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A Sermon for the First Sunday after Easter 1 St. John 5:4-12 & St. John 20:19-23 by William Klock In the ancient church this was the Sunday when the men and women baptised on Easter would take off their white baptismal robes after a long week of celebrating their baptism.  Now it was time for the church to go out into the world to be the new people Jesus and the Spirit had made them.  At Rome, in those ancient days, the newly baptised would do this at the church of St. Pancras—a church named after a young Roman martyr.  Because of his faithfulness he would become a patron of oaths and vows.  Now it was time to live out their baptismal vows, like that young martyr.  They'd given their allegiance in faith to Jesus.  Now it was time to march out into the world, to proclaim him as the crucified and risen king, and to fight the world, the flesh, and the devil—not matter the cost. Brothers and Sisters, as the Easter story continues, we're reminded that Jesus didn't die and rise from death just to zap us to heaven the moment we believe.  He didn't die and rise again to create an escape hatch out of the world or even out of persecution and martyrdom.  He died and rose again so that we might live for him and carry the good news—like royal heralds of the king—out to the far reaches of God's creation.  This has been the mission of the people of God all along, going all the way back to Abraham.  He and then his family were called and set apart by the Lord to be a light in the darkness.  They were the people who lived with the living God in their midst.  Through them, God revealed himself to the nations. Or, at any rate, that's how the plan had started.  Abraham's family, Israel, largely failed in her mission.  That was part of the plan too.  It showed that it would take more than calling and creating and sending a special people to be light in the darkness.  The human race has a heart problem.  Instead of desiring God, we desire everything else.  Instead of worshipping him, we make idols.  And Israel had that same heart problem.  And so that story of calling and sending and failure leads us to Jesus.  It was meant to from the very beginning.  He came to set his people to rights—at least those who would follow him, who would trust him, who would give their allegiance to him as messiah—as God's king.  And in his death and resurrection Jesus defeated the powers of the old age and inaugurated God's new creation.  But John stresses, this time something was different.  This new people isn't just called and sent.  This time they're also transformed and equipped.  And that's really the theme of this Sunday after Easter.  Every week we're sent out with those words: “Go forth in pace to love and serve the Lord.”  Friends, that dismissal is a call to go out and swim in our baptism, to go our and to proclaim the risen Lord, to go out and do battle with the world, the flesh, and the devil.  I suspect that a lot of the time we respond, “Thanks be to God” without even thinking about any of that.  But those times when we do think about what those words mean, it's easy to feel overwhelmed—especially when the scriptures or the liturgy or the sermon has really spoken to us that day and we have a clear sense of why God has called us and saved us—it's easy to feel overwhelmed. So Brothers and Sisters, as we stand overwhelmed by the task before us, John assures us that if we are in Jesus by faith, there are two vitally important new realities for us.  The first is that we have been made part of his new creation.  We have a share in Jesus' resurrection from death.  Yes, there's more to come.  We haven't been resurrected yet.  That will come some day at the end of the age when the gospel, through the Church, has accomplished its purpose and brought the world to Jesus. But in the meantime, Jesus' resurrection has freed us from our bondage to sin and death and given us new life.  And, second, that if we are in Jesus, he has given us God's own Spirit.  He's made us his temple, the place where he dwells.  The Spirit's not something to be earned when we've become holy enough.  He's not some later experience or second blessing, as if we can be in Jesus, but not have a share in the Spirit.  Jesus' gift of the Spirit is the very thing that fulfils God's promise through the prophets and that defines us as his new covenant people.  And as Jesus forgives and frees us by his death and resurrection, the indwelling Spirit empowers and equips us to live the new life Jesus has given.  The Spirit's life in us is a foretaste and a down payment on the resurrection and the life of the age to come—and most importantly in light of today's theme, the indwelling Spirit is the one who makes the task set before us by Jesus possible.  He's the one who equips us to fulfil those impossible vows we made in our baptism. In our Gospel, again John 20 beginning at verse 19, John tells us: On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Judeans.  Jesus came and stood in the middle of them.  “Peace be with you,” he said.   We shouldn't pass over these words too quickly.  It's the first day of the week.  It's still the same day that Mary went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body and found it empty.  It's the same day she went running to tell Peter and John.  The same day they went running to the tomb to see for themselves.  The same day when John says none of them—except, it seems, for him—understood what had happed.  John says he “believed” and I think that means he believed Jesus had risen, but that was crazy and he was still working it through so he hadn't said anything to the others yet.  This is that same day.  Now it's evening.  And the disciples have locked themselves into someone's house.  The doors are locked.  I expect the windows tightly shuttered.  There was no cooking fire.  Nothing that might make the house look occupied—nothing to give them away.  Maybe one little lamp, just so they could barely see each other in the darkness.  They were afraid.  Four days before, the Jewish authorities had arrested Jesus.  Three days before he's been crucified as a dangerous revolutionary.  Soon, they figured, the authorities would come for the rest of them.  Best to lay low until things blew over.  Maybe in a few days they could sneak out of the city.  And so they sat there in the darkness, some silently pondering what all this meant, some still weeping for their dead friend, maybe a couple of them arguing in low tones about what had happened to Jesus' body and what they'd do next.  But whatever they were doing, a palpable sense of fear filled that dark room.  John's telling of the story of new creation reverberates with echoes of the story of the first creation: Darkness was over the face of the deep. And then Jesus is suddenly there.  John wrote about the Incarnation back in his prologue saying that in Jesus the light had come into the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it.  That was an echo of Genesis.  The first day of the week God called light into being, driving away the darkness.  And now the Light Incarnate appears in that dark, fear-filled house and I have to think that somehow and in some way it was filled with light—a light that drove away every last vestige of darkness.  And to these frightened men, Jesus announces, “Peace be with you!” Imagine their surprise.  And there must have been some disbelief or some doubts.  Or maybe, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, they simply didn't recognise him.  Something about his resurrection had brought a transformation.  Same Jesus, same body, but in some way just different enough in appearance that they didn't recognise him.  Of course, it wouldn't have helped that they simply didn't expect to see him again either.  So Jesus holds out his hands for them to see.  One at a time he lifts a foot out so that they can see.  There were the marks left by the nails.  And he lifted his tunic to show them the wound left by the spear that had been plunged into his side, the wound that had gushed forth blood and water, evidence to the soldiers that he was genuinely dead.  And here he stood alive.  They were shocked.  How could it be?  I've said before, the reason resurrection wasn't on anyone's mind was because this wasn't how it was supposed to happen.  This wasn't a story Jews would have made up, because all the Jews who believed in the resurrection of the dead knew how it would work—and it wasn't supposed to work this way.  At the end of the age the Lord would raise all the faithful at once.  There was plenty of disagreement about some of the specifics, but they all knew one thing for sure: It would be everybody all at once, not just one person, even if that one person was the Messiah.  This just wasn't on their radar.  Not at all.  But now it is and they're confused and, it seems, even though John says they were glad, they were still more than a little afraid.  And so Jesus says to them again, “Peace be with you!” And Jesus doesn't waste any time as John tells it.  “Peace be with you,” he says, calming their fears.  Jesus is alive.  And immediately he gets down to the very practical aspects, the real-world implications of his resurrection.  Jesus doesn't waste any time.  He says in verse 21: “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”   Think about that.  Here they are, hunkered down for fear of being rounded up and executed.  Here they are, afraid to even show their faces in Jerusalem.  Here they are, giving it a few days before they try to sneak out of town without being noticed.  And Jesus says to them, “I'm sending you.  As the Father sent me to you, I'm now sending you: to Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria…to the ends of the earth.”  In other words, “You're not going to go slinking out of the city under cover of darkness.  No, you're going out into Jerusalem with boldness—the same way I went out into Galilee, through Judea, and eventually to Jerusalem at the head of a parade, hailed by the people.  You're going to go with the same boldness out into this city and you are going to declare what God has done.  Everyone is going to know who you are.  You're going to declare to Jerusalem that this Jesus whom they crucified died and has been raised from the dead, that he really is the Messiah, God's King, and that his kingdom, God's new creation has come.” Think again of John, just beginning to wrap his head around the idea that Jesus had been raised from death—but still hunkered down with the others, afraid.  John couldn't even tell his friends what he thought had happened.  The last thing on his mind was telling it to Jerusalem—and Jesus isn't talking about mere “telling”—you know, whispering it to a few people who might be safe to tell.  No, he's talking about proclaiming this news—to everybody.  Brothers and Sisters, think about that for a minute.  Most of us are hesitant to proclaim the good news about Jesus.  We have no reason to fear for our lives like Jesus' disciples did.  The worst thing that happens to us is we offend someone, make them think we're weird.  They faced martyrdom—and all but John were, indeed, martyred for their proclamation.  We have so little to fear, but we're afraid anyway.  We've even stopped speaking in terms of proclamation—the Bible's way of speaking about evangelism.  Instead we talk about “sharing” our faith—watering it down, as if it's just another option on the religious smorgasbord that someone might want to try out for themselves.  We've lost our confidence in the good news and in the God who raised Jesus from the dead who stands behind it.  No, Jesus calls us to declare the good news like royal heralds, sent out into the world to declare the mighty deeds of God, that he has raised Jesus from the dead, and made him Lord of all. But, again, consider John.  Confused, afraid, just beginning to understand.  And then consider the confidence of his words, written decades later in our Epistle: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been fathered by God…because everything that has been fathered by God conquers the world.  This is the victory that conquers the world: our faith.  Who is the one who conquers the world?  Surely the one who believes that Jesus is the son of God!  (1 John 5:1, 4-5) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah—God's king—has been reborn as part of the people of God.  And that belief changes everything.  That belief transforms the fearful John hesitant to even tell his friends about the dawning realization that Jesus had been raised from death, it turns him into the courageous apostle, exiled for his proclamation of that truth, and writing boldly to the churches to stand firm in that same faith even though great tribulation was about to hit them like a storm.  There is everything to be feared out in the world: rejection, mockery, persecution, even martyrdom, but by faith the people of God overcome and stand firm in our witness.  It's not because faith changes reality.  It's because this faith recognizes the new reality born that first Easter when Jesus rose from the grave, the new reality that he is victor over sin and death, the new reality that new creation has begun in him, and the new reality that he is Lord of that creation.  By faith we are united with him.  By faith we share in his inheritance.  And by faith we share in his calling and ministry—his Church, taking up the mantle of prophet, priest, and king. Like John, we are called to boldly testify about Jesus. It was he who came by means of water and blood, Jesus the Messiah, not by water only but by the water and the blood.  The Spirit is the one who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.  There are three that bear witness—the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three agree together.  If we have received the witness of men, God's witness is greater.  This is the witness of God, the testimony he has borne concerning his son.  (1 John 5:6-9)   John points back to Jesus' ministry.  He came by water.  That was the start of it.  He went to John and was baptised in the Jordan and as he walked up out of the river, the heavens opened, the Spirit descended like a dove, and his Father spoke, “This is my Son in whom I am well-pleased.”  That was Jesus' initiation into his messianic ministry.  And that ministry—at least in its earthly phase—ended in blood, at the cross, where he died to conquer death and to provide forgiveness of sins.  Jesus' baptism testifies to his being the Messiah.  Jesus' blood, shed on the cross, testifies to his being the Messiah.  And, too, John writes, so does the Spirit.  And, he says, consider all the things we believe, in which we trust, based on the testimony of mere men.  How much more, Brothers and Sisters, ought we to trust this testimony about Jesus backed up by God himself?  And not so much just receiving and believing ourselves, but in light of the fact that this is the truth, this is the good news that literally changes the world, that is changing the world, oughtn't we to be proclaiming it to that world?  Through Jesus and the Spirit God has given us the light.  The light that will transform the darkness that sin and death have cast on the world.  The light that the darkness cannot and will not ever overcome.  Dear Friends, don't hide it under a basket.  Hold it high.  Proclaim it.  Show it to everyone.  Don't be afraid.  God has spoken: “Let there be light!”  And as John wrote in his Gospel: “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has no overcome it.”  He goes on in verse 10: All those who believe in the son of God have the witness in themselves.   But that's not where John leaves us in the Gospel.  Jesus doesn't just send his disciples out into the world.  That would be an impossible task.  Jesus also equips them.  Look at verses 22-23 of John 20: With that, he breathed on them.  “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said.  “If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven.  If you retain anyone's sins, they are retained.”   As the Lord breathed life into Adam in the original creation, Jesus now breathes on his disciples.  “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he says.  Was the Spirit literally imparted by Jesus' breath?  Luke tells this part differently in his Gospel and in Acts—that whole event with the dramatic coming of the Spirit at Pentecost as they gathered at the temple to hear Peter preach and to be baptised.  But notice there, too, that the Spirit comes with a wind—in both Hebrew and Greek, wind, breath, and spirit are all the same word.  Jesus was good at acted-out prophecy and I think that's what he's doing in this case in John's Gospel.  He is—or he soon will be—imparting God's Spirit to this new people of God, to those who believe, and he illustrates just what this gift is by an act that they couldn't help but connect to God's giving life to Adam.  But this is new life.  And this is what will equip them to go out, despite the threat of death, to proclaim with boldness the good news.  Brothers and Sisters, the Spirit does a lot for us, but here Jesus makes sure we know what his primary purpose is.  It's not to give us radical experiences, although that certainly might happen.  It's not to make us holy, although he certainly does that as he turns our hearts and our affections away from self and sin and points them towards God.  But, the primary purpose of the Spirit is to equip us to do the impossible: to do for the world, what Jesus did for Israel.  To go out in the world in his name and to proclaim what God has done through him.  “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” And then those words that have so often been misunderstood and abused: “If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven.  If you retain anyone's sins, they are retained.”  Remember I said that by faith we have a share in Jesus' inheritance and ministry.  By faith the Father adopts us and makes us his sons and daughters, so we share in what belongs to Jesus.  And that means that as he is King and Prophet and Priest, so are we as his Church, his people.  And Jesus gets here at two of those things.  Here he reminds his friends and he reminds us that when we go out into the world to proclaim his Lordship, to proclaim the good news of his death and resurrection, to proclaim that new creation has come, we do so as both prophets and as priests. Our message is two-fold.  I think the priestly role comes most naturally to us.  This is the part of our proclamation where we announce the forgiveness of sins.  Think of the priests of the Old Testament, offering sacrifices.  That was one of their main duties: to facilitate and to mediate God's forgiveness to the people.  Think of Jesus.  He is both priest and sacrificial lamb.  He offers and presents himself to the Father as a sacrifice for our sins.  And, as priests, we proclaim to the world the forgiveness he offers through that sacrifice.  But that is not our only role.  We also share in Jesus' prophetic office—and that's the part that doesn't come as naturally to us, at least not as things currently are.  But consider what the prophets did.  Consider what Jesus did in his role as a prophet.  He called out the sins of his people, he summoned them to repentance, and he announced the judgement to come on those who remained unrepentant in their sin, unbelief, and faithlessness.  In contrast, much of the Church today is afraid to take on this prophetic role, to name sin, to even use the word.  Some parts of the Church have given up altogether and have embraced sin and called it virtue—leaving folks nothing to repent of and with nothing for which they need forgiveness.  They've gutted the gospel.  But these two things, the priestly and the prophetic go hand in hand.  Our prophetic office, announcing judgement, is without hope if we do not also fulfil our priestly role of announcing forgiveness.  But our priestly office, our message of forgiveness lacks any real meaning if it is not also accompanied by the prophetic announcement that sin is sin and that God will judge it.  Brothers and Sisters, this is the good news: that we are sinners, that our holy God judges sin and that the penalty is death, but also that Jesus has died as a perfect sacrifice for sins, and has risen, victor over death, inaugurating God's new creation and giving a sure and certain hope that what he has begun he will finish.  One day all things will be made new, every bit of sin and evil will be swept from creation, and all will be set to rights.  And by faith in Jesus we have a share in that new world. Brothers and Sisters, do we believe that?  I trust that we do.  We affirm this belief every week as we come to the Lord's Table.  We recall the story.  We confess our sins in repentance.  And we come to the Table in renewed faith to participate again in those events that set us free from sin and death, in the death and resurrection of Jesus.  But maybe we've forgotten the real power behind what we confess here at the Table.  Friends, think this morning on what the cross and the empty tomb mean.  Think on what the blood of Jesus means.  Think on what his gift of the Spirit to you means.  And then take seriously those words of dismissal: “Go forth in peace to love and serve the Lord.”  Consider that in those words Jesus is saying to us, to you and to me, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” Let's pray: Almighty Father, you gave your only Son to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification: Grant that we may put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, and always serve you in purity and truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

19:38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. 19:39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. 19:40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. 19:41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. 19:42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

When God sends you, He equips you. Like John, your voice has a purpose.

04-17-25 - John's Aunt Went To Jimmy Dorsey Concert 75yrs After Her First One - Trans Regret Emails/Reactions - Noticing Stereotypes Are Accurate For A Reason Like John's Dislike Of Mayo - RN Emails In Worried His Wife May Be Trying To Kill Him By Poisoning His FoodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

04-17-25 - John's Aunt Went To Jimmy Dorsey Concert 75yrs After Her First One - Trans Regret Emails/Reactions - Noticing Stereotypes Are Accurate For A Reason Like John's Dislike Of Mayo - RN Emails In Worried His Wife May Be Trying To Kill Him By Poisoning His FoodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Return of the Man-Child (8)  (audio) David Eells – 4/16/25  Father, in Jesus' Name, we thank You so much, Lord, that we can fellowship around Your Word. We know and trust in Your Word that is going to reveal to us those things that we need to know for the days to come and things that will enable us to cooperate with You in this process of sanctification and holiness, and also in the ministry of the Lord. We thank You that the Lord Jesus is coming in His people in order to fulfill in His Church that which You stated You would do from the beginning. We thank You, Lord, that You have taught us that what has been shall be, so that we can see how history repeats and see how wonderfully You have told us in the Word exactly what You are going to do. In the name of Jesus, Amen.  Well, we left off in Matthew 4, where we saw wonderful things that God is going to repeat in our day. The Lord had told me that everything that happened in the Gospels and in the Book of Acts would be repeated in our day, except that the cast of characters would be multiplied many times over, as more people are born into the world. The same thing has happened in history, but now it just happens with more people.  Let's pick up right after Jesus was anointed and had been tempted of the devil. Note that the Bible speaks about a “great light” that He was going to bring into the world, especially the world of God's people. (Mat.4:12) Now when he heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee; (13) and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali: (14) that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, (15) The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, Toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, (16) The people that sat in darkness Saw a great light, and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, To them did light spring up. What could this light be other than the Lord Jesus Himself? Not only that, but what the Lord Jesus was sharing with people was the command to repent and believe.   Light is necessary in both of these areas if we want to walk in the Kingdom of God. We are walking out of one kingdom and into another. We are walking out of the kingdom of the world, much like walking out of Egypt, and we are walking into the Kingdom of God, which means under His Lordship and guidance. I believe the next verse begins with a revelation of that. (Mat.4:17) From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  That just happens to be a perfect quote from John the Baptist, who said, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mat.3:2). Of course, John went on in verse 7 to say to the Pharisees, who were coming to be baptized because it was a politically correct thing to do, (Mat.3:7) Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance (What does someone who has repented look like? What kind of fruit should they have?): (Mat.3:9) and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father … Don't a lot of Christians say the same thing? “Hey, I'm a Christian; I had my experience with the Lord years ago and accepted Jesus as my personal Savior.” Yes, but do you have fruit worthy of repentance? I believe that the light is going to come to the Church, which has not even understood what repentance means. The first thing Jesus did was to take up where John left off. You notice that when we left off in verse 12, He realized that John was delivered up, and that's when Jesus came into this particular area of the country where they said they saw great light. Like John, He said, “Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Repentance is necessary for the next revelation, which is the Gospel of the Kingdom. For those who repented, Jesus shared the Gospel of the Kingdom, the Good News of the Kingdom of God.  My friend Xavier once went to share with an apostate preacher who was living in fornication. He had the “greasy grace” that says, “It's okay; the Lord will forgive me. That's what the Gospel is all about, right? Forgiveness.” But no, that's not it. That's just a part of the Gospel. There is forgiveness, and then there is sanctification. Forgiveness is just a way to have a relationship with God until sanctification has done its work. There was another man in this church who recognized that the preacher was a sinner, but he told Xavier, “It would be wrong for you to judge him.” Of course, Xavier was sharing verses with the man, and the truth is that, yes, there is judgment. There is judgment in the Church. John the Baptist was judging when he said, “Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance.” He wanted to see their repentance. He did not want to see somebody say they were sorry and then continue on in their debauchery. The word “repentance” is metanoia, which means “to change your mind; to go the other way.” We have the authority to do this. We have the authority to change our mind and go the other way because of what Jesus did at the cross. He took away our sins; He delivered us out of the power of darkness; He made us free from sin. (Heb.10:14) For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.  When Xavier and I spoke about this, here's one of the verses I shared with him: (1Co.6:9) Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? What Kingdom of God is he referring to? The Kingdom of God is where God rules over you. It's not some place you go to after you leave this earth. It's some place you enter into when you repent. Notice what he's saying. (1Co.6:9) Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived (there is much deception out there concerning this): neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, (10) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. Where are you to inherit the Kingdom of God? Here and now. As a matter of fact, some people are waiting to go to Heaven to inherit the Kingdom of God. They will never see Heaven if they wait. You have to enter the Kingdom of God here and now, and you enter it through repentance and faith. Faith gives you the blood covering and repentance gives you the opportunity of entering the Kingdom. Without repentance, you cannot enter the Kingdom.  John the Baptist came in order to preach repentance to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord in their life. The Lord does not come into your life without repentance. If you received the first-fruits of Christ, which is a born-again spirit, and do not go on to get a born-again soul through your obedience to the truth (1 Peter 1:22,23), you are going to be an unprofitable servant. A “servant” refers to someone who has come to Him in one form or another. You will be an unprofitable servant who is good for nothing but to be cast out and trampled under the feet of men and cast into outer darkness. (Mat.5:13) Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. (Mat.25:30) And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. Now notice what he says in the next verse. (1Co.6:11) And such were some of you: but ye were washed (He is saying, “Some of you people were in these same sins, but you were washed.”), but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. The Lord demands repentance for you to enter into His Kingdom, which is where He is King over you. That's how you enter His Kingdom.  If you look elsewhere in 1st Corinthians, Paul said somewhat of the same thing. (1Co.5:3) For I verily, being absent in body but present in spirit, have already as though I were present judged him that hath so wrought this thing. Paul judged him. Was he wrong in that he judged? No. Paul had the Spirit of God and what he wrote here was from the Spirit of God. He judged him because this man was in willful disobedience, had not repented of his sin, and had not believed the Gospel. If you believe the Good News that Jesus took away your sin, then your faith has power to walk away from anything. Everyone who believes can repent and walk away. Belief is not merely mental assent, like it is in most of the Church. (1Co.5:5) To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh (I would say that's judgment! He is turning him over to the curse.), that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. People will repent when they are turned over to the devil. This is very common. If you want to know why you are living under that curse, you should question whether or not you are in willful disobedience or whether you have repented of everything and are walking by faith because the devil does a great job of bringing people to repentance. Many people come to the Lord because of what the Lord permits the devil to do.  (1Co.5:6) Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? (He means that, in the Body of Christ, there are people who are fornicators, liars, and thieves.) (1Co.5:7) Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump (“Purge out the old leaven”; in other words, get rid of them.), even as ye are unleavened. For our passover also hath been sacrificed, [even] Christ: (1Co.5:8) wherefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (9) I wrote unto you in my epistle to have no company with fornicators; (10) not at all [meaning] with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous and extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world: (11) but as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat.   Well, this parishioner who was not in the fornication, but was saying that you could not judge the pastor who was in it, was saying, “Hey, Jesus ate with publicans and sinners.” But Paul tells you here quite clearly, “If any man that is named a brother be” in one of these sins, no, not to eat with him. It is not only abstaining from eating with him physically, but spiritually, as well, because he's talking about keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We eat when we study the Word of God. Jesus said, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees (Mat.16:6). In other words, “Don't eat their leaven; don't partake of their doctrine.” Paul goes on to say, (1Co.5:12) For what have I to do with judging them that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? So there was judgment; there was judgment from John the Baptist and judgment from Jesus, concerning people who are in willful disobedience and do not want to repent and believe the Good News that they don't have to walk in their sins anymore.  Clearly, there is judgment from the Bible, and that pastor and parishioner were trying to condemn Xavier for judging willful disobedience and lack of repentance when he was merely showing them what the Father had said in His Word. Look at what the Lord says in Ezekiel. (Eze.3:18) When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life … How is it judgment when you say, “Hey, that's fornication and you can't enter the Kingdom like that”? They say, “Oh, but I'm saved.” No, you're not saved, as long as you walk in willful disobedience. You are not in the Kingdom. “Be not deceived,” Paul said, but speak “to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life.”   (Eze.3:18) When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand. So God is saying, “If you don't tell them they're sinning, if you don't tell them, ‘Look, you can't enter the Kingdom of Heaven (which has to be entered here, by the way), while you are in willful, outward immorality,' then I will require his blood at your hand.” It's the very opposite of what those people say. They do not want to repent, so they try to condemn the person who brings the message.  Notice, the Lord said, “When I say to the wicked.” We just read what God said to the wicked. You can tell anybody what God said to the wicked, whether you are judging or not. That's a moot point. The question is, are they going to enter the Kingdom by repentance? Or are they going to try to shift the blame over on you? The truth is, He says to have no company with them, to cast out the old leaven. If a person will not confess his sins but try to justify them or think that they are acceptable in the sight of the Lord because of the blood of Jesus, there is no hope for him. By the way, Jesus' blood does not cover willful disobedience. (Heb.10:26) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. It says, If we walk in the light (Walking in the light is not walking in sin. Everyone would agree with that.) as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another (He tells you, “Don't have any fellowship with people walking in willful disobedience.” Period.), and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1Jn.1:7). That's a wonderful promise! If you will repent and believe and walk in the light, He will cleanse you of that sin. (1Jn.1:8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If a person doesn't want to confess his sin and wants to justify himself and hold onto his sin and wants to blame you for condemning him or bringing Scriptures showing where the Father has condemned him, then this person is not going to have any part of the Kingdom of God. The Lord says it very plainly, and we have to tell him the exact truth here concerning this. The light of the Gospel has to come. The true light of what repentance actually means is going to be brought on the scene here pretty quickly, folks. The overwhelming majority of Christianity don't understand what repentance is. They don't have any hope that repentance could actually deliver them from their sin and that they will not have to worry about that sin or walk in that sin anymore because of what Jesus did at the cross. He took their sin and nailed it on that cross. You do not have it anymore. Repentance and faith are necessary.  Back to where we were in Matthew, we found that Jesus took up where John left off. The next thing He does is to go out and gather His disciples. (Mat.4:18) And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers. (19) And he saith unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men. (20) And they straightway left the nets, and followed him. (21) And going on from thence he saw two other brethren, James the [son] of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. (22) And they straightway left the boat and their father, and followed him. Jesus has just begun His ministry here. The people whom He was going to were seeing a great light and He was gathering together His “elders” of the Church. He was raising up His forefathers of the Church, like Jacob raised up the 12 patriarchs, who were the elders of the Church. As you know, from here on out, He carried them with Him, demonstrating to them the truth of the Gospel by His works of healing, delivering, setting free, etc., so that they could live in the Kingdom of God.  In the Kingdom of God, all the promises come to pass; the Kingdom of God is where God rules. We pray; Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth (6:10). When God's Kingdom comes on Earth, it is as it is in Heaven. Is there any sickness in Heaven? Are there any demon-possessed people in Heaven? Is there anybody lacking in Heaven? The provision of God's Kingdom is total and complete in this earth, and we want to enter into it because that's where all of God's provision is. (Eph.1:3) Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly [places] in Christ. He's blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ.   As we enter into Christ, we have all these spiritual blessings that God has in His Heavenly Kingdom. He is gathering up His disciples, with whom He is going to walk, and send them forth into a much broader path than He could walk in. They, in turn, were going to raise up disciples who were going to do the same thing in a geometric progression that was going to bring a great revival. This is a type and shadow of the Man-child ministry that's coming, in whom Jesus is come to be manifested. Jesus raised up disciples in whom He was manifested here, and the same thing is going to happen in our day. Disciples are going to be raised up as forefathers to the Church of our day, except there will be many more because the Man-child is not an individual, but a corporate body.  It goes on to say, And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom (Mat.4:23). So He preached repentance, and then He preached the Gospel of the Kingdom. What is the Gospel of the Kingdom? Gospel means “Good News,” the Good News of the Kingdom. The Good News is that you can enter into God's Kingdom on Earth through repentance and faith. Well, God's Kingdom is where God rules in your life, and this is the Good News, that you can walk in obedience to God; you can walk in the Kingdom of God, under the leadership and rulership of God. The reason we know that you can do this now is because of what Jesus did at the cross. He made reconciliation: He took your sinful life and nailed it on that cross, and He gave up His Life. Do you believe it? Do you believe that He sanctified you on that cross? That He washed you on that cross? That He delivered you from sin on that cross? The Bible says in Romans 6:18 that He made you free from sin. He delivered you.   See, here is the great light that is going to come. Most of the Church believes that the only opportunity you have is forgiveness from God, and that is the beginning, but that is not the great revelation that God's people are going to get. They already know that. The great revelation is that the Bible is actually true. Jesus actually did deliver you from your sin; He actually did heal your body; He actually did deliver you from the curse; He actually did deliver you out of the power of darkness. Hallelujah! He did this. This is going to come as a sudden shock to a lot of people, but the Gospel is actually true; it's not just a nice saying, but it's actually true.  I want to backup a little here. (Mat.4:16) The people that sat in darkness Saw a great light (He was talking about His people), and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, To them did light spring up. He's referring to walking in the light, which was what Jesus was about to show them. He was about to show them that they can walk in the light and be delivered of their sin, washed of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7-9). This is the Good News that most of the Church has never heard. Oh, they have heard the Gospel, but they didn't realize it was really true. They never had any faith, only mental assent. Folks, He is talking about the nature of sin, about delivering you out of the power of darkness. It does not have any power over you. That is an awesome revelation that's going to come to the Church through the raising up of this Man-child ministry and disciples who walk in the steps of Jesus Christ.  Then Jesus went out to demonstrate this by “preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and healing all manner of disease.” Most of the Church does not understand that you have a right to healing, that you are not under the curse because you are a new creation. They don't understand that old things have passed away and all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). They don't understand that you have been delivered of sin (Romans 8:2) and God accounts you righteous through your faith in Him (Romans 4:3), your faith in what the Bible says. It needs to be real faith. This is the light, the sudden revelation that a lot of the Church is going to get and that some of you have already received.   (Mat.4:23) And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people. (24) And the report of him went forth into all Syria: and they brought unto him all that were sick, holden with divers diseases and torments, possessed with demons, and epileptic, and palsied; and he healed them. (25) And there followed him great multitudes from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judaea and [from] beyond the Jordan. He was demonstrating the Gospel that these people were not guilty anymore, demonstrating that God was forgiving them by healing them and delivering them of every curse that came upon them. Those curses came because of their disobedience to God and also because of the sin they inherited when they were born. They were born into sin. Some people say, “Well, God made me this way.” What does that have to do with anything? You were born in sin, you came into this world with the nature of sin, and so you say, “Because I was born this way, I'm supposed to keep it”? That will not float, folks. In the Kingdom of Heaven, you need to repent of this.  Let's read more of how Jesus demonstrated the Gospel. (Mat.8:16) And when even was come, they brought unto him many possessed with demons: and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick: (17) that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases. He carried His disciples with Him and demonstrated to them how to minister and administer this Gospel of the Kingdom. Everyone who repented and believed could have these gifts because they were no longer under the curse, as they were no longer under sin. That's the Great News of the Kingdom. God not only forgave them, He washed and cleansed them, He healed them, He delivered them, and He took away every other form of the curse. It was just like the Passover. The Passover was the Death Angel, the Destroyer, passing over them because they actually had the blood upon the doorpost (Exodus 12:23). How do you get the blood upon your doorpost? The Bible is pretty plain about that. (1Jn.1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. The blood of Jesus cleanses us of all sin. Walk in the light. You take those steps in the light because of repentance and God will wash you, cleanse you and deliver you.  We see here something that is going to be fulfilled in our day on a much larger scale. The Man-child ministry is going to go forth to deliver, heal, bless, and demonstrate the Gospel. Not only that, there will be the saving of souls who are in bondage to sin, which many of you have experienced, but many more are going to experience that. Do you know how we know this is going to be repeated? Because this was a repetition in itself; this had happened before. You ask, “When did it ever happen before?” Well, go back and look in the Old Testament because in Hebrews 3, the author compared Moses' house and Christ's house. There is a comparison because Moses was the Man-child in his day and he did the exact same thing that Jesus did, even bringing the same Gospel.   Let me show you how we can see that. I know that it's in the types and shadows, but when it's pointed out to you, you can see it. For instance, when Jesus was anointed, the Bible tells us that He was given the throne of David, His father (Luke 1:32). Jesus was to rule over Israel, and His anointing was compared with the anointing that David had to rule over Israel. That is what's happening to Moses here. (Exo.3:1) Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro (whose name means “His excellence”), his father-in-law … Why is Moses' father-in-law called “His excellence”? Because his father-in-law was also the Father of the Bride. Is that not still true today? Exactly so. Moses was keeping the flock. Remember, David was keeping the flock before he was anointed to be king. Moses was doing the same thing.  (Exo.3:1) Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb. (2) And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned … Moses saw this sight and wanted to go investigate and when he did, he stepped onto holy ground, meaning he became holy. The Lord told him to take his shoes off, that he was standing on holy ground, and Moses did not want to be separated from holiness (Exodus 3:5). He was holy before God, and this is where he got his ordination to lead his people out of bondage in Egypt. As a matter of fact, the Lord said, And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land (Exo.3:8). “I am come down.” Is that not what the Lord said in Hosea 6:2-3? He said there that He would come as the latter rain on the morning of the third day, and that's exactly what's going to happen. The Lord is coming down to deliver His people out of bondage in Egypt, which is a representation of the world.  (Exo.3:16) Go, and gather the elders of Israel … That's the first thing the Lord told Moses to do, the same thing Jesus did. He gathered the elders of Israel. Who was Israel? Israel was Jacob and Jacob raised up 12 patriarchs, which is exactly what Jesus raised up, 12 patriarchs. So there you have it. It's a perfect parallel here. “Go and gather the elders of Israel.” Why? It's because they were to walk with Moses, just like those elders walked with Jesus. The Gospel had to be demonstrated; the power of God was demonstrated to them. They were to walk in the same path.   (Exo.3:16) Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, the Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, hath appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and [seen] that which is done to you in Egypt: (17) and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt … There it is. He's going to deliver them from the curse of Egypt, the affliction of Egypt. He had said, “I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.” Who are the Egyptians? The Egyptians are the old man, the old flesh, the bondage to the flesh. What He's saying is, “Look, I'm going to deliver you from the god of this world (that is, the old man, the flesh), and I'm going to deliver you from the curse because you've been obeying them both.” That is the Gospel of the Kingdom, which is what Jesus was preaching.  (Exo.3:17) And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. These were the “ites” that represented the old man, the same thing the Egyptian represented, which was the one who had brought them into bondage. You are not supposed to be in bondage to your flesh anymore. The Lord has already delivered you at the cross; it has already been done. He has already accomplished it. That's the Good News of the Kingdom. Why is God bringing them into the Promised Land? He's doing it in order to put to death those people who were ruling in the land. The Israelite was to rule in the land, not these people. He brought the Israelites in there for the purpose of putting them to death. Most Christians today want to live with the old man, but when Israel did that and let the enemies stay in the land, they became thorns in their side for the rest of their life. So the Jews did not inherit all of the land the Lord gave them, and they lived under a curse, under warfare, because they did not obey God. He said, “You take up your sword and go in there. I will be with you. You put them to death and take their house to live in and raise up your crop, your fruit in that land” (Deuteronomy 7). That's the Gospel.  (Exo.3:18) And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us (As if He had not been there all along! Actually, He came down in a much mightier way than He had ever done in the 400-odd years that they had been in bondage, and that's how He is about to come today. He's about to come in a more powerful way than any of us have ever experienced, for the purpose of delivering His people out of Egypt and out from under the god of this world.): and now let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. They had to serve God in the wilderness. Moses was taking the elders of Israel with him at this time, just as Jesus was, and demonstrating unto them the Gospel.  Here is the gathering of the elders again. (Exo.4:29) And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. When Jesus gathered the elders, He was not gathering together the apostates. He started all over, which is what He is going to do this time as well. He is not going to the apostates, but He will start all over with some new, humble people who did not go to Bible school. He is going to raise them up. Paul is one of those who obviously went to Bible school, but He had to prove that He could do it, and He did. But what is represented by Moses and Aaron here? We're looking at a parallel of what Jesus did and now we see Moses and Aaron, but it had said earlier, And thou (Moses) shalt speak unto him (Aaron), and put the words in his mouth (Exo.4:15). Moses was to put the words in Aaron's mouth? That's a little like what the Lord does to us, which is what He's about to say. (Exo.4:15) … And I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. (16) And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people; and it shall come to pass, that he shall be to thee a mouth, and thou shalt be to him as God.   Interesting. He is likening Moses to God, like Jesus was to God. Now let me say, if a Man-child comes in our day, Who is it Who is going to be with him, putting words in his mouth? Jesus, Who is God! Moses is being used of God, and Aaron is being used as his prophet to speak his words, to do his work, and to take the staff that he did to do the miracles. In this case, we're seeing Aaron as the Man-child and Moses as Jesus in the Man-child or behind the Man-child to do the works. (Exo.4:29) And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel (This is much like Jesus did; His Father God was in Him doing the works. Jesus was the spokesman, the mouthpiece; He gathered together His disciples and did the miracles, and Aaron is doing the same thing here.): (Exo.4:30) and Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. So it was Aaron speaking the words and doing the works, just like Jesus did.  “Aaron” means “bright” or “illumined.” He represents the glory of God shining out of a person, like this says: (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. There are three glories: star glory, moon glory, and sun glory (1 Corinthians 15:40-41). It gets brighter and brighter and brighter. This is the shining forth of God in His people. He is coming in “Aaron,” His first-fruits. Jesus was called the first-fruits (1 Corinthians 15:20), and there is a first-fruits in our day. David also represented the first-fruits and Joseph, as well. It is not the only fruits, just the first-fruits. He is planning on doing this with His whole Body. (Exo.4:31) And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped. This was a monumental time in their history because they were about to be delivered out of bondage to the old man, the Egyptian, Pharaoh, the god of this world, and to the curse they were under because they were serving them.  (Exo.5:4) And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, loose the people from their works? … Some people think you have to put up with your “works” the rest of your life, that there is nothing you can do about it because you're always going to be a “sinner saved by grace.” That is an anti-Christ gospel. They were setting the people free from their works, from their service to the old man and to the devil, who is the god of this world that ruled over them, like Pharaoh did. They were being set free and the devil did not like it. “Get you unto your burdens.” In other words, “Get back under the heavy weight of your burden.” (Exo.5:5) And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. This is what the Lord brought us out of bondage for, to enter into His rest and to cease from our own works, the works of the flesh. We do not serve the flesh anymore. We serve the spiritual man now. This is the Gospel of the Kingdom, and it sets people free. Even the devil had to admit that they were setting them free from their works.  (Exo.6:9) And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses … You cannot set someone free unless they believe the Gospel of the Kingdom. Moses came there to set the Israelites free. God ordained him on Mount Horeb, representing the Kingdom of God, to go and bring them out of bondage and take them to that mountain, too, but they had to believe him first because the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth (Rom.1:16). (Exo.6:9) … But they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. God had to do a work in them before they could actually receive this light of the knowledge of the Kingdom. (Exo.6:10) And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, (11) Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt … The word “Pharaoh” means “temple of the sun.” He was God to the Egyptians. They believed he was divinity, believed that he was the sun god. Pharaoh was not the Son of God and not even a close facsimile to the Son of God, but he was usurping God's position over the people of God.  The devil does that today. He usurps the position of the Son of God over the people of God, and they do not know that the one they're serving is the devil. They don't know that they're serving the old man that serves the devil, which is the Egyptian. We know that the Egyptian represents the old man because when the Israelites went through the Red Sea, Paul called it a “baptism.” In the baptism, the old man died in the Red Sea, and the Israelite came up on the other side; the new man, the spiritual man came up out of the water. The carnal man died and the spiritual man was made alive, so we know this parable is true. (Exo.6:11) Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. Do you suppose this Man-child is going to have this same authority to tell the devil to set God's people free? Well, Jesus was doing it. He commanded the devil to loose them; He commanded the sickness to come out of them; He delivered their mind from the fogginess of their fallen state. And, yes, this is what not only the Man-child but the witnesses and the elders who are raised up by the Man-child are going to do. They're going to have the authority to say, “Turn them loose, devil,” and it's going to happen.  (Exo.6:12) And Moses spake before the Lord, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips? Does the devil have to listen to you when you tell him to turn people loose if they do not believe? No. When you preach the Gospel and they believe it, only then do you have the authority to say, “Turn them loose, devil.” This is exactly what Moses complained of. He was saying, “Hey, they don't believe me yet, so why would Pharaoh listen?” (Exo.6:13) And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. That was their ordination, their command from God, Who said, “Bring them out.   You have the authority to do this.” Jesus had the same authority, by the Isaiah 61 anointing, which Luke 4:18 also speaks about. (Isa.61:1) The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening [of the prison] to them that are bound. Who were they bound to? They were in bondage to their old man, in bondage to the devil, and they were living under the curse. Jesus took care of all three and that was all involved in the Gospel of the Kingdom. Now we know that Moses, too, was dealing with the Gospel of the Kingdom and trying to get those people to believe what he said. Praise the Lord!  (Exo.12:21) Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel (I'd like to point out to you that these elders were with him exactly as the disciples of Jesus, all the time, and he was demonstrating to them the Gospel. Actually, here is the Gospel in a nutshell.), and said unto them, Draw out, and take you lambs according to your families, and kill the passover. We're told that they had to eat all of the lamb (Exodus 12:8-10) and that the blood was to be put on the doorposts (Exodus 12:7), so that the Death Angel, the Destroyer, would pass over them and smite the Egyptians (Exodus 12:13). Jesus said, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves (Joh.6:53). Most of the Church is refusing to eat the body and drink the blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible says, The life of the flesh is in the blood (Lev.17:11). They are refusing the life of Christ through unbelief. Moses is not able to exercise any authority over Pharaoh because of their unbelief. Jesus was the bread Who came down out of Heaven (John 6:51) that gives life to the world, and that was His Body, the Word of God.  We are also told this: (Exo.12:15) Seven days (that is the last seven “days”) shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses (This is the house that we live in. There shall be no leaven, no polluting the pure Word of God.): for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. This is a dire warning to God's people that during the Tribulation period, you cannot continue onward believing the doctrine of these apostate religions. (Mar.8:15) … Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod, too, because there are many who are worshipping the government. They're worshipping their country, their nation; they're pledging allegiance to a wicked, worldly nation. This is not to say that you aren't supposed to submit to them in every way, except when God tells you to do otherwise. Your allegiance is to the Lord, and you will bow to no one else. We see here that Moses was leading them to partake of the body and blood of Christ, and this was causing a Passover so that they did not have to live under the curse. Praise be to God!  (Exo.12:29) And it came to pass at midnight, that the Lord smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first-born of cattle. (30) And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. In every house there was one dead. So if we are the house, there has to be one dead, and that's the old man. He is the firstborn of Egypt, born of the flesh, born of the world. He is dead and we know that he is dead, and we are free because of what Jesus did at the cross because we were crucified with Christ. The Lamb was slain here, but the Bible says, we were crucified with Christ and it is no longer we who live, but it is Christ Who lives in us (Galatians 2:20). That is the new man and that is how faith in the Gospel works. We continue to believe what the Bible says, that, “Yes, this old man is dead. He was put to death, so I don't have to serve him anymore because he is dead, and he was crucified with Christ. Now the new man lives and rules in me.” That new man is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col.1:27). We behold with unveiled face as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, and are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit (2Co.3:18). Like Aaron, who was the “brilliance,” the shining forth of the Lord in him, so the people of God will be.  (Exo.12:31) And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said. Pharaoh finally gave up, and the devil is going to turn God's people loose. The god of this world, the sun god, the one who imitates the Lord and usurps His authority over God's people, is going to turn them loose, is going to obey the command of Moses. When does that happen? It happens when they, “the people,” believe they're no longer in bondage to Satan because the Gospel, the Good News of the Kingdom, is the power of God to save the one who believes. It's the power to save them from the old man, from the devil, and from the curse. You will be delivered of those three things when you believe and continue to walk in the faith of the Gospel that sets free.  (Exo.17:5) And the Lord said unto Moses, Pass on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thy hand, and go. (6) Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. Here, Moses was still demonstrating the power of God's provision for God's people. Jesus multiplied the fishes and the loaves, and here Moses was still demonstrating it with the authority and the power of God to the elders and the people. (Exo.18:12) And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God. Praise the Lord!   This is, once again, Jesus raising up His elders and the Man-child in our day, raising up the elders to be free from the bondage of Satan and free from the bondage of the flesh. The harvest started getting bigger and bigger, and more and more people started coming into the Kingdom, just as it was also said about Jesus. (Exo.24:1) And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off: (2) and Moses alone shall come near unto the Lord; but they shall not come near; neither shall the people go up with him. As you know, Moses went up on the mountain and was caught up unto the throne of God. This is the first mention of the 70 elders. He had already mentioned them, but now He refers to them as the “seventy.”  We have already discussed Jesus raising up the elders, but He also raised up the 70. (Luk.10:1) Now after these things the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself was about to come. (2) And he said unto them, The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest. Obviously, the 12 were not enough. This was a great revival for many hungry people; there was a need. Even with Moses, his father-in-law Jethro had said, “You're going to kill yourself trying to serve all the people by yourself” (Exodus 18:14-18). Then Jethro gave Moses the wisdom from God to raise up elders unto the people to judge them, meet their needs, and so on (Exodus 18:19-26).   Jesus said, Go your ways; behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves (Luk.10:3). (4) Carry no purse, no wallet, no shoes; and salute no man on the way. (5) And into whatsoever house ye shall enter, first say, Peace be to this house. (6) And if a son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him: but if not, it shall turn to you again. (7) And in that same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. (8) And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: (9) and heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. The Kingdom of God is where people are healed, delivered, prospered, blessed, delivered from sin, etc.  (Luk.10:10) But into whatsoever city ye shall enter, and they receive you not, go out into the streets thereof and say, (11) Even the dust from your city, that cleaveth to our feet, we wipe off against you: nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh. That is judgment; He brought judgment. These people brought judgment upon the ones who refused the Gospel. They cleaned their shoes off as a judgment against them. Don't believe that God did not do something about that because He goes on, (Luk.10:12) I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. (13) Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. (14) But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment, than for you.  God bless you, saints! Just remember, the Good News of the Gospel of the Kingdom is about to be preached with mighty power, and a great revival is going to go forth from it. God bless you! 

Feeling burnt out by client emotions in custom home building or struggling to navigate seasonal lulls and unexpected crises? John Seaman of JC Property Professionals joins Taylor to share his incredible journey from funding dirt bike habits with side jobs, through the demanding world of custom home building, to ultimately dominating complex dirt work and site development in North Carolina. Discover how he pivoted his business, built resilience, and learned to thrive by tackling the jobs others couldn't.  Learn John's strategies for managing difficult projects on extreme terrain, diversifying revenue streams through strategic real estate development, and maintaining a strong company culture amidst high-stress situations. He offers a raw, firsthand account of leading his team through the chaos and devastation following Hurricane Helene – tackling logistical nightmares, unique billing challenges (insurance vs. private pay vs. FEMA), and the very human side of disaster recovery. Plus, gain crucial insights into the power of building your personal brand alongside your business brand in the trades. 

Good morning, church family! Today, in our Sunday School Superheroes series, we explore John the Baptist—a bold, unconventional prophet who prepared the way for Jesus.Born for This – Even before his birth, John was set apart for God's purpose (Luke 1:13-15). Like John, we are created on purpose and for a purpose (Ephesians 2:10).A Big Voice in a Declining Culture – John fearlessly called people to repentance (Matthew 3:2), even challenging religious leaders and King Herod. His voice pointed to truth, just as we're called to speak boldly yet with grace (Romans 1:16)."Get Ready!" – John's ministry prepared hearts for Jesus. True repentance leads to real life change (Acts 3:19). Today, we too must examine our hearts and prepare for Christ's return.Jesus: The Ultimate Hero – John pointed to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away sin. His mission was to decrease so Christ could increase (John 3:30).Let's embrace our purpose, speak truth, and point others to Jesus. If you need to surrender your life to Him today, don't wait—He's calling you now!

Jesus Is The Way – Humility To Glory (4) (audio) David Eells – 3/23/25 I'd like to start today with the Beatitudes because they speak to a great extent about who it is that God blesses. (Mat.5:1) And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain: and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him: (2) and he opened his mouth and taught them… Well, no man is our Example. Our Example is the Lord Jesus Christ, and it doesn't take very much study to discover that Christianity has put more emphasis upon its traditions than upon the Example that's given us in the Scriptures.    When I started to look in the Scriptures for the examples I was seeing in Christianity, what the preachers and the religions were following, I discovered very quickly that I just couldn't find them. For instance, we read, “When he had sat down, his disciples came unto him, and he opened his mouth and he taught them.” Jesus never spoke from a pulpit, yet that's become an institution in Christian churches these days. So after the Lord showed me this and I was invited to a church to speak, I just pulled up a chair in front of the congregation, sat down, and began to share with them. Well, that shocked some of them and they looked at me as if they'd never seen such a thing, but others seemed to enjoy the freedom of less formality, possibly because they thought it was more Biblical. The truth is that nowhere in the Scriptures do we see an example of the mourner's bench, the altar, or the taking up of collections at every meeting (Oh, I'm probably getting in trouble with some of you now!) or even wearing suits. Many people think you're just not holy unless you wear a suit, but Jesus didn't have one. I thank God I broke that tradition. I hate suits with a passion, though I have been weak to the weak and worn a suit to preach, but I don't like it. So we have to be free to do this too. Jesus commonly, all through the Gospels, just sat down and taught. He didn't get red in the face and unnecessarily loud and prance up and down to emulate the “anointing” like some “Hollywood” preacher. And woe be unto you if you are in the front row: they can spray spittle all over you. Jesus was just a quiet teacher with no theatrics. But the anointing isn't in any of that; the anointing is on the Truth, and here it says Jesus sat down and He gave the Sermon on the Mount. All through the Scriptures He sat down and taught them (Matthew 5:1, 24:3, 26:55; etc.) When the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people came to take Jesus in the middle of the night, (Mat.26:55) In that hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a robber with swords and staves to seize me? I sat daily in the temple teaching, and ye took me not. And He never used a pulpit, and He never wore a “suit.” So how did these things come to be so important? It reminds me of when Jesus said in (Mat.23:23) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone. (24) Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel! Things that really aren't important seem to be very important to religious people just as it was in Jesus' time. We need freedom from all that law of traditions to just follow the Lord as He also showed. We need to get back to the Example Jesus gave us. (Mat.5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. When I read this, I asked, “Lord, now what does ‘the poor in spirit' mean? I need You to explain this to me.” Of course, one thing we know it means, follow the example Jesus gave us. He is the Example of someone Who is poor in spirit. He is our Pattern to copy (1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 2:5,3:17; etc.) because there is something about the spirit of the poor that God wants in all of His people. Let's examine a few scriptures and see what this “something” is. (Php.2:5) Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped (That's the Greek word harpagmós (Meaning to hold on to His original position.), (7) but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. Now Jesus said the Gentiles love to lord it over one another (Matthew 20:25; Luke 22:25; etc.). However, it shouldn't be so in the Church, as said in (Mat.20:26) Not so shall it be among you: but whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister; (27) and whosoever would be first among you shall be your servant: (28) even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. So the greatest “among you shall be your servant,” but men love positions of authority, places of esteem, and the respect of the multitudes. And when they come into the Kingdom, they think they need to climb the corporate ladder just like they do in the world and seize the prize of a prestigious church role. Well, a prestigious church role is the very opposite of what the worldly mind thinks it is. My good friend, Bolivar, once shared a dream with me in which he was searching everywhere for the Lord, like the Shulamite searching for where the Lord taught His sheep in (Song of Solomon 1:7,3:1-3,5:6). And so Bolivar went into this skyscraper, thinking, “Surely Jesus is on the top floor and teaching His disciples in the penthouse” because, of course, that would be a suitable location for royalty according to the way a lot of church people think. They believe that it takes a fancy building to really honor God, but buildings never impressed Jesus, did they (Luke 21:5-6)? Anyway, Bolivar got in the elevator, went up to the penthouse, and opened the door, but when he went inside and looked all around, he didn't see Jesus anywhere. Well, the penthouse window was open and suddenly a dragon came flying in through the window. It was the devil, and Bolivar quickly jumped back into the elevator. He went down to the basement and there was Jesus, sitting in those very humble surroundings and teaching His disciples, just as He always did throughout the Scriptures. Jesus preferred humble surroundings, and He preferred the company of those who were poor in spirit. As Jesus told us in (Mat.23:10) Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, [even] the Christ. (11) But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. (12) And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted. The Lord loves a humble people who are not exalting themselves, not putting themselves before God, not putting themselves over and above God.    Mark speaks about that in (Mar.9:35) And he sat down (There it is again.), and called the twelve; and he saith unto them, If any man would be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all. (36) And he took a little child, and set him in the midst of them: and taking him in his arms, he said unto them, (37) Whosoever shall receive one of such little children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever receiveth me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. A child is humble, and someone who is willing to be the least important and very comfortable to just be a child in the midst of people who are larger and more mature. Jesus said, “That's what I'm like,” and it should be that way among us, too. When Jesus washed the disciples' feet, He was very comfortable about it but Peter thought, “No, this is beneath Jesus,” and he said, “Lord, not so! You're not going to wash my feet.” And Jesus answered, “If I don't wash your feet, I don't have any part in you,” obviously meaning sanctification by cleaning up our walk in this world (John 13:8). Jesus became a Servant, and He commanded us to have that same mind. (Php.2:5) Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped (Meaning to hold on to His original position.), (7) but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; (8) and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient [even] unto death, yea, the death of the cross. (As He also said we are to do.) (9) Wherefore also God highly exalted him. Praise God! If we have this same mind, then we are here to be a servant to God's people, not a ruler over them. For people who are running after the Lord with all their heart, God may open the door and give them a position, but we don't first the positions in the church. Those people who lust after a position are not qualified. The promises in the Word are made to the poor, who are used as a type and shadow all through the Scriptures. The Old Testament speaks much of the poor, especially in the Psalms, and if we see the spiritual revelation as a parable of those who are poor in spirit in the Church, then we can better understand what that means. (Mat.5:3) Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The poor in spirit are always dependent on God, and in need of God's provisions but feel it important to serve others. The poor are always humble. They consider others to be more important than themselves. As we saw, Jesus wasn't trying to cling to His omnipotence and kingly position in heaven. (2Co.8:9) For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor… He laid all of that aside for our sakes. He came down to become a servant and He tells us this is what our mindset must be. Each of us has to become a servant. We have to be willing to be the lowest, the very least, because the servant of all is the greatest among you, as Jesus said (Matthew 20:26;23:11; Mark 9:35; etc.) (2Co.8:9) For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might become rich. (The Bible calls it “poverty,” although some people say Jesus was rich because of His seamless garment. What silliness can you get out of that? The Bible says He was poor.) (10) And herein I give [my] judgment: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to make a beginning a year ago, not only to do, but also to will. In other words, He is commanding us here to walk in His Steps in (1 John 2:6). You can't abide in Christ unless you walk in His Steps. I once had a pastor ask me, “David, would you say that poverty is a curse?” And I said to him, “Well, it's definitely listed there among the curses in Deuteronomy 28. But here's the way I see it: forced poverty is a curse because you're brought under its dominion. You don't have any choice. However, we see in the example of Jesus and the example of His disciples, that they willingly took up a position of poverty because they didn't want to be distracted by the world, the things of the world, nor the love of the world.” As you know, in times of prosperity is when the Church goes through its greatest trials. If you can't destroy the Church by temptation, all you need to do is bring them into prosperity and peace and, pretty soon, they're just as lukewarm as they can be. History has proven this. Bring them into trouble, the true Church grows up, the tares are separated, and you have a holy body. Bring them into peace and prosperity, and that's the best way to corrupt them. The devil knows that. Jesus wasn't tempted with all those things that tempt most people. (1Ti.6:9) But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition. … (11) But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Jesus didn't have to “flee these things” because He never wanted them in the first place, nor did His disciples love the world or have any use for the things of the world. They wanted to be servants of God, and they were because they served the people of God everywhere they went. They didn't rule over them; they served them, and the Lord Jesus says that that's exactly what He did so that we, through His poverty, might become rich. No, not rich in the things of the world but rich in the things of the Kingdom, rich in the fruit of God, rich in the righteousness that the Lord gives. He tells us very plainly there that He wants us to walk in that same fruit and become servants to God's people. If we will do that, God will promote us to positions in His Kingdom, although they won't look like the positions of the worldly church or the leadership of the worldly church. He will promote us in His Kingdom. He will give us authority. The Lord said in (Rev.2:26) And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations. Authority doesn't come from a certificate and it doesn't come from going to a Bible school. Authority comes from overcoming, and that means we have to be tried and proven to hold God, the Word and the Kingdom first. We all have to be tried, and one way that we're being tried is, “Are we going to walk in the Steps of Jesus?” Are we going to be humble servants, as He was a Servant? Are we going to be poor in spirit, as He was poor in spirit? (Mat.8:20) And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven [have] nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. Sounds like Jesus was really poor! He didn't even have His own donkey (Matthew 21:2-3; Mark 11:1-7; etc.) but, although Jesus wasn't rich in the things of the world, He wasn't poor in the blessings of the Kingdom. Everywhere He went His needs were always met because He was a man of faith, but He didn't need what He didn't need. He wasn't competitive. He took all of His pleasure in serving God's people and had no greed for material things that would only distract Him from doing that. He was poor in spirit, and He's called us to be poor in spirit. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Let's look at a parable about Jesus and His poverty that's hidden in Ecclesiastes. (Ecc.4:13) Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more. Jesus lived as a poor and wise youth and yet He was and is truly the King of this world. He was truly a king and He was truly anointed to be King, just like David was anointed to be king. Before Jesus started His ministry, He was anointed, like the kings in the Old Testament were anointed in a type (1 Samuel 16:13; 1 Chronicles 14:8; Psalm 89:20; etc.). Jesus was the real King of this world, yet look at how He lived His Life. The King of kings was Someone Who sought to serve people. But look at King Herod, who was much older, a very foolish king, with all the accouterments of a prosperous life. He had anything he wanted. He had total authority, which is very dangerous to put in anybody's hands because they'll just bring themselves straight to hell with it. You can't give authority to a carnal man, even in the Church, because ultimately, they'll bring judgment upon themselves and others. And we read, “Better is a poor and wise youth.” The Sanhedrin and those Pharisees, the leaders of the people, most of them were older than Jesus and considered to be wise men according to their religion. But Jesus was a very young man, only 30 years old, when He started His ministry, and the Bible says He was poor, according to what the world considers “poor,” yet He was very, very rich according to Kingdom thinking. (Ecc.4:14) For out of prison he came forth to be king… In other words, Jesus manifested full Kingdom authority in Heaven after He came out of prison where He was “three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). Here He preached to the spirits in prison.  (1Pe 3:19) in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison…, who were the righteous dead in Sheol. Sheol, the place of the dead, was divided into Abraham's bosom and Hades, or hell as in Jesus' parable of Lazarus and the rich man.  He then led those captive in Abraham's bosom. (Psa 68:18)  Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led away captives. (Act 2:24) whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. (Eph 4:8)  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, And gave gifts unto men.    It was here that He was fully manifested again as omnipotent King over all creation.   Of course, we can also see Joseph here as a type of Jesus, because Joseph also came out of prison and became king (Genesis 41:14,38-44), which is also Jesus in the Man-child's ministry in the end time. [I want to note here; that history always repeats on a larger scale, as it says in Ecclesiastes. (Ecc.1:9) That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. (10) Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been long ago, in the ages which were before us. For example, Jesus first came in an individual body, but in the New Testament He is coming in a corporate body of believers called the Body of Christ, (Col.1:29) … Christ in you the hope of glory. The Man-child of Revelation 12 is a body of first-fruits apostolic reformers in whom Jesus lives by His Word and Spirit, that will be worldwide in raising up the Church as Jesus did, but beyond its former glory. All of the entities in Revelation are bodies of people who cover the earth: the Woman, the Harlot, the Dragon, the Beast, the Witnesses, and the False Prophet. In the Old Testament, Israel was the first Church, meaning the “called-out ones.” They were a tiny nation but in the New Testament Church, the circumcised in heart are worldwide and will be brought to their spiritual cross to manifest Jesus. In our book, Hidden Manna for the End Times, all of this is proven with scripture. This book is available on our site in PDF at ubm1.org/book.] Continuing in (Ecc.4:14) For out of prison he came forth to be king; yea, even in his kingdom he was born poor. Why didn't God choose better than what Jesus received when He came into this world? Joseph and Mary had to lay Him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn (Luke 2:7). You would think God would have provided better for Jesus if He were a prosperity-minded God, but, no. The Lord wanted Him to be a Servant. He wanted to liken Him to humble people. He wanted Him to be an Example of the kind of King He was sending. Naturally, the prosperity folks of that day didn't expect a humble servant. They expected a king to come and rule over the Romans. They wanted a king like that “old and foolish king,” King Herod, somebody who would give them authority over the Romans, and the Pharisees of today are still looking for somebody who has that kind of authority. They attempt this through politics. They try to find positions there that give them authority over the world, and they exercise worldly authority in their organizations like the Pharisees did. However, Jesus' authority came because people willingly submitted to Him for their own good. That's the kind of authority He had, which was quite contrary to that of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Continuing in (Ecc.4:15) I saw all the living that walk under the sun (That's both a play on words and a parable because all the living do walk under the Son.), that they were with the youth (Jesus), the second, that stood up in his stead (Jesus in the world wide Man-child reformers that are standing up in this day.). They are going to be born of the woman in travail in our day. Joh 16:16  A little while, and ye behold me  no more (Jesus) ; and again a little while, and ye shall see me (In the Man-child reformers) . …19  Jesus perceived that they were desirous to ask him, and he said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, A little while, and ye behold me not, and again a little while, and ye shall see me? 20  Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament (At the loss of Jesus), but the world shall rejoice: ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world. Notice that after the death of Jesus, He will be seen again as a man-child born to a woman Church. Then He confirms this. 22  And ye therefore now have sorrow (At His death): but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you. This is the repeat of history that must come as we showed. Rev 12:1  And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun… 2  and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered. …5  And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. This throne is the throne of David, which is authority over the house of New Testament Israel, the grafted in Church. We will be able to recognize these people because their ministry in our day will be in the likeness of Jesus' ministry and greater works shall they do as He said. They're going to be greatly used of God but it's the King of kings Who's inside them that does the work. It's not the flesh that He lives in; it's (Col.1:27) … Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the One Who is coming to rule. This will confirm what I have said to you. Continuing in (Ecc.4:16) There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind. Isn't it true? Many of the so-called “people of God” are not celebrating and rejoicing in the real Jesus, the true Jesus. They have quite a different “Jesus,” one that's in agreement with the lifestyle they desire to live. These people are not humble and poor servants who are willing to give up their lives in order to serve God. They're too busy competing with the world and striving after material possessions, unlike Jesus Who willingly gave up the blessings that He had and could have had. As eloquent a speaker as He was and able to reach out and touch people, Jesus could have done what many other “kings” have done and are doing in our day. He could have built an awesome kingdom. He could have had the nicest church in town. Of course, none of those unbelieving Pharisees or Sadducees would have set foot in there, but the multitudes liked to listen to Him. He spoke as one that had authority (Matthew 7:29; Mark 1:22; Luke 2:47). If He got down on their level so they could understand the teachings (Matthew 13:34-35; Mark 4:34; John 10:6; etc.), He could have filled churches and He could have accepted what the devil offered Him. The devil offered Him authority over all the kingdoms of the world and He turned it all down (Matthew 4:8-11; Luke 4:1-8) Not only did Jesus come as a humble Servant, but those are the only people He really came to talk to. (Luk.4:18) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me (There's His anointing.), Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor… If we want to be blessed, then we need to be among those who are poor in spirit. The poor in spirit can receive Jesus' Words. They're not offended by the kind of Jesus that offended the Pharisees and Sadducees. He was quite a different Jesus, and He is quite a different Jesus than is being preached nowadays. He is going to have a people who recognize Him and walk in His Steps (1 John 2:6). They are going to manifest His Life. He is going to live in them. Oh, glory be to God! This is the really Good News! Let's look at an example of how the Lord describes those who are poor in spirit. (Isa.41:8) But thou, Israel, my servant (The poor in spirit are servants of the Lord and He will bless them.), Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend, … (10) Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. He's giving all these blessings to the poor in spirit. He's assuring and comforting those people who are His servants, but are we really His servants? Are we really poor in spirit so that we will hear and obey His Words? (Isa.41:14) Fear not, thou worm Jacob … Now He's likening the poor in spirit to worms, and we know a worm is about as low as you can get, but remember Jesus said the very least among you will be the greatest (Matthew 20:26,23:11; etc.) A worm is also a very weak creature but, as Paul said, God's power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9) and we shouldn't make any bones about it. “Lord, we're weak. We're lowly. We know we can't do it, but You can do it through us as we believe You.” (Isa.41:14) Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel (A type of the Church); I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. (15) Behold, I have made thee [to be] a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. (16) Thou shalt winnow them (The only way a “worm” can do all this is by the grace of God.), and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, thou shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel. (17) The poor and needy seek water (This is still talking about these “worms” here, who are being blessed by the Lord.), and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I, the Lord, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. (18) I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. (19) I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree… Everybody is a “worm” in the wilderness because it is a place of need and weakness where only God can supply through our faith in Him. And whom is He blessing in this wilderness but these “worms,” these very lowly people, the poor and the needy? Are you poor? Are you needy? David said in (Psa.17:15) As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with [beholding] thy form. In other words, “Lord, I won't be satisfied until I awake in Your likeness.” He always felt that he didn't have enough of God, and for those who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness, they feel poor in the things of the Kingdom. They cry out to God and God is there for them; He is a faithful Savior in the things of the Kingdom. However, far too many people are quite satisfied with mere religion. They're just sitting in a pew and waiting for the rapture to happen, thinking they're going to fly away. Other than that, seeking God is the farthest thing from their mind and it's almost a chore for them to fellowship the righteous.  God promises His blessings upon the poor in spirit, for those who are of like mind with Jesus. They have chosen to be servants who serve God with everything that they have. They've put their lives in the Hands of the Lord and God said that He would deliver these people. He said that He would provide for them, richly, everything that they need (Isaiah 41). And apostle Paul repeated that promise to the servants of God in (Php.4:19) … my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Psa.35:10) All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, Who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him (These “worms” are not strong creatures, are they?), Yea, the poor and the needy from him that robbeth him? The Lord is a Deliverer to the poor. He takes the side of the underdog and God's people, in many cases, are in that position, because all those who forsake the world to run after Jesus and be servants are putting themselves in that position. Even if they don't put themselves in that position, God has a way of putting those, who are truly His, into that position. Now, we're headed towards a tribulation in which God's people will be put in a place of weakness, a place of worldly weakness. But God says that He is going to be their Savior and deliver them. With that in mind, who would you rather be? Would you rather be the rich that are crying out for the rocks to fall on them (Revelation 6:16)? Or would you rather be the poor who know they need God? Now I don't mean “materially” poor here, because I know that many people who come into the Kingdom and are financially well-off and use their money to make sure that the needs are met in the Kingdom. They're faithful servants of God Paul said, (1Ti.6:17) Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; (18) that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute (This is eumetádotos meaning “give from a generous attitude”), willing to communicate (The Greek is koinōnikós meaning “ready to impart; beneficent; willing to share.” (19) laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on the life which is [life] indeed. I'm talking here about the poor in spirit. God is going to be their Savior for the very reason that they are weak and their trust is in God. (Psa.12:5) Because of the oppression of the poor, because of the sighing of the needy, Now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in the safety he panteth for. God is going to protect the poor in spirit. In other words, they are blessed in God's deliverance, they are blessed in God's safety in the days to come. (Psa.12:6) The words of the Lord are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, Purified seven times. (7) Thou wilt keep them, O Lord, Thou wilt preserve them from this generation for ever. (He's going to preserve those that are poor in spirit from this wicked generation.) (8) The wicked walk on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men. Oh, aren't we seeing that today? There's corruption and wickedness everywhere. The wicked are taking advantage of others and when they can, if they're in a position to get away with it, they'll persecute and kill them. And it's only going to get worse, but as we see, having that spirit of the poor is a place of safety. After all, who did Jesus say He was going to preach the Gospel to? It was the poor because they could understand much more about the Kingdom. They're much more humble concerning that. When I was young in the Lord, I used to go door-to-door and talk to people about the Lord, and I found that I was much happier going into the poor parts of town because people would listen. In the rich part of town, people didn't want to hear it. I wanted to talk to them about Jesus, but they just wanted to tell me what religion they were. In the poor parts of town, it didn't matter what religion they were; many times they wanted to talk with me. And so, when a group of us divided up to go to different parts of town, I'd pick the poorest part because it was much more fruitful. Let's look at another Psalm. (Psa.107:40) He poureth contempt upon princes, And causeth them to wander in the waste, where there is no way. (41) Yet setteth he the needy on high from affliction (In other words, they are “above affliction,” so whose shoes would you like to be in?), And maketh [him] families like a flock. (42) The upright shall see it, and be glad (Notice the upright respect and favor the poor.); And all iniquity shall stop her mouth. (43) Whoso is wise will give heed to these things; And they will consider the loving kindnesses of the Lord. Those who are wise will think carefully about these things. Don't worry about not being rich in the eyes of the world. Don't worry about not being respected by the world because the world is not supposed to respect you. We need the respect of God, and we're looking here at whom He favors. Wouldn't you rather have the favor of God? (1Sa.2:8) He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill, To make them sit with princes, And inherit the throne of glory: For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, And he hath set the world upon them. (9) He will keep the feet of his holy ones (Oh, glory be to God! He is going to enable them to walk a holy and sanctified walk in the Kingdom.); But the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness… God is going to lift up, He is going to exalt the needy. Praise be to God! He provides for His people! The Lord is going to cause them to inherit the throne of His Kingdom. That's a wonderful blessing! (Psa.68:7) O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, When thou didst march through the wilderness; [Selah] (8) The earth trembled, The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God: Yon Sinai [trembled] at the presence of God, the God of Israel. (9) Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, Thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. (10) Thy congregation dwelt therein: Thou, O God, didst prepare of thy goodness for the poor. We see so many promises concerning the poor, and if we bring them over as a type and shadow into the New Testament, we can see exactly what Jesus is talking about. Again, we're not speaking against the rich who serve the Lord, we're just saying that the spirit the poor have is the one that Jesus is after. He wants all of His people to have such a spirit as that. The Bible says in (Jas.2:5) Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world [to be] rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him? (6) But ye have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats? (7) Do not they blaspheme the honorable name by which ye are called? The poor need to trust in God and walk by faith in God because they have no other choice. They don't have any worldly ability to provide for themselves, so they cry out to the Lord and the Lord always answers them. Next, I want to share a testimony with you from Sister B.H. that exemplifies this. In the fall of 1988, after a tragic and unforeseen event, I found myself alone and responsible to raise my two daughters, ages 2 and 12. I turned to the Lord and He drew closer to me than any human could ever have. In those days of great despair, the Lord became my best friend, husband, a father to my kids, confidant, defender, provider, and comforter. (Isaiah 54:5,6) For thy Maker is thy husband; the Lord of hosts is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is thy Redeemer; the God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even a wife of youth, when she is cast off, saith thy God. With the constant care and direction from the Lord also came many miracles during this time of my life. As finances were very slim, I had to trust God for many of the very basic needs of life and He never failed me. One of the miracles was how God returned my stolen car to me. During this time, my sister-in-law and her two children had moved in with us to help share expenses as she too had found herself alone. We had gone to the grocery store that evening and bought milk, diapers, and a few other necessities. We then went to another store to see if we could find an inexpensive telephone as mine had quit working. We only had $10 left between us, and even though I had never seen a phone sold for that little amount before, I had a feeling we would be able to find one that we could afford. I knew that God said he would supply all our needs and this was a need. My oldest daughter had to babysit the younger children for a little while each day and needed a telephone in case of an emergency. As it happened, the store we went into was no longer going to carry telephones and had them at close-out prices. We were able to get a $50 telephone for $7. (Keep in mind this was in 1988.) While we were leaving the store and praising the Lord for supplying our need again, we looked into the parking lot and could not find my car. It was gone. When the realization hit me that someone had stolen the car, a miracle happened within me that is hard to explain. (Well, didn't God choose them that are poor to the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom?) The best way I can describe it is an unbelievable joy and confidence rose up within me, coming up from out of my belly. Like John 7:38 says: He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. With excited expectation, I knew that I was about to see a miracle. God was going to either bring my car back to me, or He would provide us with another car with milk and food in it. It really didn't matter to me how He did it, we needed a car and we needed the groceries that were in the car. Praise God, we knew it was coming our way.  When the police came, they put the description of the car over the police radio and so officers in the area were looking for the car. The officer that responded to our call allowed us to ride around with him and look for the car for a while. He said he had never met anyone like us before in his life. He had responded to many calls like ours before, stolen vehicles and such, but never had anyone acted the way we were acting. He could see that we were very happy and excited; we told him that we were going to see a miracle. We told him that the car was coming back or God would send us another one with the groceries already in it. He was being very nice and patient with us. He also did not want to discourage us, but he said the chances were very slim we would be able to recover the car. I told him not to worry, that God had it under control. I asked the officer what thieves did with the stolen cars. He said a lot of times they would break them down and sell them out as parts; they also could be used in a robbery before they are torn down. My sister-in-law and I immediately agreed together in prayer that the car belonged to the Lord and could not be used in any crime. I am sure the officer was thinking we were crazy by this time, but he seemed to be enjoying the change from the norm. By this time the car had been missing for over an hour. The store where the car was taken was at the edge of town and at a fork in the road between two highways leading out of town, so the car could have been in the next county and in another town by this time. Then a call came in over the radio saying the car had been found and pulled over just a mile from the store. It was on one of the highways headed back towards the grocery store. It turns out it was a professional car thief with a long record of such crimes. When they were caught, they told the police officer that when they saw the baby car seat in the back seat, they had an overwhelming feeling that they HAD to return the car. Praise God, the car was in perfect shape and the groceries were fine. The milk was as cold as if it just came out of the refrigerator and the police officer knew that he had just witnessed a miracle. Yes, God WILL supply ALL our needs! Well, glory to God! Everything on this earth serves Him, and you can't get anywhere where God can't save you, but He loves to save the poor. He loves to save those who can't fend for themselves and can't take care of themselves. They're at His mercy but they trust in Him. God can, and does, cause faith that He can save them in every situation to rise up in the heart of His people. (Jas.2:5) Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world [to be] rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him? The Lord is our Savior in all things. He will never fail us. He will never forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8; Joshua 1:5; Acts 17:27; etc.) He is there all the time (Jeremiah 23:23- 24) and, according to these many Scriptures we've looked at, He is a blessing to the poor. Considering the days that we're coming to, I don't know why you would want to be anything but poor. Put your life in the Hands of the Lord. He brought His people into so many very hard places in the wilderness when He brought them out of Egypt, and each one of those places was a revelation of their weakness and His Strength. Believe it or not, where we're headed, folks, almost everybody is going to be poor in the material resources of the world, but some people are going to be poor in spirit and those people are going to have the help of the Lord. They're going to have the provision of the Lord. He's going to be their Protector. He's going to be their Deliverer and He's going to exalt them. He's going to provide for them and give them faith. If you're poor in spirit, this is what it is to be blessed of the Lord.  If you are weak, know that you're in the place of miracles. If you are poor, know that you're in the place of miracles. If you are a servant of God, one who desires to serve only Him and puts that above everything else, know that you're in a place of miracles. God is going to bless you. He's going to provide for you abundantly. Put your trust in Him and worship Him. God bless you, saints! Now I'd like to share some more miraculous testimonies with you of God meeting the needs of the poor in spirit.     The Lord, Our Provider Greg & Anne Kohls - 12/03/2010 I hope this testimony is as much of an encouragement to those of UBM as it has been to our family. I am very grateful for God leading us to this ministry, for my faith has taken root and I am learning the full truth of the Gospel for the first time in my life! Although I must say that God was already at work in my life before coming to UBM, for this was merely the confirmation I needed of what He was showing me. This ministry took me to an even deeper level. I remember one day while I was driving, I began thinking over our finances and wondering how we were going to make ends meet with our oldest son now in his first year of college. Our van was over 10 years old and, although it ran well, it was getting close to needing to be replaced. Right then I just said, “Lord, we are going to need a new van soon and I do not know how we be able to afford it. Could you please provide a van for us; I don't know, maybe through Greg's dad or something?” Well, about two weeks later, I saw my father-in-law and he said to me, “Oh, I happened to be talking to a friend of mine, and he mentioned in conversation that he wanted to trade his van in for a new car but he wasn't going to get much for it. I saw what a great van it was and decided to offer him a little more than the trade-in price and he took it! Have Greg go down and pick it up!” When my husband drove into the driveway with this new-looking van with only 50,000 miles on it, I was in awe! This was more than a van; it was a gift from God Himself! Later on, I started hearing more and more about the economy and began wondering, 'Lord, we need to pay off our house. Could you help us be really disciplined and work really hard to do it within a few years?' ... knowing that would be a miracle in itself. Well, that was in October. At Christmas time (of which I am not really a fan), my mom, stepdad, and brother's family came for a visit and my parents asked just the adults to come for a meeting in the living room. They began to unfold the story of how my sister-in-law had been watching the French news (they were living in France) and saw that the French could be entitled to funds if they had been victims of atomic fallout. She wondered if this would be the case in the States as well and asked my mom to check it out. Yes, she found it to be true. (My dad had been exposed to atomic bomb testing in Nevada and later died of leukemia.) She then handed us a check that covered most of our house payment! About three months after that, I asked the Lord to help us get out of our family stock club, which I did not like since we were unequally yoked with unbelievers. Due to family circumstances, everyone unanimously voted to cancel the stock club and cash in on our earnings. This was the exact amount we needed to not only pay off the house but also pay cash for my daughter's braces! It didn't take years to pay it off; it was a matter of months! All the while during this year, we somehow had enough to cover the college tuition! It seems to me that God is providing His children for what is to come and for us to not lose heart but to trust in His sovereignty and to be strengthened in spirit. I know we have many challenges yet up ahead but God is faithful to meet our every need as we continually surrender our lives unto His. It was also during this time that we had left the local church and God miraculously led our family home to worship together under the teaching of David and the Unleavened Bread Ministries. I can see the transformation taking place in our household. Again, I am so very grateful for all of you. May this be an encouragement to you to “lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight”. It is important to mention that none of these needs had been spoken of to anyone beforehand so it was purely a blessing from God and my father-in-law is definitely not in the habit of buying cars for people, nor did our family or extended family ever think we would receive retroactive pay for something that happened so long ago! “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Glory!” It makes it a great object lesson for the times ahead to, 'Trust in Thee'.     God Understood My Needs Michael Doty - April 2011 This is my testimony about God giving simple and understandable answers to my questions about things I need and need to know, such as how He answered my living situation question. God required me to humble myself, to stop blaming my problems on others, and to realize that it was my “self”, my old self. And I also asked for forgiveness. After that, things changed, and God granted me favor from people who did not even know me -- Alan and Jill Kennedy. As young and immature as I am in my walk with the Lord, I still don't know anyone who has been given favor like I have received: 1) The Kennedys lowered the rent so that I could pay my share on my old rental until the lease was over. 2) The Kennedys did not require me to sign a lease agreement. 3) They also did not require a deposit. 4) The utilities are still in the Kennedys' name and they have not asked me to change it in any way, just to pay it. (Deposit for utilities is high here.) 5) It was also completely furnished and has a beautiful back porch deck which is also furnished. 6) My dog is also at peace after moving to the hill, but she has put in the request box the need for her own bed in her own bedroom if I want peace in my bed and room. Word for Mike: 1 Corinthians 12:18-23 on April 6, 2011 (1Co.12:18) But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him. (19) And if they were all one member, where were the body? (20) But now they are many members, but one body. (21) And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. (22) Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary: (23) and those [parts] of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely [parts] have more abundant comeliness ...     Can't Afford NOT to Give A sister in Christ - 09/24/2007 Hello, brothers and sisters! The Lord put it in my heart to bless a Christian family in need. I don't have much money but am very, very rich in the Lord and have my needs met abundantly. I was given a certain sum for my day and was looking forward to using it to bless a Christian family in need because I almost never have the opportunity to give money, as I am a stay-at-home mom and do not handle the finances. Giving is such a joy in the Lord. A few days later I received a check as a gift. Then today my family received a large gift of money that was 20x larger than I had given away. I have also been given clothes, many brand new, for my newborn. God's provision for our family is so evident and I praise Him for it. My husband is not yet walking in obedience to the Word, but God still honors my faith and provides miraculously for our family. Last year our tax return for a family of five was under $20,000 and we lived in an area where the median income was $90,000. He certainly has been multiplying for us. He is faithful, true and a GOOD Father.     God Supplied and Fixed Everything Doris Zambrano I am so happy to say that I am seeing miracles in my life, living here in the wilderness! I praise You, Lord! Anyway, due to limited income right now, I ran out of propane and just decided to let God show me what to do until I had the resources to get more. I did, however, have electricity, so I was able to have heat from a small heater and the fireplace. Bless God! I went without propane for almost a week and then I was blessed with some money to get more. The company that had been delivering propane to me since May did not return messages regarding my situation, so I was led to another company in another town. The propane delivery man came and since I had run out, he had to check all the connections and equipment before filling my tank. He discovered many leaks and a regulator that was outlawed some 10 years ago. Well, he was so wonderful, he replaced the regulator and did not charge me yet (he just said that he made note of it and would bill me when I could pay, praise God) and worked to fix the leaks and then filled the tank. Since he has been here my propane usage has gone down tremendously! I know that God has a reason for everything He does, although we do not always understand, He knows what He is doing. I know that if I had not run out of propane, I never would have gotten a new regulator or had the opportunity to fix any leaks. How awesome is our God! Lord, bless Mr. Riley, bless this oil company for their kindness and thank You for Your protection and provision! o/ Bless David, UBM, and all those You call Yours. Thank you, Father! In Jesus' name, I pray.     Thanking God and Being Blessed Keith McIlroy - 08/17/2009 I am thanking God for my trials. It is a new concept for me. My earthly father comes to visit me almost every year in July to pick raspberries and black currants. We have a few hundred acres where the raspberries grow wild. There is also about a five-acre plot of black currants planted near here where we go and get the black currants from. The first nation's band (politically correct way of saying Indians) had a government grant to plant them about six years ago. The money was wasted before they were picked, so no one has ever picked or maintained them since they were planted there. One morning, we went down there and started picking. My dad was complaining about how few berries there were, compared to the previous year. I had just read a really good book called Prison to Praise and was learning to thank God for all things good and bad. So I started praising God and thanking him for the berries and for the bugs that were living up to their name: bug. Then God brought it to my mind that I was plundering the world system of my day to have these berries. I never planted or worked in any way for these berries; God had especially planted them for me. No one else goes there to pick them. I was awestruck. So I praised Him! It really reminded me of the Israelites going into the Promised Land -- it was all planted and ready for them. I could just rest; in the meantime, I had just stayed in one area and the more I thanked God for this blessing, the thicker the berries were. The other family members who were also picking there were walking all over, not finding many berries, but the plants I was picking from were just loaded! I don't think I went 20 feet and picked six pails of berries in a few hours. Every time I thanked Him for creating the mosquito biting me, there seemed to be less of them bothering me. It was an awesome experience for me.     Prayer and Patience Produce Provision Melody - 09/18/2012 It has been on my heart since yesterday to write this praise report. Exactly one year ago yesterday, my son Nathan and his friends Sean and Austin moved two provinces away, which is about 1800 miles from us. They didn't have much money, and their vehicle broke down upon reaching their destination. It was starting to get cold and they were just wandering. (They all know the Lord but I sometimes wondered how well.) Anyhow, I put in a prayer request to UBM for them. After exhausting all their funds at a motel, they had no place to live. Here are the answers the Lord provided, right after I sent the prayer request. A family took them in, in exchange for some chores and babysitting. So, even though they were not a Christian family, the Lord used that situation to meet their needs and also help them to meet others' needs and to really open their eyes. Shortly after that, Austin and Sean each got jobs as cooks in a hotel restaurant. Then Nathan got a job with a large company and was hired to weld various equipment as needed (he always liked welding but was not ticketed). Not long after, the mother of a friend he worked with wanted to move into a facility for seniors. So the boys helped her move a couple of hours away. They had purchased an older truck by then and she didn't want to leave her house empty, so she rented it to the boys for $250 a month; which is unheard of. Rent for a three-bedroom home with a double car garage would normally go for $1100-$1200 a month. In exchange, the boys look after some of her belongings which she stores in the basement, and bring her anything she needs when she asks. They've also built shelves for her at her new place and look after the flower gardens. Last July, my husband, Shawn, and I went to visit our son and his friends while they were at work. We started working in the flower gardens at the boys' “greatly subsidized home from the Lord.” An elderly neighbor lady came out to talk to us. She said she would love to help but she was feeling very ill. Shawn asked her if we could pray for her and she said yes. After we finished, she started to tear up and said she felt better almost immediately! She is a retired nurse. I imagine how she had tended to others' hurts for years. Our Jesus wanted to minister to her. It is just amazing how far the prayers reached and probably reach even further than we know! Sean exchanged his job for a better one a few months ago with better pay and working hours. Yesterday, our son called to say that he just started working his first day at a new place, the same place Sean is working. They really needed a welder and couldn't find a ticketed one, so because he passed their welding test on the interview the previous week, they are putting him in at millwright wages, which he told us was $27 an hour. These are just amazing answers to the prayer I asked for these boys one year ago. Because of the great feeling of the need for prayer I had at that moment for these wandering boys, I then became a prayer partner, as well. It's so exciting to know our prayers make a difference and our God is so wonderful. I know that sometimes people expect instant or quick answers, but His answers and timing are important, not only for our needs but the character He wants to develop in us. I can surely see His hand in all of this and I wanted to share this praise report and to encourage you in all your prayers. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and may God richly bless you all. The scripture on my heart is: (Eph.3:20) Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us...     Your Debt Has Been Paid! Jay & Niki Nara – 1/4/23 I want to share something that just happened to me this morning. In a few short weeks my car registration should be renewed, so in order to do that you have to do a safety check. Yesterday I went to the nearest mechanic, and he gave me the bad news. He listed things that should be fixed on the car, up to $ 4,000 plus, which is an amount that I am not able to afford since I am a single dad and a pensioner. After that, I saw a little insignificant mechanical shop nearby and I booked another appointment for this morning. I was a bit worried after that, and through the night thinking of the outcome, because I really need a car to drive and to pick up my teenage son from school after the holidays, which finish in a few weeks. I was even thinking not to go this morning, doubting the outcome. Still, I got up and decided to try once more. On the way to the mechanic, I was listening to the last UBM post on 1/04/23. Then, I came to the part where you were talking about the debt and debtors, how they are trying to make us feel guilty for the debt that has already been paid by our Lord, and I got inspired by that to put it on my Facebook page (photo). I briefly prayed to God to help me in this very important situation for me. So I left my car in the shop and went home for a short time. When I went back, feeling anxious about the outcome, the mechanic (a sweet little old man) asked me how I wanted to pay, and when I asked how much I owed, he said: $47, which was just the price for the labor! I was overwhelmed and so relieved since it meant so much to me, and I went on my way praising and thanking our good God for everything. Hallelujah!!

Full Text of ReadingsFriday of the Second Week of Lent Lectionary: 234The Saint of the day is Blessed John of ParmaBlessed John of Parma's Story The seventh general minister of the Franciscan Order, John was known for his attempts to bring back the earlier spirit of the Order after the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. He was born in Parma, Italy, in 1209. It was when he was a young philosophy professor known for his piety and learning that God called him to bid good-bye to the world he was used to and enter the new world of the Franciscan Order. After his profession, John was sent to Paris to complete his theological studies. Ordained to the priesthood, he was appointed to teach theology at Bologna, then Naples, and finally Rome. In 1245, Pope Innocent IV called a general council in the city of Lyons, France. Crescentius, the Franciscan minister general at the time, was ailing and unable to attend. In his place he sent Friar John, who made a deep impression on the Church leaders gathered there. Two years later, when the same pope presided at the election of a minister general of the Franciscans, he remembered Friar John well and held him up as the man best qualified for the office. And so in 1247, John of Parma was elected to be minister general. The surviving disciples of St. Francis rejoiced in his election, expecting a return to the spirit of poverty and humility of the early days of the Order. And they were not disappointed. As general of the Order, John traveled on foot, accompanied by one or two companions, to practically all of the Franciscan convents in existence. Sometimes he would arrive and not be recognized, remaining there for a number of days to test the true spirit of the brothers. The pope called on John to serve as legate to Constantinople, where he was most successful in winning back the schismatic Greeks. Upon his return, he asked that someone else take his place to govern the Order. At John's urging, Saint Bonaventure was chosen to succeed him. John took up a life of prayer in the hermitage at Greccio. Many years later, John learned that the Greeks who had been reconciled with the Church for a time, had relapsed into schism. Though 80 years old by then, John received permission from Pope Nicholas IV to return to the East in an effort to restore unity once again. On his way, John fell sick and died. He was beatified in 1781. The liturgical feast of Blessed John of Parma is celebrated on March 20. Reflection In the 13th century, people in their 30s were middle-aged; hardly anyone lived to the ripe old age of 80. John did, but he didn't ease into retirement. Instead he was on his way to try to heal a schism in the Church when he died. Our society today boasts a lot of folks in their later decades. Like John, many of them lead active lives. But some aren't so fortunate. Weakness or ill health keeps them confined and lonely—waiting to hear from us. Saints Francis and Clare: Something Old, Something New Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Covino & Rich discuss the Happy Gilmore 2 trailer! Will the long awaited sequel stink? They talk Clint Howard & the end of times. Joey Gallo attempts to transition to pitching.. what athletes were successful at switching their game up? Plus, 'SHAQ DIESEL TRIVIA,' & the MLB season is like John Lennon's butt crack!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we have John sharing a message on Prayer & Communion. We hope this message encourages you! Be blessed!

Sometimes circumstances can compromise our faith.  Did you really ask me to do that, Lord?  Like John in jail queried, “Are you really the Christ?” Revisit Psalm 37 with Judi, and hear why she felt led to proclaim it.Support the show

Series: Signs & GloryTitle: "What does authentic faith look like?Scripture: John 4:43-54John 1:9-12; 8:31-32Bottom line: Authentic faith looks like an actual commitment, built on an informed belief, and a growing dependency of God.INTRODUCTIONCONTEXTSERMON OUTLINECONCLUSIONNOTESOUTLINESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDER DISCUSSION QUESTIONSMAIN REFERENCES USEDMy opening prayer: Lord God, help us grow to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him and leading others to do the same. INTRODUCTIONToday we're answer the question, "What does authentic faith look like?" When I think of the word authentic, I think of collections where value is based on the something rare being authenticated or declared the real thing.The most valuable American coin today is a 1794 silver dollar called the Flowing Hair Silver Dollar. It has lady liberty on one side and an American eagle on the other. Many believe that it was the first coin minted by the US government. There were only 1800 made and experts think only about 120 remain. It last sold for 12 million dollars. But it's only worth 12 million dollars if it's an authentic Flowing Hair Silver Dollar.The question today is what does authentic faith look like. We're asking this question to setup the more important question, "Is my faith authentic?"CONTEXTJesus has been talking with the woman at the well. He and the 12 got to see a whole town come to Christ. It has been an amazing day. The enemies of the Jews (the Samaritans) have trusted the Jewish Messiah! There is no earthly reason why they would do this. Only God.John will use this town of people in Sychar to expose the contrast with the way the Jews are responding (en masse) to Jesus. (Cf. John 1:11-12)John will also contrast the nobleman's growing faith with the hesitant faith of Nicodemus.What does authentic faith look like?Is my faith authentic?SERMON Bottom line: Authentic faith looks like an actual commitment, built on an informed belief, and a growing dependency on God.What does authentic faith look like? (Help from Matt Carter's commentary)I. Actual commitment--not just spiritual curiosity.Nobleman embraced Light of the world and Savior of the world.Overall response is rejection of Jews (cf. John 1:9-12); still some exceptions; not unlike us today.This contrast shows us what authentic faith looks like.Spiritual curiosity ≠ Authentic faithJesus condemns them for lack of faith and desire for "signs and wonders""You" is plural meaning the Jews and not just the nobleman. Maybe even in further contrast (like the Centurion)Samaritans have authentic faith in that town--they took Jesus as his word. No signs and wonders needed.II. Informed belief--not just emotional feelings.Requires understanding certain truths about Jesus.Content of our faith. Word > ExperienceAre you a follower? Why? For what he did or who he is?Nobleman looking for a miracle? Yes, but takes Jesus at his word instead of having to see it happen instantly. Similar to Samaritans.We aren't called to a blind faith or emotional faith, though it can be emotional. We have a reasonable faith. Who is Jesus? Title so far in John include:Son of GodSon of ManMessiah/ChristWord of GodKing of IsraelLamb of GodIII. Growing dependence--not just a single decision.2X it says nobleman "believed." (4:51-53)Same with Samaritans. (39-41)In neither case are we told WHEN they were saved. John shows it's a continual belief that truly saves or demonstrates authentic faith. It starts with a moment and decision--but it never ends. We persevere in the faith over time.Pointing to a past decision isn't enough if not walking in it. We'll know your status based on your fruit. Cf. Hebrews 3:12-14; Galatians 5:23-24John 1:!2 those who are believing (present tense) in his name.John 8:31 if you "continue" in my word.To "continue" or "hold to" his word is to "abide" or "remain" in Christ.Applications/questions:Are you spiritually curious? That's fine. Just don't think you're secure and good with the Lord just because you're spiritual or open. Christ calls us to follow him the rest of our life. Until you surrender to that, you're just curious. It's not a convenient faith that he calls us to--it's a costly faith. He calls us to ultimately come and die. Is your faith rooted on how you feel? I feel close to God today but not tomorrow. Emotions are a legitimate part of the human experience--even in our spiritual life. But we root our faith in truth--God's word is truth. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth..." We have an informed faith; a reasonable faith; not a blind faith. Is your faith growing? Are you abiding in Jesus daily? Are you walking with God daily? These are different ways of asking the question, am I growing in dependence on the Lord?CONCLUSIONBottom line: Authentic faith starts with an actual commitment, and an informed belief on the word, and a growing dependence. What about you? Is your faith authentic?Here's another way to look at it.How do you know that you're married?Well, you might say, I have a wedding ring and a marriage license. I could respond, well, I know people who have a marriage license and maybe even still wear their wedding ring. But they are no longer married.The only way to truly know you're married is because you live the married life with your spouse. You raise the kids together. You take care of the house together. You do life together.The same is true with authentic faith. What does authentic faith look like? It looks like an actual commitment, built on an informed faith, and a growing dependence.What about you? Is your faith authentic?If not, what can you do?Repent--turn from the way you're living life and turn back to the trust and follow Jesus' words, ways and works.Believe--Rest on the calling you've received; build on the word of God; pray towards growing in Christ.`Peter puts it all in perspective in his first sermon:““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬InvitationHow do we respond? Answer 2 questions:Take out a card or piece of paper right now. Write down the answer to these questions: What is God saying to me right now?What am I going to do about it? Write this down on a sheet of paper. What I hear you saying, Lord, is ___________________.[my name] is going to believe/do __________________________________________________ as a result.Finally, share this with your Home or Mission group this week when you gather as a testimony about what God is doing in your life. You don't have to get too specific to give him praise.Lord's Supper, 1 Cor 11:23-26 is good passage.Also, say something like, "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again." (past, present, and future)PrayNOTES"Jesus was saying, "Your experience with the Samaritans is one of reaping where you did not sow," and that surely was the case. They had not sowed, but they reaped. In our age some of us may sow, and some of us may reap. The thrust of these verses is that there is going to be a good deal of reaping, but the implication also is that sometimes we may sow and never see the results. I am reminded of the story of George Müller who founded many orphanages in the last century. Early in his life Müller made the acquaintance of three men, and he began to pray for their salvation. Müller lived a long time, but when he died, none of those men had yet trusted Christ. It is recorded in his diary that he prayed for these men daily during all those years. But that is not the end! The glorious fact is that all three of those men did meet Christ-two of them in their seventies and one in his eighties! Müller sowed, but someone else reaped. Whether we find ourselves sowing or reaping, our lives are to be permeated with a sense of urgency. Jesus' harvest mentality was part of the secret of his life. We also are meant to be harvesting!" -Kent Hughes, p. 139"This reality should motivate us to labor with all our might to make Jesus Christ and his gospel known and loved throughout the world. Augustine wrote this beautiful reflection about Jesus Christ:You are ever active, yet always at rest. You gather all things to yourself, though you suffer no need. ... You welcome those who come to you, though you never lost them. You release us from our debts, but you lose nothing thereby. You are my God, my Life, my holy Delight, but is this enough to say of you? Can any man say enough when he speaks of you? Yet woe betide those who are silent about you! (Confessions [IX 1], 181)May we, by the grace of God, never be silent." -Matt Carter"I'll Do It Later (v. 35):Jesus asks the disciples a pointed question: "Don't you say, 'There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest'?" (v. 35). He's saying, "Do you guys think you need to wait before reaping the fruit of the gospel? Are you hoping it will come later? You're wrong; look at the Samaritans coming right now. What are you waiting for? The time is now!" Jesus is driving the urgency of the gospel home to the hearts of his disciples. We don't wait for a different time or a better time; the harvest is now. Go, do the work of sharing the gospel right now. Charles Spurgeon, preaching on this passage, challenged his congregation:Some of you good people, who do nothing except go to public meetings, the Bible readings, and prophetic conferences, and other forms of spiritual [indulgence], would be a good deal better Christians if you would look after the poor and needy around you. If you would just tuck up your sleeves for work, and go and tell the gospel to dying men, you would find your spiritual health mightily restored, for very much of the sickness of Christians comes through their having nothing to do. All feeding and no working gives men spiritual indigestion. Be idle, careless, with nothing to live for, nothing to care for, no sinner to pray for, no backslider to lead back to the cross, no trembler to encourage, no little child to tell of a Savior, no grey-headed man to enlighten in the things of God, no object, in fact, to live for; and who wonders if you begin to groan, and to murmur, and to look within, until you are ready to die of despair? (Cited in Hughes, John, 132) - Matt CarterOUTLINESN/AQUESTIONS TO CONSIDERWhat do I want them to know? Why do I want them to know it?What do I want them to do?Why do I want them to do it?How do they do this?DISCUSSION QUESTIONSDiscovery Bible Study process: https://www.dbsguide.org/Read the passage together.Retell the story in your own words.Discovery the storyWhat does this story tell me about God?What does this story tell me about people?If this is really true, what should I do?What is God saying to you right now? (Write this down)What are you going to do about it? (Write this down)Who am I going to tell about this?Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcastAlternate Discussion Questions (by Jeff Vanderstelt): Based on this passage:Who is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?Final Questions (Write this down)What is God saying to you right now? What are you going to do about it?MAIN REFERENCES USED“John,” by R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent HughesExalting Jesus in John, by Matt Carter & Josh WredbergThe Gospels & Epistles of John, FF BruceJohn, RC SproulJohn, KöstenbergerThe Gospel According to John, DA CarsonThe Light Has Come, Leslie NewbiginThe Visual Word, Patrick Schreiner“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.orgThe Bible Project https://bibleproject.comNicky Gumbel bible reading plan app or via YouVersionClaude.aiChatGPT Google Gemini

Lauren Jenkins is joined by former Wales internationals Jamie Roberts, Alex Cuthbert and James Hook to discuss Wales' team selection ahead of their game in Murrayfield in the penultimate round of the Six Nations, and recall famous encounters against Scotland.

John 1:8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. We can be encouraged again by what was said about John the Baptist. Who he wasn't is clear. He was not the Light or the source of the Light. This can also be said for us. We are lights in the world but not the source of the light. In a sense, we are like mirrors reflecting the light into the world, or like the moon, which has no light source of its own but reflects the sun's light. But we are more than that. Like John, as we live to love with Jesus, we testify about the Light. We are Jesus' disciples who experience intimacy with Him as we abide in Him. Our testimony is that apart from Him, we can do nothing. We are the branches, and He is the vine. That's what we will learn later in this gospel in chapter 15. As we abide in Christ and walk with Him, others should be able to learn about who Jesus is, what He has done, what He is doing, and what He promises to do. I hope you'll think about how you can testify about the Light today to those God puts in your path. One of the best ways to prepare for yours and His ministry today is to pray your version of the Live to Love prayer. I hope you'll join me now and make this a habit in your life. Father in heaven, thank you for another day of life to know you and love you and to live to love with Jesus. Anoint and fill me with the Holy Spirit, the presence and power of Christ, so that I can love and trust you and love those you put in my path today, for your glory. Amen. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of “giving it forward,” so others may be encouraged to turn their hearts to God and live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

We know what God is like because he is just like Jesus - he is exactly who he shows himself to be in Scripture #whogodis #howgodis #godandjesusareone #aimingforjesus #bible #biblestudy #john #johnchapter1 #john116 #grace #truth 

On the show today, the first episode of White Lotus Season 3 is out and Clairsy gives his initial thoughts! Marcia Hines calls in to talk about Australian Idol as we’re down to the Top 30, with four of them being from WA. Clairsy shares his unexpected sighting at the beach yesterday. After hearing a story of a couple reuniting decades later- we open up the phones to hear your stories of reuniting years down the road. Rick Ardon & Susannah Carr are in the studio to celebrate their huge record-breaking milestone of 40 years together of News Anchoring as a duo, on 7news. And in the Shaw Report, actress Julianne Moore expresses frustration on the banning of her children’s book, Brian Setzer from the Stray Cats can’t play guitar anymore for health reasons and Duran Duran bassist thinks music groups are a dying breed…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John the Baptist was that voice crying in the desert that God would use to prepare the way to draw His people back to Him. God would use John to present His Son, the Messiah to His people.  Like John, we are called to reach people in their spiritual desert and make a highway for our God to reach them.  #fsbcsermon #fsbccoalinga Contact us at TheWordInfusion@gmail.com with your comments, questions or praises.  Let us know how our podcast has blessed, encouraged or helped you.  Join us on our Facebook pages at http://www.facebook.com/fsbccoalinga & http://www.facebook.com/..  Help us to grow a community that infuses the Word of God into their lives each day.  Follow us on Twitter @TheWordInfusion or @fsbccoalinga .  To support this ministry click on: https://app.easytithe.com/app/giving/fsbccoalinga  or copy and paste it into your web browser.

Website: connectpeople.ca Contact: info@connectpeople.ca Facebook and Instagram: @ConnectChurchBolton Join us on Sundays at 9:15am or 11:15am

Introduction to 1st JohnText 1 John 1:1-4. We begin our work on 1st John by looking at the first four verses.Like John's Gospel it begins with a prologue, a natural introduction. So that's where we start…Read the NOTES HERE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This message was preached on December 29, 2024 by Pastor Ivanov.

Today is the feast of Saint John the Apostle. Saint John was always part of the small group that Jesus took with Him at various times throughout the Gospel. Like John the Lord wish us to be close disciples of Christ.

The Coach Tim LaComb made his weekly appearance to talk Jazz. What have John Collins & Walker Kessler done to improve so much? 

Send us a textLet's join the war on crime! John Oller joins the podcast to talk his book Gangster Hunters: How Hoover G-men Vanquished America's Deadliest Public Enemies! Come listen!Buy Gangster HuntersCheck out John's websiteSupport the show

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Four years later, a Canadian college student named Corale needs to identify the father of her unborn baby. The 19-year-old turns to Viaguard Accu-Metrics for a prenatal paternity test. Like John, her world is rocked by tests that name the wrong dad. Unlike John, she starts asking questions and connecting dots. “Are there other people? Am I the only one?” A legal note: Over the course of this podcast, a number of allegations are made against Viaguard Accu-Metrics and its employees. When asked, company owner Harvey Tenenbaum said he stands by the test, and that any errors were caused by customers during sample collection.Hear Episode 3 right now — early and ad-free — by subscribing to CBC True Crime Premium on Apple Podcasts.

REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY ARE DONE… SO LET'S GRADE!   Professor Kendrick is in DA HOUSE (or should I say… ON CAMPUS…?), and I want to grade each of the Orange County housewives based on the season that just finished. We head into the reunion this week, so let's discuss who made an impact this year, and who… didn't. PLUS: a RHOC reunion trailer discussion, a Baddies Midwest PLEA, a Mia and Inc (of Potomac) update, and a half-assed apology from Brynn over on RHONY.     *** HEY! Some of you have asked how you can show your appreciation for all the content provided by your mama's favorite Black geek. How about you buy me a beer/coffee? CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT! ***   New episodes of “I Ken Not with Kendrick Tucker” are released weekly!   DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE, RATE, AND REVIEW! I LOVE 5 STARS! EMAIL ME AT IKENNOTPODCAST@GMAIL.COM! FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeopardy! recaps from the week of October 14th, 2024. Kyle has the Rockies, and Emily has to settle for mountain range at home. We discuss beige flags and the numbering of the Chronicles of Narnia, and Kyle educates us about the life and work of John Singer Sargent. Find us on Facebook (Potent Podables) and Twitter (@potentpodables1). Check out our Patreon (patreon.com/potentpodables). Email us at potentpodablescast@gmail.com. Continue to support social justice movements in your community and our world. www.abortionfunds.org  https://wck.org/  https://womenswilderness.org/support/#ways-to-give  https://www.pcrf.net/   https://www.givedirectly.org/

The boys are energized on this podcast. Of course, they talk socks. But they also talk about Mom's birthday, Special Olympics, giving interviews, working with John's brother, John becoming an uncle and so much more. We got socks, we got podcasts, we got the Special Olympics, we've got lots of fun and, did we say we have socks? The boys have lots to share. They re-introduce themselves and then turn serious talking about human dignity and people with differing abilities.   They share a feel-good story of the week and highlight a business owned by a person with a differing ability. This week they shine the spotlight on the Texas Sweet Heat Jam Company led by Nolan Stillwell and his family, Like John, Nolan is an entrepreneur who happens to have Down syndrome. You can find them here: https://sweetheatjam.com   John shares his sock of the week: Hot Dog Socks and the story behind them. You can find those socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com/products/hot-dogs-mens-crew-socks   Buy some socks, be happy: https://johnscrazysocks.com/   Check out our new Braille Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/products/braille-crew-socks   Join John's Tuesday Dance Party, every Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/online-dance-party-with-john  Want to learn more about John's Crazy Socks? Check out this short video: https://youtu.be/dzPvxz1oUEA Check out our TEDx Talk: “Hiring People with Differing Abilities is Not Altruism, It is Good Business” https://youtu.be/uXtrhHSFkuY Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks.  Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712 

Gerald introduced God's scroll that Jesus alone is worthy to open and read. We see in John's vision in Revelation 5 that we can trust Jesus's sacrificial love for us even when we're not getting all the answers we want. Like John, our King will reveal to us the knowledge we need to serve Him! October 6th, 2024 ----------------------------------------------- We're Incarnation Tallahassee! Visit our website! www.incarnationtallahassee.org/
 Watch the Livestream youtube.com/live/ZSeuKYY3J2w

Join host Norbert Wilson and co-host Kerilyn Schewel in the latest episode of the Leading Voices in Food podcast as they dive deep into the world of small-scale fisheries with two distinguished guests: Nicole Franz from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and John Virdin from Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability. Discover the significant role small-scale fisheries play in food security, economic development, and community livelihoods. Learn about the unique challenges these fisheries face, and how community-led climate adaptation alongside top-down national policies can help build resilience. This episode also highlights collaborative efforts between academia and organizations like FAO, painting a comprehensive picture of the state and future of small-scale fisheries. Interview Summary Kerilyn - So, Nicole, let's begin with you. Why is your work at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization focused on small-scale fisheries and fishing communities? And could you share with us how they are different from fisheries more broadly? What's unique about them and their role in food production? Nicole - Yes. Let me start with the latter question. And I think the first thing is to clarify actually what are small-scale fisheries, no? Because sometimes if you think about small-scale fisheries, what most people will have in mind is probably that of a man in a small boat fishing. But in reality, it's a sector that is much more diverse. There are, for example, women in Indonesia that are collecting clams by foot. Foot fishers. Or we have examples from small-scale fisheries that are fishing boats in Norway, which are comparably small, but if you compare them, for example, with how small-scale fishing looks in a place like Mozambique, it's a very different scale. But all of that, however, is comprised in what we understand as small-scale fisheries. It is also important to understand that when we talk about small-scale fisheries in FAO, we don't only limit it to what is happening in the water, the harvesting part, but we also include what happens once the fish is out of the water. So, once it's processed, then, and when it's traded. So, so it's a whole supply chain that is connected to that small-scale fisheries production that we understand as being small-scale fisheries. And with Duke University, with John who is present here, and other colleagues and other colleagues from World Fish, we did a global study where we tried to estimate the global contributions of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development. And what we found was that at least 40 percent of the global catch is actually coming from inland and marine small-scale fisheries. And that's, that's enormous. That's a huge, huge amount. More important almost is that, that 90 percent of all the people that are employed in capture fisheries are in small-scale fisheries. And that is the human dimension of it. And that's why the community dimension is so important for the work. Because it is that big amount of people, 61 million people, that are employed in the value chains. And in addition to that, we estimated that there are about 53 million people that are actually engaging in small-scale fisheries for subsistence. So, if we consider those people that are employed in small-scale fisheries, plus those that are engaging for subsistence, and all their household members, we're actually talking about close to 500 million people that depend at least partially on small-scale fisheries for their livelihoods. We also looked at the economic dimensions of small-scale fisheries, and we found that the value from the first sale of small-scale fishery products amounts to 77 billion. So, these numbers are important. They show the importance of small-scale fisheries in terms of their production, but also in terms of the livelihood [00:05:00] dimension, in terms of the economic value that they generate. And, last but not least, we also looked at the nutritional value from small-scale fisheries. And we estimated that the catch from small-scale fisheries would be able to supply almost 1 billion women globally with 50 percent of the recommended omega 3 fatty acid intake. So, I think with all of these numbers, hopefully, I can convey why the focus on small-scale fish is, in the context of food security and poverty eradication in particular, is of fundamental importance. Kerilyn - Thanks, Nicole. That's really helpful to get a kind of global picture. If I could follow up to ask, what regions of the world are small-scale fisheries more common, or do economies rely on them? And in what regions do you see them disappearing? Are they common in countries like the US, for example? Well, they're certainly more common in what is often considered as a Global South. In Asia in particular, we encountered the largest total numbers, absolute numbers, in terms of people involved in terms of production. But also in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean. In the Pacific, obviously, they play a crucial role. They are more and more disappearing in the US, for example, in Europe. We see that it is a livelihood that is no longer very common. And one of the features we see there that it's an aging sector, it's a shrinking sector, for a number of reasons. But they still define the characteristic of certain areas where they really are part of the identity and of the local culture, even in the U.S. or in many, many places in Europe. Norbert - Nicole, this is really fascinating. Thank you for sharing this broad overview of what's happening and who are small-scale fishers. What are some of the common challenges that these small-scale fishers and fisheries face? And what is FAO's response to those challenges? Nicole - Well, where to start? There are so many challenges. I think one fundamental challenge that is common across all regions is securing access to fishing grounds. But not only to fishing grounds, but also to the coastal areas where operations, where they land the boats, where they, where the process of fish, where the fishing villages and communities are located. In many areas around the world, we see expansion of tourism, expansion of urban areas and coastal areas. The increase of other industries that are competing for the space now, and that are often stronger economically more visible than small-scale fisheries. So, the competition over space in those areas is quite an issue. But there are also many challenges that are more outside of the fishing activity directly. For example, often small-scale fishing communities lack access to services. We had basic services such as education or health services, social protection. And in many cases, women are particularly disadvantaged in relation to access to these services. For example, women that are involved in harvesting or in processing of fish in small-scale fisheries, they often do not know where to leave their children while they are at work because there's no childcare facility in many of these villages. And there are 45 million women that are engaged in small-scale fisheries around the world. Another set of challenges relates to the value chains and the markets. Often there's limited infrastructure to connect to markets. The processing and storage facilities are not adequate to bring the product to the market in a state that allows it to then fetch good prices and to benefit from the value chain. Often small-scale fishers and fish workers are also not well organized. So, they become more subject to power imbalances along the value chain where they have to be price takers. Now they have to accept what is offered. That also relates often to a lack of transparency in relation to market information. And of course, then we have another set of challenges that are coming from climate change that are becoming more and more important. And from other types of disasters also. One thing that brings together all these challenges, or makes them worse, is often the lack of representative structures and also institutional structures that allow for participation in relevant decision making or management processes. So that small-scale fishers and fish workers don't even have an opportunity to flag their needs or to propose solutions. So, FAO has facilitated a process to develop Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the Context of Food security and Poverty Eradication. Quite a mouthful of a name. In short, we call them small-scale fisheries guidelines. In which all the major challenges in a way are compiled in one document together with guidance on how to address them. And these guidelines are the result of a participatory development process. So, they are really informed by the involvement of fishing communities from around the world, but also other stakeholders. And they have been agreed on and have been endorsed by the almost 200 members of the FAO. We are now working with countries, with the small-scale fishing communities around the world, with other partners, including Duke University, to help implement these small-scale fisheries guidelines. Norbert - Oh, this is really fascinating and it's important work. I'm intrigued with the participatory process. How are small-scale fisher organizations involved in this? Are you working with different organizations? Or is this more individuals who are just interested in this issue coming to the fore? This is through organizations at all levels. Be it at the national level where we are, for example, facilitating the formation of new women organizations in a number of African countries. Be it at the regional level, in particular in Africa, there are existing structures in the context of the African union, which has established so called non state actor platforms for fisheries and aquaculture, which we are supporting in order to bring their voice into the processes and to facilitate peer learning. And then there's a number of global social movements and producer organizations for small-scale fisheries that we are working with and using them as a facilitator to involve as many as possible. And gather as much insight that is coming from the membership of those organizations to then bring into global, regional, national processes from our side. Norbert - This is really important to hear how different forms of governance and at different levels are playing a part in developing these guidelines. Thank you for sharing that, Nicole. I'd like to turn to you, John. You have more than 20 years of experience in studying and advising government policies to regulate human use of the oceans. With a particular focus on marine conservation practices. How has your thinking about marine conservation changed over the last 20 years? John - Yeah, it's changed a bit. As you mentioned, my interest in work has been on ocean conservation and how it can alleviate poverty. A lot of times that has meant managing fisheries to address poverty. And I think in the past, that meant that I was really focused on what governments could do to increase the efficiency of fisheries. The economic efficiency. How do we increase incomes, how do you increase revenues for communities? All very important, but for all the reasons that Nicole mentioned, I spend a lot more time now thinking about the process rather than the outcomes, and thinking about what institutions are in place, or can be created, to help empower small-scale fishing communities to have much more of a voice in the decisions that affect them. In how the resources are used. How the space is used. And Nicole outlined really well a lot of the challenges that are facing communities from increased industrialization of ocean use to the squeeze from climate change and the effect on resources. And even the fact that climate change may be driving people to the oceans. I mean, as farms and agricultures maybe fail or face challenges, oceans are often open access, and can even be a sink for people to make a livelihood. And so, yet more pressures coming from outside these fisheries. How can fishers have a greater voice in making the decisions that impact them and safeguarding their livelihoods? Norbert - Thank you for that. I'm interested in understanding how do these fisher folks, who are trying to organize and are organizing, how does that interact with sort of larger markets? I mean, I would imagine a number of these folks are catching fish and other seafood that goes into global markets. What's the interaction or challenges that may happen there? John - As Nicole mentioned, because small-scale fisheries are so diverse you have markets in many places. These may be located near an urban center where you can have easy access. You can get fresh fish in a cooler and put it on a plane and off it goes to an export market. We found that, what may be surprised us, is a significant number of small-scale fishers are exporting in some cases. So, then that can be challenging because you might get higher prices, which is a good thing. But it might drive, for example, more fishing effort. It might drive higher levels of exploitation. It might change traditional practices, traditional rules for fisheries. It might really change how fishers organize in a given place. So, the access to export markets, even say an island setting, has kind of scrambled past fisheries management in some places and can be an outside force. Kerilyn - John and Nicole, I want to ask you both a question now about painting a picture of these communities that you're working with. You both mentioned how diverse small-scale fisheries can be. I was wondering if you could just share what one community in particular looks like that you've worked with? What are the challenges that a particular community faces, or alternatively, where do you see things actually working well? So Nicole, could I ask you to respond first? Nicole - I'm working more with global processes and the global level. So, through that, I have the privilege of working with representatives from many, many communities. So maybe what I can share is the feedback that I'm getting through that, in terms of the change that we can observe, and that is affecting fishing communities around the world. I think one thing that is being brought up as a concern by many is what I mentioned before. It's a process of aging in fishing communities and often a lack of capacity to retain young people in the sector. And that has different reasons. Now there are all of these challenges that small-scale fisheries have to face and that are difficult to overcome. So, that often drives people, in particular young men, to leave the communities. Or within the communities, to look for other alternative livelihoods now and not to take on the skills of fishermen or getting engaged in small-scale fisheries more broadly. So, in some cases, yes, it's not only other activities within the community, but really leaving the community and leaving in some cases also the country. What we see there is that sometimes people that have the skills, maybe still as a fisher, they have tried to fish. So, they have a knowledge of fishing. They emigrate out into other countries. And in some cases they are then hired into industrial fisheries where they work on industrial boats that go out fishing for longer periods of time. But where they at times end up in situations that can be called slave labor, basically, that are subject to serious violations of human rights. And that is in a way generated by this vulnerability to the poverty that is still there in those communities. The lack of being able to make a living, a decent work in the fishing community. So, that is something that we have seen is happening. We have also seen that in some cases, there's an involvement of fishers into say more illegal activities, be it in drug trafficking, be it also into the trafficking of people. I'm thinking even about the Mediterranean. I'm working out of Italy, Rome. We have a lot of immigration from North African countries, for example, coming through that route. And oftentimes it happens that the transport of migrants is actually carried out by fishers and their boats because they have the skill to navigate the sea. And they make a better living by transporting illegal migrants than going fishing. So, those are some of the challenges we hear. And the other one is there in relation to what is now a concept that is getting more and more traction. It's often known as the blue economy, which is, in a way, looking at the ocean as the last frontier for economic development. And that includes on the one hand, the expansion of previously existing industries, such as tourism. But also the expansion of newer sectors such as alternative energy production. Think wind parks now in coastal areas. So, what happens here is that in many cases, this adds again, additional pressure on the available maritime space. In the water and on the land. The expansion of marine aquaculture is another example. So, that also is something that we hear is becoming an issue for small-scale fishing communities to defend the space that they need to maintain their lifestyle. Kerilyn - John, is there anything you'd like to add on this question of how fisheries are changing? John - Very, very briefly. Taking the example in West Africa where I've spent some time over the years, you certainly have some communities there where it actually doesn't seem as if the fisheries are changing as much in the sense it's quite static and stagnant. And this could be caused by a lot of the reasons that Nicole mentioned, but the community, the economy, the fisheries aren't growing. People, young people may be leaving for a number of reasons, but it doesn't have to be that way either. I mean, there are positive examples. I was in Liberia last week, and there, from the numbers that the government has, small-scale fishing communities are growing. The number of fishers are growing. They've actually made a conscious effort to protect a certain area of the ocean just for small-scale fisheries. And to prohibit trawling and to give the communities more space to grow and operate in the 20 years since the conflict ended there. So, again, it doesn't have to be sort of stagnant or grinding on in some of these communities as they cope with competition for resources, for example, competition for space from others. Where they were given that space, in some cases in Liberia, they've grown. That may have its own challenges but. Kerilyn - Interesting. In the back of my mind, when thinking about these communities and aging and migration of younger generations away from these livelihoods, you know, as someone who studies the relationship between migration and development, I think it's a common trend where, you know, as countries develop, young people leave traditional economic activities. They get more educated, they move to cities, they move abroad. To what degree is this somehow just part of these countries' development? Should we expect young people to be leaving them? And to what degree might we think differently about development in a way that would enable more young people to stay? And I think, John, you mentioned a really interesting point about how protecting the space For these small-scale fisheries to operate is one thing that seems to have kept people engaged in this livelihood. I'd be curious if there's other things that come up for you. Other ways of thinking about enhancing the capability to stay in small-scale fishing livelihoods. John - Sure, and I'd be curious what Nicole's seeing from her perspective. I think, to some extent, it's a different question if small-scale fisheries are economically viable. And so, what I think Nicole and I are referring to in many cases is where for a lot of these external pressures upon them, they may not be as viable as they once were. And that has its own push on people, whereas where fishers are empowered, they have more of a voice in what happens to the fisheries and controlling those spaces and resources, and it can be more economically viable in these fisheries. That presents a different set of choices for young people then. So that's where we've really focused is: okay, what is the process by which small-scale fishing communities have their voices heard more, have much more of a say and much more power in the use of the fisheries, the use of the coastal areas, the things that affect those fisheries and their livelihoods? And then we can see what those choices might look like. But Nicole, I'm not sure if that's consistent with what you've seen in a number of places. Nicole - Yes, and maybe to also rebalance a bleak picture I painted before. Like John said, there are obviously good examples. I think an important condition is probably a linkage to markets. Non-economic viability in many ways does play a role. And there are examples of how that can happen in different ways. For example, in Morocco, the country has made quite a significant investment to build a whole series of ports for small-scale fisheries. Specifically, along the entire coastline of Morocco where they are providing a port that is not just a landing site for small-scale fisheries, but it provides like a system of integrated services. There's an auction hall. So, the fish comes in, it's immediately kind of weighted. They get the information, the label for what they have brought in, then it goes into an auction that has set rules and everybody is tied to. But in that same area, for example, there's also a bank or there is an office that helps with the access to social protection services, for example. So, it's a whole integrated service center, and that really makes a difference to help make the sector more efficient. But at the same time, also really keep the tradition. So, it's not only economic efficiency, but by having all these different centers, it allows to maintain many people employed and to also maintain the characteristics of each of those different lending sites. That's one example. I was in Korea last year and there, they were doing something similar. They are reviving some of their traditional fishing villages where they are also investing in those fishing communities and providing them with funding to set up, for example, restaurants that are run directly by those involved in the fishery. Those are particular places that are close to cities. In my case, I was in Busan. So, it's very closely connected to the consumers now that come out there. They are focusing on certain products in these villages that they are famous for traditionally. They have little shops and they're starting e-commerce for some of the products. So, the way they package, and the label has become much, much wider than before. So again, that has revived a bit those communities. In Italy, it's a country that's famous for its food, you know. And they are in the region that's called the Amalfi coast. There's a tiny village and it's famous for the production of a value-added product made from tiny sardines that are fished by the small-scale fisheries boats. And they are processed in a very particular way. And there is like a label of geographic origin of this product, and it can only come from that village. And it has a high price and has it's like a high-end product, so to say. And in a way these are also approaches that provide dignity to this profession. And a sense of pride which is really important and should not be underestimated in also increasing the willingness, for example, of young people to be part of that and maintain the viability of the sector. John – I'd like to just add, I think that's a really important point on the dignity and pride and the importance of these fisheries in so many places and cultures. I mean, I'll never forget talking to a minister of finance in one country and starting to try to make the economic case for supporting small-scale fisheries. He cut me off in about 30 seconds and started talking about growing up fishing in the village and going back home for vacations, and just the importance to the entire community of fishing to him and just how much it was a part of the fabric of the culture. Kerilyn - I love that. That does seem so important and wonderful to hear those very specific examples that do give some hope. It's not just a bleak future. Norbert - You know, it's great to hear how government policy is helping shape and reshape these fisheries in a way that allow for economic viability and also these are opportunities to connect communities to these traditions. And so, I find that really fascinating. I want to kind of push a little bit beyond that and bring back the idea of how to deal with climate that was mentioned earlier. And also change our focus from government policy to sort of what's happening within these small-scale fisheries and fishery organizations. So Nicole, a lot of your work focuses on building more inclusive policy processes and stakeholder engagement. And so, from your perspective, how does community-led climate adaptation, rather than top down adaptation agendas, lead to different outcomes? Nicole - Well, I think one way that seems quite obvious, how community-led adaptation can lead to different outcomes is simply that in that case, the traditional and the indigenous knowledge that is within those communities will be considered much more strongly. And this is something that can be really critical to crafting solutions for that very site-specific context. Because the impact of the climate change can be very different in every region and every locality not due to that specific environment that it's encountering there. And holding the knowledge and being able to observe the changes and then adapt to them is something that certainly a community-based approach has an advantage over something that would be a coming from a more centralized top down, a little bit more one-size-fits-all approach. And this can then imply little things like, for example, if the water temperature changes, we see a change in the fish behavior. Now we see how certain stocks start to move to different environments and others are coming in. So, the communities obviously need to adapt to that. And they do that automatically. Now, if it changes, they adapt their gear, they adapt to the new species that is there. So, in many cases, there are solutions that are already happening, and adaptations that are already happening that may not carry that label, that name. But if you look at it, it is really what is happening, no? Or you can see in some cases, that for example, there are initiatives that are coming also spontaneously from the communities to replant mangrove forests, where you can observe that there is a rising seawater level that is threatening the communities and where they have their houses, where they have their daily lives. Now, you can see that through NGOs and often there is support projects for that. But you can also see it happening more spontaneously when communities observe that change. So, the top-down approaches often they lack that more nuanced, site-specific considerations in their approaches and the consideration of that specific knowledge. On the other hand, it needs to be said though, that the top-down approaches can also play an important role. For example, countries develop their national adaptation plans. And those plans are usually, you know, developed at a higher level, at the central level. And often fisheries and aquaculture are not necessarily included in those plans. So that is something where the top-down level can play a very important role and really make a difference for small-scale fisheries by ensuring that fisheries and aquaculture are included in a sector. So, I guess that in the end, as always, it's not black and white. No, it's something that we need to take into account both of it and have any climate change adaptation approach to small-scale fisheries being grounded in both. And have a way to bridge the top down and the bottom-up approaches. Norbert - I really like this idea of bridging between the top down and the bottom-up approaches, understanding the local knowledge that's there. I would imagine that's also knowledge that when used to make decisions makes it easier for people to stick with those decisions, because it's a part of their voice. It's who they are. And then the other side, it's critical to make sure that those plans are a part of a larger national move, because if the government is not involved, if those higher-level decision makers are not involved, they can easily overlook the needs of those communities. I really appreciate hearing that. I think sometimes we hear this tension. It needs to be one or the other. And you're making a really compelling point about how it has to be integrated. John, I'm really intrigued to see from your perspective. How do you see this top down versus bottom-up approach working in the work you've done? John - I'll do what I typically do is echo and agree with Nicole, but just to give an example that I love. I teach this one in my classes. There's an old paper by Bob Johannes, a marine ecologist. And the standard practice in managing fisheries as government scientists is you count the fish, you then set limits for them, often from the top down. And his point was in the case of Indonesia, if you look at the reef fisheries that go through most of the communities, one tool to assess the fish stocks is to do a visual census. You swim transects along the reefs and you count the fish. So, he did a back of the envelope estimate and he said, well, if you're going to do that through all the reefs throughout Indonesia, it would probably be finished in about 400 years. And that would give you one snapshot. So, he's saying you can't do this. You have to rely on the local knowledge in these communities. I don't want to romanticize traditional knowledge too much, but I just can't imagine how policies would effectively support adaptation in these communities without building upon this traditional ecological knowledge. Kerilyn - John, since coming to Duke from the World Bank, you've regularly collaborated with non-academic partners like the FAO as well as the UN environmental program. Can you tell us more about how your partnership with the FAO and your work with Nicole more specifically began? John - Sure. I think more than anything, I got really lucky. But when I first came to Duke, I started working with a colleague, Professor Xavier Basurto at the Marine Lab, who I think is one of the world's leading scholars on how communities come together to manage common resources like fish stocks. We organized a workshop at Duke on small-scale fisheries. We got talking to Nicole, invited her and some of her colleagues at FAO to that workshop, together with others, to think about a way forward for small-scale fisheries for philanthropy. And I think from those conversations started to see the need to build a global evidence base on how important these fisheries are in society. And Nicole could probably say it better, but from there, she and colleagues said, you know, maybe you all could work with us. We're planning to do this study to build this evidence base and maybe we could collaborate. And I think we're very fortunate that Duke gives the space for that kind of engaged research and allows us to do it. I don't think we knew how long it would be when we started, Nicole. But over five years and 800 researchers later, we - Javier, Nicole, myself, and so many others - concluded with this global study that we hope does have a little bit clearer picture on the role of these fisheries in society. Kerilyn - Nicole, from your side, what does an academic partner bring to the table? What's your motivation for partnering with someone like John or Duke University more specifically. Well, I think as FAO, we like to call ourselves a knowledge organization, but we're not an academic institution. We don't conduct research ourselves, no? So, we need to partner around that. We work with the policy makers though. So, one of our roles, in a way, is to build that. To broker and improve the science policy interface. So, this is why collaboration with academia research for us is very important. And what we experienced in this particular collaboration with Duke University to produce this study called Illuminating Hidden Harvest, the Contributions of Small-scale Fisheries to Sustainable Development was really that first we realized we have a shared vision, shared objectives. And I think that's fundamental. Now, you need to make sure that you have the same values, how you approach these things. And in this case, it aligned very well that we really wanted to take in a way, a human-centered and multidimensional approach to look at small-scale fisheries. And then it was also very important to understand what every partner brings to the table, no? The different strengths that we have. And then based on that, define the roles and what everybody's doing in a project. And the added value for us was certainly the capacity from the Duke University side to help develop the method that we develop for the country case studies that we conducted in 58 countries. And not only to develop that method, but then we had a postdoc at Duke University for this project, who was actually then engaging with all of the people. People in these 58 countries. And, and she was. coaching them in that methodology, actually in three languages, which was quite amazing. It was very, very thorough. We could not have done that. And we had a lot of other students from Duke University that helped us once we had the data gathered. To then screen that data, harmonize that data, clean that data, obviously under the leadership of John, Xavier and other colleagues, no? So that was really something that was adding a lot of value and actually also helped us to get to know a lot of the students from Duke. And some of those then ended up also becoming consultants working with us more broadly on small-scale fisheries. So that was certainly great, great value for FAO as collaboration. BIOS Nicole Franz, Equitable Livelihoods Team Leader, Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN. Nicole is a development economist with 18 years of experience in intergovernmental organizations. She holds a Master in International Cooperation and Project Design from University La Sapienza, Rome and a Master in Economic and Cultural Cooperation and Human Rights in the Mediterranean Region. From 2003 to 2008 she was a consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). In 2009-10 she was Fishery Planning Analyst at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, focusing on fisheries certification. Since 2011 she works for the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division where she coordinates the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) with a focus on inclusive policy processes and stakeholder empowerment. Since 2021 she leads the Equitable Livelihoods team.  John Virdin is director of the Oceans Program at the Duke University Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability. He has a total of over twenty years' experience in studying and advising government policies to regulate human use of the oceans, particularly marine conservation policies to reduce poverty throughout the tropics. His focus has been largely on managing fisheries for food and livelihoods, expanding to broader ocean-based economic development policies, coastal adaptation and more recently reducing ocean plastic pollution. He directs the Oceans Program at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, aiming to connect Duke University's science and ideas to help policymakers solve ocean sustainability problems. He has collaborated in this effort with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the United Nations Environment Program, as well as regional organizations such as the Abidjan Convention secretariat, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission of West Africa and the Parties to the Nauru Agreement for tuna fisheries management in the Western Pacific. He co-created and teaches an introductory course for undergraduate students to understand the role of ocean policy in helping solve many of society's most pressing development challenges on land. His work has been published in books, edited volumes and a number of professional journals, including Nature Ecology and Evolution, Ecosystem Services, Environment International, Fish and Fisheries and Marine Policy, as well as contributing to China Dialogue, The Conversation, the Economist Intelligence Unit, and The Hill.    

Many details in Thomas' story remind me of the other Dad Bod dads. Like Brian, he's a girl dad. Like Carlton, he met one of his mentors through the Young Life Christian organization. Like Jeremy, his dad struggled as a small business owner.  Like TJ, sports was the backdrop for a pivotal moment in his life. Like John, his dad couldn't be counted on.  Like Carlton, Andrew, and Brian, he's grieved his dad's passing.   In my imagination, I see Thomas gathered with the other Dad Bod dads, and this episode is him telling his story, adding it to the greater story of what it means to be a dad today.  And as he shares, the other dads acknowledge the similarities by nodding and saying, "me, too." Perhaps you've done the same while listening to The Dad Bod.  These similarities are the harmony to the melody of Thomas' story: a life deeply impacted by brokenness in his biological family but dramatically healed by divine grace through his chosen family.

In this episode, we are talking about one of the New Testament's most unique characters: John the Baptist. Dot and Cara discuss the unusual circumstances of his birth, the confidence he had to be exactly who God called him to be, and his faithfulness in carrying out that calling, even when it cost him his life. We hope this conversation inspires you to live confidently, secure in your place in God's kingdom. Grab a cup of coffee and your Bible and learn with us from John the Baptist today.Got a question about today's episode or something else you'd like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! Episode recap:Start by writing down Matthew 3:1-6 (0:14)Everything about John was unusual from Day One (3:07)John knew he was not the Messiah, but he also knew God was going to use him (10:19)Like John, we can be confident in our unique role in God's story (14:57)John was faithful to what God called him to do (22:16)John wasn't threatened by Jesus' popularity or His followers (26:25)While in prison, John sought reassurance from Jesus (28:07)When Jesus came into his ministry in a big way, John was in prison and didn't get to see most of it (36:28)John modeled taking his doubts and fears to Jesus (38:33)Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at hello@dotbowen.com.Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook Scripture Verse: Matthew 3:1-6Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying,“THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!'”Now John himself had a garment of camel's hair, and a leather belt about his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea, and all the district around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. 

Daniel H. Park | 8/18/2024

John Kuligowski is a Nonfiction Assistant Editor at Prairie Schooner and also currently a PhD student in English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He worked as an assistant editor for volumes 392 and 394 of the Dictionary of Literary Biography and has published in a number of venues both online and in print. Zainab Omaki is likewise a Nonfiction Assistant Editor at the magazine and has writings in Callaloo, The Rumpus, LA Review and elsewhere. Her novel-in-progress has funding both abroad and from the Nebraska Arts Council. Like John, she's a PhD candidate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Prairie Schooner has a long legacy, stretching back to 1928, making it arguably the country's longest continuous literary magazine. In this episode, the focus is on essays from two recent issues, beginning with “Summer Blues” by Hantian Zhang. For anyone who ever read William Gass's medication, On Being Blue, this will serve as an interesting sequel. The theme or mood is signaled by the Portuguese word “saudale,” a desire for something absent, for the essay is set in Lisbon. In “Holden Caulfield Builds a House” by Andrew Erkkila, the setting jumps to Jersey City and the renovation of a house whose previous owner was a Viet Nam vet who painted the names of fallen colleagues in blood and excrement. Suffice to say, it's a monumental tasks that nearly undoes the couple funding the upgrade. In “On grief, sex, and kidneys,” Afton Montgomery explores surgery's impact on one's psyche and even more identity. Finally, in “On the Move, or Looking to Settle Down,” Maya Marshall makes a road trip as an African-American woman traveling the South, knowing that danger can always lurk and yet mustn't become an excuse for limiting oneself. Still, it's not easy when, for instance, the sight of a dead deer makes her identify with it due to sharing a common color and the risks inherent in motion. Dan Hill, PhD, is the author of ten books and leads Sensory Logic, Inc. To check out his related “Dan Hill's EQ Spotlight” blog, visit this site. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

John Kuligowski is a Nonfiction Assistant Editor at Prairie Schooner and also currently a PhD student in English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He worked as an assistant editor for volumes 392 and 394 of the Dictionary of Literary Biography and has published in a number of venues both online and in print. Zainab Omaki is likewise a Nonfiction Assistant Editor at the magazine and has writings in Callaloo, The Rumpus, LA Review and elsewhere. Her novel-in-progress has funding both abroad and from the Nebraska Arts Council. Like John, she's a PhD candidate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Prairie Schooner has a long legacy, stretching back to 1928, making it arguably the country's longest continuous literary magazine. In this episode, the focus is on essays from two recent issues, beginning with “Summer Blues” by Hantian Zhang. For anyone who ever read William Gass's medication, On Being Blue, this will serve as an interesting sequel. The theme or mood is signaled by the Portuguese word “saudale,” a desire for something absent, for the essay is set in Lisbon. In “Holden Caulfield Builds a House” by Andrew Erkkila, the setting jumps to Jersey City and the renovation of a house whose previous owner was a Viet Nam vet who painted the names of fallen colleagues in blood and excrement. Suffice to say, it's a monumental tasks that nearly undoes the couple funding the upgrade. In “On grief, sex, and kidneys,” Afton Montgomery explores surgery's impact on one's psyche and even more identity. Finally, in “On the Move, or Looking to Settle Down,” Maya Marshall makes a road trip as an African-American woman traveling the South, knowing that danger can always lurk and yet mustn't become an excuse for limiting oneself. Still, it's not easy when, for instance, the sight of a dead deer makes her identify with it due to sharing a common color and the risks inherent in motion. Dan Hill, PhD, is the author of ten books and leads Sensory Logic, Inc. To check out his related “Dan Hill's EQ Spotlight” blog, visit this site. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

This week we're checking in on Fleece Johnson. If you're not familiar, Mr. Johnson is the biggest reason you should obey the law. He was a real horny guy in prison. Now he's struggling with whether he's gay or not. I think by the time you sleep with your 25th boyfriend it's safe to say you're no longer just experimenting.  Tab Birt joins the show to educate us on Fleece's understanding of homosexuality in biblical times. Then we watch Scorch get exactly what he deserves from his guest. After that, we check in on Aaron Imholte to analyze some parallels with Stuttering John. Like John, some court documents have come out that show us who the real Aaron is and it's really bad. Stuttering John, meanwhile, isn't hiding how much of a dirtbag he is. He went to Kevin Brennan's apartment building when KB wasn't home and somehow that means he's winning. Then we wrap up with a teaser, Internet News, and your voicemails. Tickets are on sale for DabbleCon 2 on August 16th and 17th – http://watplive.com/ Tickets for the Magic Bag in Detroit on October 25th – https://www.themagicbag.com/concerts-magicbag/who-are-these-podcasts-hide-september-15-2023-hide https://hereswhatidontget.com/  Support us, get bonus episodes, and watch live every Saturday and Wednesday: http://bit.ly/watp-patreon https://watp.supercast.tech/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to another episode of Sith Talk, where we talk Star Wars news, rumors and coming soon's. This is Season 2 of the podcast. Today's guest is Ashton from the Ashton Sharrett Instagram and Youtube channel. We talk youtube, Star Wars Celebration, the Acolyte and MORE. https://youtube.com/@sharrettwithyourfriends?si=GjKPov0YOVCMYPI6 https://www.instagram.com/ashtonsharrett?igsh=b2JlbmhnNWdwNW5z #Starwars #SithTalk #AshtonSharrett Watch the video version of the podcast here - https://www.youtube.com/@sithtalkpodcast -------------------------------------------------- To Help Support The Channel: Subscribe to my main Star Wars Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@starwarssith66 Theory Sabers ( Use Code Sith66 ) ➡️ https://www.theorysabers.com/ -------------------------------------------------- Be sure to add me on Social Media https://linktr.ee/starwarssith --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sithtalkpodcast/support

TJH 837: Be Like John Today on episode 837 of the Jamhole comedy podcast, our heroes discuss the Last Dance, college commencement speeches, vigilantes, glowing foxes, and more! The Jamhole - Stay hungry, stay foolish.

Through the narrative of Scripture, we see that the Apostle John was once known as a “son of thunder” but then later known as the “Apostle of Love.” Like John, we all can be transformed by Jesus. Once we experience this transformation, our lives can become the witness of His love to the world around us. In this message, Raymond Crum shares of the joy in the commission to “preach the Gospel” through our daily lives. Visit our website at www.givinglight.org. Download the Giving Light App available for free on iOS and Android.

Prophets and Priests 1 St. John 5:4-12 & St. John 20:19-23 by William Klock Jesus' disciples were afraid.  They were huddled together in the dark, doors locked, talking—it wouldn't surprise me in the least if there was some arguing going on—all in quiet whispers lest the authorities find them and crucify them just like they'd crucified Jesus.  That's what St. John writes in his Gospel. On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews…   This was the evening of that first Easter Sunday when Mary went to the tomb at dawn and found it empty.  She ran as fast as she could through the empty streets of Jerusalem to find Peter and John.  She beat on their door and when the door was opened the frantic words spilled out with her sobs, “They've taken the Lord out of the tomb and I don't know where they've laid him!”  So Peter and John ran and they saw for themselves the empty tomb with the linens used to wrap Jesus' body lying there undisturbed.  It made no sense.  There was nothing they could do about it.  And the authorities were probably looking for them now that the sabbath was over, so they went back to their hiding place. But, John says, Mary stayed behind at the tomb, weeping—ugly crying—sobbing her heart out.  And that's when two angels appeared to her, sitting right where Jesus body had been laid…sitting right there with the linen wrappings and they asked, “Why are you weeping?”  And, still holding her bottle of oil in one hand and a box with those precious spices in the other, Mary sobbed out her story to them.  “They've taken away my Lord and I don't know where they've laid him.”  The oil and spices were useless unless she could find where he was, but still she held on to them.  But then, as John tells the story, another man approaches to ask, again, why she's crying and who she's looking for.  Mary thought he was the gardener and she blubbered it out all over again, “Sir, if it was you, tell me where you've laid him.”  And then the man simply spoke her name, “Mary,” and she knew him.  It was Jesus.  And now she was crying for joy, because he was alive.  It didn't make any sense, but he was alive and she gasped out, “Rabbi!”  And she jumped up to hug him, but instead he said, “No.  Now is not the time to cling to me.  You've got to go to my brothers—to the disciples—and tell them the good news.”  And so she ran—again!—to the house where they were hiding to tell them, “I have seen the Lord!” But what did it mean?  John writes that when he saw the empty tomb and the linens lying there he believed.  But believed what?  Because he says immediately after that the disciples did not yet understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead.  And so even though John believed and even with Mary's report that she had seen Jesus, there they sat, hunkered down behind shuttered windows and a locked door, talking in whispers.  There was no cooking fire lest the smoke give them away.  Maybe they had a small oil lamp lit so they could just see each other.  John tells his story so that it echoes the book of Genesis and the scene he give us of that evening of the first Easter day echoes Genesis: “Darkness was over the face of the deep.” Brothers and Sisters, is that not a picture of too much of the Church today.  Jesus is risen.  We even proclaim it with joy on Easter, we're reminded that his resurrection has changed everything, but we sit hunkered down at home afraid to go out and proclaim it?  We hide our light under a basket.   And then John writes that suddenly, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”   John wrote about the Incarnation back in his prologue saying that in Jesus the light had come into the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it.  That was an echo of Genesis.  The first day of the week God called light into being, driving away the darkness.  And now the Light Incarnate appears in that dark, fear-filled house and I have to think that somehow and in some way it was filled with light—a light that drove away every last vestige of darkness.  And to these frightened men, Jesus announces, “Peace be with you!” Imagine their surprise.  And there must have been some disbelief or some doubts.  Or maybe, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, they simply didn't recognise him.  Something about his resurrection had brought a transformation.  Same Jesus, same body, but in some way just different enough in appearance that they didn't recognise him.  Of course, it wouldn't have helped that they simply didn't expect to see him again either.  So Jesus holds out his hands for them to see.  One at a time he lifts a foot out so that they can see.  There were the marks left by the nails.  And he lifted his tunic to show them the wound left by the spear that had been plunged into his side, the wound that had gushed forth blood and water, evidence to the soldiers that he was genuinely dead.  And here he stood alive—more alive, in fact, than ever before.  They were shocked.  How could it be?  As I said last Sunday, the reason resurrection wasn't on anyone's mind was because this wasn't how it was supposed to happen.  This wasn't a story Jews would have made up, because all the Jews who believed in the resurrection of the dead knew how it would work—and it wasn't supposed to work this way.  At the end of the age the Lord would raise all the faithful at once.  There was plenty of disagreement about some of the specifics, but they all knew one thing for sure: It would be everybody all at once, not just one person, even if that one person was the Messiah.  This just wasn't on their radar.  Not at all.  But now it is and they're confused and, it seems, even though John says they were glad, they were still more than a little afraid.  And so Jesus says to them again, “Peace be with you!” And Jesus doesn't waste any time as John tells it.  “Peace be with you,” he says, calming their fears.  Jesus is alive.  And immediately he gets down to the very practical aspects, the real-world implications of his resurrection.  He says in verse 21: “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” Here they are, hunkered down for fear of being rounded up and executed themselves.  Here they are, afraid to even show their faces in Jerusalem.  Here they are, giving it a few days before they try to sneak out of town without being noticed.  And Jesus says to them, “I'm sending you.  As the Father sent me to you, I'm now sending you: to Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria…to the ends of the earth.”  In other words, “You're not going to go slinking out of the city under cover of darkness.  No, you're going out in Jerusalem with boldness—the same way I went out into Galilee, through Judea, and eventually to Jerusalem at the head of a parade, hailed by the people.  You're going to go with the same boldness out into this city and you are going to declare what God has done.  Everyone is going to know who you are.  You're going to declare to Jerusalem that this Jesus whom they crucified, died and has been raised from the dead, that he really is the Messiah, God's King, that his kingdom has come, and God's new creation is breaking in.” Think again of John, just beginning to wrap his head around the idea that Jesus had been raised from death—but still hiding with the others, still afraid.  John couldn't even tell his friends what he thought had happened.  The last thing on his mind was telling it to Jerusalem—and Jesus isn't talking about mere “telling”—you know, whispering it to a few people who might be safe to tell.  No, he's talking about proclaiming this news—to everybody.  Preaching from the hillsides and in the temple—to crowds—just like he'd done.  Brothers and Sisters, think about that for a minute.  Think about how most of us are so afraid or at least hesitant to proclaim the good news about Jesus.  We have no reason to fear for our lives like Jesus' disciples did.  The worst thing that happens to us is we offend someone, make them think we're weird.  They faced martyrdom—and all but John were, indeed, martyred for their proclamation.  We have so little to fear, but we're afraid anyway.  We've even stopped speaking in terms of proclamation—the Bible's way of speaking about evangelism.  Instead, these days we talk about “sharing” our faith—as if Jesus is something people might want to try—see if he works for you, but if not...  We've lost our confidence in the good news and in the God who raised Jesus from the dead who stands behind it.  No, Jesus calls us to declare the good news like royal heralds, sent out into the world to declare the mighty deeds of God, that he has raised Jesus from the dead, and made him Lord of all.  The proclamation of the gospel is meant to bring glory to God.  It's an announcement that Jesus, who was dead is now alive, that he's won the war, and that the world is being made new.  That the old powers are being crushed by the great wheels of the gospel as it goes out and that hope is being born, that tears are being wiped away.  That's not something to be timidly whispered when we think it's safe. But, again, consider John.  Confused, afraid, just beginning to understand.  And then consider the confidence of his words, written decades later in our Epistle: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God…. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?  (1 St. John 5:1, 4-5) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ—that he is the Messiah—has been reborn as part of the people of God.  And that belief changes everything.  That belief transforms the fearful John, hesitant to even tell his friends about the dawning realization that Jesus had been raised from death, it turns him into the courageous apostle, exiled for his proclamation of that truth, and writing boldly to the churches to stand firm in that same faith even though great tribulation was about to hit them like a storm.  There is everything to be feared out in the world: rejection, mockery, persecution, even martyrdom, but by faith the people of God overcome and stand firm in our witness.  It's not because faith changes reality.  It's because this faith recognizes the new reality born that first Easter when Jesus rose from the grave, the new reality that he is victor over sin and death, the new reality that new creation has begun in him, and the new reality that he is Lord of that creation.  By faith we are united with him.  By faith we share in his inheritance.  And by faith we share in his calling and ministry—his Church, taking up the mantle of prophet, priest, and king. Like John, we are called to boldly testify about Jesus: This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus the Messiah; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.  For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.  If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son.   John points back to Jesus' ministry.  He came by water.  That was the start of it.  He went to John and was baptised in the Jordan and as he walked up out of the river, the heavens opened, the Spirit descended like a dove, and his Father spoke, “This is my Son in whom I am well-pleased.”  That was Jesus' initiation into his messianic ministry.  And that ministry—at least in its earthly phase—ended in blood, at the cross, where he died to conquer death and to provide forgiveness of sins.  Jesus' baptism testifies to his being the Messiah.  Jesus' blood, shed on the cross, testifies to his being the Messiah.  And, too, John writes, so does the Spirit.  And, he says, consider all the things we believe, in which we trust, based on the testimony of mere men.  How much more, Brothers and Sisters, ought we to trust this testimony about Jesus backed up by God himself?  And not so much just receiving and believing ourselves, but in light of the fact that this is the truth, this is the good news that literally changes the world, is changing the world, oughtn't we to be proclaiming it to that world?  Through Jesus and the Spirit God has given us the light.  The light that will transform the darkness that sin and death have cast on the world.  The light that the darkness cannot and will not ever overcome.  Dear Friends, don't hide it under a basket.  Hold it high.  Proclaim it.  Show it to everyone.  Do not be afraid.  John says: Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself.  (1 St. John 5:10) But that's not where John leaves us in the Gospel.  Jesus doesn't just send his disciples out into the world.  That would be an impossible task.  Even the joy of knowing that Jesus has risen from the grave isn't enough in itself to get this good news to the ends of the earth.  Jesus knew that we also need to be equipped to go out and do it.  Look at verses 22-23 of John 20: And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”   As the Lord breathed life into Adam in the original creation, Jesus now breathes on his disciples.  “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he says.  Was the Spirit literally imparted by Jesus' breath?  Luke tells this part differently in his Gospel and in Acts—that whole event with the dramatic coming of the Spirit at Pentecost as they gathered at the temple to hear Peter preach and to be baptised.  But notice there, too, that the Spirit comes with a wind—in both Hebrew and Greek, wind, breath, and spirit are all the same word.  Jesus was good at acted-out prophecy and I think that's what he's doing in this case in John's Gospel.  He is—or he soon will be—imparting God's Spirit to this new people of God, to those who believe, and he illustrates just what this gift is by an act that they couldn't help but connect to God's giving life to Adam—another echo of Genesis.  But this is new life.  And this is what will equip them to go out, despite the threat of death, to proclaim with boldness the good news.  Brothers and Sisters, the Spirit does a lot for us, but here Jesus makes sure we know what his primary purpose is.  It's not to give us radical experiences, although that certainly might happen.  It's not to make us holy, although he certainly does that as he turns our hearts and our affections away from self and sin and points them towards God.  No, the primary purpose of the Spirit is to equip us to do the impossible: to do for the world, what Jesus did for Israel.  To go out in the world in his name and to proclaim what God has done through him.  “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”  Think of our study of Revelation and those seven churches John shows us in the beginning—small, poor, facing all sorts of challenges and opposition and soon to face great tribulation, but called by Jesus to stand firm in faith for the gospel—and not just that, but to take that gospel to the world.  How is that possible?  It starts with the joy of knowing Jesus risen from the dead, but continues through the life of the Spirit who equips us to do what we can never do on our own strength. And then Jesus speaks those words that have so often been misunderstood and abused: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”  Remember I said that by faith we have a share in Jesus' inheritance and ministry.  By faith the Father adopts us and makes us his sons and daughters, so we share in what belongs to Jesus.  And that means that as he is King and Prophet and Priest, so are we as his Church, his people.  And Jesus here gets at two of those things.  Here he reminds his friends and he reminds us that when we go out into the world to proclaim his Lordship, to proclaim the good news of his death and resurrection, to proclaim that new creation has come, we do so as both prophets and as priests. Our message is two-fold.  I think the priestly role comes most naturally to us.  This is the part of our proclamation where we announce the forgiveness of sins.  Think of the priests of the Old Testament, offering sacrifices.  That was one of their primary duties: to facilitate and to mediate God's forgiveness to the people.  Think of Jesus.  He is both priest and sacrificial lamb.  He offers and presents himself to the Father as a sacrifice for our sins.  And, as priests, we proclaim to the world the forgiveness he offers through that sacrifice.  But that is not our only role.  We also share in Jesus' prophetic office—and that's the part that doesn't come as naturally to us, at least not as things currently are.  But consider what the prophets did.  Consider what Jesus did in his role as a prophet.  He called out the sins of his people, he summoned them to repentance, and he announced the judgement to come on those who remained unrepentant in their sin, unbelief, and faithlessness.  In contrast, much of the Church today is afraid to take on this prophetic role, to name sin, to even use the word.  Some parts of the Church have given up altogether and have embraced sin and called it virtue—leaving people nothing to repent of and with nothing for which they need forgiveness.  They've gutted the gospel.  But these two things, the priestly and the prophetic go hand in hand.  Our prophetic office, announcing judgement, is without hope if we do not also fulfil our priestly role of announcing forgiveness.  But our priestly office, our message of forgiveness lacks any real meaning if it is not also accompanied by the prophetic announcement that sin is sin and that God will judge it.  Brothers and Sisters, this is the good news: that we are sinners, that our holy God judges sin and that the penalty is death, but also that Jesus has died as a perfect sacrifice for sins, and has risen, victor over death, inaugurating God's new creation and giving a sure and certain hope that what he has begun he will finish.  One day all things will be made new, every bit of sin and evil will be swept from creation, and all will be set to rights.  And by faith in Jesus we have a share in that new world. Brothers and Sisters, do we believe that?  I trust that we do.  We affirm this belief every week as we come to the Lord's Table.  We recall the story.  We confess our sins in repentance.  And we come to the Table in renewed faith to participate again in those events that set us free from sin and death, in the death and resurrection of Jesus.  But maybe we've forgotten the real power behind what we confess here at the Table.  Friends, think this morning on what the cross and the empty tomb mean.  Think on what the blood of Jesus means.  Think on what his gift of the Spirit means.  And then take seriously those words of dismissal we'll hear later: “Go forth in peace to love and serve the Lord.”  Consider that in those words Jesus is saying to us, to you and to me, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” Let's pray: Almighty Father, you gave your only Son to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification: Grant that we may put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, and always serve you in purity and truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Full Text of ReadingsThursday of the Fifth Week of Lent Lectionary: 254The Saint of the day is Blessed John of ParmaBlessed John of Parma's Story The seventh general minister of the Franciscan Order, John was known for his attempts to bring back the earlier spirit of the Order after the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. He was born in Parma, Italy, in 1209. It was when he was a young philosophy professor known for his piety and learning that God called him to bid good-bye to the world he was used to and enter the new world of the Franciscan Order. After his profession, John was sent to Paris to complete his theological studies. Ordained to the priesthood, he was appointed to teach theology at Bologna, then Naples, and finally Rome. In 1245, Pope Innocent IV called a general council in the city of Lyons, France. Crescentius, the Franciscan minister general at the time, was ailing and unable to attend. In his place he sent Friar John, who made a deep impression on the Church leaders gathered there. Two years later, when the same pope presided at the election of a minister general of the Franciscans, he remembered Friar John well and held him up as the man best qualified for the office. And so in 1247, John of Parma was elected to be minister general. The surviving disciples of St. Francis rejoiced in his election, expecting a return to the spirit of poverty and humility of the early days of the Order. And they were not disappointed. As general of the Order, John traveled on foot, accompanied by one or two companions, to practically all of the Franciscan convents in existence. Sometimes he would arrive and not be recognized, remaining there for a number of days to test the true spirit of the brothers. The pope called on John to serve as legate to Constantinople, where he was most successful in winning back the schismatic Greeks. Upon his return, he asked that someone else take his place to govern the Order. At John's urging, Saint Bonaventure was chosen to succeed him. John took up a life of prayer in the hermitage at Greccio. Many years later, John learned that the Greeks who had been reconciled with the Church for a time, had relapsed into schism. Though 80 years old by then, John received permission from Pope Nicholas IV to return to the East in an effort to restore unity once again. On his way, John fell sick and died. He was beatified in 1781. The liturgical feast of Blessed John of Parma is celebrated on March 20. Reflection In the 13th century, people in their 30s were middle-aged; hardly anyone lived to the ripe old age of 80. John did, but he didn't ease into retirement. Instead he was on his way to try to heal a schism in the Church when he died. Our society today boasts a lot of folks in their later decades. Like John, many of them lead active lives. But some aren't so fortunate. Weakness or ill health keeps them confined and lonely—waiting to hear from us. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

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