Podcasts about o israel

Welcome to Day 2803 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2803 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 115:19-18 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2803 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2803 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Living Choir – Trusting the Maker of Heaven and Earth Today, we are continuing our grand expedition through the Egyptian Hallel, that magnificent collection of praise songs sung by the Jewish people during the Passover festival. We are stepping into the second half of Psalm One Hundred Fifteen, covering verses nine through eighteen, in the New Living Translation. To properly set the stage, we must remember the theological fireworks from our previous trek. In the first eight verses of Psalm One Hundred Fifteen, the psalmist drew a sharp, mocking contrast between the God of Israel and the gods of the surrounding pagan nations. He declared that our God is in the heavens, doing whatever He pleases, while the idols of the nations are nothing more than dead blocks of wood, silver, and gold. They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes but cannot see, and feet but cannot walk. The chilling warning was that those who make them, and trust in them, will become just like them—spiritually deaf, blind, and paralyzed. Now, in this second half of the psalm, the tone shifts from a theological argument, to a vibrant, liturgical choir. Having exposed the absolute uselessness of the pagan idols, the psalmist turns around to face the congregation of Israel. If the idols are dead, where should we put our trust? The answer rings out in a beautifully structured, responsive song. We will see the congregation divided into three distinct groups, receiving a threefold call to trust, followed by a threefold promise of blessing. Finally, the psalm concludes with a profound statement about cosmic geography, revealing our true human purpose on this earth, and the urgent necessity of praising God while we still have breath in our lungs. So, let us enter the temple courts, and join the choir. Psalm One Hundred Fifteen: verses nine through eleven O Israel, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. Imagine being in the temple courtyard. The worship leader, perhaps the High Priest, stands on the steps, and calls out to different sections of the gathered crowd. This is a responsive liturgy, designed to engage everyone present, regardless of their status or background. First, he addresses the entire covenant nation: "O Israel, trust the Lord!" This is the baseline of their identity. They are the people brought out of Egypt, the physical descendants of Jacob. In a world full of glittering, tempting idols, they are commanded to place their entire weight, their complete confidence, on Yahweh. Second, he turns to the religious leadership: "O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord!" The house of Aaron...

Send a textIn this episode, Pastor Ed teaches us about the unconditional love of God. John 3:1616 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.Romans 5:88 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.Galatians 5:22-2322 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.1 Corinthians 13:1-71 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.Mark 12:29-3129 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.”Ephesians 2:4-54 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),Proverbs 3:3-43 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, 4 And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.Romans 8:38-3938 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If you ____________________ who God is, you will misunderstand ____________________ else.[Exodus 3:1 ESV] Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.God speaks clearly in ____________________ seasons.[Exodus 3:2 ESV] And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.God's presence ____________________ us.[Exodus 3:3 ESV] And Moses said, "I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned."Revelation begins with ____________________.[Exodus 3:4 ESV] When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."Before God ____________________ what He will do, He ____________________ who He is.[Exodus 3:5 ESV] Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."Holiness is not a ____________________, it is God's ____________________.[Exodus 3:11, 14 ESV] But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" [14] God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"Your ____________________ does not rest on who you are, it rests on who God is.[Exodus 4:10-11 ESV] But Moses said to the LORD, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue." [11] Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?Don't let your ____________________ turn into ____________________.[Isaiah 43:1-3a] But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. [2] When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. [3] For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

A Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent Ephesians 2:1-10 by The Rev'd Dr. Matthew Colvin             Week after week, I see Pastor Bill preaching the Bible to you on Sundays, and I want to commend him to you. I'm not sure you are aware how rare it is to have a pastor who does his own translation work in the Hebrew and Greek, and who attempts, with diligence and great effort, to read the text of the Bible anew, divide it up properly, and serve it to you. What matters to Pastor Bill in his preaching to you is what the Bible actually says — the actual point of the gospels' stories, or the actual meaning of the prophecies of the prophets, or the actual meaning of Paul's arguments in his letters — not what famous theologians have used the Bible to say, or what scholastic medieval philosophy says it can and cannot mean, or the way modern self-help gurus can use Bible verses out of context to tell a very different story. If you attend to the words delivered from this pulpit, you are being trained to understand the Bible on its own terms, rather than watching as a slick speaker uses the Bible to express his own ideas. The story needs to be your story; you are to think of yourself as a child of Abraham, as a sharer in Israel's Messiah, as someone in covenant with Israel's God. Since it is the first Sunday in Lent, we are confronted with the very first episode of Jesus' public ministry after his baptism by John the Baptist. This story has much to teach us about Jesus' work as the Messiah, the nature of his sufferings, and ultimately, the way we ought to think about God Himself. I want to start by thinking about what it means when the Messiah goes into the desert. In Acts 21, when Paul is arrested in Jerusalem, the Roman centurion is surprised that he knows Greek: “Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?" -Acts 21:38 (I joke to my Greek students that knowing Greek is handy if you are ever suspected of being a terrorist.) In Acts 5, Gamaliel mentioned Judas of Galilee and Theudas, false messiahs who also started their rebellions against Rome by going out into the wilderness. Why do so many messiahs begin this way? Because they are attempting recapitulate of Israel's story. And the true Messiah also relives the story of Israel, embodying it in the events that happen to him: he has already gone down to Egypt to escape a tyrannical attempt to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem, much as Pharaoh tried to kill all the male Hebrew babies; he has already been baptized in the Jordan, as Paul says Israel was “baptized in the cloud and in the sea” of the Exodus; and now he goes into the Wilderness to be tempted for 40 days, as Israel was tempted for 40 years. Covenant history rhymes, as the saying goes. So that is why Jesus is in the desert. There remains explain why he is being tested, and how he resists that temptation, and what these things tell us about the Messiah and about God. We must recognize that Jesus resisted Satan's temptation as true man, as a matter of his messianic office. Jesus' self-understanding as the Messiah was in terms of the latter chapters of Isaiah, i.e. the suffering servant. This understanding of his calling is why he girded himself with a towel and washed his disciples' feet at the Last Supper; it is why he set his face like flint to go to Jerusalem; it is why he undertakes to drink the cup of suffering, and sheds sweat like drops of blood falling to the ground during his agonized prayer in Gethsemane. Being this kind of Messiah involved contradicting the expectations that other men had about what the Messiah would be like. When Jesus is on trial, the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate, for instance, asks him — in a question whose statement-like word order indicates incredulity — “You are the king of the Jews?” (that is the word order, sarcastic or incredulous), and then puts over his head a sign reading “Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews,” in three languages, so that everyone could get the joke. Pilate mocks Jewish pretensions to even have a king. That is why he refused to change the sign to say only “He claimed to be the king of the Jews.”  It is also why he also brings out Barabbas and asks the Jews, “Whom do you want me to give to you? Barabbas, or the king of the Jews?” Pilate is operating with the standard pagan understanding of kingship: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:25-28) Pontius Pilate and the Romans were expecting someone taller, perhaps. Of course, Jesus could have met those expectations, as he told the soldiers who arrested him in Gethsemane: “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53) It isn't that he couldn't just blow the Romans away with fire from heaven. But that is not his agenda. That is not what the Messiah has come to do. He has come “not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus also has to correct the expectation of the Jews about what the Messiah is to be like — even the expectation of his own disciples! It is this self-understanding that makes Jesus tell his disciples in Mt 16:22-23 that “he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." Peter's suggestion that Jesus could be the Mesiah without suffering and dying is so inimical to Jesus' self-understanding and his mission that he calls Peter “Satan.” And rightly so, because what Peter is suggesting is pretty much of the same spirit as what Satan himself suggests in our gospel lesson this morning. So that is the background: Jesus as the true Israelite, the Messiah, is in the desert, not to lead a rebellion or a gang of terrorists, but to be tested as Israel was tested. Against all this background, we are ready to hear the words, both of Satan tempting, and of Jesus answering, and hear them with richer and fuller meaning — meaning not from Greek philosophy or self-help gurus or even systematic theologians, but rather, from the story of Israel. With his first temptation, Satan seeks to exploit Jesus' hunger: “The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written,  "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:3-4) Any of you who have ever been hangry know exactly why Satan is doing this. Jesus, no less than we, lived his earthly incarnate life in a body, and that body was subject to weakness. Jesus is not like Superman, so that bullets or nails would bounce off his skin. He was capable of suffering, and he did suffer. Satan is suggesting that Jesus should exploit his Messianic status — for that is what is meant by “If you are the Son of God” — and use it to avoid this suffering. Take your authority over all creation and use it to transform stones into bread. This is not a ridiculous suggestion. It is similar to Jesus' first miracle in John's gospel, where he turned water into wine for the wedding at Cana. But the aim of the action here would be quite different. Satan's meaning is basically the same as Peter's suggestion: “Suffer from hunger? Why put up with that? This shall never happen to you!” Jesus' answer is a quotation from Deuteronomy 8:3. (In fact, all three of Jesus' answers to Satan are from Deuteronomy. (Dt. 8:3, 6:16, and 6:13). That is, they are taken from Moses' instructions to Israel about how to live with the Lord. Jesus is the one who follows Deuteronomy's description of the faithful Israelite perfectly.) As so often, however, Jesus' quotations of the Old Testament are metaleptic —a fancy Greek word that means “takes along with it.” The idea here is that if I say, “We stand on guard for thee,” it would be a mistake for someone to try to understand that utterance merely by using a dictionary to look up “stand” and “guard” and so forth. The meaning of that phrase is rather to be found in the larger context of the Canadian national anthem as a whole, because that is how everyone who hears it will immediately start thinking in their minds: all the other verses will come flooding into your minds; you will perhaps recall occasions when you sang it: in school, or at sporting events; or watching a Olympic medal ceremony. Just so, when Jesus quotes the Old Testament, every Israelite hearer will not just think of the words he quotes; he will think also of the surrounding context, the story in which those words first occurred. So when we look at Deuteronomy 8:3, we should also think about the immediately preceding verse: "The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers. And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.” (Deuteronomy 8:1-2) And then it goes on to say, in the very next verse, “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 8:3) This is what Jesus has in mind: he has been in the wilderness for forty days, being humbled, being tested. He answers Satan from the very passage of Deuteronomy that has to do with his situation: it is about testing in the wilderness. He has been thinking about this verse for a while now. The tempter's second try is with a more showy possibility: Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,  "'He will command his angels concerning you,'  and  "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" -Matthew 4:6 This would be an impressive display! Who could fail to follow a Messiah who had made such a proof of divine power? Jesus had answered the first temptation by quoting Scripture. But the devil can quote Scripture for his purposes, so Satan appeals to lines from Psalm 91:11-12. And again, he knows what he is doing: at a time when Jesus feels alone, when he is in the desert, Satan tempts him with lines from that most comforting song: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” It is full of promises of God's protection and deliverance: in battle, from wild animals, from dangerous diseases. And yet it is singularly inappropriate for Jesus' messianic vocation: He has come to suffer and die. To avail himself of divine protection against these sufferings would be to deny his messiahship. So Jesus replies with words from Deuteronomy again. "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" -Matthew 4:7 This is from Deuteronomy 6, that chapter which contains the Shema, the single verse of the Torah that could be called the creed of Israel: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” It is the core chapter of the Torah about Israel's relationship with God. He has rescued her from Egypt and taken her to Himself to be His bride; at Mount Sinai, he has married her. But Israel was not faithful. She tested the Lord like a wife acting up to trying to make her husband angry. When there was no water to drink, Exodus 17 says, “Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?" (Exodus 17:2) The verb used here, and also by Jesus in Matthew 4:7, is πειράζω. Note well: Who was doing the testing in the wilderness for 40 years? Exodus and Deuteronomy say it clearly: Israel was testing YHWH. And thus, we may perceive some clever irony in Jesus' answer to Satan here. For Satan is called “the tempter,” and in Greek, that is nothing other than a participle form of this same verb πειράζω, literally, “the testing one.” So on the one hand, Jesus' quotation of Deuteronomy 6:16 could mean, “You are asking me to test God by throwing myself down from the Temple. I am not going to do it, because Moses warned Israel not to test God.” But it could also mean, “You are testing God, Satan.” Satan doesn't take the hint. He keeps on testing Jesus. There will be more attempts later, but the last temptation that Satan tries on Jesus in the wilderness is narrated like this: Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." -Matthew 4:8-9 Why does Satan take him to a very high mountain? In the Bible, mountaintop scenes are real estate transactions. If I sell you this pen, it's simple enough: you put money in my hand, and I put the pen in yours, and you carry it away with you. But houses and land don't fit in your pocket. So we have other procedures. In our day, we get banks and notaries involved and sign a lot of documents. But in the ancient world, you took possession by inspecting the property after the transfer.  This is done in the case of Abram in Genesis 13:17: “Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.” The same thing happens when Moses is about to die; in one sense, Moses doesn't get the promised land, because he dies before he can enter into it; but in another sense, God actually gives him the land, because he takes him up on a mountain and shows it to him, and this is the formal transfer of the land: “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession..” (Deuteronomy 32:49) Satan is attempting to use the same convention in Matthew 4:8. He is trying to get Jesus to make a deal, offering the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship. But Jesus has no need to make such a bargain, for God had already promised to give the Messiah everything Satan is offering, and Jesus, whose self-understanding as the Messiah is shaped by Isaiah's description of the suffering servant, knows it very well from Isaiah 49: The Lord says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." (Isaiah 49:6) He knows it also from Psalm 2: I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. Ask of God. Not of Satan. The nations belong to the Lord, not to Satan. Jesus has no intention of making a bargain to purchase what Satan wrongly claims to own. In Matthew 12, after the Pharisees accuse Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan, Jesus replies that, How can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. (Matthew 12:29) And he does plunder it. We see the result in Revelation 20: “And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer...” -Revelation 20:3 And as for the real estate deal Satan was trying to make, well, we see the end of that at the very end of Matthew's gospel. For the Great Commission too takes place on a mountain, and this setting seems significant, especially in light of Jesus' declaration that “all authority in heaven and earth” has been given to Him. This is a pointed contrast with Satan's lying statement, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.” (Luke 4:6 NKJV) Quite the contrary, Jesus, having refused Satan's bargain, and having bound him and plundered his goods, now bestows the kingdom on His disciples and takes possession of the nations by sending his disciples to teach and baptize them. I want to end by correcting three misapprehensions that some people might have about this story, which may prevent them from grasping what it teaches us about God. One mistake some have is that Jesus didn't really suffer in the wilderness; that His divine nature was smirking and unbothered by Satan's temptations aimed at his human nature; that all these things just rolled off of Jesus like water off a duck's back. We know this was not the case. Recall Gethsemane again, where Jesus begged the Father to “take this cup from me,” and his sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood — drops of blood, not water off a duck's back. A second mistake would be to think that, yes, Jesus suffered, but that's only because He is human. But that is not what the Bible says. It says that Jesus revealed the Father by his sufferings; that if you want to know what the Father is like, you should look at Jesus, for He who has seen Him has seen the Father. Greek philosophers say that God is an unmoved mover, and that God cannot suffer because he is perfect; but the Bible tells us that Jesus was “made perfect by sufferings.” (Heb. 5:9) Greek philosophers tell us that God cannot be afflicted; the Bible says that “in all their afflictions, He was afflicted.” (Isaiah 63:9) Greeks and Romans thought that suffering was miserable and degrading, and that if you are suffering, you must not have any glory or power; the Bible says that Jesus “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore — not in spite of his sufferings, but because of them! — God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.” (Philippians 2:8) There is no clearer picture of Israel's God than the cross of Jesus Christ. That is where we finally see God fully revealed. Finally, a third mistake would be to think that, yes, Jesus' sufferings were powerful and important, but ours are not. The truth is exactly the opposite. As George MacDonald put it, “The Son of God suffered, not that we might not suffer, but that our sufferings might be like His.” And they are. “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory...” (2 Corinthians 4:17) We are in the Messiah. His story, Israel's story, is our story. In Him, we are faithful Israelites, true to Deuteronomy 6. In Him, we are the suffering servant of Isaiah's prophecies. In Him, the kingdoms of the world belong to us. In Him, we too are victorious over Satan. Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, for our sake you fasted forty days and forty nights: give us grace so to discipline ourselves that our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may always obey your will in righteousness and true holiness, to the honour and glory of your name; for you live and reign with the Father and Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Deuteronomy 33:29 “Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.” If history is a subject of little importance, why do our oppressors purposely hide it? They continually seek to control it and dictate what we learn, it has been the subject of systematic revision, whitewashing, phony science, erasure, and among many things a way to justify or reinforce racism for their cruelty. The truth is impossible to contain, therefore the importance of taking ownership of our own history could not be emphasized enough. But it must be done with the purpose of repairing and healing our nation. Isaiah 33:6 “And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.” Considering that our history has been assaulted, it is understandable when some of our people dislike history or turn a deaf ear. Since their teachers exalt their own history as the “beginning of civilization” while making us believe that ours is primitive without a written record. If I have not already convinced you into studying your past, learning the truth and identifying the lies we were taught. Then let me explain to you the serious problem of the memory loss that we suffer. It could be compared to a cognitive disease like dementia or Alzheimer, where you are severely impaired, with instability and confusion. If you choose not to remember the abuse done to you, then it will be impossible for you to survive with this condition.

Order of Service: - Prelude - The Confession of Sin (p. 120) - Hymn 287 - Jesus, I Will Ponder Now: vv. 1, 2, 5 - The Versicles (pp. 120-121) - The Gloria Patri (p. 121) - Psalm 130 (setting by Fernand de la Tombelle): From out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord. Listen to my pleading, O Lord, And hear my voice. If You should, O Lord, mark our sins, Lord, who could stand before Your judgment? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared and honored. My soul waits for the Lord, I wait and in His Word I place my hope. O Israel, hope in the Lord, for He is gracious. With Him is abundant redemption. He shall redeem us. He shall redeem us. He shall redeem us. Amen. - Passion History Reading - Matthew 11:20-24 - Homily - Hymn 292 - O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken: vv. 1, 5, 11, 12, 15 - The Kyrie (p. 124) - The Lord's Prayer (p. 125) - Hymn 584 - Grant Peace, We Pray, in Mercy, Lord - The Collect (pp. 125-127) - The Benedicamus (p. 127) - The Benediction (p. 127) - Hymn 593 - On My Heart Imprint Thine Image - Postlude Service Participants: Rev. Glenn Obenberger (Preacher), Rev. Prof. Mark DeGarmeaux (Organist), Chaplain Don Moldstad (Liturgist), Simon Kovaciny (Soloist)

Send a text“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you. You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:1-2).Freshly written and sent out immediately "morning by morning" from the morning prayer time of Tommy Hays each day.God bless you and you have a great day!—Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministrieshttp://messiah-ministries.org

Integrity is when your ________________ matches your ________________. [Psalm 15:1-5] Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? [2] Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. [3] Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. [4] Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts. [5] Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever. The opposite of integrity is ________________. [Matthew 23:25-28] “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! [26] You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too. [27] “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity. [28] Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. If you __________ integrity, nothing else matters. If you __________ __________ integrity, nothing else matters. [Joshua 6:18-19] “Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. [19] Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.” [Joshua 7:13] “Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you. Get to know Jesus personally and ________________ to those you have cheated. [Matthew 5:37 CSB] But let your ‘yes' mean ‘yes,' and your ‘no' mean ‘no.' Anything more than this is from the evil one. Say what you ____________ and mean what you __________. [Proverbs 28:6 CSB] Better the poor person who lives with integrity than the rich one who distorts right and wrong.

Send a textThe devotion for today, Friday, February 13, 2026 was written by Rev. Dr. Gary Kindley, LPC and is narrated by Gordon Markley.Today's Words of Inspiration come from Mark 12:28-31One of the scribes came near…and asked Jesus, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.”   Support the show

"But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name? And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man. And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel. So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LordGod of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it." Joshua 7:1-21

ADVENT WEEK 1 - HOPE Share real hope with your family, friends, and community! - Hope 103.2 (hope1032.com.au) Lord I cry out to you out of the depths of my despair! Hear my voice, O God! Answer this prayer and hear my plea for mercy. Lord, if you measured us and marked us with our sins, who would ever have their prayers answered? But your forgiving love is what makes you so wonderful… O Israel, keep hoping, keep trusting, and keep waiting on the Lord, for he is tenderhearted, kind, and forgiving. He has a thousand ways to set you free! He himself will redeem you; he will ransom you from the cruel slavery of your sins! PSALM 130:1–4a,7a From The Passion Translation Send the Real Hope team a messageListen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Old Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville Jeremiah: God's Call to Repentance 3:1—4:4 Introduction: “Repentance,” how often do you think about it? The whole concept probably does not cross our minds very often. However, repentance is one of those commands that should be an ongoing, regular part of our lives. If we ask God for forgiveness every day, repentance should be on our minds. Possibly our major problem with the concept of repentance is that we think it means being sorry for something we did. We could only wish it was that easy! It is not. Repentance is changing the very core of who we are, and change is not easy.  This section of Jeremiah calls upon God's people to change. But their challenge comes from the fact that they have been practicing their lifestyle for generations. Mom and dad lived this way and so did grandma and grandpa. Day to day life is embedded in who they are, and their culture continues to reinforce their failures.  Nothing has changed. Everyone of us has faults, flaws, weaknesses and habits that are not in favor with God. And we ignore these things within us, even nurture them and protect them.  God's Call to Repentance: Overview God gives no doubt as to the message of this section. The key Hebrew word used 17 times in this section in different forms is sub (pronounced ‘shoove'). Depending on context, the word means to “turn or return.” Used negatively it is Israel “turning away” from God. It is also translated “faithless.” For example, 3:22 read more literally, “Turn, you turning away sons, and I will heal your turnings.”  Used positively, the word is translated “return,” as in repentance. Israel had turned away, but now they are called upon to “turn back.” 4:1 gives an example of this turning, “If you return, O Israel…to me you should return.” You can see God's point. Israel had a tendency to “turn” in this way and that, from one idol to another and from one nation to another for help. God's plea is, if you are going to turn, turn to me! God Exposes Israel's Turning Away, 3:1-20 1-5 The Lord quotes from Deuteronomy 24:1-4. This law was given to stop the misuse of wives trading them back and forth to other men and then bringing them back. It was considered an abomination. This was the way Israel was treating God: “you have played the whore with many lovers and would you return to me?” (3:1). Did this mean it was impossible for them to return to God? Obviously not because this is God's plea. But their return must be with their whole heart 3:10, and not in pretense. Oh how this is still done today! How can we even think of paying homage to God, pretending to be thankful in the eating of his body and the drinking of his blood, but then giving ourselves to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and then in the pride of our hearts act as if God is accepting us!  2-5 describes the lustfulness of the nation toward their idols. They have been a brazen prostitute, sitting alone like in a wilderness, willing to be ravished by anyone who passed by. They have the “forehead of a whore,” indicating their boldness in their sins and refusal to be ashamed.  And yet they are so brazen that they will speak to God with words of love as if their harlotry has been a minor issue and that God's anger should not endure. 3:5b indicates how God is appalled at their words, “Behold you have spoken, but you have done all the evil that you could.” We would say, “You are a joke, Israel!”  6-14 Notice how God refers to Israel as “faithless one,” that is, “Turning away” one. God had hoped that after she had her fill of her whoredoms that she would “return” to me.” But not only did she not turn back to God, her sister Judah saw what she did, and in spite of God divorcing Israel by sending her away, Judah followed in the path of Israel's harlotry. Judah became so bad that she was worse than Israel. So much worse that God even calls Israel to “return, faithless (turning)” Israel. God would happily have her back if she would “acknowledge her guilt.” 15-20 The Lord looks ahead to speak of future blessings if his people will truly repent. This section obviously sees God's blessings in the Messiah and his kingdom. God will provide good shepherds who will feed them with spiritual knowledge and understanding.  God will multiply them and they will be fruitful (clearly and evangelistic blessing).  The loss of the ark of the covenant will no longer be a care because the new Jerusalem will be the throne of God (not the throne of a physical, temporary king).  When this happens, the nations will be gathered to the Lord in the new Jerusalem.  The people's hearts will be changed. They will no longer stubbornly follow their own evil heart.  They will be united as one nation; no longer a divided kingdom. 19-20 The previous blessings remind God of what he had originally planned for the nation. They would be his sons and daughters and they will call him Father, and they would not “turn” from following him. But instead they had been as a treacherous wife who left her husband. True Repentance Defined: 3:21—4:4 This section is either the hopefulness of Jeremiah or the future picture of the restoration of Israel as seen in the Messiah's disciples. I favor the latter view because there are similar pictures given by Isaiah and Ezekiel.  Notice the ingredients of true repentance: 21: “weeping and pleading” is the result of two signs of a changed heart.  (1) The realization that to be accepted back would be completely undeserved. As in the parable of the prodigal, he would have been thrilled just to be considered his father's servant.  (2) Weeping and pleading is evidence of a heart that despises and loathes self for the sins committed. There is no ambivalence that is typical in a half-hearted repentance in which sin is grudgingly given up but the deep desire to continue the sin is still present. (Israel in the wilderness) 22: Their desire to return to God, to repent, is because he is the Lord our God and only in the Lord our God “is the salvation of Israel (23b). As Jesus said in Matthew 16:25, “Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” A sure way to “lose life” is to try to live life for ourselves. 23: Repentance requires the recognition that all sin is but a delusion—a deception or lie. In other words, sin promises life, but its wages are misery and death. There is no fulfillment or satisfaction. There is only greater misery and despair.  24: Illustrates the deception & confession of sin. All that they have has been devoured. The result of their sins have been shame and dishonor. 4:1-4 God's call to an active repentance: This section plainly illustrates that repentance is not simply sorrow for sin. There must be an active pursuit of getting right with God.  1: “If you return, O Israel, to me you should return.” Make sure your change is truly a return to God. Stopping former sins will be short-lived unless the return is actually to God. Repentance is not just stopping sin. It is a passionate turn to God.  2: Our words of allegiance to God must be lived out in truth, justice and righteousness. 3-4: Start sowing good seed to produce fruit in your life. Get rid of the thorns—those things that hinder the process and choke out the word. Further, get your heart right! This is not something that happens instantly, but progresses as you pray and study regularly so that your heart can be transformed (Rom. 12:1). In the beginning, your heart will not “feel” like changing, but God repeatedly emphasizes a principle that always succeeds: “circumcise your hearts” is just another way of saying, act yourself into a new way of feeling. Berry Kercheville The post Jeremiah 3:1–4:4 God’s Call to Repentance appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Title: Shema Part 2: Hearing Without HeedingScripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-5Series: ShemaWhy is hearing God's word often easier than truly obeying it? Chaplain Bob Turner explores the deep command found in the Shema: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one." Using the tragic 1986 Challenger disaster as a stark parallel, Bob's message contrasts simply hearing a critical warning versus actively heeding it, which had fatal consequences. The scripture commands us to love God completely—with all our heart, soul, and strength. While total depravity means we are naturally unable to meet this perfect standard, God, through the finished work of Christ, enables us to respond with perfect love. Our divine purpose is wrapped up entirely in this command to love God totally. This response is not a burdensome chore, but an invitation into the most fulfilling relationship possible with our loving Creator.

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. TranscriptGood morning. Through snow and ice and disconnected H VAC units, we have finally gathered together, and we are getting ready to finally start Second Samuel. So if you're with us in the fall, we finished up First Samuel. We. We took a break with the Remember series and Give series, and now we get to start Second Samuel. We kind of jump into the middle of the story. First and Second Samuel actually were written as one book together. If you remember this when we first started, it's written as one book together because of how scrolls worked back in the day, they had to divide it in two separate scrolls. So it's one story. And we're jumping in the middle of a story at the beginning of 2 Samuel chapter 1. And we jump in the middle of a sad moment. And what we're going to see today is a lament that David has wrote for the people of God. And there are times where it's good to be sad. And when tragedy hits, when loss hits, there's something in us that aches for a response. I remember in 2001 when 911 happened, that as a nation, we were just collectively at a loss of words, and there was just a deep sadness for what many of us witnessed on TV and all the horror and the pain that came with that. And in November, two months after. I remember at the cmas, which is the Country Music Awards, Alan Jackson, he performed a song that he had written just a few weeks before. It's called Where Were youe In the World? Stop Turning. And the whole song is. It's a lament. It's country music, but it's a lament that captures how everyone felt in that moment as we witnessed all the pain and suffering at 9 11. And I just remember watching that with my parents and just being. Just felt it. You felt it in the room. And, you know, people outside of country music that don't even like country music, which is quite a few people, they actually, some of them very much appreciated the moment because what he was doing was capturing what we just felt. And that's what lament does. It captures this. This suffering, this. This loss, this pain that we feel. And it's good for. For us to sit in that. And poetic songs and poetic laments capture that. And that's what we get to see today as we jump into the middle of a story where we finish up in Second Samuel. We see the death of Saul and Jonathan and the defeat of Israel. We're going to walk through how David finds out about this. Then we're going to see how he laments and then as Christians, we're going to be able to sit in this and understand the importance of. Of what it means to be a people who lament. Well, so I'm going to pray for us, and then we'll walk through this together. Heavenly Father, I thank you for your word. It is precious, it is a gift, and it communicates wonderful, eternal truths that mold and shape us and conform us into your image in new and better ways. And I pray that you would do that to us this morning as we read and study and sit under the authority of your precious word. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.Okay, so if you weren't here for First Samuel, let me just give a quick summary. If you were here and it's been months, let me just help us remember. In 1st Samuel, God calls the final judge and the period of the judges and prophet Samuel. Because first and Second Samuel in the Old Testament is the beginning of the age of the kings. So the people are longing for a king. They want a ruler. They had God as their ruler. They had God as their king. And God used judges to reign them in at times. But this moment, they want a king. They go to Samuel. Samuel listens to the Lord, gives them their first king, which is Saul. And at first it goes well. Saul fits the bill. He looks like a king. He's tall, he's handsome. He leads the people, and they beat, they defeat the Ammonites. They do all kinds of things like this. And it's wonderful. And then as you keep reading, you see that his heart actually isn't fully for the Lord, that he has moments of deep faithlessness. And in his faithlessness, God rejects him as king. He anoints David, who is the next king of Israel. If you're familiar with anything in first and Second Samuel, you're probably familiar with the story of David and Goliath. That is when David steps onto the national scene after he's anointed by Samuel and he becomes a hero. He defeats Goliath, and then Saul appreciates David for, like, 10 minutes. It seems it's not very long. He, like, invites him to marry his daughter. He marries into the family. Things are good for a moment. And then quickly, I think Saul realizes, oh, David is the next king, and he becomes a threat. And the whole rest of 1st Samuel is Saul trying to kill David over and over and over again until finally we get to chapter 31 of 1st Samuel, when finally God brings judgment upon Saul and his house, and they're defeated by the Philistines.In 1st Samuel 31 it says,> Then the battle went hard against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was badly wounded by the archers.> Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and mistreat me." But his armor-bearer would not, for he was very afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it.> And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword and died with him.> So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together.So that is the end of Saul and 1st Samuel, or 2 Samuel chapter 1 picks up right where that leaves off a few days later. Verse 1.> After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag.> And on the third day behold, a man came from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage.So while Saul was fighting the Philistines, David was facing off with a band of Amalekites who had kidnapped him and his men's families. So he goes, he defeats them, and this is them kind of resting after the battle. And then all of a sudden, verse two, it says, and on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. So clothes torn and dirt on your head. That was an immediate sign to David and his men that something bad has happened. That's a sign of lament. You're in your garments, you put dirt on your head. Something major has happened. Which David said to him, verse three, where do you come from? And he said to him, I have escaped from the camp of Israel. And David said to him, how did it go? Tell me. And he answered, the people fled from the battle. And also many of the people have fallen and are dead. And Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead. So this is the first that David hears of this, that Saul, Jonathan, his friend, they're gone.Now, put yourself back in when we finish this up in the fall, and remember all that David went through to get to this moment and understand the complexities of how he must have been feeling. Saul tried to kill him over and over and over and over again, hurling spears, chasing him in the wilderness, chasing him in and out of towns, and finally it's over. And David had opportunities. He had opportunities to kill him himself. He had two opportunities with his hand in his life, and he spared him because he would not raise his hand against the Lord's anointed. He said, God will bring judgment on Saul. I will not. And it's finally happened. So that's in the background. And then also, Jonathan was one of his closest friends. Jonathan was a dear friend to him. If you remember when we walked the story of David and Jonathan, we got to see Jonathan, who was the next in line to be the king. Saul's son was. He was beloved by the people. He was a mighty warrior. And when David steps on the scene, he yields. It's very clear that he trusts that God has anointed him to be the next king. And that doesn't happen in the Old Testament, that doesn't happen in history. People don't give up their right to the throne like that. But he's a faith filled man and he trusts the anointing that David has. And you see, even when they talk, he longs to be serving in David's court one day. And he also. We saw how much Jonathan honored his father. He called him out at times for how he was pursuing David, but he honored him and stood by him in this battle. And his friend Jonathan is dead. So there is a lot happening in the soul of David as he receives this.And then in verse five, it says,> And the young man who told him said, "I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were closing in on him.> And when he looked behind him, he saw me and called to me. And I answered, 'Here I am.'> And he said to me, 'Who are you?' And I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.'> Then he said to me, 'Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.'> So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen.> And I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm and brought them here to my lord."Okay, if you're reading first into second Samuel, just chapter 31, straight into this right here. That's quite jarring because those aren't the same stories. That is two different tellings of what happened. And I just want to show you the differences in this. I've got a chart up here. And first Samuel, chapter 31, the narrator tells us that archers surrounded Saul and badly wounded him. But when the Amalekite retells, he says, no chariots and horsemen were close upon him. And in 1st Samuel 31, the narrator tells us that Saul turns to his armor bearer and asks to kill him because he doesn't want to be mistreated. But Amalekite says no. He called out to me. He said, I'm. He said, ask me to kill him. In 1st Samuel 31, we see that the armor bearer refuses. So Saul kills himself, but the Amalekite says, no, I killed him. The only part where. Where it is similar and you can line them up in compatibility is when it says in 1st Samuel 31 that the Philistines recovered just the armor. And then we get in the Amalekite retelling that the crown and the armlet he had so that you can line up, but everything else is different. So when we come upon situations like this in the Bible where there's. There's two differences there, that's an opportunity to lean in and to ask why? Why are these accounts different? And if you are undiscerning and you hop on the Internet and you get into the deep pages of Reddit or Google or wherever you go, you might find the lazy approach that's like, aha. Contradictions. See, your Bible is not trustworthy. And that's an opportunity to just sit in it longer, to ask deeper questions, to be more thoughtful and discerning. And once you do that, it's very clear what's happening. The Amalekite is lying. He's a liar. He's an opportunistic liar. He stumbles upon the battle. He sees Saul. Everyone knows that if Saul's dead, David is the next king. This is an opportunity for him to be rewarded in his mind. Grabs the crown, he grabs the armlet, he makes up a story, he leaves. And then he comes and he tells David the story. So he tells him this. Now David begins to really lament.Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him.> Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and likewise all the men who were with him.> And they mourned and wept and fasted until the evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.For Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword, which is just a picture. When, when the leader mourns and laments, everyone does. They follow suit. They tear their clothes, they weep, they fast. Which just as a thing to think about, that's one of the reasons for fasting. Like we're in the south and when someone dies, we eat. Which I think can be fun, but also have a category for fasting is good for the people of God to actually to. To fast and to pray and depend upon the Lord. And that's what they do until evening.And David said to the young man who told him, where do you come from? And he answered, I am the son of a sojourner and Amalekite.> And David said to the young man who told him, "Where are you from?" And he answered, "I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite."David said to him, how is it you who. How is it you who were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed? So this is about the moment the Amalekite begins to realize that he has made a massive mistake. Because David had multiple opportunities to do just this. David could have ended Saul's reign, could have taken the throne, could have seized power. But he feared the Lord and he trusted the Lord. And he was not going to do and raise his hand against the Lord's anointing. He was going to trust the Lord when the Lord decided to bring judgment. So how in the world could this Amalekite, this person who belonged to a people who were enemies of God, think that he could raise his hand against the Lord's anointed and this would somehow be rewarded? This is not the case. And he realizes he has made a mistake, that condemnation is coming.Then David called out, called one of the young men and said, go execute him. And he struck him down so that he died. And David said to him, your blood be on your head for you, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, I have killed the Lord's anointed.> And David said to him, "How is it you were not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?"> Then David called one of the young men and said, "Go near and execute him." So the young man struck him down, and he died.> And David said to him, "Your blood is on your head; your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the LORD's anointed.'"So the Amalekite, his reward for opportunistic lying is execution. And that's is another example from the scriptures of the dangers of lying. You can do a whole sermon on that right there. But that's actually not the main point of this story. And we're going to move on to what is the main point, which is this moment of loss for David and the people. And David is going to enter into a lament that he has written. We get the setup for that in verse 17 when it says,> And David took up his lament over Saul and his son Jonathan, and he ordered that The Song of the Bow be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar.So what we're about to read is a lamentation, a poetic sadness that the people of God are meant to read for centuries to come. And we also see that it's recorded in the book of Joshar, which. That is a Jewish history book that's referenced a few times in the Old Testament. It's lost to history. We don't have any more copies of it, but it was written in the Book of Joshar for the people, and it was recorded here in these scriptures for the people to remember and to lament together. So we're going to read this lament. But as we read this, I want us, as we catch this poetic capturing of the sadness of the people of God and David, we should remember the complexities of how David is feeling in this, of everything that's happened to him and everything that even Saul and his relationship and how complicated that was, that Saul was his enemy, that Saul wanted him dead, but Saul was also his father in law. Saul was also his king. Saul was also his commander. And now he's gone and so is his friend Jonathan. So there's a lot happening here. And we'll read this lament together. He said.> Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!> Tell it not in Gath; proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.> O mountains of Gilboa, may you have neither dew nor rain, nor fields of offerings; for there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.> From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.> Saul and Jonathan, beloved and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions.> O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you with crimson in luxury, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.> How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan lies slain on your high places.> I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women.> How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!If you have a title for this lament, it's how the mighty have Fallen, which I got curious and I was wondering, and as best I can tell, that is where we get the sarcastic play on Lament, oh, how the mighty have Fallen. So this is. It comes back to this. It's how the mighty have fallen. One of the things he laments in the loss of Saul and Jonathan and this army is that the daughters of the Philistines rejoice. And this is. This is a picture of the people in Gath and Ashkelon. These are cities in Philistia. They're all celebrating. So not only have they lost their leader, but also their enemies are rejoicing and they're sad.You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of offerings. For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul not anointed. With oil. Mount Gilboa is where this battle happened. It's where Saul died. And David curses it. He curses it. He wishes this place to be as desolate and devoid of the life that was taken there. Cursed be Mount Gilboa. Says, from the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back. And the sword of Saul returned not empty. Which, every now and then the ESV translations get a little clunky. I think it's helpful if you reverse this. The bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty from the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty. What that is saying is that they once were mighty warriors. They. They once fought for Israel, they slayed their enemies, and now they're gone and they're lamenting the loss of their mighty warriors. So Saul and Jonathan, beloved, beloved and lovely in life and death. They were not divided. They were swifter than eagles. They were stronger than lions. And we've seen this, we talked about this, that they, that. And through everything that was going on with Saul and David, Saul or Jonathan, honored both his friend and also his father. And they fought together, and they were mighty in battle. You read that in First Samuel. Together they were mighty warriors who defeated their enemies. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.You, daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel. Remember how when he reigned, how prosperous we were. How, how the daughters of Israel had scarlet and gold. He says, oh, how, he said, how, how the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle. And this refrain leads into David reflecting on his friendship with Jonathan. Jonathan lies slain on your high places. I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan. Very pleasant have you been to me. Your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women. So we catch this final glimpse of David's great love for his friend. And he describes this brotherly love that he had with Jonathan as surpassing the love of women, which we talked about this in the David and Jonathan sermon in First Samuel. If you weren't here, I'd encourage you to go back and listen to it. But just a moment to sit in that idea. It is good to have deep friendships like this. And more specifically, it is good for men to have deep friendships with other men. And a time where it is regularly written about that, that male. That male loneliness is a crisis. It's talked about as an epidemic, that men, especially young men, suicide rates are through the roof, substance abuse is through the roof. Drug overdoses has been through the roof. Sports gambling is an absolute disaster right now for young men. And on and on and on. It's just, it's regularly observed there's something wrong and that they're. There's a need for men to have deep friendships. And we aren't culturally set up well to do this. The men aren't culturally set up well to do this. In fact, it's very apparent that culturally we don't understand a depth of friendship like this. Because people read this and they, they, they jump to, oh, something, something sexual in nature must have been going on between those two. I mean, that is, that is, that is what some people will argue that this is evidence that something was happening between those two men. And it's like we've so misunderstood and are so underprepared to understand how important is to have deep relationships with other men that you can walk side by side and that you can see as brothers. So we, we need to, to grow in this. And especially if you're, if you're married. Let me just say this very clearly. If you're married and your wife is your only friend, nowhere in the Scriptures do I see that as wise. You should absolutely have friendship with your wife. Also, you should have depth of relationship with other men. She should not be your sole confidant. We have care nights where we separate the men and women. And one of the reasons we do that is so that men can grow in friendship and brotherhood and accountability and depth. And that matters. So you can go back, listen to that sermon. More was said there, but I'll move on. And he is just lamenting the loss of this great friend that he had. Verse 27. He ends, how the mighty have fallen and the weapons of war perished. So he ends that refrain, the reminder of what they lost in Jonathan, what they lost. And when you think about what David's doing on behalf of the people of God and personally, and thinking about this, it's very peculiar because you have to recognize that ultimately for David, this is a good thing for him. He's not going to have to look over his shoulder. He's not going to have to be on the run. He's not going to have the threat of death hanging over him over and over and over again. Saul for years has made his life miserable. And you can see this very clearly not just in First Samuel, but when you read the Psalms, particularly the Psalms that David wrote while he was on the run from Saul. You see this in Psalm 57. 4. It says, My soul is in the midst of lions. I lie down amid fiery beasts, the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp, sharp swords. I mean, you see the distress as. As Saul and his men, and all the lies and all the. All the slandering, all the. The threats. In Psalm142.3, another Psalm he wrote on the run from Saul, it says, when my spirit faints within me, you know my way in the path where I walk, they have hidden a trap for me under the threat of being captured continuously. Psalm 54, another Psalm that he wrote while on the wrong from Saul, he says, for strangers have risen against me. Ruthless men seek my life. They do not set God, God before themselves. They seek Saul and his ambition, but they don't consider the Lord. And you see the turmoil that David was in for years. So it's reasonable to assume this moment that he hears of Saul's death, that he's relieved. But that's found nowhere in this lament, not for a moment as you celebrate this, even though ultimately this is for David's good and he knows now I'm able to step into the throne that God has prepared for me, he still appropriately laments. He laments the loss of this nation's leader. He laments the loss of his king, he laments the loss of his friend. And he does this for himself and the people of God to remember. And I think David's response is exemplary. I think it's a very helpful example for us to have this category of lament, even though good things may await us, because I think as Christians, we are just in America. I think we're weaker here. And I see this in a few different ways. I see this in the way that some Christians approach funerals. And I'm not here to attack you. If you've said this or if you believe this, I do want to correct you. I've heard Christians say, well, this brother or sister died, and we're not having a funeral, we're having a party. We're having a celebration because we know where they are, and where they are is far better. So there will be no tears. We will celebrate. And I just go, where do you get that from the Scriptures? Where do we get that idea that we smile in the face of death? Where do you get the idea that we should just be happy? We know that good things just. David knew that good things awaited him. But in the moment of death, the appropriate response is lament. I see people when they lose a job, some Christians come alongside them and they're quick to just want to point out things and they'll say things like, yeah, you know, but it's an opportunity for you to trust the Lord. And it seems like you're really upset about losing this job. You might want to check your heart. It's possible that you have some idolatry for this job. It's possible that you have some control idolatry, that you're trying to control everything. And this is an exposure. God is working in this trial to teach you you should be joy filled. And it's like, whoa, he just lost his job. She just lost her job. There's a moment that it's appropriate to be sad. And certainly we can work through the other things later and count it joy for sufferings. But must we jump straight into the good things that might away? This happens with health trials, various members of our church going through all types of health trials and battles. And I appreciate some of the optimistic culture that surrounds all of that. You hear people say, you know, God's got this and, and, and we're, you know, just. And I appreciate aspects of that that rally in a way that's appropriate and good. But there also, there's a moment and there are days that it's just okay to be sad. It's just okay to lament the reality of suffering. And we should hold these together because human emotion is far more complex than this. We as Christians should be the best at this, y', all to have moments where we are just sad for the reality of death and loss and suffering, while also having our hope secured and tethered to the reality of the future promises that await God's people. We should be able to hold both intention together. And no one exemplifies this better than Jesus Christ.When you get to the Gospel of John in chapter 11 with the recounting of the story of the death of Lazarus and his resurrection, when you read that in verse 11, it says, after saying these things, he said to them, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him. And that's important because Jesus absorbs the reality that his friend is dead, that Lazarus is dead, while also saying, I'm going to raise him. Jesus knows exactly what he's about to do. He's about to raise Lazarus from the dead because that resurrection is going to point forward to later, not far actually down the road where Jesus Christ will be resurrected, which again points to the future resurrection. So he's doing something bigger here. He knows what he's about to do. He knows the good things that are about to happen. And yet when he meets his friends Mary And Martha, verse 32, it says now, when Mary came to see to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews would come with her, also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, where have you laid him? They said to him, lord, come and see. Verse 35. Jesus wept. And I think that's important because I think if some American Christians would have written this story, they would have said, Jesus comes on the scene and he sees them weeping and he says, dry your tears because I'm about to do something big, I'm about to do something good. I'm going to do something glorious. But he doesn't. He sees his friends who are broken and in tears, and he's deeply moved in his spirit and he weeps. It doesn't say he cried a few tears, it says he weeps. What a wonderful example we have in our Savior. And seeing the need to lament, knowing that good things may await. But the reality is, is that death stings. Yes. Oh, death, where's your sting? That's future looking. But the sting is now. And there are moments where that recognizing that and living in that reality is beautiful and good for our souls. We should be a people who do this well. We should be a people who both hold the reality of death in front of us and cry. And also hold the reality of the future resurrection and new heavens and new earth, where there is no more death, where there is no more sting, where there is no more tears. And hold those both together. I mean, that's when Paul is writing to the Thessalonians. In 1st Thessalonians 4, he says, but we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others who do not have hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. And I think some people just jump to the we have hope. We have hope. And it's like. But it presupposes what he just told them. He says, may not grieve as others who do not have hope. But he doesn't say, don't grieve. He says, no, we're going to grieve, but we're going to do it as those who have hope. Those who are grounded in the hope of the future resurrection. And that's what we're called to do. That when someone dies, the appropriate response is, if they're a Christian, is not, let's have a party. It's like, no, no, Death is awful. Now, we had a funeral here three weeks ago for one of our members, Ms. Valerie. And she was 93 years old. And y', all, she suffered greatly in the last few years of her life. And I could hold the thought in my head that says, I'm so thankful for where she is now. But when I sat with her family, I said, y' all should feel this death stings and it's okay to be sad. And we could hold both of those thoughts together. That when you experience loss, when you lose something, that you can be sad while also having your faith anchored in the reality that one day there will be no more losing, there will only be gain. That we as Christians can have sufferings. And know what James 1 says, when it says, count it all joy. My brothers know what Romans 5 says, that suffering produces character, care produces endurance. Like we can have all these together while also being faith filled and sad and also putting our hope in what is to come and growing and maturing along the way that we should be able to hold these both together. Because we as Christians live between the already and the not yet. We live between the reality of present suffering and the future promises that await. And we should be a people who lament well personally, but also we should help others lament, brothers and sisters. Do not rob others of the opportunity to both grieve and be sad and let God meet them in their grief. Because I think sometimes because we're uncomfortable, because we don't like the silence, or because we lack the theological depth to understand how we should respond. And we'll just offer shallow truisms or Christian niceties. We need to grow in helping other brothers and sisters who are lamenting suffer well and lament well so that God can meet them in their grief and grow their faith in wonderful ways.I was on the Internet the other day and I saw one of my friends from college post this, one of the most moving things I've ever read on grief. And him and his wife had struggled with infertility for years. They six months ago had twin boys and were excited and did the gender reveal and all the things. And we're all very excited. And at 22 weeks, everything fell apart. They had emergency delivery and their boys lived for only a day. And then this past week, after six months of reflecting, he wrote this. And I Want to ask permission for me to read this because I found it to be very moving, very helpful. How God can meet us in our grief and our lament. And here's what he wrote. He said, grief is about allowing loss to enlarge my heart and increase my capacity to hold both joy and sorrow. Grief is teaching me that my boys live on in me and will always be a part of me. Grief is instructing me to cry out to God and complaint and lament long enough to hear him whisper, I know what it's like to lose a son. Grief is increasing my longing for heaven and the renewal of all things. Grief is daring me to believe that despite our loss, God is still writing a good story. Grief is consistently inviting me to choose life in the face of death. I'm a different person than I was six months ago. But as a friend who knows what it's like to lose a child, has told me I want my child back, but I don't want the old me back. I think I'm just starting to believe him. So it is through grief that I echo the words of Nicholas Wolterstaff in his book of Lament of a Son. I shall look at the world through tears. Perhaps I shall see things that dried eyed I could not see. I read that and I just was like, you don't arrive at that conclusion without having your faith so deeply anchored. The reality that one day he will make all things new, but he's sufficient to meet us in the moment of lament that comes through faith filled lament. You don't see God like this without him meeting us in our grief like this, knowing that God in our suffering gives us eyes to see, even if those eyes are stained with tears. You don't embrace this without faith filled lament. You don't refuse it. You lean into it. And that is something that we need to grow in as Christians. We need to grow in learning to lament well. We need to grow and having this trusting the Lord in the middle of the suffering and the loss.And one of the ways we get to do that is through taking the Lord's Supper and through singing, which we're going to do in a moment. We're going to take the Lord's Supper and we're going to sing a song of lament. As we come to the table as Christians, we're reminded of what Jesus instituted for us on the night that he was betrayed. He took bread and he broke it. He said, this is my body that was broken for you. And he took the cup of the new covenant. He said, this is my blood that was shed for you, that as often as you eat and drink this, you proclaim my death until I return. Jesus instructs his church to practice this practice, to remember that he secured salvation for us on the cross while also pointing forward to one day when the final feast happens. And that we as Christians live in the middle between both. So we don't come to the table all the time with just joy filled hearts. Sometimes we come with heavy hearts, and that's good. If you're a Christian, you get to consider your sin, you get to consider our sufferings, and we also get to consider our Savior who meets us in our sufferings. And in a moment you'll come to the table and I invite you to. If you're not a Christian, we don't want you to come to the table. We want you to come to our Savior. That walking through this life will be filled with suffering, it will be filled with trials, it will be filled with death. And I hope that reality is impressed upon your heart to see that there is someone who can meet you in that and can point you to the hope that we have that is secure. So don't come to the table, come to Jesus Christ in faith. But the band's going to come up now. They're going to take the Lord's Supper, and then we're going to sing a song of lament that is meant to help us learn how to grieve well, how to lament well. And we will sing this out together.

It's common for us to hear people say things like, "Well, MY God isn't like that!" and what they mean is that they don't like the God of the Bible, and have tried to imagine God being more the way they'd like. That's dangerous and today we'll see it's also not new. So, join us in our study of Exodus 32 as we continue to dig into the powerful and relevant truths of God's Word. DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1.    If a person hears the Bible's teaching about God, and says something like, "Oh, my god isn't like that!" How might that be an indication that that person is worshipping a false god? 2.    In the opening verses, Moses is delayed and the people grew impatient. They asked Aaron to make a god for them. Why do you think they wanted this "god" to be made? Why do you think Aaron went along with it? What does this teach us about how they viewed God? 3.    In verse 4, Aaron took their gold and made it into the shape of a calf and declared, "This is your God, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!" This is stunning for many reasons; one of which is that the Egyptians worshipped a god that was represented by bulls. Do you think any of past experiences in Egypt was part of their present embracing of this idol? What can we learn from this about the dangers of associating the true God with things we know and are familiar with?  4.    In verse 19, Moses threw down the two tablets containing the commandments of the covenant. How did this act of breaking the tablets reflect their broken covenant with the Lord?  5.    The podcast suggests that Aaron's excuse in verse 24, that the fire produced the golden calf, was a form of religious charlatanry or perhaps magical thinking. How do people still do things like this today when they talk about the Lord?  6.    In verse 26, when Moses said, "Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!" Who came over to him? What did they do? How was this an act of mercy?  7.    The podcast mentions a change in how the Lord would abide with the people. According to Exodus 33:7, where was Tabernacle moved to? Why? 8.    How does this passage show us the danger of looking to re-making God to be like something that "we" like versus what He has revealed about Himself?  9.    How does this passage also show us the principle that we don't decide how to worship God?  10.    How do we see that worship is not about what "we" want but what the Lord wants?  11.    How does this passage show us the importance of trusting God's timeline? What are the dangers of rushing things according to our schedule?  Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon just in time for the Genesis relaunch in January! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

Study session scripture: Romans 3:27-31Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.Study session topics:Righteousness by faith for Jews and gentiles The salvation offered by God leaves no room for human pride Salvation, from beginning to end, is apart from worksWe cannot claim any credit for any part of our salvationBoasting is the most easily identifiable outworking of pride, the first and greatest of all sinsSatan's pride led him to rebel against God (Isaiah 14:12-15) Eve's pride in desiring to be like God, knowing good and evil, led her to take the fruit of the forbidden tree (Genesis 3:1-7) Pride is the greatest of all sins because it attempts to place us on the throne that belongs to God--It moves us away from worship of God and toward worship of self Pride lies at the root of all sins--We think we know better than God, and therefore our sinful way is better than God's righteous way Pride affects us all to one degree or another - western culture, particularly American culture, is very susceptible to pride. God, in His wisdom, made a path to salvation that excludes our pride by taking all the work and effort (and thus, all the credit and all the glory) upon HimselfJustification before God comes by faith, not by our own efforts Salvation is a free gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9) (Romans 11:6) What is faith? What does faith look like? 3 elements of faith: knowledge, belief, and commitment (Romans 10:13-14) Knowledge--One must know the truth about God and ourselves to have effective faith Belief--Being moved in the heart, accepting the truth as the truth Commitment: putting one's complete trust in the object of one's faith Since God is God of all, both Jew and Gentile, there is only one way to gain salvation--by faith Paul affirms the Shema (Hebrew for "hear") (Deuteronomy 6:4)--"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one," rebuking Gentile polytheism while also chiding the Jewish sense of superiority over being God's chosen people -Paul once again drives home to both audiences that it is not rote ritualistic obedience that saves, but faith Paul concludes this section by affirming that even though obedience to the Law cannot save, this does not mean we throw the Law away Faith does not mean we can do as we please regardless of the morality of our actions--indeed, true faith inspires us to uphold God's morality Study session audio:

7 takeaways from this study Incense shows us what prayer really is. The altar of incense in Exodus isn't just ancient ritual. It pictures our prayers rising continually before God, like what we see in Revelation 8. Hannah is a model of real intercession. Her silent, anguished prayer in 1Samuel 1–2 shows what it means to pour out your soul before the LORD, with no pretense and no Plan B. The “horn” is God's power to lift up the lowly. When Hannah's “horn” is lifted, it ties into the larger Bible picture of the horn as strength and victory — from the Psalms to Daniel to the Lamb with seven horns in Revelation. From bronze altar to golden altar is a journey. Sacrifice at the bronze altar leads to transformation, and the golden altar of incense pictures a life that now draws near and sends up a pleasing fragrance of prayer. Yeshua is our eternal High Priest and advocate. Unlike mortal priests, He lives forever and always intercedes for us (Hebrews 7; 1John 2). He doesn't just officiate; He fights for us. John 17 ties incense to truth and unity. Yeshua prays that we'll be set apart by God's truth and that we'll be one, just as the LORD is one. That unity is part of our “incense” to the world. Malachi warns us how not to worship. God rejects cheap, half‑hearted offerings and religious show. Yet Malachi also promises the Sun of Righteousness and an Elijah‑type call to return and be restored. There’s line from the altar of incense in Exodus 30 through Hannah's prayer, Yeshua's high priestly ministry, and Malachi's rebuke of corrupt worship, showing how Scripture presents prayer as something like heavenly incense—fragrant, costly, and “most holy to the LORD” (קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים qodesh qodashim, “most holy”; Exodus 30:10). In Exodus 30:1–10, the altar of incense stands right in front of the curtain that separates the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant/Testimony rests. The Ark often receives the most attention, and rightly so, because the visible manifestation of God's Presence dwells above it. Yet the golden altar of incense is placed just outside the veil, very near to that Presence. The Mishkan (“Dwelling Places,” i.e., the Tabernacle) and its furniture are not merely ancient religious artifacts. They are earthly replicas of heavenly realities (cf. Hebrews 8:5). The altar is a replica of what happens in heaven; the pattern given to the priests teaches Israel what is already true in the heavenly realm. That pattern still speaks to believers today in Messiah. Hannah's Prayer: Incense of the Heart To understand what the altar of incense signifies, we must listen to חַנָּה Channah (Hannah) in 1Samuel 1–2. Her story offers a narrative picture of incense-like prayer. Hannah's deep longing for a son moved her to pour out her soul before Adonai with unusual intensity and sincerity. In the biblical world, barrenness was viewed as a source of reproach and grief for a woman, and 1 Samuel 1:9–20 emphasizes that this sorrow is what drove Hannah to such fervent, heartfelt prayer.  Channah is “greatly distressed” and “wept bitterly” as she prays at the Tabernacle, at that time pitched in Shiloh. She vows: “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life…” 1Samuel 1:11, NASB95 Her prayer is silent — only her lips move — so that Eli the priest misreads her anguish, assumes she is drunk (1Samuel 1:12–14). But Hannah explains that she is “a woman oppressed in spirit” who has “poured out [her] soul before the LORD” (1Samuel 1:15). This language of pouring out the soul parallels the outpouring that incense imagery conveys: something deep within rises up toward heaven. Yet, considering Eli's broader story and the moral decline he witnessed around him, it is understandable why he initially assumed the worst. Once he listened and understood the true nature of her prayer, he affirmed her request and blessed her. God remembers Hannah; she conceives and bears שְׁמוּאֵל Shemu'el (Samuel), saying, “because I asked him of the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:20). Her answered prayer leads to a song of praise in 1Samuel 2:1–10. The Horn: Power and Exaltation In Hannah's song, she says: “My heart exults in the LORD;My horn is exalted in the LORD” 1Samuel 2:1, NASB95 The Hebrew term קֶרֶן qeren, “horn,” appears repeatedly in Scripture as a symbol of power, victory, and strength. In the Psalms we read: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2, NASB95 Prophetic books like Daniel 7 use horns in visions to represent kings and kingdoms rising and falling. In Revelation 5:6, the Lamb appears with seven horns, signaling complete and perfect power. 7 and 8: Completion and Overflow The number seven holds special resonance in Hebrew thought. The word שֶׁבַע sheva (“seven”) is related to שָׁבַע shava (“oath”), giving seven the sense of something you can rely on, something complete and confirmed. Thus seven horns on the Lamb picture power brought to its full, reliable, oath-like completion. The symbolism of seven lamps in Revelation 1–2 connects to the מְנוֹרָה menorah in the Tabernacle — the seven‑branched lampstand that symbolizes God's complete insight into, and care for, His people. The number eight, שְׁמוֹנֶה (shemonah), connected to שֶׁמֶן (shemen), “oil” or “fatness.” If seven is fullness and completion, eight suggests overflow—fullness that spills over, like rich oil. In the pattern of Scripture, seven stands for complete cycles (Sabbath, feasts, etc.), while eight can signal new beginnings that flow out of that completed work. In this context, the Lamb with seven horns represents perfect, complete power; the Lamb stands amid the seven lamps as the One who fully sees and fully empowers the congregations. This ties the imagery of horns, lamps, and incense together around the person of Messiah. From Bronze Altar to Golden Altar: A Journey of Transformation The bronze altar in the courtyard of the Tabernacle connects with the golden altar of incense in the Holy Place. Both have horns (קַרְנוֹת qarnot), but they serve different roles. The bronze altar (Exodus 27) receives burnt offerings; animals are consumed by fire there, and their smoke rises. The golden altar of incense (Exodus 30:1–10) stands inside, by the curtain, and receives only incense — no animal sacrifices. This layout illustrates a progression: The worshiper enters the courtyard and encounters the bronze altar. Here, a substitutionary life is poured out in blood; the offering is consumed. Only the blood of certain offerings proceeds further, toward the inner sanctum. The golden altar of incense represents the completion of that process: what has been offered and transformed now rises as a pleasing fragrance, close to God's presence. In Messianic Jewish terms, this progression points to the way a believer, Jew or Gentile, approaches God through Yeshua the Messiah. The life laid down (sacrifice) leads to cleansing and transformation, and from that transformed life arises prayer as incense before the throne. ‘Most Holy to the LORD’ Exodus 30 describes the golden altar as “most holy to the LORD” (קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים הוּא לַיהוָה qodesh qodashim hu la‑Adonai). This expression is rare and weighty. קָדוֹשׁ kadosh means “holy, set apart”; qodesh qodashim is literally “holiness of holinesses,” usually translated “Most Holy” or “Holy of Holies.” The same language describes the inner sanctuary where the Ark is kept and certain offerings that are entirely set apart for God (e.g., Leviticus 2:3; 6:17). When something is “most holy,” it is not negotiable, not a casual add‑on to life. It belongs to God in a unique way. The altar of incense stood in intimate connection with the Holy Place, positioned directly before the veil and closest to the presence of Adonai. Though smaller in size than other furnishings, its spiritual significance was immense.  The study draws a parallel between this and prayer itself. When prayer rises from a life genuinely devoted to God, it resembles that incense on the most holy altar: entirely set apart, fully given over. ‘Devoted’ Beyond Recall Leviticus 27:28 introduces the concept of חֵרֶם ḥerem: “…anything which a man sets apart to the LORD out of all that he has… shall not be sold or redeemed. Anything devoted to destruction is most holy to the LORD.” Leviticus 27:28, paraphrased from NASB95 The Hebrew root חָרַם ḥaram basically means “to devote,” though in many contexts it takes on the sense “devoted to destruction,” as in the conquest of Jericho. Once something is ḥerem, it is irrevocably given over; you do not get to pull it back or swap it out. Applied to prayer, this becomes a vivid image: true prayer is ḥerem-like—wholly given to God without reservation. Hannah's plea for a child and her vow to dedicate him to the LORD (1Samuel 1:11) exemplify that kind of devotion. The High Priest and the Cloud of Incense Once a year, on Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16), the high priest enters the Most Holy Place. Crucially, he must bring incense from the golden altar in a censer, so that a cloud of incense covers the mercy seat, “that he may not die” (Leviticus 16:13). The study emphasizes that this cloud is not a mere ritual flourish; it is a protective and mediating sign, wrapping the high priest as he draws near. This leads naturally to the role of Yeshua as the eternal High Priest. Hebrews 7 contrasts mortal priests, who die, with Messiah: “…because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently.Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:23–25 NASB95 In a Messianic Jewish reading, Yeshua is the heavenly כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל Cohen Gadol, who not only offers atonement but continues in intercession—like incense continually rising. The Tanakh shows that Israel's priests, descendants of Aaron, were human and varied—some served faithfully, others struggled deeply, and some, like the sons of Eli, acted in ways that dishonored their calling. Their priesthood, though divinely appointed, was limited by mortality and human weakness. Yeshua, on the other hand, is not a priest who “clocks in and out,” but the One who stands between the living and the dead, just as Aaron once did with the censer of incense to stop a plague in Israel (Numbers 16:46–48). John 17: The High Priestly Prayer of Yeshua John 17 is often called the “high priestly prayer.” Here Yeshua lifts His eyes to heaven and prays for: The glorification of the Father and the Son (John 17:1–5) Revelation of the Father's name and word to the disciples (John 17:6–8) Protection from the evil one (John 17:9–16) Sanctification in truth (John 17:17–19) Unity of believers in Him (John 17:20–23) Eternal presence with Him and experience of the Father's love (John 17:24–26) Yeshua says: “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” John 17:17, NASB95 The Hebrew concept behind “truth” here parallels אֱמֶת (emet), “truth, reliability.” Sanctification (qiddush) is not vague spirituality; it is being set apart by the Word of God, as revealed in Torah, Prophets, Writings, and fulfilled in Messiah. Yeshua's emphasis on unity (“that they may all be one,” John 17:21) resonates deeply with the שְׁמַע Shema: “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” Deuteronomy 6:4 NASB95 Just as יהוה Adonai is one, His people are called to Oneness in Him — Jew and Gentile together in Messiah, reconciled and united (cf. Ephesians 2:14–16). That unity is not theoretical. It is part of the fragrance of genuine incense-like prayer that displays God's reality to the watching world. Prayer and Judgment in Revelation 8 Revelation 8:1–5 presents a striking scene: the prayers of the saints (“holy ones,” קְדֹשִׁים kedoshim), like incense, rise before God, and then the angel takes the censer, fills it with fire from the altar, and throws it to the earth, triggering thunder, lightning, and an earthquake. Those prayers are not only requests for comfort; they include cries of “How long?”—longing for justice, the end of oppression, and the final setting-right of the world. Prayer and judgment intertwine: the persistent prayers of God's people are linked to the release of God's righteous judgments that end evil and suffering. As the narrative unfolds, these prayers are connected to the sounding of the seven trumpets, showing that intercession invites divine intervention against the forces of darkness. The cries of the saints for healing, peace, deliverance, wisdom, and righteousness are heard by God and elicit His response. Other New Covenant passages reinforce this life of continual prayer: “pray without ceasing” (1Thessalonians 5:17), “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6 NASB95), and the assurance that “the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16 NASB95). In this way, Revelation portrays prayer not as passive devotion but as active participation in God's triumph over evil and the restoration of creation. Malachi 1–2: How Not to Offer Incense Malachi speaks to a weary and disillusioned people and to a corrupt priesthood who, amid spiritual decline, begin to question the love and faithfulness of Adonai Malachi 1:11–2:9 uses incense language to rebuke corrupt worship. “For from the rising of the sun even to its setting,My name will be great among the nations,And in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure…” Malachi 1:11 NASB95 This universal vision is immediately contrasted with the failed priesthood of Malachi's day. Priests bring stolen, lame, and sick animals — offerings that cost them little and misrepresent God's holiness. God calls such behavior “despising” His name (Malachi 1:12–13). In Mal 2:3 the language becomes graphic: God threatens to spread the refuse — literally, the vomit of their festival sacrifices — on their faces. Instead of fragrant incense, their corrupted offerings produce stench. The priests' hypocrisy becomes a stumbling block for the people, leading them astray rather than drawing them near. This is not merely ancient history. It warns any community claiming to serve the God of Israel, including Messianic congregations and the wider body of Messiah. Ritual correctness without integrity of heart can become an abomination, just as Isaiah 1:11–15 says, where God refuses multiplied sacrifices and prayers because they are joined with iniquity. Crisis, Reboot, and Return to Torah Historically, Malachi stands after the Babylonian exile and the rebuilding of the Second Temple. There has been a kind of spiritual letdown: the people expected a glorious restoration, but they remain under foreign empires and spiritual zeal has cooled. The prophet confronts a generation coasting on older revivals. In times of crisis, people often cry out to God and even see short-term renewal, but unless each generation reboots back to God's original instructions — the תּוֹרָה Torah (“instruction”) — the slide returns. This “reboot” analogy works well: when a computer system is corrupted, you shut it down and restart from the manufacturer's instructions. Spiritually, that means returning to what God commanded through Moses at Horeb/Sinai (Malachi 4:4), testing every new word, teaching, or movement against the standard of Scripture (cf. Deuteronomy 13; 18). Elijah, the Day of the LORD, and Multiple Fulfillments Malachi ends not in despair but hope (Malachi 4:1–6). A coming “day” will burn like a furnace, consuming the arrogant and evildoers. Yet for those who fear God's name, “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings” (Malachi 4:2, NASB 1995). God promises to send אֵלִיָּהוּ Eliyahu (Elijah) before the great and terrible day of the LORD, to turn hearts — fathers to children, children to fathers. In the Apostolic Writings, Yeshua identifies Yochanan the Immerser (John the Baptist) as an Elijah‑figure for His generation (e.g., Matthew 11:14). Yet Revelation's two witnesses, calling down fire from heaven, again echo Elijah's ministry, suggesting multiple fulfillments of the Elijah pattern — each time God confronts widespread corruption and calls His people back to faithfulness. In each case, God's goal is the same: to distinguish between those who merely play at religion and those truly devoted (ḥerem) to Him, and to invite the undecided to step off the fence and follow truth. The Power of Pure, Hidden Prayer An ancient commentary on Malachi 1:11 notes how pure prayer — even when silent and hidden — is more precious than loud, showy words. Purity of heart constitutes prayer more than do all the prayers that are uttered out loud, and silence united to a mind that is sincere is better than a loud voice of someone crying out. My beloved, give me now your heart and your thought, and hear about the power of pure prayer; see how our righteous ancestors excelled in their prayer before God and how it served them as a “pure offering.” For it was through prayer that offerings were accepted, and it was prayer again that averted the flood from Noah. Prayer has healed barrenness, prayer has overthrown armies, prayer has revealed mysteries, prayer has divided the sea, prayer made a passage through the Jordan. It held back the sun, it made the moon stand still, it destroyed the unclean, it caused fire to descend. Prayer closed up the heaven, prayer raised up from the pit, rescued from the fire and saved from the sea. Aphrahat the Persian Sage (A.D. 270–345) It recalls how prayer in Scripture: Averts judgment (Noah and the Flood; intercession in the Prophets) Heals barrenness (Hannah) Overcomes armies Divides seas and rivers Stops the sun and moon Calls down or withholds fire and rain Raises up from the pit and rescues from danger Yeshua Himself warns against prayer done to impress others (Matthew 6:5–6). Public prayer is not wrong, but when its motive is human recognition, the “reward” is already spent. Like Hannah, genuine prayer may be misunderstood outwardly, but God hears the heart poured out. This aligns with the calling of Israel and the nations in Messiah: to become a people whose lives are living sacrifices (cf. Romans 12:1), whose prayers are like incense on the golden altar, and whose worship is qadosh qadashim — most holy to the LORD. The post ‘Most holy to the LORD’: What the altar of incense reveals about prayer (Exodus 30; Malachi 1–2; John 17; Revelation 8) appeared first on Hallel Fellowship.

Mensagem do dia 01 de fevereiro de 2026 por Israel Magalhães Verdades de Jesus sobre a oração | Mateus 6:5-13 Celebração Ibab AO VIVO 11h www.ibab.com.br Nos acompanhe nas redes sociais www.instagram.com/oficialibab www.facebook.com/oficialibab www.twitter.com/oficialibab

Send us a textThis is our second episode in the series on fasting for 2026. John 3:3030 He must increase, but I must decrease.Psalm 35:1313 …I humbled myself with fasting;…Jonah 3:4-54 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.Exodus 32:88 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!' ”Deuteronomy 9:1818 …I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you committed in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.Matthew 6:1616 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.1 Samuel 15:2222…Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,…Isaiah 58:6-76 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?Daniel 9:3So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting.Colossians 3:22 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Isaiah 40 Comfort for God's People17 All the nations are as nothing before him,    they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.18 To whom then will you liken God,    or what likeness compare with him?19 An idol! A craftsman casts it,    and a goldsmith overlays it with gold    and casts for it silver chains.20 He who is too impoverished for an offering    chooses wood[h] that will not rot;he seeks out a skillful craftsman    to set up an idol that will not move.21 Do you not know? Do you not hear?    Has it not been told you from the beginning?    Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,    and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,    and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;23 who brings princes to nothing,    and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,    scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,when he blows on them, and they wither,    and the tempest carries them off like stubble.25 To whom then will you compare me,    that I should be like him? says the Holy One.26 Lift up your eyes on high and see:    who created these?He who brings out their host by number,    calling them all by name;by the greatness of his might    and because he is strong in power,    not one is missing.27 Why do you say, O Jacob,    and speak, O Israel,“My way is hidden from the Lord,    and my right is disregarded by my God”?28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?The Lord is the everlasting God,    the Creator of the ends of the earth.He does not faint or grow weary;    his understanding is unsearchable.29 He gives power to the faint,    and to him who has no might he increases strength.30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,    and young men shall fall exhausted;31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;they shall run and not be weary;    they shall walk and not faint.For more information about this group, please visit their website at reformationboise.com. Every weekday at 3:30 am and 7:30 am you can listen to The Gospel for Life on KSPD 94.5 FM and 790 AM Boise's Solid Talk in the Treasure Valley, Idaho, USA. If you have a question, comment, or even a topic suggestion for the Pastors, you can email them. Phone: (208) 991-3526E-mail: thegospelforlifeidaho@gmail.comPodcast website: https://www.790kspd.com/gospel-for-life/

“Jesus replied, ‘The most important commandment is this: “Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.” The second is equally important: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” No other commandment is greater than these.’” (Mark 12:29–31 NLT) In this month’s devotions, we’re going to look at the Gospel of Mark. And we’re going to start with one of the key passages of the New Testament. According to Mark 12:28, “One of the teachers of religious law” asked Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” (NLT). He was testing Jesus. At that time, Jewish religious leaders recognized over 600 different laws. And they spent a lot of time ranking them according to importance. The questioner wanted Jesus to say something controversial so that Jesus’ enemies could use it against Him. Instead, Jesus gave him the wisdom of the ages. “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these” (Mark 12:29–31 NLT). With those words, Jesus highlighted the connection between loving God and living in a way that pleases Him. He established the template of the Christian life. If you really love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, then you will not want to break the other commandments. If you really love God as you ought to, then you will not take His name in vain, have other gods before Him, or make images that you bow down before. And if you really love your neighbor as yourself, you will not steal from him. You will not covet what belongs to him. And certainly, you will not kill him. So, if we master the basics of loving God and loving others as we ought to, then obeying other commandments will come naturally. In daily life, this looks like resisting temptation instead of choosing what feels good in the moment. In fact, it looks like making daily choices that keep you away from tempting situations. It looks like studying God’s Word purposefully to become acquainted with what pleases Him. It looks like keeping open a line of communication with Him—a daily prayer routine through which you receive guidance, direction, and encouragement. Augustine said, “Love, and do what you will.” It’s a provocative statement, but it makes sense. If you really love God as you ought to—with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength—then you will naturally do what He wants you to do. Reflection question: How do you know when you’re loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Noisy Doors, Leaky Roofs, and the Mark of the Beast Last week's newsletter was written to be very simple. This week...not simple. We're tying together our lessons on the Salt Covenant, The Scarlet Harlot, and the basic menorah pattern of Workbook One. So no, it's not simple, but it's not too difficult, either! Try printing it off and studying it over two Shabbats, referencing the suggested videos or workbooks as you go.   ***   So what do noisy doors, leaky roofs, and the mark of the beast have in common?    Excellent question! I'm glad you asked.   In order to see the connection, we have to know a little something about each of them. If you want a refresher on the Beast, consider signing up for the Creation Gospel Workbook Four class coming up with Kisha Gallagher (scroll down for info) or watching the Scarlet Harlot series on YouTube. You can also refresh your memory on the meaning of the mezuzah with our "More Than" YouTube videos. We'll cover a few basics here to tie it together.   “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me…”   Yeshua standing at the door knocking is a huge hint, especially on the heels of John's sobering prophecies of the mark of the beast in Revelation. If we can't see the link to the world commercial system as “Babylon” in Revelation, we're not trying very hard. Revelation begins with memos to the seven assemblies emphasizing their need to “overcome” the tribulations John is about to describe,   • “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Re 3:14-21)   We can conclude that how to overcome is described in Revelation, but we can also conclude that an ignorance of the Torah will make our understanding only partial. Revelation is written as an incredibly intricate re-telling of the Torah portions. Without an understanding of those Torah portions, it will be difficult to be identified as one of those who overcome when they “keep the testimony of Yeshua and the commandments of God.”   If Yeshua knocks on the door of one of these potential overcomers, he knocks on a door that is marked by a mezuzah, which contains summaries of the commandments. To pull in the themes of our Salt Covenant study over the last several weeks, a mezuzah is a sign that those inside the house know to be salty within, tenderly and joyfully salting their commandment-keeping. Because they are pliable to the work of the Ruach HaKodesh within the house, they are ready to meet the challenges of the Beast outside the house.   The mezuzah is their reminder that they've committed their coming and going, especially their work and business dealings, to preserving their covenant with the Father with salt, for savory salt is our faith, the tenderness we have toward His Word. It is our desire to draw close to Him through our sacrifices, not begrudgingly or to be admired by others, but to give glory to the Father. Yeshua reminds us that he also wants to draw near to our salty selves, so he stands at the door and knocks.   Just imagine that the mezuzah on your door was Yeshua standing there each day inquiring if he may accompany you in your coming and going.   Because he is. The custom is to touch one's fingers to the mezuzah and kiss the fingers. It demonstrates affection and tenderness toward the Shma and other scriptures in the mezuzah, which remind us in our coming and going Who the only Source of wealth is. The name Shaddai is inscribed on mezuzot, which is the name describing His attribute of nourishment and supply.   By touching the mezuzah, we also are reminded like the Israelites in Deuteronomy Eight: “Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.' But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers...”   The mezuzah on the door marks the boundary between what happens when we go into the world and how we are inside our homes. If we are at war inside our homes, then how will we war against the principalities and powers outside our homes? The shin on the tefillin reminds the person Who opens the Heavenly windows to drip down zuzim, or coins, transactions, in our lives. Zuz is found in the word mezuzah, but the letter shin is found on both the mezuzah and the prayer tefillin.   Because they are worn in prayer, it helps one to adjust those trade prayers according to Yeshua's model…daily bread…forgiveness…holiness…His will and glory on earth…protection from temptation to sin. Ever notice how many famous actors, musicians, and sports stars end up unhappy, addicted, disconnected from the real world, and just plain weird? We are not spiritually wired to receive the glory of Heaven, only to reflect the glory of Heaven outward with salt. Of course they get weird and depressed!   Our labor and business dealings outside the home must be salted and lit from within first. We must extend ourselves from within, or it will eventually be evident to the world that we did not exert ourselves according to our wealth of salvation and light.nIt is thought that the marks of tzaraat (leprosy) that appeared in a home were a result of greed and stinginess. When the priests removed everything inside to the outside to quarantine and scrape the stones, everyone would see the wealth concealed inside, especially if they'd pretended not to have enough to help the needy brother. The “best third” is where the mezuzah is placed on a door, the upper third, like an upper room. The mezuzah marks the right hand frame of the door about 2/3 of the way up: “Mezuzah guards the Covenant, and so observing the mitzvah of mezuzah leads a person to truth and faith, the faith which is absolutely necessary when conducting business.”    “And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,' And they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.'” (Zec 13:9)   Yeshua invokes this prophecy in Zechariah when he warns the Laodiceans in Revelation Three that he is standing at the door knocking: “Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich…”   This is where we see another connection to the mezuzah. Zechariah prophesies of the “third part.” This is thought to be the remnant that will come through the tribulation refined by fire instead of destroyed by it. They have not succumbed to the Beast's commercial activity, buying and selling excessively or on Shabbat (see CG Workbook Four or Workbook Two). Traditionally, the mezuzah is affixed at a pointing on the right side of the door 2/3 of the way up the door. To relate the thirds, the mezuzah is like the principle of the “upper room” we've studied over the last several weeks.    Ancient Israelite houses typically had two levels, a ground level where beasts were stabled and practical household work such as cooking and weaving took place, but the family quarters were on the second floor. An extra upper room had to be built either on the second floor or atop the family quarters, making it an upper third. More simply, an upper room was where the family made space for visitors, a space that wasn't there, yet they created the space through hospitality.   Those upper rooms in Scripture were places associated with hospitality toward the righteous visitor as well as resurrection from the dead, like the stories of Elijah, Elisha, Dorcas, and Eutychus. A mezuzah reminds us not to neglect making those spaces of hospitality for the righteous visitor, who represents hospitality toward Yeshua and the Living Word. Yeshua's noisy knocking on the door is a daily reminder that when we make an “upper room” of hospitality, then we are actually tapping into the Garden of Eden. The resurrections in the upper rooms of Scripture show us this.    On the mezuzah is either the Name Shaddai, or it is in the shorthand of the first Hebrew letter shin. Not so coincidentally, the tefillin that are placed on an Israelite male's forehead and arm are also marked with a shin (see above). The mezuzah and tefillin remind each day:   • Hear, O Israel! The LORD our God, the LORD is one! And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Dt 6:4-9)    Deuteronomy 8:11-19 reminds Israel not to be deceived when they become comfortable and prosperous in the Land, for their wealth will deceive them into thinking they earned it with their own hand. Remember the gumballs?   The tefillin on the hand and arm are a reminder that it is YHVH alone who gives the power to acquire wealth. Likewise, the mezuzah is marked with a shin for Shaddai, the One who provides sustenance, nourishment to Israel. Strangely, the shin is made of three Hebrew letters vav joined at the bottom. The gematria value of vav is six. 666.    Whaaaaat? Yes, it's the mark of the beast. But that's not the whole story. The mezuzah and tefillin are NOT the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast is when you get very close to being a salt covenant household or person, yet you have something lacking. Salt. Your daily work is not to acquire the wealth of the Kingdom to the glory of the Father, which can only be done through the power of the Ruach HaKodesh moving through the Word in you. The mark of the beast is when our daily work is to acquire the object of desire for our own sake. We can hear the disingenuous, unsalty believer when he says, “If God will just let me win the lottery, I'll build orphanages and feed the poor all over the world.”   And he probably will. But he will do it only in order to feed his own desires first. He's not really seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. He's pursuing his own kingdom, offering God a deal that the Kingdom of Heaven will benefit from the scraps. Such a person will not give commensurately with his newfound wealth, for he is stingy at heart. Unsavory salt. Tepid. Lukewarm. Blechhhh!   The secret of the 666 is that it is only the letter of the Torah without the Ruach. The shin is like a menorah when the backlight of the Ruach shines through it (again, see Workbooks 2 & 4). Remember last week's lesson on the gumball machine? It was what you couldn't see that had to occur before what you could see. The Ruach precedes the letter of the Torah. Together, with the spiritual backlight through the literal three vavs, it yields seven, the seven- branched menorah. One tefillin has three vavs, but its mate has four! 3 + 4 = 7. Compare to the above: To be unsalty is 666. To be salty is to shine the seven spirits of Adonai described in Isaiah and Revelation:     •  wisdom   •  understanding   •  counsel   •  Spirit of Adonai   •  power   •  knowledge   •  reverence    Yeshua, the Living Word, is the doorkeeper of the overcoming household. We never want to reduce him to someone there to reward us with wealth. The word mezuzah comes from a Hebrew word meaning movement, going back and forth. The historical zuz was a coin, about a day's sustenance for one adult:   • Weight: About 4.26 grams (0.137 troy ounces) of silver. • Value: Historically equivalent to a day's wage or a portion of food/clothing, (e.g., 200 zuz was a year's support).  • Modern value would be about $20.   "Give us today our daily bread." Not the lottery.   Not so coincidentally, a mezuzah means more than movement. It is rooted as well in the movement of a beast: What starts out as a beautiful creation of spirit (upper room), soul and body (lower rooms), can degenerate into the mark of the beast. Instead of letting the Ruach drip into our lower rooms of work and family, the upper room is sealed off because of our stinginess and greed. Esau and Jacob had very different motives in asking for blessings. We can become unsavory, relentless hunters like Esau, the Red One, nicknamed Edom because he was red and hairy all over like a beast, a man of the field who loved hunting. We don't want to become marked by the Red One, never satisfied, even on Shabbat.   “…and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.” (Re 13:17)   Nehemiah's struggles with those returning to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple, especially in their continued buying and selling on Shabbat, are the reference point. He eventually had to order the gates of Jerusalem shut and locked to prevent the vendors from coming in with their goods. How glorious will it be when the gates no longer need to be shut, for no one will even entertain the idea of disobeying the King of King's command to rest and be with Him in Jerusalem on Shabbat.   Knock, knock.   In short, the mark of the beast is on one who buys and sells on Shabbat. Because there is no trust in Adonai to provide the many things we crave, we continue to work on His holy day. Someone who believes in God may have salt, but it is not savory. One who believes in God enough to do what He says is savory salt. Salt allows us to draw near the upper room of the Garden. I'm sure Yeshua is having wonderful conversations with the righteous souls of those who just didn't understand Shabbat, but they were faithful in what they knew. They are learning while they wait, not rebelling.   Ezekiel describes what went wrong in the “upper room” of the Garden of Eden, a hospitable place for those who want to draw near to the voice of Elohim, but a place from which rebels are purged. The “trader” was cast out of the heavenly fiery stones and tossed into the lower realms of strange, profane fire, that is, fire used by those estranged from the upper room fires of the Ruach above:   You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, and you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. (Eze 28:13-16; 18)   Ezekiel 28 drops a hint to where we should be vigilant: “By the abundance of your trading [H7404 rekula] you became filled with violence within, and you sinned...”   ????? rawkal' [H7402] to travel for trading   Our trade is part of work for our living, yet, the abundance is the danger zone. If our inner fire craves more wealth than we are willing to give back to Heaven commensurately, our going back and forth, zuzing about, to trade our time and effort for goods, power, and esteem becomes idolatry. In Hebrew, moving back and forth is zuz [zuz is also a coin], the root of mezuzah. The mezuzah marks the door where we travel back and forth each day to obtain our portion of wealth.   When our pursuit of wages and wealth pushes the testimony of Yeshua and the commandments of God beneath our feet instead of allowing them to drip daily from the upper room of the resurrection Ruach that raised Messiah from the dead, we sin. Our house's upper room should be designed to drip to lower floors of daily living, or we become unsavory salt.   We trade our precious lives, our time, our effort, to accumulate an abundance of things, not necessarily money, but what money will purchase: entertainment, security, comfort, esteem, power, knowledge, appeasement, etc. These things deceive us into believing they will bring joy and peace, but we know it's a lie because they never do. They are simply offered to the strange, consuming fire of the soul, but are not refinement of the spirit, which is everlasting peace and joy. It brings savory salt, light, and contentment from within.    The ancient investment advice is:   • Invest 1/3 of your income in tangible property such as real estate, durable goods, secure long-term investments  • Invest 1/3 in your daily labor, your paycheck, investments that provide a faster return, a little riskier, easily liquidated • Invest 1/3 above the mezuzah in the Kingdom of Heaven by lending to the poor, giving to needy, investing time in spiritual causes along with Torah study, prayer, service, discussing Scripture with others, etc. Even kindness is an investment!   We should not become “stingy” with Heavenly principles in the world of work, which would reflect a home's lower rooms sealed off from the upper room. The upper room should drip the testimony of Yeshua and the noisy commandments of God through the power of the resurrection Ruach. It leaks into the lower rooms of family and work!   The leaky roof is what we need to carry into the world of work and business as well as our relationships. An outwardly successful business producing wealth that can only be spent before the resurrection of the dead is not successful at all.    Preparation in the home under the disciplines of the Ruach HaKodesh will be evident in the place of business, not as a pile of 666 cash, but as peace in drawing near the Father, salt. The physical work is simply a means of building the Kingdom instead of demanding that the Father bless our work to build our own kingdoms of security, esteem, attention, comfort, intellectual stimulation, etc. Whether we have little or many zuzim, all we need to remember is that we must give commensurately with the wealth the Father drips down upon us.    If we can be responsible even with earthly money, which has no righteousness within itself, then we can be responsible with Heavenly riches.   If we can't be trusted to give commensurately with our wealth when there is no Temple service, and much freedom is granted in when and how much we give, then how can the Father trust us with His riches when the Temple on “the mountain of God” descends? The Temple services and the Land of Israel are places of extreme exactness in managing work and wealth.   Manage earthly zuzim faithfully, and we will inherit the Heavenly riches to manage.    One of my favorite movies is about a Quaker family, from the book Friendly Persuasion. One of the funniest lines is, “Friend, thee's got a squeaky door upstairs.”    Friend, thee's got a squeaky door downstairs, too. Yeshua is knocking, reminding, inquiring, requesting if we will open to his voice. It is the same voice of Elohim that walked and talked in the Garden, an upper room.   When we open our doors to him, we release the water of the Word from our upper rooms and let it fill our homes, workplaces, and relationships. If we move about, may we zuz for the glory of the Father.    Please SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to get new teachings.

Prophetic Christmas Judgment? (audio) David Eells 12/24/25 Christmas 2025 Alison Pound - 12/21/25 (David's note in red) It's worth noting that I received the following word just 14 days out from Christmas Day. He previously said that we are right in the season for some specific events He has been warning about for some years now, to come to pass. This is the time of sorrows. Increasing magnitude and occurrence of earthquakes, of wars, deaths, mourning, floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes……. As I was preparing to post this, the Lord said read Psalm 68 [1] Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. [2] As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. The Psalm also says “LET THE RIGHTEOUS BE GLAD”. We are to PRAISE HIM, BECAUSE HE IS A GOOD GOD. ALL HIS JUDGMENTS ARE RIGHTEOUS! The whole chapter can be read below. This is what the Lord said to me on December 11. “That Christmas I told you about, where it would not be celebrated as in other years, this is the one. This year of 2025, Christmas will not be at all like other Christmases. All around the earth, every household will be affected by what I Am doing in the earth. Remember that My judgments are now in the earth and are upon its people. I Am dealing with believers. My people. Those who claim to know Me. I Am about to test all believers in the hardest test they have ever had to endure. Many will not make it. They will be taken away and the next time they awaken they will be standing in front of Me, being asked to account for themselves. This is a very serious time. All of heaven has paused. They take this time very seriously. Most of those on earth are completely unaware of what goes on in heaven, and what I Am about to do on the earth. But this Christmas, they will be right in the midst of My judgments. You know of what I speak. (He has warned of imminent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods in various places, and wars.) Many this year will have no home. Many homes, whole communities have (already) been destroyed by flooding. Lives have been lost. I speak of the fires also. (lives have been lost) And there will be more of both flood and fire.” Psa 68:1-35 For the Chief Musician; A Psalm of David, a Song. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; Let them also that hate him flee before him. (2) As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: As wax melteth before the fire, So let the wicked perish at the presence of God. (3) But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God: Yea, let them rejoice with gladness. (4) Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: Cast up a highway for him that rideth through the deserts; His name is Jehovah; and exult ye before him. (5) A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, Is God in his holy habitation. (6) God setteth the solitary in families: He bringeth out the prisoners into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a parched land. (7) O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, When thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah. (8) The earth trembled, The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God: Yon Sinai trembled at the presence of God, the God of Israel. (9) Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, Thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. (10) Thy congregation dwelt therein: Thou, O God, didst prepare of thy goodness for the poor. (11) The Lord giveth the word: The women that publish the tidings are a great host. (12) Kings of armies flee, they flee; And she that tarrieth at home divideth the spoil. (13) When ye lie among the sheepfolds, It is as the wings of a dove covered with silver, And her pinions with yellow gold. (14) When the Almighty scattered kings therein, It was as when it snoweth in Zalmon. (15) A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; A high mountain is the mountain of Bashan. (16) Why look ye askance, ye high mountains, At the mountain which God hath desired for his abode? Yea, Jehovah will dwell in it for ever. (17) The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands upon thousands: The Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the sanctuary. (18) Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led away captives; Thou hast received gifts among men, Yea, among the rebellious also, that Jehovah God might dwell with them. (19) Blessed be the Lord, who daily beareth our burden, Even the God who is our salvation. Selah. (20) God is unto us a God of deliverances; And unto Jehovah the Lord belongeth escape from death. (21) But God will smite through the head of his enemies, The hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his guiltiness. (22) The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring them again from the depths of the sea; (23) That thou mayest crush them, dipping thy foot in blood, That the tongue of thy dogs may have its portion from thine enemies. (24) They have seen thy goings, O God, Even the goings of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. (25) The singers went before, the minstrels followed after, In the midst of the damsels playing with timbrels. (26) Bless ye God in the congregations, Even the Lord, ye that are of the fountain of Israel. (27) There is little Benjamin their ruler, The princes of Judah and their council, The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. (28) Thy God hath commanded thy strength: Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us. (29) Because of thy temple at Jerusalem Kings shall bring presents unto thee. (30) Rebuke the wild beast of the reeds, The multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples, Trampling under foot the pieces of silver: He hath scattered the peoples that delight in war. (31) Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall haste to stretch out her hands unto God. (32) Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; Oh sing praises unto the Lord; Selah. (33) To him that rideth upon the heaven of heavens, which are of old; Lo, he uttereth his voice, a mighty voice. (34) Ascribe ye strength unto God: His excellency is over Israel, And his strength is in the skies. (35) O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: The God of Israel, he giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.   Tragedy is Coming Just Praise Him – Glynda Lomax October 25, 2016 (David's note in red) A tragedy is coming that is so immense, so widespread in its effect that all the world will mourn with America. This tragedy will bring about a financial crisis like nothing before it. The shock will cause all to take an inventory of their lives. Many lost will run to Me then, to know more of Me, and you must be ready for this time. You must be ready to answer their inquiries about Me. You must be walking in My ways to model Me before them. I will begin soon to call more of my aging saints home to Me. I do not desire they to see this tragedy. These are the ones who have served Me long and well, and their rewards are great in heaven. The scope of this tragedy will be shocking. Many souls will be lost in what is going to happen. This is My last judgment call to the world to turn away from their sins, to turn to Me, to give Me their hearts. At the same time, many who know Me shall turn away, blaming Me for this tragedy, and laying down their faith. Satan will enter their hearts then and their end shall be far worse than their beginning. Hold tight to your faith, My precious children, do not let the enemy have your souls. Remain steadfast, for I have not forsaken you, and the end of all things is near. NOTE: I had been praying for days about why I keep feeling there will be no Christmas celebrations this year when I got this word. (It seems she had some reluctance. However many prophetic utterances don't come to pass the year they are spoken, but later so many can take warning. Many are just hearing this warning now when others are getting the same warning. Joseph taught that when a revelation is doubled it will come to pass.) I know it would take something huge to stop Christmas in America. Suddenly, I heard rumbling, and what came to my mind was an earthquake. I cannot say it is one, because He did not say that. I cannot say for sure that this (earthquake) will happen before Christmas, because the Lord did not say that. I was concerned about the term “judgment call” as it generally means a summary judgment based on known facts, but then I realized “call” could mean “calling” the lost to Himself. Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 2 Peter 2:20-21 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3 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. 3 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; (We have certainly seen this sign.) Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. What we see in these revelations below is the faction in Church and state are trying to take down the righteous, but God is directing their wrath to take them down instead, just as Pharaoh at the Red Sea, or Sennacherib at Jerusalem, or the 3 armies against Jehoshaphat at Jerusalem, etc. The glory of the Lord is going to be seen by the whole world at our Red Sea. The fear and respect of the Lord will be on many from among the nations. A common timing theme in these dreams is Christmas time, which symbolizes the time of the Man-child's birth. The day cannot be ruled out either. Individuals in these dreams represent corporate bodies of people around the world.   Coming Attack and Man-child Provision  Eve Brast - 11/27/18 (David's notes in Red) I had a dream where I was in my paternal grandparents' house in Highland Park in Dallas, Texas. I was in the living room and decided to go down to the basement (in real life there was no basement) to check on my three sons. As I went down the basement stairs, I saw my husband moving large containers of some sort from outside the house through the left brick wall of the basement, as if the wall was an illusion of some kind. (The breaching of a wall on the left symbolizes breaking with our sanctification, or separation from the world.) My sons were all younger in the dream: Noah was 9, Elijah was 6, and Josiah was 4. I called out to my husband over the commotion and asked if I could spend some time with the boys. He never stopped what he was so busily doing, only replied, “They are busy helping me. We don't have time for that.” (The left has always hindered the fellowship of the Bride with the children and this actually came to pass.) Then I heard and felt a shaking sound (I wrote this interpretation in 2018 before the recent revelations: This could represent the shaking coming at Christmas time, OR the time of the Man-child Body's birth, or both? - Even though the timing of Christmas and its traditions are false, it can represent the time of the Man-child's birth, whenever that comes. Why Christmas? We will see.) coming from behind me and I could see a large red CGI dragon in the spirit coming for me. (A realistic 3D animated dragon. The dragon in Revelation 12 is the beast of the first 3 1/2 years, who fails to devour the Man-child and then seeks to devour the Woman Church. From other dreams, we know that we are NOW in the time of the immature dragon, hence a cartoon dragon. I had a dream where this exact dragon was sneaking in a back window of our assembly to devour us. It came and failed.) I then hurried down the stairs and went around the stack of containers that he had brought into the basement, and turned around to see the dragon coming down the stairs. It had yellow eyes. (It looked just like the dragon Smaug from The Lord of the Rings movies.) It said, “I'm coming for you.” I hid behind the containers as it stomped past. Once it was past where I was, I noticed a Christmas tree over to the side of the basement. (Another Christmas time/Man-child birth revelation) So I hurried over and knelt down behind the tree and was praying and telling myself, “If I'm very still, he won't be able to see me.” Noah came over and began to ask me, “What are you doing, Mom?” I told him, “If I'm very still, he won't see me.” Noah laughed and said, “You mean him?”, pointing to the dragon. I said, “Yes.” He then started pushing on me and making me move. The dragon saw me and narrowed his eyes and said, “I see you!” He began to lumber over towards me as I woke up. (Children who are temporarily in the camp of the Left do not understand the true nature of the Dragon. The Woman escaped the Dragon in the dream here by waking up.) I asked Father for a couple of words by faith at random concerning this dream, and my finger was on “I have broken Moab” in Jeremiah 48:38 (Moab was the Children of Lot who factioned away as leftists from their brethren of Israel as a type of the Church) Jer 48:35-46 Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith Jehovah, him that offereth in the high place, and him that burneth incense to his gods. 36 Therefore my heart soundeth for Moab like pipes, and my heart soundeth like pipes for the men of Kir-heres: therefore the abundance that he hath gotten is perished. 37 For every head is bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands are cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth. 38 On all the housetops of Moab and in the streets thereof there is lamentation every where; for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein none delighteth, saith Jehovah. 39 How is it broken down! how do they wail! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab become a derision and a terror to all that are round about him. 40 For thus saith Jehovah: Behold, he shall fly as an eagle and shall spread out his wings against Moab (the factious in Church and state). 41 Kerioth is taken, and the strongholds are seized, and the heart of the mighty men of Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs. 42 And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against Jehovah. 43 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith Jehovah. 44 He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon him, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith Jehovah. 45 They that fled stand without strength under the shadow of Heshbon; for a fire is gone forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and hath devoured the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones. 46 Woe unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh is undone; for thy sons are taken away captive, and thy daughters into captivity. (Both of these texts involve a visitation of the Lord to punish the wicked and reward the righteous. The Lord is coming, manifested in the Man-child body ministry by Word and Spirit. Jesus was first born as a baby and later was anointed to Minister. These two stages happen to the Man-child body of our day also.) The second one I received by faith at random, my finger was on “he will carry them in his bosom” in Isa.40:11 (The right and righteous will escape)  In context Isa 40:1-11 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem (the Bride); and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins. 3 The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of Jehovah; make level in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low (The humble will be exalted and the proud humbled); and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain: 5 and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it. 6 The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. 7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass. 8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever. 9 O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion (the Bride), get thee up on a high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God! 10 Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come as a mighty one, and his arm (Jesus in the Man-child) will rule for him: Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. (Judgment on the Factious Edomites just before He rewards the Righteous) 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and will gently lead those that have their young. Notice the same words “his reward is with him, and his recompense before him” when God saved the Bride from the factious Edomites. And here it is in Isa 62:11-63:3 Behold, Jehovah hath proclaimed unto the end of the earth, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 12 And they shall call them the holy people, The redeemed of Jehovah: and thou shalt be called Sought out, A city not forsaken. 63:1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. 2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winevat? 3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was no man with me: yea, I trod them in mine anger, and trampled them in my wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my raiment. When the Lord separates the factious spirits from some of the factious people, they will return to righteousness, although they will have missed the Bride. Others will die in their sins.   A Remnant of the Faction Begins to Return Around the Birth of the Soloman Man-child Body Eve Brast - 08/08/18 (David's notes in Red) I dreamed this morning that our local UBM assembly was meeting on an upper floor of an apartment building (An apartment represents a body of houses built together into a holy temple in the Lord, as Ephesians says.). The living room was smaller than the Shaw's and there was a small room to the right of the long entry way that was a kitchenette (Where the spiritual food is prepared). We were all sitting in a large circle singing acapella praises to the Lord. David was sitting along the wall where the entryway led into the living room. Michael was on his left, and I was on his right. I (As a type of the last Adam's Bride, Eve) was wearing a beautiful dress with a floral pattern on it. (A symbol of Fruit and beauty being born as in Springtime, by the corporate Bride body.). But I was very weak and thin from fighting a long illness. (Representing the corporate Bride fighting off the faction infection. Faction is division through unforgiveness, criticism, slander, etc. We fought it off in the Church and we saw the same spirits in the government. At this time, Eve actually was fighting off this infirmity, which the medical Journal says comes from an abusive relationship that she has been through. When she had this dream, she wasn't suffering from this, and we wondered what this dream spoke of. This shows us the timing is near for these things. (I believe I represent a corporate body sick of faction. But once the factious leader below was born again and he and others came back into an inferior fold, I was recovering as a body of people. Part of the text was good concerning those Father knows and will bring them back to Him, and the other part is concerning those in the dream who were too fearful to enter the door again.) I couldn't stand or move around for long before I had to sit down and rest. David and Michael had to help me by each holding my arms for support when I needed to stand or walk. But I was slowly regaining my strength day by day. (At that time, there were factious people returning.) Suddenly, the factious leader came through the front door and was encouraging others who had factioned away to enter also. The others had followed him to the door but wouldn't enter. (This represents the outer court of God's house) A couple of men came right inside the door, but were fearful to come any further. (Content to be in the holy place but not the Holy of Holies.) The factious leader himself came all the way up to the threshold of the entryway where the living room began, but wasn't interested in joining our praise and worship. (Not going to return to the Bride in the Holy of Holies, but to a lesser degree, the holy place) He was concerned more about undoing some of the damage he'd caused by factioning some away from the truth. He was trying to get them to come through the door. (The door being Jesus). He kept gesturing to the two men with an inviting motion to come into the entryway further. But they only stood right inside the door. The factious leader was wearing a white Polo shirt and tan shorts. He had an old baby blanket (Infected by memories from childhood), the size of a large shawl, draped around his shoulders. It had a silk edge sewn all the way around it and pink and baby blue stripes. Since it was from the 1970s it was not as white as it used to be and it was faded because of many washings. (He had fallen away from his new birth many times and had many washings so it has faded.) His right hand clutched it at his neck, like he didn't want it to fall off of him. (He didn't want to forget and lose his salvation again) I was shocked to see him with that blanket around his shoulders. I said, “Hey, everyone, the factious leader is here!” And I wanted to go over to give him a hug. So David and Michael helped me over to him. But Brandy was angry and alarmed and said, “He's not for real. He's just here to spy on us all and cause us more damage! Don't touch him!” (We have had dreams and attempts of faction acting as though they are cured to sneak into the body and cause damage. So suspicion is natural.) David and Michael said, “We asked the Lord if it was okay for him to come and got two heads for ‘yes'. But Brandy became incredulous and offended about it. I didn't know what to believe, so I didn't hug him. I decided to go to the kitchenette and wash the dishes. So David and Michael helped me to the counter, and I was able to lean against it for support so I could wash them. After our plates were clean, (Symbolizing the end of faction) I came back out and sat down, R. S., who was sitting at the 12:00 position, was directing the acapella singing and said, “Let's all sing Silver Bells! We'll sing it 6 times.” David was at the 6:00 position. So David and Michael helped me back up and we all held hands and walked in a circular, clockwise direction. (Time going forward) We sang, “Silver bells, Silver Bells, it's Christmas time in the city...” (Symbolizing the time of the Man-child's birth) I became tired and had to go sit down, and I thought, “Christmas time??” Then there was a couch behind the kitchenette in a little room and David was sitting wearing a blue shirt (representing heavenly) and blue socks and he had a baby diaper on. (The birthing of the David Man-child. The anointing could come shortly after, since the Man-child grows up very quickly). Then I woke up. I asked for a general text that covers this dream, and my finger was on Psalm 50:11, “I know all the birds of the mountains” (1-23) 1 A Psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God, Jehovah, hath spoken, And called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined forth. 3 Our God cometh, and doth not keep silence (The visitation of the Lord in the Man-child): A fire devoureth before him, And it is very tempestuous round about him. 4 He calleth to the heavens above, And to the earth, that he may judge his people: 5 Gather my saints together unto me, Those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. 6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness; For God is judge himself. [Selah] 7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify unto thee: I am God, even thy God. 8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; And thy burnt-offerings are continually before me. 9 I will take no bullock out of thy house, Nor he-goats out of thy folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is mine, And the cattle upon a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains; And the wild beasts of the field are mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving; And pay thy vows unto the Most High; 15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. 16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, And that thou hast taken my covenant in thy mouth, (We have received this text for the faction) 17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, And castest my words behind thee? 18 When thou sawest a thief, thou consentedst with him, And hast been partaker with adulterers. 19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, And thy tongue frameth deceit. 20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; Thou slanderest thine own mother's son. 21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself: But I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. 22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: 23 Whoso offereth the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifieth me; And to him that ordereth his way aright will I show the salvation of God.   Remnant of Faction Returns  Anna Stewart - 12/07/18 (David's notes in Red) I dreamed we arrived at the Shaw's for a Wednesday Bible study and a factious leader had returned and was sitting in his old place against the front wall. Brandy was sitting next to him because Michael had left Brandy to share in the bible study because neither he nor David could make it yet. I had the sense that David knew the factious leader had returned, but I felt very uncomfortable that David and Michael were not there. He was thinner in the dream (less flesh) and wearing dark blue (heavenly, yet still in darkness?) and at one point showed his new guitar to someone. More and more people from our local body kept coming in, even those who normally cannot be there, until every person was there. The house changed at some point with two very large rooms to the back added on (Incoming brethren joining us from other places) and the main room where we were become an upper story (Symbolizing the people from the Upper room receiving the outpouring? Original foundation of people on higher level of leadership) with a sliding glass door opening onto a deck on each side of the house. David and Michael finally showed up and David had told the factious leader he couldn't be in there with us. (In Eve's dream, he also did not come into the assembly but was in an outer room. We believed this was a sign that he would come back, but not be in the Bride or be trusted yet because of falling away into faction.) The factious leader was outside on the deck, sometimes on his knees and forearms, sometimes sitting cross-legged. Everyone inside ignored his presence. Every once in a while, he would tap on the glass as if asking for some compassion from someone to let him in. Several times I saw him sitting out there with a pile of quarters on his knee and each time they were either all heads or all tails. I was wondering if he was asking the Lord questions. Things inside went on as normal, some people had brought food, others were eating a little bit and fellowshipping. David was in the back room working hard and I knew he was very busy and tired. At some point I felt led to look up my niece's name, Natasha, who has come to live here, and found in this dream that it meant something along the line of “to take authority and cast out spirits”. (This may be a sign of timing to begin to cast out the factious demons) In real life Natasha means born on Christmas day; resurrection. [In Eve's dream, this man came back with others when we were singing “Silver Bells, It's Christmas time in the city”. The Man-child is coming to the Bride, Jerusalem.] I felt it was from the Lord concerning this man [and likely a body of people he represents] and that I needed to tell David but I was afraid of getting out of place and doing something I shouldn't. I decided to find David and asked if he had a minute. He looked tired and said, “Not really. I have two seconds.” As quickly as I could, I told him what I felt the Lord told me, “to take authority and cast out spirits”. The scene changed and it was getting late and people began leaving for home until there were just a few of us left. Mostly the morning prayer meeting people remained: Eve, Matthew and me, and a few others. Everyone was sitting down, and things were pretty quiet. I realized that I wasn't doing what I should've been doing all along, and got down on my knees and began to intercede for the factious leader who was still outside. (Amen, it is a good time to pray restoration to a remnant of the faction) Then the dream ended.   The Last Holiday, Christmas  Sandy Shaw - 12/03/18 (David's notes in Red)  In this dream was like a scene from the movie, The Last Holiday (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Holiday_(2006_film). A man was sitting on the very edge of a building's top with a bottle of alcohol, contemplating whether he should jump. The building was old and tall, and like the architecture of the Swiss Alps. It was castle-like. Queen La Tifah walks out and says, “What are you doing here?” He says, “I think I'm going to jump!” She says, “It ain't worth it.” Then she sits down next to him. (The last Holiday is Christmas, symbolizing the time of the Man-child's birth. The Queen here represents the Bride and has a false sentence of death on her, which she later finds out is false. The drunk man committing suicide represents the left-wing, delusional, factious people who are committing spiritual suicide through spiritual drunkenness.)  LL Cool J (Jesus) says, “What are you doing?” She (The Bride) says, “I'm trying to get this guy to back into the hotel.” The guy on the ledge says, “I'm not going!” (Factioned away from the body of Christ built together into a Holy Temple as Ephesians says) LL Cool J says, “Well, you let that fool fall then. And you get back in there!” (I.E., separate yourself from them until they repent. Tit.3:10 A factious man after a first and second admonition refuse; 11 knowing that such a one is perverted, and sinneth, being self-condemned.) LL is reaching for Queen La Tifah. But she is a few inches short and he can't reach her, and I'm standing behind him. I say, “Just grab her.” (I.E., Man-child rescues the Bride from the spiritually drunken faction.)  Then, when I saw that he grabbed her, I got his legs and we fell through the window into the building. (The Bride is rescued from the suicidal faction by Jesus in the Man-child)  As I'm trying to get up, I'm no longer there...I'm in a car, in the back seat. The doors are locked, I can't get out, and I'm in a seatbelt that won't unsnap. A big spider was coming toward me and was going to bite me on the leg. But back in reality, I got shook up because I'm on dialysis. And the nurses are shaking me, one was shaking my leg in the area where the spider was going to bite me. (A warning the Pharmakeia is poison and deadly. Many now know this.) The spider was the size of a golf ball, though oblong, the size of one I saw in our garage. (The Bride is rescued in parallel to the first scene)  I received by faith at random (About the factious in Church and government.) Eze.11:7. (In context, 7-12) 7 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron; but ye shall be brought forth out of the midst of it. 8 Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring the sword upon you, saith the Lord Jehovah. 9 And I will bring you forth out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you. 10 Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. 11 This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; I will judge you in the border of Israel; 12 and ye shall know that I am Jehovah: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither have ye executed mine ordinances, but have done after the ordinances of the nations that are round about you. (Judgment on the faction)    Christmas Eve - What is Coming   Winnie Osegueda - 6/8/22 (David's notes in red)  ... I prayed and asked the Lord to show me what was coming and when I fell asleep He gave me the following dream: I dreamt that I was in a very nice suburban area and it was the evening time of Christmas Eve. (Wow Christmas again!  Another confirmation that the baby boy Man-child is coming.) I could see all the houses decorated with colorful Christmas lights throughout this neighborhood on my left. My mother's house was also located on the left side of this suburban neighborhood. (Winnie's mom is being used to represent the apostate church on the left  that all of God's elect are born out of. Many apostates are in idolatry with the world and its traditions of men represented by the celebration of Christmas which is a pagan holiday. There is a connection between the modern day Christmas tree and the ancient symbol for the fertility goddess named Asherah  Jer. 10:1-5 Hear ye the word which Jehovah speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: 2 thus saith Jehovah, Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the nations are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe. 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They are like a palm-tree, of turned work, and speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.) There was a remake of an older movie being made except it wasn't actually a movie; it was really happening. Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.   I recognized and remembered this old movie that they were remaking and it was starring Kiefer Sutherland who is an actor who played a great villain in movies in the 80s and 90s, and he was a villain in the movie in this dream as well). (The meaning of the name “Keifer” is a German nick name for someone who was quarrelsome, from an agent of Middle High German kiben, kiven 'to quarrel'. All of the factious are quarrelsome.) They brought in a new "actor" for the remake of this movie who looked just like a younger, rounder-faced version of Kiefer Sutherland. His haircut was like the one Kiefer Sutherland had in the movie "The Lost Boys," a film in which he played a vampire. ("The life of the flesh is in the blood." The spiritual vampires of the apostate churches who are “lost” children who “bite and devour” and suck the life out of people with their contentious and slanderous ways.) Because I had already seen and knew this movie very well, I knew that this Kiefer Sutherland look-alike had a plan to enter into each suburban home in this neighborhood and kill every family. I could see him lurking in the shadows of his brick house spying on the neighborhood through his window on the top floor. (Their leaders are stalkers and “peeping Tom's”.) These families were not suspicious, as he made himself appear to be trustworthy and friendly…  (Rom 16:17-18  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them.  18  For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent. Remember, they are actors.) I was now inside my mother's home... and this new "actor" was there as well. He handed my mother a box of Marlboro Red cigarettes and she accepted them. (She actually smoked these in real life when I was much younger.)  As soon as this actor walked off, I said "NO! NO! Why did you accept them?! Now you're marked!" and she said, "I like Marlboro Reds, so if he gives me Marlboro Reds, I'm going to take them.” (The cigarettes represent receiving bad and false spirits.) (Breath and spirit are the same word in scripture and taking in smoke represents taking in an unclean spirit. If you receive slander from a factious person, you will receive their same spirits.)  She seemed to be very bothered by my objections to her receiving these cigarettes, but I knew how this movie was going to play out, so I was desperately trying to warn her to no avail. (Many in apostasy aren't heeding our warnings currently. They will have to experience judgment before they turn back to righteousness, and still, many won't repent of their wickedness and they will be killed spiritually with an eternal death.) At this point, I knew that this actor was going to come back and kill her because she was marked, and that I had to go. (The mark of the beast) I couldn't stay with her there, or I would be killed as well, as much as it pained me to know what was going to happen. I didn't understand why no one else could see what was happening here. Since this movie was a remake of an old film, it should have been obvious what was going on, but it wasn't to them. (I know people who have seen this happen to others fall into the trap because of disobedience.  John 12:37-40  But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they believed not on him: 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? 39 For this cause they could not believe, for that Isaiah said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and he hardened their heart; Lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, And should turn, And I should heal them.) I left this suburban area to find an escape and I entered into the city. I stopped by a clothing store that I used to go to when I was younger. (We should not shrink back represented by visiting the younger clothing store. Heb. 10:39 But we are not of them that shrink back unto perdition; but of them that have faith unto the saving of the soul.)  I recognized one of the women that worked there in the dream, but not in real life. She was an overweight black lady with a fake ponytail. (This represents people who are walking in darkness; who feed the flesh.) She met me outside with a hug and said "Merry Christmas!" I said Merry Christmas as well ... (I don't personally celebrate Christmas, but I believe the Lord is just using this as a parable.) (A parable of judgment on the apostates at the time of the Man-child's birth.)   I noticed that I had a large overweight, gray, striped cat with me and it walked into the store. The cat wanted to stay behind and I agreed that it was best, because I could not escape what was happening with this cat tagging along. (The fat cat represents an abundance of flesh, self will and rebellion. Grey symbolizes lukewarm people, not white or black. These type people will not escape the faction demons because they must be separated from the Bride and ultimately the body itself.) I thought about the verse Hebrews 12:1-2  Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.) (We must leave the weight of our rebellious sin nature behind, represented by the fat, grey cat, if we want to escape the judgment of faction that is coming.) The lady in the store agreed that the cat could remain there in the store, but again, I was sad because I knew what was coming and that they would not be safe if they did not escape. This "actor" would come and kill them too, including the cat. (Psa 37:38 As for transgressors, (or the “rebellious”) they shall be destroyed together; The end of the wicked shall be cut off. And   2Pe 2:12  But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed.) I left the store and continued up a flight of stairs to leave this area as well, and then I woke up. The dream felt so real that when I woke up I felt like this was still happening, and I was trying to figure out what movie this was that they were trying to remake. (The people who don't learn from His-story are doomed to repeat it.) I asked the Lord for a verse by faith at random and received: Joel 2:19 (15-20 in context)  Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; 16 gather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. (Notice: At the time of the attempted attack on the Bride she and the Man-child will be revealed and delivered.)  17 Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? 18 Then was the Lord jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. 19 And the Lord answered and said unto his people, Behold, I will send you grain, and new wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations; 20 but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its forepart into the eastern sea, and its hinder part into the western sea; and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things. (The northern army is like Pharoah's army at the Red Sea. It is the end of the persecutors and the beginning of the wilderness tribulation.)

Monday, 15 December 2025   then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Matthew 15:6   “And no, not he should honor his father or his mother. And you invalidated God's commandment through your tradition” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus began explaining the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees in regard to the issue of tending to one's parents as commanded by the law. He continues that, saying, “And no, not he should honor his father or his mother.”   By the leaders' granting the people to take their gifts and dedicate them in this fashion, a practice that was derived from tradition, they created a rift in people's proper adherence to God's prescription. That is stated by Jesus with the words, “And you invalidated God's commandment through your tradition.”   The word akuroó, to invalidate, is first seen here. It will be used in the comparable passage in Mark 7:13 and then only again in Galatians 3 concerning the surety of the covenant of promise given to Abraham that is not invalidated by the temporary Law of Moses –   “And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul [akuroó] the covenant that was confirmed before by Godin Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.” Galatians 3:17, 18   These leaders were essentially saying, “Isn't it more important to give your gifts to God than to keep them around, taking up space, cluttering up your lives and your homes?” They knew full well that by convincing people they were doing a service to God that they would rush to give. Never mind that these leaders would be on the receiving end of such gifts in one way or another and that the parents would be left unattended to in their old age.   The perverse nature of the doctrine is laid bare by Jesus, shaming the people for their greed, dishonesty, and outright hypocrisy. God doesn't need their gifts. Rather, what He wants from His people is obedience to His prescriptions.   “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! 8 I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices Or your burnt offerings, Which are continually before Me. 9 I will not take a bull from your house, Nor goats out of your folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High. 15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” Psalm 50:7-15   Life application: Do you ever hear preachers or teachers making an appeal for donations that includes catchphrases like seed offering, increase, multiply, tithe, tithing, tithes, pleasing to God, firstfruits, opening the storehouses of heaven, and so on?   If you hear these things, be sure not to give to such people. If you are giving to receive in return, you are giving for the wrong reason. If you are giving because someone told you that you are going to make God happy by giving them money, you are giving for the wrong reason.   God is happy with your faith, praise, and thanksgiving. He doesn't need your money, even if His people do. If His people do, and you are able to give, then do so without expecting anything in return. Be cheerful in your giving, or don't give. Giving grudgingly will not lead to future rewards.   Glorious Lord God, we come before You to praise You for who You are, to thank You for Your grace and tender mercies, and to glorify You for the salvation You have granted to us through simple belief in the full, final, finished, and forever work of Jesus Christ. We believe and we thank You. All praises to You, O God. Amen.

"Hear, O Israel, The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” Deuteronomy 6:4    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Podcasts by Series  Level One Book Study  Level Two Book Study    As we begin our Advent journey—a time of waiting with the children—we hear the message of the prophets, calling us to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus and for the fulfillment of the history of the Kingdom of God at the Parousia. Today, Donna Turner helps us ponder the great richness of the prophets and their prophecies for both us and the child.  Donna Turner is a Level III catechist and Formation Leader. She is the Co-Director of the Good Shepherd Center-Memphis, TN, and the volunteer coordinator of CGS at St. Philip Episcopal Church-Memphis. Donna serves CGSUSA as a member of the Formation Advisory Council and the Episcopal Committee. She lives in Germantown, TN.    History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: Creation to Parouisa    Thank you to all our members and our donors who have given to the 2025-26 Annual Appeal and Tina Lillig Memorial Fund. Your donations make it possible for CGSUSA to expand formation opportunities, give mission courses, invest in technology, create catechist and parent resources and publications, and offer many wonderful events that build our catechist community. All of these initiatives help us serve children with love and generosity. The revenue generated from membership fees covers about 55 percent of the cost of the benefits of membership, so philanthropy is essential to delivering excellent support to catechists, ministry leaders, families, and children. To find out more or make a gift, please visit www.cgsusa.org/donate. Thank you!    Podcast Episodes you might be interested in:    Episode 27 – The Mystery of the Incarnation  Episode 53 – The Birth and Infancy of Jesus  Episode 104 – Incarnation and the Annunciation  Episode 105 – Welcoming the Christ Child as a Sacred Act  Episode 128 – CGS Advent in the Home  Episode 129 – The Family in Advent  Episode 132 – The Depth of the Christmas Season      The Religious Potential of the Child  CGSUSA Store      BECOME A CGSUSA MEMBER          AUDIOBOOK:    Audiobook – Now Available on Audible  CGSUSA is excited to offer you the audio version of The Religious Potential of the Child – 3rd Edition by Sofia Cavalletti, read by Rebekah Rojcewicz!  The Religious Potential of the Child is not a “how-to” book, complete with lesson plans and material ideas. Instead it offers a glimpse into the religious life of the atrium, a specially prepared place for children to live out their silent request: “Help me come closer to God by myself.” Here we can see the child's spiritual capabilities and perhaps even find in our own souls the child long burdened with religious information. This book serves as a companion to the second volume, The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Years Old. The desire to have this essential text available in audio has been a long-held goal for many. The work of many hands has combined to bring this release to life as an audiobook.    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

- The Call (1,2), “Out of my depths I cried to you…” (1,2)- The Crisis (3-4), “…If you, LORD, should mark iniquities, who should stand? But with you there is forgiveness…” (3,4)- The Comfort (5-7), “…I wait for the Lord…and in His word I hope…O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love…” (5,7)

- The Call (1,2), “Out of my depths I cried to you…” (1,2)- The Crisis (3-4), “…If you, LORD, should mark iniquities, who should stand? But with you there is forgiveness…” (3,4)- The Comfort (5-7), “…I wait for the Lord…and in His word I hope…O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love…” (5,7)

Deuteronomy 6:1-9English Standard Version6 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

“When Gold Things Become Calf Things”Exodus 32:1-61 When 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.CONNECT WITH USIf you have any questions or would like to get to know us further, head over to https://www.triumphlbc.org/connect and fill out our online connection card.ABOUT TRIUMPHTriumph wants to see the life and message of Jesus transform your heart, home, and city. To learn more visit https://www.triumphlbc.org/

In the recent contention over Tucker Carlson’s interview with Nick Fuentes and comments about the nation of Israel, that Tony Perkins and others in the sphere of public policy have now commented on, have you seen anyone address the application of the prophecy in Isaiah 49:1-3, particularly v. 3, “And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified’”? I haven’t, so I will offer one that goes beyond semanical wrangling of the word "Israel."

In the recent contention over Tucker Carlson’s interview with Nick Fuentes and comments about the nation of Israel, that Tony Perkins and others in the sphere of public policy have now commented on, have you seen anyone address the application of the prophecy in Isaiah 49:1-3, particularly v. 3, “And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified’”? I haven’t, so I will offer one that goes beyond mere semantical wrangling over a word.Support the show: https://www.factennessee.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the recent contention over Tucker Carlson’s interview with Nick Fuentes and comments about the nation of Israel, that Tony Perkins and others in the sphere of public policy have now commented on, have you seen anyone address the application of the prophecy in Isaiah 49:1-3, particularly v. 3, “And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified’”? I haven’t, so I will offer one that goes beyond semanical wrangling of the word "Israel."

The Gemara in Sanhedrin 63a asks why the Jews spoke in plural when they said, “This is your god, O Israel.” Rav Yochanan says they hadn't fully rejected Hashem—they included Him with the Egel. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai argues that joining Hashem with anything else is itself a terrible sin. We analyze this machlokes.

So today on OOBT, we're diving into Deuteronomy 4–6, and wow… it stirred something in me for sure. In these chapters, Moses sounds less like a distant leader and more like a parent on the curb, sending their child off to college or moving them into their first apartment. He knows the Israelites are about to step into a land full of temptations, surrounded by many gods, and his heart is heavy but hopeful. Gosh, you can almost feel the urgency in his voice as he pleads with them to remember all God has done, to obey His commands, and to stay set apart. We walk through his warnings against idolatry—complete with many examples from the cultures around them—and we hear again the Ten Commandments, a reminder that their covenant with God is not secondhand, but deeply personal. Then, in chapter 6, we get the Shema—"Hear, O Israel"—a call not just to listen, but to love God with heart, soul, and strength in a way that shows in every part of their daily lives. This episode unpacks Moses' passion, God's faithfulness, and the invitation for us to live wholeheartedly for Him today, modeling His love for the next generation. For the full episode show notes, please go to https://mfahring.com/deuteronomy-4-6/

“Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?” — Luke 24:38 “Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God?” The Lord cares for all things, and the meanest creatures share in His universal providence, […]

Questions about the Trinity are often asked this way:     •    Is the word “Trinity” in the Bible?     •    Do Christians worship three Gods?     •    Was “Trinity” invented by the Church?     •    Isn't the notion of “Trinity” irrational?     •    Don't you think this is a minor issue? Pastor digs into the question of the Trinity by starting at the beginning, in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In Hebrew the word for God that is used in this verse is Elohim. Elohim is a plural noun. God is being described in plural terms! Genesis 1:2 “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” In Hebrew the Spirit of God is “Ruah Elohim”. This is describing God as the Holy Spirit.  Genesis 1:3 “And God said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” The word that stands out here is “said”.  Observation: Genesis 1     1.    Plural noun for God the Creator     2.    Spirit of God involved in Creation     3.    God's Word brings forth the Creation This three-fold pattern continues throughout the Hebrew Scriptures:     1.    Father - Deuteronomy 32:6 “Is He not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?”     2.    Spirit - Job 33:4 “The Spirit of God has made me, the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”     3.    Word - Psalm 33:6 “By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.”     But the Old Testament also says there is but ONE God. Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel; The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”   And yet one God is describe in a multiplicity of terms. One God and three very distinct Persons. This pattern continues in the New Testament:     1.    Father - 1 Peter 1:2 “…chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.”     2.    Spirit - Acts 5:3-4 “…you have lied to the Holy Spirit…you have not lied just to human beings but to God.”     3.    Word - John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  In John 1:14 we read more about the Word, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  THE WORD is none other than Jesus, Himself. The Bible sets forth clearly that the One God has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Jesus says in Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”    The word that stands out in this verse is the word NAME - singular - yet THREE are named. 2 Corinthians 13:14 “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”   This is clear Biblical teaching that the One true God has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is complex!!! His ways are higher than ours! God who created us….     •    Planned to Save us (God knew we would wander away from Him, but His plan from the beginning was save us)     •    Came to Save us (we cannot save ourselves, we need a divine rescue. Our Divine Rescuer is Jesus who came to earth taking on human flesh and enduring the cross)     •    Dwells in us to Save us (the God who created us dwells in us, brings us to faith, changes hearts, gives power and testifies to Jesus the Savior) God works as a unity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - each unique and distinct but also uniquely ONE.   Is the word “Trinity” in the Bible? The word is not but “the Trinity” is found: Father, Son and Holy Spirit in both Old and New Testaments. Do Christians worship three Gods? No, there is but ONE God, but has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We do not need to comprehend this to know God's power and presence and truth.  Was “Trinity” invented by the Church?  The term is invented but The TRUTH of THE TRINITY has been there since the beginning. Isn't the notion of “Trinity” irrational? This is a profound mystery, but not irrational. Pastor shares a lesson from Dr. Walter Martin and the Triple Point of Water where water is solid, gas and liquid all at one time. Three yet one. Is it irrational that the God of the universe can “three yet one.” Don't you think this is a minor issue? No because when we start ignoring what God says about Himself and what the Bible teaches we go into false teaching and false testimony. This is where false religions come in. We're living in a culture that has walked from God and it is disastrous. This is NOT a minor issue - God is above ALL things and He is worthy of our worship and praise. Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE. Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/whats-the-answer Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

Unless the Lord has any more surprises for the Free Range Preacher, we should be on track to catch up, for real this time. First-timers and you, patient, faithful listeners, it is my blessing and wonder that you listen. We do pray the King of Glory separates His wheat from my chaff, and His word does not come back void as you listen.Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, trustworthy enough to be our only hope."Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice! Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 3 If Thou, LORD, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with Thee, That Thou mayest be feared. 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. 6 My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. 8 And He will redeem Israel From all his iniquities."Psalm 130:1-8Our So What?As you replace your name and the names of your beloved in verse 7 for Israel, we find all the fuel we need with which to fuel our hope."Hope in the LORD, for with LORD there is lovingkindness and with Him abundant redemption."17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen1 Timothy 1:17Brethren, let's pray for one another. "What a man is on his knees before God, that he is and nothing more." Robert Murray M'Cheynee Donation link:https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=G9JGGR5W97D64Alternatively, visit www.freerangepreacheronprayer.com and use the Donations tab.Assistant Editor: Seven Jefferson Gossard.www.freerangepreacheronprayer.comfreerangeprayer@gmail.comFacebook - Free Range Preacher MinistriesInstagram: freerangeministriesAll our Scripture quotes are drawn from the NASB 1977 edition.For access to the voice-over services of Richard Durrington, please visit RichardDurrington.com or email him at Durringtonr@gmail.comOur podcast art was designed by @sammmmmmmmm23 on InstagramSeason 007Episode 146

2 Samuel 1: 1-27After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. 3 David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 And David said to him, “How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 And the young man who told him said, “By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.' 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?' I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.' 9 And he said to me, ‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.' 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”11 Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it you were not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed?” 15 Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. 16 And David said to him, “Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed the Lord's anointed.'”17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar. He said:19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen!20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon,lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.21 “You mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fields of offerings!For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.22 “From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty,the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely! In life and in death they were not divided;they were swifter than eagles; they were stronger than lions.24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet, who put ornaments of gold on your apparel.25 “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle!“Jonathan lies slain on your high places.26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women.27 “How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!”

Horse Judgements Coming Soon      (audio)      David Eells – 10/5/25 White Horse and Rider Ryan Kwasnica - 05/13/2008 Back in 1997 the Lord gave me a dream. It was nighttime and I saw stars in the sky with beams of light coming down on the heads of people who were coming together in a large gathering. I looked up at the stars in the sky again and I saw a rider on a white horse with a bow in His hand. I knew that this rider on the white horse somehow represented Christ. Then, on September 23, 2004, I had a dream where I heard a voice that said, “Tell My people, 'Get ready, My woe church is coming'. Write the vision down so that My people may run”. I was young in the Lord and was not sure what to make of the first dream, so I put it on the shelf. In October of 2007, a man that I knew, who I saw in my dream died, and I was reminded of this dream again. Then, at the beginning of this year, 2008, I 'stumbled upon' UnleavenedBreadMinistries.org. I began to see that this white horse rider/woe church symbolized the Man-child ministry which is to come. (These are the first fruits to manifest “Christ in You.”)   Apostates War Against the White Horse Nathan Finney - 11/2007 (David's notes in red) I remember emailing David about wanting to receive dreams. David told me he prayed for me to have the dreams, and I did, so I wanted to share that with you. I had this vision on the video screen of my mind about a year ago, but didn't tell anybody until last week. As I thought about it, I thought about the parable of the talents and the wicked servant who hid his talent in the ground and didn't do anything with it. I love David's teachings and love your ministry. I was sitting at my desk while I was under attack and my spirit within me was very heavy. Then I saw and heard the hoofbeats of many crimson horses with armor plating as warhorses charging down a field. The sight made me sigh. Then I saw one white horse turn its head slightly and neigh and this horse was the only one to oppose the crimson warhorses. Then the vision ended. Many apostates will seek to wage war against Jesus in the man-child, the white horse rider of Revelation 6, just as they did in Jesus' time.   Four Horsemen to Ride Soon Below are two confirming dreams that the four tribulation horse judgments are coming soon.   The Four Horses Michael Boldea Jr. - 10/31/2007 (David's notes in red) The following is a dream I had the night of October 29, 2007. If not for the specific instruction to share what I saw, I would have preferred to keep it to myself. I had gone to bed late, having waited for my wife to get home from work. After seeing that she had arrived home safely and saying my prayers, I fell into a restful sleep. I dreamt that I was sleeping when a hand touched my shoulder, and a voice I recognized said, 'Wake up.' In my dream, I opened my eyes, and my breath caught in my throat as I saw who had awakened me. It was the same messenger, the angel I had seen on previous occasions, dressed in full battle armor, standing by the side of my bed. 'Take my hand,' he said, 'I have been sent to show you something.' I barely touched the hand that was extended toward me when my bed and my bedroom evaporated, and I found myself standing before a white, oblong building that looked a lot like a barn or a horse stable. Two large doors made up the front of the structure, and as I looked, they began to swing open. I knew wherever I was, it was not of this earth, because everything shone, everything was white, pristine, immaculate. I also knew that whatever the reason for being shown this was about to be revealed, so I stood in silence, holding the messenger's hand. As soon as the doors were fully open, I saw an angel that looked very much like the one standing beside me, except without the armor, leading a white horse by its reins. The horse was large and muscular, but he followed the angel obediently with its head bent low. The angel's countenance was somber as he led the horse away, and for some reason this registered with great clarity. I looked up to the messenger whose hand I was still holding, but he merely nodded toward the white building and the open doors, and said, 'witness'. Another angel soon appeared in the doorway, holding the reins of a red horse, following after the first. I began to realize what I was seeing, and in silence watched as two more angels appeared, each holding the reins of a horse, one black, one of no discernible color, just pale. All four angels were dressed alike and had the same somber, sorrowful countenance. I stood and watched as all four horses were led out of my sight, and finally when they had disappeared from view, the messenger turned to me and said: “Go and tell what you have seen. The riders prepare, the horses are ready, and soon they will descend, soon they will be loosed. (The four seal judgments opened by Jesus in Rev 6:1-8. The Tribulation starts with the Man-child judge, followed by War, Famine, and Death.) Remember what you have witnessed, and do not hold back a single word. Soon they descend on wings of fury; soon turmoil will shake earth's very foundation. Prepare yourself, for many will fall and few will stand. Fulfillment is at hand; go and speak what you have seen and what you have heard. The Kingdom awaits the righteous, the holy will soon see the Lord.” I only realized I was still holding his hand when he let go of mine, and suddenly I was back in my bed, sitting up, fully awake. I am still unsure whether or not it was a dream, or if 'dream' is the right word for it, but for simplicity's sake, I will call it a dream. I tried to go back to sleep but could not, vividly remembering the sorrowful look on the faces of the angels who were leading the horses out of the stables. It seems the world is seeing what the church is refusing to acknowledge, the fact that we are on the cusp of great upheaval not only in this nation, but also throughout the world. These are the days of which the prophets spoke, the days of which Christ warned, the time of distress, of sifting and of separation. My prayer is that we remember always, our hope is in the Lord, and He is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. If one word stands out from this entire dream, it is the word 'prepare' and we must do so with diligence. The children of God must steel themselves for what is coming, prepare their hearts and settle within their soul that the day in which we will have to stand for truth is soon approaching.   The Four 'People Bombs' Cheri Watson - 11/01/2007 (David's notes in red) I had a dream in the early morning hours, while it was still dark. Actually, this was the timing in the dream as well. In the dream, there were two planes headed towards the east, and both were flying over water. On the wings of both planes, there were bombs filled with people, not explosives, and under the belly of each plane, there was a real bomb. The plane on the left shot off the two 'people bombs' first. Then shortly after, the bomb on the belly of the plane. The people hit the water first and then the bomb. I didn't “see” any repercussions from the first bomb, but I knew there was a lot of devastation that I couldn't see. Then the people were shot out of the second plane, and then again shortly after, the second bomb from the belly of the plane was shot off. (I wasn't sure how I fit into the dream... I seemed to be in the second plane because I witnessed the first set of bombs go off and then I ended up in the water after the second set of 'people bombs' were set off. I don't know if this has any relevance.) Now, in the water, I was looking towards the sky, and I saw the second bomb headed for the water. I knew I had to get out of the water quickly, and I woke up saying, “It's happening too quickly! It's happening too quickly!!!” I hadn't slept well for the last three nights and awoke this morning very tired. I wasn't sure what the dream meant, so I prayed for the Holy Spirit to recall to my memory what I needed to remember of this dream and its interpretation. Then I sat down at my computer and I saw that Michael Boldea had had a recent dream... (shared above), my heart started pounding and I knew I had to read it. When I read the highlighted portion in red of Michael's dream, I felt a confirmation in the Spirit about the interpretation of my dream. The four “people” bombs (on the wings of the plane) represented the four horse judgments. The two “real” bombs attached to the bellies of the planes reminded me of the two attacks yet to come upon America (as given in Michael's dream of the eagle and the serpents) ... the first was 9/11, the second two are yet to come. The Lord showed me years ago that the horses represent the harnessed flesh of the beasts of lost humanity that will bring devastation to the earth. This is in agreement with Cheri's dream of bombs of people bringing this devastation. Cheri having to get out of the waters of humanity after the fourth 'people bomb' hits or the fourth horse is released is very scriptural. (Rev.17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.  Cheri and all saints must come out of the Babylonish Harlot before her judgments for they will be taking the mark of the beast during the last half of the Tribulation.  (Rev 18:4)  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues:    White Horse Prepared for Rider Linda L. Gray - 09/29/2016 (David's notes in red) I had this dream where I was inside my home when I noticed an unusual white cloud formation through one of my windows. To get a better look at the cloud formation, I went outside. It was a clear blue sky with no clouds elsewhere but this particular large formation in front of my house. (Nothing else will be more significant concerning changes in the world for God's people.) Within the formation of clouds, I saw a white horse. (The Man-child reformers who live above this evil world in heavenly places by abiding IN Christ. Eph.2: 6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus: The Man-child body as a cloud will water the earth with the Word of God because he is manifestly seated with Christ in heavenly places. The rest of the Church has not yet manifested this place and is not chosen to be in the Man-child body of people.) There was no rider on the horse that I could see as the clouds kept going around the horse, making it difficult to get a clearer view. Psa.48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. (The white horse is the Man-child head of Zion, the Bride, as John was told in Revelation. The rider is the Lord who reigns over the Man-child body but not yet the Church. All of the horses in the seals of Revelation 6 are white (representing holiness conquering the Beast), red (war), black (famine and economic collapse) and pale (death and Hades). The horses represent the flesh of men who serve the spirit and leadership that rides them and rules over them. All of these horses are people who bring these judgments to the world. When they are empowered, they will have riders upon them. The first rider is the Lord of His first-fruits Man-child body who will reign over the world and the Church.  At the time of this dream, this first rider is not yet reigning the horse, which comes with the Man-child's anointing. Rev.1:7 Behold, he cometh with the clouds (Notice: Jesus will come with the clouds or white horse Man-child body.); and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen. (This verse has a more literal interpretation at the end of the tribulation, but it accurately describes in the Spirit what will happen when the white horse rider, Jesus in the Man-child body, leads the other horse judgments in the earth, which is exactly what Moses the Man-child did. He brought the other judgments. “He cometh with clouds”. The Gematria for “clouds” here is 144 x 10. 144 is the number of the Man-child and 10 is the number of the Word or law he obeys and teaches. “Were purchased from among men to be first-fruits” is verse 14:4. Notice the verse number 144. Rev.14:1 And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads. 4 These are they that were not defiled with women (sects or denominations); for they are virgins (not having received the seed or word of man). These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, to be the firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb. Both Jesus and Jesus in the Man-child, as a repeat of history, fit this. Psa.118:22 The stone which the builders rejected Is become the head of the corner.) Circling the outer perimeter of the cloud formation was a large plane, which apparently had seen this formation and was trying to get a better view. (Jesus, the Man-child was circled by a large group of people, as would be in a large plane, who wanted His holy teaching to live above the world. The white horse is typed by Mordecai, Moses, Joseph, David, Soloman, Jesus and many more. These were all reigned over by Jesus. This was a judgment on Egypt, as a type of the world. Each of these men and many like them led the Bride, and through them the Church, to freedom and power. Each of these also brought judgments on the Beast body, as a type of the world Beast body of seven heads and ten horns.) I (as a type of the Bride) was very excited and wanted a photo of the beautiful white horse, so I went inside my house to retrieve my cell phone. When I came back outside, the airspace was filled with war planes covering the entire field of vision, flying in a grid formation heading from south to north. It looked like a tic-tac-toe-type grid with the planes in perfect formation. (After the white horse body of the Man-child comes to conquer in Rev 6:2 comes war in verses 3&4. (Rev 6:2)  And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. 3  And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come. 4  And another horse came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.  And after the Man-child was caught up to heavenly authority and the physical war came there was naturally a spiritual war with it. Rev.12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; 8 And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. 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. 10 And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death. And the Dragon or Satan was cast down to rule over his world body of seven heads and 10 horns, which is beaten by He who “came with the clouds”, the Man-child, and saints in whom the Lord lives. Jesus in the Man-child reformers, will conquer the world beast. Dan.7:13 I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. ... 22 until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. The dream then ended. (Whatever was in the clouds, the powers that be didn't like, and they were ready to wage war against it.) (Yes, the powers that be are the head of the Dragon body on earth. They are Satanists whom we are casting down.)   White Horse Vision M. L. - 03/28/2014 (David's notes in red) During our Friday night meeting, while singing “The Battle Belongs to the Lord” the final time, I had the following vision: The Lord was riding a white horse but I was only seeing the side area of the horse's head, near the mane. The mane was blowing back and I heard the snorting of the horse. I saw the Lord from mid-chest up in a white garment. In His strong, muscular right arm, He held the reins in a tight grip, showing His control. His mantle was blowing in the wind and He took His free hand and gave it a quick motion of throwing it back out of His way. He had the look of stern determination. {Rev.6:1} And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come. {2} And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. Following this are the horses of war, famine and death. He said to me, “Do you have any doubt that I can take care of your enemies, to deliver you from all bondages and heal all your diseases? I have already done this!” The verses that came to my mind were: {Isa.59:16} And He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no one to intercede; then His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness upheld Him. {17} He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; and He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle. {18} According to their deeds, so He will repay, wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; To the coastlands He will make recompense. {19} So shall they fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come as a rushing stream, which the breath of Jehovah driveth. {20} And a Redeemer will come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith Jehovah. {21} And as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith Jehovah: my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith Jehovah, from henceforth and for ever. And continuing in chapter {60:1} Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee. {2} For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but Jehovah will arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. {3} And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. {4} Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: they all gather themselves together, they come to thee; thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be carried in the arms. {5} Then thou shalt see and be radiant, and thy heart shall thrill and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned unto thee, the wealth of the nations shall come unto thee.   The Immature and the White Horse Warrior G. M. - 08/21/2015 (David's notes in red) This dream began with me being in an apartment complex. (This is a type of Christianity as a whole at this time, except that its growth into a holy temple is stunted. {Eph.2:21} in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; {22} in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit. The structure was not a large building, but small, simple units that were joined, but at different levels, because they were built on the side of a hill in a heavily wooded area. (I thought the apartment complex could speak of those [Christians] we share God's Word with and not all are of the same maturity.) The canopy of the trees overhead didn't allow much sunlight to come through, so it was shady. (Meaning they did not allow the light of the Son into their hearts. Many of God's people live in darkness, indoctrinated by idolatrous religious leaders and systems that are against the glorious light being offered by the Lord's ministers. Pray for them, saints. This will change.) I felt there were more adults in this complex (but they must keep a low profile, being weak to the weak, or they will not be able to be useful), but I was only seeing children (representing spiritual immaturity). The apartment that I was in was dimly lit, as all the curtains were closed. (The immature with a religious spirit are closed to more light than what they have in their idolatrous minds. Immaturity is not a sin; we have all been there, but perpetual immaturity imposed by the false prophets is.) I wanted to let some light in, so I opened a curtain toward the back of the apartment. (We have to get around their flesh, the house, to get into their spiritual man, subtly trying to get some light in that will dispel the darkness and manifest Christ in their lives. Sometimes it takes a shaking to bring the fear of the Lord and break through all the fairy tales so they can see they are vulnerable and will not fly away.) There was a chain-linked dog kennel right next to the house with a black Doberman and two smaller dogs or puppies with long curly black hair that were racing back and forth and yipping loudly. (Dogs in the kennel symbolized demonic spirits that were bound.) There was a larger dog on the outside of the kennel, looking at those inside the kennel. I was unaware of the dogs until I opened the curtain. I closed it immediately. (Demonic influence from leadership and immature peer pressure, all of whom are in bondage, toward those in darkness, which the house represents. The larger dog outside of their particular bondage represents the principality overseeing their bondage.) One of the little girls wanted to ride a horse, so we headed out to the pasture. (I only remember having the thought to go to the pasture and we were there.) Before our eyes was the most magnificent white horse that, in my estimation, stood 20 feet tall. (This is the white horse of Revelation. It is not the kind of horse that little girls ride. We have been shown that little girls represent those who are not mature, who are incapable to receive or sow the seed of the Word of God. Only Jesus in the warrior body of the Man-child will be mature enough to ride this horse. The Man-child receives this position by grace, but Jesus in anybody is awesome!) With a short explanation, I can share with you a revelation that will show how God will deal with the immature and rebellious Church to wake them up. In Genesis 48:19, Ephraim was called in Hebrew the “multitude of nations” (meaning “Gentiles”) and represents the Church. Ephraim was the second son of Joseph, who was one of the clearest types of Jesus in the Bible. Jesus, like Joseph, had two sons: Israel and the Church. Joseph's second-born, Ephraim, represents the Church, which received the Lord as their leader that would have been given to Manasseh, the first-born, who represents natural Israel. It will take a combination of judgment and the latter rain outpouring on a new leadership, the Man-child, to awaken the Church when the Lord returns, first manifested in the Man-child through the latter rain anointing. In type for this, Jesus was first to receive the former rain anointing. According to Joel, this will be poured out on the Church in our day, who mostly haven't received this. Here is that story: {Hos.5:14} For I will be unto Ephraim [the Church] as a lion [a full-grown lion, the Lord, the Lion of Judah!], and as a young lion [not as fearsome] to the house of Judah [so-called “spirit-filled” Christianity]: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will carry off, and there shall be none to deliver.  Jesus will chasten His apostate people of Christianity, just as they were under the Roman Empire in Jesus' day. {15} I will go and return to my place [which He did], till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly. Affliction is coming to those under man and false Christianity instead of God. {6:1} Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. {2} After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. {3} And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth. Back to the dream. The warrior on this horse showed confidence and authority. (Which Jesus does. The latter rain-anointed Man-child Jesus will reign over the white horse, which will have manifested His name, meaning “nature, character and authority”.) The rider was wearing a silver helmet, like what I remember Roman soldiers wore. (Armor, like was in the Church in the time of Jesus, who had all the armor on, which pertains to putting on the Word, whom Jesus is. The silver helmet represents a mind that cannot be corrupted by Satan's arrows or his ministers.) He had a very long sword in his hand and was wearing a brilliant red robe that came down all the way to the ground. This was a very spectacular sight, as this scene was bursting with brightness. (The long sword represents His ability to reach all nations with judgment and to defend the saints. We are told in Isaiah 63 that His garments are stained with the blood of the Edomites, Esau's seed, who sold their birthright because of a root of bitterness against Israel, representing the true Church. {Isa.63:1} Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah [meaning sheepfold]? this that is glorious in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. {2} Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winevat? {3} I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was no man with me: yea, I trod them in mine anger, and trampled them in my wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my raiment. The little girl and I were in awe of what was before us but I felt no fear. (This is a picture that will be replayed many times: the wise bringing the immature to Jesus over His Man-child warriors, who will give them the help they need.) After a while, the little girl took my hand and said she wanted to ride this horse. (This is a good desire but the crucified life comes first. Many want to be in this Man-child but are not willing to pay the price to lay down their lives to take up Jesus' life, the life of the Word.) Then I woke up. The scripture that was shared earlier that night from Revelation 19:11-13 gave an accurate description of the horse and rider that I saw. (This is Jesus who comes at the end of the tribulation in the day of the Lord's wrath to administer judgment to the Beast and False Prophet, who have crucified the saints. {Rev.19:11} And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. {12} And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diadems; and he hath a name written which no one knoweth but he himself. {13} And he is arrayed in a garment sprinkled with blood: and his name is called The Word of God. This is Jesus reigning over the Man-child reformers with many crowns, for He conquers all kings and takes their crowns. {11:15} And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever. This is a picture of Jesus as the white horse rider, who comes to conquer the enemies of God's kingdom. {Rev.6:1} And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come. {2} And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. This is Jesus reigning over the corporate first fruits with one crown, symbolizing the unity of this corporate body to rule.) The Man-child ministry, in whom Jesus lives by His Word and Spirit, are the Revelation 6:2 white horse rider. Here are types of Man-children that were given this authority over the nations to speak and act for God: {Dan.2:46} Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him. {47} The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou hast been able to reveal this secret. {48} Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon. (We have dreams that the Man-child will rule as President.) {Jer.1:9} Then Jehovah put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth: {10} see, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. {Gen.41:39} And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all of this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou: {40} thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. {41} And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. I was given two scriptures by random: Isaiah 44:12 and Psalm 106:33. I felt led to read all of both chapters, as they brought out the strongholds of idolatry and rebellion that are rampant in America, but also God's promises to His people. Here they are in a portion of each text, and they fit the dream very well: {Isa.44:1} Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel, who I have chosen: {2} Thus saith Jehovah that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, who will help thee: Fear not, O Jacob my servant; and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. {3} For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and streams upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: {4} and they shall spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses... {8} Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have I not declared unto thee of old, and showed it? and ye are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? yea, there is no Rock; I know not any. {9} They that fashion a graven image are all of them vanity; and the things that they delight in shall not profit; and their own witnesses see not, nor know: that they may be put to shame. {10} Who hath fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing? {11} Behold, all his fellows shall be put to shame; and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; they shall fear, they shall be put to shame together. {12} The smith maketh an axe, and worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with his strong arm: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth; he drinketh no water, and is faint. {21} Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. {22} I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. {23} Sing, O ye heavens, for Jehovah hath done it; shout, ye lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and will glorify himself in Israel. {Psa.106:6} We have sinned with our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. {7} Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; They remembered not the multitude of thy lovingkindnesses, But were rebellious at the sea, even at the Red Sea. {8} Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, That he might make his mighty power to be known. {9} He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up: So he led them through the depths, as through a wilderness. {10} And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. {11} And the waters covered their adversaries; There was not one of them left. {12} Then believed they his words; They sang his praise. {13} They soon forgat his works; They waited not for his counsel, {14} But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tempted God in the desert. {15} And he gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul. {16} They envied Moses also in the camp, And Aaron the saint of Jehovah. {17} The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, And covered the company of Abiram. {18} And a fire was kindled in their company; The flame burned up the wicked. {19} They made a calf in Horeb, And worshipped a molten image. {20} Thus they changed their glory For the likeness of an ox that eateth grass. {21} They forgat God their Saviour, Who had done great things in Egypt, {22} Wondrous works in the land of Ham, And terrible things by the Red Sea. {23} Therefore he said that he would destroy them, Had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. {24} Yea, they despised the pleasant land, They believed not his word, {25} But murmured in their tents, And hearkened not unto the voice of Jehovah. {26} Therefore he sware unto them, That he would overthrow them in the wilderness, {27} And that he would overthrow their seed among the nations, And scatter them in the lands. {28} They joined themselves also unto Baal-peor, And ate the sacrifices of the dead. {29} Thus they provoked him to anger with their doings; And the plague brake in upon them. {30} Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment; And so the plague was stayed. {31} And that was reckoned unto him for righteousness, Unto all generations for evermore. {32} They angered him also at the waters of Meribah, So that it went ill with Moses for their sakes; {33} Because they were rebellious against his spirit, And he spake unadvisedly with his lips. {34} They did not destroy the peoples, As Jehovah commanded them, {35} But mingled themselves with the nations, And learned their works, {36} And served their idols, Which became a snare unto them. {37} Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons, {38} And shed innocent blood, Even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, Whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with blood. {39} Thus were they defiled with their works, And played the harlot in their doings. {40} Therefore was the wrath of Jehovah kindled against his people, And he abhorred his inheritance. {41} And he gave them into the hand of the nations; And they that hated them ruled over them. {42} Their enemies also oppressed them, And they were brought into subjection under their hand. {43} Many times did he deliver them; But they were rebellious in their counsel, And were brought low in their iniquity. {44} Nevertheless he regarded their distress, When he heard their cry: {45} And he remembered for them his covenant, And repented according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. {46} He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captive. {47} Save us, O Jehovah our God, And gather us from among the nations, To give thanks unto thy holy name, And to triumph in thy praise. {48} Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, From everlasting even to everlasting. And let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye Jehovah.   Pray for the Man-child Anointing Eve Brast - 12/22/2015 (David's notes in red) I dreamed that David looked just like Jesus, but it was David on the inside. (This represents the works of Jesus manifested in the David Man-child body.) He was dressed in a white, seamless garment. (White implies purity and seamless implies not manmade, which means no works of the flesh.) He was going around healing all these sick people. They were all desperate and begging for him to heal them. (This is just as it was when Jesus came the first time. Now He is coming through the Word of God and latter rain anointing manifested in the Man-child Ministry.) The next part I remember is that I was in a log cabin (the wilderness tribulation) where we were having a UBM meeting. I was sitting on the floor waiting for everything to start when Michael Hare came up to me. He was smiling and had light shining in his eyes. He presented something to me that he was holding between his thumb and forefinger. I looked at it and it looked white and fluffy. I asked him, “What is it?” and almost immediately I answered my own question: “Manna!” I exclaimed. I took it and ate it right away. After this, I felt power enter into me and I knew that the Father would give me whatever I asked of Him in prayer. (When Michael gives to Eve, representing the Bride, the Manna from Heaven, she is empowered. The manna came in the wilderness and represented the Word of God. {Joh.6:49} Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. {50} This is the bread which cometh down out of heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. {51} I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. {1:14} And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth. Notice, He did not say if you confess Jesus as your personal Savior, but when you devour His Word, you will have eternal life. When this manna Word is manifest in you, you receive your requests. {Joh.15:7} If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you.) (I asked Father for a word concerning Michael [meaning, “who is like God”], giving me the manna, and received Ezekiel 18:9. In context: {Eze.18:7} if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing, {8} if he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between man and man, {9} if he walks in My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully - he is righteous and will surely live, declares the Lord GOD.) (Basically, we are seeing here that a faithful servant of the Lord who keeps His Word will be able to give the manna Word from Heaven to the Bride.) Then I got up and went over to a table and sat down with my hands clasped together and started to pray. (She was now asking God for everything by faith. :o) Then David came over to me (looking like David again) and placed a small handful of bread crumbs on the table before me. He said, “Eve, I need you to pray for me”. (“Looking like David again” means before the Davids look like Jesus and do all His healings and works mentioned above. In this state they need prayer to do those greater works. The crumbs on the table represent the minor works being handed out now. {Mat.15:27} But she said, Yea, Lord: for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. So the Man-child Davids need prayer for the anointing.) He said this in a very calm and serious way. He then walked off to the right into another part of the log cabin. I then took a white cloth and scooped the bread crumbs onto it and held it between my hands as I began to pray in earnest for David. (Praying for the crumbs to become whole. ;o) (I asked Father for a verse for David, asking me to pray for him, and received through faith, {Psa.89:27} I also will make him [the Davids] my first-born, The highest of the kings of the earth. I believe this is saying to pray earnestly for the Man-child's [kingly] anointing.) (In context here is what was spoken to David: {Psa 89:19} Then thou spakest in vision to thy saints, And saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people. {20} I have found David my servant; With my holy oil have I anointed him: {21} With whom my hand shall be established; Mine arm also shall strengthen him. {22} The enemy shall not exact from him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him. {23} And I will beat down his adversaries before him, And smite them that hate him. {24} But my faithfulness and my lovingkindness shall be with him; And in my name shall his horn be exalted. {25} I will set his hand also on the sea, And his right hand on the rivers. {26} He shall cry unto me, Thou art my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation. {27} I also will make him my first-born, The highest of the kings of the earth.) Then I asked Father, “Why did David ask me to pray for him? I received Psalm 119:90, and my finger was on the words “Thy faithfulness”. (Those who are in the Bride will be faithful to keep His commandments and will receive power with God to do His works.) (If we take only the words pointed out, it would speak of the Bride's faithfulness being a reason her prayers are heard for the Man-childs anointing. If we look at the text, it speaks of God's faithfulness to keep His Word.) {Psa.119:89} LAMEDH. For ever, O Jehovah, Thy word is settled in heaven. {90} Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. (Both fit the circumstances of the dream pretty well.) Pray for me, brethren. I desire to be one of the faithful Davids for the body and have been told by the Lord I would be, but every promise is fulfilled by His grace for our faithfulness, which is a gift from God. It is all by grace. (From our book, Hidden Manna For the End Times)   THE WHITE HORSE RIDER? (Rev.6:1) And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come. (2) And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. The white horse rider is Christ reigning on a modern-day body of believers called the Man-child. Jesus came at the start of the first 3 1/2 years of the disciples' tribulation, and the Man-child will come at the beginning of the first 3 1/2 years of the end-time Tribulation. Why must this be the first seal judgment? (1Pet.4:17) For the time [is come] for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if [it begin] first at us, what [shall be] the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? Just as the Man-child Jesus brought the unleavened bread of the truth, confirmed with signs and wonders, which made Israel and her leaders responsible to repent or be judged, so it will be with the end-time Man-child and spiritual Israel. (Joh.9:39) And Jesus said, For judgment came I into this world, that they that see not may see; and that they that see may become blind. Simeon prophesied that the Man-child Jesus would cause both the reprobation of some and the grafting in of others. (Luk.2:34) ...Behold, this [child] is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel; and for a sign which is spoken against. Jesus was also a “sign” that the end-time Man-child would bring the same judgment. As it was with Jesus and Judaism, the Man-child will be “spoken against” by the apostate “Christians”. Moses, as a man-child, brought the Law, which held the rebels responsible and brought judgment. (Rom.4:15) For the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression. What does the “white horse” represent? As the mind of man uses his body as a beast of burden to do his work, so the horse is harnessed as a beast of burden to do his work. The horse represents the body God uses to do His work. (Psa.147:10) He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: He taketh no pleasure in the legs of a man. This verse could well fit the other horse riders in Revelation 6, but to ride a “white” horse symbolizes completely harnessing the strength of your body and mind to do “righteous” work. The horse carries the rider like the “legs of a man” carry the Man-child. Overcomers ride white horses because their body submits to the spiritual man who submits to the Holy Spirit. The Man-child will be the First-fruits of Jesus ruling the white horse in our day, and the elect of the Woman will also follow their Lord on white horses to finish off the judgment after the Tribulation. (Rev.19:11) And I saw the heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (14) And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white [and] pure. Just as the latter rain outpouring of the Spirit on the Man-child will harness his body as a white horse, so through the next three seal judgments, evil spirits will ride upon the beast of the flesh of men to bring these curses upon the earth. The difference between the Man-child and the rest of the riders is that he is the one who looses these judgments as did Jesus, Moses, and Jeremiah. (Rev.6:3) And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come. (4) And another [horse] came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (5) And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold, a black horse; and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand. (6) And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A measure of wheat for a shilling, and three measures of barley for a shilling (famine); and the oil and the wine hurt thou not. (7) And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come. (8) And I saw, and behold, a pale horse: and he that sat upon him, his name was Death; and Hades followed with him. And there was given unto them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with famine, and with death, and by the wild beasts of the earth. Remember that Jesus said, “I have given you authority...over all the power of the enemy” (Luk.10:19). Authority in this case is the right to use the power of the demons. Twice Paul, by the power of the name of Jesus, delivered sinners over to Satan for chastening so that they would repent and be saved. (1Cor.5:4) In the name of our Lord Jesus, ye being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, (5) to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. The Man-child will exercise “authority” and pass it on to the Woman to bring the same “sword”, “famine”, and “death” to those who return evil for good, in order to save a remnant of God's people from them. Much of this will happen after the mark of the beast when these people cannot be saved. Jeremiah was a type of the Man-child who loosed the judgments to come. (Jer.18:20) Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before thee to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them. (21) Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives become childless, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, [and] their young men smitten of the sword in battle. Moses and Samuel represent the same type of the Man-child whose words and teachings to the Woman will bring forth the same judgments. (15:1) Then said the Lord unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind would not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. (2) And it shall come to pass, when they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the Lord: Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity. Jesus, in His First-fruits Man-child, will send forth the disciples with the Word of God to bring the above judgments on the world. (Rev.6:2) And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown: and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. Notice that He has “a bow” but no arrows, meaning they have been sent forth. “Apostle” means “one sent forth”. As Jesus was from Judah and sent forth His twelve apostles and then the seventy disciples, so the Man-child is spiritually a corporate body from Judah and will be the “bow” that sends forth these “arrows”. (Zec.9:13) For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim (Ephraim was called in Hebrew the “fulness of nations [Gentiles]” in Genesis 48:19 and represents the Woman or Church of all nations.); and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece (beast kingdom), and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man. (14) And the Lord shall be seen over them; and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning.... (15) The Lord of hosts will defend them; and they shall devour.... As Jesus' disciples went forth to conquer the mind of the beast that ruled over the elect of God, so will the Man-child's disciples. (Psa.127:3) Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord; [And] the fruit of the womb is [his] reward. (4) As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, So are the children of youth. Jesus' disciples, whom He sent out like arrows, were His “children of youth” for He has had many since then. He called His disciples “children” in Joh.13:33; 21:5. In Isaiah's prophecy of the coming of Jesus as Immanuel, He called His disciples His “children” in Isa.7:14; 8:16,18. The worldwide Man-child will send forth the disciple arrows to conquer the flesh, the Beast, and the devil. (Psa.127:5) Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: They shall not be put to shame, When they speak with their enemies in the gate. The disciple arrows will go forth to conquer the “enemies in the gate” of the kingdom with the spoken Word. Jesus, Who was the Light and called His disciples “sons of light” in Joh.12:36, also said that the light would bring judgment when men denied it. (Joh.3:19) And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. The Man-child and the disciple arrows will once more bring the light of truth, which will judge the world. This judgment will begin at the house of God and spread outward. As it was with Jesus, those who reject the light will be reprobated, while those who accept it will be the “sons of light”. Like the Man-child, Jesus spoke the judgment that the god of this world, who blinds the minds of the unbelieving, carried out. (Mat.13:14) And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive. The white horse rider will bring truth, which is the foundation for all judgment. Remember that Moses, who was the white horse of his day, brought all the judgments on Egypt. In fulfillment of that type, the Man-child will lead all the other judgment horses of Revelation 6 against the world. In her book Prepare for the Winds of Change II, chapter 1, Nita Johnson relates her vision describing the white horse rider's ministry. You will notice that it is the Word that goes forth from the anointed teachers of the end times, as they call the elect out of Babylon, and brings judgment or delivers from it. My notes are in parentheses. On January 10, 1990, I was granted a visitation by an angel. When I first saw this majestic being, I was awe-struck by his beauty, his power, and his obvious authority. He was dressed in a white garb resembling an old Roman military uniform. (This is the Roman armor spoken of in Ephesians 6:13-17 during the time of the worldwide Roman Empire.) His belt and type of breastplate were of gold. His whole appearance seemed to glow with the glow of heaven itself. He was riding an equally beautiful and powerful white war-horse. Both horse and rider were very large. The horse was much larger than any horse you and I would ever have occasion to see here on earth. It was indeed obvious that this incredible being was one of God's higher-ranking dignitaries. (The large size of the white horse implies a corporate body of people whose bodies have become submissive beasts of burden, or in other words, they have a holy walk. Since angelos is the Greek word for messenger, this large messenger represents Jesus on the corporate body of the Man-child.) I was frightened by the sight of him and would soon find myself quite distressed over his message to us. I first saw him as he rode this incredible white war-horse down what could have been any street in a typical subdivision anywhere in America. He was carrying a huge sword in his hand (This represents the spoken Word of God in Heb.4:12). This Instrument was actually long enough to be a lance, but its shape was that of a sword. With it, he would touch the roof of the houses on either side of the road out of every two or three he passed, thereby bringing judgment. He would declare, “Let the judgment fall from the greatest to the least of the unrepentant”. I then found myself standing at the end of this same street, watching intently and fearfully as this illustrious angel moved down the street in my direction. After every house that he cursed, he would proclaim warnings, as it were into the streets. “Great judgment is coming to the lovers of this world. Those unrepentant and cripplers of the children - fear!” Again and again, he would exclaim, “Babylon is falling! Come out; come out of her my children. Take nothing with you; only the clothes on your back and don't begrudge the cost. Judgment is coming at midnight. The hour is 11:55! I say don't mourn the loss, only come away: Come out of her. Run from the daughter of wickedness! Time is at an end. Judgment is sure...”, this he would cry out over and over again, as one would imagine a town crier doing, such as Paul Revere of old. He came to a standstill in front of me, sitting on his horse he spoke with me, giving me a great deal of instruction. Calling me by name, he said, “Nita, warn the people. Warn the people of the earth that judgment is coming at midnight, and the hour is even now 11:55. Everywhere tell them to heed the teachers. Heed my anointed, for their counsel is sure, and is the way of safety and life. Counsel is coming from behind the veil. Among other things, counsel concerning spiritual warfare. Government is again coming to the Church, and God is bringing forth the mighty men of valor to lead the Church forth in war. Tell my people; Heed the teachers, for their counsel is sure and will provide safety in treacherous time. Heed the prophets and apostles, heed my anointed, for their counsel is sure and a way of safety and life. (Jesus, as the Man-child was called Teacher, Prophet, and Apostle.) God will be lifting up specially anointed teachers, prophets of the Most High. They will be given the rod of government. They will carry the sword (as this angel does in type), bringing separation and judgment and will be healers of great breaches among My own. (They will be used to bring the true flock into one accord with their one Shepherd, Jesus, as He prophesied.) They will prepare the saints with battle strategy and equip them with the power of a mighty warrior, bearing the anointing to spoil. (They will bring judgment on the Beast and Harlot systems.) Heaven's government is coming in to separate, heal and lead out into strategic battle. These prophets will be teachers who will be given counsel from behind the veil. Counsel of superior wisdom and strategy for safety, unity and spiritual warfare. They will be taken into the secret counsel of the Most High to obtain what must be diligently taught to the elect. This counsel will provide safety in treacherous times. Don't mourn, only heed the voice of the Spirit of counsel and might. Tell my people to heed the coming anointed ones, tell them to prepare!” From that point, he began to share many things. He gave much instruction, much information and much warning. He finally told me I would find further understanding of these things in the book of Zechariah. “Study it, understand it, let the Holy Spirit give you much enlightenment in it”, he instructed. In closing, he said one more time, “Go forth now and tell the people of the earth. Warn them judgment is coming and it's sure.” Then he left, and I was alone in my room. Jesus manifested in these anointed apostolic teachers and prophets will be the foundation for God's plan to “restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, a faithful town” (Isa.1:26). One more thing: I believe there is a parallel interpretation     of the White Horse Rider and his White Horse. That is the rider is Jesus in the Man-child and the white horse is their submissive and holy body. For instance, Jesus' body was submissive to His spirit man as is so with the Man-child body. I have taught this elsewhere.

“O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?” asks the Lord. “For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight. I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces - to slaughter you with my words, with judgments as inescapable as light. I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings. But like Adam, you broke my covenant and betrayed my trust.” - Hosea 6:4-7We're getting deeper into the prophets now as we've moved from what are considered the major prophets to the minor prophets. Now don't let these terms color your view of these next books - the minor prophets have a lot to say. In fact, this conversation on Hosea has been one of my favorites. Honestly, I had not spent much time in Hosea before but man did re-reading it and spending time prepping for this conversation really impact me. Hosea is, yes, another prophet trying to warn Israel of the coming judgment of the Lord, but the approach Hosea takes hits home in a fresh way. To help us navigate the book of Hosea is Dr. Duane Garrett - chair of Old Testament at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and author of a commentary on Hosea. In this conversation Dr. Garrett and I talk about the continued role of prophets, the unique structure to Hosea, and why God seems to be focusing his attention on Israel rather than the surrounding pagan nations. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/Hosea-Joel-Exegetical-Theological-Exposition/dp/0805401199Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Navigating the Bible: Daniel - https://youtu.be/bnQ-PioWxfgNavigating the Bible: Ezekiel - https://youtu.be/hlg6gBYxqsgNavigating the Bible: Lamentations - https://youtu.be/6rrizlXeYXENavigating the Bible: Jeremiah - https://youtu.be/lXPjWl8PdRkNavigating the Bible: Isaiah - https://youtu.be/NZJLaPkgEgsNavigating the Bible: Song of Songs - https://youtu.be/Sg0CYlNBVMgNavigating the Bible: Ecclesiastes - https://youtu.be/-Wr7LCh8F9ENavigating the Bible: Proverbs - https://youtu.be/DytRT5AsZg8Navigating the Bible: Psalms - https://youtu.be/oZeesooAYUINavigating the Bible: Job - https://youtu.be/14jaf2T1eCQNavigating the Bible: Esther - https://youtu.be/7RZ7ATWQZucNavigating the Bible: Nehemiah - https://youtu.be/Gok4WDgwn5INavigating the Bible: Ezra - https://youtu.be/aBC0nEjYeyoNavigating the Bible: 2 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/OG3rHTgMgEINavigating the Bible: 1 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/lQ_Qc4zbfgANavigating the Bible: 2 Kings - https://youtu.be/04q9gDhBKTkNavigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2kNavigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7cNavigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMYNavigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaMNavigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NUNavigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFsNavigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zUNavigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxsNavigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3MNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasAInspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Today in History: What verse spoke to you most today and why? Did you learn something you need to do in your life? Today in History: Under King Solomon, Israel began a 14-day dedication ceremony for the First Temple (see 1 Kings 8). If Messiah was born on Rosh HaShanah, this was the day of Yeshua's “brit mila,” his circumcision ceremony (possible date, see Luke 2:21). Shabbat Shuvah (Sabbath of Return) falls during the days of awe and repentance, between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. The name “Shabbat Shuvah” comes from the Haftarah in Hosea 14, “Return [shuvah], O Israel, to the LORD your God.” Shuvah means “return” or “repent.”This week's portion is called Ha'azinu (Listen)TORAH PORTION: Deuteronomy 32:13–18GOSPEL PORTION: Acts 25:1–12What verse spoke to you most today and why?Did you learn something you need to do in your life?Daily Bread for Kids is a daily Bible reading podcast where we read through the Torah and the Gospels in one year! Helping young Bible-readers to study God's Word, while also discovering its Jewish context!THE KIDS' JOURNAL is available from ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://arielmedia.shop⁠⁠⁠⁠BUSY MOMS who want to follow the Daily Bread readings on podcast for adults, can go to ⁠⁠https://dailybreadmoms.com⁠⁠The Bible translation we are reading from is the Tree of Life Version (TLV) available from the Tree of Life Bible Society.INSTAGRAM: @dailybreadkids @arielmediabooks @dailybreadmomsTags: #DailyBreadMoms #DailyBreadJournal #BibleJournaling #Messianic #BiblePodcast #BiblicalFeasts #Journal #biblereadingplan #Messiah #JewishRoots #Yeshua #GodIsInControl #OneYearBible #MomLife #MotherCulture #FaithFilledMama #BiblicalWomanhood #Proverbs31woman

“Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord!” — Deuteronomy 33:29 He who affirms that Christianity makes men miserable, is himself an utter stranger to it. It were strange indeed, if it made us wretched, for see to what a position it exalts us! It makes us […]

Today in History: Shabbat Shuvah (Sabbath of Return) falls during the days of awe and repentance, between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. The name “Shabbat Shuvah” comes from the Haftarah in Hosea 14, “Return [shuvah], O Israel, to the LORD your God.” Shuvah means “return” or “repent.”TORAH PORTION: Deuteronomy 31:25–30HAFTARAH: Hosea 14:1–9[2–10], Micah 7:18–20APOSTLES: Hebrews 12:1–17How does the Haftarah connect to this special Shabbat?How do the Apostles connect to this special Shabbat?Daily Bread for Kids is a daily Bible reading podcast where we read through the Torah and the Gospels in one year! Helping young Bible-readers to study God's Word, while also discovering its Jewish context!THE KIDS' JOURNAL is available from ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://arielmedia.shop⁠⁠⁠⁠BUSY MOMS who want to follow the Daily Bread readings on podcast for adults, can go to ⁠⁠https://dailybreadmoms.com⁠⁠The Bible translation we are reading from is the Tree of Life Version (TLV) available from the Tree of Life Bible Society.INSTAGRAM: @dailybreadkids @arielmediabooks @dailybreadmomsTags: #DailyBreadMoms #DailyBreadJournal #BibleJournaling #Messianic #BiblePodcast #BiblicalFeasts #Journal #biblereadingplan #Messiah #JewishRoots #Yeshua #GodIsInControl #OneYearBible #MomLife #MotherCulture #FaithFilledMama #BiblicalWomanhood #Proverbs31woman

There is yet another class. You are halt. You are halting between two opinions. You are sometimes seriously inclined, and at another time worldly gaiety calls you away. What little progress you do make in religion is but a limp. You have a little strength, but that is so little that you make but painful progress. To you also is the word of this salvation sent. Though you halt between two opinions, the Master sends you this message: "How long halt ye between two opinions? if God be God, serve Him; if Baal be God, serve him." Consider thy ways: set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live. Because I will do this, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel! Halt no longer, but decide for God and His truth.

Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God. . . . — Deuteronomy 6:4-5 I worked in a grocery store when I was in high school. Back then, the prices of products were on stickers, and a cashier had to key the numbers in. Sometimes the sticker would be missing, and the cashier would call for a price check. It was part of my job to run to the shelf where the product came from and find the price. On busy Saturdays with lots of customers and cashiers, it often happened that a cashier would call my name several times before I would hear it. I thought something was wrong with my hearing. So I went to an ear doctor and discovered that my hearing was fine. The problem was not with my ears; it was me. That experience showed me how easily I could tune out important messages. Today is the day for Sabbath rest and worship. It is a day to pause, quiet ourselves, and listen for God's gentle, life-giving voice. Today's passage from Deuteronomy 6, called the “Shema” in Hebrew, was often recited by God's people several times a day. Notice how it begins: “Hear, O Israel. . . .” This can be a helpful reminder to pay attention to what we may have tuned out. Let's open our ears today to the message that God is our God, the one true God, who loves us. And may we hear the invitation again to love God with our whole being. Lord, God, it's easy for me to grow inattentive to your voice. Tune my entire life to your voice of love and speak to me today, I pray. Amen.

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Psalm 131:1-3 - O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.

Welcome to Day 2700 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to WisdomDay 2700 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 81:8-16 – Daily WisdomWisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2700Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2700 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.Today's Wisdom Nugget is titled: The Heart's Hardness – A Plea for Unwavering Loyalty - Concluding Our Trek Through Psalm 81:8-16Guthrie Chamberlain: Welcome back to Wisdom-Trek, your compass for navigating the profound landscapes of faith and life. I'm your guide, Guthrie Chamberlain, and today, we reach the powerful and poignant conclusion of our trek through Psalm 81 in the New Living Translation, encompassing its final verses, 8 through 16.In our last conversation, we began Psalm 81 with a vibrant, celebratory call to worship, a joyful festival meant to be a perpetual reminder of God's deliverance. The psalmist then recounted a dramatic shift to God's direct voice, recalling His mighty act of removing the "burden from your shoulders" and freeing Israel's "hands from their heavy baskets" of slavery in Egypt (Psalm 81:6). We heard how God answered their cry from the "hidden place of thunder," the awe-inspiring moment at Sinai when He gave them His law.Now, God's direct address continues, moving from a remembrance of His saving acts to a strong command for exclusive loyalty and a heartbreaking lament over His people's persistent disobedience. This section is a profound expression of God's own heart, revealing His deep desire for a relationship of trust and His sorrow over their stubborn rebellion. It culminates in a beautiful, almost wistful, promise of the boundless blessings they would have received if only they had listened.So, let's listen carefully, not just to the words, but to the yearning heart of God as He pleads with His people. A Divine Demand for Exclusive Loyalty(Reads Psalm 81:8-10 NLT)"Listen to me, O my people, if you would only listen to me, O Israel!You must never have a foreign god;you must not worship a foreign god.For I am the Lord your God,who rescued you from the land of Egypt.Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things."Guthrie Chamberlain: God's voice begins with an urgent, repeated, and intimate plea: "Listen to me, O my people, if you would only listen to me, O Israel!" The repetition of "if you would only listen to me" expresses a profound, almost desperate desire for His people to pay attention. He is calling to them as "my people" and "Israel," using covenant names that signify their special, chosen relationship with Him. This is not the voice of a distant commander, but of a personal God who yearns for His people's attention and obedience.The command that follows is absolute and foundational to their covenant: "You must never have a foreign god; you must not worship a foreign god." This is the first and second commandment of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-3). God demands exclusive loyalty and allegiance. In the ancient Near East, it was common for people to worship multiple gods, adding a new god to their pantheon whenever they encountered a new nation or experienced a new need. But God, the God of Israel, forbade this practice completely. He is not one god among many; He is the one true God,...

In this Scripture meditation on Isaiah 43:1–3, 5, we reflect on God’s personal care, protection, and presence in our lives. Through the practice of Lectio Divina, we slow down to hear God speak the comforting truth that He knows us by name and walks with us through every fire, every storm, and every fear. If you've ever faced uncertainty, fear, or hardship, this meditation is a gentle reminder that God is with you. You are fully known, and still fully loved. In this guided Christian meditation, you’ll be invited to: Reflect on what it means to be known by name and held in love Name a fear you're carrying and invite God into that place Rest in God’s promise of presence and protection Download your FREE companion journal for the Fully Known, Fully Loved series hereThis journal includes:• All the Scriptures for this series• Weekly reflection prompts• Space to record what God is revealing to you Here are some additional helpful links: You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Follow me on Instagram @jodieniznik Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Guided Scripture Meditation Journal here. Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send links to the newest meditation every Monday morning. Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com. Download FREE sample chapters from my Bible studies here. Meditation Passage Isaiah 43:1–3 & 5, NET 1 Now, this is what the LORD says,the one who created you, O Jacob,and formed you, O Israel:“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect you.I call you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I am with you;when you pass through the streams, they will not overwhelm you.When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;the flames will not harm you. 3 For I am the LORD your God,the Holy One of Israel, your deliverer. 5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.From the east I will bring your descendants;from the west I will gather you. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Fr. Mike shortly touches on David's honest prayer in Psalm 109 before diving into the unending love God has for his people. As we continue to journey through our readings, we will begin to see the words of the prophets come to fruition as those who return to the Lord in faith will experience his undying love and forgiveness, despite their unfaithfulness. Today's readings are 2 Kings 9, Hosea 11-14, and Psalm 109. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.