Podcast appearances and mentions of king nebuchadnezzar

Daniel 3:28 shows how the bold faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego made even King Nebuchadnezzar acknowledge God's power. Their trust, courage, and obedience became a testimony. This message reminds us that when we stand firm in our faith, others can recognize God through our actions, our character, and our unwavering devotion

Daniel 3:1, 8-30 Due to some technical issues, the beginning of Susan's sermon was cut off. On this first Sunday of Advent 2025, we were introduced to the theme for Advent: "Be Amazed!" This week's focus was on the three youths, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who refused to bow down to the image of King Nebuchadnezzar. As a result, they are thrown into the fiery furnace. Yet God protects them. (Image of the fiery furnace by artist Konstantinos Adrianoupolitis, in the public domain.)

The message today focuses on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's lives. They chose to obey God rather than bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar. But who is this King Nebuchadnezzar? Who are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Why were they willing to die for their faith?What is an unshakeable faith all about?Join our community:Facebook: https://facebook.com/UECPhilippinesFacebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/UnitedEvangelicalChurchofthePhilippinesInstagram: https://instagram.com/uecphilippines/Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/uecphilippinesViber: https://bitly.com/UECPViberComm

At first glance, it might not look like the image of gold created by King Nebuchadnezzar so many millennia ago would have very much to do with cutting-edge AI here in the 21st century, but upon closer inspection we begin to see some stunning similarities. Not only that, it would appear that Artificial Intelligence itself is referenced multiple times in the scripture of truth. How is that possible? Because your King James Bible is always ahead of tomorrow's headlines, whatever they may be.“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Daniel 12:4 (KJB)On this episode of Rightly Dividing, we go deep into the pages of Bible prophecy to see if we can see what's going on in 2025, and as it turns out, we sure can. Donald Trump just launched something called ‘The Genesis Mission', and it was so shocking that we had to do an emergency Podcast about it earlier today. I didn't even come close to getting at all the points I wanted to, so tonight we dismantle Trump's ‘Genesis Mission' monster to see what's making it tick.

Eight Things We Need to Understand About Going Through the Refiner's Fire • Friday Service Website: www.PastorTodd.org To give: www.ToddCoconato.com/give FULL SCRIPTURES (NKJV) 1. Daniel 3:17–18 “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” 2. Daniel 3:24–25 “Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, ‘Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?' … ‘Look!' he answered, ‘I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.'” 3. Isaiah 43:2 “When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.” 4. Malachi 3:2–3 “For He is like a refiner's fire and like launderers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver…” 5. Isaiah 48:10 “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.” 6. 1 Peter 1:6–7 “…though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 7. James 1:2–4 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience… that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” 8. Zechariah 13:9 “I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them…”

Servant Marcia Carty delivers a critical message examining the age-old battle between righteousness (the path of the Tree of Life) and self-serving ambition (the path of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil). The message begins by tracing mankind's fall back to the choice in Eden, connecting it directly to the rampant wickedness and angelic disobedience that necessitated the flood in the days of Noah. She highlights the contrast between the givers like Abel and the getters like Cain, whose lineage embodied warfare and self-absorption. This "get" mentality, which ignores the hurt of others for personal pleasure, is identified as the core danger today. The message serves as a stark warning: The earth is rapidly returning to the chaotic, violent, and hybridized state of Noah's day. -- The choice between the two trees—Life (giving) and Knowledge of Good and Evil (getting)—is what determines your eternal destiny. -- The pre-flood world experienced a massive population explosion, rapid technological advancement, and long lifespans, but descended into extreme wickedness, warfare, and violence. -- The days of Noah included the creation of a hybrid race (the Nephilim) from the union of disobedient angelic beings ("sons of God") and human women ("daughters of men"), which was a primary cause for the flood. -- The wickedness of Noah's day—eating, drinking, marrying, and perverse actions—continued right up to the moment of judgment, demonstrating that a wicked nature is hard to stop. -- Righteousness, which is pursued by those who choose the Tree of Life, involves practice, justice, enduring suffering, character, and fleeing youthful passions. -- The prophecy interpreted by Daniel for King Nebuchadnezzar about the end-of-days mixture (iron, clay, brass, silver, and gold) suggests that the mixture of humanity and angelic seed will occur again as the end-time prophecy of "as it were in the days of Noah" unfolds. Scriptures for Further Study -- Genesis 3 -- 2 Peter -- Jude -- Numbers 13 -- Matthew 24:37 -- 1 John 3 -- Romans 5 -- 2 Corinthians 5 -- Isaiah 33 -- 2 Timothy 2 -- Nahum 3 -- Daniel 2 +++++++ We have begun building a new website which you can see here: https://www.noahdays.org/

In this passage, we see King Nebuchadnezzar's actions in response to Daniel's perfect interpretation of his dream of the statue. The King's response to build a self-glorifying golden statue and demand its worship and the people's response to this command reveals mankind's tendency for vain glory, apart from the Holy Spirit. In this desire for ‘glory,' Satan exploits an individual's insecurities, weakness, and emptiness to incite them to ungodly, Satanic behavior.In contrast, Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego give us an example of courageous faith in the midst of great persecution. Their ‘perfect moment' refusing to worship any other god teaches us how to stand firm in what we believe— with courage, integrity, and respect.

Will It Be Peace or Persecution? (1) (audio) David Eells – 11/23/25 The short answer is: It depends on what you need to be ready to face the Lord. Some of this report is bad news. I suggest you pray for God's people and against the threats. I want to share two parables of Babylon. New York City has been known to be a Babylon. Also, the United States has been known as a type of Babylon. The lesser is a warning to the greater. As we can see, Zohran Mamdani, who is clearly representing Muslims, who lies and most of what he promised cannot come to pass. He is apparently by his own words a communist. There is proof out there that the vote count has once again been manipulated. The political left is clearly believing that this is their ticket to get back into power, which is waking people up. Zohran's intern has explained that electing him is part of a Jihad and holy war. This is obviously a call to all the hidden forces of Islam and communists to come to his aid. New York City will draw like a magnet these forces to come to them and join their political, legal, and law enforcement to support him. Lawlessness will be legalized there; crime will be rampant. Exactly what we see in the invasion of Europe and Scandinavia are being established in NY. However factious leftists are by far the greatest threat to the whole country. Tribulation and persecution for Christians will also manifest. It is ordained of God because “Christianity” is not Christian. Revival is coming because of persecution. Obama has joined himself to Zohran as an advisor, for Zoran has no political experience. Obama has been prophesied as an Alexander the Great to overthrow the US. (Of which we will speak of later.) He has acknowledged this but thinks it to be a great thing. We are going through repeats of history, which must happen as the scripture has said in Ecc.1:9 That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Three succeeding empires of history are being repeated. We have been under the DS leftist Babylonian Empire. This was and is being conquered by Cyrus/Trump of the Medo-Persian Empire. We are preparing to go under the Grecian Empire of Alexander the Great. You are seeing the preparation for this one now. It will end with the mark of the beast in Revelation 13. These are not sudden changes but a fading in and a fading out. Preparations must be made. The sooner Christians will become disciples of Christ, Who is the Word, the sooner God will have mercy, and we will escape some of this. The camel's head is in the tent; the body follows. Get out of the big sin cities; judgment will fall there. Brain drain and economic collapse will come to NY. Low IQ will follow the leftist policies, as we can see already. Last I heard over 350 police have fled and Mamdani has said he will replace them with social workers. How does this work when they face people with guns? Most of the crime in the US is in these blue cities. Natural and unnatural catastrophes will come there.  New age foolishness is all through the Alliance, NESARA, GCR, movement. They call it the “Golden Age” and “thousand years of peace and prosperity.” But it will be cut short because the Book of Revelation now comes with its tribulation wilderness, as Israel found out when they came out of Egypt with their gold in their pockets. They ground it up and threw it in the river; it was so valuable. While it lasts, it will help get the gospel to the world, and the end will come.  Where does the Book of Revelation declare we are going? Rev.12:1 And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman (The worldwide Church) arrayed with the sun(/Son), and the moon (reflecting the light of the sun/Son) under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars (knowledge from the 12 apostles); 2 and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered. 3 And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold, a great red (communist) dragon, having seven heads (The worldwide seed of the 7 biblical beasts who ruled God's people) and ten horns (The worldwide 10 continental divisions of the earth. The dragon was the god of Babylon, which is now worldwide.), and upon his heads seven diadems. 4 And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven (The falling away of 1/3 of the seed of Abraham according to faith, which God said was as the stars.), and did cast them to the earth (lost their place in heaven): and the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may devour her child. 5 And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they (the man-child body) may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days (As their type Jesus did). 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; 8 and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. 10 And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time. 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man-child. (through fake Christianity and left wing communist Islam) 14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle (man-child overcomers), that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time (Man-child feeds her for 1st 31/2 years of wilderness trib as it was with the disciples of Jesus.), from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. (Jesus gave us the Living waters of His Word and the devil gives us the killing waters of the beast.) 17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus: (Then the dragon becomes a worldwide beast who hates the saints and creates the mark to get rid of them.) Rev.13:1 and he stood upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy. (They become their own god as men always do.) … 4 and they worshipped the dragon, because he gave his authority unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? and who is able to war with him? (Because it is a one world order and army.)… 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and there was given to him authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. 8 And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, every one whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain. Then they repeat Emperor Constantine's solution. Because the Empire was divided by antichrist religions, they created a different kind of beast; a one-world religion to force people to worship the political beast, a form of patriotism and pledge of allegiance. … 11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb (A false Jesus), and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast in his sight. And he maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose death-stroke was healed. 13 And he doeth great signs, that he should even make fire to come down out of heaven (DEW weapons) upon the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given him to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who hath the stroke of the sword and lived. (Cyrus/Trump is killing the beast and they will resurrect it.) 15 And it was given unto him to give breath (Greek: spirit) to it, even to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak (The image of the beast is the people as in Daniels vision), and cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (As it was with Daniel and the three Hebrews) 16 And he causeth all (All the lost people are identified as the beast by its mark), the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand (works), or upon their forehead (mind); 17 and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, even the name of the beast (Name meaning, the nature, character, and authority of the beast or the flesh) or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man: and his number is Six hundred and sixty and six. (666) Paul said if we walk after the flesh we must die. Whereas the next verse speaks of the man-child company who will lead the people to have the name, meaning the nature, character, and authority of the Lord in their mind and works.) 14:1 And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand (Man-child body), having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads. … 4 These are they that were not defiled with women (the sects or denominations of men); for they are virgins (receiving no seed of man but the Lord as the Parable of the Sower says). These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, to be the firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no lie: they are without blemish. (Notice, they do not believe or speak the lies of religion. The truth will set us free.)   Obama Conquers US, Then Dies? David Eells - 2008 Obama Assassinated Rick Sergent - 07/15/2008, 08/24/2008 I say this with great reluctance. I was visiting my friend Mary in Indiana on 7/15/08. I was in her kitchen, at the table. I heard in my spirit, “Obama will be assassinated.” This really brought sorrow to my spirit… I struggled about going public with this. Then on 8/24/08 I was talking on the phone with a friend about that three-year-old missing girl in Florida when I saw a vision of a round tombstone and Obama's name was on it. That made me decide to share this.   Obama Inaugurated and Assassinated Eve Brast - 07/19/2008 As I watched Mr. Obama give a speech, I looked left down the street and had an open vision of his inauguration outside another government building with another crowd around him. It was still dark in this dream and in the open vision, also. (He is acting as another president in darkness and gathering his army.) I felt and thought “tragedy” when I looked at him. The next word that came to my mind was “assassination.” I thought to myself, “It is a shame he will be sacrificed and doesn't even know it.” Will Barack Obama conquer the great eagle of Babylon, as a type of the U.S., and then use it to conquer Persia (Cyrus/Trump), just as Alexander the Great conquered Persia before he died? Will he conquer Cyrus/Trump? Will this bring in the tribulation and persecution of the saints? Robert I. Holmes said the following: In 1999, as I prepared to travel to the US on ministry, the Lord gave me a very unusual prophetic word. He said that, “In the days of Babylon (the U.S.), when her walls stood wide and her leaders stood tall, her defenses were strong and her campaigns victorious, Alexander the Great (Obama) came and defeated her. In the same way, my Alexander will stand in the very midst of the United States of America”. I believe that God's “Alexander” is Barack Obama. He has now stood in the middle of America, and declared his victory speech in Grant Park in Chicago. (He and his “family” were all dressed in red and black, the colors of anarchy.) There, he prophetically declared, “Change has come to America”, and “The American Empire is coming to an end”. Obama is Sunni and Iran is Shiite. I believe they will be successful, at least initially. It was that way with Iraq, too. Amos's revelation seems to confirm this. I also do not rule out that Obama will use surrogates like Israel to do this and then claim some innocence. This is his favorite form of warfare. Amos Scaggs heard on 3/09/06: “We are going to invade Iran on three fronts with an overwhelming force and be victorious.” (At least Israel and the U.S. did a lot to take down the Islamic regime in 2025.) Also, on 3/07/06, he heard: “We broke their code -- The enemy.” According to type in Jeremiah 25, there are only two times the U.S. could conquer Iran. Jer.25:9 behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith Jehovah, and [I will send] unto Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon (U.S.), my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about (Middle East); and I will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations. (This has been happening by using nation against nation and ethnic group against ethnic group.) 25:12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith Jehovah, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate for ever. (Babylon Deep State has been mostly destroyed by Cyrus/Trump.) The Lord showed me that in this 70 years the U.S. will be trampling the Middle East. The list of nations that are conquered during this time are in Jeremiah 25:17-26, and the last verse is when Babylon, as a type of the Deep State U.S., falls. The last on the list before Babylon is Elam or Iran, along with the Medes and the kings of the north. This is the only time in the list Iran is conquered, unless it is conquered to some extent before this seven-year tribulation list of wars. This is what I believe will happen, since the last war seems to be mixed with the kings of the north, which is probably Russia and company, and since this is the time Babylon fell, too. Also, I do not believe Obama will live to the end of the tribulation because of all the assassination dreams. This is what I wrote years before the U.S. struck Iran. “So, I think that the U.S. will in some form strike Iran before the tribulation (This came to pass by taking out their nuclear capabilities and arming Israel to do the job.) and help cause the tribulation covenant, as we will see below.” In Daniel's vision, he was in Elam (Persia/Iran) and saw the Medo-Persian (Cyrus, identified as Trump) Ram pushing westward. Dan.8:2 And I saw in the vision; now it was so, that when I saw, I was in Shushan the palace, which is in the province of Elam (Persia/Cyrus/Trump); and I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai. 3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns (Medo-Persians – Cyrus/Trump): and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward and southward; and no beasts could stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself. (Yep, that's him) Then, Daniel saw a he-goat (Alexander/Obama) that flies over the face of the whole earth without touching the ground (Using the airforce) 5 And as I was considering, behold, a he-goat (originally Alexander the Great's Grecian Empire - Second fulfillment - Barak Obama's U.S. Empire) came from the west over the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 And he came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and ran upon him in the fury of his power. 7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him; but he cast him down to the ground, and trampled upon him; and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. 8 And the he-goat magnified himself exceedingly: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken. (Obama will possibly be assassinated according to many dreams, and that would be after he as Alexander brings down Cyrus/Trumps empire. Several attempts have failed so far.) Michael Hare asked the Lord on 4/19/15, “Where are we now?” and then received: Dan.7:6 After this I beheld, and, lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon its back four wings of a bird; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. We knew this was Alexander the Great's kingdom, which was divided up by 4 generals at his death, and it reminded us of this revelation. Obama is ordained of God to judge apostate Christianity in America and wake up her sleeping multitudes to truly seek the Lord. Prophetically, the next thing Daniel describes in type is the saints in tribulation in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes (8:9-14), a type of the Beast. It is possible that this attack on Medo-Persia/Cyrus/Trump would bring the tribulation. Dan.8:9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious [land]. (The saints are God's glorious land now according to scripture.) 10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled upon them. (The beast will cause a great falling away through the mark of the beast.) 11 Yea, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the host (The High Priest, Jesus); and it took away from him the continual [burnt-offering] (the crucified life), and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 12 And the host was given over [to it] together with the continual [burnt-offering] through transgression; and it cast down truth to the ground (fits), and it did [its pleasure] and prospered. This describes the great persecution against Christians who have a continual burnt offering through offering up their beastly flesh as a living sacrifice in the fiery trials. The mark will bring an end of this sacrifice for many apostate Christians and they will be cast down as the sanctuary of God and the seed of Abraham by faith, who are identified as the stars of heaven by God.   The Perfect Storm in the Middle East: ISIS, Iran, Saudi, Egypt Avi Lipkin - 03/04/2015 Some points made in this video - 4/07/15 Avi's wife Rachael works for Israel listening to Arab broadcasts, since she knows the language. Here are some things she heard: President Obama was in Egypt in 2009 and he swore to the Prime Minister he was a Muslim, that his father was a Muslim, that his stepfather was a Muslim, and that he was raised in a mosque. On January 19, 2010, he said, “I swear what I am going to do with Israel”. (Meaning to destroy Israel.) Rachael picks up other broadcasts in which she heard where the Saudis said Obama have three commands from the Saudis: Command #1: To destroy the Shiite regime in Iran. That will be done by Israel. (Happening) Command #2: Destroy Israel. I.e., let Iran and Israel duke it out. (Happened) Israel attacks Iran and they destroy each other; destroy two birds with one stone. (Iran deal to destroy Israel announced on ominous date) Command #3: Make America a Muslim country. The plan is to bring tens of millions of Muslims into the United States. (There appears to be plenty of proof of this statement on Muslim broadcasts: Unscreened Muslims are flooding the U.S. by over 100,000 a year. 190 U.S. cities chosen by the Administration for invasion by Muslims. ISIS is in the US and will attack. Will ISIS Attack on American Soil Soon? Avi's comments: When things get really bad, Obama will be on the Muslim side. He is working with Iran now to push Israel into a corner where they will have to defend themselves. ISIS was born primarily by Saudi, Turkey, and the American backing of these Sunnis. Avi says what will end up being a perfect storm when Shiites attack Saudi Arabia from Yemen (the south)(done) and ISIS attacks them from the north. But ISIS hates the royalty because their morality copies the West. Egypt will come in from the west to save the royals. And Avi wonders if it might become so bad for the Saudi royalty that they will ask Israel to attack from the north. Considering the things truly coming on the world what Kind of person should we be? Luk.21:34 But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare: 35 for so shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth. 36 But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. 2Pe 3:11 Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, 12 looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight. 15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you; 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17 Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own steadfastness. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and for ever. Amen.   Fleeing Bradon @ Last Days – 11/10/25 (David's notes in red) Brandon pieced together two previous video clips from 7/21/25 and 7/17/25 about what he sees in New York prior to the November election and its outcome. Portions of transcript: “…I see a mass exodus of all the rich people leaving New York because of the decisions that will be made in the future. (November elections) I saw New York City on fire. There were fires throughout the city. I could see the Statue of Liberty, and I saw smoke rolling all around the atmosphere above it. Even at her neck level, there was fire and smoke from inside the city, and I could see the flames burning.” The Lord said, “The seed is the ballot. For when they vote a wrong person into power, they vote corruption into power, and the seeds they sow for corruption bring forth a reprobate mind in the city.” “For seed time and harvest never ceases. For it is whatsoever man sows, that will he also reap.” He said, “There's a time to live and there's a time to die. There's a time to sew and there's a time to reap. A time to plant and a time to harvest.” He was saying this because they had sown in this way. And the Lord showed me David Wilkerson's face, and He said, “Remember what he said. Go and look at what he said. I gave a word to him. I spoke a prophetic warning through David Wilkerson years ago. Go find it and study it. I want you to hear what he prophesied would happen as people vote in the wrong people.” This is the prophetic word from David Wilkerson: “I stood in this pulpit two weeks ago, and it took every bit of Holy Ghost courage He could give me to say what I had to say. But I have felt this for weeks. I believe that New York City is in for 30 days of chastisement, such as America has never seen in any American city. I see at least a thousand fires burning in every burrow. Every business that's on the brink right now, deciding whether to move out of the city, will move. There's a hemorrhage already, and the economic base is collapsing. We're a third-world city already. I don't care what Mayor Dinkens says. It's a third-world city. We have a murder every hour on the hour now. A major crime every 20 seconds. This is a murder city. And I believe that we're going to see such chaos and anarchy in New York City coming. I don't know when, but I don't think it's too far off. And I don't know what's going to set it off. There will be no planes, trains, or anything coming into this city for probably two weeks. And all those who have money and are able to will escape. And New York City, our crown city, because of its absolute rebellion against God, its absolute sinfulness and wickedness, is going to be chastised. And this is God! He could have sent hydrogen bombs from Russia before this, and society would have collapsed and wiped us off the map. But no, He gives us warnings. He slaps our wrist and says, “Look, I'm talking to you.” And that's what AIDS is. It's a message. All of these calamities are messages. And God's saying, ‘Wake up.'” Brandon says, “I feel like that word is exactly what I saw. I saw thousands of fires burning inside New York. I saw a mass exodus of people leaving New York, but it would become a ruinous heap. There was judgment set in; I'm telling y'all folks, it was bad. People were leaving New York City, and I saw them going south.” The Lord spoke to me, and He said, “Mystery Babylon is coming.” And that is probably very controversial to many because a lot of people believe differently about who Mystery Babylon is. But the Lord spoke to me specifically about New York. And He said, “It's coming.” I saw Gavin Newsom's time is coming up. I saw former President Biden getting ready to go home soon. I saw him being buried; he's old, right? Everybody's going to die, right? But the Lord said it's coming. We also pray over Trump and his kids because if they can't get to him, they try to get to what he loves the most, his kids and grandkids. These people want revenge for their leaders in Iran. There's an enemy within. We must pray for an uncovering and turning on the light, exposing the cockroaches who are in our nation. Next clip: “I see people making big decisions. Relocation, relocation, relocation. This is a lot of people moving from the East Coast to the central area, like the Chicago area, and all around Ohio. They're being stirred on the East Coast, moving down [south]. Big decisions will be made around New York… “ Darkness is trying to set in. Great Mystery Babylon! It will be like a dark blanket will blanket over them. If they choose this man, I see a dark blanket blanketing, and people will flee. I hear the word, “Flee, flee, flee...” They will leave by the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands. People, I see them fleeing as he's voted in. People will know that this is the end. Well, Father, you know, if he'll be voted in or not. I'm seeing that it is going to happen. He said, “No, they still have a choice. They have a choice to vote.” The Lord held up a veil, and I don't see the outcome. But I see the outcome if they vote this way concerning this man. I see a dark, dark cloud, like a dark blanket over them. And I see financial structures falling. I see the financial institution, all the money falling. I see them fleeing the city. It's like a mass migration and people fleeing from certain areas.   Crime Will Skyrocket  InfoWARS – 11/10/25 (David's notes in red) Mamdani Says He'll Replace Fleeing NY Cops with Social Workers by Raw Egg Nationalist, November 10th, 2025 New York's socialist mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has said he's not bothered about facing a backlash from the city's police department, as he reiterated his plan to use social workers to carry out law-enforcement duties instead. (I would not be surprised if he got some of these people killed.) Mamdani was in Puerto Rico on Friday for a meeting of New York politicians when he spoke to reporters and said the increase in the numbers of police officers leaving the force is a clear sign his radical policies are needed. Mamdani seems confused as to why police have started leaving the force at a rate of 350 per month during his campaign. Promises to fix this with a plan for a Department of Community Safety… which he campaigned on. pic.twitter.com/cwnUDT6iun — Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) November 8, 2025 Transcript: “I'm not worried about the backlash. What I'm worried about, frankly, is the continuation of a retention crisis that we've seen only deepen during the course of this campaign,” Mamdani said. “When we began, there were about 200 officers leaving a month, and by the end of the campaign, it was about 350. And a lot of that has to do with the fact that we've asked police officers for far too long to do much more than just police work. We've asked them to be responding to the mental health crisis and the homelessness crisis (OMG), and that's why we're going to create a Department of Community Safety that will be tasked with accomplishing those facts and allowing police officers to be police officers.” Mamdani has enjoyed a fraught relationship with New York's police force since announcing his run for mayor. Like many radical leftists, he has called for “abolishing the police,” and during the campaign he promised sweeping reform of law-enforcement, including bail reform. Senior police figures have been vocal in their criticism of him. “If you put a guy like him in there, our people are going to get hurt, and nobody's going to want the job. It's going to put recruitment back five more steps,” NYPD Detectives' Endowment Association president Scott Munro said in a statement to The New York Post in June. “I've had guys call me and say, ‘If he wins, I'm quitting,'” a police source also told the outlet “It's just weird that New York City would vote for him. I know he's not here for the police.” During his visit to Puerto Rico, Mamdani visited a local mosque and was greeted with loud chants of “Allahu Akhbar”—”God is great!” Footage of Mamdani's visit was posted to social media. He delivered a speech in which he focused on major aspects of his radical campaign, including “economic justice” and “exploitation,” and invoked radical figures, including Malcolm X. He also helped distribute meals at the mosque after Friday prayers. Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral race last Tuesday, defeating former state governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani was widely predicted to win the race. He has promised a radical socialist program, including criminal-justice reform, rent controls and increased taxes for white neighborhoods, and is also rumored to want to turn New York into a national “sanctuary” for gender-realignment surgery. Infowars reported yesterday that a GOP lawmaker has proposed a new “Mamdani Act” to limit federal funding for New York while Zohran Mamdani is mayor. The legislation, which will be introduced by Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), is called the Moving American Money Distant from Anti-National Interests Act, or the “MAMDANI Act” for short. The short bill, just two pages long, states “notwithstanding any other provision of law, during any period in which Zohran Mamdani is mayor of New York, New York… any unobligated Federal funds available” for the city “are hereby rescinded” and “no Federal funds may be obligated or expended for any purpose to New York, New York.”   The Coming Coup d'état Rick Sergent - 07/18/2012 (David's notes in red) Wednesday night, I had a vision. I saw President Obama. He was at a desk. For whatever reason, it did not look like the one in the Oval Office. It seemed to be a smaller room. He was sitting at this desk and stood up when this military man came in. He appeared to be a general. He had stars on his shoulders. He did not look like a U.S. military man. On each shoulder was a red patch. He also had a red patch or mark on the front of his military cap. (It could symbolize the U.S. military submitting to a socialist, Marxist, communist-type government.) The president started to talk, and the general just listened. When the president stood up, he took and raised his left hand and made a fist. He first appeared to slam his fist on the desk. The Lord seemed to zoom me in for a closer look. He had not slammed his fist on the desk, but rather a black Bible on the desk. (The Koran calls Christians and Jews “The people of the Book”. This suggests he will deal harshly with them.) At the time he did this, he said these words to the general: “The people must know that I am the one in control here! We must have boots on the ground to every major city in this country. In smaller cities and towns, the police must know to uphold this law!” The general just nodded his head in acknowledgement and saluted, then left. The vision ended. (This speaks of the coming of martial law when the Constitution and law of the land are overturned, and the US will be ruled by executive order. This could also speak of enforcing Islamic Sharia law.) Quran references At-Taubah 9:29-30 about killing the Jews and the Christians: YUSUFALI: Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya (Muslim tax) with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. PICKTHAL: Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as they believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low. SHAKIR: Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection. More on Sharia Law in the Obama Care Bill and paying the tax or Jizya or tribute spoken of above. A diktat is a settlement imposed on a conquered people. >Beat Obama Committee deciphers stealth Sharia law in Obamacare God turned the U.S. over to this coup because it turned down His peace, love and grace to be saved. Christians are guilty because they have given few examples of true Christianity to the world. Now a cross awaits.   Communism in the White House Dream Winnie Osegueda – 4/22/24 (David's notes in red) I had this vivid dream yesterday when I took a nap, and I was thinking about it and praying about it. Then this morning, I heard Missy bring up the many Chinese people coming through our border and the communists in our government, and I thought there could be a correlation with this dream. I dreamt that I was in front of what looked like the White House, except in my dream, there was an outdoor balcony with a staircase. At the top of the staircase was an Asian couple (who I believe were Chinese) (or representing the Chinese Communists) who were just newly elected to be President and First Lady of the United States (Will this begin in NYC?). They were a young couple, and they seemed pretty surprised to be elected. They were told that the people voted for them. The young Chinese man was a little shorter than the woman, who was wearing a sleeveless white dress and had long, flowing black hair. At first, the couple looked normal, but when I looked up again, the Chinese man's face was now painted bright red; he almost looked like a cartoonish version of Satan (communists?) Suddenly, I was now an observer from the top of the stairs/balcony as if I could see through the eyes of the Chinese woman, and from the top of the stairs, I saw a flood of Chinese people now rushing up the steps of the White House. It seemed to be that this Chinese man and woman being elected opened the floodgates for all these other Chinese people to come in. (This is happening, and the cops and Christians are fleeing NYC.) I began to weep.   The Red Dragon of Revelation 12 Invading Then I looked across the field and saw Obama on another balcony, located across from, but slightly to the left of where I and the couple were standing. I heard Obama say that if the couple would not do it, he would, as he could see there was some hesitation on the woman's part. I believe he meant that he would take over and do the job if they could not, or would not, get the job done. Obama seemed desperate. I could see that he desperately still desired to rule and be President, and really didn't want to let go. He was crouching down trying to get attention by putting his hands through the bars of the balcony. And then I woke up. End of dream. I asked the Lord for a verse by faith at random and received: Jer.5:13 (12-18 for context) They have denied the Lord, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine: 13 and the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them 14 Wherefore thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them. 15 Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the Lord: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say. 16 Their quiver is an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men. 17 And they shall eat up thy harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat; they shall eat up thy flocks and thy herds; they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig-trees; they shall beat down thy fortified cities, wherein thou trustest, with the sword. 18 But even in those days, saith the Lord, I will not make a full end with you. Psa.56:4 (4-9 for context) In God (I will praise his word), In God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid; What can flesh do unto me? 5 All the day long they wrest my words: All their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, They mark my steps, Even as they have waited for my soul. 7 Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, O God. 8 Thou numberest my wanderings: Put thou my tears into thy bottle; Are they not in thy book? 9 Then shall mine enemies turn back in the day that I call: This I know, that God is for me.   Obama Wants to be Worshiped as a God.  Debbie Horton 11/7/25 When Obama was running the first time, or maybe right after he was “elected,” I had a dream that made no sense to me, so I didn't send it in. The main part I recall is that on the subway steps in NYC (BTW some stations are several levels deep), on each landing, there were votive candles burning, but instead of a picture of the Virgin Mary or Jesus, there was a picture of Obama. People were worshiping him. BTW, the subway appeared to be almost empty and shabby and was very dimly lit.   The Trail of Tears Marie Kelton – 11/6/25 (David's notes in red) (We are now native Americans and the trail of tears is a warning to us that history repeats.) During lunch, I went to the Sequoia museum, and I saw on the sign that it said, “The Trail of Tears”. But I didn't think anything of it. As I was eating lunch, the sign came back to my mind, and I asked the Lord, “Oh, is this where the Trail of Tears happened?” All of a sudden, I heard what sounded like native American chanting and drumming. I had an open vision. Native Americans were walking on the gravel trail that was before me. I saw snow on the ground, and there were native Americans covered with brown blankets. There was a Confederate soldier behind the line of native Americans, and I guess one was walking too slowly because he pushed the native American to hurry up and walk faster. Behind the Confederate soldier was a native American man wearing a native American outfit with long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. He was beating a double-sided drum that was in front of him, attached to his chest with powwow drumsticks in both of his hands. Then I had another open vision while looking in the field of native Americans in a circle, and one was dancing by a fire wearing the native American war bonnet. A little way behind them was a bunch of teepees. And I saw Native Americans working outside with their children. And then I heard the Lord say, “They served the creature rather than the Creator.” (Like many Americans) Rom.1:24-25: “Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves: for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” I looked it up on the internet because I wanted to know why the Confederate soldier was in the vision. I learned that the Confederates didn't have anything to do with the Trail of Tears. The Confederacy was formed some years later, but that Trail of Tears influence had caused a division among the Native American tribes, and some of the native American tribes took part in the Civil War becoming allies with the Confederates, the treaties were made with them.   Left, Then Right, Fall Rick Sergent - November 2009 (David's notes in red) I saw a vision of President Obama's face in the foreground. In the background was the White House. There were red numbers floating and circling around his head. The numbers were 666. (The apostle Paul said the spirit of antichrist is already in the world.) I then saw what appeared to be three puffs of white smoke coming from the LEFT SIDE of the outside of the White House. The smoke came straight up, one after the other, three times. I then saw another vision of Nancy Pelosi. She was standing on a platform inside a building. There were many people in what appeared to be a large room. In the vision, I was standing in front of her, toward her left side. I did not see how many people were behind me. Then, all of a sudden, I saw Nancy Pelosi's head get rocked to the right side from an unseen force from the LEFT SIDE. Her head then bounced off her right shoulder and came up, then she crumpled down on the floor. The vision then ended. (She has become a liability to the Left for the Right have all the info on her J-6 deception.) That night, I had a dream. Nancy Pelosi was in the newspaper. I just knew it was an obituary. Even though I did not see the words, I felt in the dream that she was dead. (It appears she was a promoter of the J6 deception to take out Trump.) Then I woke up. Later on, my youngest son, Jeremy, came over the next day and said, “Dad, I had a dream and we were in it. We tried to tell people we were in the tribulation, but nobody would believe us, Dad”. (Even after the trib starts pre-tribbers will be denying it.) This vision and dream were pretty heavy on me, and finally I felt released to share this. I'm not going to try to interpret this. It may be literal or symbolic, as in political suicide(s) -- three puffs of smoke (three leftist leaders ???) I have my own idea, but I'd rather not say. Note from David: 11/15/10 update: Rick's vision appears to have been right on. Possibly, this means three key leaders committed political suicide by going against what the overwhelming majority of Americans wanted with their socialistic agenda. There certainly was a purge. Even the left realizes that they overstepped and asked Nancy Pelosi to step aside now. I'll leave it to you to decide who the most important three were. Update 2025: Could it be the leftist leaders pushing the government shutdown? I believe from past revelations that the left's fall is temporary, and what will follow could be something like this: The NWO crowd, who started all these wars for their own power grab, will sacrifice their right wing, who, with the Christians who supported them, will be blamed for getting us into these wars. It appears the 9/11 false flag from the right is being revealed more publicly so that the next false flag from the left will be blamed on the right and the Christian “terrorists” who supported it. The NWO has been spreading literature and hatred against the right for some time, using the word “terrorists” even in memos to civil authorities and police. Obama has made steps to clear the way for them to go after Bush and the right wing for war crimes. Christians will be persecuted for their support. The next strike on the U.S. will hasten this. Tribulation is coming soon after a terrible war. Most won't believe it is the tribulation.   Civil War Is Coming Mary Dooley - 01/07/2009 (David's notes in red) In the dream, I was standing at a crossroads that was close to the beach, in that I could clearly see the open sky over the ocean in front of me. (I had asked God to tell me if I had any fruit before I went to sleep, and had the dream and at the crossroads where I was standing, I was next to a fruit stand. If I had to quantify the amount, I'd say it was 60% my height. (I am going for the 100-fold.) To my right, I could see that there was a battle in the air, as I could see the smoke from the jets. To my left, two planes that were unlike any I have ever seen (and I have seen quite a few since 1988, living on or near military bases), they were speeding at low level toward the battle. (A battle for the “air waves” between left and right, first politically and then physically.) I knew in the dream that they were Turkish. They were totally black. (Turkey fell out with Israel over the Gaza war and is pushing the left more to the left, if that's possible, concerning their support for Israel. They have also threatened Israel if they move against the puppets of the Iranians. The first nation to fall to the new Babylon one world order was Israel [Jer.25:17,18,29], which is also a type for Christianity.) Next, from the left again, something was coming in the air. It was something big and black, with black smoke coming out from it in all directions. As it got closer, I could see something orange on its nose. Then I realized it was a black airship or blimp, (notice both sides are in darkness) and the orange thing on the nose was a jack-o-lantern. (This represents Halloween, Babylon DS's “Satan's birthday”, when the Celts say the living are closest to the dead and the forces of darkness are at work) The eyes, nose and mouth were orange because the inside of the airship was on fire. As the airship passed in front of me, I saw that it was slowing down and being totally consumed internally, as the orange flames were destroying it quickly. It stopped in front of me and fell into the ocean. (There is a battle going on for the “airwaves” before the physical battle. The left has used many inventions to shoot down the conservatives' command of the “airwaves”. On a more natural level, blimps cannot compete with jets, which are weapons. They are clumsy, slow, lack power and are relics of the past for warfare. This spiritually describes the badly outmatched right-wing when the U.S. is turned over to chastening by the communists and Islamists. The right have plenty of evidence of their evil but are slow to enforce it. The conservative Babylonish Christian movement that is rising up to “take the nation back” from the left wing who is trying to kill everybody with their weapons to have control. Vax, chemtrails, poison in food and water and animals we eat, engineered hurricanes, earthquakes, Satanism rising, etc. Other 9/11's are coming from the Left, and the blame will be put on the Right in part because so much proof is coming forward of the Bush administration's part in the first 9/11 that they will be blamed for this, too, by the left and the left-wing media. Like the Kirk assassination and threats against Tucker and other right wing influencers. The left is putting the blame on the right-wing Christian defenders of Israel, while they slaughter Gaza. This causes anger against Christians.) I felt like I should run to higher ground because the airship was so big, and I was so close that it might cause a big wave to hit me (This will bring great persecution to the Christians), so I ran upstairs into one of the nearby, rather short buildings behind me. (Christians will no doubt need to get to the High and Holy Ground of Scriptural foundation to escape this coming disaster from the division of America. The scriptures declare that militant Christians will lose this battle badly in the eyes of the world. Crucifixions are coming for those who need them. The Pharisees laughed at Jesus, thinking He lost on the cross. Listen to U.S. Covenant & Civil War) Now I knew I was on a Navy base, as I went up about one or two stories and an enlisted man in uniform was leaning back in his chair, with his hands behind his head, rather unconcerned. He was at the back end of what looked to be a small movie theatre, with the screen to my left. No one was in the room but the enlisted man who, from where he was sitting, would probably be the person running the projector. I told him what had happened, and he said, “Yes, my father was on that airship.” I was surprised at how unmoved he was. (A younger left-wing generation that has rebelled against the conservative morals and constitutional respect of the forefathers will show no mercy or pity on them in the coming civil war. An antichrist spirit is sweeping the world, much like anti-Semitism during the Nazi era. A great backlash against the Christians will come from this. The Left will have complete control over the media, typed by the movie projector, to bring a worldwide persecution of Christianity. Most Christians will not believe that this is of God to bring back true Christianity through persecution and revival. Read Sovereign God for rest and peace.) Next, I was outside at the crossroads again. (Crossroads here represents a fateful change for the future.) Now I could see that there was a convoy, almost like a parade, coming home from the direction of the air battle. I got the impression they were victorious, as they did not even appear tired or dirty, more like inspection-ready. They were sitting in tiers, like bleachers, on top of a vehicle bringing them back to the base. They were in camouflage uniforms, wearing dark glasses and holding flags. (These are hiding from the truth willfully; hiding from the Son, behind patriotism.) The flags were full-size and easy to see, as each person had a flag and held it stretched out in front of him. The flags were stiff, like posters, and they were held on each end. (The flags were stiff, cheap fakes of what the real flag that was blown by the wind stood for. Also, this is a “false flag” banner of victory over the right-wing and Christians.) Now I could see that the flags were distinctly Confederate, and the convoy was taking the curve in the road to their left. There were only two choices at this intersection: curve sharply to the left, or sharply to the right. I did not see anyone going to the right. (The conservative/religious right will lose badly. The rebels against our forefathers' morality will win. The country will turn sharply to the left, where the goats go in Jesus' parable. Like the Confederate rebels, their interest is to cast off any moral or constitutional restraint and keep black men, as a type of those who walk in darkness, or sinners, in bondage. Like the confederates, their money will also be worthless.) End of dream. On the 11th of January, I was at work. A Christian patient was about to leave when suddenly she remembered that her teenage daughter had a dream that night. She said an angel took her into the air, where there was a tremendous air battle going on, and it was so loud and disturbing that she covered her ears, and then the angel brought her back to her bed. She then woke her mom up to tell her and was crying because it was so disturbing, and she is only 16. I told her mom about my dream. (The argument between right and left will get very loud, polarizing the country and tearing it apart.) About three days after this, I called my very good friend, Ellen. I told her that I had had a dream that I wanted to tell her. She stopped me and said she just had one, and so she told me her dream first. She said that she was caught in the middle of a war that was about to start. She said she was trying to find cover behind a house, and that the battle was about to begin, and she was trying to help a little girl find cover, too. I asked her what kind of battle -- as in modern, or something from the past. She said, “It's a revolutionary...no, it's a civil war”. I believe this Civil War will escalate from the war of words over the “air” waves to physical weapons sometime soon. The negative rhetoric is causing people, especially leftists, to go crazy Many say guns will be needed if others fail to submit to their principles. Communists and Islamists are already this way. Polarization is everywhere. If you, as a Christian, think God has called you to fight and kill, you desperately need to read The Sword or the Cross? and listen to the Honor the king? series. Many Christians are victims of neglecting their Bibles and their consciences. Remember, if a man's ways please the Lord, He makes his enemies to be at peace with him. Obviously God is raising up a beast to bring Christians to their cross. God is not pleased with “Christianity” as a whole and is therefore bringing the beast to conquer her, as history repeats.   Civil War in the USA? The Visions 1/21/13 - Andrew Strom (David's notes in red; hyperlinks added) Before the recent US election and “gun” controversy, many would have laughed at the idea of a Civil War or similar conflict in America. I guess it is not quite so “laughable” now. I got a lot of nasty and bitter personal attacks aimed at me last week over my article, Do Christians Love Guns? People accused me of all kinds of twisted motivations for publishing such a thing. But the honest truth is that I am genuinely concerned. Concerned for a country that I love and a people that I love. I feel many Christians are being driven into a great anger that can only result in grief. Perhaps when you read the prophecies below, you will understand my concern. I truly would hate to see any of my friends caught up in such a conflict. Here are the visions: Kenny Atnip (Jan 2013)- “Some time ago, God showed me and some others that America would enter an internal war. You can call it a civil war, or revolutionary war, or anything you like, but it is coming. God showed me plainly that many Christians would be tempted to be part of a war against the government and that this war would be part of his judgment on the U.S.A. and we should not get involved. The current government's actions are because of God's judgment, so he who resists this government resists God's ordinance. Global war is coming as well, and America will be attacked, and after all of these things, I saw a time of peace again in the land. America will be humbled and once again look to God as its provider and defender. The message to Christians here in America is the same that Jeremiah told to Judah- Submit to God's judgment and it will go well for you, resist and it will cost some their lives and others their freedom.”... Hans Petter (June 2008)- “I started to see a movie in the spirit. In the First Act, Obama was elected as president, and he was the door opener for the next thing that happened. Dark skies came over the USA with thunderstorms. People were fighting against each other in the streets. Tires and cars were burning in the streets. People were really suffering, screaming for help and they had nothing to eat or a home. It was a hard time. The cities were burning. I saw a gap start to split the nation. It started in California (The “wild” fires for their “land grab” (Palisades fire), for their “Smart Cities” and the DS-funded, Antifa led riots, destroying Los Angeles and other blue cities.) moved forward across the nation and ended up by the East Coast, north of New York. (Civil War) Act 2. Then people started to pray for help and ask for help from Jesus. I saw two eagles (prophets) that came flying from the east and behind came Jesus. Healing came to USA and Jesus restored the cities and people's lives.” (Man-child ministry) Darren Smith (June 2009)- “Last night, while praying before I went to bed, the Lord gave me a vision that really rattled me. In the vision, I saw this land split into four parts, with each one under its own flag. Each region had terrible destruction, and many people were dead. As I looked over the destruction, I was crying, and the Lord asked me, “Why are you crying over the fall of Babylon? As a matter of fact, why have you been praying for the healing of Babylon?” In this vision, I didn't have an answer and the Lord opened a scroll and started reading off the indictments against our country, but before each one He clearly called the USA Babylon. The list was long and to the point, with such points as the killing of several generations of unborn children. Besides this charge, He added that these babies had been sacrificed to the god of self. The list also included greed, idolatry, pride, fornication, and many others, so many that I could not even read them all. As I looked at the list of charges, I was overwhelmed and broken by the fact that we live every day in a nation that is so far removed from God and in total opposition to the Kingdom of God, yet we are comfortable here. We have become just like Lot living in Sodom; the prosperity that the nation offers us has blinded us from the evil that rules this land. We complain about how bad it is, but still stay attached to it with every ounce of strength we have. The Lord told me to look at the nation as He sees it, not through my eyes but through His. I could not look too long before I had to agree and repent of loving Babylon. Once I repented, the Lord told me to prepare for the fall as time is running out. I must preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, not the Gospel of America. America is already judged; the time of shaking is now and will increase rapidly.”... 'Journey' (Jan 2013)- “I too believe that the United States is headed for a civil war or something to that nature. I have friends who are in the “Patriot” movement, so I hear of things happening that the media will never report. In a nutshell, here is my conclusion to what I hear. There have been hundreds of thousands of assault rifles sold in the past year. There have been laws and rules put into force against assault rifles. Why would this conflict be?... A move to rile up the people has been put into play. Arm the people and then make laws to make them revolt against the Government. The underlying purpose is actually to cause the individual states to secede from the union... Divide and conquer is the idea”. Kenny Atnip - “Civil War in U.S”. (Dec 2010)- “My 16-year-old daughter, Maryann, had a dream a few days ago. She dreamed of civil war against the current government. The scene was very chaotic, and those in rebellion to the government were going house to house, forcing any and all men to join with them. Many of us Christians were in hiding, not willing to join in a rebellion against the government. She awoke in the middle of the night with a strong taste of blood in her mouth. Her 13-year-old sister, Aimee, woke up as well and immediately asked her what was wrong. The 16-year-old said that she had the taste of blood in her mouth, to which the 13-year-old asked, “Were you dreaming of war?” Somehow, she knew that she was dreaming of war. Last November, my three-year-old son, Jeremiah, slept with Mom and Dad. He awoke at 5:30 AM yelling, “War is coming ... people are dying ... people are crying to God”. He has no idea what these things are. It woke me up from a dead sleep, and I sat up and looked at him. He was wide awake... We will have 5 years of terror and turmoil beginning very soon... I believe the government will begin rounding up people who are on a list. If we are on that list, don't resist or run; God sends some away to protect them. God will vindicate the righteous in his time”. Donald replies, “Kenny- that advice is the same as that given to the Israelites. Don't resist when King Nebuchadnezzar comes to take you away. If you go willingly, you will be established in a foreign land; if you resist you will die. (We may or may not actually die, but our lives could become so miserable that we will wish we would die). Good advice for all of us at this unsettling time”. 'Journey' replies- “Yes, Kenny, Good advice. It is better to serve God while in captivity than to die resisting His purpose. God is doing this to the Church because of their pride and arrogance. God is humbling His Church”.

Future and a HopeJeremiah 29:1, 4-14Jeremiah 29:1-41 This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining exiled elders, the priests, the prophets, and all the people Nebuchadnezzar had deported from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had left Jerusalem. 3 He sent the letter with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The letter stated:4 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: Genesis 17:6-86 I will make you extremely fruitful and will make nations and kings come from you. 7 I will confirm my covenant that is between me and you and your future offspring throughout their generations. It is a permanent covenant to be your God and the God of your offspring after you. 8 And to you and your future offspring I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as a permanent possession, and I will be their God.”“Jeremiah was to experience what the men and women of his audience were soon to experience; this would be the grief of loss and lamentation for the deaths of mothers, husbands, fathers, and children.” –RE ClementsJeremiah 16:1-41 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Do not marry or have sons or daughters in this place. 3 For this is what the Lord says concerning sons and daughters born in this place as well as concerning the mothers who bear them and the fathers who father them in this land: 4 They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried but will be like manure on the soil's surface. They will be finished off by sword and famine. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land.Where are you living in the present?What part of your life feels the most like exile?Jeremiah 29:5-145 "Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. 7 Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive."8 For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: "Don't let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you, and don't listen to the dreams you elicit from them, 9 for they are prophesying falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them." This is the Lord's declaration.10 For this is what the Lord says: "When seventy years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you to restore you to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you"—this is the Lord's declaration—"plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you"—this is the Lord's declaration—"and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you"—this is the Lord's declaration. "I will restore you to the place from which I deported you."Build houses and live in them.Plant gardens and eat their produceMarry and have children.Have your children marry and have grandchildren.Pursue the well-being of the city.Pray for the peace (shalom) of the city- when it thrives, you thrive.I have plans for you- for your well-being (shalom).You have a future and a hope.Call, pray, seek, and search Me.You will find God in the midst of exile.

World War II, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history, began on September 1, 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Adolf Hitler dreamed of uniting Europe and establishing an empire that would rule the world for a thousand years. Yet he could have spared himself and his people immense suffering if he had only paid attention to an extraordinary prophecy written by the Bible prophet Daniel more than 2,500 years earlier. Sadly, Hitler rejected the Bible and its prophecies, convinced instead that his armies could conquer Europe and the world. In March 1941, he delivered a powerful speech to the German people, one that revealed his pride, his ambition, and his fatal disregard for divine warning. Declaring defiantly, Hitler said, “See, my people, we do not need anything from God! We do not ask anything from Him except that He may let us alone. We want to fight our own war, with our own guns, without God. We want to gain our victory without the help of God.”In this program, we'll take a closer look at King Nebuchadnezzar's dream found in Daniel 2, a prophecy that mapped out the course of world history, explains why European leaders such as Charlemagne, Charles V, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm II, and Hitler all failed to unite Europe, and reveals what is still to come in the future.

November 21, 2025Today's Reading: Daniel 2:1-23Daily Lectionary: Daniel 2:1-23; Revelation 18:1-24“Daniel answered and said: ‘Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;  he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king's matter.'” (Daniel 2:20-23)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Look around in the world and try to figure out what God is doing. A flood hits Florida, or in a foreign country, a dictator is overthrown—how are we to see God's hand in this? Even in our personal lives, a friend gets laid off at work, or another friend gets a great, high-paying job—can we see how God is working in this? The Prophet Daniel reveals that God's hand is not absent from our world's affairs. It's God who sets up kings (or presidents, or dictators), and it is God who tears them down (Daniel 2:21). Our problem is that, while God uses events and persons of this world to work all things for the good of his people (Romans 8:26-30), we cannot know how God is doing this. His hand is there, but what's it doing? Even though King Nebuchadnezzar could not know it, and even while he was the captor of the Lord's people, the Lord was using him to benefit the Lord's people! By Nebuchadnezzar, the Lord kept his people intact so that generations later from Israel's lineage, the Lord himself would come in the flesh as the Lamb of God who bears the sin of the world—including Nebuchadnezzar's sin and yours and mine.Because the Lord used people such as Nebuchadnezzar (and for that matter, later Judas) to keep a remnant of his people and to bring forth the salvation of the cross, we may give thanks that while we cannot know how, God's hand is, indeed, working all things together for good for those called by the Gospel, so that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (cf. Romans 8:37-39).In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Blessed be your Name, O God. All wisdom and might is yours. You change the times and seasons, you remove kings and set them up, though we are not given to know how. To you, O God, I give thanks and praise, for you make known the wisdom of the cross to people of every nation, and by the preaching of your Word, you reveal the justification of the sinner by the blood of your Son, the Christ from the lineage of Israel. Amen.Author: Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.This new devotional resource by Carl Fickenscher walks you through each week's readings, revealing thematic connections and helping you better understand what is to come in worship each Sunday.

Daniel and many Jews have been exiled to Babylon, living under the mercy and rule of King Nebuchadnezzar.During that time, the king had a mysterious dream that terrified him deeply. So he summoned all the wise men of his empire to interpret his dream, but no one could. Who can interpret the dream? What does the dream mean then, and what does it mean for us today?Join our community:Facebook: https://facebook.com/UECPhilippinesFacebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/UnitedEvangelicalChurchofthePhilippinesInstagram: https://instagram.com/uecphilippines/Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/uecphilippinesViber: https://bitly.com/UECPViberComm

In Daniel 4, King Nebuchadnezzar asked Daniel to interpret his dream. Daniel begrudgingly warned the king that if he didn't renounce his sins that God would cause him to lose his kingdom and wander the forest for seven years. Though the king was warned, one year later, the king pridefully declared how great he and ... The post Sin in the Camp: Part I appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Series: N/AService: Wednesday ServiceType: Short TalkSpeaker: Jeremy Bowling II Chronicles 36:11-2111 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He did evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord. 13 And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel. 14 Moreover all the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the Lord which He had consecrated in Jerusalem.15 And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His…

Sandcastles – Week 1God's Faithfulness Is Writing Your Story (Daniel 4:1–3)God's faithfulness is written into every part of your story. In Daniel 4, King Nebuchadnezzar discovers that even the painful parts of life are places where God's grace can be seen. His faithfulness shapes your story with purpose, strengthens it with power, and secures it within His eternal kingdom. Your scars and seasons are not wasted. They are proof that God's faithful hand is still writing your story.

Rawrr! Prayer is good, right? But what happens when someone makes it against the law to pray?!?! Find out in this great episode!Prayer is talking to GodDaniel would continuously talk to God through prayer. Even when he was threatened to be thrown into the lion's den, Daniel would continue to pray to God.Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.– Colossians 4:2Daniel 2, Daniel 6Daniel and the Lion's DenDaniel was a very good, faithful man, who always obeyed God. He would pray to God consistently, three times a day. Daniel had a very close relationship to God due to how often he would talk to God through prayer and because of his unshakable faith. God also gave Daniel an incredible gift—Daniel was able to interpret dreams. This gift led Daniel to successfully interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The king then gave Daniel a high up position in the kingdom and gave him many gifts. Because Daniel was so smart, other wise men in the kingdom were very jealous. Their jealousy led them to convince King Darius to make a new law—that the people were only allowed to pray to the king. If people chose not to obey this law, they would be thrown in the lion's den. These jealous men knew that Daniel would never obey this law since he would pray to God several times a day.Daniel continued to pray in his room, even when he had heard about this new law. After the jealous men saw him do this, they told King Darius. This made King very upset because he cared for Daniel and tried to get him out of trouble, but knew there was no way around it. Before throwing him in the den, King Darius told Daniel “Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this.” The next morning, King Darius went to check on Daniel and heard Daniel say “My God sent his angel to shut the lion's mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have wronged you, Your majesty.” Daniel had not been harmed! They both knew that Daniel was protected because he had completely trusted God and had faith in Him. Daniel had a great amount of love for the Lord. Daniel also had a deep and personal connection to God because he would intentionally talk to God all the time through prayer. Regardless of the situation he was facing, he would make time to pray. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in our daily routine, that we neglect to prioritize our quiet time with God. But the truth is, God wants to hear from us—He wants us to talk to Him because of His love for each and every one of us.I can talk to God. Questions to think about:1. Why did Daniel continue to pray, even when he knew his life would be threatened?2. Why did Daniel have such a close relationship with God?3. How can I remember to talk to God on a daily basis?

As Pastor Glenn Lawson leads us through Daniel chapter 4, God calls King Nebuchadnezzar to humble himself and give glory to God, but the king does not take the warning to heart and is driven to madness. After a period of time Nebuchadnezzar finally repents and glorifies God, who then restores the king to greatness. We can look to this example today and ask ourselves this vital question: In what areas of our lives are we taking pride in ourselves rather than honoring God, and will we repent and turn to Him, or allow our pride to ruin us instead?

Episode 172   Ch. 31 of The Long Winter "Waiting for the Train"   Join us this week as we discuss King Nebuchadnezzar, "The May Queen", positive stereotypes of people of Scottish descent, why the Ingalls air the bedding, what an emigrant car is, and Pa not caring about taking items from the railroad company.

Why do Christians have to go through hardship? Well, trials are like God’s gym. In them, we're broken down so we can be built up. Pastor Greg Laurie shares more in his message focused on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Notes: Focus verse - Daniel 3 / James 1 Jesus walking with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego through the fiery furnace. Do not despair! You are not alone in your hardship! 1 Peter 4:12Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through,as if something strange were happening to you. 1 Peter 4:14Be happy if you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God will come upon you. There are different kinds of trials and testings in the life of the Christian.The devil tempts us to destroy our faith, but God tests us to develop our faith. A faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be trusted.This is clearly shown in the story before us of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego stood up for what was right, even at the risk of losing their own lives. The stand you make today will determine what kind of stand you will make tomorrow. The most important time of our life is the time of our youth.It is when we set our course and habits are developed. The evening of our life is determined by the morning of it,the end from the beginning. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego made a stand in a small area.This is why they had the character and strength to make their stand in a larger one. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were captured along with Daniel and placed as counselors to the king. One night King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream.When he awoke, he called in all the astrologers and magicians. The prophet, Daniel, humbly gave glory to God, and told the king he had dreamed of a giant statue. Daniel 2:47 (NLT)The King said to Daniel, "Truly, your God is the God of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret." As chapter 3 opens, around 16–20 years have passed.King Nebuchadnezzar has a 90-foot-tall statue erected, covered in gold of himself! The King ordered that everyone gather for a big celebration.They had an orchestra in place and when they played you better bow, or else! The Lord was very clear about that in the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:4–5"Do not make idols of any kind; you must never worship or bow down to them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any.” Thousands of Israelites apparently bowed, but not these three.Someone estimated 300,000 people were present. Read Daniel 3:14–18 King Nebuchadnezzar was choosing off God, when he asks,“What god will be able to rescue you?” Nebuchadnezzar had quickly forgotten the God who gave him a dream. Because of his pride, Nebuchadnezzar would soon be brought to his knees. Everybody is a worshipper. The question is not if we worship or not.It’s who we worship. Because Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego worshipped God, they could not worship the statue. You will end up serving who you worship. Daniel 3:18”Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up." A moment at the altar of sexual experimentation can lead to a lifetime of regret. Moments spent worshipping God can lead to a lifetime of service. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were adamant, they were not going to bow. This will happen in the life of every Christian.Sooner or later, you too will be asked to bow before some idol. These boys were facing peer pressure on an epic scale. Despite the fact that everyone in Babylon bowed,Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego stood up straight. They figured, "Better to burn on earth and bow in Heaven, than to bow on earth, and burn in Hell!” One day, the Disciples came to Jesus, excited that they could cast out demons. Luke 10:20 (NLT)“But don't rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven." Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were not sure they would survive this, but they were sure of God’s promises.Daniel 3:17–18 Either God would preserve them, or He would be waiting on the other side. Upon hearing of this insubordination on the part of these three teens, the King flies into a rage. Read Daniel 3:19–25 Nebuchadnezzar said the fourth man looked “like the Son of God!” In this Christophany, Jesus walked with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego through this fiery furnace. Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Jesus is there with you, each step of the way. Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you, even until the end of the world." James 1:2–4When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don't treat them as intruders but friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on, until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character, men of integrity with no weak spots. Staying cool, when things get hot. How do you do that? It’s similar to going to the gym and working out. A lot of folks find themselves getting tired and lethargic and say, “I’m just getting old!”Yes, and it maybe you are just out of shape too. Maybe you need to get busy and do something with your faith. Jesus said, “Give and it shall be given unto you.” Trials take our faith from the realm of theory to reality. James 1:3 (NKJV)Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. Perseverance! (Greek: Hypomonē) We know about the suffering of Joseph. Psalm 105:18 (NLT)They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar. “As he was laid in iron, iron entered his soul.” The very thing you want out of your life may be the thing you need in your life. If you want to grow spiritually, iron must enter your soul. James 1:4 (NKJV)Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. We may pray, “Lord, use me for Your glory! Bless me, Lord!”Then a trial comes. James 1:2 (NKJV)My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,No two experiences are alike. How did they do this?By the decisions and commitments they made years earlier. An idol is anyone or anything that takes God’s place in our life. 1 John 5:21 (NKJV)Little children, keep yourselves from idols. One day another world leader will come along and demand worship.The bible calls him Antichrist. He too will erect an image and demand worship, placing the image in the temple. Jesus promises to deliver us from this time of tribulation. Revelation 3:10 (NKJV)"Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” Revelation 3:11 (NKJV)"Behold, I am coming quickly! Jesus says, ”Behold, I am coming quickly!”Revelation 3:11 Nebuchadnezzar saw God work. Maybe God is trying to get your attention today! Jesus died on the cross for your sin so you could know God. Looking for hope or know someone who is? Join Greg Laurie at the Harvest Crusade: Hope for America on November 16! Get event information here. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why do Christians have to go through hardship? Well, trials are like God’s gym. In them, we're broken down so we can be built up. Pastor Greg Laurie shares more in his message focused on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Notes: Focus verse - Daniel 3 / James 1 Jesus walking with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego through the fiery furnace. Do not despair! You are not alone in your hardship! 1 Peter 4:12Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through,as if something strange were happening to you. 1 Peter 4:14Be happy if you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God will come upon you. There are different kinds of trials and testings in the life of the Christian.The devil tempts us to destroy our faith, but God tests us to develop our faith. A faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be trusted.This is clearly shown in the story before us of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego stood up for what was right, even at the risk of losing their own lives. The stand you make today will determine what kind of stand you will make tomorrow. The most important time of our life is the time of our youth.It is when we set our course and habits are developed. The evening of our life is determined by the morning of it,the end from the beginning. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego made a stand in a small area.This is why they had the character and strength to make their stand in a larger one. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego were captured along with Daniel and placed as counselors to the king. One night King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream.When he awoke, he called in all the astrologers and magicians. The prophet, Daniel, humbly gave glory to God, and told the king he had dreamed of a giant statue. Daniel 2:47 (NLT)The King said to Daniel, "Truly, your God is the God of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret." As chapter 3 opens, around 16–20 years have passed.King Nebuchadnezzar has a 90-foot-tall statue erected, covered in gold of himself! The King ordered that everyone gather for a big celebration.They had an orchestra in place and when they played you better bow, or else! The Lord was very clear about that in the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:4–5"Do not make idols of any kind; you must never worship or bow down to them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not share your affection with any.” Thousands of Israelites apparently bowed, but not these three.Someone estimated 300,000 people were present. Read Daniel 3:14–18 King Nebuchadnezzar was choosing off God, when he asks,“What god will be able to rescue you?” Nebuchadnezzar had quickly forgotten the God who gave him a dream. Because of his pride, Nebuchadnezzar would soon be brought to his knees. Everybody is a worshipper. The question is not if we worship or not.It’s who we worship. Because Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego worshipped God, they could not worship the statue. You will end up serving who you worship. Daniel 3:18”Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up." A moment at the altar of sexual experimentation can lead to a lifetime of regret. Moments spent worshipping God can lead to a lifetime of service. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were adamant, they were not going to bow. This will happen in the life of every Christian.Sooner or later, you too will be asked to bow before some idol. These boys were facing peer pressure on an epic scale. Despite the fact that everyone in Babylon bowed,Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego stood up straight. They figured, "Better to burn on earth and bow in Heaven, than to bow on earth, and burn in Hell!” One day, the Disciples came to Jesus, excited that they could cast out demons. Luke 10:20 (NLT)“But don't rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven." Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were not sure they would survive this, but they were sure of God’s promises.Daniel 3:17–18 Either God would preserve them, or He would be waiting on the other side. Upon hearing of this insubordination on the part of these three teens, the King flies into a rage. Read Daniel 3:19–25 Nebuchadnezzar said the fourth man looked “like the Son of God!” In this Christophany, Jesus walked with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego through this fiery furnace. Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Jesus is there with you, each step of the way. Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you, even until the end of the world." James 1:2–4When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don't treat them as intruders but friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on, until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character, men of integrity with no weak spots. Staying cool, when things get hot. How do you do that? It’s similar to going to the gym and working out. A lot of folks find themselves getting tired and lethargic and say, “I’m just getting old!”Yes, and it maybe you are just out of shape too. Maybe you need to get busy and do something with your faith. Jesus said, “Give and it shall be given unto you.” Trials take our faith from the realm of theory to reality. James 1:3 (NKJV)Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. Perseverance! (Greek: Hypomonē) We know about the suffering of Joseph. Psalm 105:18 (NLT)They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar. “As he was laid in iron, iron entered his soul.” The very thing you want out of your life may be the thing you need in your life. If you want to grow spiritually, iron must enter your soul. James 1:4 (NKJV)Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. We may pray, “Lord, use me for Your glory! Bless me, Lord!”Then a trial comes. James 1:2 (NKJV)My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,No two experiences are alike. How did they do this?By the decisions and commitments they made years earlier. An idol is anyone or anything that takes God’s place in our life. 1 John 5:21 (NKJV)Little children, keep yourselves from idols. One day another world leader will come along and demand worship.The bible calls him Antichrist. He too will erect an image and demand worship, placing the image in the temple. Jesus promises to deliver us from this time of tribulation. Revelation 3:10 (NKJV)"Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” Revelation 3:11 (NKJV)"Behold, I am coming quickly! Jesus says, ”Behold, I am coming quickly!”Revelation 3:11 Nebuchadnezzar saw God work. Maybe God is trying to get your attention today! Jesus died on the cross for your sin so you could know God. Looking for hope or know someone who is? Join Greg Laurie at the Harvest Crusade: Hope for America on November 16! Get event information here. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Matt and Jake on Sabbath Lounge as they reflect on what happened at their Sukkot celebration — sharing family gatherings, meaningful new traditions, and timeless lessons from the Feast of Tabernacles. Together they explore the Gospel story behind the feast, uncovering deep spiritual truths found in Scripture and how they connect to the joy and meaning of Sukkot today. Watch to discover how faith, family, and biblical truth come together in this season of rejoicing.     #SabbathLounge #Sukkot #FeastOfTabernacles #BiblicalFeasts #TheGospelStory #FaithAndFamily #TorahLife     Find us on iTunes, Spotify, TikTok, and Podbean.   Gen 33:17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth. Root Word Suka The KJV translates Strong's H5521 in the following manner: tabernacle (12x), booth (11x), pavilion (5x), cottage (1x), covert (1x), tents (1x). thicket, covert, booth, thicket, booth (rude or temporary shelter) Plural Suka (Succoth) סוכות (succoth) broken down by letter: Samech, The root סכך (sakak) or שכך (sakak) speaks of the creation of a hedge of sorts from interwoven strands of sorts. It commonly describes how prickly branches interweave to create a defensive hedge to hide behind and to look intently out from     Jeremiah 35:5-10 5 Then I set cups and pitchers filled with wine in front of the family of Rechab. I said to them, “Drink some wine.”6 They answered, “We don't drink wine, because our ancestor Jonadab, Rechab's son, gave us this order: ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine. 7 Never build any houses or plant any fields or vineyards. You must never have any of these things. You must always live in tents so that you may live for a long time in the land where you are staying.' 8 We, along with our wives, sons, and daughters, have obeyed our ancestor Jonadab, Rechab's son, in everything he ordered us to do. We have never drunk wine, 9 built houses to live in, or owned vineyards, pastures, or grainfields. 10 We live in tents, and we have obeyed everything our ancestor Jonadab ordered us to do. 11 But when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded this land, we said, ‘Let's go to Jerusalem to escape the Babylonian and Aramean armies.' That's why we are living in Jerusalem.” -Sucathites- A hedged in people From the root סכך(sakak), to weave a protection. Job 1:10 Names of God Bible 10 Haven't you put a protective fence around him, his home, and everything he has. You have blessed everything he does. His cattle have spread out over the land. Hosea 2:8 Names of God Bible 8 “She doesn't believe that I gave her grain, new wine, and olive oil.   I gave her plenty of silver and gold,  but she used it to make statues of Baal.   Ruth 3 Naomi, Ruth's mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, shouldn't I try to look for a home that would be good for you? 2 Isn't Boaz, whose young women you've been working with, our relative? He will be separating the barley from its husks on the threshing floor[a] tonight. 3 Freshen up, put on some perfume, dress up, and go down to the threshing floor. Don't let him know that you're there until he's finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, notice the place where he is lying. Then uncover his feet, and lie down there. He will make it clear what you must do.” 5 Ruth answered her, “I will do whatever you say.”   שוכתים- Verb סוך(suk) or סיך (syk) describes the administration of oil — apparently in the expectation that this would protect the recipient, since this two-faced verb may also be used to mean to hedge Noun אסוך ('asuk) means [oil-] flask. Noun מסכה (mesuka) means hedge and is obviously similar to משכה (mesukka) meaning hedge Ohel-The KJV translates Strong's H168 in the following manner: tabernacle(s) (198x), tent(s) (141x), dwelling (2x), place(s) (2x), covering (1x), home (1x). tent, nomad's tent, and thus symbolic of wilderness life, transience, dwelling, home, habitation, the sacred tent of Jehovah (the tabernacle) סוּךְ Transliteration sûḵ -Pronunciation-sook to anoint, pour in anointing (Qal) to anoint to anoint oneself to anoint (another) to be poured (Hiphil) to anoint   https://jacksontrailfarm.com/2025/10/05/gospelstoryofthefeast/   At Sabbath Lounge we are dedicated to eating clean, keeping the Feast, Sabbath, following Torah, and leading as many people out of Babylon as possible.   Find more information below:   www.sabbathlounge.com    https://linktr.ee/Sabbathlounge  

In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Jesse Schwamb explores Jesus' parable of the mustard seed from Matthew 13. The seemingly insignificant mustard seed grows into a mighty tree, providing a profound metaphor for God's kingdom—beginning in humble, ordinary ways yet expanding to glorious fulfillment. Jesse unpacks how this parable challenges our expectations of power and glory, revealing that God intentionally works through what appears small and insignificant to manifest His mighty power. This episode offers a meditation on God's kingdom, which operates contrary to human expectations, growing unstoppably between Christ's first and second comings despite opposition, and ultimately providing shelter for all nations. Key Takeaways The kingdom of God begins with something small and seemingly insignificant (a mustard seed) yet grows to become greater than all garden plants Jesus deliberately uses ordinary, humble elements to describe God's kingdom, contrasting with human expectations of power and glory The theology of the cross consistently looks to normal, ordinary means rather than what people perceive as great and powerful There is significant growth of God's kingdom between Christ's first advent and His eventual return God's kingdom cannot be stopped by opposition; attempts to destroy it actually facilitate its growth Biblical meditation on Jesus' parables is essential for deeper understanding and application The parable connects to Old Testament imagery (particularly in Daniel and Ezekiel) where trees represent kingdoms The Theology of Ordinary Means The parable of the mustard seed demonstrates what Jesse refers to as "the theology of the cross" versus "the theology of glory." God consistently chooses to work through what appears weak, small, and insignificant rather than through impressive displays of worldly power. As Jesse explains, "The theology of Cross is always looking to these normal, ordinary insignificant things. It's God's stacking the deck against himself to show his great power that he works not... in the circumstance of what people perceive to be great and powerful, but the exact opposite." This approach reveals God's sovereignty—He needs no human advantage, political power, or military might to accomplish His purposes. The kingdom that began with Jesus' seemingly humble first advent will culminate in His glorious return, showing that God's power is made perfect in weakness. The Unstoppable Growth of God's Kingdom One of the most encouraging aspects of this parable is how it portrays the inevitability of the kingdom's growth. Just as a mustard seed inevitably grows into a tree according to its nature, God's kingdom advances despite opposition. Jesse notes how throughout history, attempts to destroy Christianity have always failed: "History is replete with those... who have tried in their own way to silence God, to destroy the scriptures or to somehow eradicate Christianity. And of course, history will be filled up with all of their failures." Even the martyrdom of Stephen in the early church, which seemed like a defeat, actually caused the gospel to spread beyond Jerusalem as believers were scattered. This illustrates Jesus' promise that "the gates of hell will not prevail against his church" (Matthew 16:18). The kingdom continues to grow by God's power until its final consummation when Christ returns. Memorable Quotes "The humble inauguration was not a mistake. This is planned by God and it is for his great purpose. It shows His great power, his love for his people, and the ordinary way in which he brings about all of these things." - Jesse Schwamb "This unassuming seed, which God plants, continues to grow by his power, his volition, his sustenance, until it takes over all things." - Jesse Schwamb "The one who took on flesh and was born in a humble state will return in splendor and judgment to consummate this kingdom." - Jesse Schwamb Full Transcript the theology of Cross is always looking to these. Normal, ordinary insignificant things. It's, God's stacking the deck against himself to show his great power that he works not with great po, not in the circumstance of what people perceive us to be. Great and powerful, but the exact opposite. Welcome to episode 467 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse, and this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey, brothers and sisters. Well, we're back at it again. [00:00:48] Exploring the Kingdom of God Through Parables On this episode, we're talking about seeds and leave. In what other ways would Jesus describe the kingdom of God? And we're gonna get to all of that, but in a slightly different format. Something special for everybody on this episode. It may have noticed that. Right at the top. Tony is missing, but fear not. He's still here. We're doing something different on this episode and that is we're gonna speak about the kingdom of God as Jesus describes it in parable form with the mustard seed and the leave. And so what we decided to do is I'm gonna give a quick little primer, my thoughts, my observations. On the mustard soup parable, and then Tony will be right behind me to talk about the leaven. And then in the next episode, we're coming together and we're gonna see how all of our different explanations kind of come, came together and coalesced around single themes. So this is a fun little game where you're gonna hear from. You're gonna hear from Tony, and we're gonna see how all of this comes together in the end, because neither of us is having the conversation in real time, but I'm sure that we're gonna have a lot of the similar things to say and it'll be a fun little game of seeing how all of this comes together. So if you wanna play along. And you definitely should come hang out with us in Matthew chapter 13. [00:02:04] The Mustard Seed Parable So we've gone through a couple parables already and the beauty of looking at these parables, of course, one of the many beauties, I guess I should say, is that we're getting some direct teaching from Jesus, which is always great, and we're getting it directly about the Kingdom of God. The God perspective on salvation. Clear, concise, in parable form. And so we found ourselves looking at fields, looking at planting, looking at weeds, looking at tears, looking at wheats. And now after all of that, we're coming back. To in some ways, at least for me, a familiar form. And that is we're back to seeds again. And this time it's a particular type of seed. It's the mustard seed, and Tony's gonna handle something new, a total change in direction, a totally different comparison. He's gonna get into lemon and bread making and all that kinda good stuff. But in either case, what we're finding is Jesus is specifically coming to us once again. With these finely tuned stories to help explain to us the kingdom of God. And of course, like this is clear because in all of Jesus' teaching, the kingdom of God holds this like high and lifted up this prominent position. It gets hegemony in all the other topics. And as he goes about his earthly ministry, wherever gospel you look, you're gonna find that he's proclaiming his coming to earth and that this coming meant that the kingdom of God was at hand. Now, I can only imagine, and you ought to as well, that if you were in that time, if you were listening to Jesus. What an incredible thing that would be that you're trying to understand and really discern what the he means about this kingdom of God. And perhaps like you, I would have my own perceptions of what that was, and if he's inaugurating it, I'm waiting for that thing to happen. And a kingdom is a powerful representation of ownership. Power in hierarchy in a place that's clearly manifested. And so as Jesus is in the midst of all these hears, these disciples that are gathering around the throngs of people that are trying to understand what he has to say. If he's coming and saying, I am here to inaugurate the kingdom of God, then my first question would be. Where is it? Tell us what it's gonna look like. Show me what you mean when you say that the kingdom of God is here, that you're ushering it in. And so how strange and unusual then for Jesus to say something like the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, or the kingdom of God is like lemon in bread. So it seems altogether fitting that Jesus would want to and would have to explain what exactly he means. It's a little bit though mysterious that he uses these elements. To bring about that kind of explanation. I find that endlessly fascinating. [00:04:32] Meditation on Jesus' Teachings Speaking of which, I think one of the reasons why Tony and I are discovering that we're loving these parables so much is that it forces us to do something that sometimes is Modern Christians we're honestly just not that good at it, not skilled and often not practiced because our lives are filled with many things. And we prefer not to do this, and that is to actually meditate on what he's saying, to actually like turn it over in our minds to think about it. Like personally, practically, seriously, and earnestly to understand how the truth of God's words should look in life. And it just dawned on me this week that really the parable forces us into that rubric, whether we want to or not, because the whole purpose is to take what he's saying and to dwell on it to such degree that we receive something of the promises that are therein. By chewing on them. And it's just too easy to read the scriptures, of course, and to take with you as you pass by those words, something of a little bit of the knowledge that's contained within something about the phraseology or about the facts of it. But really what God's after here is this idea that we would spend time meditating on the words of Jesus, so that we might truly understand what he means by the kingdom of God. And then we might take that kingdom into our own realm, as it were, into our own sphere of influence to manifest it. And to worship him through it and to be obedient in it. Be not because of works on the righteousness, of course, but because we already have been saved by a great savior for this kingdom. And now we know something about what it's actually like by way of these beautiful metaphors. And of course, like the metaphors, even if they're straightforward. As we're about to find in this one, still force us into them to really say, well, what? What does it mean? We're gonna talk about seeds and mustard plants, and where else we find trees in the scriptures. Without meditation, we lose so much of this without meditation. Truths are maybe devoured, but they're never digested. I like what the great Puritan Watson wrote. He said, it's better to meditate on one sermon than to hear. Five sermons. Many complain that they do not profit from sermons. This may be the chief reason, because they do not chew the cud. They do not meditate on what they have heard. And I think one of the great goals that Tony have in this series is that even as we're thinking about this before we have conversation with each other and present it all to you, that we really wanna spend time truly meditating on it, thinking practically, deeply for a long period of time. On what is being said here, what Jesus means by it, that it is for us, that it is a gift that he gives to us. And so I really totally resonate with what Watson is saying here, that when a Christian enters into meditation through the scriptures, that they receive healing, they receive power from God, that receive insights and wisdom, that receive his comforts, that receive his direction for life, and that all of that is, or most of that. Rather is lost if we move too quickly by it. We tend to gather a lot of knowledge, but maybe not a lot of the wisdom that's contained in there. So even if this sounds simple, this little parable that's before us, it's just a couple of verses. Loved ones that there is so much in it for us to understand and to chew on. I don't think we can expect to get all the understanding in one go and that's okay. We keep coming back to it. Certainly. I'm not gonna cover it all here. This is definitely not going to be, though. You might expect it, the definitive episode. On the parable of the mustard seed in the lemon. It can't be really, and that's because there's just so much for us to understand here and to receive from God. So that is the longest intro ever. So let me cut it there and let's just go right to the scripture, which of course is the best part of this podcast. Always. So this is Matthew chapter 13, beginning in verse 31, just a couple of verses. Jesus put another parable before them saying The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed than a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree. So that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches. Lovely. Right. It's wild because it's such quick language there. It's so brief and already I wanted to go further, but I would be into Tony's verses, which he's gonna hit with us in just a second for. But it's really compact statement of just a couple of things. One, can we just agree that I love the way that this particular little passage begins? It just starts by saying, Jesus put another parable before them. What beautiful language that he's really throwing before his disciples placing for them to evaluate again, to meditate on these beautiful words of his that express what the kingdom of heaven is like. It's of course, well within God's purview. To not have given us any kind of direct revelation here, or direct expression or even metaphorical or comparative expression of his kingdom. How kind that he does this. And then I think there is something for us to study in this, again, to chew the cut, as Watson would say, on what it means for us to think about heaven as this grain of mustard seed and that a man took it. And he sewed it in his field. It's very small, yet it grew larger than all of the other garden plants that would probably be in that field. It became a tree, and then as a result of that, the birds of the air come and make its nest in its branches. So you can see that there's all this interesting, logical pro progression throughout this passage. And we're talking about really just two verses, really, just that many sentences. It's really exceptional thing, you know. [00:09:52] The Growth of God's Kingdom I find it interesting that this illustration progresses this idea of the kingdom of God between its inauguration and consummation. There's something built in there, and like I said, I think it's realistic to assume that so many who are hearing these words we're really, truly trying to understand. Where was this kingdom, Jesus, that you're bringing in as the Son of David, show us this kingdom and its power and my own expectation. I still don't mean to put this on. Those who would've been there would've been that this kingdom would've come in power. I was waiting for it to be manifested with this sense that it would be very clear that Jesus was in. That all things, all realities both here and now in spiritual principalities will be clearly under his foot. We were looking for, we want to see the serpent crusher, the head crusher the better. David, the one that comes inlays Goliath Finally. Where is that pump and where is that power? And interestingly, Jesus says, no, actually, it's more like a mustard seed. And of course, I mean, you don't need to know much about seeds, but if you haven't looked up a mustard seed at this point, you definitely should because it's very tiny. That's obviously implied from the text, but it is very tiny, like crazy tiny, like almost so tiny that when I look at a mustard seed, whether you're like, you're looking at your. From your like spice rack or you go and Google one, it almost seems inconceivable that any size plant could come forth from that very, very tiny seed. It's so mundane and insignificant that the idea that Jesus would say, this is what this glorious kingdom of God is like, is almost mind boggling. Like even now it's mind boggling. And if it's not, it's because you have not looked at a mustard seed. Go check that bad boy out. It's so small. And so of course like Mustard would've been a common agricultural product that grew quite prolifically in that particular area. You know, the variety of mustard seed growth in PA in Palestine is probably similar, I imagine to like maybe most of like the northern hemisphere. There's various. Kind of varieties, of course of mustard seed. What I've learned since trying to chew on this text, and they grow in very all kinds of varieties, but this idea that this small seed can become something that you put in your garden, that grows to such a great extent that it dwarfs all of the other things. And of course it starts. In the most, I don't wanna say humble, that's like, that's almost too much. The most insignificant way is incredible. So the fact that, again, we have, I think in this something that Tony and I have come back to quite often, and that is the difference between the theology of glory and the theology of the cross. That the theology of Cross is always looking to these. Normal, ordinary means these insignificant things. It's, as we've said before, God's stacking the deck constantly against himself to show his great power that he works not with great po, not in the circumstance of what people perceive us to be. Great and powerful, but the exact opposite. And I think not just as the Bible communicates, not just to display his mighty power, but also to shore forth his great glory that he needs no other thing. And because he needs no other thing, he doesn't need things to go right for him. He doesn't need the right political leaders to be involved. He does not need armies. He does not need kingdoms. He inaugurates his own. And his own is so great and so powerful that it became, it can begin in the most insignificant way because the power is not itself in the planting of that thing, but in the thing that makes it grow. And so here we have this clean and clear delineation when it comes to trees that God, again, is doing the planting and this tree is gonna grow to such a great extent that dwarfs all the others besides it. And that not just that, it becomes a resting place. It becomes a living place, a place that provides shelter. And so. It's, that is a common theme that we find, like throughout all of the scriptures. In fact, I, I often think like God has a thing for, for a couple of different items. One is tense. God loves tense, loves sojourning jam. Then the third would be trees. I mean, look throughout the scripture and see where God is either using trees directly or using, this becomes like a grand metaphor explanation for so many of other great spiritual and theological principles. That's whether we go back all the way to the beginning in the guided and we see the tree of good evil, tree of knowledge of good and evil. Tree of Life rather. In addition to that, then we have all these other references, especially in the Old Testament, but I mean, whether it's Abraham and he's souring and he's, we're getting way points by way of trees, for instance, or whether we are in the New Testament and we're talking about fig trees. There are all these references to trees. They're embedded and impounded in the lifeblood of God's work and the story that he's telling, the grand narrative of salvation of his people. [00:14:35] Historical and Biblical Context And nowhere is this, I'd say more true than in places in the Old Testament, especially when we're speaking about like the book of Daniel Daniel, chapter four. So for instance, if you go back there, you're gonna find that this description here in some ways. Has it. I think parallel is probably not strong enough a word. There's like this direct connection between what God talks about and through the power of the Holy Spirit in the book of Daniel and what he Jesus' son is saying here. And in that book we see the descriptions harkening back to King Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon. He had a dream about a tree that had grown so large that the birds of the air rested in it. However, that tree was chopped down an instant. And Daniel's interpretation revealed that all the kingdoms a man will collapse, even this mighty nebuchadnezzar's kingdom. But God's kingdom that Jesus draws a parallel here to here is different. Although the inauguration of his kingdom was unimpressive, it's going to grow until it reaches final glorious form, until the birds of the heavens common nest and its branches, which by the way, is basically exactly out of Ezekiel 36, 31, chapter six. All the birds of the heavens made their nest in its bows under its branches. All the beasts of the field gave birth to the young and under its shadow, lived all the great nations. So lest is hearers miss this message here. You know, Jesus is saying very clearly, listen, there is growth of God's kingdom. Between his first and second advents and in them, Jesus showing the manner in which he's ushering in this kingdom of God and need not sow any doubts concerning the power and legitimacy of his Messianic office and of this kingdom that he's bringing in. The humble inauguration was not a mistake. You know, this is planned by God and it is for his great purpose. It shows. His great power, his love for his people, and the ordinary way in which he brings about all of these things. And we can see this in fact, some. One of the great blessings is that we sit in this place where we can interrogate, examine, have these parables read us, and we see that since Jesus uttered these parables, the mustard seed has in fact taken root and blossomed, you know? Those who oppose Jesus and his followers after his ascension tried to squelch this infant church to chop down this tree. I love, you've heard me say before, loved ones. I love this description of job that we get from the scriptures, that even in our, let's say, the most miserable times, even when it seems like all hope has been cut off from us. Even if it seems though it's never the case, even if it seems that we've been forgotten or forsaken, the scripture tells us of job. There's hope for job, like a cut down tree. There again, we have a tree and this, this idea that even though it was removed, it, new life springs forth from it again. New unassuming life, the kind of life that can only come from the creator, the one who restores all things, redeems, all things, loves his children, and for whom. We find the exact truth manifested in from Romans 8 28, that for those who love God and are called according to his purpose, all things, all things, all things work for good. And so this infant church, while in its time it was trying to be. There was so many attempts to crush it, to destroy it, that it went far beyond Jerusalem. All the attempts to do this were exactly futile. In fact, the more that God's enemies came both in the present day and in the previous day, the more they come where their AEs and try to chop at this tree, the more the tree grows. You know, a really wild example of this in the first century is the martyrdom of of Stephen, which I think is illustrative to this end because it precipitated a dispersion that carried the gospel beyond Jerusalem, into Judea, into Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, literally. That's Acts eight. You know, the history of the church is truly the fulfillment of Jesus' promise right here in this text that not even the gates of hell would prevail against his church. That's from Matthew 1618, and I know I've said before, but man, does it bear repeating. That gates don't attack anybody. Gates don't go out to battle. It's so for the Christian here, for what Jesus is saying, it's not that we have to worry that the gates of hell are coming after us, but that the normative position of the church is to grow in such a powerful and unassuming and mysterious way that even these gates, which will try to defend against the light, will not overcome it. And so because of that, we find that. It now houses the birds of heaven, that it feeds the nations that is lifeblood and it provides fruit for all who are there? The kingdom that Jesus inaugurated awaits his return for its full and final consummation. And so in the interim, we walk by faith and not by sight. We're citizens of that kingdom and we know it cannot be shaken. We know it's growing. You know, this is one of the things that I find incredible. I think you could have chosen. Any number of course of metaphors to explain what God's kingdom is like, and sometimes we choose our own and that's fun. We're trying to explain it in a particular way or maybe to express some kind of nuance of that kingdom. But my bet is that we would not use the words that Jesus has given us here if it were left to us to try to explain it without any kind of great insight. And again, the reason why is because this is too humble. It's too unassuming. It doesn't seem like it contains within enough power, but that's because we have in this, again, this super intending will of God that he's so great, so majestic, that his thoughts are so incredibly deep that even what we have to do here is let our consciousness and reason bow down to who God is and to what he says his kingdom is like, because he always. Brings it forth in every generation. He always brings it forth and it cannot be stopped. And of course, history is replete with those both individual leaders and cultures, movements and political heroes who have tried in their own way to silence God, to destroy the scriptures or to somehow eradicate Christianity. And of course, history will be filled up with all of their failures because this unassuming seed, which God plants. Continues to grow by his power, his volition, his sustenance, until it takes over all things. And in that final consummation, it absolutely will loved ones. And so we find, I think so much encouragement in that when Christ returns to consummate the kingdom of God, no one will be able to deny its glory then. And while many of us now where we look for that glory, we obtain that glory by faith and not by sight. And in the same way here that Jesus challenges us to say, look, this is how it works. And wow, do I wanna speak so much about the 11, but I've gotta save that for Tony. You know, the one who took on flesh and was born in a humble state will return in splendor and judgment to consummate this kingdom. And so in some ways this is a warning. That what started as this humble means of Jesus in the first advent coming speaking peace to his people that will will ultimately be bookended with this kind of final judgment that reflects his full unvarnished glory. And then finally. Finally the dwelling place of God will be with man. And in that way, the birds of heaven will nest in this tree, in this lovely coming together of a new heaven and a new earth of God with his people and us finally having that beautific vision of Jesus. So there's so much here. I think that's. We can spend a little bit of time chewing on, even if we just mull over in our mind, what does it mean again? That this kingdom of heaven is like, like a grain of a mustard seed, that it gets sewn. That's the small must of seeds, but that when it's grown, it's larger than all the garden plants, and then it becomes a tree. And because it is a tree and is this great and glorious tree, all the birds of the air come and make its nests and its branches. What are the birds? What are the, what are the nests? What are these branches? And of course, I think. There's so much there for all of us to really consider as we continue to ponder what it means for us to really follow the Lord Jesus Christ closely. So that is your little quick. Conversation about the mustard seed and the leaven. [00:23:00] Conclusion and Community Engagement Now, before I turn everybody over to Tony, I wanna remind you that you all probably have thoughts on this, and as you meditate on it, you'll certainly have thoughts on it. And the best place to come and hang out and share some of those thoughts is by joining our Telegram Chat Telegram. It's just a messaging app and we have a little. A little closed off corner of that world for you to come and hang out and meet and interact with other lovely brothers and sisters who are hanging out, listening to the podcast and hopefully doing a little meditating of their own. So the way that you find that, it's super easy. If you don't know by now, then you gotta know. You just go to T or t, me slash reform Brotherhood t me slash reform brotherhood, and that will take you a link to there. So loved ones. Go think about this Kingdom of heaven. It's like the grain of a mustard seed, but you know what else? It's also like the in bread. And for that, I'm gonna turn you over to.

Thomas Manton well noted that "Pride is the sin that turned angels into devils." King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was an exceedingly prideful ruler, who was about to learn that God resists the proud! Join us now for this podcast message in Dan. Ch. 4, titled, "The Price of a Proud Heart."

Pastor Glenn Lawson preaches through Daniel's interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream and touches on a major Biblical truth: All world powers, kingdoms, leaders, and political parties will fail. But followers of Jesus have this to comfort them: Jesus is building a Kingdom of Heaven that will never fall, and will stand for all of eternity. What does it take to enter His Kingdom?

In Daniel 4, King Nebuchadnezzar recounts his dream of a vast tree cut down at heaven's decree, symbolizing his coming humiliation for pride. Daniel interprets the dream, warning the king to repent. Nebuchadnezzar's arrogance leads to his temporary insanity and exile among beasts until he acknowledges God's sovereignty. When he humbles himself, his sanity and kingdom are restored, and he praises the Most High as ruler over all.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/lets-talk-scripture/donations

In Daniel 3, we find one of the most amazing stories in all the Bible! But along with the miraculous outcome from King Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace, there's also some helpful points of application for us as believers today. Join us now for this podcast Bible study!

In Daniel 3, King Nebuchadnezzar commands all to worship a massive golden image, threatening death in a fiery furnace for refusal. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow, remaining loyal to God. They are thrown into the furnace but are miraculously unharmed, and a fourth figure appears with them. Seeing their deliverance, Nebuchadnezzar praises the God who saved them and decrees His honor throughout the kingdom.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/lets-talk-scripture/donations

An expository sermon from Daniel 4 on the Faithful Witness of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

If we made a list of the world's most dangerous sins, some obvious ones would probably make it to the top. But in Daniel chapter 4, God uses King Nebuchadnezzar to reveal which sin actually wreaks the most destruction in the world - and it's likely one you'd never expect. -- GIVE: Visit www.connectcalgary.ca/give to help share #LifeOverflowing across Canada.

Pastor Clint reads about King Nebuchadnezzar's dream and who he goes to for counsel, as well as Daniel's prayer to the Lord.

In Chapter 2 of the Old Testament book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar has a disturbing dream that his worldly advisors are unable to interpret, but God chooses to interpret through Daniel. Pastor Glenn Lawson preaches on the importance of seeking God's wisdom rather than the world's wisdom.

This episode delves into the remarkable story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three Jewish exiles in Babylon who defy King Nebuchadnezzar's command to worship a golden idol. Their unwavering faith leads to a miraculous deliverance from a fiery furnace. The episode also recounts Nebuchadnezzar's descent into madness, highlighting themes of pride, humility, and divine rule.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...

Daniel 2 recounts King Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dream of a great statue representing successive earthly kingdoms, which only Daniel, through God's revelation, is able to interpret. The dream foretells the rise and fall of human empires and the ultimate establishment of God's eternal kingdom that will never be destroyed.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/lets-talk-scripture/donations

We delve into the remarkable story of King Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dream and its profound interpretation by the prophet Daniel. Set during the Babylonian exile, this account explores themes of divine revelation, prophecy, and the rise and fall of empires. Listeners will discover how God reveals to Daniel the dream's meaning, revealing a vision of future kingdoms symbolized by a colossal statue. Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...

On today's episode of Theology Simply Profound, Rob and Bob continue to walk through the Book of Daniel. We discuss the faithfulness of God's people in the midst of fiery trials. In Daniel 3, King Nebuchadnezzar is furious with Shdrach, Meshach, and Abednego for not bowing down to the giant golden statue of the king. Their punishment is to be thrown into a furnace heated 7 times greater than normal. In the face of this death sentence, the three friends of Daniel trust their God no matter what may come. In the midst of it all, the Lord proves faithful even as he is with them in the midst of the fire in the person of the pre-incarnate Son of God.

In an age before billboards, movies, and cat videos, there were few ways to stand out from the crowd and command the attention of people who might otherwise ignore you. At the Lord's command, Jeremiah frequently acts out some of his prophesies in order to dramatically display the reality of what will soon take place. You wouldn't soon forget a man wearing chains and a yoke who looks you in the eye and tells you that you will be like him in the near future. Another prophet named Hananiah comes along, and in similar fashion breaks Jeremiah's yoke, prophesying that the Lord will break the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar, but things are not what they seem.Jeremiah 27 - 1:05 . Jeremiah 28 - 6:04 . Jeremiah 29 - 10:43 . Proverbs 11:17 - 18:13 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

In this week's message, Pastor Jordan unpacks the story of Daniel facing one of the most impossible moments in Scripture — interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. When everyone else panicked, Daniel responded with wisdom and tact. Discover four powerful ways Daniel navigated the impossible, and how you can do the same when life demands clarity, courage, and faith under pressure.

God's power is at work from generation to generation, so don't lose heart! Join pastor Brian Pursley as he tells the story of King Nebuchadnezzar's next prophetic dream. Once again, Daniel is able to both explain the dream and it's spiritual significance. Though Nebuchadnezzar was greatly prosperous, he was also prideful. His dream was a warning. Would king Nebuchadnezzar repent and avoid judgment? Come back next week and find out from the second half of Daniel chapter 4!

This week, Amy reminded the congregation that broken people often do broken things simply because they don't know who they are or whose they are. When we forget our God-given identity, we let trauma, words, the opinions of others, and the lies of the enemy define us instead of the truth of Scripture.She acknowledged that even though identity is a familiar topic, it's still one we wrestle with daily. We live in a world that constantly tries to redefine us — and as believers, we must stand firm in who God says we are.Referencing her earlier messages on convictions and the church's “Guardrail” series, Amy reminded everyone that convictions are what keep us aligned with Christ. If we trade conviction for convenience, we lose the foundation of who we are.She pointed out that life feels increasingly complicated, tense, and confusing — because we live in a culture that celebrates what God calls sin, questions what He has made clear, and mocks those who stand for truth. Yet, our call is not to withdraw, but to stand firm and love well.Amy turned to the story of Daniel, drawing parallels between ancient Babylon and our modern culture. Babylon didn't just conquer God's people physically — it tried to redefine who they were.King Nebuchadnezzar renamed Daniel and his friends, attempting to reshape their identities around false gods. Daniel's name, which means “God is my Judge,” was changed to Belteshazzar — meaning “Bel protects the king.” This was more than a name change; it was an attack on identity.Amy explained that Satan still uses the same tactics today — whispering lies like “You're not enough,” “You're too broken,” or “You can't be used by God.” But God's Word says the opposite: You are chosen, forgiven, victorious, fearfully and wonderfully made, and more than a conqueror.“When the enemy tells you who you're not,” she said, “remind yourself who God says you are.”Just like Jesus did when tempted in the wilderness, we defeat deception with truth — through Scripture.Daniel “resolved not to defile himself” (Daniel 1:8). That means he made up his mind before the temptation even came. Amy urged the church to do the same — to decide in advance what they will and won't compromise.She gave examples of these commitments:“I will seek God first every day.”“I will worship faithfully.”“I will reserve intimacy for marriage.”“I will not join the crowd when it goes against God's ways.”Daniel didn't protest or shout to make his point. He acted with wisdom, respect, and compassion — choosing to make a difference rather than just make a point. His quiet faith changed lives, including the guard assigned to him.Even in exile, Daniel's story shows that God was working behind the scenes. What the enemy meant for evil, God turned for good. Amy reminded the congregation that no matter what happens in our culture or nation, our King is still on the throne.Psalm 103:19 declares, “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.”When we live out who God says we are, our lives become living testimonies that influence others — just like Daniel and his friends influenced kings and nations.Amy was transparent about her own journey — admitting that even after years of studying identity, she still finds herself struggling to fully live it out at times. But she emphasized that it's possible to stand firm without conforming.“You can live in Babylon,” she said, “without letting Babylon live in you.”Practical Ways to Walk Out Your IdentityAmy closed the message with seven practical ways to live out your identity in Christ:Live Out Your Faith Authentically (Matthew 5:16) – Let your good deeds shine so that others see Christ in you. Be consistent, real, and genuine.Be a Person of Integrity (Colossians 3:23) – Let honesty and excellence define you. Be the same person in private that you are in public.Share Your Story – Your testimony is proof of God's transforming power.Show Love and Compassion (John 13:34–35) – Love is your loudest sermon. Don't just win arguments; win hearts.Speak Truth in Love – Truth without love is harsh, but love without truth is hollow.Pray for Opportunities – Ask God daily to open doors to share His love.Reflect Christ's Joy – In a dark world, joy shines brightest.Amy ended with a heart-searching prayer:“Lord, help us be the best version of ourselves in You. Father, do people see the ‘me' that You see and want me to be?”She reminded everyone: You may live in Babylon, but Babylon doesn't have to live in you.

In an age before billboards, movies, and cat videos, there were few ways to stand out from the crowd and command the attention of people who might otherwise ignore you. At the Lord's command, Jeremiah frequently acts out some of his prophesies in order to dramatically display the reality of what will soon take place. You wouldn't soon forget a man wearing chains and a yoke who looks you in the eye and tells you that you will be like him in the near future. Another prophet named Hananiah comes along, and in similar fashion breaks Jeremiah's yoke, prophesying that the Lord will break the yoke of King Nebuchadnezzar, but things are not what they seem.Jeremiah 25 - 1:15 . Jeremiah 26 - 10:26 . Jeremiah 27 - 15:51 . Jeremiah 28 - 22:02 . Psalm 119:97-112 - 26:04 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

True freedom comes when we refuse to conform to society's expectations and instead embrace our authentic selves. We discover our limitless nature when we're willing to walk through life's fires rather than bow down to external pressures.• The biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego represents our choice to either conform or stand in our truth• Society (like King Nebuchadnezzar) constantly asks us to bow down and shrink ourselves to fit others' expectations• The fire represents the challenges we face when we choose authenticity over conformity• Our greatest tests and hardships are actually initiations into our greater potential• There's always "another one in the fire" with us—we're never truly alone in our challenges• The pressure and heat don't destroy us—they prove what we actually are• When we walk through fire with integrity, we emerge without even the "smell of smoke"• The universe never runs out of miracles for those willing to stand in their sovereignty• True greatness requires discomfort—you can't be both great and comfortable• The hottest flames in our lives are when the greatest miracles and blessings appearJoin the DG Mindset Academy School of Growth at dgmindset.com. The first semester begins November 3rd, but you can start right now.✨ Ready to take your growth to the next level? ✨The DG Mindset Academy | School of Growth is now open! Inside, you'll get access to my masterclasses, live 8-week courses, and Q&A coaching calls with me — all in a semester-style framework designed to help you transform at your own pace. Click here to join the Academy Your next level of growth starts now.

King Zedekiah sends messengers to Jeremiah asking that he might inquire of the Lord on behalf of Judah. Though he asks for the Lord's favor, he instead receives a prophecy of the Lord's wrath, for the king of Judah and his entourage will all be handed over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. After pronouncing judgment against Zedekiah, he goes on to condemn Shallum, Jehoiakim, and Coniah. These leaders have led the Lord's flock away from Him, but God promises to raise up one who is called “a Righteous Branch for David,” a king and a shepherd who will reign wisely and administer justice righteously.Jeremiah 21 - 1:15 . Jeremiah 22 - 4:57 . Jeremiah 23 - 12:43 . Jeremiah 24 - 23:20 . Psalm 119:81-96 - 26:08 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Rev. Dr. Timothy Schmeling was preacher for this service. Daniel 3:24-29: Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most-High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”

Faith in the Furnace explores how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego demonstrated unwavering faith when faced with King Nebuchadnezzar's demand to worship a golden idol. Their three-dimensional faith—assurance in God's ability, confidence in His deliverance, and submission to His will regardless of outcome—led to divine intervention in the fiery furnace. This biblical account challenges us to examine our own 'God Plus' tendencies, where we want God alongside comfort, approval, or success. True faith means standing firm for God even when everyone else bows down to cultural idols, knowing that God doesn't abandon us in our trials but joins us in them.https://www.ankenyfree.church

In the fourth week of our Daniel series, we are looking at chapter 4, where Daniel interprets King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Join Pastor Jeremy as he discusses this dream and what it means.

Friday Bible Study (9/19/25) // 2 Kings 25:8-21 (ESV) // Fall and Captivity of Judah8 In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 And he burned the house of the Lord and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. 10 And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 And the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile. 12 But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.13 And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the Lord, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the Lord, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon. 14 And they took away the pots and the shovels and the snuffers and the dishes for incense and all the vessels of bronze used in the temple service, 15 the fire pans also and the bowls. What was of gold the captain of the guard took away as gold, and what was of silver, as silver. 16 As for the two pillars, the one sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of the Lord, the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. 17 The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits,[a] and on it was a capital of bronze. The height of the capital was three cubits. A latticework and pomegranates, all of bronze, were all around the capital. And the second pillar had the same, with the latticework.18 And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the threshold; 19 and from the city he took an officer who had been in command of the men of war, and five men of the king's council who were found in the city; and the secretary of the commander of the army, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, who were found in the city. 20 And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21 And the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was taken into exile out of its land.Footnotesa. 2 Kings 25:17 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters Website: https://mbchicago.org FOLLOW US Facebook:   / mbc.chicago   Instagram:   / mbc.chicago   TikTok:   / mbc.chicago   Podcasts: Listen on Apple, Spotify & others TO SUPPORT US Zelle to: info@mbchicago.org Website: https://mbchicago.org/give Venmo: https://venmo.com/mbchurch DAF Donations: https://every.org/mbc.chicago PayPal: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_but... #2kings #DanielBatarseh #BibleStudy #mbchicago #mbcchicago #Bible #livechurch #churchlive #chicagochurch #chicagochurches #versebyverse #church #chicago #sermon #bibleexplained #bibleproject #bibleverse #bookbybook #oldtestament #explained

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Daniel 3-4; Psalm 81; Revelation 17 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! In today's episode, host Hunter guides us on our continuing journey through Scripture, marking the 256th day of the year. We delve into powerful stories and reflections from Daniel chapters 3 and 4, Psalm 81, and Revelation 17. Hunter begins by highlighting the dramatic tale of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, their unwavering faith in the face of Nebuchadnezzar's golden statue, and the lessons we can draw about resisting the “cult of self” in our own lives. As we listen to God's Word together, Hunter offers thoughtful insights on humility, hope, and the servant-hearted way of Jesus, reminding us that even amidst the fiery trials of life, God walks with us. The episode closes with heartfelt prayers and encouragement to cultivate hope and gratitude within community, looking forward to another day of walking together in faith. Whether you're new to Daily Radio Bible or a long-time listener, today's episode promises inspiration, comfort, and the reminder that, no matter what you're facing, you are loved and there is always hope. TODAY'S DEVOTION: Recognize the destructive life of the cult of self. King Nebuchadnezzar was the poster child for a life centered on the self—a man who built a 90-foot tall statue of gold as a monument to his own greatness and demanded all people bow down and worship an image of himself. That, friends, is the path of the self: it wants life to revolve around our own projects, desires, ambitions, and reputation. If it's not about us, it'll find another narcissist to orbit. So often, even religion gets caught up in the frenzy, enforcing the lie that life is found in worshiping anything but God—the living God who serves. But there is another way—Jesus, the servant King, shows us a life radically different from Nebuchadnezzar's. Jesus is self-giving, radically forgiving, and co-suffering in His love for all, even for those who set themselves against Him. When we awaken to Jesus, the living word, we do not escape the fiery trials and pressures of this world. But we are promised that we will never be alone in those flames. Just as God stood with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fire, so He stands with us. In the end, we emerge from those flames into life—His life. The call today is to refuse to shape your life as a monument to self. Don't bow down to the cult of self or any idols that demand your allegiance. Instead, open your heart to the way of Jesus: the way of humility, service, and forgiveness. Participate in His self-giving, radically forgiving, co-suffering love. That is the way that brings true freedom and hope—hope that can't be destroyed by the fires of this world. That's a prayer I have for my own soul. That's a prayer I have for my family, for my wife, for my daughters, for my son. And that is a prayer that I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord of heaven and earth, you have awakened us in your mercy once more. Still our anxious minds, quiet our striving hearts and help us to rest in the knowledge that we are held by you. May we walk in step with your Spirit today, not ahead, not behind, but beside you in trust and love through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O God of all peoples, you formed every soul in your image and breathed life into every heart. Open the eyes of the nations, soften hearts grown cold and teach us to live as neighbors and friends. Let your Spirit move in power. Renew the face of the earth and usher in your reign of peace. Amen. And now, Lord, let me be a bearer of your peace. Where voices divide, let me speak grace. Where fear takes root, let me plant trust. Where the world rushes on, let me walk with you. May I seek not to climb, but to kneel, not to win, but to love, not to grasp, but to give. For it is in emptying that we are filled, in surrender that we are strengthened, and in union with you that we find our truest joy. Amen. And now, as our Lord has taught us, we are bold to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.   OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Fr. Mike explains why God asks his people to surrender to King Nebuchadnezzar even though it seems contradicting. We learn that God can use evil circumstances to win the hearts of his people back. In Daniel, as we read about the vision of the ram and the goat, Fr. Mike reminds us that prophecy is always shrouded in mystery. Today we read Jeremiah 26-27, Daniel 8-9, and Proverbs 16:9-12. 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.

Fr. Mike touches on Proverbs 16:3, which is about giving everything in our lives to the service of the Lord. He also emphasizes how important it is to humble ourselves before the Lord, so to avoid becoming like the false prophets Jeremiah talks about today. Today's readings are Jeremiah 23, Daniel 4-5, and Proverbs 16:1-4. 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.

As we near the end of 2 Kings, Fr. Mike takes us through Babylon's conquest of Judah, under the leadership of King Nebuchadnezzar. He touches on the importance of wisdom in the Book of Proverbs and revisits the sons of Josiah to explain why the people of Israel are so lost. Today's readings are 2 Kings 24, 2 Chronicles 35, and Proverbs 8:22-36. 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.