Podcast appearances and mentions of may jesus

John 16:10 “and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;” After Jesus' resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were transformed by the presence of the life of Christ dwelling in them. Even though the disciples no longer could see Jesus with their physical eyes, their testimony was that Jesus was in them. So it is with everyone who lives to love with Jesus. They convict the world of what they lack—the righteousness of God. Unlike the world, who cannot see Him, we practice righteousness (live to love with Him) because He lives in us. We love because He first loved us. His love was seen in His coming to perform a righteousness for us, bearing our sins in His body on the cross, going to the Father, having made a place in Himself for us to live with Him, and then sending the Holy Spirit to us. The presence of His love in us testifies concerning righteousness. Rom. 5:1-5 says it best. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” There is the truth that convicts the world concerning righteousness. Believers have the love of God poured out in them and through them. May Jesus' love flow through us today for the glory of God. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

On Earth as in Heaven Acts 1 by William Klock It's been over ten years since I finished preaching through Luke's Gospel. I had planned to preach on the Acts of the Apostles after a short break, but it didn't happen and didn't happen and didn't happen, but as I was preaching through Ephesians these last few months and pondering the things St. Paul tells us about the what the church is and what that means for us, I got to thinking that I really shouldn't put off Acts any longer.  So I'd planned to jump into it last Sunday. Acts begins with the Ascension of Jesus, and then the very next chapter is Pentecost.  What providential timing!  And then scheduling and a trip to a clericus threw me off by a week.  So last Sunday, Ascension Sunday, you got Ephesians 6—which was a bit of an Ascension sermon—and now on Pentecost, you're getting the Ascension and next week, on Trinity Sunday, you'll get Pentecost! Now, in case you're wondering what Acts has to do with Luke, it's quite a lot. Luke probably wrote his Gospel around a.d. 59 or 60.  He addresses it to someone named Theophilus.  Theophilus means “lover of God”, so some think that Luke may have used this name symbolically and that the Gospel is for everyone who loves God.  It certainly is that, but an attribution like that seems to have been unknown in Luke's world, so Theophilus probably was a real person and was probably a patron who funded Luke's writing project.  Luke was not an eyewitness to Jesus or the events of the Gospels.  As he says in the introduction, he sought out the eyewitnesses so that he could scrupulously record the events surrounding Jesus' life and ministry.  And now Acts.  Luke wrote Acts not long later, sometime between 60 and 62.  The book ends with Paul, imprisoned in Rome, awaiting his hearing before Caesar.  There's a debate about exactly what happened to Paul after that time.  He was martyred at Rome, probably during Nero's persecution of Christians, sometime between 64 and 67.  The traditional view is that Paul's case was heard in 62, he was released, and may have travelled to Spain to preach the good news about Jesus, before returning to Rome to work with Peter to oversee the church there.  The more “modern” view is that Paul was imprisoned once and was executed between 62 and 64.  Whatever the case, since Luke doesn't mention such an important event, we can pretty safely assume he wrote during that time that Paul was awaiting his hearing.  And in the case of Acts, Luke was an eyewitness, at least to part of it.  He researched the early part of Acts just as he did his Gospel, but then he took up with Paul at the city of Troas, on Paul's second missionary journey around 50-51.  Luke spent the following ten or more years travelling with Paul as a missionary and records those events as a participant. And who was Luke other than a companion of Paul?  He was a gentile.  At the end of Colossians, Paul names him separately, apart from his fellow Jewish workers.  In that same passage, Paul describes Luke as a physician.  Beyond that we really don't know a lot about him.  He writes as we would expect a Gentile would write when writing to other Gentiles.  He writes in polished, educated Greek and he often describes Jewish customs for the benefit of his non-Jewish readers.  And when it comes to Acts, he jumps in right where he left off in his Gospel.  He ended with a condensed telling of the Ascension and he begins Acts with a more detailed account, so we'll start there.  It's page 1080 in your pew Bibles if you want to follow along. Luke writes, “Dear Theophilus, The previous book which I wrote had to do with everything Jesus began to do and to teach. I took the story as far as the day when he was taken up, once he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to his chosen apostles.” Let me pause there.  Notice how Luke writes that in his Gospel he wrote about everything that Jesus began to do and to teach.  Brothers and Sisters, Jesus isn't done.  If Luke's Gospel were called “The Acts of Jesus”, Acts could very easily be “The Acts of Jesus: Part II”.  Jesus isn't done.  Remember what we learned from Paul in Ephesians: in the church, Jesus has established a people—purified by his blood from the stain of sin and filled with God's own Spirit—to be his new creation in the midst of the old, to carry his victory into the world to challenge the Caesars and the gods and the principalities and powers, to proclaim the good news until God's glory fills the whole earth.  Jesus continues his “acts” through us.  At the start of his ministry he told the people to pray: on earth as in heaven.  Now he's empowered us to be the people who will actually live out heaven on earth until he's finally ready to finish what he started that first Easter, and bring heaven and earth and God and human beings back together as they should be. Now, Luke goes on in verse 3: “He showed himself to them alive, after his suffering, by many proofs.  He was seen by them for forty days, during which he spoke about God's kingdom. As they were having a meal together, he told them not to go away from Jerusalem, btu to wait, as he put it, “for the Father's promise, which I was telling you about earlier.  John baptised with water; but in a few days from now you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.  So when the apostles came together, they put this question to Jesus: “Master,” they said, ‘is this the time when you are going to restore the kingdom to Israel.'” Jesus must have been pretty exasperated by their question.  John Calvin wrote that there are as many errors in their question as there are words.  Jesus has spent forty days teaching them what his resurrection meant for them, for the world, for everything.  Think of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus on Easter Day.  Jesus walked with them for hours and explained what happened to them using the Old Testament scriptures.  We get the impression that as it all sank in they started to understand.  But clearly not fully.  Not even after forty days.  They're still thinking of the kingdom in terms of events like the Maccabean revolt.  The Messiah will raise an army and smite the pagan gentiles and put Israel back on the top of the heap—but this time it will take, it will be forever.  They're still thinking of Jesus as the king in waiting or the king in exile—like some of the Iranians wanting Reza Pahlavi to return to Iran and retake the Peacock Throne.  But that's not how God's kingdom works.  Think of all the parables Jesus told about the kingdom: It's like a tiny mustard seed.  Yes, it will grow into a huge tree, but it takes a long time.  It's like yeast.  Yes, it grows, but it takes time and the right conditions.  After two thousand years, I think we have a better grasp of this.  But not always.  There are still many, many Christians who still kind of ask the same question, as if Jesus is the heir apparent, in exile, still waiting to become king.  But Brothers and Sisters, he already is king.  The church's job is to announce his kingship—as it's carved out on our lychgate: “Jesus is Lord”— and to implement the fact that he really is king.  Now. Not someday.  Now. So Jesus responds to them in verse 7: “It's not your business to know about times and dates,” he replied. “The Father has placed all that under his own direct authority.  What will happen, though, is that you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.  Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judaea and Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth.” The timing?  How the kingdom is going play out?  When everything will finally be consummated?  Don't worry about that.  The Father has that worked out in his goodness and wisdom.  That' not your job.  That's not our job.  That' not even Jesus' job to know.  Their job, our job is to witness Jesus—his death, his resurrection, his ascension, the fact that he is Lord—to be God's new creation, to put off the old, lie-based way of being human to to put on the new—our job is witness that good news and God's new creation to the world.  And Jesus reiterates it again: I will make sure you're equipped for this.  He's told them already: As John baptised you with water, I will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.  The significance of that didn't seem to sink in.  It should have.  This is what the Lord had promised through the prophets over and over.  Filling his people with the Spirit was to be the great sign of the Messianic age.  It would be the thing that would finally set the hearts of his people right.  And so Jesus says it again: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.  And then you'll be my witnesses from Jerusalem and eventually out to the whole world.  The mustard seed.  The yeast.  The king returning from the far-off land.  And then, to make his point, to drive home the fact that, yes, he really is king, Jesus acts out another prophecy.  He loved to do this and so it makes perfect sense that his last act before leaving them would be another acted out prophecy.  Verse 9: “As Jesus said this, he was lifted up while they were watching and a cloud took him out of their sight.  They were gazing into heaven as he disappeared.  Then, lo and behold, two men appeared, dressed in white, standing beside them.  ‘Men of Galilee,' they said, ‘why are you standing here staring into heaven?  This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.'” Jesus acts out Daniel 7—maybe not something we're intimately familiar with (although we should be), but a passage—a dramatic image—any Jew knew intimately.  That's the dream Daniel had of the ferocious beasts representing the pagan kings and empires that threatened God's people.  And in his vision, Daniel sees the Ancient of Days take his throne to sit in judgement over these beasts.  Their kingdoms are taken from them and then one like a son of man comes on the clouds to heaven to take his throne.  And to him is given dominion and glory and kingship so that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.  His dominion, Daniel says, is everlasting, his kingship one that shall never be destroyed.  This the vision of the Messiah becoming king and restoring the kingdom to Israel. So in his ascension, Jesus is showing the fulfilment of God's promise to Daniel.  Coming on the clouds to take his throne.  It was an unmistakable image for the disciples.  The kingdom has been restored to Israel—of course, that's Israel reconstituted around and in Jesus the Messiah—but restored it has been.  The Messiah is on his throne.  At the end of Matthew's Gospel, when Jesus gives the disciples what we often call his “great commission” he deliberately echoes Daniel 7: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  So you must go and make all the nations into disciples.”  The Ascension means that the world is under new management.  Maybe it helps to understand how they thought of heaven.  Unfortunately, we tend to think of heaven through a Platonic lens.  It's a far away and otherworldly place.  The opposite of earth.  The real world of which this is only a shadow.  But that's Plato—pagan Greek philosophy—not the Bible.  In the Bible heaven is earth's compliment; its other half.  God created them to fit together, to mesh.  Heaven is his realm, but the two were meant to overlap, for us to share his presence.  But his part, the heavenly half, was—in the Jewish view—it was like the control room or the CEO's office.  And that's where Jesus has gone.  To take the controls, to sit at the big desk, to accede to his throne—to rule and to reign: as Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:25: “He has to rule until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” But back to Daniel 7.  If the son of man has taken his throne, then that means that the kingdom has, indeed, been restored to Israel.  There are implications there for the disciples.  One of the twelve is missing.  Judas hanged himself after betraying Jesus.  The twelve are only eleven.  If the apostles represent the fullness of Israel reconstituted in the Messiah, they need a replacement for Judas.  Twelve tribes; twelve apostles. Maybe they didn't grasp this immediately.  Luke says that after Jesus' ascension, after the two angels asked if they were just going to stand around staring into heaven all day—because: he's one day coming back in the same way—like, didn't he give you work to do?—so they went back to Jerusalem as Jesus had told them.  Verse 13: “They then entered the city (‘they' meaning Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the zealot, and Judas the son of James) and went to the upstairs room where they were staying.  They all gave themselves single-heartedly to prayer, with the women, including Mary, Jesus' mother, and his brothers.” Luke makes a point of naming them all.  And there are eleven, not twelve.  He anticipates what needs to happen.  The apostles themselves apparently weren't sure what to do, so they did the right thing: they devoted themselves to prayer.  Brothers and Sisters, don't ever let prayer be an excuse for not doing what needs to be done, but when you don't know what to do: pray.  And pray some more.  Luke doesn't say that God suddenly spoke and gave them direction, but after days of prayer they began to understand what they had to do.  They knew the scriptures.  They'd listened to Jesus for forty days.  And as they prayed, understanding came.  Prayer has a way of doing that.  As we see here, the scriptures began to percolate in Peter's head.  That's often how God leads us.  It's not often that he speaks directly and we shouldn't expect him to.  But when we're already steeped in the scriptures and when we pray, the Spirit works and things “seem” to just come together.  I'm often amazed to see how this works when I'm preparing a sermon.  So Peter stands up in the middle of the disciples.  Luke says they'd grown to a hundred and twenty by this point.  And he says—verse 16: “Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago by the mouth of David about Judas, who became a guide to the people who arrested Jesus.  He was counted among us and had his own share in this ministry.”  Luke then adds that Judas went to the field bought with the money used to betray Jesus, he hanged himself there, where he burst open and his guts came out.  Luke notes this bit as historical evidence.  The field was still called “Blood-Place” in his day. And Peter goes on in verse 20, quoting Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8, “For this is what it says in the book of Psalms: ‘Let his home become desolate and let no one live in it' and again, ‘Let another receive his office.' “So,” Peter said, “this is what has to be done. There are plenty of people who have gone about with us all the time that our master Jesus was coming and going among us, starting from John's baptism until the day he was taken from us.  Let one of them be chosen to be alongside us as a special witness of his resurrection.” Through prayer and the scriptures and the prompting of the Spirit, Peter realised that if Jesus, the son of man, sits on his throne, the kingdom has been restored to Israel, and that meant that the leaders…the apostles…of this renewed Israel had better number twelve, to represent the full number Israel's tribes.  The symbolism was vital if people—particularly fellow Jews—were going to see how the scriptures and the covenant and God's promises to Israel were being fulfilled in the church.  “So,” writes Luke, “they chose two: Joseph who was called Barsabbas, with the surname Justus, and Matthias.  ‘Lord,' they prayed, ‘you know the hearts of all people. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to receive this particular place of service and apostleship, from which Judas went away to go to his own place.' So they cast lots for them.  The lot fell on Matthias, and he was enrolled along with the eleven apostles.” This may seem like a mundane detail to us, especially after the glory of Jesus' ascension.  But it was a big deal to the apostles and no less to Luke.  Their knowing the need for twelve, not eleven apostles, highlights just how much they saw the work of Jesus as being about the fulfilment and the restoration of God's people as the promises to Abraham were fulfilled and their mission was about be launched into the nations.  It was proof that this new movement wasn't really new at all.  It was rooted in God's promises and showed their fulfilment of God.  Jesus, the cross, the resurrection, Pentecost weren't just stand-alone events.  They were part of the great story that God had been telling his people for thousands of years.  In these events, God was doing what he'd promised, showing his faithfulness and revealing his glory.  That's why Peter takes us back to the Psalms here.  It's why Stephen, before his martyrdom in Chapter 7 recounts the history of Israel.  They wanted to make it clear that what's happening here in Acts was what God intended all along. I've always found it funny that for all the big deal they make choosing Matthias, he's never mentioned again. I say that, because it's a good reminder that what Luke records in Acts is selective.  As St. John writes at the end of his Gospel, if someone were to write down literally everything that Jesus did, the world could not contain all the books.  And just so with Acts.  Just so with the whole history of the church.  The world could not contain the books needed to record all the things, big and small and all amazing, that Jesus and the Spirit have done through Christians down through the ages, the famous ones and the ordinary saints like you and I.  But the little bit that Luke records for us in Acts, Brothers and Sisters, is a partial (and strategic) record—inspired by the Spirit—that ought to encourage us as it reminds us how God is fulfilling his promises here and now in us and as it exhorts us to carry on with our mission, knowing that the Spirit is with us and will equip us for everything he has for us to do. On that note, I want to conclude with two images.  Jesus was acting out Daniel's prophecy of the son of man coming on the clouds to his throne when he ascended, but there are at least two other unmistakable images in that act as well.  The first is Moses, ascending Mount Sinai, up into the clouds and thunder.  Moses went up and came down with the law.  In the same way, Jesus has gone up, but what has come down is not another law written on stone, but God's own Spirit, poured into our hearts.  Contemporary Christians often think of the Spirit mainly as the agent of amazing and miraculous gifts, but the most important work of the Spirit, Brothers and Sisters, the most amazing miracle of the Spirit, is to transform our hearts and to turn our affections toward God, to fill us with his law of love.  The other image here is that of the Prophet Elijah as he was taken up into heaven in a chariot of fire.  As he went, he threw down his mantle onto Elisha, his protégé.  In that act, he not only passed on his God-given mission to Elisha, but he empowered him to do it.  That is what the book of Acts is about.  Luke's Gospel is about Jesus and his ministry—like the Prophet Elijah—and at the Ascension he's taken up in heaven and his mantle falls to the apostles, to the church, to you and to me, and the book of Acts is then like the continuing story of Elisha, carrying on the work and ministry God had given to Elijah.  Elijah's last act was to strike the waters of the Jordan with his cloak so that they parted, and Elisha's first act is to do exactly the same.  Brother and Sisters, that's Acts.  That's the ministry of the church.  To steward the good news about Jesus, to steward God's presence, to be his temple, ever expanding until it fills the earth.  Yes, it's a difficult job—some even lose their lives for it—but Jesus has equipped us and he's given us hope in the faithfulness of God to do what he has said.  His mantle has fallen on us in the gift of the Spirit and we know that he sits on his throne as Lord.  That central gospel truth is carved on our lychgate, a reminder as we come here and as a remind when we go back out to the world.  May Jesus' ascension never be for us a mere doctrine.  May it be for us the great truth that gives us hope, the great truth that is transforming creation. Let's pray: Almighty God and Father, as you have taken your son, Jesus the Messiah to reign in heaven, and as you have let his mantle fall on us in your indwelling Spirit, fill us with bold faith and certain hope that we might be faithful stewards of your gospel and for the sake of the world until the knowledge of your glory reaches the ends of the earth your son returns again on the clouds.  Through him we pray. Amen.

Send us your feedback — we're listeningPsalm 91:5–6 — Jesus, Stand Between Me and Every Voice of Fear and Let Your Peace Rule My Thoughts As Night Deepens Welcome to Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper, live from London, England — reaching Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Cuba, and Argentina. Psalm 91:5–6 (NIV): “You will not fear the terror of night…” Salmo 91:5–6 — “Você não temerá o terror da noite…” “Goodness and mercy will follow me.” / “Bondade e misericórdia me seguirão.” Psalm 46:1 (NIV): “God is our refuge and strength…” Salmo 46:1 — “Deus é nosso refúgio e fortaleza…” fear quieted • deep presence • night-long stability medo silenciado • presença profunda • estabilidade da noite Night has a way of magnifying what felt small in the daylight. Thoughts grow louder, worries stretch wider, and silence itself can feel heavy. But here, in this hour, Jesus, Jesús, Jesus Cristo meets you with a presence stronger than anything the darkness suggests. He does not wait for the night to pass — He enters it with you, placing Himself between your heart and every shadow that tries to rise. Psalm 91 speaks with authority: Você não temerá o terror da noite. You are not left to face the night alone, nor to battle the voices that try to wear down your peace. Jesús stands guard over your thoughts, stilling the noise, softening the impact of fear, reminding you that the night does not hold dominion over a life carried by the Shepherd. And Jesus Cristo brings a presença profunda — a deep presence that does not depend on your strength. He calms what trembles, holds what feels fragile, and steadies what has struggled to settle throughout the day. His nearness is not symbolic; it is the very atmosphere shaping your inner world as this hour unfolds. “Bondade e misericórdia me seguirão.” Goodness and mercy follow you into this night, into this moment, into this breath. Not anxiety. Not fear. Not uncertainty. Goodness and mercy. Jesús, dame paz esta noche — Jesus, give me peace tonight — becomes the simple and honest prayer of a heart choosing trust over fear. So release the weight you carried. Let His refuge surround you. Let His strength become the shield over your mind. May Jesus quiet your fears. May His deep presence hold you. And may His peace — lasting, gentle, unwavering — guard your night from every direction. Jesus night peace, Psalm 91 fear removed, deep presence prayer, Portuguese devotional, Spanish prayer, Latin America night devotional, Psalm 46 refuge, evening calm Jesus Cristo night peace • Jesus Cristo • presença profunda • Psalm 91 refuge • fear quieted • JesúsSupport the showDaily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper now reaches 185 countries and 3,012 cities worldwide through the Global Blend Radio network.This is a listener-funded global ministry. If these daily prayers strengthen your faith or help you through difficult seasons, would you consider becoming a monthly prayer partner for just £3 per month?Your support enables us to continue recording, hosting, and broadcasting daily biblical encouragement across the nations — keeping this ministry free and accessible to everyone who needs it.You can support today at GlobalBlendRadio.comTogether, we can keep prayer moving across the world.To submit a prayer request or connect with our global prayer community, visit DailyPrayer.ukBuy me a Coffee 

Send us your feedback — we're listeningPsalm 91:14 — Jesus, Anchor My Midday With Strength and Let Courage Rise Again Where Fatigue Has Found Me Welcome to Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper, live from London, England — reaching Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, and Chile. Psalm 91:14 (NIV): “Because he loves Me… I will rescue him; I will protect him.” Salmo 91:14 — “Porque ele Me ama… Eu o resgatarei; Eu o protegerei.” “He restores my soul.” / “Refrigera a minha alma.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV): “My grace is sufficient for you…” 2 Coríntios 12:9 — “Minha graça te basta…” renewal • courage • sustaining strength renovação • coragem • força sustentadora Midday often arrives with a weight we did not expect. The morning's energy fades, responsibilities stack higher, and thoughts begin to scatter under the pace of the day. But right in the centre of this hour, Jesus, Jesús, Jesus Cristo speaks strength that is not fading, not temporary, not dependent on how we feel. “Because he loves Me… I will rescue him.” Rescue is not for emergencies alone — it is also for the tired heart, the overloaded mind, the place in you that has quietly said, “I can't keep this pace.” Jesus meets you here, not at the edges of collapse, but in the middle of your day. His grace — Minha graça te basta — becomes the strength under your weakness, the breath beneath your fatigue, the courage rising where discouragement tried to anchor itself. The Shepherd who restores the soul in Psalm 23 brings renewal that does not run out at midday. Renewal is His rhythm, not yours. And Jesús steadies what is slipping. He strengthens the steps that feel unsure. He takes the very places where you are thin and fills them with a sustaining presence that does not fracture under pressure. You do not walk into the second half of this day with yesterday's strength — you walk with His. So breathe. Slow your pace internally even if your schedule cannot slow on the outside. Tell Jesus Cristo where you feel worn. Tell Him where courage is needed. Tell Him where fatigue has touched the edges of your heart. May the God who protects, rescues, restores, and strengthens lift your midday now. May Jesus speak courage into your tired places. And may grace — abundant, sufficient, and alive — carry you through the rest of this day. Jesus midday strength, Psalm 91 renewal, grace for fatigue, courage prayer, Portuguese devotional, Spanish devotional, Latin America Christian prayer, spiritual renewal, sustaining strength renewal prayer • midday strength • Jesus Cristo • sustaining grace • Psalm 91 protection • coragem espiritualSupport the showDaily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper now reaches 185 countries and 3,012 cities worldwide through the Global Blend Radio network.This is a listener-funded global ministry. If these daily prayers strengthen your faith or help you through difficult seasons, would you consider becoming a monthly prayer partner for just £3 per month?Your support enables us to continue recording, hosting, and broadcasting daily biblical encouragement across the nations — keeping this ministry free and accessible to everyone who needs it.You can support today at GlobalBlendRadio.comTogether, we can keep prayer moving across the world.To submit a prayer request or connect with our global prayer community, visit DailyPrayer.ukBuy me a Coffee 

Send us your feedback — we're listeningPsalm 91:15 — Jesus, Answer Me in This Evening Hour and Let Your Presence Rewrite the Weight I Have Carried Today Welcome to Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper, live from London, England — reaching Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Cuba. Psalm 91:15 (NIV): “He will call on Me, and I will answer him… I will be with him in trouble.” Salmo 91:15 — “Ele clamará a Mim, e Eu lhe responderei… Estarei com ele na angústia.” “Your rod and Your staff comfort me.” / “Tua vara e Teu cajado me consolam.” Hebrews 4:16 (NIV): “Let us approach God's throne of grace…” Hebreus 4:16 — “Aproximemo-nos do trono da graça…” evening reassurance • answered prayer • emotional release sensação de alívio ao entardecer • oração respondida • liberação emocional As the evening draws in, the day begins to speak — sometimes gently, sometimes heavily. Thoughts replay, moments resurface, and the weight we carried without noticing suddenly makes itself known. In this hour, Jesus, Jesús, Jesus Cristo steps toward you, not with judgement, but with presence. He hears the call before it forms into words. He understands the weight before you explain it. And He answers not only your prayer, but also your unspoken ache. Psalm 91:15 is not distant language; it is a promise active in the reality of your evening. “I will answer him… I will be with him in trouble.” Presence first, solution second. Before anything changes around you, His nearness changes what is within you. This is why Hebrews calls you to draw near — Aproximemo-nos do trono da graça — because grace is not an idea, but a place where the tired heart meets real comfort. Jesús stands where your thoughts are crowded and quiets them one by one. Jesus Cristo enters the places where the day has carved its strain and fills them with gentleness. He holds what you cannot hold together. He steadies what felt fragile. He comforts in ways that move deeper than understanding. And the Shepherd's staff — Tua vara e Teu cajado me consolam — reminds you that you are guided, guarded, and carried into the evening, even when your steps feel slow. So breathe out what you've held in. Tell Him what still feels unsettled. Let His presence rewrite the story of your day. May Jesus meet you in this hour. May His answer rise within you. And may His grace become the rest your evening has been waiting for. evening prayer Jesus, Psalm 91 comfort, answered prayer, emotional release, Portuguese devotional, Spanish devotional, Latin America evening prayer, grace in the evening, Jesus Cristo comfort evening comfort • Jesus Cristo • Psalm 91 reassurance • answered prayer • emotional release • grace for the eveningSupport the showDaily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper now reaches 185 countries and 3,012 cities worldwide through the Global Blend Radio network.This is a listener-funded global ministry. If these daily prayers strengthen your faith or help you through difficult seasons, would you consider becoming a monthly prayer partner for just £3 per month?Your support enables us to continue recording, hosting, and broadcasting daily biblical encouragement across the nations — keeping this ministry free and accessible to everyone who needs it.You can support today at GlobalBlendRadio.comTogether, we can keep prayer moving across the world.To submit a prayer request or connect with our global prayer community, visit DailyPrayer.ukBuy me a Coffee 

Send us your feedback — we're listeningPsalm 91:9–10 — Jesus, Establish My Home in Your Peace Tonight and Push Back Every Shadow Standing Near My Door Welcome to Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper, live from London, England — reaching Brazil, Spain, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru. Psalm 91:9–10 (NIV): “If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge'… no harm will overtake you.” Salmo 91:9–10 — “Se você fizer do Senhor o seu refúgio… nenhum mal o atingirá.” “I will fear no evil.” / “Não temerei mal algum.” John 10:11 (NIV): “I am the Good Shepherd…” João 10:11 — “Eu sou o Bom Pastor…” home protection • gentle care • night peace proteção do lar • cuidado suave • paz da noite Evening settles differently than morning or midday. It slows the pace of the world outside while awakening the deeper places within — the questions, the emotions, the unspoken worries that surface when the noise fades. And it is here, in this sacred quiet, that Jesus, Jesús, Jesus Cristo speaks His peace over your home. Not a peace built by routine or circumstance, but a peace rooted in His presence standing watch at your door. Psalm 91 tells you that when you declare the Lord as your refuge, harm loses its authority. Shadows lose their shape. Fear loses its permission. Tonight, that promise becomes personal. Jesus walks the borders of your heart and home, the Good Shepherd who does not sleep, who does not step away, who guards what is entrusted to His care. Não temerei mal algum — you need not fear what the night tries to whisper. Jesús quiets the spaces inside you that feel unsettled. He fills the rooms of your inner life with assurance where doubt tried to linger. He turns your attention from imagined threats to real safety, from internal noise to His steady presence. And Jesus Cristo holds the emotional weight that tries to follow you into the night, carrying what you were never meant to bear alone. Let His peace settle into every room, every memory, every thought. Let His care reshape the atmosphere around you. Let His nearness become the boundary the night cannot cross. May Jesus surround your home with protection. May His peace rest where weariness has gathered. And may the Good Shepherd keep watch over you — now, and through every hour of the night. Jesus night protection, Psalm 91 home safety, Good Shepherd evening prayer, night peace devotional, Portuguese prayer, Spanish Christian prayer, Latin America night devotional, home blessing prayer night protection • Jesus Cristo • Psalm 91 refuge • home peace • Good Shepherd • evening calmSupport the showDaily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper now reaches 185 countries and 3,012 cities worldwide through the Global Blend Radio network.This is a listener-funded global ministry. If these daily prayers strengthen your faith or help you through difficult seasons, would you consider becoming a monthly prayer partner for just £3 per month?Your support enables us to continue recording, hosting, and broadcasting daily biblical encouragement across the nations — keeping this ministry free and accessible to everyone who needs it.You can support today at GlobalBlendRadio.comTogether, we can keep prayer moving across the world.To submit a prayer request or connect with our global prayer community, visit DailyPrayer.ukBuy me a Coffee 

Send us your feedback — we're listeningPsalm 91:16 — Jesus, Hold My Tomorrow With a Faithfulness That Carries Me Through the Darkness Into the First Light Again Welcome to Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper, live from London, England — reaching Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Spain. Psalm 91:16 (NIV): “With long life I will satisfy him…” Salmo 91:16 — “Com vida longa Eu o satisfarei…” “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” / “Habitarei na casa do Senhor para sempre.” Hebrews 10:23 (NIV): “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess…” Hebreus 10:23 — “Apeguemo-nos com firmeza à esperança…” future hope • gentle peace • faithful tomorrow esperança futura • paz suave • amanhã fiel Night always speaks differently at this hour. The world grows quieter, and the heart grows honest. Questions rise. Thoughts settle. And into this stillness steps Jesus, Jesús, Jesus Cristo, not as a distant figure but as the One who carries what you cannot carry and holds what you cannot yet see. Psalm 91:16 reminds you that your life, your future, your tomorrow are not left to chance — they are held by a faithful God whose promises do not expire in the dark. Jesús, guía mi corazón en esta hora. Guide my heart in this hour. When uncertainty presses close, when fear imagines outcomes that Your presence does not confirm, remind me again that esperança — hope — is not fragile when it rests in You. You steady my breathing. You calm the haste inside me. You speak peace over the places where worry tried to build a home. Jesus Cristo brings reassurance deeper than answers. A presença dEle — His presence — reaches into every corner of your night. Ele cuida de você. He cares for you. Gently. Constantly. Faithfully. Even when you don't feel strong, His faithfulness becomes the ground beneath your weakness, the promise beneath your questions, the light beneath your waiting. And as the Shepherd leads you toward rest, Psalm 23 whispers the final word: Habitarei na casa do Senhor para sempre. You are held, you are guided, and you are never left alone in the night. So lay down what remains unfinished. Surrender the weight you cannot resolve. Let His faithfulness become the comfort of your final hour. May Jesus carry your tomorrow. May His peace guard your night. And may His hope — quiet, unwavering, eternal — rise with you into the first light again. Jesus hope night prayer, Psalm 91 tomorrow, Spanish devotional esperanza, Portuguese Jesus Cristo noite, late-night Christian prayer, global devotional hope, Hebrews 10:23 faith, Latin America prayer esperança futura • Jesus Cristo • faithful tomorrow • Psalm 91 promise • night hope • Jesús guía mi corazónSupport the showDaily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper now reaches 185 countries and 3,012 cities worldwide through the Global Blend Radio network.This is a listener-funded global ministry. If these daily prayers strengthen your faith or help you through difficult seasons, would you consider becoming a monthly prayer partner for just £3 per month?Your support enables us to continue recording, hosting, and broadcasting daily biblical encouragement across the nations — keeping this ministry free and accessible to everyone who needs it.You can support today at GlobalBlendRadio.comTogether, we can keep prayer moving across the world.To submit a prayer request or connect with our global prayer community, visit DailyPrayer.ukBuy me a Coffee 

Send us your feedback — we're listeningPsalm 91:1 — Jesus, Draw My Heart Into the Shelter Where the Night Loses Its Power Over Me - Welcome to Daily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper, live from London, England — reaching Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Spain, and Cuba tonight. Psalm 91:1 (NIV): “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Salmo 91:1 — “Aquele que habita no abrigo do Altíssimo descansará à sombra do Todo-Poderoso.” “The Lord is my Shepherd; I lack nothing.” / “O Senhor é o meu Pastor; nada me faltará.” Luke 10:19 (NIV): “I have given you authority… to overcome all the power of the enemy.” Lucas 10:19 — “Eu lhes dei autoridade… para vencer todo o poder do inimigo.” midnight steadiness • spiritual safety • night authority overturned firmeza à meia-noite • segurança espiritual • autoridade sobre a noite When Jesus — Jesus, Jesús, Jesus Cristo — meets you in the midnight hour, He meets you with a strength that rests deeper than fear and steadier than the shadows around you. These moments, when the world grows quiet and your thoughts grow loud, are where Psalm 91 breathes its greatest authority. “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High…” — this is not distance, this is nearness. This is the kind of nearness that turns darkness into a place of covering rather than intimidation. Tonight, you are not standing in the night alone. The shadow of the Almighty is not the shadow of fear — it is the shadow of protection, the shadow that breaks the lie that the night has power over you. Jesus speaks into your spirit in every language of the searching heart: Jesus is here. Jesús está aquí. Jesus Cristo está presente. His authority covers what tries to rise against you. His peace moves into the rooms of your mind where rest has been thin. His presence quiets the old battles that try to climb back into your thoughts. So breathe now. Let the Shepherd — “O Senhor é o meu Pastor” — steady your heart. Let His rod and His staff speak security where your mind has been unsettled. The enemy's voice loses power when His authority is spoken aloud. You are not abandoned. You are not undefended. You are not unseen in this hour. May Jesus draw you under His shelter tonight. May rest return. May fear leave. May the night bow to His authority over your life. Jesus, midnight prayer, Psalm 91, fear at night, protection, spiritual safety, overcoming anxiety, Portuguese devotional, Spanish devotional, Latin America prayer, night peace midnight prayer • Psalm 91 shelter • Jesus protection • night fears quieted • Latin America devotional • Portuguese Spanish prayer reachSupport the showDaily Prayer with Reverend Ben Cooper now reaches 184 countries and 2,968 cities worldwide through the Global Blend Radio network. This is a listener-funded global ministry. If these daily prayers strengthen your faith or help you through difficult seasons, would you consider becoming a monthly prayer partner for just £3 per month? Your support enables us to continue recording, hosting, and broadcasting daily biblical encouragement across the nations — keeping this ministry free and accessible to everyone who needs it. You can support today at GlobalBlendRadio.com. Together, we can keep prayer moving across the world. To submit a prayer request or connect with our global prayer community, visit DailyPrayer.uk. Buy me a Coffee

At the halfway point of the year, it's easy to feel like we're just trying to make it to the finish line. But this message is an invitation to do more than survive—to recenter. In Colossians 1:15–23, we're reminded of who Jesus really is: the One who created all things, the One who holds all things together, and the One who leads His church. If Jesus is truly the center, everything else—our stress, our opinions, our fears, our responsibilities—finds a better place. Pastor Tim speaks honestly about the emotional weight of our cultural moment, and how easy it is for Christians to get pulled into anxiety, outrage, and division. But the church is called to something different: unity in Christ, a deeper story, and a kingdom mission that doesn't rise and fall with the news cycle. This message also prepares us for Lent and the practices that form us: Sabbath, fasting, and prayer. Not as a way to earn God's love—but as a way to become more aware of it, and more grounded in it. If you feel off-center right now, this message is for you. May Jesus become central again—steady, present, and supreme.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/ece-devotions/20260202ECME.mp3 Listen to Devotion Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 1 Corinthians 1:26-27 You Are Equipped Imagine you're meeting a friend for coffee. You both stand in line and catch up as the barista makes your drink. After the barista hands you your beverages, you find a table ready to continue chatting. But then your friend says to you, “You know; you're not smart, influential or important.” Wait, what?! Our natural reaction would be to try to prove that we are smart, influential, or important. How quickly we would list the accolades that make us exactly those things. How quickly we would come to our own defense. Tearing you down—that's not what friends are supposed to be for. Then, we get quiet. We remember what it was like to be handed our firstborn baby, walk out of the hospital, and think, “What am I supposed to do now?!” We think about the to do list – the groceries, the school signups, and the dinner that needs to be made. We think about the classroom that will never be prepped in time and the materials that just never seem to be where they are supposed to be. And why are we always out of blue paint? We remember the camping trips where inevitably something is always forgotten. (That's okay; I guess I didn't really need a pillow.) It may feel like our family is falling apart and we never have enough time together. Then there's the loss of a loved one that we still think about daily. We think of all the ways that Jesus reminds us, “You have nothing without me.” Yet, we keep trying to do it ourselves. We continue to get frustrated when that doesn't work. We continue to be frustrated that we keep falling short and that we keep spinning in circles after trying everything. Finally, we're brought back to reality. Then we have to say, “You're right. I'm not smart, influential or important!” Then comes God. God's power and wisdom are not dependent on human status and what we can do on our own. As God always does, he doesn't leave us alone and unequipped. He remains constant. He reminds us that he has equipped us. He stands still for us. He says, “I've got you. You have nothing without me, but you have everything with me. When you feel alone, I'm right beside you. When you walk through the dark valleys, I am with you. Those big hard things that seem impossible, I will equip you for all that comes your way. Remember? I have overcome the world. You are blessed through me and because of me.” It all may be too big on our own. By ourselves, we can't handle the to-do list and serving one hundred school kids and their families. By ourselves, we don't have the strength when a family feels like it is falling apart or we are grieving the loss of a loved one. But the beautiful thing is that we don't have to do those things alone. God stands strong, he stands tall, and he says, “I. AM. HERE. I've got you. With me, you are wise. With me, you are influential. With me, you can do everything. With me, you are blessed. You are never alone. You are equipped for whatever I put in your life.” May Jesus continue to remind you, today and always, that you are equipped, you are exactly where God called you to be, and you are blessed. Prayer: Dear Jesus, Please remind us today and always, that I am equipped and exactly where your Father needs me to be. Thank you for always reminding me that I am blessed by you and through you. In your name I pray. Amen. A Question to Consider: What is a way that God has blessed you in the last week? What is a way that God may use you to bless others in the next week? Early Childhood Ministry Educator’s (ECME) Devotions are brought to you by WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Where is God in the junk of your life? This is a question many ask, and today we see where God was in the junk of Paul's life - as he was arrested, on trial, and imprisoned for 2 years at Caesarea. May Jesus give us eyes to see where he is in our lives today too!

"May Jesus Be Exalted" - John 3:22-31Ron Bower, Senior PastorOriginal Date: 1/18/2026

Send us your feedback — we're listeningJohn 14 : 6 — The Way, the Truth and the Life : Prayer for Revival and Freedom in Tunisia “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” — John 14 : 6Recorded live here in London, England with Reverend Ben Cooper.At 6 P.M., we lift Tunisia before the Lord — a nation longing for truth and spiritual awakening. John 14 : 6 reminds us that Jesus is not a path among many; He is the only Way. Across Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt, believers quietly proclaim His name. Where truth is hidden and hope is thin, the Gospel still shines. Jesus Christ heals nations by revealing the Father's heart through His Spirit. Tonight we pray for Tunisia to walk the Way of Jesus and find life in His truth.Paragraph 1 – Context North Africa has been a crossroads of faith and conflict for centuries. Yet John 14 : 6 still speaks to every heart seeking peace. Only through Jesus can a nation find healing and lasting freedom.Paragraph 2 – Reflection The truth of Christ brings light where fear once ruled. He is the life that restores hope to families and future to the church. When a people follow the Way of Jesus, they find the freedom the world cannot give.Paragraph 3 – Intercession & Vision We pray for Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt. Let the Holy Spirit move through cities, villages and homes. Strengthen believers who worship in quiet faith. May Jesus be proclaimed as the Way, the Truth and the Life throughout North Africa.Prayer PointsPrayer for revival and truth in Tunisia.Ask Jesus to bring freedom and light to North Africa.Prayer for strength and courage for Tunisian believers.Ask God to open doors for the Gospel in closed nations.Declare that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.Pray for unity among church leaders and believers.Ask the Holy Spirit to heal families and restore hope.Prayer for peace and stability across Tunisia.Pray for young people to discover faith in Christ.Thank God that His truth is transforming the nations.Life ApplicationWhen you face uncertainty, pray John 14 : 6 and remember that Jesus is yourSupport the showFor more inspiring content, visit RBChristianRadio.net — your home for daily devotionals, global prayer, and biblical encouragement for every season of life. We invite you to connect with our dedicated prayer hub at DailyPrayer.uk — a place where believers from every nation unite in prayer around the clock. If you need prayer, or would like to leave a request, this is the place to come. Our mission is simple: to pray with you, to stand with you, and to keep the power of prayer at the centre of everyday life. Your support through DailyPrayer.uk helps us continue sharing the gospel and covering the nations in prayer. You can also discover our ministry services and life celebrations at LifeCelebrant.net — serving families with faith, dignity, and hope. If this devotional blesses you, please consider supporting our listener-funded mission by buying us a coffee through RBChristianRadio.net. Every prayer, every gift, and every share helps us keep broadcasting God's Word to the world.

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Good morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)YouTube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comColossians 1The Apostle Paul begins this powerful letter by expressing gratitude for the Colossians' faith in Jesus Christ and their love for all the saints, rooted in the hope of heaven as expressed in the gospel. He prays for their spiritual growth, urging them to live lives worthy of the Lord. The chapter highlights Christ as the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, and the head of the church. Through Him, all things were created and reconciled by His blood on the cross. Paul reminds them of their former alienation but celebrates their reconciliation through Jesus. He explains his role as a servant of the gospel, laboring to present everyone mature in the Lord, whose mystery has now been revealed: Christ in you, the hope of glory. As recipients of God's grace, we proclaim the greatness of Jesus and our calling to live in a way that honors Him. We have been rescued from darkness and brought into the kingdom of Christ, who is the image of the invisible God and the one through whom all things were created. Because of this, we live with gratitude and purpose. We do not walk aimlessly, but walk worthy of the Lord, bearing fruit in every good work. His power strengthens us, and we endure with patience and joy. We were once alienated, but now we are reconciled through Christ's sacrifice. We press on in faith, grounded and firm in the hope of the gospel, trusting in Christ's supremacy and love. Benevolent God, thank You for the hope of heaven made available to us through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Help us to increase in our faithfulness to You and our love for others as a demonstration of our gratitude. Challenge us to grow in knowledge concerning Your glory and the power of Jesus Christ in our lives. He is the means through which You rescued us, our Creator and Redeemer. May Jesus take first place in everything. We will continue in the faith and hope of the gospel and ask for boldness to share the completeness found in Christ with everyone we can. Thought Questions: Faith and love are inspired by hope in God. What is hope? What are the things you hope for in the Lord that keep you faithful to Him?  What are some amazing qualities of Jesus listed in this chapter? What does it look like for Him to take first place in everything in your life? How has Jesus “reconciled you in His fleshly body through death” (vs. 22)? What does He expect from you because of His sacrifice?

The wonderful fruit of the Spirit is given to all who give themselves without reserve to Jesus, the lover of our souls. May Jesus warm your heart as you listen today!

In his final moments with his disciples before going to the cross, Jesus prays. Our prayers reveal our priorities. What does Jesus pray for? Jesus prays that the Father would be glorified, that his disciples would be sanctified, and that the church would be unified. May Jesus' priorities shape our prayers!

In his final moments with his disciples before going to the cross, Jesus prays. Our prayers reveal our priorities. What does Jesus pray for? Jesus prays that the Father would be glorified, that his disciples would be sanctified, and that the church would be unified. May Jesus' priorities shape our prayers!

Someone so admires you, he or she is watching you, learning from you and wants to imitate you. Maybe it's a friend or a coworker, or, if you're a parent, for better or for worse, it's your child. In a way, that makes him or her your disciple. You're watching someone and want to imitate someone, too. That makes you a disciple. In a much bigger and different way, Jesus makes us his disciples. We're glad you're with us today. May Jesus' words fill you with joy and confidence in being his disciple.

This week's Gospel reading John 5:1-9 recounts the story of an invalid Jesus encounters at the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem. In this encounter Jesus asks, 'Do you want to get well?" Jesus does not presume to know what is wanted, but reflects God's goodness in giving us our own 'free will'. God does not pressure creation to come to Him, but instead asks gently and extends His invitations into our lives- invitations towards wholeness, community and care. The invalid responds by listing a range of reasons why he is not already well! Through His compassionate listening Jesus discerns the man's desire for healing and so tells him to 'Get up!". Immediately the man is healed. Here is something we learn- that Jesus invites, and that God gives. We have faith through the Holy Spirit drawing us into trust in a God who truly cares for us, is generous, and does not seek God's own way. God gives each of us the final say in how we choose to live. How can you choose, this week, to reflect your trust in God's generosity? Could you invite someone you know into a deeper conversation, or share generously of your time and resources to improve someone else's wellbeing? Are you willing to follow their lead in how to do this? May Jesus guide you in showing others His face.This message was written and presented by Pr. Havard Osland of the Norwegian Lutheran Church Aust.Support the show

The Light brings forth biblical truth and exposes darkness. Jesus is this light. But the Pharisees are blind to it. Though they accuse Jesus of bearing witness about Himself, the Author of the Law is in every way qualified to do just that!

An audio sermon brought to you by Shofar Joburg

May Jesus' death on the cross remind us of how true and complete His death is so that we can live confidently in Him.

What if you got to hold God as a baby? Scripture mentions only one person in history, besides Jesus' parents, who ever had that chance. His name was Simeon, and his powerful reaction to holding baby Jesus will change how you see Christmas forever. Today we explores the three extraordinary declarations Simeon made about Jesus that still light up our world today. May Jesus bless you this Christmas! Thank you for your generosity and for advancing the Kingdom of God! For more information on giving: sm4.org/giving Follow us on social media to stay informed and updated: Instagram - @santamariafoursquare Facebook - Santa Maria Foursquare Church Website: sm4.org

Wayfarers, this brief episode is our prayer for you. May Jesus come close to you as you celebrate His first advent at Christmas and may His hope flood your heart as you look forward to the glorious day that He comes again! Oh, come Lord Jesus!

Preaching from Psalm 67, Pastor Greg Barkman explains God's purpose to bring all nations to submission in order to praise and worship Him.

Finally! We've reached the end of our Book of Revelation study. In this final episode, Dr. Jay and Amazing Larry explore Revelation Chapter 22. With evil, sin, and death destroyed, life flows like the River of Life described by John. We will live in God's presence forever! John's final words serve as an encouragement to Christians in every age. May Jesus come soon!Frothy Thoughts with the Truth BaristaVisit HighBeam Ministry, The Truth BaristaCheck out the Frothy Thoughts Blog!Check out The Truth Barista Books!Check out The Truth Barista YouTube Channel!

Throughout Season 3 of A Different Way, we learned about the practices of prayer, fasting, sabbath, silence & solitude, and simplicity. These practices aren't religious obligations; they're means of grace. In this experience, Pastor Jason Hillier walks us through taking some time to recap and review our Season 3 notes, reflect on what the Holy Spirit has been saying to us, and write out our summary statement for Season 3. May Jesus continue to be our one thing as we do what Jesus did so we can do what Jesus did and live a different way!

Friends, thanks for listening today! May Jesus plead on your behalf and teach you this week. “Question 20 of our Global Methodist Catechism states that one of our core beliefs as Methodists is “we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of life.” This strong, optimistic teaching of Jesus advocating for sinners brings up an important point: the greatest chance Christians have for a better life is Christ's presence. When Paul wrote the Philippians church to “Rejoice always” He was not ignoring their problems, far from it. Paul rejoices because what He now has in the presence of Jesus, is life-changing! “But whatever I gained, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ”-Philippians 3:7-8. Church, it is important you understand this. Christ as our greatest gift, as our advocate, changes lives. Has He changed yours?”

“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.'” — Luke 10:5 A few years ago there was a social media trend in which people posted good things about themselves and tagged them with “#blessed.” I did a search of “#blessed” and got 140 million results. Everything from pictures of people holding babies, to nice cars and beaches. And about 100 million selfies. We tend to think of being blessed in terms of material blessings. But that's not what Jesus teaches. In fact, part of being a witness to Jesus is to bring his blessing of God's love and good news wherever we go. This is our mission. We see this clearly in Luke 10. Jesus sent 72 of his followers to bring the good news of God's kingdom to the people in nearby towns and villages. And when they entered people's homes and communities, they were to declare peace on them and say, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” The Savior has come! Salvation and hope are here! These blessings are still what God offers us and the world today. And like those 72 followers, we are called to bring peace and to announce the good news wherever we go. May Jesus equip us with his Spirit to be his faithful witnesses, sharing his blessings with the people we meet today. Jesus, it can be daunting to live into the words of this passage. Thank you that we are not alone. Pour your blessings on us so that we can share them with others wherever we go today. Amen.

May Jesus, the Light of the World, brighten your day. And may he reach deep into that mental darkness of your elderly friend to bring comfort. -------- Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible.   Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org.   Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

It's not what it looks like. There's more happening than what meets the eye. What looks like defeat is actually God's hand at work in those unseen places. God's word cannot and will not return void so don't stop believing! May Jesus go before us, and may we just preach Christ! 

Preaching for the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yolanda Chavez offers a reflection on making space for rest and spiritual renewal: "Reflecting on the message of Psalm 23 with the example of Jesus in the Gospel, we find a refreshing and luminous call to be compassionate shepherds and caregivers, always seeking the balance between serving others and taking care of ourselves. May Jesus, the source of quiet waters, guide us, renew us, and encourage us in our daily ministry." Yolanda Chavez, M.Div., is a member of the Ecumenical Association of Theologians of the Third World (ASETT) and an essential collaborator in the evangelizing and catechetical mission of the Archdiocesan Office of Religious Education of Los Angeles as a certified Catechist Master Teacher. Yolanda holds a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, where she is currently a candidate for a doctorate in ministry focused on Women's Spirituality. She is a promoter of Women's Spirituality ministry in Spanish at the Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino, California. Visit www.catholicwomenpreach.org/preaching/07212024 to read Yolanda's preaching text and for more preaching from Catholic women.

What does it mean to behold Christ? Together, we are studying the New Testament, one chapter at a time, and answering this very question. Join us as we dive deep into details of the New Testament and behold Jesus as the centerpiece of God's sovereign plan of redemption. Today, we are journeying through John 3. You can follow along with us in Behold | A Study of the New Testament vol. 2  Visit The Daily Grace Co. for the Behold bundle and for beautiful products that will equip you on your journey to knowing and loving God more. Find a free digital copy of the Behold reading plan here. Follow @dailygracepodcast on Instagram for exclusive podcast content and @thedailygraceco for all things The Daily Grace Co. Subscribe to the Daily Grace Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and Read the Bible in a year with us in the Bible App. Click here for a transcript of this episode

Your first love is who or what you value the most . May Jesus be your first love, May you cherish your relationship with your father in heaven !

May Jesus be exalted in every good thing we will do today.

Our good friend and church member Justin Bailey preaches on Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Jesus asks his audience to move the stone of the tomb, even though it's going to cause an unpleasant odor. A question Justin asks us is, will we move stones for people even if it's less than pleasant? May Jesus use us to give dead people new life! ------------ Renovating The Storefront Property  In 2020, we were able to buy the land right next to our church, which came with this awesome old storefront building. The only problem is it needs to be renovated from top to bottom.  We need to raise $100,000 to get up and running for weekly ministry use. If you don't know, our church exists to transform our neighborhood with the gospel of Jesus. Our neighborhood is called Poe Mill in Greenville, SC. The residents are facing a lot of challenging times as, according to neighborhoodscout.com, it ranks in the top 5% for poverty out of all (ALL!) US neighborhoods.  This Christmas season, or with your end-of-year giving, would you consider giving to us here at Griggs for this project?  You can do this online at ⁠griggschurch.com⁠, clicking give and selecting "building fund."  We can't thank you enough.

The parable of the Good Samaritan will come alive as you listen to this broadcast. May Jesus meet and transform your heart as you listen.

The parable of the Good Samaritan will come alive as you listen to this broadcast. May Jesus meet and transform your heart as you listen. Source

"May Jesus make us a church of celebration in a culture of cynicism.“ Join us as Pastor David Perkins brings an encouraging and timely message just for you! If you have never connected with us via our connection card, be sure to fill one out now! Connect with us at | bit.ly/RadiantConnectionCard Do you need prayer? Let us pray for you through this link | bit.ly/RadiantConnectionCard MusicBed SyncID: MB01SMWFTC7HQ4K

As we learn this week of the light of God, today we'll look to Jesus who is the Light. What does this mean about the Lord? And what does this mean for us personally? May our eyes behold him today, as we search out the source of goodness, beauty and holiness. May our hearts grow in wonder, worship and awe. And may our lives be forever transformed at the sight of him.   Our Scripture for today comes from Isaiah 60:20, and today's worship is Steady Light by LO Worship.   -   Thanks so much for listening to today's podcast.    I recently heard someone describe sin as the interruption of Shalom, which means peace, or wholeness. God doesn't want to lead you out of sin just for the sake of doing it, he wants to lead you into the fullness of life, the fullness of peace and wholeness.   May Jesus guide you into Shalom today as you seek to live in the light of his presence.    Have a wonderful day, and may God bless you as you seek him. 

Audio Recording Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Scott StrickmanSermon Series: The 4 RelationshipsPsalm 115 (ESV)1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.8 Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.9 O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.12 The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron;13 he will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great.14 May the Lord give you increase, you and your children!15 May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth!16 The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.17 The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.Praise the Lord!Sermon OutlineGod is personal, so when we come to know God (not just have knowledge about God) we experience renewal in our lives.1. A Personal Godv1 “steadfast love… faithfulness”v3 “he does all that he pleases”2. Lifeless godsv4 “Their idols… the work of human hands”v8 “Those who make them become like them”3. The living Godv12 “the Lord has remembered us”vv9-11 “trust in the Lord!”vv17-18 “the dead do not… but we will bless the Lord…”Prayer of ConfessionNot to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness. We admit our lack of love and faithlessness. We have not trusted you. Instead, we have trusted in ourselves, the things of this world, and the work of our own hands. Our thoughts, feelings, words and actions evidence our sin. Forgive us. We remember your steadfast love and faithfulness, and pray that you will remember us with mercy. May Jesus, who reconciled us to you by taking on flesh and suffering death, receive glory even as we ask to receive forgiveness. Amen.Questions for ReflectionIs relating to God easier or harder than relating to people? Why?Does it trouble you that God does whatever he pleases? Does it encourage you? Why?What do you think are the top 5 things people look to in place of God (for help, significance, status, comfort, etc.)? What are the idols of our place/time? Which of these are you most drawn to?In what ways do we become like the things we devote ourselves to? Do you see any symptoms in your life of having become like something you have trusted and devoted yourself to?Do you want God to remember you? Why is God's steadfast love and faithfulness so crucial to our drawing near to God?How can the work of Christ, who laid down his life so that we are reconciled to God, bring life to our souls? What things should we continually remember to thrive?If you had a firm conviction that God will bless you, would that motivate you to live more sacrificially for his glory? What motivates you (or would motivate you) to seek God's honor above your own? What are the marks of a healthy relationship with God?

Audio Recording Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Scott StrickmanSermon Series: The 4 RelationshipsPsalm 115 (ESV)1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat.8 Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.9 O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.12 The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron;13 he will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great.14 May the Lord give you increase, you and your children!15 May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth!16 The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.17 The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.Praise the Lord!Sermon OutlineGod is personal, so when we come to know God (not just have knowledge about God) we experience renewal in our lives.1. A Personal Godv1 “steadfast love… faithfulness”v3 “he does all that he pleases”2. Lifeless godsv4 “Their idols… the work of human hands”v8 “Those who make them become like them”3. The living Godv12 “the Lord has remembered us”vv9-11 “trust in the Lord!”vv17-18 “the dead do not… but we will bless the Lord…”Prayer of ConfessionNot to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness. We admit our lack of love and faithlessness. We have not trusted you. Instead, we have trusted in ourselves, the things of this world, and the work of our own hands. Our thoughts, feelings, words and actions evidence our sin. Forgive us. We remember your steadfast love and faithfulness, and pray that you will remember us with mercy. May Jesus, who reconciled us to you by taking on flesh and suffering death, receive glory even as we ask to receive forgiveness. Amen.Questions for ReflectionIs relating to God easier or harder than relating to people? Why?Does it trouble you that God does whatever he pleases? Does it encourage you? Why?What do you think are the top 5 things people look to in place of God (for help, significance, status, comfort, etc.)? What are the idols of our place/time? Which of these are you most drawn to?In what ways do we become like the things we devote ourselves to? Do you see any symptoms in your life of having become like something you have trusted and devoted yourself to?Do you want God to remember you? Why is God's steadfast love and faithfulness so crucial to our drawing near to God?How can the work of Christ, who laid down his life so that we are reconciled to God, bring life to our souls? What things should we continually remember to thrive?If you had a firm conviction that God will bless you, would that motivate you to live more sacrificially for his glory? What motivates you (or would motivate you) to seek God's honor above your own? What are the marks of a healthy relationship with God?

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is the 5th of April, Wednesday morning, 2023, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.”For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,…”2 Corinthians 10:4-5You and I need to be very careful about what we read and what we watch on television and social media. If we watch negative, violent, immoral programmes, we shall become fearful, disillusioned and even depressed. We shall lose confidence in the future and even in ourselves. Many years ago I had the privilege of preaching the Gospel in New Zealand. I was invited to a maximum security jail. I remember walking through no less than twelve doors and gates to enter right into the heart of the prison. I had the privilege of speaking to men, prisoners who were sentenced to life in jail. We sat in a circle, the place was spotlessly clean, and bright lights were shining. There was no place to hide. It actually reminded me of an operating theatre. The inmates were huge men who spent most of their time during the day in the gym training because there was nothing else to do, but their eyes were blank, and their eyes were empty. There was nothing, no hope, no future and nothing in them. I started to tell them about Jesus Christ and what He had done for me. I used that scripture in Isaiah 40:31 which says those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. I told them about the majestic eagle, and how he soars high up in the craggy mountain tops. He doesn't associate with the crows down at the bottom. Slowly but surely I saw flickers of light in their eyes. Hope started returning, a smile here and there. “Tell us more,“ they said, “Tell us more!” Then I prayed with them and told them to concentrate on the promises of God over their lives. We started singing hymns together and Christian songs, and then hope started to flood into their lives. I left them with a promise of hope for the future and said to them, “Keep your eyes on the Lord and He will see you through!” We need to do the exact same thing today. Let us go out today and concentrate on the things of God and not the things of this dying world. May Jesus bless you, have a wonderful day and goodbye.

In this episode we talk about Jesus Christ being compared to the order of Melchizedek and how we do away with the first covenant for a better second covenant founded on Jesus. Jesus is seated at the right hand of God offering up prayers for the saints in Jesus name!!! May Jesus offer up prayers for you!

Day 189 Today's Reading: 2 Thessalonians 2 If you are a parent, you have most definitely heard these words from your children at one time or another, “But you said...” What that means is they are holding you to your word. Nothing is more incriminating than being quoted and held accountable. It seems that the only time they do listen is when it's a promise or commitment. God is a Father and He who keeps His word loves to hear His children tell Him, “but You said.” I think that thrills the heart of God. In Hebrews 4:12, we are told that the Word of God is powerful. If you take God's powerful Word and pray it back to Him, that is exponential in power. Adding a “You said” to your prayer language gets God's attention just as a “you said” does for any parent. I don't think anything is more powerful than when you pray the Scriptures. You are just reminding God of what He told you. I want to give you a great prayer to start your day. It's using God's words in prayer. It is basically saying, “If You said, then why wouldn't You hear and respond”: “May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, MSG). Consider the trilogy of requests: put a fresh heart in me, invigorate my work, enliven my speech. Let's briefly unpack each of these so we can spot it when God answers it in our day. That's called “watch and pray.” If we ask for something, we have a responsibility to watch with expectancy. First, ask God to put a fresh heart in you. Fresh is the word you would use when describing how you look when you've just returned from a two-week vacation. How do you freshen up your heart? How do you make your heart look as though it just got off vacation? Let your heart take a trip . . . a trip to heaven. Each morning let your heart take a trip into the presence of God. You cannot make that trip without coming out with a fresh heart. Second, ask God to invigorate your work. The word invigorate means to give strength and energy to what you do. How does God invigorate your work? He has to refocus your attention on who you are doing it for. Listen to what the apostle says in Colossians: “Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord himself and not merely for others” (Colossians 3:23, TPT). Your work is invigorated when you do it for Jesus. Every activity counts, not just church activities. Martin Luther King Jr. said it like this: If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music. . . . Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well. Whatever your occupation—CVS cashier, TSA agent at the airport, police officer, first responder, teacher, or ambassador. Whether you work for the government or the church, may God invigorate your work. You work for the Boss, so you're doing it for Him. Third, ask God to enliven your speech. The word enliven means to make your speech more entertaining, interesting, and appealing. When you open your mouth, you want life to come out. Not complaints, not ingratitude, just joy and encouragement. As Proverbs 18:21 reminds us: Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose” (MSG). Let's choose words of life today. My prayer for you and me today is this: “God, put a fresh heart in us. Invigorate our work. And enliven our speech. In Jesus' name, amen.” Now go and have an amazing day!

Victor slowly became addicted to pornography. Many of his friends looked at porn, and he fell into it because he was bored. But now he understands how it crushed his wife, and he’s vowed to put safeguards in his life so he will never look at it again. Yet he fears it’s too late. Can his marriage be saved? Will he ever be free and fully forgiven? Our enemy the devil presents temptation as if it’s no big deal. Everyone’s doing it. What’s the harm? But the moment we catch on to his scheme, he switches gears. It’s too late! You’ve gone too far! You’re hopeless now! The enemy will say whatever it takes to destroy us as we engage in spiritual warfare. Jesus said, “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). If the devil is a liar, then we should never listen to him. Not when he says our sin is no big deal, and not when he says we’re beyond hope. May Jesus help us dismiss the evil one’s words and listen to Him instead. We rest our hearts on His promise: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (vv. 31–32).