Podcasts about lord almighty

God Should Always Be First Haggai 1:5-6 5Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

In His greatest sign and wonder, the LORD Almighty delivers His people through the judgment that falls upon His Son, a display of power great enough to overcome hardened hearts.

Joel Radford – What land do you value? – 2 Samuel 7:8-11a   8 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies […]

IntroductionThe picture in our home of Jesus knocking on the door – all the hidden messages! No way to open the door from the outside - “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”Revelation 3:20 the heart of Jesus – the darkness on the inside, a ram's head? rose of Sharon? “I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the young women.” Song of Songs 2:1-2 NIV Read Text - John 2:13-25  The pictures in the storyThey point to the big event setting the stage for the main Passover eventThe 3rd day reference to the resurrectionThe Passover, the Lamb of God here, John 7 and later comes the climax of salvation…The whip and purificationSigns of authority – Jonah Crowds that believeThe staircase events of John 1:51- heaven touching earthPreparation for persecutionHow does this fit in with the image you have of Jesus?An angry guy? With your image of the loving gentle Jesus?Notice the whip?Understanding the situation: the influx of people to the Passover ca. 2 million and the temple tax – ½ shekel was worth 2 weeks labor for a common laborer, or a ½ week for a skilled laborer. (50 shekels was a good wage.) Today a comparison would have been ca. $2000 plus an animal from dove to sheep and goats or oxen. Imagine the noise, the smells, the bargaining, and the shouting going on in a marketplace! Photos! Bargaining and kickbacks in the marketplace that was to be a house of prayer for the nations! David Pawson suggests 4 reasons why Jesus was so angry:Laziness and convenience?Exploitation?Nationalism?Misappropriation? – And, and: “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”” Isaiah 56:7 What authority did Jesus have?He is the Son of God, the real High Priest: “It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence.” Hebrews 9:23-24 He is the Messiah of Israel: Malachi 3:1-4    ““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. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.” Malachi 3:1-4  He is the temple of God – that is his authority to cleanse How does it affect us? We become believers when we see the signs“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19) “In (him) you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22) Jesus has authority to cleans the temple! Is he cleansing your temple? What are the hindrances? David Pawson writes: “is your body just a library to be stuffed with knowledge? Is your body a bank, a place for gathering money? Is your body a playhouse, simply for pleasure? Is your body a pigsty where slimy passions rule? Or is your body a temple where God lives?”Let's examine the 4 possible reasons why Jesus cleansed the temple:Convenience - Exploitation – Nationalization - Misappropriation

By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,2CO.6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,2CO.6:8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;2CO.6:9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;2CO.6:10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.2CO.6:11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.2CO.6:12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.2CO.6:13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.2CO.6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?2CO.6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?2CO.6:16 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.2CO.6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.2CO.6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty

Lord Almighty, if you will only look on 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.

The believer Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your name be the glory, for Your steadfast loving-kindness and for the sake of Your truth and faithfulness. (Ps. 115:1 AMPC) We are the inheritors of Your kingdom, and we live and move in Your glory, in the peace and security that comes from following the Prince of Peace. Voice: The Lord The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted – and they will be humbled. (Isaiah 2:11-12) The believer: Yes Lord, scatter all that is proud and lofty in the imagination of our heart and bring us to that deeper place of knowing that we are living and praying according to Your will; no longer asking amiss by following our own desires but increasingly conformed to the image of Your Son, whose only desire is to do the will of the One who had sent Him. Rather than looking wistfully at someone else's gifts and opportunities, or bowing down at the shrine of our own achievements, we cry out with the psalmist, ‘All our springs are found in You!' (Psalm 87:7) You, who did not spare Your own and only Son, do not spare us from Your work of refining. Remove all bias and boasting from our hearts; fashion within us a true and lasting humility so that we are spared the fate of Aaron's foolish sons and Eli's licentious offspring. (Lev. 10:1-3) Keep us from becoming like Demas, who put love of worldly things ahead of serving You (2 Tim. 4:10).

Send us a textGOD IS NOT FOR SALE PART 4When it comes to giving there are obviously two separate sets of people in the body of Christ. The cheerful givers who although doesn't always have it to give but nonetheless gives at each and every opportunity and the resentful givers who has it but refuses to give or when they give, they give grudgingly. It is not the will of our Father that His people be put under such constraints through their giving. It is not His will that His people feel so obligated to give that they leave His presence feeling condemned, insecure and broken because they could not give what the prophets, preachers, pastors, teachers and leaders of their churches and meetings demanded. And oftentimes when the people can't give, when they truly don't have it to give, the leaders and prophets literally condemn them and talk down to them for not giving more. The really sad thing about this particular practice is that the money that's being demanded is oftentimes purely for the comfort and personal gain of the individual who is raising this money. Again as Isaiah 3:14-15 reads; The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: “It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses. 15 What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. To hear more of what our Father is speaking to us in this particular segment click on the buzzsprout.com link or go to your favorite podcast app and search for This Is the Voice of the Prophet. Then click on the title GOD IS NOT FOR SALE PART 4.Support the show

April 25, 2025 - Equipped 2025 - Day 2 - 11:00M Session   Looking at Isaiah 6, Hiram examines the challenge that Isaiah had as a profit by both giving the good news but also the impending judgement.   Isaiah 6 -Isaiah's Commission 6 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. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;     the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 “Woe 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.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” 9 He said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;     be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' 10 Make the heart of this people calloused;     make their ears dull     and close their eyes.[a] Otherwise they might see with their eyes,     hear with their ears,     understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” 11 Then I said, “For how long, Lord?” And he answered: “Until the cities lie ruined     and without inhabitant, until the houses are left deserted     and the fields ruined and ravaged, 12 until the Lord has sent everyone far away     and the land is utterly forsaken. 13 And though a tenth remains in the land,     it will again be laid waste. But as the terebinth and oak     leave stumps when they are cut down,     so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”   Video: 2025 Equipped Workshop 4-25-25 - "JUDAH'S JUDGMENT PREACHED" - Hiram Kemp   Duration 40:51

Daily Dose of Hope May 20, 2025 Day 2 of Week 8   Scripture – Matthew 2   Prayer:  Dear God, You are amazing!  How awesome it is that you who created all things are also so intimately involved in our lives.  We give you glory and praise for who you are.  We are so thankful for your love.  We want to know you more.  We want and need to hear your voice.  Help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...  In Your Name, Amen. Welcome back, friends, to the Daily Dose of Hope, a devotional and podcast connected to the Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, FL.  Today, we are digging into Matthew 2.  This is pretty familiar Scripture to many of us.  Let's try to see it with fresh eyes. The text begins with foreign Magi visiting King Herod.  These men are an interesting and mysterious group. We don't really know much about the magi who come seeking Jesus from eastern lands.  Some translations call them wise men or kings.  Matthew doesn't include a lot of details.  We have no idea how many there actually were (despite the popular carol, Scripture does not say there were just three of them).  Like the shepherds, the magi seem an unlikely group to seek out and worship Jesus. They were pagans, gentiles, involved in the occult, and yet they knew there was something more.  They were searching for something more.  So these magi embark on a long journey, carrying expensive gifts worthy of a king, eager to pay homage. Their efforts lead them to an encounter far beyond their expectations. Unlike an earthly king who would have been found in a palace, the magi are led to what we can probably assume is a modest home of a Jewish family and it's there that they find Jesus with his mother and Scripture says they bow down and worship him.  Maybe it wasn't what they expected but they see God's hand in it nonetheless and worship the one they know to be the Messiah, the savior of the world.  They were outsiders but they recognized the Messiah when so many insiders failed to do so. Up until now, it all sounds great, right?  But there is another character in this story.  His name is Herod the Great. The Herod family ruled over the holy land both before and after the time of Christ, they were somewhat like puppet kings, put in place by the Romans to keep order.  And they don't have a great reputation at all.  They were, for the most part, insecure and power-hungry. One reason I don't think it's accurate to refer to the magi as wise men is because they did one thing that was really unwise.  They go straight to King Herod, “So where is the NEW king? Where is the one who has been named king of the Jews?”  Keep in mind, Herod the Great considered himself to be king of the Jews.  The man is insecure and vicious so he tries to trick the magi into divulging Jesus' location.  But no amount of earthly power can get Herod what he wants.  The magi are warned in a dream to not return to Herod.  And this angers him more.  Herod was both feared and hated. The Jewish historian Josephus painted a picture of Herod as a suspicious and cruel client king, with a history of killing anyone whom he saw as a threat, including three sons and his wife. So even though the magi remind Herod of Micah's prophecy that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), his response was not to pay homage but to destroy the newborn king.  In Matthew 2:16, we read that Herod decides to take matters into his own hands and kill all the baby boys who might be in the age range of Jesus, When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.  Truly dark and horrific.  The extent to which human beings will go to gain power surely demonstrates the brokenness of our world.  Then and now.  But through all of this, Jesus is saved.  The baby's family is warned in a dream and they head down to Egypt for a period of time to keep the boy safe from Herod before they come back to Israel and settle in Nazareth.  Because God's purposes will prevail.  God had promised long, long ago to send a Savior for his people and there is nothing that could get in the way.  Listen to this prophecy from in Isaiah 9:6-7, spoken 700 years before the birth of Jesus, 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. 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.  It's like God was saying “I'm going to send someone who will restore the people of Israel to me.  This person will be a light to the Gentiles, and will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth AND it will be obvious once more that your God reigns.”  No power-hungry king could mess that up as hard as he tried.  No earthly power could thwart God's plan of redemption for his people.  It's true that bad things to happen.  God allows human beings free will and that is too often used for evil.  But that doesn't mean God isn't involved, it doesn't mean he isn't invested, God can and has orchestrated, changed, and/or stopped the plans of all kinds of people to get done what needs to get done.  God has been working, in his time, over the course of thousands of years, to achieve his bigger purpose. And what was the bigger purpose?  God's mission from the beginning was to redeem his world.  He did this through Jesus.  That little baby that the wise men knelt down and worshiped, that child that Herod felt so threatened by --- that child would grow to become the Savior of the world.  He would bring sight to the blind, freedom for the oppressed, he would proclaim good news to the poor.  He would preach the Kingdom of God and show the world a different way of living, ultimately giving up his own life voluntarily on a Roman cross.  In doing so, he became the final sacrifice for sin, providing a way for you and me and all people to be redeemed.  Because of Jesus' sacrifice, our sins can be forgiven and we can walk hand in hand with a holy God.  Because of Jesus, nothing separates us from God.  And then, three days after he died, he was resurrected, defeating evil and death and demonstrating to the world who HE is.  He is, after all, God.  Jesus is the Lord. Jesus is LORD of all.  Paul writes this in Colossians 1:15-20, The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.  Jesus is above all things.  Jesus is Lord. And over the course of 2000 years, rulers and kings and dictators and autocrats have tried to wipe out his influence.  They have misused his teachings, they have twisted the Gospel.  Like Herod, they have done all kinds of things to either try to eliminate the influence of Jesus or to use the Gospel for their own deceitful purposes.  And at times, it's been ugly and violent and really sad.  But this is TRUTH:  God will ensure that his purposes prevail.  Yes, in our sinful and broken world, all kinds of horrors will occur.  Vladimir Putin will think he's invincible.  Kim Jong Un will declare himself supreme ruler.  American politicians will think themselves unshakable.  You and I will experience heartbreak, loss, and illness.  And yet, Jesus is still Lord of all.  God is still working in our lives, God is still present with us in the middle of the mess, and Jesus is still in the business of transforming lives.  Friends, Jesus is on the throne, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  The rulers of the world may oppose him but they are ultimately answerable to him.  Because he will come again. I'll stop there for now.  But I do have to ask this question:  Is Jesus Lord of your life?  More tomorrow. Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Teacher: Adam Barnett A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.   - 1 Samuel 17:4-7 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.”   - 1 Samuel 17:8-9 On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.    - 1 Samuel 17:11 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”    - 1 Samuel 17:32 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”  - 1 Samuel 17:33 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”  - 1 Samuel 17:32-37 He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I'll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”   - 1 Samuel 17:41-44 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands.”  - 1 Samuel 17:45-47 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.  – 1 Samuel 17:48-51 1) Life guarantees giants.   2) Battles require faith. The story of David and Goliath is about keeping spiritual perspective and acting in faith. 2A) David remembered the past. 2B) David trusted in the present. 3) Prayer is our best weapon. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. – Ephesians 6:12 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.  - Philippians 4:6-7

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2Co 6:17-18 KJV)Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2Co 7:1 KJV)

ILLUSTRATION: You know what is one of the most terrifying questions as a dad? It's when I go to the pharmacy to pick up medication for one of my kids and they say, “What's their birthday” lol, I can tell you the day they were born on, but the year they were born? I still have to ask everytime. I get all nervous pulling up to the window. Can we all admit that there is something really special about moms? Whether you have a mom, are a mom, or just know a mom, there is something special about them. This morning, I just want to speak to the ladies in the crowd and encourage all of us when it comes to the responsibility God has put in our hands… SCIPTURE: In the Old Testament there is a story that I thought would be appropriate for today: There was a man named Elkanhah who had two wives - I know, I have no idea how he did it.. He had two wives, Peninnah and Hannah. Every year Elkanhah and his family would go up to Shiloh to worship God, this is before Israel had a temple and they would worship God in a tent called the Tabernacle. When Elkanah would go up to worship God he would sacrifice an animal and give a portion to Peninnah for her and his children with her but he would give his other wife Hannah a double portion because he loved her and she was unable to have kids… Every year this would happen but a rivalry between the women happened. Can you imagine your husband having another wife - imagine the jealousy and the rivalry that would come up. You think comparison is bad with today's social media, imagine living next door to that person… Listen to what happened to Hannah 1 Samuel 1:6-8 6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah's womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?” Can I just speak for a moment to those of you who on this mother's day are feeling excluded? I want you to know that God sees you and you are not alone. I know for some Mother's day is a reminder of loss. The loss of a mother, the loss of becoming a mother or never able to become a mother. Hannah knew what that was like, she was a woman who couldn't have children and had to share a husband with a woman who could and made her feel less than.. and her husband didn't get it… If that's you today, can I remind you of Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. God is close to those who are brokenhearted. Jesus said those who mourn are blessed because they will be comforted. If mother's day is difficult for you, I'd encourage you to run to God and let Him draw you near. Listen to Hannah's desperate prayer to God… 1 Samuel 1:9-11 9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord's house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on 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.” this is the prayer of the desperate… We've all prayed this prayer… The priest Eli actually thinks she's drunk because he doesn't know what's going on and she just keeps mouthing the prayer. when Hannah goes home God answers her prayer and gives her a son that they name Samuel, and this is the part I want to hone in on and challenge us all with. listen: 1 Samuel 1:21-22 24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,[e] an ephah[f]of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. 25 When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there. Here's what strikes me about Hannah The thing she wanted most was the very thing she gave back to God. b As parents, it's tempting to believe our children are ours, but Hannah knew better. b Our children are gifts from God and it's our job to give them back to Him. b For most of us this means leading them to know Him, to disciple them, to talk to them about Jesus as a normal part of life. CLOSING ILLUSTRATION: The reality is, Jenni is the one who knows things about our kids that no one else knows. She remembers all the sweet things they did when they were little and she has been watching over them all their life. But so have I. As your kids get older one of the hardest lessons to learn is they are not yours really. You are just a steward of them. The question I think God will ask us about one day is what we did with what He gave us. Did we teach them to love others like He does? did we teach them to love God? Or did we just make sure they were good at sports, or didn't annoy us too much? This sermon isn't meant to make you feel guilty, but to remind us of the how much God has entrusted to you - He believes you are capable of raising your children to know Him, it starts with giving them back to Him and realizing He knows everything about your child. Hannah dedicated her son to the Lord and He changed the world, He will be the one who anoints King David and out of King David will come Jesus - all because a mom faithfully committed her son to God's service… ------------------ 1 Samuel 1:1-28 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite[a] 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. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. 3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. 4 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. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah's womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?” 9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord's house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on 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.” 12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” 15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” 17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. 19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,[b] saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” Hannah Dedicates Samuel 21 When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, 22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”[c] 23 “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his[d] word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. 24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,[e] an ephah[f] of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. 25 When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there. Hannah prayed for children and God finally gave her Samuel. What's wild is she gives him back to God. The very thing she longed for, she gave to God. The reality is none of our children are ours, we all have the unreal expectation that we can control the outcomes of their lives, but that's not true. What we can control is giving them to God - committing them to Him through: Prayer Intention - raising your kids to know God as a friend Personal commitment

Finding Jesus in Unexpected Places // The Human Womb Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)“Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (God with us)” Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)“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. 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.” Colossians 2:9 (NIV)“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” Colossians 1:15-22 (NIV)“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” Isaiah 40:12,15 (NLT)“Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? … For all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand.” John 1:1-4 (NLT)“In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.”     Luke 1:30-39 (NIV)“But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacobʼs descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.' ‘How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.' ‘I am the Lordʼs servant,” Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.' Then the angel left her. At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea.” Luke 1:41-42 (NIV)“When Elizabeth heard Maryʼs greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!'” Luke 1:44-45 (NIV)“As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Hebrews 4:15-16 (AMP)“For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God's gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].”  John 1:14 (NIV)The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (MSG)“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son.” John 1:9-11 (NIV)“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” 

05-11-25 Biblical-Literacy Mark continued in the study of Romans with an exploration Romans 2:12 - 3:21. Paul used his lawyer background consisting of a 3-pillar approach of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos to provide information to the Greco-Roman culture. His flow of logic included a power statement and logically or methodically based statements that were brief, complete, and concise to show God's judgment. Romans 2:12 - 3:21 All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory: without the law or under the law. No hope without God. We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ and belief in the Gospel or the Good News. Points for home: There but for the grace of God go! The Gospel is the power of God for salvation for those who believe. Listen to Mark show how Paul used the art and science of persuasion to show how we are saved from God's judgment. Praise to the Lord Almighty.

Daily Dose of Hope May 6, 2025 Day 2 of Week 6   Scripture – Mark 13   Prayer:  Almighty God, We give you glory and praise.  Thank you for the ways you care for us.  Thank you for the ways you care for our church.  Lord Jesus, help us set aside our scattered thoughts.  Help us push away distractions and truly focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...Holy Spirit, guide our reading and devotional time today.  May we hear a word from you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back, friends, to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we work our way through Mark 13 and I want to warn you, this is a difficult chapter.  Jesus is speaking about the destruction of the Temple and signs of the end times.    Before we begin to walk through the text, let me start by stating that there are different interpretations of today's Scripture.  I am going to do my best to offer you different things to consider and reflect upon but scholars do not agree on what this text means.  I personally would be skeptical of anyone who claims to understand it completely.    Jesus has just finished teaching at the Temple.  As he and his disciples are leaving, one of the disciples comments on the magnificence of the stones and the building.  It seems kind of an odd comment, except for the fact that these men were from Galilee where things were much smaller and less extravagant.  The Temple was, in fact, quite amazing and something to behold.    Jesus' response probably isn't what the disciple was expecting.  He says that eventually the whole Temple would be destroyed.  Not surprisingly, the men ask when this would occur.  Here is where things get tricky. Jesus begins to speak of when false teachers will come, wars, earthquakes, famines, and many other catastrophic events.  He speaks of the disciples being turned over to be arrested and flogged but also the need for the Gospel to be preached to all nations.  There isn't a timeline presented but Jesus does state that in the midst of all this threat and disaster, the Messiah will be the one to come and gather his people.  Was he referring to events that would happen soon or events at the end times?    The general consensus is that Jesus is speaking of both.  This is an example of apocalyptic literature but it is also speaking of things to come in the lifetime of the disciples.  They would be tortured, arrested, and killed, for their faith in Jesus.  There would be wars.  In fact, the siege of Jerusalem took place in 70 AD, just less than forty years after Jesus spoke these words.  It was then that the Temple was destroyed by the Romans, just as Jesus mentioned.  And over the centuries, we have seen many wars, earthquakes, and famines.  The earth has no shortage of catastrophes to list.    At the same time, there is a warning by Jesus to be ready.  The Messiah is coming and we don't know when that will occur.  Jesus is returning to judge the living and the dead.  The disciples thought his return would be in their lifetime but it wasn't.  Many people have predicted when it will happen and they have all been wrong.  Jesus himself is quite clear that the day and the hour are unknown.    I find it fascinating how people have been trying to predict the end of time for hundreds, possibly thousands of years.  Around the world, people have pointed to various geographical and sociological signs and said, “This day will be doomsday!” I've been around many people in Christian circles who want to point to this event or that event and say, “The end times must be near.” And yet, Jesus clearly warns us against doing this in today's reading.  As Christians, there is not anything for which we need to fear.  We simply have to be ready.  Are you ready for when Jesus returns?    Take some time today and think about this.  Spend time with Jesus in prayer.   Let's close today's devotional with Psalm 24, which points to Jesus' second coming as the King of Glory...   The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it,    the world, and all who live in it; 2 for he founded it on the seas    and established it on the waters. 3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?    Who may stand in his holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,    who does not trust in an idol    or swear by a false god. 5 They will receive blessing from the Lord    and vindication from God their Savior. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,    who seek your face, God of Jacob. 7 Lift up your heads, you gates;    be lifted up, you ancient doors,    that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory?    The Lord strong and mighty,    the Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, you gates;    lift them up, you ancient doors,    that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is he, this King of glory?    The Lord Almighty—     he is the King of glory. Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

SERMON NOTES4 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. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “Jeremiah 29:4-134 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Jeremiah 29:46 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. John 17:65 “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.Jeremiah 29:5-917 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.Philippians 3:17-20 NLTFor 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. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord,"Jeremiah 29:11-141. Living In A Foreign Land.2. IN the world, not OF the world.3. You will find God when you seek him 

Send us a textThe devotion for today, Friday, May 02, 2025 was written by Thomas Riggs and is narrated by Adam Carter. Today's Words of Inspiration come from Isaiah 6:1-4In 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. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;    the whole earth is full of his glory.”At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. Support the show

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory." Isaiah 6:3Holiness is not merely one attribute of God, it is the very beauty of all that He is. It is the totality of His moral perfection. God's holiness is the infinite distance between His purity, and all that is defiled. God is not just sinless, He is utterly "other"--exalted above all creation in majestic sanctity. "God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all" 1 John 1:5In Heaven's courts, the seraphim cry, not love, love, love--nor power, power, power--but holy, holy, holy. This threefold repetition is not poetic flourish—it is the language of awe. His holiness is absolute, incomparable, and consuming. It strikes terror in the hearts of the guilty, and causes the redeemed to fall in humility and reverent wonder before Him.When Isaiah beheld the LORD high and lifted up, he did not marvel at God's wisdom or rejoice in His love—he was undone by His holiness. "Woe to me!" he cried. For in the presence of perfect purity . . . every sin is seen as vile, every excuse is silenced, and every boast is laid in the dust.The cross alone, unveils the cost of approaching such a God. Divine love did not lower the standard—divine holiness demanded that the sinless Son, suffer in the place of the guilty. There, righteousness and mercy met. There, the Holy One made a way for the unholy.What glory—that sinners, once rebels, may now draw near! Clothed in the righteousness of Christ, we are called not only to behold God's holiness—but to reflect it. "Without holiness no one will see the Lord" Hebrews 12:14Let us then worship with trembling, walk with purity, and hate every stain of sin.

Laws of nature?John MacDuffIsaiah 29:6. "In an instant, I, the Lord Almighty, will come against them with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and storm and consuming fire."Let us not dethrone and undeify the great Maker and Sustainer, by substituting for His sovereign rule, what are commonly called the laws of nature. Winds, and earthquakes, and tempests are not the capricious outbreaks of unregulated mechanical force. The world's vast machinery, with all its varied and intricate movements, is under God's supervision and control. "He holds the winds in His fists." "He gathers the waters in the hollow of His hand." "He makes the clouds His chariot." "He directs the snow to fall on the earth, and tells the rain to pour down." This offers a lesson of soothing consolation to many a stricken heart: That lightning which struck down my child was an arrow out of the quiver of God! That wave which swept him from the vessel's side; or that hurricane which overthrew my dwelling, and buried loved ones in the ruins, had their pathway marked out by God! He brings forth the lightning out of His treasuries! He gives the sea its decree! He walks on the wings of the wind! All things are subservient to the controlling will and purposes of the Most High God. "I am the Lord, and there is no other! I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things!" Isaiah 45:6-7

Jenn Schmidt from Intimate Covenant joins us to overcoming sexual abuse and building a healthy, intimate sex life with your husband. NOTE: J totally got the episode number wrong! Not the first time she's been wrong. ~wink~ Sponsor Visit Better Help to get matched with a therapist who shares your values and can address your issues. Use code 4CW to get 10% off your first month. From the Bible Praise the Lord, my soul,     and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins     and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit     and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things     so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.The Lord works righteousness     and justice for all the oppressed. Psalm 103:2-6 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. John 5:2-9a 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 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 Resources Intimate Covenant Podcast Intimate Covenant Retreat Trapped by Trauma | The Forgiven Wife Mending the Remnants of Brokenness | The Forgiven Wife For My Sister Sexual Assault Survivors | The Forgiven Wife Your Wife Has Been Sexually Harassed - Hot, Holy & Humorous Episode 64: Healing from Sexual Abuse, with Mary DeMuth - Sex Chat for Christian Wives My Larry Nassar Testimony Went Viral. But There's More to the Gospel Than Forgiveness. - Christianity Today Triggers: What They Are, How They Form, and What to Do Box Breathing for Stress - CHI Health About EMDR Therapy - EMDR International Association The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D. Is Your Wife a Survivor? - Knowing Her Sexually Thanks for joining us at the virtual kitchen table for another great chat! If you could, we'd appreciate you leaving a rating and/or review so that others can find the show. Please be sure to 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

False Prophet Revealed (audio) David Eells – 4/13/25 Who is the False Prophet and how may we identify him? Experience and the Word have taught me concerning prophecy that if the majority of God's people believe something, it must be wrong. God hides His truths in dreams or visions that are parables so that the false prophets and carnal Christians cannot see them. Let's read Mat 13:10-13 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. But privately He explains them to His disciples Mar 4:33-34 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it; 34 and without a parable spake he not unto them: but privately to his own disciples he expounded all things. He hides things from the wise and understanding (of this apostate religious system) and reveals them to babes. Luk 10:21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes: yea, Father; for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight. Notice that “disciples”, meaning, learners and followers, get to partake of the hidden manna. Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it. And Pro 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. John's Revelation was given to him as a parable of Jesus. If it were literal, the false prophets would know what is going to happen and that is contrary to Jesus' own words. When the disciples were young and under the law they did not recognize the false prophets. As a matter of fact, they respected them! And so it is today! I want to show you who have eyes and ears, who the false prophet is and what his work is. The False Prophet is a corporate body of religious leaders that, to the trained eye resemble those of Jesus' day. In all of Jesus, Peter, and John's writings outside of the Book of Revelation, the warning is that false prophets (plural) would come. In Revelation, false prophet (singular) is used, but in an allegory. Since Jesus said in the end time that Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; …  We read that many false prophets shall arise; verse 11 And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray. And verse 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Then the false prophet in Revelation is a symbol of a corporate body like the rest of the characters in Revelation are; the beast, the woman, the harlot, the bride, etc. It's the only way that Jesus and John can both be right. You might say, “David, aren't you sharing the secrets with the false prophets?” Have no fear; they are too proud to admit they have passed on the lie of the traditions of men and repent. Moses prophesied the coming of the true prophet and the false prophet. Deu 18:15-22 Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 16 according to all that thou desiredst of Jehovah thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Jehovah my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17 And Jehovah said unto me, They have well said that which they have spoken. 18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. 21 And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken? 22 when a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah hath not spoken: the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him. The true Prophet of course, is the Son of God Jesus Christ. He is the Spirit that is in His true corporate body. (1Co 15:45 So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.) He is the head of His body the Church which is female (Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.). Jesus' headship is manifest physically through the 5-fold ministry (Eph 4:11 And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;). The senses of the head correspond to the ministers. For example: the prophets are the eyes (Isa 29:10 For Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads, the seers, hath he covered.) – Evangelists are the mouth (the ministry to those outside of the body), Teachers are the ears (1Ki 3:9 Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people? 12 behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart;) “Understanding” here is the Hebrew word for “hearing”. Soloman heard answers from the Lord.  (1Ki 10:3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hid from the king which he told her not.). It takes the 5-fold ministry to raise up others into the head (Eph 4:15 but speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ;). We can see a false headship in these days because of the Nicolaitan error which Jesus hates according to (Rev 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate., and verse 15 So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.) That false headship is that the pastor usurps the authority of the rest of the 5-fold ministry to be the head of the church. The Spirit of Christ is manifest through the 5-fold ministry to lead His body, the church. So also the spirit of antichrist is identified in (1Jn 4:3 and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already.). This spirit is manifested through men as a false prophet to lead his body the harlot. The false prophet also has a female body, the corporate harlot, who receives not the seed of the true husband. These do not confess Jesus, the Word, which was given in the beginning. Confess here is a word meaning “to speak the same as”. The false prophet body cannot say what Jesus said. Christ sows His seed, which is the true Word, as we read in His parable in Mat 13:18-23 Hear then ye the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the evil one, and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the way side. 20 And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it; 21 yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth. 22 And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.) The true Prophet, Jesus, always sows the Word. The false prophet cannot confess Him. In Rev 13:11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. Here we see a false lamb who speaks for the dragon. We see the head of the false prophet with two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as the dragon beast. Also in verse 5 and there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies (meaning, to speak against); and there was given to him authority to continue forty and two months. In verse 15, we see the body (harlot) of the false prophet. Rev 13:15 NENT And it was given to her to give a spirit to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed. Bible Numerics shows a perfect pattern for “her” in the ancient manuscripts and in the most accurate New Testament, the Numeric English New Testament by Ivan Panin. There is no pattern in “he” or “it”. Numerics show beyond a shadow of a doubt which manuscript is right and where. As the harlot of Judaism caused Jesus to be crucified, so will the harlot of Christianity cause His body to be crucified. Let me show this another way. In 1Ki 18, Ahab represents the beast with ten horns, for he ruled over the apostate ten tribes, who worshiped the image of the beast (the golden calf). Ahab's wife, Jezebel, killed the saints and prophets. Compare this for relationship in Rev 17:1-3 …saying, Come hither, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters; 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and they that dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her fornication. 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. There she is ruling by the ten horned beast again.) Jezebel is a clear type of the harlot in (Rev 2:20 But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.) She, like the harlot, was guilty of the blood of the prophets and of the saints. (1Ki 18:4 for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of Jehovah, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) (2K 9:7)(Rev 18:24) In Rev 17:16 when the Beast is through using the harlot, he devours her. Rev 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her utterly with fire. And so it is with Jezebel in (1Ki 21:23 And of Jezebel also spake Jehovah, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel.). The true ministers of God are fed at the Churches table (1 Cor 9:13,14) and the false prophets (corporately the false prophet) are fed from Jezebel's table (1Ki 18:19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, that eat at Jezebel's table.). The false prophets of Baal and the false prophets of the Asherah represent the two horns of the false prophet in Rev 13:11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. Find out who the two horns of Baal and Asherah represent in modern times, and you will know who the corporate false prophet is. These two go back to the tower of Babel and were originally Nimrod in (Gen 10:8-10) and his wife Semiramis, the false virgin Asherah. When Nimrod died and Semiramis became pregnant claiming that Nimrod had become the Sun God, Baal, who then by virgin birth was reborn as her son, Tammuz, the false son of God. Then of course, the Babylonian worshiped the false Father, Son and Virgin about 2,300 years before the true Virgin birth. Semiramis probably knew of the prophecy in Gen 3:15 concerning the virgin birth. This false scenario is still worshipped in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. At the dispersion at Babel this legend went throughout the World and these three were given different names in different cultures, many of which are in the Bible. The golden calf in Egypt was a symbol of the Father (Baal) in the Son. Pharaoh's title meant Great Temple of the Sun God. Sun images all over the world and in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches symbolize the false Son. The Israelites, with their golden calf thought they were worshiping “YHWH” or “Elohim”, the true God, but it was Baal. One horn, the 450 prophets of Baal represent those who teach another Jesus. This is the apostate protestant ministers. The other horn is the 400 prophets of the Asherah or those who worship the virgin. This is the Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, and many others that are into Mariolatry. Mary is my sister and I love her but she is not the mother of God according to (Rom 1:3) concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, (In Genesis Jesus was called the “seed of the woman”, who was Mary, the seed of David.) 4  who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord. Here we see Mary is the mother of Jesus' flesh, which is “Son of Man”. His spiritual man was “Son of God” (Verse 4) and born of God. John 3:6 says, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. The false prophet has always been the head of the harlot, and she sitteth (present tense) on 5 world empires that are fallen but still present in Rev 17:10. These were never Christian: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media Persia, and Greece. The corporate leadership of all false Christian religions is the false prophet. Emperor Constantine was head of the early Roman Empire or beast as Daniel 7:7 describes it. Rome was the great beast devouring all the beasts before it (Dan.7:23). Much like the world is today, his kingdom was divided because of much religious faction. Because of Babel there were, to the untrained eye, similarities between the pagan religions and Christianity. In order to unite his empire, Constantine decided to capitalize on these similarities and merge paganism with Christianity. Through the temptations of bribery and power, the backslidden leadership of Christianity gave in. Constantine gathered together at his round table religious leaders of every sect and gave them a position of authority. This corporate false prophet was to advise him and exercise authority over his religious empire. He presided over their councils and put down individual theological differences for the sake of unity. “That which hath been is that which shall be” (Ecc 1:9). Our modern-day revival of the Roman beast, the United Nations, has within its body the whole earth (Dan 7:23) and is doing exactly what Constantine did to unite the earth. The “World Conference on Religion and Peace” was a gathering together under the U.N. of all sects of religious leaders from all over the world to bring unity to religion and hopefully the world. This corporate false prophet with the authority of the U.N. has created a corporate one world religion called the United Religions (the U.R.). Once, when I was teaching on the false prophet several years ago, a brother came into the meeting who had just received a confirming dream. Let me share that with you. Mark W. Dream  (David's notes) I went to church and to the altar to get delivered from smoking. There were many people up front. I knew that the pastor was walking toward me to get away from someone who smelled like smoke, and I thought, “I hope he doesn't come down here because I smell like smoke too”. Just then, my sister came to me very happy and said, “Oh, it's OK now, look over there.” I looked over and saw this man light up a cigarette. There were some booths and a sign that read “smoking section”. People said, “You don't have to quit because now we can smoke in church”. I said, “No, I want to quit smoking.” (Spiritually, smoking is to partake of an unclean spirit because “breath” and “spirit” come from the same word in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Smoke is an unclean breath. “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons, and a prison [booths] of every unclean spirit...” Rev.18:2) Then the scene changed, and I saw on TV that everyone was rejoicing because a great agreement had been made to have “one church”. I saw that the agreement was two stacks of paper (two horns of the false prophet), but nothing was written on them. (This is a sign that everyone will drop their doctrinal demands, which in the case of Christians is truth, in order to have unity - Jude 3,4). Then I went to this extremely big church. I couldn't even see the other end of it (This is the U.N. corporate apostate church). I happened to open the wrong door, and I saw inside a giant ministers' conference. (The corporate False Prophet) They were being shown a film on how to scan barcodes on the foreheads of their congregation with a beam of light without them knowing it. (The spiritual mark of the beast given by the false prophet abusing the light of the word.) More interpretation: This is the corporate two horned false prophet who makes merchandise of the people of God (2 Pet 2:1-3) and the Word of God (2 Cor 2:17 in Greek) and marks those belonging to the Beast in their foreheads (or minds Rom 8:5-6, Rev 13:16). Remember in Jesus' day, the “respectable” religious folks who walked after the mind of the flesh cast their vote against him. They were followers of a “respectable” group of ministers who gave them that mind using the light of the word. Remember that 10 out of the 12 tribes and their ministers worshiped the beast (golden calf) and had his mark in their foreheads (mind) and hand (works). The false prophets are the ones who war against this Word the most. It's an honor to have these against me as they were against my Lord Jesus. They protect their prestige, authority, position, and bank account. Draw close to God and His Word so you may be able to recognize them. Daniel 3:4,5 says, “Then the herald cried...peoples, nations, languages... fall down and worship the golden image (of the beast).” This word, “herald” is the only Greek word in the text at a time before Greek became a world language. It is the same word used in the New Testament for preacher. The command to worship the image (Rev 13:14,15) will come from the pulpits in the form of a deception so strong that, “if possible, even the elect would be deceived” (Mat 24:24). If the truth weren't hidden in the parable of Revelation, there would be no strong delusion. In Daniel 3:7, all worshipped the image, even the Israelites except Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three wouldn't bow because they wouldn't eat of the beast's food (word) and wine (nature) and be defiled (Dan 1:5-16). If you receive the word and nature of a Babylonish false prophet, you too will be defiled and bow down (Mat 15:6-20). In Constantine's court, there sat the senate of secular rulers over the countries under his control. These foreshadowed the ten horns in Daniel's vision of the end time Roman Empire (Dan 7:7). The ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings (end time secular rulers), who have received no kingdoms as yet, but they receive authority as kings, with the beast for one hour (Rev 17:12). The horn represents power for it is the weapon of the beast. A king without his kingdom has no power. These kings gave their kingdoms to the beast in (Rev 17:17). From among these kingdoms in Constantine's day arose the religious rulers. They were different, for they were a corporate body of religious leaders from among all the kingdoms. This is exactly what Dan 7:8,24) says. The little horn came “up among” the ten and was “different from the former” because he was a corporate religious body among leaders of corporate secular bodies. Now, the little horn is the false prophet of Rev 13 is easy to see because it had eyes (Dan 7:20), which makes it a prophet (Isa 29:10). He had “a mouth that spake great things” (Dan 7:20) and made war on the saints (verse 21). This identifies the false prophet who was given to the beast in Rev 13:5-7 for the false prophet is the beast's mouth to religious people. In Jesus and Constantine's time, the corporate false prophet kept the people in line for the beast (Rome) because of the threat of loss of position (John 11:47,48). It was this corporate false prophet who was guilty of the blood of Jesus, the Apostles and prophets (Mat 23:29-36). Pilot, representing the Roman beast, did not want to kill Jesus. This is the way it will be in our day. The false prophet Sanhedrin was afraid the Romans would come and take away their position if they didn't put down the Jesus rebellion. Another type of the little horn was Antiochus Epiphanes in 175-164 B.C.. He came up among the horns of the division of Alexander the Great's kingdom and was king of Syria, which means “lifted up”. I emphasize that this king of the “lifted up” was a type because many believe that the history of his acts in Daniel are literally speaking of the end-time antichrist. Daniel prophesies what is clearly now history in chapters 8:9-14, 23-26 and 11:21-39 regarding Antiochus, but he is also a type and shadow of what is to come. His compelling interest was to subject God's people to himself, much like the false prophets of today. He “magnified himself” (Dan 8:25) above all the gods of the Harlot and “the one desired of women” (Dan 11:37) - Jesus was desired of seven women who are the church in Rev 1:11. Isa 4:1  And seven women (the Church) shall take hold of one man (Jesus) in that day, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name (In their rebellion against the Word, they still wanted to be called Christians.); take thou away our reproach. The false prophet, Antiochus deposed the Jewish high priest Onias 3 and usurped his place. Many today usurp the position of Jesus as head. If you permit a person to exalt themselves or their teaching above Jesus and the Scriptures, they become to you a false prophet. He will even use the Word to paint an image in your mind of a false Jesus (2 Cor 3:18), which is none other than the image of the beast (spoken of later). Antiochus, in his position as “lord of God's heritage” then sacrificed a son on the altar and sprinkled the Holy Place with the swine's broth. He cast down many of God's people and caused them to lose their position in the heavenlies like the end time saints (Dan 8:10, Epe 2:6, Rev 6:13). He took away the continual burnt offering (Dan 8:11, 11:31) in the end time will be in the middle of the tribulation or seventieth week of Daniel when the mark is given. (Dan 9:27). We are the sanctuary or temple of God (1 Cor 3:17). Our old life is the continual burnt offering (Rom 12:1) as we take up our cross and follow Jesus and lose our old life (Mat 16:24,25). It is a burnt offering because in the midst of the fiery trial (1 Pet 4:12, Mat 3:11,12) when we obey God, the flesh burns up (2 Cor 4:16,17). If we walk after the mind of the flesh and take the mark, the burnt offering ceases (Dan 8:12). We are to be as gold and silver refined in the fire by burning up the impurities of flesh - Mal 3:2,3. Many will follow the example of Antiochus and sacrifice the Son. Heb 10:29 of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God.  They follow the false prophets and are defiled, turning back to their sins (2 Pet 2:1-3, 18-22). These are they who give up their life of sacrificing their flesh in the fiery trial in the middle of the tribulation and take the mark of the beast (Rev 13:5-7, 16-18 and Dan 9:27), having been deceived by the false prophets. If you allow the false prophets to identify the mark of the beast and the image, you will not be able to see it when it comes. The Pharisees and Sadducees could not identify the true Image of God, Jesus Christ. What makes you think that they could today? It is not the visible Image and Mark of the beast that you should fear, but the invisible. This is how it can be a deception. Any physical mark can only be put on one who has the spiritual mark already. It will identify these people as members of the body of the beast. Antiochus also set up a statue of Jupiter in the Holy of Holies. He, like the little horn of Ahab's day, Jesus' day, Constantine's day, and the U.R. of our day, gives to the people a false Image of God. Even among Christians, you will notice there are different ideas about who Jesus is, what His nature is, what His teaching is, and what His attitude is toward us. Much of this leads people to worship another Jesus, which is an abomination. Become familiar with the Jesus of the Bible, the true Image of God (Heb 1:3, Jn 1:1). The tip of the little horn starts in the leadership of the U.R., but like Mark W.'s dream, it shows that it goes all the way down to the man in the pulpit. All of them together are the false prophet, the head of the harlot. “Be not many of you teachers, my brother, knowing that we shall receive the heavier judgment” (James 3:1). Now, I'd like to share a few more revelations with you that reveal the end-time false prophet.   War, False Prophet, Harlot, Mark, War Below are two dreams on these subjects East and West War in the Middle East Bill Steenland - 11/14/2014 (David's notes in red) I dreamed there was a lion and a white tiger fighting one another very fiercely with a lot of back and forth, while rolling around on the ground. (I think the white tiger represents Russia, Iran, India, and China [Eastern nations] going to war with the “lion” [Britain, America, Australia, Canada, Europe and NATO].) (The lion with eagle's wings in Daniel is Britain and her lion cubs with the US and its air power. Siberia is part of Russia. The white Siberian tiger represents Russia.) (I was watching Putin in this video, and the Lord said to me, “The white tiger!” Why hadn't I seen it before? We are really seeing the fulfillment of this dream now. This topic is huge in the book Hidden Manna for the End Times, now that I think about it. We are really seeing the posturing and coming war that is shown in that dream now, with all the lines being drawn in the sand over Europe and Asia. (Ultimately this war that the Deep State has tied to start many times, to distract from their evil, will come to pass but I for one have fought for peace.) As the lion and the tiger fought, the scenery and the settings were changing. It was as if they were rolling back and forth in the Middle East from the mountains to the desert to more mountains, back to a dry parched setting like a desert and then a combination of the two. It was as if they were rolling around, fighting each other across the whole Middle East. This is the strange part: There was a black car following them everywhere they went. (This is the Satanic Deep State powers that be, the banksters, with money invested on both sides of the war, as always.) All I knew was that they were in the Middle East and that it was a huge power struggle for territory. At the end of the dream, I saw a black man in full-blown black Masonic attire with a black plate that had a golden pyramid on it. (D.S. Masonic powers that be.) The eye was not floating over the pyramid. It was one that has always represented Lucifer (The antichrist spirit who will once again rise up in Revelation 13 and control the Beast and finally bring their war between East and West to make money off of both.). (Masonic agenda is unfolding; their god Lucifer is the “all-seeing eye” over the Beast one world government.) The black plate was hanging on his chest (the breath/spirit/demons of the Beast). He was standing in the middle of these two fighting animals as they fought, but he was much bigger than the cats. He was kicking his toes into the ground on each side, as if one foot or toes was the lion and the other foot was the tiger. He would kick his toes into the ground one at a time toward the other foot. (End-time fulfillment of the 10 kingdoms from Daniel 2, known as Nebuchadnezzar's image or dream.) (The two feet of the image of the Beast in Daniel's revelation are the end-time Eastern Roman Empire, which Russia is the head of, and Western Roman Empire, which the US is the head of. The clay is nations that were not a part of the original Roman Empire seed, typed by the iron. This Roman Empire is the sixth head that was smitten unto death which is revived. Satan and his earthly representatives, the Deep State powers that be, are kicking their pawns back and forth in the Middle East. The pawns of the U.S. and Russia have also always had their pawn nations that they prefer to fight through, supplying weapons, logistics, trainers, etc., so that they are not personally drawn into a nuclear world war. [Although nukes may be used in this war, it is not the full-scale nuclear war that will come at the end of the tribulation, as seen in Bill's other dream below.] They have engaged in this covert warfare for many years, and it will continue because it makes money for the powers that be and decreases populations, plus it keeps the nations under control. I would say the big black man is the world Antichrist Beast ruled by Satan.) Dan.2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that crusheth all these, shall it break in pieces and crush. 41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay. (Islam is invading the nations by the DS to bring division.) 44 And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (This begins with the Man-child reformers.) 45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. In the dream, I knew the black man over the big cats was Tiger Woods, the pro-golfer. (Tiger has a family heritage from many nations and represents the world beast like the Dan 2 vision of the world beast.) He is like the melting pot of nations and religions melted into one. Tiger Woods spent most of his life standing on grass, playing golf. (This war of back and forth is like a golf game to them. Life is cheap.) Here are a few details from Wikipedia about his multinational family tree: Woods was born in Cypress, California, to Earl (1932-2006) and Kultida (Tida) Woods (born 1944). He is the only child of their marriage; however, he does have two half-brothers, Earl Jr. (born 1955) and Kevin (born 1957), and a half-sister, Royce (born 1958), from the 18-year marriage of Earl Woods and his first wife, Barbara Woods Gray[14]. Earl, a retired lieutenant colonel and Vietnam War veteran, was of mostly African American, as well as Caucasian, and possible Native American and Chinese, ancestry[15]. Kultida (née Punsawad), originally from Thailand (where Earl had met her on a tour of duty in 1968), is of mixed Thai, Chinese, and Dutch ancestry[16]. He refers to his ethnic make-up as “Cablinasian” (a syllabic abbreviation he coined from Caucasian, Black, American Indian, and Asian).[17]. Woods' first name, Eldrick, was coined by his mother because it began with “E” (for Earl) and ended with “K” (for Kultida). His middle name Tont is a traditional Thai name. He was nicknamed Tiger in honor of his father's friend, Col. Vuong Dang Phong, who had also been known as Tiger.[18]. The name Eldrick is an English baby name. In English, the meaning of the name Eldrick is “old/wise ruler”.   False Prophet, Harlot, Mark, Nuclear War Bill Steenland - 06/22/2015 (David's notes in red) The dream started off where I was in a big city, like New York or Philly. I had a large white tablet in my hands. There were two guys who were working on it, but we were talking about the mark of the Beast. The guy was talking about the basics of where it goes and so on. The second man was sitting on the step. He had a really faraway look on his face, like he had spent a long time looking at the physical properties of the mark. He sat down on the step and just kept saying, “It's so much more than a mark”, over and over. Then he said, “Calling it just a 'mark' doesn't do it justice. It's much more than that”. (I found out later in that dream the mark will have currency on it as an incentive to take it after a total global economic meltdown.) I looked back at the tablet. I knew that in the dream, when I looked down at the tablet, I could see anything I wanted to or any place I wanted to and that I could be there by looking at this tablet. (It means the Word of God written upon the tablet of our hearts, which gives spiritual insight and discernment. 2Co.3:2 Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men; 3 being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables that are hearts of flesh. Maybe that is why when I looked at the tablet later in the dream, I could see future events and see into the spiritual realm. 1Co.2:10 But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.) I was watching a video of a beach as I walked around with the tablet. Then I found myself there on the beach at a resort. I was walking around this beach next to the resort. (Fellowshipping with Abraham's seed, the children of faith. God told Abraham that his children would be as the sands of the sea. Heb.11:11 By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised: 12 wherefore also there sprang of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the sand, which is by the sea-shore, innumerable. Rom.4:11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them.) (The promised seed, the Man-child Isaac, would bring forth the great multitude of fruit, just like in these end times.) While I was walking around, I saw an old friend whom I knew was caught up in confusion, walking around, too. In the dream, I knew that I had a room at this beach resort. I went to my room and relaxed on my bed (representing resting in the promises of God). I pulled out the tablet and I saw a picture of Benny Hinn. He was wearing a red shirt. (Red represents sin, as in the “man of sin”: 1 John 3:4,10.) (Isa.1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.) He looked very effeminate; there was make-up on his face (I.e. what you see is not what you get) and he had his arms out, as if to present something. I noticed there was a witchcraft book in front of him. (1Sa.15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from being king.) 1Co.10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have communion with demons. 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: ye cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons. There was a table with a whole bunch of objects in front of him that were being used in witchcraft to send curses. (Those infected with Kundalini and who practice false signs and lying wonders are sent out to deceive God's people. God is the one allowing it. 2Th.2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; 9 even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Jesus warned of false leaders. Mat.24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. The word for “false Christ” is pseudochristos or false anointings. (When God does signs because of the faith of His people but the signs do not confirm the life and word of the minister, they are false signs and lying wonders: Mar.16:20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen. Deu.13:1 If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give thee a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods (another Elohim or Jesus'), which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams: for Jehovah your God proveth you, to know whether ye love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul.) They have another Jesus because they received another Word and another spirit. This scripture explains why he was performing witchcraft in the dream: Gal.1:7 which is not another gospel only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema. 9 As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema (accursed). When people receive another Word, they can receive this working of error mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 3:9-11. Kundalini is a huge working of error that the Harlot Church is going under. Like in the dream, they say they serve God but are in rebellion and witchcraft. When people pray and fellowship with people who are serving these Kundalini spirits, they open themselves up to this working of error because, frankly, they are praying with a witch, and they get slimed with this curse from Galatians that they are under. Here is a call of God to leave these false teachers and churches: Isa.2:5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of Jehovah. 6 For thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they are filled with customs from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines (Kundalini has been named the false prophetic movement for good reason), and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. (They have joined the Eastern religions through Kundalini spirits.) 7 And their land is full of silver and gold (Benny Hinn is reportedly worth $60 million. (Somebody is not eating while these kind surfeit and care not for the needs of others. Ecc.5:11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes? Isa.56:11 Yea, the dogs are greedy, they can never have enough; and these are shepherds that cannot understand: they have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter.), neither is there any end of their treasures (prosperity message); their land also is full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots. (His Rolls-Royce and private jets.) 8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands. (This type builds a false temple made with man's hands, which God says He does not inhabit. Act.17:24 The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.) Isa.10:1 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers that write perverseness; 2 to turn aside the needy from justice, and to rob the poor of my people of their right that widows may be their spoil (Their ministries are funded by the poor and the fatherless whom they rob. Benny has promised to these poor people that if they give him $1000, God will multiply it. (When God is teaching His children to give, He may honor their faith but not a greedy leader.), and that they may make the fatherless their prey! (Those who have no true spiritual fathers but are hirelings.) 3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? (What will they do when the Lord comes manifested in the Man-child ministry to bring justice?) Back to Bill's dream: There was a book on the table in front of him. As I looked at the book, I heard a news broadcast in the background. The female broadcaster said these words: “Benny Hinn has a new social media program to join,” like Alex Jones has, and another name that was mentioned but was blanked out. (I believe it was a reference to Facebook. I believe these social media programs are the hive mentality of corporate bodies of people who are under the deception of certain spirits. For instance, Facebook is vanity and self-promotion. Benny is obviously Kundalini and the Harlot Church. As I looked at the book, I heard the famous singer Katy Perry singing these lyrics: “I hear that the mark of the Beast is coming and I want one”. (Katy is a perfect symbol of the Harlot Church who will take the mark of the Beast. She is also being used as a type of the Harlot spirit that cause the falling away and, finally, the mark of the Beast.) 1Ti.4:1 But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. (The Feast of Unleavened Bread in Exodus 12 was for seven days, representing the tribulation. Anyone who ate leaven during that time was cut off from the people of God, so we must come out from them now. This will be a great falling away of the people who are cut off.) Next, there were two aliens in my room. They were demons. I knew in the dream that the Harlot Church who rides the Beast was rolling out another deception: aliens. I immediately turned the tablet off, and the demons left. Then I had an open vision while there on my bed. I was looking at a world destroyed by a nuclear war with Russia and a total global economic collapse. (The war between East and West is bound to end this way.) Joe.2:30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The pillars of smoke mentioned in Joel could be the mushroom cloud pillars of nuclear war. That word “pillar” can also be translated as “column” that could stretch from the earth to the heavens, literally. I was looking at a soldier and a young boy of about 14 years old. The sun was not giving its light, like the scriptures mention. I saw the boy with the mark of the Beast in his hand; it was glowing in the dark while in his hand. It was slightly curved in shape, like a banana. (Representing the fruit of the wicked? A crescent shape?) It was glowing green and yellow. The boy was thinking the following words in his head, and I heard them very clearly. As he looked up at a totally destroyed world, he thought, “We don't ever have to worry; we are safe. The government knows where we are at all times and will be here shortly to help us”. (Notice he had the mark before the nuclear war came and he was programmed to trust in Antichrist.) Rev.13:16 And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead; 17 and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark (In the dream, I knew that this mark had electronic currency on it.), even the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man: and his number is Six hundred and sixty and six. (We who refuse the mark will be in the wilderness with God our supplier.) Dan.9:27 And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing (or pinnacle) of abominations shall come one (abomination = the mark) that maketh (them) desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate. (In the midst of the week, many so-called Christians will take the mark as sons of perdition in the temple of God's people. This mark is an abomination that makes them desolate, which means devoid of God.) As I watched the boy, I knew that people would take the mark for many reasons, but one reason is that there will be currency given to the recipient so he can survive. I came out of the vision and said to myself, “I need to find my old friend”. I knew in this dream that there were a lot of people who needed to hear this warning: Rev.18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: 5 for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. And 2Co.6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God 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 ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, 18 And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.   False Prophets Revealed Rex Veron - 11/29/2004 (David's notes in red) I believe this is an end-time dream. (This dream is as seen from God's perspective of the false prophets who have put on their deceptive show to deceive the people as to their true nature and false teaching.) I saw a mouse standing in front of a medium-sized congregation, preaching and teaching. It stood up on its hind legs and was the size of a small terrier dog; it had the face of a man. The face was nondescript and no one I knew. (The false prophets standing in the pulpits of God's people are indeed very small in spiritual stature and the vilest of beasts attempting to depict themselves as men of God. As in a plague, they are the carriers of spiritual disease that have brought spiritual and physical death to multitudes.) It had a red broad brimmed hat with little gold tassels hanging from the brim. (They attempt to glorify their own thinking, but underneath is still hidden the brain of a spiritual mouse. The red color here is an attempt to appear to have blood-washed thinking but instead, it is sinful thinking. Isa.1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.) It wore a red vest with some tassels hanging from the edge. (They attempt to glorify their own heart, which is not covered by the blood but the sin of the fallen nature. Underneath their show is the heart of a spiritually small beast.) It wore red pants with tassels hanging from the bottom of the pant legs. He had jester-type shoes with a little gold bell on each end of the toe curl. (They love to bring attention to their walk by ringing their own bell when they put on a show to be seen of men. However, before God and those with understanding, they are seen as jesters who walk crooked as the curled toes depict.) It had a stubby tail like a bulldog with a gold cover on it that was flattened out and looked like a spoon upside down. (As unclean dogs, they are dung eaters and that which should be left behind, as Paul pointed out, and flushed is glorified by these apostates and fed to the people as doctrine.) The people kept saying, “We can't stand this any longer, he needs to be made to be quiet, get rid of him”. (When the people begin to awaken, they become dissatisfied with the religious show and want more of God and His Word to sustain them.) I went to the front, picked him up and took off his hat, his vest, his pants, and I started to put him down. (It is here that the true ministers are able to uncover the false thinking, heart and walk of these apostate leaders.) Then I heard a voice saying, “You must take his shoes off and the golden tail, as well. You cannot turn him loose with those on”. (It is necessary to also reveal the apostates' evil walk and despicably unclean doctrine that the righteous will forsake.) I then took his shoes and golden tail off and set him on the floor, and he vanished. (When the truth is revealed, they become nothing in the eyes of God's people, as their yoke is broken off of them.) Turning back to the people, they were quiet and at peace; nothing was said. While still dreaming, I thought the entire scene strange and was wondering about it when I heard, “Get up and write the dream down”. I awoke, wrote it down and meditated about it and then I went back to bed.   False Prophet & Son of Perdition G.C. - 12/2007 (David's notes in red) In this dream, I was watching a scene go down. There was a line of people shuffling forward toward a podium. There were two men at this podium: a father and a son. (In real life, I know them.) The father was dressed in full Masonic priest regalia and was wearing what seemed to be a pope-like hat. The son was on his left hand, and he was dressed like a normal person. Many who only see the letter of the parable in dreams would think this father to be the pope, but this is not how parables work. Like the pope is the “holy father” over the Catholic, meaning “universal” Church, so this father represents a corporate False Prophet over a world body of apostate religions. Many of these very visible leaders are also Masons. Judas, who was called the Son of Perdition, sold the body of Christ to the Sanhedrin, which was this corporate False Prophet in their day. Likewise a corporate Son of Perdition hidden in the body of Christ today will betray them. This way, both people in this parable represent a corporate body today. I watched in horror as the father was giving the mark of the beast to the people in line. (Rev.13:16) And he (the False Prophet) causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead.) As soon as the people received the mark they instantly transformed into a wild pig and leaped straight into a furnace off to the side of the podium. (2 Pet. 2:12) But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed. (Php.3:18) For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is perdition, whose god is the belly (like wild pigs), and [whose] glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things (mark in the forehead). I considered what was taking place and tried to warn the people about the furnace (of the great and terrible day of the Lord and Hell itself), but they seemed not to take heed to what I was saying. They were willfully taking this mark as if under strong delusion. It was horrible. Note: Although in real life I worked for this father, he had NEVER called me before. All the business matters were usually handled through his son. After I woke from the dream, the father called me on the phone! He asked me to come to his office to have a meeting with him and his son. So that was a sure confirmation from the Lord. They are merely figures the Lord used to show me something in the dream. They own their own company and are in the business of buying and selling (Just like the “merchants of Babylon” who “make merchandise of you”). The father's name is ROLAND, meaning “renown throughout the land”. This reminds me of the men of renown or giants of old. We have giants today, too: the megachurch pastors of the apostate church. The son in real life is a lukewarm Christian who is given to drunkenness (which is spiritually like the Son of Perdition).   Discernment Delivers from False Prophets Jay N. - 06/09/2008 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was in a class with several other students. We were in this big room which looked rather like a gymnasium, and I remember thinking and missing my friends from other classes, whom I remembered were now long gone away. David Eells was our teacher, and I was standing next to him. (A type of the David man-child reformers.) David was telling me that the previous night, there was a party at his next door neighbor's house and he didn't get much sleep. (God's people giving into lasciviousness have truly caused me some loss of sleep.) He was casually dressed, like a sports teacher or a trainer. (We have to train the people of God to get in shape for the contest to come.) Standing next to him, I could see his profile, and I noticed he was wearing a patch or a piece of wool over his nose, like he had a nose job, or even more, it looked to me like something he was wearing to filter the air he was breathing. (This nose filter represents the ability to discern good from evil. The nose gives discernment to the mind that is neither seen nor heard. Wool over the nose represents having the true clothing or actions of sheep, which filter out the false spirits, which is the meaning of “breath” in Hebrew.) The next thing I remember was a tall man entering the room, accompanied by a woman. (The tall man is seen in many dreams as the corporate false prophet and his companion is the harlot church.) They were dressed in suits and looked to me like teachers. The man came and was standing next to me, and I knew they were there to acquire some students for themselves. (They will seek through lasciviousness, meaning a license to excess, to draw aside disciples of Christ.) I tried to ignore him since I could tell what his intentions were, and then he pointed his finger at me. I looked around for David but couldn't see him. (We will face temptation alone.) I turned to the man and looked at his face for the first time. He was so tall, almost all the way up to the ceiling; I remember feeling the pain in my neck as I was struggling to look at his face. (His great size represents a corporate body of people.) He was nicely groomed, with curly hair and he had bright grey, watery eyes. (They tend to see things in grey, not black or white, as in wrong or right.) Being determined, I told him that I was not going with him because David was my teacher. As I was saying these words I was getting weak. I remember being hardly able to say that last word, “teacher”, but I succeeded. He looked shocked and very offended because obviously he had the authority to choose from the class as he liked, and he looked at the woman (harlot?) with disbelief. He looked back to me, trying to put some kind of smile on his angry face, and then I woke up. (The Sanskrit meaning for “Jay” is “victory”. Although tempted, Jay obviously represents those who gain the victory over the false prophet and harlot because of their training in discernment. We are told that the Word exercises our senses to discern good from evil: Heb.5:12 For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. 13 For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. 14 But solid food is for fullgrown men, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

Victory over the enemy will not come by the might and strength of human effort alone, but rather it will come by the POWER of the Holy Spirit in and through the believer’s life. Zechariah 4:6 (NIV) declares it’s, “Not my might nor by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.” In today’s study, pastor Alexander will identify seven ways that we depend upon DAILY upon the Oil of the Spirit for victory.

Victory over the enemy will not come by the might and strength of human effort alone, but rather it will come by the POWER of the Holy Spirit in and through the believer’s life. Zechariah 4:6 (NIV) declares it’s, “Not my might nor by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.” In today’s study, pastor Alexander will identify seven ways that we depend upon DAILY upon the Oil of the Spirit for victory.

Principle: God rewards cheerful giving.Scripture: Malachi 3:10 (NIV) - Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.Message: We don't give to get – We give to glorify, and God takes care of the rest!Support the show

Daily Dose of Hope Day 5 of Week 1 April 4, 2025   Scripture - Mark 3:1-19   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 to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin the third chapter of Mark.  Again, Jesus is challenging the status quo.   Jesus begins this chapter by healing a man's shriveled hand on the Sabbath.  Yesterday, we talked about how the Sabbath was sacred to the Jews.  One might justify saving someone's life on the Sabbath, but this is just a shriveled hand.  Could it not have waited for the next day?  Is Jesus willfully disregarding God's instruction?   But once again, the Pharisees seem to have missed the point.  Truly, what better day to do a healing?  The Sabbath is about restoration of well-being, that includes physical rest but also physical healing of mind, body, and Spirit.  By healing this man's hand, he probably would be able to work again in his village and take care of his family.  His dignity will be restored.  The Sabbath is about making things whole.  And Jesus didn't want to wait a day because there is an urgency to demonstrating the Kingdom of God, to showing people how life can be different.    But this does not endear Jesus to the teachers of the law.  In this passage, we begin to see them go from suspicious to murderous.  In their minds, Jesus threatens their way of life and thinking.    Of course, we live 2000 years later, but how do we feel when someone threatens our thinking?  If someone vehemently disagrees with us politically, what kinds of feelings arise in us?  If someone vehemently disagrees with us religiously, what kinds of feelings arise in us?  It is easy to throw blame on the Pharisees and teachers of the law, but Jesus was turning things that they held precious upside down.  How do we handle the same thing today?   Our next portion of today's Scripture involves Jesus and the crowds.  He went off with his disciples, hoping to get a little peace and quiet, but that is no longer possible.  He has become like a celebrity in the area.  In a place of such poverty and desperation, it isn't surprising.  The sick needed healing and they knew Jesus was a healer.  So the masses followed him.  Did they recognize he was the Messiah or the Son of God?  No, not yet.  This is still quite early in his ministry; they knew he was of God in some way but the specifics are probably quite fuzzy.  They simply knew that they were sick and this man would offer healing.    But what's fascinating to me is that the demons knew exactly who he was.  I think this should be an eye-opener for us.  Satan believes in Jesus.  Satan and his demons know Jesus' power.  But do we?  As his followers, are we convinced of his power?   Finally, there is the calling of the twelve.  Jesus goes up a mountainside.  In that time, mountains were thought of as holy places, with the presence of God there, so there is definitely symbolism here.  And it is here that he calls his inner circle.  Jesus calls and they respond.  The inner circle consists of twelve men, a motley crew.  The list is, not surprisingly, headed by Simon Peter, one of his dearest friends and the leader of the new church movement that is to come.  Most of the names are simply listed with no details. Until we get to Judas, who Mark clearly states betrayed Jesus.    Jesus called the twelve and he calls all of us.  He calls and we have the opportunity to respond.  He doesn't force anything on us.  It's our choice.  Will we say yes to following Jesus?  But one other piece that this Scripture reminds me of is that there are still those who betray him, as well.  Oh, how many times I've betrayed him!  Where do you stand with Jesus?   I want to close with a powerful scene from Matthew 20:25-28.  Jesus is with his disciples and he tells them how it will be different among them - Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Things are to be different among Jesus' followers.  Do you believe this?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

One moment they were in their apartment building. The next they were under it. Ninety people were trapped when a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar suddenly leveled their building.Fifty Myanmar children went to preschool that day. At least a dozen died there in the sudden collapse of their school. One doctor in Mandalay said: "Wherever I looked, I saw collapsed buildings. Only dust." It's a tragedy that's almost incomprehensible. Especially when some scientists are estimating the death toll could even go to 10,000. Not numbers. Somebody's son or daughter. Husband or wife. Mom or dad. In spite of the ferocity of the quake, many did not have to die. As one expert explained, building codes in this quake-prone area "fail to fully consider earthquake resistance measures." In other words, unlike places like Japan, structures are not built to withstand the shock of a major quake. It's not just buildings with that kind of vulnerability. It's people. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "What the Quake Can't Take." Cancer. Stroke. Heart attack. The death of a child. Or, like me, the death of the love of your life. It's just been a litany of loss lately among friends and acquaintances. Bad news from the doctor. Financial collapse. A devastating fire or storm. The collapse of a marriage. Mental health and anxiety issues are off the charts. It's like we're all living in a quake prone zone. The question is not, "Will there be a lifequake?" The question is, "Is what I'm building my life on strong enough to withstand the trauma that shakes everything in my world?" So many things we live for... we depend on... our "go to's" fail us when the quake hits. We look around and there's "only dust." What is there that the quake can't take? That's something the Biblical psalmist addresses when he wrote these words in our word for today from the Word of God in Psalm 46: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though the waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with surging... Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall". He's saying here that literally, everything is collapsing. But listen... "The Lord Almighty is with us." A ship in a storm can be tossed around violently. But the anchor holds. Mine did nine years ago next month. It shook my world like nothing else ever could. The Great Quake - death - suddenly took my Karen, the love of my life since I was 19. But there's something it couldn't take. My personal relationship with the only Person who ever beat death. The one man who walked out of His grave under His own power. Jesus. The Christ. The Son of God. Yes, the one who promised to love me "til death do us part" kept her promise. But death did us part. But, in the words of Scripture, "Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39). It's the love we saw poured out for our sins on the day we call Good Friday. A love that didn't turn its back then. A love that never will. Millions of people for two thousand years have anchored their life to this Jesus, and found that "we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19). It seems appropriate that on that morning we call Easter the Bible says, "there was a violent earthquake" at the tomb of Jesus. For that is the day He walked out of that grave to conquer the Great Quake of death. Listen, if you want to be sure you belong to Him in an uncertain world, our website is there to help you begin a relationship with Him. Would you go there today? It's ANewStory.com. Someday I will face the Great Quake. But not alone. For, as the Bible says, "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For YOU are with me!" (Psalm 23:4)

Isaiah 6:1-8In 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. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.  5 “Woe 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.”  6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

The Lord Almighty fights for us.Therefore teach usto fight with weapons of light, not carnal weaponsthe way of the cross, not the way of the swordto bless and not curse (Rom 12:14),to give thanks and not grumble.As we suffer injustice, following Jesus,we entrust ourselves to our Faithful Creatorand continue to do good. (1 Peter 4:19)Pain and pleasure come and go, but God remains. So today I intend to meet all pain with tenderness and meet all pleasure with open hands.

The Lord Almighty fights for us.Therefore teach usto fight with weapons of light, not carnal weaponsthe way of the cross, not the way of the swordto bless and not curse (Rom 12:14),to give thanks and not grumble.As we suffer injustice, following Jesus,we entrust ourselves to our Faithful Creatorand continue to do good. (1 Peter 4:19)Pain and pleasure come and go, but God remains. So today I intend to meet all pain with tenderness and meet all pleasure with open hands.

Send us a textMartha welcomes Erika to speak about moving from victimhood to victory after her husband unexpectedly left their marriage of 16 years despite her faithful Christian life and service.• Growing up deeply involved in church and developing strong spiritual disciplines• Marrying at 19 and living the "good Christian life" as a pastor's wife and mother• Feeling angry with God when her marriage fell apart despite doing everything "right"• Realizing she had a transactional relationship with God rather than understanding His true character• Finding strength in Isaiah 54 - "your maker is your husband, the Lord Almighty is his name"• Experiencing God's provision through unexpected financial gifts after faithfully tithing• Learning God cares about even small insecurities when He prompted someone to do her hair• Choosing to focus on God's presence and blessings rather than dwelling on difficulties• Understanding that developing "eyes to see and ears to hear" transforms our perspective• Recognizing that God is enough regardless of our circumstancesIf you're curious to hear more or if you like what you've heard, subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen to yours or follow our Instagram account, sips from the fountain, or our Facebook page by the same name.

God wants us to obey Him. Bible Engagement Obeying God and Denying Self Serving God and Others Sharing Christ Exercising Faith Seeking God Building Relationships Unashamed (Transparency) ⅓ We Want Control (Build In) It's Fun (Build In) I wanna do hoodrat stuff with my friends We Think We Know Better (Build In) We Think Our Way Is Faster (Build In) Obeying God is only easy when a person's own desires match God's. Obeying God is only easy when a person's own timing matches God's. John 14:15  //  “If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:23  //  “Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching…” Those who want to be mature in Christ have a desire to obey Him. Our way is to disobey, but God's way is a way of obedience. 1 Samuel 15:2-3  //  “...This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'” Obedience is an Opportunity    1 Samuel 15:3  //  Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.'” Time doesn't diminish sin in the sight of God. Acts 13:22  //  After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' Obedience is an opportunity to align with God. Begin to view every act of obedience as an opportunity to align more closely with God. Obedience is 100% 1 Samuel 15:20-21  //  “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” 1 Samuel 15:22  //  But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. Worship is good, but obedience is better. Anything less than full obedience misses the mark of God's calling for our lives. Delayed and/or incomplete obedience is disobedience. Begin to actually do what God has called you to wholeheartedly and completely. Obedience is a matter of the Heart 1 Samuel 15:11  //  “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all that night. 1 Samuel 15:35  //  Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. Obedience isn't just about our outward actions; it's about the inward condition of our heart. Begin to keep a close check on your heart. What is it that God has called you to do?

Heart: “KARDIA”—the CENTER of your life. Where you are devoted physically, emotionally and spiritually.WHO/WHAT has 1ST place in your life.Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your HEART.I Samuel 12:24 But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your HEART.Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your HEART.Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your HEART…”Does God have ALL my HEART?Proverbs 21:2 Every person's way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord EXAMINES the HEART.Matthew 6:21 For where your TREASURE is, there your HEART will be also.The PORTION God has of your heart is determined by the POSITION he has in your finances.For God to be first in your HEART he must be first in your FINANCES.Biblical Principle: The TITHEWHAT is a tithe?Hebrew word “ms'aser” simply means 1/10th or 10%Matthew 23:23 You SHOULD TITHE, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. PAID TITHE$1,000 $100$10,000 $1,000$100,000 $10,000$1,000,000 $100,000$100 Billion $10 BillionWHEN do you tithe?Tithing isn't just the AMOUNT (10%) it's the ORDER (1st) in which we give.Proverbs 3:9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the FIRSTFRUITS of all your crops. Genesis 4:3 IN THE COURSE OF TIME Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord.Genesis 4:4-5 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the FIRSTBORN of his flock. The Lord looked with FAVOR on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he DID NOT LOOK WITH FAVOR.WHY should you tithe?Promise of Tithing: 90% with God's blessing always goes further than 100% on your own.$7,200 (with God) > $8,000 (on your own)Malachi 3:10 “Bring the WHOLE TITHE into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. TEST ME in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much BLESSING that there will not be room enough to store it.”Leviticus 27:30 “A tithe of everything…BELONGS to the Lord; it is HOLY to the Lord.Malachi 3:8-11 MSG “Begin by being honest. Do honest people rob God? But you ROB me day after day. “You ask, ‘HOW have we robbed you?' “The TITHE and the offering—that's HOW! WHERE do you tithe?Leviticus 27:30 “A tithe of everything…BELONGS to the Lord; it is HOLY to the LordHOW do you start?TEST God with TITHING.Does God have ALL of your HEART?

Psalm 84 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.4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;    they are ever praising you.[c]5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.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.10 Better 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.

Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and lovethe other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serveboth God and mammon.I Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.Ephesians 6:12 For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, butagainst evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers inthis dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.Matthew 6:24 You CANNOT serve both God and MAMMON.Mammon: that in which one TRUSTSMammon is a FALSE god that promises that: You can trust MONEY to giveyou what only GOD can.We changed our LIFE'S FOCUS from consuming to GIVING.Acts 20:35 It is more blessed to give than receive.GIVING is kryptonite to the power and spirit of MAMMON in your life.1. You don't own jack squat.Deuteronomy 8:17-18 You can say to yourself, “MY power and the strength ofMY hands have produced this wealth for ME.” But remember the Lord your God,for it is he who GIVES YOU THE ABILITY to produce wealth…Every SINGLE spending decision is a SPIRITUAL decision.2. We started living off a budget.3. We learned to be content.4. Debt is slavery.GENEROSITY is kryptonite to the power of MAMMON in your life.Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole TITHE into the storehouse, that there may be foodin my house. TEST ME in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will notthrow open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much BLESSING that therewill not be room enough to store it.”Who are you trusting, God or mammon?

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10Support the show, a product of Hope Media: https://hope1032.com.au/donate/2211A-pod/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daily Dose of Hope March 10, 2025 Day 2 of Week 50 Scripture: Malachi 1-4; Psalm 2 ; Revelation 9 Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope.  This is the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan.    For our Old Testament reading, we are reading the book of Malachi, all four chapters.  Malachi is the very last book of the Old Testament, a really short book, yet it gets its point across.   Malachi is the Cliff Notes of the Old Testament. In these four short chapters, the author gives a brief summary of the whole Old Testament.  One of it's most famous verses, Malachi 3:7, in one verse, gives us a picture of the dynamics of the Old Testament.  God is basically saying, “Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” Your ancestors turned away from me, you have turned away from me. It's time to come back and let me bless you, let me love you, says the Lord. That's basically the whole Old Testament in a nutshell---keep in mind over and over again throughout the Old Testament (over hundreds of years), God's people would commit to following God and then fall away. Eventually, they were so rebellious that God lifts his hand of protection and allows the people of Israel and Judah to be conquered by other nations. We've read through all of that.   Malachi prophesied about 100 years after the Jews returned from exile in Babylon (400-450BC)  As we learned in Nehemiah, only a small portion of people returned to Jerusalem. They rebuilt the city, the temple, and the wall around the city. Yet, after living in exile for 70 years, the people were still corrupted by the pagan culture in which they lived. They were far from God. So, as we read over the past few weeks, Ezra and Nehemiah both had instituted reforms, the people had sincerely agreed to follow God. But within a generation, all the reforms, the promises the people had made were forgotten.   What's interesting is that the people were still going through the motions. They were externally religious–they went through the religious tasks that they were supposed to do but it was ALL about outward behavior. This is the period of time in which the Pharisees & Saducees came into being---there was this emphasis on outward religiosity, doing things which make it seem like you are a good religious person. But their hearts were far from God. And we know, what matters to God is not what's on the outside, it's not our religious busyness, but it's our heart.   Basically, the people are in no better place than before the exile. No matter how religious the people appear to be, their hearts are not right with God. They have allowed the things of the world, their own selfishness, their own distrust, to lead them a drift, seeking fulfillment in anything BUT God. Thus, God will do a new thing. As we read through chapters 3 and 4, we begin to see Malachi point to something that is to come. No rules or reforms will change the hearts of the people. Rules and reforms don't change our hearts. We don't need external changes. Rather, we need someone who will come into our own hearts and transform us from the inside out. We need a Savior, someone to draw us back to God and back to one another. We need Jesus. Malachi 3:1-2,“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. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. After the book of Malachi ends, 400 years pass before the people get another word from God. 400 years! These were called the silent years. But then, in God's perfect timing, God arrives on the scene in a new way, through the person of Jesus Christ AND Jesus picks up right where Malachi left off. In fact, Jesus' very first message to the people in Mark 1 was to “Repent.” Repent, the kingdom of God is here. Yes, your hearts aren't right with God. Yes, I know you are selfish, self-absorbed, distracted by the ways of the world, I know your heart through and through. Turn away from your ways and come back to me. Allow me to cleanse you, be the refining fire, to purge out all the impurities, all that's harmful, all that's led you astray.   Let's take a look at Revelation 9.  Things are beginning to get kind of hard. Let's do our best to unpack it. The fifth trumpet blows and a star falls from the sky. The star unlocks the key to the abyss. When the abyss is opened, all kinds of evil things come out of it. The people without the seal of God are forced to go through five months of torture at the hands of the scorpion-like locusts who have come from the abyss (five months is the life cycle of a locus). It's all very graphic and hard to take in.   A wider look at the battlefield reveals that the one who rules over these terrible demonic creatures is the king of the abyss, Apollyon. There is a lot of symbolism here that John's original listeners would have understood. The Greek name Apollyon means destroyer. It's very similar to the name Apollos, the Greek god who was the favorite of the emperor of the time, Domitian (who reigned from A.D. 81 to 96).In fact, the emperor so identified with Apollos that he often called himself the reincarnation of the deity.   Domitian was known for his reign of terror against both Jews and Christians. Just imagine, the original hearers of this text would have drawn immediate connections between the king of this abyss and their emperor, who was persecuting them relentlessly for their belief in Jesus. They would understand that while Domitian may be the source of persecution, the true source of suffering was Satan, the evil one, the one who reigns over the abyss. Just when we think it might be over, the author says that it isn't. The first woe has passed but there are more to come. Then ensues a wave of plagues. A third of humanity is killed and then another third. You would think this would be enough to scare the survivors into believing in Jesus. And yet, the Scripture says that they continue to be hardened. They don't stop their evil behavior but persist in resisting God.   Fear and terror have never been effective methods for leading people to a saving relationship with Jesus. That begs the question–how do we effectively point people to Jesus? People are not frightened into the Kingdom (we are stubborn people!), people are not shamed into the Kingdom, lectured into the Kingdom, or forced into the Kingdom in any way. People are loved into the Kingdom. And even then, they have the choice to say yes or no to God's free gift of grace.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Christus Victor: Victory in JesusColossians EphesiansMarch 9th. 2025Atonement (At-One-Ment) is a theological term used to describe the reconciliation between God and Creation. The Agent of At-One-Ment was life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The Motive for the At-One-Ment was love. John 3:16-17 (NIV) 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish (die) but have eternal life.17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” The Objective of the At-One-Ment was to destroy the works of Satan. 1 John 3:8b “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.” Christus VictorAn element of the atoning work of Christ that emphasizes the triumph of Christ over the evil powers of the world, through which he rescues his people and establishes a new relationship between God and the world. Gospel ProjectIsaiah 9:6-7 (NIV) 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. John 10:9-11 (NIV) 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Satan's Same 3 Tactics Temptation. Deception. Distortion. Satan's Same 2 Lies God is not enough. You are not enough.The Work of Christus VictorColossians 2:6-15 (NIV) 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self, ruled by the flesh, was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. “What you believe about God is the most important thing about you.” A.W. TozerJames 1:2-4 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.“No one is born a gladiator. No one is born with an inner citadel. If we are going to succeed in achieving our goals despite the obstacles that may come, this strength must be built.” Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, pg. 137 How do you build overcoming spiritual strength?Cultivate an appetite for Jesus. Build a Spiritual Team. Foster a heart of Worship.

Sustainable, Simple, Sane-part three Extra Money “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 The Message 1. TAKE UNCOMMON CARE TO AVOID COMMON MISTAKES The “More, More, More” Mistake- The issue in the Bible isn't the amount we have, but the attitude we have about money. It's not so much WHAT we have, but HOW we use what we have and WHY we want what we have. The “Too Much Debt” Mistake- “Those who love money will never have enough. How absurd to think that wealth brings true happiness!” Ecclesiastes 5:10, 11 NLT The “Spend Based on the Unknown Future” Mistake “Look here, you people who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.' How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like a morning fog-it's here a little while, then it's gone.” James 4:13, 14 NLT 2. I MUST MAKE UNCOMMON DECISIONS, IF I WANT TO LIVE AN UNCOMMON LIFE If I say, “God is first in my life,” then I need to pay Him first! “Honor the Lord with your wealth and the best part of everything…” Proverbs 3:9 NLT “You must set aside a tithe…one tenth…bring this tithe to the place the Lord your God choose for His name to be honored…the purpose of tithing is to teach you always to fear (respect) the Lord your God. “ Deuteronomy 14:22, 23 NLT “'Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in My Temple. If you do,' says the Lord Almighty, ‘I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in. Try it! Let me prove it to you!'” Malachi 3:10 NLT Pay Myself Second- “A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” Proverbs 27:12 NLT Pay Everybody and Everything Wisely “Don't be greedy for what you don't have. Real life is not measured by how much we own.” Luke 12:15 NLT

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 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

Hi, I'm John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you're listening to Share Life Today. In the famous Lord's Prayer, we read, "Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." What would God's kingdom here on earth look like? Well, we would have to take a look at heaven first to answer that. Heaven is described as having every tribe, every tongue, every nation praising and glorifying the Lord Almighty. How can we mirror that here on earth? The ones who praise God are the ones who know Him. The ones who bring Him glory are the ones who have decided to live for Him. And there are still many who have yet to even hear the Good News of the Gospel. So how do we bring God's kingdom here on earth? Well, we boldly share the Good News of how Jesus came and died so that we may have life in Him. And as others gain a relationship with our Lord and Savior, they too can bring Him glory and praise. For more information on how you can be a bold witness today, visit our website at sharelife.today.

Daily Dose of Hope February 20, 2025 Day 5 of Week 47   Scripture:  Zechariah 6-8; 1 John 4 Hello, everyone.  It's Daily Dose of Hope time!  Welcome back to the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.    Our Old Testament reading is Zechariah 6-8.  In chapter 6, there is another vision.  This one involves Joshua, the high priest, who is presented with a crown.  He is a symbol of the future Messiah.  But God makes it clear through Zechariah that all of these visions/dreams will come to fruition only if the current generation of God's people are faithful and obey the covenant.  Then, in chapters 7-8, we have a conclusion to the visions, well sort of.  The people, much discouraged, ask Zechariah if the Kingdom is going to come soon; can they stop grieving for what was lost?  He responds that the Kingdom will come only when they become the kind of people who will be faithful to God and ready to participate in his new Kingdom.  Interestingly, being this kind of people isn't about fasting and following rules.  It's goes so much deeper.  I think we see this in chapter 7, verses 8-10, And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.'   Our New Testament reading is 1 John 4.  I think I need to provide some more background for this letter. 1 John was written by the apostle John specifically to the Ephesian church in the late first century.  Some false teachers had infiltrated the church, causing really serious issues, and a schism occurred in their church.  A lot of people left the church fellowship and those remaining were shaken.  It's like the foundation was ripped from underneath them.  And so John sends this letter, in order to encourage them and offer truth that would give them something solid to stand on again.    Let's talk about chapter 4.  John wanted to make sure that those to whom he was writing understood that God's love wasn't some abstract concept.  The false teachers would have said that God's love was not concrete but simply theoretical.  If you deny Jesus coming in the flesh, then you certainly can't understand the extent of God's love, and you are walking in darkness.  If you think sin doesn't matter, then you certainly can't understand God's love.  Not really.  And if you don't understand God's love, then you aren't going to understand living his love out in community.    John tells the church at Ephesus and he tells us today that true love has its ultimate source and origin in God.  God is the definition of love; love expresses who God is.  Of course, God's love that John is speaking of isn't like human love.  It's agape.  God's love, agape, is sacrificial, pure love, that isn't connected to emotions but is a choice to love, even when that love is not returned.   God's love is not some abstract concept as the false teachers would have you believe.  It's expressed in action.  God made love real and present by sending Jesus to live among us and to die for us on a cross.  We continue to see God's active love among us through the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This week, I ran across this statement, “God's love is a truth more basic and reliable than the ground we walk on and the air we breathe.”   And yet, we struggle with this.  I've seen this over and over again.  We have a really difficult time understanding that God loves us, just as we are.  The world hasn't always been kind.  We grow up thinking we have to measure up, that love has conditions.  To be loved and accepted, we have to look a certain way, meet a certain standard, and it usually is above what we can reach.  Because this is the truth:  God's love does not depend on our initiative not how worthy we are.  We don't have to reach out to God or even believe in God to be loved by him.  He is the one chasing us!  God loves us before we ever get our act together.  We don't have to measure up or meet any criteria or standard to be lovable.  God just loves us whether we deserve it or not.  Which is good, because none of us deserve it.    And this is how he showed us his vast, amazing love:  He sent Jesus. Remember Jesus was God with flesh on.  He came voluntarily to demonstrate a different way of doing life AND then he went to the cross.  He died, serving as the final, ultimate sacrifice for sin.  You see, when Jesus died on the cross, his blood atoned for our sins.  For all of our sins.  When we open ourselves up to God, what we find is that even the darkest places and the ugliest parts of ourselves are not beyond God's reach.  Nobody is so broken or dirty or flawed that God cannot touch them, redeem them. So, if we believe in him, turn away from our old way of doing life, then we receive salvation.  You see, when we believe in Jesus Christ, God no longer sees our sin and our mess, he only sees the blood of Jesus.  And it gets better - not only does this ensure that we get to spend eternity with Jesus, we receive new life right now, today.  The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God himself, comes and dwells within us, changing us from the inside out.  We have the ability to live differently and to love differently.  We are upheld, surrounded, and totally encased in God's sacrificial, active love.    And of course we struggle with this, because nothing on earth is this extraordinary.  This is the best news in the history of the world.  We can walk with Jesus.  I can walk with Jesus and experience his incredible love.  You can walk with Jesus and experience his incredible love.  And it's a free gift.  We just have to say yes to accepting it.   Accepting God's love and saying yes to Jesus is step one.  You aren't done there though.  I think too often we have treated salvation as the destination of our faith.  It's really the foundation of our faith, it's the starting point.    Here is the rest of it --- since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  Because God loved us so sacrificially, we are to love others.  This is the thing:  to know God's love is to overflow with God's love.  Such life-giving love is much too powerful to keep to ourselves.  And God never intended for us to keep it to ourselves.    Let's go back to John's context.  These first-century Christians were shaken.  It probably felt like there were people trying to destroy their church family.  I'm guessing they weren't feeling too loving.  And here John is saying to them, “Since God loved us, we ought to love one another.”  I'm thinking this may have reminded them of a few things that Jesus himself said about loving your enemy and praying for those who persecute you.  Matthew 5:46-47,  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  By our nature, human love tends to be selfish and conditional.  We love those people who love us.  We love those people we like, who think like us, who make us feel comfortable.    And yet, just as God's love has no boundaries, Christian love has no boundaries.  We are called to demonstrate love to those we might think are unlovable.  We are to love those who think differently, act differently, and look differently.  We are to love self-righteous people and love obnoxious people.  We are to love those who vote differently than us.    I will say this:  Loving someone doesn't mean you have to agree with their behavior, speech, or lifestyle.  Love has gotten a bit obscured in progressive Christianity.  Just because God loves someone doesn't mean God wants them to continue in sin.  It's not a blanket acceptance of all behavior policy.  Afterall, God loved me enough that he didn't want to leave me the way he found me.  And he is still shaping me, convicting me, and molding me so that I can look more like him.  That being said, we can't expect unbelievers to speak or behave like believers.  Rarely are people lectured into the Kingdom, argued into the Kingdom, and they are never ever shamed into the Kingdom.  They are almost always LOVED into the Kingdom.    Just as God's love isn't passive in our lives, our love should not be passive when it comes to those around us.  Because of what God's love has done for us, we are driven, compelled to demonstrate ACTIVELY God's love toward other people.  We might even say that love is the litmus test of an authentic relationship with God.  Demonstrating Christian love is what confirms the reality of our spiritual walk with God.  There's one scholar who defines the word Christian love as a “consuming passion for the well-being of others,” and this love obviously has it's wellspring, its source, in God's love for us.    Here's our question:  Do you have a consuming passion for the well-being of others?    Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Wake Up to Love, and pray the Holy Rosary, pray the LOVE with us LIVE every weekday morning at 4:44 am ET

We've been talking about sexual experience for many years now, and we figured it was time to discuss why sex even matters in marriage? What's the point? Sponsor It's Choose Your Promo month at Share the Soap! Pick either: Celebration box, a quarterly subscription box filled with uniquely curated items only available for that box as well as proven customer favorites. Get $10 off your first box with code FCWCELBOX1! The subscription is open now through February 21 and ships on February 28. It's the perfect way to prepare for date night while treating yourself. Sensual Set, which sets the mood for date night or any night. Perfect for Valentine's Day! Take $10 off with our code, FCWCOUPLE, through February 28. From the Bible God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1:28 Adam made love to [yada] his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” Genesis 4:1 May your fountain be blessed,     and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer—     may her breasts satisfy you always,     may you ever be intoxicated with her love. Proverbs 5:18-19 [He] I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride;     I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;     I have drunk my wine and my milk. [Friends] Eat, friends, and drink;     drink your fill of love. Song of Songs 5:1 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 2:24 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Mark 10:7-9 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Genesis 2:25 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 As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. Isaiah 62:5 “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 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Revelation 19:7 Resources Episode 171: What's So Great About Sex? What Are the Real Purposes of Sex? | Hot, Holy & Humorous Touchstone: Sex Is Fun, Part 1 | The Forgiven Wife Boom-Boom Playtime: Sex Is Fun, Part 2 | The Forgiven Wife Supernatural Sex: Spiritual Dimension of Libido for Low-Drive Wives | OysterBed7 Episode 147: God, Sex, and Your Marriage, with Dr. Juli Slattery Episode 114: Pursuing Playfulness in Sexual Intimacy Sex Is Like Rose-Colored Glasses | Hot, Holy & Humorous Episode 50: Happily, with Kevin A. Thompson Friends, Partners, and Lovers: What It Takes to Make Your Marriage Work by Kevin A. Thompson 8 Ways to Stay Intimate Even When Life Gets in the Way of Sex | The Forgiven Wife Episode 125: Is Sex a Need? "Sexual Morality," Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis Hope for Wives Podcast (with Bonny Burns) Our Webinars (6 available, each $10 or less!) Thanks for joining us at the virtual kitchen table for another great chat! If you could, we'd appreciate you leaving a rating and/or review so that others can find the show. Please be sure to 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  

In today's sermon, host Joel Rosenberg takes us on a deep dive into Isaiah chapter 19, a rarely explored but profoundly significant passage of scripture. Delivered at a vibrant evangelical congregation in Tel Aviv, Joel's message conveys the divine prophecies and redemptive hopes for Israel, Egypt, and their neighboring countries amidst current and historical challenges. Throughout the episode, Joel unpacks this chapter's complex and promising visions, showing us God's plans for these nations’ future redemption and spiritual awakening. Join us for a compelling exploration that intertwines prophecy with present-day implications, offering hope and faith even in tumultuous times. Let's dive in! (00:04) "Exploring Isaiah 19 in Ministry"(06:33) Hope Amid Conflict in Israel(10:42) "Misunderstanding 'Hodu' in Hebrew Song"(17:37) Jewish Conversions: Growing Hope(21:58) Biblical Prophecies of Israel's Future(29:15) Judgment on Egypt’s Economy(38:31) "Prophecy of Egyptian Cities' Transformation"(45:23) Massive Spiritual Awakening Near Israel(51:05) Path to Salvation: Say Yes(55:42) "Spiritual Unity Through Love"(01:02:03) "Join Our Alaska Cruise Retreat" Learn more about The Joshua Fund: JoshuaFund.comMake a tax-deductible donation: Donate | The Joshua FundStock Media provided by DimmySad / Pond5 Verse of the Day: Isaiah 18:19 - On that day, five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of the Sun. Prayer Pray that God pours out his spirit so powerfully in Tel Aviv the way you're pouring it out your spirit out in Tehran. Pray that every inch of territory between Tel Aviv and Tehran will be filled with the outpouring of God’s spirit. Related Episodes:Ancient Prophecies and Current Realities in Israel #255Geopolitical Shifts and Biblical Prophecies, What 2025 Holds for Israel #252Trusting God in Times of Crisis #151How to Make God’s Love Visible in the Middle East #112 Links For Reference https://www.inspirationtravel.com/tja https://www.joshuafund.com/learn/latest-news/join-us-on-our-alaska-cruise Donate a generous monthly gift to The Joshua Fund to bless Israel and Her Neighbors now and for the long haul. Become an Epicenter Ally today! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

 Connecting The Dots // Created for Connection 1.     You are a part of God's family. 2 Corinthians 6:18 (NIV)"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." Acts 5:42 (NIV)“Day after day, (they met) in the temple courts and from house to house.” Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” 2.     You study and talk about the bible together with others. Acts 2:42 (NIV)“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching.” 3.     Grow in learning how to love others better. Acts 2:42 (NIV)“They devoted themselves to…fellowship.” 4.     We eat together. Acts 2:42 (NIV)“They devoted themselves to…the breaking of bread.” 5.     You give and receive prayer.  Acts 2:42 (NIV)“They devoted themselves to…prayer.” Galatians 6:2 (NIV)“Carry each other's burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” 6.     Because you and others have needs. Acts 2:45 (NLT)...Shared…with those in need.…

Does it surprise you to realize that the Lord Almighty can use you in His plans and purposes? Learn how God often fulfills His plan in unexpected ways, using some of the most unexpected people. Study along with us on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. ----------------------------------------- • Click here and look for "FROM THE SERMON" to stream or read the full message. • This program is part of the series ‘A Study in 1 and 2 Samuel, Volume 8' • Learn more about our current resource, request your copy with a donation of any amount. Helpful Resources - Learn about God's salvation plan - Read our most recent articles - Subscribe to our daily devotional Follow Us YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter This listener-funded program features the clear, relevant Bible teaching of Alistair Begg. Today's program and nearly 3,000 messages can be streamed and shared for free at tfl.org thanks to the generous giving from monthly donors called Truthpartners. Learn more about this Gospel-sharing team or become one today. Thanks for listening to Truth For Life!

On today's episode of Inside the Epicenter, we chat with Judy Pex, co-founder of The Shelter guest house in Eilat, Israel. Judy shares how she and her husband, John, have welcomed travelers, refugees, and volunteers for 40 years. We'll discuss the impact of their Friday night Shabbat meals, their work with Sudanese refugees and Israeli evacuees, and Judy's journey as an author. Join us for an insightful look into the power of hospitality and community. 03:37 "Journey to Faith and Israel"09:24 Returning to Israel: 1976 Journey13:11 "Inspired by Shelter Volunteers"14:02 "Impactful Experience at the Shelter"17:21 New Immigrants Share Shabbat Hospitality22:04 Prayer and Reflection for Israel23:39 Multilingual John's Refugee Encounter29:27 Fostering Sudanese Boys' Journey30:56 Evocative Novel Transports to Israel35:56 "Writing for Believers and Unbelievers"39:51 "Becoming Trail Angels at Shelter"43:07 Evacuees Bond in Shelter Experience46:22 "Welcoming Adventures in Jesus' Name"48:45 Volunteering and Community in Israel Learn more about The Joshua Fund: JoshuaFund.comMake a tax-deductible donation: Donate | The Joshua FundStock Media provided by DimmySad / Pond5 Bible verse Psalm 91:"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust." Prayer request "Will you join us in praying for the people of Israel and her neighbors as they need more than ever to seek shelter and refuge in the Lord Almighty? Pray that they would cry out to God and that he would answer them. We know that God promises he's not far away. He's right at hand and is the God who answers prayer." Related Episodes.Episode #198: "Hospitality in the Holy Land"Episode #145: "The Christian Exodus: Stories of Belief in Modern Israel"Episode #221: "Ministries in Crisis: Serving During Times of Conflict"Episode #175: "Cultural Clashes and Community Building" Referral Links https://www.joshuafund.com/learn/latest-news/join-us-on-our-alaska-cruise Donate a generous monthly gift to The Joshua Fund to bless Israel and Her Neighbors now and for the long haul. Become an Epicenter Ally today! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.