mighty Blaze podcast The Writer's Bone Podcast Network Misfits Market (WRITERSBONE) | $15 off your first order  Film Movement Plus (PODCAST) | 30% discount Wizard Pins (WRITERSBONE) | 20% discount

Monday, 20 July 2026   So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. Matthew 21:27   “And answering, the ‘Jesus', they said, ‘Not we have known.' He said to them, also He, ‘Nor I, I tell you in where-such authority these I do.'” (CG)   In the previous verse, the leaders of Israel, pondering among themselves, realized that if they said John's authority was from men, the multitude might come after them. With them being stuck in a hard place concerning Jesus' question, Matthew next records, “And answering, the ‘Jesus', they said, ‘Not we have known.'”   The leaders of the nation were wholly incapable of making a simple proclamation concerning John as proposed by Jesus in His question to them. The answer was something that was as evident as the nose on a person's face if John's role was evaluated from their own Scriptures. But because they lacked any intestinal fortitude at all in relation to standing on the authority of Scripture, while at the same time standing at odds with Jesus' ministry, they were unwilling to answer His question.   Because of that, Matthew next records Jesus' emphatic response to these leaders, “He said to them, also He, ‘Nor I, I tell you in where-such authority these I do.'”   The leaders had a right to question Jesus. However, they did not have a right to a response from Jesus if they could not answer His question to them about John. Because John testified that Jesus was the Messiah, and because they could not validate John's source of authority through open confession, they no longer had a right to question His authority further.   Life application: When a person is summoned to appear before Congress, he is required to show up. The Congress has this authority. Likewise, the leaders of Israel had the authority to question Jesus. However, if those in Congress asked a question about a matter they themselves could not properly answer, it would make no sense for the person being interrogated to have to answer that same question.   Jesus worked within the framework of Israel's laws and culture, never subverting them but using them in a manner that was acceptable to anyone in the society. We possess the same rights in the nations where we live. It is true that some nations deprive their citizens of various rights. Some nations also allow rights that exist to be ignored.   There is often nothing that can be done in such circumstances. We just have to live with the unrighteous conduct that is targeted against us. This is what Jesus had to suffer. During His trial before the leaders of Israel, the rights He possessed as a citizen of Israel were denied Him. An internet search immediately pulled up the following:    Procedural and Timing Violations Nighttime Proceedings: Capital trials were strictly forbidden from being conducted at night. Jesus underwent preliminary trials before Annas and Caiaphas, and a final condemnation before the Sanhedrin, all occurring before dawn.  Premature Scheduling: Courts were not permitted to convene before the morning sacrifice was offered. All three religious trials were concluded before this ritual took place.  Holiday Timing: No legal proceedings for capital cases were allowed on the eve of the Sabbath or during holy festivals, such as Passover. Jesus's trials occurred during this prohibited period.  Lack of Delay: Jewish law required a night to pass between a death sentence and its execution to allow for reconsideration; Jesus was condemned and executed within hours.  Judicial and Evidentiary Infractions Bribery: The acceptance of Judas Iscariot's thirty pieces of silver constituted a bribe, which invalidates any subsequent legal proceedings under Mosaic Law.  Self-Incrimination: The accused was not permitted to ask self-incriminating questions. The High Priest directly asked Jesus if He was the Messiah, leading to His own statement being used as the primary evidence for conviction.  Lack of Defense: The accused was denied the right to counsel or representation. Furthermore, the court refused to allow Jesus to call witnesses in His defense.  Invalid Indictment: The Sanhedrin originated the charges itself rather than investigating accusations brought by independent witnesses.  Proper procedure required two agreeing witnesses to formulate an indictment publicly. Sole Judge: The High Priest examined Jesus privately before the full court assembled, violating the rule that capital cases require a full panel and public examination. Acclamation Verdict: In capital cases, judges were required to vote individually. Jesus was condemned by acclamation (unanimous shout) rather than a formal, recorded vote.  Jurisdictional Errors Lack of Authority: The Sanhedrin lacked the jurisdiction to execute capital punishment under Roman rule; only the Roman governor had the authority to impose death sentences.  Charge Substitution: When brought before Roman authorities, the religious charge of blasphemy was replaced with political charges (treason, subverting the nation, and forbidding taxes) to secure a Roman conviction. (Brave Browser Generated Response)   Despite all of this, Jesus submitted to the ruling authorities, knowing that the tortures ahead were necessary to restore us to our heavenly Father. Today, take time to consider the love of God that would prompt Him to do what He did for us. When we face our own times of injustice, if we have the ability to appeal, we should use it.   However, it may be that we will have to endure unfair verdicts and unjust treatment as Christians. If we do, let us consider it an honor for the sake of His glorious name –   “So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” Acts 5:41   Lord God, may we honor the glorious name of Jesus Christ our Lord in all we say and do. If we find we must bear injustice because of our faith in Him, strengthen us through the trial and give us wisdom to proceed in the manner that will most glorify You. Amen.  

The Passover dominates the context of the latter half of Matthew 26. Within the setting of the Last Supper, we find the quintessential occurrence of an often misunderstood phenomenon in the betrayal of Judas Iscariot. God uses the sin of man to accomplish His good design, yet God is not the author of the sin. Even though God willed and used Judas' sin, Judas was responsible and condemned for it. Before trying to understand the Passover and the new understanding of it that Jesus gave in instituting the Lord's Table, we take some time to explore the relationship between man's responsibility and God's sovereignty. A sermon preached by Pastor Caleb at Legacy Reformed Baptist Church in East Grand Forks, MN.

Michael, Wayne, and Matt sit down today to talk about the most infamous disciple, Judas Iscariot. Visit our linktree: https://linktr.ee/scatteredabroadnetwork Visit our website, www.scatteredabroad.org, and subscribe to our email list. "Like" and "share" our Facebook page: https:// www.facebook.com/sapodcastnetwork Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ the_scattered_abroad_network/ Subscribe to our Substack: https://scatteredabroad.substack.com/Subscribe to our YouTube channel: The Scattered Abroad Network Contact us through email at san@msop.org. If you would like to consider supporting us in any way, don't hesitate to contact us through this email.

Michael, Wayne, and Matt sit down today to talk about the most infamous disciple, Judas Iscariot. Visit our linktree: https://linktr.ee/scatteredabroadnetwork Visit our website, www.scatteredabroad.org, and subscribe to our email list. "Like" and "share" our Facebook page: https:// www.facebook.com/sapodcastnetwork Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ the_scattered_abroad_network/ Subscribe to our Substack: https://scatteredabroad.substack.com/Subscribe to our YouTube channel: The Scattered Abroad Network Contact us through email at san@msop.org. If you would like to consider supporting us in any way, don't hesitate to contact us through this email.

Click here to WATCH LIVE STREAM Worship Service on our Youtube Channel. That You May Believe, Part 26  John 13:1-20   John 13:1-20 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.' 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”    John 13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.     John 13:2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,     John 13:3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,     John 13:4-5 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.    Luke 22:24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.     John 13:6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”     John 13:7-8 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”     John 13:9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”     John 13:10-11 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”     John 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.    John 13:12-14 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.     John 13:15-17 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.     John 13:18-20 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.' 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”    Servants rest in His love.    1 Corinthians 13:4-8a Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends…    Philippians 2:6-11 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.    Servants receive His cleansing.    Titus 3:3-7 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.    1 John 1:8-9 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.    Servants respond with humble service.    James 1:22-25 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.    Philippians 2:3-5 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,    Romans 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.  Respond | Connect | Next Steps The post John: That You May Believe appeared first on Charleston Baptist Church.

Sermon Outline: "A Table in the Wilderness" Preacher: Pastor Rhonda Davis I. Introduction: The Accusation of Unbelief The Wilderness Setting: Written by King David's chief musician Asaph, Psalm 78 serves as a historical reminder of Israel's behavioral cycles in the desert. Fresh out of Egyptian deliverance—having witnessed the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and being physically guided by pillars of cloud and fire—the people began to bitterly complain against God a mere three days into their journey. An Honest Question vs. An Accusation: In Psalm 78:19, the people ask, "Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness?" Pastor Rhonda noted that the word really transforms a seemingly innocent question into a toxic accusation dressed up as reason. It is the phrase used when a human heart has already decided the answer is "no," waiting around only to prove its own doubt correct. Covenant Over Anger: Despite their rebellion, God did not slam the door or cancel His covenant. Instead, He commanded the skies to open and rained down manna—the food of angels. God systematically spread a feast in front of the very people who were whispering against Him in their tents the night before. The Three Divine Tables Pastor Rhonda unpacked the three distinct tables God establishes throughout biblical history: 1. The Table for the Doubters (The Wilderness Table) The Purpose of the Table: The wilderness table is never a structural reward for individuals who possess perfect, unwavering faith. It is a table of pure grace, deliberately established right in the middle of your human doubting. The Goodness that Pulls: Relying on Romans 2:4, it is the unmerited goodness of God—not His anger—that gently leads broken, derailed, or disappointed individuals into true repentance. The Commitment of God: God remains infinitely more committed to your ultimate destiny than your lingering doubt is committed to keeping you away from His presence. As highlighted in Psalm 78:38-39, He stays full of compassion, frequently holds back His anger, and remembers that human beings are fragile, temporary flesh. 2. The Table for the Enemies (The Battlefield Table) The Blinded Army at Dothan: In 2 Kings 6, the King of Syria surrounded the prophet Elisha at Dothan with a massive host of horses and iron chariots. When Elisha's servant panicked, shouting, "What shall we do?", Elisha uttered the historic reality: "Don't be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those with them." The Spiritual Sight Shift: Elisha did not pray for his servant's natural eyes, but for his spiritual eyes to be opened. Instantly, the young man saw the surrounding mountains packed with the fiery chariots of God's angelic hosts. A Feast Instead of a Sword: After praying for God to strike the Syrian army with blindness, Elisha boldly walked into their ranks and led them directly into the capital city of Samaria. When the King of Israel eagerly asked, "Shall I kill them?", Elisha commanded him to serve them a massive feast of comfort food and water instead. The Victory of Mercy: This exact battlefield feast provides the historical background for Psalm 23:5 ("Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies"). It was not the edge of a sword that permanently stopped the Syrian invasions—it was an overwhelming act of covenant mercy. Pastoral Application on Stiff-Arming: Pastor Rhonda paused the message to deliver a deep word on forgiveness and breaking internal chains (Psalm 44:21). True forgiveness does not excuse the offender; it releases the victim from an emotional prison. She shared a transparent personal testimony of a spiritual son and backup worship leader who left her ministry years prior. Though she smiled outwardly, she spent years "stiff-arming" him to protect her own heart from being hurt again. After her late husband confronted her behavior, she broke down at the altar, embraced the man, repented of her coldness, and unlocked a deep, ongoing fellowship that persists to this day. 3. The Ultimate Table (The Salvation Table) Crushing the Enemy's Head: The framework for the final table was established in Genesis 3, where God promised that the seed of the woman would eventually crush the head of the serpent. Because Satan acutely understands this legal decree, he target-attacks human families with desperation and fear. Spread While We Were Rebellious: Reading from Romans 5:6-8, Christ did not wait for humanity to surrender, perfect their theology, or clean up their lives. He set out the bread and wine of the ultimate table at Calvary while we were actively operating as His lifestyle enemies. The Table of Communion: At the Last Supper, Jesus willingly broke bread, dipped from the same cup, and washed the feet of Judas Iscariot—the very man orchestrating His betrayal. He fully established a table in the literal presence of His enemy. Conclusion: The Mandate of the Church Jesus Is Better: Moving into corporate communion, Pastor Rhonda echoed the foundational theme of the Book of Hebrews: Jesus is structurally better than legalism, religion, and all earthly material goods. He is the express image of the living God. Prophetic Prophecy Declared: During a prolonged moment of corporate worship, a prophetic word was delivered over the room: “I have not brought you this far to leave you, says the Lord. You are hidden in the hollow of My hands, and I am preparing you to move like an arrow shot from a bow at the right time. You are the ones called to set My tables of mercy in the wilderness of this world.” The River in the Desert: Standing across the sanctuary, the congregation applied Isaiah 43:18-19, commanding all spiritual squatters of doubt to leave, completely releasing old bitterness against parents, employers, or former spouses, and taking communion with a fresh, childlike awareness of Christ's healing power. Scripture Index Here are the primary scriptures read, cited, or expounded upon during the service: Psalm 78:19 > "Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish [prepare] a table in the wilderness?" Romans 5:6-8 > "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly... But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners [enemies], Christ died for us." Romans 2:4 (Referenced) – Knowing that the goodness of God leads human beings to repentance. Psalm 78:38-39 > "But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away... For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again."   2 Kings 6:16-17 > "And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." Deuteronomy 31:6 (Referenced) – Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee. 2 Chronicles 32:7 (Referenced) – Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him. Psalm 23:5 > "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." Psalm 44:21 (Referenced) – Shall not God search this out? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart. Revelation 3:20 > "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Isaiah 43:18-19 > "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." Numbers 6:24-26 (The Benediction) > "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." "Thanks for listening! For more information, visit churchoftheharvest.com. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and YouTube @cothcleveland.

In this episode of Truthspresso I chat about Jesus and socialism.A coworker a while ago made the claim to me that Jesus was a socialist. I have certainly heard this claim before, but I figured I would address it.In part 12 we look at the account of Mary, sister of Martha, anointing Jesus with expensive perfume for His burial. Jesus' disciples murmured about the "waste," and Judas Iscariot suggested that it should have been sold and given to the poor. Jesus, knowing Judas was a thief, answered in a way that a politician might think was calloused and insensitive.Looking at recent arguments from politicians that sound like Judas' question, I observe what I term "Judas Iscariot socialists." The Judas question repeats itself in modern political posturing and virtue signaling.Scriptures Referenced:John 12:1-8John 6:64, 70-71Hebrews 5:14Matthew 26:6-13Mark 14:3-9Sources Referenced:Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders), "While working families at home struggle," X (formerly Twitter), July 1, 2026 11:00 a.m.House Democrats (@HouseDemocrats), "Donald Trump is spending MILLIONS on a UFC fight," X (formerly Twitter), June 12, 2026 2:21 p.m."Stolen SNAP Benefits Cost Beneficiaries Millions," Government Accountability Office, December 2, 2025.We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!

What happens when God doesn't do what we want Him to do? This profound question sits at the heart of an exploration into the nature of authentic faith. Through the lens of Job's devastating losses and Judas Iscariot's ultimate betrayal, we're confronted with two radically different responses to disappointment with God. Job, who lost everything in a single day—his wealth, his children, his health—fell to the ground and worshiped. Judas, when Jesus didn't establish the earthly kingdom he expected, walked away entirely. The contrast reveals something crucial: suffering doesn't create our faith, it reveals what kind of faith we already have. Are we following Jesus transactionally, expecting Him to serve us and give us the life we want? Or are we following Him transformationally, recognizing that we serve Him, not the other way around? The ancient conversation between God and Satan over Job poses a haunting question that echoes through millennia: would anyone still love God if He stopped giving them the blessings they want? Job's answer—'though He slay me, I will trust Him'—demonstrates that genuine gospel faith clings to God not for what He gives, but for who He is. This message challenges us to examine our own motives and recognize that everything we have is grace, not something God owes us. When we can't trace His hand, we must trust His heart.

Today’s Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel – Matthew 10:1-7 – Jesus summoned His Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus. Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'” Bishop Sheen quote of the day

A meditation preached by Fr. Eric Nicolai on July 8th, 2026, at Kintore College, Toronto.Today's Gospel gives us a glimpse of that luminous moment in which Jesus entrusts his apostles with the most important responsibility of their lives. Nobody has ever been entrusted with a mission as important as this, with such decisive consequences for world history.The account of Jesus' choice of his 12 apostles from Matt 10, 1-7: "Jesus summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.  These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the one who was to betray him."Thumbnail: Massacio (Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone), "Peter Healing the sick with his shadow", Florence, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, 1424-1425.Music: pulsebox piano music-cinematic-552722

Jesus did not choose the most qualified people to change the world. He chose twelve ordinary men, called them to Himself, and sent them out with His authority. This look at Mark 3 and the calling of the twelve disciples explores why Jesus withdrew from the crowds, what He was doing on the mountain, and what His pattern of calling reveals about how God still works today. Topics covered include why Jesus had a boat prepared for His own protection, what the crowds were really looking for, how Jesus spent the night in prayer before appointing His disciples, and what it means that He called them first to be with Him before sending them out. Each of the twelve disciples is introduced with context about who they were, including Simon Peter, James and John the Sons of Thunder, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew the tax collector, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot. Key themes include the calling of the disciples, ordinary people used by God, the Great Commission, spiritual formation, being with Jesus before doing for Jesus, and what it means to be sent. Relevant passages include Mark 3, John 15:16, Acts 4:13, Acts 17:6, Luke 22:22, and 1 Corinthians 1:26-27. If you have ever wondered whether God can use someone like you, this is for you. The disciples had no impressive credentials. Their only qualification was that Jesus wanted them. And those same ordinary men turned the world upside down. Relevant keywords and topics: calling of the twelve disciples, Mark 3 Bible study, who were the twelve apostles, ordinary people used by God, Christian discipleship, spiritual formation, come and follow Jesus, Great Commission, being sent by God, how God calls people, New Testament discipleship, Christian calling and purpose, Jesus and His disciples, apostles of Jesus, faith and obedience, how to follow Jesus, Christian living, Bible teaching, church sermon, gospel mission.

At the Last Supper, Jesus revealed to his disciples that one of them would betray him. When they asked who it was, Jesus gave them a sign: he dipped a piece of bread and handed it to Judas, identifying Judas Iscariot, the Son of Simon, as the one who would betray Him. Verses: John 13: 21-28, 1 Corinthians 2: 8 Pastor: Daniel Hendrickson

The key to John 13 is verse 3 - Jesus washed feet "knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands." He served from total security. Not from obligation, desperation, or guilt. From abundance. That's the engine. Freedom from God's full acceptance produces service. Obligation produces resentment. Galatians 5:13-15 (ESV) For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.John 13:1-17 (ESV)Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Share a commentSome of the most important disciples in the New Testament are the ones we barely notice. We wrap up our walk through Luke 6 by slowing down for the “last four” names on the list, and the result is both comforting and confronting. If you've ever felt ordinary, overlooked, or unsure your life is making a difference, this conversation reframes what spiritual impact actually means.We talk about James the son of Alpheus, sometimes called James the Less, a man with almost no recorded moments and yet a full calling from Christ. From there we dig into Simon the Zealot and the shocking reality that Jesus put a political firebrand side by side with a former tax collector, turning clashing backgrounds into a living picture of church unity. We also explore Judas the son of James, known as Thaddeus, whose tender question in John's Gospel highlights how Jesus reveals himself personally, one heart at a time.Then we deal honestly with Judas Iscariot: trusted, involved, and indistinguishable to the group, yet ultimately a traitor. It's a sobering reminder that exposure to truth is not the same as belief. We close with Matthias, why the apostolic office is unique, and a vivid illustration of the gospel as music played through ordinary instruments in the hands of the Maestro. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review. What part of the disciples' story hits closest to home for you? Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/Support the show

Share a commentSome of the most important disciples in the New Testament are the ones we barely notice. We wrap up our walk through Luke 6 by slowing down for the “last four” names on the list, and the result is both comforting and confronting. If you've ever felt ordinary, overlooked, or unsure your life is making a difference, this conversation reframes what spiritual impact actually means.We talk about James the son of Alpheus, sometimes called James the Less, a man with almost no recorded moments and yet a full calling from Christ. From there we dig into Simon the Zealot and the shocking reality that Jesus put a political firebrand side by side with a former tax collector, turning clashing backgrounds into a living picture of church unity. We also explore Judas the son of James, known as Thaddeus, whose tender question in John's Gospel highlights how Jesus reveals himself personally, one heart at a time.Then we deal honestly with Judas Iscariot: trusted, involved, and indistinguishable to the group, yet ultimately a traitor. It's a sobering reminder that exposure to truth is not the same as belief. We close with Matthias, why the apostolic office is unique, and a vivid illustration of the gospel as music played through ordinary instruments in the hands of the Maestro. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review. What part of the disciples' story hits closest to home for you? Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/Support the show

Ryan and Alex journey through the Gnostic scriptures, Plato's Timaeus, mystery religions, the symbolism of the stars, the teachings of Zoroaster, and the enigmatic Gospel of Judas Iscariot.

CLICK HERE for videoMatthew 9:36-10:8At the sight of the crowds, Jesus' heart was moved with pity for thembecause they were troubled and abandoned,like sheep without a shepherd.Then he said to his disciples,“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.”Then he summoned his twelve disciplesand gave them authority over unclean spiritsto drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.The names of the twelve apostles are these:first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Friends of the Rosary,As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states (863), the Church is, and remains, apostolic through the successors of St. Peter and the other apostles. All the faithful share a vocation to the apostolate of spreading Christianity on earth.We read today (Matthew 9:36—10:8) how Christ the Lord summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority to cure the sick from any disease, raise the dead, drive out demons, and proclaim: “The kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”They were: “Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”Also, this Sunday we see how Jesus' heart — his sacred heart — “was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.”The Lord was moved with pity because he wanted each person in that crowd to respond to his love.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

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers in His harvest.” And He called to Him His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. These twelve Jesus sent out … (Matthew 9:35-10:5a)

Fr. Mike points out the secrecy in Judas' life, and highlights Jesus' words of conviction to the disciples before his death on the cross. He also explains how important it is to bring Jesus into our temptation, and to not hide our hearts from him like Judas did. Today's readings are John 13-15 and Proverbs 6:6-11. 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.