Podcasts about lord jesus christ himself

Jesus Is The Way - Humility To Glory (5)  (audio)  David Eells – 3/30/25  I'm going to continue with our study on Jesus is the Way – Humility to Glory and talk with you today about who and what is blessed of God and what it truly means to be blessed.   Father, in the Name of Jesus, we ask that You open our understanding. Help us, Lord, to retain the things that You say to us. We need the Holy Spirit to bring to our remembrance everything, Lord, to protect us, to guide us, and to give us wisdom in the days to come. We hold fast to that promise because we need so much, Lord, that Your Spirit will bring these things to our remembrance again. Thank You, Lord, for blessing our minds. We know that our minds were created to be much more useful than they have been under the curse. We also know that according to Galatians 3:13, Jesus bore the curse for us and, therefore, Lord, we know that You're working to restore our minds today. We thank You for that, Lord. Father, we want to understand what Jesus did for us. We want to be able to exercise faith in Your Will. And in order to know Your Will, we need to have knowledge, Lord, so we ask You to open our knowledge and give us understanding, in Jesus' Name. Thank You, Father! Praise You, God!   Now some people may be wondering, “David, what does that word ‘blessed' actually mean? What is it to be ‘blessed?'” So let's go first to Deuteronomy 28 because the first 14 verses speak of that, and we can translate these into what they mean for us in our day.   (Deu.28:1) And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God (“Hearken” there is the Hebrew shama meaning “to hear and obey.” Not just be hearers of the Word but be doers of the Word {James 1:22}.), to observe to do all his commandments which I command thee this day (We know that the Lord has given us commandments in our Covenant, too. We need to be diligent to study them and obey them, and we know that by faith, God's Grace gives us power to do just that.), that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth. This not talking about our physical nation where we live; this is talking about our spiritual nation. We are the nation of Israel. We who have been born again and believe in the sacrifice of Christ, according to Romans 11, have been grafted into the olive tree called “all Israel.” So we are Israel, not physical Israel, but spiritual Israel.     (Deu.28:2) And all these blessings shall come upon thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. (3) Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. (4) Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy beasts, the increase of thy cattle, and the young of thy flock. (5) Blessed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough. That was very important to them in those days, and this could translate into a few different things for us today, but basically, this was their livelihood and their food.    (Deu.28:6) Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. (So whether you're coming or whether you're going, meaning just about everywhere you are, you're going to be blessed.) (7) The Lord will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thee… Now, we know that our enemies are both natural and spiritual, and Paul tells us this in (Eph.6:12) For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. The Lord has promised us victory if we will “hearken” diligently unto His Voice, meaning if we will keep His commandments.     (Deu.28:7) The Lord will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thee: they shall come out against thee one way, and shall flee before thee seven ways. In the midst of the trial, “hearken” unto the Word. Accept the good report, and the devil won't know what to do with you, and neither will your physical enemies (Numbers 13:30). Our physical enemies come against us as persecutions and a matter of crucifixion, so the best thing to do is lay down your life. Stop trying to save yourself by man's methods. Put your trust in the Lord and “hearken diligently” unto His Word.    (Deu.28:8) The Lord will command the blessing upon thee in thy barns, and in all that thou puttest thy hand unto; and he will bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. (9) The Lord will establish thee for a holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee; if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways. (10) And all the peoples of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee. Wow! That certainly doesn't sound anything like Psalm 2, where we are told all the nations are going to come against God and against His people. Let's look at that.     (Psa.2:1) Why do the nations rage, And the peoples meditate a vain thing? (2) The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord, and against his anointed, [saying,] (3) Let us break their bonds asunder, And cast away their cords from us. And it's a far cry from what Jesus said in (Mat.24:9) Then shall they deliver you up unto tribulation, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all the nations for my name's sake. Instead, the Lord says the nations will fear you if you hearken unto His Voice.     (Deu.28:11) And the Lord will make thee plenteous for good, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee. (12) The Lord will open unto thee his good treasure the heavens, to give the rain of thy land in its season, and to bless all the work of thy hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. That's certainly contrary to what a majority of people believe about the Will of the Lord nowadays: “thou shalt not borrow.” The Lord says you'll lend, but you won't borrow, and that's part of the blessing, saints. If you hearken unto His Voice and believe what He says, He will provide your needs.     (Deu.28:13) And the Lord will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do [them,] (14) and shalt not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. “Other gods” there is the word elohim, and many, many people today choose to follow another “Jesus” of their own making.  Paul complained about that even back in his day, didn't he? (2Co.11:3) But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ. (4) For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, [or] if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with [him]. And if we follow after something other than the commands of God, He's not making any promises about blessing here. The blessing comes from our finding the Will of God in the Word and then walking in it through faith.    So who is it that receives the blessing of God? Let me remind you of the text we were studying last time in Matthew 5. (Mat.5:1) And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain: and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him: (2) and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying … (4) Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Evidently, the people who are obedient “to the Lord thy God,” who do His Will, and seek to be submissive to His commandments, are a people that mourn. Now how could that be? In what way is mourning righteous and just? The thought that comes to my mind is that the first thing we need to mourn about is our own life. As David said, “I will not be satisfied until I awake in thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15). The first thing we have to mourn about is not manifesting the Life of Christ.   James also speaks about this. (Jas.4:6) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore [the scripture] saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Grace is all we need to walk with the Lord. We've learned that grace is His favor in our life; His favor makes us able. He's putting in us the desires that we need and giving us the power that we need. Grace is all we need, and God says He gives it to the humble.     (Jas.4:7) Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded. (9) Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. (10) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you. In whatever ways the Lord reveals to us that we're walking contrary to His commandments, that we're not hearkening unto His Voice, that we're not representing Jesus Christ to the world as true Christians, we have something to mourn about. And it should be grievous to us to not walk in His Steps because that's what it is to “abide in Christ” (1 John 2:27- 28; 2 John 1:9; etc.). It should be grievous to us to be anything contrary to the Will of God.    Of course, repentance always precedes faith. Faith alone won't overcome our own lack of repentance, and repentance is what mourning is all about. However, after we mourn what the Lord shows us about ourselves, we need to be careful not to spend too much time in condemnation. We confess our sin to the Lord, He forgives us, and then He cleanses us from it. (1 John 1:9) We need to go from there to faith. We need to reckon ourselves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God (Romans 6:11). So you repent and you mourn because of what the Lord shows you in your life, but He doesn't reveal everything all at once, or He would overwhelm us with grief. Thank God, it's “line upon line; here a little, there a little” (Isaiah 28:10). Otherwise, we probably would never come to faith because we would be overcome with condemnation. So He's very merciful. He leads us through our promised land to conquer one enemy at a time.     This reminds me of a vision my wife received in which she and her sister were standing underneath an apple tree, and worms were hanging out of the apples, just eating away at them. So my sister-in-law got a can of pesticide spray and started broadcasting it over the whole tree, but my wife said, “No, that won't work.” She took the can from her sister and told her, “This is how you do it.” She sprayed each one of those worms in the mouth, and as she did that, she realized that they were all little serpents, not worms. And, of course, that's what we have to do. We attack these things one at a time as the Lord shows them to us, and the first thing we have to change is our mouth as we're told in (Rom.10:10) for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. We have to put that wickedness to death. We have to use the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).    And what does God promise us if we humble ourselves in His sight, if we cleanse our hands and are afflicted and mourn concerning this problem, and turn our laughter into mourning? He says that He will exalt you. Humbling ourselves is the first step. Yes, we can be grieved over other people's sins, and there's a place for that, but first, we need to get the board out of our own eye, so we can see clearly to get the mote out of our brother's eye (Matthew 7:3-5; Luke 6:41-42). Certainly, we can cry out to the Lord to give us the grace to humble ourselves, because working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure is something that comes from Him, too (Philippians 2:13). It's not a case of picking ourselves up by our bootstraps. We're not deceiving God by mourning over something that we don't feel. He knows if our repentance is sincere or not. The Lord wants to give us a conviction of sin. He wants to put that mourning in our hearts concerning sin. He wants us to hate sin as He hates sin (Psalms 1:5,5:5-6; Romans 1:29- 32; etc.)     Needless to say, there is a place of mourning because of the persecutions and the tribulations that come upon us through the wicked people around us. Jesus told us in (Luk.6:21) Blessed [are] ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed [are] ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. (22) Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you [from their company,] and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. We don't see that as a blessing, but it's listed here as one of God's blessings because when we're hated of the world, that means we're loved of God. If we weep because of what we're giving up in the natural, because of persecutions that we're suffering and enduring for Christ's sake, persecutions that we endure because of the crucified life, this is good.  The Lord is going to bless us for this.   Going on, He says (Luk.6:23) Rejoice in that day, and leap [for joy]: for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the same manner did their fathers unto the prophets. (Luk.6:24) But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. (25) Woe unto you, ye that are full now! for ye shall hunger. Woe [unto you,] ye that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. It's better to weep and mourn now, while the world is rejoicing, while the world's been given the high hand, so to speak.     We're heading into a time when, other than the judgments that are falling upon them, the world is going to think they have everything going their way. They will be given authority over the saints to bring them to their crosses. You and I are going to be hated; we're going to be ostracized. They will cast out our names as evil, and God says we can certainly mourn over that, but He also says to rejoice because your names are written in the Lamb's book of life (Luke 10:20; Revelation 20:12,15; etc.) and your reward is great in the Kingdom of Heaven. Hallelujah!    (Luk.6:26) Woe [unto you,] when all men shall speak well of you! for in the same manner did their fathers to the false prophets. There is a time coming of much weeping and mourning, but He also commanded us in the midst of that to rejoice and leap for joy because, when the world hates you, that means God loves you. You're on His side, and you're on your way to His Kingdom. When we're loved of the world, and we love the world, then we're departing from God.     Let's look at another good example of what God considers to be righteous mourning. (2Pe.2:6) And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly (God's judgment is coming upon the wicked, but, at the same time, He will save those who are His.); (7) and delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked… If we're not grieved by and mourning over the wicked life of the people around us, it's because we don't have the conviction of God in our hearts. The Lord Jesus wept over Jerusalem. (Luk.19:41) And when he drew nigh, he saw the city and wept over it, (42) saying, If thou hadst known in this day, even thou, the things which belong unto peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. He was grieved at the hardness of heart in the people to not receive His Words from the Father.     It's right for us to be grieved because of the people around us who won't listen, won't submit to God, and who won't be convicted of sin, just as Lot was “sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked.” “Lasciviousness” is their license to “unbridled sensuality and excess.” Basically, it's their license to do what they want to do, and even among Christians, this is common. Their doctrines that promote lasciviousness and permit a person to live any way they want to live while still thinking that they are a disciple of Christ and are going to heaven are common. This is a strong delusion among major portions of Christianity, and it's just not the Truth. It's a deception that comes to people who are living after their own lusts and being bribed by self-will to please their flesh. Lot was sore distressed seeing this in the people around him, and we should be grieved today over people who call themselves “Christians” yet who walk in this way with the Lord.    (2Pe.2:7) And delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked (8) (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their] lawless deeds): (9) the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment… That is so true! People wonder why they're living under a curse, and it's because they have turned the grace of God into lasciviousness (Jude 1:4).     They're living the way they want to live, and they're paying the penalty for their unrighteousness because the blessings come upon the people that “hearken to,” that “hear and obey,” the “voice of the Lord thy God.” The blessings come upon the people who are diligent to keep His commandments. This should be highly motivating for us to get into the Word to find out what the Will of God is and come out from under the curse. Yet, sadly, multitudes of people have insulated themselves with lascivious doctrines that permit them to live the way they want.    We know that Jesus wasn't talking about what we loosely call “Christians”; He was talking about “disciples,” which means “learners and followers.” We need to lead people into discipleship, but if they desire to live in the lusts of their flesh, they will believe and promote these flesh-pleasing doctrines. And I tell you, the “Lots” in this world will be grieved. They will mourn. They will be distressed over these kinds of things. The text says that it “vexed [his] righteous soul,” but the Greek basanizó translated as “vexed” is actually “tormented, tortured.” It tormented Lot's soul to see the “lascivious life of the wicked.”     The lasciviousness being spoken about here is not referring to the wicked because we know that's how the wicked live. It's talking about those who are promoting the lifestyle among Christians, and the rest of the text agrees with that. (2Pe.2:9) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment; (10) but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion… The Numeric Bible states the word here for “dominion” is “lordship.” These people “that walk after the flesh” despise anybody ruling over their lives. They just want to do what they want to do, which is why they despise dominion, whether it be the dominion of those whom God has sent to be leaders or the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. They would rather make up their own mind about what the Scripture says and their own “Jesus” that smiles upon their lifestyle.    (2Pe.2:10) But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. Daring, self-willed, they tremble not to rail at dignities: (11) whereas angels, though greater in might and power, bring not a railing judgment against them before the Lord. These self-righteous people, here, are the ones that are going to persecute the saints. They're self-righteous in their religion, and they rail at people who are dignities. The Greek word dóksa, translated there as “dignities,” actually means “glories; majesties; brightness.”     And who are the glories being spoken of here? (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. As we manifest Christ to a greater and greater degree, we grow from glory to glory: from star glory to moon glory, to sun glory. Paul pointed out the three different bodies that are given to the people who manifest the different glories (1 Corinthians 15:35-49). We grow into these glories, and the closer you get to Christ and manifest His life, the more that religious people will rail at you and come against you. But remember this: the fact that some people hate you is a good sign, and the Lord says to “leap for joy.”     (2Pe.2:12) But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed, (13) suffering wrong as the hire of wrong-doing; [men] that count it pleasure to revel in the day-time, spots and blemishes, revelling in their deceivings while they feast with you… Some people are actually trying to deceive us. They're “pretend Christians.” They live in the world because they love the world, but they like to “talk the talk” when they're among Christians. They're sons of perdition hidden in the midst (John 17:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:3) whom the Lord is going to reveal for what they truly are.     And they love the hire of wrong-doing because they've been bribed by their flesh, which they love to please. (2Pe.2:13) Suffering wrong as the hire of wrong-doing; [men] that count it pleasure to revel in the day-time, spots and blemishes, revelling in their deceivings while they feast with you; (14) having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; enticing unstedfast souls; having a heart exercised in covetousness; children of cursing; (15) forsaking the right way (We can see here that he's talking about people who profess Christianity.), they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the [son] of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing… Yes, just as Balaam did, these people love the pay, love the advantage gained by wrong-doing.    So, whom did Jesus cry over? It was God's people because they wouldn't come to Him (Luke 19:41). He grieved over them, saying, (Luk.13:34) O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen [gathereth] her own brood under her wings, and ye would not! Much of our grief, too, is for Christians. It's for lost loved ones that we've prayed for to come into the Kingdom. It's like the grief that Lot felt about the people being led astray around him. If we have a holy heart and we are seeking to be pleasing unto the Lord, then we will be convicted by the Word of God, and we will feel the same thing.     (2Pe.2:15) Forsaking the right way they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the [son] of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing; (16) but he was rebuked for his own transgression: a dumb ass spake with man's voice and stayed the madness of the prophet. (17) These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved. (18) For, uttering great swelling [words] of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error… That's very true. Many so-called “pastors” preach wonderful words, but they're enticing people with lascivious doctrines. They're full of greed for tithes and offerings, but they're just filling churches with tares, as Peter says. (2Pe.2:3) And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.    We've studied and taught a lot about sanctification. We've been given warnings that there is a great falling away coming for those who are enticed away by lasciviousness (2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Timothy 4:1). Nothing will be able to stand above the water in the flood that's coming except for those that are righteous. They are walking with the Lord, and they have grace and faith. Nothing else is going to preserve God's people in the days to come.    (2Pe.2:18) For, uttering great swelling [words] of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error; (19) promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage. Multitudes of Christians are in bondage in Babylon! They may think that, through their knowledge of Christ, they've come out of the world and they've escaped the corruption in the world, but in reality, they've just been brought into bondage again with something that is not Christianity.     (2Pe.2:20) For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. When people come back into bondage and they stay there, they become worse than the people in the world. They still walk in wickedness, yet they justify themselves because now they're self-righteous. They have knowledge but they're rejecting that knowledge. They're worse in God's eyes than the people in the world, and they're going to suffer greatly.     (2Pe.2:21) For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it (So these people have knowledge.), to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. When somebody has knowledge and yet they continue to do the things that are contrary to that knowledge, they're a deceiver. We just read, “their deceivings while they feast with you” (2 Peter 2:12). These people are deceivers, and the Bible says, (Jas.4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.    (2Pe.2:22) It has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire. This is heartbreaking! Great judgments are coming to the nations soon, and it's going to take away multitudes of people who consider themselves to be Christian. And because they don't have the mark of God, multitudes of Christians are going to take the mark of the beast.     (Rev.13:16) And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead; (17) and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, [even] the name of the beast or the number of his name. (18) Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man: and his number is Six hundred and sixty and six. However, we also see the people that have the mark of God in (Rev.14:1) And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads.     Ezekiel also talks about God judging who is righteous and who is not righteous, based on whether they mourned and were grieved over the ungodliness that they saw around them. Let's look at that text first. (Eze.9:4) And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof. Again, we see this is not talking about the sin in the world, but the sin in the church. And the people that are marked in the forehead because they “sigh and cry over all the abominations,” are the people that are going to escape the wrath of God, the judgment of God, that's coming.     Chapters 5, 6, 7, and 8 repeatedly mention the “abomination” and the “desolation,” all leading up to chapter 9 and the mark of God. In chapter 8, we even see the image of the beast. And notice, when we read these chapters, how we don't find the theology that we hear in Christianity nowadays. In every case, the “abomination of desolation” described is God's people walking in the flesh in the Temple. They are the flesh man, and they are the beast ruling in the Temple of God. This is what God calls an “abomination.” And what does He give them for that? Desolation. The holy people of God grieve for them; they grieve for these people who walk abominably before the Lord.    (Eze.8:1) And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth [month]… Notice that these chapters are leading up to a time that's identified with six-six, and in the next chapter, six men come with their slaughter weapons in hand. That's six-six-six. And what does this identify? It identifies the end time, the time of the beast, the time of the abomination of desolation (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14). Now remember, in the New Testament there is no temple made with hands that God is interested in or concerned about being holy (Job 4:19; Matthew 26:61; Mark 14:58; etc.) It's the Temple “made without hands” that God requires and expects to be holy (Acts 7:48; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 9:11; etc.), and this is the only temple that can have an abomination of desolation.   Only the Temple of the Body of Christ can have an abomination that “maketh desolate,” because every other temple out there is desolate. God has departed from them. He will never again dwell in temples made with hands, and so they are desolate (Acts 17:24). But we are the New Testament temple; we can become desolate, “twice dead, plucked up by the roots” (Jude 1:12). That's the temple we need to be concerned about.     Paul told us, (Php.2:12) So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (13) for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. And Peter exhorted, (2Pe.1:10) Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble: (11) for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It should be the Lord Jesus Christ Who lives in us and Who manifests His holy Life in us.     Returning to our text in Ezekiel, God asks him (Eze.8:6) … Son of man, seest thou what they do? (All throughout these texts, it's always “what they do” and that's the abomination.) even the great abominations that the house of Israel do commit here (So the “beast” in the Temple is the corporate body of these people that walk in the flesh and are in rebellion against God.), that I should go far off from my sanctuary? (Or, in other words, “leave it desolate.”) but thou shalt again see yet other great abominations. (7) And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.     (8) Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold, a door. (9) And he said unto me, Go in, and see the wicked abominations that they do here. (10) So I went in and saw; and behold, every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts… This is just as Solomon said in (Ecc.3:18) … It is because of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.    Peter was given the same revelation. (Acts 10:11) And he (This is Peter.) beholdeth the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth: (12) wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts and creeping things of the earth and birds of the heaven. (13) And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill and eat. (14) But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unclean. (15) And a voice [came] unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common. Then Peter was given the understanding that God was speaking to him of the Gentiles, because all lost people are beasts, and so he preached the Gospel to Cornelius and his family (Acts 10:34-48). So we can see clearly from these texts that the “abominable beasts” in the Temple of God are these people who walk in the flesh.    Back to (Eze.8:10) So I went in and saw; and behold, every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon the wall round about. (11) And there stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel; and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, every man with his censer in his hand… Those 70 men are the Sanhedrin. They were the corporate body of the false prophet that ruled over the people of God in Jesus' day, and God calls this the “abomination.” (12) Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his chambers of imagery? (There's the image of the beast in the Temple.) for they say, the Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the land. (13) He said also unto me, Thou shalt again see yet other great abominations which they do. Again, notice there is no individual man.     There is a corporate body committing these abominations that make desolate, and that body is not only the priests; it's also the people. (Eze.8:14) Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's house which was toward the north; and behold, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz. (Tammuz was a false “Jesus” worshiped by Babylon. God is saying that in the midst of the Temple are those who worship “another Jesus” {2 Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 1:6}.) (15) Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen [this,] O son of man? thou shalt again see yet greater abominations than these. Well, this chapter goes on to speak of abomination after abomination, all committed by the people of God in rebellion against the worship of the true God. In their idolatry, they were creating gods after their own liking and in their own image.    (Eze.9:1) Then he cried in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause ye them that have charge over the city to draw near, every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. (2) And behold, six men… That's the third six. This represents the beast, and all throughout history, the Lord has given the beast charge over God's people when they were in rebellion. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome each had authority over God's people in their day. Today we have a revival of Rome and, just as the Lord gave those earlier beasts authority over His people, He is going to do that again because the beast is in the Temple and there has to come a desolation.   In 70A.D. God brought the Roman armies into Jerusalem to slaughter those who hadn't already slaughtered each other. Multitudes of the Jews were so full of the beast that they were killing each other off, and when the Romans came into Jerusalem, they just finished the job. [Editor's Note: Referenced from The Works of Josephus, translated by William Whiston, Hendrickson Publishers, 1987.] But, once again, it was the corporate body of the wicked in the Temple that was an abomination to God, and so He destroyed both them and their Temple.    (Eze.9:2) And behold, six men came from the way of the upper gate, which lieth toward the north, every man with his slaughter weapon in his hand… The Hebrew word for “slaughter weapon” is also translated “battle-ax,” and who does God call His “battle-ax”? Let's look at that. (Isa.10:5) Ho Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, the staff in whose hand is mine indignation! (6) I will send him against a profane nation (This is Israel.), and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. (7) Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few… (Well, the Assyrian beast thought this was their great idea to plunder Israel, but God says, “No, no, I put it in their hearts,” and He called these people His “ax.”) (15) Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith?… The Assyrians thought it was by their own might, but God says, “No, I gave you the strength to do this, and I sent you against these vain, abominable people, to judge them and bring them to their cross and, hopefully, to repentance.”     Truly, we're going to see a repetition of history come upon us in our day, although people with their lascivious doctrines teach that this is something which is only going to happen to little Israel far away from them. They refuse to understand that Christians are New Testament spiritual Israel. They are blind to the corporate beast body coming upon Christianity.     (Eze.9:2) And behold, six men; and one man in the midst of them clothed in linen… I believe this is Jesus in the Man-child. Revelation 12 tells us the man-child ministry is coming in the end times, and it's coming again like Moses, like Jesus, to show God's people the correct way. What the Man-child teaches is going to separate the sheep from the goats. It's going to define who is going to be judged and who is not going to be judged.     (Eze.9:2) And behold, six men; and one man in the midst of them clothed in linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side. And they went in, and stood beside the brazen altar. (3) And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon it was, to the threshold of the house: and he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writer's inkhorn by his side. (4) And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem (So notice that He is not bringing judgment upon the world. He's bringing judgment upon God's house, upon those who profess to be His people.), and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof. Does it grieve you that God's people have been so led astray, so deceived by their leadership, and so lured into sin by their own self-will? Now listen, nobody can be deceived by another man if they don't first have a lust to live in that way and accept these false and lascivious doctrines.    People are going to be self-deluded and self-deceived because, just like Balaam, they love the hire of wrong-doing. They love to please their old flesh. And they're being bribed by the flesh to accept a doctrine, a teaching, a lifestyle that is permitting the old man to live. Saints, we're here to live the crucified life (Matthew 10:38; Mark 8:34; Luke 14:27; Hebrews 13:13), and if we don't lose our life, we won't gain our life (Matthew 16:26; Luke 9:25).    (Eze.9:5) And to the others he said in my hearing, Go ye through the city after him, and smite… He is speaking to the beast here, the six men. Six is the number of the beast, and six is the number of man. In fact, the sixth chapter of the sixth verse of the sixth book in the New Testament talks about the old man. (Rom.6:6) Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with [him,] that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin.    (Eze.9:5) And to the others he said in my hearing, Go ye through the city after him, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity; (6) slay utterly the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark … Now the mark being spoken of here is the mark of the Lord, and it identifies those who are members of the body of Christ, just as the mark of the Beast identifies those who are members of the body of the Beast. Jesus said there are only two men in the earth, Christ and anti-Christ (Matthew 24:40; Luke 17:36). The truth is that people love to identify themselves as “Christian”, but these marks will prove in the coming days who really are Christians and who are not.     (Eze.9:6) Slay utterly the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark: and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the old men that were before the house. (In other words, they've lived longer, and they know more, so they're more guilty than anyone else.) (Eze.9:7) And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. Great destruction is coming against Christianity because it doesn't reflect what was given to us through Jesus Christ. We are to (Jud.1:3) … contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints. The faith of our day won't count because religion has turned people away, through their own lustful desires, from true discipleship. (1Jn.2:6) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked. “Discipleship” is walking in the Master's Steps, and that means a disciple studies their Master to walk as He walked.    (Eze.9:7) And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and smote in the city. (Eze.9:8) And it came to pass, while they were smiting, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy wrath upon Jerusalem? Well, we know this is coming again because it says in (Ecc.1:9) That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. The Israelites were types and shadows of the end time, and a great falling away will happen just as the Bible says (2 Thessalonians 2). And notice this is old Jerusalem receiving judgment. This is the old city and the people that belonged to it. This is not born-again Jerusalem.    Then in (Eze.10:2) And he spake unto the man clothed in linen, and said, Go in between the whirling [wheels], even under the cherub, and fill both thy hands with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city… In other words, he brings judgment. The Man-child ministry is coming to bring judgment upon the city of God. These judgments are going to cleanse it of the goats and cleanse it of the tares. The Lord Jesus Himself spoke words that separated the goats from the sheep, separated the wheat from the tares. His Words brought judgment in His day, and the ministry of the Manchild will do the same in these days, but the people that will escape are the people who have been, and are going to mourn. They are the ones that are blessed, according to Jesus. While the world is rejoicing, they will mourn because of the great wrath and the judgment of God upon the people that call themselves “Christians.” They will mourn because of the great falling away of the people who had no faith.     We need to see and understand that the judgment that's coming is going to prove who has faith and who does not have faith. The judgment that's coming is going to prove who is a believer and who is not a believer. The wilderness tribulation for Israel was to prove whether they had faith or not. And, of course, Joshua and Caleb, who had faith, went to the Promised Land (Numbers 32:12). They didn't have to die in the wilderness because they had faith. They believed in the Lord. They spoke His Word, and they didn't die like the men who spoke the bad report, they spoke against the Lord and died in the wilderness (Numbers 26:65). Once again, today we are coming to a “wilderness” that God is going to use to prove who is truly of Him and who is not. The Word of God is going to separate the sheep from the goats. We need to put the Word in our hearts so that we have the conviction of Jesus Christ, so that sin is sinful to us, so that the rebellion of rebellious people grieves us.     Father, in the Name of Jesus, we're asking You, Lord, that You convict those “Christians” who have created a religion and a doctrine that pleases them because they don't have to give up anything. They don't believe they have to live a sacrificial life; they don't have to deny themselves; they don't have to take up their cross. Lord, we ask that You convict them mightily and that You bring them to You, Father, in the Name of Jesus. Thank You so much, Lord. Amen.  Now, I'd like to share some other scriptures about the blessings that will come from the Lord for those who have mourned, as we've been discussing. When the Man-child ministry begins, Jesus is coming with His reward!  Zion, the Bride, has gone through their time of mourning and warfare to get rid of their sins and their enemies within. To get rid of the leaven. Jer.9:17 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for the skilful women, that they may come: 18 and let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters. 19 For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we ruined! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because they have cast down our dwellings. 20 Yet hear the word of Jehovah, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth; and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbor lamentation. 21 For death is come up into our windows, it is entered into our palaces; to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets. 22 Speak, Thus saith Jehovah, The dead bodies of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman; and none shall gather them.     23 Thus saith Jehovah, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; 24 but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he hath understanding, and knoweth me, that I am Jehovah who exerciseth lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith Jehovah. 25 Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will punish all them that are circumcised in their uncircumcision: 26 Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, (All of the faction) and all that have the corners of their hair cut off, that dwell in the wilderness; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.    Zec.12:10-11 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they shall look unto me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born. 11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.  Psa.35:11-17 Unrighteous witnesses rise up; They ask me of things that I know not. 12 They reward me evil for good, To the bereaving of my soul. 13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I afflicted my soul with fasting; And my prayer returned into mine own bosom. 14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother: I bowed down mourning, as one that bewaileth his mother. 15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: The abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; They did tear me, and ceased not: 16 Like the profane mockers in feasts, They gnashed upon me with their teeth. 17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, My darling from the lions.  The sorrow of persecution and crucifixion is now turning into joy for those of the remnant Bride. Est.4:1-3 Now when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry; 2 and he came even before the king's gate: for none might enter within the king's gate clothed with sackcloth. 3 And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.   Est.9:20 And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far, 21 to enjoin them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly, 22 as the days wherein the Jews had rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. (Down goes the DS and religious factions.) Isa.40:1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins.    Psa 30:2 O Jehovah my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. 3 O Jehovah, thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol; Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. (Like Joseph, who came out of prison to the lies that were told about him by the harlot, to rule and preserve the people through the tribulation famine.)    4 Sing praise unto Jehovah, O ye saints of his, And give thanks to his holy memorial name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment; His favor is for a life-time: Weeping may tarry for the night, But joy cometh in the morning. (Here is the joyful saints again) 6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved. (But through much tribulation shall we enter the Kingdom) 7 Thou, Jehovah, of thy favor hadst made my mountain to stand strong: Thou didst hide thy face (As in the crucifixion of Jesus the Man-child type.); I was troubled. 8 I cried to thee, O Jehovah; And unto Jehovah I made supplication: 9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? 10 Hear, O Jehovah, and have mercy upon me: Jehovah, be thou my helper. (Been there)    11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast loosed my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Jehovah my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. (Joy of the David's and the Bride.)    Joh.16:20-24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament (Because Jesus was crucified), but the world shall rejoice: ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. (Because He is coming again in the Man-child reformers.) 21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow (This is the Woman Church in Revelation 12 in our day.), because her hour is come: but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world. 22 And ye therefore now have sorrow: but I will see you again (in the Man-child reformers of Rev.12), and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you. 23 And in that day ye shall ask me no question. Verily, verily, I say unto you, if ye shall ask anything of the Father, he will give it you in my name. 24 Hitherto (Meaning until this time) have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be made full.    Psa.30:1-12 A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the House. (Representing the true house of God, not that of Babylonish captivity) A Psalm of David. I will extol thee, O Jehovah; for thou hast raised me up, And hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. (This is the David Man-child but also Joseph the Man-child was resurrected from prison, like Jesus the Man-child was, to rule those who lied about him.)  Isa.61:1 The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of Jehovah's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified…  6 But ye shall be named the priests of Jehovah; men shall call you the ministers of our God: ye shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. 7 Instead of your shame ye shall have double; and instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be unto them. 8 For I, Jehovah, love justice, I hate robbery with iniquity; and I will give them their recompense in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 And their seed shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which Jehovah hath blessed.  10 I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with a garland, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth bringeth forth its bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord Jehovah will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.     Isa.51:3 For Jehovah hath comforted Zion; he hath comforted all her waste places, and hath made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Jehovah; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.  Isa 51:11 And the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. 12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you: …    Isa.57:15-18 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite. 16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit would faint before me, and the souls that I have made. 17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him; I hid my face and was wroth; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. 18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.      Isa.66:10-14 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn over her; 11 that ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. 12 For thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream: and ye shall suck thereof; ye shall be borne upon the side, and shall be dandled upon the knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14 And ye shall see it, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like the tender grass: and the hand of Jehovah shall be known toward his servants; and he will have indignation against his enemies.    Isa.12:1-6 And in that day thou shalt say, I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah; for though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me. 2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for Jehovah, even Jehovah, is my strength and song; and he is become my salvation. 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day shall ye say, Give thanks unto Jehovah, call upon his name, declare his doings among the peoples, make mention that his name is exalted. 5 Sing unto Jehovah; for he hath done excellent things: let this be known in all the earth. 6 Cry aloud and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great in the midst of thee is the Holy One of Israel.    Rev.21:2-4 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God: 4 and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away. 

Christians tend to only think of the atonement of Christ's death for sin. In this sermon on the Rule and Reign of Christ, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches that there are many aspects of God's creation which are affected by the death of Christ. One must not think forgiveness of sin is the only benefit from the atonement. Even the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has been affected by His work on the cross. What is the listener to make of these things? Dr. Lloyd-Jones surveys the Scripture in order to show how common benefits or common grace comes to humanity as a consequence of the Lord Jesus Christ's death. Listen as he preaches on the blessings unbelievers and angels receive as a result of the atoning work of Christ. Hear as Dr, Lloyd-Jones considers the special and new glory the Lord Jesus Christ receives in the incarnation. It is only as a result of His obedient death on the cross that He receives this peculiar glory. Finally, as one witnesses the crucifixion, they learn about Christ's mediatorial kingship and what it means for the church as He rules and reigns over it.

Christians tend to only think of the atonement of Christ's death for sin. In this sermon on the Rule and Reign of Christ, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches that there are many aspects of God's creation which are affected by the death of Christ. One must not think forgiveness of sin is the only benefit from the atonement. Even the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has been affected by His work on the cross. What is the listener to make of these things? Dr. Lloyd-Jones surveys the Scripture in order to show how common benefits or common grace comes to humanity as a consequence of the Lord Jesus Christ's death. Listen as he preaches on the blessings unbelievers and angels receive as a result of the atoning work of Christ. Hear as Dr, Lloyd-Jones considers the special and new glory the Lord Jesus Christ receives in the incarnation. It is only as a result of His obedient death on the cross that He receives this peculiar glory. Finally, as one witnesses the crucifixion, they learn about Christ's mediatorial kingship and what it means for the church as He rules and reigns over it. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 - Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 - Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 (NASB) 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, 17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. Theme: Believers (the Church) need continued spiritual encouragement regarding salvation, exhortation to abide in truth, and prayer for strength to carry on. Outline:1) A Pastoral Encouragement (2:13-14) 2) A Personal Exhortation (2:15) 3) A Prayerful Supplication (2:16-17)

Steal. Kill. Destroy. To this day, these are still the Satanic agendas of the Devil towards all people, and indeed the people of God. Scripture teaches numerous ways to stand against the negative influences of the Devil. However, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself modeled for us four things to inoculate us against the Satanic. These are humility, connection, peace, and truth.   Many of Francois' messages are delivered within the context of a spiritual formation school called, LEGACY School Of Discipleship. The emphasis of the school is to be trained within the realities of the accomplished work of Jesus Christ.  Visit LEGACY online for more information about the school or to support this work.

Rather than looking to other people to encourage us today, let's look to God by pursuing Him with our praise and worship, reading His word, and remembering His faithfulness.  SUBSCRIBE to our sister podcasts:Your Daily Prayer: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-prayer/Your Daily Bible Verse: https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Full Transcript Below: 3 Ways to Encourage Yourself Today By Lynette Kittle “May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,  encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word”--2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 Many people have been conditioned in our culture to start their day looking at their phones and social media first thing in the morning. Sadly, the majority of postings are usually more discouraging than encouraging. Others, start their mornings reading and listening to national and international news, where the woes and chaos of the world are front-and-center, headlining the pages. Both can leave us feeling discouraged before we even set foot on the floor or out the door. So what is the answer? Where do we turn to find encouragement to start our day? 1 Samuel 30:6 describes what David did when he needed encouragement. “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.” Unlike David, too many of us are looking to others, dependent on their words, hoping and counting on them to constantly encourage us. But when encouragement doesn't come and we feel alone, discouraged, and maybe even desperate, not knowing where to turn or what to do, we can encourage ourselves. David understood in his darkest, deepest hours, he wasn't alone because he relied on his relationship with the Lord, knowing “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1). 3 Ways to Encourage Yourself Reading through 1 & 2 Samuel and Psalms, we see how David knew how to encourage himself through focusing on his relationship with God. Through his life and words, we can learn to do the same. Following are three ways to encourage yourself today. Spend time praising and worshipping God. David's heart longed after God, and he made time to spend with Him. In Psalm 42:2, he writes, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” David didn't hold back when it came to expressing his love for God through worship. He is known for his over-the-top enthusiastic praise and worship of Him, 2 Samuel 6:14 describes. “Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might.” As Psalm 95:2 invites, “Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.” Read the Bible. David spent time mediating on God's word, as Psalm 119:15 describes, “I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways.” God's word is alive and able to cut right through discouraging thoughts and feelings in our lives in a way that brings life to us. As Hebrews 4:12 explains, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Even though others' encouraging words may come few and far between, we can rely on God's word to refresh, renew, and restore our lives when we take it in on a daily basis. Remember God's goodness and faithfulness. Remembering God's faithfulness and goodness stirs our hearts to be encouraged for today and the days ahead. Psalm 27:13 reminds, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”  David encouraged himself by remembering God's goodness and faithfulness throughout the ages. “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago” (Psalm 77:11). Like David, during discouraging times, we can turn to the pages of the Bible to recall His mighty acts. As Psalm 119:90 reminds us, “Your faithfulness continues through all generations; You established the earth, and it endures.” As well, like Psalm 77:12 expresses, “I will consider all Your works and meditate on all Your mighty deeds.” Intersecting Faith & Life: Rather than looking to other people to encourage us today, let's look to God by pursuing Him with our praise and worship, reading His word, and remembering His faithfulness.  Further Reading: How to Give the Encouragement You Give Others to Yourself https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/how-to-give-the-encouragement-you-give-others-to-yourself.html Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:18 New King James Version Stand Fast 13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. Pray for Us 3 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. 5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. Warning Against Idleness 6 But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; 8 nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, 9 not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. 10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. 13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. 14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Benediction 16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. 17 The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! (Isaiah 40:9) My prayer for each of you dear brothers and sisters in Christ is that you will have a BEHOLD day. What do I mean to behold? Well it doesn't mean to glance at. It means to perceive. To gaze upon. The apostle Paul exhorts us to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). His face is shining upon you, beloved. The more that you behold the face of Jesus, the more clearly you see Him in all of His splendor and glory. The call of God to you and me on this Lord's Supper Sunday is to behold our God. The word behold is so full of wonder. May we gaze upon His beauty and behold His majesty.The prophet Isaiah says to you and me today, “Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 40:10, 11). The passages obviously point us to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is your Shepherd. Behold, Jesus Christ is Adonai, Jehovah. He is the Lord, your God, your Great Shepherd who feeds His sheep and gently leads us. In Isaiah 12:1 we read, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation”.Behold this morning beloved, the Lord God Himself is your salvation. Behold the Lord Jehovah is also your strength and your song. As we draw near to the communion table this morning we hear the voice of John the Baptizer make the following proclamation: “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). By the grace of God, the Lord Jesus has taken away your sin. Hallelujah. Behold what the Lord Jesus Christ Himself declares in Revelation 1:18: “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death”. Glory to God, beloved!Jesus Christ is alive! He has conquered sin and death. And because Jesus is alive, the mercies of God towards you are new. From Genesis to Revelation, we are exhorted to behold our God who was slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). In the context of the Passover Meal in the upper room, Jesus gave the disciples a simple command, this do in remembrance of Me (Luke 22:19). So when we take the bread and cup of common today, may we do it remembering and beholding the redeeming love of Jesus Christ, the One who came to seek and to save that which was lost. SELAH

What brings us comfort is the recognition that we are not alone. Jesus said this comforter would “abide with you forever.” We don't face the trials of life by ourselves. He is with us. What a blessing to have God in our lives. Every day we can feel his presence. Every day, regardless of our circumstances, we can rely on the strength and comfort He provides. Main Points:1. Jesus was preparing his disciples for his departure but encouraged them with the truth that the Holy Spirit was coming and He would be with them forever.2. If you are grieving the loss of a loved one, the Holy Spirit will be your comforter. When you are afraid, anxious, and worried, the Holy Spirit is there to provide comfort. When you are nervous and uncertain about the future, recognize the Holy Spirit is present to comfort you. When you are upset, disappointed, and angry, the Holy Spirit is right there to bring comfort.3. One of the evidences that God is at work in the lives of believers is that they are living in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. This world produces fear, anxiety, frustration, and anger, but the Holy Spirit produces comfort. This comfort should be one of the distinctions of the life of a believer. We should be known for the comfort we live with. Those around us should notice that we don't live with the same fear and worry that unbelievers do.Today's Scripture Verses:John 14:16 - “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.”Acts 9:31 - “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.”2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 - “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. [1 hour 3 minutes]

2 Thessalonians 2 New King James Version The Great Apostasy 2 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Stand Fast 13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/maranatha-ministries/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/maranatha-ministries/support

Our study continues in Col. 1 verse 24- 25. Paul writes that he had received a stewardship responsibility from God to make the word of God fully known. Specifically it is the mystery previously hidden but now revealed. What is this mystery, this new divine revelation? It is: Christ in you, the hope of glory, the personal indwelling of the Son of God in each and everyone who believes and trust in Him. When you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, He comes to live in you forever. What a hope! Here is Dr. Mitchell on the Unchanging Word Bible Broadcast, Col. 1:24-25. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unchanging-word/message

If you have knelt with the shepherds and seen God's Son, our good News of great Joy; if you have stood with John at the Savior's cross and heard the Lord cry out in redeeming triumph, "It is finished"; if you have run with Peter to peer inside the empty resurrection tomb, then you will begin this year and every year in the light of the Lord. If you have heard the Lord speak in His inerrant, inspired word; if Holy Spirit enables you to say, "Jesus is my Savior and Lord"; then the mania and the madness of this world will be minimized. The great day of the Lord's return is not only about the just rewards for the wicked and the gracious gifts for the righteous. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself will receive what God the Father has promised. On that day, He will be united with His Bride, the church, and there will be a great supper (Revelation 19:6-9). On that day we will be happy to be numbered among the saints. Come Lord Jesus, come. ================== Table of Contents: ================== Jeremiah 31:31-35 NASB Galatians 4:3-6 NASB 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 NASB Revelation 22:1-5 NASB Acts 3:19-20 NASB Revelation 22:16-20 NASB ================== Show Notes: ================== Gospel Garage is a Christian Ministry which includes Saturday night church online. Saturday's at 7pm PST at https://gospelgarage.online.church​​ Sign up for Gospel Garage Weekly Bulletin: https://gospelgarage.ca​​​​​​​​​​ ================== Connect With Us: ================== Instagram: https://bit.ly/2GjW2kw TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gospelgarage?... X: https://x.com/gospel_garage1 #MotorcycleMinistry

Isaiah wrote over 700 years ago in Chapter 9 and Verse 6 the following words: “For unto us a child is born; unto us a Son is given." We know that this child, this Son, was the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who was born in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. But He didn't begin his life there. The Bible says that He was the Creator of all things, the eternal Son of God. He was really born. He really died. He really rose again. And He will ultimately rule the universe as King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Do you know Him?

JESUS AND JUBILEE ISAIAH 61:1–4Scripture is clear that Christ's coming into the world occurred at exactly the right time and the precise place. God had ordained his birth since before the world began. God scripted the birth of Jesus down to the smallest detail. Scripture contains many occasions when God spoke directly to men about what was going to happen. When we study Scripture, we find many prophecies that were made and have been fulfilled, and many relate to the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Why should we trust biblical prophecy? The answer is found in the very beginning of the Bible: How can we know when a message has been spoken by the Lord? If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord takes place or comes true, that is a message from the Lord. That prophet has spoken the truth.The purpose of prophecy in the bible is given in Isaiah 46:9-10: “I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done.” Not a single prophecy from the Bible has been proven false. Many prophecies remain in the future, but all that has come to pass have been verified to be true. Hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, many godly people, from Moses to Malachi, prophesied about the coming Messiah, the King who would deliver Israel. In fact, the prophets revealed so many details about the coming Christ that it is difficult to believe that the people around Jesus didn't recognize Him. But it's still like that today, isn't it? Despite much evidence, many refuse to acknowledge Him. Prophesies told us that the Messiah will be:  Born of a Virgin A Descendant of Abraham A Descendant of Isaac  From the Tribe of Judah Born in the Family of Jesse Born in the House of King David Born in Bethlehem Born in a Manger Worshiped and Presented gifts by Kings Worshiped by Shepherds  This is incredible!! Hundreds of years before it happened, and it was prophesied perfectly.See you Sunday!!May the Joy of our Savior surround you this Advent season!   -Stephen

Luke 24:45-47 — The central message to the Christian faith has been a matter of confusion from its very inception. Think of the disciples becoming troubled over Jesus's teaching about His death and the mocking of both Jews and Greeks as the early church preached about the death and resurrection of the Messiah. Consider further modern men and women redefining the Christian faith through denial of the necessity of atonement for sin and the bodily resurrection of Christ. Confusion about the gospel of Jesus Christ is pervasive throughout the history of the church. Why does every generation object to the gospel and can anyone have a true understanding of the cross? In this sermon on Luke 24:45–47 titled “He Opened Their Understanding,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tackles these questions and others in this message. Listen as he answers popular objections to human sin, the wrath of God, and the justice of God. Find encouragement as Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls believers to remain faithful to the gospel message which is rooted in the Old Testament Scriptures. Find out why the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said His death for sin was essential. If ever there was a time to make the primary matters of Christianity clear, it is today. Dr. Lloyd-Jones cuts through the confusion and gets to the heart of the gospel in this exposition of Scripture.

Luke 17:20-21 — From the time Jesus Christ went around Palestine preaching until the present century, there is a misunderstanding of the arrival the kingdom of God. There is a common fallacy shared by the Pharisees, Pilate, and the disciples long ago that also is shared today by the Roman Catholic church and liberal Protestant advocates of the social gospel. In this sermon on Luke 17:20–21 titled “The Signs of the Kingdom,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones states that they all believe the kingdom of God comes visibly and through social participation. In this passage, Jesus issues a strong warning to the contemporary church concerning the danger of believing the kingdom is brought about through legislation, social reform, or military conquest. Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that the forms of the kingdom of God are quite clear from Scripture. In the past, the kingdom of God came in the power and presence of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Presently, the kingdom of God is manifested in the body of Christ—the church—as He reigns in their hearts. In the future, the kingdom of God will be fully visible when Christ returns at His second advent. Listen to Dr. Lloyd-Jones's teaching on the kingdom, avoid errors common to the modern church, embrace the truths given here, and learn how to belong to the realm in which Christ reigns.

PRAYER IS NOT: A SLOT MACHINE A SAFETY NET A RELIGIOUS ACT BOX TO CHECK POWERFUL PRAYER POSTURE GET AWARE KNOW THE FATHER'S HEART KNOW THE FATHER'S PLAN “For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭ “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who has loved us and has given us eternal consolation and good hope through grace,” ‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭2‬:‭16‬ ‭ GET CLOSE SPIRITUAL PROXIMITY GPS COORDINATES “The Lord is near to all those who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭145‬:‭18‬ ‭ “The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and saves the contrite of spirit.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭18‬ ‭ GET CONFIDENT FAITH & TRUST BE BOLD “so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭11‬ ‭ “Let us then come with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭ GET SIMPLE LORD'S PRAYER CONVERSATIONAL ““Therefore pray in this manner: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭10‬, ‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭ ““Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭ GET GRATEFUL RECEIVE BEFORE WE SEE BRAG ABOUT HIM TO HIS FACE “pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭ “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with gratitude, make your requests known to God.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ ‭ GET MY LATEST BOOK: https://last-in-line-leadership.square.site/product/operation-333-the-little-black-book-on-strategic-spiritual-warfare/14?cs=true&cst=custom

The Holy Spirit does many things. Scripture teaches us that the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, he teaches us, guides us into all truth, he sanctifies us, he empowers us to be a witness, he anoints us, he brings things to our remembrance, but He is also our comforter.Main Points:1.  In John 14:16 Jesus promises His followers that He would send "The Comforter." I'm struck by these words from the King James Version. The Holy Spirit is described as “another comforter.” How much comfort the disciples much have received by being with Jesus on a daily basis. But He wanted them to know that another comforter was coming that would always be with them. Other Bible translations use the words helper, teacher, advocate, and counselor.2. If you are grieving the loss of a loved one, the Holy Spirit will be your comforter. When you are afraid, anxious, and worried, the Holy Spirit is there to provide comfort. When you are nervous and uncertain about the future, recognize the Holy Spirit is present to comfort you. When you are upset, disappointed, and angry, the Holy Spirit is right there to bring comfort.3. What brings us comfort is the recognition that we are not alone. Jesus said this comforter would “abide with you forever.” We don't face the trials of life by ourselves. He is with us. What a blessing to have God in our lives. Everyday we can feel his presence. Everyday, regardless of our circumstances, we can rely on the strength and comfort He provides. Today's Scripture Verses:John 14:16 - “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.”Acts 9:31 - “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.”2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 - “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.Quick Links:Subscribe to The 5 Minute Discipleship NewsletterDonate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group5 Minute Discipleship on Instagram

Sunday October 1, 2023 2Th 2:16-17 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, 17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. for full notes: https://www.cgtruth.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=2884

Where you will spend eternity is dependent upon the person in whom you are trusting. Is it truly the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the Savior of all people, or is it possibly a fake Christ? If you find benefit from these devotions we'd encourage you to support our ministry. You can donate by visiting: https://els.org/donate Connect with us on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeaceDevotions/ Website: https://peacedevotions.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2pFo5lJV46gKmztGwnT3vA Twitter: https://twitter.com/peacedevotions Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peace_devotions/ Email List: https://peacedevotions.com/email --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/peace-devotions/support

For many years, I was told as a believer we would hear the Trumpet Sound, or the Voice of the Trumpet to be gathered up with the Lord. Matthew 24:31 "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the heavens to their ends." What I never considered was that the Voice of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself was as a Trumpet.  Revelation 1:10  I came to be in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last; also, What you see, write in a scroll, and send to the seven assemblies of Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea. 12 And I turned to see the voice which spoke with me. 13 And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, having been clothed to the feet, and having been girded with a golden girdle at the breasts.    I also never considered that this voice would have the power to gather a people out of the earth, earth mindedness, earth nature, earth man, without actually physically leaving the earth.  But it does.  Hearing Him gathers our hearts and minds to Him to SEE HIM.  This is not physical sight.  This is what Paul declares in Galatians 1, when he says that he was separated from his mother's womb for GOD TO REVEAL HIS SON IN HIM.  As Saul of Tarus,  he heard a voice and saw the LIGHT and was changed in the moment and twinkling of an eye to Paul the Apostle.  Now this voice began to be heard through Paul.  Christ was declared through Apostle Paul.  The same was with the earlier Apostles.  Christ sent forth His messenger's declaring with A VOICE, the Message of Jesus Christ.  This literally gathered Jewish people in that day before the Romans destroyed Jerusalem unto Christ.  I believe if we can hear it the elect were gathered because the Trumpet sounded through the Apostles and Disciples after Jesus' resurrection.  I believe when Jesus walked through the earth as the man from Galilea the Voice was sounding in the earth, the Voice of the Trump of God.  This Voice has the power to bring those that hear out of death to LIFE.  Jesus said of Himself that He had come that we may have life.  Then He said again of Himself that He is the Resurrection and the Life.   I believe this Voice will bring us to the Resurrection and the Life.  Glory to God!  

I greet you in Jesus' precious Name. It is Sunday morning, the 27th of August 2023, and this is your friend Angus Buchan with a thought for today. We start off in the book of Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, in the Old Testament:Two are better than one,Because they have a good reward for their labour.For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.But woe to him who is alone when he falls,For he has no one to help him upTwo are better than one. My wife is my best friend. Do you know what I really love doing? Just sitting quietly with her and having a cup of tea. It is absolutely beautiful, just a nice quiet cup of tea. Next to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Jill is my number one advisor. When I need godly counsel, she is the one who gives it to me. Do you know why? Because she's honest and sincere, she has no ulterior motives. I know that she has my best at heart and will tell me the truth even if I don't like it. But it always helps me in the end. We sharpen each other like the Bible says: iron sharpens iron.When we go on holiday, she is meticulous when packing the motor car. Me, I just want to go: "Come on Jill let's go, come on please, please hurry up". And she says no, she wants to put everything exactly where it's meant to be. But you know the amazing thing is, when we're on our trip, and I can't find something, I say do you know where it is, and then she says: "Yes, I know exactly where it is". When I travel a lot preaching, she packs my suitcase for me. I take extra stuff out, she puts it back in, and I say I don't need all that. She says: "You do". When I get to that hotel overseas somewhere, and I'm looking for something, there it is, and I say: "Lord, thank you for that wife of mine".In Ecclesiastes 4:12 it says:...And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.Jill and I have each other, but ultimately, the Lord Jesus Christ makes us strong. You see, a three-fold cord is very hard to break. If we cannot agree on something, we have a disagreement, oh yes, we do, you might be surprised, we sit down and go to the Bible. We say, what does Jesus say about the situation and then whatever He says we make it good.Today, spend time with each other, appreciate each other and make sure you pray together because the family that prays together stays together.Jesus bless you, and have a lovely Sunday.Goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Monday morning, the 24th of July, 2023, and this is Angus Buchan with a thought for today. We go to Hebrews 4:16:"Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need." I want to speak to you about prayer, especially intercession. Now what is an intercessor? My wife is an intercessor, and I also have a son in the Lord who is heading up an intercessory ministry for Shalom ministries. Something like 3000 people around the world are interceding on our behalf. An intercessor is someone who stands in the gap and prays on behalf of others. Now the greatest intercessor that has ever lived is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and even as I talk to you now, He is interceding on our behalf.So how do we pray? I can hear somebody saying, "I struggle to pray." Well, this is how I pray. I pray to my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ my Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit - Three in One; this is a team effort. Sometimes, I don't even know how to pray, but the Holy Spirit helps me. Sometimes I don't know what to pray, and He directs me. He is the Helper that is His name, and Jesus is the one who is standing in the gap. He's coming to our Heavenly Father on our behalf and interceding for us.So you need to find a quiet place, sit down quietly, meditate, and the Holy Spirit will bring to your attention things that you need to pray. To pray for your loved ones, maybe you've got a relative overseas, and you just feel burdened for them but you don't really know what to pray. Ask the Lord Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to make your petition to our Heavenly Father, and you will be surprised at the answers you get through these simple prayers. Most of all, don't stop praying. Pray without ceasing.Have a wonderful day today. Remember, you can pray out loud, you can pray quietly in your heart, you can pray a quiet prayer that God hears, and He, through Jesus, will make sure that prayer gets answered.God bless you and goodbye.

What does comfort and joy really mean?"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word."-2 Thess. 2:16-17Vine's Expository dictionary says that the Greek word for "comfort" here, "paraklēsis",  "combines encouragement with alleviation of grief."In this special Christmas-in-July episode, we're revealing our hearts about what comfort and joy means to us.You'll also find out:What an "ambulance t-shirt" isWhat art book we've been working through togetherSome of our favorite art journaling supplies from the bookThe distress ink "hack" Melissa has been loving Her secret weapon for dried out baby wipesMichelle's favorite pen setKathleen's clever printable organization systemHow to tell if you have "Craft Room Gravity" issues Plus we're sharing lots of fun and creative ideas for spreading comfort and joy to those around you including strangers, first responders and family members.As always we have fantastic new Fun Finds!Find all the links we talked about on the show here:https://www.pinkpaperpeppermints.com/023Where to find us online:Melissa OhlsonShop  Instagram  YoutubeMichelleInstagram   YoutubeKathleenInstagramIf you enjoyed the episode would you consider leaving us a quick review?  It helps other creatives find the show and we would be so grateful!

June 25th, 2023 @ 10:00 a.m. This Sunday we are going to focus on one word.The word is mentioned throughout the New Testament. The concept is found throughout the old. In fact, this word plays a key role in salvation. This word, this concept is so important that men of every Biblical age preached it. John the Baptist preached it (Matthew 3:1-3); the Apostle John proclaimed its necessity (Revelation 2:5); Paul preached it wherever he went (Acts 17:30; 20:21); and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself strongly emphasized that men who refused to do this would perish (Luke 13:3, 5). This word was the foundational answer to the question that was asked by the crowd that had gathered the moment that the first Gospel message was preached! You could say that this word is part of the foundation of the church and who or should I say what we are to do to be saved? This word is the key that unlocks the door to God's grace in your life.  Seems pretty important right? Yet how many of us right now are trying to think of what word this could be? What concept, what spiritual foundation could this be? We cannot wait to share it with you! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/escape-urself-podcast/support

by Elder Chris McCool, Pastor (preached on 2/19/2023) In this passage, which contains the second “Servant Song” of Isaiah, we see the Successful Servant. We understand this Suffering, Successful Servant to be the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the Messiah of … Read More

Basic Bible Study | 1 Kings: Chapters 17-22 (Part 4) This is part 4 of 7 In today's podcast, join Amy and Robyn as they continue their discussion of 1 Kings: Chapters 17-22. Here is a breakdown of what was discussed: - the Lord spoke to Elijah - Elijah appointed Elisha as his successor “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God & Father, who has loved us & given us everlasting consolation & good hope by grace, comfort your hearts & establish you in every good word & work." (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ABOUT Opening a Bible for the first time can be intimidating. Join Amy & Robyn in an easy-to-follow discussion. This Basic Bible Study is perfect for beginners & those who have never read the Bible. Look for new podcasts every Tuesday & Friday! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BIBLE RESOURCES https://biblehub.com/ https://www.bible.com/ http://betterdaysarecoming.com/bible/pronunciation.html https://biblespeak.org/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/mybasicbiblestudy WEBSITE http://www.mybasicbiblestudy.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You can contact us through e-mail or regular old snail-mail: Basic Bible Study 7797 N. 1st St. #34 Fresno, CA 93720 basicbiblestudy19@gmail.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Second Comforter, Chapter 4 of The Teachings of The Doctrine of Eternal Lives Joseph Smith “Now what is this other Comforter? It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; and this is the sum and substance of the whole matter; that when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God;” (TPJS, pg. 150) https://at.tumblr.com/fundamentallymormon/the-second-comforter-chapter-4-of-the-teachings/p5s84497lj3u

If you are a son or daughter of God, you know that you need to pray, need to pray, and do pray. However, if we're honest, most of us feel pretty unremarkable about our praying. We don't pray fervently enough, regularly enough, or enough at all. Prayer becomes a burden upon many shoulders instead of being the means to lay burdens at the feet of our Father. Perhaps, we may even feel like it's pointless to continue praying when you compare how little you pray compared to how much those stalwarts of church history prayed. There is good news! This doesn't have to be the case. You can pray. You can grow in prayer. We need to learn to pray. If that is the case, then we need someone to teach us how to pray! Who is better to teach us how to pray than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself? If Jesus was sitting in the room with you, teaching you how to pray, wouldn't you listen? If you heard that He would be giving a sermon at a local church about how to pray, wouldn't you do anything you could to get there? Of course, we would! But we don't have to have Jesus sitting across from us or standing before us because He has already taught us how to pray in His Word. You can learn how to pray from Jesus Himself. We learn how to pray from Him in the Lord's Prayer

**Thank you for supporting this ministry, I lovingly refer to as "The Little Green Pasture." Click here: PayPal: http://paypal.me/JoanStahl **Please prayerfully consider becoming a ministry partner: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/joaniestahl **Contact Email: jsfieldnotes@gmail.com **Send Donations To: Joanie Stahl - P.O. Box 1386 - 205 Avenida Del Mar - San Clemente, Ca. 92674 **Subscribe to me on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-534183 **Subscribe to me on Bitchute by going straight to https://www.bitchute.com/ and typing "Joanie Stahls Field Notes" in the search bar. Every now and then the Lord will put something upon our hearts to do or say. There are other times that He puts something upon our hearts that has a completely different feel to it. It is very deep and strong. I have experienced this in my life from time to time. It is out of the ordinary and it got a hold of my heart. I could not discern what the Lord wanted or was perhaps trying to say to me. Then I began to pray. The more I prayed inquiring of God what it was, there was only a deepening and intensifying to it. There is also such a great conviction that comes from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Also with it comes temptation to want to share it with people. I have learned that it is not the will of God to share what is meant only for me with anyone. Many times it brings immediate scorn, anger and mocking. I learned the hard way that when the Lord is moving within me like this, to never share it with anyone. It is not for them. Though it is okay to share a very small thing about it saying, "I sense the Lord is moving in me," then let it go. I love the words Amy Carmichael wrote: "Every strong conviction ends by taking possession of us; it overcomes and absorbs us, and tears us ruthlessly from everything else; it becomes our sole object, and outside it nothing seems to touch us; those who attack it are our enemies; those who love and serve it with us are our true, our only family. It takes steadfastness and the integrity of spirit, the love that inspires it, the note of the eternal dominates it." The mark of maturity is trusting God in full steadfast obedience. You belong to Him and to no one else. It is Him you are to obey. Wait for Him in humble, quiet readiness. I believe He is not only doing this in my life, but in the lives of others right now. He is getting many ready for what is coming upon us next year. He wants readiness to obey suddenly and to believe Him in the impossible. "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." Psalm 27:14. "This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God's way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness." ~ Elisabeth Elliot --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/joanie-stahl/support

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17) God has richly blessed us with the spiritual necessities to please Him, and secure salvation. Everlasting consolation and good hope are two of these blessings.

St. Sebastian of San Francisco & Jackson (Nov. 30), Apostle to all America and first American-born priest, reposed in 1940 after his remarkable labor for Christ and His lost sheep. This essay comes from his book “Preaching in the Russian Church” and shines light, in a clear and simple way, on the truth of the uniqueness of the Orthodox Church. This saint is worthy of far greater recognition than he currently receives for all that Christ did through him. 0:09 Introduction by Fr. Seraphim Rose from The Orthodox Word 3:02 St. Sebastian: What is the Orthodox Church? 3:55 The true and divine doctrine of holy faith 5:08 Heresy, or injury to the teaching of Christ 7:39 God the Father 8:00 God the Son 8:23 God the Holy Spirit 9:05 To be saved one must belong to the Orthodox Church 13:03 conditions of the true of lawful hierarchy 13:13 1) grace-filled Apostolic Succession 15:06 2) confesses the truth and is foreign to heresy 15:22 3) The Sacraments must retain the form and actions, otherwise the Sacrament may not be valid. 16:49 4) the true and lawful hierarchy must obey the rules and canons universally accepted by the Orthdoox Church. 17:27 5) also needed is unity in a spirit of peace and love. 17:59 The Orthodox Church is the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church ”What is the Orthodox Church? The Orthodox Church is a body or community of people who, 1: correctly believe in Divine Revelation; and, 2: who obey a lawful hierarchy instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, through the Holy Apostles.” “In the course of time the Apostolic Tradition, which was transmitted orally at first, was gradually, as the necessities of the Church demanded, committed to writing; and it is found in the works of the Holy Fathers and teachers of the first several centuries.” “The Apostles transmitted the power of conferring the Holy Spirit only to bishops.” -context is the example of how the Deacon Philip could not bring down the Holy Spirit on the Samaritans ”Therefore, it is the duty of Christians to obey the Church, for outside of her there is no salvation.” This text can be found in Issue #5 of The Orthodox Word: https://archive.org/details/100101V17N05061981SepOctNovDec/001%20V01N01%201965%20Jan%20Feb/ ALSO, listen to the Life of St. Sebastian (five parts) here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzFKi22k2KYiAmhiJ6mQaberXVJ0FZePY Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/orthodox-wisdom/message

“I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.” Today, we want to think about how we have “good counsel” from the Lord as we fellowship and spend time with Him! As I was reading verses 7-9, I couldn't help but think of a passage in the New Testament found in Philippians 4. The Apostle Paul was in prison in Rome writing this letter to the saints in the church at Philippi. Paul was rejoicing and he was content because he believed that God was good and very present wherever or in whatever circumstance he was in. Read this passage and see how much it relates to the same thing that David was writing about in Psalm 16. “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:4-13) Both David and Paul had learned to be content and satisfied in Christ alone! They both knew that the Lord was their “good counselor” and would always be present to guide them. Even the Lord Jesus Christ Himself would spend the night in prayer with His Father seeking His will and direction to know which disciples to chose to follow Him and later become the witnesses of His death, burial and resurrection to the world. “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles” (Luke 6:12-13). David's personal fellowship with the Lord was his greatest joy. This was when God instructed and counseled David and told him what to do and how to do it. David even went to "night school" to learn the will of God. (See Psalms 17:3; 42:8; 63:6; 77:2, 6.) "Night" is plural, suggesting "dark nights" or "night after night" learning from God. The word "instruct" carries with it the idea of discipline and chastening, for David learned many lessons when God's loving hand chastened him (Heb. 12:1-12). The Lord at his right hand suggests God as his advocate and defender. (See Ps. 73:23; 109:31; 110:5; 121:5; 1 John 2:2; Acts 2:33; 5:31.) With the Lord as his guide and guard, he had nothing to fear; he would not be moved (Ps. 10:6; 15:5). The future is your friend when Jesus is your Lord. My friend, Jesus is our “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Today He will give you “good counsel” through His Word and the Holy Spirit if you will trust and obey Him! God bless!

Ephesians 2:18 — What does the Holy Spirit have to do with prayer? In his sermon on Ephesians 2:18 titled “Praying in the Spirit,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones seeks to impress on the believer the absolute necessity of prayer and of the role of the Holy Spirit in prayer. According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, praying in the Holy Spirit “is the very essence of prayer.” Also, in light of God's stunning love that brings His children to Him, “prayer is the supreme activity of the human soul.” Many people think that prayer is as simple as saying “their prayers,” but Dr. Lloyd-Jones critiques the phrase “saying our prayers” as being antithetical to prayer itself. Prayer is much deeper than this simplistic understanding because it is a Holy Spirit-lead endeavor. Dr. Lloyd-Jones goes as far as to say, “The Holy Spirit is as essential to prayer as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.” According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Jesus died that all might have access to the Father and the Holy Spirit makes real to the believer all that Jesus died for. Both must be held together if prayer is going to be true prayer.

When we pray aren't we always to pray to the Father in the name of the Son? Are we ever to pray directly to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself? Are the people in Ezekiel 38:1-14 real people or figurative? When does this even happen? Program: Biblically Speaking Aired: January 14, 2017

Did you know that every Christian (one who has believed in Jesus for the free gift of everlasting life) is a candidate for sudden improvement in your physical body? Our bodies have limits which we cannot improve beyond. The only person who is able give us a marvelous and wonderful improvement in our physical bodies, is the Person who created them, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. God uses the model of our Lord's own resurrection body, as the model, example and pattern by which He will improve the physical body of every single Christian. The capacity of our new physical bodies will be designed in some way to serve God and glorify God in ways that we have never been able to do before. Other passages: Psalm 16:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. (1996)

What brings us comfort is the recognition that we are not alone. Jesus said this comforter would “abide with you forever.” We don't face the trials of life by ourselves. He is with us. What a blessing to have God in our lives. Every day we can feel his presence. Every day, regardless of our circumstances, we can rely on the strength and comfort He provides. Main Points:1. Jesus was preparing his disciples for his departure but encouraged them with the truth that the Holy Spirit was coming and He would be with them forever.2. If you are grieving the loss of a loved one, the Holy Spirit will be your comforter. When you are afraid, anxious, and worried, the Holy Spirit is there to provide comfort. When you are nervous and uncertain about the future, recognize the Holy Spirit is present to comfort you. When you are upset, disappointed, and angry, the Holy Spirit is right there to bring comfort.3. One of the evidences that God is at work in the lives of believers is that they are living in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. This world produces fear, anxiety, frustration, and anger, but the Holy Spirit produces comfort. This comfort should be one of the distinctions of the life of a believer. We should be known for the comfort we live with. Those around us should notice that we don't live with the same fear and worry that unbelievers do.Today's Scripture Verses:John 14:16 - “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.”Acts 9:31 - “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.”2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 - “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.Quick Links:Subscribe to The 5 Minute Discipleship NewsletterDonate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group5 Minute Discipleship on Instagram

Deuteronomio 13: Cuidado con las falsas doctrinas.Deuteronomio 13:2‭-‬5 RVA2015:si se cumple la señal o el prodigio que él te predijo al decirte: ‘Vayamos en pos de otros dioses' —que tú no conociste— ‘y sirvámosles', no escuches las palabras de tal profeta ni de tal soñador de sueños; porque el SEÑOR su Dios los estará probando, para saber si aman al SEÑOR su Dios con todo su corazón y con toda su alma. En pos del SEÑOR su Dios andarán, y a él temerán. Guardarán sus mandamientos y escucharán su voz. A él servirán y a él serán fieles. Pero tal profeta o tal soñador de sueños ha de ser muerto, porque predicó la rebelión contra el SEÑOR su Dios que te sacó de la tierra de Egipto y te rescató de la casa de esclavitud. Él trató de desviarte del camino por el que el SEÑOR tu Dios te mandó andar. Así eliminarás el mal de en medio de ti.-----------------------------------------------Este es un capítulo fuerte ya que Moisés advierte al pueblo que fueran extremadamente cuidadosos y estuvieran alertas cuando se levanten en medio de ellos alguna persona que quisiera mostrarles con engaños el supuesto camino de la verdad. El pueblo de Dios debía ser firme y rechazar de inmediato a cualquier tipo de persona o supuesto profeta que cause temor, desconfianza y hable en nombre de Dios, mostrando su poder realizando milagros con la intención de persuadirlos e invitarlos a adorar a otros dioses.Ellos debían aprender a discernir entre un profeta verdadero y uno falso. La prueba era en el mensaje que ellos traen: si se apartaba de los mandamientos de Dios trayendo cosas nuevas y raras, ese profeta es falso; o si hablaba conforme a los mandamientos y preceptos de Dios que ya estaban establecidos, es un verdadero profeta de Dios. También tenían que tener cuidado si un ser querido, un familiar o alguien conocido se acercara a ellos y los manipulara tratando de convencerlos para ir tras otros dioses, debían inmediatamente rechazar su invitación.También tenían que tener cuidado cuando se levantara toda una ciudad rebelándose contra Dios y Su Palabra. Esto nos enseña que aunque haya una población o un grupo grande que esté adoptando nuevas cosas que van en contra de la Palabra de Dios, debemos rechazar esas falsas creencias. Nos enseña que aunque algo se está volviendo popular, que parezca que es algo bonito y espiritual, debemos cuidarnos de cualquier cosa que trastorne el mensaje de salvación, malinterpretado o manipulando las Escrituras y queriendo quitarle autoridad a la Palabra de Dios. Hay muchas doctrinas que se están levantando como los auto-llamados "cristianos mesiánicos", que son impostores engañando a los cristianos, obligándolos a practicar rituales judíos que rebajan la divinidad de Jesús y los aleja de la verdad. Esto sucede desde los tiempos de los primeros cristianos. Esto comenzó a pasar en Galacia y el apóstol Pablo les dió esta advertencia en Gálatas 1:6-9: "Estoy asombrado de que tan pronto se estén apartando del que los llamó por la gracia de Cristo, para ir tras un evangelio diferente. No es que haya otro evangelio, sino que hay algunos que los perturban y quieren pervertir el evangelio de Cristo. Pero aun si nosotros mismos o un ángel del cielo les anunciara un evangelio diferente del que les hemos anunciado, sea anatema. Como ya lo hemos dicho, ahora mismo vuelvo a decir: Si alguien les está anunciando un evangelio contrario al que recibieron, sea anatema."Con cualquier doctrina que te aleje de la gracia de Dios y te obliga a poner la mirada en un ser humano o en un llamado "apóstol" o "profeta" y su autoridad se vea más poderosa que la de la Palabra de Dios y que la del mismo Señor Jesucristo, tienes que huir porque son sectas o movimientos que se levantan para engañar a toda persona que quiere acercarse al Señor de corazón pero que no tiene sus fundamentos firmes.Te animo para que saques tiempo y afirmes tus convicciones basadas en la Palabra de Dios, escudriña las Escrituras y lee libros doctrinales de maestros reconocidos en la iglesia que se han preparado para enseñar las Escrituras de forma pura y transparente. Puedes acercarte a tu pastor, a un líder ejemplar o puedes contactarte con nosotros si deseas sugerencias de libros o cursos bíblicos que están a tu alcance. Soy tu amigo Eduardo Rodríguez. Que el Señor te dé sabiduría para discernir y cuidar tu familia. =======Deuteronomy 13: Beware of false doctrines.Deuteronomy 13:2-5:and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods'—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.-----------------------------------------------This is a strong chapter since Moses warns the people to be extremely careful and alert when someone rises up in their midst wanting to show them the supposed path of truth with deceit. The people of God had to be firm and immediately reject any type of person or supposed prophet who causes fear, mistrust and speaks in the name of God, showing his power by performing miracles with the intention of persuading them and inviting them to worship other gods.They had to learn to discern between a true prophet and a false one. The proof was in the message that they bring: if he deviated from God's commandments by bringing new and strange things, that prophet is false; or if he spoke according to the commandments and precepts of God that were already established, he is a true prophet of God. They also had to be careful if a loved one, family member or someone they knew approached them and manipulated them by trying to convince them to go after other gods, they should immediately decline their invitation.They also had to be careful when an entire city rose up in rebellion against God and His Word. This teaches us that even if there is a population or a large group that is adopting new things that go against the Word of God, we must reject those false beliefs. It teaches us that even if something is becoming popular, that seems to be something beautiful and spiritual, we must beware of anything that subverts the message of salvation, misinterpreting or manipulating the Scriptures and wanting to take away the authority of the Word of God. There are many doctrines that are rising such as the self-styled "Messianic Christians", who are impostors deceiving Christians, forcing them to practice Jewish rituals that lower the divinity of Jesus and distance them from the truth. This has been going on since the time of the first Christians. This began to happen in Galatia and the apostle Paul gave them this warning in Galatians 1:6-9: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.”With any doctrine that takes you away from the grace of God and forces you to look at a human being or a called “apostle" or "prophet" and his authority looks more powerful than that of the Word of God and that of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, you have to flee because they are sects or movements that rise up to deceive everyone who wants to approach the Lord of heart but does not have firm foundations.I encourage you to take time and affirm your convictions based on the Word of God, search the Scriptures and read doctrinal books of recognized teachers in the church who have been prepared to teach the Scriptures in a pure and transparent way. You can approach your pastor, an exemplary leader or you can contact us if you want suggestions for books or Bible courses that are within your reach. I am your friend Eduardo Rodríguez. May the Lord give you wisdom to discern and care for your family.#Deuteronomio #Deuteronomio13#IglesiaElReino #KingdomChurch #IPUH#HogaresDePacto #HogaresDePactoPodcast #PastorCarlos #CarlosRodriguez #EduardoRodriguez

Notas en Español e inglés

When we encounter Hannah in I Samuel 1, she is carrying an ever-increasing “bitterness of soul”. There are factors in Hannah's journey and ours that lead us from the bitter anxieties of unfulfilled dreams to the sweetness of productivity. What becomes apparent is that God's design for Hannah was infinitely greater than Hannah's desire. What Hannah wanted was 1) a social safety net and 2) bragging rights. What God wanted was a prophet who would identify and mentor one of the greatest progenitors and prefigures of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. She wanted to give birth to temporal security. God wanted her to give birth to eternal destiny. Therefore, He shut up her womb until her purpose was submitted to His. Moreover, God used Hannah's frustration to bring her around to a place of surrender. She “poured out her soul before the Lord.” In a prayer of consecration, she emptied herself of the bitterness that had filled her earlier. We notice that soon after her soul was emptied of bitterness, her womb was filled with a son. Her desire was accomplished; her soul experienced sweetness. How many professionals are serving in bitterness (toxicity, poison) because they want the right thing but for the wrong reason? God, in His providential mercy, will sometimes cause a delay in success because if the goal were to be achieved in bitterness, the attainment itself would be contaminated and fall short of God's purpose and the individual's healthy sense of personal gratification. If you are carrying bitterness within, for whatever reason, just know that God awaits you – He will let you, help you, to pour that poison out in His Presence. Then He will lead you to fulfillment of His Purpose. This is the ultimate sweetness for your soul and for every aspect of your life. New podcast episodes are available on Fridays everywhere you listen to podcasts. The Fellowship of Kingdom Professionals meets every Monday live with Michael A. Blue at 11:30 AM via Facebook and Youtube. Stay connected to all things Fellowship of Kingdom Professionals and connect to other Kingdom Professionals by joining our Facebook Group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/MABlueFKP To bring FKP to your locale, ministry, school, business, etc., or to learn more, contact us by email,  FKProfessionals@gmail.com

“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this." Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne." The Lord Jesus Himself gives us the divine outline of the book of Revelation in the first chapter when He told John to: “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this” (1:19). In chapter one, John wrote and described the vision and experience he had with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself there on the Isle of Patmos. In chapters two and three, John wrote about the “things which are” as he pen the seven letters to the seven literal churches of Asia. Now as we come to chapter four through the end of the book, John writes about the “things which must take place after this” (4:1). In Revelation 1-3, the word church has occurred again and again, in fact nineteen times. From here on you will not find the word church mentioned. But now the church goes off the air -- there is no mention of it. It has gone off the air because it went up in the air; it was caught up in the air to meet the Lord in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) The church has gone to heaven -- that is what has happened to it. The church is not a name but a definition of those who have trusted Christ in this age. The word church is ekklesia in the Greek; which means "a group of people called out of the world." When the church arrives at its destination in heaven, it loses the name by which it was known in the world and other terms are used to describe it. We are going to see it in chapter 4 as twenty-four elders, representatives of the church in heaven. We are also going to see the church in heaven as a bride, coming down to her new home, the New Jerusalem. It is my view that the church will be raptured before the seven year tribulation takes place on planet earth. Revelation 4:1 indicates this when John sees a door opened in heaven and he hears a voice calling him to come up! And the first thing John sees is a worship scene in heaven. True spiritual worship is perhaps one of the greatest needs in our individual lives and in our churches. There is a constant emphasis today on witnessing for Christ and working for Christ, but not enough is said about worshiping Him. To worship means "to ascribe worth" (Rev. 4:11; 5:12). It means to use all that we are and have to praise God for all that He is and does. Heaven is a place of worship, and God's people shall worship Him throughout all eternity. Perhaps it would be good for us to get in practice now! A study of Revelation 4-5 will certainly help us better understand how to worship God and give Him the glory that He deserves. Before God pours out His wrath on earth, He gives us a glimpse into glory and permits us to hear the worshiping creatures in heaven as they praise God. Two aspects of their worship are presented for our instruction and imitation. In chapter 4, we find the host of heaven worshiping God as Creator. "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:11) In chapter 5, we see the multitudes worshiping the Lamb as Redeemer! “And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,” (Revelation 5:9) God created us to be worshippers! May the Lord help us to fulfill our purpose and worship Him now!

Hope in Jesus 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, Hope by Grace 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. God of all Comfort 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. Contact us at: thewavecolumbus@gmail.com, or www.thewavecolumbus.com

WINNING WITH THE WORD “Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God's principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God's manual for life. An invitation for you: To subscribe to this blog, click here.  To subscribe to this podcast, click here. If this blog and podcast have blessed you, please encourage your family and friends to subscribe as well. Thank you! Be sure to check out our Featured Book of the Week at the end of this post. ______________________________________   Do you prefer listening instead of reading? Then click below to listen to today's blog post on podcast. https://media.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/content.blubrry.com/winning_with_the_word/Distraction_Satans_Static.mp3   ___________________________________________________________________________ Hello and Happy Day! This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, novelist and life coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is Monday, February 28, 2022, and this is Episode #9 of Series 2022. This episode is titled "Distraction: Satan's Static." A common complaint I've heard from fellow believers recently is that they are fighting more temptations to distraction than ever before. Perhaps you can relate. You might be wondering if the complaint is real or imagined. I would suggest that it is real. Very real. So, why is this happening? Why is Satan tempting believers with so much distraction? The answer is as close as the Word of God. In fact, as close as Revelation 12: 12: "But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.” You see, my friend, the devil knows that he doesn't have much time left to attempt to thwart God's plan before the Lord Jesus Christ Himself returns to cast him into the lake of fire forever.  So, Satan is trying to make the most of the short time he has left. And one of his chief tools is distraction. Distraction is the attempt to derail one from one's purpose, one's primary goal, one's top priority. The top priority of the Christ-Follower is to preach the Gospel and to fulfill the Great Commission found in Mark chapter 16. If we are not spending the majority of our time doing these things, we are being distracted. Distraction is like static. It interrupts God's broadcasting system. You see, God is continually speaking to us. His Holy Spirit is continually directing us. Yet, if we allow ourselves to be distracted, we will not hear the Holy Spirit and, as a result, we will not fulfill God's call on our lives. Satan's Strategy So, how does Satan distract us?   Here are a few of his tactics: 1. By luring us to fritter away our time on social media, cell phones, video games, and email.  2. By annoying us with irritating problems, like computer issues, broken appliances, car problems, especially while we are trying to study the Bible or pray. 3. By troubling us with relationship problems, like misunderstandings, offenses, miscommunications, especially when we are doing our best to obey God's Word. These are only a few of the many ways Satan attempts to distract us from our primary purpose of preaching the Gospel and making disciples of all nations. What about you? Are you being distracted? If so, step back and re-evaluate your priorities. Are you putting God first, or have you slipped into relegating Him to second place? Are you spending the bulk of your time on things that don't ultimately matter, or are you spending most of your time deepening your relationship with Jesus Christ? Are you more focused on the things of this world than on the things of Heaven?  It's time we stop allowing ourselves to be distracted and start becoming single-minded on the things of God. Like Jesus, we must not look to the right or to the left. We must remain focused on being about the Father's business in these last days.

Catechism Class. Lord's Day 17A, Q45. The Importance of the ResurrectionREAD: 1st Corinthians 15:13-20In this podcast we are asking the question, - “Why is belief in a historical, factual bodily resurrection of Christ such an indispensable part of our Christian faith and life?” In that passage from 1st Corinthians, Paul gets right to the core of the issue. You cannot be a Christian, without a firm and convinced belief that we have a risen Saviour, who lives, eternally, and is seated in heavenly places. Paul begins his corrective teaching for the Corinthians, who misunderstood the nature of resurrection, by establishing the factual reality of the actual and bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Corinthians (or some of them) had denied the bodily resurrection of the dead at the last day, and in doing so (perhaps unwittingly) they in effect denied the literal resurrection of Christ, which they professed to believe. To do so, as we see in this passage will lead to terrible error. So, let's look at some of the results of this foolish acceptance of false belief:-To Read the NOTES CLICK HERE.Psalm 16:8-118 Before me constantlyI set the LORD alone.Because he is at my right handI'll not be overthrown.9 Therefore my heart is glad;my tongue with joy will sing.My body too will rest securein hope unwavering.10 For you will not allowmy soul in death to stay,Nor will you leave your Holy Oneto see the tomb's decay.11 You have made known to methe path of life divine.Bliss shall I know at your right hand;joy from your face will shine.(Psalm courtesy of www.ThePsalmsSung.org)Podcast Music: www.neosounds.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Northwest Bible Church - Dec. 19, 2021 - Christmas - Alan Conner Matthew 1:18-25 The Birth Names of Christ Intro THE VIRGIN CONCEPTION. Mary was a virgin.Matthew 1:18, 23 May was with child by the Holy Spirit.Luke 1:35; Matthew 1:18, 20 The virgin conception and birth of Jesus Christ is essential Christian doctrine. THE NAMES AND TITLES OF THIS CHILD. JESUS (Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31). IMMANUEL (Matthew 1:23). SON OF THE MOST HIGH; KING; HOLY CHILD; SON OF GOD (Luke 1:32, 35). SUNRISE FROM ON HIGH (Luke 1:78-79). SAVIOR, WHO IS CHRIST THE LORD (Luke 2:11). THE COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON (451)     So, following the holy fathers, we all with one voice teach the confession of one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: the same perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity, the same truly God and truly man, of a rational soul and a body; of one essence with the Father as regards his divinity, and the same of one essence with us as regards his humanity; like us in all respects except for sin;     He is one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, acknowledged in two natures which undergo no confusion, no change, no division, no separation. At no point was the difference between the natures taken away through the union, but rather the property of both natures is preserved and comes together into a single person and a single subsistent being (hypostasis). He is not parted or divided into two persons, but is one and the same only-begotten Son, God, Word, Lord Jesus Christ, just as the prophets taught from the beginning about Him, and as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself instructed us, and as the creed of the fathers handed it down to us. ONLY THE GOD-MAN COULD BE OUR SAVIOR. Conclusion

In South Africa it is springtime - it is the time of new beginnings. As a farmer, I can go and look at the trees and they are pushing out brand new leaves... There is a time of newness. In Matthew 7:7 the Lord says: “Seek and you will find.” What are you looking for today?My dear friend, we need to look up and see that our Redeemer is coming very soon. It is a wonderful day and we need to look at it through the eyes of God. Do you remember that beautiful old song that was sung by Louis Armstrong? It was called, “What a wonderful world.”I see trees of greenRed roses tooI see them bloomFor you and meAnd I think to myselfWhat a wonderful worldI see skies of blueAnd clouds of whiteThe bright blessed dayThe dark sacred nightAnd I think to myselfWhat a wonderful worldThe colours of the rainbowSo pretty in the skyAre also on the facesOf people going byI see friends shaking handsSaying, "How do you do?"They're really saying"I love you"I hear babies cryI watch them growThey'll learn much moreThan I'll never knowAnd I think to myselfWhat a wonderful worldYes, I think to myself… What a wonderful world.Go out today and look at the wonderful world that the Lord has created for you and me. Don't look through the eyes of negativity, don't allow yourself to be tied into negative talking and thoughts but look up and see. What a wonderful day, who knows... Maybe the Lord Jesus Christ Himself will return today. I can't wait to see what God has got in store for me today. You know, He gave me His only begotten Son and said, “Angus, if you believe in Him, you will never die - You will have eternal life!”Go out today and bless somebody. Maybe take them a bunch of flowers and tell them, “It is springtime, a new beginning!”God bless you!

Ever wish you could get a personal letter from Jesus? Well, seven churches in Asia did. They came through the apostle John's pen but were inspired by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Dr. J. Vernon McGee calls these God's love letters to churches. They were an encouragement and sometimes a warning to the first recipients of this message, and they do the same for us who listen to them today.