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Faith can sometimes feel difficult to hold onto, especially during seasons when God’s presence feels distant or circumstances seem overwhelming. Yet Scripture reminds us that God remains our refuge and strength, even when we struggle to recognize His work in our lives. Doubt does not mean God has abandoned us. Many believers experience moments of uncertainty, questioning, or spiritual exhaustion. In those seasons, God invites us to return to Him through prayer, Scripture, and a deeper understanding of His character. He is not only present in the moments when we feel strong in faith—He is faithful when we feel weak. Highlights: Seasons of doubt can become opportunities to rediscover God’s faithfulness God remains present even when His work is difficult to see Our faith is rooted in Jesus, not in the actions or failures of others Prayer and Scripture help rebuild trust in God’s character and promises God is our refuge and strength when life feels uncertain or overwhelming Join the Conversation: Have you ever experienced a season where your faith felt distant or difficult to hold onto? What helped you remember that God was still present and faithful? Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/ Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: Finding Faith AgainBy Vivian Bricker Bible Reading:“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” (Psalm 46:1-3). Most of us have had times when we doubt our faith. We doubt if we are truly saved or if anything we do truly matters. While I have never doubted God’s existence, I have doubted His goodness and provision. In retrospect, I can now see God has provided for me even in the darkest of times. However, during trying times, it can be hard to see God. We automatically blame God and reason that He is why we are going through challenging times. Since God is ultimately in control, we question why He is not bringing us deliverance. As someone who has been in this place many times, I can attest to just how much God is present when we think He is not. God is always with us, even if we do not realize it. A particularly tough time for me was when I was in England. I was serving on a mission trip, and there was only one other person and me. I struggled as this was my first time away from home, and I missed my family. I struggle with social anxiety, and it was challenging to be around people I didn't know very well. The host families I stayed with were all supportive, but a few profoundly changed my life. They helped me to know that I matter and that God has plans for my life, even if I could not see them right away. Although my faith struggled at times during this mission trip, I left England with a stronger faith than I had before. I knew God would be with me through everything, even if I had doubted Him. An Ever-Present Help in Trouble The Bible tells us, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” (Psalm 46:1-3). While many people believe only David wrote the Psalms, others wrote them as well. Another writer was the Sons of Korah, who wrote Psalm 46. The Sons of Korah lived during a time of exile. They longed to return to Israel and yearned for the day when God would deliver His people. Despite what they saw each day, they knew God was their refuge, strength, and an ever-present help in trouble. By studying Psalm 46:1-3 and applying it to our lives, we will slowly begin to trust God again. We will realize that He is also our refuge, strength, and ever-present help in trouble. Although the earth may give way and the mountains will fall into the sea, we will not fear because God is with us. He is our mighty protector, and He will keep us safe from all harm. If you need to find your faith again, start talking with the Lord in prayer today. Read the Bible and study what it has to say for yourself. Rather than relying on other Christians or a church, seek out matters for yourself. Sadly, many of us struggle with our faith because of a negative experience with a Christian or a church. Try to remember at these times that our faith is in Jesus, not in other Christians or a church. These individuals will fail us and might even cause us much harm, but the Lord never will. He will always fight for us and be on our side. Even as everything else in our lives falls apart, Jesus will stand by our side (Hebrews 13:5-6). We can have faith in Jesus because He is our mighty Savior and the One who has redeemed our souls. Praise God for such a wonderful blessing in the Lord. Intersecting Faith & Life: Have you ever struggled with your faith in Jesus? What did this look like? Why do you think most Christians struggle with their faith at times? How might Jesus help you in the journey of finding your faith again? Further Reading: Psalm 23:1-6 Exodus 14:14 2 Timothy 4:18 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Parsha ‘Korach’ (Numbers chapters 16 through 18) is popularly known as the story of “Korah’s Rebellion.” And the Erev Shabbat reading of the portion by Mark Call of SSM certainly explains why: https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SSM-6-19-26-Korach-teaching-podcast-xx.mp3 But we risk missing out if we don’t ask some important questions, and not even just “why?” This was, after all, the guy who had led them through the Red, er, Sea of Reeds, and spoke directly to YHVH Himself. Who did they think they were? But maybe we shouldn’t be surprised. After all, Yahushua told all us that if we don’t believe “Moses’s Writings,” how could we believe His Words? “Korach: A Rebellion that was the First of Too Many https://hebrewnationonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WT-CooH-6-20-26-Korach-If-we-cant-even-RECOGNIZE-Moses-how-can-we-hope-to-spot-a-FAKE-podcast-xxx.mp3 Service information: Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship worship services and teachings are broadcast live every Sabbath, via Paltalk. (www.paltalk.com has both the link, and the app.) The “room name” is “Walking Torah with Shabbat Shalom Mesa,” and can be found via the paltalk search, then bookmarked. Erev Shabbat services begin at 7:00 PM Mountain Time Friday evenings (9 PM Eastern, 8 PM Central) Live Sabbath teachings begin shortly after 11 AM Mountain time on Sabbath day (Saturday). email: mark@markniwot.com The combined two-part reading and Sabbath midrash:
Some Very Good Bad ExamplesJude 4-16 Some Very Good Bad Examples: Jude 4-16 Ken Wilson For the bulletin in PDF form, click here.Message SlidesDefectors from What? - SwindollTheological Triage - MohlerFinding the Right Hills to Die On - Gavin OrtlandThe “Sons of God” in Genesis 6:1-4 - Allen RossCannonicity of the OT and NT - WilsonIntroduction: Bibles and Bible Reading - Some Surprising StatisticsThe Current Crisis(Godless False Teachers are in the Church.)• Predicted: False teachers have infiltrated the church (4a).• Perverted: False teachers pervert the grace of God (4b).• Profane: False teachers deny the Lordship of Christ (4b).The Past Precedent(Three Very Good Bad Examples Illustrate the Certainty of Judgment.)• Unbelieving Israel: Unbelievers were judged after being delivered (5).• Angels: Rebellious angels are kept in darkness for later judgment (6).• Sodom and Gomorrah: The perverse in the cities were judged by fire (7).The Present Parallel(Arrogance and Greed Characterize False Teachers.)• Conceited: False Teachers are arrogant and misunderstand authority (8-10).• Predictable: False Teachers are selfish [like Cain], greedy [like Balaam], and rebellious [like Korah] (11).• Dangerous: False Teachers are dangerous [like a hidden reef], selfish [like greedy shepherds], unsatisfying [like rainless clouds], dead [like a barren tree], shameful [like stormy waves], unreliable guides [like wandering stars], and destined for judgment (12-13).The Future Prospect(False Teachers will be Judged by God and Angels.)• Destiny: As Enoch prophesied, they will be judged by God (14-15).• Character: They're grumbling, critical, immoral, self-centered manipulators (16). The character and destiny of false teachers who will face an impartial and righteous judge should deter us from following them in the last days.UPG FOCUS: The Amma Kodaga are a small Hindu people group living in the hilly regions of southern India, where they farm crops like coffee and spices and live in close-knit, tradition-rich communities. They practice Hinduism, blending cultural rituals with deep respect for family and heritage. Though the NT is available in their language, there are no known believers among them. Pray that they would be drawn to Jesus, that disciples would be raised up among them, and that workers would go to share the gospel.FinancesWeekly Budget 34,615Giving For 06/07 76,526Giving For 06/14 37,554YTD Budget 1,730,769Giving 2,044,634 OVER/(UNDER) 313,865 Automate the ImportantWe understand that the summer months can be a whirlwind of new schedules and travel. To ensure the continuous growth of Fellowship's ministry, we encourage you to simplify your giving process by automating it. It's a straightforward and hassle-free process. Just visit fellowshipconway.org/give, click “Ready to Give?” then “Recurring,” and fill out the necessary information. If you need any assistance, feel free to reach out to John in our office at 501-327-3444 between 8:30 and 4:30, Monday through Thursday.New to Fellowship? We are so glad that you chose to worship with our Fellowship Family this morning. If you are joining us for the first time or have been checking us out for a few weeks, we are excited you are here and would love to meet you. Please fill out the “Connect Card” and bring it to the Connection Center in the Atrium, we would love to say “hi” and give you a gift. Fellowship Women's Watercolor NightPut Wednesday, July 29th at 6 pm on your calendar! Please bring yourself and a friend. All materials are supplied. We will all be practicing different watercolor techniques and participating in some fun watercolor activities! This will be fun for participants of all levels of experience. Remember: it's about the process, not the product! Register at fellowshipconway.org/register. RSVP to Shanna at 501-336-0332 for childcare.Fellowship Women's Recipe SwapSunday, July 12th, at 6 pm, join us at the home of Gale Allen: 63 Moseley Lane, Conway, for a fun evening of sharing favorite recipes, delicious food, and great fellowship! Tara Brown will be there to do a cooking demo! Bring a dish to share and a copy of your recipe. Feel free to invite a friend! Register at fellowshipconway.org/register.Help us Bless our VBS Volunteers!We're looking for people to sign up to provide snacks and treats throughout the week to keep our amazing volunteers energized as they serve. If you'd like to help please contact Ashley, Aoverstreet@fellowshipconway.org or Heather, Hfulmer@fellowshipconway.org Thank you for supporting those who are investing in the lives of our children! Widows' America 250 Luncheon Wear your red, white, or blue as we enjoy our special guests Colonel C. Jason Carter, USA Retired and Rebecca Carter Thursday, July 16 at noon, 3680 Gresham Dr. RSVP by July 2 to Judy, 501-329-3535 or Ambra, 501-730-6795.Men's Discussion GroupMen's Discussion Group starts back up July 2 with “Making Sense of God” by Timothy Keller. This book discussion will both strengthen your own faith and enhance your ability to productively engage with nonbelievers. We'll gain an understanding of how God makes so much more sense of identity, freedom, purpose, evil, and other experiences than a secular view does. We invite all men to join us; just get a copy of the book and join us for discussion in the FBC Library on Thursdays. Contact Andy at 501-314-9121 for information. Prayer During ServiceWe love to pray for one another. Our prayer team will have people at the front of the Auditorium under the signs Hope and Love to pray for you after the message. Please feel free to walk up to them for prayer or encouragement during the first worship song after the message.
Who Does the Lord Know? (1) (audio) David Eells, 6/21/26 We received a question regarding Matthew 7:23 and how these people could say they know the Lord, and yet the Lord says, “I never knew you”. Also, Some people think that they are lost people, or that they were never really saved. And so I thought we could look at that today and identify who the Lord knows and those whom the Lord said He never knew. Let's look first in Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. The Bible talks about false prophets quite a bit in both the Old and New Testaments. Sometimes they don't appear to have been apostate, but in some cases, they definitely are. This is true in 2 Peter chapter 2; and the Christians he's talking about there. I believe the whole chapter really is about false prophets. 2Pe 2:15 forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing; Of course, the only one that can forsake the right way is somebody who's been there, and obviously, they are being an apostate or fallen away in this case. For instance in 2Pe 2:20-21 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. 21 For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. This and many other scriptures clearly refute the ”once saved always saved doctrine. Another good example would be in Jude 11 Woe unto them! for they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. 12 These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; This includes those who fell into the error of trying to be “a profit” instead of a prophet. But I just wanted to make that point, because some people say that all false prophets are lost people, and that's just not the case. Of course, a lot of times, when we talk about Christians, we really should identify Christians the way the Bible identifies Christians, and not the way the worldly church identifies them. The way the worldly church identifies Christians now is those who have been born in spirit. Their spirit has been born from God, and they have a new spirit. But it is more than that. that's not the way the scriptures identify as Christians. Scriptures identify Christians as those who walk and talk the way Christ walked and talked. Also, there's a big difference between somebody who's just been born in spirit and those who walk the way Christ walked, because you can have Christ's spirit and not live His life as Paul exhorted Christians in Rom 8:13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. That's an exhortation given to those who have the spirit of Christ because he went on to exhort that those who have the spirit of Christ should go on to receive the Spirit of God. Everyone who is born of God receives the Spirit of Christ and today, that's called a born-again Christian. As we read the text, we'll see that “Christian” is identified scripturally as something completely different. So keep that in mind that I'm talking about Christians in the way that the church uses the term, those who have been born in spirit. Back to Mat 7:16 By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; (Again, now he's not just identifying prophets. Now he's broadening the scope. And in the next few verses, he uses the word “every” several times. So he's broadening the scope to talk about everybody, not just false prophets.) 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Now, this same verse is used in Matthew 3:10, where John the Baptist is rebuking the Covenant people of God; those religious leaders who made their stand on believing that Abraham was their father. Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: 9 and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I want you to notice here that He's talking about the Covenant people, thinking that because they were children of Abraham, they were entitled to God's blessings. And John told them that that's not the truth. The truth is, only bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance brings you into God's blessings. I think this is a good exhortation for Christians today, because Christians think, “Well, I'm a Christian, God's my Father so I can just go and do what I want to do now.” But this is not so. It says every tree that doesn't bring forth good fruit among us is hewn down and cast into the fire. The scripture also says in Joh 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away:… Notice: Every branch in me… Now that can be no other than God's people, right? We're all responsible to bring forth fruit. The fruit is what identifies us as Christians, and the fruit here, as we see in the text, is the actions of your life. The fruit is love, the joy, the peace, the righteousness; all those things that Christ was and is. The actions of our life are the fruit of the inner life, that's what He's talking about; the fruit. Along the same line in several of Jesus's parables, He came looking for fruit on the fig tree. He wasn't looking for fruit on a tree that wasn't supposed to bring forth fruit. He was looking for fruit on a tree that was created to bring forth fruit. It is the fig tree that identifies God's people. Luk 13:6-9 And he spake this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none. 7 And he said unto the vinedresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why doth it also cumber the ground? 8 And he answering saith unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 and if it bear fruit thenceforth, well; but if not, thou shalt cut it down. Notice: The Lord is the one who's going to cut it down. The Lord is long-suffering with us to bear fruit, but be that as it may, we've been given a certain amount of time to bear that fruit, and I think that's what He's talking about in Matthew 7, because as He goes on in Mat 7:20 Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Now he's identifying fruit as doing the will of the Father. The fruit of the Spirit is doing the will of the Father. He goes on to say, 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? Let me make a point here. Do you suppose that it's possible that an apostate Christian could prophesy? I mean, prophesy from the Lord? We have examples in the scriptures of false prophets who prophesied in the name of the Lord. A good example is in 1 Samuel 19. This is talking about Saul after he had fallen away from the Lord; in fact, he had been rejected by the Lord. It says 1Sa 19:23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets? Now, some people say, well, because he stripped off all his clothes, that doesn't seem like a godly thing to do, but I think what the Holy Spirit was showing to people around him was that he was walking naked before the Lord. He wasn't dressed up with Christ. He didn't have on his wedding garment, so on and so forth. He had fallen away in his works, because remember when we studied the garment, it symbolized your works, right? In Revelation 19, the righteous acts of the saints were the garment that the bride is wearing. Now, I want you to notice this too; this same man had a demon that was sent from God to him. 1Sa 18:10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. And Saul had his spear in his hand; 11 and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence twice. 12 And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him, and was departed from Saul. Now this is the same Saul whom the Lord had departed from, who later prophesied in the name of the Lord, because the Spirit came upon him. Here, he prophesied in verse 10 by an evil spirit. He had obviously become a false prophet. Was it always that way? No, it wasn't always that way. He was the anointed of the Lord. But yet he became a false prophet. He became what we would know today as an apostate Christian. He was rejected in 1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from being king. So he had been rejected by the Lord, received an evil spirit by which he prophesied, and later even prophesied in the name of the Lord when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Now, going back to what I consider to be probably apostate Christians in Mat 7: 22 …Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name,… And some people say, ‘Well, that wouldn't be possible if this person did not know the Lord at all to be able to prophesy by thy name.' And the point I want you to see here, too, is that it says by thy name and not in thy name; in the original, it says by thy name, meaning they could be prophesying true enough, but they weren't in the name. They weren't getting a reward because they weren't abiding in the name of the Lord. Another point, it says, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? Do you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 12, when they accused Him of casting out demons by the prince of demons, Beelzebub? Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub the prince of the demons. 25 And knowing their thoughts he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 and if Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 28 But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. You know, I think you'll find that Satan doesn't cast out Satan; that even the most apostate Christians, because of their Covenant relationship with the Lord, still have authority to do that and can do it. I've seen people that the Lord identified to me as false prophets and actually did prophesy wrongly, and I've seen them cast out demons too. They had the Covenant relationship because of the Jews. The seven sons of Sceva were Jews. You see, the Jews were casting out demons. This wasn't new to the Jews to cast out demons. They had been doing that. And because of Covenant relationship, the Jews got healing, and they got deliverance. Even today, people, because of Covenant relationship, before being completely rejected by God, they can still cast out demons. I know of a false prophet in particular who has identified too many people who cast out demons; in fact, he cast them out with me. Let me say this: a person who is lost, who does not know the Lord, how do they cast out demons? Those who have no Covenant relationship with the Lord; how do they cast out demons? Their father manifestly is Beelzebub, so how do they cast out demons? Well, what happened to the seven sons of Sceva when they tried to use “by Jesus whom Paul preacheth” to cast out demons in Acts 19:13 and then got whipped? They did not know the one who was creating the New Covenant. I think the point is that you have to be in some kind of a Covenant relationship in order to be casting demons out, because Satan doesn't cast out Satan. The One who lives in you now casts out demons. 1Jn 4:4 … greater is he that's in you than he that is in the world. Who's in the world? Satan. Does Satan cast out his own kingdom? Jesus said, No, he doesn't do that. Well, here's the point. Were they casting the demons out by the Spirit of God or were they casting them out by Satan? Jesus said they couldn't cast them out by Satan. The lost people's authority is Satan. The one that lives in them is Satan. The point I'm making about these people here, these false prophets, is that many of them are apostate Christians. Remember, an apostate is one who is falling away from the truth and the grace of God. And it's somebody who is obviously saying, Lord, Lord, (so they obviously believed in their heart that Jesus was their Lord) Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy and by thy name cast out demons and by thy name do many mighty works? Notice they were not “in” thy name but God permitted this “by” thy name as a witness of Jesus. Who is it today that we know that is doing this in the name of the Lord, if it's not somebody who is abiding in His name, which is far more powerful? I was in a situation where a preacher and his girl friend were trying to cast many demons out of a man who chased them out of the building. Previously the demon possessed man chased the preachers deacon through a plate glass door, shattering it, and sending him to the hospital. So, they sent for me and told me their story. They watched from the doorway as I approached this man who thought to do the same to me. By the grace of God he cowered and was delivered. Many today are in “by” mode, meaning they are using the name of the Lord and not doing it in the name. I agree that some people profess the Lord and don't know the Lord or haven't been sent by Him. And all false prophets are not apostate Christians or just lost deceivers. ; not all of them. And I'm convinced that there is some chicanery going on even in Christian circles. I don't know if any of you are familiar with it, but I've been among some of them where they see a demon behind every bush. They cast demons out daily from everybody's flesh. But a lot of that's not demons, it's just run away flesh. Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Now here's the point: is there such a thing as a Christian who's been born in spirit that God spoke to and said, “I don't know you” or “I never knew you?” Yes, we have examples of that. But first, before we get away from this, I want to read on because He says, I never knew you depart from me you that work iniquity. What is it for the Lord to know you? I want to look at that and what that means. When he says depart from me ye that work iniquity verse 24 went right on Every one therefore; (Meaning: He's talking about the same thing as just before this verse.) Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: 25 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. 26 And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: Notice, He didn't say whether you had the spirit of Christ or not; it all has to do with obedience. The difference between a foolish man and a wise man is strictly just one word; obedience. The born again spirit filled with the Holy Spirit gives us power to obey through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus. Our text deals with the fruit, which has to do with whether you're obeying. So the main difference between the wise and the foolish is hearing the words and doing them. Notice that both men here in this text heard the words, but only one obeyed, and that was the wise man. 27 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. And this is the test that follows. I want to make that point before we go on because I want to look at the foolish virgins briefly, because God spoke to them, and He says, I don't know you. Mat 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. Again, what's the difference between the wise and the foolish? It's just one thing, being a hearer and a doer by the anointing of God. 3 For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them: 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. We know that in Pro 20:27 The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah, Searching all his innermost parts. The spirit of man is the lamp of the oil. And the oil being the life of God or the Holy Spirit is to be in that lamp. And there's a vessel that the wise virgins took with them that was also full of oil; that obviously the foolish did not bring. What do you think the vessel is that also has the oil? We've talked about the difference between the born again spirit and the born again soul, which is your mind, will, and emotions. This is the fruit of the Spirit being born in the soul. The person who had just a born-again spirit, but brought forth no fruit in the soul through obedience will be rejected. They were not bearing the fruit of obedience so they could be born again in the soul. The vessel that they brought with their lamp is the vessel of their physical life because that's where you bear the fruit of the oil. That's where you bear the fruit of Christ to be seen by the world. Now, even the foolish virgins here had oil in their lamp or spirit. So you can't classify them as non-Christians? Or, what we've been calling Christians. You understand? Verse 5 Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. This was another question someone had a while back about a word, so I went and looked it up. It's the Greek word, kosmeo. Kosmeo is the word we get cosmetics from. And it simply means ‘to arrange or to adorn'. It's not implying that their lamps were out and they lit them, you understand? It's just talking about adorning or arranging their lamps. They chose to translate it trim in this text; I don't think that's a very good word to use. To trim is to bring the wick up so the light shines best. Continuing in Mat 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut. Notice that - the door was shut. That was ominous because that door being shut is mentioned in other places in the scripture, like in Luke 13:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour. He said, I know you not. Now these virgins did have oil in their lamps. So obviously what the Lord means by knowing you is more than just receiving a new spirit, a born-again spirit. There must be fruit born of that spirit life in order for the Lord to know you. And I want to look at that too. Before we go there, let's look at Luke too, because it has a very close parallel to this door being closed. Luk 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; … (Obviously the same text there.) and he shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence ye are; 26 then shall ye begin to say, We did eat and drink in thy presence, and thou didst teach in our streets; 27 and he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. See, so many people are relying on their relationship with the Lord by what they know, by who they're connected with, by the fact that they're a Christian, that they've accepted Jesus as their Savior, but they're using none of the criteria of the scriptures. The only basis that God rebuked any of these people was for their disobedience. And we know that the only way we can obey is by having faith in the Lord and being filled with His Spirit. If we have faith, we'll obey. We'll overcome the sins that we struggle against because we fight the good fight of faith. It's not by works. I'm not trying to magnify our works; I'm trying to magnify the Lord's works through us. The criteria by which the Lord is going to judge any of us is going to be works. And he says to them, because of their evil works, not because they weren't Christians, because it's obvious to me from Matthew 25, and what we just read here, that He's talking to His children. But He says, I know not whence ye are… What causes the Lord to know us? First of all, many people are going to be found in this situation. In Matthew 25, there were 10 virgins. It was talking about the time of the coming of the Lord, how that five were ready, and five were not. That's only half of the people mentioned; half were not ready to meet the Lord, and half were. The very next parable is the parable of the talents, and again, there's no paragraph indentation, so He just goes on in Mat 25:14 For it is as when a man, going into another country, (In other words, he's telling you, watch, I'm going to show you the same thing in another way.) There were three groups at that time who had each been given talents. And one-third of them were rejected because they didn't bring forth the fruit that God put in, right? Doesn't the Bible say a third of the stars of heaven will be cast down to the earth? How come it was half of the virgins and yet a third of those with the talents? Because the virgins are those who are living on the earth when the Lord returns, and these men with the talents are standing before the judgment after death, after resurrection, you see? We're talking about those who are living at the time the Lord returns in order to be caught up to be with the Lord. What about the people who die? There are obviously three groups. A third of the stars of heaven were cast to the earth in the Book of Revelation. That's a third of the people. The scriptures say that Abraham's seed are as the stars; also, Jacob. The stars are likened to God's people. In Jacob's dream of the stars, they're the children of the bride chamber; it's in many, many places. There's the star glory in 1 Corinthians 15; the star glory is a person who's manifested star glory with the Lord. And some go on to moon glory and sun glory. But a third of the stars of heaven are being cast to the earth, and it goes on in Rev 6:13 and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. That's not talking about angels, that's talking about God's people not coming to maturity. You see, this is what's happening to a third of the stars. And yet of the people who are alive and remain, half of those people do not enter to being with the Lord. During this end time many will fall in the great falling away. They were called, twice dead and plucked up by the roots. Do you suppose that if your lamp is going out, you would be called twice dead? I do and that's what he's talking about; there's a great falling away happening right there. I think during the tribulation period, probably a third of the Christians are going to take the mark and spiritually die, and out of the ones that are left, half of them are going to be rejected. This is what I feel from these two parables. In the parable of the sower in Mat 13, three out of four did not bear fruit and were rejected. But let's look now at the Lord and how He knows us. You know that the Lord foreknew a group of people in Rom 8:29 For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: Let's see who the Lord knew. Okay, it's really important that we know who He foreknew because He didn't foreknow every Christian. I can prove that to you Notice who he's talking about; who was foreknown. Now, that's not knowing what's going to happen before it happens. Foreknew is like Adam knew his wife. The word ‘know' implies an intimate relationship. Rom 8:29 For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: These people whom He foreknew here is not talking about He foreknew that they would overcome. He knew this person. He knew their nature before the world was created. Watch, it says, For whom He foreknew, He foreordained. (Everybody that He foreknew, He foreordained.) Notice to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Notice now, there's no way out of this verse. If you start in on one end of it, you've got to come out on the other end of it. The ones He foreknew, he foreordained, (He predestined) to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. So, everybody that God foreknew from the foundation of the world will be conformed to the image of His Son. That doesn't mean everyone that we call ‘Christians'. So, Jesus pointed out this group; He called them 30-60 and a 100-fold fruit. Fruit of what? The fruit of Christ. The 30-60 and a 100-fold are going to be conformed to the image of Christ. These are the ones He foreknew. What is it to know God? Did God know anybody who was not in Covenant relationship? No, He didn't. I'm going to make this point at the very beginning that God only knows one family in all the earth, and that family is born again spiritual Israel. Amo 3:2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities. Now keep that in your mind that the Lord has only known Israel from the foundation until now. Even though Israel was changed in the New Covenant, it's still Israel. He makes a point back in Rom 9:6 … For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel: In other words, ‘real Israel' is going to be picked out of the midst of mans ‘Israel'. You understand? Because remember, For many are called, but few chosen. Mat 22:14 That word chosen is eklektos, or elected. And Paul exhorts us to give diligence to make our calling and election sure. (2Pe.1:10) This group of people in Romans 8 was called and elect because in verse 33, he said who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? … So, he's specifically talking about the elect, not just the called. Now, everybody who's the elect has to be called because the word call means invited. You remember when Jesus came to the Jews, they were invited, but they all weren't elect, and the reason was that they didn't accept Jesus. So it's only Israel that He knows and specifically only those who are of faith in the Promises. Let's look at Rom 11:1 I say then, Did God cast off his people? God forbid. He cast off all but the elect who are born from above for they are His people. There were some Israelites that He didn't cast off because Paul said, For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. So God didn't cast off the chosen or elect Israelites. But there were other Israelites that He did. 2 God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Notice that. Nobody that God foreknew did He cast off. You know why? Let's read on, and we'll see why. 2 God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Or know ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah? how he pleadeth with God against Israel: 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal. 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election (or chosen) of grace. Now the remnant is according to the election of grace. Notice that Israel did fall away, but not the elect, not the chosen, not the foreknown. Watch. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. In other words, by no more of your works, no more works of the law, are you going to be justified before God. 7 What then? That which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, … Notice, the elect or the chosen will obtain it. The foreknown will obtain it, and they will not be cast off. See, we're identifying something here. There were many people called out of Egypt who fell in the wilderness and did not make it to the Promised Land. The Bible says many are called, but few are chosen or ‘elect'. Who are the ones He foreknew? The many called or the few chosen? So, obviously, from this text you can see very clearly that the ones He foreknew were elect, meaning chosen, and they obtained it. Why did they obtain it? Let's see what it means to be known by God. Look at this verse very closely in Rom 11:19 Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. 20 Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 for if God spared not the natural branches (Israel), neither will he spare thee. 22 Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. The point I wanted to make is in verse 26 And so all Israel shall be saved. So what about all those who were cut off? They were Israel. They were called, but they were not elect. Remember what we saw back at the beginning of the chapter: those who were called and fell away in the wilderness. Those who rebelled against God, the ones whose hearts He hardened, He said, But the elect obtained it, and the rest were hardened. (Rom.11:7) Who is Israel? Who is the Israel that God foreknew? It's the elect. It is the foreknown. What about the rest of them? He didn't foreknow them. You know why? Because they didn't endure to the end in faith and obedience. I want you to notice that everybody who was not foreknown and who was not written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world is going to be deceived and fall away. Everybody. We're talking about those called who fell in the wilderness. That's talking about the world, the flesh, everybody who is not foreknown is going to be deceived by the Beast. Look at Rev 13:8 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. Notice, it's everyone who is not written or not foreknown. Many Christians are called, meaning invited, but will not come to prove to be the elect, or chosen. They won't obtain the promise because of unbelief and are broken off. You understand what I'm saying? Remember they do not obtain the promise because they do not endure in faith. You can't obtain the promise that way. Look at Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, they whose name hath not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he was, and is not, and shall come. So everybody whose name was not written there is going to be deceived, but everybody whose name that is written there will see through it. They are the elect; they will obtain. They are the foreknown; they will obtain. They will be the ‘Paul out of Israel', who God chose to go on and to bear fruit. Today, we see Israel as a type of Christianity. Out of that, there are some who are going to go on and be obedient. Because obedience proves your faith. If you have no obedience, if you do not obey, if you are not a doer of the word, you have no proof for your faith. The way God is going to prove that you walk by faith is by your works. Everyone who walks by faith will overcome. If we walk by faith, we will overcome the trials in this life; the sin, the works of the devil; we will win. There's another point I want you to see. Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, in Ephesians, where it also says God chose us; that's the word eklektos in Him, before the foundation of the world. Now, if Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, when was He manifestly slain? Not until 2,000 years ago. Now, if our names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world, when are they manifestly written in the Lamb's Book of Life? They're manifestly written in the Lamb's Book of Life when you're born again. Therefore, you were foreknown just as Christ was foreknown. You see that? It is really important that you follow this now. It's manifest when you're born into the Kingdom. In God's plan and His foreknowledge. Just like Jesus was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, but He wasn't killed then. When God set His plan into manifestation, Jesus was sacrificed. But it might as well have been because God calls the things to be not as though they were. So, when you were born from above you were written in the Book of Life. I'm not talking about in God's plan that He foreknew. I'm talking about when manifestly your name was written in. Because everyone who's born of God is written in His Book. But remember, the ones that He foreknew from the beginning were those who endured to the end and came into the manifestation of Jesus. Psa 87:4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon as among them that know me: Behold, Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia: This one was born there. 5 Yea, of Zion it shall be said, This one and that one was born in her; And the Most High himself will establish her. 6 Jehovah will count, when he writeth up the peoples, This one was born there. Selah. The point is, when you're born into the Kingdom, that's when God writes your name. He said, Rejoice not that you have power over the demons, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. (Luk 10:20) So here's the point. Everybody that's born, including all of those that came out of Egypt, were written in that book. But some were blotted out. Who was it that was blotted out, before the full manifestation of Jesus? Remember, we're talking about those whom He foreknew before the foundation of the world who came into the image of His Son. But according to Rev 3:5, He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life,…. So you've got many names written in manifestly, and those who don't overcome are blotted out. Before what? Before the full manifestation, the ones who were foreknown. So all the Jews who came out of Egypt were written at that time. Also, every Christian who receives a new born-again spirit from God is written at that time. But only the ones who endure to bear fruit were foreknown. Therefore, of those who fall in the wilderness, He says, I know you not. I never knew you. Why? He didn't foreknow them. What was the main difference between those two groups of people, the wise and the foolish? The main difference was that they both heard the word, but only the wise became a doer of the word. In both Matthew 7 and Matthew 25, the difference between the wise and the foolish is the same. And yet, clearly, even the foolish had oil in their lamps. But their oil was going out. See, there's a great falling away coming because of tribulation, because of trials and people are going to fall away. Look at Psa 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, And not be written with the righteous. There will be those who will be written in Zion but the sinner in Zion will be destroyed out of it. Look in Isa 4:3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem; 4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning. God is doing a work of purging from the church those who are walking in wickedness, those who are guilty of blood, and walking in disobedience. This scripture is very plain about being blotted out: Psa 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, And not be written with the righteous. There's another one where Moses was interceding for the people in Exo 32:32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 33 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. So those who are written among the living, those who have manifested fruit, those who came into the image of Christ through the Word. Those who are written at the end are going to be the ones that He foreknew. They're going to be the elect, the ones that He chose. He exhorts us in 2Pe 1:10 Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble: Look at 2Ti 2:19 Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his: and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. See, the Lord knows them that are His and that's going to be the ones who depart from unrighteousness, so he's exhorting everybody that names the name of the Lord to depart from unrighteousness, to depart from iniquity. See, we're finding out who the Lord knows. Do you know who He knows? He knows Jesus. He knows the name, which is the nature and character of Jesus. Can you imagine God having relationship with us as Adam did with Eve? (That's what the word ‘know' means.) Imagine God having a relationship with somebody who is contrary to His nature? Do you understand that? God cannot know someone who is contrary to His nature and Word. 1 John 3:9 Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God". Just like He commands us Christians not to choose an unbelieving mate, right? Why did He tell us not to choose an unbelieving mate? Because we're not to know anybody with a contrary nature. What fellowship has light with darkness? So God knows and sows the Word who is Jesus. To the extent Jesus is in you, that's to the extent God knows you. Who did Jesus say the Father would love? Every Christian? No, He didn't. Joh 14:23…If a man love me he will keep my word: and my Father will love him and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. What is the proof that you love God? Jesus said several times that the proof that you love God is that you obey his commandments. This is the one He knows. 1Co 8:3 but if any man loveth God, the same is known by him. In other words, we are proving our love for God by walking in faith and obeying His commandments. The ones that God knows or foreknew are the ones that love Him. Why? Because they not only hear the Word, they do the Word. The ones that God knows will come to know Him because of the foreknowledge part, like I said. It's in the mind of God. It's calling those things that be not as though they were. God spoke, and ever since He spoke this plan, it's been coming into existence. Don't miss it! It was Jesus Who was foreknown to die for the world, but He wasn't manifest until Calvary. And you, who were foreknown to be in God, in Christ, before the foundation of the world, weren't manifest until you were born. Of those who are born and walk by faith and overcome and endure to the end, Jesus said, they shall be saved. Those who endure through the wilderness and enter into the Promised Land; they are the types of the elect. The very thing that causes you to go on is faith and if you don't understand that, then you can't overcome it anyway. Ever since Exodus chapter 3 the Lord revealed Himself to Moses. But you know Moses didn't know the Lord? He confessed it in Exodus chapter 33. He did not know the Lord. We are coming to know the Lord. The Lord is the nature of Jesus Christ. And the more we come to know that nature of the real Jesus, the more we're coming to know the Lord. The one the Father knows, or even foreknew, was Jesus, because He was of like nature. God can only know that which is of like nature. Jesus said in Joh 14:9 If you have seen me you have seen the Father. He doesn't know the worldly person. He doesn't know the wicked person. He knows the righteous man that's inside of those who love Him. Exo 33:12 And Moses said unto Jehovah, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, See, the Lord had told Moses, I know thee by name. You know what the word ‘name' means? It's the same in the Hebrew as it is in the Greek. It's nature, character, and authority. The Lord told him, I know thee by name, and thou hast found favor in my sight. 13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thy sight, show me now thy ways, that I may know thee. The Bible talks about the Jews, how they knew the doings of the Lord, but Moses knew the ways of the Lord. There's a difference in knowing His doing and knowing His ways. If you know His ways, you can walk with Him. If you only know His doings, sometimes you're just going from judgment to judgment. …that I may know thee, to the end that I may find favor in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. 14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And in verse 17 And Jehovah said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found favor in my sight, and I know thee by name. 18 And he said, Show me, I pray thee, thy glory. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name of Jehovah before thee; Moses found out the name of the Lord in Exodus chapter 3. He told him the exact name. YHWH, I AM THAT I AM. So obviously, he's talking about a different name here. He's talking about the real name here. Verse 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name (the Shem) of Jehovah before thee; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for man shall not see me and live. Moses represented the Law; you couldn't come into the likeness of Christ through the Law. So he didn't get to see the face of the Lord, but we have a promise in 1 Corinthians 13. Moses didn't see His face; he spoke to Him face to face, but he didn't see His face. There's a difference. We can speak to the Lord face to face, but not see Him. Now there's a difference. He spoke to God face to face, but he didn't see His face. For man shall not see me and live. In other words, as man, you can't know Him. And as man, you are not known by Him. 1Co 15:50 Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. It is your spirit man that can know Him and be known by Him. The Holy Spirit helps our infirmity that we can know Him and see Him. But He goes on to say, 21 and Jehovah said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock: (The only place you can see God is standing upon the rock, right? That's Jesus, and you have to stand upon the Word of God.) 22 and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand until I have passed by: 23 and I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back; but my face shall not be seen. Now, when He revealed the name of the Lord, the Lord said He was going to proclaim His name. It wasn't YHWH because He told him that 30 chapters before. Look at Exo 34:5 And Jehovah descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of Jehovah. 6 And Jehovah passed by before him, and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah, (YHWH; it's YHWH, in the original, that's what He said.) a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth; 7 keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation. This is His Nature, Character, and Authority, Which is the meaning of Name. Now, He just proclaimed the name of the Lord. But what Moses didn't know, and he asked God to show him, ‘Show me thy ways, so I'll know the one who's going with us.' See, this is knowing God. Knowing this person whose name represents the I AM, that's knowing God. The opposite is also true. God knows the same nature. He knows Jesus Christ. He knows Jesus in us. And it is Christ in us by Word and Spirit that is the hope of glory. Remember in Romans 8, the ones He foreknew, and you go all the way to the end of the verse that says, He also glorified. Everyone He foreknew, He glorified. Now in 1Co.13: 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. So knowing fully is seeing God face to face. Moses said, ‘I don't know You; reveal Yourself to me.' Therefore, he could not see Him face to face. Coming to maturity, bearing fruit, or manifesting Christ's likeness is coming to know Him face to face. It is coming to know Him fully as I was fully known. Who is going to come to know Him fully? Only those who were fully known will come to know Him fully and will see Him face to face. Moses himself said, ‘I don't know You yet.' By the Law, you can't know God face to face. That's why Moses didn't enter into the Promised Land as a type and a shadow because the Law could not make perfect. It's also why Moses couldn't see God's face; he could only see His shadow, His back parts. Did you see that? By the Law, all they could see was shadow, so God said I'll let you see My hinder parts but He wouldn't let you see His face because by the Law you can never come to know God. It's only by His grace that you can come to know God. Now Moses was asking for this, ‘Let me know the One Who's going to go with us.' In the New Testament, our Moses is Jesus; He did know God face to face. And we're coming to know God face to face through His grace and through His sacrifice. But the ones that are going to fully know God are the ones that were fully known by God before the foundation of the world. All the rest of them are going to fall away, just like those people in the wilderness. They were written in, but blotted out before coming to the fullness of God, which was what? The Promised Land. Did you know that, as a child, we can speak to God face to face? And God can speak to us face to face as a child of God. And the reason we can speak to God as a child is because of our Covenant relationship. But coming to know the Lord is seeing Him face to face by faith. 2Co 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. That's coming into His nature, coming into His life, coming to know Him. Moses knew the literal name, Y-H-W-H, but he didn't know the One that name just represented. Remember we build on the foundation and we need to able to stand upon the rock when the wind blows and the rain beats against that house. Look, what is the firm foundation of God that stands? It's the name of the Lord. And that everybody who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. We can't stand on that rock in our own strength. I know I've shared this vision that my wife had years ago, how that I was standing on this rock wearing what was like metal leg braces. The ones who are foreknown are going to stand on that rock of the Word and this shows us it won't be by their own strength, but by the strength of the Lord. So that's why it's our faith that counts. If it were by our works, it would be our strength that would cause us to stand but it's not. We can praise God for this, because it's not by our works. It's by grace, and the only way to get grace is faith in the promises. I thank God that Jesus freely gave us this salvation that we're talking about. We can accept it by faith without trying to work it up in ourselves. Everybody seems to go through that stage of trying to earn their salvation and failing miserably because it's got to be freely given by grace. It's got to be the strength that God supplies, and God supplies that strength by simply believing the word of God, not walking by sight, but believing the word of God. We believe that Jesus took away our sins. Initially we can't see that, but as we believe that He did it will happen. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We proclaim and confess the word; that's standing upon the rock and that's the only place you can see the Lord. Right now, maybe we speak to Him more face-to-face than see Him face to face. But we're going to know fully, if we walk by faith, even as we were fully known. Can you imagine that? You're going to know God fully as you were fully known. That's a tremendous promise! I mean, we want to know God, and gradually, the more we stand upon the rock, the more we're going to see His face. It's progressive, it's not an instantaneous thing. When Moses stood upon the rock and the Lord proclaimed the Name, He proclaimed the nature of God there. This is the way God is, and yet, we're only learning the nature of God a little by little, line upon line, here a little and there a little. We're learning His nature. A lot of people are building things upon the foundation of God that have got to be torn back down, like in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. People build on it, the wood, hay, and the stubble of their own works, own doctrines, and religious establishment. All those dead things have to be burned back down by tribulation, and then start over. We build upon the foundation, which is Christ. There's no other foundation that can be laid that will work. That's what Paul was saying. Some people are on the shifting sand, yet some who are really on the right foundation, but they're building wrong things on the right foundation, the right foundation being that Jesus took away our sins. But again, you can make the same mistake the Pharisees made in making of no effect the Word of God by their traditions. This is what the worldly church is famous for. This is what the Jews were famous for and Jesus rebuked them several times for that. If you make of no effect the word of God by your traditions, you're not standing upon the rock, and you're not going to see His face. We have to come to know this Lord. We have to humble ourselves to His word. People have ulterior motives for believing what they believe, which is religion's way; they have different reasons for believing what they believe and they don't like to be wrong. They want to be seen as right. They live purely for the glory of men. And so they never change their mind even when you can show them all the verses in the word. They're building other things on the foundation and those things are going to be torn down by tribulations that are coming. Hopefully, many people will repent and rebuild the right things on the right foundation and bear fruit. That's why tribulation is coming. It's coming to tear down, to shake, the things that can be shaken, shake them right down to the ground so that God can rebuild the truth. There's going to be a great outpouring of truth in the tribulation period for those who love the truth. But sadly, for those who will believe a lie, there's great deception coming. That deception is going to blot a lot of names out of the Book of Life so that those who are foreknown will be there alone. Those that are left in Zion will be holy, you understand, because the spirit of fire has cleansed it, so the way is to walk by faith, to stand upon the Word of God continuously, and not be swayed by the traditions of men, by Babylon's wood, hay and stubble. Babylon really has been around since, as people say, the Tower of Babel, but really the nature of Babylon has been around since the very beginning. Religion is supplanting God's way. The problem is, all we like sheep have gone astray, each one after his own way, and that's why we've got so many religions. But we've got God's standard to go by. God's way, and you really can't accept anything else. Religion's ideas, how to organize the church, and how to do the works of God. Religion's ideas are Babylon. God's people, historically, the Jews were taken captive by Babylon, and will later be delivered from the bondage of Babylon to build Zion, and that's really the Christian walk. Every Christian starts out taken captive to Babylon. That's the false ideas of ways God wants things done, false ideas of the nature of God, the name of God, and their false image of Jesus. Everyone needs to be delivered from all that. Their false teachings, church doctrines, traditions of men, etc., and go to Zion where the truth is. The Lord Jesus is our Zion; the true Word is our Zion. It's seeing God the way God wants to be seen; it's knowing God the way God wants to be known, and without knowing God the way God wants to be known, He doesn't know you. Do you know who God knows? It's the inner man, the seed of Christ that's on the inside of us. God knows Him. And the point is, if we're not like those virgins taking the vessel of oil along with the lamp with the oil, then we're not bearing fruit in the area of the soul. Their lamps went out because they didn't carry the oil in the vessel. In these days, people don't think it's necessary to obey. But bearing fruit in the area of the soul comes from obedience. Peter said that, and it's something we need to see. 1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently: 23 having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. In other words, we're still being born again; we're being born again in our soul. And our souls are being purified, and we're walking in holiness. Heb 12:14 Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord: 1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. 3 And every one that hath this hope set on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. And Jesus said in Joh 6:46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he that is from God, he hath seen the Father. Who is Christ in you. For a more complete teaching on those who are chosen and the elect, see our book Predestined Called and Elect on our Website.
click the link below to download the service notes https://esm.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/06-20.26-Congregational-Notes-4.pdf*********************************Website: esm.usPastor Mark BiltzMission Statement: (https://esm.us/about/)El Shaddai Ministries exists to take Torah to the nations by restoring the Biblical and historical perspectives that have been lost over the last 2000 years, uncovering replacement theology, and healing our Christian-Jewish relationships.Statement of Beliefs:https://tinyurl.com/4ks6eznu
Korah's Rebellion & Duties of Priests and Levites - Torah Portion - Korach: (Numbers 16–18) by Shawn Ozbun
In this week's parasha , Korach staged a rebellion against Moshe and Aharon, telling them that they took all the good positions in Klal Yisrael for themselves. Chazal tell us, Korach's actions were motivated by jealousy. He saw others around him being promoted to different positions and he didn't get any of them for himself. He convinced himself, and others, that his motives were purely l'shem Shamayim , but deep down it was all about his own honor. Sometimes, people feel bad about their positions in life. They look around at others and see that this person is the president of a shul and that person is the president of a school, this one runs his own business, that one heads his own chesed organization, and the list goes on. A person may feel, what am I worth? I don't do anything big. Nobody knows about me, I'm just an average, regular guy . If that person would instead think, it's okay, I don't need honor or recognition. I don't need to be famous. Then, his job would become very valuable – working on his middot and becoming humble is an extremely precious avodah . But, if his position leads him to feel worthless and all he does is crave honor and is jealous of everyone around him, then his misery will know no end and he will be seriously lacking in his avodat Hashem. What is the attitude he should have? The Dubno Maggid explained with a mashal . There was once a king who gave his slaves different fields of his to work on. To one of his slaves, he gave many fields to plow and to seed, etc. The other slave only got one field to work on. That slave went to the king to complain. He said, "Why do I only get one field while the other slave got so many?" The king replied, "What difference does it make to you how many fields you work on? Are they your fields? Less fields means less work. You both belong to me. You're complaining that you don't have to work as hard as your friend? Must be you're planning on taking things from the fields for yourself so you want more so you could steal more." This, says the Dubno Maggid, is what Moshe told Korach: If your motive in getting positions is to serve Hashem then it wouldn't bother you what you got. What difference would it make to you if that's what Hashem wants from you? Must be you want the position for yourself so you could take honor. This is what we have to internalize. People may feel inferior for not having lofty positions like others they know, but if they could internalize that we are all working for the same boss – He is the One who gives out positions like it says, והמתנשא לכל ראש. What difference does it make what position we get? If we are doing what our Master wants, we'll be considered a perfect worker. If anything, it's just the opposite: The less honor we get the more real our service is to Hashem. Everybody has a special job to do, to serve Hashem to the best of his ability in the circumstances Hashem puts him in. If he does his job with joy and humility, then he'll be rewarded the same as anyone else who did his job, whatever Hashem wanted that person to do. The job doesn't matter as much as doing whatever we are asked of correctly. Shabbat Shalom.
NUMBERS 16:1-18:32
Two of the important figures in Korah's brazen uprising against Moshe were two brothers named Datan and Abiram. Interestingly, we are not told what it is that they were fighting for. Korah himself, as Rashi brings, resented the fact that his cousin was chosen over him for a prestigious leadership role (head of one of the three families of Leviyim). The 250 men who joined Korah vied for the privilege of serving as Kohanim in the Mishkan. Datan and Abiram, however, simply ridiculed Moshe. In the message they delivered to him, they accused Moshe of taking them out of Egypt – which they described as "a long flowing with milk and honey" – to die in the wilderness. But they did not say what it is that they want from him. These men had a long history with Moshe. The Sages teach us that they were the men who disobeyed Moshe's instructions regarding the manna – leaving manna over to the next morning, and going out to collect on Shabbat – and they were the ones who advocated for returning to Egypt after hearing the spies' frightening report about the nations in Eretz Yisrael. In truth, their history with Moshe goes back even earlier – to the period of bondage in Egypt. The Midrash teaches that when Moshe saw an Egyptian taskmaster beating a member of Beneh Yisrael – that was Datan. And the next day, when Moshe saw two members of Beneh Yisrael fighting – those were Datan and Abiram. Moshe saved Datan's life when he was being beaten by the Egyptian, and he then saved Abiram when he was being beaten by Datan. Yet, instead of expressing gratitude to Moshe, they betrayed him, reporting him to Pharaoh. One of the commentaries explains why they harbored such ill-will toward Moshe. The Midrash relates that the Egyptian who was beating Datan had a relationship with Datan's wife. Moshe knew of this through Ru'ah Ha'kodesh (prophetic insight). Datan and Abiram did not want this information spread, and so they first tried having Moshe killed, by reporting him to Pharaoh. When Moshe returned to Egypt many years later as the nation's leader, Datan and Abiram repeatedly disobeyed Moshe and rejected his authority, so that if he ever mentioned anything about their secret, it would not be taken seriously. This is why they seized every opportunity to oppose and ridicule Moshe – and this is why they joined Korah's uprising. Remarkably, however, even after Datan and Abiram joined Korah in his uprising against Moshe's authority, Moshe still did not give up. The Torah tells (16:12) that Moshe sent them a message, inviting them for a meeting. According to some commentators, Moshe delivered this message because he still believed that they could repent. Even after all Datan and Abiram had done wrong, despite their pattern of defiance and contempt for him – Moshe still held out hope, he still believed in their capacity for goodness. The reason, as some have explained, is that Moshe never forgot the good that Datan and Abiram once did. Back in Egypt, Datan and Abiram served as Shoterim – foremen appointed by the Egyptian taskmasters to oversee the work done by the Israelite slaves. If the slaves did not complete their quota of work, then the Shoterim would be beaten. Datan and Abiram, as sinful as they were, took the beatings rather than deal harshly with their fellow Jews. They allowed themselves to suffer the consequences of the slaves' failure to complete their quota of work. Moshe did not allow Datan and Abiram's repeated misdeeds and even personal attacks to overshadow the good that they did. He recognized their capacity for goodness – even after they challenged and defied him several times. It was only here in Parashat Korah, when they rejected his "olive branch," when they refused to even speak with him, that he despaired. This is a crucial message for parents and educators. Too often, parents and teachers see the child's misbehavior and failures, but not the child's achievements and successes. This is a mistake. While certainly standards must be enforced, it is imperative that children know that all the good they do is recognized, appreciated and respected. In today's day and age, especially, children face unprecedented spiritual challenges. The lures and distractions of today's world make it so difficult for youngsters to do the right thing, to remain religiously committed, and to succeed academically. Every success, every mitzvah , everything that youngsters do right must be enthusiastically celebrated. Whatever mistakes children make do not erase the good that they do. The more encouragement they receive, the more motivated they will be to continue working and struggling to achieve despite the challenges that they face.
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 93a) tells the story of two false Jewish prophets who lived during the time of the Babylonian King Nevuchadnetzar. The king accused them of prophesying falsely, and decreed that they should be thrown into a furnace. He said that if they were real prophets, then they would miraculously survive, just as three righteous Jews – Hananya, Mishael and Azarya – had previously emerged unscathed from the furnace. The two prophets argued that the merit of three righteous men exceeds that of just two, and so this trial was unfair. Nevuchadnetzar allowed them to choose a third person with whom to be cast into the furnace, and they selected the tzadik Yehoshua Kohen Gadol, hoping that his merit would protect them. The three was thrown into the furnace – and Yehoshua miraculously survived, while the two prophets perished. However, Yehoshua's garment was burned by the fire. Yehoshua was asked why his clothes were burned, whereas Avraham Avinu, when he was thrown into a furnace many centuries earlier, emerged completely unscathed, without even his garments being ruined. Yehoshua answered that since he was in the furnace together with two wicked people, the fire was given permission to consume, and so his garments were burned. Avraham, by contrast, was thrown into the furnace alone, and so the fire was not granted the power to consume anything. This story is teaching us a sobering but important truth: when we are in bad company, we get "burned" to some extent. Even if we succeed in "surviving," in maintaining our beliefs and values, we are likely to be affected. Let us take the example of a person who works with people who routinely use foul, vulgar language. He will, hopefully, "survive," and manage to refrain from speaking the way they do – but he will probably end up using words that he should not use; his standards are likely to be compromised in some way. After Korah and his followers challenged Moshe Rabbenu, launching an audacious uprising against Moshe's authority, Hashem told Moshe and Aharon, הבדלו מתוך העדה הזאת – that they must "separate," or withdraw, from this evil group of people, and Hashem would destroy them (16:21). Later, after Korah and his men were killed, the people continued protesting and arguing, and so Hashem commanded Moshe and Aharon, הרמו מתוך העדה הזאת – to "lift" themselves out of this nation, and He would destroy them. Aharon eventually saved the nation by bringing an incense offering. What's important for our purposes is the distinction between these two terms – הבדלו and הרמו . When possible, we are advised to "separate," to withdraw. Sometimes, there is a small group of people that we don't need to be with, or a small event that we don't need to attend. We need to have the conviction to withdraw, to refuse to go where we shouldn't go, to refuse to be in the company of people who pull us down, who cause us to be "burned" in one way or another. But sometimes withdrawing isn't an option. We all have people and settings that we cannot avoid, that are always going to be part of our lives – such as family members or coworkers. Regarding these, the Torah commands us: הרמו . We need to lift ourselves, to have the courage and confidence to keep ourselves high even when others are trying to pull us down. We do not need to be the product of our surroundings, or even be influenced by our surroundings. We have the capacity to lift ourselves above what is going on around us. The Midrash famously comments that the ארבע מינים – the four species we hold on Sukkot – represent the four different kinds of Jews. The etrog , with its delicious taste and pleasant fragrance, symbolizes the righteous person who both studies Torah and performs good deeds. The aravah , which features neither taste nor scent, symbolizes the Jew with neither Torah nor good deeds to his credit. The hadas branch has a fragrant scent but bears no fruit, while the lulav (palm branch) produces luscious dates but has no aroma – symbolizing those Jews who learn but do not perform mitzvot , or who perform mitzvot but do not learn. We bring the four species together to symbolize unity, the harmonious blending of the many different types of Jews. Significantly, however, while the lulav , aravot and hadasim are bound together, the etrog stands apart. It is held closely with the other three species – but is not tied with them. This shows that to be an " etrog " – to achieve greatness – we sometimes need to stand alone, to withdraw, to rise above. The etrog is held together with the other three species because the righteous person must, on the one hand, stand together with the rest of the people, without snobbery or elitism. However, on the other hand, the etrog remains separate – because one cannot be an " etrog " without occasionally pulling away from those who might keep him down. May Hashem give us the strength we need to withdraw when we need to, and to elevate ourselves when we need to, so we can continue to grow and achieve without anyone or anything ever stopping us.
Korah is the antihero in this Torah portion, infamous for leading a coup against Moses and Aaron that leaves 15,000 dead. However, every family dispute has two sides to the story, so we should learn more about Korah to fully understand the family dynamics. Korah was a prominent Levite and a close relative of Moses and Aaron. Korah's father and Moses's father were brothers, which makes Moses, Aaron, and Korah first cousins. As Korah watched his cousins attain the highest positions of authority in the community, resentment slowly took root in his heart.Support the showConsider donating (one-time or recurring) to www.TheJerusalemConnection.us so we can continue to bring valuable content via podcasts free to the public. Help us increase our audience reach and improve production quality. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible to our non-profit organization. Bible Fiber and The Red Alert Report are available via YouTube and all major podcast platforms. The Jerusalem Connection also engages in additional educational and advocacy programs. Check our "Projects" tab for all the endeavors we invite YOU to be part of.
The JTS Commentary for Korah by Dr. Sarah Wolf, Assistant Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics, JTSMusic provided by JJReinhold / Pond5.
Pride goes before destruction—and in Numbers Chapter 16, that destruction is literal. In this episode, we break down one of the most shocking rebellions in human history: The Rebellion of Korah.Watch what happens when an influential leader gets consumed by jealousy, gathers a crowd of 250 elites, and tries to overthrow Moses and Aaron. Discover why God took this leadership challenge so personally, the terrifying supernatural judgment that followed, and the deep spiritual warning this holds for us today about honoring authority and guarding our hearts against envy.Subscribe for more raw Bible studies, hit that like button, and share your thoughts in the comments below!#Numbers16 #எண்ணாகமம்16 #KorahsRebellion #TheEarthOpened #SpiritualAuthority #TamilBibleStudy #ChristianPodcastTamil #BibleStudyTamil #PrideAndFall
Parashat Korah - Datan, Aviram & The Spies by Rabbi Avi Harari
NEPHILIM DEATH SQUAD x STRAIGHT BIBLE LIVE Q&A CROSSOVER!The Raven (David Lee Corbo), Top Lobsta, and special guest Matthew Hepner (host of Straight Bible) answer real Patreon and chat questions in this unfiltered biblical crossover episode.We dive deep into Scripture on:The relationship between God and the Earth (does creation have sentience and cry out to God?)Simple explanation of the TrinityWho was the naked young man in Mark 14 who fled Gethsemane?Salvation for people who have never heard the GospelThe hardest things to change when following JesusIn-group preference, love, and accountability (1 Peter 4:8)Is the “temple of God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4) inside us?Raw honesty, humor, real talk, and biblical truth with zero filters. Perfect for anyone who loves deep Bible study mixed with conspiracy vibes and everyday application.Drop your Bible questions in the comments for future episodes! Like, subscribe & turn on notifications for both channels!Straight Bible Links:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StraightBibleFLInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/straightbible/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/StraightBibleSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rAgp1gB32gBCjFKkJSh7YWebsite: https://www.thestandardclcl.com/Nephilim Death Squad:Subscribe here for more episodes!X: @NephilimDSquadInstagram: @nephilimdeathsquadPatreon (early access + bonus content): patreon.com/NephilimDeathSquadMerch: TopLobsta.comStay dangerous. Stay in the Word. 0:00 – Intro & Banter(Changing the intro video, Nephilim Death Squad name discussion, live on both channels, Rory peeling the sticker story, banter about cursing on Straight Bible)7:45 – First Question: God & Earth's Relationship(Spiffy's question – Does the Earth have sentience? Genesis 4:10, Job 31:38, Luke 19:40, creation groaning, Earth swallowing Korah)21:30 – Trinity Explained(Keith DeShane asks for a clear explanation of the Trinity)31:45 – The Naked Man in Gethsemane(Blappity Blap Blap's question – Who was the young man who fled naked in Mark 14? + Peter being naked in other passages)44:30 – Salvation for People Who Never Heard the Gospel(Anchovy Apostle's question – How are people saved if they've never been exposed to Christ?)57:00 – Hardest Thing to Change When Following Jesus(Notabot & crew – Personal struggles, identity, cutting things off, submission)1:10:30 – Is Top Really as “Nasty” as He Seems?(Ishmael Fasting's question – Is the nastiness real or just for the show?)1:18:45 – Dream Interpretation(Raven shares a dream + spiritual breakdown)1:27:30 – Do Past Loved Ones See/Hear Us? Can We Pray for Them After Death?(Sparrow Nose Bear's question)1:37:00 – Anointing Oil & Healing Prayers for Kids(Teddy's question – Do you pray healing prayers and anoint your children with oil when they're sick?)1:44:00 – In-Group Preference & The Temple of God(Joel Wells / Victoria's questions – 1 Peter 4:8 + 2 Thessalonians 2:4 & 1 Corinthians 6:19 – Is the temple inside us? Identity politics/self-exaltation discussion)1:55:19 – Closing & Final BanterBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/nephilim-death-squad--6389018/support.☠️ Nephilim Death Squad — New episodes 5x/week.Join our Patreon for early access, bonus shows & the private Telegram hive.Subscribe on YouTube & Rumble, follow @NephilimDSquad on X/Instagram, grab merch at toplobsta.com. Questions/bookings: chroniclesnds@gmail.com — Stay dangerous.
Korah: Seeking Advice by Rabbi Avi Harari
What happens when a gifted person becomes dissatisfied with the assignment God has given them? In this episode of Silent Leaks, we explore one of the most sobering stories in Scripture—the rebellion of Korah in Numbers 16. At first glance, Korah's argument sounds reasonable. He speaks of equality, fairness, and shared leadership. But beneath his words was a hidden leak: resentment. Korah was not an outsider. He was already chosen, already serving, and already blessed. Yet he became consumed with what God had given someone else. What began as comparison turned into jealousy. Jealousy became bitterness. Bitterness became rebellion. And rebellion brought destruction. This message challenges us to examine the hidden places of our hearts: Have we become dissatisfied with God's assignment for our lives? Are we celebrating others' success or secretly resenting it? Have we confused position with purpose? Are we seeking influence, or are we faithfully serving where God has planted us? Through the story of Korah, we discover that some of the most dangerous sins are not the ones everyone sees, but the ones that quietly grow beneath the surface. Resentment is a silent leak that can drain gratitude, distort perspective, and damage relationships before anyone notices. Join Pastor Dr. Peter Eley as he unpacks the spiritual danger of comparison, the power of contentment, and the importance of embracing the calling God has uniquely given you. Silent Leaks... offering : Zelle: offering@safehousechurchgso Cash app: @safehousechurchgso Paypal: paypal.me/ministryaid
We explore a further act of rebellion by Israelites in the wilderness, led by Korah against Moses and Aaron. Despite witnessing numerous miracles, the people continue to disobey God's commands. Korah disputes Aaron's role as high priest, leading to a divine test that ends with a dramatic display of God's judgment. The ground splits open, swallowing Korah and his followers, while a plague claims nearly 15,000 lives.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: @realbiblebriefX: @biblebriefFacebook: @realbiblebriefEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgWant to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out our partner Biblingo (and use our link/code for a discount!): https://biblin...
The core issue exposed by Korah, Datan, and Abiram is boundaries: low self-worth produces confusion about identity, role, and limits, and Korach's call to flatten hierarchy (“everyone is holy”) is presented as an assault on the Torah's foundational principle of differentiation in creation...Rabbi Dweck has held rabbinic leadership roles in the US and the UK. He is the Rosh Bet Midrash of TheHabura.com and the Rabbi Levy Chair of Jewish Wisdom at the London School of Jewish Studies.For more, check out rabbijosephdweck.com. Sign up for the newsletter at tinyurl.com/RJDSpotify.Instagram: https://instagram.com/rabbidweckTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rabbidweckYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RabbiJosephDweck
Motivé par les erreurs (Korah) by Rav David Touitou
Les ravages des disputes (Korah) by Rav David Touitou
In order to succeed, one must give up trying to prove who is right and who is wrong, because no one sees the truth in its entirety. An internal war between the virtue of Aaron and the virtue of Korah takes place in each of us, and our humanity is expressed in our ability to have the Hesed (Grace) of Aaron control over the Gevurah (Judgement) of Koraḥ and connect with the Creator, outside the box, where wisdom, blessings, and good fortune await us. Daily Meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8AzyLFM2AY Read and learn more about this Parashah https://livekabbalah.org/korah Join our course program: https://livekabbalah.org/live-kabbalah-courses Join our Zoom Program: https://livekabbalah.org/weekly-zohar-study-live Support our efforts to provide you with more materials, donate to Live Kabbalah: https://livekabbalah.org/donations
Psalms of Summer: 2026 • Week 1 • Numbers 26:11, Psalm 46:1-11
Jude understood the wreckage false teachers can leave behind: polluted witness, weakened biblical authority, and a “cult of personality” that distracts from following Christ. In today's episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef unpacks Jude's strong language—calling these apostates “dreamers” who crave their own glory while denying the true Gospel (Jude 1:8). Because they often appear spiritual on the outside, Jude gives believers three vivid clues—each rooted in a familiar Old Testament story: The way of Cain (Jude 1:11; Genesis 4): choosing self-made religion over God's revealed way—twisting worship into self-expression and resisting repentance. Balaam's error (Jude 1:11; Numbers 22–24): using spiritual influence for profit, following feelings instead of Truth, and harming God's people through compromise. Korah's rebellion (Jude 1:11; Numbers 16): ego-driven leadership that refuses God's appointed authority and turns ministry into a power grab—destructive and doomed. Dr. Youssef reminds us that apostates dream of salvation without a Savior, peace without repentance, and unity without Christ. But believers are not helpless. Christ has equipped His people to recognize falsehood, hold fast to the Gospel, and push back against deception—for the glory of His name. Prayer: Lord, may I be alert to the schemes of the enemy and bold to confront false teaching in my midst out of zeal for Your name. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. “In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings” (Jude 1:8). Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef's sermon series Contend for the Faith: WATCH NOW|LISTEN NOW The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today's devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don't have to walk through it alone.
May 24th. Numbers 16:1-34, Romans 13:1-2, Jude 1:11-13. Pastor: Ernesto Alaniz Numbers Part 7: The Rebellion of Korah Download
If someone has turned on you, gossiped about you, or walked out — you can't fight it with authority. You have to fight it with prayer. This message will show you why God is looking for a generation willing to run into the middle of it. In this episode, Pastor Jeremy walks through Numbers 16 — the story of Korah's rebellion, Aaron running with the censer, and how Jesus is the greater Aaron who stood between the living and the dead for you.
What begins as a simple desire can quickly become a destructive force when left unchecked. In this message, Pastor Dennis exposes how covetousness has been at the root of some of history's greatest falls, warning of the dangers of desiring what God has not given us. Drawing from the examples of Lucifer, whose covetous ambition led to his fall from heaven, and Korah, whose jealousy and rebellion brought judgment upon himself and his followers, Pastor Dennis reveals how unchecked covetousness can corrupt the heart, damage relationships, and separate us from God's purpose. This message challenges believers to reject envy, embrace contentment, and trust God's plan for their lives.
Psalms Book 2 Intro & Psalms of KorahReadings this week:Psalms 42 & 43Psalm 44Psalms 45 & 46Psalms 47 & 48Psalm 49Show Notes:Broadway Christian Church of Christ Paduchah, KYThe Bible Project -- PsalmsFor more information, please see the Reading Plan
This week we look at the subject of freedom - including why we are no longer on Christian radio; freedom from the rush of the modern world; the Australian Christian Freedom Index; Country of the Week- Afghanistan; Morrisey on Diversity; Worlds Top Ten Guitarists; Feedback; The Fall of the Plymouth Brethren; Freedom of Religion; and the Final Word - Psalm 124 with music from Lynyard Skynard; Faryad Darya; the Smiths; Carl Perkins; Dave Henderson; Disciple; Mateus Asato; and the Sons of Korah.
We've got a good study from Jude lined up for you today on a Daily Walk. If you'll recall when we left you last time pastor John Randall looked at a couple of Old Testament examples, that really show us what false teachers are like.First was Cain, who represents establishing their own form of righteousness, and then there was Balaam… who would lead others to sin through greed. As we pick things up at verse eleven we're going to explore the rebellion of Korah. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111
Daily Halacha Podcast - Daily Halacha By Rabbi Eli J. Mansour
May 30 first through 6:30 As we saw in an earlier installment, common practice among Sepharadim is not to recite each day the sections of the Torah discussing the various sacrifices (with the exception of the section that discusses the daily Tamid offering). However, the Poskim mention that during the time of a plague, it is recommended to read these sections of the Torah, as this recitation has the power to bring protection. This is especially true with regard to the reading of the Ketoret – the section dealing with the incense offering brought in the Bet Ha'mikdash. The Sages teach that when Moshe Rabbenu went to the heavens to receive the Torah, the angels in the heavens strongly opposed the plan to give the Torah to human beings, but Moshe prevailed in convincing them that the Torah belongs here in our world. G-d then ordered the angels to give Moshe gifts. Even the Satan was compelled to give Moshe a gift – and its gift to Moshe was the revelation of a secret. The Satan told Moshe that the only thing which it fears, which prevents it from inflicting the harm it wishes to inflict, is the Ketoret. Moshe used this secret during the aftermath of Korah's revolt, when Hashem unleashed a devastating plague that killed thousands among Beneh Yisrael. To stop the plague, Moshe instructed Aharon to bring an incense offering, and this ended the plague. Today, we cannot bring the Ketoret, but we can nevertheless read the section from the Torah and the section from the Gemara that discusses this offering, through which we earn protection as though we actually offered the Ketoret. Therefore, during times of widespread illness, such as during a pandemic, it is worthwhile to read the section of the Ketoret. Likewise, if somebody falls ill, it is advisable to read the Ketoret on the patient's behalf. It's worth noting in this context the opening verse of Parashat Behukotai, which promises rewards if we follow the Misvot. In stating the conditions for earning these rewards, the Torah says both "you observe My commands" ("Ve'et Misvotai Tishmeru") and "you perform them" ("Va'asitem Otam"). At first glance, these phrases seem redundant. Rav Levi Yishak of Berditchev (1740-1809), in Kedushat Levi, explains that the word "Tishmeru" in this context means not "observe," but rather "anticipate." Thus, for example, the Torah relates that after Yaakob Abinu heard Yosef's dreams about his becoming leader over his brothers, "Ve'abiv Shamar Et Ha'dabar" (Bereshit 37:11) – he eagerly awaited ("Shamar") the fulfillment of these dreams. Likewise, we speak of "Shemirat Shabbat," which means not only Shabbat observance, but also eagerly anticipating Shabbat throughout the week. Thus, Rav Levi Yishak writes, the phrase "Ve'et Misvotai Tishmeru" refers to longing to perform the Misvot, even when this is not possible. The Torah promises us rewards if we perform the Misvot we are able to perform, and if we genuinely long to perform the Misvot which we cannot perform. Thus, in the absence of the Bet Ha'mikdash, as we are unable to offer sacrifices, we must still long to bring them as the Torah wants us to. By doing so, we receive credit as though we observed them.
They were the caretakers of the House of God. They were the Sons of Korah, gatekeepers of the Temple, and they were blessed by their duties. But did the real blessing come from the Temple or from the God who inhabited it? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29?v=20251111
Jude 5–16 (ESV)5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. 9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” 10 But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. 11 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion. 12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear,shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.14 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++For more information about this group, please visit their website at reformationboise.com. Every weekday at 3:30 am and 7:30 am you can listen to The Gospel for Life on KSPD 94.5 FM and 790 AM Boise's Solid Talk in the Treasure Valley, Idaho, USA.If you have a question, comment, or even a topic suggestion for the Pastors, you can email them. If you enjoy The Gospel for Life, please give us a rating and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. That helps us a lot!Phone: (208) 991-3526E-mail: thegospelforlifeidaho@gmail.comPodcast website: https://www.790kspd.com/gospel-for-life/to donate on line https://www.reformationboise.com/donate
Today, Pastor Al Dagel shares the wonderful poetic writings of the Sons of Korah in our Saturday in the Psalms episode of "Moments of Grace".
May 20, 2026Today's Reading: Numbers 16:23-40Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:23-40; Luke 19:29-48“If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord.” (Numbers 16:29-30)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The time for God's choice between Moses and Korah has come. If Korah dies a natural death and nothing outrageous happens, then Moses isn't God's guy to lead Israel. If Korah lives to see tomorrow, he will take Moses' place and be declared God's chosen servant and leader. However, if something outrageous does happen, if something new and different happens, like the earth opening its mouth and swallowing Korah, then Moses remains. The odds appear to be in Korah's favor, at least they do if you ignore the plagues that God brought upon Egypt through Moses and the whole bit with the Red Sea. If you can forget about that, it seems Korah is a guaranteed winner.As long as you are willing to overlook history and the facts, Korah has everything on his side. His revolt against Moses and his authority is a sure thing, or it would be if his authority didn't come from God. As long as you're blind to everything except this moment, rebellion is a great idea. That's the way it seems, after all, what does authority know? What do parents know about growing up in this world? What do teachers know about having a social life? What do pastors know about living in the real world? Who are they to tell me what to do? As long as you are willing to overlook God establishing them as authorities over you for your good, you're totally right.But if you're not, you, like Korah, might be in trouble. If you're honest with yourself, your history, your rebellion, wanting to do things your way rather than God's way, you might want to keep an eye on the ground beneath your feet. You are in danger unless something even more outrageous than that happens. Unless God would actually choose you. Unless something as outrageous as God becoming Man, a finite infant, would happen. Unless God would choose you over His own Son, deliver up Christ to be crucified that you might live. Unless Jesus rises from the dead to put an end to the power of death and the grave, you might live in fear. Fear not. Your sins are forgiven. Christ is risen!In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Lord God, our gracious Father, deliver us from the fear of punishment and death along with the guilt of our sin that we would live boldly and confidently in your mercy and forgiveness for the sake of your crucified and risen Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.Rev. Brett Simek, pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, SD.
Guided Question What can we learn from Israel's failures in the wilderness so that we do not end up in the “loser's locker room” of the Christian life? Summary In this message, Pastor Robert Lewis contrasts the “winner's locker room” of faithful living with the sobering reality of the “loser's locker room,” where Israel's failures serve as a warning for us today. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 10, he highlights how privilege and a good beginning are not enough to guarantee a faithful finish. Israel's story reveals four “tombstones” that brought them low—idolatry, immorality, testing God, and rebellion—each of which still threatens believers today. Lewis also distills three broader lessons: loving God requires rejecting the world, God takes obedience seriously, and a good start doesn't assure a strong finish. The sermon ends with a challenge: will we follow Israel's path of defeat, or will we make the spiritual resolutions necessary to walk in victory and enter God's promised rest? Outline I. The Warning of Israel's Example (1 Cor. 10:1–6) Israel had great spiritual privileges (deliverance, leadership, provision). Despite this, most were “laid low in the wilderness.” Their failures serve as an indelible warning for us. II. Four Tombstones in the Wilderness (1 Cor. 10:7–10) Idolatry (v. 7; Ex. 32) Replacing God with false priorities. Our modern idols often involve time, attention, and misplaced devotion. Immorality (v. 8; Num. 25) Sexual sin destroys lives and relationships. God takes purity seriously; immorality disqualifies many from usefulness. Testing God (v. 9; Num. 21) Living on the edge of rebellion, daring God's patience. Gal. 6 reminds us we reap what we sow. Rebellion (v. 10; Num. 16) Grumbling against God-given leadership. Refusal to submit leads to spiritual poverty. III. General Lessons from Israel's Wilderness (vv. 11–12) Loving God means rejecting the world (1 Jn. 2:15). God takes obedience seriously—His Word leaves us without excuse. A good beginning does not guarantee a good ending—take heed lest you fall. IV. The Final Call (Heb. 4:1) Are you in God's promised land, or still wandering in the wilderness? Today is the time to make spiritual resolutions that ensure victory. Key Takeaways Privilege without obedience leads to downfall. Idolatry, immorality, testing God, and rebellion remain real dangers for Christians. Loving God requires letting go of “Egypt”—the world and its cravings. Obedience is not optional; it is essential to finishing well. A faithful start does not guarantee a faithful finish—humility and vigilance are required. Scripture References 1 Corinthians 10:1–12 – Israel's failures as warnings. Exodus 32 – The golden calf (idolatry). Numbers 25:1–9 – Israel's immorality and judgment. Numbers 21:4–9 – Testing God with complaints. Numbers 16 – Korah's rebellion. Hebrews 13:4 – God's standard for sexual purity. Proverbs 6:32 – The destruction of adultery. Galatians 6:7–8 – Reaping what is sown. Hebrews 13:17 – Following godly leadership. 1 John 2:15 – Loving God vs. loving the world. Hebrews 4:1 – Warning against falling short of God's rest. Recorded 1/3/82
Today in History: The people of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Sinai (see Exodus 19:1). Korah and his followers were swallowed up by the earth on this day (according to tradition, see Numbers 16:18–50). The Prophet Ezekiel received a prophecyagainst the kingdom of Egypt. God gave him seven prophecies against Egypt and almost all of them mention the date (see Ezekiel 31:1–2).This week's portion is called Shavuot (Feast of Weeks)TORAH PORTION: Deuteronomy 14:22–29GOSPEL PORTION: Luke 24:1–27What verse spoke to you most today and why?Did you learn something about God?Daily Bread for Kids is a daily Bible reading podcast where we read through the Torah and the Gospels in one year! Helping young Bible-readers to study God's Word, while also discovering its Jewish context!THE KIDS' JOURNAL is available from https://arielmedia.shopBUSY MOMS who want to follow the Daily Bread readings on podcast for adults, can go to https://dailybreadmoms.comThe Bible translation we are reading from is the Tree of Life Version (TLV) available from the Tree of Life Bible Society.INSTAGRAM: @dailybreadkids @arielmediabooks @dailybreadmomsTags: #DailyBreadMoms #DailyBreadJournal #BibleJournaling #Messianic #BiblePodcast #BiblicalFeasts #Journal #biblereadingplan #Messiah #JewishRoots #Yeshua #GodIsInControl #OneYearBible #MomLife #MotherCulture #FaithFilledMama #BiblicalWomanhood #Proverbs31woman
The sermon presents a unified theological vision of Numbers, demonstrating how the laws in chapters 18 and 19 are not disjointed additions but vital responses to the people's fear and spiritual crisis following the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. It emphasizes that the red heifer ritual, though seemingly obscure, provides a perpetual means of purification from corpse contamination, symbolizing God's provision of access to His presence despite death and uncleanness. The narrative of Moses striking the rock instead of speaking to it reveals a critical failure of leadership rooted in unbelief and self-reliance, resulting in his exclusion from the Promised Land—a poignant reminder that even faithful servants must fully submit to God's word. The passage ultimately points forward to Christ, the perfect High Priest who, unlike Aaron, lives forever to intercede, offering a complete and eternal atonement that fulfills the shadows of the Old Testament system. Through this journey, the congregation is reminded that God's holiness does not lead to perpetual fear, but to life through appointed mediators and cleansing ordinances, culminating in the hope of a new and eternal covenant.
In 2026, FPC is celebrating Big Belonging: that we belong to God, we are beloved by Him, and that He delights in us.Message by Doug Bunnell, recorded live May 3, 2026 at First Presbyterian Church of Bellingham.Five SistersGod stands on the side of those treated unjustly, so we advocate for justice.Why was the daughters' request unusual or significant in that cultural context?What does God's response reveal about His character?How does this passage show that God's law can address real-life situations?What does this story suggest about advocacy and speaking up for what is right?When have you needed to speak up for something just or fair?Numbers 27:1-111 Then the daughters of Zelophehad came forward. Zelophehad was son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, of the clans of Manasseh, son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying, 3 “Our father died in the wilderness; he was not among the congregation of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the congregation of Korah but died for his own sin, and he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father's brothers.”5 Moses brought their case before the Lord. 6 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they are saying; you shall indeed let them possess an inheritance among their father's brothers and pass the inheritance of their father on to them. 8 You shall also speak to the Israelites, saying: If a man dies and has no son, then you shall pass his inheritance on to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father's brothers. 11 And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the nearest kinsman of his clan, and he shall possess it. It shall be for the Israelites a statute and ordinance, as the Lord commanded Moses.”
But on the next day all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the LORD.” 42 And when the congregation had assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting. And behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory ofthe LORD appeared. 43 And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44 and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces. 46 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun.” 47 So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. 49 Now those who died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the affair of Korah.50 And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel, and get from them staffs, one for each fathers' house, from all their chiefs according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. Write each man's name on his staff, 3 and write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi. For there shall be one staff for the head of each fathers' house. 4 Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. 5 And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.” 6 Moses spoke to the people of Israel. And all their chiefs gave him staffs, one for each chief, according to their fathers' houses, twelve staffs. And the staff of Aaron was among their staffs. 7 And Moses deposited the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the testimony.8 On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. 9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the LORD to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff. 10 And the LORD said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.” 11 Thus did Moses; as the LORD commanded him, so hedid.12 And the people of Israel said to Moses, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. 13 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, shall die. Are we all to perish?”
Today's Scripture passages are Numbers 14:13-45 | Numbers 16:1-35 | Matthew 14:1-21 | Jude 1:1-16.Read by Ekemini Uwan.Get in The Word with Truth's Table is a production of InterVarsity Press. For 75 years, IVP has published and created thoughtful Christian books for the university, church, and the world. Our Bible reading plan is adapted from Bible Study Together, and the Bible version is the New English Translation, used by permission.SPECIAL OFFER | As a listener of this podcast, use the code IVPWORD40 for 40% off and free shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode at ivpress.com.Additional Credits:Song production: Seaux ChillSong lyrics written by: Seaux Chill, Ekemini Uwan, and Christina EdmondsonPodcast art: Kate LillardPhotography: Shelly EveBible consultant: JM SmithSound engineering: Podastery StudiosCreative producers: Ekemini Uwan and Christina EdmondsonAssistant producer: Christine Pelliccio MeloExecutive producer: Helen LeeTo reach the IVP podcast team, please use this form.Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
By Isaac Nelson - In the rebellion of Korah, the rebellion was ultimately against God and who He'd put in place as High Priest. The high priesthood foreshadowed Christ as our High Priest today. Without Christ's sacrifice, we'd all die from the plague of sin.
Patrick answers a wide range of questions from callers, one moment exploring whether it’s appropriate for kids to assist at communion, the next unpacking papal comments on war and what makes a teaching infallible. Listeners toss biblical challenges his way, from Jesus’ secretive miracles to Old Testament passages about violence, while he counters doubts about the resurrection and offers advice on praying for non-Catholic relatives who have died. Cheryl - The Eucharistic Minister had her granddaughters holding the plate of hosts. Is this right? (00:48) Joe - Was Pope Leo infallible when he said war was unjust? How would we know? (05:30) Alfredo - Why does Jesus tell people to say nothing about the miracles? (12:46) Patrick responds to an angry email (21:25) John - When Christ rose from the dead, He only appeared to the Apostles and close disciples. Why didn't he appear to the general public? (28:26) Joan - I know someone who spent two years in Iran and was persecuted as a Christian worker. We have no idea what is going on Iran. I think an eye-witness account is more valuable than others. (31:48) Candace - Who are the sons of Korah in the Psalms? (36:11) Omar - My cousin's father passed away and he told me not to pray for his dad because he is in heaven. Is this right? Should I debate him? (45:39)
https://takingthelandpodcast.comWhat if the real battle is not your past, but what you have believed about your past? In this powerful conference sermon, Pastor Richard Rubi preaches from Ezekiel 18 and confronts the spirit of deconstruction, victimhood, and generational blame. This message is a direct call to young believers to reject bitterness, stop living off “sour grapes,” and embrace the spiritual inheritance God has placed in front of them. PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION for WORLD EVANGELISM:• NO ADS, Early releases, Full-Length Testimony Tuesdays• Subscribe for only $3/month on Supercast: https://taking-the-land.supercast.com/• Subscribe for only $3.99/month on Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/taking-the-land/subscribe• Subscribe for only $4.99/month on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4owjo5ZThis sermon speaks to anyone wrestling with church hurt, blame, identity, anxiety, or the temptation to dismantle their faith instead of building their life in God. Chapters00:00 Introduction and Praise00:04 The Gift of Coffee and Its Significance03:24 Understanding Deconstruction in Faith10:50 The Impact of Deconstruction on the Church19:11 No More Excuses: Taking Responsibility25:35 Breaking Generational Patterns29:36 Navigating Parental Relationships and Personal Choices32:20 God's Plan for the Next Generation35:27 Embracing Legacy: The Sons of Korah and Zerubbabel40:32 Rejecting Victimhood: Taking Ownership of One's Faith47:14 The Call to Build: Embracing a Vision for the FutureShow NotesALL PROCEEDS GO TO WORLD EVANGELISMLocate a CFM Church near you: https://cfmmap.orgWe need five-star reviews! Tell the world what you think about this podcast at:• Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3vy1s5b• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/taking-the-land-cfm-sermon-pod-43369v
Fr. Mike dives into the recurring issue of the Israelites rebelling against God and remaining stuck in their past as we read about the revolt of Korah, Dathan and Abiram against Moses and Aaron. Today's readings are Numbers 16, Deuteronomy 15-16, and Psalm 97. 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.
In this Bible Story, Korah plots to overthrow Moses and openly challenges Moses in front of all the people, claiming he's a dictator and thief of glory. Korah, and all those who follow him, are swallowed up by the earth and cast into the fiery depths of Sheol. This story is inspired by Numbers 16-17. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Numbers 16:4 from the King James Version.Episode 46: Jealousy has once again entered the camp. This time Korah and 250 chiefs of the people rise against Moses and his claim to leadership. Moses does not fight with them but tells them to wait until tomorrow, forGod will show the people who the rightful leader is. When the next day came, so did God, and with Him a powerful display of His righteousness and judgment. The ground opened up and swallowed those inciting rebellion.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Letter of Jude E5 — In verses 11-16, Jude continues warning his Jewish messianic audience about deceptive, immoral people infiltrating their house churches. He compares them to three characters from the Hebrew Bible—Cain, Balaam, and Korah—who choose rebellion for themselves and lead others astray. Next, he compares the corrupt church members to a series of images from Scripture, including selfish shepherds, rainless clouds, and wandering stars. In this episode, Jon and Tim continue exploring Jude's dense prose, where he seamlessly weaves together allusions to the Hebrew Bible and Second-Temple period literature into a piercing critique of imposters within a community of disciples.FULL SHOW NOTESFor chapter-by-chapter summaries, referenced Scriptures, and reflection questions, check out the full show notes for this episode.CHAPTERSCain, Balaam, and Korah (0:00-23:23)Six Images of Corrupt Leaders (23:23-37:45)The Prophecy of Enoch (37:45-55:42)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.BIBLEPROJECT JUDE TRANSLATIONView our full translation of the Letter of Jude.REFERENCED RESOURCESAntiquities of the Jews by JosephusCheck out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Gentle Lamb” by Lofi Sunday, Yoni Charis“Purple Clouds ft. Marc Vanparla” by Lofi SundayBibleProject theme song by TENTS SHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.