Podcasts about lord god

God Will Refresh Your Soul When You're Weary—DON'T GIVE UP | Blessed Morning Prayer To Start The DaySUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com   SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

God's Guidance Is Leading You—Big Choices, Small Steps | Blessed Morning Prayer To Start Your DaySUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

“Then the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” (Genesis 3:9 NLT) Over the next two weeks, we’re going to look at the lives of several Old Testament characters. And we’re going to discover that their experiences are still relevant and applicable to us today. We’re going to start at the beginning with Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve enjoyed a unique relationship with God. Only they could say they knew Him before. That is, before they sinned and altered the course of human history. Before their wrongdoing created a gulf between God and humanity that could be bridged only by the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Before their fall, however, Adam and Eve enjoyed a remarkable closeness with God. In fact, they had a standing appointment with Him. Genesis 3:8 says, “When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden” (NLT). God strolled through the paradise He created. He visited with Adam and Eve. Imagine their excitement and anticipation as they waited for God’s arrival in the evening. One day Adam and Eve missed that appointment. They had disobeyed Him and eaten from the forbidden tree in the garden. Their shame and guilt kept them from their time with the Lord. So, God called out, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9 NLT). I wonder if the Lord would say something similar to people today. “Where are you? I’ve been looking for you. I want to speak to you. I want you to walk with Me, and I want to walk with you.” The Christian life is often referred to as a walk—and for good reason. Amos 3:3 says, “Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” (NLT). The idea is that when two people walk together, they share a common purpose, a connection, a commitment to one another. You must keep an appointment to walk with someone. So, when God walks with us, He’s keeping an appointment. He wants to meet with us on a regular basis. The question is: How often do we keep that appointment? How many times each day does God make Himself available to speak to us, only to be shut out of our appointment book? Imagine Him saying, “I’ve wanted to talk to you for a long time, but you’re too busy. You won’t make time for Me. You won’t open the Word. You rarely pray. And when you do, it’s one-sided. You won’t listen to Me. You have an appointment with Me. Why don’t you keep it?” Obviously, there is no “good” answer to that question. Whatever feeble excuses we may try to offer pale in comparison to the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with the all-knowing, all-powerful Creator of the universe who loves us, wants only the best for us, and knows exactly how we might experience that best. Is there any appointment worth keeping more than the one with Him? Reflection question: How can you keep a regular appointment with God? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stay Focused on What Matters Most—God Comes First Every Day | Blessed Daily Effective Prayer Of The DaySUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

 "And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof; That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord. And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up; And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy. And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us. And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you? And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye? And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth. Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us. This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy: And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey. And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them. And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim. And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes. But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them. And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them. And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God. And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing. And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not." Joshua 9: 1-26

Saturday, 28 February 2026   And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, Matthew 17:14   “And they, having come unto the crowd, he approached Him – man, knee-falling to Him, and saying...” (CG).   In the previous verse, it said that the disciples understood that Jesus was speaking of John the Baptist in His reference to Elijah. Next, it says, “And they, having come unto the crowd.”   Mark's gospel includes more detail, saying –   “And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, ‘What are you discussing with them?'” Mark 9:14-16   Luke's gospel includes the thought that this was the next day after descending the mountain. With Luke's reckoning, it could mean the next morning. That would square with the general statement by both Matthew and Mark that they descended the mountain and came upon what next transpires, which is, “he approached Him – man, knee-falling to Him, and saying...”   There is a new word, gonupeteó. It is derived from gonu, the knee, and an alternate form of piptó, to fall. Thus, it means he fell to his knees. As for what occurred, some texts finish this verse with the words, “and saying...” Other texts begin the next verse with those words.   Either way, a man has come and fallen before Jesus concerning an issue that has the disciples and the scribes disputing with one another.   Life application: Mark records that there was a dispute going on when Jesus and the others came to them. Though the matter of the dispute is not yet stated, we can learn from this. People dispute matters all the time concerning religion, theology, and doctrine.   Religious disputes require determining if what one believes corresponds with reality. In other words, we can know things about God even without the Bible. This is known as general revelation. When evaluating a religion, we need to see if the source of that religion corresponds with what we can know about God by using logic and reason.   Does the Bible match what general revelation tells us must be true about God? Does the Koran? Are there many gods or only one God? We can rather quickly whittle things down by understanding God's nature.   Once we have thrown out Islam, Hinduism, etc., we are left with only one possible religious source of what is true about God. That is the Bible. This is God's special source of revelation, telling us things we could not deduce from general revelation. From the Bible, we can do more whittling, using both general and special revelation.   Does the message of the Bible support Judaism? Does it support Mormonism or the doctrine of the Jehovah's Witnesses? This is important because if we have a faulty view of God, even though we are using the Bible to pursue Him, we still will not be right with Him.   Once we have tossed out the incorrect theologies, we are left with what is proper. However, there are still doctrinal issues that are debatable within what we might call “biblical Christianity,” meaning the proper path of pursuing God.   Again, where do we go to resolve these issues? The answer is “to the Bible alone.” The people came to Jesus, the Word of God, to settle a dispute. He has now left us with His testimony, the word of God, meaning the Bible. If you are having trouble with conflicting doctrines being placed before you, the Bible will be where you need to go.   Is salvation eternal? Some say yes, and some say no. The Bible will provide the answer. Is there a rapture? What is the timing of the rapture? And so on. These issues may be debatable, but only because one (or both) of the people is incorrectly teaching the doctrine. The Bible will have one correct answer.   The way to determine if a particular teaching is correct is to keep things in their proper context. One or both of those debating eternal salvation may not be applying the proper context. This is the way we end disputes in our minds. Think about God, think about how He has presented Himself, and then meditate on His word. In doing this, we will be on the right path as we pursue our relationship with Him.   Lord God, help us to have the desire and the gumption to read Your word. How easy it is to read books about the Bible. But those books may or may not be in accord with what is right. Rather than wasting so much time on books about the Bible, help us to find a proper balance in pursuing You, with the majority of our time being in Your word. Yes, help us in this, O God. Amen.

In this brief address, Spurgeon acknowledges that his text—“Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God”—fits best those who are already saved. However, appreciating that it involves a little straining, he still wants to apply it also to those who are not yet converted. The exhortation as a whole gives us a lively sense of Spurgeon's appetite for the Lord God, and his appetite for others to have such an appetite. There is a concentration and consecration of all the faculties on the glorious person and personal glory of the God of heaven, a present desire to draw near to him and to enjoy him. Spurgeon more or less runs through the same trajectory for each of the two basic classes of people in his sights as he preaches, pressing upon us all the immediate necessity and blessed prospect of drawing near to God. Read the sermon here: https://www.mediagratiae.org/resources/exhortationset-your-heart Check out the new From the Heart of Spurgeon Book! British: https://amzn.to/48rV1OR American: https://amzn.to/48oHjft Connect with the Reading Spurgeon Community on Twitter! https://twitter.com/ReadingSpurgeon Sign up to get the weekly readings emailed to you: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts-1/from-the-heart-of-spurgeon. Check out other Media Gratiae podcasts at www.mediagratiae.org Download the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

On this episode of Mutuality Matters: Women and Words, Host Dr. Mimi Haddad interviewed Rev. Dr. Ingrid Faro. Ingrid described her challenging childhood and young married life as one of abuse, both psychologically and physically. Her early church experience was equally difficult, as women were to be seen but not heard. In her family of origins, she felt invisible and unimportant. She was terrified of her mother and had no real relationship with her dad. Ingrid was struggling to figure out who she is and even wondered if it was safe to think her thoughts. She also wanted out of the church because, as Ingrid describes, she so wanted God to be fair, but life didn't seem to be fair.   Ingrid shared how her first husband (a preacher and NT scholar) was unfaithful to her. He was also violent and broke her nose, landing her in the ER, where she told the attending doctors that she had an “accident,” but they were unconvinced. These and other experiences led to her struggle with the question of “theodicy,” whether God is just and good. Ingrid wondered if she could ever really trust God. This led to an exploration of God theologically. She became acquainted with and greatly admires the scholarship of the OT scholar Dr. Abraham Joshua Heschel. A passion for the OT was part of her journey.  Her second husband nurtured honest, even blunt communication, or as Brené Brown says, “clarity is kindness.” As Ingrid studied Scripture, she encountered many bold women who henceforward served as her role models! In them she found a sense of release, or as she said, “I didn't know the weight that was on my shoulders until it was lifted off me.” Ingrid began to see God's clear anointing on women which began with the Apostle Paul. Ingrid began to sense a calling to an academic study of Scripture, which gave her pause. She was given opportunities to say what was on her heart but felt conflicted. Then she asked herself, “Can I stand before God and say, ‘I can't.'” She had to distinguish between a fear of people and a fear of God.  Yet the biblical “texts of terror” that appeared to silence women were very limited compared the many, many texts that welcomed their wisdom, voice and leadership. Consider Paul's texts that seem to silence women (1 Cor. 14:34–36, 1 Tim. 2:11–15, Eph. 5:22&FF) compared to the many women Paul celebrates as co-leaders with him in preaching the gospel and leading churches, like those cited in Romans 16. More recently, Ingrid has considered the challenge of abuse in the church one of the most pressing challenges the church must address. She sometimes feels that the church is one of the most abusive places women encounter. Yet this was certainly an issue noted in Genesis 2. Here Ingrid notes the challenge of Bible translation as too often Genesis 2:18 is translated “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” The Hebrew word for “helper,” is ezer, which means “a strong rescue,” as Dave Freedman notes. “Helper” fails to describe the true meaning of ezer.   Ingrid also points to the work of Katharine Bushnell who redeems Eve by observing that she was the first person to have faith and hope in God's promises. She also points to the following authors who have inspired her own scholarship and faith: Karen Swallow Prior, Carol L. Meyers, Edith Deen, Sandra Ritcher, Cynthia Long Westfall, and also biblical models like Abraham and Sarah.    For many years, Ingrid taught OT and has recently published the book, Redeeming Eden: How Women in the Bible Advance the Story of Salvation. Ingrid will lead a keynote and workshop at CBE's conference this summer in Chicago, where she will also receive CBE's Lifetime Achievement Award.  Guest Bio:  Bio: Revd. Dr. Ingrid Faro is an ordained minister and currently serves as interim president and professor of Old Testament at Northern Seminary in Chicago. She previously served as dean of academic affairs, dean of theology at the Scandinavian School of Theology, and director of master's programs at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, where she also taught Hebrew and Old Testament. She is an international speaker and the author of Redeeming Eden: How Women in the Bible Advance the Story of Salvation with Joyce Koo Dalrymple, Demystifying Evil, co-author of Honest Answers, Evil in Genesis, co-author of forthcoming As We Forgive: A Biblical Theology of Forgiveness, as well as articles, chapters, and reviews. Prior to her work in theological education, Ingrid was an entrepreneur and president of an insurance consulting group serving one-thousand agents in thirty-five states for twenty years. Ingrid has two children and four grandchildren.    Related Resources:  Healing from Hierarchy: https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/mutuality-healing-from-hierarchy/  Silent No More: Exposing Abuse Among Evangelicals: https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/silent-no-more-exposing-abuse-among-evangelicals/  Her Silence Screams: https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/her-silence-screams/  When Religion Hurts: How Complementarian Churches Harm Women: https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/when-religion-hurts-how-complementarian-churches-hurt/    0:00 Called to Seminary  01:25 Meet Ingrid Farrow  03:37 From Trauma to Theology  06:25 Studying Evil in Genesis  08:36 Why Theodicy Matters  10:31 Patriarchy and Abuse  16:56 Finding Freedom and Voice  19:31 Leading at Northern Seminary  23:17 What Did I Tell You  26:29 Women in Theology Today  28:21 Chicago Conference Invite  29:23 Reading the Clobber Passages  31:16 Scholars Correcting Exegesis  34:04 Trauma Abuse and the Church  35:37 Genesis Reframing Creation  40:03 Women as Full Image Bearers  42:47 Old Testament Women with Voice  46:29 Key Stories Sarah Hannah Ruth  51:20 Future of Women in Ministry  54:58 Global Impact and Closing Prayer 

Today, Paul M. Neuberger locks in on the family. God's first institution. The frontline in a spiritual war that's raging in homes, schools, boardrooms, and nations. Marriage is under attack. Gender is blurred. Parenthood is undermined. The sanctity of life is questioned. Culture calls it progress; Scripture calls it rebellion.Leaders, parents, executives, your role isn't to blend in. It's to stand up. That stance will cost you, criticism, isolation, pressure to compromise. But hear this: Jesus is still Lord. The Word is still truth. Courage is not optional; it's essential.What will you do when your moment arrives? Will you retreat… or rise?Buckle up. This episode is raw, real, and rooted in truth."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 6:12Episode Highlights02:07 – This episode exists because something foundational is under direct, sustained, and strategic attack, and too many Christians are either asleep, distracted, or afraid to say so out loud. The family unit is under assault, not accidentally, not gradually not unintentionally. What God established as his first institution is now the primary battleground in a much larger spiritual war.09:19 – From the beginning, his strategy has been to undermine trust in God's word and replace it with self-defined truth. Scripture tells us this in Genesis chapter 3, verse 1: Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, did God really say— that question still echoes today. Did God really mean marriage to be permanent? Did God really define male and female? Did God really assign parents primary authority over children? Did God really intend life to be protected at every stage? The goal isn't immediate rebellion, but gradual doubt.51:00 – It was designed to remind us of something foundational: God's design for the family isn't outdated, fragile, or negotiable. It's essential. The family is where faith is first modeled, where truth is first taught, and where identity is first formed.Connect with Paul M. NeubergerWebsite

Friday, 27 February 2026   Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist. Matthew 17:13   “Then the disciples, they comprehended that He spoke to them concerning John the Immerser” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told the three disciples that Elijah had come already. And yet, they didn't know him, and they did to him whatever they wished. He included the thought that they would likewise cause the Son of Man to suffer at their hands. Having said that, it next says, “Then the disciples, they comprehended.”   The word suniémi has already been seen eight times. It is a word that signifies “to put together.” They joined the facts that have been presented to them and have made a conclusion concerning what Jesus is saying, comprehending what they had not yet understood. What they comprehended is “that He spoke to them concerning John the Immerser.”   Jesus never said that the person on the mountain with Him and Moses was John the Baptist. Matthew clearly identifies him twice as Elijah. However, on the way down, their question was about the coming of Elijah according to the prophecy of Malachi 3:1 and 4:5, 6.   They could not understand how Elijah fit into the scenario if he was supposed to come before the coming of the whopping and fearful day of Yehovah. The voice from heaven told them to listen to Jesus. If Jesus was now the one to listen to, how could Elijah be the messenger to tell Israel to restore the hearts of the people?   John came in the spirit and power of Elijah, not as Elijah himself (John 1:21). Unless one believes that the book of Revelation has been fulfilled, as preterists do, which is a giant error in eschatology, the day of the Lord referenced by Malachi is still future.   Life application: To assume that all prophecy except the return of Christ is fulfilled is to dismiss a literal interpretation of a majority of the Bible, inclusive of both testaments. And this isn't just in plain, easy-to-understand prophecies and promises, but in typology as well.   It is true that typology can be easily manipulated or misinterpreted, but a proper evaluation of what is being presented leaves no doubt about what is coming. God is not through with Israel, and there is a time when they, as a nation, must (and will) choose to accept that Jesus is their long-rejected Messiah.   How anyone can read and misinterpret Romans 9-11 and think that God is done with Israel would be laughable if it were not so sad. One example from that dissertation says –   “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.'” Romans 11:25-27   A simple question to ask concerning Paul's words is, “Has the fullness of the Gentiles come in?” Obviously not! Another question that follows naturally is, “Does Paul here call the Gentiles either Israel or Jacob?” Obviously not! He calls them “Gentiles,” thus providing a clear and definite distinction between the two.   As Paul refers to turning away ungodliness from Jacob, something Elijah is prophesied to do in Malachi 4, and that is to occur only after the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, then it is as obvious as the nose on a preterist's face that there is yet a plan and purpose for Jacob, meaning Israel but stated as Jacob to make sure even the dullest sort can understand he is referring to the wayward nation of Israel.   Are they enemies of the gospel? Yes! (Romans 9:28). Are they still beloved for the sake of the fathers? Yes! (Romans 9:28). Are their gifts and calling irrevocable? Yes! (Romans 9:29). Israel, a people who are currently not God's people, will be His people again someday. This is what the Bible teaches.   God, despite their disobedience, will again be rich in mercy to them, demonstrating His goodness even to those who have completely walked away from Him, turning their hearts to every “god,” idol, and perversion known. Why? Because He is faithful even when we are unfaithful. Thank God for His merciful kindness to the people of the world.   Lord God, how can we not praise You for who You are and for all You have done for us, even us. Our hearts are wicked, our thoughts are perverse, our actions belie our profession again and again. And yet, because of Your covenanting with us through the blood of Jesus Christ, You remain rich in mercy to us. Thank You, O God, for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

#top .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-e2f09286aada69ed6641f6396d62effb{ padding-bottom:10px; } body .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-e2f09286aada69ed6641f6396d62effb .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{ font-size:25px; } .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-e2f09286aada69ed6641f6396d62effb .av-subheading{ font-size:15px; } Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 27Genesis 3 LISTEN HERE Through My Bible – February 27 Genesis 3 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0227db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible The Fall Into Sin 1 Now the serpent was more clever than any wild animal which the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden'?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, 3 but not from the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it. You shall not touch it, or else you will die.'” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die. 5 In fact, God knows that the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was appealing to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She gave some also to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 The eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for their waists. [1] 8 They heard the voice of the Lord God, who was walking around in the garden during the cooler part [2] of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11 God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 The Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14 The Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all the livestock, and more than every wild animal. You shall crawl on your belly, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. 15 I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. [3] He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel. 16 To the woman he said: I will greatly increase your pain in childbearing. With painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, but [4] he will rule over you. 17 To Adam he said: Because you listened to your wife's voice and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, “You shall not eat from it,” the soil is cursed on account of you. You will eat from it with painful labor all the days of your life. 18 Thorns and thistles will spring up from the ground for you, but you will eat the crops of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the soil, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return. 20 The man named his wife Eve [5] because she would be the mother of all the living. 21 The Lord God made clothing of animal skins for Adam and for his wife and clothed them. 22 The Lord God said, “Look, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, so that he does not reach out his hand and also take from the Tree of Life and eat and live forever—” 23 the Lord God sent him out from the Garden of Eden to work the soil from which he had been taken. 24 So he drove the man out, and in front of [6] the Garden of Eden he stationed cherubim [7] and a flaming sword, which turned in every direction to guard the way to the Tree of Life. Footnotes Genesis 3:7 The Hebrew word often means belt, but here it apparently is an apron or a loincloth. Genesis 3:8 Literally the wind or breeze of the day, that is, late afternoon or evening Genesis 3:15 In the promises of Genesis and their fulfillment, the translation retains the literal expression seed rather than offspring or descendants to keep the imagery of the Messiah as the Seed of the Woman. Genesis 3:16 Or and Genesis 3:20 Eve means life. Genesis 3:24 Or east of Genesis 3:24 Cherubim are angels who are part of God's honor guard. The translation retains the Hebrew form of the plural because cherubs has a different connotation in English. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-aocsdx-89cb4ca21532423cf697fc393b6fcee0{ height:10px; } The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-4vzadh-3f04b370105df1fd314a2a9d83e55b26{ height:50px; } Share this entryShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

In this brief address, Spurgeon acknowledges that his text—"Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God"—fits best those who are already saved. However, appreciating that it involves a little straining, he still wants to apply it also to those who are not yet converted. The exhortation as a whole gives us a lively sense of Spurgeon's appetite for the Lord God, and his appetite for others to have such an appetite. There is a concentration and consecration of all the faculties on the glorious person and personal glory of the God of heaven, a present desire to draw near to him and to enjoy him. Spurgeon more or less runs through the same trajectory for each of the two basic classes of people in his sights as he preaches, pressing upon us all the immediate necessity and blessed prospect of drawing near to God.

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https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260226dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:13 What Is This You Have Done? This question forces us to slow down and face reality. Sin isn’t just a mistake. It has consequences. It breaks trust. It damages relationships. It ripples outward in ways we don’t expect. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. We're not very different. We blame circumstances, upbringing, stress, or other people—anything to avoid the weight of responsibility. But excuses don’t heal what’s broken. God’s question isn’t meant to crush. It’s meant to confront. Because healing can’t happen without honesty. The Bible doesn’t minimize sin. But it also doesn’t leave us stuck in it. God names the problem so he can address it. And before humans ever ask for forgiveness, God promises a solution. That's the heart of the Christian message: God takes sin seriously—and he takes sinners seriously too. Instead of demanding that we fix ourselves, God steps in to do what we can’t. Jesus takes the consequences of sin on himself. The cross is where God’s justice and love meet. We don’t answer this question by pointing fingers. We answer it by looking to Jesus and saying, “Lord, have mercy.” And God does. Prayer: Lord, I admit that my sin has caused real damage. I confess that I often try to excuse myself instead of turning to you. Thank you for loving me enough to confront me—and for forgiving me through Jesus. Help me live in the freedom of your grace. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

ROOTED IN A SHAKING WORLD • Friday Service To give: www.ToddCoconato.com/give Website: www.PastorTodd.org Genesis 3:1 (KJV) Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 1 Corinthians 14:33 (KJV) For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. Matthew 24:4–5 (KJV) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 2 Timothy 4:3–4 (KJV) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. Colossians 2:7 (KJV) Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Psalm 119:105 (KJV) Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. John 8:32 (KJV) And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 1 Peter 5:8 (KJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Hebrews 12:28 (KJV) Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.    

Isaiah 65:1-16 (NKJV)1 “I was sought by those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,' To a nation that was not called by My name. 2 I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in a way that is not good, According to their own thoughts; 3 A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face; Who sacrifice in gardens, And burn incense on altars of brick; 4 Who sit among the graves, And spend the night in the tombs; Who eat swine's flesh, And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels; 5 Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, Do not come near me, For I am holier than you!' These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day. 6 “Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silence, but will repay– Even repay into their bosom– 7 Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together,” Says the LORD, “Who have burned incense on the mountains And blasphemed Me on the hills; Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom.” 8 Thus says the LORD: “As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, ‘Do not destroy it, For a blessing is in it,' So will I do for My servants' sake, That I may not destroy them all. 9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, And from Judah an heir of My mountains; My elect shall inherit it, And My servants shall dwell there. 10 Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, And the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, For My people who have sought Me. 11 “But you are those who forsake the LORD, Who forget My holy mountain, Who prepare a table for Gad, And who furnish a drink offering for Meni. 12 Therefore I will number you for the sword, And you shall all bow down to the slaughter; Because, when I called, you did not answer; When I spoke, you did not hear, But did evil before My eyes, And chose that in which I do not delight.” 13 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, My servants shall eat, But you shall be hungry; Behold, My servants shall drink, But you shall be thirsty; Behold, My servants shall rejoice, But you shall be ashamed; 14 Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, But you shall cry for sorrow of heart, And wail for grief of spirit. 15 You shall leave your name as a curse to My chosen; For the Lord GOD will slay you, And call His servants by another name; 16 So that he who blesses himself in the earth Shall bless himself in the God of truth; And he who swears in the earth Shall swear by the God of truth; Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My eyes.

In our last episode, Israel had turned away from the Lord while Moses was with the Lord on Mount Sinai. Even though they had just committed themselves to following the Lord God, they quickly lost their resolve and turned to Aaron, who in turn gave them a golden calf to worship. After this grave sin, God tells Moses He will no longer go with Israel to the land He had promised Abraham and his descendants after him. Today, Moses intercedes on their behalf, assuaging God's anger and garnering his favor. Later, God's appointed craftsmen are called out to begin assembling the tabernacle according to the Lord's instructions. Exodus 33 - 1:00 .  Exodus 34 - 6:39 .  Exodus 35 - 14:31 .  Psalm 36 - 19:55 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260226dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:13 What Is This You Have Done? This question forces us to slow down and face reality. Sin isn’t just a mistake. It has consequences. It breaks trust. It damages relationships. It ripples outward in ways we don’t expect. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. We're not very different. We blame circumstances, upbringing, stress, or other people—anything to avoid the weight of responsibility. But excuses don’t heal what’s broken. God’s question isn’t meant to crush. It’s meant to confront. Because healing can’t happen without honesty. The Bible doesn’t minimize sin. But it also doesn’t leave us stuck in it. God names the problem so he can address it. And before humans ever ask for forgiveness, God promises a solution. That's the heart of the Christian message: God takes sin seriously—and he takes sinners seriously too. Instead of demanding that we fix ourselves, God steps in to do what we can’t. Jesus takes the consequences of sin on himself. The cross is where God’s justice and love meet. We don’t answer this question by pointing fingers. We answer it by looking to Jesus and saying, “Lord, have mercy.” And God does. Prayer: Lord, I admit that my sin has caused real damage. I confess that I often try to excuse myself instead of turning to you. Thank you for loving me enough to confront me—and for forgiving me through Jesus. Help me live in the freedom of your grace. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Thursday, 26 February 2026   But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” Matthew 17:12   “And I say to you that Elijah, he came already, and they knew him not, but they did in him as much as they desired. And thus the Son of Man, He is about to suffer under them” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus responded to the disciples, noting that Elijah would come first and that he would reconstitute all things. He continues, saying, “And I say to you that Elijah, he came already.”   Because of these words, many scholars who deny a literal fulfillment of the promises to Israel of future restoration conclude that there is one, and only one meaning to what is going on here. Elijah has come, and thus, he is not “coming.” As such, and speaking for this doctrine, Ellicott says –   “The disciples need not look for any other personal appearance. The use of the present and future tenses in Matthew 17:11 point to a deeper truth, which they were to learn afterwards. The Elijah ministry, the work of the preacher of repentance, is not a transient phenomenon belonging to one stage only of the Church's history, but was to be, throughout the ages, on to the end of all things, the indispensable preparation for the coming of the Lord. Only through it could all things be restored, and the path made ready for the heralds of forgiveness and of peace.”   In other words, this is the only coming of Elijah, and his work continues on today in the lives of “preachers of repentance” for all times. An obvious problem with this is that John died before Jesus completed His work. He was an Old Testament preacher of repentance and to turn to the Messiah. Acts 19:1-5 makes this perfectly clear.   John had no idea about the fullness of Christ's ministry or what preachers should preach based on His completed work. As for Jesus, He continues, saying, “and they knew him not, but they did in him as much as they desired.”   The first messenger mentioned in Malachi 3:1 is clearly referring to John the Baptist. The second Messenger is a reference to Christ. These are both understood to be the case. John came as a messenger to fulfill what was said about preparing the way before the Lord.   He did his job in this regard, but the nation as a whole rejected his words. Instead of accepting his message, he was imprisoned and beheaded. Jesus uses the general term “they” to describe the actions of all who stood against John's proclamation. Concerning what was done to John, Jesus continues, saying, “And thus the Son of Man, He is about to suffer under them.”   Jesus explicitly tells the disciples that He will be handed the same type of treatment that John received. The message of both will be rejected by the nation of Israel.   The interpretation of many commentators, Jewish and Christians alike, is that the words of Malachi 3:1 and Malachi 4:5 & 6 speak of the same person and the same event. This is incorrect. John clearly stated that he is not Elijah in John 1:21. Luke declares that John came “in the spirit and power of Elijah” in Luke 1:17.   Jesus, stating that Elijah has come, means that John has fulfilled the anticipated role of Elijah for the nation of Israel through his message. However, Jesus' words in Matthew 17:11, which are in the future tense, tell us that the physical appearance of Elijah is still ahead. The coming of John to fulfill Elijah's role does not negate Elijah coming again to complete what was rejected by Israel. Rather, it is a main purpose of the second advent of Jesus.   Life application: Ellicott, along with those of similar thinking, uses Jesus' words of Matthew 11:14 about John being the ‘being about to come' and says that the future tense is the same as the future tense here. Ellicott calls it “an emphatic repetition.” The problem is that Matthew 11:14 was not in the future tense. It is a present participle.   Jesus' words about John as “the ‘being about to come'” were a reference to the ongoing expectancy that Elijah was coming. Each year, Jewish tradition taught that he would arrive at a feast, most usually associated with the Passover. For this reason, it was (and still is to this day) a custom for some Jews to leave an empty chair at the seder, hoping that he would come to their home.   The Jews are waiting for Elijah, and he is coming. He may even show up at a house with an empty chair waiting for him, as tradition supposes. But when he comes, his message is going to be one that literally shocks those who hear his words: “You missed the coming of the Messiah.”   So upsetting will this be to the people that he will eventually be killed along with the other witness who comes to testify that Israel is still, more than two millennia later, heading down the wrong path.   They will be in the area of the temple in Jerusalem, telling the people just what the book of Hebrews says. The temple and its sacrificial rites only anticipated Jesus. What they are doing is a refutation of a relationship with God, not a restoration of it. For those who think that what is happening in Israel with the building of a temple and the reinstatement of sacrifices is somehow a good thing, they, too, have misunderstood the import of Christ's ministry in this regard.   A temple is coming. Just because Scripture proclaims this, it does not mean God condones it. This is a mistake in reasoning that has deluded the church into supporting a rejection of what the temple only anticipated. The book of Hebrews makes this clear. To return to temple worship is to recrucify Christ, not glorify Him.   God cannot be glorified through animal sacrifices when His Son has come and set that entire order of worship aside, once and forever.   Lord God, may we be about the business of getting the word out to Israel and the Jewish people that they need Jesus. There can be no substitute and no end around in coming to You. Help us to ensure all people understand that He, and He alone, is the only way to be reconciled to You. Amen.

#top .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-d2ee1f7d062c3b3e85d15dbe7467f5e5{ padding-bottom:10px; } body .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-d2ee1f7d062c3b3e85d15dbe7467f5e5 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{ font-size:25px; } .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-d2ee1f7d062c3b3e85d15dbe7467f5e5 .av-subheading{ font-size:15px; } Through My Bible Yr 03 – February 26Genesis 1 – 2 LISTEN HERE Through My Bible – February 26 Genesis 1 – 2 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0226db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible The Creation of the World Genesis 1 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was undeveloped [1] and empty. Darkness covered the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good. He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” There was evening and there was morning—the first day. 6 God said, “Let there be an expanse [2] between the waters, and let it separate the water from the water.” 7 God made the expanse, and he separated the water that was below the expanse from the water that was above the expanse, and it was so. 8 God called the expanse “sky.” [3]There was evening and there was morning—the second day. 9 God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear,” and it was so. ⎣The waters under the sky gathered to their own places, and the dry land appeared.⎦ [4] 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathering places of the waters he called “seas.” God saw that it was good. 11 God said, “Let the earth produce plants—vegetation that produces seed, and trees that bear fruit with its seed in it—each according to its own kind on the earth,” and it was so. 12 The earth brought forth plants, vegetation that produces seed according to its own kind, and trees that bear fruit with its seed in it, each according to its own kind, and God saw that it was good. 13 There was evening and there was morning—the third day. 14 God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night, and let them serve as markers to indicate seasons, days, and years. 15 Let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to give light to the earth,” and it was so. 16 God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set these lights in place in the expanse of the sky to provide light for the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. 19 There was evening and there was morning—the fourth day. 20 God said, “Let the waters swarm with living creatures, and let birds and other winged creatures [5] fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.” 21 God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their own kind, and every winged bird according to its own kind. God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them when he said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the waters of the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 There was evening and there was morning—the fifth day. 24 God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures according to their own kind, livestock, [6] creeping things, and wild animals according to their own kind,” and it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their own kind, and the livestock according to their own kind, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its own kind. God saw that it was good. 26 God said, “Let us make man [7] in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that crawls on the earth.” 27 God created the man in his own image. In the image of God he created him. Male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 God said, “Look, I have given you every plant that produces seed on the face of the whole earth, and every tree that bears fruit that produces seed. It will be your food. 30 To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning—the sixth day. Genesis 2 1 The heavens and the earth were finished, along with everything in them. [8] 2 On the seventh day God had finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had been doing. 3 God blessed the seventh day and set it apart as holy, because on it he rested from all his work of creation that he had done. The Creation of Man and Woman 4 This is the account about the development [9] of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens: 5 No bushes that grow in the field were yet on the earth, [10] and no plants of the field had yet sprung up, since the Lord God had not yet caused it to rain on the earth. There was not yet a man to till the soil, 6 but water [11] came up from the earth and watered the entire surface of the ground. 7 The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground [12] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 The Lord God planted a garden [13] in Eden in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made every kind of tree grow—trees that are pleasant to look at and good for food, including the Tree of Life in the middle of the garden and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. 10 A river went out from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided and became the headwaters of four rivers. 11 The name of the first river is Pishon. It flows through the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold, 12 and the gold of that land is good. Incense [14] and onyx stone are also found there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon. It is the same river that winds through the whole land of Cush. [15] 14 The name of the third river is Tigris. This is the one which flows along the east side of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to take care of it. 16 The Lord God gave a command to the man. He said, “You may freely eat from every tree in the garden, 17 but you shall not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for on the day that you eat from it, you will certainly die.” 18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is a suitable partner for him.” 19 Out of the soil the Lord God had formed every wild animal and every bird of the sky, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature, that became its name. 20 The man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal, but for Adam [16] no helper was found who was a suitable partner for him. 21 The Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. As the man slept, the Lord God took a rib [17] and closed up the flesh where it had been. 22 The Lord God built a woman from the rib that he had taken from the man and brought her to the man. 23 The man said, Now this one is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She will be called “woman,” because she was taken out of man. [18] 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will remain united with his wife, and they will become one flesh. [19] 25 They were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed. Footnotes Genesis 1:2 Or without form Genesis 1:6 Traditionally a firmament Genesis 1:8 Or the heavens Genesis 1:9 The Greek Old Testament includes the sentence in half-brackets. It is not in the Hebrew text. Genesis 1:20 The Hebrew word oph usually refers to birds, but it means “flyers” and can include other flying creatures such as insects and bats. Genesis 1:24 Or domestic animals Genesis 1:26 The rendering of the Hebrew word adam is a key issue in this section. Adam may refer to man, mankind, or Adam. This translation retains the article where it occurs with adam (the man) and retains singular or plural forms of verbs and pronouns according to the Hebrew text. Genesis 2:1 Literally all their armies Genesis 2:4 The Hebrew word toledoth, which is used in the headings of the ten sections of Genesis, is related to the Hebrew root for give birth, but as used in the section headings of Genesis (such as 2:4; 5:1; 6:9, etc.), toledoth seems to refer to the development more than to the origin of the group being discussed. For this reason, in the section headings of Genesis, toledoth is regularly translated account about the development. Genesis 2:5 Literally every bush of the field was not yet on the earth. This wording seems to refer to the time before the creation of plants on day 3, but the context of chapter 2 seems to be the preparation of the Garden of Eden as a special home for man and woman. Some commentators suggest that this verse refers only to the area of the Garden of Eden, which had been left unfinished, but the wide term on the earth does not seem to be a natural way to say this, so this may be a reference back to day 3. Genesis 2:6 A rare word (ed) is used. It may refer to springs or, less likely, to mist. Genesis 2:10 refers to the presence of rivers. Genesis 2:7 Literally as dust from the ground. This means man is still dust and will return to dust. Genesis 2:8 In Hebrew, the term garden includes groves of trees. Genesis 2:12 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain. It probably refers to a fragrant resin or a precious stone. Genesis 2:13 In the Old Testament, Cush often refers to the land south of Egypt. Here the names of the third and fourth rivers suggest an area in Mesopotamia, today's Iraq. Genesis 2:20 Here the Hebrew word adam without the article becomes a personal name. Genesis 2:21 Part of his side is a more literal translation than the traditional translation rib. Genesis 2:23 Here the Hebrew word for man is ish not adam. Like the English word pair man/woman, the Hebrew words ish/ishah correspond to one another. Genesis 2:24 Verse 24 may be a continuation of the words of Adam or a comment of the inspired writer. In either case, Jesus recognizes them as part of the divine institution of marriage (Matthew 19:4-5). #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-aocsdx-89cb4ca21532423cf697fc393b6fcee0{ height:10px; } The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-4vzadh-3f04b370105df1fd314a2a9d83e55b26{ height:50px; } Share this entryShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260226dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:13 What Is This You Have Done? This question forces us to slow down and face reality. Sin isn’t just a mistake. It has consequences. It breaks trust. It damages relationships. It ripples outward in ways we don’t expect. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. We're not very different. We blame circumstances, upbringing, stress, or other people—anything to avoid the weight of responsibility. But excuses don’t heal what’s broken. God’s question isn’t meant to crush. It’s meant to confront. Because healing can’t happen without honesty. The Bible doesn’t minimize sin. But it also doesn’t leave us stuck in it. God names the problem so he can address it. And before humans ever ask for forgiveness, God promises a solution. That's the heart of the Christian message: God takes sin seriously—and he takes sinners seriously too. Instead of demanding that we fix ourselves, God steps in to do what we can’t. Jesus takes the consequences of sin on himself. The cross is where God’s justice and love meet. We don’t answer this question by pointing fingers. We answer it by looking to Jesus and saying, “Lord, have mercy.” And God does. Prayer: Lord, I admit that my sin has caused real damage. I confess that I often try to excuse myself instead of turning to you. Thank you for loving me enough to confront me—and for forgiving me through Jesus. Help me live in the freedom of your grace. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Wednesday, 25 February 2026   Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. Matthew 17:11   “And Jesus answering, He said to them, ‘Elijah indeed, he comes first, and he will reconstitute all'” (CG).   In the previous verse, the disciples queried Jesus, asking, “Why therefore the scribes, they say that Elijah, it necessitates, to come first?” Having recalled that, Matthew next records, “And Jesus answering.”   What Jesus says is the spoken word of God. Therefore, what He says is to be taken literally. He will make His statement based on what Scripture has already taught about Elijah. Therefore, what seems contradictory in the coming verse is due to a misunderstanding of what Jesus is saying. Understanding this, “He said to them, ‘Elijah indeed, he comes first.'”   Some texts omit the word “first,” as if this resolves the issue that many find difficult to understand. However, Mark 9:12 includes the word “first,” but accompanies it with an aorist participle, saying, “Elijah, indeed, having come first, he reconstitutes all.”   Thus, there is no reason to assume the word “first” doesn't belong here. The words of Jesus so far don't tell when Elijah is coming. It is a statement of fact, “He comes first.” However, the next words add more clarification, saying, “and he will reconstitute all.”   The future tense leaves no doubt that Elijah's coming is yet ahead. Therefore, what is coming is what was prophesied in Malachi 4 concerning him –   “Behold! I sending to you Elijah the prophet, To faces coming day Yehovah – The whopping and the ‘being feared,' 6 And he will cause to return, heart fathers, upon sons, And heart sons, upon their fathers. Lest I come, and I cause to strike the land – anathema.” Malachi 4:5, 6 (CG)   These are not words describing immediate family relations, as in, “He will turn the people in the families to love one another.” Rather, this is a word concerning the Hebrew people as a whole. The fathers are the patriarchs, especially Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.   The children are those who have misunderstood both the promise to the patriarchs and the purpose of the law. The heart of the fathers was that of promise while trusting in the gospel of the grace of God. Paul explains this in Galatians 3 –   “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.' 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.”  ... “And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.” Galatians 3:8, 9, & 17, 18   The hearts of the children, the unbelievers of Israel, will have their hearts turned to the hearts of the fathers who trusted the gospel of Christ as a certain and sure promise. If they do not turn their hearts, the warning stands.   Life application: The Old Testament, the time of man's living under the curse of law, ends with the word kherem, anathema. It speaks of the utter destruction or ban of something. It is a fitting end to the thirty-nine books of law.   Only with the hope of God in Christ is there life and renewed fellowship with God. Only in understanding the gospel can that state be realized.   As with the whole chapter of Malachi 4, the final words speak of a dual fulfillment. The first part of it came about when Israel rejected Jesus. He told them as much in Matthew 23:36, saying, “Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.”   The nation as a whole rejected Jesus, remained under law, and fell under the ban because of it. The second fulfillment will be for those of Israel who continue to reject Jesus during the tribulation. However, for the nation, that will eventually end. The land of Israel, symbolized by Jerusalem, was anathema because of Israel's rejection of Jesus. This is seen in Zechariah 14:11 –   “The people shall dwell in it; And no longer shall there be utter destruction [kherem], But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.”   This prophecy concerns the future when Israel finally receives Jesus. Only when the hearts of the children are turned to the hearts of the fathers, meaning those who lived in faith and not by law, will this time of woe for Israel end.   The day is coming, and the world is being readied for it with the return of Israel to her land. The nation has been reestablished, prophecies of the past have come to their fulfillment, and many more prophecies are set to be fulfilled.   The book is written, and these things will come about. We are simply spectators watching as the words of Scripture are faithfully realized, often before our own eyes. At some point, the rapture will take place, and the attention of the Lord will be directed to bringing about the final restoration of Israel while also bringing about judgment upon all who refuse to believe.   Malachi sets forth both the hope of restoration and the warning of rejecting it. Though it is directed to Israel, for those who know Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles, we can learn from what is said there.   Our trust is not to be in the Law of Moses but in the One who is spoken of there and throughout all of Scripture. It is not easy to let go and place ourselves solely under the authority of another, but we must do so. If we are in need of surgery, we have to trust that the surgeon will get us through the ordeal.   In the case of our eternal souls, we have to let go of trusting in ourselves and look to the eternal gospel, which God has slowly and methodically revealed to the world through His word. And that gospel is centered completely and entirely on the Person of Jesus Christ.   Lord God, help us in our stubborn desire to earn what You have so freely given. May we never assume that we can somehow merit Your gracious offering of Jesus. Rather, may we trust only in the word that tells us of what He has done, accepting it as the one acceptable means of restoration with You. Thank You for Your grace, which is found in Jesus Christ! Amen.

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This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body and refocus your mind to experience the reality of God's presence. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination.  Acts 17:25 NIV “...He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” Genesis 2:7 NIV “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV “...If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” John 20:19-22 NIV 19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260224dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:8-9 Where Are You? God knew exactly where Adam and Eve were. He knew they were hiding. He knew why they were afraid. So why ask the question? Because this wasn’t a question of location. It was a question of relationship. After sin entered the world, the first human instinct wasn’t confession—it was hiding. Shame does that. Guilt convinces us that if God really knew us, he wouldn’t want us. So, we hide behind excuses, distractions, or even religion. We stay busy. We avoid quiet moments. We tell ourselves we’ll deal with God later. But God doesn’t wait for sinners to come looking for him. He comes looking for them. “Where are you?” isn’t an angry shout. It’s a grieving invitation. God is saying, “Why are you hiding from the one who loves you?” Sin separates us from God, not because God stops loving us, but because fear replaces trust. That separation is something we can’t fix on our own. We can’t hide well enough, behave well enough, or promise to do better enough to restore what’s broken. That’s why God steps into our hiding place himself. In Jesus, God enters a world full of shame, fear, and brokenness. Jesus takes our guilt onto himself at the cross. He dies exposed, so we don’t have to hide anymore. He rises so that fear doesn’t get the final word. Christianity isn’t about working your way back to God. It’s about realizing God already came to you. If you’ve ever felt distant from God—because of regret, doubt, or failure—this question is for you: “Where are you?” Not to condemn you. But to bring you home. Prayer: God, I admit that I often hide from you when I’m afraid or ashamed. Thank you for seeking me instead of abandoning me. Thank you for Jesus, who removes my guilt and invites me back into your presence. Help me trust your grace and stop hiding. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body and refocus your mind to experience the reality of God's presence. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination.  Acts 17:25 NIV “...He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” Genesis 2:7 NIV “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV “...If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” John 20:19-22 NIV 19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260224dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:8-9 Where Are You? God knew exactly where Adam and Eve were. He knew they were hiding. He knew why they were afraid. So why ask the question? Because this wasn’t a question of location. It was a question of relationship. After sin entered the world, the first human instinct wasn’t confession—it was hiding. Shame does that. Guilt convinces us that if God really knew us, he wouldn’t want us. So, we hide behind excuses, distractions, or even religion. We stay busy. We avoid quiet moments. We tell ourselves we’ll deal with God later. But God doesn’t wait for sinners to come looking for him. He comes looking for them. “Where are you?” isn’t an angry shout. It’s a grieving invitation. God is saying, “Why are you hiding from the one who loves you?” Sin separates us from God, not because God stops loving us, but because fear replaces trust. That separation is something we can’t fix on our own. We can’t hide well enough, behave well enough, or promise to do better enough to restore what’s broken. That’s why God steps into our hiding place himself. In Jesus, God enters a world full of shame, fear, and brokenness. Jesus takes our guilt onto himself at the cross. He dies exposed, so we don’t have to hide anymore. He rises so that fear doesn’t get the final word. Christianity isn’t about working your way back to God. It’s about realizing God already came to you. If you’ve ever felt distant from God—because of regret, doubt, or failure—this question is for you: “Where are you?” Not to condemn you. But to bring you home. Prayer: God, I admit that I often hide from you when I’m afraid or ashamed. Thank you for seeking me instead of abandoning me. Thank you for Jesus, who removes my guilt and invites me back into your presence. Help me trust your grace and stop hiding. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Tuesday, 24 February 2026   And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Matthew 17:10   “And His disciples, they queried Him, saying, ‘Why therefore the scribes, they say that Elijah, it necessitates, to come first?'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told the disciples who joined Him on the mountain that they were not to tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man arises from the dead. Continuing the conversation, it next says, “And His disciples, they queried Him.”   As with most people who grew up in a place where the Bible is discussed, these men, having grown up in Israel, would have heard all kinds of teachings that people like to focus on. Therefore, they would have an awareness of matters that related to the vision they just saw.   Jesus, telling them not to share the vision, now complicates the sequence of events in their minds. To clarify their understanding, they queried Jesus, “saying, ‘Why therefore the scribes, they say that Elijah, it necessitates, to come first?'”   The scribes, understanding the prophecies found in Malachi, stated that Elijah would come back before the Messiah was revealed to them. That is based on two thoughts from Malachi –   “Behold Me! Sending My messenger, And he turned, road, to My faces And instantly, He will come unto His portico, The Lord, whom you seeking, And Messenger, the covenant, Whom you delighted. Behold! Coming! He said, Yehovah Sabaoth.” Malachi 3:1 (CG)   “Behold! I sending to you Elijah the prophet, To faces coming day Yehovah – The whopping and the ‘being feared,' 6 And he will cause to return, heart fathers, upon sons, And heart sons, upon their fathers. Lest I come, and I cause to strike the land – anathema.” Malachi 4:5, 6 (CG)   The scribes concluded that Elijah would come before the Messenger of the covenant, who is understood to be the Messiah, based on these thoughts. If this is so, and if he came in the vision they beheld, then in their minds, that would mean the prophecy was fulfilled. However, that would only be the case if people knew about it.   They could tell the people they saw a vision of Elijah and that the prophecy was fulfilled. Or Elijah could stay and reveal himself. But neither was the case. Elijah was there for a short span, and he disappeared. Along with his disappearance was the voice telling them to hear Jesus, not Elijah.   And more, Jesus just told them to tell no one of the vision until after He rose from the dead, and for all they knew, He could be speaking of the end-times resurrection. If they couldn't tell anyone, and if Elijah had come and left, then nobody would ever know Elijah came. But the scribes were waiting for Elijah.   It would be silly to have a prophecy in the Bible that was fulfilled, but nobody knew it was so! Therefore, they could not understand how things fit together because of this.   Life application: There are things that are clear and explicit in Scripture. If Scripture is truly the word of God, then those things must come to pass. There are things that must be inferred from Scripture, or which may require taking individual sections and tying them together to conclude what is being said.   In the case of the latter, if things are put together incorrectly, a misunderstanding of what will take place will occur. The scribes have the information laid out in Malachi concerning the Lord's messenger and the Messenger of the covenant from Malachi 3, and they have the note about Elijah from Malachi 4.   They put the two thoughts together and drew a conclusion based on those passages. However, Malachi 3 never said the Lord's messenger was Elijah. And Malachi 4 speaks of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, something they assumed meant the time when the Messiah was set to initiate.   Their conclusion was faulty because they misunderstood the content of the verses. And this is because they misapplied what those verses were saying. This is a common thing, especially with those excited about end-times prophecy to the exclusion of the rest of Scripture. They don't have a full understanding of what the Bible says. In fact, they may never have read the Bible through once. But they are “specialists” in eschatology.   This is as common as beans in a Mexican diner, but it is a poor way of handling the Bible. However, when people sound like they know what they are talking about in prophecy and eschatology, they are usually given an ear because people tend to really dig those things.   The answer to this problem is for people to read their Bibles and know, in advance, if the things they are being taught match up with what their own studies have made them understand. From there, it is much easier to work through the details than it is to sit blindly, accepting someone's teaching without any clue if he is doctrinally on the right page or not.   Lord God, whatever time we have left in our lives, may we use that time wisely, reading and contemplating Your word. Help us not to get distracted by too many irrelevant things, where we will then forsake this task. Give us wisdom to know You and what You expect of us through reading Your word. Amen.

Today, we are focusing on how the sword of theSpirit—the Word of God—is our greatest defense against the false teaching ofthe cults and heresies that are so prevalent in the world today. This is veryimportant. At the same time it is our best weapon against the false teachingthat Paul warned would take place in the last days (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy3:1-9). Thebest answer to secular humanism is the Word of God. If there was ever a daywhen secular humanism has infiltrated even Christianity, it is today. Sadly, weare witnessing what A.W. Tozer called a humanistic Christianity. How true thatis. It becomes all about me—what I feel, what I can have, what is in it forme—instead of asking, What do we learn about God? How can we be holy like God? TheApostle Paul warned even the young church at Ephesus. You must understand thatfalse teaching has been present since the very beginning of the early church.It was already creeping in. Peter dealt with it. The Apostle John dealt withit. We find Paul addressing it as well when he spoke to the elders of thechurch at Ephesus In Acts 20:29-32. He said: “For I know this, that after mydeparture savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also,from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw awaythe disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for threeyears I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. So now,brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able tobuild you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” God's Word, Paul said, is what will build you up, set you apart, and give you courage and wisdom to deal with the false teachers. Today,people are not asking, “What does God say?” Instead, they are asking, “What doI feel?” We hear phrases like, “Follow your heart.” “What does your heart tellyou?” “What do you think the Bible is saying to you?” But that is not the mostimportant thing. The most important question is: “What is God saying”? Period.Godhas spoken. Whether you believe it or not, His Word is settled. Yet todaypeople ask, “What do I prefer? What do I think is true?” Paul warned that inthe last days people would have itching ears—they want their ears scratched andtickled (2 Timothy 4:3-5). They want to hear things that are not true but makethem feel good. Peterwrote in 1 Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and alwaysbe ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope thatis in you with meekness and fear.” John also warned in 2 John 7–8: “Formany deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ ascoming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”  Theirreligion is a do-good religion. Do the best you can and you'll get to heaven.Try to keep the Ten Commandments. Then there's good God, good devil, goodeverybody. All you have to do is do what you feel like is the best thing foryou to do. In the end, God will have mercy on you and we're all going to get toheaven one day. I've actually heard these pastors quote Romans 8:35-39 atfunerals telling the people that “nothing can separate us from the love of Godthat's in Christ Jesus our Lord. Everybody's going to end up in heaven one daybecause nothing can separate us from His love”. Myfriend, these are lies of the devil. That's why Jude also warned in Jude verse3, "... I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contendearnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. Forcertain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for thiscondemnation, ungodly men who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and denythe only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ."  Myfriend, we must know the Word of God! It is our best weapon against the falseteachers and their heresy. Jesus said, "Sanctify them through thytruth. Thy word is truth" (John 17:17).

Passover 3 1 Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You can't eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, 'You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.' " 4 "No! You will certainly not die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 And he said, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid." 11 Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" 12 The man replied, "The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate." 13 So the Lord God asked the woman, "What have you done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14 So the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than any livestock and more than any wild animal. You will move on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life. 15 I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. 16 He said to the woman: I will intensify your labor pains; you will bear children with painful effort. Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will rule over you. 17 And he said to the man, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'Do not eat from it': The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust." 20 The man named his wife Eve because she was the mother of all the living. 21 The Lord God made clothing from skins for the man and his wife, and he clothed them. 22 The Lord God said, "Since the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever." 23 So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove the man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:1–24 [CSB] We may not see...understand or accept the reason...or think it deserving... This...the result and consequences of sin... …especially since it was not us...but our first parents...who did it...who began this journey... Why should we be held accountable for them? Why should we be blamed...we didn't ask to inherit this mess! But we have to stop and think. Let's go ahead and drop the original...the first...and just ask about our own individual sins. Sure, but then we will do what Adam and Eve did...won't we? We are all ready and willing to then blame our parents...or the devil...or anything...else... Yet they remain ours...and they are because of us. But this is Lent.  And so...today...we could stand before God...naked...ashamed and guilty... If we chose to try and justify ourselves in anyway… And that which we fear...would overwhelm us with terror...and...dread... So… think along those lines… what are you going to say to Him? What's to be done? This day and age...though...we are all about denial, changing the rules and the definitions...so that we don't have to feel so bad...because if there are less things we do wrong...well...then... They tell us… out there… that we then… need not fear and tremble... ...as we will surely not die...at least not as soon as we once did...we are on the way to finding its cure all on our own... Yes, we will cheat it...we will beat it… so no… don't…  let's not call sin, sin. Let's not deal with it as we used to. Live and let live. Or...not too long ago it was all about cover-up. Pretend to be good...put on a good face...at church especially...and maybe no one will notice... …and maybe God is at least pleased that I try.... But… there are other ways too...to deflect all of this...that which we feel...that brings sleepless nights...and worries... We can justify ourselves...you know...say that the ends justify the means...and all that...after all, it was for a good cause... Well, wasn't it? You could also just plead ignorance of the Law... But that is why we have Lent...each and every year...as no matter what we come up with to try and deal with what we are and what we have done... Lent arrives again... And Lent is God coming after us... Lent is all about God exposing our to light reality… bringing it all full bore...right between the eyes of the world… of humanity... …and also, if need be… aiming for the heart. Ours? You? Me? Everyone… lest we forget… but all whom God makes to sit up and pay attention... Again...is this YOU and this is ME? Are you hiding in the bushes...there... Are you trying to cover yourself with things that don't do the job. Are you who like pointing the finger and blaming others. YOU. IS GOD LOOKING AT YOU? IS GOD POINTING HIS FINGER AT YOU? OR ME? And we have nowhere to go… do we and… are there really any excuses left? My hand is caught in the candy jar… Is there blood on our hands? YOU...yes...ME...yes...HE IS TALKING TO US... ARE YOU GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE?  Are you yet? What have you done? What have you left undone? You...YOU who knows...THAT HE KNOWS...all too well...in fact... This is about you...this is about your life...and paying the piper...reaping what you have sown... Well, you wanted to dance. You wanted to do your own thing. You wanted to make your own way in the world... With your own rules... How has that been going for you...now that it is the morning after. Now that your head hurts. Now that you are in a fix and cannot get yourself out. Now that you are sick... Now that you are dying... Now that the time of your life is done and gone...and you are old...and you are dying? What now? What do you have to say? What do you have to show for yourself? From dust we are taken, and to dust we will return. Everything comes to an end.  Everything crumbles and fades away. Everything is taken away. That is the very meaning of Lent. This is what Lent is for… each year… Lest we forget… Again! We do… with all those voices out there… and in here… saying differently… Lent is to bring us to this place. To this point. Again! To bring us to this understanding about ourselves and our lives. And to show us that there is nothing we can do about it... as if we remain in it… as it will not end well. Sa what's left then? Well...yes, we can continue in this… those many ways,,, that try to avoid or ignore… but...in the end...here we are. Before God, just like our first parents. God has (and thank God He has) brought us to this now...here and now. He is doing this right now. That is what Lent is for. That is what God wants. Because this is the start also of the Passover. His Passover. And His passing over kills. His passing over spills blood, wrecks lives, destroys kingdoms...small and great. Yes. And He passes over all...the whole world this time. He comes. He is coming. He is here. All of this while we are holding the bag...without anything that could help us...that could prevent the fallout...that could be used in our favor. Most will die because of it. And yet...His passing over also saves. Anyone who has His blood covering them… lives. His Sacrifice is offered instead of ours. His life in place of ours. Just like He did for our first parents, He brings His covering to us. Just like He made a way for Israel, Jesus is the way for the whole world...for us. Yet it all begins in facing these terrible facts about ourselves.... It requires pleading guilty. But again, better today, then in the end where there no longer is a covering to hide our shame and remove our guilt. This is what our first parents faced. This is what the Jews faced in the Exodus, and then had to deal with when Jesus exposed their hypocrisy. But they too, like Adam and Eve, all tried to avoid it. This is what we try all too often. We still… knowing all this… we still all too often try our best to cover up, blame and make excuses... Do we want to insist on this? Do we remain stubbornly justifying ourselves? Then doomed they and we are to die. Thrown out of God's presence. But there is no need! As God began the Passover...that which has been there from the beginning. God provided the way out...the way of escape...the sacrifice, time and again. That blood that hid shame and the stain of our sin.... This until the right time...and then God became the sacrifice, once and for all. This once and for all removed the shame and cleansed us of sin. That is why the Passover is such a big deal.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent,“Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field;on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring;he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” To the woman he said,“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” And to Adam he said,“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the treeof which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,'cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread,till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken;for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. (English Standard Version)

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260224dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:8-9 Where Are You? God knew exactly where Adam and Eve were. He knew they were hiding. He knew why they were afraid. So why ask the question? Because this wasn’t a question of location. It was a question of relationship. After sin entered the world, the first human instinct wasn’t confession—it was hiding. Shame does that. Guilt convinces us that if God really knew us, he wouldn’t want us. So, we hide behind excuses, distractions, or even religion. We stay busy. We avoid quiet moments. We tell ourselves we’ll deal with God later. But God doesn’t wait for sinners to come looking for him. He comes looking for them. “Where are you?” isn’t an angry shout. It’s a grieving invitation. God is saying, “Why are you hiding from the one who loves you?” Sin separates us from God, not because God stops loving us, but because fear replaces trust. That separation is something we can’t fix on our own. We can’t hide well enough, behave well enough, or promise to do better enough to restore what’s broken. That’s why God steps into our hiding place himself. In Jesus, God enters a world full of shame, fear, and brokenness. Jesus takes our guilt onto himself at the cross. He dies exposed, so we don’t have to hide anymore. He rises so that fear doesn’t get the final word. Christianity isn’t about working your way back to God. It’s about realizing God already came to you. If you’ve ever felt distant from God—because of regret, doubt, or failure—this question is for you: “Where are you?” Not to condemn you. But to bring you home. Prayer: God, I admit that I often hide from you when I’m afraid or ashamed. Thank you for seeking me instead of abandoning me. Thank you for Jesus, who removes my guilt and invites me back into your presence. Help me trust your grace and stop hiding. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260223dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1 Did God Really Say? The question sounds innocent enough. Almost helpful. “Did God really say…?” It doesn’t sound like rebellion. It sounds like curiosity. Like someone double-checking the fine print. That’s how temptation often works. Rather than kicking the door down. It knocks politely. The serpent doesn’t start by denying God. He starts by reframing God. He takes something God said clearly and bends it just enough to make God seem unreasonable. Restrictive. Suspicious. Suddenly, the problem isn’t disobedience—it’s whether God can be trusted at all. That question still works today. “Did God really say that… about sex? About money? About forgiveness?” “Would a loving God really care?” “Isn’t that a little outdated?” The doubt sounds modern and thoughtful. But underneath it is the same old lie: God might not be as good as he says he is. And if we're honest, we’ve listened. We’ve assumed we know better. We’ve trusted our instincts more than God’s Word. And the result hasn’t been freedom. It’s been guilt, broken relationships, and a quiet sense that something isn’t right. That’s what sin does. It promises more and delivers less. What’s striking is what God does next. He doesn’t disappear. He doesn’t give up on humanity because they doubted him. Instead, he keeps speaking. He keeps acting. He keeps moving toward the people who just moved away from him. The entire Bible is God answering the serpent’s question. And the clearest answer is Jesus. Jesus shows us what God is really like. He doesn’t withhold good—he gives himself. He doesn’t manipulate—he sacrifices. At the cross, God proves once and for all that he is not holding out on us. He's giving everything to rescue us. So, when you hear that question—Did God really say? —listen closely to God’s answer. The answer is, ‘Yes.’ He really does say, “You can trust me.” Prayer: Lord God, I confess how easily I doubt your Word and goodness. Forgive me for trusting myself more than you. Thank you for showing me your heart through Jesus. Help me trust what you say and rest in what you have done for me. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260223dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1 Did God Really Say? The question sounds innocent enough. Almost helpful. “Did God really say…?” It doesn’t sound like rebellion. It sounds like curiosity. Like someone double-checking the fine print. That’s how temptation often works. Rather than kicking the door down. It knocks politely. The serpent doesn’t start by denying God. He starts by reframing God. He takes something God said clearly and bends it just enough to make God seem unreasonable. Restrictive. Suspicious. Suddenly, the problem isn’t disobedience—it’s whether God can be trusted at all. That question still works today. “Did God really say that… about sex? About money? About forgiveness?” “Would a loving God really care?” “Isn’t that a little outdated?” The doubt sounds modern and thoughtful. But underneath it is the same old lie: God might not be as good as he says he is. And if we're honest, we’ve listened. We’ve assumed we know better. We’ve trusted our instincts more than God’s Word. And the result hasn’t been freedom. It’s been guilt, broken relationships, and a quiet sense that something isn’t right. That’s what sin does. It promises more and delivers less. What’s striking is what God does next. He doesn’t disappear. He doesn’t give up on humanity because they doubted him. Instead, he keeps speaking. He keeps acting. He keeps moving toward the people who just moved away from him. The entire Bible is God answering the serpent’s question. And the clearest answer is Jesus. Jesus shows us what God is really like. He doesn’t withhold good—he gives himself. He doesn’t manipulate—he sacrifices. At the cross, God proves once and for all that he is not holding out on us. He's giving everything to rescue us. So, when you hear that question—Did God really say? —listen closely to God’s answer. The answer is, ‘Yes.’ He really does say, “You can trust me.” Prayer: Lord God, I confess how easily I doubt your Word and goodness. Forgive me for trusting myself more than you. Thank you for showing me your heart through Jesus. Help me trust what you say and rest in what you have done for me. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Monday, 23 February 2026   Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.” Matthew 17:9   “And descending, they, from the mountain, Jesus, He enjoined them, saying, ‘You tell none the vision until that the Son of Man from dead, He arose'” (CG).   In the previous verse, it was noted that when the disciples uplifted their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus. It next says, “And descending, they, from the mountain, Jesus, He enjoined them.”   They are returning to where the other disciples are. However, just as they went to the mountain separately for a reason, Jesus wants what they saw to be kept to themselves also. Therefore, He enjoins them concerning the matter, “saying, ‘You tell none the vision.'”   A new word is seen here, horama, a vision. It is derived from horaó, to stare at, and which is, at times, translated as behold. This refers to what is beheld. It is something gazed at, such as a spectacle. What these men beheld was a vision.   Looking at the various uses of this word leads to the notion that what was seen may not be a concrete event, but a mental perception of something, somewhat like a dream. For example –   “But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: 5 ‘I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. 6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 8 But I said, “Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.” 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.'” Acts 11:4-10   What Peter saw was real to him, but it was not necessarily real. These men saw a vision. Was it a concrete event where Moses and Elijah literally appeared with Jesus, or was a point being made concerning their ministries without them actually having been there? Being dogmatic about the matter may be barking up the wrong tree.   Regardless, what they saw was real to the disciples, and Jesus confirms that what they saw should be taken as such. But they were to refrain from speaking of it “until that the Son of Man from dead, He arose.”   Mark adds in the words, “So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.” The words of Jesus were perplexing to them, but they were obedient to His directive, keeping silent about the matter. But two obvious questions that arise from the event and Jesus' admonition are, “Why weren't all of the disciples taken along, and why should Jesus not want the other disciples to know what happened?”   It can only be speculation, but one reason that seems apparent is that if Judas had gone, or if he had been informed of what happened, he may never have betrayed Jesus. He was looking for one thing, but God had other plans. If he were aware of what took place, the necessary death of Jesus for the people of the world may not have come about in the manner it did.   For this, and any other logical reasons, the matter of the transfiguration was kept to a select few men until the time it could be freely spoken of by those who saw it.   Life application: Understanding that what the disciples saw may have been a vision without actual substance may then lead to other various points of doctrine or personal opinion falling apart. Pastors will adamantly speak of Moses' appearance as an actual event where he literally stood there. Because of this, it is then used as a springboard to say that Moses can, in fact, be one of the two witnesses noted in Revelation 11.   This would be contradictory, however, to Hebrews 9:27, which says, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Because of Hebrews 9, it is clear that Moses will not be one of the two witnesses, but despite that, it would be unwise to proclaim either way that what was seen in the transfiguration was an actual physical event rather than a divinely prepared mental image, or vice versa.   Did a sheet really drop down from heaven with animals on it in front of Peter? It is unlikely at best. And yet, it seemed as real to Peter as if it actually happened. We should be careful not to be dogmatic about things we simply cannot know. Rather, whether Moses and Elijah actually stood there with Jesus or not, the point of why they were there with Jesus is what is important.   The disciples, and thus us because it is recorded in Scripture, were being taught truths concerning the ongoing plan of redemption. Jesus, not the Law and the Prophets, is who we are to focus our attention on.   Lord God, someday, we will have many answers to questions resolved. Until then, help us to not stubbornly claim things that may be debatable. Help us to contemplate Your word, consider what You are telling us, and hold fast to the truths we can glean from it. May it be so, to Your glory. Amen.  

Send a textThe devotion for today, Monday, February 23, 2026 was written by Donald (Luke) Day and is narrated by Logan Johnson.Today's Words of Inspiration come from an old Franciscan votive prayer:Lord God, as I light this small votive candle, may it be light from you.  Support the show

February 23, 2026Today's Reading: Genesis 3:1-21Daily Lectionary: Genesis 6:1-7:5; Mark 3:1-19“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Have you ever played hide and seek with a toddler? They're not very good at it. Either their incessant giggling or their inability to pull their entire body behind the sofa gives up their “hiding” spot in a matter of seconds. How do you respond? You pretend you don't hear the child or that you don't see their rump sticking out from underneath the coffee table because it's all part of the game.However, when Adam and Eve hid from God, it was no game at all. Their Fall into sin destroyed their peace and communion with God, and they hid from him because they were afraid, and rightly so. God couldn't pretend that He didn't see their sin or that it wasn't offensive to Him. Their Fall had consequences.    Adam and Eve's attempts to hide from God were ill-fated. God knew where they were hiding, and He knew exactly why they were trying to hide from Him. And yet, remarkably, God sought them. He called out for them and gave them an opportunity to confess their sin. Instead, it turned into the blame game. Adam blamed Eve (and God)! Eve blamed the serpent! God's creation was destroyed. Even still, this sin was not enough for God to stop loving His creation. Instead, He proclaimed the promise of redemption that would come through the seed of the woman, through Christ. He promised to care for mankind despite their Fall into sin.   We have all inherited the sinful nature from Adam. We know that we cannot hide our sin from God. He sees it all, and it is offensive to Him and deserving of His wrath and condemnation. But we also know that the Savior He promised to send has come. He has taken our sin upon Himself and cleanses us from it.  Although it can be painful for us to admit, we faithfully confess our sins, and God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.      In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.In Adam we have all been one, One huge rebellious man; We all have fled that evening voice That sought us as we ran . . . But Thy strong love, it sought us still And sent Thine only Son That we might hear His Shepherd's voice And, hearing Him, be one (LSB 569:1, 3)Rev. Chad Hoover serves as Campus Pastor and theology teacher at Concordia Lutheran High School in Fort Wayne, IN and pastoral assistant at Emanuel Lutheran Church in New Haven, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.Better understand difficult and overlooked Old Testament passages in this new book by Authors R. Reed Lessing and Andrew E. Steinmann. Their conversational yet academic writing style makes learning about the Old Testament accessible to those at all points in their Bible reading journey. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter invite you to think more in-depth about what you just read and record your answers. To stretch your understanding, a list of resources for further reading is also included at the back of the book.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260223dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1 Did God Really Say? The question sounds innocent enough. Almost helpful. “Did God really say…?” It doesn’t sound like rebellion. It sounds like curiosity. Like someone double-checking the fine print. That’s how temptation often works. Rather than kicking the door down. It knocks politely. The serpent doesn’t start by denying God. He starts by reframing God. He takes something God said clearly and bends it just enough to make God seem unreasonable. Restrictive. Suspicious. Suddenly, the problem isn’t disobedience—it’s whether God can be trusted at all. That question still works today. “Did God really say that… about sex? About money? About forgiveness?” “Would a loving God really care?” “Isn’t that a little outdated?” The doubt sounds modern and thoughtful. But underneath it is the same old lie: God might not be as good as he says he is. And if we're honest, we’ve listened. We’ve assumed we know better. We’ve trusted our instincts more than God’s Word. And the result hasn’t been freedom. It’s been guilt, broken relationships, and a quiet sense that something isn’t right. That’s what sin does. It promises more and delivers less. What’s striking is what God does next. He doesn’t disappear. He doesn’t give up on humanity because they doubted him. Instead, he keeps speaking. He keeps acting. He keeps moving toward the people who just moved away from him. The entire Bible is God answering the serpent’s question. And the clearest answer is Jesus. Jesus shows us what God is really like. He doesn’t withhold good—he gives himself. He doesn’t manipulate—he sacrifices. At the cross, God proves once and for all that he is not holding out on us. He's giving everything to rescue us. So, when you hear that question—Did God really say? —listen closely to God’s answer. The answer is, ‘Yes.’ He really does say, “You can trust me.” Prayer: Lord God, I confess how easily I doubt your Word and goodness. Forgive me for trusting myself more than you. Thank you for showing me your heart through Jesus. Help me trust what you say and rest in what you have done for me. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Hear Gods Voice Loud and Clear—NO MORE CONFUSION | Blessed Morning Prayer To Start Your Day With GodSUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

New Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville Freedom! Detachment from Sin Introduction: Romans 12:9 “Abhor what is evil; cleave to what is good.” How are you doing with that command? Please note, Paul's inspired command does not say, “Don't do what is evil,” it says, “Abhor it.” There are many temptations to sin that we try not to do and succeed in not doing, but that does not mean we abhor the sin. You will notice, the text contains an extreme contrast: “abhor” and “cleave” (“glue, weld together, adhere, attach oneself to”).  To the extent that we cleave/hold fast to what is good, the more we are able to abhor what is evil. The word detachment, though not specifically used, is a good description of the verse. The only way to abhor something is to become completely detached from it. Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). Jesus admonition is, your love for him is to be so great, that to challenge that love or in any way suggest a competing love, should have a reaction of hate.  Matthew 6:25-33 Even though Jesus is dealing with things we need to live on this earth, notice how he turns our minds away from those needs to concentrate on the Kingdom and righteousness. Again, there is abhorring anxiousness in favor of seeking first the kingdom. The Battle with Our Desires Why are we tempted? Why does the desire seem so strong? We were created to seek inner fulfillment (Ecclesiastes 1:13-14 “And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.”). Satan urges us to seek fulfillment with empty promises. The sin or diversion from God never meets up to the possibilities the mind has created. In fact, every time the sin is committed, it disappoints more than it did previously. We are using a person or a thing to fill an inner void which never can be filled apart from God. Look at it rationally, we can realize that these uncontrolled appetites damage us in two ways: They deprive us of enjoying God and what truly satisfies. These desires torment us and corrupt our minds until we are enslaved by them. The problem is: “It is extremely difficult to deny ourselves what we truly desire.” We may occasionally have success in overcoming our desires, but it is unlikely that we will consistently conquer those desires. What can be done?  What if we could rid ourselves of those appetites? If the appetite is extinguished, there will no longer be a desire to feed on those sinful pleasures. But is that possible? It is not possible to escape all temptation, but it is possible to no longer have an appetite for that which Satan tempts us.  That is exactly what God argues we can do (Colossians 3:1-7; Ephesians 4:17-24). In fact, did Jesus really want to jump off the temple, turn the stones to bread, or fall down and worship the devil? No! He conquers the temptation because his desire for the Father is intensely passionate beyond any other desire. Our problem and humanity's problem is that we think we can overcome by simply refusing a pleasure that our heart desires. We are trying to fix the wrong thing. It is the heart's desires that need fixing, not simply the will-power (Matt. 5:21-28). We will never be successful in fighting a sin if we do not stop the craving. The problem with our present cultural arguments:  Our culture celebrates their attractions/desires and identifies with them as special and so compelling that anything but fulfillment is unfair and cheating them out of a fulfilling life.  In regard to sexuality, regardless of one's sexual attractions, every human has had to deal with sexual sins and fight the desires of the mind.  God made us with desires! He also gave us right and wrong ways to fulfill the desires. All desires can partially be fulfilled now but ultimately fulfilled in eternity with the Lord — “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). God's argument in scripture is not that temptations to sin will go away, but that we are able to conquer those desires through Christ.  Genesis 4:7 “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”  1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”  Every Earthly Desire Disappoints (Isaiah 55:1-3) Only God is a sure thing. Only God can and will provide for our emotional and physical needs. God intentionally made it this way!  But what do we do instead?  We follow the example of Eve. Satan convinced her that the tree could give her something more and better than what God gave her and would give her. That is the nature of every temptation. Subtly, this our default path to all our stresses, desires, and life's trials.  If a friendship, marriage, or family, spouse, child, or parent does not respond to our expectations to fulfill certain emotional or physical needs, we may react by lashing out, withdrawing, demanding, threatening, and in general becoming frustrated and miserable. We desperately need to understand that our demands of things and people ruin relationships, destroy joy and pleasure, and detach us from God. Let's say this plain and simple: When I expect an activity, a recreation, a job/career to fill my emptiness and give me what I believe is denied me in this life, I have created an idol. Whatever these unfulfilled desires are, they have become my Baal and my Asheroth—a substitute god to provide what I believe I deserve that the Lord God will not provide! When I expect my job or career to give me inner fulfillment, I am elevating work to a level never intended. Again, Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 warns us of this through the example of Solomon. He did more than any other in great accomplishments through his labor. He fulfilled every desire of his heart. And yet when it was all done, he said it profited nothing, all was vanity and striving after wind!”  When a man expects his wife, or a woman her husband to fill their inner emptiness and give them the meaning and security they expect for their lives, they have replaced the God with their spouse and have elevated their spouse to be their idol/god. This damages our spouse and puts him/her in an impossible position. She cannot be my god and fulfill my deepest needs and desires any more than the idols of Israel could be for Israel. Can we see the result of this in friendships, in parents with children and children with parents, in churches, careers, and marriages?  Only God can ultimately fill us with what we really need. Through love, we provide for one another, we comfort one another during trials, we stir one another up to be better than what we have been, but none of us can replace God. When a person expects anything from an object, an activity, or a person that only God can supply, they have rejected God and turned to idolatry. Detachment: Freedom from Uncontrolled Appetites When Teresa and I married, we vowed, “…forsaking all others, cleave unto you and you alone until death do we part.” When we marry, we are rejecting the romantic love of all others and all other things because of the intense love for one another. That reminds us of an important biblical principle: Intense love for something, especially God or spouse, leads to the rejection of something else. Seeing this from our earthly marriages, consider an immediate application: Husbands, what does this covenantal promise imply? Proverbs 5:18-21 “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths.”  Wives, what does this promise imply? Proverbs 31:10-12, 28-29 “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life…Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” What then is the key to joy and pleasure in an earthly marriage? What keeps both husband and wife pure and deeply attached to one another? How do they reject any attractions/desires that would compete with their love? Appetites for all else and anyone else are eliminated by pursuing and growing an intense love for each other. With that, every competing desire or appetite is disgusting. Hey Solomon, the Lord proclaimed through you that one wife would fulfill you, while a 1000 wives would empty you. The same is true with God.  Colossians 2:8-10, “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” Cf. Colossians 3:5–6, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.”  How can we be free of the bondage earthly desires and fleshly sins? How can we stop finding our meaning and security in people, things, positions, money, and power? It is by increasing love and adoration for God! Someone says, “But why would I give up my pursuit to fill my emptiness and find contentment and pleasure?” Because when you worship Baal and Asheroth, they aren't real and they won't fulfill you or give you pleasure! It is like saying to a hungry man, “Here, eat this dirt, it will fill your stomach.”  Thus the words of the Messiah's invitation, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” (Isaiah 55:2) Critical Question: Do you trust God? Do you truly believe in him? If we put that to a public response, we would likely hear a resounding “Yes!” I'm sorry, but I have a hard time believing you. Trusting God means, I am willing to wait for him to heal and provide for my needs, my desires, my hurts, and my emptiness. And I am content to know that he will not disappoint me. Now do you trust God?  I know myself well enough to know that is not always the case. Sometimes it may even be rarely the case. Conclusion: You will not grow your love for God by simply assembling with Christian and being at worship, though the more devoted we are to our gatherings to worship and study, the more motivated to pursue an intense love for God. The primary discipline needed for intense, passionate love is your combination of one on one time with God in prayer and study and your sharing that love and joy with fellow Christians. What will not work, and what will never work, is simply telling yourself to not give in to those desires and hound you. If you detach yourself from the desire by pursuing the affections that are above, you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Colossians 3:1-4 “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Berry Kercheville The post Romans 12:9 Freedom! Detachment From Sin appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Sunday, 22 February 2026   When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Matthew 17:8   “And having uplifted their eyes, they saw none, if not Jesus alone” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus came to the disciples who had been overwhelmed by the voice and events on the mountain, touching them and telling them to arise and not be afraid. It next says, “And having uplifted their eyes.”   A new word, epairó, to uplift, is seen. It is from epi, upon, and airó, to take up or away. It can be used literally, as in this verse, or it can be used figuratively, such as exalting oneself, etc. The disciples had fallen on their faces from fear. Once Jesus' comforting touch and voice came, they uplifted their eyes and “they saw none, if not Jesus alone.”   Moses and Elijah were gone, and in whatever way the voice from the cloud was transmitted, there was nobody except Jesus to behold. The sudden removal of Moses and Elijah as soon as the voice had been uttered is instructional. Jesus and the message concerning Him are what are to be focused on. The Law and the Prophets had served their purpose and are now no longer what God is doing in the process of redemption.   Life application: If this short section concerning the events on the mountain is evaluated, the message it conveys is crystal clear. In Matthew 16:28, Jesus told the disciples that of those standing with Him, some would not see death until they saw the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.   Just a short time later, He took Peter, James, and John up on a high mountain where He metamorphosed before them. His countenance changed to brilliancy with radiating light. What does Paul say about the message of Christ? He explains it in 2 Corinthians 4 –   “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6   With His radiant countenance manifested, Moses and Elijah appeared and conversed with Him. As noted, Luke includes the note that their conversation was about Jesus' coming death, which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem.   At that time, Peter offered to build three tents to accommodate Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Tents are for dwelling in. But what was the divine response from the Father? It concerned hearing Jesus. The temporary tabernacling of Moses and Elijah was done. The new and eternal tabernacling with God is through Jesus –   “And I heard – voice great from the throne, saying, ‘You behold, the tabernacle [skéné], the God, with the men, and He will tabernacle [skénoó] with them, and they – peoples of Him, they will be, and He – the God with them, He will be, their God'” Revelation 21:3 (CG). After the voice, the men fell down terrified, but when Jesus came to reassure them, they looked up, and there was only Jesus. Jesus promised that there would be those who would see Him coming in His kingdom.   The kingdom is that of understanding who He is, meaning the God/Man in whom God tabernacles, and that the law only anticipated His coming. It is no longer what God is doing. The kingdom Jesus was referring to has arrived in the preaching of the gospel. It will be realized in those who receive it someday. Jesus' words were not referring to an earthly kingdom during the millennium. That will occur, but it is not what is being referred to here.   “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13, 14   If your eyes are on law observance, you are missing the kingdom. Eyes on Jesus! The law is over. God wants us to focus our attention on what He has done through Jesus.   Lord God, thank You for the wonderful news of Jesus Christ. Through faith in Him, we are transferred to His kingdom and now have full and forever restoration with You. Thank You for this wonderful news. Yes, O God, thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  

Deceiving Demon Aliens (1) (audio) David Eells – 2/22/26 From Donald J Trump's X account on Thursday, 2/19/26: Donald J. Trump has now instructed the Secretary of War, (Pete Hegseth) and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters. GOD BLESS AMERICA! There are many people convinced of “aliens” or “guides” that they feel are friendly to humanity, which is a strong delusion because all of the aliens are demons, as the Scripture says. Have you noticed that many of the Planet X / Nibiru researchers have fallen for what they read the ancients said about aliens showing up when Planet X did? They were deceived by demons as a type for our day and they worshipped them. We should not be deceived; they are again being released by God to deceive. Jud.5 Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6 And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. It is possible they will play the good alien / bad alien game to drive the multitudes into the camp of the so-called “good aliens,” but they are all demons. All angels good or bad can manifest as men according to scripture and in dreams and experiences of many. Fallen angels, as aliens, love to claim they planted us on this earth to destroy thoughts that God did this. Satanists are always liars, thieves, fornicators, adulterers, and pedophiles. They also sacrifice women and children. They are perverts because their father demands it. A group of 14 of these graduated from factions “every vile deeds” to satanists who persecuted us and lusted after our women. They took their women through rape and witchcraft. On a Sunday night the Lord spoke to me clearly that on Monday at 7:00 they planed on having an orgy and He was going to kill them all. I spoke to one who knew them who confirmed this plan of theirs. Their were 14 witnesses that these all fell dead at 7:00 am. Then one by one they disappeared in front of the witnesses. An angel told me that they had placed them near their homes around the country so it wouldn't look like a massacre, although there was not a wound on any of them. Others also from the faction died over time.  There are many witnesses that the demons of these people appeared as them in front of us, in a normal setting, to get us to accept them. But the Lord told us to rebuke or ignore them and not to give them permission to continue. They appeared perfectly as their victims whom we knew were dead. The human victims did not come back from the dead because they did not touch their money, wives, or vehicles and we did not give them permission. The satanist leaders demon came down our brother's dead end road with another in his truck to visit a factious couple at the end of the road and these two went in the couples house. Our brother saw them and he had a video camera on his own house pointed down the road they came in on. He found it working, as usual showing every vehicle coming down this dead end road, but the demons and their vehicle did not show up on the video. The brother called me and told me while this was happening, so I called across town to ask if that satanist's truck was where he left it when he died, and it was, so they were in a demon created vehicle just like it. I then asked a sister who had the gift Jesus had when he saw Nathaniel under the fig tree before meeting him. I asked her to look in the factious couple's house and she did and said no one was there. Our brother saw them go in the house but later when he looked the truck was gone and once again they were not on the video and this was the only way out, it was a dead end road. Some would think these were ghosts but they were not. We had another instance like this. Father was teaching us about impersonating demons or familiar spirits. So, we can see that demons can masquerade as people or aliens and their UFO vehicles. Some Christians have found themselves face to face with aliens and rebuked them in Jesus name and they disappeared. A Christian friend of mine, Col. S.C. worked in the military around the underground aliens and he told me, “David, those aliens are demons who can pass through walls effortlessly.” Concerning fake aliens: Inter-stellar space travel is not possible according to the laws of physics. These are interdimensional beings, demons from the second heaven, not Interplanetary travelers. So, let me share some revelations from some brethren, who have received warnings and dreams relating to this alien, aka demon deceptions.   Aliens Are Demons Manifested in Flesh G.C. - 06/15/10 (David's notes in red) In my dream, I was outside in a populated area, maybe in a park or something. It was nighttime and it seemed like any other summer night. All of a sudden, a lot of strange lights started appearing in the sky. First, it seemed like hundreds of shooting stars falling to Earth; then, as the light became more illuminated, the objects took the shape of spacecraft. The night sky was lit up like the Fourth of July! Everyone was shocked and amazed; from east to west, the sky filled with this armada of craft entering Earth's atmosphere. (What the ancients believed were aliens, who showed up during the time of Planet X, according to their writings, were in fact demons who are fallen angels and can take on the appearance of physical bodies, just like God's angels do in scripture. But the fallen angels do it for the purpose of deception. The Tribulation covenant could be made under the cover of catastrophes. Just as the Woman is going into the wilderness, there is a war in heaven and Satan and his fallen angels are cast to earth to deceive the whole world.  Rev.12:9 And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. We also received a dream of a bright star falling from heaven and the confirming scripture Isaiah 14, where Satan is falling from heaven. Isa 14:12-13 How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations! 13 And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit.)  Satan deceives men into thinking he is God, and he is pleased with unregenerate, falsely called “good men,” which is the doctrine of the New Agers. 2Co.11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. The Alliance is bringing about many good moral changes, but it appears they are complicit in this deception of the nations. Rev.18:23 and the light of a lamp shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the princes of the earth; for with thy sorcery were all the nations deceived. Back to the dream, I was very skeptical, even while seeing this with my own two eyes. I confidently told everyone, “Don't be fooled; it's a hologram!” (Which is one of the theories.) I thought these sights were just a crafty trick (which is true but not as a false vision) but then the ships started to get closer to the ground and they ultimately landed. By this time, I was starting to get bewildered; I didn't know what to think. I was really caught off guard. I thought for sure it was all some sort of illusion by the evil rulers of the world. (Is the Alliance in on the plan of “strong delusion”, which is according to God's will to separate the wheat from the tares? 2Th.2:8 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, (Can fallen angels perform lying wonders? Did we get to vote on joining the Galactic Federation?) 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. 11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. It appears in this dream the fallen angels' deception is so strong that God's people will be tested to see who really believes. Mar.13:22 for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, the elect.) Once the craft landed, the door opened and some humanoid beings walked out. Everyone was amazed and startled at the same time. I couldn't believe my eyes. Still believing this was a hologram, I ran over to the ship to touch it and realized it was real. (Satan and his angels are very technological, if they have to be, and have the ability to manifest and interact with the physical realm. They gave men atomic bombs and anti-gravity flying saucers.) I swallowed hard, realizing I was wrong, and I ran back to the crowd.  The humanoid beings dressed in Star Trek-type apparel were being led out by a blond-haired woman. (There is a woman who has introduced many to speaking and hearing from aliens. This is no different than a seance, which is speaking to aliens called familiar spirits.) I, being overwhelmed and slightly intimidated, ran up to her and began to rebuke her in my tongue language. (I often do this in dreams when I feel physically or mentally helpless against an enemy; it often gets me results.)  I thought for sure she would shrivel up in a puddle of goop, like something out of The Wizard of Oz. But, to my astonishment, she just kind of pushed me out of the way, without even acknowledging me. I was perplexed. (The answer to this is, when God sends a delusion to deceive the evil world, we cannot cast it down, nor should we try to. 2Th.2:11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. As you can see, we only have authority to help the believers.) I watched the group of beings disperse into the crowd. It seemed like they had specific orders and didn't even stop to talk to anyone; they just went about whatever it was they were sent here for. I remember being surrounded by hundreds of people like me -- everyone just totally in awe of what they saw. After some time, I started to see the beings again, but now they did not look like humans. They had glass faces, like ice. It was like they were wearing a mask, but they weren't -- I could see through their heads and nothing was inside. (fallen spirits) They had hideous, clown-like faces with big smiles, like jack-o-lanterns. (Thinking these beings to be mere humanoids while in fact they are demon-possessed is more common than we think. But the whole world outside of Christ will be deceived and possessed.) They were now corralling people like cattle in different areas (FEMA camps). The adults were forced to separate from the children and were taken to a designated area. The children were all taken to another area and placed in long lines, all of which led into a large circus-like tent. (This alien disclosure will bring much confusion and distraction as well as cause some people to give up their faith in the One True God.) None of the children quite knew what was happening; they were all a little less concerned than the adults. I remember leaving the adult group and running over to see what was happening to the children. After seeing what was taking place, I immediately woke up.   I Met Satan :o) G.C. - 4/19/11 I would like to share a dream I had that confirms we should not fear Satan or evil. Evil is not as powerful as our minds sometimes imagine, and Satan is no different.  I dreamed that I was with an unknown person in this dream who I believe was an angel. I could tell he knew a lot more of what was going on than I did. I accompanied him everywhere he went. I was like an observer. Toward the end of the dream, we entered an elevator. This elevator took us deep inside the Earth. I was told we were going to Hell to see Satan. The ride took a long time and my mind was wondering about how Satan would really appear. I was thinking, “Would he be intimidating? Would he be scary? How would I react to seeing him?” Once we arrived at the very bottom, the door opened. I looked around and we were inside a very large, dark cave. Hell was just like I'd imagined it: Big, dark and cavernous. I looked out of the area we were in and looked out into the larger opening. I saw armies and very sophisticated weapons. There was violence taking place and fire was everywhere; it was almost like a war itself. One of the weapons spotted us as we came out of the elevator and fired a missile at us, but it missed and exploded against the wall. My companion, the angel, was never frightened; it was like he knew nothing could hurt him.  As he walked, I followed; he knew right where he was walking. He came to a door off in a dark corner of the cave. I realized this was Satan's office. Behind the door was the evil one himself. My heart was racing, not from fear but from the suspense. The angel I was with opened the door and there sat Satan in a chair behind a desk. But to my amazement, Satan was not a seven-foot giant with goat horns. He was a clown. Yes, a clown. And a cartoon clown at that. I was shocked and a little disappointed. I was expecting something more terrifying. Clearly the Lord is saying that Satan and his demons are putting on a false face but are not to be feared. Luk.10:17 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject unto us in thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. The angel then revealed to me that Satan is planning something big for Earth. During our trip back up in the elevator, I saw all these green vines shooting up through the elevator shaft from Hell and they were headed straight to Earth. There were a lot of them, like something from Jack and the Beanstalk. But instead of reaching from Earth to the heavens, they were going from Hell to the earth above. Then I woke up. (According to the follow up dream that Father gave him recently, the vines represent the alien deception that satan is sending to earth from the pit of hell.) G.C. said, “Below is a continuation from the dream above from 2011 called. “I Met Satan”. It has the “green vines connection” where green vines were growing up from hell, and the angel told me, “Satan is planning something big for Earth.” Well, it seems the green vines finally made it to Earth and the plan is revealed....    Satan is Planning Something Big for Earth G.C. - 5/13/22 G.C. said, “For a little context, many years ago I worked for mortgage companies securing and repairing vacant foreclosures.”  I dreamed that my dad and I had been given a work order to secure and inspect a foreclosed home in Los Angeles, California. (Los Angeles means, “The angels.”) It was a big house in a nice neighborhood. It was owned by a black husband and wife in their 50's or 60's. (UFOs and aliens were big in the 50's and 60's. The black couple owning the house could represent that this is a house of sinners submitted to darkness.) (I gathered this information by looking at their family photos still left at the property.) I thought these folks looked very successful from the photos. It didn't make sense to me how they could lose their house to foreclosure. (Foreclosure means that they can't pay their debt so the house is taken back. The debt for our house has been paid by faith in Jesus. If it's not paid because there is no faith, then it belongs to the devil.) I thought maybe one or both of them died. But I wasn't sure. I just knew something was amiss. (When one loses one's house to the devil, their soul is his too.) We proceeded through the large house, taking photos with a camera I had rented at a local camera shop. These photos were to be provided to the bank. Then we walked into the basement and to our utter amazement, we saw a small alien infant tangled up in green vines that appeared to be growing from the floor of the basement. (And according to the previous dream, they came straight out of hell. This represents the alien deception.) The vines were attached to the wall and the infant was wrapped up in them. He had a large brown head with 2 large eyes. When we saw him and approached him he became aggressive and hissed at us. (The aliens/demons hate Christians.) I remember taking the rented camera and snapping pictures of him. Even though I was astonished at this, I was not overly distracted by it. I proceeded with my work at the property. My dad and I decided not to show the photos to anyone as it would become a distraction to the public. (Could this represent the Father hiding things from the wise and prudent and revealing them unto babes?) I knew people would not be ready to see this. I downloaded the photos, removed them from the camera and told my dad to return the camera to the shop.  Later, I sent my report and inspection photos to the bank. The next day, I was out and about and realized the whole world was aware of the alien we had found! They had our photos! They were in every publication and on every news station. I had no idea how this had leaked. (True Christians will recognize this Demon/Alien deception, while the rest of the world will swallow the lie, like the waters out of the mouth of the Dragon.) I assumed it was because we returned the camera and the camera shop found the photos on the device and released them. I knew we had discovered it, but no one would ever know our identity. I was ok with that, but I was a little disturbed by how and why they were released. The world was in a frenzy, to say the least. A few days had passed and I was sent back to the same home by the bank to remove the small area of vines growing in the basement. When I got back to the house, the alien child was gone, but the basement dining room was now absolutely full of green vines. (This will be a worldwide deception that will be ‘fed' to all the people.) The walls and ceiling were now covered. I was supposed to remove them, and it was a daunting task. Then, my dad showed up, and we were talking about the alien. The next thing I knew, I stumbled across the rented camera in the basement. I got so upset at my dad because he returned the case but not the camera. (Honestly, I was worried about the late fees. Lol) He said he forgot to look inside the case when he returned it. I realized something strange had happened. How did the world know of the alien if we never took the camera back? Who released the photos? Then I woke up. (2Th 2:8-12 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. 11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.)   Visions of the Fake The Rapture Posted on 25 August, 2006 by Susan-Defenders Of The Faith  “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 I have personally experienced what I believe John experienced in Rev.4:1-2 on many occasions, with my spirit being with The LORD and how my flesh, as well as John's, did not leave earth. Shortly thereafter, this is what I heard and what was seen during my vision. All television stations, radio news reports, and local churches were telephoning their parishioners, they were trumpeting locations throughout all major cities, instructing the followers of Christ where to go to be “raptured up to be with The Lord”. The TV showed the drama on every channel with people screaming, “It IS the Rapture, Praise God! Let us go to where God IS waiting for us so we will not be left behind in this unbearable tribulation! Quickly now, run!” Not only was this chant being heard from the media, but it was in the air everywhere, near and far.  Thousands upon thousands who previously had not come out of their homes for many days, due to fear of being outside from the foreign military stationed everywhere, in a frenzy, flocked to the appointed places where circular aircraft were positioned in the sky between the tallest buildings. (The demons have these space crafts and have given them to governments as crashed so they could reverse engineer them.) The military stood by, unusually silent and still as they let the masses pass, pressing onward to their predetermined destinations. It did not seem unusual to anyone to see such aircraft, and people were not in the least frightened by their being there. Mostly those confessing to be Christian and even those who did not confess to be a Christian believed it to be the army of The LORD our God, i.e., the Rapture. I could see myself making my way quickly to one of the closest locations to warn people, but my screams of “NO! – Don't Go! It Is NOT The LORD!” were lost as people disappeared under the faint laser type light beamed down from the whirling circular crafts while the sounds of “Here I am Lord, save me!” permeated above all else. (This represents people becoming captive to the Demon/Alien deception.) My heart was heavy with an overwhelming sadness, and my eyes streamed down tears as I grievously watched the great deception. As I looked up, I could somehow hear the horrific screams of those that had been deceptively “beamed up”, (Into the false light) but no one else appeared to hear them or their muffled cries of, “Forgive Me, Lord”, over the turmoil below. During this vision, the following Scripture came forth into my mind and is now seared forever upon my mind and heart. “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” Matthew 24:23-26 I share this information with you because it bears witness with everything I have received from the Lord Jesus Christ over the last ten years. UFOs are real. They are both man-made technology as well as demonic entities. The Lord has also confirmed to me by the testimony of others that some UFOs are living biological entities which are known to some in the UFO community as critters. It is my testimony that these are what the scriptures refer to as “lying signs and wonders”, as well as “wonders in the heavens.” Source: Republished from the eBook ‘UFO Dreams & Visions of Our Future' (PDF eBook)    Fully Vaccinated Easily Traced by UFO's  2/7/2023, Sister Gladys  Greetings, brothers and sisters,  I had a few dreams regarding these end times that I would like to share with you.    UFO Invasion of Earth I was in my kitchen, and it appeared that the roof was open because I looked up and saw the moon and sun were red. I went outside and saw UFOs, spaceships in different forms descending towards the earth. There were so many of them and they spread all over the earth. I suddenly heard something like the sound of a motorcycle and my two nieces disappeared. I knew in my spirit that those demonic UFOs had taken them. I fell asleep again, and I dreamed the second part of the first dream:   We went outside the house with my brothers, and we looked up to the sky, we saw UFO spaceships, one was a light green color, it was in the shape of a square, and it was descending towards our direction, it had some antennas, and it was taking pictures of us, I turned my back towards it so it would not see my face; that spaceship was seeking to take pictures of my face, I felt frustrated, in my spirit. I knew that they could easily trace the people and my brothers who were fully vaccinated with the Covid-19 shots; they could not trace me because I was and am not vaccinated. (A demonic imposed MRNA shot that changes your DNA and removes your resistance to disease.) We must watch and pray so we will not be deceived. Do not take the vaccines, and if you did, you must repent and ask the LORD JESUS to cleanse your blood and your DNA before it is too late. Do not take the final part of the mark of the beast from Revelation 13.  Watch & Pray so that you don't fall into temptation.    Spawns of Satan and Their Inevitable Destruction   10/3/2023, Olasubomi Williams Psalm 21:8-13, Psalm 24:7-10, Bel and the dragon 1:23-28, Daniel 12, 2 Timothy 3:1-17 Children, do not believe everything you see on your news, media, and entertainment. For these things are meant to bring fear and chaos into your life. Satan is a chaos bringer. He likes to cause chaos for my children for as much and as long as possible. Soon, the chaos in this world will cause Satan to reign and dominate your landscape, and you will see hell in all its glory. There will be no peace. Do not be deceived. Peace will be taken from the earth until I come. Anyone promising you peace is lying to you and does not wish well for your soul but rather destruction. Your souls are precious to me. You do not know how precious your soul is to me. When I breathe life into you, I made you mine. I placed my signature in you. My very essence is in you. Even after you fell, I still retained my essence in you.  However, Satan wants you to forget that and focus on his own agenda, which will cause you chaos and panic. If you have faith in me, and you are truly my own, you will see my blessings poured out in you like a well of water poured upon a man, so shall my love, joy, peace, patience, long suffering, gentleness, meekness, kindness, self-control, and temperance be poured upon you. My words shall be your fruits. The fruits are your behaviors and characters that reflect who you are as a person. This is why I say, by their fruit, you shall know them. If you eat and consume my fruits, you will have my attributes and see the way I see. This is why my servant David said, “I have tasted of the Lord and behold he is good”. I am good. Come to me and taste of me and see for yourself.  However, these spawns of Satan, in whom I will thoroughly wipe out from the face of the earth, have no fruits. They are barren entities and have no souls. They are soulless, heartless creatures who reflect their father satan whom in all senses is a deceiver. Satan is a master manipulator. He likes to manipulate the minds of men to rebel. He stirs up the heart of men to rebel against me and my followers. This is his common tactic. However, he has taken it up a notch now. He has now created agents with different mixings and different demonic races to create brand new species that are completely abominable to me. You call them aliens; I call them fallen ones and demons. These are demonic creatures with flesh, strange flesh. (They, like all angels, can appear in any form, including aliens.) They are not of me, and in the time of the end, many of these entities will come out and deceive mankind. (We have seen them taking on dead human forms to deceive. They also take on humanoid forms as aliens.) Do you think that everyone you see around you are humans? Think again. For without my Spirit, you will lie with strange flesh, and your human pattern will change. If you have lain with these beings in the past, it is time to come to me in prayer and fasting, for you have entered into a covenant with demons and fallen entities, and the only possible way to come out of it is by prayer and fasting. (We know a man who has done this and looks like he is dying. If you sleep with satanists their demons enter you.) But in the time of the end, there will be given no such grace, because you will know fully well who these beings are, and if you choose to sleep with them afterwards, then your salvation warranty will be null and void. (Jas 4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.) There will be many of these demonic entities walking around the earth, bringing new technologies, breakthroughs, and devices to deceive mankind into a false enlightenment; an enlightenment of darkness and hell. Those who choose to accept these deceptive beings and welcome them into your abode will have a part to take in the lake of fire. You should not under any circumstances take in these fallen and soulless creatures. When I was with you, abiding by you, you did not welcome me, I who gave you life and gave my life for you, and I am with you at all times. But you want to welcome a stranger, a wicked entity whom you know nothing about, into your homes. You are quick to adopt and use technologies given to you by the fallen ones, but you will not study my words. I pity your very souls. Repent, and come out of mystery Babylon. Come out of Babylon and the teachings of Babylon. Out of the whore who has defiled herself with her abominations.  In the end, I will cast satan into the abyss, and I will destroy and wipe out every one of these strange flesh. They will be destroyed and cast into the lake of fire that burns for all eternity. Any man or woman who partakes in the abominations of strange flesh will also join them, and there will be no repentance for them. Come and taste of me and see that I, Yahushua ha Mashiach am good. Your King, your God and your very High priest. That is all, vessel.    The Mothership / Aliens 7/6/2021 Linda Hasche Luke 21:26-28 “People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because the celestial powers will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near!” DREAM Part 1: A huge “mother ship” appeared in the sky. I saw a massive number of people stunned and staring. I glanced at the mother ship, then looked away at the people. I saw ALL who stared at this ship have their eyes changed while going into some type of trans-like state. (demon possession)  The people were drawn to the ship to get onto it. I absolutely knew this was demonic and evil. I left and went inside a building to hide. I saw my brother James with his dog Cody. James also knew this wasn't good and didn't want to have anything to do with it. I then saw entities that were in the shape of a human coming after me. I then woke up. After getting up for a bit, I went back to sleep and back into the dream. DREAM Part 2: After all the people had gotten on the mother ship, I thought I was safe from the evil, but that was not the case. The entities were looking for ALL humans to capture them.  I was then in a house similar to what I grew up in, located in the city of St. Louis. My brother James was again in this part of the dream with his dog Cody. The entities were coming into the house with people who had been mind-controlled. I saw the eyes of these people had symbols in them rather than human eyes; they were totally mind-controlled.  My brother James chose to go with them because he was so ill and knew he couldn't make it on his own.  These mind-controlled people and the entities with them were trying to convince me that I needed to go with them too. I started SHOUTING, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!!!” Then I started speaking in tongues LOUDLY. Using the name of Jesus immobilized them. They all stopped as if frozen. I then started SHOUTING, “Father, send Your angels!!! Father, send Your angels!!!”  Then suddenly an angel of the LORD appeared in the doorway. All of the mind-controlled humans and the entities had to leave. Both the angel and I went outside. I saw small groups of people who had also hidden from the entities when the mother ship appeared. (Saved from the alien deception) They were ALL Christians, and they were all saved from the evil. I woke up. Interpretation/understanding: My brother James and his dog, Cody, both passed away last year (May 2020). My brother was very ill, but was strong in the LORD Jesus and ready to go be with Him. Many will pass away, and many have passed away in 2020 and 2021 who were also strong in the LORD, but the Heavenly Father chose (and will choose) to take people home to keep them from the evil to come (Isaiah 57:1-2). (Many have died from taking the VAX) The people who all stared at the mother ship and became “mind-controlled” are ALL of those who took the CV-19 death “jabs”; they will not be able to resist the frequencies that come from the skies, that will turn on the nano-particles that were injected into them. These people will become zombie-like. They will ALL want everybody to take the CV-19 death “jabs” and will be helping the entities (fallen angels/demons) try to convince non-jabbed people to take the death jabs.  The AMAZING part of this dream, when it looked like I was going to be captured: the name of JESUS caused the entities and mind-controlled people to stop and freeze. Also, the Heavenly Father sent an angel to protect me from planned harm.  ALL Christians who did not take the CV-19 death jabs were spared from the mind-control that was going to happen. Why the mother ship? Because fallen angels are behind ALL of these CV-19 death “jabs”. The “mother of all lies,” as the saying goes. These CV-19 death “jabs” are to ultimately turn all who survive the depopulation agenda to become satan's army to fight against Jesus, and these will WILLINGLY take “the mark of the beast”, which you will be able to see on the right hand or forehead  Are these CV-19 death “jabs” the “mark of the beast”? NO!! NO!! NO!!!  What are they then? They are “markers for slaughter” and for mind-control minions to take “the mark of the beast”, to ultimately become satan's human zombie army to fight the LORD Jesus. What are the “prized” mind-controlled people by Satan? Professing Christians who willingly took the CV-19 death jabs, who WILL also willingly take “the mark of the beast” unless they REPENT!!  What if you took the CV-19 death jabs? REPENT, REPENT and REPENT!!! Again, I say “REPENT!!!” Ask the Heavenly Father to forgive you for putting this fallen angel death juice into you, into “the temple of the Holy Spirit.” Ask Him to cleanse away ALL that was injected, to heal you and to protect you from ALL harm, in Jesus' name and by the blood of Jesus. Amen and AMEN!!! (Those who believe the Bible that we were healed by Jesus would not take the jab. 1Pe 2:24  who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. Exo 15:26…I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am Jehovah that healeth thee.  What about people you know who took the CV-19 death jabs? Pray for mercy upon their soul. That they will experience the ramifications of the death jab, as the Heavenly Father allows, so they can see the evil of the jabs, repent and turn to Jesus. ONLY WHEN folks truly see how evil these jabs are, when it impacts them personally, can they turn to repentance. Most won't, but some will.    Alien Infiltrated 8/6/2023 - Alcidez A Torrez Shalom everyone, I want to share this dream. I know that there is much talk about the great deception of aliens that are nothing more than fallen angels, demons, and reptilians. This dream was in May 2023.  In my dream, I was in a small building and two agents, like government or FBI agents, were talking. One of them approached me and asked me something, but I don't know what he said. I was wondering why? I didn't pay attention because I was astonished to see his real face. It was really horrible; he had big black eyes all over, and his skin was kind of pale and gray. Then he understood that I could see his real face, and he approached the other FBI agent, but this one was human. He just worked with them and whispered in the agent's ear, but God, at that moment, allowed me to hear what he said. The non-human agent told him, “He can see me,” and the other agent just answered, “How?” Then he told him again, “He can see my face.” At that moment, I looked around, and there were more human people there, but none of them could see the real face of that agent, who was not human, and I felt a little frustrated, but I could see his face clearly; it was very ugly, similar to the aliens that appear in the movies. (We have seen peoples faces turn into the demon that possessed them. It is a form of discernment of spirits.) At that moment, I understood that somehow they use a mechanism to appear like human beings (All angels can appear human. We sometimes “entertain angels unawares.”), but God allowed me to see their true face, and they are really ugly. Then, at that moment, I woke up from my dream.   Spaceships/Aliens vs Fallen Angels!   A Dream & A Few Thoughts! 12/20/24 Elizabeth Marie  A few people have been asking me if I have heard ‘anything' from the LORD concerning what we are now witnessing in the skies….so I thought I would share this dream, and interpretation that I had on 7/20/24…. This dream was a bit bizarre to me (UFOs have never been anything that I studied or followed), so I did not post it. However, in the light of what is happening right now, in the skies, it does not seem so strange!  In this dream, I was outside with lots of people milling about. Apparently, there was some sort of school that was having classes outside. I was one of the teachers and was to start my class soon.  As I was getting ready, I noticed that the students were young adults who were gathering in front of me, ready for class. As I started teaching, I noticed something in the far distant sky…. some lights coming right towards me.  Before I knew it, the students had fled, and, instead, right above me, about 20 feet high, were some drones hovering in front. I remember thinking that they seemed too BIG to actually be drones, for they were the size of a small house. I then noticed that they were in a ‘V' formation, with one in the front (which I knew to be the leader), then two in the next row, then three in the next row, and so on. I don't remember how many there were… but at least 10. The body of these drones were RED and BLACK, half and half, and they looked very sinister. The front ‘leader' DRONE flew up right above my head. As I looked straight up, I saw a TRAP-TYPE DOOR OPEN! At this time, I realized that this wasn't actually a ‘DRONE,' but an ‘ALIEN SHIP!'  Suddenly I felt this tremendous SUCKING POWER coming upon me, much like a VACUUM that was trying to suck me up into the aircraft. I was able to stand up against its FORCE by jumping to the side, away from the SUCTION BEAM, and GRAVITATIONAL PULL. As I escaped, I then woke up!  INTERPRETATION:  I believe that this dream points to an ALIEN DECEPTION that is coming! We will be seeing out-of-this-world alien entities, ships, and strange occurrences in the skies, as well as ORB-TYPE phenomenon.  The ‘drones' in my dream were half black and half red. The LORD has shown me, from previous dreams, that this combination represents Satan's Kingdom and his demons. (Red and black colors are powerful symbols within anarchism) It is important to NOTE that no matter how ‘weird,' or ‘strange' it may get, any ALIEN-TYPE BEINGS that come are not from the LORD. They are from the FATHER OF LIES, Satan, who is a deceiver, and a master of manipulations, and deceptions. This means that it will be hard to discern if we are actually witnessing real ALIEN-TYPE encounters, or FAKE ones that come from human technology. Either way, we must remember that these are sent by Satan, and we must be very careful not to be DRAWN IN by their deceiving ways, and powers…. much like the sucking gravitational pull in my dream! We are to FLEE all evil, and any appearance of EVIL!!!  “…reject every kind of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21  INSTEAD, we have been given ALL THE POWER of the NAME OF JESUS to REBUKE any such entities, or principalities of wickedness! Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” One question that can be asked is about the ALIENS vs. FALLEN ANGELS. In other words, are the ALIENS that are coming, actually FALLEN ANGELS…. or just some sort of wicked principalities? If we look at Revelation 12, it mentions a GREAT WAR in heaven where Satan and his angels battle against Michael and the HOLY ANGELS. Satan loses that war and is then cast down to the earth, along with his angels… (which are demons)  (Antichrist is a spirit and there are many “antichrists,” as John says in 1Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour. 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.) Are the ANGELS that fall down with Satan, a type of FALLEN ANGELS, much like in the days of Genesis? (Yes) Are they what we call the ALIENS that come to invade Earth? (They can take on the appearance of aliens to deceive. They all deny the creation saying they planted man on the earth.) Or will they be cloaked in such deception that they will just ‘blend' in with humanity, and cause much destruction secretly? (Yes, that too) Only time will tell, as we see these prophecies unfold. I do not have any of those answers, but only a ‘glimpse' of what the LORD has shown me! However, I do believe that what we are experiencing in the skies could be a precursor to what is coming sometime in the future. Revelation 12:7-9 “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”   A Warning to the Prophets  7/25/2024 Alison Pound  This word was first spoken to me on Tuesday, 16 October 2018. All are impatient. All are looking for My appearing. I say soon – and you look now! But time is in My hands and it is not quite time for My appearance.  There is much yet to be done before I can come for you, My beloved.  There is much to be put right with the remnant who will remain. My prophets will have a pure voice before I come. Those (prophets) who do not become pure in voice will be removed. Yes, I will take them home! These are tough times! No compromise!  Eyes must be opened to deception. Anything remaining of the world in My prophets is going to make them weak. Those who do not know what My earth looks like and what My Word says about creation will be awakened to the truth soon. (The creation story has a perfect numeric pattern in it like the rest of the 66 books and no other book has. Aliens are liars who hate the creation story.) If they will not believe, I will remove them. Be assured, I am at work in many. Those who have theology in their heads and not My Word will be dealt with. Those who think I am coming to take them home before the great tribulation will be removed! I can no longer abide those who do not spend time before Me, studying and coming to the truth. There is not multiple truths, there is but one. It is not okay for one to say in My Name that I am coming before the tribulation and for another to say that I am coming after the tribulation. They must be of one mind – My Mind.  It is not okay for those ‘seeing' planets appearing in the skies and aliens coming to attack, to believe what NASA and scientists tell them about space. They are seeing these things in their dreams. I will tell you now, they are not from Me! They are not from Me! The enemy is creeping in. He has long had a foothold with My people because of this great delusion. But I am going to break this lie wide open. I am going to humiliate these godless scientists who are no scientists at all but paid liars.  The whole world is the playground for the enemy. It is his domain. And he has been deceiving the whole world from the beginning, when I kicked him out of heaven. Be assured that everything you read, watch on a screen, and hear from the governments and agencies of this world is lies, half-truths, and straight deception. Because the world is not of Me. I warned you to come out of the world, but you did not. I urged you to come up higher, to be delivered of your demons, to wash yourselves in repentance in the blood of the Lamb daily. But you did not!  And so you have believed all the things that were taught to you in school without question. You took them into adulthood and they became your belief system. When you were born again, you added Me into your belief system. But, My dear ones, the two do not mix. Because I Am not of the world. I Am Holy and the things of this world are profane.  If you will repent and be delivered of the lying spirits that you have unwittingly allowed in your lives, then I will tell you the truth. I will point out these truths to you in Scripture. They will become highlighted as you have never seen them before – because you will be able to see and to hear like never before.  It is not My desire that you be removed from this earth. Because you are My prophets. I need My mouthpiece. Yet I will remove you if you do not repent of speaking this mixture to the people.  PLEASE NOTE: If you believe wrong, then you will see and perceive wrong. Your dreams are corrupted because your belief system is corrupted. If you prefer to go on believing what agencies like NASA tell you, rather than what the Word of God says about what is above us, and continue to prophecy about those things; If you do not repent, then God will remove you. This is a very strong warning from the Lord God. I have had it sitting in my journal since 2018 when the Lord spoke it to me. It is time to publish. The Lord decides these things. I do not. A time of grace has been given to the prophets in order to put right what is not right.  That time is almost at an end. Every type of manifestation and deception is going to be unleashed. Strange spiritual wickedness in high places will manifest here in our skies and upon the earth. We are coming into that time Apostle Luke spoke of: 21:26 “Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”   Dream: "Then Those Called Aliens Will Capitalize on the War"  10/3/2017 - Christopher Harris Dear brothers and sisters, I wanted to share a dream I had on Monday, the 2nd of October 2017. I woke up at 7 am and wrote this dream down as I believe it was from the Lord. In this dream, I was in a waiting room adjoining an office for auditions for a movie or acting role. There were movie producers with their door open, and they were speaking loudly. I overheard them talking and they were acting in a disgusting and vile manner. I heard them apply new age spiritual practices to their behavior, (In order to have a rosy picture of the future they have thrown out the book of Revelation, which also has that perfect numeric pattern in it.) supposedly to stop racism and predatory behavior, but they mocked at this and were only using it to justify their evil thoughts and deeds. They seemed to know this full well and were laughing about it and pretending to speak in a new age spiritual manner.  I saw Asian people from different nations in the waiting room, and the producers came out and were abusing them and threatening them under the guise of these new-age teachings. I don't know how to describe what they were saying, but it was very deceptive. They filmed themselves as they approached one of the young men seated to audition for an acting role. They put a coat hanger around his neck and started strangling him and threatening to kill him. He was hoping to be hired, so he was trying to laugh it off, but they were hurting him. They filmed this and laughed about using the footage for a project. The man's mother elbowed the producer away lightly but firmly and refused. Another young Asian man was having a seizure on the floor in the waiting room. The producers had ignored him for a long time. The woman was tending to him, and I went over and put my hands on him. He became still and opened his eyes. I tried to stop him from sitting up and hitting his head on a sharp corner. Then a young blond girl in a red dress, about 7 years old, came through the double wooden doors. She looked at me, and I smiled at her. She asked me, “Why did you smile?” I said, “You are very pretty.” She said, “Wow, oh really?” Then she walked past, and I was looking at something on the door. She had come there to audition for an acting role alone; her parents weren't there. She came up to my side and said, “Did you do this?”  She held out a Post-it note saying, “To Lana” and with writing about how they were going to explicitly sexually abuse her. She said, “This is my name!” She was distressed and worried, so I said, “These men are vile and disgusting”. (Those in Hollywood and the entertainment business, among other professions, are pedophiles and sexual perverts who use and abuse children, sacrificing them to satan.) She sighed as if she had been through a lot in her life and took my left hand and put her hand on my palm. I said, “What are you doing?” She didn't answer, but moved her thumbs on the palm of my hand, trying to read my palm. I took my hand away and said, “No, I can't let you do that. That is of the demons. Pray to God for the answer”. She closed her eyes and stood still with her hands together in prayer. Then the three producers from the office approached her from behind and were snickering to each other, playing off everything they did in a joking manner to justify it. One reached his hand out to touch her. I elbowed his hand away and said sternly, staring at them, “She is busy”.  They backed away and she opened her eyes and parted her hands, and the double wooden doors before us opened. At the end of the hall was an office with Teresa May (Prime Minister of Britain) standing there. It was her office. Lana told me to follow her and go to the left, and she would go to the right so we would not be seen. As I entered the room, I noticed on the right, there was a stand with news articles reporting events that hadn't happened yet. One spoke of war that would break out, and I felt it was very serious. Other people were in the office, busy on computers and laptops with headsets. I followed Lana, and she went ahead, seemingly invisible to them. I waited for a gap and went inside, crouching down to avoid their gaze. She motioned me to follow further, and I came to a congested area with multiple people, but I turned my head from their gaze, and they were unable to see me. Finally, I came into Teresa May's office, but she could not see me. Lana had crouched down by a bookshelf in the office, and she was weeping. I crouched down with her, and she whispered to me, crying and upset, “I have a secret, do you want to know?”  I looked at her and nodded. As she spoke, a book appeared before my eyes with the words she spoke written on the page, “They will kill all the children, they will kill all the men and women, all who prophesy or speak the law of God”. Then she said, distraught with tears in her eyes, “Are you one of these people?” I looked at her with love and said, “Yes, always, and forever!”  Then I wept about what will come, the murdering of those who prophesy or speak the law of God. My vision went black, but then the brightness and energy of the Lord filled my gaze, and I felt His love and peace as my sorrow was gone. Then my vision went black again, and I saw a vision of a town with war breaking out. I saw tanks, bombs, and troops destroying towns and people.  Then I heard a voice say, “Then those called aliens will capitalize on the war.”  Then I saw flying saucers flying over the partially destroyed town, firing weapons that looked like laser beams, seeking to further destroy and conquer, as if they had waited for the right time to attack. Then the dream ended. Interpretation: I believe the producers represent men in powerful positions abusing children and other innocent victims from other nations. They were using their positions and the deception of new-age spiritual concepts to disguise their actions, but they were vile and wicked. I believe they represented the new age spiritism/religion that will be used to justify and promote evil. The young girl dressed in red was innocent. Those wicked men were seeking to destroy her along with many other innocent children. I knew this was happening all over the world.  When she tried to read my palm, she quickly accepted my suggestion to pray to God, as if she knew instinctively how. To me, this shows the young generation will quickly grow in God if they are given the right influences.  When the double wooden doors opened, I believe the Lord was revealing what was going on in positions of power in the world. News was being written before it happened because the governments planned them in advance. Their plans were to destroy and kill Christians, all who prophesy and speak the law of God. This was written in the book that appeared before my eyes. When Lana asked whether I was one of those who prophesy and speak the law of God, I replied, “Yes, always, and forever!” My response took me by surprise because the courage of the Lord was with me as I boldly declared I was one of those they were seeking to kill. I cried for those who were going to suffer in what was coming. The love and energy of the Lord was with me, comforting me, even as my vision faded into black. I believe the Lord will be with all who are martyred for His name's sake, and they will be with the Lord in joy and peace forevermore. I believe my vision of the town with war breaking out revealed wide-scale war, which was the fulfillment of the news reports written in advance. The war that was planned and written before it even started.  Flying saucers further destroyed the towns. I believe these were not extraterrestrial aliens, but fallen angels, demons, appearing in the guise of aliens to deceive people. I believe these beings will be coming upon the earth because I have had many other dreams about them, including a week ago, when I saw many flying saucers in the sky and demons roaming the streets. I believe widespread Christian persecution is coming, and that we should prepare ourselves to stand firm in the Lord Jesus Christ unto death, refusing to deny His name and also refusing to accept the mark of the beast. I would appreciate your thoughts. May God bless you my brothers and sisters. Your brother in Christ, Christopher Scripture References:  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12)  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. (Matthew 24:9) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. (Revelation 12:11)  Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. (Revelation 9:1) 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. (Revelation 9:14-15)  So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:8)

Saturday, 21 February 2026   But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” Matthew 17:7   “And He came, Jesus. He touched them, and He said, ‘You rouse, and you fear not'” (CG).   In the previous verse, after hearing the voice from heaven, the disciples fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. Matthew next records, “And He came, Jesus. He touched them.”   This is something seen elsewhere, in both testaments. When a person is presented with the presence of deity, it so overwhelms him that he falls to the ground in a stupor. But then, a comforting hand is presented to him –   “And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. 10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, ‘O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.' While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.” Daniel 10:7-11   “When I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.'” Revelation 1:12-18   Along with touching them, it says, “and He said, ‘You rouse, and you fear not.'”   The words of Jesus and the familiarity of His voice would have brought them to their senses and let them know that, despite the terror the manifestation of the voice brought, they were safe in His presence.   Life application: The lesson for the disciples is the same as the lesson for us today. Though humans throughout the world and in an almost unlimited number of religions constantly talk about God in their regular conversation, there is no fist-bumping fellowship between the two.   Rather, the perfections of God in contrast to the imperfections found in man mean that we should rather be terrified of encountering Him on our own merits. It cannot be known how the voice from the Father occurred, but it struck terror in the hearts and minds of the disciples.   It is the same reaction as occurred at Mount Sinai when Israel heard the words of the Lord God when the Ten Commandments were spoken. At that time, their response to Moses was, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”   Jesus is there to mediate between His Father and us. It is His perfection that allows this. Without that, there would only be horror at the majesty of God in relation to our own infinitely fallen state.   It is Jesus who restores harmony between the two. It cannot come about through Muhammad, Buddha, Krishna, Mary, or any other person or figure who is prayed to by the deceived people of the world. Without Jesus, there is only the expectation of judgment and condemnation. Thank God for Jesus Christ, who makes our restoration with God possible.   Lord God, how grateful we are for the giving of Your Son to bring us back to You. We praise You, and we will praise You forever and ever because of Him. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Release the Fear and Step Into Boldness—GOD IS WITH YOU | Blessed Morning Prayer To Start Your DaySUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

Friday, 20 February 2026   And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. Matthew 17:6   “And having heard, the disciples, they fell upon their face, and they feared exceedingly” (CG).   In the previous verse, a cloud overshadowed those on the mountain, and a voice came out of the cloud proclaiming Jesus is God's beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. Matthew next records, “And having heard, the disciples, they fell upon their face.”   The terror of the event was overwhelming for the disciples. Elsewhere, John records what a voice from heaven sounded like –   “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” 29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” John 12:27-29   As the disciples were enveloped in the brilliant cloud, they would be mentally confused about the source of the voice. The mental overload could have been magnified depending on how the voice spoke. If it were authoritative, it could have been shocking. If it was a bit miffed, as in, “Forget those others. I want you to focus on My Son,” they could have been fearful for having had the wrong attitude, etc.   A natural reaction would be to fall down and lie prostrate in fear. That is confirmed with the next words, “and they feared exceedingly.”   The disciples, knowing there were three there, and having heard the voices as they conversed, the sudden introduction of another voice with nobody else having been present would have been truly shocking. Peter's memory was permanently affected by this event. Many years later, he referred to it in his second epistle –   “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.” 2 Peter 1:16-18   Life application: At some point in human history, the Lord will return for His church. We have no idea when that will be. All the speculation in the world is wasted time that could have been used to do something productive for the Lord.   When He comes, the Bible says this will be how it occurs –   “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17   We will hear the shout of the Lord. Now imagine what that will be like for people under different circumstances. Some may be in church praising Him. Hearing that should be a glorious moment as the joy of those who were praising Him has found its true purpose.   Another group will be working, some in very tedious jobs. That will be a call to rest from their labors. It will be a relief for the weary, toiling souls. Another group might be people on the beach or on a mountain hiking. The majesty or beauty of their surroundings will suddenly mean nothing compared to the glory that lies ahead.   Others, however, might be engaged in stealing from Walmart, cheating with their neighbor's wives, or doing other things that Christians should not be engaged in. Their final acts on this earth before being taken to glory will be a source of embarrassment and shame.   How do you want your last moments before Jesus comes to be remembered? We should focus our minds on Him and honor Him at all times. We should have our eyes directed to Him and our activities in line with what He would find pleasing in His eyes.   The Lord is coming, and we don't know when. Be about your business with that in mind.   Lord God, help us to spend our time wisely as we await Your return for us. We may die before that day and await Your call from the sleep of death, but You may come while we are still alive. Give us wisdom to remember that day, considering it at all times as we contemplate a better life in Your presence forever. Amen.  

“Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.” — Ezekiel 36:37 Prayer is the forerunner of mercy. Turn to sacred history, and you will find that scarcely ever did a great mercy come to this world unheralded by supplication. You […]

Step Into God's Purpose for You—NO TURNING BACK | Blessed Morning Prayer To Start Your Day With GodSUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™

Genesis 3:1, 4b-6, 8a, 14-15, 20-21 - Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'? … You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and … that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. … And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day … The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” … The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

“These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.” (Genesis 2:4) There are two accounts of creation ... More...

God's Timing Is Always Perfect—TRUST HIM COMPLETELY _ Blessed Morning Prayer To Start Your Day - God's Timing Is Always Perfect—TRUST HIM COMPLETELY | Blessed Morning Prayer To Start Your DaySUBSCRIBE to catch all the latest prayers uploaded to the Daily Effective Prayer Podcast!For more powerful daily prayers and to connect with the ministry visit:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org© Copyright DailyEffectivePrayer.com  SUPPORT THE MINISTRY: (We are listener-supported)https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/donate/ DO YOU NEED PRAYER? Send us a prayer request right now:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/prayer-request-online/ CONNECT WITH US:https://www.dailyeffectiveprayer.org/connectYouTube (1M+ SUBSCRIBERS)X / TwitterInstagram ThreadsInstagramFacebook Daily Effective Prayer™