Podcasts about lord almighty

Giants Must Fall: The Giant of Fear(Pastor Nathan Moldenhauer)Whatever you're afraid of – whatever form the giant of fear standing down in the valley takes – it can be paralyzing. And it almost seems to grow bigger day by day. Fear does this, because we so often think we're fighting this giant alone. I believe the lie that I'm alone, so maybe like King Saul I try to use tools and weapons, the things of man to combat my fear. I believe the lie that I'm alone, so maybe I convince myself I just need to have a stronger faith. If only I trust more and pray harder, because after all, this battle is ultimately mine and up to me.No. Remember, that's only a lie. You are not alone. You don't stand before the giant of fear naked. “For the battle is the Lord's.” Your fear doesn't stand a chance. It isn't you who fight, but the Lord. The battle is his. The victory is his. You stand before and come against the giant of fear in the name of the Lord Almighty. Your fears can taunt and mock no more. Jesus has already won the ultimate victory.

Daily Dose of Hope June 11, 2026   Scripture: 1 Kings 9   Prayer: Abba Father, We come to you today, grateful for your love and care in our lives.  Thank you for your presence and your peace.  Help us to gather our scattered thoughts and set aside distractions so we can focus on what you have for us today.  In the next few moments of silence, Lord, help me be still and know that you are God...We give you all the glory, Lord Almighty.  Amen.    Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading. This summer, we are working our way through the books of 1 & 2 Kings.  Today, our reading is 1 Kings 9.   This is a chapter with a lot of different elements.  It starts out with God blessing the Temple, but God also gives his conditions.  Solomon and the Israelites will receive blessing only if they keep the law and avoid idolatry.  In fact, God is very specific here – if Israel falls into a pattern of idolatry, God will lift his hand of protection, and allow this beautiful, grand Temple to be torn to the ground by their enemies.  This is an important point to remember as we move further into 1 & 2 Kings.   We then move into Solomon's dealings with the king of Tyre, Hiram.  If you recall, he provided a lot of lumber and supplies for both the Temple and the royal palace.  As a gift, Solomon decided to give the king twenty cities from the area of Galilee.  Apparently, the king was not impressed at all with the cities and calls them essentially worthless.  Doing a little more digging, I found that these cities were run-down and did not provide good agricultural land.  They weren't such a great gift after all.  Since the king of Tyre helped Solomon so much, it is interesting that Solomon offered him some of the worst land.    There is then this interesting discussion about where Solomon's conscripted labor was coming from.  The Scripture says that the laborers were from non-Israelite populations living in the land.  These would have been people that the Israelites failed to force out when they conquered the land.  They built the wall of Jerusalem, the Millo (a type of fortification), and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.  The chapter ends with some talk about the many ships that Solomon had and all the gold they went to retrieve from Ophir.   I looked up where Ophir was located but its actual location is a mystery.   Solomon was very successful in his building projects.  But God makes it clear that he cares much more about the people's hearts than their building accomplishments.  Even when it comes to the Temple, God says he will tear that thing down by whatever means necessary if the people don't follow his ways.  God is always more concerned about our hearts.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him. . . . — Isaiah 40:10 Having introduced the Lord to his people, Isaiah describes the majestic revelation of God.First, he is the Sovereign LORD, the Lord Almighty. The Lord is neither a pagan deity nor a tribal idol; he is the one, true God, clothed with power and majesty. Since he is all-powerful, nothing is too difficult for the Lord.Second, the Lord has control over the universe, history, and nations, for his mighty arm rules over all things. Kingdoms rise and fall, but the Lord remains King over all. He is the one who gives life and takes it away. He is the one who exalts and brings low. He is the one who raises up presidents, prime ministers, and other rulers on the earth, and yet before him they are like nothing, no more than a drop in a bucket (Isaiah 40:15-17).Third, he is the God who rewards. The Lord saves by his grace and brings rewards by his goodness. Scripture says, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” (Hebrews 6:10). And “when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Peter 5:4).The Lord our God is sovereign, almighty, in control, and faithful to his promises. Lord, you rule with all power and majesty over all nations and all time. Strengthen our faith. Help us to serve you with love, trusting that you see, remember, and reward us with the gift of full life with you. Amen.

The year was 1809. The world had its eyes fixed on Napoleon Bonaparte and the sweeping battles of the War of the Fifth Coalition. But while the nations watched the conflict, heaven was watching something else entirely — the births of Abraham Lincoln, Alfred Tennyson, Louis Braille, and others whose lives would reshape the world in ways no military campaign ever could. In this brilliantly observed episode, Tammy Darling uses this stunning historical contrast to ask us a searching and deeply personal question: when we are desperate for victory, are we even looking in the right place? We see the puzzle piece. God sees the whole picture. And according to Zechariah 4:6, the victories that matter most don't come by might or by power — they come by His Spirit. Tammy reminds us that some victories are obvious, but others are quieter, slower, and easily missed if we are fixated on the wrong measure of success. The scale doesn't move, but the strength increases. The battle rages, but the baby is born. Christ's death looked like defeat to everyone watching — and yet it was the greatest victory in human history. God's ways are higher than ours, His thoughts beyond our comprehension — and that means the victory we're praying for may already be unfolding in ways we simply haven't learned to see yet. Today's Bible Verse "'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." — Zechariah 4:6, NIV Ponder Today Victory often arrives in ways we're not watching for. The world watched the battles of 1809; heaven watched the births. Ask God to shift your focus from the obvious conflict to the quiet miracles already unfolding around you. We see the puzzle piece — God sees the whole picture. If you feel like victory hasn't come, consider whether your definition of it is too narrow. God's ways are higher and His thoughts deeper than anything we can fully comprehend (Isaiah 55:8-9). True victory comes by God's Spirit, not human strength. Striving harder, pushing longer, and relying on your own power will exhaust you. The victories that last are the ones God brings — in His timing, by His means, for His glory. Some victories require more faith to recognize than others. Mystery is part of God's nature — and therefore part of how He works. Don't despise the small, hidden, or unexpected wins. They may be the very ones heaven is celebrating. The cross looked like defeat — and it was the ultimate victory. When your circumstances look nothing like triumph, remember that God's greatest victories have rarely looked the way anyone expected. Trust Him in what you cannot yet see. A Prayer for You Today Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that every day is an opportunity to dive deeper into the great mystery of who You are. We come before You with open hearts and minds to receive revelation, insight, and greater knowledge of Your will and ways. May we recognize our victories — big and small — even when they arrive in unexpected ways. May we rely on You to bring the victory and not strive in our own power, for truly, it is by Your Spirit that victory is possible. In Your victorious name, Amen. Don't Miss an Episode If today's prayer helped you look for God's hand in unexpected places, we'd love to stay connected. Subscribe to the LifeAudio newsletter at LifeAudio.com for daily prayers, devotionals, and more content to strengthen your faith and sharpen your spiritual vision every day. If you like this podcast, be sure to check out our sister podcast, Your Nightly Prayer - an evening Christian prayer podcast to help you end your day in conversation with God. https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

2026-06-07 Grow Where You've Been Plantedby Seth Carroll  Scripture Reference: Jeremiah 29:1-1129 This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) 3 He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.Mandeville Bible Church   "Where God's Word is Our Foundation"https://www.mandevillebiblechurch.org/Come and see that God's Word is alive and at work right here in Mandeville.. and throughout the world!All are welcome. 217 Carroll Street, Mandeville, LA 70448Church Office: (985) 626-3114Sunday Service: 9:30AMAdult Sunday School: 10:45-11:30AMNursery and Children's church available.

Istrouma Baptist Church (BR) Jun 7, 2026 ========== June 7 - Wisdom from the Word Welcome! We're glad you've joined us today for our Sunday morning worship service! For more information about Istrouma, go to istrouma.org or contact us at info@istrouma.org. We glorify God by making disciples of all nations. ========== Connection Card https://istrouma.org/myinfo June 7, 2026 Micah Cating How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young—a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God.4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Psalm 84:1-4, NIV THE CHURCH IS GOD'S HOUSE THE CHURCH IS A HOME FOR US 3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young—a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God.4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Psalm 84:3-4, NIV THE CHURCH IS A HOME FOR US · The church should be a welcoming place for all people who will worship the Lord. · The church is a place for our families. PURSUING THE LORD IS WORTH THE STRUGGLE 5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.8 Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob.9 Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. Psalm 84:5-9, NIV THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE TO BE THAN IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD 10Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.12 Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you. Psalm 84:10-12 NIV Want to receive weekly announcements in your inbox each week? https://istrouma.org/email Give Online Text ISTROUMA IBC to 73256 or go to: https://istrouma.org/give Our Website https://istrouma.org

We tend to see the world from where we are. It's only natural. We want everyone and everything else to fit in with us. But God, well, He doesn't quite see it that way.   A Boy Called Sam Last week on the programme we spent some time talking about the fact that when the storms of life hit and they inevitably do, what we need is some solid ground beneath our feet. It's a scary place to be, out on that stormy ocean – we are not made for that. We are made for solid ground. And we began looking at the story of some people: a woman called Hannah and her son Samuel and some priests – Eli and his sons Hophni and Phinehas. Hannah, now here was a woman who honoured God and He honoured her – the priests, on the other hand, although they should have known better, they didn't honour God. And as we will see on the programme this week, they reaped their just reward. And the reason we are looking at this story of these people, is that when we are in the midst of the storm, as we so often are, we lose our bearings. We so often lose sight of those things that really matter and for me, as I have spent time in that story, it has clarified some things for me – it's brought them into sharp focus and my hunch is that as you and I spend some time together today, well, maybe you will find that too. So let's just recap briefly on this story of Hannah. Hannah married a man called Elkanah and he had two wives: Peninnah and Hannah. And Hannah didn't have children and Peninnah did, so Peninnah would taunt Hannah and there was a lot of pain around that, so Hannah goes to God – she pours out her heart to Him in the temple and she gets God's peace. It is what always happens when we do that. Eli, on the other hand, is the priest that is at the temple at the time when Hannah comes to pour her heart out and he mistakes what Hannah is doing – he thinks she is drunk. And the priest Eli and his sons Hophni and Phinehas, they are bad dudes – they are plundering the sacrifices, they are not honouring God and there is a real contrast between these two – between Hannah and her family and Eli and his - this nobody Hannah and this priest Eli. See that's what we so often miss in life – God is hidden; He is invisible – we forget about Him – we go on living our lives, wondering why things are going from bad to worse. And in the middle of this story (last week we stumbled across this verse) when God was pronouncing His judgement on Eli and his family – you can read this if you have a Bible, grab it, open it up at First Samuel chapter 2 and verse 30. God said: Those who honour Me, I will honour but those who despise Me shall be treated with contempt. And that's kind of the pivot on which this whole story turns and this week on the programme we are going to look at how things turned out for Hannah and for Eli. There was a sharp contrast to their approach to God and there is a sharp contrast in how things turn out for them. It tells us a lot about God; it clarifies the confusion in the midst of our storm when we can't see God, necessarily. When that happens we know how to put our feet on solid ground. Well let's start today with Hannah – this pain of being childless and the taunts of the other wife. Childless couples the world over, know how painful this is. So she goes to God – let's have a look at it again in First Samuel chapter 1, beginning at verse 9 and she pours her heart out. Once they had finished eating and drinking at Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord's temple. In the bitterness of her soul, Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord as she made a vow saying "O Lord Almighty, if You will only look upon Your servant's misery and remember me and not forget Your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life and no razor will ever be used on his head." Then she went on her way, ate something and her face was no longer downcast. Let's take a look to see what happened next. First Samuel chapter 1, verse 19: Straight after this, early the next morning they rise, they worship before the Lord and then they go back their home in Ramah. Elkanah lay with his wife Hannah and the Lord remembered her so in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named his Samuel, saying "Because I asked the Lord for him." When the man Elkanah went up with his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfil his vow, Hannah didn't go – she said to her husband "After the boy is weaned I will take him up and present him before the Lord and he will live there always." "Do what seems best to you," Elkanah, her husband told her, "Stay here until you have weaned him, only may the Lord make good His Word." So the woman stayed at home, nursed her son until she had weaned him. After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three year old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli and she said to him "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted me what I ask of Him so now I give him to the Lord for his whole life – he will be given over to the Lord and she worshipped the Lord there." See, Hannah had this terrible pain – she came to God with this impossible prayer – it was a humble and heartfelt prayer and God honours that. See we so underestimate the power of humble prayer; prayer from the heart; prayer that just lays it out before God the way we see it and feel it. God honours that! When He honours her with the impossible, she honours God back and gives her son over to God to serve at the temple for the rest of his life. Now that's easy to gloss over that, but can you imagine? I mean, she wanted her son more than anything and now she gives him up to honour God. God honours that – her incredible heart was to honour God, so she does. She honours Him by giving up the one thing that she desired most – her son. And what's more, she gives over her most precious to be under the wicked Eli and his sons. Now figure that out! It's not exactly a great strategic choice – this young, impressionable child, but see, God honours those who honour Him. And God honours her and protects young Samuel, and we will see, raises young Samuel up and makes him strong. See, the more we honour God, the more He honours us. Look at this - First Samuel chapter 3, verse 7: Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord. The Word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. And verse 19: The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up and He let none of His Words fall to the ground and all of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba recognised that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word. And the word of Samuel came to all of Israel." You see, God honoured her in her storm! Young Samuel went on to become the chief priest, the prophet, the judge of all of Israel. Why? Because this nobody; this woman Hannah, honoured her God, so simply by pouring her heart out to Him, by trusting Him. I want you to notice how insignificant that may have appeared to her at the time. She had this big hairy giant; this huge storm; the pain of being childless, the taunts of Peninnah, it was impossible but for God nothing is impossible. God honours those who honour Him! She honoured God in her naivety – giving young Sam over to Eli. And even there in that impossible situation, God honoured her and He honoured young Sam. So simple – it's so powerful.   The Contrast Continues I guess intuitively, we understand that the things we say and do, the way we think and behave – well, they have consequences. There is a link between cause and effect. We kind of know that but how easy is it to delude ourselves in this area; to make excuse for ourselves? To live out our own selfish desires and pretend that, well, really, that cause and effect stuff applies to other people but not to me! You know what I am talking about. We deny it, we deny it, we deny it and all along the warning signs grow – the storm clouds start to gather over the horizon. But sometimes it's not till that first clap of thunder that we take any notice and then, so often, it's too late. The storm has gathered momentum and all we can do is brace ourselves for when it hits. We are going to spend some time in that space today with a man called Eli because he was in exactly that situation and he left it too late. Let's make no mistake, there is a definite link in God's economy between cause and effect, especially as it turns out, in our relationship with God. We have been working our way, in this series, through the story of Hannah, this woman who honoured God and Eli, the priest, a man with his sons who did the exact opposite – even though he should have known better. And right now I want to look at how things turn out for Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas. These were men who were priests – their job was to be shepherding Israel, bringing them close to their God. Instead Hophni and Phinehas were plundering the sacrifices of God's people, they were sleeping with prostitutes – they were doing anything but honouring God. Look at how God reacts to that. If you have got a Bible, open it at First Samuel chapter 3, verse 1. The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the Word of the Lord was rare. There were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord. Remember Samuel is Hannah's son. He was in the temple where the Ark of God was. Then the Lord called "Samuel" and Samuel answered "Here I am" and he ran in to Eli and said "Here I am, you called me." But Eli said "I didn't call you. God back, lie down." So he went and lay down. Again the Lord called "Samuel" and Samuel go up and went to Eli and said "Here I am, you called me." "My son," Eli said, "I didn't call you, go back, lie down." Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, the Word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel a third time and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said "Here I am, you called me." Then Eli finally realised that the Lord was calling the boy so Eli told Samuel "Go and lie down and if God calls you again, say "Speak Lord for Your servant is listening." So Samuel went and lay down in his place so the Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times "Samuel, Samuel". Then Samuel said "Speak for Your servant is listening." And the Lord said to Samuel "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything that I spoke against his family from beginning to end, for I told him that I would judge his family forever, because of the sin that he knew about. His sons made themselves contemptible and he failed to restrain them, therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, the guilt of Eli's house will never be atoned for by sacrifice of offering." Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli of the vision but Eli called him and said "Samuel, my son," Samuel answered, "Here I am." "What was it He said to you?" Eli asked. "Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He told you." So Samuel told Eli everything, hiding nothing from him. And Eli said, "He is the Lord. Let Him do what is good in His eyes." Here's the paradox – Samuel is this young kid, he didn't recognise God's voice and finally Eli did. Yet Samuel is the one that listened to God and Eli didn't, even though he knew God's voice. Remember that verse: First Samuel chapter 2, verse 30. "I honour those who honour Me" says God, "but those who despise Me I will treat with contempt." And here it is – it's happening to Eli. Here is this powerful truth working its way out in Eli's life. We can be beetling along in our own selfish ways, ignoring our conscience, treating people with contempt, treating God with contempt, ignoring God but God never stops speaking. And even someone like Samuel can hear Him. If you want to know what He has to say, just listen. He spoke to Eli over and over again but Eli didn't listen. He talks to us over and over again. How? Maybe you were just flicking around, channel surfing today and you happened across this programme – kind of by chance or by accident, it seemed – there you go. God is always trying to communicate with us; to reach out to us but eventually, enough is enough. Eventually we kindle His anger – eventually the time comes when we reap what we have sown and that's exactly what's happened with Eli, Hophni and Phinehas. And here it is coming: the first lightening strike of the storm and what God tells Samuel actually goes on to happen. You can read it in chapter 4, verses 12 to 22. This is a wakeup call! In the storms in life – yea, they happen – and sometimes they are of our own doing, as it was for Eli and his sons. And we keep going and we keep going and we keep going and deluding ourselves, pretending there is no cause and effect, but there is. Eventually, there is a day of reckoning, here in this life and one day, you and I will stand before God and He will judge us and He will! We may not like the idea, but that doesn't change anything. Today is a wakeup call. Perhaps we are in one of those stormy times of life and you know, when things are going badly we are tempted all the more to behave badly. This truth rings out – "I will honour those who honour Me but those who despise Me, will be treated with contempt." Those are the words of the sovereign God, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords who is above all things and there is no solid ground beneath the feet of those who turn their backs on God. None! It might feel like that for a while but it will crumble.   Heading Off Without God I have said a few times that I am a confirmed landlubber – give me solid ground beneath my feet any day – I love good old terra firma. You know, what we have seen with Eli is Eli heading off in the wrong direction and you and I have done that too. How do we stop doing that? How do we not go in that place? Because it is so easy for us to head off there, go in the wrong direction, like Eli and his sons Hophni and Phinehas and plunder sacrifices and do all the wrong stuff that they did, in our own lives and forget that God honours those who honour Him. There is an executive summary of what God thinks about Eli, Hophni and Phinehas. It's in First Samuel chapter 2, verse 17. It says: The sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord for they treated the offerings of the Lord with contempt. And remember the central theme – the pivot on which this whole story turns is in First Samuel 2, verse 30. God says: I will honour those who honour Me and those who despise Me, I will treat with contempt. Now there is a great part to this story; a great adjunct that goes with this story and it's about what happens when Israel just takes God for granted. This bad stuff has been happening among the priesthood and Israel ignores it and just expects God to keep on blessing them. Let's pick it up in First Samuel chapter 4. See, the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines, the Israelites were camped at Ebenezer, the Philistines at Aphek. The Philistines deployed all their forces to meet Israel and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines who killed about four thousand of their men. When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel said "Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let's bring the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies. So the people sent men to Shiloh, they brought back the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord Almighty, who was enthroned between the cherubim and Eli's two sons Hophni and Phinehas were there with the Ark of the Covenant of God. And when the Ark of the Lord's covenant came into the camp, all of Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. Hearing the uproar, the Philistines ask "What are those Hebrews shouting about? When they learned that the Ark of the Lord had come into the camp, the Philistines were afraid. "A God has come into their camp" they said "we are in trouble. Nothing like this has ever happen before, woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert. Be strong Philistines, be men or you will be subject to the Hebrews as they have been to you – be men and fight." So the Philistines fought and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great. Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers, the Ark of the Covenant of God was captured and Eli's two sons Hophni and Phinehas died. See, Israel is so used to God being on their side, they just kind of head off, assuming that He was, despite the fact that all this bad stuff was going on. Despite the fact that the two priests Hophni and Phinehas were dishonouring, they were despising God - they were doing what was wrong. They deluded themselves – see, there is a cause and effect. No, no, she'll be right! God is always on my side, He is a good God, and He blesses me. See, we take this mighty God, who created the whole universe and expect Him to become our performing poodle – don't we? He does tricks on our command, He comes along behind us. Their first defeat, they get defeated and they lose three thousand men – what do they do? They go and send for the Covenant of God – "Let's bring God to us, let's make God do what we want Him to do, to protect us against the Philistines." But God is not like that! God is an awesome, mighty, powerful and good God and when we start dishonouring Him let's not expect Him to put our feet on solid ground – let's not expect Him to keep honouring us. He always loves us – He'll always forgive us; He'll always bring us close but on His terms, not ours. We can't sow dishonour in God's direction and expect to receive honour from Him in return. See the humiliation of this story is: they treat God like a performing poodle, by bringing Him to them and in fact the Ark of the Covenant is captured by the Philistines. This was the place of the very presence of God Himself and over the next couple of weeks we will discover that people, when they realised what they actually had, these Philistines, all they wanted to do was to get rid of Him. But that's for another day. Today, the simple message of this story is this: we can't go living out a life of stiff necked rebellion and expect God to toddle along behind us on the leash and bless us on cue. We just can't! God is a powerful and mighty God. You know when you put it that way it's pretty plainly obvious, isn't it? And to tell you the truth, that's my agenda today – to make that plainly obvious. It's blindingly, glimpsingly obvious. Let's all take a big wakeup call here. When a storm hits, do you want solid ground beneath your feet? Do you want to know that God is with you? Do you want that certain knowledge that: well, He is going to bless you, no matter what this world throws at you? Gotta tell you – I sure do! And let me get back to the central point; the central theme that the sovereign God wants to get across to us today through His Word. First Samuel chapter 2, verse 30. God says: I honour those who honour Me but those who despise Me will be treated with contempt. God is a sovereign God. God is the King of Kings. God is the Lord of Lords. We had better stop treating Him as thought He is not. You just can't send for God and expect Him to show up when we have been dishonouring Him. Hophni and Phinehas found that out because just as the man of God had prophesied, they were both killed on that same day. And later on in the story we see Eli actually died on that same day as well. God is slow to anger but God does anger and He can't bless our rebellion because if He does, we'll think "Oh great, I can do anything I want and He'll bless it." But anything that I want is not the place of intimacy between God and me any more than adultery is the place of intimacy between a man and a wife. See just to underscore this point, this wasn't some small defeat by the Philistines, it was the mother of all defeats. How many Israelites were killed? Four thousand and then thirty thousand! That is a lot of people! And the irony of it all is that God's people did not understand the power of their Almighty God but the Philistines did. When the Philistines heard that God was in the camp they were afraid. I want to ram this home today – get right in your face with this: if we head off in our own direction, in our strength, in our own selfish ways – on our own without the blessing and covering of the power of God, we are going to come a cropper. We are not going to have any solid ground – if we do that we will reap what we sow and there is no solid ground in that place. None, only trouble! God honours those who honour Him but those who despise Him will be treated with contempt.

Habakkuk 2:6-20 6 Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?7Will not your creditors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their prey.8Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you.For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. 9Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin!10You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.11The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it. 12Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice!13Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the peoples labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?14For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 15Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!16You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed!The cup from the Lords right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.17The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you.For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. 18Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies?For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.19Woe to him who says to wood, Come to life! Or to lifeless stone, Wake up!Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. 20The Lord is in his holy temple;

When the storms in life strike, as they inevitably do, it feels as though we're caught in a small boat out on a stormy ocean. At that point, what we really need is some solid ground beneath our feet. And fortunately, God knows that only too well.   Dealt a Cruel Blow You know you can always tell when we are starting a new series – I am excited. I love to get onto a new series in God's Word and that's what we are doing today. We are starting a series called "On Solid Ground" to listen to what God has to say into one of the central dilemmas of our lives and that dilemma is this: dealing with the storms of life. I remember when I was a young boy – I was about four or five years old. My mother and my sister and I sailed in a ship from Australia to Europe. Now that was a four week sail through the Suez Canal and back again. It's a long way and I remember, even to this day, there were some huge storms along the way. I remember they had ropes in the corridors on the ship to hang onto. I have never forgotten those storms and remember, this was a large cruise ship and yet it seemed to get tossed around in those storms. I was sea sick; I was very afraid as a young kid, even though I was on this big cruise liner. I remember going out onto the deck and seeing the huge waves and the winds and the ship was pitching around in this fearsome ocean and for me, there is nothing as frightening as an angry sea and a violent storm – the ground as it were, moving under your feet. For some people life seems to be a constant storm. The ground under their feet is never solid – there is always some fear and some uncertainty and they can never quite figure out why. What is going on – why is my life always like this? Now many of these people believe in God and yet life seems to be one endless storm. What we really want to have is solid ground under our feet. When you are in a storm the question is – how? That's what we are going to be exploring in this series called "On Solid Ground" starting right here and right now. Now if you have a Bible, I'd like you to grab it because we are going to be spending most of our time in the first eight chapters in a Book called First Samuel, in the Old Testament. We are going to discover the truth that we kind of know or we should know and yet it gets lost in the world that we live in. See this is a 'me' centred world where so often we find ourselves going to God asking Him for things for me, for me, for me and little by little, instead of God being God we expect Him to start being like a performing dog – to do tricks on our command. It may seem harsh but you get God the wrong way around and it spells dog. Am I expecting God to start dancing to my tune or am I dancing to His? It's a good question. That's what we are going to be exploring in this story and it begins in the storm. It's a story about a woman called Hannah and it turns out that she is going through some incredibly tough times in her life but she has the Creator/creature relationship the right was up. Open you Bible – let's go to First Samuel – it's the ninth book of the Old Testament. It's kind of just over a third; between a third and a half way in. We are going to start at the first verse of the first chapter of First Samuel. There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah, son of Jeroham the son of Elihu the son of Tohu the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; one was called Hannah, the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children but Hannah had none. Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh where Hophni and Phinehas the two sons of Eli, were the priests of the Lord. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters but to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her and the Lord had closed her womb. And because the Lord had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year – whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord her rival provoked her until she wept and wouldn't eat. Elkanah, her husband would say "Hannah why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you down hearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?" Pretty tough! Anybody who has ever gone childless or had someone in their family who has gone childless will know the incredible pain of a couple who would like to have a child and yet they can't conceive. Can you imagine this going on year after year after year and in between these annual trips, as well? And of course, there were two wives – now the Bible doesn't talk about the fact that there were two wives – obviously the author doesn't feel a need to comment – praise God that has gone away. But never the less, poor old Hannah had a pretty tough time – a real storm, year after year, the pain of being childless and she had lots of choices in that space. She could have been angry; she could have lashed out; she could have withdrawn. And her husband is pretty useless; typical male – "What's the matter, why are you crying? You've got me!" So what does Hannah do? Let's look at First Samuel chapter 1, beginning at verse 9: Once they had finished eating and drinking at Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the door post of the Lord's temple. In the bitterness of her soul, Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord and she made a vow saying "O Lord Almighty, if You will only look upon Your servants misery and remember me and don't forget Your servant but give her a son then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life and no razor will ever be used on his head." As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine." "Not so my lord" Hannah replied, "I'm a woman whose deeply troubled. I haven't been drinking wine or beer. I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Don't take your servant for a weak woman – I have been praying here about the great anguish and grief that I have." And Eli answered "Go in peace. May God of Israel grant you what you have asked Him." She said, "May your servant find favour in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something and her face was no longer downcast. Turns out she does have a son, calls him Samuel, gives him over to God as soon as he is weaned and he comes and serves as a priest in this temple under Eli, whom we discover later is one bad dude. He is the priest; he is supposed to be the go between, between God and His people and yet he and his sons have no respect for God. We will look at them later and also we will see Samuel's fate. At the start of the programme I talked about this "me, me, me" thing – always asking God for stuff; kind of turning things the wrong way round, instead of us being made in God's image, we try to remake Him in ours. And yet here is this story – this story that begins in a storm – this story that begins with Hannah in a storm and she is asking God for something. Did you notice she doesn't lash out or whine or complain? She humbles herself before God and asks her sovereign God; pours her heart out to Him. Eli, this scoundrel, with as much spiritual insight as my pet cat, thinks she is drunk and feeds her with platitudes – "May the Lord give you what you ask for." Yet here is a simple woman at the bottom of the heap, pouring her heart out to her God. And notice what it says after she does that, in verse 18 of chapter 1: "Then she went her way and ate something and her face was no longer downcast." See Hannah's feet were on solid ground – even before her prayer is answered – a seemingly impossible prayer. You know what that tells me? She trusted her God – no matter what His answer would be – she trusted Him; she let it go; she stopped worrying and God answered her prayer. I'm not saying "Let's all be like Hannah" – we are clearly not, our storms are different to hers but what we discover in this story is that when we put God in His rightful place – God – He honours that. We are going to have a look at her understanding of her God again next.   Chalk and Cheese What comes next in this story is Hannah's prayer of thanksgiving. She is in this storm; she asks God for the impossible; she has got the taunts of the other wife and she comes to God in a prayer of humility; pouring out her soul and God answers her with a son and she gives that son back to God for the rest of his life. Now listen to what she prays and how she rejoices. We are now at chapter 2 of First Samuel, beginning at verse 1: Then Hannah prayed and said 'My heart rejoices in the Lord, in the Lord my horn is lifted high, my mouth boasts over my enemies for I delight in Your deliverance. There is no one holy like the Lord. There is no one besides You. There is no rock like our God. Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance for the Lord is a God who knows and by Him deeds are weighed. The bows of warriors are broken but those who stumble are armed with strength.' And this prayer goes on and on ... read it for yourself in First Samuel chapter 2. And you know what it's all about? The power and the sovereignty of God! It's about a Hannah who went to God with this in her heart – God is above all things. Not this attitude of "Let's reform God in my image. Let's turn Him into a performing poodle." You know how I know that? Because when she poured out her heart to God she offered her son back to Him and she honoured that promise when God delivered her son. There is a challenge there for each one of us about how we go to God – how we see Him – as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords or some puppy dog that performs tricks on our command? Come on! And how can we tell the difference? See, this is a very hard thing to discern sometimes. How can we tell the difference between a right and a wrong attitude towards God? Let's go back to His Word and we will see what a wrong attitude looks like when we look at the priest Eli and his sons. Join me is First Samuel chapter 2 verse 11. Remember Eli was the priest that was at the temple when Hannah went to pray. Eli's sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the Lord. Now it was the practice of the priests with the people, that whenever anyone offered a sacrifice and while the meat was being boiled, the servant of the priest would come with a three pronged fork in his hand, he would plunge it into the pan or the kettle or the cauldron or the pot and the priest would take for himself whatever the fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. But even before the fat was burned, the servants of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing "Give the priest some meat to roast – he won't accept boiled meat from you but only raw." If the man said to him "Let the fat be burned up first and then take whatever you want, the servant would answer "No, hand it over now, if you don't I'll take it by force." So this sin of the young men; the young priests was very great in the Lord's sight for they were treating the Lord's offerings with contempt. You see the way we tell the difference about our heart attitude towards God is through how we behave. Hannah could have complained; Hannah could have fought back; Hannah could have acted up badly; she could have lashed out at her husband; she could have grumbled at the other wife and yet, in her pain, who could have blamed her? She could have shaken her fists at God and instead she went to Him with her mission impossible and poured out her heart to God and trusted Him because He is God and then she had peace. He honoured that! Here's an amazing truth – it's one of those pivotal passages in the Bible that tells us a huge amount about why, when we have a wrong heart toward God, things go badly in our lives. Listen to First Samuel chapter 2, verse 30; this is a verse that's worth writing down. God says: For those who honour Me, I will honour. And those who despise Me shall be treated with contempt. And what we read in the remainder of chapter 2 of First Samuel, starting at verse 27, is that God deals with Eli and his two sons and He sends a prophet to Eli and this is what happens. First Samuel chapter 2, verse 27: Now, a man of God came to Eli and said to him "This is what the Lord says" "Did I not clearly reveal Myself to your father's house when they were in Egypt, under Pharaoh? I chose your father out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to go up to My alter to burn My incense, to wear an ephod in My presence. I also gave your father's house all the offerings made with fire by the Israelites. "So why do you scorn My sacrifice and offering that I prescribed from My dwelling? Why do you honour your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by My people Israel?" Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel declares "I promised that your house and your father's house would minister before Me forever," but now the Lord declares "Far be it from Me; those who honour Me, I will honour but those who despise Me I will disdain. The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father's house so that there will not be an old man in your family and you will see distress in the dwelling and good will be done to Israel. In your family line there will never be an old man. Every one of you that I do not cut off from My alter, will be spared only to blind your eyes with tears and grieve you heart and all your descendants will die in the prime of their lives. And what happens to your sons Hophni and Phinehas will be a sign to you - they will both die on the same day. And I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will firmly establish his house and he will minister before My anointed one always. Then everyone left in the family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a crust of bread and plead "Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat." The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the Word of the Lord was rare – there were not many visions. There it is – these priests were in a position of power and authority and responsibility and they ... they didn't honour God, in their words and in their deeds, they rejected Him. And God dealt with them. Hannah on the other hand – well, she was like chalk and cheese compared to Eli, Hophni and Phinehas. Hannah was the lowly of the lowly – these priests were on the top of the social religious register but that made no difference to God. "I will honour those who honour Me and those who despise Me shall be treated with contempt." The priests failed! The Word of the Lord was rare – their job was to tell people what the Word of the Lord was and yet, in those days it was rare. You know, if you can't change the people, sometimes you have to change the people and that's exactly what God does here. Ultimately, young Samuel becomes the priest and the prophet of Israel – he is the one that grows in favour and we are going to look at his story next week.   It's About Honour Let me ask you something. Who was on solid ground, Hannah who honoured God or the priests Eli, Hophni and Phinehas who pleased themselves? See, it's so easy to be like Eli, Hophni and Phinehas but it's hard to be like Hannah. You know why? Because we can't really see God – not like we can see the physical reality that we are in – not like we can see our circumstances – not like we can see the storm and feel the fear. All those things seem so much more real than this notion of a God that we can't see – a God that we have to put our faith in instead of being able to touch and hear physically. And so this present reality takes over and God has to fit into our present reality. Absolutely, it is easy to be like Eli, Hophni and Phinehas! It's easy to relegate God to one of the things that has to fit into our present daily agenda. But God is no less real for the fact that we physically can't see Him. He is no less powerful for the fact that we interact with Him in faith. God is God and solid ground is the place that Hannah knew – she stood before God. I once heard someone say that peace is trusting in the sovereignty of God. Hannah had that peace. For that very reason – in the eye of her perfect storm, in that place of taunts and disappointments and hurts that she couldn't even utter when she poured out her heart to God – Hannah discovered God's peace through a simple, simple act of faith. So many times over these recent years for me, when the storms have blown in – so many times and you know, in a sense - each time I feel so inadequate to deal with those storms. Isn't that the point? When we are on that ship in the ocean, doesn't matter how big the ship is; doesn't matter how strong we are, we are nothing compared to those storms. People come against you – circumstances, finances, things that really hurt, things of real fear, horrible things that people do – and we feel so inadequate just going and praying about them, well, "What good is that?" But you know what that prayer of faith is? That prayer of anguish and pouring out our hearts before the Lord, like Hannah did, it's honouring Him as the sovereign God. It's saying "God I may be smaller than this storm but this storm is nothing more than a pin prick for You. You are above all things, above all powers, above all dominions and circumstances and storms." And listen again to God's Word. First Samuel chapter 2 and verse 30. God says: I will honour those who honour Me and those who despise Me will be treated with contempt. Who had solid ground under their feet – Hannah or Eli, Hophni and Phinehas? Now next week we are going to see how God's contempt was poured out on Eli, Hophni and Phinehas. Remember that prophesy from the man of God, saying to Eli, "Your two sons Hophni and Phinehas are going to die on the same day as a sign to you that there will never be another old man in your line." We are going to see that happen next week and we are also going to see how God's honour was carried forth for Hannah through Samuel her son. We haven't talked a whole lot about him today but this Book is named after him – First Samuel. We will see that next week on the programme. God blesses Samuel – God sets him up as the priest and the prophet and the judge over the whole of the nation of Israel. This nobody woman, this Hannah, who couldn't have a son, honours her God and God takes that and changes the course of history. God's blessing to Hannah flowed on, down the generations through her son. The question we need to ask ourselves is this: when I look at my life, when you look at your life, do we look like Hannah or Eli? Because that's how I figure out whether I'm someone who honours God as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, as the sovereign of all things. Is this the God I go to, to pour my heart out to? Or do I steal His stuff? Is He the God I rejoice in when He answers me or the God who I try to kind of fit into my schedule when I can be bothered? That God who I manipulate and massage and mould into whatever I want Him to be. Make no mistake – God takes His honour and His glory very, very seriously. He gives them away to no man and to no woman. And as we will find out in the lives of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, it's a matter of life and death.

(This podcast was previously published on July 24, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   If they ask us what we think, we should tell them what God thinks!   That is what matters.   The apostle Paul says:   2 Timothy 4:2-4  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.   3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;   4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.   If they are offended and they don't want to be around us anymore, we should understand the following:   I Corinthians 7:13  But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.   Though Paul is speaking the above scripture to those persons who have unbelieving mates, I also know this applies to unbelievers in general when we are around those unbelievers.   God says:   II Corinthians 6:14-18   14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?   15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?   16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be MY people.   17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean; and I will receive you,   18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.   It is not that we have to argue with the unbeliever.  We just speak the truth from God and let the person make his decision.  

(This podcast was previously published on April 25, 2022)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   This world today is active and violent in trying to accomplish their purposes, none of which have anything to do with us, the elect of God, as we wait for Jesus to return.   The apostate churches are big and powerful looking, but their power is of man and not of God.   The elect of God, those individuals to whom God has revealed HIMSELF, do not seem to have any power when it comes to the world or to the apostate churches.  But our hope is in God!  God is power.   The apostle Peter told us what we are to be diligent to do as we wait for the return of Jesus.   2 Peter 3:14  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of HIM in peace, without spot, and blameless.   Being in peace does not in any way mean we support the apostate churches today, nor do we support the works of the world which go against that which we read in the Bible.  If we try to appease either the world or the apostate churches, we will be in danger of going down with them at the judgment of Christ.   When they try to come among us as they speak contrary doctrines and tell of their many "good" works, we simply remain steadfast in the upholding of doctrines of the Bible and I have found they no longer want to come "visit" with me and they don't want personal conversations with me so I remain waiting in peace, untroubled by them.   Many times I have sent the word of God to various church goers, Catholics, Church of Christ, Baptists, non-denominational ... and they have stayed away from me en-mass. (continuing in their denominations)  while I continue in the peace of the word given me by God, continuing to exhort the elect of God through Internet by blog and Podcasts.   Recently there was a brief moment of attempted communication between me and a Catholic woman.  But a great wall seems to exist keeping us from fleshly "fellowship" that we might have pursued, left to our own devices.  God spared me!  She said, "I'll call you this weekend."  I called on God asking HIM to "help me".  There was no phone call that weekend.   Our flesh does get stirred up as we desire to renew communications with them, but how can light fellowship with darkness?  It is not possible.   Only when we are truly one Spirit are we able to fellowship as the elect of God.   When we are the elect of God, born again, and they are the church goers, there is a great gulf between us.   Amos 3:3   Can two walk together, except they be agreed?   So we continue our wait for the return of Jesus speaking to the elect of God.   It seems important at this point in time for us to differentiate between the elect of God and the church goers.   Jesus is coming to gather the elect of God to HIMSELF.   Matthew 24:30-31  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.   31 And HE shall send HIS angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together HIS elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.   If the church goers become born again by the Spirit of God, then we are one Spirit with them and we are all the elect as we await for Jesus, and in some individual cases this could happen.  But I doubt this will happen with entire church groups.   The elect will never be able to share with the church goers because we are different spirits, although we will speak as led by the Holy Spirit given the opportunity to speak.  (After I speak I see them withdraw.)   We cannot pretend to have fellowship with this world or with the church goers who do not have the Spirit of God else we are continually troubled by them.   Light and darkness cannot co-exist.   But we can be at peace away from them, putting our trust in God.   2 Corinthians 6   14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?   15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?   16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be MY people.   17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean; and I will receive you,   18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.  

Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy (Ezra 6:16). To fully appreciate this joy, we need to know how Israel almost missed out on it. God had moved the heart of Cyrus, King of Persia, to bring an end to the Babylonian exile. Allowing them to go home, the king made provision for the rebuilding of the temple of God. Israel could begin worshipping their Lord again. God was clearly on the move. However, once they started rebuilding, their neighbours recognized that if this temple was rebuilt, it would not be good for said neighbours: Israel would increase and the neighbours would decrease. The re-establishment of proper worship would mean that God was present among these Israelites. That would be a problem. So, the neighbours set out hinder the project. Several attempts failed. Finally, they sent a letter to the new Persian king, highlighting that Jerusalem had been a difficult and rebellious city. If the temple and city were rebuilt, it was bound to rebel again. An order was issued to halt the project. The Israelites went to their homes, leaving the temple half built and God stayed away. Well, sort of. God now he needed to move the hearts of his people. He sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. Both have books included in the Bible, detailing how God moved his people to relaunch the building project. Despite their best efforts and their hard work at rebuilding their economy, it isn't going so well. Then Haggai came along and said its time to start rebuilding again, to which the people reply, "Look, we are working hard, barely making it, we really don't have time or money for the temple." To which Haggai responds, "Don't you think that if you put God first, he will take care of your needs?" Zechariah adds, "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you" (Zechariah 4:9). Essentially, God puts a fleece before Israel: "Put me first and I will take care of you." Sounds like something Jesus echoed, "seek first [God's] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). The Israelites send a letter to the new Persian king, letting him know his predecessor had sent them home to rebuild the temple. And they start rebuilding. Soon a reply comes from Persia giving permission for the rebuilding. Moreover, the neighbours who were interfering are instructed to give daily provisions for the rebuilding and for the workers. Now we understand the joy of the people celebrating the completion of the temple. They had seen what God does. It makes one wonder how much joy we miss out on because we don't heed Jesus' words, "seek first [God's] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn

Today’s Bible Verse: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.’” — Zechariah 7:9 Zechariah 7:9 brings faith into everyday action. God calls His people beyond outward rituals and into lives marked by justice, mercy, and compassion. It’s a reminder that what we practice toward others reflects what we truly believe about God. “Want to listen without ads? Become a BibleStudyTools.com PLUS Member today: https://www.biblestudytools.com/subscribe/ Meet Today’s Host: Carol Ogle McCracken

Pastor Jared Richard opens by grounding the Ten Commandments in the framework Jesus gives in Matthew 22:37-40 — that all of the law hangs on loving God and loving your neighbor. With that lens in place, Pastor Jared turns to Exodus 20 and makes clear that the commandments are not a God-given checklist to earn His acceptance. Rather, they are expressions of love — a loving response to a God who has already acted to save His people. The first four commandments teach us to love God, and the last six teach us to love our neighbor, together showing what it means to live as the people of God in a broken world. The heart of the sermon focuses on the First Commandment and four key questions surrounding it: why God is worthy of worship, how He demands to be worshiped, why His people struggle to give it, and what happens when they fail. God's worthiness flows from who He is — the great I AM, the Lord Almighty, and the personal covenant God who brought His people out of Egypt. He demands exclusive worship, describing Himself in Exodus 34:14 as a jealous God, not out of sinful jealousy, but because He alone deserves it and because it is genuinely good for His people to give it. Yet like Israel who built a golden calf in Exodus 32, God's people then and now are prone to replacing Him with more manageable idols — careers, relationships, security, and success — whenever fear or impatience sets in. Pastor Jared closes with the Gospel as the only resolution to this dilemma. The penalty for broken worship is death, as seen throughout the Old Testament, and none of us have loved God with all our heart, soul, and mind as He deserves. But Jesus is the only one who perfectly obeyed the First Commandment, and He took our penalty of death upon Himself. As Romans 8 reminds us, "There is therefore now no condemnation" for those who are in Christ. Jesus not only frees us from the penalty of false worship — He gives us new hearts for true worship, restoring us to the life of undivided devotion to God we were created for. WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! Take a moment to fill out our digital connection card here: https://www.bayleaf.org/connect We hope you enjoy this programming and please let us know if there is anything we can do to be of service to you. ONE CHURCH. TWO LOCATIONS. ONE MISSION. Bay Leaf at Falls Lake: 12200 Bayleaf Church Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27614 Bay Leaf at 540: 10921 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613 SERVICE TIMES Come join us on Sundays at Bay Leaf at Falls Lake (8:30 AM or 11:00 AM) or at Bay Leaf at 540 (10:00 AM) CONTACT www.bayleaf.org (919) 847-4477 #BayLeafLife #Worship #Inspiration

(This podcast was previously published on June 25, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   The word, "froward", in the Bible means: stubbornly unruly   If a person is stubbornly unruly, we must put him far from us, staying away from that person, knowing of his evil speaking.   We cannot take his evil words into our own heart.  For if we do, we will find his evil coming out of our own mouth at some point in time.   Words that go into our heart bear fruit, whether good or bad.   Jesus says:  for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.  (Matthew 12:34)   II Corinthians 6   14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?   15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?   16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be MY people.   17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean; and I will receive you,   18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be MY sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.  

Dr. Brian Hill (Senior Pastor), "Lessons From James:  Do You Have Money or Does Money Have You?", Children's Time,  Modern Worship Praise Team (11:15 Service).       1.  Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you.  2.  Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.  3.  Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.  4.  Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.  5.  You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.  6.  You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.       (James 5:1-6 NIV)To view a video version of the Modern Worship Service please click on the following link:     https://youtu.be/UUi0lSlf39A(The audio version of the Modern Worship Service will most likely have to be stopped from playing or else it will be heard as well as the audio track of the video version.)

Dr. Brian Hill (Senior Pastor), "Lessons From James:  Do You Have Money or Does Money Have You?", Children's Time, Choir, Blended Worship Praise Team (8:45 Service).       1.  Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you.  2.  Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.  3.  Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.  4.  Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.  5.  You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.  6.  You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.       (James 5:1-6 NIV)To view a video version of the Blended Worship Service please click on the following link:   https://youtu.be/2Qd6XqIpV84(The audio version of the Blended Worship Service will most likely have to be stopped from playing or else it will be heard as well as the audio track of the video version.)

Zechariah's 7th chapter contains some shocking words: When I called, they would not listen; so when they called, I would not listen, says the Lord Almighty.Wait- I thought God always listened to our prayers? I thought God always hears us, no matter what? That it was never too late?There are things we can do that can cause God to turn down His volume knob on us. Things we can do that cause God to shut us out. The Bible tells us that there is a sin unto death, that we can deteriorate our relationship with God to a point that He tunes us out, and Zechariah 7 shows us that process. It ends with these words:I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.How did things get this bad between God and Israel? And how can I make sure things never get this bad between God and me? You'll find out today on the God and His Prophets podcast.Watch these episodes at my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LukeTaylorPodcastsNeed to get in touch with me? Reach me at GodAndHisProphetsPodcast@gmail.comIf you're looking for a Bible study podcast that goes deep into the major and minor prophets, God and His Prophets offers a verse by verse Bible study through these powerful Old Testament writings. Each episode explores the prophecy in the Bible, from the Book of Ezekiel study and later in Zechariah, helping listeners in understanding prophetic books and seeing their relevance today. We also connect the prophets' words to end times Bible teaching and highlight connections to Revelation, giving you a Christian Bible commentary that equips you for spiritual insight and growth.

As the evening draws to a close, be still in the presence of the Lord. Tonight's Our Daily Bread Evening Meditation invites you to pause, release your anxieties, and rest in the assurance that God is in control, providing strength, perspective, and protection over every situation.Reflecting on Psalm 46:1-5 and 10-11, we are reminded that no matter how chaotic life may feel, God is our refuge and fortress. Entrusting your cares to Him allows His peace to settle your heart, giving confidence and courage as you rest.As you prepare for sleep, let this meditation quiet your mind and steady your spirit. Be still, and know that the Lord Almighty is with you, protecting and guiding you through the night and always.Tonight's meditation is read by Lucy. Meet the team at odb.org/meet-the-team.Send us a text message to let us know how we can make the Evening Meditations an even better experience for you! Please be aware, that while we read and value every message, your phone number is kept hidden so we cannot respond.Support the showYou can now share the Evening Meditations through the updated Our Daily Bread app! If you've not done so already, download it for free from your app store.We hope that you have enjoyed this Evening Meditation from Our Daily Bread Ministries! You can find more exciting content from Our Daily Bread Ministries by following us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. You can even sign up to receive Our Daily Bread Bible reading notes sent straight to your door for free: ourdailybread.org/meditation.All our funding comes from our listeners, like you, who value what we do and want to help us reach more people. You can make a donation towards our mission at eveningmeditations.org.

As the evening draws to a close, be still in the presence of the Lord. Tonight's Our Daily Bread Evening Meditation invites you to pause, release your anxieties, and rest in the assurance that God is in control, providing strength, perspective, and protection over every situation.Reflecting on Psalm 46:1-5 and 10-11, we are reminded that no matter how chaotic life may feel, God is our refuge and fortress. Entrusting your cares to Him allows His peace to settle your heart, giving confidence and courage as you rest.As you prepare for sleep, let this meditation quiet your mind and steady your spirit. Be still, and know that the Lord Almighty is with you, protecting and guiding you through the night and always.Tonight's meditation is read by Lucy. Meet the team at odb.org/meet-the-team. ★ Support this podcast ★

Dr. Brian Hill (Senior Pastor), "Lessons From James:  Do You Have Money or Does Money Have You?".       1.  Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you.  2.  Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.  3.  Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.  4.  Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.  5.  You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.  6.  You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.       (James 5:1-6 NIV)To view a video version of the Sermon please click on the following link:    https://youtu.be/jK28YGC_s_w(The audio version of the Sermon will most likely have to be stopped from playing or else it will be heard as well as the audio track of the video version.)

We live in a day when worship is often treated casuallybut Scripture makes it clear that God does not take worship lightly. And yet, many of us rarely stop to consider what is actually taking place in heaven right now what true worship really looks like before the throne of God. Last week, we were given a glimpse into that throne room, where everything centers on the One who sits upon the thronesurrounded by splendor, power, and unshakable sovereignty. But as Johns vision continues, our attention now shifts from the throne itself to the worship that surrounds it. After the Lord delivered Israel from the clutches of Pharaoh by parting the Red Sea, Moses and the people sang a song of praise. At the center of that song is this question: Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? (Exod. 15:11). It is here that we are reminded why we existnot for ourselves, but for God, whose holiness sets Him apart from all else. Scripture repeatedly shows us what happens when that holiness is not regarded. Nadab and Abihu approached God in worship on their own termsand they were consumed (Lev. 10:12). Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the arkand he was struck down (2 Sam. 6:67). These are not isolated incidents. They are warnings. Worship that disregards the holiness of God is not merely deficientit is dangerous. For as the Lord has said, You shall be holy, for I am holy (Lev. 11:44; cf. 1 Pet. 1:16). And it is precisely this holinessthe holiness that cannot be ignored, redefined, or approached on our termsthat fills the throne room of heaven in Revelation 4, where unceasing worship rises before the One who is holy, holy, holy. The worship we see in Revelation 4 is not casual, and it is not optionalit is the only right response to who God is. So if Revelation 4 shows us what true worship looks like in heaven, then the question we must ask is this:Why is God so worthy of that kind of worship? We Worship the LORD Because There is No One Like Him (v. 6a) Revelation 4 shows us that the experience of Gods presence is not rooted in what we feel, nor is it produced by the latest worship songit is grounded in the truth of who God has revealed Himself to be in His Word. Do you remember what I said about the sea of glass before the throne of God? The sea represents chaos and opposition to Gods purposes, and it is from the sea that the beast comes. Yet here, before the throne, the sea is stilled, reminding us that what threatens creation elsewhere is powerless in His presence. In the presence of the One on the throne is where the redeemed find shalom (peace). What John sees in Revelation 4 is not only a display of powerit is a revelation of who God is. He is the Lord Almighty who rules over all things. He is a covenant-keeping God who keeps His promises. And He is a worship-worthy God before whom all of heaven bows down. And what is heavens response? Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power He is worthynot because of what He gives, but because of who He is. There is only one other place in Revelation where the sea of glass is referenced, and it appears in Revelation 15the fourth of the seven heavenly throne-room scenes in Johns apocalypse. There, John describes the same sea of glass, but with an added detail: And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fireand also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands (v. 2). At the Red Sea, Gods presence stood between His people and their enemiesbringing light to one and judgment to the other (Exod. 14:1920). In Revelation, that same reality is intensified as the sea itself is mingled with fire (Rev. 15:2)symbolically pointing us back to Exodus 14, where God prevented Egypt from pursuing Israel (Exod. 14:2425). After allowing Pharaoh and his army to begin crossing the parted sea, He then consumed the enemies of God by bringing the waters of the Red Sea upon them (Exod. 14:2628). This connection is not incidental. The redeemed stand beside the sea with harps in their hands and sing what John calls the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb (v. 3). Just as Israel stood on the far side of the Red Sea and sang of their deliverance, so now the people of God stand victorious and sing once moreonly this time, their deliverance is final. And just as the plagues of Egypt preceded Israels redemption, so here the song is sung on the threshold of judgment, just before the seven bowls of wrath are poured outjudgments that unmistakably echo the plagues that fell upon Egypt. For now, lets focus on a single verse from the song Israel sang after crossing the Red Sea: Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? (Exod. 15:11). In Revelation 15:34, a similar song is taken up and directed to the Lamb: Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed. What began as a song of deliverance at the Red Sea becomes, in Revelation, a song of final redemption before the throneand at the center of both songs is the same unchanging truth: there is no one like Him. We Worship the LORD Because He is the Creator of All (vv. 6b-7) We are now introduced to four living creatures whose praise echoes that of the seraphim inIsaiah6, who declare of the One on the throne: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory (Isa. 6:3). Like the seraphim, these creatures have six wings, but unlike them, they are described as being full of eyes in front and behind. These eyes symbolize unceasing awarenessnothing escapes their sight as they live in continual service before their Creator. At the same time, each creature is distinct, representing a different realm of creation and reflecting the goodness of the One who made all things. There are four creatures because they represent the fullness of creation, yet each highlights a distinct category of created life. The creature like a lion represents the wild animalsstrength, majesty, and power. The creature like an ox represents domesticated animalsservice, endurance, and strength under authority. The creature with the face of a man represents humanityintelligence, reason, and the image of God. The creature like an eagle in flight represents the birds of the airswiftness and dominion in the skies. Together, these four living creatures represent the strongest, wisest, most powerful, and most majestic forms of created lifeand all of them are oriented toward the worship of their Creator. Some scholars have also noted a possible connection between these four living creatures and the way Israel was arranged in the wilderness. InNumbers2, the twelve tribes were divided into four groups and positioned around the tabernacle, with the presence of God at the center. Later Jewish tradition suggests that each group bore a distinct imagesuch as a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagleimages that closely resemble the creatures described here. If this connection is valid, it adds another layer of meaning: the living creatures would not only represent the fullness of creation, but also reflect the people of God gathered in ordered worship around His presence. In that sense, they may point to humanity as it was always meant to bea community centered on God and devoted entirely to His glory. Whether these creatures are the cherubim described elsewhere in Scripture or a distinct class of heavenly beings, the point remains clear: they represent all of created life, and they perform the very function that all of creation was designed to fulfillwhich is worship. And like the seraphim, they never cease to say: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come! (v. 8). We Worship the LORD Because He is Perfectly Holy (v. 8) The declaration of the four living creatures is not that He is lovethough He most certainly is. Nor do they declare that He is just, though everything around the throne testifies to His perfect justice. They do not highlight any of His other attributes. Instead, they declare the one attribute that lies at the very core of all that He isHis holiness. And they declare it to the highest degree. He is not merely holy, nor even holy, holy. Noour God is: Holy, holy, holy! This is the only attribute of God raised to the third degree in all of Scripture. But what does it mean that God is holy? To be holy is to be set apart and separate from all that is sinful, impure, or morally imperfect. As it relates to God, there is nothing like Him in all of creation, and there is nothing in Him that is flawed, corrupt, or deficient. Gods holiness is the beauty of all that He is. Stephen Charnock rightly said, Holiness is the beauty of all Gods attributes. Brothers and sisters, it is Gods holiness that makes Him gloriousit is what makes His justice just, His mercy merciful, and His power pure. This is why the worship of God is both serious and dangerous. As Michael Horton argues in his bookIn the Face of God, the danger is not in drawing near to Godthe danger is in doing so on our own terms. Nadab and Abihu approached God on their own termsand they were consumed (Lev. 10:13). Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark, assuming his hand was cleaner than the dirtand he was struck down (2 Sam. 6:67). Ananias and Sapphira were more concerned with their image than Gods gloryand they too fell dead (Acts 5:111). Why? Because the holiness of God cannot be approached casually, on our own terms, or treated as common. And, just in case you are tempted to think that these examples are extreme and ought not be taken too seriously, consider the way Jesus taught us to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Jesus did not say to recite this prayer (though that is okay), but to pray like this. We are to begin with something like: Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name. That first petition is not one request among manyit is the foundation of them all, just as holiness is for the character of the Lord God Almighty! Every other request modeled for us in our Lords prayer flows from it and serves it: Your kingdom come for the hallowing of your name. Your will be done for the hallowing of your name. Give us this day our daily bread for the hallowing of your name. Forgive us as we forgive others for the hallowing of your name. Lead us not into temptation for the hallowing of your name. Deliver us from evil... for the hallowing of your name. Do you see it? We exist for the renown of Gods holy name in every area and part of our lives because He is holy, holy, holy! This is exactly what we see in Revelation 4. Heaven is not centered on man but on God. He is the Creator, and we are the creature. He reigns from heaven, and we are on earth. He is eternally sufficient, and we are utterly dependent upon Him. All that we dohow we live, how we pray, how we worshipis to be shaped and motivated by one great purpose: that Gods name would be hallowed! As His Word reminds us, For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen (Rom. 11:36). Only when God becomes the center of your universe will you begin to see your life rightly. And only then will you experience the kind of joy and satisfaction you were created for. At the center of that reality is the question sung in victorious celebration by Moses and the rest of Israel: Who is like you O Lord... majestic in holiness? (Exod. 15:11) We Worship the LORD Because He Alone is Worthy (vv. 9-11) Notice the response of the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders. They fall down before Him who is seated on the throne. Their posture shows us the proper response to Gods holinessnot pride, but surrender. The twenty-four elders lay down their crowns because they recognize that whatever authority, honor, or reward they possess ultimately belongs to the One on the throne. In response to the declaration that our unchanging God is Holy, holy, holy, the elders proclaim: Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. Everything that exists does so because God wills it. That means your life is not random, nor did it come by chance. You were created by Him and for Himand the only right response is to lay down whatever you are holding onto and give Him the glory He deserves. Listenif you approach God on your terms, you will never experience Him as you were created to. Your way of worship will always lead you to your idols and away from the living God. But when you see Him for who He truly isholy, holy, holyyou will do what heaven does: you will bow, you will surrender, and you will worship. Heaven is not confused about who it is that sits on the throne. Heaven is not distracted by lesser glories. Heaven is not divided by that which does not last. All of heaven is fixed on one reality that outweighs everything else infinitely more: God is holy, and He is worthy of it all! One day, you will join this scene that we are given in Revelation 4. One day, you will stand before the One who sits on the throne. The only question is this: Will you bow before Him now in worship, or will you bow before Him then in judgment? If you really want to experience God, if you really want to live your life for that which will last and which matters, then be determined in your heart to do this: Turn from lesser things by giving God what heaven already declaresglory, honor, and all that you are. Why? Because there is no one like Him. Because He is the Creator. Because He is holy. And because He alone is worthy.

Pastor Matt Mason preaches from Mark 5:21-43 as part of our "Follow" sermon series.

Set Apart for Such a Time as This: The End Is Not Yet • Sunday Service To Give: www.ToddCoconato.com/give Website: www.PastorTodd.org Church, we are in a defining moment. The world is rumbling. Headlines scream war and chaos. There's fear in the air, confusion in the Church, and deception in the culture. But let me speak this over you prophetically: The end is not yet. We are not in World War III. We are not in the Tribulation. What we are in, is a season of separation. God is once again calling a remnant to rise. Not a popular people—but a set-apart people. Not those caught in the tides of the world, but those rooted in the Spirit of the Living God. We are entering a new phase—a time where deep trust in the Lord will be non-negotiable. His presence must be our oxygen. His Word must be our compass. And yes, this will require sacrifice. Some relationships won't come with us. Some comforts will have to die. But His glory is worth it. 1. Matthew 24:6–8 (NKJV) “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” 2. Hebrews 12:26–27 (NKJV) “…yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven. Now this, ‘Yet once more,' indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.” 3. 2 Timothy 3:1–5 (NKJV) “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” 4. 1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 5. Romans 12:1–2 (NKJV) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” 6. Psalm 91:1–2 (NKJV) “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.'” 7. 2 Corinthians 6:17–18 (NKJV) “Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.' ‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.'” 8. Isaiah 60:1–2 (NKJV) “Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.” 9. Proverbs 3:5–6 (NKJV) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” 10. John 15:19 (NKJV) “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” We are not in World War III. We are in a spiritual crossroad. The end is not yet. But the separation has begun. • God is separating wheat from tares. • He's calling His remnant to the secret place. • He's asking for trust, sacrifice, and obedience. • Some relationships won't survive this season. That's okay. • What matters is your alignment with the Spirit.

What does sex that isn't mostly about orgasm look like? What does it mean to really savor your lovemaking? Slide your chair up to our (bistro) table this week and let's discuss! Sponsor Every Love Intimates has a great Date Night Subscription box and also sells quality lingerie and single-night date boxes. Check them out! From the Bible For your Maker is your husband—     the Lord Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;     he is called the God of all the earth. Isaiah 54:5 I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. Hosea 2:19 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:31–32 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Psalm 127:3 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10 (ESV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22–23 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4–7  Resources What Are the Real Purposes of Sex? - Hot, Holy & Humorous Episode 254: From Passion to Connection (Quickie) Episode 114: Pursuing Playfulness in Sexual Intimacy The Four Horsemen: Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling | The Gottman Institute Couples Recovery and FANOS Check-in – Bethesda Workshops My Favorite Feeling During Sex (And It's Not Orgasm) - Hot, Holy & Humorous Foreplay – Webinar TROJAN Extended Pleasure Condoms | Amazon Durex Performax Intense Natural Rubber Latex Condoms | Amazon Exploring Exercise for Premature Ejaculation (including the pause-squeeze technique) Thanks for joining us at the virtual kitchen table for another great chat! We'd love for you to join our inner circle by supporting us on Patreon. You can contribute to our wonderful ministry while getting some fun perks for yourself! Check it out here: https://patreon.com/ForChristianWives If you want to contribute without using Patreon, you can donate here. If you could, leave a rating and/or review so that others can find the show. Please also check out our website and webinars at forchristianwives.com. And visit our individual ministry pages for more resources as well: Strong Wives - Bonny Burns Honeycomb & Spice - Chris Taylor Hot, Holy & Humorous - J. Parker 

APR. 8, 2026God will give you knowledge and understanding."From his mouth come knowledge and understanding." Pr 2:6 NIVBill Gates predicted: "There will be 'two societies' in the future; high-paid knowledge workers and low-paid service workers." The saying "knowledge is power" is true. And it's even more dynamic in the spiritual realm. The more you know about God, the more confident you'll be. Knowledge of God's Word can give clarity to the puzzling issues of life. When a certain religious sect tried to pull Jesus into one of their debates on a particular issue, He replied, "Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God" (Mt 22:29 NLT). There are some truths you need to settle in your heart and let them bring peace to your spirit. For example, no one else can thwart God's purpose for your life. "The Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?" (Isa 14:27 NIV). You also need to settle in your mind that no matter what happens, things are working out for your good. Therefore, you can resist anxiety and worry. "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Ro 8:28 NKJV). Daniel reminds us that God "gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him" (Da 2:21-22 NKJV). The "light" you need belongs to God. And you never have to feel insecure regarding any aspect of your knowledge when you know Him, for He knows everything.God will give you knowledge and understanding "Knowledge is power."Share This DevotionalSend us Fan MailSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Daily Dose of Hope April 8, 2026   Scripture: Philippians 3   Prayer:  Abba Father, We come to you today, grateful for your love and care in our lives.  Thank you for your presence and your peace.  Help us to gather our scattered thoughts and set aside distractions so we can focus on what you have for us today.  In the next few moments of silence, Lord, help me be still and know that you are God...We give you all the glory, Lord Almighty.  Amen.    Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently walking through Paul's letters.    Today, we read Philippians 3.  We find here that Paul considers himself living in a state of in-between-ness.  He is in the middle of a journey. The longing for arrival is strong, but what he has in front of him is the journey. He can only press on, stay the course, be thankful for what God has put in front of him.   Up until this point, Paul had a pretty interesting journey.  Remember, he started out as a zealous Jew.  He talks about this earlier in the Scripture passage.  He says that at the beginning of his journey, he thought of himself as righteous, as deserving, as better and more religious than others because of his background.  Paul writes this in verse 4-6…If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.  Paul is almost challenging the others --- look, if this journey is all about accumulating religious merit badges, I win hands down. I was circumcised on the eighth day, I was part of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew if there ever was one.  Remember, he was a Pharisee, which was one of the strictest sects of Judaism.  He persecuted Christians, who he felt were breaking God's law.  He held people's coats as they stoned Stephan. And at that time, he felt that these things proved his spiritual worth to God and to others.   I wonder how many of us look at our Christian journey in a similar way?  Even after we say yes to Jesus, even after we get involved in church and small groups and we are trying to walk with God, we have the same tendency as the apostle Paul.  We try to prove our spiritual worth to others and to God.  Of course, we are influenced by all the normal sources of pride that the world tells us are important, right?  Money, stuff, accomplishments.  I hope those things have less a hold on us but if we are real, we know this kind of stuff still seeps into our lives.    But then, there is also a need to demonstrate what good Christians we are, our spiritual merit badges.  I'm in three Bible studies.  I took this training and then I led it.  I've been on this committee four times.  I've been a member of the church since I was in the womb.  Pastors do this too.  You know one of the very first questions that another pastor will ask you when you first meet them at some luncheon or event?  So, how many people are in your congregation?  As if that somehow is what defines your value. But the good news is, there is more to the story.  Paul tells us that the journey is far from over.   In fact, Paul has some pretty strong words about accumulating these spiritual merit badges, taking pride in how "spiritual" we are.  He says, v. 7-9, But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.  So he is saying, now that I know Jesus, I understand that all those things pale in comparison with knowing Jesus.  They aren't gains, they actually are now losses.    Those things I thought were so important, those things that I thought demonstrated my value, those things that I thought earned me some gold stars with God – they are nothing.  Jesus is everything.   But Paul goes one step further.  These spiritual merit badges are not simply counted as losses now that I know Jesus, now "I consider them to be garbage."  His whole life, these were things that he took huge pride in, they were what made him admired in his community.  He was a real Jew if ever there was one.  He was learned, he knew the law backwards and forwards.  His family was adhered to tradition and they were admired and esteemed.  And now, he is saying – now that I know Jesus, these things are like rubbish in comparison.  He is telling the Philippians, God has brought me to a new place in my spiritual journey, one in which I realize that I'm nothing without Jesus Christ and that nothing else besides Jesus matters.    In v. 10, Paul is saying that because he now knows Christ, he seeks to be like him.  But he has not arrived.  He has not made it.  This journey we are on is just that, a journey.  We don't arrive at the destination and say, "Yea, I've made it.  I can now stop striving to be like Jesus."  No, faith is a lifelong journey.  Paul says we can't look backwards, we must "forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead."  There is more ahead.  At the moment, we are all in a state of in-between-ness.  We haven't made it.  We haven't arrived.  Rather, we must press on toward the goal with God has for us in Christ Jesus.  What is the goal?  To seek his glory, to be part of his Kingdom, to be with Jesus eternally.  All of the above.    Until then, we pay attention to the journey.  Paul is saying, how you do life as a follower of Jesus matters.  It is not all about the destination, it is about the journey, the day to day struggle and gratitude and joy of following Jesus Christ. How are you doing on your journey?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

The Lord Almighty is with us. And this week on The Bible Study Hour, we'll take a closer look at that in what may be a familiar psalm, psalm 46. As Christians, we often hear that God is our refuge and our strength. But what do those words really mean? We can say that we trust God at all times and in all circumstances, but what does that look like when the hard times come? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29?v=20251111

We welcome Chile and Czechia to the podcast family, and we highlight the country that has jumped into second place on our list. Thank You, Jesus. Part one of this little. Refresher was Pray, Pray, Pray. In part two, we are encouraged to Practice, Practice, Practice. We see how God is a better Father than we are. He never tells us to avoid prayer until we are mature enough.We are encouraged to let God guide us as we mature, but not to let anyone torpedo the practice and refinement of our prayer lives. God is our Father: “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:18He trains us in His wisdom:“Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6And we are encouraged to practice. “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9Our So What?Practice, practice, practice our communion with the only true God.Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen1 Timothy 1:17”What a man is on his knees before God, that he is and nothing more." Robert Murray M'Cheynee Donation link:https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=G9JGGR5W97D64Or go to www.freerangepreacheronprayer.com and use the Donations tab.Assistant Editor: Seven Jefferson Gossard.www.freerangepreacheronprayer.comfreerangeprayer@gmail.comFacebook - Free Range Preacher MinistriesInstagram: freerangeministriesAll our Scripture quotes are drawn from the NASB 1977 edition.For access to the voice-over services of Richard Durrington, please visit RichardDurrington.com or email him at Durringtonr@gmail.comOur podcast art was designed by @sammmmmmmmm23 on InstagramSeason 008Episode 018

Our problem is not that we don't have enough time.  The problem is that we don't always use our time wisely.  We all have the same amount of time. When it comes to time, every single one of us has the exact same amount.  We all get 168 hours each week.  The good news is the Bible has a lot to say about how we can honor God with our time.  The Bible teaches us how to manage our time in a way that pleases God.Main Points:1. I have learned it's important to do a time audit. Ask yourself, “How am I spending my time? Am I being wise with the use of my time? Am I losing time somewhere? Am I wasting time? It's good to analyze where our time is being spent.2. Then ask yourself the question… “Is this really how I want to spend my life?  Remember, your time is your life.”  God is only giving you so much.  How are you going to use it?  3. Time is a gift.  Your life is a gift.  You and I are managers of the time God has given us.  Will you and I choose to use the most valuable resource God has given us for his glory and for his purpose?Today's Scripture Verses:Psalm 31:14-15 - “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand…”Ephesians 5:15-16 - “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity…”Haggai 1:7 – “This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

Send a textThis is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord. Psalm 19:14Tongue has the power of life and death. Proverbs 18:21Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I was only joking!” Proverbs 26:18-19We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:3-5, 7-8What is impossible  for humans is possible for God!How to TAME your tongue.T –Think   before you  Speak.Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. James 1:19And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8A – Ask God to purify  your heart. You snakes—how can you say good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Matthew 12:34The condition  of your heart will be revealed by the content  of your speechCreate in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10M – Meditate on God's Word. Garbage in , Garbage out This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8Put God's word in   now, so it will come out   when you need it.E – Encounter God's Presence.In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Isaiah 6:1Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Isaiah 6:5Discussion Questions:Think about a time when someone's words deeply encouraged or discouraged you. What did they say, and why did it stick with you?Psalm 19:14 asks that both our words and our thoughts be acceptable to God. Why do you think the writer includes both speech and meditation of the heart?When do you most need a yellow light in your conversations?What practical habits could help you fill your heart with God's truth so that life-giving words come out naturally? Thank you for listening to the Relate Community Church podcast! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. If today's message spoke to you, share it with a friend or leave us a review to help spread the word. To learn more about Relate Community Church, visit us at www.relatecommunity.com. You are always welcome here, and remember—you are loved

Lamentations March 15, 2026 Teacher: Pastor Dave Brown To ask questions of God is not a lack of faith, but an expression of trust. Healing begins when hidden pain is brought from darkness into the light of God's presence and the care of a trustworthy community. Discovering hope in hardship by intentionally remembering who God truly is. An essential part of healing involves honest reflection and a return to God. Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? Why should the living complain when punished for their sins? Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say: “We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven. “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you have slain without pity. You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through. You have made us scum and refuse among the nations. — Lamentations 3:37-45 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!” If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. “‘Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things? Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord. — Jeremiah 7:3-11 Repentance is part of lamenting: “We have confessed to being followers of Jesus without becoming truly shaped by the values he lived and died for.  We have, in fact, applied our religion in ways that benefit ourselves but bring harm to millions. — Soong Chan Rah The sad truth about modern spirituality is that we often avoid feeling our own pain and in the process avoid feeling the pain of others.  When this happens, it's impossible to do the work of reconciliation…Lament requires us to take seriously the pain we see and feel and to open ourselves to how God might have us respond. — Rich Villodas I called on your name, Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.” You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life. — Lamentations 3:55-58

Fear SEES. Anxiety IMAGINES.100% of your anxiety is tied to a future you are IMAGINING and cannot CONTROL.Anxiety EXPANDS to the size of our THOUGHTS. Faith EXPANDS to the size of our PRAYERS.Philippians 4:4-8 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.The objective is to MOVE your anxiety TOWARDS God.PRAYERPETITIONREQUESTS3 Practical Ways to Pray to Experience PeaceWRITE it.Isaiah 37:16–20 “Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God. “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God.WALK it.3.  MEDITATE on Scripture.The world teaches you to rehearse your WOUNDS. The Word teaches you to rehearse GOD'S TRUTH.Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.Peace is found in SURRENDERING everything to the God who already HOLDS IT ALL.

The Victory Society • Friday Service To give: www.ToddCoconato.com/give Website: www.PastorTodd.org 2 Corinthians 6:17–18 (NKJV) “Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.' ‘I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.' ” Matthew 5:14–16 (NKJV) “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Romans 8:37–39 (NKJV) “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Luke 10:19 (NKJV) “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” John 1:5 (NKJV) “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 4:35 (NKJV) “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” Amos 9:13 (NKJV) “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, And all the hills shall flow with it.” Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) “But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” Philippians 3:20–21 (NKJV) “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our humble earthly body so that it becomes like His glorious resurrected body, accomplished by the same divine power through which He brings everything under His authority.” Hebrews 12:28 (NKJV) “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NKJV) “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV) “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

Today's readings.. (Leviticus 12,13), (Psalm 113,114), (2 Corinthians 5,6,7)We often think of the occasion the disciples showed Jesus the grandeur of the Temple (Mark 13 v.1,2). What was in their minds?  They, like their fellow Jews, were proud of it.  Jesus totally shocked them by saying it was all going to be destroyed!  Now in today's reading in 2nd Corinthians (chs.5, 6 & 7) Paul shows how a new kind of Temple had been “erected”.   God seeks to dwell in a new ‘Most Holy Place' and this development is the most important thing in the life of a believer.  Paul writes, “we are the temple of the living God, as God has said …” [Ch. 6 v.16]. He then quotes the words of God we will read later this month in Leviticus (ch.26 see v.11,12) of the blessings to come if they follow his precepts.   We specially notice God's words to Moses that Paul felt he could ‘powerfully' quote in his letter? “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Therefore go out from their midst and be separate from them … then I will welcome you and I will be a father to you and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” [v.16-18]What are they to go out from?  They had left the fleshpots of Egypt, but sadly many now wanted to return. Paul then paraphrases the words in Leviticus,  “since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit bringing holiness to completion in the fear (awe) of God” [Ch.7 v.1]  How incomplete is my holiness – we must each ask ourselves?  In recognising that our minds and hearts are the spiritual temple in which God seeks to live – indeed – is now living – we must each ask ourselves – what occupied my mind yesterday, will there be a change today in the things I think about and meditate upon?       It is vital that we are positive in reacting to this challenge – how utterly wonderful to have God in our very being, watching over us!   We therefore see how important it is that we read God's word every day, for  isn't that what should happen in “the temple of the living God.”

Even the mountains quake in His presence. This week on The Bible Study Hour, we'll take a closer look at the poetic imagery of Psalm 29. In this psalm of praise, David experiences God's power through creation, and he calls on the heavenly hosts to join him in worship of our powerful Creator. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29?v=20251111

Some late night delving into the Word in Isaiah and Jeremiah plus Romans here in Naples Florida! God's reality is not a holographic hallucination of beast system dreaming up images.“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;the whole earth is full of his glory.”BUY MY SUPERNATURAL NOVEL!https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Romance-Episode-1-ebook/dp/B07ZRJV6SHDOWNLOAD THE APP!fringeradionetwork.comDON BASHAM MINISTRIES 1,000,000,000 GIVE SEND GO:https://www.givesendgo.com/bashamPAYPAL:spiritforce01@gmail.comBITCOIN:3H4Z2X22DuVUjWPsXKPEsWZmT9c4hDmYvyVENMO:@faithbucksCASHAPP:$spiritforcebucksZelle:faithbucks@proton.mePATREON:Michael BashamHOME BASE SITE:faithbucks.com 

You all loved this conversation in the fall so we are kicking off our Wider Lens 2026 with a rerelease of this awesome interview. Jerry Flowers is bringing encouragement about the patterns of your life and posture of your heart as we talk through his new book Heart Rehab: Finding the You God Created You to Be. Lean into the discomfort, create disciplines for preparedness, and surrender your need for control in order to step into your true calling as a son or daughter of the Lord Almighty. He loves you, he is for you, and we can trust him with our hearts!   Episode Highlights: Stop blaming everyone else. Take time for self reflection.  If we invite God in, He can use all seasons for our good and growth. Intimacy with the Lord allows us to grow into the people God created us to be.  Discipline and preparation go hand in hand. The more disciplined you are, the more prepared you are for what God has next.  Culture influences us to mislabel our fears, thoughts and anxieties. Make sure you are labeling them correctly.     Quotes from Today's Episode: I recognize many times, our placement in life isn't just because of problems, it's because of patterns. -Jerry Flowers Patterns reveal character. -Jerry Flowers Patterns are one of the ushers to certain seasons. -Jerry Flowers We want to blame the enemy, but we have to look at ourselves too. -Jerry Flowers Be aware of the enemy, for sure. But I think sometimes that keeps us from taking responsibility for our part. -Jerry Flowers It may not make sense right then, but later it'll make sense. -Jerry Flowers I see things that God put me through, before we got married, that helped me when I got married. -Dr. Kim We want to be whole enough where the Lord can pour into us and we can pour back out.- Jerry Flowers If you want results, you lean into discomfort.- Jerry Flowers What changed for me is realizing that my mind can lie to me. -Jerry Flowers A Wider Lens: Questions for Self Reflection Look at your daily life and identify one unhealthy pattern you've grown comfortable with. What one discipline could you start practicing to combat this pattern and prepare for what God has next? Identify an area of your life you haven't fully surrendered to the Lord. Choose a Scripture verse to meditate on as you commit to trusting Him completely. Mentioned in this Episode: Website: Jerryflowersministries.com ; redefinedtv.net Facebook: facebook.com/JerryFlowersMinistries ; facebook.com/@redefinedtv Instagram: instagram.com/jerryflowers.jr ; instagram.com/redefinedtv YouTube: youtube.com/@Beredefined TikTok: tiktok.com/@jerryflowers.jr Heart Rehab: Finding the You God Created You to Be

Charles Joughin was a sailor from the young age of eleven. He served as a baker on a number of ships, and in 1912 got hired onto a cruise ship sailing out of Southampton, England. That ship, the Titanic, hit an iceberg in the Northern Atlantic. As the ship went down, Joughin helped people into lifeboats. He himself stood atop the end of the Titanic as it sunk vertically into the water. Miraculously, he survived. Thirty years later, during World War II, Charles was on another ship, the RMS Oregon. It was rammed by another vessel, and it also sank. Remarkably Joughin survived, again. Scriptures tell us we’re all on a sinking ship. Paul writes, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). He refers to the rebellious nation of Israel, quoting Isaiah: “Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom” (Isaiah 1:9). Paul speaks of a “remnant” of Israel, a shipload of survivors: “only the remnant will be saved” (Romans 9:27). How are they saved? By receiving the good news (Romans 10:16). You see, we’re all like Israel, drowning in our sin. None of us can be rescued unless we receive the good news. The lifeboat that God throws out to us all is Jesus. We who believe in Jesus might need to be reminded of the remarkable truth that we are, by God’s mercy, survivors. Those who haven’t yet found Jesus in the troubled waters of life might do well to climb in the lifeboat.

By Mary Lindow   I welcome you all to this podcast and it's going to be a very tender and special podcast. Especially during this time right now where the world is in upheaval and so many things are going on in the church, with so many further exposures of deviant acts, monetary gambling as it were, and just inappropriate and criminal activity, and then it being covered up. It can be a lot to have to just navigate… … and of course to process.   We're going to look at something more precious and tender, which is the fact that the Lord “Sees us”. He wants you to know he sees YOU individually as his unique and beautiful creation.   So! I want to bring up the subject, “What Is A Sparrow?” The scripture talks about that the Heavenly Father even cares about the sparrows even though they're really pretty common and a little non-descriptive. They're not bright little birds. They're just kind of dull in color, kind of a dove gray.   But you know what? THE SPARROW IS A CLEVER LITTLE BIRD In Psalm 84 David describes his longing to be with the people of God and in the actual moment that he wrote this, he was a wanderer. He was a fugitive. He was not able to be in a place where he could have fellowship with God or other people, and this is when he wrote Psalm 84. It says, 1 How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.   Have you ever felt this way or longed for fellowship like David wrote about with the Lord? His word so clearly expresses what it meant to David. Then, he remembered one of his bird watching experiences. He remembered how at one time when he was in the house of God, he looked up toward the altar and he noticed some movement. When he looked closer, he found a sparrow building her nest, so he wrote in verse 3: “Even the sparrow has found a home, And the swallow a nest for herself, Where she may have her young—a place near your altar.”   “Lord Almighty, my King and my God!” he said. “I wish I could be like that sparrow. I wish I could be like that swallow that is able to build its nest at the very altar of God.”   What David is saying here is, “Can you think of anything better than to have your home in the altar of God in the sanctuary?” This is something so very precious to me because I am always so tremendously interested in nurturing and loving my family and my grandchildren, that I cannot pass this over. Did you notice this swallow chose the altar of God to build a nest for her family?  She could have chosen any place to build a nest, but she chose the altar of God. Yes! The sparrow is a clever bird.   BUILDING YOUR NEST IN THE SANCTUARY OF GOD I believe that things are put here for a reason and for instruction, so I am going to suggest that if you want your family to be all that God wants it to be, build your nest, (metaphorically speaking), at the altar. Build your nest in the sanctuary because in the sanctuary, is the answer to every question that you have. And I hope that you understand that I am not talking about a church building! I am talking about your fellowship with God. There must also, always be room in your nest to include those with broken wings, or who have been abandoned or left as orphans.   A SPARROW IS VALUABLE! One more lovely thing about the sparrow. The sparrow is a valuable bird. I am sure that some people might question this statement! But it is a valuable bird, indeed. Some may say, “But not to man”!  It is Valuable to God though!   I am sure the Lord did some bird watching as he travelled to places with his dear friends, but this particular instance that He records is in the temple. As He went into the temple one day, He saw a whole bunch of sparrows, (remember that we are talking about a small bird) with their legs tied together, and they were being sold for a sacrifice in the temple. In Matthew, chapter 10 notice what Jesus has to say about sparrows. As He looked at those sparrows, He said, in verse 29: “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?”   That was the least expensive offering that anybody could make! If we were to stop there, we would say what we ordinarily say, “What is a sparrow? They are not worth anything at all,” but the Lord said, in the last part of verse 29: …And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father knowing about it.   That is how valuable they are. Not one sparrow falls to the ground without God knowing about it.   WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU SEE A DEAD SPARROW? Do you just kick it out of the way and go on?   Often we see someone much like the little dead sparrow, wounded or suffering from the cruelty of others too busy to really care about a “broken wing” or perhaps a broken heart. So many are busy licking their own wounds and getting on with their own lives, that they are unaware of the “sparrows” that God has placed in their midst. Those who need to be invited into a place of “Sanctuary”! Do you treat your employees like this or a friend who has been through a season of sorrow or loss? Do you find yourself simply walking past the Wounded or “dead Sparrow”? That would be a normal reaction, but evidently when the Lord saw the sparrow that fell, he felt very differently.   He said, “MY FATHER KNOWS ABOUT THAT SPARROW… …And my Father cares about it.”   Then notice what He says: Matthew 10:30 “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.   A SPARROW IS SO IMPORTANT TO GOD, …that it doesn't fall to the ground without God knowing about it, and you and those whom He has placed around you to radiate truth and hope to, are of more value than many sparrows. In Matthew, chapter 6, I think that Lord has done some bird watching and might want us to do some as well! Because… …He said: Matthew 6:26-34 26 "Look at the birds in the air. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. 27 You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the lilies in the field grow. They don't work or make clothes for themselves. 29 But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 30 I clothe the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even surer that I will clothe you. Don't have so little faith! 31 Don't worry and say, ‘What will we eat?' or ‘What will we drink?' or ‘What will we wear?' 32 The people who don't know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. 33 Seek first God's kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. 34 So don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own."   That last part of verse 26…. …It asks such a beautiful and piercing question. “And do you not know that you are worth much more than the birds?”   Or in another translation is asks, “Are you not of more value than they?    In other words, if God cares this much about a sparrow, about a bird, how much more then does He care about you?    Think about it:  We are the Crown Jewel of His creation.  We are made in His image!  We see what He has made in nature alone and then think, “Wow, even mankind is elevated above all of that.  God you really are amazing.  God you really do love us!”  If our response is not adoration and praise, we need to check our hearts and see God once again for Who He is.    A very well spoken and eloquent preacher said one time, “There is never a sparrow that dies but that God goes to its funeral.”   This really touched my heart and impressed me. Not a sparrow dies, but that God.. … goes to its funeral.   THE NEXT TIME THAT YOU SEE A SPARROW… …Remember that God is paying attention to that little sparrow. God is interested in you and He is interested and concerned about me as well! Remember that God cares about you so much more than even that sparrow, and that He wants to draw you closely into a safe place of Sanctuary with Him!  A place of safety and peace, where you can rest and learn about His love for you, for your family and those dear close friends and perhaps a few lost or weary lonely souls that He has sent to you.   In such vulnerable moments we need to take heart to the words of 2 Chronicles 16:9 It says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro (or back and forth) throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” King David tenderly expressed this reality when he wrote, “Keep me as the apple of Your eye [that means, the pupil or center of your vision]; hide me under the shadow of Your wings.” (Psalm 17:8).   Truly, we need to know we are not alone. I hope you will never again look at a sparrow in quite the same way. We're even told in Psalm 84:3-4 that sparrows and swallows find a home and nest at the altars of the Lord, at the tabernacle, at temple of God, and how much more so should we! Here's a little observation assignment for you: Watch a little bird. And when you do, stay focused for a while. Yes, focus, and realize that God is looking at you, even more intently in that very same moment. After all, people are like sparrows in being noticed and cared for by God, yet in an even greater way.   But mark this difference in your observing: You will move on in a world that doesn't stop, but God never takes His eyes off of you. God deeply cares for you as spoken in 1 Peter 5:7. It says, “Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, For He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].”     It's All Part of An Amazing Love Story —of a love affair started by Him and is highlighted by the invitation from God's Son to “Follow Him.” This invitation is constant and runs over like a cool glass of water, with an incredible promise to us who, like the sparrow, are not neglected or forgotten.   While the world values power, status, and outward appearance… … God values the lowly and unseen.   Sparrows were considered little worth in ancient marketplaces, yet Jesus said not one falls without the Father knowing. This is not a message about birds alone, but about you and me.   If God cares for the sparrow, how much more does He care for you, His beloved child? In moments when we feel overlooked or forgotten, the image of the sparrow reminds us that God's eyes never turn away. He knows your fears. He sees your needs, and He is, Always near. This truth helps to free us to live without fear and to trust in His daily provision and protection.   I REALLY LIKE THIS SOFT, HONEST AND SIMPLE PRAYER BY ANABELLE THOMPSON WHO IS A MISSIONARY. Father God, thank You for showing me how deeply You care for every living thing through the sparrow. Even when I feel small or unnoticed, help me remember that Your eyes are always on me. Teach me to trust in Your daily care and to rest in the knowledge that I am never forgotten. Help me to live with faith that sees Your hand in every detail, just as You provide for the birds of the air. May I always find peace in knowing You are near. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.   Dear Listener! The Heavenly Father HAS MUCH TO TELL YOU REGARDING ALL OF THE PLANS THAT HE HAS FOR YOU! “Settle into the nest… …And Rest!” God is waiting to speak and meet with you!   Duplication and re-transmission of this writing is welcomed provided that complete source, podcast and website information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! Copyright  2026 "THE ADVOCATE OF HOPE " ~ Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com PODCAST    If you would be so kind and assist Mary helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website and podcast costs,  or  desire to bless her service in ministry with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support: Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of:  ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders ► Cashiers Checks To:  His Beloved Ministries Inc.  PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614 USA    Or feel free to use our send a tax-deductible gift with Pay Pal   paypal.me/mlindow  Under the name of - Mary Lindow His Beloved Ministries Inc.    ALL gifts are tax-deductible under His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status.   We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since 1985.  THANK YOU!'  

The Lakota Sioux call them the Paha Sapa. We call them the Black Hills. The people who live in Keystone, South Dakota, call them their backyard. If you have ever visited Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills, you probably drove by or through Keystone. But the Keystone you drive through now isn't where Keystone used to be - not since the flood of 1972. It was devastating. Back then, Keystone was in the valley by a lazy little creek which suddenly became a raging flood one day in 1972, roaring through that valley, destroying the town, and claiming many lives in the area. Well, it was then that the folks of Keystone decided to make a change. When they rebuilt their business district and many of their homes, it wasn't on the ground they had always been on. No, the flood changed all that. They moved up the mountain to higher ground. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Living Where It's Safe." Life's floods come in many forms; those major crises or disasters that carry away a lot of what we had been depending on. An illness, or maybe a death can do that, a divorce can do it, a disaster, a broken relationship, the loss of your job. There are a lot of upheavals that come rushing in and they change the landscape of our life forever. And they make you think, maybe for the first time, about where is the best place to build the rest of my life. Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 46: "God is our refuge and strength; an ever present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea" - here come the floods - "though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging" (verses 1-3). We're talking here about life's major upheavals - everything you used to count on getting washed away. But remember, "God is our refuge and strength," so we don't have to fear those things. Why? Because when you've lost everything, you haven't lost everything! Not if you have a deep, personal love relationship with the God who never leaves, never lets go of those who belong to Him. The Psalm goes on to say, "The Lord Almighty is with us, come and see the works of the Lord" (verses 7-8). And then a simple statement that may explain the reason the flood was allowed to happen, so you would finally, "Be still and know that I am God" (verse 10). Maybe, for all practical purposes, you've been "God" in your life. You've been controlling things; you've been living life your way. And you've been building your life around someone or something here on earth - something or someone that the flood may be washing away, or maybe it already has. God's message to you through all of your stress and your pain is, "It's time to move to higher ground." Having seen how fragile, how losable all your earth stuff is, are you ready to build on something you can never lose, no matter what hits you? You were created to build your life on the One who gave you your life - God Himself. But the Bible says we've built it on ourselves. And it took the brutal death of God's Son, Jesus on the cross, to pay the death penalty for all of our "I'll be God" choices. The folks in Keystone, South Dakota, would never have considered moving to higher ground until that flood hit. And maybe you would have never considered turning your life over to Jesus Christ, but now the floods have hit. And you now know that nothing earth can offer you will give you what your heart is so hungry for. Isn't it time to move up the hill? It's the hill where Jesus died for you so you could finally have something that's called "ever-lasting"? If that's what you want, would you tell Jesus you're done running your life and you want to put your trust in the One who died for your sin? Check out our website today, it will help you know how to be sure you belong to Jesus. It's ANewStory.com. The flood has done its damage, and maybe it's sent its message. The ground you've been on is not where you were meant to live. It's time to move to the higher ground that you were made for. And, Jesus is the higher ground. And you, my friend, will be safe. Safe forever.

The Lakota Sioux call them the Paha Sapa. We call them the Black Hills. The people who live in Keystone, South Dakota, call them their backyard. If you have ever visited Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills, you probably drove by or through Keystone. But the Keystone you drive through now isn't where Keystone used to be - not since the flood of 1972. It was devastating. Back then, Keystone was in the valley by a lazy little creek which suddenly became a raging flood one day in 1972, roaring through that valley, destroying the town, and claiming many lives in the area. Well, it was then that the folks of Keystone decided to make a change. When they rebuilt their business district and many of their homes, it wasn't on the ground they had always been on. No, the flood changed all that. They moved up the mountain to higher ground. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Living Where It's Safe." Life's floods come in many forms; those major crises or disasters that carry away a lot of what we had been depending on. An illness, or maybe a death can do that, a divorce can do it, a disaster, a broken relationship, the loss of your job. There are a lot of upheavals that come rushing in and they change the landscape of our life forever. And they make you think, maybe for the first time, about where is the best place to build the rest of my life. Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 46: "God is our refuge and strength; an ever present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea" - here come the floods - "though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging" (verses 1-3). We're talking here about life's major upheavals - everything you used to count on getting washed away. But remember, "God is our refuge and strength," so we don't have to fear those things. Why? Because when you've lost everything, you haven't lost everything! Not if you have a deep, personal love relationship with the God who never leaves, never lets go of those who belong to Him. The Psalm goes on to say, "The Lord Almighty is with us, come and see the works of the Lord" (verses 7-8). And then a simple statement that may explain the reason the flood was allowed to happen, so you would finally, "Be still and know that I am God" (verse 10). Maybe, for all practical purposes, you've been "God" in your life. You've been controlling things; you've been living life your way. And you've been building your life around someone or something here on earth - something or someone that the flood may be washing away, or maybe it already has. God's message to you through all of your stress and your pain is, "It's time to move to higher ground." Having seen how fragile, how losable all your earth stuff is, are you ready to build on something you can never lose, no matter what hits you? You were created to build your life on the One who gave you your life - God Himself. But the Bible says we've built it on ourselves. And it took the brutal death of God's Son, Jesus on the cross, to pay the death penalty for all of our "I'll be God" choices. The folks in Keystone, South Dakota, would never have considered moving to higher ground until that flood hit. And maybe you would have never considered turning your life over to Jesus Christ, but now the floods have hit. And you now know that nothing earth can offer you will give you what your heart is so hungry for. Isn't it time to move up the hill? It's the hill where Jesus died for you so you could finally have something that's called "ever-lasting"? If that's what you want, would you tell Jesus you're done running your life and you want to put your trust in the One who died for your sin? Check out our website today, it will help you know how to be sure you belong to Jesus. It's ANewStory.com. The flood has done its damage, and maybe it's sent its message. The ground you've been on is not where you were meant to live. It's time to move to the higher ground that you were made for. And, Jesus is the higher ground. And you, my friend, will be safe. Safe forever.

What is in your spiritual crock pot? In this episode, Mike talks about Love, Sonship, and voting for dictators.  This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. Now I will hand all your countries over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him." -- Jeremiah 27

Episode Summary: Emotional Exhaustion and holiday burnout are very real experiences. Today we’re going to be talking about the post-holiday aftermath that many of us feel for a myriad of reasons. We are going to cover expectations—unmet and unspoken; the subsequent disappointment which follows and the straight up exhaustion of making Christmas happen for our loved ones. If we don’t pause for a moment following the holidays, we rush headlong into the long winter months with unresolved sadness, which impacts our mental and emotional well-being, making those January blues stronger. Our goal today is to equip you with space to process what happened or didn’t happen, reminders that you are not alone, and practical hope-filled tools to apply to the post-holiday aftermath you may be experiencing. Quotables from the episode: The living room is scattered with wrapping paper, ornaments are askew on the tree, and a fine layer of dust covers everything. Family has wandered off to pursue individual pursuits and you’re sitting alone. You did it. You curated gifts based on personal interests and desires. You planned special meals and made the once-a-year Christmas treats. But now the exhaustion sets in. You wonder if your family appreciates your effort, and you question whether it’s worth it. Crawling into bed and skipping the big family get together later that day sounds great. Instead, you pull yourself up and put another foot in front of the other. “Do the next thing,” you whisper, but wonder if you actually can. Today we are talking about How to Heal from Emotional Burnout and Holiday Exhaustion. Emotional burnout and holiday exhaustion is a real experience that many of us deal with. It can start as early as October or November and lingers into January. I love the reminders in Psalm 46 to be still, but it can be so hard to do. But when I keep reading, I see that knowing God and bringing him glory helps me frame being still inside the comforting knowledge that God is with me through it all. It’s the “all” that trips us up during the holidays. How do we determine how much or how little to do? How do we manage our expectations within the framework of stillness wrapped in God’s presence? One of the contributing factors in emotional exhaustion and holiday burnout comes from a motive to serve others and to create a special experience for them. It’s a good and noble desire to do this. The gift of hospitality, even to our own families, is a special way to show them God’s love. That’s where my desire comes from: I want to show my family love by doing for them. But when we neglect the best thing, we find ourselves running through the holidays in our own strength, which creates emotional burnout and holiday exhaustion. I love the sisters, Mary and Martha, found in Luke 10:38-42. These two women show us how to both serve and be still. I’ve never liked how Martha is shown as wrong and Mary as right. If we take the time to read what Jesus said, we learn there is a good way and a better way. Martha had good motives in serving Jesus and the other guests. In the context of healing from holiday exhaustion and emotional burnout, the desire to create a beautiful holiday experience is a good desire. Martha’s mistake was her unspoken expectation that her sister should be helping her create this amazing experience for the Lord. However, Mary spent her time listening at the feet of Jesus. While it looked like she was doing nothing, she shows us how being still is an active response. Spending time with Jesus is a better desire. It changes us from the inside out. Let’s explore how to hold both the good and the better in the same space and time. I’ve always had mixed feelings when it comes to the account of Mary and Martha. I want to be a Mary, but I definitely relate to Martha’s personally as a get-it-done kind of person. I can’t tell you how often I hear “I don’t know how you do all you do!” And in transparency, for many years, I wore that as a badge of honor, until doing became my downfall. One thing that has always stood out to me in the account of these two sisters is when Scripture says But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. It’s not that what Martha was doing was bad…it just wasn’t the best thing. It’s so easy to set aside our private, personal time with Jesus during the crazy, busy holiday season, and embarrassingly, I have succumbed to that at times. But what you’re saying is that healing from emotional burnout and holiday exhaustion starts with being still with Jesus. It’s within the stillness with Jesus where we can be refreshed and guided for our next thing. We can ask the Holy Spirit to show us where we may have expectations that could lead to disappointment. I must continually remind myself that life is not a movie script, with perfectly plotted responses. There is no call for “Cut!” or “Go again.” Our family members deal with their own internal angsts, expectations, and disappointments, which clash with ours. If we start the day with Jesus and invite him into every part of our day, we can hold the good with the better and reveal both a Martha and a Mary side to our families and ourselves. Unmet expectations (of others and ourselves) can contribute to emotional exhaustion and holiday burnout. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, so we have to be intentional when we want to change course. Addressing expectations by making time with Jesus a priority during the holiday season is vital, but let’s turn our attention to some practical steps. One step we can do post-holiday is to ask our families what traditions or activities are important to them. We may be doing all the things, but maybe we don’t need too. Taking the time to talk about expectations, and adjusting them going forward both helps to heal, and create self-guards going forward. A second aspect that crucial for our healing from emotional exhaustion and holiday burnout is to Create space in your life to rest and recover. There’s no universal required day to take down the decorations and return the gift bags to their storage space. Lay on the couch post-Christmas and New Years. Turn off the lamps and turn on the Christmas lights. Take time to rejoice in Jesus coming to earth for you. Contemplate God with us. Be still and know he is God. Depending on how depleted, fatigued, or burned out you may feel, I would add to that to create a “recovery zone”. Pick a short window every day, even if only 10-20 minutes, where you intentionally do nothing that requires output. Instead, sit with a cozy drink, listen to calm music, step outside for a breath of fresh air. This sends your nervous system the message: “I am safe. I can rest.” The fourth suggestion we have for how to heal from emotional exhaustion and holiday burnout is where we can learn from Mary. I’d suggest a brief post-holiday evaluation can be very helpful by answering two questions. First, What wore you out? Second, What gave you life? Taking the time for a post-holiday evaluation helps heal from emotional burnout and holiday exhaustion because self-reflection helps our brain release what is internally keeping our mind in a state of stress, and is a way to prepare and protect your mental and emotional strength for the next year. This is where we realize where we may have lost sight of “God with us.” It’s easy to keep saying yes and to add more. Some years we have the capacity for a lot and other years we need to scale back. Three of my kids have birthdays in November, January, and February. Reserving energy for their births changed how I did Christmas, from the décor to the gifts to the food. And I discovered an important truth—it’s not so much what we do that makes Christmas special but the who. Who we are with and who we focus on. A fifth tip, which is really important, is to Replenish What Was Depleted. To do this, I would add a third question to the self-evaluation, and that is to ask yourself What did the holidays season drain the most? If it was sleep, commit to earlier nights for a week or two. If it was social energy, block out quiet evenings. If it was finances, enact a low-spend month or two. If it was emotions, journal what you carried and release it to God. We know that the level of emotional exhaustion or holiday burnout is different for everyone, and some years are worse than others, but with a shift in our perspective, a bit of self-reflection, communicating with our family, creating space to rest and recover, and intentionally replenishing what was depleted, we can experience healing from emotional burnout and holiday exhaustion. Scripture References: Psalm 46:11-12 “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Luke 10:38-42 “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Recommended Resources: Reframing Rejection: How Looking Through a Different Lens Changes Everything By Jessica Van Roekel Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted by Dr. Michelle Bengtson The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner AWSA 2024 Golden Scroll Christian Living Book of the Year and the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Christian Living and Non-Fiction categories YouVersion 5-Day Devotional Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, AWSA Member of the Year, winner of the AWSA 2023 Inspirational Gift Book of the Year Award, the 2024 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in the Devotional category, the 2023 Christian Literary Awards Reader’s Choice Award in four categories, and the Christian Literary Awards Henri Award for Devotionals YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 1 YouVersion Devotional, Today is Going to be a Good Day version 2 Revive & Thrive Women’s Online Conference Revive & Thrive Summit 2 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 1 Trusting God through Cancer Summit 2 Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the AWSA 2020 Best Christian Living Book First Place, the first place winner for the Best Christian Living Book, the 2020 Carolina Christian Writer’s Conference Contest winner for nonfiction, and winner of the 2021 Christian Literary Award’s Reader’s Choice Award in all four categories for which it was nominated (Non-Fiction Victorious Living, Christian Living Day By Day, Inspirational Breaking Free and Testimonial Justified by Grace categories.) YouVersion Bible Reading Plan for Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Free Study Guide Free PDF Resource: How to Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Henri and Reader’s Choice Award Hope Prevails Bible Study by Dr. Michelle Bengtson, winner of the Christian Literary Award Reader’s Choice Award Free Webinar: Help for When You’re Feeling Blue Social Media Links for Host and Guest: Connect with Jessica Van Roekel: Website / Instagram / Facebook For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at: Order Book Sacred Scars / Order Book The Hem of His Garment / Order Book Today is Going to be a Good Day / Order Book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson) / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast on Apple Co-Host: Jessica Van Roekel is a worship leader, speaker, and writer who believes that through Jesus, personal histories don’t need to define the present or determine the future. She inspires, encourages, and equips others to look at life through the lenses of hope, trust, and God’s transforming grace. Jessica lives in rural Iowa surrounded by wide open spaces which remind her of God’s expansive love. She loves fun earrings, good coffee, and connecting with others. Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Mama, God's passionate love pursues your heart! Today we will be learning more about God's holy, perfect love! "Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." -Isaiah 9:7 (NIV)✨ Important Announcement: Dear Mama, in 2026, the Lord has called us to step away from social media so we can go deeper with you in the Radiant Mom Sisterhood. Join HERE for just $4.99 a month or $50 a year, and walk this next season of motherhood with us! For more information about our ministry, visit our website http://helpclubformoms.comCheck out our YouVersion plans HERE!Our prayer team prays for you every day! Send us your prayer requests at admin@helpclubformoms.com.

There’s more to the Christmas story than you may realize. There’s a prequel... In this message, Pastor Greg Laurie brings us to the story of a godly, elderly couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth, parents of John the Baptist. Notes: Luke 1 Luke gives us the prequel, the story before the story. Luke opens by saying, “In the days of Herod.”That’s like saying, “In Germany, in the days of Hitler.” Heaven’s light was about to break. Read Luke 1:5–17 Luke’s narrative finds Israel in the midst of a long night of spiritual darkness. Israel was now under the control of mighty and cruel Rome.But there was something in the air that things were about to change. A promise to Israel of better days to come – Malachi 4:2 NIVBut for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Malachi 3:1 NIV“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. John the Baptist was the bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. God was now going to answer the prayer and heart cry of Israel. God sent the mighty angel Gabriel. The last appearance of an angel had been to the prophet Zechariah nearly five centuries earlier. Whenever angels appeared, they would say, “Do not be afraid!” Gabriel came to an elderly couple, Zacharias and Elizabeth. The name Zacharias means, “God remembers.”Elizabeth means, “My God is an oath.” God remembers His promises and always keeps His word. God was making up for lost time, and He gave them a baby like no other,John the Baptist. #1 Zacharias was a humble man. James 4:6 ESV“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” The obsession with ourselves is at the root of our problems. The humble Zacharias was a country priest. There were many priests in Israel at this time.To be a priest meant you represented the people to God. The priest also represented God to the people.The priest would interpret scripture, counsel, and provide wise judgment for the people. I understand that I, too, am a representative of God to people. You, too, are a priest.And you, too, represent God to people. You are the only bible some people will ever read. #2 Zacharias was a faithful man. God called:Moses, when he was tending sheep.David, while he was watching sheep,Elijah, when he was plowingPeter and John, when they were mending nets.God calls busy people. It’s hard to steer a parked car. If you are faithful in small things, God will give you greater opportunities. God has given to every believer spiritual gifts. Romans 12:6 NLTGod has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. Romans 12:7 NLTIf your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. Romans 12:8 NLTIf your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. Paul told Timothy to “not neglect the gift that is in you.” Zacharias was faithful to do what God had set before him. #3 Zacharias and Elizabeth were godly and blameless people. Luke 1:6 NKJVAnd they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. To be blameless does not mean they were sinless. They lived lives of integrity, not perfection. “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” Not to have any children was thought to be a curse from God. Little did they know that God would answer their prayers and give them a prophet. Their son, John, would be the greatest prophet of the Old Testament. Perhaps you are going through a time of difficulty right now. God was preparing Zacharias and Elizabeth for this day, and now the reward for faithfulness has come. Luke 1:13 NKJVBut the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. God hears our prayers as well. God promises us that if we call out to Him, He will hear and answer.Psalm 34:15 Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Just because our prayers are not answered does not mean God does not hear them. There is an amazing story in Daniel 10 where a mighty angel appeared before the prophet.The angel told Daniel that the prophet’s prayer had been heard in heaven 21 days earlier. God’s delays are not necessarily his denials. The devil and his fallen angels are very active right now. Revelation 12:12b NIVThe devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury because he knows that his time is short. The bible tells us that in the last days there would be “satanically energized times” and that things would go from bad to worse. So, what should we do in light of this?We need to use our two secret weapons, preaching and prayer. We have no idea of what is going on in the invisible world of angels and demons.Revelation 8:3–4 God hears and stores our prayers; not one is wasted. Every prayer is answered with either yes, no, or wait. God is aware of each and every request made for His glory and in His will. God heard and recorded the prayer of this godly couple. Zacharias prayed for 30 years for a son.The reason he was surprised when Gabriel came was because he had prayed for so long. In the same way, your prayers are in God’s to-do box.Even if you have forgotten about them, God has not. Don’t give up on your prayers. This happened with the believers praying for the deliverance of Simon Peter.When the answer to their prayer arrived, they did not believe it. #4 Zacharias was human and flawed just like us! Luke 1:18 NKJVAnd Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” Luke 1:19 NKJVAnd the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. Luke 1:20 NKJV“But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words.” Zacharias could have rejoiced, but instead he questioned. We can choose to worship God, or we can choose to question God. It’s not a bad thing for a Christian to struggle or even ask God, “Why?” Some people have experienced tragedy and disappointment and have questions for God. But there comes a point when we choose to trust. Even John the Baptist had a momentary doubt.He misunderstood the mission of the Messiah like so many others. John, the greatest Old Testament prophet, sitting in a dungeon, sent word to Jesus, “Are You the One, or should we look for another?” Jesus reassured John and sent him back to the scriptures. Zacharias couldn’t speak, so he tried to explain what happened through hand gestures.Luke 1:21 Lessons from the lives of Zacharias and Elizabeth:To be humble and wait on the Lord and serve HimTo keep praying and not give up because our prayers are heard and rememberedTo believe what God tells you and act in faith, not by feeling The biblical characters were quite ordinary.They were hopelessly human, remarkably unremarkable. They were also available and obedient to the Master’s call. A 1964 Aston Martin sold for $4.6 million. The value is not in the car, but in the one who drove it. The same is true of us. The value isn’t in the vessel; it’s in the One who fills it. For centuries, the world waited. For decades, a faithful couple prayed.And at just the right time, God said, “Now!” Maybe you’ve been praying for something. Your “now” can begin today. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s more to the Christmas story than you may realize. There’s a prequel... In this message, Pastor Greg Laurie brings us to the story of a godly, elderly couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth, parents of John the Baptist. Notes: Luke 1 Luke gives us the prequel, the story before the story. Luke opens by saying, “In the days of Herod.”That’s like saying, “In Germany, in the days of Hitler.” Heaven’s light was about to break. Read Luke 1:5–17 Luke’s narrative finds Israel in the midst of a long night of spiritual darkness. Israel was now under the control of mighty and cruel Rome.But there was something in the air that things were about to change. A promise to Israel of better days to come – Malachi 4:2 NIVBut for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Malachi 3:1 NIV“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. John the Baptist was the bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. God was now going to answer the prayer and heart cry of Israel. God sent the mighty angel Gabriel. The last appearance of an angel had been to the prophet Zechariah nearly five centuries earlier. Whenever angels appeared, they would say, “Do not be afraid!” Gabriel came to an elderly couple, Zacharias and Elizabeth. The name Zacharias means, “God remembers.”Elizabeth means, “My God is an oath.” God remembers His promises and always keeps His word. God was making up for lost time, and He gave them a baby like no other,John the Baptist. #1 Zacharias was a humble man. James 4:6 ESV“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” The obsession with ourselves is at the root of our problems. The humble Zacharias was a country priest. There were many priests in Israel at this time.To be a priest meant you represented the people to God. The priest also represented God to the people.The priest would interpret scripture, counsel, and provide wise judgment for the people. I understand that I, too, am a representative of God to people. You, too, are a priest.And you, too, represent God to people. You are the only bible some people will ever read. #2 Zacharias was a faithful man. God called:Moses, when he was tending sheep.David, while he was watching sheep,Elijah, when he was plowingPeter and John, when they were mending nets.God calls busy people. It’s hard to steer a parked car. If you are faithful in small things, God will give you greater opportunities. God has given to every believer spiritual gifts. Romans 12:6 NLTGod has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. Romans 12:7 NLTIf your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. Romans 12:8 NLTIf your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. Paul told Timothy to “not neglect the gift that is in you.” Zacharias was faithful to do what God had set before him. #3 Zacharias and Elizabeth were godly and blameless people. Luke 1:6 NKJVAnd they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. To be blameless does not mean they were sinless. They lived lives of integrity, not perfection. “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” Not to have any children was thought to be a curse from God. Little did they know that God would answer their prayers and give them a prophet. Their son, John, would be the greatest prophet of the Old Testament. Perhaps you are going through a time of difficulty right now. God was preparing Zacharias and Elizabeth for this day, and now the reward for faithfulness has come. Luke 1:13 NKJVBut the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. God hears our prayers as well. God promises us that if we call out to Him, He will hear and answer.Psalm 34:15 Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Just because our prayers are not answered does not mean God does not hear them. There is an amazing story in Daniel 10 where a mighty angel appeared before the prophet.The angel told Daniel that the prophet’s prayer had been heard in heaven 21 days earlier. God’s delays are not necessarily his denials. The devil and his fallen angels are very active right now. Revelation 12:12b NIVThe devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury because he knows that his time is short. The bible tells us that in the last days there would be “satanically energized times” and that things would go from bad to worse. So, what should we do in light of this?We need to use our two secret weapons, preaching and prayer. We have no idea of what is going on in the invisible world of angels and demons.Revelation 8:3–4 God hears and stores our prayers; not one is wasted. Every prayer is answered with either yes, no, or wait. God is aware of each and every request made for His glory and in His will. God heard and recorded the prayer of this godly couple. Zacharias prayed for 30 years for a son.The reason he was surprised when Gabriel came was because he had prayed for so long. In the same way, your prayers are in God’s to-do box.Even if you have forgotten about them, God has not. Don’t give up on your prayers. This happened with the believers praying for the deliverance of Simon Peter.When the answer to their prayer arrived, they did not believe it. #4 Zacharias was human and flawed just like us! Luke 1:18 NKJVAnd Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” Luke 1:19 NKJVAnd the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. Luke 1:20 NKJV“But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words.” Zacharias could have rejoiced, but instead he questioned. We can choose to worship God, or we can choose to question God. It’s not a bad thing for a Christian to struggle or even ask God, “Why?” Some people have experienced tragedy and disappointment and have questions for God. But there comes a point when we choose to trust. Even John the Baptist had a momentary doubt.He misunderstood the mission of the Messiah like so many others. John, the greatest Old Testament prophet, sitting in a dungeon, sent word to Jesus, “Are You the One, or should we look for another?” Jesus reassured John and sent him back to the scriptures. Zacharias couldn’t speak, so he tried to explain what happened through hand gestures.Luke 1:21 Lessons from the lives of Zacharias and Elizabeth:To be humble and wait on the Lord and serve HimTo keep praying and not give up because our prayers are heard and rememberedTo believe what God tells you and act in faith, not by feeling The biblical characters were quite ordinary.They were hopelessly human, remarkably unremarkable. They were also available and obedient to the Master’s call. A 1964 Aston Martin sold for $4.6 million. The value is not in the car, but in the one who drove it. The same is true of us. The value isn’t in the vessel; it’s in the One who fills it. For centuries, the world waited. For decades, a faithful couple prayed.And at just the right time, God said, “Now!” Maybe you’ve been praying for something. Your “now” can begin today. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angel Studios https://Angel.com/HermanJoin the Angel Guild today where you can stream Thank You, Dr. Fauci and be part of the conversation demanding truth and accountability.  Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/Todd Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comBe confident in your portfolio with Bulwark! Schedule your free Know Your Risk Portfolio review. Go to KnowYourRiskPodcast.com today. Alan's Soaps https://www.AlansArtisanSoaps.comUse coupon code TODD to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/ToddThe new GOLDEN AGE is here!  Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE at:The Todd Herman Show - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe Todd Herman Show | Podcast on SpotifyWATCH and SUBSCRIBE at: Todd Herman - The Todd Herman Show - YouTubeOne Question for Mark Kelly and His Supporters // The Tim Walz Matrix // The OTHER Christmas MiracleEpisode Links:Kelly: “People should be able to tell the difference between something that is unlawful and something that is lawful." Welker: "That puts a lot of burden on the troops to make a decision in real time." Kelly: "A reasonable person can tell something that is legal and something that is illegal." Kelly is openly encouraging dissent and threatening prosecutions for actions that Democrats will deem illegal should they reclaim power.The "Double Tap" War Crimes Hoax is a complete joke. Democrat Senator Mark Kelly accidentally admits on air to Rachel Maddow that there were no specific illegal orders from President Trump behind the viral video stunt warning the military to defy the White House.Tim Walz says he takes no responsibility for the Somalis who've been robbing Americans of billions in Minnesota and funneling those dollars back to terr*rists in Somalia. You'll notice he doesn't deny it's happening, of course. Walz is complicit.Tim Walz's new flagWhat Does God's Word Say?Isaiah 9:1-79 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—2 The people walking in darkness    have seen a great light;on those living in the land of deep darkness    a light has dawned.3 You have enlarged the nation    and increased their joy;they rejoice before you    as people rejoice at the harvest,as warriors rejoice    when dividing the plunder.4 For as in the day of Midian's defeat,    you have shatteredthe yoke that burdens them,    the bar across their shoulders,    the rod of their oppressor.5 Every warrior's boot used in battle    and every garment rolled in bloodwill be destined for burning,    will be fuel for the fire.6 For to us a child is born,    to us a son is given,    and the government will be on his shoulders.And he will be called    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.7 Of the greatness of his government and peace    there will be no end.He will reign on David's throne    and over his kingdom,establishing and upholding it    with justice and righteousness    from that time on and forever.The zeal of the Lord Almighty    will accomplish this.