Podcasts about later jesus

Ask David My friend won't say thank you! Dating Anxiety Religion vs. Psychotherapy We want to remind you about an awesome virtual workshop on habits and addictions that Dr. Jill Levitt and David will be presenting on March 28, 2025 We will feature powerful new paradoxical techniques that will blow your socks off. It will be from 8:30 to 4:30 and you will earn 7 CE credits while having fun and learning how to heal yourself AND you patients. Check it out! It's less than two weeks away, some check it out while you still have time! You'' LOVE it and LEARN a LOT! Registration and More Information Here! As is so often the case, the answers to these questions that appear in the show notes were email replies to the person before the show. To get the full discussion, make sure you listen to the actual podcast, as the answers often evolve in unexpected ways when the “experts” hash it out! Today's episode is chock full of personal stories (some racy), expert Five Secrets advice and demonstration,  philosophical / spiritual discussion, and secrets of successful (and racy) dating. 1. Brittany asks: What can I do say to a friend who does not say “thank you” when I pay for our meal or drive a long distance just to see them? 2. Jaydipe asks: How can I get over my anxiety around attractive women? 3. Ali asks: Can religious beliefs cause or intensify feelings of anxiety? (David will talk about the synergies between TEAM CBT and spirituality in all religions. He will also mention the potential antagonisms.)   1. Brittany asks: What can I do say to a friend who does not say “thank you” when I pay for our meal or drive a long distance just to see them. Hello David and Rhonda, I have a friend who typically does not say thank you to me when I pay for a meal out or drive us a long distance. I am someone who always says thank you even if the other person just bought us $10 worth of fast food or gave a short ride. I find myself feeling resentful towards my friend for not saying anything when I pay and drive us around all day. It makes me feel like they don't appreciate it. At the same time, talking about it and sharing my feelings would then feel like I'm asking them to say it, and then it would not feel authentic. I have said something about it in the past, and they were like I'm sorry, thank you. But it didn't mean much at that point. Is this one of those annoying traits I just learn to accept? Thank you, Brittany David's reply Well, you could just use a gentle I Feel statement, which might be paradoxically stronger, but combined with Stroking. Like this, "Jennie, you know I think the world of you, and greatly enjoy our times together, but when I pay for lunch, or drive a distance to hang out with you, you rarely ever say "thank you," and then I feel hurt and unappreciated." Something like that combines Stroking with I Feel and might be effective. But I always rate myself on what I do, or say, and not so much on how the other person reacts. You could, perhaps, also ask if they are upset with you about something that they've had trouble expressing to you. Best, david 2. Jaydipe asks: How can I get over my anxiety around attractive women? Hi David Many thanks for the podcast I'm struggling with social anxiety and talking to attractive women and I've watched all the podcasts relating to it. I think deep down I have a shame around finding women attractive, so I find it difficult to express interest in them. I find that I can talk to them easily during activities like climbing or co workers, but even on dates with women I can't seem to take things forwards playfully like you'd expect on a date. I'm too serious and I think that turns people off. I feel like I'm under the spotlight and I have to impress them otherwise they won't like me. I know this isn't true and I've been trying to get myself to do exposure therapy by asking girls for their numbers and being rejected so it helps with that. Also, I struggle with societal expectations, I hear women say that they don't want to be approached or talked to or anything so I just end up avoiding them because I don't want to annoy them, but it holds me back from getting the sex and relationships I want Any help much appreciated Thanks, Jaydipe David's Reply I have included your excellent question on an upcoming Ask David. In the meantime, have you read my book on dating, Intimate Connections? Best, david PS Should I use your first name, or a fake first name? 3. Ali asks: Can religious beliefs cause or intensify feelings of anxiety? Dear Dr. Burns, After reading your books, I've started to recognize that many of my anxious beliefs seem to have a religious background. For example, in the Bible, there's a verse from John 5:14: “Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, ‘See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.'” Here's where I struggle: I want to live my life freely, which includes things like being with different girls before marriage (something I already do). But according to religion, this is considered adultery and a sin. Another verse that weighs heavily on me is from Matthew 5:27-29: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” I often find myself looking at beautiful women on the street, which Christianity teaches is sinful, and this sometimes leads to feelings of guilt. I wonder: do I need to leave religion altogether to break free from these negative, self-critical thoughts? I also have other related thoughts that seem to link my faith with the good things happening in my life. For instance: My life is going well right now. My parents are alive, my brother is getting married, I'm healthy, and I've been fortunate in many ways. I've had incredible experiences, like participating in two Erasmus+ exchange programs in Poland and Lithuania during university, volunteering in Latvia for a year, and even having my New Zealand visa approved in a highly competitive process (only 100 spots for 85 million people, and the application closed in 5 minutes!). I often think that these blessings are because I believe in Jesus, follow the Bible, and try to live as a good person who avoids sin and doesn't deceive others. But then these anxious thoughts arise: I should always be thankful or pray, or else my life will fall apart. If I leave religion, something bad might happen—my parents could fall ill or pass away, and it would all feel like my fault for turning away from Jesus. Without faith, I'd lose my good fortune(luck), my appearance, and my opportunities. Wherever I apply to would be rejected, then I would understand that it was Jesus in the first place doing all of these things in my life, not me or vice versa! I'd find a terrible job, terrible working environment, terrible mutual relationships. Then everything would be my fault and I'd tell myself I should have believed in him in the first place but now I deserve everything that happens to me! These thoughts are overwhelming, and I'd love to hear your perspective on how to approach and challenge them. Thank you so much for your time and the invaluable insights you share in your work. Warm regards, Ali David's reply Hi Ali, Sorry you are struggling with so many restrictions, judgments, and inhibitions! I can imagine it triggers anxiety, guilt, inadequacy, resentment, discouragement, and more. You can let me know! If you want, I can include this as an Ask David question on a podcast, with your first name, or a fake first name. Let me know if this works for you. Also, what religion are you? I know that many religions around the world can be very fundamentalistic and super strict in their teachings. My own religious upbringing had a touch of rigidity, too. Best, david Ali's response to David Hello again, Actually, my family comes from the Christian (Orthodox-Armenian) minority in Turkey, where I was born and raised. So, I am an Orthodox Christian. You're absolutely right that I struggle with many restrictions and judgments. I'd love for you to include this as an "Ask David" question on a podcast since I haven't seen any episode (and I've listened to most of your recent podcasts, including number 408: Do You Believe in God? Does God Exist?) that addresses this topic. By the way, I already use an alias, so "Ali" is a fake name, but you're welcome to use it in your podcast! Here's a quick DML (Daily Mood Log) to clarify what I'm dealing with: The Upsetting Event: Doing my daily half-hour Bible reading before bed and coming across certain verses. Emotions: Sad: 60% Anxious/Worried: 70% Inadequate: 60% Guilty/Bad: 90% Abandoned: 70% Pessimistic/Discouraged: 80% Stuck: 75% Angry/Resentful: 75% Tricked/Duped: 80% Although I don't consider myself a devout Christian, over the past few years, I've started reading the Bible—the Old and New Testaments. Initially, I read them in my native language, but now I read in English to fully understand the content. Growing up in the church, I believed everything the priest taught. However, encountering some events and stories that seem illogical to me has made me question my beliefs. I often feel tricked and wonder if I've truly believed in all this. At the same time, I feel anxious and worried, as if questioning or criticizing my religion is a betrayal of God. Please let me know if you need any additional information. Ali David's reply Thanks, Ali, this is super. I was also raised in a somewhat strict Christian (Lutheran) home, and as a child had plans to become a minister, like my dad. In college, I learned critical thinking, and began to question some of what I was taught when I was growing up. For example, there seemed to be a bit of a bias against Jews, and my dad said they had to convert to Christianity to be  ”saved” and, I guess, avoid going to hell after they died. That didn't sound right at all, not loving, as Christ taught, who was himself a Jew, but hostile and judgmental. And I had good friends who were Jewish, so it felt offensive. Same with people who were gay. A strong bias that this was somehow “bad” and sinful, or something like that. Christianity, in the sense of the Catholic church, was really created by people a couple hundred years after Christ died, and they were reflecting their own human biases when they wrote the new testament and translated the old testaments. For better or worse, I am personally not afraid to disagree with much of what is in the Bible, and interpret it, not literally, but as a series of stories trying to communicate important spiritual truths, but these truths get quite distorted when people began focusing on literal truths, rather than “seeing” the message. Literal translations of religion risk missing the spiritual meaning and truth. This is especially true of the orthodox movement within any religion. This tendency toward being literal, rigid, and judgmental may be a partially inherited, genetic trait. Regardless, to me, it is offensive and ugly, and definitely not religious, but quite the opposite. In the early days, lots of religious cults emerged, and they all had their own special leaders. If your leader couldn't walk on water, that guru was considered inferior. So, it was fashionable to say that your spiritual guru could “walk on water.” What does that really mean? To me, it means that this person is pretty special, and much kinder and more loving than most others, and can perhaps convey some spiritual truths to us. But actual walking on water is a magic trick best left to television and stage magicians. This is my thinking only, and I do not wish to impose my thinking and beliefs on you or on anybody! I had tremendous respect and admiration for a Catholic nun, Sister Shela Flynn, who worked at my clinic in Philadelphia because she wanted to learn how to do CBT. She was humble and wonderful, and once shared with me that she also thought the stories in the bible were primarily metaphors, just stories trying to convey this or that idea about love, humility, and so forth. Not literally true stories you “had to” believe to be a “good Christian.” An, in addition, using my philosophy and CBT training, there is really no such “thing” as a “good Christian.” Positive and negative labels can be useful but can also be hurtful and destructive. Will stop babbling, and feel free to reject or ignore some or everything I am saying! But on an emotional level, I feel hurt, and angry about the literal “rules-based” versions of religion. Because I see, all over the world, atrocities being committed to a massive degree in the name of this or that “religion.” I am most comfortable with Buddhism, but even then, many people take it literally, make up rules, and so forth, just like other religions or spiritual “paths.” For some reason, people love to make up rules and then try to force others to conform to their beliefs and rules. This is due, in large part, to arrogance, and the desire to feel “special” and “superior” to others. These are not, to my way of thinking, spiritual qualities, but quite the opposite. Finally, I do not mention religion in my therapy, which is 100% secular, and based on research and on scientific research on how people actually change. But at the moment of recovery, which often happens in a flash, rather suddenly, the patient often “sees” something of a spiritual nature which they had not seen or grasped before. I have never seen anyone lose their religious beliefs because of effective therapy, but quite the opposite. In fact, what we might call “recovery from depression” (or some other problem) sometimes looks an awful lot like what the religious mystics from all religions have called “enlightenment.” So, that's the sermon my dad would have perhaps wanted me to preach from a pulpit! I guess this is my pulpit, and you are in my congregation! And this Sunday morning here in Los Altos, so that's the end of today's sermon! Best, david Contact information You can sign up for the David and Jill workshop on healthier habits here: cbt-workshop.com

“This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” — Matthew 24:14 Sometimes I get discouraged when I hear about so much evil in our world—there's so much injustice, godlessness, suffering, immorality, corruption, and more. When doubts start to rise in my mind, I want to cry out, “Lord, where are you? It doesn't seem like you're doing much about it, and it's getting worse by the day.” But then I recall what Jesus told his disciples when they asked about the future, and I realize that this is exactly what we should expect—wars, calamities, and opposition toward God's people. And Jesus points out that the main thing that needs to happen before the end is that the gospel needs to be proclaimed everywhere. Later Jesus commissioned his followers, saying, “Go and make disciples of all nations . . .” (Matthew 28:19). And this task is for every generation of Jesus' followers, including you and me. The best way to deal with our doubts and worries about what's happening in the world is to get busy with the work Jesus has given us to do until he comes again. That means proclaiming the good news of God's kingdom—that we are saved through God's grace in Christ—and backing that up with the consistent, credible witness of showing God's love in our everyday lives. Come, Lord Jesus, to bring the fullness of your kingdom here on earth. And empower us to be faithful and effective in spreading your love and good news everywhere. Amen.

We have before us a fresh opportunity to play our part in the re-evangelism of our own nation and other nations. Each one of us, each individual, couple, family, and church, can make a big difference for God in this generation and for the good of generations to come. This is a time for us to unblock the wells and discover once more the life-giving waters of the Holy Spirit, which have so often flowed in revival power in this country. Wherever you are in the world, you have an important role to play in re-evangelising your nation.   We read in Matthew 9:35-38 and Matthew 10:1 how Jesus did this, and the example we are to follow: “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”   1. Focus on the mission of Jesus (Matthew 9:35; Acts 1:8) 2. Receive the vision of Jesus for the multitudes (Matthew 9:36; John 4:35) 3. Have the love of Jesus for lost and hurting people (Matthew 9:36) 4. Pray for more workers as Jesus instructed (Matthew 9:38) 5. Build a team of 12 as Jesus modelled (Matthew 10:1)  Apply    1. Focus on the mission of Jesus. The mission that Jesus has called us to is simply massive. Jesus has commanded us to make disciples of all nations. God sent His only Son Jesus on a mission to save the whole world from Satan, sin and all the destructive powers of darkness. The sheer scope of our mission requires us to think bigger and beyond what our minds usually process. Our mission in life is to win the world for Jesus. And to conquer globally we must follow the example of Jesus being focussed locally. Jesus went about His mission in a very strategic way by starting in His home region of Galilee (Matthew 9:35). He was very specific and very diligent in going from town to town and even from village to village. Later Jesus gave specific directions on focussing on different locations for the spread of the gospel throughout the world (Acts 1:8). The mission then requires that the Christian gospel is spread systematically from area to area. We must be sure that we are focussed not simply on running our churches but on reaching our communities with a very clear strategy. Like Jesus, we must have a big mission to reach ‘all the towns and villages' in the areas that God has called us to. We have to all play our part in spreading the gospel of the kingdom to all peoples in all nations starting in all the towns and villages where we are.    2. Receive the vision of Jesus for the multitudes (Matthew 9:36). Jesus didn't just see individuals; He saw vast numbers of people in great need, and He wanted His disciples also to have their eyes open to seeing the multitudes (John 4:35). How much do we really notice people? God wants to open our eyes to see the multitudes all around us and to believe as Abraham believed that we can have limitless spiritual offspring. Ministry begins with vision. We need a vision of what is possible for large numbers of people to be brought to Christ in our churches and our nations. We must perceive it and believe it before we can receive it.    3. Have the love of Jesus for lost and hurting people (Matthew 9:36 MSG). Love is what Christianity is all about. Jesus came because God so loved the world. Love is what drew the multitudes to Jesus. They knew that, unlike the hard-hearted, self-seeking religious leaders, Jesus truly cared for them. They could see His compassion, especially for the outcasts and despised. And it was because of Jesus' love for lost sinners that He suffered and bled and died. It is this sacrificial, unconditional, patient, kind and enduring love that we must have in our hearts if we are going to keep our children and grandchildren in the church. So many children and young people have wandered away, often with great bitterness in their hearts, because they have experienced the law but never the love of God. It's this love and compassion in our hearts, our actions and in our eyes that will draw people to Christ and establish them in their faith. So how do we get this love? Only by asking for the Holy Spirit to come and change us. For us to see people turn to God, we must have this love.    4. Pray for more workers as Jesus instructed (Matthew 9:38). The mission is so big and the challenge so great that many more people must be involved in sharing the good news of Christ and His kingdom. If we are serious about re-evangelising our nations, we must seek to mobilise ALL the people of God to share their faith. The so-called professionals or paid ministers cannot do it on their own. We must really pray that great numbers of Christians who are busy doing their jobs and caring for their families, will share their faith wherever they are and integrate disciple-making into their lives. It is a matter of great urgency to pray for more workers if we want to see our nations turn around.    5. Build a team of 12 as Jesus modelled. After calling for prayer for more workers, Jesus formed a team of disciples (Matthew 10:1). These 12 were ordinary people and far from perfect. One on the list of the chosen 12 betrayed Jesus and had to be replaced, and the other 11 all ran away at one point. But they were to become the foundation of the church, because Jesus never gave up on His simple plan to focus on gathering, training and releasing the few to reach the many. Today the G12 vision is a re-emergence of a biblical vision for making and multiplying disciples by taking them through every stage from new birth to maturity, to become leaders and multipliers themselves. The 12 can develop 12 who can have 12 who can have 12, and so on. We just need to do this right and continually. And as we follow the example of Jesus in doing these 5 steps, we will see another grassroots transformational Christian movement in our nations and in our day and generation. 

We have before us a fresh opportunity to play our part in the re-evangelism of our own nation and other nations. Each one of us, each individual, couple, family, and church, can make a big difference for God in this generation and for the good of generations to come. This is a time for us to unblock the wells and discover once more the life-giving waters of the Holy Spirit, which have so often flowed in revival power in this country. Wherever you are in the world, you have an important role to play in re-evangelising your nation.   We read in Matthew 9:35-38 and Matthew 10:1 how Jesus did this, and the example we are to follow: “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”   1. Focus on the mission of Jesus (Matthew 9:35; Acts 1:8) 2. Receive the vision of Jesus for the multitudes (Matthew 9:36; John 4:35) 3. Have the love of Jesus for lost and hurting people (Matthew 9:36) 4. Pray for more workers as Jesus instructed (Matthew 9:38) 5. Build a team of 12 as Jesus modelled (Matthew 10:1)  Apply    1. Focus on the mission of Jesus. The mission that Jesus has called us to is simply massive. Jesus has commanded us to make disciples of all nations. God sent His only Son Jesus on a mission to save the whole world from Satan, sin and all the destructive powers of darkness. The sheer scope of our mission requires us to think bigger and beyond what our minds usually process. Our mission in life is to win the world for Jesus. And to conquer globally we must follow the example of Jesus being focussed locally. Jesus went about His mission in a very strategic way by starting in His home region of Galilee (Matthew 9:35). He was very specific and very diligent in going from town to town and even from village to village. Later Jesus gave specific directions on focussing on different locations for the spread of the gospel throughout the world (Acts 1:8). The mission then requires that the Christian gospel is spread systematically from area to area. We must be sure that we are focussed not simply on running our churches but on reaching our communities with a very clear strategy. Like Jesus, we must have a big mission to reach ‘all the towns and villages' in the areas that God has called us to. We have to all play our part in spreading the gospel of the kingdom to all peoples in all nations starting in all the towns and villages where we are.    2. Receive the vision of Jesus for the multitudes (Matthew 9:36). Jesus didn't just see individuals; He saw vast numbers of people in great need, and He wanted His disciples also to have their eyes open to seeing the multitudes (John 4:35). How much do we really notice people? God wants to open our eyes to see the multitudes all around us and to believe as Abraham believed that we can have limitless spiritual offspring. Ministry begins with vision. We need a vision of what is possible for large numbers of people to be brought to Christ in our churches and our nations. We must perceive it and believe it before we can receive it.    3. Have the love of Jesus for lost and hurting people (Matthew 9:36 MSG). Love is what Christianity is all about. Jesus came because God so loved the world. Love is what drew the multitudes to Jesus. They knew that, unlike the hard-hearted, self-seeking religious leaders, Jesus truly cared for them. They could see His compassion, especially for the outcasts and despised. And it was because of Jesus' love for lost sinners that He suffered and bled and died. It is this sacrificial, unconditional, patient, kind and enduring love that we must have in our hearts if we are going to keep our children and grandchildren in the church. So many children and young people have wandered away, often with great bitterness in their hearts, because they have experienced the law but never the love of God. It's this love and compassion in our hearts, our actions and in our eyes that will draw people to Christ and establish them in their faith. So how do we get this love? Only by asking for the Holy Spirit to come and change us. For us to see people turn to God, we must have this love.    4. Pray for more workers as Jesus instructed (Matthew 9:38). The mission is so big and the challenge so great that many more people must be involved in sharing the good news of Christ and His kingdom. If we are serious about re-evangelising our nations, we must seek to mobilise ALL the people of God to share their faith. The so-called professionals or paid ministers cannot do it on their own. We must really pray that great numbers of Christians who are busy doing their jobs and caring for their families, will share their faith wherever they are and integrate disciple-making into their lives. It is a matter of great urgency to pray for more workers if we want to see our nations turn around.    5. Build a team of 12 as Jesus modelled. After calling for prayer for more workers, Jesus formed a team of disciples (Matthew 10:1). These 12 were ordinary people and far from perfect. One on the list of the chosen 12 betrayed Jesus and had to be replaced, and the other 11 all ran away at one point. But they were to become the foundation of the church, because Jesus never gave up on His simple plan to focus on gathering, training and releasing the few to reach the many. Today the G12 vision is a re-emergence of a biblical vision for making and multiplying disciples by taking them through every stage from new birth to maturity, to become leaders and multipliers themselves. The 12 can develop 12 who can have 12 who can have 12, and so on. We just need to do this right and continually. And as we follow the example of Jesus in doing these 5 steps, we will see another grassroots transformational Christian movement in our nations and in our day and generation. 

This is the third installment in a seven-part series "Signs & Wonders: Miracles in the Gospel of John" at Greenfield Presbyterian Church in Berkley, MI. The scripture lesson for this message is from John 5:1-18. Sabbath healing 5 After this there was a Jewish festival, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 In Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate in the north city wall is a pool with the Aramaic name Bethsaida. It had five covered porches, 3 and a crowd of people who were sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed sat there. 5 A certain man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, knowing that he had already been there a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I don't have anyone who can put me in the water when it is stirred up. When I'm trying to get to it, someone else has gotten in ahead of me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 Immediately the man was well, and he picked up his mat and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. 10 The Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It's the Sabbath; you aren't allowed to carry your mat.” 11 He answered, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.'” 12 They inquired, “Who is this man who said to you, ‘Pick it up and walk'?” 13 The man who had been cured didn't know who it was, because Jesus had slipped away from the crowd gathered there. 14 Later Jesus found him in the temple and said, “See! You have been made well. Don't sin anymore in case something worse happens to you.” 15 The man went and proclaimed to the Jewish leaders that Jesus was the man who had made him well. 16 As a result, the Jewish leaders were harassing Jesus, since he had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 Jesus replied, “My Father is still working, and I am working too.” 18 For this reason the Jewish leaders wanted even more to kill him—not only because he was doing away with the Sabbath but also because he called God his own Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

John 5:12-18 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk'?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in[a] the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him in […]

Talk 48 Mark 16:1-20 The Resurrection and Great Commission Welcome to Talk 48 in our series on Mark's Gospel. This will be the final talk in the series, and we'll be looking at Chapter 16 which is Mark's account of Jesus' resurrection and his final instructions to his disciples which are often referred to as The Great Commission. We'll work through the chapter a verse or two at a time, and will begin by reading verses 1-4.   When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.   Verses 1-2 In our last talk we commented on the devotion of these and many other women who had faithfully followed Jesus right from the beginning of his ministry in Galilee. Now we see them buying spices to anoint Jesus' body. What they did not know was that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had already done so when they buried him in accordance with Jewish burial customs (John 19:40), and that by the time they were to reach the tomb Jesus would have already risen. But of course, like the rest of the disciples, they were not expecting him to rise despite all that Jesus had told them. If they had been, they would have known that to anoint his body would be completely unnecessary!   Verse 3 The stone which Joseph put in place would have been in a sloping groove down which he had rolled the stone to cover the entrance to the tomb. The two Marys had seen him do this (15:47) and now, on the way to the tomb, realised that unaided they would be unable to move it back. Why hadn't they thought of this before? When we are grieving we don't always think as clearly as usual and now the women are anticipating a problem which, as they were soon to discover, would not be a problem at all! The Lord had already dealt with it!   Verse 4 Have you ever set out to do something for the Lord which you felt sure he wanted you to do, and then discovered that you'd got it wrong? Or perhaps, as you've set out to do it, doubts have come into your mind, unforeseen potential problems have occurred to you, and you've wondered how you could possibly achieve your goal. That's certainly been my experience, and that exactly what was happening with these women. Their motivation was pure. What they were doing they were doing out of love for the Lord. But their mistake – if it was a mistake – was that, like the rest of the disciples, they didn't remember or didn't believe what Jesus had said. Was the Lord displeased with their actions? Surely not. As we see in the next few verses, they were given the great privilege of announcing the news of the resurrection to the other disciples. Even when we get things wrong, the Lord still has work for us to do.   Now let's read verses 5-8: 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'" 8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.   I want you to notice the extreme emotions experienced by the women in these verses. This is completely understandable. They were grieving – over the terrible suffering they had so recently seen inflicted on someone they so dearly loved – over the fact, or what they thought was a fact, that all their hopes for the future had been dashed – over the loss of a loved one. As we have seen, they are not thinking clearly. They are wondering who can have moved the stone. They enter the tomb and are confronted by an angel! No wonder they're alarmed, trembling and bewildered.   But grieving can bring with it other emotions too, as I have recently discovered in my own experience. I've found that we can weep tears of sorrow and, paradoxically, tears of joy too. And I've experienced both at the same time! And there's a hint in verse 8 that that is what these women were experiencing too. The word translated bewildered in the Greek is ekstasis. It can also mean astonishment or amazement. But interestingly, in Matthew's account he uses a different word, chara, which means joy!   And where does this joy come from? It comes from the news the angel brings them – Jesus is not here. He has risen! What a consolation that was to become! And it's our consolation too. Because he lives, we shall live also. And our loved ones who die in the Lord are not here. They are with Christ, which is far better. And the day will come when we will see them again, as these devoted women soon were to see Jesus.   Perhaps it's this strange mixture of emotions that can account for the fact that, despite the good news, the women fled from the tomb and said nothing to anyone because they were afraid. This was presumably just their initial reaction, because verse 9 tells us Mary Magdalene, at least, went and told the good news to the other disciples. And according to the angel's instructions, that was to include Peter. If, as is widely believed, Mark derived his information from Peter, it's perhaps significant that Peter gets a special mention here. It was Peter who had denied the Lord and who in John 21 is graciously given the opportunity to reaffirm his love for Jesus. Even when we fail him, the Lord is constantly seeking to draw us back to himself.   But that, according to the earliest manuscripts is where Mark's Gospel abruptly ends. Verses 9-20 are viewed by some scholars as a later addition. But these verses have for a long time formed part of Scripture as we know it and, as we shall see, the basic truth contained in them is confirmed elsewhere in the New Testament. So now, verses 9-11. 9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. The fact that Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene is confirmed in all four Gospels, although as usual the other Gospels give more details than we find in Mark. Although initially afraid to say anything (v8), possibly due to emotional trauma, she has now gained the courage to do so. And if we read John's account the reason is clear. She has seen the Lord. He has spoken to her. He has called her by name. The encounter with Jesus makes all the difference. She goes and tells the other disciples that she has seen him. Bearing in mind the repeated lack of faith exhibited by the disciples throughout Jesus' ministry, we're not surprised that at first they did not believe her.   This unbelief is stressed again in verses 12-14: 12 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. 14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. Of course, verses 12-13 are a very brief summary of Luke 24:13-35 where Jesus appears to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus, and where Jesus appearing to the Eleven follows immediately afterwards. We sometimes blame Thomas because he refused to believe until he saw for himself (John 20:24-28), but it seems that the other disciples were no less guilty, and Jesus' words to Thomas were applicable to them all – Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. And the importance of believing is stressed in the following verses where faith is the essential prerequisite for salvation and for seeing miracles performed in Jesus' name.   Verses 15-18 15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." Now that Jesus has died and risen again, the work he had come to do has been accomplished. The Lamb of God has been slain to take away the sins of the world. He has borne the punishment that our sins deserved, and forgiveness and salvation are available to all who will believe. That's good news indeed and all the world needs to hear it. The disciples, and all disciples after them, are to go and spread the message to all creation.   But why creation? Because, as Paul teaches us in Romans 8:21-22, all creation was affected by Adam's sin and all creation has been groaning right up to this present time and is waiting to be liberated from its bondage to decay. For that we must wait until Jesus returns, when the entire creation will see the manifestation of the victory he accomplished at Calvary. Forgiveness of sin and eternal life are available right now to all who will believe, but the final outworking of Christ's victory at Calvary, the abolition of sickness and death, the redemption of our bodies, the new heavens and the new earth, are all future blessings for which we must patiently wait.   But even now God grants us foretastes of those blessings through the miracle-working power of the Spirit. Most of the miracles Jesus promises in these verses are seen again and again in the Book of Acts. The Spirit-filled disciples drive out demons, speak languages they have never learnt, and heal the sick in Jesus' name. Paul was even delivered from snakebite. The only miracle listed here that is not mentioned in Acts is drinking deadly poison. And these miracle signs were not just for the early church. William Burton records in his book Signs Following examples of all these miracles taking place in the early days of the Congo Evangelistic Mission.   But that does not mean that the Lord Jesus intended us to claim these signs as promises. What he is saying is that these are the kind of miracles we can expect when we go out to proclaim the good news. Spiritual gifts are distributed as the Holy Spirit determines (1 Corinthians 12:11). Our responsibility is to tell others about Jesus and to trust the Holy Spirit to confirm what we say with whatever kind of sign he chooses.   Verses 19-20 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. In Mark's Gospel verses 15-20 are the last recorded words of Jesus before he returned to Heaven. Luke's Gospel and the first chapter of Acts (which gives a little more detail about Jesus' ascension into Heaven) records his last words as telling his disciples to wait until they are baptised in the Spirit and that they would receive power when the Spirit came upon them and be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. There is, of course no contradiction here. The power of the Spirit was, and still is, essential if miracles are to happen in Jesus' name.   The message that Jesus is alive is confirmed by the fact that he is still working miracles today. He is still seated at God's right hand. All authority is his on earth as it is in Heaven. It's with that authority that, in the words of Matthew's Gospel, we go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. He will work with us, if we will only go and tell.   As I have already said, this is the final talk in our series on Mark. In January, God willing, I will begin a new series which will take the form of personal testimonies to God's goodness to me throughout my life. Meanwhile, some 300 podcasts of my teaching remain available.

Today we will finish our study in Luke 4 where Luke shared several things about the early ministry of Jesus. First Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness and successfully overcame him and his temptations by the Word of God (vv. 1-13). Then Jesus begins His teaching, preaching and healing ministry in the dark region of Galilee (vv. 14-15). After becoming well known, Jesus went back to His hometown of Nazareth where He was rejected after His first message because He clearly proclaimed Himself to be the Messiah (vv. 16-30).   At this point, Jesus goes down to the city of Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee which becomes His headquarters for ministry for the next three and a half years. At the synagogue there, as He was teaching, He was confronted by a demon possessed man. Jesus cast the demon out and we discussed how Jesus has authority over demons (vv. 31-37). Immediately afterwards Jesus went to Simon Peter's house where He heals Peter's mother-in-law, and before the evening is over more people came to be healed, and He cast out more demons (vv. 38-41), and we discussed Jesus's authority over disease.   It is interesting to note in both cases in this chapter where Jesus confronted the demons He “rebuked them, and did not allow them to speak” and proclaim “that He was the Christ, the Son of God” (vv. 35, 41). Why? Because Jesus didn't need the demons to tell the world that He was the Son of God, but knew that was the reason He came to preach (v. 43). And that is my lesson today, Jesus came to preach. Later Jesus sent His disciples to preach and has also commission us even today to proclaim and preach Jesus to the world. To share the Gospel, the Good News of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and His power to forgive us our sins and to live a transformed life.   In verse 42 we read, “Now when it was day”. It appears that Jesus spent the evening and most of night healing the people that were coming and early the next morning He went to a place to pray before He continued His preaching ministry. Jesus knew the necessity of restoring His spiritual energy, of restoring His spiritual strength in prayer, in spending time in communion with His Father. In this time of prayer Jesus is also getting direction of where He should go and what He should do. Jesus knew the importance of the leading and guiding ministry of the Holy Spirit in ministry.   My friend, we should never enter our daily ministry with others until we have spent time with God in His Word and in prayer. Not only Luke, but Mark points out how Jesus went to a quiet place, a solitary place, away from the crowds and the demands and distractions of the world and He prayed (Mark 1:35). Jesus later taught His disciples and us, that when we pray we should “go into the closet and shut the door” (Matthew 6:6). This does not mean that we go into a literal closet or room, which we might need to do, but that we shut the door to the things in our mind and around us that would distract us from concentrating on our communion with our heavenly Father.   It might mean that we turn off the cell phone, the computer, the tv, or any other thing that might keep trying to get our attention.  We make sure that we spend quality time with Jesus, with our heavenly Father, with the Holy Spirit, getting strength and direction for the day. Now notice in verse 42, even after Jesus went to a deserted place to pray, “the crowd sought Him and came to Him and tried to keep Him from leaving them.” And Jesus informed them that, “I must preach the kingdom of God… for this purpose I have been sent”. Jesus made it clear He didn't just come to heal people or do miracles, but primarily He came to preach the Gospel!   Today, like Jesus we can minister to the hungry and to the sick people around us, but we must never forget our main purpose is to share the message of God's Good News of Jesus with those who are lost and dying!   God bless!

Churches across the UK have come together this weekend for the G12 UK Conference 2024: The Great Harvest. This week's online service is the preach that Pastor Wes shared at the 2023 conference:  Today we have before us a fresh opportunity to play our part in the re-evangelism of this nation and other nations. Each one of us, each individual, couple, family, and church, can make a big difference for God in this generation and for the good of generations to come.    This is a time for us to unblock the wells and discover once more the life-giving waters of the Holy Spirit, which have so often flowed in revival power in this country. Each of these 5 keys are themes of the G12 Vision and have been central to the growth of one of the world's largest churches in Bogota, Colombia.    We see these keys in Matthew 9:35-37 and Matthew 10:1: Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.    1. Focus on the mission of Jesus (Matthew 9:35; Acts 1:8) 2. Receive the Vision of Jesus for the multitudes (Matthew 9:36; John 4:35) 3. Have the love of Jesus for lost and hurting people (Matthew 9:36) 4. Pray for more workers as Jesus instructed (Matthew 9:38) 5. Build a team of 12 as Jesus modelled (Matthew 10:1)   Apply    1. Focus on the mission of Jesus. The mission that Jesus has called us to is simply massive. Jesus has commanded us to make disciples of all nations. God sent His only Son Jesus on a mission to save the whole world from Satan, sin and all the destructive powers of darkness. The sheer scope of our mission requires us to think bigger and beyond what our minds usually process. Our mission in life is to win the world for Jesus. And to conquer globally we must follow the example of Jesus being focussed locally. Jesus went about His mission in a very strategic way by starting in His home region of Galilee (Matthew 9:35). He was very specific and very diligent in going from town to town and even from village to village. Later Jesus gave specific directions on focussing on different locations for the spread of the gospel throughout the world (Acts 1:8). The mission then requires that the Christian gospel is spread systematically from area to area. We must be sure that we are focussed not simply on running our churches but on reaching our communities with a very clear strategy. Like Jesus must have a big mission to reach ‘all the towns and villages' in the areas that God has called us to. We have to all play our part in spreading the gospel of the kingdom to all peoples in all nations starting in all the towns and villages where we are.    2. Receive the Vision of Jesus for the multitudes (Matthew 9:36). Jesus didn't just see individuals; He saw vast numbers of people in great need, and He wanted His disciples also to have their eyes open to seeing the multitudes (John 4:35). How much do we really notice people? God wants to open our eyes to see the multitudes all around us and to believe as Abraham believed that we can have limitless spiritual offspring. Ministry begins with vision. We need a vision of what is possible for large numbers of people to be brought to Christ in our churches and our nations. We have to perceive it and believe it before we can receive it.   3. Have the love of Jesus for lost and hurting people (Matthew 9:36 MSG). Love is what Christianity is all about. Jesus came because God so loved the world. Love is what drew the multitudes to Jesus. They knew that, unlike the hard-hearted, self-seeking religious leaders, Jesus truly cared for them. They could see His compassion especially for those who were outcasts and despised. And it was love for lost sinners that Jesus suffered and bled and died. It is this sacrificial, unconditional, patient, kind and enduring love that we must have in our hearts if we are going to keep our children and grandchildren in the church. So many children and young people have wandered away, often with great bitterness in their hearts, because they have experienced the law but never the love of God. And it's this love and compassion in our hearts and in our actions and in our eyes that will draw people to Christ and establish them in their faith. The G12 vision is not some clinical method but an expression of the heart of God and a powerful means of bringing God's love to masses of people and to train them as disciples. So how do we get this love? Only by asking for the Holy Spirit to come and change us. For us to see people turn to God, we must have this love.   4. Pray for more workers as Jesus instructed (Matthew 9:38). The mission is so big and the challenge is so great that we must have many more people involved in sharing the good news of Christ and His kingdom. If we are serious about re-evangelising this nation, we must seek to mobilise ALL the people of God to share their faith. The so-called professionals or paid ministers can never cope on their own. There are about 30,000 clergy of all types in the UK and more than 80,000 registered witches and fortune tellers. Today we must really pray that great numbers of Christians who are busy doing their jobs and caring for their families, will share their faith wherever they are and integrate disciple-making into their lives. It is a matter of great urgency to pray for more workers if we want to see this nation turn around.   5. Build a team of 12 as Jesus modelled. After calling for prayer for more workers, Jesus formed a team of disciples (Matthew 10:1). These 12 were ordinary people and far from perfect. One on the list of the chosen betrayed Jesus and had to be replaced, and the other 11 all ran away at one point. But they were to become the foundation of the church, because Jesus never gave up on His simple plan to focus on gathering, training and releasing the few to reach many. Today the G12 Vision is a re-emergence of a biblical vision for making and multiplying disciples by taking them through every stage from new birth to maturity to become leaders and multipliers themselves. The 12 can develop 12 who can have 12 who can have 12, and so on. We just need to do this right and continually. And if we will take hold of these five keys, we will see another grassroots transformational Christian movement in this country and in our day and generation. Are you up for it?! 

Churches across the UK have come together this weekend for the G12 UK Conference 2024: The Great Harvest. This week's online service is the preach that Pastor Wes shared at the 2023 conference:  Today we have before us a fresh opportunity to play our part in the re-evangelism of this nation and other nations. Each one of us, each individual, couple, family, and church, can make a big difference for God in this generation and for the good of generations to come.    This is a time for us to unblock the wells and discover once more the life-giving waters of the Holy Spirit, which have so often flowed in revival power in this country. Each of these 5 keys are themes of the G12 Vision and have been central to the growth of one of the world's largest churches in Bogota, Colombia.    We see these keys in Matthew 9:35-37 and Matthew 10:1: Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.    1. Focus on the mission of Jesus (Matthew 9:35; Acts 1:8) 2. Receive the Vision of Jesus for the multitudes (Matthew 9:36; John 4:35) 3. Have the love of Jesus for lost and hurting people (Matthew 9:36) 4. Pray for more workers as Jesus instructed (Matthew 9:38) 5. Build a team of 12 as Jesus modelled (Matthew 10:1)   Apply    1. Focus on the mission of Jesus. The mission that Jesus has called us to is simply massive. Jesus has commanded us to make disciples of all nations. God sent His only Son Jesus on a mission to save the whole world from Satan, sin and all the destructive powers of darkness. The sheer scope of our mission requires us to think bigger and beyond what our minds usually process. Our mission in life is to win the world for Jesus. And to conquer globally we must follow the example of Jesus being focussed locally. Jesus went about His mission in a very strategic way by starting in His home region of Galilee (Matthew 9:35). He was very specific and very diligent in going from town to town and even from village to village. Later Jesus gave specific directions on focussing on different locations for the spread of the gospel throughout the world (Acts 1:8). The mission then requires that the Christian gospel is spread systematically from area to area. We must be sure that we are focussed not simply on running our churches but on reaching our communities with a very clear strategy. Like Jesus must have a big mission to reach ‘all the towns and villages' in the areas that God has called us to. We have to all play our part in spreading the gospel of the kingdom to all peoples in all nations starting in all the towns and villages where we are.    2. Receive the Vision of Jesus for the multitudes (Matthew 9:36). Jesus didn't just see individuals; He saw vast numbers of people in great need, and He wanted His disciples also to have their eyes open to seeing the multitudes (John 4:35). How much do we really notice people? God wants to open our eyes to see the multitudes all around us and to believe as Abraham believed that we can have limitless spiritual offspring. Ministry begins with vision. We need a vision of what is possible for large numbers of people to be brought to Christ in our churches and our nations. We have to perceive it and believe it before we can receive it.   3. Have the love of Jesus for lost and hurting people (Matthew 9:36 MSG). Love is what Christianity is all about. Jesus came because God so loved the world. Love is what drew the multitudes to Jesus. They knew that, unlike the hard-hearted, self-seeking religious leaders, Jesus truly cared for them. They could see His compassion especially for those who were outcasts and despised. And it was love for lost sinners that Jesus suffered and bled and died. It is this sacrificial, unconditional, patient, kind and enduring love that we must have in our hearts if we are going to keep our children and grandchildren in the church. So many children and young people have wandered away, often with great bitterness in their hearts, because they have experienced the law but never the love of God. And it's this love and compassion in our hearts and in our actions and in our eyes that will draw people to Christ and establish them in their faith. The G12 vision is not some clinical method but an expression of the heart of God and a powerful means of bringing God's love to masses of people and to train them as disciples. So how do we get this love? Only by asking for the Holy Spirit to come and change us. For us to see people turn to God, we must have this love.   4. Pray for more workers as Jesus instructed (Matthew 9:38). The mission is so big and the challenge is so great that we must have many more people involved in sharing the good news of Christ and His kingdom. If we are serious about re-evangelising this nation, we must seek to mobilise ALL the people of God to share their faith. The so-called professionals or paid ministers can never cope on their own. There are about 30,000 clergy of all types in the UK and more than 80,000 registered witches and fortune tellers. Today we must really pray that great numbers of Christians who are busy doing their jobs and caring for their families, will share their faith wherever they are and integrate disciple-making into their lives. It is a matter of great urgency to pray for more workers if we want to see this nation turn around.   5. Build a team of 12 as Jesus modelled. After calling for prayer for more workers, Jesus formed a team of disciples (Matthew 10:1). These 12 were ordinary people and far from perfect. One on the list of the chosen betrayed Jesus and had to be replaced, and the other 11 all ran away at one point. But they were to become the foundation of the church, because Jesus never gave up on His simple plan to focus on gathering, training and releasing the few to reach many. Today the G12 Vision is a re-emergence of a biblical vision for making and multiplying disciples by taking them through every stage from new birth to maturity to become leaders and multipliers themselves. The 12 can develop 12 who can have 12 who can have 12, and so on. We just need to do this right and continually. And if we will take hold of these five keys, we will see another grassroots transformational Christian movement in this country and in our day and generation. Are you up for it?! 

The devotion for today, Wednesday, June 05, 2024 was written by Hardy Haberman and is narrated by Larry Carter. Today's Words of Inspiration come from John 5:2-15Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many ill, blind, lame, and paralyzed people. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The ill man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am making my way someone else steps down ahead of me.” Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.Now that day was a Sabbath. So, the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.' ” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk'?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.  Support the Show.

Logan Holloman | NextGen Pastor | April 14, 2024 John 5:1-7 (NIV)Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Jesus- invitation to be made whole “do you want to be well” Pool- what we look to for wholeness and healing. What’s your pool? John 5:8-15 (NIV)Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?” The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well. Mat- symbolic of sin/pain used for Jesus’ purposes in our lives. What’s your mat? God never wastes our suffering John 1:29b (NIV)“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 20:30-31 (NIV)Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Jesus’ invitation …is to be made whole, …it’s beyond our pools …he’ll redeem/use our mats Reflection Questions:1. What is one felt need you are aware of at the moment?2. What gets in the way (i.e. fear, control, lack of trust) of receiving what God wants to do for, in, or through us?3. Jesus warns the man to not return to sin, in what areas are you tempted to return to your mat? Next Steps: Complete the Connect Card to receive more information, have us pray for you, or to ask us any question: http://journeybozeman.com/connectcardWant to worship through giving and support the ministry of Journey Church: https://journeybozeman.com/giveDownload our app: https://journeybozeman.com/app Join our Facebook Group to stay connected throughout the week: https://facebook.com/groups/JourneyChurchBozemanGet your children connected to our children's ministry, Base Camp: https://journeybozeman.com/childrenOur Student Ministry is for High School and Middle School students: https://journeybozeman.com/studentsSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneyChurchBozemanNotes Page:

Mark 16:9-14 NIV - When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

Mark 16:9-14 NIV - When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

Mark 16:9-14 NIV - When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

Mark 16:9-14 NIV - When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

In this episode, we begin a study of sicknesses, diseases, and demons. Using the scriptures from the bible, they deal with both sicknesses and diseases. In the book of Jubilees, we investigate the origin of demons. John 5:1-9, 14 Sometime later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [b] 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. 14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well. Jubilees 10:1-13 1 And in the third week of this jubilee the unclean demons began to lead astray the children of the sons of Noah, and to make to err and destroy them. 2 And the sons of Noah came to Noah their father, and they told him concerning the demons which were leading astray and blinding and slaying his sons' sons. 3 And he prayed before YAHWEH his Sovereign Ruler and said: 'YAHWEH of the spirits of all flesh, who have shown mercy unto me And have saved me and my sons from the waters of the flood, And have not caused me to perish as You did the sons of perdition; For Your free unmerited pardon has been great towards me, And great has been Your mercy to my soul; Let Your free unmerited pardon be lifted up upon my sons, And let not wicked spirits rule over them Lest they should destroy them from the earth. 4 But do You bless me and my sons, that we may increase and Multiply and replenish the earth. 5 And You know how Your Watchers, the fathers of these spirits, acted in my day: and as for these spirits which are living, imprison them and hold them fast in the place of condemnation, and let them not bring destruction on the sons of your servant, my Sovereign Ruler; for these are malignant, and created in order to destroy. 6 And let them not rule over the spirits of the living; for You alone can exercise dominion over them. And let them not have power over the sons of the righteous from henceforth and forevermore.' 7 And YAHWEH our Sovereign Ruler bade us to bind all. 8 And the chief of the spirits, Mastema, came and said: 'YAHWEH, Creator, let some of them remain before me, and let them listen to my voice, and do all that I shall say unto them; for if some of them are not left to me, I shall not be able to execute the power of my will on the sons of men; for these are for corruption and leading astray before my judgment, for great is the wickedness of the sons of men.' 9 And He said: Let the tenth part of them remain before him, and let nine parts descend into the place of condemnation.' 10 And one of us He commanded that we should teach Noah all their medicines; for He knew that they would not walk in uprightness, nor strive in righteousness. 11 And we did according to all His words: all the malignant evil ones we bound in the place of condemnation and a tenth part of them we left that they might be subject before Satan on the earth. 12 And we explained to Noah all the medicines of their diseases, together with their seductions, how he might heal them with herbs of the earth. 13 And Noah wrote down all things in a book as we instructed him concerning every kind of medicine. Thus the evil spirits were precluded from (hurting) the sons of Noah.

Battle for the Bride - Matthew 4:1-11 A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns O, my luve's like a red, red rose, That's newly sprung in June. O my luve's like the melodie, That's sweetly played in tune. As fair art thou, my bonie lass, So deep in luve am I, And I will luve thee still, my Dear, Till a' the seas gang dry. Till a' the seas gang dry, my Dear, And the rocks melt wi' the sun! O I will love thee still, my Dear, While the sands o' life shall run. And fare thee weel, my only Luve, And fare thee weel a while! And I will come again, my Luve, Tho' it were ten thousand mile! When Jesus came to earth, He knew that saving His bride would mean He would need to engage in multiple battles with Satan, the terrible adversary. Jesus also knew He would need to go undefeated against sin and Satan to save His bride. Jesus readies Himself for the battle V. 1-2 The spiritual high moment of Jesus' baptism was followed by a spiritual fight, which is often the case for us as well! Spiritual mountain top experiences will be tested in life's wilderness. Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan in the garden and failed and were booted from Paradise. But the second Adam was tempted by Satan and overcame, not just for Himself, but for all of His disciples He will bring to Paradise! Fasting is when people miss one or more consecutive meals. In the Bible there were 2 main times they fasted – when they were mourning and when they had a spiritual burden and needed to focus their prayers. “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” -Esther to Mordecai in Esther 4:16 “As soon as I heard these words (about Jerusalem's troubles) I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of Heaven.” -Nehemiah 1:4 Who is our biggest battle first against? Ourselves. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. -1 Cor. 9:27 The battle to delay gratification V. 3-4 Be sober-minded: be watchful. Your adversary the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. -1 Peter 5:8 Satan's purpose was to get Jesus to sin and thus disqualify Him to save anyone. God's purpose was to prove His Son to be sinless and thus a worthy Savior. Jesus knew He needed to face this moment as a human, not using His deity. We can't work miracles. If we saw Him justify using His deity to personal advantage, we may justify stealing or taking other short cuts to meet our needs. Later Jesus would use His divine power to meet the needs of others, including the feeding of 5,000 and 4,000. But Jesus faced these temptations as the Son of Man; voluntarily limiting His power as the Son of God. The battle to serve rather than entertain V. 5-7 Now what is different about Satan's approach in this second temptation? He quotes, really misquotes Scripture, like he did with Adam and Eve! He slyly leaves a phrase out not suited to his purpose, like he did with Eve! The point is that Jesus knew that it would be foolish to take Psalm 91 (a beautiful passage about God protecting His people as they follow Him) and made that a justification for rash, presumptuous actions. Jesus didn't come to entertain but to serve. The battle to glorify God rather than oneself V. 8-11 Satan's offer: “Get glory for yourself the easy way, Jesus. I will give it to you without suffering, without a cross, without having to put up with disciples that will disappoint you over and over and over and over again!” The Bible makes clear that now that Jesus has defeated Satan on the cross, the time is coming when the entire world will worship Him (Phil. 2:9-11). But first He would embrace the whole human experience, die, be buried, and rise!

Preacher: John Chew Date: 19 November 2023 (10.45am) Album: COOS Weekend Service

As Jesus and his disciples are on their way south toward Jerusalem, Jesus is still doubted by others, most notably an "expert" in the law. Pastor Brad takes us through how Jesus navigates the encounter. Later Jesus and co. visit a woman named Martha and her sister, Mary, and help them focus on what needs to be focused on the most. 

John 8 NLT read aloud by Simon MacFarlane. 1 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” 12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” 13 The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.” 14 Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don't know this about me. 15 You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. 16 And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me. 17 Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. 18 I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.” 19 “Where is your father?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Since you don't know who I am, you don't know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” 20 Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come. 21 Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.” 22 The people asked, “Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, ‘You cannot come where I am going'?” 23 Jesus continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. 24 That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.” 25 “Who are you?” they demanded. Jesus replied, “The one I have always claimed to be. 26 I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won't. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful.” 27 But they still didn't understand that he was talking about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. 29 And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.” 30 Then many who heard him say these things believed in him. 31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free'?” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. [...]

Jesus exposed Israel's superficial worship through his triumphal entry, his actions on that last week in Jerusalem, and his ultimate trial and crucifixion. - SERMON TRANSCRIPT- Turn to your Bibles to Mark 11 as we continue our study in Mark's gospel. One of the greatest truths of the Bible is the revelation of the true purpose of the human race. We were created by God in the image of God with staggering levels of complexity. David said in Psalm 139, "I praise you because I'm fearfully and wonderfully made." Then his next statement was, "Your works are wonderful. I know that full well." This points to the reason for our existence that we would know God and worship him as God. God has given us amazing brains, the ability to study the universe around us and marvel at it, but behind all of the manifestations of the works of God as God himself, and God is infinitely greater than all of his creative works combined. We human beings were created in his image with special abilities that we may know God and glorify him as God. Westminster Shorter Catechism said famously, the chief end or purpose of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Tragically, sin entered the world and has darkened our minds and our hearts. It has blinded us so that we cannot see the glory of God in creation and the infinite greatness of God as creator. Instead, we become idolaters, worshiping and serving the creature, the created things, rather than the creator. Now, the ultimate work of Jesus the Redeemer is to heal our minds and our hearts so that we will perceive the truth about God and we will worship God truly and rightly. Jesus described his mission on behalf of his Heavenly Father in this way in John 4:23-24, “Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well, ‘A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is Spirit. And those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.’" God is seeking worshipers who will worship him in Spirit and truth. What does that mean? Start with truth. Truth is to know God as He truly is, his attributes truly, his nature truly, his mind and his will and his purposes truly, his loves and his hates truly, and knowing the true God and all these trues about God, then to worship him with our spirits that is with our whole hearts, passionately and intentionally, indirect proportion to his infinite worth. That's what we were made for. Worship is worth-ship, passionately ascribing to God what He's worth, his worthiness. Jesus came into the world on behalf of Almighty God to achieve this mission, to seek and to save, to win eternal worship for God in Spirit and truth from people who were sinners, darkened in their minds and their hearts, who were idolaters, worshiping and serving created things rather than the creator. In today's account, we see the Jewish people lining the road as Jesus was riding a donkey up to the city of Jerusalem. They are passionate. They are passionately celebrating Jesus, and they seem to be worshiping him, but it is to some degree superficial. It is to some degree, ignorant and self-serving. Jesus wants their worship. He came to win their worship, but not ultimately like that, not superficial, not surface, not self-serving. When I was a college student, I worked up in the Boston area at a number of high-tech jobs. One summer I worked as a technician for a company that made semiconductors, tiny electronic components, and one of the ways they did this was something called wet metalization. By the way, these are the kind of illustrations you get from me as a pastor, so bear with it. They would put materials in a bath filled with a liquid that contained, in that case, gold atoms floating around and the process would coat the materials in the gold. One day the scientist there asked if I had any jewelry I wanted gold-plated. I thought, great opportunity. I actually had a cross made of some cheap metal and I gave it to him, brought it to him, and he put it in this bubbling, sizzling bath for about five minutes. It came out shining. It was completely gold-plated. I was amazed. That cross was shining and radiant, and I put it on a chain and wore it around my neck. Two days later, I looked at it and almost all of the gold was gone. Just rubbing against my skin or against the fabric of my shirt had taken the gold covering completely off. To me, this is a picture of shallow superficial worship, the worship we see of these people in Jerusalem that they gave Jesus that day as he rode his donkey into the holy city. It was shiny, but it was superficial. And within a short time, it was all gone. But Jesus came to work in us deeply, not superficially. He came to make us genuine, true eternal worshipers of God, people who will worship God in Spirit and truth intelligently, knowingly, deeply, and passionately. The triumphal entry of Christ is one of the most ironic passages in the Bible. Here is the incarnate son of God, He is in fact infinitely worthy of praise. He's entering Jerusalem, the city of David. He is being praised by his people, but not one of them really understands who He is. Each of them will in some degree, I think, be stunned by his actions that week and certainly by the outcome of him being crucified by the Romans. We don't know this for a fact, but there may well be some people who shout “Hosanna” on the one day and several days later are shouting “Crucify, crucify.” We don't know if it's the same people. The city of Jerusalem was filled with millions of people, and according to Matthew 21:10, most of the people didn't even know who it was that was riding into the city. They asked, "Who is this?" But one of the most remarkable parts about this passage and this time and the synoptic passages as well is, Jesus defends the worship. He accepts the worship, and that's part of the mystery. We're going to walk through all of this today. "The triumphal entry of Christ is one of the most ironic passages in the Bible. Here is the incarnate son of God, He is in fact infinitely worthy of praise. He's entering Jerusalem, the city of David. He is being praised by his people, but not one of them really understands who He is." I. The Specifics of the Triumphal Entry Let's talk about the specifics of the triumphal entry. This is the final week of Jesus' life. We have four Gospel records of Jesus' life, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. As you add up all of the chapters, all of the verses in the four gospels, more than half of the words in the four gospels concentrate on the events of the final week of his life. It's a tremendously significant period of Jesus' life, and the triumphal entry is the beginning of that final journey. It's the time of the Passover feast, one of the three times in a year that every Jewish male was required to go up to Jerusalem. The Passover celebrated the momentous events of the Exodus, millennia and a half before that, culminating in the 10th, the dreadful 10th plague, the plague on the firstborn in which the blood of the Passover lamb was spilled and the blood applied to the doorposts and the lentils. The angel of the Lord saw the blood of the Passover lamb and passed over and did not kill the firstborn in those Jewish homes. That's Passover, a yearly celebration. All of the Jewish people assembled for it. Huge crowds thus were flowing, multitudes flowing into the city. Based on a census taken a short time after Jesus' life, the number of lambs slaughtered during the Passover was 260,000 Passover lambs. According to Jewish custom, one lamb could be offered for up to 10 people. That gives you a picture of well over two million pilgrims flooding into the city for this time. The Roman authorities and Roman soldiers would've been on high alert, careful to avoid any incident or riot that might endanger Roman lives or Roman rule. Our story begins at a small place called Bethphage near Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus, putting all the gospel accounts together, has just healed the two blind men, one of them named Bartimaeus, who we looked at last week. He was now following Jesus along the road. He had also just converted Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, that account in Luke, most powerfully of all. Just a few days before that, He had raised Lazarus from the dead after he'd been dead four days. The most spectacular and significant miracle of Jesus' life, a man dead four days raised up out of the grave. Huge crowds had gone from Jerusalem to Bethany to see Lazarus and to see Jesus. The whole region was in some sense electrified by Jesus' miracles and his ministry. He enters Bethphage near Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Other than these facts, nothing is known about Bethphage. Bethany, the home of his good friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus, was a place of regular refuge and renewal for Jesus. John's Gospel, chapter 12: 1-3, tells us Jesus visited the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, and Bethany six days before the Passover. Thus, this was probably a Sabbath day, a Saturday. During that visit, Mary anointed Jesus' feet with a large lavish amount of costly perfume called nard. All four Gospel accounts link that costly gift, worth a year's wages, to Judas' motivation to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus directly links Mary's lavish gift with his own death. He said in John 12:7-8, "Leave her alone. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me." Jesus is intensely thinking about his own imminent death. There's no doubt about that. The chronology, the visit of this large crowd to Bethany probably occurred on the day after the Sabbath of Sunday. Therefore, the triumphal entry was a Monday. So much for your Palm Sunday and mine. I grew up in the Catholic Church. I remember the palm branches. Look at Jesus' command as the account begins. Mark 11:1-3, “As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you. And just as you enter it, you will find a colt there, tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, why are you doing this, tell him the Lord needs it and he will send it back here shortly.’” With all these events swirling around, it is amazing to me, as you look in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the four accounts of the final week of Jesus' life, how serenely and confidently and powerfully Jesus carries himself through all of it. It's really quite beautiful. It's powerful. The final week of his life, He knows full well what's going to happen to him. Look at him, He's in charge. He's orchestrating things. He commands this, He commands that. He gets things ready, orchestrates everything. This crushes that false view that we've mentioned before of Jesus being caught up in a swirl of events that were beyond his control, and next thing you know, He's arrested and He dies. What a great tragedy. None of that is true. Nothing ever got beyond Jesus' control. Nothing ever does. Jesus is in control of everything. Notice also Jesus' astonishing, meticulous foreknowledge. “Go to the village ahead of you. And just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden.” He knows exactly what they're going to find, the whole circumstance, all of that. He also deals with the concern that they might have saying, "We're just going to walk away with someone's colt?" “If anyone asks you anything about it, tell him the following thing, the Lord needs it, and he'll let it go.” I find that interesting. Try that this week, driving someone's car, “the Lord needs it.” Make sure that it's true. But it's a clear display of Jesus' divine meticulous foreknowledge. We're going to see it even more in Mark 14 when Jesus prepares the upper room for the Last Supper. Jesus will clearly predict to the two disciples being sent ahead of them for that moment, that just as they're entering the city, a man carrying a jar of water will be going into the city, follow him, et cetera. We'll get to all that, but that's Jesus' meticulous foreknowledge. In all of this, we see Jesus' knowledge and also the fulfillment of prophecy, and that this is going to be a significant event in the last week of Jesus' life. Many of the prophecies tied to the Messiah, tied to Christ, are fulfilled, zeroed in on and fulfilled in this final week, including, of course, his death and his resurrection. Most of them, as a matter of fact. This particular one is the fulfillment of a prophecy in Zechariah. Matthew tells that the clearest in Matthew 21:4-5, “This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet say to the daughter of Zion, "Behold, your king comes to you gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." Two overriding concerns in Jesus' mind always is, number one, obey the Father. Do everything the Father has told me to do. Number two, fulfill the prophecies. How would the scriptures be fulfilled, say it must happen in this way? These two things are in his mind and they're really one and the same thing. The Father's will has been written out in prophecies and now Jesus is living them out. Many of the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled would've been beyond his direct control. Think, for example, of the jar of wine vinegar that was put at the base of the cross that fulfilled a prophecy. Jesus couldn't have orchestrated that, or that the Roman soldiers would gamble for his clothing in fulfillment of Psalm 22. He couldn't make them do that. This one may be a little different. Jesus could have set this whole thing up intentionally, said, "Okay, we got to do the donkey ride into the city based on Zechariah." He could have gone ahead of time. This individual said, "Hey, look, at a certain time, I'm going to come. I'm going to need a colt. Make sure it's never been ridden on, if you would set it up." All of that could have been orchestrated maybe, maybe not. There is also the timing of the Passover itself in fulfillment of prophecy, as we'll see in a moment. The disciples obey, verses 4-6, “They went and found a colt outside in the street tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, ‘What are you doing untying that colt?’ They answered as Jesus had told them to and let people let them go.” They obeyed. Everything was exactly as Jesus had said. Now, there is a detail in Matthew's account that's worth mentioning. I, from time to time, go over and try to solve some problems that come into people's minds as they read the Synoptics. Matthew is problematic to some people in that there were actually two animals involved in this whole triumphal entry, a donkey and a colt, two animals. Some unbelieving commentators say that Matthew failed to understand Hebrew parallelism in the Zechariah prophecy, saying, “We all know that there's only one animal. He's just saying the same thing in two different words, and Matthew didn't understand that. But we, 20th century and 21st century commentators, do.” Do you see the arrogance in all that? Assuming that we know Hebrew parallelism better than Matthew, a first century Jew? That we know the prophecies better than a gospel writer? There is such arrogance in all that. If Matthew says there were two animals, there were two animals. I urge you not to try to picture Jesus riding two animals at the same time. I don't think that's what Matthew said, but he just brought them and he brought the donkey and the colt, and Jesus sat on the colt. Though the disciples obeyed precisely what Jesus commanded, John's Gospel tells us they didn't really understand any of this. They didn't understand what was going on. As a matter of fact, none of the disciples did. John 12:16, “At first, his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.” Later Jesus said this would happen. The Holy Spirit will come and guide you into all truth, then the lights will go on of the significance. It was with a triumphal entry. Now we get the crowd. Let's understand the crowd, the crowd's shallow, self-serving worship, verses 8-10, “Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those that went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our Father David. Hosanna in the highest.’" These are the crowds. Again, this is just a small grouping of people. It's a crowd, but there's a massive group of people in Jerusalem. Matthew 21:10 says many of the people didn't even know who this was that was riding in. Who is this? Oh, it's Jesus the prophet from Nazareth [Matthew 21:11]. But this is a group that did know who Jesus was. They're following him along the road. They've maybe been there for some of the miracles, and they're there and they're very, very excited about this. They spread their cloaks on the road. This is a humble display or display of humble submission to Jesus' kingly power, kingly majesty. They're willing to take the garments from their back that they might sleep in and lay them on the road for his donkey to ride over. It also says they cut branches from trees and spread them on the road. If they didn't have cloaks or there's more road to cover, they spread these branches. John 12:13 tells us they were palm branches, hence, Palm Sunday. It's beautiful how in Revelation 7:9 that multitude from every tribe and language and people and nation that come as a result of the gospel ministry are wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands and celebrating the salvation that Christ has won for them. But they're doing it there in spirit and in truth. How beautiful is that? We have that same image of the palm branches. They're shouting things. They're shouting “Hosanna,” which means, “Oh, save” or “Save now.” They're shouting a prophecy, Psalm 118, verse 26, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." It's a very important statement that Jesus himself quotes in Matthew 23, “You will not see me again until you, the nation of Israel, says, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord the Messiah.’" It's a welcoming for the Messiah, but they're shouting it. They're saying now is the time. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our Father David. This is obviously an open cry for the Messianic kingdom, the fulfillment of the prophecies made to David and to his household that God would build a house for David forever, that someone would reign on David's throne forever. They're crying for that. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our Father David, and that would include the destruction of all Jewish enemies by the Son of David ruling on David's powerful throne, causing his enemies to lick the dust from his feet, extending his sovereign reign from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. That's what they're expecting. These cries are actually based on actual prophecies of Scripture, a coming Messianic kingdom that would crush all opposition. More on that in a moment. But they were also superficial. They underestimated the real issues going on. They underestimated what really had to happen there. At the end of the account in verse 11, we have a very anti-climactic end. Look at verse 11, “Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.” That was it. We know the next thing that's going to happen is, the next day, the cleansing of the temple. Jesus is there a bit on a scouting mission. He just looks around. He sees the wickedness and the sin going on, but He doesn't do anything about it at that point. It's late, but the next day He's going to take care of that, and He's going to begin the process that's going to lead directly to his death.There is work to be done and they're expecting the kingdom to come. But Jesus knows the real work is the corruption, the wickedness, the sin in the hearts of the people, and He's got to address that. That's how the account ends. II. Eternal Layers of Significance Now, let's go back and look at eternal layers of significance in all this, a very significant account. First of all, Jesus seizes control of the timetable here. As I said, there's millions of Jews there. The Romans are in heightened alert. They're going to be looking for anything, any demonstration, any riot, any big thing happening. This is a big thing happening. It's not like Jesus isn't politically savvy and doesn't know what the Romans are fearing and what the Jewish authorities were concerned about. He knew full well. He also knew his enemies were plotting. It says in Mark 14:1-2, “Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away and the chief priest and the teacher of the law were looking for, listen to this, some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him, but not during the feast they said, or the people may riot.” They're afraid with the riot, they, the Jewish leaders, will lose their position of power. The Romans will topple them and put in another puppet government. Not during the feast, his enemy said. Jesus said during the feast. You see that? He is controlling the timetable. He seizes control. It's part of Jesus' plan at the human level to raise the heat under the pot leading to his own death. It's very intentional on Jesus' part. Several times in the Gospel accounts, the crowds had wanted to seize control of the timetable even years early, a couple of year or a year or two early. In John 6:15, they, after the feeding of the 5,000, wanted to take him by force and make him king, but Jesus has hid himself from them. He actually regularly slips away, hides himself, gets away from the crowd, because it was not his hour.His time had not yet come. You see that again and again, but not this time, not this time, because his time has come. His time has come. He seizes control of the timetable. He provokes it by riding on this donkey in fulfillment of the Zechariah prophecy. He provokes it. Jesus is not some victim passively, kind of like a twig on a whitewater just carried over the waterfall. That's not Jesus. He is orchestrating these events and He's doing it to fulfill a timetable, ordained by his Heavenly Father before the foundation of the world. Jesus therefore would not react to his enemies. They're going to react to him. They're reacting to his initiative. In all of this, Jesus is fulfilling prophecy, as I mentioned. First of all, the manner of his entry, Zechariah 9:9, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout, daughter of Jerusalem. Behold your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." This symbolism of Jesus riding on a donkey was not in any way lost to the Jews. They were aware of these prophecies. Jesus is intentionally identifying himself with the Zechariah 9 prophecy. But there is a deeper issue, the rest of the prophecy. We'll come back to that in a moment. Along with this is the prophecy concerning the timing of his death. Jesus is the Passover lamb. He's the fulfillment of that prophetic image. One thing we learn about God, He loves symbolism. He goes deep into symbolism. A lot of prophecies are types and symbols fulfilled, and timing matters. It's not an accident, this timing, lined up with the Passover. Jesus would be entering the city at exactly the time that the law of Moses specified for the Jewish people to choose out a lamb for their family to be the Passover lamb, a lamb without blemish or defect. The lamb was to be with the family for four days and then sacrificed at twilight on the fourth day. The timing is exactly right. Monday was the exact time then for Jesus to be chosen as the lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Thursday evening, He'll be taken away, led away to be slaughtered. Jesus accepts this worship, this prophesy. All of these things, this heightened prophetic expectations stimulate worship on the part of the people. The thing that's amazing to me, marvelous to me, is He accepts it, even defends it. He delighted in this worship, while in no way delusional about its nature. In Matthew 21:15-16, it says, “When the chief priest and the teacher of the law saw the wonderful things He did and the children shouting in the temple area, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant. ‘Do you hear what these children are saying?’ They asked him. ‘Yes,’ replied Jesus.” I love that. Just pause right there. Yes, I hear what the children are saying. Have you never read, from the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise? He defends it. In Luke 19:39-40, “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ 'I tell you,’ He replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones themselves will cry out.’" He defends the worship. Why? It's not because He's delusional about it. It's not because He thinks, hey, this is just what I wanted. Not at all. But because it is a foretaste, like a symbol, of what it is He's come to get in the end, of what we will be doing for all eternity. In this way, it's very much like two other things that happened around this time. One of them was Caiaphas' statement, “It is better for one man to die than the nation perish.” John's Gospel tells us he did not understand or say this out of his own faith, but as high priest that year, he prophesied concerning the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. The statement's made, and it's ultimately infinitely true, but it's not fully understood. Then also Pontius Pilate putting a notification over Jesus' head saying, "This is Jesus, King of the Jews." Jesus' enemies were angry. You should have written this man claimed to be King of the Jews, not he is King of the Jews. Pilate said, "What I have written I have written." Is Pilate worshiping him as the true King of the Jews? No, but God knows exactly what He's doing, and so it is with this worship. He accepts it because that's where we're all heading. That's where we're going to end up truly worshiping the Messiah in the New Jerusalem. He accepts it. Jesus exposes Israel's unbelief in this. Israel expected an immediate deliverance from Roman rule. The prophecy predicted that the Messiah's reign would bring an extension of Jewish authority to the ends of the earth and a total end to war. His coming would bring in a golden age of Jewish domination worldwide. Zechariah 9:8, the verse before Zechariah 9:9, says this, "But I'll defend my house against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people. For now I am keeping watch." It's the end of all military conquests and oppression for his people. Then the verse, after Zechariah 9:10, "I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war horses from Jerusalem and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations and his rule will extend from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth." That's where we're heading, a reign of eternal peace in which there'll be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. That's where we're going. It was for this very reason the crowds were celebrating so much. They thought that Jesus was at that moment going to restore the kingdom in Israel and make it greater than it had ever been before. Imagine what Jesus could do just as a healer. He raised Lazarus from the dead after four days. Imagine a big battle between the Jewish zealots and the Roman legions, and Jesus keeps raising dead Jewish soldiers from the dead. You just killed this guy and now you got to fight him again. I mean, that'll wear you down. Just as a healer, Jesus could have won a military victory, but that's not all He was. He controlled the winds and the waves. He spoke to the winds and the waves and they obeyed him. This man could win a military conquest of the Romans. There is no doubt in their mind. The possibilities were endless. But Jesus is going to behave radically differently that week, and He would lose their passionate support because He's not going to do what they want him to do. He had an entirely different vision of salvation, a definition of salvation of the kingdom and of the future. When it become clear that Jesus was not going to defeat Rome and even worse, that Rome would, in some sense, defeat him seemingly, the Jewish people turned on him and rejected him. Within one week, they would cry out representing the city of Jerusalem, "Crucify him." Jesus exposed their unbelief by his triumphal entry and his actions that week in Jerusalem. “It's not what you think I'm doing.” And because of all this, Jesus in Luke's gospel wept over Jerusalem. They're going to get destroyed by their enemies. That Zechariah 9:8 and 9:10 is not going to happen yet. Their enemy is going to come and destroy this city. He said it, not one stone will be left on another. "When it became clear that Jesus was not going to defeat Rome …the Jewish people turned on him and rejected him. Within one week, they would cry out representing the city of Jerusalem, "Crucify him." Jesus exposed their unbelief..." III. Working True Salvation The real issue here is this word “hosanna”. What does it mean? It means “save now” or “oh, save”. Save from what? That's where Jesus differed from the people. What was the real threat to his people? They didn't understand. They thought they were slaves to Rome and they said, "We should never be slaves. Abraham wasn't a slave. We are not slaves. We should not be under the yoke of Rome. The Messiah will throw off that yoke." But they didn't understand their true slavery. Jesus said in John 8 what their true slavery was. Everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Hebrews 2:15 speaks of people who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Is that you? Are you afraid to die? People are enslaved by their fear of death, enslaved by sin, enslaved by fear of death. It says in Romans 5:21, sin reigned in death like a tyrant. That's the real enslavement. They didn't understand their true danger. True danger wasn't Roman swords. Matthew 10:28. "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the one who has the power to destroy both soul and body in hell." Yes, I tell you, fear him. That's a threat, to die and go to hell, to spend eternity in the lake of fire burning for your sins. That's the threat and that's how Jesus interpreted Hosanna, save now. What good would it be to have some earthly messianic reign if when you die, you got condemned for your sins? Rightly condemned. Jesus' death on the cross would be their true salvation and their true freedom from bondage and slavery. We see in all this the glories of Christ revealed. IV. The Glories of Christ Revealed True worship is based on the knowledge of God's glories. Christ's final week will put those glories on display for all eternity. We've already seen his omniscience. He knew exactly what the two disciples would find when they got to Bethphage. He knew exactly what the two disciples would find as they entered Jerusalem to prepare the upper room. He knows everything. Divine omniscience and sovereign control, ruling over the timetable, orchestrating it indeed, controlling the circumstances of his death. Every detail, every single day by the great power of his sovereign rule, and then by the power of his blood in a single day atoning for the sins of a multitude greater than anyone could count from every tribe, language, people, and nation, from every generation of history in a single day atoning for all of our sins. That's power. How about his humility and his gentleness? Jesus' willingness to ride on a donkey shows astounding meekness and lowliness, and that's even what Zechariah the prophet talks about. “Your king comes to you gentle and meek, lowly riding on a donkey." Donkey, physically low, right? If you had come up to Jesus and you're of average height, you would've been able to talk to him while he was riding on the donkey face to face. Conquering kings don't ride donkeys into battle. I mean, seriously, picture Napoleon riding into Waterloo on a donkey. Picture Alexander the Great instead of on his massive horse that he rode to conquer the world, riding on a donkey. It's impossible. The donkey that Jesus rode was no well-bred animal, but specifically a beast of burden. It'd be much lower to the ground and slower than some Arabian charger. Not much use in a battle. Therefore, it's a symbol of peace and humility. Jesus, the prince of peace, is symbolized by that humility and the way he rode into Jerusalem in his first coming. Let me tell you something, the Second Coming will be very different, very different. Read about it in Revelation 19, “I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called faithful and true. With justice, he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on them that no one knows, but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood and his name is the word of God.” That's the Second Coming. He's not coming to save. He's coming to slaughter his enemies at that point and to rescue his remnant who have been waiting for him. But humility and gentleness is appropriate in his first coming, in which He seeks to woo sinners by a gentle call, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for, what, I am gentle and humble and heart." Do you not see that pictured here? "I'm gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." That's the call of the first coming, Jesus the Lamb; and our heavenly future, unending praise. The passage prefigures the day when we will spend eternity praising Christ forever in the New Jerusalem, in the new heavens and new earth. Jonathan Edwards in a sermon entitled “Praise: the Chief Employment of Heaven” said this, "Saints in heaven will not be idle, but extremely active. The greatest part of their activity consists in passionately and knowingly praising Christ their redeemer." We're going to get it right, brothers and sisters. We're going to get it right in heaven. We're going to know his glory and praise him with all of our hearts. The first and greatest commandment will be fulfilled in us. We will love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength in heaven, and we will worship the savior properly and perfectly. Now, think about it again, Revelation 7:9-10, “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne and in front of the lamb. They were wearing white robes and they were holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne into the lamb." V. Lessons As I finish up, let's just take some lessons from this. First of all, understand all of you, we're all sinners. We're no better than the people in this account. We should not read this and say, "I'm glad I'm not like those people." We're all shallow and superficial in our understanding of God and his glory. Do you know yourself to be a sinner who can only be saved by faith in the blood of Christ? Have you trusted in Christ? Have you accepted his invitation, come unto me, all you are weary and burdened? Have you been drawn by his gentle call? Find salvation in him and praise him. Understand that Christ graciously accepts our worship. Isn't that kind of him? We come here week after week and we do our best. We do our best. But we don't really understand what we're talking about do, do we? We don't really fully understand his glories and his perfection. Christ covers our worship with his grace and accepts it, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to do better. "These people honor me with their lips," Jesus said, "but their hearts are far from me." Is that you? Don't let that be you. Is your heart distant from him because of besetting sin, because of habitual sin, secret sin? Don't let that be you. Confess, renounce it, so that next week you can praise him better than ever before. Dig into the Word. Find out from the Scriptures the glories of God and of Christ and be able to give him more fit worship than ever before. Though He's gracious with our worship, let's do better. Let's worship better. Watch out for false expectations that Jesus dashes, like they had false expectations of the kingdom. There are some things you're hoping God will do for you in this world, and it's easy to get disappointed if they don't come. It might have to do with your health,it might have to do with finances, it might have to do with human circumstances. Don't let disappointments dissuade you from Jesus' kingdom. Trust in him. Finally, anticipate heaven with great eagerness. We're going to worship him beautifully there. Now, we're about to partake in the Lord's Supper, which is itself a symbol, a type, a picture of heavenly feasting and worship, while we also look back at the death of Christ on the cross, giving of his body and his blood for us. We're going to partake. You are free to partake if you have genuinely trusted in Christ as your Lord and Savior and testify to that by water baptism. If not, we ask you to refrain, but we're going to have a time now. I'm going to close this time of preaching and prayer, and then we'll draw near for the ordinance. Father, thank you for the ministry of the word today. We thank you for Mark's gospel and what it teaches us. And now as we turn to the Lord's Supper, help us, oh Lord, to worship you in spirit and truth through the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. Help us to do it genuinely by the power of the Spirit and understand the depth of meaning that's there in Jesus' body and blood. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

This is episode 1 about What Did Jesus Say About The Last Days Matthew Chapter 24 verses three through five. Verses 3 Later Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, His disciples came to him privately and said, Tell us when will all of this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world? Verse 4 Jesus told them don't let anyone miss lead you? #lastdays #endtimes #repent #bible #jesus #jesuschrist #holyspirit #god #jesusiscoming #rapture #faith #love #christian #truth #antichrist #bibleprophecy #bibleverse #christianity #newworldorder #markofthebeast #yahweh #satan #endtimesprophecy #hope #prophecy #wakeup #christ #church #fallenangels #tribulation. New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblequestionsandanswers/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblequestionsandanswers/support

We all have temporary problems and terminal problems - are you willing to let Jesus' power into yours to transform your world? What would that look like?? Today, Kent is going to unpack a surprising way this idea could change your life. Jump in with us in Sections 42 of the Gospel Harmonies @ https://www.harmonychurch.cc/tracking-jesus-timeline/. IT'S EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ). John 5:1-15 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Archaeologists have uncovered this pool in Jerusalem. It's one of the big bummers about my trip, we were unable to visit this pool so I've only seen it online and in pictures - but it's actually two pools - one to the north and one to the south, These colonnades were like covered porches… 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [b] 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” ILLUSTRATION: You guys love the price is right? Remember that show - it's what I'd watch when I stayed home sick from school… “come on down, your up next on the Price is right!” well, I promised I'd tell you where there were weird or contradictory things in the passages I preach on. This is one of those. did anyone notice there isn't actually a verse 4 here? There's just a note… The note is that some of our later copies of the greek manuscripts - specifically the ones that the King James version used, had a verse about Angels coming down and stirring the water, and the first one into the pool won and got healed. It was a little like the first-century version of price is right! “come on down, you're next to get healed!” The problem is, this verse isn't in our earliest greek manuscripts - what scholars think happened is that someone who was copying the manuscripts put a note about a legend of why these people are by the pool - which by the way means house of mercy and later was a site of pagan healing. The thought is this copyist makes the note and as people are copying, eventually, it gets moved into the main text as part of the verse. We are able to know that what we have is a solid representation of the actual written new testament because we compare all the versions and are able to see what is in all of them and was obviously the original material… So, here's the question. Jesus is walking around, he's obviously inquiring about how long everyone has been there or been sick, and he only chooses one. Why does Jesus pick this guy over anyone else? B Because what's interesting is John tells us there were a lot of disabled people there - but Jesus only heals one that we know of, why? b A quick word on healing… Lots of Christians are really caught up on healing, and it's an important thing - it's actually a sign of God moving I want you to realize, anyone Jesus healed eventually got worse again… b Did you hear that? healing is a temporary relief from a terminal problem. Listen, I can't prove it, but I think Jesus has been asking around who has been there for the longest, who has been waiting. Because I think Jesus wants to find the person who is barely holding on to hope so He can change their world! 7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. Do you remember how Jesus started this interaction? Jesus asked him, “do you want to get well?” - what a weird question I asked my kids if this was a dumb question - they were like, “yup!” I asked them, then why do you think He asks it… What if Jesus asks him if he wants to get better because Jesus wants him to ask himself, “do I REALLY?” Because this guy's answer is one of having kind of given up His answer is full of the victim mentality, “I don't have anyone to help me get in, so everyone else beats me” This guy wants to be healed, but he doesn't ever see it happening. Jesus doesn't see the obstacles, Jesus only sees opportunity And in that holy moment, Heaven takes over earth, and muscles that had atrophied have blood course them. Power imbues his bones with strength. The very life that turned dust into a man fills the man's body and he gets up and walks. He listens to Jesus and picks up his mat. Listen, It happens to be a Sabbath - I think Jesus is maybe picking a fight here. Because the Jewish people believed one of the ultimate sins was to break the Sabbath by working, and their tradition says - even to this day - to carry something on the Sabbath is work if you move it from one domain - place - to another. And so this man, whom Jesus heals will walk, carrying His mat and the leaders will see him and they will say, start to question him about Jesus. He doesn't know Jesus' name even to give to them… But he's shook… we pick back up in vs. 14 14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well. There's just two verses here, but it's really powerful stuff… This man is at the temple… I'm telling you, for 38 years, this man hasn't been able to walk into the temple. He's probably sat out front begging, but he's never been able to step onto the premises. I picture him walking around and in his mind marveling over everything, feeling a little like a fish out of water - like he's a fraud. I picture him jumping up and clicking his heels kind of thing. Then he sees Jesu again… Jesus comes up to this man and says, “you are healed again, stop sinning or something worse may happen to you…” b What could be worse than 38 years of looking at people's feet and being passed over? Jesus isn't making a statement about, “if you sin, bad stuff will happen to you in this life, if you don't, good things will happen to you.”' Jesus is making a statement about this man's ultimate problem. b The life this man has lived must change if he wants to inherit eternal life. Jesus will make other statements like this - “fall on this rock and it will break you, if it falls on you it will crush you.” “Why do you fear men who can only take away your life, fear God who can destroy both your body and your soul in hell” Jesus is saying, let this temporary solution lead you to terminate your old way of life. b Stop sinning! b Do you know how you do that? b The only way to conquer sin is through a life surrendered to Jesus b It is a day-to-day, moment-by-moment reliance on the goodness and power of Jesus, the same power that healed this man, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available for freedom from your sin CLOSING: When I was young, I did this thing called a pamper pull. You had to climb up on this telephone pole and stand on top of this little box and then jump out to a trapeze bar about 5 feet away and try and grab onto it. I climbed up and was shaking the whole time. I got on top of the pole and could feel it swaying beneath me. Everyone was yelling for me to jump. Finally, I took a deep breath, bent down, and jumped. I was soaring through the air like an eagle, my hands hit the bar, and I thought, “it's going to work,” my fingers wrapped around the bar and then physics took over. My weight pulled me down and my fingers slipped off the bar. and I fell to my death :) well, almost, I didn't die because there was this safety rope on me, it caught me and rescued me. Look, so many of you sit in here and you are barely holding on. You are this guy, you've been sitting under the crushing weight of your life for a long time. Your relationships are in a mess, your finances are terrible, and your way of life has led you to crush others, or be crushed yourself and it just hasn't worked. I'm telling you, you don't have to leap and have it be a terminal problem for you. Jesus' power is still available right here and right now for you. He can rescue you from the predicament you're in. He can restore you, He can free you from the power of sin in your life. He OVERCAME death - He took our terminal problem and replaced it with triumph! What if today you placed your whole hope in Jesus, your whole trust in Him? I'm not sure what happened to this guy - I know he went and turned Jesus into the religious leaders - my worry is he took what Jesus gave him for the temporary problem and ignored Him for the terminal problem.. Don't be that guy!

The Healing at the Pool 5 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [b] 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” 11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.' ” 12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?” 13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well. The Authority of the Son 16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. 19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. 24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. 28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. Testimonies About Jesus 31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true. 33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. 36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study[c] the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 41 “I do not accept glory from human beings, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God[d]? 45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand 6 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year's wages[e] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. Jesus Walks on the Water 16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles,[f] they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don't be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. 22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. Jesus the Bread of Life 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” 28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” 30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'[g]” 32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” 41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven'?” 43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.'[h] Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” 52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Many Disciples Desert Jesus 60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” 61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit[i] and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” 66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)

Are you struggling through a trial right now? When you think of the challenge before you, does it make your heart sink? How can we overcome even when it feels like all hell is breaking loose? Today we're talking about how you can navigate the storms of life. This will be a three-part series. Now today is for you if: If you're in a trial, coming out of a trial or heading into a trial. Challenges are just shadows. Psalms 23:4 “even though I walk through the valley of the SHADOW of death, I will fear no evil.” Jesus defeated death, hell and the grave (Colossians 2:15). They can't ultimately hurt us. We all encounter scary shadows walking toward us, threatening to take us down. We have powerful tools to help us through. To help us understand today's tool, let's go to an incident–a serious life-threatening situation–that Jesus and His disciples went through. READ Mark 4:35-41 NASB - Jesus calms the storm Why did Jesus rebuke them for being afraid? This incident came right after a day of Jesus talking to the crowd in parables (Mark 4:1-34). Mark 4:3,” Listen to this! Behold, the sower….” Listen in Greek means to hear God's voice, which is part of Him birthing faith within. Jesus tells everyone to really listen to hear God's voice because he's going to birth faith in them. Later Jesus says,” If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” Hear is the exact same Greek word–listen. Jesus explained each parable to His disciples because he wanted them to grasp something. Jesus said, “let's go over to the other side.” Then, after Jesus calms the storm, He asks His disciples, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Faith means God giving His persuasion. We can see from the disciples' reaction to the storm they weren't entirely persuaded that what Jesus said would happen, and they missed out on what Jesus wanted to do in and through them. How do I get this Faith–God-given persuasion? 1. Listen Listen to hear and let God birth faith in you. Romans 10:17 NKJV So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Spend time in God's word listening–actively reading in a way that we're listening to what God wants to show us. As we develop this “Listening” skill, God births His Faith or persuasion in us. It's this faith that takes us through the valley of the shadow of death. Action Step: What's one way you “Listen” when you're in the middle of the “Valley of the Shadow of death”? Next episode, we're going to develop some strategic “Listening skills” to develop this Faith–God-given persuasion. If you want to live a life free of fear, pick up my free resource, Three Habits to Live Fearlessly Free, at https://www.heatherlbunch.com/. This worksheet will help you overcome the fear holding you back and help you stop the negative conditioning. Thanks a bunch for listening! Until Next Time, Live Fearlessly Free

12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” 13 The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.” 14 Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don't know this about me. 15 You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. 16 And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me. 17 Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. 18 I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.” 19 “Where is your father?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Since you don't know who I am, you don't know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” 20 Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come. 21 Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.” 22 The people asked, “Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, ‘You cannot come where I am going'?” 23 Jesus continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. 24 That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.” 25 “Who are you?” they demanded. Jesus replied, “The one I have always claimed to be. 26 I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won't. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful.” 27 But they still didn't understand that he was talking about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. 29 And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.” 30 Then many who heard him say these things believed in him. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reduxchurch/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/reduxchurch/support

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.7:1 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him. 2 Now the Jewish festival of Booths was near. 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing; 4 for no one who wants to be widely known acts in secret. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 (For not even his brothers believed in him.)"The Jews" (the leaders, the authorities) want to kill Jesus.Jesus is avoiding the southern part of Israel (Judea), staying instead in the upper reaches (Galilee). His reputation has made his presence in the capital not only controversial but also dangerous.And yet one of the three annual mandatory trips to Jerusalem (in Judea) is near: the Feast of Tabernacles (v.2).The Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths) (v.2) was the most popular gathering at the Temple, according to 1st century Jewish historian Josephus (Jos. Ant. 8.100). Skēnopēgía comes from skēnē, tying in to 1:14: The Word eskēnōsen among us.Jesus' (four) brothers presume to advise him on how to be a successful Messiah (vv.3-4).Their advice is essentially the same as that of the Tempter (Matthew 4:5-7)!They neither understood his mission nor believed in him (v.5).And yet in the future, his brothers would play key roles in church leadership!The question is hanging: Will Jesus go back to Jerusalem, or not?6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its works are evil. 8 Go to the festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.As always throughout the gospel of John, Jesus is keenly aware of his divine timetable.The world accepts his family, since they are not (yet) on the side of truth. The hatred of a world opposed to the truth is a common theme in John. See the extended passage beginning in 15:18.Jesus rejects their immediate advice (v.9), and its bad timing (v.6ff). Jesus followed the Father's timing throughout his ministry.10 But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but as it were in secret. 11The Jews were looking for him at the festival and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was considerable complaining about him among the crowds. While some were saying, “He is a good man,” others were saying, “No, he is deceiving the crowd.” 13 Yet no one would speak openly about him for fear of the Jews.Later Jesus does go up to the Feast of Tabernacles (v.10), but cautiously and clandestinely.Public opinion is divided over who he is (vv.11-13). This makes for a potentially unstable situation.He makes his move halfway through the festival (v.14). According to Leviticus 23:34, the observance lasted seven days.14 About the middle of the festival Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach. 15 The Jews were astonished at it, saying, “How does this man have such learning, when he has never been taught?” 16Then Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine but his who sent me. 17 Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own. 18 Those who speak on their own seek their own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing false in him. 19 “Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you looking for an opportunity to kill me?”Jesus times his visit to Jerusalem for the middle of the Feast to Tabernacles.Once he begins to teach, people are amazed (v.15).Jesus always impressed the crowd with his content and delivery.Their amazement is because he had not been educated in their system, by a prominent rabbi.Moreover, he did not teach in the scribal manner ("Rabbi so-and-so taught, whereas Rabbi such-and-such believed...).That is, he did not appeal to the authority of rabbinical tradition.Christ was fully trained, and in time so would his apostles be. (In this regard, many totally misread Acts 4:13.)Jesus defends his message (v.16ff).His message is from God.Anyone receptive to the will of God will see that this is the case (v.17).He is not self-seeking (v.18).Their attacks on his righteous words show they are not true Jews (v.19).20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is trying to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I performed one work, and all of you are astonished. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (it is, of course, not from Moses, but from the patriarchs), and you circumcise a man on the sabbath. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the sabbath in order that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I healed a man's whole body on the sabbath? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”As expected, this doesn't go down too well (v.20). The crowd reacts with extreme, black and white thinking.Rather than think through what Jesus is saying, some prefer to write him off as demon-possessed. The label, it would seem, is meant to absolve them of their responsibility to think objectively and fairly about Jesus' claims.Jesus reasons with them about the Sabbath, probably referring to the healing in chapter 5 (v.21ff). Jesus is saying, in effect, that their theology is inconsistent. He encourages them to judge correctly, not superficially (v.24).Here is the thinking in Jesus' response.The rabbis taught that the Sabbath could be contravened for the purpose of circumcision, a rite that affected only one part of the body.Jesus had healed the whole body (chapter 5).A fortiori, this infraction of the Sabbath tradition was certainly justified."Righteous judgment" (v.24), dikaia krisis, can be rendered upright, righteous, good, just, right, proper, fair, honest, innocent.There are multiple types of judging in the Bible. See my article "Judge Not!"25 Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah? 27 Yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.” 28 Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him.It is publicly known that there is a bounty on Jesus' head (v.25). That he has not yet been arrested is interpreted by some to mean that they are uncertain as to whether he is a false Messiah or a true one (v.26).In verse 28, "in the temple" (en to[i] hieō[i]) is rendered various ways in the translations: "in the temple courts" (NIV), "in the temple area" (NAB), "in the temple complex" (HCSB), "in the temple" (NASB, NRSV, NKJV, NJB). The last rendering is the most literal.Yet since Jesus would have been teaching in the outer courts, and not in the sanctuary, there is justification for the periphrastic expansion.Thus we see that "the temple" is the structure itself or the entire temple complex. Context determines the exact meaning.Jesus is fully aware of God and his mission and obedience.He is equally aware that his opponents are not God's children. Silly statements like "Everyone is God's son or daughter, and they will all be okay at the end" must be rejected. This is worldly, channel-2-type thinking.Some comment that the origins of the true Messiah will be unknown, whereas Jesus' origins are known.Of course they are wrong in this assessment.Isaiah and Micah indicate that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem and minister in Galilee.29 I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.” 30 Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many in the crowd believed in him and were saying, “When the Messiah comes, will he do more signs than this man has done?"Jesus admits that they know his earthly origin (v.28), yet insists that he has come from God (v.29).Crowd reaction is divided.They try to seize him (v.30), but the time is too early.And yet some believe that he is indeed the Messiah, based on his miracles (v.31).

This week pastor Keith walks us through Titus 3:3-6. For Jesus to be the Lord of our lives, we have to press into questions such as… Do we believe He is God in the flesh? Do we know what He wants us to do? If so, do we obey Him? Do we follow Him? Are we trusting Him with our lives, or are we trusting something else - ourselves, our friends and family, our bank account, our jobs, the government?

- Press the PLAY button to listen to the catechesis of the day and share if you like -+ A reading from the holy Gospel, according to Mark +After Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom he had driven out seven demons. She went and reported the news to his followers, who were now mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he lived and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.After this he showed himself in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. These men too went back and told the others, but they did not believe them.Later Jesus showed himself to the Eleven while they were at table. He reproached them for their unbelief and stubbornness in refusing to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.Then he told them, "Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation."The Gospel of the Lord.

- Press the PLAY button to listen to the catechesis of the day and share if you like - + A reading from the holy Gospel, according to Mark + After Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom he had driven out seven demons. She went and reported the news to his followers, who were now mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he lived and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After this he showed himself in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. These men too went back and told the others, but they did not believe them. Later Jesus showed himself to the Eleven while they were at table. He reproached them for their unbelief and stubbornness in refusing to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. Then he told them, "Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation." The Gospel of the Lord.

Luke 8:43-48And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”The unnamed womanThis is a woman who has suffered for 12 years from a certain kind of bleeding; it is often translated as “hemorrhaging.”She has visited many doctors and healers, and none of them has been able to heal her. She got worse.According to jewish law she is she is considered “unclean.”. She lived in isolation and would have been known for her uncleanliness.Note this story of the woman with the issue of blood is found in three of the gospel texts and has slightly different description in the side details.God is moved to action by our faith, even when He's in the middle of doing something else!The Daughter of JairusThe larger story begins with Jesus being abruptly greeted by a synagogue leader, Jairus, who falls at Jesus's feet imploring him to heal his little daughter who is at the point of death.Later Jesus tells the girl, “Talitha cum,” which is Aramaic for “Little girl, get up!” Immediately, the girl gets up and walks around.Godly coincidencesBoth victims of illness are female and ritually unclean, one as a result of death and one as a result of hemorrhageboth represent the significance of the number twelve in Jewish tradition (the twelve years of hemorrhage and the twelve-year-old girl)both are regarded as “daughters” (the little girl being Jairus's daughter and the woman who is addressed by Jesus as “Daughter”).Healing by touchJesus stops, turns, and asks, “Who touched my clothes?”An act of touch restores both women to new life even as those surrounding them lack understandingYou can reach out to Jesus in times of pain and heartacheWe can't “steal” a miracle from GodJesus could have healed the woman and kept on walking to His original destination. Only He and the woman would have known what had taken place. But He didn't do that. Jesus stopped what He was doing and acknowledged the result of this woman's faith This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myeveningdevotional.substack.com

Verses 21 to 25 of John 8. Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.” The people asked, “Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, ‘You cannot come where I am going'?” Jesus continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.” “Who are you?” they demanded. Jesus replied, “The one I have always claimed to be.

www.blackunicarns.comSchkeddy Shop https://schkeddy-llc.square.site/s/shopBlack Unicarn's Podcast Stations https://bit.ly/3GCNfnsCashapp: $schulershantePaypal: shanteschuler@gmail.comSteps to Containing a Mental Health Crisis Printable- RO-DBT modellindsaybraman.comHealthy Breakfast Ideas – Fabulous Magazineblog.thefabulous.coWhat Working on a Relationship Really Looks Like https://i.pinimg.com/originals/50/0f/c1/500fc1ddd4b59d9422b1b42932aa2adc.jpgJohn 5:1-16The Healing at the Pool5 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [b] 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.' ”12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.The Authority of the Son16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.Friday www.amazon.comRent $3.99Buy $9.99

John 12:9-11 ESV 9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. 9 Nang malaman ng maraming mga Judio na siya'y naroroon, sila'y pumunta hindi dahil kay Jesus lamang, kundi upang makita nila si Lazaro, na muling binuhay mula sa mga patay. 10 Kaya't pinanukala ng mga punong pari na kanilang patayin din si Lazaro, 11 sapagkat dahil sa kanya'y marami sa mga Judio ang umaalis at naniniwala kay Jesus. AN EXTRAORDINARY TESTIMONY People during those times would have either seen or heard or both to what Jesus has done and taught. Among those amazing miracles was the raising of Lazarus, whom Jesus brought back to life after four days in a tomb (see John 11:38–44). The people came not only to see Jesus but him. Like Jesus, Lazarus also became a household name. An ordinary person becoming extraordinary because of what Jesus did to him. When sinners who are dead begin to show life, their friends and acquaintances will find them puzzling, even attractive. [see 2 Cor 5;17] Lazarus became a showcase of God's divine power and glory. Through Lazarus, Jesus became irresistible. His popularity became viral. But for the “Jews”, there was no such thing as "enough evidence," because their minds are already made up. At whatever means, they have to annihilate Jesus, including Lazarus. Lazarus, for nothing wrong he did, became an object to their hatred. Later Jesus said about those who would follow Him, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me”[John 15:18-21] After here, scripture does not tell us about Lazarus and whether the plot to kill him succeeded. This just shows that those are touched with miracles, such as Lazarus, are not to be credited with special significance later on, or enshrined with echoes of divine power. They're still ordinary people, with extraordinary stories. --------------------- Visit and FOLLOW Gospel Light Filipino on YouTube and Facebook

Readings for Tuesday, January 25, 2022 “The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.” -- Psalm 146:9 Morning Psalm 54 1 Save me, O God, by your name, and vindicate me by your might. 2 Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. 3 For the insolent have risen against me, the ruthless seek my life; they do not set God before them. 4 But surely, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. 5 He will repay my enemies for their evil. In your faithfulness, put an end to them. 6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. 7 For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies. Psalm 146 1 Praise the Lord ! Praise the Lord, O my soul! 2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long. 3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. 4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish. 5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; 8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. 10 The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord ! Midday Genesis 15:1-11, 17-21 15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” 4 But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” 5 He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And he believed the Lord ; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 Then he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” Hebrews 9:1-14 9 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tent was constructed, the first one, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of the Presence; this is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a tent called the Holy of Holies. 4 In it stood the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which there were a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; 5 above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot speak now in detail. 6 Such preparations having been made, the priests go continually into the first tent to carry out their ritual duties; 7 but only the high priest goes into the second, and he but once a year, and not without taking the blood that he offers for himself and for the sins committed unintentionally by the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary has not yet been disclosed as long as the first tent is still standing. 9 This is a symbol of the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various baptisms, regulations for the body imposed until the time comes to set things right. 11 But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), 12 he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God! John 5:1-18 5 After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. 3 In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.'” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk'?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” 18 For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God. Evening Psalm 28 1 To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit. 2 Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary. 3 Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who are workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors, while mischief is in their hearts. 4 Repay them according to their work, and according to the evil of their deeds; repay them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward. 5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, or the work of his hands, he will break them down and build them up no more. 6 Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings. 7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. 8 The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. 9 O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever. Psalm 99 1 The Lord is king; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2 The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name. Holy is he! 4 Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Extol the Lord our God; worship at his footstool. Holy is he! 6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called on his name. They cried to the Lord, and he answered them. 7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; they kept his decrees, and the statutes that he gave them. 8 O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 9 Extol the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy. You can also find all of today's readings at PCUSA.org. The Daily Lectionary podcast is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Plattsburgh, NY, read by Pastor Timothy J. Luoma.

Día 21: ¡Probarlo! 40 Días de la Palabra.Hoy vamos a estudiar un pasaje bíblico que comienza con el momento triste y confuso de la muerte de Jesús pero termina con un final glorioso cuando Jesús resucita y le da palabras de aliento a sus discípulos y también les da la orden para que cumplan la misión por el cual fueron llamados.

Sounds easy, right? It is easy. You just have to give up your right to do as you please. Religion added many traditions, fences, even indulgencies, to interpret the Will-of-God. Jesus came to remove the barriers caused by rebellion and religion to restore the relationship between man and God. Relationships require time and commitment even in the kingdom of God. We can come to God as-we-are and be made whole, but something is required to maintain that status. *** Wilt Thou Be Made Whole (Part 5) CHAPTER 15:  JESUS HEALS A LAME MAN IN JERUSALEM, by the sheep market, was the Pool of Bethesda.  Beside it lay a great multitude of invalids—the lame, blind, withered, and bedridden—all waiting for the moving of the water; because at certain times an angel went down into the pool and troubled the water.  Then, whoever was the first to enter the water after its troubling, was cured of whatever disease or infirmity he had.             Jesus, one day, walked beside the Pool of Bethesda and saw a man there who had been infirm and lame for thirty-eight years.  Realizing that he had been so long infirm, Jesus spoke to him, saying;             “Wilt thou be made whole?”             The lame man answered:             “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool; but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.”             Jesus said to him:             “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.”             Immediately the man was healed.  He took up his bed and walked away.             This miracle came to pass on the Sabbath.  The Jews, therefore, stopped the man who had been cured, saying:             “It is the Sabbath day.  It is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.”             He answered:             “He that made me whole, the same said unto me, “Take up thy bed, and walk.”             The Jews asked him:             “What man is that which said unto thee, ‘Take up thy bed, and walk'?”             But he who had been healed did not know who his benefactor was, because Jesus had left to avoid the crowd in that place.             Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him:             “Behold, thou art made whole.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.”             The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

"The least you can do is pray.” Is that right? The Eternal God is not subject to our wishes or demands. Scriptures say, 'The effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man availeth much.' We must live in a manner to hear the voice of God to have the wisdom to pray. Jesus always acted in obedience to his Father. We should follow His example. *** Wilt Thou Be Made Whole (Part 4) CHAPTER 15:  JESUS HEALS A LAME MAN IN JERUSALEM, by the sheep market, was the Pool of Bethesda.  Beside it lay a great multitude of invalids—the lame, blind, withered, and bedridden—all waiting for the moving of the water; because at certain times an angel went down into the pool and troubled the water.  Then, whoever was the first to enter the water after its troubling, was cured of whatever disease or infirmity he had.             Jesus, one day, walked beside the Pool of Bethesda and saw a man there who had been infirm and lame for thirty-eight years.  Realizing that he had been so long infirm, Jesus spoke to him, saying;             “Wilt thou be made whole?”             The lame man answered:             “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool; but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.”             Jesus said to him:             “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.”             Immediately the man was healed.  He took up his bed and walked away.             This miracle came to pass on the Sabbath.  The Jews, therefore, stopped the man who had been cured, saying:             “It is the Sabbath day.  It is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.”             He answered:             “He that made me whole, the same said unto me, “Take up thy bed, and walk.”             The Jews asked him:             “What man is that which said unto thee, ‘Take up thy bed, and walk'?”             But he who had been healed did not know who his benefactor was, because Jesus had left to avoid the crowd in that place.             Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him:             “Behold, thou art made whole.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.”             The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

Readings for Friday, December 31, 2021 “O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.” -- Psalm 96:1 Morning Psalm 98 1 O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory. 2 The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. 3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. 4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. 5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord . 7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. 8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy 9 at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. Psalm 148 1 Praise the Lord ! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host! 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars! 4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. 6 He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, 8 fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command! 9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! 10 Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! 12 Young men and women alike, old and young together! 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven. 14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord ! Midday 1 Kings 3:5-14 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?” 10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. 14 If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.” James 4:13-17, 5:7-11 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.” 14 Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. 17 Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin. 7 Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! 10 As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. John 5:1-15 5 After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. 3 In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.'” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk'?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Evening Psalm 45 1 My heart overflows with a goodly theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. 2 You are the most handsome of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever. 3 Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your glory and majesty. 4 In your majesty ride on victoriously for the cause of truth and to defend the right; let your right hand teach you dread deeds. 5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; the peoples fall under you. 6 Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity; 7 you love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; 8 your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad; 9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir. 10 Hear, O daughter, consider and incline your ear; forget your people and your father's house, 11 and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him; 12 the people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people 13 with all kinds of wealth. The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes; 14 in many-colored robes she is led to the king; behind her the virgins, her companions, follow. 15 With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king. 16 In the place of ancestors you, O king, shall have sons; you will make them princes in all the earth. 17 I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations; therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever. Psalm 96 1 O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. 4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts. 9 Worship the Lord in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations, “The Lord is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.” 11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 12 let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy 13 before the Lord ; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth. You can also find all of today's readings at PCUSA.org. The Daily Lectionary podcast is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Plattsburgh, NY, read by Pastor Timothy J. Luoma.

Download John 20-21 Today we complete the Christ Stream reading from the Tree of Life Version. 7streamsmethod.com | @7streamsmethod | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis And with this we triumph. As Christ has risen from the dead, so shall we as we embrace Him fully.  Hallelujah and Amen.   20 -  Mary (Miriam) goes to the tomb for ritualistic reasons - to tend to the body. She isn't prancing down there and thinking, "oh boy oh goodie, I wonder if He's up yet...!" No, she arrives and is surprised to find the stone rolled back, the tomb empty, Jesus not there - not anywhere.  And you do realize that the stone rolled away is for our purposes.  If it wasn't it would lead to eternal ghost stories that skeptics would embrace more than they would Jesus Himself. But back to the original point, we know Jesus doesn't need the stone rolled away to get out.  And He isn't Yosemite Sam in there, alive and trapped and screaming, "let me out! Let me out of here!" When Miriam goes and finds the Disciples, Peter and John bolt for the tomb. Again Peter is bold and stomps into the tomb - reckless as usual. Though John did get there first because he runs faster (and is determined that you know that!)  You gotta love that 'boys will be boys' factor.  When we read that the face cloth was rolled up and in place there's a Jewish culture issue here that westerners don't see right off.  When a Jewish man departs from a dining setting, if he is done and not returning, he throws his personal cloth (napkin) onto the table and you are free to clear his place setting.  However if he is returning, he rolls up his cloth neatly and lays it beside his setting. In the tomb, Jesus' face cloth is set by the stone where He was laid to rest because ... you guessed it, He Is Returning! John saw that and immediately knew Jesus was alive. But notice that the other disciples went home for they did not understand...  And Jesus told them ?how many times? about his death and resurrection in this last three years?! The disciples are like over-grown elementary kids in this regard; they can listen all day and, in certain ways, not hear a thing. It will hit them all eventually. It is rather touching that Jesus appears to Miriam first. She is going to be the most evangelistic about it so may as well tell her first. Does it strike you that she didn't know the angels were angels AND she didn't know Jesus was Jesus? Everyone was so resigned to his death being final. It was that gruesome a few days ago - we would have been the same way too.         Mary realizes that Jesus is Jesus when He calls her name.  btw, When did it hit you? When did you realize that Jesus is Jesus Christ the Savior? When did He call your name? Do you remember?       John records Jesus in two more appearances in this chapter. The Disciples are in a locked room still afraid because of the Judean leaders that would troll, find, and crucify (also!) the followers of the false Messiah that was just crucified the prior Friday. [This is one of the reasons Jesus had to appear to the women first - there was no death threat on them and they were far more free to spread the Resurrection news.   So Jesus appears to most of the Disciples -- they are in a locked room and He did not use a door!  And they are happy as kids at a candy store to see Him. They later found and told Thomas who was resolute in his need for proof. We know what happened and we know what Thomas' reaction was once he saw and touched Jesus' scars. Careful about accusing Thomas as "the doubter". His journey to faith came a little tougher than the others. But he never doubted again. And because he once doubted, and wanted confirmation, we never have to.  Thomas went as far as India in his journeys with the Holy Spirit; evangelizing for Jesus. His spirit and joy and soulish resolve to evangelize to the end had him raise up an army of feverish disciples that completed the task of taking the gospel all the way across Asia to where Shanghai is today! And Jesus did so many more miracles. None who met Him ever doubted anything again. Their faith was bolstered enough to invade and infiltrate and transform the Roman Empire - which they did in time. You can visit Thomas' tomb where he was martyred with spears in Chennai, on the east coast of India. 21 - Later Jesus is found in Galilee.  John mentions seven of the 11 Disciples are up in Galilee (not 12; Judas Iscariot is gone).  They are fishing through the night, catching nothing then get advised to throw nets on the "right side".  Have they heard this before? Have we? They pull in a record haul and this time the nets don't tear.  Three years ago, they tore.  They couldn't handle all the blessing - now they are ready for all the blessing the Lord is going to heap on them.  Keep that in mind: we need to be ready for more blessing before receiving more blessing. God doesn't pour out so that it is simply wasted because we don't know what to do with it.     Then Jesus has a necessary conversation that can be condensed to "Peter, you can't trust yourself - but you can trust me.  You've been committed - you need to be surrendered now."  Jesus tells him, 1] feed my lambs. 2] take care of my sheep. 3] feed my sheep.  Jesus is calling him to comprehensive care of the growing Church.  [1] When young lambs are fed they grow to sheep. [2] When they are full grown they still need to be sheered, taken to pasture/water and kept from wolves. [3] When they are secure in all this and full grown sheep -->they still need to be fed.  Peter is being called to life-long ministry ... which he fulfills wonderfully.  And as John finishes his gospel he tells that Jesus did so much more that would fill the whole world were it all to be told.  However, we now know enough to believe with all our hearts and lives.  We also have His Word, this Word to take to the whole world.  Let's do so.

Honesty is a rare commodity. Do you want to be made whole? It's a serious question. Infirmity can become an identity with distinction. There are limitations and perhaps discomforts, but after many years there are reduced demands in life. "I'm handicapped" is a great excuse; "I'm whole" restores a flood of responsibilities - and expectations. Obedience and faith is required to become "little Christ's". Keep the commandments, take time every day to hear the voice of God and never, ever violate what we know is the right thing to do. *** Wilt Thou Be Made Whole (Part 3) CHAPTER 15:  JESUS HEALS A LAME MAN IN JERUSALEM, by the sheep market, was the Pool of Bethesda.  Beside it lay a great multitude of invalids—the lame, blind, withered, and bedridden—all waiting for the moving of the water; because at certain times an angel went down into the pool and troubled the water.  Then, whoever was the first to enter the water after its troubling, was cured of whatever disease or infirmity he had.             Jesus, one day, walked beside the Pool of Bethesda and saw a man there who had been infirm and lame for thirty-eight years.  Realizing that he had been so long infirm, Jesus spoke to him, saying;             “Wilt thou be made whole?”             The lame man answered:             “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool; but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.”             Jesus said to him:             “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.”             Immediately the man was healed.  He took up his bed and walked away.             This miracle came to pass on the Sabbath.  The Jews, therefore, stopped the man who had been cured, saying:             “It is the Sabbath day.  It is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.”             He answered:             “He that made me whole, the same said unto me, “Take up thy bed, and walk.”             The Jews asked him:             “What man is that which said unto thee, ‘Take up thy bed, and walk'?”             But he who had been healed did not know who his benefactor was, because Jesus had left to avoid the crowd in that place.             Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him:             “Behold, thou art made whole.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.”             The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

Download this Podcast Mark 16:14—Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. The post Jesus Appeared to the Eleven appeared first on Getting to Know Jesus.

The Holy Bible - The Gospel of John Chapter - 5 - (Audio Bible - NIV) 1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” 11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.' ” 12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?” 13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. 19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. 24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. 28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. Refer to the Bible for verses John 5:31-47 No copyright music by: Serjo De Lua https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thedayofthelordisnear/message

Over time disability or illness becomes a familiar routine. Expectations from family or others diminish. Perhaps charity or a SSI check comes to relieve the burdens of life. It's easy to blame circumstances, even God, for the condition in which we find ourselves. It should be obvious that wholeness is desired. However, the man who encounters Jesus will not be able to continue in life as usual. Things must change. Things will change. Jesus wants us in the Kingdom of God. *** Wilt Thou Be Made Whole (Part 2) CHAPTER 15:  JESUS HEALS A LAME MAN IN JERUSALEM, by the sheep market, was the Pool of Bethesda.  Beside it lay a great multitude of invalids—the lame, blind, withered, and bedridden—all waiting for the moving of the water; because at certain times an angel went down into the pool and troubled the water.  Then, whoever was the first to enter the water after its troubling, was cured of whatever disease or infirmity he had.             Jesus, one day, walked beside the Pool of Bethesda and saw a man there who had been infirm and lame for thirty-eight years.  Realizing that he had been so long infirm, Jesus spoke to him, saying;             “Wilt thou be made whole?”             The lame man answered:             “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool; but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.”             Jesus said to him:             “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.”             Immediately the man was healed.  He took up his bed and walked away.             This miracle came to pass on the Sabbath.  The Jews, therefore, stopped the man who had been cured, saying:             “It is the Sabbath day.  It is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.”             He answered:             “He that made me whole, the same said unto me, “Take up thy bed, and walk.”             The Jews asked him:             “What man is that which said unto thee, ‘Take up thy bed, and walk'?”             But he who had been healed did not know who his benefactor was, because Jesus had left to avoid the crowd in that place.             Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him:             “Behold, thou art made whole.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.”             The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

"The poor you will have with you always." There are many things that we do not understand. There are many things we don't need to understand. What is relevant to our lives will be revealed by the Spirit of God, if we live in a manner conducive to hearing instruction. Specifically, keep the ten commandments; take time every day to hear from God (meditation, silent prayer); and never, ever violate your conscience. Truth is revealed by the Spirit of God. Healing pools of water and lottery healing are not consistent with the actions and personality of YHVH. *** Wilt Thou Be Made Whole (Part 1) CHAPTER 15:  JESUS HEALS A LAME MAN IN JERUSALEM, by the sheep market, was the Pool of Bethesda.  Beside it lay a great multitude of invalids—the lame, blind, withered, and bedridden—all waiting for the moving of the water; because at certain times an angel went down into the pool and troubled the water.  Then, whoever was the first to enter the water after its troubling, was cured of whatever disease or infirmity he had.             Jesus, one day, walked beside the Pool of Bethesda and saw a man there who had been infirm and lame for thirty-eight years.  Realizing that he had been so long infirm, Jesus spoke to him, saying;             “Wilt thou be made whole?”             The lame man answered:             “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool; but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.”             Jesus said to him:             “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.”             Immediately the man was healed.  He took up his bed and walked away.             This miracle came to pass on the Sabbath.  The Jews, therefore, stopped the man who had been cured, saying:             “It is the Sabbath day.  It is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.”             He answered:             “He that made me whole, the same said unto me, “Take up thy bed, and walk.”             The Jews asked him:             “What man is that which said unto thee, ‘Take up thy bed, and walk'?”             But he who had been healed did not know who his benefactor was, because Jesus had left to avoid the crowd in that place.             Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him:             “Behold, thou art made whole.  Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.”             The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

Pastor Bill Morris

*** CHAPTER 13:  JESUS CALLS MATTHEW TO BE A DISCIPLE AFTER THE miraculous cure of the paralytic, Jesus left the house and, as he passed along, saw Matthew, known as Levi, the son of Alpheus, sitting in the customhouse-where he performed his duties as tax collector.  Jesus said to him:              “Follow me.”             Matthew arose and followed him.             Later Jesus sat down to a meal in Matthew's house.  With him were his disciples and many tax collectors and sinners.             Pharisees and scribes who saw them eating together were surprised and said to the disciples:             “Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?”             Jesus, hearing them, said:             “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Can you imagine Jesus with short hair, no beard and blue jeans? Or must he wear a robe and carry a lamb? We have filters that preclude revelation and understanding from God. Our wrong expectations create disappointment and hinder our understanding.  Are you angry with God for a false pulpit promise? Jesus delineated a life of persecution and difficulty for His followers – not popularity and prosperity.  He spoke of suffering and life beyond this life, not unending healing for the elderly.  When you experience the gospel through a daily walk with Jesus you will encounter things that are contrary to modern ideas of evangelism, marketing and Christianity. A striking example in this chapter is when Jesus understands that “all men seek after him”; he responds by saying “let's go to another town;” (not get a bigger stadium).  His work was complete.  Jesus is not an ATM machine to serve us. It is our job to work out our salvation in fear and trembling, in so doing we will show the world the hope that is in us. The book referenced in this episode is“The Art of Clear Thinking” by Rudolf Flesch.   *** Chapter 10: Jesus Heals an Insane Man (Part 2) ON A SABBATH Jesus went into the synagogue at Capernaum and taught the congregation. His listeners were surprised because he taught as one with authority of others. One of the men present had an unclean spirit. He cried out saying: "Let us alone. What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know these who thou art, 'the Holy One of God.'" Jesus rebuked the devil in the man, saying: "Hold thy peace, and come out of him." The unclean spirit thereupon cried out with a loud voice. It tormented the man, causing him to writhe greatly; but it came out of him. All who were present were astonished and said among themselves: "What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him." And the fame of Jesus spread abroad, all about the region of Galilee. Later Jesus went to a solitary place to pray. Great numbers came seeking him. When his disciples found him, they said: "All men seek for thee." Jesus replied: "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, for therefore came I forth." And Jesus preached in the synagogues throughout Galilee and cast out devils. ***

When we give God the traditional attributes of omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence it is easy to arrive at the conclusion of predestination and a sense of finality that is contrary to the story told in the Scriptures.  There is much to be gained by removing the knowledge of the end of the story of Jesus' life when we study the gospels.  Let's forgo the thought that everything happened just as God knew it would. Instead let us walk with Jesus as he discovers mankind, how men think and what it is like to live in a human body.  Scriptures record in Philippians, “[Christ Jesus] made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”  It is proper to study the life of Jesus as an example of how we are to live.  See how many times it is recorded that Jesus went apart to be alone and listen to the Father.  Imagine, if you can, a God who lives with us every day and who provides revelation and instruction.  Jesus said it this way, if you keep my commandments, the Father and I will lead and guide you from the inside.  (Not guide us from the pulpit, nor guide us from the Scriptures, but guide us from the inside.)  Our actions (our obedience), is vital to open the lines of communication with our God.     Here's the Scriptures: “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” John 14 "...one is your [Teacher], even Christ.” Matt. 23 *** Chapter 10: Jesus Heals an Insane Man (Part 1) ON A SABBATH Jesus went into the synagogue at Capernaum and taught the congregation. His listeners were surprised because he taught as one with authority of others. One of the men present had an unclean spirit. He cried out saying: "Let us alone. What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know these who thou art, 'the Holy One of God.'" Jesus rebuked the devil in the man, saying: "Hold thy peace, and come out of him." The unclean spirit thereupon cried out with a loud voice. It tormented the man, causing him to writhe greatly; but it came out of him. All who were present were astonished and said among themselves: "What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him." And the fame of Jesus spread abroad, all about the region of Galilee. Later Jesus went to a solitary place to pray. Great numbers came seeking him. When his disciples found him, they said: "All men seek for thee." Jesus replied: "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, for therefore came I forth." And Jesus preached in the synagogues throughout Galilee and cast out devils.

Intro Special thank you to everyone who helped!! How will we begin our time here? We will preach Christ from the word. Revelation Luke 13:22 ESV 22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. Luke makes clear here what we have repeated several weeks: Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. By this, Luke does not mean that the city itself is in focus as much as Jesus's purpose in going to that city. His impending purpose to die for sin is in view. All of these passages (including today's) aim steadily toward the cross and the cross will help us understand what Jesus is saying and doing. As he journeys, someone asks a question: Luke 13:23 ESV 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, Someone must have been listening carefully to Jesus's teaching along this journey. As I have mentioned, Jesus's teaching in these verses is very direct and convicting. As this man was listening, he came to a reasonable conclusion. Not all the Jewish nation would be saved. Many of God's people among whom he lived had not submitted their lives to the Scriptures and the Lord. So he asks, “will those who are saved be few?” As usual, Jesus has a rich answer that goes far beyond the question that the man asked. Let's take a look at that answer: Luke 13:24 ESV 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Jesus commands us to “strive” to enter the “narrow” door. People would use the word “strive” to describe the activity of an athlete competing for a prize: he's exerting tremendous effort.[1] “Narrow” denotes a constricted entry way which may itself require effort to get through. It would not be wide enough for a group to pass through, but only individuals.[2] What is this “narrow door” that we are to strive to enter? The narrow door is the challenging, direct teaching of Jesus that we have been hearing week after week now. Almost every text has been a call to repentance, to make a complete surrender to Jesus as king above all others. The narrowness of this one door points us to the reality that this is an exclusive path. There is no other way to approach God but through Jesus and the word of Jesus. As I mentioned, this exclusive path is responding rightly to Jesus's teaching. Jesus calls this the most essential thing earlier in this gospel.[3] Luke 10:39 ESV 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. Later Jesus says, Luke 10:41–42 ESV 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” In the time of Christ, they had their Old Testaments (which Jesus referenced often), and the very Words of Jesus that constituted this path to life. Today, we have this book, the Bible, that consists of Jesus's Old Testament, his words while he walked on this Earth, and his Apostle's teaching on his Words. In other words, we can sum up the narrow path on which Jesus is calling us to walk in one question: How are you responding to this book? How you are responding to the words of God will tell you everything you need to know about how you are responding to God himself. How much you weigh and care about what another has said or written clearly reveals your heart toward that person (and an attitude of apathy or uncaring towards the words of others reveals a low esteem of that person). Does the word “strive” describe your life of knowing and living according to this book? Having a genuine, living faith in Christ produces a desperation for his Word and a desire to live according to all it says. Christian, we have to strive to be in this book daily and strive to obey what God is calling us to obey in it. Have you grown lax in spending time in this book or doing what you know it says? What Jesus say is, “strive to enter through the narrow door.” Now, I need to say a word about Christian striving. It's a unique kind of striving that differs from worldly striving. Wordly striving struggles to obtain something it does not have. Christian striving acts out what is already the case. One picture we get of someone in the gospel of Luke of someone who is striving to enter by the narrow way is Mary (she's doing the one necessary thing according to Jesus). And what is her posture? “She sat at the Lord's feet.” That's a strange way to strive isn't it? To be at rest? And yet, that's precisely when the person you are striving to relate to is Jesus. Jesus wants us to pursue him with intentional and real effort. It takes effort to spend time in the Bible and to put it into practice, and that's a good thing. However, our striving does not come from a heart that's anxious, unfulfilled, or uneasy. Why? Because the foundation of our relationship is not our striving to be with him. The foundation of our relationship with him is his life, death, and resurrection for us. That means before we ever start to strive, he accepts us. Before we ever start to struggle, he welcomes us. It's the welcome of Jesus, it's the free forgiveness from him that makes us want to know him more, that makes us want to strive to listen to his book and obey it. Truly receiving the welcome and forgiveness of Christ changes what we want the most and changes what we apply our effort to. The Christian life must be one of effort and striving, but it is never built on the foundation of trying to get into a relationship with God. It is always built on the finished work of Christ and that he has already received us into a relationship with him. This leads us to our main point this morning: Strive to listen to the one who's already accepted you. (Like a son striving to know a Father) And if you are here and you have not fully surrendered to Jesus and trusted him this morning, he is willing to accept you right now if you come to him. Please don't leave here without doing so. Jesus continues with his teaching, Luke 13:24–27 (ESV) 24 For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.' 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!' Verse 24 has the word “for” in it, which in this case means, “because.” This is the reason we should strive so much to reach total surrender to the words of Jesus. Because many who seek to enter eternal life with God will not be able. Jesus tells us more in verse 25, “When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door,” There is a time where the door is shutting. The pathway that is open for salvation is only a temporary one. It will eventually close, either when your life ends or when Jesus returns. So, don't plan on striving tomorrow, strive today. “and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door saying, ‘Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.'” Those who did not strive in this life will desire to enjoy eternal life with Jesus. Yet they will not be able to obtain it. Jesus will say, “I do not know where you have come from.” Jesus has knowledge of all things, so this is not a lack of awareness. So, he must be speaking of intimate knowledge that happens in a relationship. They lacked an intimate relationship with Jesus. If you lack intimate relationship with Jesus in this life, you will lack intimate relationship with Jesus in the next life too. Only those who know him now will get to know him forever. This often for me can look like overwhelming anxiety. What can keep me from the Word and from surrendering to Jesus is, “Jesus, I have too many things to worry about.” Rather than rising in the morning to surrender fully to Jesus, I spend time worrying about my finances, my relationships, my church, my health, whatever. Yet, at the end of the day, this failure to strive will devastate me if I don't turn from it. Jesus uses the word, “strive” for a reason. It takes real conscious effort to put your bad habits, your idols, and your distractions to death to come and spend time with him, surrendering to every word he has said. Luke 13:26 ESV 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' This group that thought they were Christians, but were in fact not, bring up this objection: “We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.” Their claim is that they associated with Jesus and his followers. Their hope is that they have some form of innocence by association. I was around Jesus's followers and Jesus's teaching. Perhaps that describes you today. Your spiritual hope comes from church attendance and friendships with many Christians. It's easy to think this way. There were points in my life where I have. Thinking that my church attendance and association with God's people is what pleased God. Or perhaps, like these people, you could point to some good deeds you did or organization you were involved with. This things shows I'm a good person and must be right with God. However, it doesn't work like that, Luke 13:27 ESV 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!' Again, Jesus emphasizes, I am not looking for you to have familiarity with my followers, or a list of good deeds, but intimacy with me. He calls them “works of evil.” This is revealing. While there was an outward agreement with Christian principles, there was not a vigorous attempt to put sin to death and live in accordance with the word. The old lifestyle and habits lived on. One commentator made the point that the narrow door would only allow one person to enter at a time.[4] Friends, Jesus doesn't save groups of people at the same time, he saves individuals who surrender to him in trust. He puts those individuals into a family, yet they only enter one at a time. Have you entered yet, just yourself, into a posture of total surrender and listening to Jesus, or are you banking on your association with other Christians? Luke 13:28 ESV 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. Jesus loves people, so he warns people about what is waiting for them if they won't turn to him. The “weeping and gnashing of teeth” describe the misery of those who die apart from Jesus. There could be nothing worse than spending all of eternity under the judgement of God. And what adds to it is the awareness that they have of missing out on the kingdom of God. Luke says they can see “Abraham and Issac and Jacob.” I want to pause here and clarify: Christian, you have the most important job in the world. Why? Because it's your job to keep this from happening to as many people as possible. That's what we are still on this earth for. This is another reason we have to strive to enter the narrow gate, because if we don't, we won't be able to call other people to do the same. Friends, we cannot give away what we don't possess. Just think about it, if someone was drowning and you jumped in to help them but didn't know how to swim, how would that go? When we strive to enter, we do not only do so for the sake of our own souls, but for the sake of others as well, Then Jesus says, Luke 13:29 ESV 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. He's a twist in Jesus's teaching. His primary audience is the Jewish people here. Many of them wrongly thought that their ethnic heritage and religious lifestyle put them in a right relationship with God (innocence by association). However, Jesus just got done teaching that each of them individually must enter by the narrow door, no one, Jew or Gentile, would be saved if they cameto Jesus without striving. No one is born a Christian; all must become Christians. Therefore, many Jews who thought they were in a right relationship with God would be lost. On the other hand, an unexpected group of people would find life instead. The nations who surround Israel, who come from “East and West, and North and South,” who come from pagan cultures, would recline at table in the kingdom of God. Jesus makes this offer to strive to everyone and anyone who hears the gospel. There is no prerequisite to become his child other than complete surrender and trust. As a result, the make-up of heaven would shock an ancient Israelite, who would suspect that mostly Jews would be in the kingdom of God. Still today, God loves to save those far from him and those we don't expect him to. Christian when you reach heaven, you will be surprised at which people you will find there. What's the point? Never give up on anyone and never withhold the gospel from anyone because you don't think they will respond. Jesus loves to upset human expectations. He says as much in the next verse, Luke 13:30 ESV 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” The man comes up to Jesus and asks him, “will those who are saved be few.” Jesus's answer to that question does not seem to be “yes” or “no.” Instead, his answer seems to be, “are you saved”?[5] Jesus isn't worried if you come from a religious background, if you've lived a pretty good life or not, but whether or not you've surrendered to Jesus in trust today. Luke 13:31 ESV 31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” Verse 31 starts with “at that very same hour.” The Pharisees, Jewish religious leaders, don't like this message very much. That's not hard to understand why. Jesus just got done saying that many Jews would be lost while those from all kinds of nations would come to life. So, they try to intimidate Jesus and drive him away from his ministry with fear.[6] They say, “Herod wants to kill you.” Which, he probably did. But Jesus refused to bow to intimidation. He has a powerful response: Luke 13:32 ESV 32 And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. Jesus responds by calling Herod a “fox.” It's an apt description. Herod is a cunning killer, much like a fox. He's already responsible for the death of John the Baptist in this gospel. Yet, Jesus does not fear his ability to kill him. Jesus says in effect, I have a short time allotted to me to fulfill my ministry and then I will die and rise again. Until I fulfill my purpose, you can't harm me. Similarly church, no one else can kill you or severely hurt you until you finish your purpose from God. If your still breathing, it's because he still has work for you to do and will protect you until it's done. You could die for being a Christian, but not before God says its time. Then Jesus says, Luke 13:33 ESV 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.' Jesus then focuses his death, which will happen, not because it's Herod's plan but because it's God's plan. He mentions that his death place will be in Jerusalem, in line with the long line of prophets that had come from God and the Jewish people have killed. Again, he points out that the Jewish people have a history of rejecting God and his message, not of being in a right relationship with him. Again, he makes clear, it's not those who have a religious past or religious lineage, but those who have truly surrendered who are his own. Then Jesus says, Luke 13:34 ESV 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Jesus now expresses his heart to us in relationship to the lost. He says the name of Jerusalem twice as an expression of deep sadness over the city.[7] Then, he describes his desire to protect and nurture them with the beautiful image of a hen spreading her wings over her children. What was the problem? The Jewish people were not willing. Their hearts stubbornly refused to come to the place of surrender to Jesus. Even right now, Jesus's will is not against anyone here or anyone in this neighborhood: it's us who set our wills against him when we refuse his offer to come to him and live. These verses that reveal the heart of Christ should characterize our own hearts for this neighborhood as we begin church life here. Powderhorn MC got to walk around the neighborhood on Wednesday evening. We met several lovely people; I was blown away by how welcoming they were. And yet, as in the case in much of America today, it's likely that most of them still need to come to Jesus. The godly response to their condition is not indifference, or a sense of superiority, but sorrow. Has God cultivated in your heart yet a sorrow for the lost? I want to encourage us to have a heart for these people who live around this particular building as folks God has placed near our place of worship. That gives us an extra responsibility for their souls. At the very least, I encourage us not to rush in and out of this building on Sundays, but to take our time and to be willing to greet, converse with, and minister to those from the neighborhood we meet. Part of the reason I'm striving to enter the narrow way, fighting to be close to Jesus, is so that when I interact with them, they are experiencing what Jesus is like. As we move into this neighborhood and begin to worship here, should we be joyful or sorrowful? The answer is “yes.” Our hope that we know Jesus and will forever should create a wellspring of hope and joy in our hearts. The fact that so many others don't yet should lead to sorrow for them. And the combination should be a bitter-sweetness about us where we are both filled with joy and sorrow all together. I imagine that's what Jesus was like and our emotional life should reflect as well. Luke 13:35 ESV 35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!' ” “Your house is forsaken.” Jesus describes the true emptiness of a city or a person who lives apart from him, no matter how happy or prosperous they might seem. “I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” No person or city will get Jesus unless they want Jesus. That's true for Jerusalem and that's true for Corcoron. Church the only way we can help others want Jesus is to enjoy him so much that they want him also. [1] Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 1, p. 376). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. [2] Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 942). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. [3] I believe this thought was inspired by a thought in this commentary: Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 113). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. [4] Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 942). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. [5] Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke: 9:51–24:53 (Vol. 2, p. 1241). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. [6] John Calvin, John Calvin: Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2 - Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). [7] Biblical Studies Press. (2005). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press.

John 5:1-15(NIV)The Healing at the Pool5 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [b] 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/yourdailybible)

- Press the PLAY button to listen to the catechesis of the day and share if you like -+ A reading from the holy Gospel, according to Mark +After Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom he had driven out seven demons. She went and reported the news to his followers, who were now mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he lived and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.After this he showed himself in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. These men too went back and told the others, but they did not believe them.Later Jesus showed himself to the Eleven while they were at table. He reproached them for their unbelief and stubbornness in refusing to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.Then he told them, "Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation."The Gospel of the Lord.

- Press the PLAY button to listen to the catechesis of the day and share if you like - + A reading from the holy Gospel, according to Mark + After Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom he had driven out seven demons. She went and reported the news to his followers, who were now mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he lived and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After this he showed himself in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. These men too went back and told the others, but they did not believe them. Later Jesus showed himself to the Eleven while they were at table. He reproached them for their unbelief and stubbornness in refusing to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. Then he told them, "Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation." The Gospel of the Lord.

Download this Podcast John 5:11–16—But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?” The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. The post Persecution appeared first on Getting to Know Jesus.

Readings for Wednesday, March 3, 2021 “But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is still working, and I also am working'.” — John 5:17 Morning Psalm 5 1 Give ear to my words, O Lord ; give heed to my sighing. 2 Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray. 3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch. 4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you. 5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. 6 You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful. 7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you. 8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. 9 For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are destruction; their throats are open graves; they flatter with their tongues. 10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you. 11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you. 12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord ; you cover them with favor as with a shield. Psalm 147:1-11 Psalm 147 1 Praise the Lord ! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting. 2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. 4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. 5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. 6 The Lord lifts up the downtrodden; he casts the wicked to the ground. 7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre. 8 He covers the heavens with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, makes grass grow on the hills. 9 He gives to the animals their food, and to the young ravens when they cry. 10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner; 11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. Midday Jeremiah 3:6-18 6 The Lord said to me in the days of King Josiah: Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and played the whore there? 7 And I thought, “After she has done all this she will return to me”; but she did not return, and her false sister Judah saw it. 8 She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce; yet her false sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore. 9 Because she took her whoredom so lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree. 10 Yet for all this her false sister Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but only in pretense, says the Lord. 11 Then the Lord said to me: Faithless Israel has shown herself less guilty than false Judah. 12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: Return, faithless Israel, says the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, says the Lord ; I will not be angry forever. 13 Only acknowledge your guilt, that you have rebelled against the Lord your God, and scattered your favors among strangers under every green tree, and have not obeyed my voice, says the Lord. 14 Return, O faithless children, says the Lord, for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. 15 I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 And when you have multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says the Lord, they shall no longer say, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord .” It shall not come to mind, or be remembered, or missed; nor shall another one be made. 17 At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no longer stubbornly follow their own evil will. 18 In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I gave your ancestors for a heritage. Romans 1:28-2:11 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done. 29 They were filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, they are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 They know God's decree, that those who practice such things deserve to die—yet they not only do them but even applaud others who practice them. 2 Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. 2 You say, “We know that God's judgment on those who do such things is in accordance with truth.” 3 Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 For he will repay according to each one's deeds: 7 to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 while for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality. John 5:1-18 5 After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. 3 In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.'” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk'?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” 18 For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God. Evening Psalm 27 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh— my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. 4 One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. 5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock. 6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord . 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! 8 “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation! 10 If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up. 11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence. 13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord ; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord ! Psalm 51 1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. 5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. 6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. 14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance. 15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. 17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, 19 then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar. You can also find all of today's readings at PCUSA.org. The Daily Lectionary podcast is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Plattsburgh, NY, read by Pastor Timothy J. Luoma.

Luke Proctor preaches from John 5 on February 28, 2021. THE DIVINE JOHN 5:1-29 JOHN 5:1-4 1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. JOHN 5:5-7 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” JOHN 5:42,44 22"...I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts...44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" JOHN 5:39-40 39 "You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life." You can't rely on what is around you to heal what is within you. JOHN 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” JOHN 5:8-9 8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. JOHN 5:9 The day on which this took place was a Sabbath. JOHN 5:9-11 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” 11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ” JOHN 5:12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?” JOHN 5:13-14 13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” JOHN 5:15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well. JOHN 5:16-17 16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” JOHN 5:18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. ISAIAH 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. JOHN 5:21-29

Jesus spots a tax collector named Matthew Levi at the gate. He collects toll money for customs as people pass through. As Jesus looks at him, Matthew senses it and looks up. Jesus says, "Follow me." Matthew watches Him go for a moment. Silently, he stands and leaves everything to follow Jesus. Later Jesus goes up a hill to pray. He prays the entire night to God. When He comes down from the hill the next morning, He gathers His followers. From them, he chooses 12 apostles. Simon (who Jesus named Peter) and Simon's brother Andrew had been the fishermen who experienced the miracle of a large catch of fish. Then Jesus chooses James and John, Philip and Bartholomew. And He chooses Matthew, the tax collector he had called at the gate. And finally Jesus chooses Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who would betray Jesus. Episode 9

“I no longer call you servants... I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you.” -John 15:15 (NIV)Jesus describes the relationship he wants to have with us in this scripture Knowledge of someone is not enough. Relationships will altar the course of our lives.What is a friend? The definition of a friend is one who has your best interests in mind.- A friend loves you, a friend encourages you, supports you, sometimes holds youaccountable, they listen to you, and they believe in you. - When you understand that Jesus loves you, and that He wants your life to have purpose, more than anyone in the universe...guess what means, we can fully trust him.Why are we talking about a real friendship with God in a series called Rise Up? At River of Life Church, we believe the idea of rising up in our faith may feel overwhelming for some of us, and that is because we are often times trying to do it in our own strength.We want to Rise Up in our marriage and be a better spouse.We want to Rise Up in our parenting and love our kids more fully.We long to Rise Up in our faith and live with integrity in a world of constantly shifting sands.We desire to Rise Up in our finances.We want to Rise Up in our physical health.We want to Rise Up in our career.We want to Rise Up in our relationships.If we want to truly Rise Up in our lives, what we need more than anything is to be restored in relationship with the God who can then help us Rise Up and live the life He has created us for.In John 5, we read about the pool of Bethesda. The pool of Bethesda was a place of miracles and restoration. The Bible says that every once and awhile, an angel of the Lord would come and stir the waters. The first person to get in the water would be healed of whatever disease or paralysis or problem they had. The pool was surrounded by crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed. One man who was sick for 38 years, unable to move, was desperate to go into the pool to be healed. Scripture tells us that Jesus saw him and approached him. "When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” (John 5:6) What do you need from Jesus today? Jesus asked the paralyzed man what he needed. He responds in John 5:7a, “I can't for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up.” Notice that at first he says he can't. We can relate to this statement sometimes. We often won't Rise Up until the pain of maintaining becomes greater than the challenge of change. “Then Jesus says, ‘Rise up. Pick up your mat and walk.'” At once the man was healed and picked up his mat and walked." -John 5:8-9If you are at the spot today where you admit, "I want to be healed of whatever it is I have been struggling with," Jesus is here to help you Rise Up! The man's obedience in faith brought restoration.We come to seasons where we must come to the realization that we can't do this alone. We can't fix our life on our own, so therefore, we need to surrender our lives to God. We can't just know about God. We want God working in our lives. "Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” -John 5:14 (NIV)Jesus doesn't want a Pool of Bethesda relationship with us. No one hung out at the pool after they were healed. Jesus isn't looking to answer our prayers and then leave. He's longing for relationship and that means life change.As you are lying next to the pool of opportunity, and you are trying so desperately to get into the pool, you may be recognizing that you can't on your own strength. There is a promise that Jesus is standing next to you saying, “What do you want from me today?”If you want to rise up in your faith when you can't (ask yourself this question):1. Do you want to get well?Just like the story, Jesus sees you, he knows when you are hurting, and he is asking you the same question.2. (If yes), Admit that you cannot do it on your own.Admit to God and maybe to others that you need help and wisdom.“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” -James 4:10Find a Life Group and surround yourself with people who are also trying to encounter Jesus daily. God never designed life to be alone. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." -Proverbs 27:173. Jesus wants relationship, not to simply be your rescuer in time of need."But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8

Readings for Sunday, January 24, 2021 “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.” -- Hebrews 10:23 Morning Psalm 67 1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, 2 that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. 6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us. 7 May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him. Psalm 150 1 Praise the Lord ! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness! 3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! 4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! 5 Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that breathes praise the Lord ! Praise the Lord ! Midday Isaiah 47:1-15 47 Come down and sit in the dust, virgin daughter Babylon! Sit on the ground without a throne, daughter Chaldea! For you shall no more be called tender and delicate. 2 Take the millstones and grind meal, remove your veil, strip off your robe, uncover your legs, pass through the rivers. 3 Your nakedness shall be uncovered, and your shame shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one. 4 Our Redeemer—the Lord of hosts is his name— is the Holy One of Israel. 5 Sit in silence, and go into darkness, daughter Chaldea! For you shall no more be called the mistress of kingdoms. 6 I was angry with my people, I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand, you showed them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy. 7 You said, “I shall be mistress forever,” so that you did not lay these things to heart or remember their end. 8 Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me; I shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children”— 9 both these things shall come upon you in a moment, in one day: the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments. 10 You felt secure in your wickedness; you said, “No one sees me.” Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.” 11 But evil shall come upon you, which you cannot charm away; disaster shall fall upon you, which you will not be able to ward off; and ruin shall come on you suddenly, of which you know nothing. 12 Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed, perhaps you may inspire terror. 13 You are wearied with your many consultations; let those who study the heavens stand up and save you, those who gaze at the stars, and at each new moon predict what shall befall you. 14 See, they are like stubble, the fire consumes them; they cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. No coal for warming oneself is this, no fire to sit before! 15 Such to you are those with whom you have labored, who have trafficked with you from your youth; they all wander about in their own paths; there is no one to save you. Hebrews 10:19-31 19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 26 For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy “on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” 29 How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. John 5:2-18 2 Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. 3 In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.'” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk'?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” 18 For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God. Evening Psalm 46 1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. 6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord ; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Psalm 93 1 The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved; 2 your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. 3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. 4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the Lord ! 5 Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore. You can also find all of today's readings at PCUSA.org. The Daily Lectionary podcast is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Plattsburgh, NY, read by Pastor Timothy J. Luoma.

Now and Later: Jesus Lived the Wisest Life by Pastor James Sabin. EDGE Student Ministries

Readings for Saturday, January 9, 2021 “Do you want to be made well?” -- John 5:6 Morning Psalm 46 1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. 6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord ; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah Psalm 47 1 Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy. 2 For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth. 3 He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. 4 He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah 5 God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. 7 For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm. 8 God is king over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. 9 The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted. Psalm 149 1 Praise the Lord ! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful. 2 Let Israel be glad in its Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King. 3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre. 4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory. 5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, 7 to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with fetters and their nobles with chains of iron, 9 to execute on them the judgment decreed. This is glory for all his faithful ones. Praise the Lord ! Midday Isaiah 63:1-5 63 “Who is this that comes from Edom, from Bozrah in garments stained crimson? Who is this so splendidly robed, marching in his great might?” “It is I, announcing vindication, mighty to save.” 2 “Why are your robes red, and your garments like theirs who tread the wine press?” 3 “I have trodden the wine press alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their juice spattered on my garments, and stained all my robes. 4 For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year for my redeeming work had come. 5 I looked, but there was no helper; I stared, but there was no one to sustain me; so my own arm brought me victory, and my wrath sustained me.” Revelation 2:18-29 18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze: 19 “I know your works—your love, faith, service, and patient endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. 20 But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice fornication and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her fornication. 22 Beware, I am throwing her on a bed, and those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great distress, unless they repent of her doings; 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call 'the deep things of Satan,' to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden; 25 only hold fast to what you have until I come. 26 To everyone who conquers and continues to do my works to the end, I will give authority over the nations; 27 to rule them with an iron rod, as when clay pots are shattered— 28 even as I also received authority from my Father. To the one who conquers I will also give the morning star. 29 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. John 5:1-15 5 After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. 3 In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, 'Take up your mat and walk.'” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, 'Take it up and walk'?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Evening Psalm 27 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh— my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. 4 One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. 5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock. 6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord . 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! 8 “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation! 10 If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up. 11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence. 13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord ; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord ! Psalm 93 1 The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved; 2 your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. 3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. 4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the Lord ! 5 Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore. Psalm 114 1 When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, 2 Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion. 3 The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back. 4 The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. 5 Why is it, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? 6 O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs? 7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, 8 who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water. You can also find all of today's readings at PCUSA.org. The Daily Lectionary podcast is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Plattsburgh, NY, read by Pastor Timothy J. Luoma.

Download this Podcast Mark 16:14—Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. The post Jesus Appeared to the Eleven appeared first on Getting to Know Jesus.

John 5:1-15 (NET)1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.' ”12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.

In Luke 10:30-37, we read the story of a traveller who ignored danger to help a total stranger who was bleeding and dying. He is known as The Good Samaritan. It's a story that challenges every one of us and shows us how we need to care for people in need, no matter what their background. Jesus had been teaching that the two great priorities of life are to ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and all your strength' and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.' So who is your neighbour? The simple answer is that everyone is our neighbour. Your neighbour may live next door or nearby, be in your work or school or church community. Your neighbour may be a person or a people in trouble far away or someone from a completely different background like the Jewish victim in this story who was helped by a racially despised Samaritan. In a few powerful sentences, Jesus showed how we must never become too busy or self-absorbed to care for one another as we go about our own business in life. There are three aspects of the kind of selfless love that we witness in this story which we need today to bring healing to our world:1. Love Sees (Luke 10:30-33)2. Love Feels (Luke 10:33; Matthew 9:36; Matthew 14:14)3. Love Acts (James 2:14-17; Galatians 6:10)3.1. He made direct contact (Luke 10:34)3.2. He ministered to his needs (Luke 10:34-35)3.3. He made sure that he would be safely looked after (Luke 10:34-35)ApplyHow easy is it for you to focus on your own life when actually you could be helping a lot more people? How generous is your giving of money and time and effort? The Good Samaritan saw a human being who had been attacked, stripped, beaten, abandoned and left to die. So many people today have suffered physical violence and been robbed not only of possessions but of their hope and peace of mind. Ultimately Satan is the greatest robber of all that is good and godly. Many have been humiliated, stripped of their dignity and self-image by being abused or by wrong actions, cheap relationships and negative words. Others feel beaten and overpowered by enemies, addictions or circumstances, or they feel abandoned and on their own, rejected and cast aside. Many feel in such a bad way that it's all over unless someone helps. Of course all these experiences were what Jesus went through when He gave His life so that we can have life. But they also describe the experiences of so many people and maybe also where you are at right now. The questions are: do we see the pain in people's eyes? Do we recognise the tell-tale signs of a victim? Do we recognise the depression that people are struggling with? Do we see evil that is ruining people right before our eyes? For example the growing incidence of sex trafficking involving people working in public places has been called ‘human slavery hidden in plain sight.' The Good Samaritan is a wonderful example of self-love that begins with really seeing the needs of others: but seeing is not enough. A priest and a Levite both saw but passed by on the other side. Both these characters show how it is possible to have a religious identity without really having a love for people in need. Before condemning them, examine your own heart: How much need do you see without doing anything about it?As followers of Jesus, how much love do we really have in our hearts for the world and the people all around us? Do we have that ‘burning love for others' that Smith Wigglesworth spoke of receiving when he was filled with the Holy Spirit? In contrast to the hard-hearted religious people who quickly distanced themselves from this beaten up man, the Samaritan was deeply touched when he saw a fellow human being in such a bad way. So too was Jesus (Matthew 9:36; Matthew 14:14). When the love of Jesus softens and fills our hearts, we too will have selfless love which sees, feels and acts.Do you show your faith in Jesus through you're actions as well as your words? Every action of the Good Samaritan showed that he really loved and cared. And we too are to do the same. 'Go and do likewise', Jesus said. The Samaritan made direct contact, he ministered to his needs, he went to him and bandaged his wounds, he made sure that he would be safely looked after. He put him on his own donkey (would you use your nice car to get a bleeding, dirty person to hospital or call a taxi?) and brought him to an inn to take care of him, paying for the man's short term needs as well as keeping an ongoing interest in his well-being. We too must be faithful in ministering to people at all stages of their development. Later Jesus also said that we serve him when we feed the hungry, give the thirsty a drink, look after the homeless, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit the prisoner (Matthew 25:40). Real Christianity is about words, but it is also shown by our actions (James 2:14-17; Galatians 6:10). Firstly, we need to model practical Christianity in our families and in the church and from there let it spread to the world. The early church modelled this all-round care for people and that all through history until this present moment many of the greatest social care projects and humanitarian reforms have been led by and supported by Christians. In these long weeks of pandemic, we have as a church been privileged to feed and help many thousands of needy people in Robertson, seeing the need of so many who had no other means of help to stay alive. We were also touched in our hearts by the love of God for our fellow brothers and sisters and human beings. And we have taken action to help. We couldn't and we can't ignore the ongoing need of people in plain sight. And as we keep going, you too can show your love by your giving and serving. Today whether your neighbour is near at hand or far away, let's really look out for one another, especially in this time of so much uncertainty and difficulty. Remember these lessons of the story and become a Good Samaritan yourself. For real love always sees. Real love always feels. Real love always acts.

What is faith according to the Bible and how does it work?There are many Bible teachings on faith but they don't show the original meaning of faith in the Bible. This Bible study about faith unveils God's purpose from the beginning of all things.To understand faith according to the Bible, we need to search the New Testament scriptures. The Bible uses the word 'faith' 244 times in the New Testament. Let me make this clear: This video is not about 'faith in God' or 'having faith in God' in the traditional context of escaping eternal torment. This Bible study is to help you understand faith in the context of who you are, as seen and known by God.In short, here is what activates faith:Faith is seeing what God has always been seeing. Faith is seeing what God saw before we were made sons of men. But how can I see something that is unseen. Is it possible to see the invisible? Yes. Faith comes by hearing. So seeing the unseen comes by hearing the unseen. But what do we hear? Paul says Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. But here is the key that Jesus gives us in John 5:- Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does."Thus, for the Son to see, the Father must show. Later Jesus says this because the Father loves the Son. that's why Paul says "faith works by love". What we see now, was unseen before. So, it is easier now to understand Hebrews 11:1. It reads "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". If you stay around and listen to this first message in our new series, FAITH RESTORED, you’ll have a good foundation for what’s coming up in the next episodes.----more----Useful Resources: 

Life changing anddestiny altering Message of the LORD, from the TWO WITNESSES OF REVELATION 11, on the entry of the church into eternity of Heaven.   Reference Scripture: Luke 16:19-31 The Rich Man and Lazarus The rich man thought he had it all.  The rich are deceived into thinking that becuase they have the prosperity of this world they must have the favor of THE LORD, but that is a lie that surprised the rich man when he woke up in hell.  1) The way you live your life has consequence where you will spend your eternity.  2) The way the rich man lived on earth went a long way to determine where he would spend his eternity.  The church needs to adjust her life believe the gospel and live your life in such a way that you end up in Heaven.  3) He was once wealthy, the rich man, but now he is begging in verse 27. 4) Lazarus was despised, the rich man had no consideration for him. 5) Rich man mocked him, slandered him, looked down upon him. 6) Same thing happened to our LORD JESUS CHRIST, how they treated JESUS, mocked and looked down upon him, contempt upon HIM, blackmail, mockery towards HIM. 7) Rich man lived enjoyment and a life of banqueting, he looked down upon Lazarus.   8) The only parable that JESUS mentions the character by name, Lazarus.  9) Wounds covered with what does that remind you?  Someone else covered with wounds, Luke 10:25-37,  Parable good Samaritan. Why bring this up?  The way you live on earth determines where you live.      10) Lazarus went to Abraham's bosom, loving the baby, blessing the baby, safeguarding the baby, 11) Later Jesus resurrects one named Lazarus and sparked up  a whole cascade of animosity.  https://jesusislordradio.info https://www.repentandpreparetheway.org

Life changing anddestiny altering Message of the LORD, from the TWO WITNESSES OF REVELATION 11, on the entry of the church into eternity of Heaven.   Reference Scripture: Luke 16:19-31 The Rich Man and Lazarus The rich man thought he had it all.  The rich are deceived into thinking that becuase they have the prosperity of this world they must have the favor of THE LORD, but that is a lie that surprised the rich man when he woke up in hell.  1) The way you live your life has consequence where you will spend your eternity.  2) The way the rich man lived on earth went a long way to determine where he would spend his eternity.  The church needs to adjust her life believe the gospel and live your life in such a way that you end up in Heaven.  3) He was once wealthy, the rich man, but now he is begging in verse 27. 4) Lazarus was despised, the rich man had no consideration for him. 5) Rich man mocked him, slandered him, looked down upon him. 6) Same thing happened to our LORD JESUS CHRIST, how they treated JESUS, mocked and looked down upon him, contempt upon HIM, blackmail, mockery towards HIM. 7) Rich man lived enjoyment and a life of banqueting, he looked down upon Lazarus.   8) The only parable that JESUS mentions the character by name, Lazarus.  9) Wounds covered with what does that remind you?  Someone else covered with wounds, Luke 10:25-37,  Parable good Samaritan. Why bring this up?  The way you live on earth determines where you live.      10) Lazarus went to Abraham's bosom, loving the baby, blessing the baby, safeguarding the baby, 11) Later Jesus resurrects one named Lazarus and sparked up  a whole cascade of animosity.  https://jesusislordradio.info https://www.repentandpreparetheway.org

Life changing anddestiny altering Message of the LORD, from the TWO WITNESSES OF REVELATION 11, on the entry of the church into eternity of Heaven.   Reference Scripture: Luke 16:19-31 The Rich Man and Lazarus The rich man thought he had it all.  The rich are deceived into thinking that becuase they have the prosperity of this world they must have the favor of THE LORD, but that is a lie that surprised the rich man when he woke up in hell.  1) The way you live your life has consequence where you will spend your eternity.  2) The way the rich man lived on earth went a long way to determine where he would spend his eternity.  The church needs to adjust her life believe the gospel and live your life in such a way that you end up in Heaven.  3) He was once wealthy, the rich man, but now he is begging in verse 27. 4) Lazarus was despised, the rich man had no consideration for him. 5) Rich man mocked him, slandered him, looked down upon him. 6) Same thing happened to our LORD JESUS CHRIST, how they treated JESUS, mocked and looked down upon him, contempt upon HIM, blackmail, mockery towards HIM. 7) Rich man lived enjoyment and a life of banqueting, he looked down upon Lazarus.   8) The only parable that JESUS mentions the character by name, Lazarus.  9) Wounds covered with what does that remind you?  Someone else covered with wounds, Luke 10:25-37,  Parable good Samaritan. Why bring this up?  The way you live on earth determines where you live.      10) Lazarus went to Abraham's bosom, loving the baby, blessing the baby, safeguarding the baby, 11) Later Jesus resurrects one named Lazarus and sparked up  a whole cascade of animosity.  https://jesusislordradio.info https://www.repentandpreparetheway.org

The Work of JesusJohn | Week 4June 7, 2020 | Daniel BunnJohn 5:1-18 NIV Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.What was the work that Jesus was doing?Jesus performed the work of healingThe central tension of this passage is that Jesus has broken the sabbath and made himself equal with God.The work of overturning unjust systemsFollowing Jesus is not optionalDo we fear, or do we trust?

John 5:1-15(NIV)The Healing at the Pool5 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [b] 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/yourdailybible)

Jesus came to show us mercy.

Jesus Has Risen Mark 16: 1-16 NIV When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” rembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.[a] [The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.] When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. Afterward, Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Thank you for listening to this podcast. If you like what you hear, share it with your friends, and don't forget to subscribe and give the podcast a review on iTunes and Spotify. If you would like to watch this sermon, subscribe to our YouTube channel: Mosaic Church Tallahassee To learn more about Mosaic Church visit www.mosaicchurchtlh.com You can also find us on: Facebook: www.facebook.com/mosaicchurchtlh Instagram: www.instagram.com/mosaicchurchtlh Twitter: www.twitter.com/mosaicchurchtlh

COMMENTARY Our final reading tells the story of Jesus’ resurrection. Compared to Mark’s account of the events surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion, this story is short, and it may be shorter than it appears at first glance. About halfway through our reading, the text provides a note saying, “The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.” Modern scholars almost universally agree that these verses are a later, second century addition. Though they sound a lot like what we read in some of the other gospel accounts, they aren’t written in Mark’s characteristic style, and they don’t appear in the earliest copies we have of the book. These verses seem to have been added to the end of the book to compensate for the fact that Mark’s resurrection story is brief and ends abruptly. After an angel instructs some of Jesus’ female followers to “go, tell” others about the resurrected Jesus, the book surprisingly ends with the report, “They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid” (Mark 16:7-8). Theories abound as to why the book ends so abruptly. Some have speculated that the original ending to the book was lost. Others have suggested that Mark never finished the book. Perhaps the best explanation is that Mark actually intended to end his book this way. There’s great irony in the fact that, at this point in the book, when individuals are finally free to tell others about Jesus, they suddenly go silent. Previously, Jesus had asked others not to share His identity, but they would not stay quiet (e.g., Mark 1:45; 7:36). Now, on this side of the crucifixion, an angel asks others to share about Jesus, but they say nothing. We know from the other Gospels in the Bible that these women eventually did go on to share the good news with others. But Mark seems to have cut the story short for a rhetorical effect. As readers, we are left wondering who will share the gospel if the women will not. The abrupt ending is meant to entice us to carry on the story ourselves. As readers, we’ve walked with Jesus throughout His journey. He’s called us. He’s challenged us to leave everything behind and follow Him. Now that we’ve heard that the kingdom has come near, we have a final decision to make. Will we go away silent, or will we join Mark in proclaiming the good news? SCRIPTURE MARK 16 CHAPTER 16 JESUS HAS RISEN 1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” 8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. [The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.] 9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. 12 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. 14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. 15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. REFLECTION 1. Who in your life do you need to share the good news with? What is the first step you need to take towards sharing Jesus’ message with that person? 2. What has been your most significant learning from reading through the book of Mark? How has God been challenging you?

Download this Podcast John 5:11–16—But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?” The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. The post Persecution appeared first on Getting to Know Jesus.

In this episode, we explore how God breathed the breath of life into Adam and he became a living person. Because of Adam's disobedience, the human race will be cursed with death. Later Jesus will come and as the 2nd Adam, he will give us eternal life.

Download this Podcast Mark 16:14—Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. The post Jesus Appeared to the Eleven appeared first on Getting to Know Jesus.

John 5:14—Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”   Luke 13:4—Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?   Job 1:22—In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.   Job 2:9—His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”   Job 2:7—So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.   Genesis 3:17—To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you;   1 John 5:19—We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.   Ephesians 6:11–13—Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.   Ephesians 6:14–17—Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them…God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. (msg)   Romans 8:20–21—For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.   Job 42:12—The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.

John 5:14—Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”   Luke 13:4—Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?   Job 1:22—In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.   Job 2:9—His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”   Job 2:7—So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.   Genesis 3:17—To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you;   1 John 5:19—We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.   Ephesians 6:11–13—Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.   Ephesians 6:14–17—Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them…God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. (msg)   Romans 8:20–21—For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.   Job 42:12—The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.

Mark 16 New International Version (NIV)Jesus Has RisenWhen the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.[The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.]When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakeswith their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen He said to them ldquo Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved but whoever does not believe will be condemned And these signs will accompany those who believe In my name they will drive out demons they will speak in new tongues they will pick up snakes with their hands and when they drink deadly poison it will not hurt them at all they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well rdquo

Storyboard on Faith This 10 part “Bible Storyboard” illustrates how FAITH in God or lack thereof has been central to the conflict between God and the devil since before the earth or mankind was created. We now consider Adan and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The devil appears to Eve as a talking snake on the tree in the middle of the garden and tricks Eve into eating from the fruit on the tree. Later Jesus makes Adam and Eve clothing of animal skins and teaches them that they will have to make animal sacrifices for the sins. By faith they believe Jesus and teach their children this requirement. Later, Cain doesn’t follow the sacrifice requirements and God does not approve of his offering. Out of anger Cain kills his brother who was faithful in following the sacrifice requirements. Download your own copy of this Faith Storyboard at the following address… https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/biblestoryboard/Story+Board+1.pdf How Bible Story Boards were created: Over the past several years I have released many Bible Prophecy videos on Daniel and Revelation. While the videos have been viewed and appreciated widely, I felt there was a need for a simple home prophecy study guide that an individual or small group could use to study the upcoming Great Tribulation story directly from their own bible. I felt that this study needed to be simple but also must fully cover the topic... a tough assignment! Several months ago, I began to experiment with focusing a sheet of paper (front and back sides) on a single topic... I call this a “STORY BOARD”. My plan was like the old joke, “How to you eat an Elephant?” … “One bite at a time”. So how do I tell the story about the upcoming “Great Tribulation”? I’ll break it down into manageable ‘bite sized’ topics and dedicate a single “Bible Prophecy Story Board” to each topic. So that’s what I have done. For example, I took the topic of the 144,000 witnesses in Revelation 7 and dedicate one Story Board to that topic. On the front side I segmented the page into 3 sections… #1 Heaven, #2 Earth and #3 the Abyss. I then selected key Bible Texts that apply directly to that ‘bite sized’ topic. I then placed the bible texts in chronological order. It’s interesting how many bible texts related to the Great Tribulation are in chronological order. Finally, I add a bit of visual interest with some simple artwork. Each story has a number of STEPS to its story line. Generally, I have 8 to 14 “steps” in each Story Board study. Each step on the Story Board has a number assigned to it for easy reference and to guide your study. I use the STEP number on the reverse side of each Story Board. That it for the front side… 1. Bible Text, 2. Chronological Order (where applicable), and 3. Simple Artwork. On the reverse side of each Story Board I reference each STEP NUMBER in my commentary. With limited space and the goal of covering a single topic on each Story Board sheet my comments are brief and to the point. Some may agree with my comments and some may be puzzled or disagree. That’s OK with me. Because this story, about the Great Tribulation, is so large and so foreign to most Bible students, you have to study several of my Story Boards before they start to ‘click together’ like a jig saw puzzle. Don’t give up without at least looking at the full 12 storyboards in volume #1. If you want to purchase your own 12 sheets set of Story Boards email me your request at and I will send you details on how to purchase these. I am selling these postages free and at no profit in the USA. mailme@cambigue.com 1 Set of Volume 1 is $10 5 Sets of Volume 1 is $40 (20% savings) 10 Sets of Volume 1 is $70 (30 % savings)

Madonna and Colin debut their new electric lullaby and read poetry.

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” 8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. 9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. 12 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. 14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. 15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.Support the show (http://www.sanctuarychurch.nyc)

Dr. David Gushee continues to share with us on "John's Jesus" by reflecting on John 5:1-18 and the story of the man who had been crippled for 14,000 days. Do you know it? Scripture Reference: Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jewish leaderssaid to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ” So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?” The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well. So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. -- John 5:1-18

"I am the good shepherd" is one of eight "I am" statements by Jesus. He explains the relationship between sheep and their shepherd to his disciples. Later Jesus tells Peter to shepherd his sheep, and so we also shepherd on his behalf until he comes again.

This is the final installment in a 46 part series on the Book of Mark. Today's teaching is by Jason English, Teaching and Vision Pastor at theHeart church in Boone NC.   POST MARK MARK 16:9-20   [The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9-20]   When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubbonr refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. He siad to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.   MATTHEW 28:16-20 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and siad, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."     LUKE 24:13-53 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, name Cleopas, asked him, "Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know thte things that have happened there in these days?" "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied, "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus." He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with the. When he was at the table with the, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying,"It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. Hes said to them,"Why are you troubled, and who do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written; The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothes with power from on high." When he had led them out ot the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.   JOHN 20:11-31 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked him, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked him, "Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means "Teacher"). Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her. On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, "peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Jesus performed many others signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.  

C this is not Galilee Mark 16:14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

A. sinning John 5:14New International Version (NIV) 14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, â??See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.â??

If you listen to the media it feels like the world is in a terrible fearful era. But this is not true statistically, nor in reality. The time of Mary and Joseph was much worse. And yet the angel declares "Peace of Earth!" at the time of Jesus' birth. Later Jesus tells his followers to come to him and he will give them rest and peace. The best way for us to find peace is through Sabbath. This teaching works through basis of Sabbath as a part of creation, and proposes each person renounce the consumer identity and embrace the Sabbath. 

(Mark 16:14-16) Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.    Why do I love my church?   (Matthew 28:19)  “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”   Title of Message: Thirty Four   (Matthew 18:12-13) "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  (Acts 1:8)  “You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”   ü Jerusalem – My City. (James 1:27 Msg)  “Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight...”   ü Judea and Samaria – My Nation. (1 Corinthians 9:22 LB)  “Whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him.”   ü To the ends of the earth – My World. (Mark 16:15 NCV)  Jesus said to His followers, “Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone.” Three Fundamental Truths   1.  We are blessed to be a blessing. (Genesis 12:2 NLT)  “I will bless you…and you will be a blessing to others.” 2.  When we bless others God takes care of our needs. (Luke 18:29-30 GW)  “I guarantee this.  Anyone who gives up anything for the kingdom of God will certainly receive many times more in this life and will receive eternal life in the next world to come.” (Luke 6:38 Message)  “Give your life away and you'll find your life given back.  But not merely given back.  Given back with bonus and blessing.”  3. The more we're blessed by God the more He expects us to help others.  (Luke 12:48 LB)  “…Much is required from those to whom much is given.  For their responsibility is greater.” What can I do? 1.     Pray. (Matthew 9:37-38)  “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'” 2.     Go. (Isaiah 6:8-9)  “Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!'...'” 3.     Give. (Matthew 6:19-21)  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Mark 8:35 LB)  “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for My sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live.” For more information on the vision of Freedom Church, please visit our website at www.freedom-church.org.