Podcasts about new testament christians

Send us a textFrom Come Follow Me:     "The Church grew rapidly in 1830 and 1831, particularly with a rush of new members in Kirtland, Ohio. This growth was exciting and encouraging to the Saints, but it also presented some challenges. How do you unify a quickly expanding group of believers? Specifically, what do you do when they bring doctrine and practices from their previous faiths? For example, when Joseph Smith arrived in Kirtland in early February 1831, he found new members sharing common property in a genuine attempt to imitate the New Testament Christians (see Acts 4:32–37). The Lord made some important corrections and clarifications on this and other topics. He did this largely through a revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 42 that He called “my law to govern my church” (verse 59). In this revelation, we learn truths that are fundamental in establishing the Lord's Church in the latter days. And we learn that we have a lot more to learn: “If thou shalt ask,” the Lord promised, “thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:61)."Support the Show!  Get Stuff!www.patreon.com/SaintsintheSouth(The thoughts, ideas, and beliefs we express on this channel do not officially represent The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  For additional information or official statements, please visit the website below.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng)#biblestudy #oldtestament #religion #churchofJesusChrist #ldspodcast #christianpodcast #missionary #lds #biblestories #christ #faith #faithinchrist #scriptures #bookofmormon #doctrineandcovenants #pearlofgreatprice #temples #houseofthelord #mormon #mormonbeliefs #christiansandmormons #god #endure #ironrod #faithineveryfootstep #generalconference #prophets #followtheprophet #commandments #love #service #charity #keepstriving #keeponstriving #gospelgrowthandgoodtimes #become #newtestamentSupport the show

What role do the Ten Commandments play in the lives of New Testament Christians today?

New Age Alien Deceptions (audio) David Eells - 4/20/25   The camel's nose is in the tent. We are headed towards a New World Order in the midst of a Galactic Federation of “aliens” aka, demons by those of discernment. (Who of us voted for this? The Alliance leaders did. Is this Communism?) I want to share with you some updates regarding the AI, New Age and Alien Deceptions we are witnessing among the Alliance and others. I'm going to begin with some recent headlines from Operation Disclosure (4/17/25) that point to this federation: ·         Thurs. 24 April 2025: Planetary Council announced. New Global Alliance leaders step forward. Non-territorial cooperation treaty signed by 177 nations. (We are to be realigned as a one world order) ·         Sun. 27 April 2025: Interplanetary programs declassified. First public mention of secret space operations. Unity Accord with Off World Representatives acknowledged. (When did we have a say?) ·         Tues. 29 April 2025: New Earth Constitutions signed locally. Communities select Peace Councils to represent them in the Planetary Council. “Governments” replaced with Service Cells. (We are being absorbed into their Galactic terminology) ·         Wed. 30 April 2025: Final transfer to Quantum Internet complete. All devices migrate to Q-Net. Artificial Intelligence fully transparent, accountable and people-aligned. (We cannot be aligned with antichrist) ·         Fri. 2 May 2025: Healing centers begin opening across continents. Med Beds, DNA repair chambers, and neuro-harmonization technologies become publicly available. The Age of Restoration officially begins. (We must now harmonize with the rest of the pagan planet and Galaxy.) ·         Sat. 3 May 2025: The first interspecies council meeting is broadcast worldwide. Humanity is formally acknowledged as a sovereign civilization by the Galactic Alliance. Contact protocols enter public discourse. (A federation does not permit a sovereign planet.) ·         Sun. 4 May 2025: “Earth Year Zero” is initiated. (Is our history now abolished?) A new planetary calendar replaces systems rooted in empire and conflict. Time now begins from the moment of planetary liberation. (Resistance is Futile says the Borg.) ·         Mon. 5 May 2025: Starport construction begins in seven geostrategic locations. Civilian transport to orbital gateways is confirmed. Terra-farming partnerships announced for Mars and Luna sectors. ·         Wed. 7 May 2025: The Department of Human Advancement launches. Global curricula shifts toward consciousness training, ethics, quantum sciences, and planetary stewardship. ·         Thurs. 8 May 2025: Agricultural reset begins. Geo-engineered soil is restored. Food independence programs roll out. Seed vaults opened under open-source planetary stewardship mandates. ·         Fri. 9 May 2025: Language harmonization initiatives commence. (Back to Babel?) Ancient root languages are integrated into education. Telepathic development modules introduced for children under 9. (Will we know who is training our children?) ·         Sat. 10 May 2025: Planetary Defense Grid declared active. Not military—protective. Q-NET AI monitors for existential threats in space and time. Transparency dashboards are made public. ·         Sun. 11 May 2025: Official end of the Transition Phase. Humanity enters full-spectral sovereignty. No more passports. No more taxes. No more surveillance. Only stewardship, transparency, and service. A one world order.     How To Connect With The Galactic Federation https://thegalacticfederation.com/016-24 Many people believe that the Galactic Federation is a made up thing, some are so confused to even claim it's negative, but it is not. (If the people did not get to vote on this and the aliens are actually demons, this is traitorous.) The Galactic Federation is a group of highly evolved souls who have been around since the beginning of time. They are here to help you fulfill your purpose on earth. (Let the Bible be the judge.) The Galactic Federation is made of love, light, and peace. It is a collective of beings who have reached the highest level of consciousness possible. (Everybody believes that about their religion.) The Galactic Federation was created as an extension of each individual's soul to help them on their journey towards self-realization. They exist to help us live in harmony with one another, as well as with our environment and the rest of creation. Next, let me share a few revelations from brethren on our site that relate to these alien, aka demon deceptions.     Aliens Are Demons Manifested in Flesh There are many people convinced of “aliens” or “guides” that they feel are friendly to humanity, which is a strong delusion because all of the aliens are demons, as the Scripture says. Have you noticed that many of the Planet X / Nibiru researchers have fallen for what they read the ancients said of aliens showing up when Planet X did? They were deceived by demons as a type for our day. We should not be deceived; they are being released by God to deceive. Jud.5 Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6 And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. It is possible they will play the good alien / bad alien game to drive the multitudes into the camp of the so-called “good aliens,” but they are all demons.   G.C. - 06/15/10  (David's notes in red) In my dream, I was outside in a populated area, maybe in a park or something. It was nighttime and it seemed like any other summer night. All of a sudden, a lot of strange lights started appearing in the sky. First, it seemed like hundreds of shooting stars falling to Earth; then, as the light became more illuminated, the objects took the shape of spacecraft. The night sky was lit up like the Fourth of July! Everyone was shocked and amazed; from east to west, the sky filled with this armada of craft entering Earth's atmosphere. (What the ancients believed were aliens, who showed up during the time of Planet X, according to their writings, were in fact demons who are fallen angels and can take on the appearance of physical bodies, just like God's angels can, but for the purpose of deception. The Tribulation covenant could be made under the cover of catastrophes. Just as the Woman is going into the wilderness, there is a war in heaven and Satan and his fallen angels are cast to earth to deceive the whole world. Rev.12:9 And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. We also received a dream of a bright star falling from heaven and the confirming scripture Isaiah 14, where Satan is falling from heaven. Isa 14:12-13 How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations! 13 And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit.) Satan deceives men into thinking he is God, and he is pleased with unregenerate, falsely called “good men,” which is the doctrine of the New Agers. 2Co.11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. The Alliance is bringing about many good moral changes but it appears they are complicit in this deception of the nations. Rev.18:23 and the light of a lamp shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the princes of the earth; for with thy sorcery were all the nations deceived. Back to the dream, I was very skeptical, even while seeing this with my own two eyes. I confidently told everyone, “Don't be fooled; it's a hologram!” (Which is one of the theories.) I thought these sights were just a crafty trick (which is true but not as a false vision) but then the ships started to get closer to the ground and they ultimately landed. By this time, I was starting to get bewildered; I didn't know what to think. I was really caught off guard. I thought for sure it was all some sort of illusion by the evil rulers of the world. (Is the Alliance in on the plan of “strong delusion”, which is according to God's will to separate the wheat from the tares? 2Th.2:8 And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; 9 even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (Can fallen angels perform lying wonders? Did we get to vote on joining the Galactic Federation?) 10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. It appears in this dream the fallen angels' deception is so strong that God's people will be tested to see who really believes. Mar.13:22 for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, the elect.) Once the craft landed, the door opened and some humanoid beings walked out. Everyone was amazed and startled at the same time. I couldn't believe my eyes. Still believing this was a hologram, I ran over to the ship to touch it and realized it was real. (Satan and his angels are very technological, if they have to be, and have the ability to manifest and interact with the physical realm. They gave men atomic bombs and anti-gravity flying saucers.) I swallowed hard, realizing I was wrong, and I ran back to the crowd. The humanoid beings dressed in Star Trek-type apparel were being led out by a blond-haired woman. (There is a woman who has introduced many to speaking and hearing from aliens. This is no different than a seance, which is speaking to aliens called familiar spirits.) I, being overwhelmed and slightly intimidated, ran up to her and began to rebuke her in my tongue language. (I often do this in dreams when I feel physically or mentally helpless against an enemy; it often gets me results.) I thought for sure she would shrivel up in a puddle of goop, like something out of The Wizard of Oz. But, to my astonishment, she just kind of pushed me out of the way, without even acknowledging me. I was perplexed. (The answer to this is, when God sends a delusion to deceive the evil world, we cannot cast it down, nor should we try to. 2Th.2:11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. As you can see, we only have authority to help the believers.) I watched the group of beings disperse into the crowd. It seemed like they had specific orders and didn't even stop to talk to anyone; they just went about whatever it is they were sent here for. I remember being surrounded by hundreds of people like me -- everyone just totally in awe of what they saw. After some time, I started to see the beings again, but now they did not look like humans. They had glass faces, like ice. It was like they were wearing a mask, but they weren't -- I could see through their heads and nothing was inside. (fallen spirits) They had hideous, clown-like faces with big smiles, like jack-o-lanterns. (Thinking these beings to be mere humanoids while in fact they are demon-possessed is more common than we think. But the whole world outside of Christ will be deceived and possessed.) They were now corralling people like cattle in different areas (FEMA camps). The adults were forced to separate from the children and were taken to a designated area. The children were all taken to another area and placed in long lines, all of which led into a large circus-like tent. (This alien disclosure will bring much confusion and distraction as well as cause some people to give up their faith in the One True God.) None of the children quite knew what was happening; they were all a little less concerned than the adults. I remember leaving the adult group and running over to see what was happening to the children. After seeing what was taking place, I immediately woke up.   I Met Satan :o) G.C. - 4/19/11 (David's notes in red) I would like to share a dream I had that confirms we should not fear Satan or evil. Evil is not as powerful as our minds sometimes imagine, and Satan is no different. I dreamed that I was with an unknown person in this dream who I believe was an angel. I could tell he knew a lot more of what was going on than I did. I accompanied him everywhere he went. I was like an observer. Toward the end of the dream, we entered an elevator. This elevator took us deep inside the Earth. I was told we were going to Hell to see Satan. The ride took a long time and my mind was wondering about how Satan would really appear. I was thinking, “Would he be intimidating? Would he be scary? How would I react to seeing him?” Once we arrived at the very bottom, the door opened. I looked around and we were inside a very large, dark cave. Hell was just like I'd imagined it: Big, dark and cavernous. I looked out of the area we were in and looked out into the larger opening. I saw armies and very sophisticated weapons. There was violence taking place and fire was everywhere; it was almost like a war itself. One of the weapons spotted us as we came out of the elevator and fired a missile at us, but it missed and exploded against the wall. My companion, the angel, was never frightened; it was like he knew nothing could hurt him. As he walked, I followed; he knew right where he was walking. He came to a door off in a dark corner in the cave. I realized this was Satan's office. Behind the door was the evil one himself. My heart was racing, not from fear but from the suspense. The angel I was with opened the door and there sat Satan in a chair behind a desk. But to my amazement, Satan was not a seven-foot giant with goat horns. He was a clown. Yes, a clown. And a cartoon clown at that. I was shocked and a little disappointed. I was expecting something more terrifying. Clearly the Lord is saying that Satan and his demons are putting on a false face but are not to be feared. Luk.10:17 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject unto us in thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. The angel then revealed to me that Satan is planning something big for Earth. During our trip back up in the elevator, I saw all these green vines shooting up through the elevator shaft from Hell and they were headed straight to Earth. There were a lot of them, like something from Jack and the Beanstalk. But instead of reaching from Earth to the heavens, they were going from Hell to the earth above. Then I woke up. (According to the follow up dream that Father gave him recently, the vines represent the alien deception that satan is sending to earth from the pit of hell.) G.C. said, “Below is a continuation from the dream above from 2011 called. “I Met Satan”. It has the “green vines connection” where green vines were growing up from hell, and the angel told me, “Satan is planning something big for Earth.” Well, it seems the green vines finally made it to Earth and the plan is revealed....     Satan is Planning Something Big for Earth G.C. - 5/13/22 (David's notes in red) G.C. said, “For a little context, many years ago I worked for mortgage companies securing and repairing vacant foreclosures.” I dreamed that my dad and I had been given a work order to secure and inspect a foreclosed home in Los Angeles, California. (Los Angeles means, “The angels.”) It was a big house in a nice neighborhood. It was owned by a black husband and wife in their 50's or 60's. (UFOs and aliens were big in the 50's and 60's. The black couple owning the house could represent that this is a house of sinners submitted to darkness.) (I gathered this information by looking at their family photos still left at the property.) I thought these folks looked very successful from the photos. It didn't make sense to me how they could lose their house to foreclosure. (Foreclosure means that they can't pay their debt so the house is taken back. The debt for our house has been paid by faith in Jesus. If it's not paid because there is no faith, then it belongs to the devil.) I thought maybe one or both of them died. But I wasn't sure. I just knew something was amiss. (When one loses one's house to the devil, their soul is his too.) We proceeded through the large house, taking photos with a camera I had rented at a local camera shop. These photos were to be provided to the bank. Then we walked into the basement and to our utter amazement, we saw a small alien infant tangled up in green vines that appeared to be growing from the floor of the basement. (And according to the previous dream, they came straight out of hell. This represents the alien deception.) The vines were attached to the wall and the infant was wrapped up in them. He had a large brown head with 2 large eyes. When we saw him and approached him he became aggressive and hissed at us. (The aliens/demons hate Christians.) I remember taking the rented camera and snapping pictures of him. Even though I was astonished at this, I was not overly distracted by it. I proceeded with my work at the property. My dad and I decided not to show the photos to anyone as it would become a distraction to the public. (Could this represent the Father hiding things from the wise and prudent and revealing them unto babes?) I knew people would not be ready to see this. I downloaded the photos, removed them from the camera and told my dad to return the camera to the shop. Later, I sent my report and inspection photos to the bank. The next day, I was out and about and realized the whole world was aware of the alien we had found! They had our photos! They were in every publication and on every news station. I had no idea how this had leaked. (True Christians will recognize this as a deception while the rest of the world will swallow the lie, like the waters out of the mouth of the Dragon.) I assumed it was because we returned the camera and the camera shop found the photos on the device and released them. I knew we had discovered it, but no one would ever know our identity. I was ok with that, but I was a little disturbed by how and why they were released. The world was in a frenzy, to say the least. A few days had passed and I was sent back to the same home by the bank to remove the small area of vines growing in the basement. When I got back to the house, the alien child was gone, but the basement dining room was now absolutely full of green vines. (This will be a worldwide deception that will be ‘fed' to all the people.) The walls and ceiling were now covered. I was supposed to remove them, and it was a daunting task. Then, my dad showed up, and we were talking about the alien. The next thing I knew, I stumbled across the rented camera in the basement. I got so upset at my dad because he returned the case but not the camera. (Honestly, I was worried about the late fees. Lol) He said he forgot to look inside the case when he returned it. I realized something strange had happened. How did the world know of the alien if we never took the camera back? Who released the photos? Then I woke up. (2Th 2:8-12 And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; 9 even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.)     Flesh is Born of Flesh and Not Demons Excerpt from: Sons of God, Aliens and Giants   David Eells God said in John 3:6, That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. So Demons cannot birth Children through humans. Demons can infest humans with lying spirits. (Gen.6:1) And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born unto them, (2) that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they chose. Believers are the sons of God mentioned here and in the rest of the Scriptures (Psa.82:6; Dt.14:1,2; Hos.1:10; Isa.43:6; etc.). Notice this was “when men began to multiply” not angels. Jesus quoted Psa.82:6 to His people: (82:6) I said, Ye are gods, And all of you sons of the Most High. To be a son you must be born of God, not created, as the angels. Adam was called a son of God and he was born of God when He breathed into him the breath or Spirit (same Hebrew word) of life. Only his flesh was created from the earth and so was ours, which came from his. God specifically says that He never called an angel His son nor are they born of Him. (Heb.1:5) For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten (Greek: “born”) thee?.... God specifically says their spirits were created. (7) And of the angels he saith, Who maketh (created) his angels winds (Greek: “spirits”). The proponents of this false doctrine say that Satan came among the angels in Job who were said to be sons of God. It does not say that. Satan, the highest fallen angel, was not a son of God but only came among them to be their accuser as he did with Job. (Job 1:6) Now it came to pass on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, that Satan also came among them. He immediately begins to accuse them to God. (11) But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will renounce thee to thy face. Here is the same case. (Zec.3:1) And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. (2) And Jehovah said unto Satan, Jehovah rebuke thee, O Satan; yea, Jehovah that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee. (3) Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the angel. 4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take the filthy garments from off him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with rich apparel. Joshua, the Hebrew word for Jesus, and Jerusalem represent the same thing here, the body of Christ, who are being accused by Satan. Paul said the heavenly Jerusalem was “the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven” (Heb.12:23). We are seated with Christ in heavenly places. We, as the sons of God present ourselves before him constantly and Satan comes among us to accuse us. We are never out of God's presence. You will notice that God separated the line of Seth and the line of Cain in Gen.4 and 5, just as he separated Israel from the Gentiles and commanded them to not cross. In the New Testament Christians are forbidden to marry unbelievers (1 Cor.7:39), although if you are married to one do not leave them for God can save them (7:12-14). Notice in all three of these cases we are talking about crossing the sons of God and the sons of the Devil, or men, which is strictly forbidden (1 Cor.7:39; Ezra 9:2; 10:10; 2 Cor.6:14-18). In all of these cases when the sons of God fell away they began to have fellowship with fallen angels which we call demons (Psa.78:49, called here “angels of evil”; 2 Cor.12:7; Greek: “angel of Satan”) Demons did not directly create giants because they cannot. The Scripture teaches that each seed brings forth after its own kind. Jesus said, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. Therefore, spirits cannot bring forth flesh. Some would argue that Jesus was born of God. Jesus' spirit was born of God but His flesh was born of David through Mary; “the seed of the woman”. Rom.1:3 concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Spirits can inhabit bodies of men that can procreate but they cannot have anything to do with making giants through marrying the daughters of men. (Mat.22:29) But Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. (30) For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as angels in heaven. Fallen angels do not procreate man's flesh but his spirit and soul. Spirits sow a spiritual seed, not a physical one. Jesus is the Word, who in Matthew 13 sowed the seed of the Word in His people's heart to bring forth His fruit in them, 30, 60, and 100 fold. In Mat.13:24,27,32 the word for seed in Greek is “sperma”. Demons also sow their “sperm” in mankind's hearts to bring forth their evil fruit but this is their spiritual man and not their flesh. Seth, the son of God, is mentioned in the spiritual lineage of Jesus. (Luk.3:38) the [son] of Enos, the [son] of Seth, the [son] of Adam, the [son] of God You will notice that God mentions all of Cain's wicked descendants in Gen.4:16-24. After this we are told, (Gen. 4:25) And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth. For, [said she], God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel; for Cain slew him. (26) And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enosh. Then began men to call upon the name of Lord. Notice after all that evil seed God gave one to replace Abel the righteous seed. Why didn't any of Cain's seed replace Abel as a righteous seed? Obviously, his seed were evil. (1 Jn.3:12) not as Cain was of the evil one. Only after Seth and his son were born did the scripture say “men (plural) began to call on the name of the Lord”. Obviously Cain and his tribe did not call on the Lord. They were sons and daughters of men and as such called on the devil. After Adam there was not another son of God born until Seth; skipping over all of the seed of Cain. (Gen.5:3) And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat [a son] in his own likeness, after his image (a son of God) ; and called his name Seth. Notice none of Cain's descendants were sons of God but were of men. How then were the giants made? Seth and Cain's lineages stayed separate for hundreds of years. They inbred within their lines, which was not against the command of God at this time. In nature, especially after the curse, this deteriorates the line. They became weaker, smaller, and less intelligent. Wherever there has been in-breeding today, the descendants are sickly in mind and body. When the sons of God began to fall away some became inhabited by demons. This also happened in Israel and Christianity because history always repeats. (Ecc.1:9) That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. When after years of inbreeding the fallen sons of God and the sons of men crossed, making what is called in nature hybrids. The “Nephilim” were bigger, stronger, and more intelligent because as hybrids they end up with the better physical characteristics of both lines. Later in the Law God forbid inbreeding, at least with close relatives. Now even cousins are a no-no because the farther from Adam we go the stronger the curse has become. The serpent obviously walked on legs in the Garden because God cursed him to crawl on his belly. That curse was gradual and increased as time went by. Even in Job's day, which was in Jacob's day, he saw dinosaurs in Job 40:15 - 41:34. You have to ignore the translator's silly notes calling them hippopotamus and crocodile. We have never seen a hippo with a tail like a cedar tree or a croc that stood so tall that a multitude of men with spears and arrows dared not even approach him. The dinosaurs were serpents with legs. Even today some serpents have vestiges of legs beneath their skin. The fire-breathing dragon in Job 41:18-21 was a tyrannosaurus. This was one type of the serpent in that time but it was cast down by the curse to crawl on its belly. Rev.12:9 And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent...The increasing curse made it more and more improbable for giants, human or beast, to be bred.     “Added Books of the Bible” Disproven by God David Eells – 4/20/25 The people are wrong who say: “There were other books of the Bible that should have been included or the apocryphal books should not have been taken out. Saying we only had 66 of them, while many were missing. The White Hats retrieved all of them from the basement of the Vatican.” Who made these people experts on the anointed words which they have never followed? There have been many books hidden at the Vatican, but Numerics is a pattern in every letter of the original Greek and Hebrew, parts of which are shown in various ancient manuscripts. Every manuscript can be proven as to where this pattern is or isn't, showing the original text. This pattern was designed by God to prove that only the 66 books are inspired by Him. No other book has been found to have this complete pattern in every letter and its position. The Catholics added their apocryphal books that were proven not to have this pattern. The original KJV had these books in it. Satan and his “aliens” want desperately to pollute the Bible. The “New Agers” throw out the book of Revelations, which has this perfect pattern disproving their 1000 years of peace. Where the original “Numeric Greek New Testament” is used Bible skip sequence codes will show up all through the text. God pronounces a curse at the end of the true Bible on all who add to or take from its Words. Rev 22:18-21 I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: 19 and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.     66 Books Proven by Math Science Proves the Bible Numeric English New Testament The Holy Bible, Wholly True Numerics and the KJV Numeric Materials   Now I'm going to share an excerpt from this book by Philippe Besnard on New Age. Why? Because this sect has invaded the Alliance and is totally defenseless against this demon deception along with the Unitarian types and long dead “Christian” religions of shifting sands. Only the firm foundation of the Word and infilling of the Holy Spirit will give discernment.     Spiritual Warfare- Revelation of a New-Age Deception https://www.ubm1.org/spiritualwarfare-besnard.pdf (David's Notes in Red) North America, Birthplace of the Modern New-Age Movement (When I met Philippe, he was coming out of 30 years of the New Age movement, and as such, he was an expert in describing it.) The North American continent is the birthplace of the modern New Age movement, and when I immigrated to Canada from France, I felt in awe of what I saw as the vibrant “new spirituality” of this wild land. In comparison, I thought France and old Europe were still living in the Middle Ages. France is now catching up with the New Age, but for many years, it has been very slow to emerge. As part of my new identity, adapting to a new culture and learning English, I became a true product of the New Age. I was eager to embrace the lifestyle and social and spiritual trends of my adoptive country. For thirty years I had earnestly followed New Age teaching, traveled to workshops, conferences, seminars, training sessions, and festivals, met many of its teachers, and was personally taught by some of them. I had received countless readings from channelers, psychics, astrologers, palm readers, and Tarot card readers. I received spiritual healings from healers of all faiths and denominations, and even so-called “DNA activation” from a “Spiritual Scientist”. But the Bible says in Lev.19:31 “Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.” I had embraced the mystic path and the contemplative lifestyle. I practiced yoga and meditation for many years; sat in Darshan to receive the blessings of gurus, and participated in Satsang, chanting the names of Hindu deities and Buddhist mantras. I facilitated devotional evenings with my guitar, chanting Sanskrit mantras, the music of which I had composed. I traveled to India twice and other countries in the Far East seeking “truth, wisdom, enlightenment, and good karma”. I have been in the company of, and received teachings from, a number of swamis, gurus, yogis, lamas and so-called “enlightened” Western spiritual teachers. As a nature lover, I had worshipped Nature, called the earth Gaia, followed and believed in various native teachings and Shamanism. My space at home was cluttered with New-Age paraphernalia on the walls, tables, and corners. In the garden, I had crystals, posters, images and statues of Buddha and Hindu deities. The New Age is a melting pot made of practically every religious and occult philosophy found in the world. It is a strange convergence of mysticism, holism, pantheism, aboriginal animism, humanism, Luciferian Western occultism with Freemasonry, Theosophy, Rosicrucianism, modern Masonic witchcraft (called Wicca), the Illuminati, apostate Christianity, Gnosticism, Islam, Taoism, Buddhism, Zen, Sufism and Hinduism. The New Age is a broad movement characterized by alternative approaches to traditional Western culture, with an interest in Druidism, shamanism, neo-paganism, Voodoo, exploration of human sexuality, environmentalism, modern-day occultism, worship of “Mother” Earth, psychic healing and extraterrestrial phenomena. Most of the ancient origins of the New Age are found in classical Hinduism, Buddhism, and pagan Babylonian religions. So, despite the name “New” Age, we are dealing here with a very ancient system. Paganism is a people or a community observing a polytheistic religion, which is the worship of many gods, as opposed to monotheism, the worship of One Almighty God, the Creator of All that is. A Pagan is also called an irreligious heathen, gentile, or hedonistic person... The great New-Age plan is dedicated to the unification of all races, religions and creeds. This plan is claiming to establish a “new order of things”, it is to make all things new - a new nation, a new race, a new civilization and a new non-sectarian one world religion that has already been recognized by the United Nations. This New Age globalism movement advocates a one-world government, a one-world religion, and a one-world economy; and this would mean the destruction of the sovereignty of nations and religions. New Age teachers are using standard texts of Eastern religions such as the Hindu Baghavad-Gita and the Tibetan Book of the Dead, as well as writings of Jewish mysticism called Kabbala and those gnostic scriptures often called the Apocrypha. Over the years, I became more and more confused in studying such “new revelations” as the Urantia book, the Keys of Enoch. (Academy for Future Science), A Course in Miracles, Elizabeth Clare Prophet (of The Church Universal and Triumphant). (General Flynn in Sept. 2021 offered a prayer at a large church gathering of Trump worshipping, patriotic “Christians” that originated from Elizabeth Clare Prophet invoking the 7 fold rays and the arch angels. Rick Wiles has denounced Michael Flynn, because he delivered a “New Age prayer” almost word for word by Elizabeth Claire Prophet, a New Age Theosophist and Christian Science advocate, at pastor Hank Kunneman's Christian conference last week and had everyone in the congregation repeat the invocation after him: “ Rick said, “My advice to you is to separate from Gen. Michael Flynn.” In this prayer Flynn invokes “the 7 fold rays and the arch angels”, “in your name and the name of your legions” to help guide humanity (Ascended Masters) and protect us against the enemy and further the purposes of their agenda. (Who is his god? And to whom is he praying?) The “7 fold rays and the arch angels” is based on New Age Theosophy developed by Helena Blavatsky. By the way, you can not achieve the rank of a military general without being initiated. The White Dragons who support the Alliance behind the scenes believe that the Abrahamic God is satan @ 11:53 minutes. (What's Behind General Flynn and the White Hats Alliance? Here is an informative Link: https://youtu.be/Dkx7v0JTmmw) Back to Philippe's text: I also studied... Rudolf Steiner (Anthroposophy), Edgar Cayce, Law of One, Aquarian gospel of Jesus Christ, Heindel Max (the Rosicrucian cosmo-conception-Mystic Christianity) the Gnostic gospels. There is a lack of uniformity in the doctrines of the New Age. The beliefs of New Agers vary from ‘group to group' and ‘person to person.' Thus, it is difficult to have a clear definition and a solid understanding of what the New Age really is. I believe this confusion has been created on purpose. It is very hard to pinpoint, identify and shoot the enemy when it is moving constantly, shape-shifting, or invisible. People entering these movements are generally concerned with having an experience, and not necessarily with finding the truth. Their actions are determined by feelings, not intellect. The emphasis is on “practicing and becoming god” and this is why meditation and many other techniques that teach “stillness of the mind” and a “receptive feeling mode” are promoted. We are told to “follow our bliss”, “go with the flow”, “let loose”, to “transcend the limitation of the mind,” and to “experience the pleasure and the ecstasy of the body”. Using your mind to discriminate and discern has become taboo. The principle of “spiritual vibration” is the belief that all things vibrate at some frequency. The ultimate goal of all New-Age practices is for humanity to vibrate at the same frequency so that we can all become one, spiritually and mentally. “We are all one”, this most repeated New-Age catch phrase, wants us to believe the unity of all things, heaven and earth, spirit and matter, the invisible and the visible worlds, the great melting pot of Darkness, Light, and everything in between. (WWG1WGA?) This “All is ONE”, “all is good”, “don't worry, be happy”, “don't judge” and “be in the moment” is a disastrous recipe that generates apathy and complacency. It is creating a generation of self-seeking, egotistical people who are indifferent to iniquity and the suffering of others. I have been a dedicated student of this school of thought and I have practiced being fully in my body, opening all “the inner channels” and feeling “the subtle currents”. I was proud of “feeling and being” but I was a total fool...! I had lost common sense and the ability to discern and discriminate good from evil. I didn't want to judge anything or anybody for the fear of being unloving, and spiritually not evolved. What a perfect brainwashing and a diabolical device to enslave, control people and turn them into powerless puppets! I was losing my God-given right to discriminate and I didn't realize that judging is necessary for preserving the integrity of my soul. I used to confuse judging with condemning, and I know this confusion had been fostered on purpose. Then I discovered I can judge a situation or someone without condemning and feel love and compassion toward all the parties involved. This was a very liberating and empowering realization. Of course, our human judgment is flawed and imperfect, but as we draw closer to God, we learn true Divine Justice. (And discernment)     Is Darkness Real and Is it a Sovereign Force? The beginning of the story starts with a question I have been asking myself over the years: “And what about God?” I often wonder how God is seeing me, seeing us, seeing the world. I often cry out to Him, asking, “Why, God? Why is there so much pain and suffering everywhere on this beautiful planet? Why is there so much injustice, poverty, and violence?” Do you have the feeling, as I and many others do, that something ominous is about to happen and that we are only seeing the beginning of a momentous transformation? It seems with each day, the world is spiraling down into greater chaos, deception, and destruction. I know a lot of us choose to look at the positive and ignore the increasingly rapid deterioration of our civilization, but refusing to see that anything serious is happening, denying that we, as a human race, are in deep trouble is not going to change it, resolve it, or make it go away. No, in fact, denying is not seeing, and if we don't see, we are blind and hopeless to change anything. Because of my willingness to honestly acknowledge and recognize the darkness pervading our world, I have been more readily able to recognize that this darkness is also within myself. I realized I can only change something in the world or within myself when I am fully aware of what is truly happening. I have heard many times people saying, “The dark only exists when you believe in it. If you believe in the devil, in darkness, you are giving it power, but if you focus on the light, the dark has no place to be.” I tried that belief on, wearing it for some time, but darkness was still there. This belief crippled my ability to discriminate evil from good. Is not believing in darkness preventing darkness from manifesting? Is the world such a paradise that there is no darkness to be seen anywhere? How can anyone believe this? The dark, of course, wants you to believe it is not there but even the most remote paradisiacal Pacific island has murder, theft, violence, greed, etc. In my twenties, I lived on Boraccai, a remote Philippine paradise island, for five months. I was living in a bamboo hut on the beach with no electricity, no running water or any modern amenities. Life was so gentle and simple, I felt surely, I had found the Garden of Eden. One morning, I heard that a man had been murdered the previous night. There had been some drinking and a knife fight broke out. I was deeply shaken to the core, as was most of the tiny population of the island. My innocent naivety that the world is a safe place was completely shattered. In that one moment I became aware of the pervading presence of the dark. “The light” is such a broad, impersonal concept when it is not mentioned as an attribute of God. In fact, many of us embrace the concept of “the light” standing all by itself as a sovereign, impersonal, beneficial force that is replacing the Name of God. Few people know the dark is quite capable and is a master at parading and appearing as the “light”. 2Co.11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. There is the assumption prevalent in New-Age circles that the light needs the presence of the dark to exist. We are told that within the fabric of the universe there is built in an eternal polarity that makes the light of God not being able to exist without the darkness of Lucifer. This is a clever but absurd concept invented, of course, by the dark to deceive people into accepting Lucifer as a legitimate, purposeful, and even beneficial force. The great paradox is this: that Lucifer is, indeed, purposeful, not as an independent sovereign entity but as a force that God uses for His own plan. The dark was created and is allowed to exist by God for His Sovereign purpose and actually needs God's approval and permission to continue to exist. On the other hand, God obviously exists outside of this fallen, polarized world and has no need whatsoever of anything or anybody outside of Himself. There is no darkness in the Kingdom of God, not even anything that remotely resembles darkness. 1 John 1:5 And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If there is no darkness in the Kingdom of God, then surely this planet, which has been corrupted with darkness since the beginning of time, is not the Kingdom of God. Jesus confirmed that fact by saying: My kingdom is not of this world: John 18:36 Of course, this doesn't mean God is not present or is removed from His creation, but I wondered why God allows darkness to be here. Please be patient with me as I attempt to offer my understanding based on the fruit of my life experiences and the teachings found in the Bible.     The New-Age Movement For over thirty years I had been searching for God and the Truth while being completely lost in the great deception of the New Age. I was immersed in New-Age thinking, was an intimate part of its movement, and worked to promote its philosophy and belief system. I was brainwashed to blindly accept and embrace New-Age occult knowledge, and I was convinced my life of service and my spiritual studies were the highest expression of my love for God. I was sincere, as most New-Agers are, but I was also completely deceived and clueless. My study and knowledge of esoteric and ancient mysteries gave me a sense of belonging to the highest-evolved portion of humanity. Although I have always managed to retain some humility in my being, through a natural devotion to the Lord, I still had a typical new-age persona, a spiritual vanity, that vague illusion of having achieved a higher consciousness. This was constantly reinforced by countless readings, which I had received over the years from psychics, clairvoyants, mediums and channelers. I was repeatedly told how great, spiritual, and amazing I was and how I had come here on earth from the higher angelic realms to save lost mankind. I was a walking earth angel with a mission….!!! Of course, I knew everybody else was more or less told the same story, so I took all of it with a grain of salt as I was aware of the deception of ego-flattering, but I was hoping somehow I was special in the eyes of God. Little by little over the last few years, I came to realize through the grace of God's revelation, the many distorted truths and the outright evilness of the New-Age teachings. Because of my passionate nature, I had delved into this New-Age pool deeply and had many close encounters with renowned teachers and spiritual centers across North America. This first-hand, practical knowledge and in-depth study has given me a unique perspective to share with you, the discovery of a very shocking and disturbing truth. The Dark New Age of Aquarius is here right now, and those leading the way forward in this New Age are working hand-in-glove with the great and the powerful. Some of the wealthiest and influential men and women on our planet are openly identifying themselves with the New Age. From bankers, industrialists, politicians, celebrities, and religious leaders of all faiths, it seems everyone is going “New Age,” and they are bringing huge numbers of the population along with them. Darkness is a very powerful force at work over this world. It is a corporate entity made up of many individuals, and is described in the Bible as “the beast”. It is also the embodiment of one being who has been known by various names, including Thoth or Seth in Egypt, Manu in India, Hermes in Greece and Lucifer, the Devil, or Satan in the Judeo-Christian tradition. God is executing end-time Bible prophecy right this very day and He is allowing Lucifer to create the final end-time New World Order of the beast empire. One of the instruments for all this to come to pass is the New Age Movement, also called “The Plan” and what Freemasonry calls “The Great Work Of Ages”. (The QAnon movement has always said, “Trust the Plan.” Whose ‘Plan' are they referring to? Probably not God's plan, but the New Age plan and their AI computers.) This is Lucifer's rebellion and master plan in action against God. The New Age movement has become a powerful political, philosophical, and economic force in our contemporary culture and is exerting its influence into every facet of modern life. (As I've often said, One beast is being conquered by the other and we are grateful for that at this moment. The day will come when all this camaraderie will melt away because they are looking down their snoots at us.) Its ultimate goal and plan is to introduce a One World Order and One World Religion. The UN is gradually becoming the center of this New World Religion, and the “house of peace” with its programs and policies is even more worthy of comparison to what some have called a modern-day “Tower of Babel”. All of my research and personal experiences during those years have led me to believe that Lucifer is very real and he is rising, or descending, depending on which way we look at it! He is here on earth, in this dimension, causing havoc and chaos in an attempt to seat himself on the throne of a World State, and to inaugurate a New Religion with himself as its sole deity. Dan.11:36 And he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every God, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be done. (Isa.14:13 And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north; There is a false belief among many today that Lucifer and Satan are the same but this is propagated by the New Ager's. “Lucifer and Satan are actually two different aspects of the same creature. Lucifer, meaning “the brilliant one, son of the morning” in Hebrew, was an angel beloved by God until his fall and after his rebellion, he became Satan. While there is a significant difference between the two, the terms today have unfortunately become synonymous with each other and with the devil.” Satan has been busily working through his false prophets and religious harlots to pollute true Christianity and also offer a fake moralizing replacement for it to the world so that no one has to repent of sin.     False Prophet and Religious Harlot Experience and the Word have taught me concerning prophecy that if the majority of God's people believe something, it must be wrong. God hides his truths in dreams or visions that are parables so that the false prophets and carnal Christians cannot understand them as in (Mat.13:10-13) but privately He explains them to His disciples. He hides truths from the wise and understanding of this apostate religious system and reveals them to babes according to Jesus in (Luk.10:21). He reveals His hidden truths to those who are faithful. Rev.2:17…To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna…. John's Revelation was given to him as a parable from Jesus. If it were literal, the false prophets would know what is going to happen and that is contrary to Jesus' own words. When the disciples were young and under the Law they did not recognize the false prophets that ruled them. As a matter of fact, they respected them! And so it is today! I want to share with those of you who have eyes and ears who the false prophet is and what his work is. ...The false prophet is a corporate body of religious leaders that to the trained eye resemble those of Jesus' day. Since Jesus' day is a type of the coming Man-child reformers in our day, we know there are going to be false prophets, plural. In all of the New Testament writings, outside of the book of Revelation, we are warned that false prophets, plural, would come. In Revelation, false prophet, singular, is used, but in an allegory or parable to hide the corporate body. Since Jesus, Peter and John said that in the end time many false prophets shall arise, then the false prophet in Revelation is a symbol of a corporate body, like the rest of the characters there like the Woman, the Harlot, the Beast, etc., are corporate bodies. It's the only way that all verses concerning false prophets can be right. Mat.7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. Mat 24:11&24 And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray. (24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets… so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. So you see they are plural... They come to you with moralizing like the New Age but cannot live it at all because they don't know the Gospel that saves from sin, and nothing is sin to them. They are false because Jesus said, “To him that overcometh will I give authority” meaning, overcome sin. False prophets fit the type and shadow of history, according to Jesus. Luk.6:26. Woe [unto you], when all men shall speak well of you! for in the same manner did their fathers to the false prophets. Peter also said there would be false prophets among us. 2Pe.2:1 But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers …. John also said that many false prophets would speak for antichrist. 1Jo.4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (3) And every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the [spirit] of the antichrist … Notice that every spirit is the antichrist. The New Age is one of these false prophets that confesses not Jesus as the only begotten Son of God and leader of His Church. Part of the “strong delusion” (KJV) taught by the false prophets is that we are to be looking for the coming of a man called the false prophet, while the Biblical corporate false prophet is here and in the pulpits already. 2Co.11:14 And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. (15) It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. ...Most agree that the second beast in Revelation 13 is the false prophet. He is given authority by the first beast for the second stage of the last 3½ years of the Tribulation (Rev.13:5). He is identified as a beast because he is a corporate body, as is every other prophetic beast in the Scripture. Rev.13:11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. (12) And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast in his sight. And he maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose death-stroke was healed. The beast that is coming into authority now is pointed to by the New Age. It is a one-world order with a covenant. Here we see that the false prophet masquerades as the lamb: “two horns like unto a lamb” but he speaks as the world and Satan: “and he spake as a dragon” (beast). This second beast in chapter 13 is also identified after the world beast in Revelation 16:13 as the false prophet. This impostor leadership for the harlot has “a form of godliness” (2Tim.3:5) but is carnal and can only teach a worldly corruption of the Word. They are actually a mouthpiece for the world beast in the apostate church. It was said of the world beast, (Rev.13:5) and there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies…. These apostates speak against (Greek: blasphemeo) God with their hypnotizing, ear-tickling doctrines of all-fly-away, unconditional eternal security, worldly prosperity, greasy grace, and anything but the self-crucifying truth. And 1000 years of peace that will be interrupted by the Tribulation that they do not believe in. The false prophet is a corporate body within the corporate body of the harlot, which is female because they receive the seed of antichrist. In verse 15, we see the female body of the false prophet. “And it was given to her (Greek) to give spirit (Greek) to the image of the beast.” Bible Numerics show a perfect pattern for “her” and “spirit” in the original Greek and in the most accurate New Testament, the Numeric English New Testament by Ivan Panin. There is no pattern in “he” or “it.” In Greek, breath and spirit are the same. Numerics show beyond a shadow of a doubt which words are correct here. In the rest of the text this false prophet is identified as male by the same numeric pattern. A translator would have had to respect the Word enough to ignore his own reasoning to simply translate what was there. Most are not willing to go out on a limb and look foolish when they do not see the reason. A male, who is also seen as female, is clear proof that God is not speaking of an individual here but a corporate body of people. In parallel, we are the male body of Christ, made in His image (2Cor.3:18), but we are female in another type (Eph.5:22-25), being married and submitted to Him to receive only His seed, His Word. Let's see this corporate false prophet and his relationship to the harlot in another parable. We know Ahab represents the ten-horned beast who was being ridden by Jezebel (1Ki.18), exactly as the harlot rode the beast in Revelation 17:1-3. They ruled over the apostate ten tribes, who were also those who worshiped the image of the beast, the golden calf. As the corporate mother of the harlot sects of Christianity, she leads them into the Great Tribulation and death unless they repent. Rev.2:20 … Jezebel … teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication (with the world beast by receiving their seed)…. (21) And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent of her fornication. (22) Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of her works. (23) And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works. Like the harlot, Jezebel was guilty of the blood of the prophets and of the saints (1Ki.18:4; 2Ki.9:7; Rev.18:24). In Revelation 17:16 when the beast is through using the harlot he devours her, and so it was with Jezebel who was devoured by the dogs (1Ki.21:23), symbolizing the unbelievers (Mk.7:27) or the beast. The true ministers of God are fed at the Church's table (1Cor.9:13-14) and the false prophets are fed from the harlot's table. (1Ki.18:19)…The prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, that eat at Jezebel's table. The two categories of false prophets represent the two horns of the false prophet in Revelation 13:11. Find out who Baal and Asherah represent in modern times and you will know who the corporate false prophet is. These two have their roots at the tower of Babel and were originally Nimrod and his wife Semiramis (Gen.10:8-10). They created the original harlot religion that spawned all the rest. They are a type of the great corporate mother of harlots of all of history. Rev.17:5 And upon her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. When Nimrod died and Semiramis (later called Asherah) became pregnant, she claimed that Nimrod had become the Sun God (later called Baal) who then by virgin birth was reborn as her son, Tammuz (Son of God). These original Babylonians worshiped the false father, son, and virgin about 2,300 years before the true virgin birth. Semiramis probably knew of the prophecy in Genesis 3:15 concerning the virgin birth seed of the woman and if she didn't, the devil did. With the confusion of languages and dispersion at Babel, this legend went throughout the world and these three were given different names in different cultures, many of which are in the Bible. The golden calf in Egypt was a symbol of the Father (Baal) in the Son. Remember Pharaoh's title meant “Great Temple of the Sun God.” Sun images all over the world and in Catholic and Eastern churches symbolize the false Son. The Israelites with their golden calf thought they were worshiping “YHWH” or “Elohim,” the true God, but it was Baal, “another Jesus.” One horn, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, represent those who teach “another Jesus.” This is the apostate Protestant ministers. The other horn, the four hundred prophets of the Asherah, represent those who worship the virgin. These are the Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, and many others that are into “Mariolatry.” We know that Mary became saved and is our sister, and we love her but she is not the mother of God as Mariolatry teaches. (Rom.1:3) Concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, (Jesus' “flesh” was the “seed of David” through Mary, which was the promised seed of the woman in Genesis 3:15. Mary is the mother of Jesus' flesh which is the “Son of Man.”) (4) who was declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; [even] Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus' “spirit” man was the “Son of God.” Jesus agreed with this saying in John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. Some would say that the two horns are the apostate leaders of the Christian religion and the leaders of false religions. To this I agree. The same verses usually address both greater and lesser types. The greater type is the most complete fulfillment and all the Babylonish religions will be gathered together in the end-time harlot. The False Prophets and Religious Harlots spread from the confusion at Babel throughout the world, and now the Unitarian New Age is seeking to bring Babel back together in a new Catholic, meaning “universal” religion that doesn't rebuke their own sins, much less others. Read also: Aliens Demons Bow to Jesus' Name Note: If you are a Spirit Filled Christian the Lord was speaking to you when He said, “I give you authority over all the power of the enemy.” And “What you bind on earth is bound in heaven.” The Lord said that we can delay this invasion now but we cannot ultimately stop it for God has sent this delusion. 2Th 2:9 even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.  “Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.”

[teaching text]4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”Exodus 19:4-6If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:14GOD WILL INSTRUCT4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.Exodus 19:44 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.'Exodus 19:4-6Too many people read the law of Moses thinking that it shows how they can be accepted by God. They get it the wrong way around. The people of Israel were redeemed by God, then they were given the law to keep as an expression of gratitude. This principle is the same in the New Testament: Christians are redeemed and then told how to live holy lives.David PawsonI appeal to you therefore, brothers,[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.Romans 12:1"It is extremely important to remember that the Law of Moses was given to a redeemed people, not to redeem a people."IbidBeing a Christian isn't a spectrum; it's a position. Purpose of the Mosaic CovenantREVEALREFORMRELEASEThe Law reveals the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man“5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant,”The Law reforms the people to become holy mediators“you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;”The Law releases the blessing of Godand you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.'“Suppose that a father tells his son that, if he does his chores faithfully, he will reward him with a bicycle at Christmastime. The son is already a member of the family, so doing his chores faithfully has nothing to do with becoming a member of the family. It is simply a way by which the son can enjoy blessing in the family. Similarly, God told His children, the Israelites, that if they carried out the responsibilities that He was laying on them, they could enjoy blessings from His hand.”Thomas Watson8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” Exodus 19:8Man naturally believes in, and depends on, himself. And he must learn, at bitter cost often, of his own helplessness.NewellIsrael's utter failureWhen the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden[a] calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.Exodus 32:1-6We are naive as Christians if we think that our thinking is not shaped by the cultural currents that surround us.Carl R. Truman17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.Matthew 17:2012 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Philippians 2:12-16

Send us a textDaniel 9 contains a prophecy that has sparked endless debate and shaped much of modern Christian understanding about the end times. But what if our popular interpretations have missed the mark? This episode takes you on an eye-opening journey through the "70 Weeks Prophecy" that birthed concepts like the seven-year tribulation, pre-tribulation rapture, and an earthly millennial kingdom.We begin by examining the origins of dispensationalism—a theological system developed by John Nelson Darby and popularized through Scofield's Reference Bible in the 1800s. This framework divides biblical history into distinct dispensations and controversially suggests salvation worked differently in each era. Through thoughtful dialogue, we challenge this premise by exploring whether Old Testament believers were saved differently than New Testament Christians.The heart of our conversation centers on a crucial question: Is Christ's return truly imminent? If dispensational interpretations of Daniel 9 are correct, then numerous prophetic events must occur before Christ can return—making His coming far from imminent. But if these prophecies were fulfilled in Christ's first advent, everything changes. We present a compelling case that nothing in biblical prophecy prevents Jesus from returning tonight.Perhaps most powerfully, we connect these theological matters to God's sovereign plan of redemption. Could it be that the world continues only until the last of God's elect is brought into His kingdom? This perspective transforms how we understand both biblical prophecy and our daily Christian walk.Whether you're well-versed in eschatology or just beginning to explore these topics, this episode offers fresh insights that will challenge your thinking and deepen your appreciation for God's redemptive plan across the ages. Listen now and discover why the object of our faith—the Messiah—has always been the same from Genesis to Revelation.Support the show

Tithing has long been a fundamental practice among Christians as an act of faith and obedience. Many churches today continue to emphasize tithing as a means of supporting ministry, aiding the needy, and demonstrating trust in God's provision.No doubt about it though, when money is involved, there will be bad actors. With the rise of televangelism and the seed-faith gospel, many Christians have grown cynical about giving. Even in local churches, there is a growing sentiment that the Christian is not responsible for the tithe, but that it is an Old Testament practice, done away with in the New Testament. Is that true? What does scripture reveal about the practice of the tithe? Is it relevant today?Brandon Briscoe, Provost of Living Faith Bible Institute, has invited Pastor Chris Best, Missiology instructor at the Living Faith Bible Institute onto the show to address this subject from a biblical perspective.Visit https://lfbi.org/learnmore

(Matthew 24:21) Our world has never seen tribulation like the tribulation that is coming on this planet at the end of the church age. God's Word explains the rise of anti-christ and the fall of civilization in graphic detail. Christ is our only hope. (0970250320) ----more----   The Tribulation Period You think the news is bad? Now wait. Just wait until the tribulation period that God says is coming on this earth. You wait. Because the news then is going to be the worst time this world has ever known. Now, thankfully, as a follower of Jesus Christ, a New Testament Christian, I don't believe we're going to be here during that period of time, and I want to pause and thank God for that. But I want to tell you, this world is about to face the worst time it's ever gone through.  The Rapture Triggers the Tribulation Period We've talked most recently as we look at what the Bible says about the end of time, about the rapture of the church, that Christ is coming in the clouds and the church is going to be carried away, caught away to be with him. What does that set in motion here on this earth? There's a period of time known in scripture as the tribulation period. It's a seven year period of time that immediately follows the church being taken out of here. Now we know that in our world today, we all have tribulation. Even now there's some tribulation. John 16:33, Jesus said, "In this world, ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." So when we're talking here about the tribulation, we're not just talking about bad things happening. That happens in our present time. It doesn't mean we're in the seven-year tribulation, period. Now the tribulation taught in prophecy and scripture refers to a specific period of time at the end of this age, which is a worldwide tribulation. It literally is the worst time this world has ever seen. Jesus spoke of it in Matthew chapter 24. Here's the way he says it. Matthew 24:21, He says, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world, to this time, no, nor ever shall be." Pretty strong words, wouldn't you say? Literally the powers of hell get unleashed on this planet.  The Role of the Holy Spirit: God's Restraining Power There is something right now restraining Satan. Oh yes. Actually not something someone, his name is the Holy Spirit. He's the great restrainer. He's the damn holding back the flood tide of iniquity keeping men from just going off the cliff and the devil running rampant and doing whatever he wants to do, but that day is coming to an end. As a matter of fact, in 2nd Thessalonians 2, the Bible talks about it, he says In 2nd Thessalonians 2:1, "Now we beseech you brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him." Remember, we've talked about Christ comes, we're called away, we're gathered to be with him. He says, "That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time." Let me explain that verse. He says, there's something holding back. What withholds us? Something is restraining the antichrist from coming on the scene. Something is keeping him from being revealed. What is it he says in verse seven? For the mystery of iniquity to already work. Only he. Who now Lth will let, or he who prevents or hinders, will continue preventing and hindering until he be taken out of the way, and then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. The Rise of the Antichrist He says, look, an Antichrist is coming. There is a man coming called the antichrist, called the man of lawlessness, called the Little Horn in. Daniel called the Beast. He's a political ruler, empowered by Satan, who's gonna receive worship and blaspheme the true God. He'll persecute believers that are present who believe on God during the tribulation period. He's going to dominate the world scene. He's gonna make a covenant with Israel and break it. Halfway through that seven-year period, he's gonna have a prophet helping him, a false prophet, referred to in scripture as the second beast, who'll come along and perform miracles and deceive lots of people. The Antichrist is going to be a powerful person. He's going to control world commerce and even use it to demand worship. I'm telling you the Antichrist is coming, but please don't miss what is taught in Second Thessalonians chapter two. And it is this: the reason the Antichrist is not revealed, has not come on the scene yet, is that there's someone holding that back from happening. And who is that person? None other than the Holy Spirit. Now, when will the Holy Spirit be removed? The only way the Holy Spirit can be removed is we have to be removed because where does the Holy Spirit live? He lives in believers, and God's promised he would never leave us and never forsake us. So the only way the Holy Spirit can be taken out is we have to be taken out. So when the Lord Jesus Christ comes, when the church is taken out, the restrainer is gone. The Holy Spirit in dwelling believers. That is removed and the salt and light of the church is removed. Imagine what this world would be like without any gospel preaching. Imagine what this world would be like if the devil had free reign, because that's what's gonna get set in motion at this period known here as the tribulation. The Antichrist will come on the scene. He's gonna promise peace and safety. Doesn't that sound nice? And everybody who's sick of war and sick of fighting is gonna sign on and say, oh, that's what we want. He's gonna make a covenant. A covenant that would even protect Israel, would take care of Israel. Surely anybody that can bring peace when it's connected to Israel in a world of war can be believed and can be trusted, and yet this person is a deceiver. I. He is going to set in motion a period known as the tribulation period.  The Great Tribulation and Armageddon He's going to lead an alliance of western nations to have this treaty with Israel, and then three and a half years in halfway through the tribulation period, he's going to break that covenant, and then that sets in motion the period that is commonly referred to in scripture as the great tribulation. As a matter of fact, if you take Revelation chapters six through nineteen and read them carefully, it describes the sequence of the tribulation events. There are judgments coming war and bloodshed and worldwide famine and death. There'll be martyrs. There'll be catastrophic events. The nations of the earth are gonna march against Israel. The Antichrist is going to just have his way. He is Satan's emissary. He is the devil's representative in this world. I. All kinds of judgment is coming during that tribulation period. And how will it end? It's gonna end in a great battle known as the Battle of Armageddon, when the Lord Jesus Christ is gonna come and put down the antichrist and all who followed him. In other words, we've read the end of the story and we know we're on the winning side. Aren't you glad for that? May I tell you, I'm not looking for the antichrist. I have no idea who the antichrist is. We have no idea who that person is, but that's not what I'm looking for. I'm not looking for him. I'm looking for Christ because the Lord Jesus Christ is coming to catch us away.  Providing Hope in a Hopeless World Friend, I hope you'll live today looking for the soon return of Jesus Christ, but also hope in a very serious vein. With a sober mind, you'll consider the great tribulation. What lost people will endure what's coming on this world to those who do not know Jesus Christ. As their personal Savior, may it be a motivation today to share the good news of Christ with someone. Friend, I not only want to go when he comes. I wanna take as many people with me as possible, and I hope you'll do the same thing. The worst time this world has ever seen is about to come. It's on the way. It's on the horizon. We have at this moment the greatest opportunity in the history of the world - to get the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who need it. Do your part today. Outro and Resources Repeating what other people have said about the Bible is not enough. We must know the biblical reason behind what we believe. We hope you will visit us at etj.bible to access our Library of Bible teaching resources, including book-by-book studies of Scripture. You'll also find studies to watch, listen to, or read. We are so grateful for those who pray for us, who share the biblical content, and for those who invest to help us advance this ministry worldwide. Again, thank you for listening and we hope you'll join us next time on Enjoying the Journey.

In this Encouraging Words, we'll look at the importance of the Old Testament and how it is useful to New Testament Christians today. Yes, not all of it is easy reading, but every word is here for a reason. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God..." 2 Timothy 3:16

Are New Testament Christians obligated to give tithes? Before it was a law to follow, tithes were given as an act of faith and in response to God's goodness. Jesus affirmed the tithe but emphasized the heart. It's not really about money but about our hearts. Today, giving is a way to show that we are placing God first in our finances. 

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic, I'm joined by Dr. Matthew Wiseman for one of the most phenomenal conversion stories we've had on this podcast. Raised in a devoutly Southern Baptist home, Dr. Wiseman and his family, seeking a deeper understanding of the Bible, found themselves immersed in the Messianic Movement – also known as the "Hebrew Roots" movement – and seeking to put into practice the Old Testament Jewish laws as New Testament Christians. What transpires from here is nothing short of incredible. Listen and learn what drove Dr. Wiseman deeper into his Christian faith, what put him at odds with trying to follow the Bible to the "letter of the law," and how the same problems with plague Sola Scriptura Christians found their way into those trying to practice as pure a Christianity as possible – in the Messianic communities. Ultimately, learn what led Dr. Wiseman to embrace Catholicism and its natural outgrowth of Judaism and how it all came together to make sense in the culmination of his story. Be sure to check out Dr. Wiseman's book The Two Jerusalems, out from Ignatius Press.Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Sign up for our newsletter for my reflections on  episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive contests.To watch this and other episodes please visit (and subscribe to!) our YouTube channel.Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Theme Music: "Splendor (Intro)" by Former Ruins. Learn more at formerruins.com or listen on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.This show is brought to you in a special way by our Patreon Co-Producers. Thank you to Elli and Tom, Fr. Larry, Gina, Heather, James, Michelle, Noah, Robert, Shelby, Susanne and Victor, and William. Beyond The BeaconJoin Bishop Kevin Sweeney for inspired interviews with Christians living out their faith!Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showFind and follow The Cordial Catholic on social media:Instagram: @cordialcatholicTwitter: @cordialcatholicYouTube: /thecordialcatholicFacebook: The Cordial CatholicTikTok: @cordialcatholic

Hi, I'm John Sorensen, President of Evangelism Explosion International, and you're listening to Share Life Today. Do you know what was one of the most observable characteristics of New Testament Christians? Well, they were known for sharing their faith. In Acts chapter eight, we learn that those who shared their faith experienced “great joy.” And those who received Jesus as their Savior experienced that joy too. Now, it reminds me of how the Magi saw the start showing that the King of Kings had come to earth, and they “rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.” You know, not much has really changed in our day. For those who know how to share their faith, there's great joy in seeing someone receive the free gift of eternal life. And Scripture tells us that the Angels in Heaven rejoice too. So, if you want to know joy – real joy – tell someone about Jesus and what He's done for you and what He'll do for them. And then watch as the Holy Spirit begins to work. Need help in getting started? Well, visit our website at www.sharelife.today.

The Old Testament Jews lived in eager anticipation of a 'Messiah' - one who would come from heaven to save their people. All through the scriptures, the stories, the prophecies, were clues - hidden in plain sight. As a New Testament Christian, we can l

The Old Testament Jews lived in eager anticipation of a 'Messiah' - one who would come from heaven to save their people. All through the scriptures, the stories, the prophecies, were clues - hidden in plain sight. As a New Testament Christian, we can l

The Old Testament Jews lived in eager anticipation of a 'Messiah' - one who would come from heaven to save their people. All through the scriptures, the stories, the prophecies, were clues - hidden in plain sight. As a New Testament Christian, we can l

The Old Testament Jews lived in eager anticipation of a 'Messiah' - one who would come from heaven to save their people. All through the scriptures, the stories, the prophecies, were clues - hidden in plain sight. As a New Testament Christian, we can l

This week's episode is a response to the question: "Does all of the Bible still apply to us today?" Some might say no and refer to themselves as "New Testament Christians." Others might say yes, and find themselves seeking to follow Christ and feel an obligation to uphold every law and "rule" given in the Old Testament. Who is right? Is there a right? This week, Townsend and Preacher Man take a swing at the idea.Got a question you want answered or a topic you'd like to hear Townsend and Preacher Man muse on? Let them know at mtpm.podcast@gmail.com !Intro music: "Royalty Free Music from Bensound" 

The Old Testament Jews lived in eager anticipation of a 'Messiah' - one who would come from heaven to save their people. All through the scriptures, the stories, the prophecies, were clues - hidden in plain sight. As a New Testament Christian, we can l

Is the Old Testament irrelevant? No! Rev. Peter Howe explains that it is utterly indispensable to the New Testament and to a true Christian worldview. ✍️ Links and Show Notes “I’m a New Testament Christian” – Genesis provides the litmus test for the basis of Christian belief The importance of the Old Testament The use of Genesis in the New Testament What the New Testament doesn’t say Genesis: Bible authors believed it to be history Genesis is history!

If you're wondering how the 10 Commandments apply to your life today, Vince Baker Ministries (+1 916 519 0078) shows you how the Old Testament law of Moses can be interpreted through a New Testament framework. Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX32z6JrYUQ for details. Vince Baker Ministries City: Folsom Address: 1212 Bidwell St. Website: https://vincebakerministries.com/

Send us a Text Message.In this episode, we take a look at things that look different in the Old Testament and New Testament, and that have sparked some church wars! Many Christians believe that because God's people were commanded in the Old Testament about what meat they were allowed to eat, making sure they were keeping the Sabbath, and exactly which festivals they were told to celebrate, that we, as New Testament Christians should do the same. Since the New Testament doesn't contradict the Old Testament, this seems reasonable, but is it? What did Jesus say about all three of these things and why do they cause conflict within the church?Thanks for tuning in! Be sure to check out everything Proverbs 9:10 on our website, www.proverbs910ministries.com! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Rumble, YouTube, Twitter, Truth Social, and Gettr!

GOD'S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE (Genesis 37:1 to 39:3) Let me start this blog by making a statement and you tell me if you believe it or not.  Are you ready? God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.  Now, do you believe that?  Well, I want to tell you, that without a doubt, God has a wonderful plan for your life. God has a divine destiny for you. And, what a shame it would be if you missed it. Today, I want you to think with me on this subject, “God's plan for your life.” Now, I'm not just saying that God has a plan for Abraham's life, or Joseph's.  Certainly, God had a plan for their lives, but God also has a plan for your life. Yes, even you.  God has a wonderful destiny for you, and I don't want you to miss it.  Even in your old age, God has a plan for your life.  Otherwise, you would not still be here on this earth, for there would be no purpose in it, and God has a purpose in all that He does.  And, I believe as we study the life of Joseph today, we are going to find some things about his life that we can certainly apply to ours as we learn how to know God's Plan for Your Life. Click on the play button below to hear a message on how you can discover God's plan for you. How you can let God give you a plan and a purpose for your life. I'm not talking about something you cooked up, but be in contact with God so however God wants to speak to you, He can. And, I believe the way that God wants to speak to New Testament Christians is presentation plus transformation equals revelation, that we might know the things that God has prepared for us. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

The New Story Podcast exists to equip you to live out your Christian life as you faithfully love God and love others with truth and grace. On this episode of the New Story Podcast, Pierce and Jeremy address a common argument from many outside of Christianity: don't Christians just pick and choose what parts to believe and follow? They talk through the relevance of the Old Testament for New Testament Christians today and how Christians can faithfully engage these types of questions..RESOURCES:• Sermon - More Precious Than Gold (Psalms Week 1)• Music - Psalms from the Well by Worship Initiative To learn more about New Story Church, you can do that by visiting NewStory.Church or find us on Instagram and Facebook at @NewStoryKC.

Please, let's give a special thank you to the Westbrook kiddos for joining Sarah and Mason for today's topic.  What if you were taught that a person's entire salvation (as in going to heaven or hell), a person you had never met and is now, in fact, dead, was dependent on you being baptized for them? You read that right, friend. Do you even have a choice if that were the case? I mean...we are talking hell here. The worst place ever...it's gonna be rough.  From Wikipedia -  Baptism for the dead, vicarious baptism or proxy baptism today commonly refers to the religious practice of baptizing a person on behalf of one who is dead—a living person receiving the rite on behalf of a deceased person. Baptism for the dead is best known as a doctrine of the Latter Day Saint movement, which has practiced it since 1840. It is currently practiced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), where it is performed only in dedicated temples, as well as in several other current factions of the movement. Those who practice this rite view baptism as an essential requirement to enter the Kingdom of God, and therefore practice baptism for the dead to offer it by proxy to those who died without the opportunity to receive it. The LDS Church teaches that those who have died may choose to accept or reject the baptisms done on their behalf. Baptism for the dead is mentioned in (1 Corinthians 15:29) as proof of a physical resurrection, though the exact meaning of the phrase is an open question among scholars. The plainest reading of the Greek text suggests vicarious baptisms performed by the living on behalf of the deceased, but some scholars dispute whether Paul approved of the practice or whether the verse truly refers to an actual physical practice among early Christians.[1] Early heresiologists Epiphanius of Salamis (Panarion 28) and Chrysostom (Homilies 40) attributed the practice respectively to the Cerinthians and to the Marcionites, whom they identified as heretical "Gnostic" groups, while Ambrosiaster and Tertullian affirmed that the practice was legitimate and found among the New Testament Christians (though Tertullian later recanted his original beliefs in his later life as he became associated with Montanism).[2] The practice was forbidden by the Councils of Carthage in the last decade of the fourth century AD, and is therefore not practiced in modern mainstream Christianity, whether Nestorian, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, or any traditional Protestant churches.  

This is the beginning of a series on radical generosity. This message is about the starting point for stepping into the place we are called to as New Testament Christians. As with many things in God, it begins by simple obedience. 

Too many of us try to be Old Testament Christians. But Hebrews tells us, “Don't get locked into priests and buildings and rules. That's done away with!” Jesus completely paid the price for every sin when He sacrificed Himself on the cross. That's the whole point of Hebrews: we can't add a thing to what Jesus has done for us. Let's rejoice in that today.

⚠️ Watch Part 2 of this interview on Presence Pioneers Premium⚠️Robin Dillamore wrote his master's thesis on the theology of the tabernacle of David. This obscure topic is vital in helping you understand how God wants you to worship and accomplish the the mission He has given you. In this episode Matthew Lilley (who wrote a book called David's Tabernacle) discusses with Robin the significance of King David's worship tent and how it should influence New Testament Christian worship. Robin and his wife Claire lead Burn 24-7 UK, a ministry dedicated to raising up furnace of worship and prayer in the United Kingdom. ⚠️ Watch Part 2 of this interview on Presence Pioneers Premium⚠️About the PodcastThe Presence Pioneers Podcast, hosted by Matthew Lilley, exists to help you experience and host God's presence through worship and prayer. Because God's presence changes everything. For more, check the links below:FREE E-Book on Fasting & Prayer from Jonathan Friz & Matthew Lilley ⚠️Bonus episodes, premium content, books, articles and e-courses  

Acts 20:1-16. Resolutions of the New Testament Christian.

Teaching Tip 343 | “Plain Speaking - Introduction” | Malcolm Cox Introduction How would you like to be more effective in your preaching and teaching? If, like me, you want to grow as a speaker of God's word, then I have a resource for you.  It's a new year, so it's time for a new series of Teaching Tips. In a change from the normal approach I will be recording 2-minute tips based on chapters from the book, “Plain speaking: How to preach and teach effectively" by David Bercot.  From the rear cover of the book: “Although many books have been written about preaching and teaching, most of them are addressed to seminary-trained pastors. They're not aimed at the churches that don't use professionally schooled ministers. That's what is different about this book. The New Testament Christians had no seminaries, but they raised up effective preachers and teachers. The Holy Spirit can use ordinary Christian men today to preach and teach just as He did back in the first century. Plain Speaking takes the reader through all of the steps of developing and delivering effective sermons and devotional messages. Some of the topics covered are: • Choosing the right topic • Building your sermon • Where to find illustrations • Organising your material • Preparing rousing introductions and conclusions • Making eye contact with your listeners • Controlling speaker's fright • How to make your devotionals special • Pet peeves of listeners Although packed with practical information, Plain Speaking is written in an easy-to-read, conversational style.” Conclusion Each week will give you something practical you can implement in your next lesson. Why not bookmark these recordings and set time aside to listen to them? After all, it's got to be worth two minutes of your time, hasn't it?  Next week: It doesn't take a seminary education to preach Consider joining AIM UK&Ireland to develop your understanding of Scripture: https://aimukandireland.com/. Our next module is Spiritual Life. Contact us here with enquiries: courses@aimukandireland.com   The website can be found here: https://aimukandireland.com   Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, or practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, "How God grows His people", sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, and leave a review.  Remember to keep calm, and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

Are you a risk taker? Do you think you are highly successful at avoiding risk? How do you think about risk when it comes to the things of God? Are the risks you are taking connected to awesome rewards? One truth is certain: every person on the planet is answering the risks of life by making choices. Join Kevin as we take a dive into a framework for risk that God has set out for serious New Testament Christians…one that we can and should use for every facet of our lives! // Download this episode's Application & Action questions and PDF transcript at whitestone.org. 

Unlike the Old Testament Israelites, New Testament Christians are not required to observe any particular set of feasts, festivals, or commemorations — Scripture does not lay out a Church Year that we are required to follow. However, the Christian standard is not ‘What is required?', but rather: ‘What is profitable?' When we ask, instead of what we must do, what we should do for the sake of unity, instruction, and order, we arrive at a far different answer from that of most modern Christians, who have jettisoned from their faith much of the historic practices of the Church. Whereas we affirm that neither we nor you, as Christians, are required to observe the feasts, festivals, and commemorations of the Church and her historic calendar, we also resolutely contend that these observances are good for the body of Christ. It is in the cyclical and seasonal observances that we live out of lives as Christians and recognize our brothers-in-Christ, who are living out similar lives. There is a difference between the minimum of the faith and the fullness of the faith — we want you to have the latter. Subscribe to the podcast here. Show Notes Liturgical Year [Wikipedia] Church Year [Encyclopædia Britannica] See Also Owen Cyclops' Church Year Calendar, as featured in the show art Ad Crucem's Church Year Calendar Daily Devotions from Confident.Faith Further Reading The (Lutheran) Church Year Explained Free Church Year Calendar Download from CPH (You do not need to agree to receive emails.) Parental Warnings None.

In this episode Pastor Raef looks at the classic understanding of how to understand the Old Testament law of God as a Christian. There is great confusion over this in modern years, and there ought not be. the Bible has much to say on this topic, and as Christians we should know how to handle our Bibles well, in order to honor God with our lives.

On today's episode, the Scooby Gang delves into the history of the New Testament Christian Churches of America. We've said it before and we'll say it again, there is a thin line between cult and religion! In this case, has Rodger Wilson Davis crossed that line? 

If you dont know who I am, my name is John Olive. I gave a message on False Conversion back in September during which I described my background in criminal justice. Im not a professional theologian, but I am a passionate one, and Ive been involved in a lot of ministry work over the past 20 years. Today I want to discuss the interaction between faith and works, which I have found to be an area of great confusion, especially among newer Christians. It is also one of the traps I fell into as a young Christian. Truthfully, much of what I preach about are related to my mistakes or character defects that God has allowed me to overcome. As a young man, I heard several sermons in Baptist churches that were centered around Ephesians 2:8-9, so lets start there. Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. This is pretty clear, isnt it? And it is really, just that clear. Works dont save us; faith saves us. In all the sermons I recall on this passage, I dont remember anyone continuing on to verse 10: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Before I discuss anything further, I want to draw your attention to the Greek word for workmanship. It is poiema. You and I are Gods poem to a lost world. Isnt that exciting? From our brokenness God recreates us as a skillfully woven story of redemption and restoration. I just love what that says about how God looks at us and what our mission is. Anyway, think about what Paul is saying. We are saved by grace through faith, so that we can do good works in this world that God prepared for us to do before we were even born. Saved, to do good works. Thats the Gospel message. Saved, to do. Not because doing saves us, but because real salvation produces action. Of course, any discussion of this topic must also address what James Chapter 2 has to say. James 2:14-26 What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and be filled, yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that[e] God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless? Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was[g] perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. James is not telling us that works replace faith; rather, works complement faith. They flow from faith. We can see that Abraham believed God because he was willing to act upon the promise of God that he would have offspring through Isaac, and concluded that even if he sacrificed Isaac, God would raise him from the dead to fulfill the promise. Thats real faith! We know this is what Abraham was thinking because the writer of Hebrews tells us so in Hebrews 11:17-19. Good works is a popular subject in New Testament letters. They show up in Ephesians, I Timothy, and II Timothy, among Pauls letters. They are also referenced in Hebrews, James, and I Peter Perhaps nowhere do we see such enthusiasm for good works as in Titus. First, we have Titus 2:11-15: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, eager for good deeds. These things speak and[d] exhort, and rebuke with all authority. No one is to disregard you. To be zealous means to be devoted to, passionate about, a zealot. We want to be constantly thinking about how we can serve people with needs. Next, look at Titus 3:4-8: But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This statement is trustworthy; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and beneficial for people. If we are New Testament Christians, we are to be devoted to performing good works, even though those good works dont save us. So, what are good works? The words in Greek are kalos ergon, meaning morally good action. This would include anything from healing the sick, raising the dead, or sharing the gospel with someone; to helping a child cross a street, assisting an older person to change a light bulb, or going grocery shopping for someone who is sick. We are serving humanity, and not just in spiritual ministry but also in practical aid. Now, lets look at one of Pauls letters addressed to believers who became confused about faith and works. In Galatians, we see congregations that were becoming confused by Judaizers. These were Jewish converts to Christianity, primarily in Jerusalem, who taught that indeed Jesus was the Messiah, and it was vital to believe in His work on the cross to be saved, but that was not sufficient. In addition, to be right with God, one had to adhere to Mosaic Covenant commands of obeying the Sabbath, honoring the dietary laws, and being circumcised. These Greek believers in the region of Galatia had begun their relationship with God by faith but were beginning to compromise the message of salvation by faith. As a young believer, I fell into a similar snare when I was 20 years old. For maybe six months, I was confused, thinking that while I started my salvation experience by faith, I was required to maintain it through obedience. Its true that obedience is a byproduct of faith, and a complete absence of obedience is inconsistent with salvation, but our obedience does not improve our righteousness with God. Our right standing with God is imputed or credited to us through our faith in the blood of Christ. I was a miserable human being. I constantly experienced a gnawing dread, because, after all, one can always study the Bible a little more, pray more, minister more. So, when is it enough? Its a treadmill without end and I was exhausted. One day as I was reading in Galatians in the Amplified Bible, I ran across these verses: Galatians 3:19-20 What then was the purpose of the Law? It was added, later on after the promise, to disclose and expose to men their guilt because of transgressions and to make men more conscious of the sinfulness of sin; and it was intended to be in effect until the Seed should come, to and concerning Whom the promise had been made. And it (the Law) was arranged and ordained and appointed through the instrumentality of angels (and was given) by the hand (in the person) of a go-between an intermediary person (Moses) between God and man. Now a go-between (intermediary) has to do with and implies more than one party there can be no mediator with just one person. Yet God is only one person and He was the sole party in giving that promise to Abraham. But the Law was a contract between two, God and Israel: its validity was dependent on both. In that moment, God clearly revealed to me my error. I had fallen into the trap of becoming a party to a contract, rather than a recipient of a unilateral promise. The relief I experienced was overwhelming and I wept in gratitude. Why is works-based salvation so appealing? Salvation by grace alone through faith alone is very hard on the ego. Most of us struggle accepting free gifts that we cannot reciprocate. We dont feel right if we dont do something to earn it. But God wont allow that. Remember Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Those poor in spirit are essentially beggars. They accept that they are dependent upon the assistance of others. Grace is like that. We have a need that we cant meet and have to depend totally on God. That hurts our pride. But Judaizers of old, and modern-day Judaizers such as Jehovahs Witness, LDS and Seventh-Day Adventists appeal to the fleshly nature to blend grace and works so we can feel good about ourselves and dupe us into believing we are at least partly saving ourselves. Paul makes it abundantly clear that if we attempt to mix grace and works, we have abandoned salvation by grace and become debtors to the Law: Galatians 5:2-4 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. Now, I personally am circumcised, and most males born in western societies are also for health reasons. What Paul is talking about is being circumcised in order to fulfill a requirement of the Mosaic Law so these Greeks would be right with God. But Paul tells them that if they get circumcised and proclaim that the shed blood of Christ is not sufficient, then they cant stop there but must fulfill every requirement of the Law, which, of course, is impossible. They have left grace behind, and have been severed, or cut off, from Christ. So, we see this is an extremely serious matter. We cannot blend faith and works to be right with God. It must be faith alone. But maybe you think you are so well versed in Christian doctrine as to be immune from any hint of achieving righteousness by works. Perhaps you are, but consider this: Have you ever hesitated in praying to God because you have had a bad day or a bad week, thinking that God is not likely to hear your prayer because you have been out of His will? Even though you confess your sin and repent, you still feel unworthy to ask God for something. If so, you have unwittingly fallen into a works-based approach to Gods presence, thinking that your ability to come to the throne of grace is somehow dependent upon your obedience. That is a subtle form of righteousness by works and must be recognized and rejected. We come to God boldly, based on Christs shed blood, and never by our obedience or lack of it. The more we grow, the more subtle become the attacks of Satan. Lets not kid ourselves into thinking we cant be deceived if we let our guard down.

If you dont know who I am, my name is John Olive. I gave a message on False Conversion back in September during which I described my background in criminal justice. Im not a professional theologian, but I am a passionate one, and Ive been involved in a lot of ministry work over the past 20 years. Today I want to discuss the interaction between faith and works, which I have found to be an area of great confusion, especially among newer Christians. It is also one of the traps I fell into as a young Christian. Truthfully, much of what I preach about are related to my mistakes or character defects that God has allowed me to overcome. As a young man, I heard several sermons in Baptist churches that were centered around Ephesians 2:8-9, so lets start there. Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. This is pretty clear, isnt it? And it is really, just that clear. Works dont save us; faith saves us. In all the sermons I recall on this passage, I dont remember anyone continuing on to verse 10: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Before I discuss anything further, I want to draw your attention to the Greek word for workmanship. It is poiema. You and I are Gods poem to a lost world. Isnt that exciting? From our brokenness God recreates us as a skillfully woven story of redemption and restoration. I just love what that says about how God looks at us and what our mission is. Anyway, think about what Paul is saying. We are saved by grace through faith, so that we can do good works in this world that God prepared for us to do before we were even born. Saved, to do good works. Thats the Gospel message. Saved, to do. Not because doing saves us, but because real salvation produces action. Of course, any discussion of this topic must also address what James Chapter 2 has to say. James 2:14-26 What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and be filled, yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that[e] God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless? Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was[g] perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. James is not telling us that works replace faith; rather, works complement faith. They flow from faith. We can see that Abraham believed God because he was willing to act upon the promise of God that he would have offspring through Isaac, and concluded that even if he sacrificed Isaac, God would raise him from the dead to fulfill the promise. Thats real faith! We know this is what Abraham was thinking because the writer of Hebrews tells us so in Hebrews 11:17-19. Good works is a popular subject in New Testament letters. They show up in Ephesians, I Timothy, and II Timothy, among Pauls letters. They are also referenced in Hebrews, James, and I Peter Perhaps nowhere do we see such enthusiasm for good works as in Titus. First, we have Titus 2:11-15: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, eager for good deeds. These things speak and[d] exhort, and rebuke with all authority. No one is to disregard you. To be zealous means to be devoted to, passionate about, a zealot. We want to be constantly thinking about how we can serve people with needs. Next, look at Titus 3:4-8: But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This statement is trustworthy; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and beneficial for people. If we are New Testament Christians, we are to be devoted to performing good works, even though those good works dont save us. So, what are good works? The words in Greek are kalos ergon, meaning morally good action. This would include anything from healing the sick, raising the dead, or sharing the gospel with someone; to helping a child cross a street, assisting an older person to change a light bulb, or going grocery shopping for someone who is sick. We are serving humanity, and not just in spiritual ministry but also in practical aid. Now, lets look at one of Pauls letters addressed to believers who became confused about faith and works. In Galatians, we see congregations that were becoming confused by Judaizers. These were Jewish converts to Christianity, primarily in Jerusalem, who taught that indeed Jesus was the Messiah, and it was vital to believe in His work on the cross to be saved, but that was not sufficient. In addition, to be right with God, one had to adhere to Mosaic Covenant commands of obeying the Sabbath, honoring the dietary laws, and being circumcised. These Greek believers in the region of Galatia had begun their relationship with God by faith but were beginning to compromise the message of salvation by faith. As a young believer, I fell into a similar snare when I was 20 years old. For maybe six months, I was confused, thinking that while I started my salvation experience by faith, I was required to maintain it through obedience. Its true that obedience is a byproduct of faith, and a complete absence of obedience is inconsistent with salvation, but our obedience does not improve our righteousness with God. Our right standing with God is imputed or credited to us through our faith in the blood of Christ. I was a miserable human being. I constantly experienced a gnawing dread, because, after all, one can always study the Bible a little more, pray more, minister more. So, when is it enough? Its a treadmill without end and I was exhausted. One day as I was reading in Galatians in the Amplified Bible, I ran across these verses: Galatians 3:19-20 What then was the purpose of the Law? It was added, later on after the promise, to disclose and expose to men their guilt because of transgressions and to make men more conscious of the sinfulness of sin; and it was intended to be in effect until the Seed should come, to and concerning Whom the promise had been made. And it (the Law) was arranged and ordained and appointed through the instrumentality of angels (and was given) by the hand (in the person) of a go-between an intermediary person (Moses) between God and man. Now a go-between (intermediary) has to do with and implies more than one party there can be no mediator with just one person. Yet God is only one person and He was the sole party in giving that promise to Abraham. But the Law was a contract between two, God and Israel: its validity was dependent on both. In that moment, God clearly revealed to me my error. I had fallen into the trap of becoming a party to a contract, rather than a recipient of a unilateral promise. The relief I experienced was overwhelming and I wept in gratitude. Why is works-based salvation so appealing? Salvation by grace alone through faith alone is very hard on the ego. Most of us struggle accepting free gifts that we cannot reciprocate. We dont feel right if we dont do something to earn it. But God wont allow that. Remember Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Those poor in spirit are essentially beggars. They accept that they are dependent upon the assistance of others. Grace is like that. We have a need that we cant meet and have to depend totally on God. That hurts our pride. But Judaizers of old, and modern-day Judaizers such as Jehovahs Witness, LDS and Seventh-Day Adventists appeal to the fleshly nature to blend grace and works so we can feel good about ourselves and dupe us into believing we are at least partly saving ourselves. Paul makes it abundantly clear that if we attempt to mix grace and works, we have abandoned salvation by grace and become debtors to the Law: Galatians 5:2-4 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. Now, I personally am circumcised, and most males born in western societies are also for health reasons. What Paul is talking about is being circumcised in order to fulfill a requirement of the Mosaic Law so these Greeks would be right with God. But Paul tells them that if they get circumcised and proclaim that the shed blood of Christ is not sufficient, then they cant stop there but must fulfill every requirement of the Law, which, of course, is impossible. They have left grace behind, and have been severed, or cut off, from Christ. So, we see this is an extremely serious matter. We cannot blend faith and works to be right with God. It must be faith alone. But maybe you think you are so well versed in Christian doctrine as to be immune from any hint of achieving righteousness by works. Perhaps you are, but consider this: Have you ever hesitated in praying to God because you have had a bad day or a bad week, thinking that God is not likely to hear your prayer because you have been out of His will? Even though you confess your sin and repent, you still feel unworthy to ask God for something. If so, you have unwittingly fallen into a works-based approach to Gods presence, thinking that your ability to come to the throne of grace is somehow dependent upon your obedience. That is a subtle form of righteousness by works and must be recognized and rejected. We come to God boldly, based on Christs shed blood, and never by our obedience or lack of it. The more we grow, the more subtle become the attacks of Satan. Lets not kid ourselves into thinking we cant be deceived if we let our guard down.

It's not just “my opinion” that playing close to the edge of occult involvement is a trap and a lure. It's my very deep conviction after having a full on and horrifying experience when we were young and first married. Steve and I had watched a James Bond 007 show earlier that evening called "Live and Let Die", with a lot of “harmless” voodoo, (incantations and curses being put on people) and "fun" spies disturbing graves, and dark evil spirits attacking them. While we were watching, I had a very quiet but persistent warning inside my heart to “stop watching the show”. I blew it off saying to myself that, “I could handle it…  It was just a show… harmless entertainment.” After we had gone to bed and had fallen asleep, I was awakened by a loud crashing sound outside of our bedroom door, which was our living room. I turned my head to look in that direction and standing in the door frame was a hunched over, very tall, long haired, naked from waist up, long armed, pig snouted with a brass ring pierced through it, hairy being. I thought I was maybe dreaming so I shook my head and rubbed my eyes to see if I was just coming out of a bad dream. Nope. The dark being was still there. My body was paralyzed in fear and I could not move to wake Steve. I spoke to the hideous creature and told it to leave in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ. It just laughed at me and began to move into the room and alongside the bed, heading towards me. I said the same words again and it laughed, saying, "YOU invited me into your home tonight! I have every right to be here!" I immediately knew that I had rejected the warning of The Holy Spirit to not watch the show. I was crying in terror and said, “Jesus… Please forgive me for ignoring your warning! I repent and apologize for blowing you off!” At that point, the demonic thing stopped at the foot of the bed and was very agitated. I was no longer paralyzed with fear and then spoke to it again, telling it that I was forgiven by Jesus and that in HIS NAME, the evil being had to leave our home. It still stood there frustrated and I told it again that the power of Christ and His poured out blood on the cross for my sins cried out against this attack and that it must leave. It started to whimper and walked towards the wall and then, walked right through it, and left. Immediately, Steve woke up and asked what was the crashing sound! I told him everything that happened. He got up and went out to the living room. On the floor was a weather station type of decoration that we had firmly screwed into our wall. It had “somehow” ripped itself off the wall, jumped 8 inches and onto our record player, (yes…. we had vinyls!) sending the needle across the worship record we played often every day. Both Steve And I Knew At That Point That We Could Never Again Justify Or Blow Off The Warning From The Father About Our Entertainment Choices.   We were called to be worshippers and to not ever allow a strongman from hell into our home. Here Are Some Reasons The Scriptures Warn Against Engaging In Any Form Of The Occult: ➡ We are opening ourselves up to spirits other than God's. ➡ We are not looking to God for guidance, but to the occult. ➡ We are turning away from true faith in Jesus. ➡ We are disobeying God's word, the Bible.   The Israelites often made the same mistake and turned from God, although God clearly warned them about this. “When you enter the land The LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or who consults the dead. 
 Anyone who does these things is detestable to The LORD, and because of these detestable practices The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before The LORD your God. 
   The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, The LORD your God has not permitted you to do so,” Deuteronomy 18:9-14.   Saul, Israel's first king, started out well. He expelled mediums and spiritualists from the land, then violated God's word and his own conscience by consulting a medium (1 Samuel 28:3-25). His end was tragic (1 Samuel 31:1-6).   New Testament Christians turned from sorcery. We really need to let their example serve as an inspiration and a warning. “Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of The LORD spread widely and grew in power.” Acts 19:18-20.   These verses are given to us as warnings. God wants us to learn from the examples he gives in the Bible, and to avoid making the same mistakes. He loves us and wants us to turn from anything that will get between us and the safe spiritual life that he offers. Bible verses warning about mediums and spiritualists: “Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritualists, for you will be defiled by them. I AM The LORD your God,” Leviticus 19:31. “I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritualists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people,” Leviticus 20:6. “When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritualists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?” Isaiah 8:19.   So these are the things, these are the scriptures that the Lord has given us, the warnings are there, and also the consequences! I can tell you that ever since then, I have been fully aware of when there's something on television or when people want to watch a movie or, there's people beginning to talk on a New Age level of intellectualism. Or, they talk about some of the things they're partaking in for “medical practices”, or, different kinds of exercise programs, my first thought is, “If it has to have something to do with the occult or if it has to have something to do with “freeing your mind” so that you can relax and so your body is at peace”. These are the lures that the enemy uses to draw us into other gods, and some Christian individuals actually say, “Oh, we're not worshiping the god, we're just doing things with the name of the Lord on it.” The Lord doesn't put his name on anything occult, and he never will, because he is The Sovereign, Ultimate Strength, THE  Sovereign Ultimate King, and he is The Voice that speaks to his people. The word talks about those that know the voice of the Lord, the sheep, they know his voice, but the voice of strangers they will not follow, SO, I encourage you that during this time in the Earth, when the occult practices are literally overwhelming schools, college campuses, exercise regimes, television, movies, videos, (the Super Bowl was packed with these for years) to not engage! Many of the performing artists that are considered “popular musicians” have sold their souls to demonic activity in order to become wealthy. This is how it works many times, you make a pact with the devil for fame fortune and greatness, but there's always a price to pay and that is that you are captive, held captive, and many times these people can't get out without a tremendous amount of threat against them.   I'm Now Going To Lead You In A Prayer. I feel in my spirit that the reason I was to put this on this podcast is that there are some of you who have been saying, “I need to know if this is really bad for me or if I'm being ridiculous, and being too stringent or too rigid”. Let me tell you something. You can never be too rigid against Satanic involvement in your life and you can never be too stringent against saying, “is there anything that I am opening the door to in my home that can affect my children's sleep, affect my health, affect the safety of our home,” because our homes are to be a place of peace for the presence of God, a sanctuary for God to reside on a more personal level. The word says, “don't you know you're a temple of the Holy Spirit?”  When Jesus comes into our spirit, when the spirit of God comes to dwell inside of us after we surrender and we say, “Take that part of my life and use it”, that part dictates from the inside out. But, if we let our mind get in there and say, “I can handle it! I can handle it! It's not that big of a deal! I feel so good! It's good entertainment.  My body feels great when I engage in meditation!” (What kind of meditation?)  Why do you need to meditate on something that is not bringing the presence of God closer to you, and you, closer to the presence of God?  Because our flesh doesn't want to be convicted. Our flesh does not like the discipline of getting still, or studying the word of God, or resting in his presence, and worshiping him. Not unless we discipline it and train it, and grow in his word so we see the gratitude of how, IT is, the voice that controls and speaks to our spirit, causing us to be at peace and to war against the things of darkness. We live in high-pressure times, and the warfare, (yes, it is warfare), it is demonic war against God‘s people, and, the number one thing is fear, anxiety, stress, worry, and then, just go ahead and escape for a little while.  Watch something on TV. The Flesh says, “Go ahead! Watch some of those movies on Netflix that have some horror scenes or a lot of heavy sex. You can handle it! The "F word" is being used a lot, and now many other words have become commonplace. But you see the thing is, WE CAN'T, handle it! Because it gets into our brains, it gets into our minds. It gets into our way of thinking, and it dulls our ability to hear the clear and clean pure words of the Lord. If you don't want to walk with Jesus, 100% and you want a lukewarm walk, then you're going to be susceptible to demonic activity in your life, and unfortunately if you have children, you're opening the door to them, and the Lord talks in that one scripture about not letting children pass through the fire.   We Are Not To Offer Our Children Up In Sacrifice To Demonic Activity, And Yet A Lot Of Parents Go Ahead And Sacrifice Their Kids To A Lot Of Occult Practices Because “It's Hard To Be Different”.   You don't have to have to be locking the doors, and turning the light bulbs out all the time for fear that the devil is coming to get you! But! I can tell you this! You do want to shut your door to occult practices and the doors that come through your iPads, your computers, and your television screens. These are the places; these are the entry points that the enemy uses. Those out there preparing programming, the majority of them in the world are all geared towards doing satanic and fearful programming and if anything, they like to do “shock value” enticing types of programs to bring stimuli and fear! That's how they get better listeners or viewers or people chatting and talking! But their goal is not to bring goodness or peace or safety. Their goal is to get you to come back and be addicted to more or “fascinated”.   This is where that word “fascination” and “magical” comes in.  We just feel like we're mesmerized and drawn in, and we kind of want to know how it works. We want to know how it ends! And then before you know it, your mind has been seared, your conscience has been compromised. Then enters the guilt and then the shame, and then the hiding, and guess who did that? When Adam and Eve engaged with the snake in the garden, he trapped them and lured them, and said, “It's not that big of a deal! You can handle it! Did God really say that to you?”But once they tasted of evil, they were forever changed. They were forever changed and lost their innocence, and forever change mankind. Imagine how much that sin nature is affecting us! Thank goodness that Jesus came to wash us clean and poured out his life, and endured a horrible sacrifice for us, so that we would have a chance to have our minds cleaned. If we are introducing our children to it, imagine the torment, and the things passing down to them.    I encourage you now to pray with me, and if it's not for you, If you don't have this problem, but you're saying, “I agree I've had experiences like this or I know what you're talking about!” If you have family members maybe you have children, if you have a spouse, if you have grandchildren that are engaging in specific kinds of occultic things, (and friends you know with a lot of the PlayStation games and different kinds of Xbox games), there's a tremendous amount of demonic looking creatures and a lot of darkness in those games and yeah, I guess, “you can handle it”, but if you're murdering and killing and having guns shooting and bloodlust all the time, eventually, is it a just a game? Has it become a conquering or have you become desensitized? SO! I ENCOURAGE YOU TO RETHINK WHERE YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE LORD IS.   Do you want to hear the voice of the Lord? Do you want to hear the Lord speaking clearly about the times about the days? Do you want to hear him protecting you, telling you to get in the car and leave now, or “don't go to the grocery store” or “don't go down “that” street”?  He WILL lead you like that and protect you!   Do you want the Lord to tell you his secrets? Did you know that he tells them to his servants? But! He tells them to those that will spend time in his presence, seeking his voice, seeking to know him more.  I encourage you to consider, "which tastes better". The presence of God, and hearing his voice, or a temporary high and excitement, or the thrill that wears off, and then you're buried in guilt, or harassed by something dark?   I'm just going to pray now. I'm going to ask you just to pray with me or agree with me in prayer for those that you know need to be free. Heavenly Father, we come to you and Father you say that you roam the Earth to and fro, with your eyes you are looking all over the Earth, searching for those who will serve you, searching for those who will obey you.  Lord you know all things, you see all things, and you hear all things. You are aware of the assignments of darkness against our families, against our children, against our grandchildren, against our spouses, against our brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles. Father, we stand before you now individually and ask you for a clean heart. We ask you to wipe the slate clean of anything that we may have engaged in. First of all we say we've sinned against you because it's the truth.  If we've done these things we have done them against you. We have put our eyes upon idols or things at the world calls, current and exciting and we think that we're just fitting in, as a part of it or maybe it seems like it's not harmless. It looks like everybody else is doing fine. Lord, l you know the condition of each man's heart, and Lord you know those that are using this as a lure, so Father, we stand before you, and we ask that you would create in us a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within us. Don't cast us away from your presence! Lord, we don't want your Holy Spirit taken from us, because we choose to listen to other evil spirits are divining spirits! Now Lord, we say to you, we ask if there's anything in our lives, anything in the lives of our families that they are engaging in or things that we have become accustomed to, that you would show us clearly and concisely, vividly, the things that we have put our hand to that are not from you. Lord, we repent, we apologize. We are ashamed that we would allow even the whisper of a demonic subtlety to enter into our home. We want to be the stewards, good stewards of what you've given us in children, in our spouses and our grandchildren. So we ask that you would put a barrier between us and the darkness, that conviction would rise up again, that we would heed your voice, and not the voice of a stranger! Lord your word says whether we turn to the left or turn to the right, there you are right behind as a voice saying, “This is the way, walk in it”. Lord, forgive us for thinking that we don't want to be different or strange in this world, that we don't want to be ridiculed. Father we are a peculiar people as you said, you made us and fashioned us to stand out in the dark world, and when we gave our lives to you, we committed that you would be Lord, Savior, King, Ruler, Master over our lives, and we apologize to you for ever touching anything that gave others mastery over us. Now Father, we just come before you, and ask you to wash us clean. Wash our children, wash our grandchildren clean, wash our families clean. Lord, we apologize and ask that now you would make the rudder of our ship turn back out to the direction where we seek you, and seek you alone. That the entertainment choices that we make in the future will be with wisdom and if there's something on television that is dark or dirty, or evil or suggestive, we turn it off, we don't just mute it. We turn it off. We will not let our eyes even watch, nor let our ears hear.  Father. We thank you that you will speak loudly, “Don't do that! Stop now!”  Just like you did to me. Father, we ask that you would speak loud and clear, because sometimes we're dull of hearing. Lord we submit to you, we glorify your name. We thank you, that you deliver us completely and you set us free when we're captive to dark things. We call upon the name of Jesus Christ who is God, who is the Son of God, the Sovereign king, and we thank you that the Holy Spirit is there to convict us of our sins. We thank you Triune being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for the privilege of being called children of God. Lord, teach us to act like children of God, in our every day lives, in Jesus most holy and powerful name against darkness. Amen. Mary Lindow © 2023  - “THE MESSENGER” Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed 
provided that complete message, website information and podcast link for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! 
 Copyright 2023 - "THE MESSENGER " ~ Mary Lindow  - www.marylindow.com www.marylindow.podbean.com   If you have been impressed by the Holy Spirit to assist Mary helping her to meet other administrative needs such as web site and podcast costs,  or desire to bless her service with Spirit-led Love gifts or regular support: Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of:   ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders  ► Cashiers Checks   To: His Beloved Ministries Inc.  PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614 USA   Or feel free to use our send a tax-deductible gift with Pay Pal   paypal.me/mlindow Under the name of - His Beloved Ministries Inc.   ALL gifts are tax-deductible under His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status. We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since 1985 with Clergy Financial Advantage.  THANK YOU!          

Back in 2018, mega church pastor Andy Stanley came under fire for suggesting that as New Testament Christians, we should “unhitch” ourselves from the Old Testament. At times, Stanley seemed to be walking back his comments, while Stanley's confusing comments about homosexuality and LGBTQ inclusion have left many Christians wondering if Stanley is sliding into progressive Christianity. Is it time to put Stanley into the category of mark and avoid? That's the question Alisa and Natasha are asking in today's episode.

The guys summarize themes of God's activity (HIs Holy history) throughout Old Testament eras. The Old Testament does not stand by itself as a distinct God nor is it an ideal for New Testament Christians to strive towards, but rather a story of God leading us to the Messiah.   Join us for this conversation and if you have questions don't hesitate to ask us.  Email: castingnetspod@gmail.com Watch the video on facebook: www.facebook.com/castingnetspodcast Watch the video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/castingnetspod

We in churches of Christ refer to ourselves as New Testament Christians and the church as the New Testament church. However, in the first century, they didn't have a New Testament as we have it, so how did they operate without such? 

Promises are like unbreakable bonds. Pastor Ken points out that there are specific promises, given from God to New Testament Christians (people who have accepted Christ after his ascension to heaven). One of the blessed gifts is the Holy Spirit that has been left with us on this earth. He is a helper and liaison between us and God! Even better is the fact that the Holy Spirit will never leave us. That unlocked power is forever available to us today in order to fulfill the will of God in our lives wherever we go and whoever we interact with!

In this episode we're answering a question asked in a recent Q&A on our Instagram: is tithing required for Christians under the New Covenant? New Testament Christians aren't bound to the tithe in the same way that Old Testament Israelites were, but in this episode we discuss the practice of tithing in light of the gospel, as well as how we as Christians should view or money in general.  Connect with us: Follow along on Instagram Follow along on TikTok   FREE RESOURCE: Guide to Studying Your Bible Theologically Every follower of Jesus is called to be a theologian, and just because you don't have time to go to seminary right now, doesn't mean you can't go deeper starting today... JOIN THE THEOLOGIAN HAUS, our theology course & Bible study membership for just $9 today! Use code PODCAST to get 10% off for the life of your membership!

On today's episode, the Scooby Gang delves into the history of the New Testament Christian Churches of America. We've said it before and we'll say it again, there is a thin line between cult and religion! In this case, has Rodger Wilson Davis crossed that line? 

2 of 2. For Christians, worship is integral to life. Offering praise to God, especially as the church assembles, is like to recharging batteries of the soul. And while New Testament Christians are not interested in changing the various acts of worship, it is good to pause and consider how we prepare and present ourselves in worship. Join guest Brian Osburn and Jonathan Edwards as they discuss how Christians can improve their mindset as they prepare and present themselves in worship to God.

1 of 2. For Christians, worship is integral to life. Offering praise to God, especially as the church assembles, is like to recharging batteries of the soul. And while New Testament Christians are not interested in changing the various acts of worship, it is good to pause and consider how we prepare and present ourselves in worship. Join guest Brian Osburn and Jonathan Edwards as they discuss how Christians can improve their mindset as they prepare and present themselves in worship to God.

Readers of the Book of Joshua (and many other parts of the Bible) are inevitably confronted with the poblem of violence in Scripture. Texts referring to the destruction of whole cities or the killing of men, women, and children can cause us to question whether God is truly loving and just. In this episode, Dr. Matt Lynch discusses violence in Scripture from his new book Flood and Fury: Old Testament Violence and the Shalom of God. He considers the difficulties with approaching violence from a modern perspective, the ways of reading the different violent accounts presented in Scripture, and how literally we should take biblical rhetoric. Plus, hear why being so-called "New Testament Christians" doesn't really distance us from violence in the Bible. Dr. Lynch is an Associate Professor of Old Testament at Regent College in Vancouver. His research looks at issue of violence and the idea of monotheism in the biblical texts. Prior to his work at Regent, Matt taught at Westminster Theological Centre, Nashotah House, and Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. In addition, he founded and co-hosts the OnScript podcast. Show notes: 0:00 Approaching violence in the Bible 3:50 Different cultural perspectives on violence 5:46 Violence for modern and ancient readers 10:25 Majority versus minority report 15:58 Idolatry in ancient Israel 18:53 Interpreting the Bible's rhetoric 23:40 The archaeology of Jericho 27:20 Christianity and violence 30:07 Joshua's challenges 34:14 Intermarriage 38:55 The primacy of some parts of Scripture Show notes by Micah Long

There's no such thing as a “New Testament Christian”. While the popular scepticism about parts of the Old Testament is understandable, we're convinced by the arguments of our guest today: Christ isn't just the hero of the New Testament … He is everywhere in the Old Testament.This episode of Undeceptions is sponsored by Zondervan Academic's Masterlectures. Get 50% off your first three month subscription with the code 'Undeceptions50'. Visit the undeceptions.com for more content, including the full show notes for this episode.Follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramEmail the show with your comments / feedback: admin@undeceptions.comUndeceptions is the flagship podcast of Undeceptions.com: Letting the truth out.Theme music: JS Bach's Cello Suites, Prelude, performed by the Undeceptions Band. Hosted by John DicksonProduced by Kaley Payne Directed by Mark Hadley Audio Editing by Richard HamwiSocial Media by Sophie HawkshawAdministration by Lyndie LevistonWriter and researcher: Alasdair BellingOnline Librarian: Siobhan McGuinessCopyright Undeceptions Ltd 2022

How should we respond to those who say “this world is not our home” in order to justify not getting involved in the culture war and politics? Many Christians point to Bible verses that describe us as “sojourners” and “strangers” in order to support their avoidance of the tangible issues of our day. Are these Christians right? Are we merely sojourners in this world? Or does the Bible have a different message for New Testament Christians?

Next week we will finish our series on The Law and the Gospel. In this series we have sought to study the New Testament Christian's relationship to God's moral law. Before salvation, the Law could only offer condemnation. It pointed out our flaws but could provide no cure for our sin-sickness. But now, because the Christian belongs to the Kingdom of Grace, God's moral law has become the path we walk to please our King. This is part of what Paul's point in Romans 6. We are no longer slaves to sin. We are slaves to righteousness. Even though we still wrestle with sin and hear the whispers of our old master. telling us the law will condemn us, we are assured by the faithfulness of Christ that His grace is sufficient. Get your copy of Reisinger's book here: https://press.founders.org/shop/the-law-and-the-gospel/ Want to listen to The Whole Counsel on the go? Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app: https://www.mediagratiae.org/podcasts You can get The Whole Counsel a day early on the Media Gratiae App: https://subsplash.com/mediagratiae/app

It seems a lot of “New Testament Christians” would prefer to simply dispose of the Old Testament. Perhaps that's because it's often difficult for modern believers to find relevance in the rules and wrath of a seemingly angry, vengeful Old Testament God. Today's guest posits that simply writing off the Old Testament is not an option, so perhaps we might start our study of the Old by examining key chapters of the New. In his book, Old Made New: A Guide to New Testament Use of the Old Testament, Greg Lanier aligns Old and New Covenant passages along 13 major themes of the Bible and provides a “big picture” understanding of the Old Testament's primacy in such New Testament themes as grace, adoption, sanctification, and more. As a bonus, our hosts and guest briefly discuss how annoying certain English accents can be. Don't miss a minute! We have a few giveaway copies of Greg's Old Made New: A Guide to New Testament Use of the Old Testament, courtesy of Crossway Books. Register for an opportunity to win! Show Notes *Old Made New Study Guide *Redemptive-Historical Bible Reading Plan

In most of the world today, slavery is unthinkable. Is it possible that we could ever reach that same place with abortion in America?  Just as there were once states where it was legal to own slaves and other states where it wasn't, we are now a nation deeply divided on the issue of abortion on a state-by-state level. In certain states, abortion is allowed, encouraged, and even subsidized abortion. In others, abortion is all but illegal. The history of the Church's stance on both issues, abolition and abortion, is instructive as we seek to obey Christ in a post-Roe world.  Clearly, the early Church did not like slavery. The New Testament condemns behaviors that were endemic to the slave trade. In his letter to Philemon, Paul gave broad hints that masters should free their Christian slaves. Early Christians often purchased slaves specifically to set them free.   Even so, neither the New Testament nor the early Church pushed for full abolition of slavery, for at least two reasons.  First, taking a public stand would have brought even more unwanted attention to an already targeted group. Second, the ancient world offered no model to Christians for a society without slaves, so few could envision what that would look like. Though Christians saw slavery as a curse, they could not conceive of being rid of it entirely (any more than they could imagine a world rid of disease or poverty). This failure of moral imagination meant that it would be centuries before the implications of the Gospel would lead Christian rulers to take definitive steps toward abolishing slavery.  By the Middle Ages, overt slavery was rare in Europe, and Church leaders spoke out against it. Thomas Aquinas claimed that slavery might be part of the “law of nations” but was against the law of nature and therefore a sin. When, centuries later, the infamous Atlantic slave trade began, Portugal and Spain defied the decrees of four different popes to spread it in their colonies. In the English-speaking world, the rampant practice of slavery found opposition among Quakers and a rising evangelicalism that eventually ended first the slave trade, then slavery altogether.  All this means that the American theologians who defended slavery were following the culture's lead, not Church teaching. Though it took far too long for the implications of the Gospel to become clear, the teaching of both Jesus and Paul of the spiritual and moral equality of all persons meant that slavery was incompatible with Christianity, and its abolition in Christian states was only a matter of time. Eventually, because of the commitment to the worth and dignity of every human being as created in the image of God, Christians fought to end the abuse of slavery.  In contrast, the Christian position on abortion has been clear from day one. In the Didache, the earliest non-New Testament Christian work to survive, Christians are instructed “you shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is born.” Similarly, the late first or early second century Epistle of Barnabas, a manual of ethics in this early period, says “you shall not murder a child by abortion, nor again kill it when it is born.” In “A Plea for Christians,” written in 177, Athenagoras of Athens wrote, “[w]e say that those women who use drugs to bring on abortion commit murder …”  Similar teaching can be found in the writings of Clement of Alexandria, the pseudonymous Apocalypse of Peter, Tertullian, Hippolytus, Cyprian, and Lactantius, which takes us up to the de-criminalization of Christianity by Constantine. The teaching of the Church on abortion has been clear from the start and continued to be clear well into the 20th century.   Only recently have some claiming the name of Christ accepted abortion as morally licit, or worse, have celebrated it. Christian opposition to abortion is based on precisely the same reasoning as Christian opposition to slavery. Every human being is made in the image of God and is crowned with glory and honor, a dignity we dare not ignore. The same dehumanizing and depersonalizing claim that undergirded the idea that slaves were less worthy as human beings, and further undergirded the horrific treatment of African Americans in the Jim Crow South, is also at work in pro-abortion thinking. And yet, the same liberating power of the imago dei that broke the chains of slavery demands that we see the dignity of preborn children and work to protect them.   Slavery and the subsequent dehumanizing treatment of African Americans was evil, and that the crusade to end both was (and is) God's work. May we also recognize that dehumanizing and killing the unborn is at least as evil, and rightly abhorred.