Podcasts about most high god

Our Sovereign God May Not Return to Us If Jesus Followers Do Not Lead America's Return to God; You Are Here for These Times MESSAGE SUMMARY: If enough of us get serious with God, then, perhaps, God will heal us and this land. When we, as both individual Jesus Followers and as a country, turn to the Lord, will we hear God's call and answer as in Isaiah 6:8: “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.'”. As Jesus Followers but in our non-Christian behavior: we are mean; we are angry; we are judgmental; and we are selfish and self-centered. Also, in our non-Christian behavior, we are often in bondage to debt, drugs, and extramarital sex. In all these non-Christian behaviors, we are not different from the unbeliever next door. Therefore, we are not very different from God's people in the time of Hosea described in Hosea 11:7,10-11: “My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High {God}, he shall not raise them up at all . . . They shall go after the LORD; he will roar like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west; they shall come trembling like birds from Egypt, and like doves from the land of Assyria, and I will return them to their homes, declares the LORD.". We need to ask ourselves: “Am I being faithful to Jesus Christ and what needs to change in me and my life? Also, we need to ask ourselves “how am I disobeying the Lord?”. Will you then say to God: “Here am I! Send me.” If NOT ENOUGH “Self-Identifying Christians” answer God's call to lead America in our “return to God”, then God, in His sovereignty, will not return to America – you are here for times like these!     TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, I come this day inviting you to cut those deeply entrenched chains that keep me from being faithful to my true self in Christ. In doing so, may my life be a blessing to many. In Jesus' name, amen.      Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 44). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Inconsistencies. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Faithfulness. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  Hosea 11:1-11; Isaiah 6:8-13; Matthew 13:13-17; Psalms 13:1-6. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Prayer for America” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

El Elyon, "God Most High," is a name that highlights God's supreme sovereignty and ultimate authority over all creation. This name signifies that nothing happens outside of God's control and that He reigns above every power, circumstance, and human authority. God brings peace and confidence, especially when life feels chaotic or uncertain. Believers can rest in the assurance that the Most High God is actively involved in their lives, orchestrating all things for His glory and their good.

Do you realize God knew you before the creation of the world? God loves us so much He lovingly formed us in our mother's womb. The Bible says we are called children of God when we accept Jesus as our Savior. God loves us either way, but there are special benefits to being a child of God, with eternal life being only the beginning. Marcus brings an audio devotional about being a child of the Most High God.

Send us a textActS 16:16-24As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.Support the show

Title: An Unjust Judge Fears Justice Text: Acts 24:22-27 FCF: We often struggle trusting God in the midst of injustice. Prop: Because God providentially accomplishes His plan through injustice, we must seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 24. In a moment we'll begin reading from the Legacy Standard Bible starting in verse 22. You can follow along in the pew bible or whatever version you prefer. Last time in Acts we saw the skilled attorney Tertullus, bring charges against Paul for starting riots, being the leader of a heretical sect of Judaism, and even attempting to desecrate the temple. But Paul's defense was simply that each charge they had levied against him was not witnessed by anyone there. Instead, this is the Jews' way of trying to get Rome to settle a Jewish religious dispute. We concluded last time remarking that Felix had enough evidence to dismiss the case and declare Paul to be innocent. In fact, we concluded that this was the only just decision he could reach based on the trial. But we stopped just short of the verdict. Today we will see what Felix decides. Given what we know about the man, it probably will not come as much of a shock to anyone. So please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Almighty God, we thank you for Your promises to Your people. We thank you that when You have promised something to us, no matter how bleak it may look, we can rest in Your promises and know that You never lie. We confess that even the terrible things that happen to us in our lives are still for our good and for Your glory – even if we cannot see it with our own eyes. But because You have said it - may we trust through the eyes of faith that this is so. May Your Spirit be with us today to enable us to see how You even use injustice to accomplish Your will and how we must trust You and use every opportunity to advance Your Kingdom. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] You know Peter often gets a lot of hate for his comment to Christ. What did he say again? “Never Lord. This shall never happen to you!” And what did Jesus say? “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” I feel for Peter. Think about it… Peter just confessed that Jesus was the Messiah the Son of the Living God. Peter believes that Jesus is the promised One of God. But then Jesus says, that the chief priests and teachers of the law will cause him to suffer and lead him to his death. Peter knows that such a thing is not right. It is not just. It is not righteous. How could it be? In fact it is very unjust that the religious leaders would end up doing this. So Peter steps in and boldly declares… I AM NOT going to let that happen. I'm going to stand for what is right! And Jesus rebukes him. Why? Because his concerns about injustice were merely from a human and earthly level and not from a godly and heavenly level. These things must be, these injustices must take place in order that God's will be done. In a similar way, we'll see today injustice happening for the furthering of the plan of God. And while we might be tempted to always fight for justice – perhaps that is not to be our primary concern. Perhaps it should be the Kingdom of God first. Let's dive into the text today starting in verse 22. I.) God providentially accomplishes His plan through injustice, so we must trust the Lord. (22-23) a. [Slide 3] 22 - But Felix, having a more accurate knowledge about the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.” i. Antonious Felix was anything but a just judge. ii. He was brutal, savage, greedy, and had never truly earned any position he had held. iii. So, we should fight the urge here to assume that Felix puts the Jews off because of some sense of justice or righteousness. iv. Luke records that Felix had a more accurate knowledge about the Way. What does this mean and how did he arrive at that knowledge? v. As we mentioned before, Felix's current wife was Drucilla who was the daughter of Herod Agrippa the first. Meaning of course that she was Jewish. vi. Certainly, this could have been how Felix arrived at his knowledge of the Jesus movement. vii. But since his knowledge of The Way does not produce a guilty verdict, that would suggest that Drucilla's opinion would have been a positive one. Which seems like a stretch to me. I don't think his wife is how he knows about The Way. viii. Perhaps his knowledge of The Way comes through his brother Pallas, or even his time in Samaria seeing Jewish Christians embracing Samaritans while Jews continued to hate them. ix. In any case, Felix understands something about the Way that seems to keep him from declaring Paul to be guilty. x. In light of the charges levied against Paul it most likely means that Felix had never seen Christians stir up violence, rebellion, or aggression throughout his tenure in Judea. xi. Remember Tertullus' argument. Paul stirred up the Jews because he was the ringleader of the Nazarean heresy. But Felix knows that the Christians don't do this and if Paul is the ringleader than he certainly wouldn't do this. xii. Basically, Felix thinks that this is a pot calling a kettle black situation. xiii. The Jews had been guilty of this so often before that it is almost laughable that they would bring charges against someone else for doing the same. xiv. He then tells the Jews that when Lysias comes down he will decide the case against Paul. xv. Well, we know Lysias' opinion on the matter. He is convinced that Paul has done nothing to earn death or imprisonment. xvi. Furthermore, Felix knows Lysias' opinion on the matter. xvii. In other words, this is only a stall. It is possible that Felix never even sent for Lysias. xviii. Luke doesn't record any meeting with Lysias and Felix. xix. Or if they do meet, it doesn't do anything to change Felix's mind in either direction. xx. Perhaps it is best to see this merely as a way to get the Jews off his back. And if Paul is still in prison out of Jerusalem, then perhaps that will be good enough for the Jews? xxi. But this begs the question. xxii. Why doesn't Felix just declare him innocent? xxiii. There are two really big reasons that he doesn't do that. And both of them are in the second point of this sermon. xxiv. Fortunately, we don't need to know them yet to understand that Felix's decision to kick this down the road was not a just decision. xxv. But Felix knows that Paul is no Jewish prisoner. He is a Roman. So, he must be treated as such. b. [Slide 4] 23 - Then he gave orders to the centurion for him to be kept in custody and yet have some rest, and not to prevent any of his friends from ministering to him. i. A Roman prisoner that has not been found guilty of a crime must still be afforded the dignity of being a citizen. ii. He would be kept in custody because his case was still outstanding. iii. But Felix permitted his traveling companions to minister to him and to bring him his needs. He was probably allotted considerable freedom to move about the Praetorium. iv. But because he was assigned a centurion to keep tabs on him, it is likely that even with these freedoms he was not treated lavishly. v. Still, with these minimal freedoms granted to him, Paul would be permitted to rest and not face harsh conditions while his case is in limbo. c. [Slide 5] Summary of the Point: Luke brings us to yet another way that God providentially accomplishes His will. One of those ways is through injustice. Although we don't know yet the reasons why Felix didn't release Paul, we certainly know why Felix didn't find him guilty. Christians were known as a non-violent, non-trouble-making group. As opposed to the Jews who constantly stirred up trouble around the Empire. But if Paul is not guilty why then is he not released? In this we find the unjust Felix keeping Paul rather than releasing him. But because this is what happened, and God's will is always accomplished, we know that God providentially planned for this to be the case. A ruler being unjust is certainly a sin – but part of God's plan for Paul included the sin of Felix to be an unjust ruler. What does that mean for us? That we must trust the Lord knowing that there is nothing men can do to us that God has not already planned for our good and His glory. Transition: [Slide 6 (blank)] But trusting the Lord is not the only thing we must do as a response to His working even through injustice. What else does Paul do besides trust the Lord? II.) God providentially accomplishes His will through injustice, so we must be ready to share the gospel. (24-27) a. [Slide 7] 24 - But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and summoned Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. i. Luke does give a time stamp here but it is a vague one. ii. We are unsure how long exactly has passed. iii. However, in the book of Acts we've seen that “some days” can refer to a significant amount of time, even months. iv. So it is, perhaps, a lengthy time before Felix questions Paul again. v. Perhaps the reason for this is because Felix was called away out of the city. vi. In AD 58 there was another revolt and Felix intervened on the side of the Gentiles as you might expect. So perhaps he has been away dealing with that. vii. We see here that he arrives again in the city this time with his wife Drucilla. viii. She being a Jew but involved in the Roman government would no doubt have a unique perspective on Paul's case. ix. In this, Paul comes forward and speaks again about the gospel of Jesus Christ. x. Here we find Paul again using every opportunity not to make much of himself, or to fight for his freedom, but to preach the gospel. b. [Slide 8] 25 - But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and answered, “Go away for the present, and when I find time I will call for you.” i. In some ways what Paul gives as the gospel is what we might expect in every gospel presentation. ii. God's law is discussed. How God demands righteousness and self-control. iii. And then the next necessary part of the gospel presentation… iv. What happens when you don't keep the law of God? v. Judgment by a God who is Just. vi. But as we take a microscope and look at Felix and Drucilla specifically, we know that Felix is unjust. We also know that it was by lust and adultery that they came to be married as Drucilla was very recently married to another man and before that was betrothed to yet another. vii. At this time she is only 16 years of age and has been married or betrothed to three different men. viii. So, Paul's comments on Righteousness or being just in God's eyes and his comments on self-control probably had a stronger effect on this couple who have lived their life in lust and injustice. ix. The only real thing an unjust judge and the licentious person fears is Justice. x. And Felix and Drucilla were just told that one day they would be held accountable, not by Rome, not by the Jews, but by the God of the Universe. xi. Felix would be held accountable for not only his unjust treatment of those he ruled, but also for his lusts, his passions, his sinfulness, and his wickedness. And Drucilla too. xii. Felix responds with fear… but what kind? Fear has many forms. Is this the kind that would produce repentance? xiii. Unfortunately, no. xiv. His fear does not give way to humility and contrition. It does not produce repentance. xv. Instead, it produces avoidance. xvi. Go away for now. When I have time, we can talk about this more. xvii. So many sinners who have squirmed under the gospel have said similar things. xviii. So many wicked men have bid the evangelist to come back another day. Today these things weigh too heavy on me. xix. Come back some other time and we will discuss it more. xx. Felix, being the one in control of this situation, tells Paul that he will call him back when he has time. xxi. But why is Paul here anyway? We still haven't gotten a good answer for that. xxii. Why is Felix keeping him here? If he doesn't want his faith, what is Felix after? c. [Slide 9] 26 - At the same time, he was also hoping that money would be given him by Paul; therefore he also used to summon for him quite often and converse with him. i. Something stuck in Felix's mind from Paul's defense. Two things actually. 1. Paul is a Roman citizen, which could indicate significant wealth. 2. Secondly, he had brought alms to his nation in order to worship God. ii. Felix has assumed that Paul is wealthy or at least has connections to others who are wealthy. iii. In this, Felix is probably not actually that far off the mark. iv. The New Testament portrays a church that is built in numbers by those who are poor and needy, but sustained by those who are wealthy who have come to Christ and given much of their fortunes to His cause. v. It isn't wrong to be a wealthy believer. It is simply wrong to use wealth for ends that do not seek God's Kingdom first. vi. No doubt Paul could have produced a bribe for Felix if he had asked for it. But Paul probably never even considered it. vii. The Old Testament speaks frequently against bribes given to leadership. viii. Therefore, the church would never give money to Paul for this reason, nor would Paul ever ask for it. ix. The irony is thick here. x. While fearing the justice of God against him, Felix continues to be an unjust ruler expecting bribes. xi. This paints a rather hopeless picture for Felix. He is afraid of what will happen to him If he continues in sin, but is unwilling to seek a Savior to free him from it. I would argue that this is the case for all sinners who encounter the gospel and reject it. xii. It also appears Felix and Paul are at an impasse. Paul won't bribe him and Felix won't rule on his case until he does. It is a stalemate. xiii. Until… d. [Slide 10] 27 - But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned. i. Two years pass. ii. Two years in prison, while a trial drags on. iii. Even in our broken justice system, this is very slow. iv. For 2 years the stalemate continues until Felix is recalled to Rome. v. The rebellion that occurred in AD 58, the one in which Felix took the side of the Gentiles against the Jews, has led to him being deposed and returned to Rome to face trial. vi. After which we have no idea what happens to Felix. He drops out of the history books never to be heard from again. vii. Porcius Festus becomes the new governor of Judea, Samaria, and Syra around AD 59. And he is actually a relatively competent ruler. viii. But we'll get to him later. ix. For now, we have to expose yet another reason that Felix held Paul in custody for 2 years. x. He wished to do the Jews a favor. xi. Felix was taken back to Rome to answer for his poor management of the area in which he governed. xii. Keeping Paul in prison and not deciding his case was a way of getting the Jews on his good side. xiii. Rather than declare him innocent before he left, he kept him in prison. xiv. The Jews traveled to Caesarea to bring their case against Paul. Maybe they would travel to Rome to bring their case against Felix. xv. If he keeps Paul in prison, perhaps this doesn't happen. e. [Slide 11] Summary of the Point: So once again we see the injustice of Felix. He has utterly failed as a governor. He has pursued his own power and passions, stomping on everyone he could to get it, but now he must pay the piper. He will be held accountable for his deeds. But that doesn't help Paul, does it? He is still in prison. Nevertheless, we must see that God uses even this as the way He accomplishes His will. So, Paul in this situation sees the delay as an opportunity to share the gospel even to Felix. Perhaps he tailors that gospel message for the hearer, or perhaps the gospel always convicts a sinner personally when it convicts. In any case, Paul used this time for Kingdom work. And so we should see even displays of gross injustice as opportunities for the gospel to be preached. Conclusion: So what have we learned today CBC, and what can we break down into basic lessons for our faith and practice? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 12] Again, we see the faithfulness, power, and sovereignty of God to providentially orchestrate all things to accomplish the purposes of His will. Since no one can stop God from doing what He wants and no one can keep Him from accomplishing what He has decreed, and since He has decreed the end from the beginning we can logically arrive at the point that Paul's imprisonment is not an accident, it isn't a hiccup, and it isn't a delay in the plan of God coming about. It isn't God allowing Felix to exercise his free will to sin but simply moving around his injustice to still achieve what God had said. Instead, it is a strategic part of God's plan to bring Paul to Rome at the proper time. During this imprisonment, he would be allowed to bear witness to the gospel of Christ before Felix and Drucilla and his faith would be tested and perfected in trusting Jesus' words that he would go to Rome and preach the gospel. Since God's providence even includes when people abuse power and become unjust tyrants – we still must trust God and use every opportunity we are given to preach the gospel. But let us look more specifically on this for our everyday lives. 1.) [Slide 13] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God uses injustice to accomplish His purposes. a. We've seen this theme on repeat for the last several weeks. b. Luke could simply have told us that God orchestrates all things to accomplish the purposes of His will, but following the life of Paul we see this idea expressed in several specific ways. c. Today, we see the utter failure of the governor Felix. He is an unjust ruler who seeks his own benefit from those over whom he rules. d. But we've seen this kind of thing before. God uses the sin of men to accomplish His purposes. e. God is never the tempter. Nor does He force men to sin. But through secondary causes He orchestrates the sin of men to accomplish His purpose. f. Here we see that even tyrants, in their tyranny, can be used to accomplish His purposes. g. Through the injustice of Felix Paul is held for 2 years before appearing before Festus and eventually appealing to Caesar. But this is not a delay in God's plan. Instead, it is part of God's plan. h. You see in every situation God is accomplishing our good and His glory. i. But it is especially difficult to see this when we are denied justice. When we are treated unjustly… it is difficult to trust that it is for our good. Why? Because we have trouble seeing how it is good. j. Even in this particular case, it is not readily apparent why Paul's denial of justice is good for him. We as the reader are challenged along with Paul in real time. k. But the scriptures leave us very little room to wiggle. l. We must decide, do we believe in a God who is incapable of preventing the sinfulness of men and must all His plans to get Paul to Rome to be delayed? Do we believe in a God who to the best of His ability was not able to give justice to Paul for 2 years? m. Or will we believe that this 2 year refusal of justice is actually an intentional plan of the Most High God? n. If we are going to be consistent with scripture and if we are going to believe the promises God makes to us – then we are forced to conclude the latter. Even if we don't see the reason why. o. God has an orchestrated purpose for Paul being here an additional 2 years in judicial limbo. p. And we must affirm that this is always the case. God is always orchestrating all events to execute the counsel of His will. And He's never been on plan B. q. What response does that require from His children? 2.) [Slide 14] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must trust the Lord. a. We must trust the Lord that His promises are true. b. Not only has Jesus Himself assured Paul that he must go to Rome to share the gospel there. God also had given the promise that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. c. And that verse, Romans 8:28 was penned by Paul under the inspiration of God only a few years before this. d. And no matter how much injustice - even if this was as 15 year wait – Paul has no other option but to trust the Lord. e. I would wager that part of the reason God planned for Paul to be in prison for two years under the unjust Felix was to test and strengthen Paul's faith. f. We too may find ourselves in situations with unjust judges and unjust magistrates who are swayed by money, power, lust, greed, or various other gods. Rulers who rather than fulfilling the laws of justice from God Himself, instead cast His justice aside for their own gain. g. In these cases, we must trust that even this breach of justice is part of God's plan for us… which has our good and His glory guaranteed. h. Not only should we trust the Lord in situations like this, but we should also 3.) [Slide 15] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must use every opportunity to preach the gospel. a. Notice that repeatedly Paul was brought before Felix. b. Rather than Paul using this as an opportunity to demand justice or continue to plead his innocence – Paul saw this as primarily an opportunity to share the gospel of Christ. c. If Paul was thinking selfishly or from an earthly temporal perspective, he might have been tempted to continue to try to defend himself. Instead, Luke records for us his continued efforts to share the gospel with Felix and Drucilla. d. And even though those efforts ultimately fell on deaf ears and dead hearts – God's gospel call went to both of them. e. We too must be more concerned about furthering the Kingdom of God and sharing the gospel then we are about personal justice and vindication. f. We must also notice something else that isn't always true… 4.) [Slide 16] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that it is always good to fight against injustice. a. Now let me be clear… b. We should not rejoice when injustice occurs. We should not be ok with people abusing their power that has been given to them by God to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. c. When judges and rulers do the opposite, God makes it very clear that He will judge them for this. d. And at times and in appropriate and legal ways we should voice our concerns about the abuse of power and injustice. e. There is, after all, no King but Jesus. And our civil magistrates need to know that they are not gods but are given their power by God and that they should use it in fear of His justice. f. But just because we are unhappy with rulers abusing power and becoming tyrants, does not mean we can sacrifice our primary calling to be salt and light in this world and to show forth the good works our Father has foreordained for us to do so that others may see them and glorify Him. g. Being displeased with injustice does not necessarily mean we rise up against it. h. Paul didn't fight against the injustice against him. He used his rights when he had to, like when he claimed his rights as a Roman citizen. i. But here we do not find any hint that Paul demands justice or to be released from prison. j. Instead, he lives a godly life before his jailors and preaches the gospel to Felix as often as he would allow it. k. We too must be careful that when we fight injustice we aren't doing it to the detriment of the greater Kingdom that is coming. May we seek God's Kingdom first and not some earthly kingdom. l. Because notice how Paul got here in the first place… m. How was it that Paul made it to this stalemate limbo? n. It was because Christians had a reputation of being peaceful and civilly responsible. 5.) [Slide 17] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must maintain a reputation of peace and civil responsibility as followers of Christ. a. Christians had a history of not being the rebellious types. b. They were not riot-makers. They were not rabble rousers. They were not those who stir the crowd up. c. Jesus had one Zealot among his apostles. Simon. Just one out of 12. And during the Zealot uprising, most of the Christians had fled Jerusalem rather than participating. d. Christ told the disciples to take 2 swords for 12 men. He told them, it was enough. Enough for defense – but not necessarily for offense. e. I am convinced that we Christians must have a reputation of being at peace with all people. That we must pursue peace so that we can live a quiet life of godliness. f. The fight of the church is against spiritual kingdoms not against earthly injustices. g. There certainly is some cross over there. But we must be people who are known to be civilly responsible and peaceful. h. So much so that when we do actually resist something, it is because we have reached the end of accommodation and peacemaking and have been forced to choose between a direct command of God and a direct command of men. i. In that instance we passively obey. Meaning we obey God but submit to whatever punishment the civil magistrate hands to us for violating their unjust law. j. This is the ONLY example we have in scripture. k. Christ followers should be known as peaceful and responsible people. 6.) [Slide 18] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” Though the gospel is truly good news, it is only good to those who truly understand and fear the bad news. a. At the heart of the gospel presentation to Felix and Drucilla were the truths recorded that we might call the bad news that comes before the good news. b. The gospel is said to be good news, but it is only good to those who have believed the bad news. c. The bad news is that God demands righteousness, that is right living and justice. He demands self-control, that is love of others as you already love yourself. d. Furthermore, the gospel comes with the threat that God is always just and will judge according to an established standard. He will not allow any who are unrighteous or lack self-control to enter His Kingdom. e. What a terrifying piece of news. God will judge any who are not righteous and who are not completely self-controlled. f. Anyone who has ears to hear just heard that all people are going to be rejected by God. Because no one is righteous and no one is self-controlled. g. That should be terrifying to everyone. h. So, my friends. Don't be like Felix. Don't say – we'll talk about it some other time preacher. i. I know I'm not righteous and I can't control myself- but when I have time we will talk about that further. j. We can talk later about faith in Jesus. k. I don't feel comfortable talking about it now. l. Let me think on it a bit. m. DON'T BE LIKE FELIX. n. If you are terrified by the Justice of God… then don't wait. Come find an Elder who can tell you more about His justice and His ability to Justify. [Slide 19(end)] Let me close with a prayer by the English Reformer William Tyndale who was burned at the stake for translating the bible into English. Lord, since you are Father and King over all, and we are your children, make us obedient to seek and to do your will, as the angels do in heaven. May none of us seek our own will, but all yours. But if rulers command what is contrary to your will, then help us to stand fast by your word, and to offer ourselves to suffer rather than to obey. You know everything, Lord. Your son Jesus gave us an example when he desired (if it had been possible) that that cup of bitter death might have departed from him, saying, "Yet not as I will, but as you will.” So if we pray to you in our temptations and adversities, and you see a better way to your glory and our profit, then your will be done—not ours. It is in Jesus' name we pray this, amen. Benediction: May the God who's watchful eye never sleeps; The God of wonders, power and love; May He keep your feet from falling, And make your thanks endless be, Until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. Until we meet again, go in peace.

The Peace | Isaiah's Voice | Part 5 The Bible tells a sweeping story — one of promises made, promises fulfilled, and the space of waiting in between. This morning, we explored Isaiah 11:1–12, a powerful prophecy that foretells the coming kingdom of peace through the root of Jesse — Jesus, who reigns with perfect justice and righteousness. Isaiah offers us a breathtaking glimpse of what the world will be like when Jesus returns to make all things new (vv. 6–8): “In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together;the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion,and a little child will lead them all.The cow will graze near the bear,the cub and the calf will lie down together.The lion will eat hay like a cow.The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.” Even now — amid hardship, struggle, and waiting — we can cling to hope because we know how the story ends. The Most High God has given us His Son for our redemption and His Spirit to dwell within us, reminding us daily of the unshakable hope we have in Jesus.

Mark 1:12-13 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, 13 and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. From the Lesson "Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. They were nailed to crosses. They were doomed to the flames and burnt to serve as a nightly illumination. They were covered with the skins of beasts and torn by dogs until they perished.” Tacitus in his book Annals “In order to understand the temptations of Jesus, we have to understand that Jesus' hair was still wet when he stepped out into the desert.” Russell Moore in his book Tempted and Tried It is impossible to overcome the burden of temptation without first receiving the blessing of baptism. Two questions answered at Jesus' baptism: 1 Who are you? It's an identity question. Jesus is embraced by the love of the Father.  2 How do you? It's an ability question. Jesus is empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit You are embraced by the love of the Father and empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit in order to embark on the mission of Jesus.  Discussion Questions 1 Who are you? Make a list of your top ten answers to this question. Do you tend to answer this question vocationally, relationally, politically? 2 We are sons and daughters of the Most High God. This must become who we are at the core of our identity. How does knowing this gospel truth as the core of your identity affect the way you live? 3 How do you? Read verse 12 again. It is the Holy Spirit who sends Jesus out into the desert. Jesus is empowered for his mission by the Holy Spirit. What does it mean to be empowered by the Holy Spirit? Do you have an example from your life? 4 It is impossible to overcome the burden of temptation without first receiving the blessing of baptism. How does knowing you are embraced by the Father and empowered by the Holy Spirit help you when it comes to temptation?

2025 June 29 | This week Pastor Evan picks back up our Exiles sermon series in Daniel 3:1-30, preaching on how much of a a miracle it is when God works in us to convict us to follow him when there's a personal cost to ourselves. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits[a] and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. The Fiery Furnace 8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They declared[b] to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good.[c] But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.[d] 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics,[e] their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside[f] the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Last week we heard the Jews claim Jesus had a demon inside Him. This week we see Jesus healing a demon possessed man. Before He does, Jesus asks, “what is your name?” The response is “Legion.” Just how many demons is a legion? In the Roman military a legion was 4,000-6,000 soldiers. I can't imagine being possessed by one demon let alone thousands! And even then, these thousands of demons knew WHO Jesus was and the power that He had over them, because the call Jesus by name, and then add "Son of the Most High God." The only other place that phrase is found is when the angel tells the virgin Mary that Jesus "will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High." Jesus is the Son of the Most High God, who shows us His love and grace, and to this legion of demons, He shows mercy.

"The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time!" Genesis 6:5 "Her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes!" Revelation 18:5 "Fools mock at sin!" Proverbs 14:9 "Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them!" Romans 1:32 Man by nature is insane! He suffers from a deep rooted psychosis called sin! An unseen principle of madness permeates his entire being! Fallen man is a stark raving lunatic - whose depravity, rebellion, and malice against God literally knows no limit. Thoroughly degraded, man is a weak, tiny, insignificant, little dung-beetle - yet, in his senseless audacity and brazen insolence he daily tempts God to destroy him by stubbornly refusing to obey Him. If it is madness for maggots on a dunghill to oppose the all-powerful boot of man - then we worms of the earth dare not oppose the Most High God, whose invisible boot of omnipotent sovereignty could squash our souls into Hell with unthinkable ease! Such unwarranted impudence is not only futile, but completely and utterly insane! "You have sinned against the Lord. Be sure your sin will find you out!" Numbers 32:23 "I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless!" Isaiah 13:11

A sermon for Proper 7, June 22, 2025. Luke 8:26-39 Jesus and his disciples arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me" -- for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

In the Gospel text for today it is the demons who recognize Jesus as “Son of the Most High God”. Faith is revealed through the man from whom the demons had gone out. We must contend with the labels we give and those ones given by God.Join us In-Person or Online for Worship Sundays at 9:15am and 11:15am.Find out more about upcoming events and ways to serve our community by joining our mailing list. Email office@stjohnslutheran.church and request to be added!If you are in need of prayer or pastoral care, email Pastor Jen at pastor@stjohnslutheran.church or Pastor Emily at am@stjohnslutheran.church.We are deeply grateful for the ongoing generosity of our St. John's community members, and the faithful financial support that contributes to our mission to “Know Christ and Make Christ Known.”Thank you!Ways you can Give: • Online stjohnslutheran.church • Text "Give" to 760-330-2326 • Mail a check: 42695 Washington St. Palm Desert, CA 92211For more information about Worship and Ministry at St. John's, please email the Church Office at office@stjohnslutheran.church or call us at 760-345-2122CCLI Streaming & Podcast License # CSPL129016

Second Sunday after Pentecost Bible Readings Isaiah 43:8–13, 2 Timothy 1:3–10 Worship Folder Pastor John Melke Sermon text: Luke 8:26-39 A Demon-Possessed Man and a Herd of Pigs 26 They sailed down to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, a man from the town met him. He was possessed by demons and for a long time had not worn any clothes. He did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torment me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. In fact, the unclean spirit had seized him many times. He was kept under guard, and although he was bound with chains and shackles, he would break the restraints and was driven by the demon into deserted places. 30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion,” because many demons had gone into him. 31 They were begging Jesus that he would not order them to go into the abyss. 32 A herd of many pigs was feeding there on the mountain. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33 The demons went out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. 34 When those who were feeding the pigs saw what happened, they ran away and reported it in the town and in the countryside. 35 People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet. He was clothed and in his right mind, and the people were afraid. 36 Those who saw it told them how the demon-possessed man was saved. 37 The whole crowd of people from the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were gripped with great fear. As Jesus got into the boat and started back, 38 the man from whom the demons had gone out begged to be with him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home and tell how much God has done for you.” Then he went through the whole town proclaiming what Jesus had done for him. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Take a Moment to recall something from today's message. Ask Jesus to create for you opportunities to use your words, activities and thoughts to glorify Him this week. We value your friendship and the opportunity to share the love of Jesus together with you!

Second Sunday after Pentecost Old Testament: 1 Kings 19:1-4, (5-7), 8-15a 1Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there. 4But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” [5Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” 6He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.”] 8He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. 9At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”10He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” 11He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;12and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” 15Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus.” Psalm: Psalm 42 and 43 1 As the deer longs for the water-brooks, *         so longs my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God; *         when shall I come to appear before the presence of God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, *         while all day long they say to me,         “Where now is your God?” 4 I pour out my soul when I think on these things: *         how I went with the multitude and led them into the                               house of God, 5 With the voice of praise and thanksgiving, *         among those who keep holy-day. 6 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *         and why are you so disquieted within me? 7 Put your trust in God; *         for I will yet give thanks to him,         who is the help of my countenance, and my God. 8 My soul is heavy within me; *         therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan,         and from the peak of Mizar among the heights of Hermon. 9 One deep calls to another in the noise of your cataracts; *         all your rapids and floods have gone over me. 10 The Lord grants his loving-kindness in the daytime; *         in the night season his song is with me,         a prayer to the God of my life. 11 I will say to the God of my strength,    “Why have you forgotten me? *         and why do I go so heavily while the enemy                               oppresses me?” 12 While my bones are being broken, *         my enemies mock me to my face; 13 All day long they mock me *         and say to me, “Where now is your God?” 14 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *         and why are you so disquieted within me? 15 Put your trust in God; *         for I will yet give thanks to him,         who is the help of my countenance, and my God. 1 Give judgment for me, O God,    and defend my cause against an ungodly people; *         deliver me from the deceitful and the wicked. 2 For you are the God of my strength;   why have you put me from you? *         and why do I go so heavily while the enemy                                oppresses me? 3 Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, *         and bring me to your holy hill         and to your dwelling; 4 That I may go to the altar of God,    to the God of my joy and gladness; *         and on the harp I will give thanks to you, O God my God. 5 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *         and why are you so disquieted within me? 6 Put your trust in God; *         for I will yet give thanks to him,         who is the help of my countenance, and my God. Old Testament: Isaiah 65:1-9 1I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that did not call on my name. 2I held out my hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices; 3a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and offering incense on bricks; 4who sit inside tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat swine's flesh, with broth of abominable things in their vessels; 5who say, “Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.” These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all day long. 6See, it is written before me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their laps7their iniquities and their ancestors' iniquities together, says the Lord; because they offered incense on the mountains and reviled me on the hills, I will measure into their laps full payment for their actions. 8Thus says the Lord: As the wine is found in the cluster, and they say, “Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it,” so I will do for my servants' sake, and not destroy them all. 9I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah inheritors of my mountains; my chosen shall inherit it, and my servants shall settle there. Psalm: Psalm 22:18-27 18 Be not far away, O Lord; *         you are my strength; hasten to help me. 19 Save me from the sword, *         my life from the power of the dog. 20 Save me from the lion's mouth, *         my wretched body from the horns of wild bulls. 21 I will declare your Name to my brethren; *         in the midst of the congregation I will praise you. 22 Praise the Lord, you that fear him; *         stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel;         all you of Jacob's line, give glory. 23 For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty;     neither does he hide his face from them; *          but when they cry to him he hears them. 24 My praise is of him in the great assembly; *         I will perform my vows in the presence of those who                            worship him. 25 The poor shall eat and be satisfied,     and those who seek the Lord shall praise him: *         “May your heart live for ever!” 26 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to                               the Lord, *         and all the families of the nations shall bow before him. 27 For kingship belongs to the Lord; *         he rules over the nations. Epistle: Galatians 3:23-29 23Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise. Gospel: Luke 8:26-39 26Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me”— 29for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. 31They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. 32Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country.35Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.36Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. 37Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

Pride is humanity's oldest and most dangerous sin. It has led to Adam's fall and has wrecked countless lives, families, nations, and leaders throughout history. Daniel 4 offers a unique testimony—not from a prophet or priest, but from a pagan who faced the devastating consequences of pride. King Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful ruler of the ancient world, painfully learned that the Most High God is sovereign over the world's kingdoms and will humble the prideful. Nebuchadnezzar, the author of Daniel 4, declares how God humbled and restored him through mercy, not merit. This chapter shifts from presumption to punishment to praise, reminding believers that God humbles the proud.

At Bethany, We are God's People who are: Gathered! Connected! Sent!We want to connect with you through this Podcast! Leave us a comment! Tell us where you are at! Leave a Review to help our audience grow!--26 They landed in the region of the Gerasenes across from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped out on the shore, a certain man from the city met him. The man was possessed by demons and had not worn clothes for a long time. He would not stay in a house but lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he shouted, fell in front of him, and said in a loud voice, “Why are you bothering me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you not to torture me!” 29 Jesus ordered the evil spirit to come out of the man. (The evil spirit had controlled the man for a long time. People had kept him under guard. He was chained hand and foot. But he would break the chains. Then the demon would force him to go into the desert.) 30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He answered, “Legion [Six Thousand].” (Many demons had entered him.) 31 The demons begged Jesus not to order them to go into the bottomless pit. 32 A large herd of pigs was feeding on a mountainside. The demons begged Jesus to let them enter those pigs. So he let them do this. 33 The demons came out of the man and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the cliff into the lake and drowned. 34 When those who had taken care of the pigs saw what had happened, they ran away. They reported everything in the city and countryside. 35 The people went to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out. Dressed and in his right mind, he was sitting at Jesus' feet. The people were frightened. 36 Those who had seen this told the people how Jesus had restored the demon-possessed man to health. 37 Then all the people from the surrounding region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave because they were terrified. Jesus got into a boat and started back. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged him, “Let me go with you.” But Jesus sent the man away and told him, 39 “Go home to your family, and tell them how much God has done for you.” So the man left. He went through the whole city and told people how much Jesus had done for him. --GWhttp://www.bethanylutheran.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.facebook.com/Bethany.Long.Beach⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/c/BethanyLutheranLongBeach

June 22, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 8:26-39Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 25:1-22; Proverbs 26:1-28; John 19:23-42“Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.” (Luke 8:37)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus and His disciples have arrived on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. The storm has been calmed, but the disciples' unbelief is less calm. Immediately as Jesus stepped out on land, He was met with an accusation. A man possessed with many demons cries out to Him, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me” (v. 28). Jesus, the calmer of storms, the Lord of all creation, yes; but Jesus the tormentor?The demons do what the disciples do not and openly confess who Jesus is, yet this is not a confession of faith. It is a confession of fear and an attempt to take Jesus away from why He came in the first place.So Jesus, Lord of all creation, deals with the demons as He did with the storm. “For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man” (v.29). Jesus, the word made flesh, commands even the demons. At this point, the legion can only submit and beg for mercy. Jesus accommodates them only to send them into pigs, which are then driven into the lake to drown.All the people of this Gentile country are astonished, and yet their unbelief manifests in fear as they ask Jesus to depart from them.Fear not. Fear not the storms of this life; fear not the devil who prowls around, seeking to devour you. Fear not the world whose unbelief fears an almighty God. Fear not, because this almighty God cares for you, just as He cared for those around Him.Jesus doesn't just command creation for His own glory; He sets His glory aside to restore all creation. Jesus doesn't command demons to show His sovereignty. Rather, His sovereignty is revealed by the throne to which He will ascend and reveal Himself as the Son of the Most High God, who dies for you.Jesus, the Son, Who takes all the unbelief, the fear, and the doubt, and by His death and resurrection makes all things new. He makes you new; He makes you His, just like He the man in the Gerasenes His. We do not fear but believe and proclaim all that God has done for us.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.O God, You have prepared for those who love You such good things as surpass our understanding. Cast out all sins and evil desires from us, and pour into our hearts Your Holy Spirit to guide us into all blessedness;  through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.- Justin Chester is a seminary student at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.

Luke 8:26a, 27a, 28, 30, 35, 37b, 38-39 - Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes … When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met Him a man from the city who had demons … When he saw Jesus, he cried out, … “What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.” Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. … Then [people from the city] … found the man [whom Jesus set free from demons], sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. … So [Jesus] got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with Him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

Jesus casts a legion of demons out of a man who was exiled from society. Now the townspeople are no longer afraid of the formerly possessed man, they're terrified of Jesus. We ask Lars Olson: Why do the demons ask Jesus for permission to enter the pigs?Why does Jesus grant the demons' request? And why are the people so afraid of Jesus? Lars teaches us that God wants us to fear Him above all else. Why? Because what we fear has all of our attention. CARE OF SOULS - ADDICTIONIn Care of Souls, a special mini-series podcast from Luther House of Study, Lutheran pastors and theologians come together to explore the deeply personal and pastoral task of preaching to and caring for those struggling with life's challenging situations: addiction, death, family disharmony, and more. Rooted in the theology of the cross and the Lutheran tradition of radical grace, this series offers both theological depth and practical guidance for pastors, church workers, and lay leaders. With conversations, real-life stories, and reflections from the front lines of ministry, Care of Souls equips listeners to enter the broken places of addiction not with easy answers, but with the crucified and risen Christ. Because in the end, it's not about fixing people—it's about preaching the Gospel. Listen to Care of Souls wherever you listen to podcasts or on the Luther House website: Care of Souls - Addiction GOSPEL Luke 8:26-39 26 Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me" -- 29 for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30 Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. 31 They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. 32 Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34 When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him. Support the showInterested in sponsoring an episode of Scripture First?Email Sarah at sarah@lhos.org or visit our donation page: lutherhouseofstudy.org/donate

Sermon Summary: "The Fiery Furnace" - Daniel 3:8-30 Series: Unshakeable Main Message: True faith chooses obedience to God regardless of consequences, trusting His presence and power even in the fire. Overview What do you do when following Christ means losing everything? This sermon explores the powerful story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who faced a life-or-death choice: bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar's golden statue or be thrown into a blazing furnace. Their response reveals what it means to have truly unshakeable faith. Key Points 1. Faithful People Refuse to Compromise, Even When Everyone Else Does When the music played and thousands bowed down, three men remained standing. They understood that following God sometimes means standing alone, and that some things are non-negotiable. Popularity is not worth your soul, and conformity is not worth your conscience. 2. Faithful People Trust God's Power Even When Deliverance Isn't Guaranteed Their remarkable response to the king included the profound statement: "Our God is able to deliver us... but even if he does not, we will not serve your gods." This reveals "even if" faith—trusting God's character even when we can't see the outcome. 3. God's Presence Transforms Our Trials and Displays His Glory The furnace heated seven times hotter became the place where God's presence was most evident. A fourth figure—possibly Christ Himself—walked with them in the fire. God didn't deliver them from the trial by preventing it; He delivered them through it by joining them in it. 4. Faithful Witness Transforms Those Who Oppose Us The same king who mocked their God ended up calling Him "the Most High God" and promoting the three men to higher positions. Their faithfulness under pressure became a powerful testimony to God's reality and power. Applications Identify Your Biblical Non-Negotiables: Determine now what you will and won't compromise on before the pressure comes. Develop "Even If" Faith: Practice trusting God even when you can't see the outcome, starting with smaller trials to build your faith. Conclusion The same God who walked with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the furnace walks with us in our trials today. The choice is ours: will we bow down to pressure or stand up in faith? Our faithfulness in the fire becomes a testimony to others about who God is.

The Three “R's” - John 3:1-15The 3 Rs in school. Helps us to remember. Many preachers like to use the same alliterative method in their preaching to help folks remember their sermons. I have found that it does not really work like that. If you want folks to remember something, it has to be short and really memorable, (like “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!”) or you need to repeat it so often that at least the preacher can remember it. Usually, what people remember is how you made them feel, not what you said. The proof is not in specific words, but in what is printed in your heart! What you experience. Selwyn Hughes: l knowing the Psalm (23] is one thing – hearsay – but knowing the Shepherd is quite another – heart-say.Read textLet's look at the three Rs in this passage: Selwyn Hughes: “make no mistake about it – the image of God that you carry in your heart is the one that you will relate to in a moment of crisis.”   Repentance Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit Acts 2:38David Pawson: “Do you realize if you are ever going to start on the road to the kingdom of heaven you have got to repent of your good deeds as well as your bad deeds, if you've been putting your trust in them?”Rebirth Titus 3:5 NIVRevelationFlesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. Matt. 16The picture of the snake Numbers 21:4-9 and Jesus quotes this now.The discussion with NicodemusTroubled by what he sees and knows and is honest enough to seek out answers  despite the perceived opposition, he takes a risk to seek out Jesus.As a teacher in Israel, he knows the laws that govern and how they are interpreted.  Do good deeds, do the religious things and then you will be acceptable in God's sight. But he obviously doesn't know about the assurance of salvation, and the actions of Jesus, disturb him, even though he can see how those deeds were contrary to what they believed. But it was going to affect his as well as their income, lifestyle, teaching, and their way of life that they had become accustomed to. Was it worth it? Is what Jesus brings worth the price of every one else's wrath? Isn't what we do, perhaps with some alterations here or there enough? Why this dramatic confrontation and change? Aren't we all the children of Abraham? Are we not on the right path? We are doing what we are supposed to do with the offering, sacrifices and the religious zeal for the Words of the law and prophets? We memorize it, we teach our children, we do our best to be kind and good people. Okay we mess up sometimes, but we all do it, but at least we belong to the right family!Jesus cuts right through all his questions and his dilemmas and comes straight to the point: “You must be born again.”This means, Jesus is saying you are not in the right family at all. Being a descendent of Abraham does not make you righteous. Keeping the laws to the best of your ability does not make you righteous. Your basic problem is: You have the wrong nature. Your good deeds are like filthy rags to God. He is not pleased with you because you try harder to please him. There is only one thing you can do with your nature, and that is it must die. If you want live, you must be born again.Nicodemus: What do you mean? What are you talking about? How can you be a teacher in Israel and not know this? Abraham lived by faith in God! Jacob lived by faith in God. Joseph lived by faith in God. Moses lived by faith in God! All of them lived in faith before the law came! They understood their nature was the nature of sin, death, darkness and evil.  It is not about religious activities; it is a matter of a transformed heart. A birth where God Almighty is your father.Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, as a matter of fact, if you are not born again of the spirit of God you cannot even see the kingdom. Worshipping God is not about religious activities, it is something we do in Spirit and in truth! The breakthrough comes when God enters you like the wind and directs you in your faith and your life.Wow. Jesus must have loved him a lot to confront him so directly.Now the matter of being born of water and the Spirit: Some think it means the passage of water when you are born the first time. Birth of the Spirit comes when you believe in Jesus.Most say it can be a dual understanding.  You see John has just spent time with John the Baptist and following this encounter Jesus and the disciples go baptizing as well.  The focus really is on what happens in Baptism:The First R is Repentance. Repenting from bad deeds and good deeds as well if they are what you are depending on for God's pleasure and acceptance. The focus on repentance is critical for a spiritual life. It is the forerunner of moving into God's Kingdom. Learning to be humble and repent before God. Being able to see when we do wrong to others and apologize to them. Letting the Holy Spirit show us just how frail we are and how vital and eternal the Kingdom of God is. It shows us that it is not about us, it is all about him!The second R is Rebirth: That is when the Holy Spirit enters our lives to take up residence within us. We become Children of God. Our nature changes from sinner to sons and daughters of the Most High God! Make a confession: I am a child of God because I believe Jesus, I trust Jesus, and I will follow Jesus. The third R is Revelation: The snakes on a pole did not save the people, it was their obedience in Number 29.Nicodemus remembered his discussion with Jesus when he came to take him down from the cross with Joseph of Arimathea. 

Anunnaki Genesis: Makers of Man!Cub Kuker Supernatural Podcast (S5/EP24)What if the creation story in Genesis isn't the first account — but a coded retelling of something far older, far more cosmic? What if the "God" of Genesis — the Elohim — weren't a singular being, but a council of divine architects, ancient cosmic entities commissioned by the Most High God to form Earth's biosphere? Welcome to the Anunnaki Genesis, a supernatural decoding of the oldest origin story we have — not just in Scripture, but in the entire human record.▶︎ Cub Kuker Supernatural™ Official Resources: https://www.CubKuker.com/▶︎ Grab your Cub Kuker Supernatural™ Collective Member Pass: https://www.CubKuker.com/Collective  ▶︎ Tune in to the Cub Kuker Supernatural™ Podcast on Spotify™: https://www.CubKuker.com/Podcast “Discover the Supernatural Secrets of the Bible and Beyond with Cub Kuker Supernatural™” Hey there, I'm Jacob Kuker (Cub), a Christian Mystic, Ancient Astronaut Theorist, and Content Creator. Join me on the Cub Kuker Supernatural™ Podcast for a live, unfiltered exploration of faith, spirituality, and the paranormal. Let's dig deep into ancient mysteries and modern prophecy to cultivate growth in every area of our lives. My mission isn't to persuade you to adopt my beliefs, but to ignite a passion for exploration and understanding among my audience. I'm here to journey alongside you, building a community of seekers who cherish dialogue and discovery. Together, we'll uncover ancient truths about humanity's origins, the celestial rebellion, and the transformative impact of Jesus beyond traditional teachings.✓ Background music is covered under license agreement with: pretzel.rocksLegal Disclaimer:The content provided is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Please conduct your own research or consult a licensed professional before making any significant decisions. We are not liable for any actions you take based on the content. The views expressed are those of the presenters, and some links may be affiliate links, generating a commission for us. All payments are voluntary, non-refundable, and made without warranty. Financial support, including tips and donations, is not tax-deductible. Our services and media are offered to all, regardless of race, religion, or orientation. Jacob Kuker (Cub), Cub Kuker Supernatural™, and CubKuker.com are branded services operating under JTK Creative Ventures, LLC, a creative media service provider. For more information, legal disclaimers can be viewed at www.cubkuker.com/legal.© 2025 JTK Creative Ventures LLC

Welcome to week two of the Special Episode Summer Break Series. We will be having a conversation based on my newest book. This week I am speaking with  Dr. Chizobam Idahosa who is a wife, mother to three beautiful girls, and a dentist specialized in oral medicine, orofacial pain, and lifestyle medicine. At the core of her identity, she sees herself as a child of the Most-High God and a servant of Christ Jesus. Chizobam is passionate about studying, meditating, and teaching the Word. In 2015, she founded Beautiful in Jesus, a Christian ministry born from her journey toward inward beauty and maturity through the Word of God. Beautiful in Jesus equips believers with practical truth from the Word so they can know God more intimately and walk in step with the Holy Spirit as God transforms them into the image of Christ. We look at her childhood up to the present to see the beautiful thread of Jesus in her life. You won't want to miss this inspiring episode! https://www.oralmedicinespecialist.com/ Website: https://beautifulinjesus.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/beautifulinjesus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautifulinjesus/ Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/beautifulinjesuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beautifulinjesusLinktree: https://linktr.ee/beautifulinjesus

Get access to Daily Prayer: Become a Patron on Patreon----------------------Opening Words:“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”Psalm 19:14 (ESV)Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him.Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him.The PsalterPsalm 56Miserere mei, Deus1Have mercy on me, O God,for my enemies are hounding me; *all day long they assault and oppress me.2They hound me all the day long; *truly there are many who fight against me, O Most High.3Whenever I am afraid, *I will put my trust in you.4In God, whose word I praise,in God I trust and will not be afraid, *for what can flesh do to me?5All day long they damage my cause; *their only thought is to do me evil.6They band together; they lie in wait; *they spy upon my footsteps;because they seek my life.7Shall they escape despite their wickedness? *O God, in your anger, cast down the peoples.8You have noted my lamentation;put my tears into your bottle; *are they not recorded in your book?9Whenever I call upon you, my enemies will be put to flight; *this I know, for God is on my side.10In God the Lord, whose word I praise,in God I trust and will not be afraid, *for what can mortals do to me?11I am bound by the vow I made to you, O God; *I will present to you thank-offerings;12For you have rescued my soul from death and my feet from stumbling, *that I may walk before God in the light of the living.Psalm 57Miserere mei, Deus1Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful,for I have taken refuge in you; *in the shadow of your wings will I take refugeuntil this time of trouble has gone by.2I will call upon the Most High God, *the God who maintains my cause.3He will send from heaven and save me;he will confound those who trample upon me; *God will send forth his love and his faithfulness.4I lie in the midst of lions that devour the people; *their teeth are spears and arrows,their tongue a sharp sword.5They have laid a net for my feet,and I am bowed low; *they have dug a pit before me,but have fallen into it themselves.6Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God, *and your glory over all the earth.7My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; *I will sing and make melody.8Wake up, my spirit;awake, lute and harp; *I myself will waken the dawn.9I will confess you among the peoples, O Lord; *I will sing praise to you among the nations.10For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens, *and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.11Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God, *and your glory over all the earth.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.LessonsDeuteronomy 30:1-1030 “And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, 2 and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. 5 And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. 6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. 7 And the Lord your God will put all these curses on your foes and enemies who persecuted you. 8 And you shall again obey the voice of the Lord and keep all his commandments that I command you today. 9 The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, 10 when you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.2 Corinthians 1010 I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2 I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.7 Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. 8 For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. 9 I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” 11 Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. 12 Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.13 But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, 16 so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area of influence. 17 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God.Luke 18:31-4331 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.35 As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God.Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.The PrayersLord, have mercy.Christ, have mercyLord, have mercyOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.The SuffragesO Lord, show your mercy upon us;And grant us your salvation.O Lord, guide those who govern usAnd lead us in the way of justice and truth.Clothe your ministers with righteousnessAnd let your people sing with joy.O Lord, save your peopleAnd bless your inheritance.Give peace in our time, O LordAnd defend us by your mighty power.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgottenNor the hope of the poor be taken away.Create in us clean hearts, O GodAnd take not your Holy Spirit from us.Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others.The CollectsProper 5O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen.General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!Alleluia, Alleluia!BenedictionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen*

“Delivered by Emmanuel” Daniel 3 June 8, 2025 Pastor John Choi   ----more---- Daniel 3:14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? [15] Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” [16] Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. [17] If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty's hand. [18] But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” [24] Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” [25] He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” [26] Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, [27] and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. [28] Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.     Worship Him who alone is able—and has indeed—delivered us: Jesus Christ, Emmanuel.           I.  Who will you worship? (1-14)          II.  Who will deliver you? (15-23)         III.  Who is with you? (24-30)

Seventh Sunday of Easter The First Lesson Acts 16:16-34 With Paul and Silas, we came to Philippi in Macedonia, a Roman colony, and, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation." She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe." The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God. The Psalm Psalm 97 Dominus regnavit 1 The Lord is King; let the earth rejoice; * let the multitude of the isles be glad. 2 Clouds and darkness are round about him, * righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne. 3 A fire goes before him * and burns up his enemies on every side. 4 His lightnings light up the world; * the earth sees it and is afraid. 5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, * at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 6 The heavens declare his righteousness, * and all the peoples see his glory. 7 Confounded be all who worship carved images and delight in false gods! * Bow down before him, all you gods. 8 Zion hears and is glad, and the cities of Judah rejoice, * because of your judgments, O Lord. 9 For you are the Lord, most high over all the earth; * you are exalted far above all gods. 10 The Lord loves those who hate evil; * he preserves the lives of his saints and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. 11 Light has sprung up for the righteous, * and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted. 12 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, * and give thanks to his holy Name. The Epistle Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21 At the end of the visions I, John, heard these words: "See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone's work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. "It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let everyone who hears say, "Come." And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift. The one who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen. The Gospel John 17:20-26 Jesus prayed for his disciples, and then he said. "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. "Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. And today's shout-out goes to John & Cindy Brannum from Sioux Falls, SD. John & Cindy, thank you for standing with us through Project23. Your support helps deliver the Word where it's needed most. This one's for you. Our text today is Mark 5:6-13: And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. — Mark 5:6-13 Jesus steps onto the shore, and the man possessed by demons does something shocking—he runs toward Jesus. But as soon as he gets close, the demons take over. They fall. They scream. They beg for mercy. This is how evil responds to the holy—it bows in the presence of God. There's no battle. No contest. This isn't two equal forces clashing—it's total authority confronting total darkness. Jesus commands the spirit to come out. Then he asks for the demon's identity: “What is your name?” The answer is chilling: “My name is Legion, for we are many.” Literally—thousands of demons. And still, Jesus doesn't flinch, falter, or fear. It's as if he's handled situations like this a hundred times before. Then Legion pleads with Jesus. He begs for mercy—because they know they've encountered the all-powerful God, something even the disciples have yet to fully understand. They plead for dispersion rather than destruction. They beg Jesus to send them into a field of swine. There are all kinds of theories about why the pigs—but the simplest answer is this: The time for complete demonic defeat had not yet come. Jesus's mission was first to redeem mankind from the bondage of sin—before destroying evil entirely. So, Legion is cast into the pigs. And the entire herd rushes down the hillside and drowns in the sea. I believe many people today feel overwhelmed by darkness—whether internal or external. And too often, we try to manage it, medicate it, or manipulate it. But Jesus doesn't ask us to control the darkness. He asks us to surrender it—so He can confront it. If Jesus can cast out thousands of demons with a single word, he can confront the darkness you face today. So stop trying to manage the situation. Let Jesus confront it. Let him remove it. And let him cast it far from you—deep into the sea. #JesusOverDarkness, #Mark5, #SpiritualWarfare ASK THIS: Where do you feel darkness creeping into your life? Are you trying to manage what Jesus wants to remove? What does Legion's response reveal about Jesus' authority? How can you invite Jesus to confront your hidden struggles? DO THIS: Identify one area of darkness you've tried to manage and surrender it to Jesus in prayer today. PRAY THIS: Jesus, I confess the darkness I've tried to manage alone. I surrender it to You—cast it out and replace it with Your peace. Amen. PLAY THIS: “Break Every Chain” by Jesus Culture.

Acts 16:16-34 With Paul and Silas, we came to Philippi in Macedonia, a Roman colony, and, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation." She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe." The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

June 1, 2025 Acts 16:11-34 (ESV) 11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us. 16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. 19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

Spiritual Warfare, Soul Ties, and the Kingdom Priesthood | KIB 484 Kingdom Intelligence Briefing

When Souljah's sit at the table the conversation is different. There is a feast of messages from the Most High God filled with the Promise's from His Word as you hear iron sharpening iron with the power of the Sword.  Join the The Rev and Lady Shannon at the table on the Chatting With The Whitney's podcast. B4LM Theme Song written, Produced, and Performed by: Nineside/International Nine@https://linktr.ee/Nineside Books by The Rev & Lady Shannon Brave Scars - https://www.amazon.com/Brave-Scars-Min-Shannon-Whitney-ebook/dp/B083D95P8Q Love and Marriage 1 - https://www.amazon.com/Love-Marriage-Make-Last-Forever-ebook/dp/B0837YN34W Love and Marriage 2 - https://www.amazon.com/LOVE-MARRIAGE-Make-Last-Forever-ebook/dp/B083D7TBHT It Ain't Over Til It's Over - 3 It Ain't Over Til It's Over: Love & Marriage Make It Last Forever III: Whitney, Reverend D.A. and Lady Shannon: 9798359755399: Amazon.com: Books You Are What You Think! Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People (Volume 1 & 2) YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People: Volume I: Whitney, Reverend D.A. and Lady Shannon: 9798359754989: Amazon.com: Books YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People Volume II: Whitney, D.A. (The Rev) and Lady Shannon: 9798359755801: Amazon.com: Books Email: blessed4lifeministries@gmail.com NOTE: We do not own the rights to the great music you hear on the show. However, we hope you love it as much as we do!  Hey Now and thanks for checking us out!  We pray we do not say anything that will cause you to stumble; but only those things that will draw you closer to The Most High God.  That said, we are inspirational and motivational while maintaining authenticity as we keep it practical and simple; yet real.  We don't own the music rights to the music we play but we hope you love it as much we do!  Follow us on social media @ blessed4lifeministries on IG, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest!  Connect with us via email for B4LM merchandise, for links to our books on Amazon, to request pastoral services from The Rev, or to just keep in touch at  blessed4lifeministries@gmail.com

In his sermon, Pastor Dave highlights the importance of faith being tested, illustrating that true faith can only be proven through trials, much like gold is refined in fire. He uses the stories of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to emphasize that God is present with us in our trials, affirming that while faith may be challenged, believers should remain steadfast and trust in God's purpose. Pastor encourages the congregation not to run from the fire of life's challenges, as these experiences serve to refine and strengthen their character and faith. Ultimately, he reassures everyone that they are valuable to God, and through perseverance in their faith, they will witness God's deliverance and strength in their lives.Zechariah 13:9 cevThen I will purify them and put them to the test, just as gold and silver are purified and tested. They will pray in my name, and I will answer them; I will say, “You are my people,” and they will reply, “You, Lord, are our God!”Isaiah 43:2-3The Passion TranslationWhen you pass through the deep, stormy sea, you can count on me to be there with you. When you pass through raging rivers, You will not drown; When you walk through persecution like fiery flames, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you, for I am your Savior, Yahweh, your mighty God, the Holy One of Israel!Daniel 3 - ESV King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.Daniel 3:12-14 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Proverbs 20:6 NLT Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?Acts 4:19 NLT But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what [b]judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.Daniel 3:24-30 - Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.I Peter 1:7-9  Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your FAITH, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don't see him, yet you trust him - with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward to: total salvation. Psalm 23:4 ESVEven though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

In his sermon, Pastor Dave highlights the importance of faith being tested, illustrating that true faith can only be proven through trials, much like gold is refined in fire. He uses the stories of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to emphasize that God is present with us in our trials, affirming that while faith may be challenged, believers should remain steadfast and trust in God's purpose. Pastor encourages the congregation not to run from the fire of life's challenges, as these experiences serve to refine and strengthen their character and faith. Ultimately, he reassures everyone that they are valuable to God, and through perseverance in their faith, they will witness God's deliverance and strength in their lives.Zechariah 13:9 cevThen I will purify them and put them to the test, just as gold and silver are purified and tested. They will pray in my name, and I will answer them; I will say, “You are my people,” and they will reply, “You, Lord, are our God!”Isaiah 43:2-3The Passion TranslationWhen you pass through the deep, stormy sea, you can count on me to be there with you. When you pass through raging rivers, You will not drown; When you walk through persecution like fiery flames, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you, for I am your Savior, Yahweh, your mighty God, the Holy One of Israel!Daniel 3 - ESV King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.Daniel 3:12-14 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Proverbs 20:6 NLT Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?Acts 4:19 NLT But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what [b]judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.Daniel 3:24-30 - Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.I Peter 1:7-9  Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your FAITH, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory. You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don't see him, yet you trust him - with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you'll get what you're looking forward to: total salvation. Psalm 23:4 ESVEven though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Passage: 1 We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds. 2 “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. 3 When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars. 4 I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,' and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn; 5 do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with haughty neck.'” (Psalm 75:1–5 ESV) Song: Psalm 75 by Poor Bishop Hooper Lyrics: We give thanks, God We give thanks for Your name is near We give thanks, God We give thanks for Your name is near As men tell of All Your wonderful works As men tell of All Your wonderful, wonderful works At the set time that I appoint I will come and judge with equity When the Earth totters and the people shake It is I who keep its pillars steady Oh, it is I who keep its pillars steady Not from the east or from the west Not from the wilderness comes lifting up But it is God who is tho only judgе Putting down one and lifting up another Not from the еast or from the west Not from the wilderness comes lifting up But it is God who is tho only judge Putting down one and lifting up another For in His hand there is a cup And full of wine and spices foaming up And it is well-mixed and when He pours this Surely the wicked will drink But as for me I will declare it I will sing praise Praise to the God of Jacob As for me I will declare it I will sing praise Praise to the God of Jacob As for me I will declare it I will sing praise Praise to the God of Jacob As for me I will declare it I will sing praise Praise to the God of Jacob Prayer: With what shall we come before you, O Lord? Or bow ourselves in your presence, O you Most High God? Cause us to come unto you in faith: mentioning no other name, pleading no other righteousness, and trusting in no other atonement than the name, righteousness, and atonement of your blessed Son and our… Mediator Jesus Christ. In him, we desire to be found; through him, we hope for favor with you, and acceptance in your sight. Blessed be your goodness for the mercies of the day, for the blessings of your providence, the comforts of your Spirit, and the privileges we enjoy. Amen. -Augustus Toplady

"Not so the wicked!" With these solemn words, the Psalmist draws a sharp contrast between the godly and the ungodly. The righteous are like fruitful trees--rooted, nourished, and prosperous. But "the wicked are like chaff that the wind blows away." Chaff is the worthless husk separated from grain--light, dry, and empty. It is easily scattered and quickly forgotten. Such is every life lived apart from God: rootless, fruitless, and ultimately futile. However impressive the wicked may appear for a season, their prosperity is short-lived, and their end is destruction! (Psalm 73:18-19) The wicked "will not stand in the judgment." They will have no defense, no covering, no hope. When they stand before the Judge of all the earth, their works will be burned up as stubble. All their excuses will be silenced. The day of judgment will reveal what they are: rebels against the Most High God, having rejected His Son and despised His Word. They will not be counted "in the assembly of the righteous." They may have mingled with the godly on earth--but in the last day, the Shepherd will infallibly separate the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:32). Their exclusion will be eternal. "For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." Here is the final contrast. The Lord lovingly and attentively watches over the path of His redeemed people. He guards their steps, directs their course, and brings them safely home. But the way of the wicked--though it may seem smooth for a time--leads only to ruin! Their end is not annihilation, but everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46). The broad road may appear pleasant, but it descends into outer darkness, with w

Come tuck yourself away in the shelter of the Most High God.No matter what kind of day you've had, rest in hope and peace tonight as you draw near to the heart of God. This short, uplifting meditation from His Word will create a space at the end of the day for you to refocus on the goodness and nearness of the Lord, entrust your burdens to Him and fill your mind with His promises and faithfulness towards you. Tonight's meditation is read by Adeyinka. Meet the team at https://www.odbm.org/en-GB/about-us/meet-the-teamSend us a text message to let us know how we can make the Evening Meditations an even better experience for you!Support the showYou can now share the Evening Meditations through the updated Our Daily Bread app! If you've not done so already, download it for free from your app store.We hope that you have enjoyed this Evening Meditation from Our Daily Bread Ministries! You can find more exciting content from Our Daily Bread Ministries by following us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. You can even sign up to receive Our Daily Bread Bible reading notes sent straight to your door for free: ourdailybread.org/meditation. All our funding comes from our listeners, like you, who value what we do and want to help us reach more people. You can make a donation towards our mission at eveningmeditations.org.

#190// What do you see with your eyes closed? What do you see when you allow your spirit to set vision as it's connected to the Spirit of God?Listen, Sister . . . if we're actually going to BEHOLD the things of God in the natural, we've got to get good at seeing it with our spirit first. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to speak to and exhort over 300 women at our REVIVE Woman Conference 2025 about what it looks like to BEHOLD with God... to perceive the new thing He is doing in this coming season (see Isaiah 43:19). The truth is: We BECOME what we BEHOLD!If we are continually beholding our Savior -- the way He walked and talked and related to others -- we will become more and more like Him. If we allow ourselves to behold the negative, the swirl, the chaos or overwhelm, we will continually see that all around us. And here's the part no one wants to say out loud: We can't BECOME on our own because it's hard for us to BEHOLD on our own. We NEED other faith-filled, godly women of purpose around us -- cheering us on, calling us up higher, discipling and challenging us -- for our GOOD and for the GLORY of God!And you better believe the enemy is going to do everything in his power to keep you from beholding. Because he doesn't want you to BECOME! That makes you a BIG threat to his kingdom of darkness. But I've got his schemes in my sight and I'm going to share with you The Four Strategies the Enemy Uses to Keep Us from Beholding: 

In this week's episode, Dennis Jernigan shares the story behind his song, "Battleground", from the album "The Chronicles of Bren: Captured – Songs for the Journey". That mp3 is available at https://www.thechroniclesofbren.com/store/captured-songs-for-the-journey-album/ The lyrics can be found below. You can join Dennis and the people of All In All Church for live-stream worship on the first Wednesday evening of each month. Just go to https://www.facebook.com/therealdennisjernigan at 7 PM CST. Mark it in your calendar. Worship with All in All Church - First Wednesday of each month. Daily Devotions for Kingdom Seekers, Vol. 3 is available at https://www.amazon.com/Daily-Devotions-Kingdom-Seekers-Vol-ebook/dp/B081K8TZLX Check out my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/DennisJernigan and read through the various tiers of support and discover the myriad of benefits you will receive based on the level of support you choose. If you're willing, go ahead and sign up! You will find the show notes and lyrics below: Welcome to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast. The purpose of this podcast is to help you find healing for your wounds; find hope in your despair; find intimacy in your loneliness; find refuge from the storms of life; Basically, to help you find a deeper walk with Jesus. There is one thing I know after having lived all these years: God wastes nothing. Not our sorrows. Not our wounds. Not even our failures. Hi. I am your host, Dennis Jernigan, and I am so excited about the final two installments of the music from my fantasy book series, The Chronicles of Bren: Book One: Captured. The collection of songs is called “Captured: Songs for the Journey.”  This week's episode is the story behind the next to last song in the series called, “Battleground.” The story behind this song is really quite simple. This is classic darkness versus the light; good versus evil; truth versus lies; the understanding that true love involves the laying down of life. There came a point in my life on November 7, 1981 where I had to do it decide if Jesus Christ was real; if he thought that I was worth dying for; if I thought he was worth dying for; if he truly loved me or not.  I came to the irrefutable conclusion that he thought I was worth dying for; that he thought I was worth fighting for; that he, indeed, had paid for my life and my sin-debt by the shedding of his own blood. In the process, he had gone to battle on my behalf and conquered Satan, hell and its demons, giving me a brand new identity and a brand new start on life in the process. God was no longer a distant, unknowable force of the universe. He was now alive and well and living in my heart, giving me a brand new purpose and a brand new perspective on living out my life in joy. I have now been granted a forever relationship with God who created all that is good. What I soon discovered was just because the enemy had been defeated did not mean that I no longer had to fight for my freedom. I discovered the true battleground of my life was not some thing I could see with flesh and blood. The true Battleground of my life is my mind; the thoughts I think; the perspective through which I run my thoughts. The enemy's only option was to try and trip me up through his deception and lies about who I am.  I learned that God had equipped me, as a believer in and follower of Jesus Christ, with the full armor of God and that my greatest weapon against the lies of the enemy is the truth of God's Word. My battle-sword! As I begin to recognize the lies of the enemy, I soon learned the key to renewing my mind. As soon as the lie was revealed to me, I picked up my sword, the Word of God, and replaced that lie with the truth of God's Word. I have since discovered that the enemy does not stop lying to me, so I must be vigilant by putting on the Word of God each and every day of my existence. In fact, I have learned the best thing to do regarding the enemy is to run towards the battle and not away from it. Having read the end of the book, I know who wins. Now you know the story behind the song, ‘Battleground”, let's all pick up our swords and take it to whatever dark lies the enemy has spoken against our minds over the next few minutes. The Truth of God's Word is clear: we are more than conquerors! We are sons and daughters of the Most High God! SONG [Rom 8:37-39 NASB20] 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I certainly enjoyed writing the three book series, the chronicles of Bren. They honestly helped me get a better grip on Father God's point of view of my life. My hope is that you would discover joy and solace within the pages of the books and the melodies of the songs. May they serve as uplifting companions, guiding you to encounter Jesus even amidst life's toughest trials.  We only have one song left to go in this series which has gone by so quickly for me. Be sure and listen to next weeks episode because I think he will enjoy it thoroughly and that it will minister to your soul in someway. Thank you for tuning in to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast. For more about my journey, music, and more, visit dennisjernigan.com. Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram, and explore my music on various streaming platforms. If you're keen on joining my team, consider becoming a Patron at patreon.com/dennisjernigan. Your support means the world to me! The book "Captured" is now available on Amazon in paperback, ebook, and audiobook versions. Once you have finished reading captured, I invite you to read the next two books in the series. Book Two is called “Sacrifice” and Book Three is called “Generations”. All are available on Amazon.  Soon, I hope to introduce you to the songs from book 2, but that will be at sometime in the near future. In the meantime, I encourage you to delve into "Captured" and then enjoy the songs inspired by its characters, all available for FREE. Simply head to https://www.thechroniclesofbren.com/store/captured-songs-for-the-journey-album/ to download the complete collection at no cost. Thank you once more for being a part of today's podcast. Remember, you are deeply loved by God and by me. Be quick to humble yourself when pride raises its ugly head and be quick to seek forgiveness when you have wounded another. Now, I challenge you to rise as the warrior for God's kingdom you are called to be today. Cast off the enemy's lies, embrace the truth of your identity in the Lord, and go forth as the cherished son or daughter of your Heavenly Father. Battleground Words & Music
Dennis Jernigan ©2015 Dennis Jernigan Verse Standing on the battleground Faced with life or death Faced with ‘Will I run away?' Or “Give my very best?' Standing on the battleground Faced with destiny This could be the difference Between victory or defeat! Face to the fight! Fight for what is right! Conquering the night! Swords lifted high! Son, this is war! Better be sure What you fight for Is worth dying for! Chorus Fight for what is right! Keep truth on your side! Love lays down its life! Willing to die! Verse Facing down the enemy Facing down your fear Look ahead to victory And keep your vision clear Facing down the enemy Warrior, stand your ground You will have the victory This freedom comes with life laid down Face to the fight! Fight for what is right! Conquering the night! Swords lifted high! Son, this is war! Better be sure What you fight for Is worth dying for! Chorus Fight for what is right! Keep truth on your side! Love lays down its life! Willing to die! Bridge Put on the armor! Prepare for war! This is a cause worth dying for! Put on the armor! Prepare for war! This is a cause worth dying for! Put on the armor! Prepare for war! This is a cause worth dying for! Chorus Fight for what is right! Keep truth on your side! Love lays down its life! Willing to die!  

When Souljah's sit at the table the conversation is different. There is a feast of messages from the Most High God filled with the Promise's from His Word as you hear iron sharpening iron with the power of the Sword.  Join the The Rev and Lady Shannon at the table on the Chatting With The Whitney's podcast. B4LM Theme Song written, Produced, and Performed by: Nineside/International Nine@https://linktr.ee/Nineside Books by The Rev & Lady Shannon Brave Scars - https://www.amazon.com/Brave-Scars-Min-Shannon-Whitney-ebook/dp/B083D95P8Q Love and Marriage 1 - https://www.amazon.com/Love-Marriage-Make-Last-Forever-ebook/dp/B0837YN34W Love and Marriage 2 - https://www.amazon.com/LOVE-MARRIAGE-Make-Last-Forever-ebook/dp/B083D7TBHT It Ain't Over Til It's Over - 3 It Ain't Over Til It's Over: Love & Marriage Make It Last Forever III: Whitney, Reverend D.A. and Lady Shannon: 9798359755399: Amazon.com: Books You Are What You Think! Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People (Volume 1 & 2) YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People: Volume I: Whitney, Reverend D.A. and Lady Shannon: 9798359754989: Amazon.com: Books YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People Volume II: Whitney, D.A. (The Rev) and Lady Shannon: 9798359755801: Amazon.com: Books Email: blessed4lifeministries@gmail.com NOTE: We do not own the rights to the great music you hear on the show. However, we hope you love it as much as we do!  Hey Now and thanks for checking us out!  We pray we do not say anything that will cause you to stumble; but only those things that will draw you closer to The Most High God.  That said, we are inspirational and motivational while maintaining authenticity as we keep it practical and simple; yet real.  We don't own the music rights to the music we play but we hope you love it as much we do!  Follow us on social media @ blessed4lifeministries on IG, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest!  Connect with us via email for B4LM merchandise, for links to our books on Amazon, to request pastoral services from The Rev, or to just keep in touch at  blessed4lifeministries@gmail.com

To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ⇒ Get a copy of the MM Companion Journal: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/journal ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Mark 5:1–13 - [1] They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. [2] And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. [3] He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, [4] for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. [5] Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. [6] And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. [7] And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” [8] For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” [9] And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” [10] And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. [11] Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, [12] and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” [13] So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Support a daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen -- Support our SPANISH TRANSLATION: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/supportSpanish -- Support our HINDI TRANSLATION: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/supportHindi -- Support our CHINESE TRANSLATION: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/supportChinese  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate.

When Souljah's sit at the table the conversation is different. There is a feast of messages from the Most High God filled with the Promise's from His Word as you hear iron sharpening iron with the power of the Sword.  Join the The Rev and Lady Shannon at the table on the Chatting With The Whitney's podcast. B4LM Theme Song written, Produced, and Performed by: Nineside/International Nine@https://linktr.ee/Nineside Books by The Rev & Lady Shannon Brave Scars - https://www.amazon.com/Brave-Scars-Min-Shannon-Whitney-ebook/dp/B083D95P8Q Love and Marriage 1 - https://www.amazon.com/Love-Marriage-Make-Last-Forever-ebook/dp/B0837YN34W Love and Marriage 2 - https://www.amazon.com/LOVE-MARRIAGE-Make-Last-Forever-ebook/dp/B083D7TBHT It Ain't Over Til It's Over - 3 It Ain't Over Til It's Over: Love & Marriage Make It Last Forever III: Whitney, Reverend D.A. and Lady Shannon: 9798359755399: Amazon.com: Books You Are What You Think! Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People (Volume 1 & 2) YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People: Volume I: Whitney, Reverend D.A. and Lady Shannon: 9798359754989: Amazon.com: Books YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People Volume II: Whitney, D.A. (The Rev) and Lady Shannon: 9798359755801: Amazon.com: Books Email: blessed4lifeministries@gmail.com NOTE: We do not own the rights to the great music you hear on the show. However, we hope you love it as much as we do!  Hey Now and thanks for checking us out!  We pray we do not say anything that will cause you to stumble; but only those things that will draw you closer to The Most High God.  That said, we are inspirational and motivational while maintaining authenticity as we keep it practical and simple; yet real.  We don't own the music rights to the music we play but we hope you love it as much we do!  Follow us on social media @ blessed4lifeministries on IG, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest!  Connect with us via email for B4LM merchandise, for links to our books on Amazon, to request pastoral services from The Rev, or to just keep in touch at  blessed4lifeministries@gmail.com

This week, Tyler continues our sermon series A Word to the Generations, speaking directly to young adults with a message rooted in Proverbs 2. He offers three foundational life truths—about identity, relationships, and purpose—crafted to meet the core spiritual challenges facing this age group. Drawing from the deep wisdom of Proverbs 2, Tyler emphasizes that God's guidance is timeless, relevant across generations, and especially vital for young adults navigating a world of competing voices. While acknowledging the distinct pressures of today—like performance-driven culture, social media comparison, and uncertainty about the future—he reminds us that our most essential spiritual needs haven't changed: identity, belonging, and direction. God speaks to these needs with clarity, compassion, and power. His three takeaways are crafted to help listeners live with greater clarity and peace in their current stage of life. This sermon ultimately affirms the spiritual power and potential of young adults in the church and calls them to step confidently into maturity with God as their guide.   The Three Foundational Truths Identity Tyler teaches that identity is not something we build or earn, but something we receive from God. He challenges cultural narratives that tell young people to define themselves by their careers, image, or achievements—paths that often lead to anxiety, burnout, and confusion. Your identity is meant to be God-given, not peer-driven or self-determined. When you embrace your identity in Christ, you gain the security and confidence needed to navigate adulthood with peace. Who am I? An adopted child of the Most High God, a royal ambassador, a citizen of heaven. What am I worth? You are created in God's image and worth Jesus' very life. Why am I here? To bring a revolution of counter-cultural, cross-shaped love and resurrection life. Identity, Tyler reminds us, is rooted in divine truth, not cultural pressure or personal performance. “You are not the sum total of your accomplishments or your failures. You are a child of God, made in His image.”   Friendship Tyler then turns to the power of relationships, warning that the people closest to us can either draw us nearer to God or lead us away from Him. He expands this beyond romantic relationships, focusing on friendships and community. He distinguishes between proximity and intimacy: not everyone physically or emotionally close to you should be spiritually close to your heart. Your inner circle should be made up of people who are pursuing Christ alongside you. You need Godly friends, but you must work harder than ever to have them. Building meaningful, Christ-centered friendships requires intention, vulnerability, and shared spiritual goals.   Purpose Finally, Tyler addresses the deep question of purpose—a major point of confusion and longing among young adults. He dismantles the cultural lie that purpose is about personal fulfillment or worldly success and re-centers it on serving God and others. Spiritual growth comes not from upward mobility, but from downward humility—willingness to serve, forgive, sacrifice, and love as Christ did. Tyler paints a vision of purpose shaped by Jesus: one of service, love, sacrifice, and discipleship. He encourages young adults to move from asking, “What do I want to do with my life?” to “What has God equipped me to give to the world?” Despite all the noise and challenges of this generation, Tyler sees hope: a spiritual hunger and potential for revival. Despite whatever flaws, there is a supernatural resurgence of belief in Jesus among young adults… right now! You may be the revival generation!   A Spiritual Call to Action Tyler closes with a powerful challenge for young adults to live with intention and depth: Pursue wisdom with intentionality—through prayer, scripture, and Godly community. Reject the cultural lies about self-sufficiency and redefine success on God's terms. Trust God's voice above all others—including societal expectations and inner fears. He acknowledges the emotional weight young adults carry—loneliness, doubts, cultural disillusionment—but reminds them that they are uniquely equipped to lead, love, and spark change. When rooted in God's truth, they can walk into adulthood with confidence, purpose, and peace.

When Souljah's sit at the table the conversation is different. There is a feast of messages from the Most High God filled with the Promise's from His Word as you hear iron sharpening iron with the power of the Sword.  Join the The Rev and Lady Shannon at the table on the Chatting With The Whitney's podcast. B4LM Theme Song written, Produced, and Performed by: Nineside/International Nine@https://linktr.ee/Nineside Books by The Rev & Lady Shannon Brave Scars - https://www.amazon.com/Brave-Scars-Min-Shannon-Whitney-ebook/dp/B083D95P8Q Love and Marriage 1 - https://www.amazon.com/Love-Marriage-Make-Last-Forever-ebook/dp/B0837YN34W Love and Marriage 2 - https://www.amazon.com/LOVE-MARRIAGE-Make-Last-Forever-ebook/dp/B083D7TBHT It Ain't Over Til It's Over - 3 It Ain't Over Til It's Over: Love & Marriage Make It Last Forever III: Whitney, Reverend D.A. and Lady Shannon: 9798359755399: Amazon.com: Books You Are What You Think! Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People (Volume 1 & 2) YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People: Volume I: Whitney, Reverend D.A. and Lady Shannon: 9798359754989: Amazon.com: Books YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People Volume II: Whitney, D.A. (The Rev) and Lady Shannon: 9798359755801: Amazon.com: Books Email: blessed4lifeministries@gmail.com NOTE: We do not own the rights to the great music you hear on the show. However, we hope you love it as much as we do!  Hey Now and thanks for checking us out!  We pray we do not say anything that will cause you to stumble; but only those things that will draw you closer to The Most High God.  That said, we are inspirational and motivational while maintaining authenticity as we keep it practical and simple; yet real.  We don't own the music rights to the music we play but we hope you love it as much we do!  Follow us on social media @ blessed4lifeministries on IG, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest!  Connect with us via email for B4LM merchandise, for links to our books on Amazon, to request pastoral services from The Rev, or to just keep in touch at  blessed4lifeministries@gmail.com

"Jesus reminds us, 'The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full' (John 10:10 NIV).Yet we allow Satan to boss us around. He bullies his way into our hearts and minds, planting seeds of doubt, deception, shame, and inadequacy because his whole desire is to steal our true identity and discount our esteemed value as beloved daughters, image bearers of the Most High God."Leave a comment for Jen: https://incourage.me/?p=252340--It's graduation season! Shower your grad with love and reminders of the plans God has for their future. Find inspiring books, student Bibles, cards, and gifts at DaySpring.com, and celebrate your graduate's special milestone! The (in)courage podcast is brought to you by DaySpring. For over 50 years, DaySpring has created quality cards, books, and gifts that help you live your faith. Find out more at DaySpring.com.Connect with (in)courage: Facebook & Instagram for daily encouragement, videos, and more! Website for the (in)courage library, to meet our contributors, and to access the archives. Email us at incourage@dayspring.com. Leave a podcast review on Apple!

Jesus's life provokes questions and those questions demand answers. Who is this man who sleeps peacefully in the midst of a violent storm? What kind of man can tune out the sound of crashing waves but hears the cries of his people? That rebukes creation and it obeys? Who is this man whose presence alone strikes fear in a legion of demons and who can heal a man tormented by evil spirits with his words? This man is Jesus, Son of the Most High God. Are you trusting in this Jesus? This message was preached by Pastor John Jackson on April 27, 2025.

When Souljah's sit at the table the conversation is different. There is a feast of messages from the Most High God filled with the Promise's from His Word as you hear iron sharpening iron with the power of the Sword.  Join the The Rev and Lady Shannon at the table on the Chatting With The Whitney's podcast. B4LM Theme Song written, Produced, and Performed by: Nineside/International Nine@https://linktr.ee/Nineside Books by The Rev & Lady Shannon Brave Scars - https://www.amazon.com/Brave-Scars-Min-Shannon-Whitney-ebook/dp/B083D95P8Q Love and Marriage 1 - https://www.amazon.com/Love-Marriage-Make-Last-Forever-ebook/dp/B0837YN34W Love and Marriage 2 - https://www.amazon.com/LOVE-MARRIAGE-Make-Last-Forever-ebook/dp/B083D7TBHT It Ain't Over Til It's Over - 3 It Ain't Over Til It's Over: Love & Marriage Make It Last Forever III: Whitney, Reverend D.A. and Lady Shannon: 9798359755399: Amazon.com: Books You Are What You Think! Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People (Volume 1 & 2) YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People: Volume I: Whitney, Reverend D.A. and Lady Shannon: 9798359754989: Amazon.com: Books YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People Volume II: Whitney, D.A. (The Rev) and Lady Shannon: 9798359755801: Amazon.com: Books Email: blessed4lifeministries@gmail.com NOTE: We do not own the rights to the great music you hear on the show. However, we hope you love it as much as we do!  Hey Now and thanks for checking us out!  We pray we do not say anything that will cause you to stumble; but only those things that will draw you closer to The Most High God.  That said, we are inspirational and motivational while maintaining authenticity as we keep it practical and simple; yet real.  We don't own the music rights to the music we play but we hope you love it as much we do!  Follow us on social media @ blessed4lifeministries on IG, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest!  Connect with us via email for B4LM merchandise, for links to our books on Amazon, to request pastoral services from The Rev, or to just keep in touch at  blessed4lifeministries@gmail.com

In Today's Secular Uncertainties, God is Sovereign; and God “the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he {God} will” MESSAGE SUMMARY: Political discord and health care uncertainties surround us in all directions today. Without Jesus in our lives, we have reasons to be anxious and fearful. However, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:31: “Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.”. The future years may hurt our pride, wallets, and/or our freedom. On the other hand, we should not let the current secular political environment and culture hinder our resolve to continue in our fearless faith in the truth; our constant hope in the future; and our radical love for our neighbors. God has a plan; and, regardless of how things look from our eyes, we must remain faithful to His purpose. Now is the time to draw near to Jesus and to advance His Kingdom. Our gaze must remain on Jesus if we want to walk on the water during the storm. God is the King of Kings and the Sovereign God of the Universe. As Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 4:17 when God told Nebuchadnezzar: “to the end that the living may know that the Most High {God} rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he {God} will and sets over it the lowliest of men.”. God is always involved in our lives, and He gives the government offices “to whom he will”, even if the political processes produce “the lowliest of men {or women}”. Sometimes, we receive the elected officials we need, and sometimes we receive the elected officials that we deserve; but God is always Sovereign and faithful.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Father, I confess that when difficulties and trials come into my life, large or small, I mostly grumble and complain. I realize the trials James talks about are not necessarily “walls,” but they are difficult to bear, nonetheless. Fill me with such a vision of a transformed life, O God, that I might actually consider it “pure joy” when you bring trials my way. I believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 94). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that, because I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be a complainer (Philippians 2:14). “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”. (Philippians 4:14). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 6:31; Philippians 4:5-7; Daniel 4:17; Psalms 106c:25-36. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “He Is Risen: From Good Friday To Easter”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

When Souljah's sit at the table the conversation is different. There is a feast of messages from the Most High God filled with the Promise's from His Word as you hear iron sharpening iron with the power of the Sword.  Join the The Rev and Lady Shannon at the table on the Chatting With The Whitney's podcast. B4LM Theme Song written, Produced, and Performed by: Nineside/International Nine@https://linktr.ee/Nineside Books by The Rev & Lady Shannon Brave Scars - https://www.amazon.com/Brave-Scars-Min-Shannon-Whitney-ebook/dp/B083D95P8Q Love and Marriage 1 - https://www.amazon.com/Love-Marriage-Make-Last-Forever-ebook/dp/B0837YN34W Love and Marriage 2 - https://www.amazon.com/LOVE-MARRIAGE-Make-Last-Forever-ebook/dp/B083D7TBHT It Ain't Over Til It's Over - 3 It Ain't Over Til It's Over: Love & Marriage Make It Last Forever III: Whitney, Reverend D.A. and Lady Shannon: 9798359755399: Amazon.com: Books You Are What You Think! Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People (Volume 1 & 2) YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People: Volume I: Whitney, Reverend D.A. and Lady Shannon: 9798359754989: Amazon.com: Books YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK Peculiar Thoughts for Peculiar People Volume II: Whitney, D.A. (The Rev) and Lady Shannon: 9798359755801: Amazon.com: Books Email: blessed4lifeministries@gmail.com NOTE: We do not own the rights to the great music you hear on the show. However, we hope you love it as much as we do!  Hey Now and thanks for checking us out!  We pray we do not say anything that will cause you to stumble; but only those things that will draw you closer to The Most High God.  That said, we are inspirational and motivational while maintaining authenticity as we keep it practical and simple; yet real.  We don't own the music rights to the music we play but we hope you love it as much we do!  Follow us on social media @ blessed4lifeministries on IG, Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest!  Connect with us via email for B4LM merchandise, for links to our books on Amazon, to request pastoral services from The Rev, or to just keep in touch at  blessed4lifeministries@gmail.com

For today’s installment of our 40 Days Meditation series, our brother Abyong Calo provides commentary on Heb 7:1-10. Listen below, download here, or search for Words from the Brothers on your favourite podcasting app. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. Heb 7:1-10

All Family Pharmacy https://AllFamilyPharmacy.com/HermanDon't wait to be prepared.  Protect  yourself and your family today.  Use code HERMAN10 to save 10% on your order.  Alan's Soaps https://www.AlansArtisanSoaps.comUse coupon code TODD to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bioptimizers https://Bioptimizers.com/toddEnter promo code TODD to get 10% off any order.Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/toddCelebrate St. Patrick's Day with an Irish Bag of coffee and a “Lucky” gift box from BoneFrog Coffee.  Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.Bulwark Capital Bulwark Capital Management (bulwarkcapitalmgmt.com) Don't miss the next live Webinar Thursday March 20th at 3:30pm pacific.  Sign up today by calling 866-779-RISK or go to KnowYourRiskRadio.com.Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit Renue.Healthcare/Todd.There used to be a time when the Mockingbird media called Elon Musk the new “Jesus”. It's the religion of easy bake hate. How does God view free speech for Muslims? Did Jesus Christ Homeschool?What Does God's Word Say?Luke 12:48 (NIV)48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.Mark 5: 6-13 (NIV)6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God's name don't torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.Episode   Links:FLASHBACK: Media Adored ‘Jesus Christ of Our Era' Elon Musk and his ‘Glorious' RocketsEasy Bake Oven Commercial - 1972MSNBC justifies violence against Tesla as "a form of protest, NOT domestic terrorSPACE X Dragon Hatch OPEN —successfully boarding the International Space Station for NASA rescue mission. Thank you @elonmuskMahmoud Khalil's lawyer: “We intend to fully vindicate not just his first amendment rights, but the first amendment rights of all Americans who wish to speak out.”President Trump could not have chosen a better person for Secretary of State.   Marco Rubio was a brilliant SOS.  This is so good.  Why Mahmoud Khalil's green card and visa  are being cancelled and sending him back to Algeria.It's not widely known, but over HALF of Columba University's enrollment is now foreign students. Some of them are people like Mahmoud Khalil, who spent all his time agitating in support of Hamas terrorists.the homeschooled christian kid in your townllinois bill could allow officials to interrogate homeschool parents about what they're teachingA left-wing group funded by the Ben and Jerry's Foundation is pushing for homeschooling regulation in Illinois to combat 'Christian fundamentalists' and 'parental rights extremism.'Academic Performance of Homeschooled Students