Podcasts about o jerusalem

Preston City Bible Church

76 Matthew --O Jerusalem Jerusalem

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2025 39:07

The eight woes

Chapel - Friday, April 4, 2025

BLC Chapel Services

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 23:29

Order of Service: - Prelude - Psalm 122 (selected verses): P: Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you who love her. C: Rejoice with her, all you who mourn for her. P: I was glad when they said to me, C: Let us go into the house of the Lord. P: Our feet shall stand within your gates, O Jerusalem! C: Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces. All: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now and shall be forevermore. Amen. - Hymn 263 - Jesus, Priceless Treasure: vv. 1, 2, 4 - Hebrews 11:24-28: By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. - Devotion - Prayer - Hymn 263 - Jesus, Priceless Treasure: vv. 5, 6 - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Chaplain Don Moldstad (Preacher), Rev. Prof. Mark DeGarmeaux (Organist)

god jesus christ father lord prayer service psalm jerusalem blessing prof rev hebrews passover amen devotion pharaoh holy ghost hymns chapel o jerusalem all glory postlude

Return of the Man-Child (5) - David Eells - UBBS 4.2.2025

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2025 112:21

Return of the Man-Child (5) (audio) David Eells – 4/2/25 We've been exploring what it means that everything that happened in the Gospels and in the Book of Acts is going to happen again, except it will be on a worldwide scale, and the cast of characters will be multiplied. So we've been looking at the characters to see what they will do in their corporate bodies in our day. We need prayer. Father, in the name of Jesus, we ask You to be with us this day, to open our understanding, to lead us, to guide us, to give words of wisdom and knowledge that will reveal Your Will to us. Thank You so much, Father. You are our guide, our wisdom, and we thank You so much for leading us in this Bible study. Amen Let's back up to where we left off. We saw that Herod, as a type of the Beast, was attempting to destroy the Man-child and actually did murder many “man-children” in Bethlehem (which means “the house of food”). We also saw that, as a type and shadow, the Lord told us, A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she would not be comforted because they are not (Mat.2:18). When we were looking at the text in Jeremiah 31:15-20, the words “they are not” did not mean physical death. It meant spiritual death because Rachel's children had been taken into Babylonish captivity. They were in bondage to the Beast, and they were not serving God but serving the Beast. The Beast was their head and ruler; it was ruling over them. (Rom.8:13) For if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. So spiritual death is definitely what is being pointed out here in this text. There was no physical death involved in the original text of Jeremiah. It's very interesting that, in all of our lives, the Beast has to die. If it does not die, we are not free to follow the Lord. The very next two verses give us more clues. (Mat.2:19) But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, (20) Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead that sought the young child's life. Notice again the word “they,” meaning more than one person. That may point to the fact that Herod represents in our day a corporate body, but we know from this that Jesus was ready to come out of His wilderness and start His ministry when Herod, the Beast who ruled, was dead. I believe that's a type and shadow for us in our day. It goes on to say, And he arose and took the young child (Note that He is still being called a “young child,” the same as He was called when the wise men came.) and his mother, and came into the land of Israel (Mat.2:21). He had to come out of His wilderness to do that. He came from Egypt, a type of the world, through the Sinai Peninsula and the wilderness there, and into the land of Israel. And Jesus was coming out of His wilderness from Chapter 4:1 on down, where He came from His personal wilderness to His ministry. This may be the exact same type. We noticed that Moses, David, and Jesus all had a perfect parallel. (Mat.2:22) But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither; and being warned [of God] in a dream, he withdrew into the parts of Galilee, (23) and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene. This is rather interesting. We've seen many revelations about a baby being born in a type of the Man-child, yet the baby was born very mature and alert and grew up very quickly. We've seen quite a few of those and I think we see in this text that this is true. It refers to a “young child” in verse 21, and it's still talking about that young child for the next two verses. But immediately following this, it says, And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea (Mat.3:1). That's intriguing; what happened to all those years in between? John the Baptist was only six months older than Jesus, so in Matthew 3:1, Jesus had to be almost 30 years old. You could not start your public ministry to the congregation until you were 30. That was the law. The text jumps from Jesus as a young child all the way to “in those days” with John the Baptist starting his ministry at age 30, and it makes you think, “Well, that Man-child must have grown-up very quickly.” Do you suppose this was a type and shadow of what is going to happen in our day? That the Man-child will be birthed and then immediately be caught up to the throne? In Revelation 12:5, the baby was born and then he was caught up to the throne of God; then he was leading the woman through the wilderness, which appears pretty fast. Clearly, God is shortening the time span that it takes because we don't have a lot of time for Jesus in the Man-child to grow up. At any rate, John the Baptist's ministry was very short, starting when he was 30 years old. Six months later, Jesus was anointed to preach the Isaiah 61 anointing message, and He was 30 years old, so Matthew 3 is actually between when John the Baptist began his ministry and when Jesus began His. (Mat.3:1) And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying, (2) Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. That was proven by the great signs and wonders that God did in the midst of them, to show them that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. In other words, the Kingdom where God rules and where He reigns over the curse, over the devil, and over the flesh was at hand. It's obvious where the Kingdom of God rules because He does signs and wonders. John the Baptist had a relatively simple ministry, which was the preaching of repentance. It did not seem that he ever went into much deep doctrine. He preached, “turning from your sins,” yet he had a very anointed ministry and he was, according to Jesus, the greatest of the Old Testament teachers “born of women” (Matthew 11:7). Jesus also said he that is but little in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (Mat.11:11), meaning John the Baptist was the greatest of the old order ministers before the former rain came. Jesus came with the former rain, and that brought the Kingdom. So John was the greatest born of women up until that time. I believe that we have just such a corporate body of preachers coming right now, who will probably be considered the greatest from among the former rain, before the latter rain comes, because now the former rain is the old order and we're coming to the latter rain. Some of you are seeing this program down the road, and all this is history, but at the point we are now, this revival is starting with the John the Baptist ministry and is yet to happen. We're on the very brink of it, and it is going to be a corporate body of people around the world who are coming to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. (Mat.3:3) For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight. Obviously, without repentance, you cannot do that. If you want the Lord to live in you, it will not happen without repentance. John the Baptist was preparing hearts to receive the Lord Jesus and to receive the Man-child in our day. History is repeating. (Mat.3:4) Now John himself had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about the Jordan. This sounds like a great revival, doesn't it? I did learn that “all” was not all because the Lord said that the Pharisees and the Sadducees rejected for themselves the counsel of John, being not baptized of him (Luk.7:30). So “all” here means all of the elect, not all of the people. The Jews understood that very well because they believed in election. They believed that they were the elect people, the “chosen” (which is the same word, eklektos), people of God, and that God did not choose anyone outside of them. Well, it's still the same today. (Mat.22:14) For many are called, but few chosen. God does call “many” unto Him, but not all are called, and of those whom He calls, He still chooses only those who bear fruit. The first thing people need is repentance, and I believe that we will see this preaching of repentance through some very anointed men of God, men who have the former rain anointing. And it's going to start a great revival, as in this passage where you see people coming out of their “churches” and going into the wilderness to meet John. (Mat.3:6) And they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. That's a good sign of repentance, when people confess their sins. Every great revival starts out that way, and a great anointing falls on people to be grieved over their sinfulness and to repent and confess their sins. (Mat.3:7) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? John was very hard on their preachers, wasn't he? That got him in a lot of trouble – and Jesus, as well. No doubt that the same exact thing is going to happen in our day because the leadership of the churches has been leading them astray for a long, long time. (Mat.3:8) Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: (9) and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. Notice that it says we are to bring forth fruits. It hasn't been very long since I was confronted by a preacher who told me that he had repented of various abominable things that he was doing. He said that he had gone to God and asked God to forgive him, and he was forgiven. I said, “Well, that's fine, but that's not repentance because repentance is changing, and you're still in the middle of a crime spree.” So you have to change your mind because that's what “repentance” means; it means “to turn and go the other way.” That preacher didn't know what repentance was because he was not doing it. That's what John is saying here: “Bring forth fruit worthy of repentance.” There has to be fruit of repentance. There has to be fruit showing in your actions that you are changing your mind, and John demanded that, even of these religious leaders. Obviously, some of them put on a show for the people. (Mat.3:10) And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees … Amen! That was true in John's ministry, and it will be true in ministries today, that the axe is at the root of the trees. By Matthew 13, Jesus was saying that those religious leaders were reprobated, saying, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but unto them it is not given (Mat.13:11); and that He had blinded their eyes (Matthew 13:13). (Mat.3:10) And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (Mat.3:11) I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and [in] fire. And Jesus did just that; He brought the baptism of the Holy Spirit and was the first one of the former rain to receive, according to type, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In fact, He received it in the verses immediately following these that we're studying. (Mat.3:12) Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor (The fan was used to blow away the chaff, which was useless, and to leave the heavier grain, which is the fruit that God was after.); and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire. The chaff represents the old man, the carnal man, the fiery trials that we go through to burn up the old man and leave nothing but the spiritual man. Notice that John preached to “make His paths straight” and here Jesus is cleansing the people. There is a text that speaks of this differently. (Mal.3:1) Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple (That represented Jesus, but it also represents the Manchild because this is a repetition of history. The word “temple” here means His body. (Heb.10:5) A body didst thou prepare for me.); and the messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts. (Mal.3:2) But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire (That is the fire to burn up the chaff.), and like fullers' soap: (3) and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi. Remember, the sons of Levi were the only ones who did not bow to the golden calf, the image of the Beast. They were the true ministers of the sanctuary. He also said that He had called us to be a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6), so really all of God's true people are priests because we have an offering of fire to bring forth and we present our bodies as a living sacrifice on that altar of the fiery trial. That is the crucified life. That is what Jesus called taking up your cross and following Him, for you to be His disciple (Matthew 16:24). (Mal.3:3) And he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto the Lord offerings in righteousness. (4) Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years. For our day, He's talking about New Testament spiritual Judah and Israel and the New Jerusalem. (Mal.3:5) And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the sojourner [from his right,] and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts. God is going to judge quickly those hanging around His people who are walking in their sinfulness. He will be very protective of His holy Church in these days with Ananias and Sapphira-like judgments on people trying to sneak in, acting as though they are Christians while they are not. So far, it's been difficult to keep that from happening, but the Lord says that He will put an end to it. Praise God! He is going to have a holy Church. (Mat.3:13) Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. (14) But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? (15) But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer [it] now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him. Obviously, we need to be baptized, or put to death, by the washing of the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26), a crucifixion of the old man, which is what it's all about. It behooves us to do this. Jesus went through this before He came to His anointing, which is very important. (Mat.3:16) And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him; (17) and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Jesus was baptized in the Spirit here; He was anointed in order to start His ministry. And we're also told this in (Luk.1:31) Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. (32) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: (33) and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. So Jesus came to be anointed to take David's throne. That's what this anointing was about; it was the king's anointing. All the kings received this anointing when they took their position. Right after Jesus was filled with the Spirit and before going into His wilderness, it says, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor (Luk.4:18). Jesus was 30 years old when this happened. This anointing of the Spirit started His public ministry and goes right along with history. Joseph was 30 years old, according to Genesis 41:46, when he stood before Pharaoh and received the kingdom, and David was 30 years old when he began his ministry, which is very interesting. All these types of the Man-child were 30 years old. (2Sa.5:3) So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel. (4) David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. Forty is the number of tribulation. (5) In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah. Jesus came to sit on David's throne. Jesus was anointed King of kings and He reigned over the true tribes of Israel. The apostate tribes did not recognize Him, but the true tribes did. Those who were born of God recognized Him immediately. He merely walked by His disciples and said, “Come, follow Me,” and they dropped their nets, left their business, left everything, and walked after Him. Now that's a strong calling! They just followed Him. Well, what was the first thing that David did after he was anointed? (2Sa.5:6) And the king and his men went to Jerusalem … It wasn't called Jerusalem then. (1Ch.11:4) And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (the same is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there. It wasn't called Jerusalem until they conquered it. (2Sa.5:6) And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites (which means “to trample down” or “trodden under foot”), the inhabitants of the land, who spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither; thinking, David cannot come in hither. Jerusalem had to be conquered before it could be called Jerusalem, before it could be Zion. It was in the hands of the pagans, in the hands of the old man, the Jebusite. We know from Revelation that Jerusalem is the Bride, but she did not start out as the Bride; she started out as a pagan, as an unbeliever, and was converted and became the Bride. Jerusalem, before David conquered it, was Jebus. David's job was to take Jerusalem, to show his men how to conquer and take Jerusalem. With the coming of the Man-child ministry, which is also a Davidic ministry, the first thing that's going to happen is that they'll be conquering Jebus. They're going to raise up Jerusalem again – not old Jerusalem; they're going to raise up New Jerusalem. Paul spoke about it in Hebrews 12, but then there was a great falling away, and this place represented holiness, the place of safety, the Bride. It represented the only place the Beast could not conquer, and it represented the Philadelphia church because it was the only one that escaped the hour of trial from the Beast kingdom. Here, we see that the Jebusites were telling David, “You'd better get rid of the blind and the lame, or you can't come here.” In other words, nobody who is blind and lame can take Zion. It represents the Bride, who is not blind and lame. She is spotless and blemishless because she has overcome some things, especially being lame, which represents being crippled or not being able to walk right with the Lord. And she has overcome being blind, which represents not being able to see, understand, or discern the truths of God. So they said, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither; thinking, David cannot come in hither (2Sa.5:6). You know, some people do not think it's possible and, in fact, there are a lot of preachers right now who are saying that it's not possible for you to be an overcomer. They say that you just have to settle for being “a sinner saved by grace.” The old man does not think that it's possible for you to conquer him and have this place become Zion, the holy city. (2Sa.5:7) Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David. (8) And David said on that day, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites, let him get up to the watercourse, and [smite] the lame and the blind, that are hated of David's soul … The lame and the blind represent the apostates. Of course, the Jebusite represents the old man, and David and his men represent the spiritual man who must conquer Zion. We've been called to do that, and David is telling them that the way to do it is to “get up to the watercourse and smite the lame and the blind.” Put to death the old apostasy in your life. Two rivers fed Jerusalem, and David's men used those rivers to get into Jerusalem. The place of the watercourses was where the water drained out of Jerusalem, akin to the sewer system. Instead of scaling the walls, they could go up the sewer. They probably smelled pretty bad by the time they got in there to take their sword and go to work, but that's what he was saying. Though most of this was probably river water, they still had to go against the current that was coming out of Jebus, so they were “going against the flow,” so to speak. And that's the way it is with us. Everything we do is contrary to the world: what they think is the right way, we think is the wrong way; what they think is up, we think is down. If we humble ourselves, God will exalt us. At any rate, David was teaching them that the way to conquer the city and the lame and the blind was through the water. (2Sa.5:8) … Wherefore they say, There are the blind and the lame; he cannot come into the house. (2Sa.5:9) And David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward. He is talking about the ramparts of Jerusalem, so David built Jerusalem. He was the one who started building the “New Jerusalem” at that point. Jesus was doing the same thing. What Paul described with, ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb.12:22) … and to the spirits of just men made perfect (23), was what Jesus was building. I've shared with you a revelation the Lord gave me many years ago, where He showed me the tower in the midst of what was depicted as the New Jerusalem and He was giving it to me, revealing to me that my ministry was to build this tower. I found that Micah 4:8 spoke of Jerusalem as “the tower of the flock,” and it was the kind of tower that they actually built in those days in the midst of those cities to preserve them from invading beast armies. Jerusalem was just that; it was a place of safety where, if beasts invaded, whether from Babylon or Assyria, the people could flee into the broad walls and be protected. David was building the tower of the flock here. (2Sa.5:10) And David waxed greater and greater; for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him. I have found this language referring to only two people in the Scriptures, where it says, “waxed greater and greater.” It spoke of David, and it spoke of Mordecai, whose name means “little man” or “man-child.” Mordecai was the same type as David; both of them were the Man-child. Mordecai's job was to raise up the Bride, Esther, and save the people of God from the Beast, Haman. Basically, this is the same thing that David did. He raised up the Bride, Jerusalem, and defended the people from one of the Beasts, the Philistines. David's first job was to conquer the Jebusites and take their city away. In thinking about this, I'd like to share with you a revelation we received concerning the same thing. This is Pamela Orr's revelation, and she received it in January 2010. My notes are in parentheses. In a dream, I was in a house that is safe and secure. I have no desire or plans to leave this house. (Pamela is a part of our broader UBM Fellowship safe-house, but also, I believe that this is referring to Zion, and she had no plans to leave.) To my amazement, though, there are people leaving. … I'm given to know that there are many who do not return. (This is necessary because the sons of perdition and the Jezebels and the rest of the tares who have come in amongst God's people cannot be a part of this Zion, as I will show you shortly. The only people who entered Zion were the ones who conquered the lame and the blind, and it became Zion, the holy city, because they were the only people there. The Jebusites were driven out. The carnal Jebusites are leaving Jebus so that it may become Zion. They're being conquered. Zion is the Bride. Praise the Lord! I remember her brother Mark Fritz, who is a part of our fellowship, asked the Lord when he first met us about the church he was currently attending. God answered that it was Pergamum, which was the third church of Revelation that was caught up in the Nicolaitan error. So Mark asked the Lord about UBM, and the Lord said, “The sixth church.” So he counted and found out that the sixth church was the Philadelphia church, which is the Bride, the one that escapes the hour of trial under the dominion of the Beast, and the name means “the love of the brethren.”) There are locks on this house, a whole row of them, probably seven or more, but I didn't count them. (This is a very secure place, like Zion, which was called “the stronghold of Zion.” We're all supposed to be climbing Mount Zion to enter into the presence of the King. The throne is on Mount Zion; the Temple is on Mount Zion; His presence is there.) These locks are high up in the wall. We can't touch them or tamper with them; they are a fixture of the house. (The key to enter is high up with God. It is not with man.) Some, if not all, of these locks are specific to profiles. For example, there is the ‘age 18-and-over' lock. I'm given to know that when a certain lock turns over, then no one fitting this profile will ever again be allowed to enter the house. (I thought about that and felt that the Lord was saying that God gives more grace to the immature and innocent. He does not impute iniquity to them, but the further they go in their walk, the more they are held accountable. (Luk.12:48) to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required, so when people become accountable and they do not walk in their accountability, then they will be out of there. They will not have a position in that house.) As I watch these locks turn, as if of their own accord, I realize that when the final lock has been turned, no one else will be allowed to enter. (That's the way it is with spiritual Zion, folks. Many years ago, I saw in a vision our ministry starting in Pensacola as a Zion, the Tower of the Flock, the Bride. I know that this is going on around the world with people who are desiring earnestly to be obedient to the Scriptures, live the crucified life before their Lord, and walk in the grace of God. (Mic.4:8) And thou, O tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, yea, the former dominion shall come … When David took Jebus and it became the stronghold of Zion, the City of David, that was their stronghold. That was where the dominion started, right there. It said the former dominion was going to return to Zion, the Tower of the Flock, the Kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. Note that the former dominion is not going to return to Jerusalem, but it's going to return to the daughter of Jerusalem or, in other words, to New Jerusalem. God is once again, in our day, going to raise up a David who will raise up Zion once more as the stronghold, the Bride.) (In this New Jerusalem Zion, the wicked were not allowed, as Scripture says. (Isa.52:1) Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion (So it is coming to its former dominion.); put on thy beautiful garments (These garments are righteousness, purity and holiness.), O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. A New Jerusalem is started that does not allow any of the wicked. You can only do that with a spiritual city. In any physical city, you're going to have all kinds of people there, some of them good, some of them bad. But in this spiritual city, there will not be anybody unclean. That's what these locks are all about; they're to find out who is walking in purity and to keep out the rest. As I said, with knowledge comes responsibility, so the further you go, the more that's expected of you. When David first became king as a type of the Man-child, he taught his overcomers how to take the stronghold of Jebus from the Jebusites, representing the old man. Then Jebus became Zion, the City of David, a type of the Bride following the Man-child at the beginning of the Tribulation.) (Father is cleaning house and will keep the evil ones out of His safe-house. Praise the Lord! As John said, He that hath the bride is the bridegroom (Joh.3:29). Soon, many, by their own evil nature, will not want to associate with the righteous for fear of alienating their Beast associations. God is separating here, and He is going to make His heavenly Zion a place where only the righteous will want to go. They will have had to conquer the lame and the blind to get there. They will have had to overcome. David's mighty men were sent by David to take Zion, and they took it. Jesus did the same thing with the disciples He raised up, who were His mighty men. Praise God!) Speaking of entering this safe-house, people are entering. (The righteous are entering because they are the only ones who can come into this safe-house, the New Jerusalem.) Others are trying to enter, but the “bad guys” don't seem to make it past the door. (Praise the Lord! That is awesome. This is just like Ananias and Sapphira; they tried to enter, but God took them out.) And each bad guy gets done-in by the next bad guy. The bad guys get progressively worse, too. (2 Timothy 3 speaks about how bad the Church is going to get in our day. Verses 1 through 6 are pretty rough, and then it says, But evil men and impostors (KJV: “seducers”) shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived (2Ti.3:13). This is true in the Church today because that's what he was referring to. He wasn't talking about the world.) The second-to-last bad guy is sort of a handicapped or perverted or dwarflike individual with short little legs like tree trunks. (Here is a perverted dwarf. I see one thing here, spiritually speaking: those who do not measure up to the stature of the fruit of Christ are not going to be permitted in Zion.) This is where it gets awful. The final bad guy (the Beast) begins to compress, squeeze, or fold this dwarf-like individual until he murders him. (Spiritually speaking, those who have not yet experienced the crucified life will have help from the Beast to go to their cross and to manifest death-to-self. Those who do not measure up will need crucifixion in the world. How do we grow up into Christ? Jesus said, He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it (Mat.10:39). You do not gain your life unless you lose your life, so growing up is a matter of the crucified life. If we do not accept it, we cannot grow up. If we do not accept it, we cannot put away the blindness and the lameness and cannot expect to go into Zion. Remember, we are told, for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean (Isa.52:1).) The evil nature of this final bad guy was beyond description. (That is the Beast.) I can only say that I could almost feel this individual's sick joy and satisfaction in pressing the life out of the other poor sucker. (She is talking about the apostate Christians, I believe. Many of the apostate Christians are going to be saved because of the crucifixion that the Lord puts them in. His fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and … the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire (Mat.3:12), but He will have something in the midst of that which will be holy and precious.) (Not everyone will be sanctified. Some people just get worse in tribulation. One thing that helps people to be able to come to Zion in the midst of tribulation is to know what God is doing. He is doing something for them. He is putting to death their old flesh, which cannot enter the Kingdom. By the Word of God, you learn how to cooperate with God, and then you see that this is a victory, not a failure. If the Church receives a lot of this prosperity doctrine and they do not believe that they are ever going to go through anything, any trouble, any tribulation, then these things come upon them as a shock, and they think that God has forsaken them. They are tempted to fall, and many do. So there has to be knowledge for the people to understand that God is doing a good thing with them and that they need to go through this, that they're privileged to go through this, and that they can have eternal life in the Kingdom. That's what the Man-child is coming to do; that's what Jesus came to do. Spiritually speaking, that's what David was doing. He was teaching men how to overcome the blind and the lame, teaching them how to take Jebus.) Even though I was horrified and sickened at the depravity, I was still safe in the (UBM) house. (Praise the Lord! Because God has a safe-house. He really does! I know that many people think that this is heresy, but that's not true. God has His safe-house.) This same story is in 1 Chronicles. (1Ch.11:4) And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (the same is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there. (5) And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come in hither. Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David. (6) And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was made chief. (7) And David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore they called it the city of David. (8) And he built the city round about, from Millo even round about; and Joab repaired the rest of the city. (9) And David waxed greater and greater; for the Lord of hosts was with him. Yes, and what was the next thing David did? He brought the Ark of the Covenant. (1Ch.13:3) And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we sought not unto it in the days of Saul. The Israelites had been following after the flesh of Saul. That's why they got destroyed, and that's why Saul died. But David said, “No, we have to follow the Ark of the Covenant.” (1Ch.15:1) And [David] made him houses in the city of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent. The word for “tent” is the same word for “tabernacle.” (2) Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites … Absolutely! Who else can carry the presence of God but the priests of God who have offered their bodies as living sacrifices? They are the ones who are holy; they are the ones who are the temple of God. If you read further, it says, And they brought in the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it (1Ch.16:1). We know that God said He was going to raise up again this tabernacle. (Act.15:14) Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. (15) And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, (16) After these things I will return, And I will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen; And I will build again the ruins thereof, And I will set it up: (17) That the residue of men may seek after the Lord, And all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called. So now we're talking about raising up a tabernacle of David, which represents the portable temple, for the wilderness, but also the portable temple of the Church. Once again, we see that there is a David coming for the Church, and that's the Lord Jesus Himself, Who is the Son of David, Who was sitting upon His throne. But the Bible also says, David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel (Jer.33:17). There is a body in whom the Lord Jesus comes. The Son of Man came in the son of David 2000 years ago, and the Son of Man is coming in a spiritual Son of David today, a corporate Body called the Man-child ministry. Jesus is going to minister to His people, to raise up, once again, the Bride, the New Jerusalem. “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom,” as John said when he pointed at Jesus. He will raise up the Bride, the New Jerusalem, which is protected from the Assyrian Beast. When the Beast tried to conquer Jerusalem, God killed 185,000 of them and they left it alone (2 Kings 19:35). Folks, I tell you, the same thing is going to happen again. God is going to protect His Bride. For instance, in the Book of Esther, there was the Bride, and there were also the people who were threatened by the Beast. Haman, the Beast, had been given authority to destroy the people of God (Esther 2:10-11), but Mordecai and Esther had been given authority to save the people of God (Esther 8:8). There were two contrary commands given, but they have their purpose and that is to make us decide whom we are going to serve, the Lord or the Beast. Rachel's children fell into captivity of the Beast, and they were counted as dead, like the parable in Matthew 2:18, of the children of Bethlehem. It physically happened, but it was also a parable of things to come. In our day, many people are going to follow the Beast. They will take the mark of the Beast, which is a sign of his ownership, and these people will die. They will not bear the fruit of the Man-child, as Jesus did. Once again, we see that God is just going to repeat history, and Matthew 2 is going to be fulfilled, as well as Matthew 3. All the types of the Man-child are running in perfect parallel. Joseph was 30 years old, Jesus was 30 years old and David was 30 years old when they started their ministries, and they basically had the same job to do. It was shown in a slightly different parable each time, but it was the same job to be done. Now the Man-child ministry is spiritually going to be 30 and it's going to start by building the New Jerusalem. Praise be to God! First, however, the Jebusites have to lose their grip and be conquered. And we need to know how to conquer this old man so that we can scale the heights of the City of God, the mountain of His holiness, and enter into His Presence. That is what the Word will do, and that is what the new anointed leadership is going to do for us. They are to teach us how to cooperate with God's work in our lives and be happy about it. Let's face it: if you don't know what God is doing, you're not happy about it. As soon as you get revelation, you can enjoy going through tribulation because you know that the Lord is getting you ready for His Kingdom, the manifestation of eternal life. Praise God! Father, we thank You, in Jesus' name. Please open our eyes and make us joyful in cooperating with You in this process of sanctification, in becoming that holy, spotless, and blemishless Bride that You always wanted. Thank You, Father, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

god jesus christ history church father lord israel spirit bible man body gospel speaking kingdom christians holy spirit philadelphia kings revelation scripture jerusalem praise exodus temple jews beast kingdom of god hebrews chronicles old testament act covenant new testament babylon scriptures tower behold pharisees john the baptist amen gentiles israelites mat bethlehem rom suffer folks repent nazareth ark spiritually book of acts awake pharaoh arise galilee forty ye beasts mic herod heb flock verses his kingdom lord god tribulation praise god ananias new jerusalem philistines weeping most high pergamum because god kjv sadducees mordecai pensacola haman assyria luk nazarene hebron his presence mount zion joh in revelation joab ramah davidic his bride manchild jebusites o jerusalem judaea archelaus your will millo jebusite sinai peninsula jezebels god esther jebus symeon zeruiah lord jesus himself ubm 2ti 2sa 1ch nicolaitan babylonish in hebron jerusalem it

Jesus is the Way - Humility to Glory (5) - David Eells - 3.30.2025

Trinity Lutheran Sheboygan

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2025 111:10

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

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March 16, 2025. Divine Service. 8:00 A.M. | Luke 13:31-35 | Lament over Jerusalem

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2025 76:11

Gathered Under His Wing | Luke 13:31-35 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem….” These are words of exasperation—words spoken by Jesus as He laments over His people. If you are a parent, you've said these words. If you are a child, you've heard them. They express frustration, yet also deep love. Jesus preached, but they would not listen. He rebuked, but they would not repent. Yet, in His mercy, He does not abandon them. Instead, He gathers them—as a hen gathers her brood under her wings. Even in our sin and rebellion, He loves us still. Lent is a season of reflection and repentance, a time to heed the words of Joel 2:13: "Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love."

Matins - The Monday Before LentIn the Name of the Father and of + the Son and of the Holy Spirit.Amen. The Invitatory and PsalterLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.O God, make speed to save us;O Lord, make haste to help us. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,world without end. AmenPraise the Lord;The Lord's name be praised ¶ Then follows the Invitatory Psalm with a Lenten antiphon. Lenten AntiphonThe Lord is full of compassion and mercy: Come let us adore him.VeniteCome, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. * Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!Harden not your hearts,as your forebears did in the wilderness, *at Meribah, and on that day at Massah,when they tempted me.They put me to the test, * though they had seen my works.Forty years long I detested that generation and said, * "This people are wayward in their hearts;they do not know my ways.”So I swore in my wrath, * "They shall not enter into my rest.”Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,world without end. AmenLenten AntiphonThe Lord is full of compassion and mercy: Come let us adore him. The PsalmsAntiphon 1In the time of my trouble, I will call upon you, O Lord. Psalm 86:6-17Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer, and attend to the voice of my supplications.In the time of my trouble I will call upon you, for you will answer me.Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord, nor anything like your works.All nations you have made will come and worship you, O Lord, and glorify your Name.For you are great; you do wondrous things; and you alone are God.Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; knit my heart to you that I may fear your Name.I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and glorify your Name for evermore.For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the nethermost Pit.The arrogant rise up against me, O God, and a band of violent men seeks my life; they have not set you before their eyes.But you, O Lord, are gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and full of kindness and truth.Turn to me and have mercy upon me; give your strength to your servant; and save the child of your handmaid.Show me a sign of your favor, so that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed; because you, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me. Antiphon 1In the time of my trouble, I will cal upon you, O Lord.Antiphon 2Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God, and worship him upon his holy hill. Psalm 99The Lord is King; let the people tremble; he is enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth shake.The Lord is great in Zion; he is high above all peoples.Let them confess his Name, which is great and awesome; he is the Holy One."O mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob."Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God and fall down before his footstool; he is the Holy One.Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those who call upon his Name, they called upon the Lord, and he answered them.He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; they kept his testimonies and the decree that he gave them.“O Lord our God, you answered them indeed; you were a God who forgave them, yet punished them for their evil deeds.”Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God and worship him upon his holy hill; for the Lord our God is the Holy One.Antiphon 2Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God, and worship him upon his holy hill.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,world without end. Amen ReadingsRomans 12English Standard Version12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.The Word of the LordThanks be to God Matthew 23:13-39English Standard Version13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.' 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'”The Word of the LordThanks be to God Canticle #9 The First Song of IsaiahSurely, it is God who saves me; * I will trust in him and not be afraid.For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, * and he will be my Savior.Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing * from the springs of salvation.And on that day you shall say, * Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;Make his deeds known among the peoples; * see that they remember that his Name is exalted.Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, * and this is known in all the world.Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, * for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,world without end. Amen The Apostles' CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And with your spirit.Let us pray.Lord, have mercy upon us.Christ, have mercy upon us.Lord, have mercy upon us.Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. SuffragesShow us your mercy, O Lord;And grant us your salvation.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;Let your people sing with joy.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;For only in you can we live in safety.Lord, keep this nation under your care;And guide us in the way of justice and truth.Let your way be known upon earth;Your saving health among all nations.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.Create in us clean hearts, O God;And sustain us with your Holy Spirit. The CollectsCollect of the DayO Lord, you have taught us that whatever we do without love is worth nothing; Send your Holy Spirit, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whoever lives is counted dead before you. Grant this for the sake of your only Son Jesus Christ. Amen.A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceLord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Prayer for MissionLord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.A time for intercessions and thanksgivings may follow. A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.Let us bless the Lord.Thanks be to God. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.Romans 15:13

The Comfort of God

Emmanuel Presbyterian Church

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2025

Audio Recording Audio Block Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Tim ChangSermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the LordIsaiah 40:1-11 (ESV)1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to herthat her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned,that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.3 A voice cries:“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low;the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”6 A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?”All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass.8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.9 Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news;lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not;say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him;behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms;he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.Sermon Outline1. Why do we need it? (v. 6-8)v. 6 All flesh is grass,v. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades…surely the people are grass.v. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades,2. How do we get it? (v. 3-4)v. 3 … prepare the way of the LORD; make straight…v. 4 …l be lifted up,…be made low;…become level,… a plain.3. What exactly is it? (v. 1-2, 9-11)v.1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.v. 9 …“Behold your God!”v. 10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,…behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.Prayer of ConfessionGracious God, all of us are frail human beings. We do not like admitting that we have limits and that we have far less control than we think. We strive for more autonomy and less dependency on others. But this leads to our own ruin. We also do not give you the honor you are due. We refuse your comfort and seek comfort in the things of the world that do not satisfy. Turn our eyes to Jesus, the one who received ultimate discomfort, so that we could receive the satisfying comfort of God. Amen.Questions for ReflectionWhat connected with you from the sermon or the passage?Describe how you face the reality of having limits. Do you embrace this? Do you struggle with this? When is self-sufficiency a good thing? When is it not?In what ways is God worthy of all respect and honor? How do we express this in our day to day life? In what ways do you struggle to give God the honor he is due?To what/whom do you look to give you comfort? Why is the comfort of God not always appealing?If Jesus truly secured for us the comfort of God that truly satisfies, how might God be calling you to trust in this good news? How might God be calling you to gift his comfort to someone else you know?What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?Read AheadIsaiah Sermon Series

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The Comfort of God

Emmanuel Presbyterian Church

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2025

Audio Recording Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Tim ChangSermon Series: Come, Let Us Walk in the Light of the LordIsaiah 40:1-11 (ESV)1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to herthat her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned,that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.3 A voice cries:“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low;the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”6 A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?”All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass.8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.9 Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news;lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not;say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him;behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms;he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.Sermon Outline1. Why do we need it? (v. 6-8)v. 6 All flesh is grass,v. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades…surely the people are grass.v. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades,2. How do we get it? (v. 3-4)v. 3 … prepare the way of the LORD; make straight…v. 4 …l be lifted up,…be made low;…become level,… a plain.3. What exactly is it? (v. 1-2, 9-11)v.1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.v. 9 …“Behold your God!”v. 10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,…behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.Prayer of ConfessionGracious God, all of us are frail human beings. We do not like admitting that we have limits and that we have far less control than we think. We strive for more autonomy and less dependency on others. But this leads to our own ruin. We also do not give you the honor you are due. We refuse your comfort and seek comfort in the things of the world that do not satisfy. Turn our eyes to Jesus, the one who received ultimate discomfort, so that we could receive the satisfying comfort of God. Amen.Questions for ReflectionWhat connected with you from the sermon or the passage?Describe how you face the reality of having limits. Do you embrace this? Do you struggle with this? When is self-sufficiency a good thing? When is it not?In what ways is God worthy of all respect and honor? How do we express this in our day to day life? In what ways do you struggle to give God the honor he is due?To what/whom do you look to give you comfort? Why is the comfort of God not always appealing?If Jesus truly secured for us the comfort of God that truly satisfies, how might God be calling you to trust in this good news? How might God be calling you to gift his comfort to someone else you know?What do you sense God calling you to do from this passage?Read AheadIsaiah Sermon Series

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E89 — The Battle for Your Heart: Stepping into Freedom

Captivated

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2025 42:29

In today's episode, Stasi Eldredge invites us into a powerful conversation about the freedom Christ has won for us – and the spiritual warfare that seeks to keep us from living in it. Through Scripture and personal stories, Stasi exposes the enemy's schemes, which are designed to keep our hearts captive and separate us from experiencing the love of God. But take heart: through Christ, we have the authority to break the enemy's lies and step into the fullness of the life God has won for us. You are chosen, you are loved, and you are made for freedom.…..SHOW NOTES:…..VERSES: Galatians 5:1 (NLT) – So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law.1 Peter 5:8 (NLT) – Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.John 10:10 (NLT) – The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.Romans 8:1 (NLT) – So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.Ephesians 4:26-27 (NLT) – And “don't sin by letting anger control you.”Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.Isaiah 61:1 (NLT) – The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.James 4:7 (NLT) – So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.1 Peter 5:9 (NLT) – Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) – Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.Romans 5:8 (NLT) – But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.Ephesians 2:4–5 (NLT) – But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)1 John 1:9 (NLT) – But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.Song of Solomon 2:14 (NLT) – …Let me see your face; let me hear your voice. For your voice is pleasant, and your face is lovely.Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) – Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.Luke 10:19 (NLT) – Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.Isaiah 52:1–2 (NLT) – Wake up, wake up, O Zion! Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem, for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer. Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem. Sit in a place of honor. Remove the chains of slavery from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLT) – For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.…..Don't Miss Out on the Next Episode – Subscribe for FreeSubscribe using your favorite podcast app:Spotify Podcasts – https://spoti.fi/42SsOipApple Podcasts – https://apple.co/42E0oZ1 Google Podcasts – http://wahe.art/3M81kxLAmazon Music & Audible – https://amzn.to/3M9u6hJ

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem

First Presbyterian Church of Bad Axe

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2025 28:50

Monday in the Fourth Week After Epiphany

Stand on the Word with Tony Perkins

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 19:10

Episode NotesFor Daily Prayers and more become a Member on PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com Opening Words:I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.Isaiah 49:6b Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. Psalm 95:1-7The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him.Come, let us sing to the Lord; *let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, *and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, *and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 56Have mercy on me, O God,for my enemies are hounding me; *all day long they assault and oppress me.They hound me all the day long; *truly there are many who fight against me, O Most High.Whenever I am afraid, *I will put my trust in you.In God, whose word I praise,in God I trust and will not be afraid, *for what can flesh do to me?All day long they damage my cause; *their only thought is to do me evil.They band together; they lie in wait; *they spy upon my footsteps;because they seek my life.Shall they escape despite their wickedness? *O God, in your anger, cast down the peoples.You have noted my lamentation;put my tears into your bottle; *are they not recorded in your book?Whenever I call upon you, my enemies will be put to flight; *this I know, for God is on my side.In God the Lord, whose word I praise,in God I trust and will not be afraid, *for what can mortals do to me?I am bound by the vow I made to you, O God; *I will present to you thank-offerings;For you have rescued my soul from death and my feet from stumbling, *that I may walk before God in the light of the living. Psalm 57Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful,for I have taken refuge in you; *in the shadow of your wings will I take refugeuntil this time of trouble has gone by.I will call upon the Most High God, *the God who maintains my cause.He will send from heaven and save me;he will confound those who trample upon me; *God will send forth his love and his faithfulness.I lie in the midst of lions that devour the people; *their teeth are spears and arrows,their tongue a sharp sword.They have laid a net for my feet,and I am bowed low; *they have dug a pit before me,but have fallen into it themselves.Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God, *and your glory over all the earth.My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; *I will sing and make melody.Wake up, my spirit;awake, lute and harp; *I myself will waken the dawn.I will confess you among the peoples, O Lord; *I will sing praise to you among the nations.For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens, *and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God, *and your glory over all the earth. Psalm 58Do you indeed decree righteousness, you rulers? *do you judge the peoples with equity?No; you devise evil in your hearts, *and your hands deal out violence in the land.The wicked are perverse from the womb; *liars go astray from their birth.They are as venomous as a serpent, *they are like the deaf adder which stops its ears,Which does not heed the voice of the charmer, *no matter how skillful his charming.O God, break their teeth in their mouths; *pull the fangs of the young lions, O Lord.Let them vanish like water that runs off; *let them wither like trodden grass.Let them be like the snail that melts away, *like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.Before they bear fruit, let them be cut down like a brier; *like thorns and thistles let them be swept away.The righteous will be glad when they see the vengeance; *they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.And they will say,“Surely, there is a reward for the righteous; *surely, there is a God who rules in the earth.” Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsIsa. 51:17-23Rouse yourself, rouse yourself! Stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl of staggering. There is no one to guide her among all the children she has borne; there is no one to take her by the hand among all the children she has brought up. These two things have befallen you-- who will grieve with you?-- devastation and destruction, famine and sword-- who will comfort you? Your children have fainted, they lie at the head of every street like an antelope in a net; they are full of the wrath of the Lord, the rebuke of your God. Therefore hear this, you who are wounded, who are drunk, but not with wine: Thus says your Sovereign, the Lord, your God who pleads the cause of his people: See, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering; you shall drink no more from the bowl of my wrath. And I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, who have said to you, "Bow down, that we may walk on you" and you have made your back like the ground and like the street for them to walk on.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Te Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you; You are the Lord: we acclaim you; You are the eternal Father: All creation worships you. To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory. The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you. The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father. When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory. We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. Gal. 4:1-11My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property; but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits? How can you want to be enslaved to them again? You are observing special days, and months, and seasons, and years. I am afraid that my work for you may have been wasted.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Mark 7:24-37From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go-- the demon has left your daughter." So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus Dominus DeusBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And also with you.Let us pray.Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Suffrages BV. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;R. Govern and uphold them, now and always.V. Day by day we bless you;R. We praise your name for ever.V. Lord, keep us from all sin today;R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;R. For we put our trust in you.V. In you, Lord, is our hope;R. And we shall never hope in vain. The CollectsCollect of the DayAlmighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Bible Reading: Isaiah 62-63

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2025 13:13

On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth. - Isaiah 62:6-7

lord jerusalem bible readings o jerusalem isaiah 62 bible reading isaiah

Vision and Reality

Trinity Presbyterian Church

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2025

Isaiah 62:1-12 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. 2 The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. 3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. 6 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, 7 and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth. 8 The Lord has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: “I will not again give your grain to be food for your enemies, and foreigners shall not drink your wine for which you have labored; 9 but those who garner it shall eat it and praise the Lord, and those who gather it shall drink it in the courts of my sanctuary.” 10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway; clear it of stones; lift up a signal over the peoples. 11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” 12 And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.

god lord vision reality jerusalem married behold redeemed forsaken desolate o jerusalem city not forsaken

From Myth to History - 12.29.24 The Rev. Vincent Pizzuto, Ph.D.

St. Columba's Episcopal Church Sermons

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2025 26:19

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS The Collect Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Old Testament Isaiah 61:10-62:3 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. The Psalm Psalm 147 or 147:13-21 Laudate Dominum [1 Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God! * how pleasant it is to honor him with praise! 2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; * he gathers the exiles of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted * and binds up their wounds. 4 He counts the number of the stars * and calls them all by their names. 5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; * there is no limit to his wisdom. 6 The Lord lifts up the lowly, * but casts the wicked to the ground. 7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; * make music to our God upon the harp. 8 He covers the heavens with clouds * and prepares rain for the earth; 9 He makes grass to grow upon the mountains * and green plants to serve mankind. 10 He provides food for flocks and herds * and for the young ravens when they cry. 11 He is not impressed by the might of a horse; * he has no pleasure in the strength of a man; 12 But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him, * in those who await his gracious favor.] 13 Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem; * praise your God, O Zion; 14 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; * he has blessed your children within you. 15 He has established peace on your borders; * he satisfies you with the finest wheat. 16 He sends out his command to the earth, * and his word runs very swiftly. 17 He gives snow like wool; * he scatters hoarfrost like ashes. 18 He scatters his hail like bread crumbs; * who can stand against his cold? 19 He sends forth his word and melts them; * he blows with his wind, and the waters flow. 20 He declares his word to Jacob, * his statutes and his judgments to Israel. 21 He has not done so to any other nation; * to them he has not revealed his judgments. Hallelujah! The New Testament Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God. The Gospel John 1:1-18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

Dec 29th 2024 First Sunday after Christmas

St. Peter's by-the-Sea

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2024 49:05

Isaiah 61:10-62:3Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7John 1:1-18Psalm 147 or 147:13-21This Sunday takes precedence over the three Holy Days which follow Christmas Day. As necessary, the observance of one, two, or all three of them, is postponed one day.The CollectAlmighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.Old TestamentIsaiah 61:10-62:3I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,my whole being shall exult in my God;for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.For as the earth brings forth its shoots,and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praiseto spring up before all the nations.For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,until her vindication shines out like the dawn,and her salvation like a burning torch.The nations shall see your vindication,and all the kings your glory;and you shall be called by a new namethat the mouth of the Lord will give.You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.The PsalmPsalm 147 or 147:13-21Laudate Dominum[1 Hallelujah!How good it is to sing praises to our God! *how pleasant it is to honor him with praise!2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; *he gathers the exiles of Israel.3 He heals the brokenhearted *and binds up their wounds.4 He counts the number of the stars *and calls them all by their names.5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; *there is no limit to his wisdom.6 The Lord lifts up the lowly, *but casts the wicked to the ground.7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; *make music to our God upon the harp.8 He covers the heavens with clouds *and prepares rain for the earth;9 He makes grass to grow upon the mountains *and green plants to serve mankind.10 He provides food for flocks and herds *and for the young ravens when they cry.11 He is not impressed by the might of a horse; *he has no pleasure in the strength of a man;12 But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him, *in those who await his gracious favor.]13 Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem; *praise your God, O Zion;14 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; *he has blessed your children within you.15 He has established peace on your borders; *he satisfies you with the finest wheat.16 He sends out his command to the earth, *and his word runs very swiftly.17 He gives snow like wool; *he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.18 He scatters his hail like bread crumbs; *who can stand against his cold?19 He sends forth his word and melts them; *he blows with his wind, and the waters flow.20 He declares his word to Jacob, *his statutes and his judgments to Israel.21 He has not done so to any other nation; *to them he has not revealed his judgments.Hallelujah!The New TestamentGalatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the...

The First Sunday after Christmas

christmas god jesus christ lord bible speak jerusalem comfort sermon behold preaching cry lord god apologetics esv expository o jerusalem scripture references mandeville o zion

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2024 16:05

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy, which will come to all the people; for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.Luke 2:10, 11 Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. Jubilate (Psalm 100)Alleluia. To us a child is born: O come, let us adore him. Alleluia.Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; *serve the Lord with gladnessand come before his presence with a song.Know this: The Lord himself is God; *he himself has made us, and we are his;we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.Enter his gates with thanksgiving;go into his courts with praise; *give thanks to him and call upon his Name.For the Lord is good;his mercy is everlasting; *and his faithfulness endures from age to age.Alleluia. To us a child is born: O come, let us adore him. Alleluia. The PsalterPsalm 93The Lord is King;he has put on splendid apparel; *the Lord has put on his appareland girded himself with strength.2He has made the whole world so sure *that it cannot be moved;3Ever since the world began, your throne has been established; *you are from everlasting.4The waters have lifted up, O Lord,the waters have lifted up their voice; *the waters have lifted up their pounding waves.5Mightier than the sound of many waters,mightier than the breakers of the sea, *mightier is the Lord who dwells on high.6Your testimonies are very sure, *and holiness adorns your house, O Lord,for ever and for evermore. Psalm 96Sing to the Lord a new song; *sing to the Lord, all the whole earth.2Sing to the Lord and bless his Name; *proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.3Declare his glory among the nations *and his wonders among all peoples.4For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; *he is more to be feared than all gods.5As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols; *but it is the Lord who made the heavens.6Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence! *Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary!7Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples; *ascribe to the Lord honor and power.8Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name; *bring offerings and come into his courts.9Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; *let the whole earth tremble before him.10Tell it out among the nations: “The Lord is King! *he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;he will judge the peoples with equity.”11Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;let the sea thunder and all that is in it; *let the field be joyful and all that is therein.12Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joybefore the Lord when he comes, *when he comes to judge the earth.13He will judge the world with righteousness *and the peoples with his truth. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsIsa. 62:6-7,10-12A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway; clear it of stones; lift up a signal over the peoples. Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Te Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you;You are the Lord: we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. Matt. 1:18-25A Reading from the Gospel According to Matthew.Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus Dominus DeusBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And also with you.Let us pray.Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Suffrages AV. Show us your mercy, O Lord;R. And grant us your salvation.V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness; R. Let your people sing with joy.V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;R. For only in you can we live in safety. V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.V. Let your way be known upon earth;R. Your saving health among all nations.V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.V. Create in us clean hearts, O God;R. And sustain us with your Holy Spirit. The CollectsCollect of the DayAlmighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

St. Stephen, Martyr

Reflections

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2024 4:31

December 26, 2024 Today's Reading: Matthew 23:34-39Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 49:22-26; 50:4-51:8, 12-16; Matthew 1:18-25“‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. They killed Stephen. They threw rocks at him until he was dead. He prayed for their forgiveness while they did it. Stories of martyrdom get… more creative from there. Flaying. Burning. Quartering. Beheading. Also, people are mean to us on the internet sometimes. When the martyrs come up, Christians today bicker over what actually makes for genuine persecution. There are modern-day martyrs. People really killed for the crime of faith. The thing is, I don't think Jesus warns us about it so that we can lean into how bad it is, finding martyrdom in every comment section. The church is left with Christ's words here, along with the story of Stephen, for two reasons. First, so that we would not be surprised if it happens. It is not a sign things are broken. It is not a sign of God's absence. It is a sad reality that Christ Himself bore for us. Secondly, though, it is to point us toward what to look for should we find it. Stephen didn't lament those who stoned him. He prayed for their forgiveness. Jesus didn't ignore Jerusalem. He wept over it, knowing Stephen and all the rest of the prophets and martyrs, and then rode into the city to conquer. Not by outkilling the killers. By bearing their sins unto death. He knew they'd reject Him. He still died for them. The focus doesn't seem to be on resistance. Or even lamenting every barb the church has taken. It's always been the forgiveness of sins that grants us certain life in the face of death. We live in uncertain times. We know now the future. So we're told to cling to a love so strong it would weep for Jerusalem, who would not believe, yet die for her anyway. Stephen is remembered as a martyr. But Jesus is remembered as the God made man who died and rose again to grant Stephen's prayers. In Christ, the martyrs live. And in Christ, there is forgiveness, even for those who throw stones. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Heavenly Father, in the midst of our sufferings for the sake of Christ grant us grace to follow the example of the first martyr, Stephen, that we also may look to the One who suffered and was crucified on our behalf and pray for those who do us wrong; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.-Rev. Harrison Goodman, content executive for Higher Things.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

Dec. 24th Christmas Eve 2024

St. Peter's by-the-Sea

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2024 71:42

Isaiah 62:6-12Titus 3:4-7Luke 2:(1-7)8-20Psalm 97The CollectO God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.or thisO God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.or thisAlmighty God, you have given your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and to be born [this day] of a pure virgin: Grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with you and the same Spirit be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.Old TestamentIsaiah 62:6-12Upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted sentinels;all day and all nightthey shall never be silent.You who remind the Lord,take no rest,and give him no restuntil he establishes Jerusalem and makes it renowned throughout the earth.The Lord has sworn by his right handand by his mighty arm:I will not again give your grainto be food for your enemies,and foreigners shall not drink the winefor which you have labored;but those who garner it shall eat itand praise the Lord,and those who gather it shall drink itin my holy courts.Go through, go through the gates,prepare the way for the people;build up, build up the highway,clear it of stones, lift up an ensign over the peoples.The Lord has proclaimedto the end of the earth:Say to daughter Zion,"See, your salvation comes;his reward is with him,and his recompense before him."They shall be called, "The Holy People,The Redeemed of the Lord";and you shall be called, "Sought Out,A City Not Forsaken."The PsalmPsalm 97Dominus regnavit1 The Lord is King;let the earth rejoice; *let the multitude of the isles be glad.2 Clouds and darkness are round about him, *righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne.3 A fire goes before him *and burns up his enemies on every side.4 His lightnings light up the world; *the earth sees it and is afraid.5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, *at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.6 The heavens declare his righteousness, *and all the peoples see his glory.7 Confounded be all who worship carved imagesand delight in false gods! *Bow down before him, all you gods.8 Zion hears and is glad, and the cities of Judah rejoice, *because of your judgments, O Lord.9 For you are the Lord,most high over all the earth; *you are exalted far above all gods.10 The Lord loves those who hate evil;he preserves the lives of his saintsand delivers them from the hand of the wicked.11 Light has sprung up for the righteous, *and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.12 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, *and give thanks to his holy Name.The New...

god jesus christ lord spirit holy spirit judge jerusalem christmas eve rejoice amen clouds redeemer redeemed o lord bow o jerusalem confounded 7luke city not forsaken

2024-12-15 Christmas Brings Comfort

Mandeville Bible

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2024

2024-12-15 Christmas Brings Comfortby Pastor Chris BergScripture Reference: Isaiah 40:1-111 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to herthat her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned,that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.3 A voice cries:“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low;the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”6 A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?”All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.7 The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass.8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.9 Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news;lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not;say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him;behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms;he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

Advent Meditations 2024: December 10 – Is 40:1-11

Words From the Servants

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2024

For today’s installment of our Advent Meditation series, our brother Tadhg Lynch provides commentary on Is 40:1-11. Take a listen or click here to download. Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Is 40:1-11

god lord spirit meditation christianity speak scripture jerusalem comfort advent sword behold commentary servants cry lord god o jerusalem o zion

O Jerusalem ! - Matthew 23:37-39

Merrimack Valley Presbyterian Church

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2024 37:28

The First Sunday of Advent

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2024 17:43

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”- Isaiah 40:3 Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Our King and Savior now draws near: Come, let us adore him.Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!Our King and Savior now draws near: Come, let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 146Lauda, anima meaBCP p. 803Hallelujah!Praise the Lord, O my soul! *I will praise the Lord as long as I live;I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, *for there is no help in them.When they breathe their last, they return to earth, *and in that day their thoughts perish.Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *whose hope is in the Lord their God;Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *who keeps his promise for ever;Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *and food to those who hunger.The Lord sets the prisoners free;the Lord opens the eyes of the blind; *the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;The Lord loves the righteous;the Lord cares for the stranger; *he sustains the orphan and widow,but frustrates the way of the wicked.The Lord shall reign for ever, *your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.Hallelujah! Psalm 147Laudate DominumBCP p. 804Hallelujah!How good it is to sing praises to our God! *how pleasant it is to honor him with praise!The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; *he gathers the exiles of Israel.He heals the brokenhearted *and binds up their wounds.He counts the number of the stars *and calls them all by their names.Great is our Lord and mighty in power; *there is no limit to his wisdom.The Lord lifts up the lowly, *but casts the wicked to the ground.Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; *make music to our God upon the harp.He covers the heavens with clouds *and prepares rain for the earth;He makes grass to grow upon the mountains *and green plants to serve mankind.He provides food for flocks and herds *and for the young ravens when they cry.He is not impressed by the might of a horse; *he has no pleasure in the strength of a man;But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him, *in those who await his gracious favor.Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem; *praise your God, O Zion;For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; *he has blessed your children within you.He has established peace on your borders; *he satisfies you with the finest wheat.He sends out his command to the earth, *and his word runs very swiftly.He gives snow like wool; *he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.He scatters his hail like bread crumbs; *who can stand against his cold?He sends forth his word and melts them; *he blows with his wind, and the waters flow.He declares his word to Jacob, *his statutes and his judgments to Israel.He has not done so to any other nation; *to them he has not revealed his judgments.Hallelujah! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsIsa. 1:1-9A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the Lord, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged. Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds; they are not pressed out or bound up or softened with oil. Your country lies desolate; your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence foreigners devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners. And the daughter of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Te Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you;You are the Lord: we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. Matt. 25:1-13A Reading from the Gospel According to Matthew.“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.' But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus Dominus DeusBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And also with you.Let us pray.Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Suffrages AV. Show us your mercy, O Lord;R. And grant us your salvation.V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness; R. Let your people sing with joy.V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;R. For only in you can we live in safety. V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.V. Let your way be known upon earth;R. Your saving health among all nations.V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.V. Create in us clean hearts, O God;R. And sustain us with your Holy Spirit. The CollectsAdvent 1Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for SundaysO God, you make us glad with the weekly remembrance of the glorious resurrection of your Son our Lord: Give us this day such blessing through our worship of you, that the week to come may be spent in your favor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Prayer for MissionAlmighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Saturday - Proper 29

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2024 17:38

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”Psalm 19:14 (ESV) Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 137Super flumina1By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, *when we remembered you, O Zion.2As for our harps, we hung them up *on the trees in the midst of that land.3For those who led us away captive asked us for a song,and our oppressors called for mirth: *“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”4How shall we sing the Lord's song *upon an alien soil?5If I forget you, O Jerusalem, *let my right hand forget its skill.6Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouthif I do not remember you, *if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.Psalm 144Benedictus Dominus1Blessed be the Lord my rock! *who trains my hands to fight and my fingers to battle;2My help and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, *my shield in whom I trust,who subdues the peoples under me.3O Lord, what are we that you should care for us? *mere mortals that you should think of us?4We are like a puff of wind; *our days are like a passing shadow.5Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down; *touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.6Hurl the lightning and scatter them; *shoot out your arrows and rout them.7Stretch out your hand from on high; *rescue me and deliver me from the great waters,from the hand of foreign peoples,8Whose mouths speak deceitfully *and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.9O God, I will sing to you a new song; *I will play to you on a ten-stringed lyre.10You give victory to kings *and have rescued David your servant.11Rescue me from the hurtful sword *and deliver me from the hand of foreign peoples,12Whose mouths speak deceitfully *and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.13May our sons be like plants well nurtured from their youth, *and our daughters like sculptured corners of a palace.14May our barns be filled to overflowing with all manner of crops; *may the flocks in our pastures increase by thousands and tens of thousands;may our cattle be fat and sleek.15May there be no breaching of the walls, no going into exile, *no wailing in the public squares.16Happy are the people of whom this is so! *happy are the people whose God is the Lord! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsMicah 7:11-20English Standard VersionA day for the building of your walls! In that day the boundary shall be far extended.In that day they will come to you, from Assyria and the cities of Egypt,and from Egypt to the River, from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.But the earth will be desolate because of its inhabitants, for the fruit of their deeds.Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance,who dwell alone in a forest in the midst of a garden land;let them graze in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old.As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things.The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might;they shall lay their hands on their mouths; their ears shall be deaf;they shall lick the dust like a serpent, like the crawling things of the earth;they shall come trembling out of their strongholds; they shall turn in dread to the Lord our God, and they shall be in fear of you.Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance?He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot.You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham,as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.1 Peter 4:7-19English Standard VersionThe end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And“If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersLord, have mercy.Christ, have mercyLord, have mercyOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. The SuffragesO Lord, show your mercy upon us;And grant us your salvation.O Lord, guide those who govern usAnd lead us in the way of justice and truth.Clothe your ministers with righteousnessAnd let your people sing with joy.O Lord, save your peopleAnd bless your inheritance.Give peace in our time, O LordAnd defend us by your mighty power.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgottenNor the hope of the poor be taken away.Create in us clean hearts, O GodAnd take not your Holy Spirit from us. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. The CollectsProper 29Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!Alleluia, Alleluia! BenedictionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Tuesday - Proper 29

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2024 17:35

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”Psalm 19:14 (ESV) Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 121Levavi oculos1I lift up my eyes to the hills; *from where is my help to come?2My help comes from the Lord, *the maker of heaven and earth.3He will not let your foot be moved *and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.4Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *shall neither slumber nor sleep;5The Lord himself watches over you; *the Lord is your shade at your right hand,6So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *nor the moon by night.7The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; *it is he who shall keep you safe.8The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in, *from this time forth for evermore.Psalm 122Lætatus sum1I was glad when they said to me, *“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”2Now our feet are standing *within your gates, O Jerusalem.3Jerusalem is built as a city *that is at unity with itself;4To which the tribes go up,the tribes of the Lord, *the assembly of Israel,to praise the Name of the Lord.5For there are the thrones of judgment, *the thrones of the house of David.6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: *“May they prosper who love you.7Peace be within your walls *and quietness within your towers.8For my brethren and companions' sake, *I pray for your prosperity.9Because of the house of the Lord our God, *I will seek to do you good.”Psalm 123Ad te levavi oculos meos1To you I lift up my eyes, *to you enthroned in the heavens.2As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, *and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,3So our eyes look to the Lord our God, *until he show us his mercy.4Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy, *for we have had more than enough of contempt,5Too much of the scorn of the indolent rich, *and of the derision of the proud. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsNahum 1:1-13English Standard VersionAn oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful;the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers;Bashan and Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers.The mountains quake before him; the hills melt;the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it.Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger?His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble;he knows those who take refuge in him. But with an overflowing floodhe will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.What do you plot against the Lord? He will make a complete end; trouble will not rise up a second time.For they are like entangled thorns, like drunkards as they drink; they are consumed like stubble fully dried.From you came one who plotted evil against the Lord, a worthless counselor.Thus says the Lord,“Though they are at full strength and many, they will be cut down and pass away.Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more.And now I will break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds apart.”1 Peter 1:13-25English Standard VersionTherefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for“All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.The grass withers, and the flower falls,but the word of the Lord remains forever.”And this word is the good news that was preached to you. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersLord, have mercy.Christ, have mercyLord, have mercyOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. The SuffragesO Lord, show your mercy upon us;And grant us your salvation.O Lord, guide those who govern usAnd lead us in the way of justice and truth.Clothe your ministers with righteousnessAnd let your people sing with joy.O Lord, save your peopleAnd bless your inheritance.Give peace in our time, O LordAnd defend us by your mighty power.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgottenNor the hope of the poor be taken away.Create in us clean hearts, O GodAnd take not your Holy Spirit from us. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. The CollectsProper 29Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!Alleluia, Alleluia! BenedictionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Escaping Apostate Church Judgements (3) - David Eells - UBBS 11.24.2024

Christ Community Church of Pembroke Pines

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2024 118:43

Escaping Apostate Church Judgments (3) (audio) David Eells – 11/24/24 I'm going begin today by reading Hannah's prayer in 1Sa 2:1 And Hannah prayed, and said: My heart exulteth in Jehovah; My horn is exalted in Jehovah; My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; Because I rejoice in thy salvation. 2 There is none holy as Jehovah; For there is none besides thee, Neither is there any rock like our God. 3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth; For Jehovah is a God of knowledge, And by him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty men are broken; And they that stumbled are girded with strength. 5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; And they that were hungry have ceased to hunger: Yea, the barren hath borne seven; And she that hath many children languisheth. So what did she mean, she had born seven? We know that Hannah had been barren. Well, we're talking about a Man-child here, but the Man-child is not an individual, is he? And why seven? When we read Mic 5:5 …When the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. So we see that Micah prophesied that when the Lord returned to his people that He would raise up seven princes, “seven shepherds, and eight principal men,” or eight princes among men, to defend God's people from the Beast. It's seven because there are seven churches and God is raising up the leadership to go to the seven churches. The eighth is mentioned separately because He is the prince of Peace Jesus who is in the midst of the seven. 6 Jehovah killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up. 7 Jehovah maketh poor, and maketh rich: He bringeth low, he also lifteth up. 8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill, To make them sit with princes, And inherit the throne of glory: (This is her Man-child, that she brought forth to inherit the throne of glory.) For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah's, And he hath set the world upon them. 9 He will keep the feet of his holy ones; But the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness; For by strength shall no man prevail. 10 They that strive with Jehovah shall be broken to pieces; Against them will he thunder in heaven: Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth; And he will give strength unto his king, And exalt the horn of his anointed. I believe this is talking about the Eli, Pharisee and Saul ministries, and a lot of ministers in our day who are going to resist and fight against the truth, as they have throughout history. In Jesus' day, the leadership over God's people fought with Jesus; they accused Jesus; they crucified Jesus. They did the same with His disciples, also. They strove with the Lord and He destroyed them. 1Sa 2:10 … And he will give strength unto his king, And exalt the horn of his anointed. Oh, praise God! Who is this king and His anointed? Well, in this case it was Samuel, but it was also Joseph, Moses, David and Jesus, all those good types. He will exalt the horn, the strength of His anointed. 11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest. 12 Now the sons of Eli were base men; they knew not the Lord. How could they have been the priests of Israel and not know the Lord? Well, honestly, it doesn't take very long to read the Word of God to find out that a lot of ministers nowadays don't know the Lord. They don't know the Lord but do they have some kind of association with religion? Yes. When you come into the Kingdom and you get a born-again spirit, you have a consciousness of God, but, quite frankly, if you don't obey that born-again spirit, it soon dies and you become what the Bible calls twice dead, plucked up by the roots (Jud.12). Who was Jude speaking about when he said that? The apostate ministers and many they train. And so you can be in the pulpit and be dead as a doornail. Saul died at the hands of the Philistines and I believe that it's talking about being dead in the spirit while he lived. We know that many of you have come out of churches after you realized they were dead. They were really not walking in the spirit; they were really not sharing the living Word of God. They were dead and you came out because of that. Praise God! 1Sa 2:13 And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand; 14 and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did in Shiloh unto all Israel that came thither. Shiloh, of course, was the house of God in those days, so this is basically the ministers gathering up their tithe, but these people were abusing it. And it's a very good type of exactly what's happening today. They were abusing their position as priests of the Lord, as ministers of God's house, by plundering God's people. Now he's going to point out two main things here about the sons of Eli that are exactly the problems with the leadership of the church in our day and how they are plundering God's people. 1Sa 2:15 Yea, before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have boiled flesh of thee, but raw. Of course, that wasn't according to their custom. 16 And if the man said unto him, They will surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would say, Nay, but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. So here you have some ministers taking what they feel belonged to them, by force. The only thing was, this was a sacrifice. This was a sacrifice made by the person who was freely giving it, but they were taking it by force. That's an abuse of a sacrifice. Do you know that in the New Testament God has a sacrifice? It's a freewill offering. There is nothing in the New Testament about taking something by Law. Who is it who takes by Law? Well, you're looking at it right here. It's the apostate Eli ministry which is robbing and plundering God's people and taking from them by Law, taking from them because of their position. We don't have any such custom in the New Testament of demanding a tithe. Jesus said, So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple (Luk 14:33). He didn't say 10%; He said everything you have. And Jesus said in Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, Jesus said tithing was of the Law, not of grace. There's no commandment in the New Testament whatsoever for you to do this. Not one. And the rest of the verse says, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone. Notice that Jesus spoke to the Jews of their Law as being in the past, Meaning the Old Covenant. He never commanded it in the New Covenant because it was “a shadow of the good things to come.” But here is what's commanded: 2Co 9:6 But this [I say,] He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. So it's just according to how much you give and that's really not according to the Law. The Law was 10% -- bring into the storehouse 10%. But now He's saying very plainly, “No, the more you give, the more you'll receive.” 2Co 9:7 [Let] each man [do] according as he hath purposed in his heart…. Well, that's certainly not the Law at all. That's not demanding it; that's a freewill offering. Do as you feel in your heart. This is a man's personal sacrifice to God and to the ministry, and, of course, the ministry today is abusing that because they are dragging people back under the Law, which is forbidden. The Law separates from Christ; it separates from grace and, if you seek to be justified by the Law, you have to keep the whole Law. Gal 5:3 … He is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace. So it's not good for ministers to say you have to keep the tithe because you can't be saved that way. If you're seeking to be justified by the Law, then you have to keep the whole Law in order to be justified, but we're justified by grace and God says this is what God wants from His New Testament, born-again people. These are not people who are lost people, who are just following rules and regulations. These are people who have the grace of God in their heart. God expects more as He says in Luk 12:48 And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required…. Now, in the New Testament, when you're born again and you receive the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in your newborn temple; therefore He expects more because you have God in you and you are the temple. You don't go to the temple, you are the temple of God. God's in us. Col 1:27 … Christ in you, the hope of glory. God is the One Who is living the Christian life in us, you see. That's the whole point. So you would expect more from someone like that. You don't have to force somebody like that to do something and, if you had to, they obviously don't have God in their heart. So what does the Lord say? 2Co 9:7 Let each man [do] according as he hath purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity … It's not even necessary as a law would be. Well, it's not going to be edifying to a person to not give because giving is the heart of God and giving is how, of course, God multiplies it back to us. 2Co 9:6 But this [I say,] He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. In other words, God wants to bless us and He's telling us that if it's in our heart to give, then good, do it. But He's not putting you under Law. It's not of necessity. Anybody who does put you under the Law is departing from the New Testament and they're doing exactly like Eli's sons, who were using the Law to force the giving. So he says, 2Co 9:7 … For God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound unto you; that ye, having always all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto every good work…. That's a powerful promise that covers everything, doesn't it? And it's just because a person gives out of the heart, not because they're under the Law. You know, sure, if you give under the Law, God will give back. When I first learned that the Lord wanted me to give, I did, and for a short time I went under the Law. But when I realized that it wasn't Scriptural, I started to give according to the Spirit because now I had the Holy Spirit to speak in my heart and tell me what to do. In the New Testament, that's why the Holy Spirit is given. You don't need a law because now we have …the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:2). You don't have need to have anybody to tell you, “You must do this.” Instead, you want to do it because God is working in you to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). That's what New Testament salvation is all about. God is putting it in your heart. That's the kind of person God wants. He doesn't want a person who has to be forced or they won't do it. What kind of a son is that? That's a servant, but it's not a son and God is creating sons. So if we look back in 1 Samuel 2, we see a problem with the overwhelming majority of apostate ministries nowadays. They want to force the people to give something that should be a sacrifice on the part of the giver. They should just want to give it out of their own heart. In other words, give them the freedom to make the sacrifice the way they see that they want to do it. But, in the apostate ministries, the giving is being forced and that's exactly what we're seeing here in 1 Samuel. But the priest's servant said, 1Sa 2:16 Nay, but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. 17 And the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord; for the men despised the offering of the Lord. See, the offering of the Lord is holy because it comes out of holy hearts, people who want to give. They see a need and they are meeting that need. And it may be the need of their brother. Jesus said, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, [even] these least, ye did it unto me (Mat.25:40). It may be a need of the brethren. It may not be bringing it into the storehouse, which is a church building or an organization, because the storehouse was not in the church. In the Old Testament, it was in the Temple and we are the Temple. God is going to judge His people by the way they treat His Temple, by what you do to the “least of these my brethren.” Did you feed them? Did you clothe them? Did you visit them in prison? See, that's how He judged the nations when He returned because that's His Temple. So it's very important that the sacrifice be a willing sacrifice in our covenant and not be demanded by Law. The people in ministry who force the giving are despising the offering of the Lord. Going on in 1Sa 2:27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I reveal myself unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt [in bondage] to Pharaoh's house? 28 and did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up unto mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all of the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29 Wherefore kick ye at mine sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in [my] habitation, and honorest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? An Eli ministry gets fat from the offerings of God's people because they have departed from the Word of God; they are plundering God's people. It's not permitted and they will be judged for it, exactly like Eli's sons were being judged for it. You know, we are warned over and over in the Scriptures: Isa 56:9 All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, [yea,] all ye beasts in the forest. 10 His watchmen are blind … Did you know, by the way, that Eli was blind? He became blind. 10 His watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark (In other words, they do not know when the enemy's coming. They don't know how to warn God's people. They don't know that they are the enemy.); dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. 11 Yea, the dogs are greedy, they can never have enough; and these are shepherds that cannot understand: they have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter. How many of God's people are supporting this debauchery in God's church? See, it's totally contrary to the Word of God. What you are supporting when you're doing that, is an Eli ministry. It's going down the drain fast at this particular moment. They're all dyeing. I'm not talking physically, I'm talking spiritually. If they're not dead already, they're going to die. They'd have to repent and come out of plundering God's people. There's nothing in the New Testament about being under the Law for giving. We are, of course, stewards of what belongs to God in the New Testament. Luk 14:33 So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. We are stewards; we're not owners. So, therefore, a person who tithes is a thief because he thinks the 90% belongs to him and the 10% belongs to God. Well, you just stole 90% because Jesus said the rest of that belongs to Him, too. So, if we're not a thief, then we listen to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit tells you what to do with your house, what to do with your car, and what to do with your money. He tells you not only what to give and how much, but where to give it and to whom to give it. He is the One. He is the Lord since you have the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, they did not have the Holy Spirit commonly, so they needed a rule and regulation to tell them what to do. It's not so now. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made you free from the law of sin and death, so you're free from that law and now you're under the law of the Spirit. And the Spirit is the One Who knows your brethren, He knows the needs; He knows exactly what He wants to do and how much He wants to do, so we have to follow the Holy Spirit with everything. The Sabbath is no longer one day; it's every day. We cease from our works and enter into His rest every day. Now, what about the tithe? It's the same thing. See, when Jesus came, He multiplied the Law. Did you notice that in Matthew 5? Everything about the Law He multiplied, He made it bigger, because now God works in us from the inside out to do His Will. He works a desire in us to do what before we were fighting against with our carnal nature. It's a wonderful thing. But the Eli ministries are greedy dogs; they can never have enough. It is astounding how they can see so many people in need, even in their own assemblies, and yet don't lift a finger to help them. Meanwhile, they're flying their personal jet planes and doing all these things. Going on again in 1Sa 2:29 … Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in [my] habitation, and honorest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? 30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me forever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me…. Wow! Did you know God could do that? Have you ever heard that doctrine of unconditional eternal security? Look at that big “but now” in the middle of that verse. Because God's promises are conditional and we have to have faith in Him. Our part is faith; His part is to supply the power. God can drop us like a rock any time. He can empower you to walk in His steps or He can give you up to this world and I'll tell you what: there is no promise for those who don't bear fruit. God is looking for the fruit of Jesus Christ. 1Sa 2:30 … But now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Obviously, He's talking about these preachers who were plundering His people and abusing them, and taking an offering from them. You don't “take” an “offering.” That's an oxymoron. 1Sa 2:31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house. 32 And thou shalt behold the affliction of [my] habitation, in all the wealth which [God] shall give Israel; and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever. 33 And the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar, [shall be] to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart; and all the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 And this shall be the sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas…. Do you know what “Hophni” and “Phinehas” mean? “Hophni” means “stiff-necked, self-willed,” and “Phinehas,” I understand, means “a trustworthy face, but the mouth of a serpent.” Isn't that interesting? You know, a lot of people see what they see standing in their pulpit, but that's all they see. They see what they're supposed to see and they see what they are permitted to see, but they don't know what's really going on there. You may remember how I shared with you about one of the first churches I was invited to preach in Pensacola, while I was there I did a lot of teaching. The pastor of that particular church was an Eli pastor and, no doubt about it, he was doing everything that these guys were doing and more. There was a man who came in and he got saved; he came in totally drunk and he got sobered up. Shortly after that, God gave him a vision of the pastor as a serpent standing up behind the pulpit, speaking through a microphone. He did not understand it and he brought it to me and I told him, “Well, it means just what it says, you know.” And that pastor's last name meant “dragon.” He was the dragon, the old serpent. Well, “Phinehas” means “a trustworthy face, but the mouth of a serpent.” 1Sa 2:34 And this shall be the sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both of them. I'm going to back up a little bit here. 1Sa 2:22 Now, Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting. Do we ever hear of that happening nowadays? Yes, quite often, don't we? Evidently, sex and money seem to get hold of an awful lot of people who put themselves in a position of ultimate power over God's people. It seems like men who are not full of God cannot stand too much power, too much authority, too much money, too much esteem of the people, before they begin to take advantage of it. What it's saying is that a person shouldn't seek a position in God's Kingdom unless God puts them there. You know how God puts them there? He prepares them first. They are overcomers. Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations. Nowadays, “You can just go to Bible school and you pay for that certificate and now you're a preacher.” You can do this, but you're in trouble because there is not the nature of Jesus Christ there. After all, you have not overcome by going through trials yourself. And so what happens when you get out there and you get all this temptation? Because the Nicolaitan error is a great temptation. Putting a man in a position that is not Biblical is a great temptation that most people cannot stand. And the proof is showing up. I mean, they are lying with the women who do the service of the door of the Tent of Meeting. They're doing it now. The money, the women, the power, the abuse of their power, it's still the problem. We know God never designed a Nicolaitan ministry, anyway. He called for a five-fold ministry. That's what He called for. He distributed the authority among the five-fold ministry. That's His way of doing things. God's going to raise up the five-fold ministry. Remember, Jesus the Man-child raised up the apostles who raised up the five-fold ministry. The apostles ordained the five-fold ministers. They are the ones who started that. Once again, history is going to repeat in these days because the Man-child is going to raise up apostles who are going to raise up the five-fold ministry. He is going to restore the real five-fold ministry this time. I'm talking about people who have overcome, who are given a position by God, who were ordained to that position by God. In the Bible, it was apostles who ordained the five-fold ministry, but nowadays Bible schools can do it, so we have gone astray. We've fallen into what the Bible calls the “Nicolaitan error” (Revelation 2:6). We've gone far, far astray, and the ministers who put themselves in that position, and the people who put the ministers in that position, are not doing them a favor because they really can't hold up to that. God has to do this. God is the One Who ordains ministers, not men, not organizations and not religions. And so we've ended up with quite a lot of the Eli ministry out there. In Jesus' day, how many of the Pharisees, who were Eli ministers, how many of them recognized Him and obeyed Him when God sent His Son? Well, God is doing it again and they're going to do the same thing. The Lord told me that this is where we are right now, in the midst of a Pharisee, Saul and Eli ministry. But coming right down the road is this Man-child reformer ministry led by the Holy Spirit. Looking at the news concerning the church and the pastors and teachers and prophets and so on, we can see the great falling away going on around us. We know that it's happening again and we can tell where we are. God has pronounced judgment upon the Eli ministry and what's going to happen to it. 1Sa 2:31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm (this is speaking of Eli and his household), and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house. 32 And thou shalt behold the affliction of [my] habitation, in all the wealth which [God] shall give Israel; and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever. 33 And the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar, [shall be] to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart; and all the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 And this shall be the sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both of them. 35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind…. Oh, praise the Lord! This is what we have coming, folks: faithful priests “that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind.” That's not a small statement there. God will give grace. He will send new leadership. Of course, we know that this priest represents a corporate body in our day, spread throughout the earth, that God is sending to restore His people. 1Sa 2:35 … And I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed forever. Oh, praise the Lord! What do you think that means? Well, most people think it means he'll walk before the Lord. I think that's true, no doubt that this new, faithful ministry will walk before the Lord, but I believe that there's something deeper than that here. Let's turn to the New Testament. 2Co 1:21 Now he that establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God. Stop and think about that. God establishes us in Christ and anoints us. You know, the word “Christ” means “the anointed.” And Christ was the anointed, but Jesus left an individual body to come back in a corporate body in order to be able to do all over the world what He did in that first body, so the body of Christ is to be anointed. 2Co 1:22 Who also sealed us, and gave [us] the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. The “anointing” is “to be filled with the Holy Spirit.” I dare say most of the church is not filled with the Spirit but, then, most of the church is not anointed. The Lord told me years ago that if we get what the apostles got, we'll do what they did. Read the book of Acts and find out what they had. When Jesus was ministering to the disciples, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit (Joh 20:22) and there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind Act 2:2 and… they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues 4, etc. Now, if you get that, you'll do what they did. Most of the church today is very dead because they feel that they have been anointed but they haven't. It's just words, you know. So, if you don't want what they have, you won't do what they did. So “he … establisheth us with you in Christ, and anointed us.” Why does God anoint us? It's so that we can walk in the steps of Christ, so that Christ can live through us to the world. We need to be anointed. We have to have this anointing, you see. What it said about Samuel was that, “He shall walk before mine anointed forever.” In other words, in this case we're talking about him being the leadership of God's anointed body that God is sending in the earth. He's walking before them as the leader of His anointed body to do His works. The Man-child, in whom Jesus lives, will be a leader of the anointed body of Christ in our day, just as Jesus was in His day. 1Sa 2:36 And it shall come to pass, that everyone that is left in thy house…. What does “left in” mean? Well, we haven't gotten that far yet, but his house was wiped out and the people who followed his house were wiped out, at the hand of the Philistines. We know the Philistine represents the old man who lives in the land. There's a war going on between our spiritual man, who is an Israelite and the old man, who is a Philistine, and the war is for the land, which Hebrews 6 tells us is this physical life; this life is that land. Now when he says here, “everyone that is left in thy house,” it means, in other words, there are some people who are going to repent of the Saul ministry and not only of the ministry, but of following the Saul ministry. They're no longer going to be a part of that house and they're going to survive because their old man is not going to conquer them. 1Sa 2:36 And it shall come to pass, that everyone that is left in thy house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread. We are the priests of God. As we sacrifice unto the Lord, as we make this burnt offering of flesh to the Lord, each one of us presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, we are the priests of God. You're not sacrificing your life unto the Saul ministry. That's the whole problem; the Saul ministry refused to sacrifice the old man and, therefore, died at the hands of the old man. Now we're seeing the same thing about Eli. And so if we want to be priests, we have to be following the Samuels. There are people who are going to come out from under the Eli and Saul ministries and follow the David and Samuel ministry, and they will be priests of the Lord. Notice how this sounds very much like Joseph. Remember how, after selling Joseph into bondage, his own brothers came into the kingdom and it was he who kept them alive during the seven years of famine? He fed them. They came to him. All Israel, as a matter of fact, came to Joseph because the sons of Jacob, or Israel, all came to him in Egypt and Joseph served them; he met their needs. And we saw, also, that as soon as Saul died on Gilboa, along with the part of Israel that followed him, all the rest of Israel followed David. 1Ch 11:1 Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. Wow, they're actually saying they're the body of David! And so we see that this is about to repeat, folks. These people are dying; not physically, but spiritually they are dying. They're dying at the hands of the old man because they've refused to make war against the old man. 1Sa 3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious (or “rare”) in those days; there was no frequent vision. It's the same today. There is “no frequent vision” from the Lord. Yes, many people have visions and the frequency of the vision of the Lord is something that the prophetic office is supposed to be sending forth, but it's all been polluted. 2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, so that he could not see). Notice that when Samuel arrives, the Word begins to speak about Eli's eyesight being poor and it seems to get worse and worse the longer that Samuel is on the scene. There's a reason for that and we'll look at it. But what does it mean for his eyes to begin “to wax dim, so that he could not see”? Well, I think this is talking about a lack of perception, a lack of discernment. As Jesus said, Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand (Mat.13:13). They lost their eyesight in the days of the coming of Jesus and now it's speaking about the Eli ministry losing their spiritual eyesight. 1Sa 3:3 And the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down [to sleep,] in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. So here's Samuel in the presence of the Lord and here's Eli losing his spiritual eyesight, meaning his prophetic gift. Now if we go back to one of the verses we read earlier, it says, and the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar (1Sa 2:33). We see that there are some people who are “under” the Saul ministry who are not going to be “of” the Saul ministry because they're going to repent. There's a multitude of God's people who are going to come out of these apostate churches and follow the David ministry, follow the Samuel ministry, and we praise God for that. This is going to be a reformation that's coming. Those who stay will die. There's no doubt about it. If they continue to follow that which is not the leading of the Holy Spirit, not ordained of God, not the Word of God, they will die. 1Sa 2:33 And the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar, [shall be] to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart; and all the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age. Remember, David was raised up under the Saul ministry, but he was David; he continued to grow. And here Samuel is raised up under the Eli ministry. This seems to be a parallel all the way through the Scriptures. So he's saying that there are people who are of that house, who will not be cut off from God's altar, but they will be “to consume thine eyes.” Why is this? How could it be that somebody who is righteous and who is going to outgrow that ministry, and who is going to repent, how could it be that these people will consume the eyes of the Eli ministry? Well, believe it or not, Jesus made a statement like that. Of course, we know Jesus was the Samuel, was the man-child of His day. Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment came I into this world, that they that see not may see; and they that see may become blind. So here's the Samuel ministry coming upon the scene and suddenly somebody's becoming blind. Joh 9:40 Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said unto him, Are we also blind? 41 And Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye would have no sin: but now ye say, We see: your sin remaineth. In our day, those people who say they see are becoming blind, but the people who don't claim to have the understanding, the perception, or the discernment, they're the ones like the kind of people whom Jesus gathered around Him. It was those fishermen, those tax collectors, those harlots, those sinners, it was they who became His staunch disciples and they didn't say that they could see. They didn't claim to be theologians, they didn't claim to know everything about God, but the people who did were becoming blind. In John 9 there's a really neat story about a blind man who's blind from birth and whom Jesus healed of his blindness. Jesus made mud, He smeared it on his eyes, sent him into the pool of Siloam and the blind man came back seeing. When the Pharisees heard of this, they basically called the healed man on the carpet and wanted to know who it was who had done this. So he said it was the one called Jesus. Then they wanted to know how it was that he was healed, so he related the whole story. Of course, they were just trying to pick holes in the story because these were the jealous Eli ministry that really didn't want anybody coming in and taking away their position, their kingdom. Jesus spoke of their ministry in Matthew 21 through the parable of God sending His Son and then those people who wanted the vineyard for themselves killing the Son. Well, it's pretty neat how this man rebuked those Pharisees. After they asked him a couple of times in a row, “How did he do this?” he said, “I told you already. You weren't listening. Why didn't you hear?” And they said, “We know this man's a sinner, that he couldn't possibly be from God.” To which the healed man replied, Joh 9:30 Why, herein is the marvel, that ye know not whence he is, and [yet] he opened mine eyes. 31 We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and do his will, him he heareth. 32 Since the world began it was never heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. And how is it that these people didn't know that this man was from God? The healed man told them, “We know that God doesn't hear sinners, but he opened my eyes.” So this man, who didn't say he was a theologian, didn't say he knew everything about God, had a lot more wisdom than these people who were going against the Word of God in trying to justify themselves. This man who was under their ministry, under this Saul-Pharisee-Eli ministry, was now being delivered and it was making them angry. Actually, they excommunicated him; they threw him out of the church, basically because he told the truth, but they didn't want to hear the truth. There are some of you today who are coming out from among them. Like the Shulamite in the Song of Solomon, you have tried to bring this Jesus Whom you've found back to your “mother” and some of them really don't want to hear about it (Song of Solomon 3:4). You know what I'm talking about, right? Well, every time that you come out from under those ministries and you bring back the truth to them and they reject that truth, they become a little bit more blind, a little bit more blind. Jesus the Man-child came so that these people would become blind. When Samuel came on the scene, the anointed of God, the Man-child of that day, born of Hannah, then we begin reading over and over that the Eli ministry's becoming blind. You see, in this day, folks, notice that God says, 1Sa 2:33 and the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar, [shall be] to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart. You know how grieving it is to those ministries when you go back and try to share truth with them, simple truth from the Word of God, and they don't want to hear it? And when they deny the Word that you bring to them they become more blind every time. It's interesting, you know, when the man who was healed mildly rebuked the Pharisees, they answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out (Joh.9:34). Who's not born in sin, right? But they're obviously pointing out that if he was blind from birth, his blindness was because of sin. Blindness from birth was quite common in those days. But they wouldn't let anybody teach them, they didn't want to hear from somebody who was not educated, not puffed up because of their religious system, or not somebody who went through their theological training. They don't want to hear anything from those people. You can bring them simple, simple truth; every time they deny it, they get more and more blind. They lose perception and discernment, just as this verse says: 1Sa 3:2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, so that he could not see), 3 and the lamp of God was not yet gone out. Now the “lamp of God” here, in a sense, means his prophetic ministry to the people of God, or it could also be talking about the lamp of the eye, as Jesus spoke about it (Matthew 6:22). But, either way, we know, for instance, in Zechariah, that God is going to raise up a foolish shepherd in the land Zec 11:15, 16. God has done it in every generation and in every cycle. Zec 11:15 And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet again the instruments of a foolish shepherd. 16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not visit those that are cut off, neither will seek those that are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound…. Of course, we need to be fed the unleavened bread because that's the Seed of God that brings forth Christ in us, which is the only kind of fruit that God is interested in. 16 … Nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the flesh of the fat [sheep]…. Once again, we see the plundering of the sheep, living off the sheep, getting fat off the sheep. 16 … And will tear their hoofs in pieces. The Lord pointed out to me one time so eloquently that hooves are what separate sheep from the world. This represents sanctification, which means separation from the world, and separation unto God. God wants us separate from the world, but connected to Him. When Moses went up on the mountain to meet God, He told him, “Hey, take your shoes off, Moses. You're standing on holy ground” (Exodus 3:2). In other words, God didn't want Moses separated from that holy ground. “Holy” and “sanctified” is the same word, right? God did not want Moses separate from holy ground, but out there in the world, God wanted Moses to keep his shoes on because we want to be separate from the world, we want to be sanctified. Well, when you take the foolish shepherd who is breaking the hooves off of the sheep, that means they're doing anything but sanctifying them from this world. Instead, they're making them worldly. Now, I'd like to share a few revelations with you. The Church Emerging from Religion Servant - 12/30/2010 I see a huge iron structure --mountain-like. It is smooth and brown with bronze tones; smooth, glossy, shiny. It is warm and strong in appearance. Underneath and in the ground a little shoot cries, “Oh, Father, we desire Your presence!” Over and over the little shoot cries, “Oh, Father, we desire Your presence!” SUDDENLY their cry is heard of the Father. He sits forward on the throne. His eyebrows are shaped in a “V” as He looks at the mountain of religion preventing the little shoot. All the balconies of Heaven stand at attention. The earth begins to move to and fro. The mountain begins to sway as the shoot emerges from under the mountain by the power of God. GOD STANDS UP! Shaking, reeling such as never seen before! Then, with a mighty noise, the mountain reels, rips in half and falls in two pieces. The earth shakes: Destruction! Shaking! Such loud noise! Darkness; then all is still. The shoot, the true Church, emerges from the ground. God's glory -- bright, white, brilliant -- covers the shoot and the true refreshing begins. Joy! Strength! Power! The shoot rapidly grows in strength and power. Arms form, much like a mustard tree. This is the true refreshing; this is the power, glory, joy of the Lord. The earth will see and the earth will marvel at the strength, power and glory of the end-time Church. All this must be fulfilled. The Church is arrayed and ready for Jesus. Amen. Destruction Comes for Apostate Leadership B.A. - 06/23/2015 (David's notes in red) I dreamed that I found myself in Jerusalem, back in Jesus' day, and I was looking up at the temple (a temple made by man's hands which God does not inhabit). Act 17:24 The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 and he made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us: 28 for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man. 30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commanded men that they should all everywhere repent: 31 inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. There were stone steps leading down from the temple and the steps were being occupied by Pharisees and Sadducees. I was standing with a crowd of people in an open area a little ways from the temple and the stone steps, and just as I was looking around me in this crowd of people, I saw a man come forward out of the crowd who began to sternly address the men who were standing up (or exalting themselves) on the stone steps of the temple. I knew that the man speaking was Jesus. Pro 25:6 Put not thyself forward in the presence of the king, And stand not in the place of great men: 7 For better is it that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom thine eyes have seen. And Mat 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted. As Jesus began to speak, I began to recognize the “Word” He was speaking to these men, since I had heard these same words before. Here is what I heard: Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves. When Jesus spoke the first “Woe”, I heard a loud pop-like sound and what sounded like a crackling sound. I looked down upon the stone steps of the temple that these Pharisees and Sadducees were standing on and I noticed a large, deep crack had gone right up through the middle of those stone steps, and they were beginning to crack and crumble. I noticed that the deep crack was between the feet of a rather large and extremely overweight man. (This is the apostate leadership overcome by their flesh.) 16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. Then, when Jesus spoke the second “Woe”, I heard another much louder pop-like sound and more of the crackling sound. I looked around to see where this sound was coming from and I saw that a large, deep crack had gone all around the temple foundation and it was cracking up and crumbling as well. 17 Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold? 18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor. 19 Ye blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. 23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel! 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous, 30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell? 34 Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city: 35 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Just as Jesus had finished His Words to these men, the stone steps gave way and all of those men standing on the crumbling stone steps fell down into a deep pit that had opened up under the stone steps. And just after that happened, the entire temple came crashing down on top of them and covered them up. I noticed that from Matthew 23:15 through verse 39, there are “six” woes – “six” being the number of man. Also, I found it interesting that there is a “Woe” in Mathew 23:23 and the date of this dream is the 23rd and 23 means “death.” (This is clearly a reprobation of the apostate leadership and their fake temples, as Jesus pronounced in His day, and now we see a repeat of history in our day.) Apostate Leaders Fleecing the Sheep B.A.- 04/01/2012 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was in some type of city. It was strange because there were no people on the sidewalks or cars on the streets. There were these strange-looking brick buildings (buildings made by the flesh) everywhere I looked. (Sounds like the people of God slaving to make bricks for Pharaoh's buildings.) I decided to go inside one of these buildings. Once inside, I saw a familiar female TV preacher who was hosting an event. I also recognized several other female preachers as well, and others whose faces I recognized but could not remember their names. (Father said, 1Ti 2:12 But I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness. Read Word, Women and Authority.) There were elaborate tables set up with all kinds of party food and they were all playing games. Each time the hostess presented a new game, she would have on a different outfit. I watched this for a while, then I decided to leave and go see what was going on inside one of the other buildings. Once back out on the street, I saw a long, rectangular, brick building so I decided to go check it out. It was very dimly lit; I could barely see where I was going. This building was huge inside and it appeared to be some kind of art gallery. There were statues on the floor and statues mounted on the walls. Further on up ahead, I saw some people standing around a picture on the wall, so I went to see what they were looking at. As I got closer, all of these people were dressed up like pilots and they were looking and admiring a picture of various airplanes. Some were elaborate jets and some were small Cessna-type planes. I recognized some of these people to be leaders in the apostate church. (Big time prosperity preachers can't fly with us common folks. They have to have at least one private jet. Poor Jesus, He walked or rode a donkey.) Further on up ahead, I saw another group of people standing around a picture on the wall. As I got closer to these people, they were all dressed up like gladiators and they were looking at a picture of a large coliseum (I believe this to be representative of megachurches) and bragging about their own personal coliseum. (The competitive spirit is always trying to best those who are also a part of the body to see who is the greatest, as Jesus rebuked the disciples for.) Then, all the way to the back of the art gallery, I saw several rows of people seated and listening to a man standing at a podium. Behind this man was a large mural of TV and radio stations (the apostate leadership use the media to steal from God's people). He was teaching these people how to successfully get more money from their viewers and God's people in general. (Representing, using mass media to make mass money and live in luxury while not doing the works of the kingdom. Jesus said, Mat 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give.) As I stood there listening to this, I cried out to the Lord, “Do you see what they are doing? They are scheming and preparing a plan on how they are going to fleece your sheep during tough economic times!” Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Don't be concerned; their days are numbered.” Then I woke up. (Their greed, debt and sins against God's people will take them out.) Last House Cleaning Shelly Lynch - 06/23/2013 (David's notes in red) I had a short dream this morning. I saw myself taking a speck out of the corner of my eye. Mat 7:5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Then I saw myself cleaning the corners of a building (Representing cleaning up the last hidden places of leaven), removing the last scraps of spoiled dog food (leaven of false teaching) from the building with a white paper towel (representing the pure Word). Php 3:2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision: (This could be the Bride's last cleansing before the anointing! And the Bride's ministry of removing the speck out of their brother's eye (which can only happen when she has the speck out of her own). Hallelujah!) (However, for Israel, which is a type of the Church and is not cleaned up at the beginning of the tribulation but through the tribulation, this text was given as a warning of coming tribulation.) Eze 7:1-10 Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me saying, And you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel, 'An end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land. 'Now the end is upon you, and I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring all your abominations upon you. For My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will bring your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will know that I am the LORD!' Thus says the Lord GOD, 'A disaster, unique disaster, behold it is coming! 'An end is coming; the end has come! It has awakened against you; behold, it has come! Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come, the day is near-tumult rather than joyful shouting on the mountains. Now I will shortly pour out My wrath on you and spend My anger against you; judge you according to your ways and bring on you all your abominations. 'My eye will show no pity nor will I spare. I will repay you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst; then you will know that I, the LORD, do the smiting. Behold, the day! Behold, it is coming! Your doom has gone forth; the rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed. (Chastening will bring the elect to righteousness. Isa 26:10-11 Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of Jehovah. 11 Jehovah, thy hand is lifted up, yet they see not: but they shall see thy zeal for the people, and be put to shame; yea, fire shall devour thine adversaries. Including their flesh. (The persecution from the apostate Church toward the faithful in the Lord can be seen here.) Act 5:28-29 Saying Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, 'We ought to obey God rather than men'. And verses 40-42 And to him (Gamaliel) they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. (Considering these two paths, it would be good for the disciples of Jesus to heed our instructions to be spotless and blemishless in the Bride company.) 2Pe 3:14 Wherefore, beloved seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 1Th 3:13 To the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. Eph 5:27 that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing (speck); but that it should be holy and without blemish. And 2Co 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Sandy Shaw shared at this same time while in prayer she heard, “This is the last cleaning”, and we all believed this would be the cleaning of the Bride of the Lord before the tribulation. She then asked for a word and got by random: 2Ch 29:15 And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and went in, according to the commandment of the king by the words of Jehovah, to cleanse the house of Jehovah. 16 And the priests went in unto the inner part of the house of Jehovah, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of Jehovah into the court of the house of Jehovah. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad to the brook Kidron. 17 Now they began on the first [day] of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of Jehovah; and they sanctified the house of Jehovah in eight days: and on the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end. 18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king within [the palace], and said, We have cleansed all the house of Jehovah, and the altar of burnt-offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the table of showbread, with all the vessels thereof. 19 Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away when he trespassed, have we prepared and sanctified; and, behold, they are before the altar of Jehovah. 20 Then Hezekiah the king arose early, and gathered the princes of the city, and went up to the house of Jehovah. Hezekiah, as a type of the Man-child, “went up to the house of the Lord on the third day” and this was after the failed Senacherib Beast attack on the Bride when they were smitten. She then got by random, “into the ark” in Gen 7:13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; and we read back in verse 9 there went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah. 10 And it came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.

god tv jesus christ women church father lord power israel spirit bible man talk law song kingdom holy spirit strength putting holy darkness revelation meaning blessed biblical jerusalem authority exodus temple heal jews beast rev hebrews philippians old testament seed act receive sabbath new testament fill scriptures behold destruction pharisees amen col israelites mat arms escaping book of acts pharaoh new covenant ye mic gal tent hallelujah ham jehovah his son lord god shaking blindness eph representing praise god in john yea philistines in jesus underneath woe scriptural because god godhead sadducees pensacola samuels php jud nay old covenant levites luk hebron judgements shem sheol assyrian joh apostate ahaz cessna his will ramah siloam gamaliel one who phinehas eze o jerusalem his words japheth chastening kidron hophni 2co gilboa zec all israel new testament god his temple peace jesus shulamite 1th 1sa 1ti 2ch 1ch nicolaitan

Sermon from BLC Vespers - Wednesday, November 20, 2024

BLC Chapel Sermons

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 14:36

Peter Estrem was preacher for this service. Isaiah 40:9-11: O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.

god sermon behold lift lord god o jerusalem vespers o zion

Vespers - Wednesday, November 20, 2024

BLC Chapel Services

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 39:22

Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 544 - Wake, Awake, For Night is Flying - The Versicles (pp. 120-121) - The King of Love: The King of love my shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never. I nothing lack if I am his, and he is mine forever. Where streams of living water flow, my ransomed soul he leadeth; and where the verdant pastures grow, with food celestial feedeth. And so through all the length of days, thy goodness faileth never; Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise within thy house forever. (Arr. by Paul Christiansen. Text by Henry Williams Baker) - Isaiah 40:9-11: O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young. - Hymn 48 - in Peace and Joy I Now Depart - The Kyrie (p. 124) - Hymn 584 - Grant Peace, We Pray, in Mercy, Lord - The Collect (pp. 125-127) - The Benedicamus (p. 127) - The Benediction (p. 127) - Hymn 541 - Jerusalem, Thou City Fair and High: vv. 1, 3, 7 - Postlude Service Participants: Peter Estrem (Preacher), Hannah Caauwe (Organist), BLC Concert Choir (Choral Group), Prof. David Paulson (Choir Director)

god lord peace service jerusalem prof wake flying behold good shepherd lift awake collect hymns lord god arr benediction o jerusalem vespers o zion we pray postlude paul christiansen

⁠Message of the Martyr, Pt. 6; Truth in Love

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2024 38:42

Church Life “Message of the Martyr, Pt. 6; Truth in Love” Acts 7:51-60 Preaching Conviction (vv. 51-53) Mt. 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! Ro. 8:7-8 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Jo. 6:44,65 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.... 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” Offering Compassion (vv. 54-60) Ro. 9:2-3 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers,[a] my kinsmen according to the flesh.

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"The children of light." | Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Lectio Divina Daily Reflections

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2024 2:06

From the responsorial psalm: "I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the LORD.” And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord." A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 16:1-8) "For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.” Spoken after telling the parable of the dishonest steward, Jesus identifies a contrast between the shrewd stewardship of worldly goods and the kind of stewardship Jesus calls us to exemplify as children of light, his followers. Jesus doesn't say that he approves of the dishonesty of the steward, but he recognizes his resourcefulness in a dire situation. What Jesus suggests to each of us as his sons and daughters who live in the light of faith is to be prudent as we care and nurture and preserve it. Our imperfect attempts meet God's perfect grace. "Whoever keeps the word of Christ," we hear in the Gospel acclamation, "the love of God is truly perfected in him." In a time of crisis, from what source do we draw strength to maintain and uphold our hope as exiles. Our true home is elsewhere. "Our citizenship," Saint Paul says, "is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." Father in heaven, you give every good gift. The choice to follow you is mine and is not imposed but is your gift of free will. Help me use the things of this world wisely even as I choose daily to nurture and maintain your gift of faith to bring forth your kingdom to the benefit of others. Give me the grace to be prudent—even shrewd—as I seek to live as an honest steward of all of your gifts. To be a child of light means to look to the source of light for guidance. With childlike faith, let me place my trust in you, my sole hope for preserving every good gift you give me. Jesus, I trust in you! Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lectio-divina-daily/support

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AUDIO: Readings & Sermon for Wednesday November 6, 2024

Sermons from Zion Lutheran Church

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 19:47

View the Bulletin for Wednesday, November 6, 2024Worship Service: 2:00 p.m.Bible Study: 2:30 p.m. — The Book of HebrewsAll are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relativeVisit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”Archive of BULLETINSJeremiah 8:18—9:12 My joy is gone; grief is upon me; my heart is sick within me. Behold, the cry of the daughter of my people from the length and breadth of the land: “Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King not in her?” “Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images and with their foreign idols?” “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” For the wound of the daughter of my people is my heart wounded; I mourn, and dismay has taken hold on me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored? Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! Oh that I had in the desert a travelers' lodging place, that I might leave my people and go away from them! For they are all adulterers, a company of treacherous men. They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the LORD.Let everyone beware of his neighbor, and put no trust in any brother, for every brother is a deceiver, and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer. Everyone deceives his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity. Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit, they refuse to know me, declares the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of my people? Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully; with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he plans an ambush for him. Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?“I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains, and a lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness, because they are laid waste so that no one passes through, and the lowing of cattle is not heard; both the birds of the air and the beasts have fled and are gone. I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a lair of jackals, and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.” Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the LORD spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? Matthew 23:13-39 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.' You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'” The Lord's Prayer - The Introduction What is the Introduction to the Lord's Prayer? Our Father who art in heaven. What does this mean? With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father.

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A Fake Christianity (2) - David Eells - UBBS 10.27.2024

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2024 114:41

A Fake Christianity (2) (audio) David Eells 10/27/24 I'm going to continue to speak to you about a fake Christianity in the church. I've got some revelations to share of judgments coming to the fake church and a powerful Word at the end. Babylon's Mega Church Destroyed Garrett Crawford - 02/3/2007 (David's notes in red) I took a nap for a few hours. During this nap I dreamt I was in a shopping mall; this was like a mega mall. As I was walking through it I saw all sorts of stores and restaurants. While I was in what seemed to be the food court, I saw a woman that was scantily clad standing in front of a restaurant entrance. I think this was a steak house, but I am not totally certain. It seemed her job was to entice people to come into the restaurant. (After much meditation on this I feel this is symbolic. The restaurant that served steak represents serving the flesh, and the harlot trying to entice people to come in is like the foolish woman in Proverbs 9:14-15 who sits at the door calling the simple to come in and sin with her.) After the encounter with the woman in front of the restaurant something led me to go outside. I began riding a bike around the building and I was accompanied by another guy my age and he was on a bike as well. On one side of the mall, we came to this big, huge construction project. It was an addition to the mall, but it was a church! It was really big, 3 or 4 stories tall, which wasn't completely finished yet. While I was walking through it I saw a group of men that were standing around and admiring the uncompleted structure. They were going to be members of the church once it was built. They thought that this church was going to be the best thing ever. I questioned their discernment because building a church and connecting it to a mall seemed very wrong. When I voiced my opinion on the matter they quickly scorned me and started making excuses why this was needed. I was really turned off by the idea of this church to say the least, but they seemed to love it and could not wait until it was open to the public. While I was standing in the unfinished building's nursery or children's room, I was given a vision. In an instant the scenery changed, the room I was standing in was finished, it had drywall, carpet, and the walls were freshly painted. I was shown how it would look when finished. I had the revelation at this time that around 3 months after being completed the whole church building would be destroyed by God. I was amazed at this revelation, probably because this was no small project, and all the work these men were doing was basically in vain, because they would only get about 3 months' use out of this church building. (The mall represents the business of buying and selling in the new World Babylonish Religion that is being built. The enticing woman represents their tolerance teachings that appeal to the lusts of the flesh, which will draw in apostate Christianity. 2Pe.2:18 For, uttering great swelling [words] of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error; 19 promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. 21 For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. The restaurant is where they feed appealing food, a fleshly, letter-understanding of the Word. The church front on the mall is a way to trap the religious people into a system that is of the world. When their discernment was questioned by the real Church, meaning “called out ones”, they moved quickly to persecution as it will be. Garrett said that something led him to go outside where he rode a bicycle. This represents those who will inspect but depart from their religious system. The bicycle represents coming to a true balance. 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: 5 for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 6 Render unto her even as she rendered, and double [unto her] the double according to her works: in the cup which she mingled, mingle unto her double. 7 How much soever she glorified herself, and waxed wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning. 8 Therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judged her. God will use the beast to destroy their Babylonish temple not long after it is completed whether this is a literal three months or three years. Rev.17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her utterly with fire.) Jezebel Churches Darrell Simer - 08/01/2008 (David and R.V.'s notes in red) These following two dreams are connected and show the sad state of the Jezebel Church. First dream I see the beautiful young girl in her mid-20s, and she appears to be dressed in an old-fashioned Spanish or ballroom-type dress; she is dancing and doing spiritual battle and making proclamations. She has this long, elegant sword that she is dancing around with, to make her proclamations. I get right up to her and I notice the sword is made out of PLASTIC; it was just a toy. End of dream. (David: The Spirit in this dream seems to be saying that the making of proclamations in the church by the spirit of Jezebel is powerless; play acting. (R.V.: After reading the first dream the Lord spoke to me and said, “This is the present condition of the church that comes to Me day in and day out, and they think for their fancy outward appearance and knowledge of My word they can wield my Word and have the victory... I say unto them their words will fall at their feet and will not accomplish that which they speak, for with their mouth they speak great flowing, flowery words but they are void of My Spirit and anointing.” Psa.5:9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulcher; they flatter with their tongue. Psa.59:7 Behold, they belch forth with their mouth; Swords are in their lips, For, they say, “Who hears?” 8 But You, O LORD, laugh at them; You scoff at all the nations. Jer.9:7 Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, I will refine them and assay them; For what else can I do, because of the daughter of My people? 8 Their tongue is a deadly arrow; It speaks deceit; With his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor, But inwardly he sets an ambush for him. 9 Shall I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “On a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?” Isa.29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, “Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men”) Second dream I am sitting on the right side of the second row, up front in a church setting. This woman speaker is going over the announcements of the church events and then pulls out this paper, saying, “Someone else please read this”, and then hands it to this girl sitting in front of me. She sticks out her hand and says, “Oh! No, no, I don't want to stand up and read in front of all these people”. So the paper is placed in my hands. (R.V.: This body is out of order with its head as a woman. He has revealed to them their error but they do not want to turn: Rev.2:20 But I have [this] against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication (which is receiving the seed or word of the world), and to eat things sacrificed to idols (of man's religious organizations). 21 I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. The Word is the Word is the Word and He will not change it for anyone; passing the buck to someone else will not be an excuse. He revealed His will to the woman and how out of order she was. She decided to hand it to another woman, but He revealed the same thing to her. At this point they chose to hand off to a man.) (David: Isa.3:12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they that lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. 1Ti.2:12 But I permit not a woman to teach, nor to have dominion over a man, but to be in quietness.) Back to Darrell's dream: I looked at her and said the same thing: “I don't want to stand up and read in front of all these people”. I turn to my wife (who's very knowledgeable with big words) and ask her if she will read it, she says, “No, it was handed to you. You read it”. (R.V.: The man wants to hand off to his wife but she knows her place and refuses to usurp his authority. This is a type of how the true body is to operate. 1Cor.11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.) I don't want to read in front of everybody either, but I know it must be read, so I stand up to read it to the assembly and I notice the words are extremely long and most of the words I don't even know, much less try to pronounce. So I tell everyone, “Please bear with me and I will do my best at reading this”. I look at the paper and I tell everyone, “Say, if you all don't mind, I'm going to read it, but I'm going to use my prayer language”. (David: In other words, I am going to let the Spirit speak.) (R.V.: Rom.8:26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 1Cor.14:14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful”. When one prays in their spirit it bypasses the mind and allows one to pray without flesh and therefore not tainted by the mind and what it knows.) All of a sudden the spirit of GOD comes upon me and instead of reading the paper I give a word of knowledge and sense I'm rebuking the entire assembly. I find myself listening to the words coming out of my own mouth and I am quoting scripture word for word. (David: If the anointed men will take their position by faith, the Word of the Lord will come forth from them and it won't just be a lifeless exercise.) (R.V.: This is a true dream from the Lord and it reveals the condition of the present-day church and the Jezebel it has turned into, and its pride of wanting to remain as it is and not turn or repent. This open rebuke is an end-of-the-hour cry of the Lord to His body to turn and repent or His hand of judgment is coming to her. He will put a hook in her jaw and take her to a place she wishes not to go and a fate that will shake her dry bones and harlotry to the core.) Luk.13:34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it! 35 Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'” Spiritual Earthquake for the Church Sean Starr - circa 05/14/2012 (David's notes in red) 5/14 is a clue because this is when we had a spiritual earthquake at local UBM in 2011 and God separated some factious people from us. It appears this is coming to the whole church. From an elevated view (a spiritual view) I looked down at an angle upon a big city at night. The city's many, very tall high-rise buildings were center point of my view. (The city could well represent Babylonish U.S.) I understood that there was going to be a great earthquake that would have devastating effects and great casualties. I had the sense that I had been repeating the warning, but if not, I was certainly heeding it, as it was my intention to keep my distance from ‘the strike zone.' (Come out from among them, saith the Lord.) It was also in the back of my mind as to the certainty of the warning - would this be another ‘Jonah prophecy' or Micah's 3rd call? (Would they heed the warning and escape judgment?) The bull's-eye seemed to be the city's stadium, which was fixed a bit to the right of my position, or what I would understand to be the east side of the city. At the stadium there was a congregation of sorts. It strikes me now as a certain mega TV church, a ‘pay as you play, Sunday go to meeting', church. (A stadium is usually people from all over and could represent the US apostate church.) At my elevation I see Michael Boldea walk in front of me -- from right to left (or east to west) -- as though he had just come from the stadium. Shaking his head, dejected, frustrated and most notably exasperated, he spoke words to the effect of, ‘I told them... They won't listen. I told them.' (The worldly church is not taking the warnings of judgment to repent so a great shaking is coming.) Heb.12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not when they refused him that warned [them] on earth, much more [shall not] we [escape] who turn away from him that [warneth] from heaven: 26 whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven. The following verse is taken from the Numeric English New Testament because it shows rightly so that the word “things” was not in the original Greek here. 27 And this, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of the [things] shaken, as of [things] made, that those not shaken may remain. We have personally seen an example of this removal since 2011. Notice that the people who are shaken will be removed by it so that those who are not shaken will remain are not leavened. This is a spiritual earthquake made up of many tribulations that will cause a falling away from the Church because of disobedience to the Word. The Lord says that judgment begins there. 28 Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe: 29 for our God is a consuming fire. And Father will burn up the wood, hay and stubble in our lives OR He will NOT have us in His Kingdom. This Kingdom is where He rules.) It seemed like someone (from the stadium?) said to him, ‘Where are you going' or ‘Stay', to which he replied, ‘No. I'm going home to be with my family -- where it's safe.” (2Co.6:17) Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you... It is not safe among the apostates where judgment will fall but among the true disciples of Christ who walk in sanctification there is safety. From my relatively fixed position, I watched and waited for a moment. It wasn't long before the earthquake came. The [religious] stadium was the epicenter. A report came quickly – ‘It was a 6.9'. That is a sizable quake, especially for a big city, but there were no (physical) deaths. Then I woke up. (We see in this dream that “a great earthquake that would have devastating effects and great casualties” but has “no (physical) deaths” must be spiritual casualties and devastating effects to the “pay as you play Sunday go-to meeting church” crowd that people like Michael warn about. A spiritual earthquake is a shifting of the earth of lives. I suppose the judgments that are coming, like the economic collapse, natural earthquakes, war, martial law, loss of jobs and homes, loss of freedom, loss of political and spiritual influence in the U.S., while there is no pre-trib rapture, and disappointment in the failure of their prosperity doctrine, could well bring a lot of casualties as far as a falling away. Romans is the sixth book and the ninth chapter [i.e. a 6.9 quake] and it speaks of the falling away of the non-elect like a shifting of the earth, while the elect bear fruit. Whereas the first mention of 6:9 -- in Genesis -- is Noah being called out to build an ark to save his house from the flood. And the first mention in the New Testament, Matthew 6:9, is Jesus teaching His disciples to pray to the Father to be forgiven and delivered from evil.) This is my first dream where a personal/family warning or admonition is not the focal point. I don't know the city, or Brother Michael Boldea. (I believe this is a personal family warning for the worldly Church to repent and humble itself and consider true discipleship before the greater falling away comes.) This text was given to me concerning this: Isa.29:1 Ho Ariel (meaning: the lion of God), Ariel, the city where David encamped (Zion/Jerusalem)! add ye year to year; let the feasts come round (a time of coming judgments): 2 then will I distress Ariel, and there shall be mourning and lamentation; and she shall be unto me as Ariel. 3 And I will encamp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with posted troops, and I will raise siege works against thee. (In the natural this was the Assyrian army encamped around Jerusalem which failed to conquer her. In the spirit this is the demon possessed beast people who war against Zion, the Bride.) 4 And thou shalt be brought down (or humbled), and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust; and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. (Zion will be crucified and humbled before God, which is good, but their adversaries will be destroyed.) 5 But the multitude of thy foes shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be in an instant suddenly. (In the natural, this was the 185,000 men who died of Sennacherib's army while warring against Zion. In the spirit, it is those who die spiritually warring against Zion.) 6 She shall be visited of Jehovah of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire. (To burn the wood, hay and stubble so the gold and silver and precious stones may remain.) 7 And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her stronghold, and that distress her, shall be as a dream, a vision of the night. (They will vanish.) 8 And it shall be as when a hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion. (Notice: Ariel is Zion, which the nations of the harlot and beast will seek to devour but will be greatly disappointed.) Crucifying the Church in Tribulation B.A. - 11/17/2012 (David's notes in red) Jer.18:1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, (2) Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was making a work on the wheels. 4 And when the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 5 Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, 6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith Jehovah. Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel. I dreamed I was in a dungeon with six other women (I believe all these women represent the seven churches) and we were in fetters and chains. It reminded me of Paul and Silas: Act.16:23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24 who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. 25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns unto God, and the prisoners were listening to them. I was trying my best to comfort these women and encourage them not to give up, but to have faith and trust in the Lord's promises and mercy. They asked me, “How can you be so positive? Look at this place; it's wet and damp and cold, and it stinks! They are probably going to starve us to death, as well!” Wow! Talk about a tough crowd! But I knew this is what the Lord had been preparing me for these past several years. Don't listen to their bad report; remember Joshua and Caleb. They got to enter the Promised Land because they believed God! Num.14:6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of them that spied out the land, rent their clothes: 7 and they spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceeding good land. 8 If Jehovah delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it unto us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. 9 Only rebel not against Jehovah, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is removed from over them, and Jehovah is with us: fear them not. And in Heb.3:7 Wherefore, even as the Holy Spirit saith, To-day if ye shall hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, Like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness, 9 Where your fathers tried me by proving me, And saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was displeased with this generation, And said, They do always err in their heart: But they did not know my ways; 11 As I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest. 12 Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God. I was praying in the spirit and praising God when I heard the large outer dungeon gates squeak open and two jailers came and released us from our bonds, and told us to come with them. We were taken up a spiral stone staircase that seemed to go on forever (coming out of the darkness into the light). Suddenly, we reached a landing and a door to my right sprang open and the jailers took us through the door. We found ourselves in a large dome-like room filled with a bright light. There was a red runner (the blood of Jesus) on the floor like you would see at the academy awards for the actors to walk on. Mat.26:28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins. There was a large man (Jesus) standing on the red runner with a vessel in one hand and a large, thick rod in the other. (The vessel is the flesh that must be broken and the rod is the rod of chastening that breaks it.) I stood praying for all of us, as I knew something was about to happen to us. The man with the vessel and rod pointed at each one of us and lined us up. Then he commanded the first woman to come forward and stand before him. He dropped the vessel onto the floor and it broke into many pieces. He then ordered the woman to bend down and pick up all the pieces. As she bent down to pick up the pieces, the man took his staff and hit the woman across her back as hard as he could. I heard the woman's shoulder blade snap in half and she fell very hard onto the floor; the pieces of the vessel gouged into her flesh and blood gushed out of her body. She was not able to get up and the two jailers came and carried her away. Then, he commanded the second woman to come forward. Again, the man dropped the vessel on the floor and it broke into many pieces and he commanded the woman to bend down and pick them up. Just as she bent down, the man took the rod and hit the woman as hard as he could on her back. Like the first woman, she fell to the floor onto the broken pieces. I did not hear any bones break and she did not appear to be bleeding as badly as the first woman. She was able to get up on one knee. The two jailers came over and carried her away. (Some may think this harsh but so is the tribulation on those who are not yet sanctified; it will be a crucifixion of self.) This process went on and on with each woman. I noticed as each woman was called up, they seemed to be less and less injured. Then, it was my turn. (A quick read of Revelation 2 and 3 shows this breaking of the six churches, some more, some less in the coming tribulation.) The man looked at me and said, “Come and stand before me”. So I did. As I was walking toward this man, I was actually joyful and confident, as I knew his rod was not going to hurt me. I watched as he dropped the vessel onto the floor and then ordered me to bend down and pick up the pieces. So I bent down and then I saw the rod pass right through my body and to the floor with a bang. I thought, ‘Cool. Not even so much as a scratch. Thank you, Lord!' Then, as I reached down to pick up a piece of the vessel, it was instantly put back together right before my eyes, like it had never been broken; it was a perfect or perfected vessel. You see, in this revelation, I had already gone to my cross; I was already dead to self. Gal.2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. (Revelation 3:7-13 shows that the Philadelphia Church will escape the hour of trial that would “try them that dwell upon the earth”, rather than “in Heavenly places in Christ”. This Church represents the Bride who, like the Shulammite in Song of Solomon, the Bride in Esther and the Bride in Psalm 45, will escape, being in the King's house on earth. This is no pre-trib rapture, for the Bride will raise up the virgins, as in these cases.) B.A.'s note: I believe this to represent the condition of the seven churches. Some have not died to self at all and need a crucifixion. And some had died a little but still have a long way to go. The tribulation will perfect those who are willing to go to their cross for their crucifixion. We must lose our life in this world as it says in Mat.16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it. Church Oblivious to Judgment at Hand C. L. Gregory - 07/28/2010 (David's notes in red) A few days ago, God spoke a verse to me and since then it has led to other verses and thoughts, and they all consist of the last days and the state of the church and this nation. Long story short, last night I was going to bed, when I asked the Lord to show me what He was trying to tell me and I believe I got my answer. I dreamed I was driving at night up a road much similar to a rural area of a Tennessee mountain town. In the passenger side was my grandmother (why she was in the dream was beyond me). (Like old grandmother, the Church has been with us for many years. We may have been born there but left because there wasn't much life there.) As we drove, I noticed we approached a hill and there was a small gas station on the left side of the road, but what I saw farther up the road shook me with fear. As I was nearing the very small station, I saw up the hill and over the top was a large mountain, a volcano, which was erupting but there was no sound, no thunder, no nothing. Imagine the night image of a volcano with a large mushroom cloud as flakes of ash are falling down. (A quiet, unheard of judgment from hell is in the direct path of the end-time fruit of the woman Church, represented by Gregory.) I turned into the gas station and ran over to the woman attendant and told her to run, get away, for the volcano had erupted. (A warning to those who, like the “small” old Church, have only “a little power”, represented by the “very small gas station”. A few will escape when they hear the Word from people like Gregory.) What got me was my grandmother, old and wise in her years, was alert at first and was telling me advice about life and things, but then she fell asleep. (Many of those who only know the teachings of the old Church have fallen asleep and they are ignorant of the judgment that is coming.) For some odd reason, I could not drive the car away, for only she could drive it, but she kept falling asleep, but I had to act quickly. (Those who are members of this old Church must awaken to escape on their own but we can help them by our strength through faith and prayer.) I picked my grandmother up into my arms. She still would not wake up, even though the danger was nearing us. In my spirit, I knew that the most dangerous event was the volcano's silence. As we left, I peered out of the mirror and the volcano was getting more violent. (We must repent, meaning turn around and escape, putting the judgment in our rear-view mirror.) We finally made it to a shelter (Refuge in Christ and for some, in the TN mountains.), when my grandmother awoke, but the reality was, she could not warn the others before, for she had fallen asleep. We watched as the lava reached down alongside of the buildings and homes of every sort, which had been on the wall of the volcano and I said, within my dream, “Thousands will die from this tragic event, all because we could not and did not warn them”. (And because the rich and political powers have hidden these things from the public so that it is a quiet, fiery judgment coming upon the world. Many are caught in the deception of a false prosperity gospel and they have no spiritual discernment of the season we currently are in.) Then the dream ended. The meaning: It was earlier today, which I felt God speak to my spirit and revealed to me that the volcano I saw was an impending judgment that was about to come. My grandmother, I believe, represents the church: wise, old and established but has fallen asleep. The fact remained, I believe God was showing me that something IS coming and the church is so busy caught up into the cares of this life that it does not see the mountain before them which is about to blow, and when it does, they won't know it until AFTER it comes. I believe wholeheartedly that there is something tragic coming on this nation, but the church, which should be praying, preaching the truth against sin and immorality, and warning the world of God's anger, is asleep. It Is Judgment From the Father, Church! Ellie McBride - 09/04/2008 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I went to my parents' home. Upon arriving, I learned that their neighbor was having a party and that mom was at the neighbor's house. I walked next door to their neighbor's house and found my mom; she was drunk. So I escorted her home. (Ellie's mother is the old church, which is drunk on the world and not in touch with reality and not abiding in the Father's house.) As I was leaving my parent's house I heard my mother cry out. I ran back to find my father was angry with her and had his hand raised to hit her with a silver-colored hanger in his hand. I immediately got between them and prevented him from hurting her. (The Father is angry with the church. A hanger is for clothes that are in a closet not being used. Rev.19:8 And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright [and] pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. It is misguided to try to save the church from the Father's chastening but by intercession on their behalf God could grant repentance and then deliverance that is needed.) I decided to take my mother with me. As we were about to walk out the door I looked down at her and saw that her bottom lip was quivering like a child who knew she was in trouble and wanted to cry. (The church will experience grief for their rebellion when they find the Father is not pleased with them being stuck in their idolatrous ways.) Then like a magnet she returned to my father's side, and I as well. She was looking up at him and appeared very sad and remorseful. I began to say to my father, “Look at her, Father, she is sorry; she is sorry”. “Forgive her, Father; forgive her”. Then he embraced her and the dream ended. (Oh, praise God! This appears to be a promise that through chastening the elect in the church will repent and be saved from further judgment. Repentance is necessary to withhold judgment.) The Chosen Leave the Universal Church Lisa C. - 03/20/2010 (David's notes in red) My niece, Corin, told me of a dream she had a few days ago. She was going to meet a friend, Sarah, at a dance/prom. However, she was surprised when her grandmother dropped her off at a Catholic (meaning universal) church where she met Sarah. They heard the pope was about to be renounced. (My niece attends a Catholic school that her grandmother pays for. Also, she mentioned that she did not know the meaning of the word “renounced”.) (There are two applications to this dream. The Pope here represents the leadership of the Catholic Church in the natural but spiritually represents the corporate leadership of the universal, apostate “Christian” religion. This church is the mother of many protestant religions. After receiving this dream, the pope of that time was renounced by many for actions taken many years earlier when he was a priest. He was accused of enabling a pedophile priest to continue to molest children and some are leaving the Catholic church because of this. Likewise, many are about to leave the universal, apostate “Christian” religion after realizing they have been raped by their apostate leaders. Of late, 2024, the pope has spoken some reforms which are encouraging. Pray for Him.) There were many people in the church. She saw the pope in his garments of white and gold; with the hat he normally wears, but she saw him holding two gold rods with his arms crossed like Pharaoh. (Like Pharaoh, the apostate leadership of the apostate church has held God's people in bondage long enough. It is time for Moses who was raised under Pharaoh to lead them out. More importantly, the apostate church will be renounced by multitudes of the elect who will come out to join the people of God in the wilderness tribulation.) He told the people he was going to bless them with the Holy Spirit. When he did, she began to shake. (My niece was baptized in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues several weeks ago. She began to shake and fell out under the Spirit speaking in tongues.) She said that the shake in her dreams was a shake that she was forced to do. She said that her friend began laughing and that she told her friend she could not stop shaking and that it wasn't funny. She compared it to the first time she shook and said she knew the Holy Spirit was doing it but in her dream she could feel her body forcibly shake. (So we could pray this reformer pope would pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit. Years ago there was another pope who received the Holy Spirit and was a Charismatic pope playing the guitar in Charismatic services.) 2 (The Holy Spirit is going to forcibly shake His people in both the natural and spiritual Catholic church and they will come out from among them. Hos.11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. 2 The more [the prophets] called them, the more they went from them: they sacrificed unto the Baalim, and burned incense to graven images ... 11 They shall come trembling as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria; and I will make them to dwell in their houses, saith Jehovah.) Then she turned and saw Oprah Winfrey drive up to the church in a black Hummer. She did not know why Oprah would come. (Oprah is a representative of a universal, generic god religion that is holding people captive, and she is also part of the child trafficking DS pedophiles whom people will renounce.) A shaking will come to God's chosen people who are captive to the worldly churches and they will see the light and come out from among the multitudes who love not the truth of God's Word. Turning to the Home Church Jared Smith - 12/28/2008 (Thoughts in italics) (David's notes in red) My dream started out like this: I was walking around the main, well-lit auditorium of the church I had attended for four years before I left last May. There was something different, though. There was no stage, no pulpit, no band, no choir and no musical instruments. There was just an auditorium. (When the church goes underground all of this will not be possible.) All around I saw groups of people, 8-10 in size, having their chairs circled around one another and sharing about the Lord and what He was doing in each of their individual lives. There were no leaders in the groups; everyone contributed his or her own testimony and part in the group discussion. The subjects of the multiple conversations would change at any given time and there would be polite interruptions here and there, at least from what I could overhear. I was in the presence of something amazing. I was in the presence of a mass home church gathering inside a once-popular traditional church auditorium. Up until this part in the dream, I believe that I may have been in a place in time of the future. This time may be once the Man-child ministry is birthed as well as the Two Witnesses. What I mean is that the traditional everyday way we do church compared to the unpopular uncommon way of doing home church had taken a role reversal, where home church is now the most common and popular way. (This will come about during the first 3 ½ years of the tribulation to prepare for the second 3 ½ years when large gatherings will not be permitted for the beast will make war on the saints. The church will go underground. The five-fold ministry will travel from group to group although not altogether.) As I was marveling at this magnificent and encouraging sight, I was walking away from the auditorium and made my way through the doors to the rear foyer. There was a door to my right that was a hallway running along the rear of the auditorium. I went through this door and noticed complete darkness, as there were no lights on. This was contradictory to the well-lit auditorium where the mass of the Body was fellowshipping. I noticed to the left of the hallway the silhouette of office doors that had light shining through. The light was not as bright as the main auditorium's lighting, but there was just enough to show that there were doors to those rooms. I began to walk down the hallway and entered one of those rooms. To my amazement, I saw the leader who was “over” me the four years I went to this church. He had a group around him, though not as large as the groups I saw in the main auditorium. This group was maybe three or four in size. Let me pause here to share my thoughts. I believe that the well-lit auditorium and the fellowship that was taking place was the “new mainstream” Christianity that is going to happen during the Man-child and Two Witness ministry. The darkness that I sensed in the hallway was the lack of God's Spiritual Light and Blessing that many had followed because they could not accept the “new way” of Christianity. They continued in their traditional practices, and eventually became the outcast. Yes, there were spiritual principles still being preached, which may explain the small hints of light within the office rooms, but nothing of the magnitude (revelations, dreams, visions, prophecies) as in the main auditorium. (The Man-child and two witness ministries will be impromptu and unplanned gatherings as it was mostly in the bible. The powers that be are unable to plot against these meetings The topic of discussion (of course the leader was running the show) was how to build a model train set. (In other words, let me tell you how the cars should follow in the leaders tracks.) I found the topic interesting in that I used to build model train set layouts with my dad back in the day, so I knew a little about how to build a layout and what materials were needed. I slowly made my way into the room and sat down, unnoticed to anyone. I sat there for a few minutes and listened to the conversation on how to build this model train set. After hearing what I heard, the group was planning things all wrong. The materials were not right. The amounts of materials were not right. The layout planning and blueprint were not right. What was going to be built based on this wrong planning was going to be a disaster. I felt led to speak up and try to correct the matter. I did so. I forget exactly what I said, but I was immediately corrected by the leader and was told to be quiet. What is unusual about this is that my presence was not made known until I spoke up. In the same sense, we as Christians (Saints) need to profess and speak up to the traditional church and tell them of what is to come. Let our voices be heard and our presence be known, with boldness. This is the first time I was rejected and corrected by the leader at this point in the dream. I obeyed, and rested against the back wall, again disappearing out of the conversation and what seemed to be the small group within the office room. I was ignored and then seemingly forgotten about. So the leader went on and on and kept on messing up the planning of the layout of the model train set. I endured and lasted only a few minutes, until the time that I HAD to speak up again. I did so. This time I received an even sterner rebuke and correction from the leader, saying I should shut up and not be heard. Notice that I seemed to disappear from the conversation and even the group because my voice was not heard anymore. The next time you hear me say something, I immediately become known again, and corrected and rebuked as such. This was the second time I had been done so up until this point. So I sat back AGAIN and this time I was somewhat irritated because of my lack of opportunity for my voice to be heard. These people and this leader were messing things up and I KNEW the right way to build a model train set, but yet they did not want to listen to me. Use of the model train set as a metaphor of the truths we hold inside our hearts as Saints, preparing for the Tribulation, the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Man-child and Two Witness Ministries… We are silenced and looked upon as crazy when we talk about these truths to traditional go-to-church-on-Sunday-and-tithe Christians... I could not hold it in any longer. I HAD to speak up yet again, but this time more than the other two times. I HAD to tell these people their method and process was all WRONG. I was going to tell them the RIGHT way, the way that would build a successful and beautiful model train set layout. I rose to speak, but this time, the leader knew of my presence before I spoke a single word. His eyes were filled with anger and rage, and he was about to give me the harshest of rebuke and corrections for interrupting HIS presentation and discussion... when all of a sudden these words came out of my mouth: “Before I am corrected and rebuked AGAIN...” At the spoken word “AGAIN”, the entire group, as well as the leader, were silent and looking at me with their jaws dropped and having a sense of fear among them, as if, what is he going to say next? I guess one could associate this with the TRUE REVELATION of the real truth made known to a traditional church-going Christian, how one could be at awe and amazement and fear of having these truths being revealed to them. At this point I had the floor. I spoke for a good while on the proper methods, procedures, materials and processes of building a beautiful, successful model train set layout. The group members were stunned at my knowledge of model train set layouts. They could do nothing but sit there motionless and listen to my words. The leader was disgusted, jealous that all the attention was taken away from him and that no one was listening to him. By the time I was done giving my presentation, I opened the door to exit the room. To my amazement, the three or four in the group followed me into the main auditorium. The leader was left in the little, dim office room alone. Before I left the room completely, I spoke directly to him and said, “And you, sir, are an ass!!!” Which is not my normal vocabulary. This was the end of my dream. You may be wondering where the “ass” part comes in. I am reminded of a Scripture that was a prophecy in the Old Testament of the Messiah riding into the city atop a donkey's colt. An ass is a male donkey, very stubborn in his ways. In the same sense, the Messiah Jesus Christ will have “dominion” over the ass (old, stubborn, traditional way of church even in the End Times). Christ sits atop the old way and has dominion over it. Straight and narrow is the way unto the Kingdom of God. Enter in through the Door, which is Jesus. Now, here are my final thoughts. Christ was denied three times by Peter during His crucifixion. I was denied three times by this leader during my attempt to show the truth. Once one breaks past the barrier of religious teachings and practices of the traditional church with boldness that can only come from the Spirit of God, it becomes easy to speak to traditional church-goers on the real truths the Bible shows. They will marvel at what you have to say, because it is contradictory to what they have been taught their entire church lives. It is truth. It is the Word of God. It is the coming of Christ in His Glory and the events that transpire prior to His coming. It will attract the hearts of the people who are hungry for God through this time to come. The leader, who represents the old traditional church ways that survived through the time of the Man-child and Two Witness ministry to come, will be disgusted and jealous and will do everything to prevent the true Word of God from being preached. It is this ministry of old traditional ways that the Antichrist will use to deceive people when the Outpouring occurs. Be cautious and be alert to the enemy's attacks. This will be a major part of it, I believe. (This is happening on a smaller scale now. We have been in contact with many home churches that are not satisfied with the status quo and are searching for themselves. This is great because they are discovering what the false elders are not gifted to discover -- THE WORDS OF GOD. But we are also encountering a problem that is not addressed in this dream. The groups who have no local elders are targeted by slick talkers anointed by false spirits to gain a following for their own ego. In some cases it is not hard to lead the young back to Babylon since they have not departed very far from its glitter. According to Paul, the five-fold ministry is needed for the perfecting of the saints. Just coming out and sitting in a close circle and sharing insights and experiences is not enough. The elders raised up by the two witnesses, which are disciples of the Man-child going forth two by two, will travel around to these underground groups to share a many gifted revelation they could not get in the nicolaitan pastor only church. We do our best to fill the gap by Internet, broadcast, Podcasts, and YouTube, but it is not enough. We know the teachings are giving many people knowledge but wisdom is on a longer curve. Until it catches up, we are going to need many more elders. This, of course, is what God will raise up in the next move of anointed reformers spoken of. Ordaining elders is hard when you haven't enough personal contact to know them. This is where the stronger anointing will be more than enough to take up the slack. Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Meanwhile, the saints who gather need to be praying for wisdom and discernment and not be quick to form their own governments, which the worldly gifted and domineering types always take advantage of. We don't want to copy the old system or we will be part of it. May our Father be with you. Judgment of the Church Dee Hoetmer - South Africa - 06/10/2008 I was pacing the floor, not willing to give forth this Word and the Lord gave me Ezekiel 33. Ezekiel 33:1 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. 7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth. And warn them for me. 8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; If thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? 11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: Turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, o house of Israel? For the Lord has mingled a perverse spirit in her midst for she desired not the truth in her innermost parts. She desired the trinkets and baubles of ministry, to be seen and heard and not that I be seen and heard. She desired to be looked up to instead of the cross looked upon; the sacrifice of My Son that would bring all to true righteousness, humility, compassion and truth if the work of My Son was truly understood by them. The work of redemption was completed on the cross and it is only as My children live a crucified life that they are fully sanctified and fit for My use. But those with a perverse spirit do their fleshly works from unclean hearts and call it MY Ministry? I have allowed the perverse spirit in her midst to come into full bloom, so to speak, for now it will reap the full reward for such unclean works. The works of the flesh mingled with the moving on My Spirit; the mixture, the uncleanness of My church has become a stench in My nostrils and her cup of abominations has reached the Throne Room. Shall I then not recompense into her bosom all her unclean works? Should I stand by forever while the name of My Son is profaned? Should I stand by when the harvest is ripe but all the while My church is full of abominations? No I will utterly destroy those of unclean hearts, with perverse spirits and make an utter end of their abominations! I will bring to an utter end all of her house and her perverse children and doctrines that they have spawned and spewed forth throughout the earth. I will make desolate the places where they thought they were fat and rich with the things of the spirit and the things of the world and uncover their skirts so that the world will see their shame. 1 Timothy 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. I will make an utter end of those who have denied the wooing of My Spirit to came back to the ancient paths, I will make an utter end of her and her household who have chosen to remain unhealed due to their pride and self-love and I will bring judgment and correction to the many who have spurned and denied the words, My Words, through My true prophets. A perverse spirit has long ruled in many of My churches and congregations and the cup is full of their vain imaginations, vain glorious ways and self-exaltation. The cup of My wrath is also full of their unjust judgments, harsh and critical ways both towards the true children of the Most High Lord and Father and towards those they esteem lesser than themselves. What a putrid stench reaches My very Throne Room. It is not only the sins of the world and their love of mammon that I came now to judge but also those of My own household who walk in the same spirit as the world. Would I as Righteous Judge shake the Babylonian systems of the world and not shake My church who have become as the world? Will I judge one and not the other; but NO My Word says I will judge My own household first. I will uncover all the hidden things and expose you to the world for your hypocrisy, for your lack of love for the widows and orphans, for you have feathered your own nest first and given only the crumbs to the needy and the poor. You have exalted yourself and your ministry. Was not the ministry of My son to the wretched, the poor, the lepers and the outcasts of society? Did not He lay down His life for others? Now you begin to see just how wretched, poor and naked you truly are. You have stored up treasures for yourself on earth and not in heaven. You gave not that cup of water to the beggar, you stopped not to dress the wounds of those bloodied and you did not stop to bind up the broken hearted. My true people are servants of even the most wretched and yet you wouldn't let the wretched into your churches for fear that they may stink up your pews. Do you not see that you have become wretched, poor and naked while you thought of yourselves as blessed because you had no material need? You have been blinded by the prince of this world and although i have wooed you and wooed you, you have not answered. There is no fragrance of My Son emanating from many in My church but rather a stench of mixture and pride, of control and manipulation, of lust and greed. What has my son to do with any of these unclean things? Repent o'mighty man, repent o‘mighty woman of all uncleanness, of all mixture in your lives for how will I judge and shake the earth and not judge those of my own household? The doctrines you have taught have made many under you teaching twice the sons of the devil than you are! They have become blinded by the prince of the air and know it not, for you have not taught them well. Humility is what I desire and not vain glory; mercy is what I require and not indiscriminate judgment; selflessness is what I require and not selfishness. Do you not now see just how far you have left my word, for you have taken only portions of my word and made it doctrine but it is in the sum of my word that my whole truth lies! You have taken that which suits your flesh and made it the complete gospel and conveniently left out the scriptures that speak of humility, of not laying up treasures for yourselves on earth, of loving one another. Did not Ananias and Sapphira think they could keep things hidden? Did not My Son call the religious leaders of His day a generation of vipers and filthy whited sepulchers and tell them they were of their father, the devil? Was not Jerusalem utterly destroyed? So why then do you think in your hearts that this is a false word from a false prophet? Repent and return to me with you whole hearts so that you may be spared from the coming judgments, the likes of which have never before been seen. Mat.23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Mat.23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Act.5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. Mat.23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold your house is left unto you desolate.

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Be Honest with God

His Hands Church

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2024 54:10

Message for 10/20/2024 "Be Honest with God" by Justin McTeer. *All verses are NLT unless otherwise noted* Matthew 22:15 - Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. TEST ONE Matthew 22:18-22 - But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? 19 Here, show me the coin used for the tax.”When they handed him a Roman coin, 20 he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” 21 “Caesar's,” they replied. “Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” 22 His reply amazed them, and they went away. TEST TWO Matthew 22:29-33 - Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God. 30 For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 “But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven't you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' So he is the God of the living, not the dead.” 33 When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teaching. TEST THREE Matthew 22:37-40 - Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:41-46 - Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They replied, “He is the son of David.” 43 Jesus responded, “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah ‘my Lord'? For David said, 44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.' 45 Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,' how can the Messiah be his son?” 46 No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions. Matthew 23:1-39 - Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don't follow their example. For they don't practice what they teach. 4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. 5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.' 8 “Don't let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,' for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don't address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,' for only God in heaven is your Father. 10 And don't let anyone call you ‘Teacher,' for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. 13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people's faces. You won't go in yourselves, and you don't let others enter either. 15 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are! 16 “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God's Temple,' but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.' 17 Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 And you say that to swear ‘by the altar' is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar' is binding. 19 How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 When you swear ‘by the altar,' you are swearing by it and by everything on it. 21 And when you swear ‘by the Temple,' you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it. 22 And when you swear ‘by heaven,' you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne. 23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. 24 Blind guides! You strain your water so you won't accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel! 25 “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. 29 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. 30 Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.' 31 “But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started.33 Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?34“Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will flog others with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city. 35 As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time—from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation. 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me. 38 And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate.39 For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'” Hebrews 4:12-13 - For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. Be open and honest with God 1 John 1:8-10 - If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

Saturday - Proper 22

The Dinesh D'Souza Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2024 18:56

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”Psalm 19:14 (ESV) Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 137Super flumina1By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, *when we remembered you, O Zion.2As for our harps, we hung them up *on the trees in the midst of that land.3For those who led us away captive asked us for a song,and our oppressors called for mirth: *“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”4How shall we sing the Lord's song *upon an alien soil?5If I forget you, O Jerusalem, *let my right hand forget its skill.6Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouthif I do not remember you, *if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.Psalm 144Benedictus Dominus1Blessed be the Lord my rock! *who trains my hands to fight and my fingers to battle;2My help and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, *my shield in whom I trust,who subdues the peoples under me.3O Lord, what are we that you should care for us? *mere mortals that you should think of us?4We are like a puff of wind; *our days are like a passing shadow.5Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down; *touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.6Hurl the lightning and scatter them; *shoot out your arrows and rout them.7Stretch out your hand from on high; *rescue me and deliver me from the great waters,from the hand of foreign peoples,8Whose mouths speak deceitfully *and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.9O God, I will sing to you a new song; *I will play to you on a ten-stringed lyre.10You give victory to kings *and have rescued David your servant.11Rescue me from the hurtful sword *and deliver me from the hand of foreign peoples,12Whose mouths speak deceitfully *and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.13May our sons be like plants well nurtured from their youth, *and our daughters like sculptured corners of a palace.14May our barns be filled to overflowing with all manner of crops; *may the flocks in our pastures increase by thousands and tens of thousands;may our cattle be fat and sleek.15May there be no breaching of the walls, no going into exile, *no wailing in the public squares.16Happy are the people of whom this is so! *happy are the people whose God is the Lord! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsJeremiah 3535 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: 2 “Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak with them and bring them to the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers; then offer them wine to drink.” 3 So I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites. 4 I brought them to the house of the Lord into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was near the chamber of the officials, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, keeper of the threshold. 5 Then I set before the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, “Drink wine.” 6 But they answered, “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, ‘You shall not drink wine, neither you nor your sons forever. 7 You shall not build a house; you shall not sow seed; you shall not plant or have a vineyard; but you shall live in tents all your days, that you may live many days in the land where you sojourn.' 8 We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, 9 and not to build houses to dwell in. We have no vineyard or field or seed, 10 but we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our father commanded us. 11 But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against the land, we said, ‘Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and the army of the Syrians.' So we are living in Jerusalem.”12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction and listen to my words? declares the Lord. 14 The command that Jonadab the son of Rechab gave to his sons, to drink no wine, has been kept, and they drink none to this day, for they have obeyed their father's command. I have spoken to you persistently, but you have not listened to me. 15 I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, ‘Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.' But you did not incline your ear or listen to me. 16 The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have kept the command that their father gave them, but this people has not obeyed me. 17 Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them and they have not listened, I have called to them and they have not answered.”18 But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done all that he commanded you, 19 therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall never lack a man to stand before me.”1 Corinthians 12:27-13:327 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.And I will show you a still more excellent way.13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersLord, have mercy.Christ, have mercyLord, have mercyOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. The SuffragesO Lord, show your mercy upon us;And grant us your salvation.O Lord, guide those who govern usAnd lead us in the way of justice and truth.Clothe your ministers with righteousnessAnd let your people sing with joy.O Lord, save your peopleAnd bless your inheritance.Give peace in our time, O LordAnd defend us by your mighty power.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgottenNor the hope of the poor be taken away.Create in us clean hearts, O GodAnd take not your Holy Spirit from us. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. The CollectsProper 22Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!Alleluia, Alleluia! BenedictionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

O JERUSALEM

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2024 57:54

In this episode, Dinesh brings on bestselling author Joel Rosenberg, a Middle East expert based in Israel, to discuss the ongoing struggle that Israel is waging on multiple fronts against Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthi terrorists, and the regime of the Iranian mullahs. What are the prospects for Israel's victory? Are we hurtling toward World War III? Is there a difference for the U.S. between the Ukraine war and Israel's war in the Middle East?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

israel ukraine middle east hamas iranians hezbollah world war iii houthis o jerusalem joel rosenberg

Tuesday - Proper 22

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2024 17:05

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________Opening Words:“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”Psalm 19:14 (ESV) Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 121Levavi oculos1I lift up my eyes to the hills; *from where is my help to come?2My help comes from the Lord, *the maker of heaven and earth.3He will not let your foot be moved *and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.4Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *shall neither slumber nor sleep;5The Lord himself watches over you; *the Lord is your shade at your right hand,6So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *nor the moon by night.7The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; *it is he who shall keep you safe.8The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in, *from this time forth for evermore.Psalm 122Lætatus sum1I was glad when they said to me, *“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”2Now our feet are standing *within your gates, O Jerusalem.3Jerusalem is built as a city *that is at unity with itself;4To which the tribes go up,the tribes of the Lord, *the assembly of Israel,to praise the Name of the Lord.5For there are the thrones of judgment, *the thrones of the house of David.6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: *“May they prosper who love you.7Peace be within your walls *and quietness within your towers.8For my brethren and companions' sake, *I pray for your prosperity.9Because of the house of the Lord our God, *I will seek to do you good.”Psalm 123Ad te levavi oculos meos1To you I lift up my eyes, *to you enthroned in the heavens.2As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, *and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,3So our eyes look to the Lord our God, *until he show us his mercy.4Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy, *for we have had more than enough of contempt,5Too much of the scorn of the indolent rich, *and of the derision of the proud. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Lessons2 Kings 22:1-13English Standard Version22 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the Lord, saying, 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money that has been brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. 5 And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the Lord, repairing the house 6 (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. 7 But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.”8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.” 10 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”1 Corinthians 11:2English Standard Version2 Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.1 Corinthians 11:17-22English Standard Version17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersLord, have mercy.Christ, have mercyLord, have mercyOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. The SuffragesO Lord, show your mercy upon us;And grant us your salvation.O Lord, guide those who govern usAnd lead us in the way of justice and truth.Clothe your ministers with righteousnessAnd let your people sing with joy.O Lord, save your peopleAnd bless your inheritance.Give peace in our time, O LordAnd defend us by your mighty power.Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgottenNor the hope of the poor be taken away.Create in us clean hearts, O GodAnd take not your Holy Spirit from us. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. The CollectsProper 22Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!Alleluia, Alleluia! BenedictionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

Chapel - Thursday, September 5, 2024

BLC Chapel Sermons

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2024 23:41

Order of Service: - Prelude - The Versicles and Gloria Patri (p. 108) - The Confession of Sin (p. 109) - Psalm 122: I Rejoiced (Stephen Dean): Refrain: I rejoiced when I heard them say, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." I rejoiced when I heard them say, "Let us go to the house of the Lord!" / I rejoiced... I rejoiced when I heard them say, "Let us go to God's house." And now our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem! / I rejoiced... Jerusalem is built as a city, strongly compact. It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord! / I rejoiced... For Israel's law it is, there to praise the Lord's name. There were set the thrones of judgement of the house of Israel! / I rejoiced... - Romans 11:33-36: Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! “For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?” “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. - Devotion - The Responsory (p. 108) - The Collect (p. 108) - The Canticle (p. 108) - Hymn 65 - Praise To the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation - Postlude Service Participants: Rev. Glenn Obenberger, Pres. of the ELS (Preacher), Rev. Prof. Dennis Marzolf (Pianist), William Stottlemyer (Soloist)

god lord israel service romans psalm sin confessions jerusalem prof rev amen devotion almighty collect hymns chapel o jerusalem canticle postlude gloria patri

The Eleventh Wednesday After Pentecost