Podcasts about obeying

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📄 Sermon Summary: Grieving and Quenching the Spirit Speaker: Nick Theme: Grieving and Quenching the Holy Spirit (Part of the "Life in the Spirit" series) Key Scripture: Ephesians 4:30 – "And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live." 1. The Principle of Responsibility The sermon opens by linking the great blessing of the Holy Spirit (discussed the previous week) with great responsibility (a modified Spider-Man quote). The danger is that Christians can focus solely on the positive aspects of God's blessing and forget their responsibility to live a life that pleases the Holy Spirit, not grieves him. 2. The Danger of Passivity Active Waiting: The concept of "waiting on God" is often misunderstood as passive inaction. The speaker contrasts this with the attitude of a "waiter" in a hotel (using a personal story from Nepal and an example of the ushing ministry in Zambia). An excellent waiter is active, alert, concerned, and anticipates the needs of the person they serve. Pleasure vs. Grief: Our relationship with God should be one of active engagement and should bring pleasure to God's heart, not grief. It's not about seeing how much we can "get away with" but about actively seeking to please Him—this is the true meaning of loving God. The absence of a genuine relationship brings God grief. 3. Sin is Dealt With, But Lack of Faith is a Struggle Christianity is Obsessed with Love, not Sin: Referencing a debate between Professor Richard Dawkins (atheist) and Ayaan Hirsi Ali (new Christian), the speaker affirms that while sin is real, Jesus has broken its power on the cross ("It is finished!"). The focus of Christianity should be on love, life, and hope, not dwelling on sin. Confession and Freedom: If we sin, the solution is to confess it, receive forgiveness, and walk away from it (like Jesus telling the woman, "Go and sin no more"). Sin is dealt with. The Greater Grief: Unwillingness and Unbelief: The harder issue that grieves the Spirit is our unwillingness to enter into all God has for us, our unbelief, and our failure to actively walk in the power of the finished work of the cross. 4. Five Areas That Bring God Pleasure (and their opposites cause grief): The sermon outlines five practical ways to actively seek a life that pleases God: Faith (Hebrews 11:6): Without faith, it is impossible to please God. We must continually believe God in what He is able to do, even when we have struggled with faith in the past. Unbelief grieves Him. Love (John 13:35): We must fight for unity and love one another, valuing others even more than ourselves. It is more important to love than to "win an argument." Division and disunity grieve the Holy Spirit. Obedience (1 Samuel 15): King Saul was rejected as king because he valued his own idea of a sacrifice over simple obedience to God's command. Obeying is better than sacrificing. Self-confidence and our own "theology" are not enough; we must be attentive to exactly what God wants. Thankfulness (1 Thessalonians 5:18): A grateful heart pleases God. It is a simple but powerful act that opens the door to our relationship with Him. An ungrateful heart grieves Him. Perseverance in Faith (Galatians 6:9; 1 Peter 1:6-7): The "well done, good and faithful servant" is spoken at the end of the journey, after we have walked through all the trials and challenges. Jesus's prayer for Peter was not for a new car, but that his "faith won't fail." Through perseverance, our faith is proven genuine and brings God much honor. Conclusion The core question for every Christian is: "Are we resting on the fact that we wear a Christian badge, or are we active in seeking a life that pleases God in the here and now and in the in-between?" 📝 Transcript of "Nick's Sermon" I'm just processing what Mike said, that it's sad the notices are finished because Nick's coming to speak. [laughter] Uh, yeah, buckle up. Um, we are on a, we're still on the "Life in the Spirit" series, and Jonathan spoke last week about the, uh, about being filled with the Spirit and being continually filled with the Spirit. And there was a great response and people came forward, and people were touched and blessed by the Holy Spirit. And so it falls to me this morning to pick up the subject of grieving and quenching the Spirit. And, uh, yeah, we've got to, we've got to take things from all angles, haven't we? And my, my main passage that I want us to look at this morning is in Ephesians chapter 4. When I say passage, it's a verse, actually. It's Ephesians chapter 4, verse 30. And it says this: "And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live." "Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption." "Do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption." And I want to slightly misquote Spider-Man by saying, "With great blessing comes great responsibility." It's essential that we are hungry for God's Spirit. It's essential, as Jonathan was saying last week, that we are continually asking him for more. And so much of what we expect is, is positive. We don't even think sometimes of the angle where God might be, might have a, have a view on how we, how we are living, or how we are thinking, or, or how we are dealing with him, because it's always blessing. The prophetic words are always, "I love you," says the Lord. Everything is so positive. And it's right, it's good that we get encouraged by things, but we have to remember the responsibility that comes on the other side of how we deal with the Holy Spirit of God. It's essential that we, we reach out to him for the times of refreshing that come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3:20 it says, but just as we're eager to receive everything good from him, we must be eager to make sure that we don't live in a way that in any way offends him or grieves him or brings him displeasure. We don't want God to withdraw from us. Because the frightening thing is that we can continue in all that we do. You know, the way that we gather on a Sunday, and the way that we sing, and the way that we interact, and the way that we listen to the Word, we can do all of that without actually having the presence of the Spirit with us. And sometimes we, we might not even be aware if he's withdrawn himself. And so we have to be really alert and to wait on the Lord as the Word says. Now, what do you think of when it, when we talk about waiting on God? Sometimes it can be a quite a passive approach, and we sit back and we fold our arms, we say, "Well, I'm waiting for you, Lord. Waiting here. Waiting here for you. Let's see what you're going to do. Let's see what you've got." You know, and then we, we wait and we think, "Well, where is God? Where has he gone? You know, what, what's happening? Why doesn't there seem to be anything happening?" And we have this sort of passive approach to waiting. But there is another verb to wait: to be a waiter, if you like, like in a restaurant or in a hotel. We begin to see our relationship with God differently. When I was in Nepal, I stayed in a hotel, um, which was actually, it was quite cheap compared to hotels that you can stay in around the world. But what stood out in that place was the attitude and the approach of the people that worked there. Every time I stepped out of my room into the lobby, there was somebody that said, "Are you all right, sir? Can I help you with anything, sir? Is there anything I could do for you?" Any question that I had, they could answer. Apart from, um, why I was having curry for breakfast, they didn't answer that one, but they, they, [laughter] they were really there to serve me. They were like, there was, there was like a real genuine interest in my welfare, what did I want? And they were able to anticipate in advance what I wanted. In Zambia, um, there's a ministry of being an usher. You know, we have welcome people here at the door, and it's all very British, you know, we shake hands, we give a hug, "How are you doing?" whatever, and that's, and that's it, and then we go and we find our seat. But in Zambia, there's a real ushing ministry where people will actually attend to your every need, not just pastors and, and, and bigwigs, but, but everybody. I've been in situations where I've, I've had, I've had no idea that people have been aware, but I've, like I had a headache, and maybe I was showing it, maybe I was like grimacing or whatever, and somebody would turn up with, "Here's the paracetamol for you." And like, you know, there's just that, that awareness and that concern to, to be able to meet the needs that you have. And I think there's something in waiting on God that is that, that is very active, not, not passive, not sitting back with their arms folded waiting for him, but actually thinking, "What does he want from me? How does he want me to live? How does he want me to approach this situation? How does he want me to think here? How does he want me to act? How does he want me, what does he want my attitude to be? Lord, how can I bless you with my attitude, with my approach to life?" Being aware of him, considering what he wants, considering what he needs. Don't ever take him for granted. We're very British, aren't we? Where you think, oh, well, you know, we, we, we step back and we, and we become very, like I said earlier on, we become very passive and very, uh, non, non-engaged. But in actual fact, God wants us engaged with him and to live and to act and to speak and to deal with him and relate to him in a way that, that not only satisfies him so he can tick a box, but actually brings pleasure to him, rather than grief. And it affects the way we seek and respond to him every day. It's what it means to actually love God, to take care of how we live, not because we're afraid of him, not because we're afraid of punishment, but because of how much he's done for us, because of how much he has achieved in our lives. Not taking an attitude that says, "Well, I wonder how much I can get away with." You know, I think, um, it's uh, it's interesting, I'm not, not getting party political, but you know, it's interesting seeing the government sort of jumping through hoops saying, "How can we put up taxes without putting up taxes?" And, you know, "How can we, how can we say we're not going to put up income tax, but really we're going to put it up, you know, here?" And it's like, and then if we, if we spin it this way, everybody will believe us. And it's like, and it's that we can be like that with God. "How can we, how can we just get away with stuff? How can we, how can we, we, we live how we want to do, but still do it in a way that appears to be pleasing God?" Yeah, not "how can I get away with it?" but "how can I please him?" We have the opportunity to make God smile. We have the opportunity to bring pleasure to the heart of God. We talk about Christianity is not being a religion, but it's a relationship with God. A relationship is about interaction. A relationship is about bringing pleasure. A relationship is about smiling. A relationship is about laughing. A relationship is about interacting and talking and communicating and all of that. How much of that is a feature and a hallmark of our relationship with God, and how much of it is just going through the motions? And it's that relationship that brings pleasure to the heart of God, and it's that absence of that relationship that brings him grief. Because the reason that he did what he did, when you think of what Jesus went through, and how he suffered, and how he died, the reason that he went to that extent was because he loves us, and because he wants a relationship with us, and because he wants that fellowship with us, and because he wants that interaction, and because he wants to know us, not because he wants us to just sit back and try and keep our nose clean and, and hope to get to heaven at the end of it all. That's, that's a poor reflection of the quality of the relationship that God has called us to. And so the question that we ask when it comes to, uh, not grieving and not quenching the Holy Spirit is, "How can I actually make the most of my privileged relationship with him? How can I make the most of what God has made possible for me in my life?" And if we don't do that, then we can bring grief to the heart of God, and we can bring grief to the Holy Spirit. It's really important that we engage. Like we said before, in so many areas in life, there's no neutral ground. We have to actually ask ourselves, "How do we go as far as we possibly can in that relationship with him?" Because, as I've said before, a Christian life can go on perfectly well in form and function without the Holy Spirit, and without any sense of knowing what it takes to please him. He can withdraw from us and we might not even know. When we take time to ask the question, "Is God here?" You know, that, that picture of God as, as a dove, the Holy Spirit as a dove settling on his people, and how easy it is for a dove to flutter away and for us not to be aware. Last week, I saw a video on YouTube. I don't know if you follow this guy. Well, not follow him because he's not really a very positive person to follow, but there's a guy called Professor Richard Dawkins who's an atheist, who's a, like a really, uh, what's the word, like a militant atheist. He really, his atheism is his evangelism. He really wants to make sure that people don't believe in God. And uh, he had a friend or has a friend who was a colleague of his in his atheism, a lady called Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and she uh, has actually recently become a Christian. [congregation murmurs, someone says "Hallelujah"] And uh, and so the two of them are having a debate and a conversation on YouTube. It's really interesting if you look it up. And uh, and you know, and he was saying, "You know, surely you don't believe in Jesus rose from the dead." And uh, she was saying, "Well, I choose to believe that. Yes, I do believe that." And uh, and he was saying, "You know, the problem with Christianity is..." (He knows everything about everything. He's a professor.) "The problem with Christianity is, it's obsessed with sin." And she said, "Well, you might say that," she said, "but I prefer to see that it's obsessed with love." And as I thought about that, and I listened to, I thought, actually, it's not just like The Beatles, you know, "All you need is love." It's all very, it's all love, love, love, love is all you need. But what she's saying is that, yes, there, there's sin, but Jesus has done away with sin. Jesus has done away with its power, and he's opened the doors of heaven to all who will believe. And the Holy Spirit, who used to be hidden away in the temple behind a big curtain, now lives in the hearts of men and women. And so there's that opportunity that we have. And so when he says it's obsessed with sin, actually, no. Sin was there, sin was the barrier, sin was the, was the issue, sin was the thing that kept us from God, but now sin, the power of sin, is broken. Broken by the cross of Jesus. That's why Jesus, when he hung on the cross, in all that pain and all that agony, the last thing he said was to cry, "It is finished!" It's finished. Sin is finished. So, Christianity is not obsessed with sin. Christianity breaks the power of sin. Christianity opens the door to life. Christianity opens the possibility of life. And sometimes it's not Christianity or or Jesus that's obsessed with sin, it's Christians that are obsessed with sin. We are obsessed with, you know, I'm not saying sin is not important, but sin is dealt with. Sin can be put aside. In the, in the second, the second verse after the one I read, it says, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven 1you." What's he saying there? Is get rid of it. Just put it aside. Just don't live in that anymore. Why? Because we have the power to walk away from that because Jesus has declared, "It is finished!" And so there is no obsession with sin. There should be an obsession with love, with life, and with hope. And so the question is not, "Are we good enough for heaven?" I remember somebody, years and years and years ago, in one of the first services I was ever involved in, and one of the preachers was doing this interactive thing, and he was asking people, you know, "Are you, are you confident of your future, of your eternal future?" And one of these chaps called, uh, George, he said, "Well, I, I jolly well hope so." "I hope to, I hope to, I hope that everything will be all right in the end." He said, "You, you've missed it." He was very bold preacher. "You've missed the point. You've missed the point that God has given you that opportunity for life." And the question is, "How are we responding?" Our response to it, this is what gets back to our subject of grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit, our response to his grace, our response to his power, our response to his gospel and the open door that he's given us into his presence is the key to whether we bring pleasure to the heart of God or we bring grief. Our sin is not so much the issue. Grieving and quenching the Spirit is not so much about bad things that we do. We've got this whole list of, like the, gets dangerously close to Father Christmas, doesn't it? And the naughty and nice list. We've got a, a naughty list. "Well, you've got all of this stuff and all of these things against you, and uh, and these things have grieved the Holy Spirit." Well, in actual fact, it's not about the bad things that we do, but much more about the good things that we don't do and the opportunities for life that we don't step into. Because where there is sin, there is a solution. If we sin, we should confess our sin, and he's faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That's the key. If you sin, confess it. Get rid of it. Put it aside. Put it away. And don't live in that anymore. Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, "Go and sin no more." That was the, that was the prescription. It wasn't, "Now you need to go through this, and you need to go through these hoops and, and pay for this, pay this penalty," or whatever. He just said, "Go, and sin no more. According to the law, you should have been stoned, but now there's a new covenant in action. Go and sin no more. Be free." And so we confess our sins, knowing he's faithful and just to, to, to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And so there's everything that can be done about sin. If there's sin in your life today, put it aside. Repent of it. Get it out. Walk away from it. The power is there for you to do that. That's the opportunity that we have. But the harder thing to deal with is our unwillingness to enter into all that God has for us. Remember, somebody bringing a prophetic word saying, God saying, "I can, I can deal with your sin, I have no problem with that. I can deal with that because the, the, the cross is there, but what I can't deal with is your unbelief. What I can't deal with is your unwillingness to trust me. What I can't deal with are the things that are now still in your hands to do. I've dealt with your sin. What about your faith? What about your life?" And it's our response to God that impacts his heart, that brings him pleasure or grief. That when we stand before him, will it be the list that he's got? I saw a funny meme the other day of somebody of the, these people sat looking miserable on the steps and they said, "We're just waiting for Jesus to go through our WhatsApp feed before he lets us in." [laughter] You know, we think, is, is it our WhatsApp feed that's going to condemn us? Is it our, is it our internet search history? Is it whatever? All of those things. All those things, if they are things that are wrong, deal with it. Deal with it by the power of the, of the, of the cross. But it's not primarily those things that God's interested in because he has dealt with sin. He hasn't brought us to a point where we need to bring one sacrifice after another in order to bring ourselves to righteousness. There is one sacrifice that stands for all, for all time, and now the, the new and living way has been opened up into his presence. So that's the, that's the thing. Now the question is, what are we going to do with that? The things we have to take care of. Number one: Faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, "Without faith, it's impossible to please God." Impossible. Think about that. Let that sink in. There is a difference between labeling ourselves as a Christian and living a life of faith. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. You can do all sorts of stuff to try and please God. You can, you can give wonderful offerings, you can pray wonderful prayers, you can, you can, you can help old people across the road. You can do anything, but without faith, it's impossible to please him. I've been amazed recently looking back over life. I don't know if, it's not like life flashing before me, I don't take it too seriously. But, you know, looking back over so many years, looking over the faithfulness of God. And we sing those songs, "All my life, you have been faithful. All my life, you have been so, so good." Used to sing when I was young, when I was very young, a young Christian, they used to sing that Ishmael song, "Father God, I wonder how I managed to exist without the knowledge of your parenthood." And I used to think, I don't know what that means, really. You know, it's like, yeah, because I, because I had no experience. Now, I can say, yeah, I do wonder how I managed to exist without the knowledge of your parenthood and your loving care. But seeing stuff, seeing the faithfulness of God doesn't equal faith. Even when we are faithless, God is faithful. And so sometimes seeing the faithfulness of God over so many years and so many miracles of kindness and love and grace and provision, brings me a little bit of regret because I know that I didn't have anything like the faith that he's worthy of. But he still did it. And I'm still worrying about things now that God proved to me that he could take care of 25 years ago. There are things like the, you know, he feeds the 5,000, and then the next day, they meet another crowd, and they say, "Where are we going to feed, where are we going to get the food to feed these people from?" It's like, it just goes from one thing to another. And I am aware that I, God has been so faithful to me over so many years, and yet some of the basic lessons of faith I still struggle with. And I'm sure you're in the same boat there as I expose myself here and, uh, my lack of faith. Because we struggle with faith. But it's faith that brings pleasure to the heart of God. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. Without faith that says, "Actually, I believe you, God." Not, "I believe you, but I understand the realities," or, "I believe you, God, but, you know, there's this and that problem to take into consideration." "I believe you, Lord. I believe you." Not necessarily for a particular outcome, because that, that sort of pins everything on. But we just believe God. Believe God in what he's able to do. Believe God that he will see us through. Believe God that we will not, we will not crash and burn. Believe God that he will do what he says he will do, and we will accomplish what he says he will accomplish. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see, and that attitude pleases God. And the opposite grieves him. Unbelief grieves him. When we don't actually trust him, when we don't put out, when we don't try to put our faith and our, our confidence in him, then that grieves his heart and it grieves his Spirit. Secondly: Love. "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35. "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." It's so easy to bypass things that are actually so close to the Father's heart, to justify discord, hatred, and division in the name of Jesus. We feel if we're doctrinally correct, nothing else matters, does it? If we've, if we've got the absolute truth, then everybody else can just do one! Because we are God's soldiers, and we've got his, we've got his truth. And it doesn't really, and yet, meanwhile, God is saying, "Love one another." It's more important to love one another than to win an argument. That's really tough, because we love to win arguments. Believing we are God's favored ones. Everybody else is numpties, but we are God's favored ones. Just like his disciples. You know, these people, they're all pre- He said, "Well, if they're not, if they're not against us, then they're for us." Fight for love, fight for unity, value one another even more than we value ourselves. And you know what? That brings pleasure to the heart of God. Where there is unity, God commands a blessing. Where there is disunity, the opposite must be true. It grieves the heart of God. It pains his heart. He suffers with it because when his people are divided, when his people don't love one another, when his people don't care for one another, when his people don't value one another, when they don't see that he loves each and every one, the person that you are at odds with, he loves as much as he loves you, because he made, he made them in his image as much as he made you in his image. Love brings pleasure to the heart of God, and division and disunity grieves the Holy Spirit. Obedience. In 1 Samuel, King Saul was given the task of completely destroying the Amalekites. This is where our sort of ancient biblical history and modern day sort of cross over, and we think, "Oh, these, all these, uh, you know, battles and fights are fairly gruesome." But King Saul was given the task of completely destroying the Amalekites. He was told to destroy them and everything that they owned. All the cattle, the sheep, everything had to be gone. And so he said, "I'll do it," and he went. Except, they, he kept the best sheep, and he kept the best goats, and he kept the best cattle. And the Bible says they only destroyed that which didn't have any value, didn't have any worth. And when the prophet Samuel, who'd been told by the Lord what, what Saul had actually done, went to find him the next day, he was told that Saul was out building a monument to himself because of all that he'd achieved in the name of the Lord. And he'd, he'd destroyed the Amalekites. So he built this monument. And when Samuel turned up to challenge him, Saul had no idea that he, what was about to happen. And he went out, he said, "The Lord bless you, Samuel. We've carried out everything. We've done everything that the Lord commanded us to do. I've carried out the Lord's command." And then there's a some of the most devastating words in the Bible, I find it really challenging and convicting. Samuel said to him, "Then what is this bleating of sheep that I hear?" And Saul says, "Oh, oh, yeah, yeah. Well, we did keep the best of the animals, but we're going to offer them to the Lord as a sacrifice. Don't worry, everything's good." He's made up his own theology. Where God said, "Destroy everything, get rid of everything, I don't want everything, be obedient to me." He said, "Actually, well, I know what we'll do. We'll take some of them and we'll make you an offering. You'll like that." And then Samuel delivered this devastating judgment. He said to him, "To obey is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than the fat of rams. Because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king." So self-confidence in ourselves is not enough. We have to be attentive to exactly what God wants of us if we're going to avoid grieving him. Saul was rejected as king because he didn't have an interest in being obedient to the heart of God. He only had an interest in doing his thing. And yet he dressed it all up. "We're going to make sacrifices. We've done the, we've done everything the Lord said." And we might have thought, "Yeah, good man." But the Holy Spirit was not pleased. Thankfulness. "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18. "And he who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me." Psalm 50:23. Some of them, these things are so simple, and yet so hard. A grateful heart pleases God. An ungrateful heart grieves the heart of God. Gratitude and compassion bring him pleasure. It's so easy to accept the grace of God and never think to say, "Thank you." Like the ten lepers that were all healed and only one of them went back to say, "Thank you." There is power in gratitude. Not only power in gratitude, but it, it opens the door to our relationship with God. That's the thing that makes him smile. That's the, that's the thing that he loves when we actually look at our lives, and instead of complaining, instead of moaning on about it, we actually say, "Actually, Lord, I thank you. I thank you for what the life you've given me. I thank you for the breath that I take. I thank you for the way that you've cared for me. I thank you, Lord, and I praise you." And that brings him pleasure. Perseverance in faith. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest." Galatians 6:9. "Well done, good and faithful servant." Matthew 25:21. Much of our blessing in the future tracks back to our attitude here today, in what we and how we look at things. When God says, "Well done, good and faithful servant," at the end of all things, it is at the end of all things. It's after we've gone through everything. It's not that first time we run up to the front of the church with our arms in the air and tears running down our face, and we say, "I love you, Jesus," and he says, "Well done." He says, "Well done," after you've been through all the ups and downs, all the challenges, all the issues, all the stress, all the things that would try and attack your faith and undermine your faith, all the things that you've had to fight through and battle through. At the end of all that comes the "Well done, good and faithful servant." How are we going to respond? Jesus told Peter about all that he was going to suffer, and how he was going to die, and he was, uh, he didn't say he would save him from it. But one thing he said is, "I have prayed for you, Peter, that your faith won't fail." Faith is the one commodity we can take with us from this life. Nothing else will make that journey with us. "I have prayed for you, Peter, that your faith won't fail." What a prayer, what a powerful prayer for Jesus to, to be by the side of the Father saying, "I pray for Peter. I pray for MCF. I pray for those people that their faith will not fail." That we, that through our perseverance in faith, we will bring pleasure to the heart of God. One of the things that afflicts the church the world over, and we've come across it in Zambia, is a sort of a twisted sort of prosperity gospel. We know God wants to bless his people, but there's this sort of prosperity that says, you know, "If you've got, if you've got a car, if you've got a big house, if you eat meat every day, you know, you are truly blessed of God." And uh, and I remember one of the bold preachers there saying, you know, "When, when Jesus is praying for us, he's praying that our faith won't fail. He's not praying for a new Mercedes." He's not praying that you'll get everything that you've ever dreamed of. He's not Father Christmas, as I said earlier on. But he is praying that through it all, through everything that you walk through, your faith will not fail. 1 Peter 1:6-7: "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold. Though your faith is far more precious than mere gold, so when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to2 the world." And so this life of bringing pleasure to the heart of God, not grieving, not, not, not stressing the Spirit, if you like, is, is all about how we live, about what we do with the wonderful gift that's been given to us, the opportunity that we have, the possibility to grow in faith, the possibility to be thankful, the possibility to persevere, the possibility to love one another against all the odds. All of those things are the things that when God looks on his people, they cause him to smile. Not just that people have ticked and said, "Yes, I believe in Jesus, so I'm going, I've got my ticket to heaven," but it's about how we live our life in the here and now and in the in-between. And so the question is, where do we stand today? Are we resting on the fact that we wear a Christian badge, or are we active in seeking a life that pleases God?

Series: N/AService: Sunday AM WorshipType: SermonSpeaker: Jeremy Bowling 

1. The Key of Obeying the Truth (7-9) 2. The Key of Confidence in the Lord (10) 3. The Key of The Cross's Offense (11) 4. The Key of Hating Evil (12)

Today guest speaker Jerin Thomas shares from James 2:14-26 a sermon titled, 'Faith on mission: Loving Deeply, Obeying Fully, Risking Courageously'. If you need support or encouragement, or would like to learn more about how to begin a relationship with Jesus, please reach out to the church or email help@hhachurch.com.

How Seeking, Obeying, and Trusting God Can Transform Your Health from the Inside Out Keywords: trusting God with your health, Christian wellness, faith-based healing, biblical health principles, Christian holistic health, how to heal naturally through faith ✨ Introduction: What If Healing Is Simpler Than We Think? Hey beauty — what if improving your health came down to just three things?

In this episode, we conclude our conversation with Jamie Winship. He shares about how he has learned to follow the voice of God in his life. If you're eager to be challenged in your faith this episode is for you!

In this episode, we conclude our conversation with Jamie Winship. He shares about how he has learned to follow the voice of God in his life. If you're eager to be challenged in your faith this episode is for you!

1. The Key of Obeying the Truth (7-9) 2. The Key of Confidence in the Lord (10) 3. The Key of The Cross's Offense (11) 4. The Key of “Imprecation” (12)

Today is day 305 and we are studying The Fifth Commandment. 305. What blessings result from obeying the fifth commandment? Submission to God's appointed earthly authorities helps me to resist pride and grow in humility, and promotes the justice and peace (shalom)of society in which human life flourishes. (Exodus 20:12; 1 Chronicles 29:23; Proverbs 10:17; Romans 13:1–4; Hebrews 13:17) We will conclude today by praying Prayer 91.For Submission to God's Will found on page 673 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to buy or download To Be a Christian, head to anglicanchurch.net/catechism. Produced by Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Madison, MS. Original music from Matthew Clark. Daily collects and Psalms are taken from Book of Common Prayer (2019), created by the Anglican Church in North America and published by the Anglican Liturgical Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Catechism readings are taken from To Be a Christian - An Anglican Catechism Approved Edition, copyright © 2020 by The Anglican Church in North America by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

When the going gets tough—and the battles don't end as quickly as we hoped—it's easy to grow weary and discouraged. That's where Israel found themselves in Joshua 11. Victory didn't come in a single day or even a single campaign. It took years of relentless struggle.After conquering the land in central and southern Canaan, Joshua turned his focus to the north. There, he was confronted by a huge coalition army. Not only was Joshua outnumbered 7-to-1, but for the first time in battle, he faced horses and chariots—terrifying and effective war machines of the Bronze Age.Yet despite the odds, Joshua and his army ultimately triumphed. It didn't happen easily, and it didn't happen quickly. Estimates are that the Northern Campaign took more than seven years – seven painful, bloody years.Here's what we need to understand.  There is no record in chapter 11 of any sort of dramatic supernatural intervention. No rivers that parted…no walls that fell down…no hail from the sky…and no sun standing still.  For seven long years, God's people had to fight day after day after day.And that's something we need to grasp in our day.Sometimes God demonstrates that He is with us by moving in dramatic ways, which result in a quick victory. Other times, God demonstrates that He is with us by enabling us to doggedly fight on over the long haul.What can we learn from Joshua that can help us keep going when the going gets tough? 1.     Joshua demonstrated an unwavering trust in God. Joshua trusted that the God who had promised him ultimate victory would eventually take him there—even though there was pain and struggle along the way. Courageous faith soldiers on.  2.     Joshua demonstrated an uncompromising obedience to God. When the going gets tough, it's easy to begin cutting corners. A bit of compromise here or there. But Joshua recognized that the end does not justify the means. Obeying, even when it was difficult or didn't make sense, was the key to success.3.     Joshua demonstrated an unfaltering perseverance with God. When the going gets tough, it's no easy thing to keep on fighting day after day after day. Yet, during those long years of struggle and battle, Joshua never gave in…he never gave out…he never gave up.  And in the end, he realized victory. Text: Joshua 11 Originally recorded on October 30, 2016, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN

GAZA Road Lessons | His Word, His Plan, His People In today's episode, we look at Philip's unexpected call to leave a thriving ministry in Samaria for a dusty, desert road. What followed was a Spirit-ordained moment with eternal impact. Discover how listening to God, sharing boldly, and trusting His plan—even without all the details—can lead to life change for you and others. Key Takeaways: 1. Obeying without hesitation opens doors for God to move through you. 2. The Holy Spirit still speaks—our role is to slow down and listen. 3. Every believer is called to share Jesus, not just the trained or titled. 4. God's plan may lead you away from comfort and toward a single person in need. 5. Your obedience today could be the start of someone else's eternity. Key Scripture: Acts 8 (https://www.bible.com/bible/59/ACT.8.ESV) Speaker: Matt Petty Series: His Word, His Plan, His People Location: Burnt Hickory Baptist Church (https://maps.app.goo.gl/hazkR3omjk9xvxZc7) Connect with us: ° Watch this sermon on YouTube (https://youtu.be/IqFr6tuWiIc) ° Follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bhbchome) ° Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/burnthickorybaptist/) ° Visit our website (https://www.burnthickory.com/)

This sermon centers on the transformative power of obedience to Christ, illustrated through the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. It emphasizes that true discipleship begins with the Holy Spirit's leading, as seen in Philip's immediate response to divine direction, despite potential persecution, prejudice, or confusion. The eunuch's journey from reading Isaiah's prophecy to confessing faith in Jesus highlights the necessity of Scripture-centered preaching and the personal, heartfelt belief required for salvation. The sermon underscores that baptism is not a means of salvation but a vital act of obedience and public identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, practiced by immersion as the biblical norm. Ultimately, the message calls believers to examine their own obedience—to the Spirit, to Scripture, and to Christ's commands—so that they may faithfully fulfill the Great Commission and lead others to a saving knowledge of Jesus.

Matt Allen - Campus Church Missions Conference

Obeying the Lords call is critical in your walk with Him. But how can we be sure we are hearing from the Father? Clayton Ritter shares the ways in which God speaks to His children.

BJU equips students to impact the world as they live for truth, seize opportunities and embrace life experiences. Standing on the authority of the Bible, BJU shapes heads, hearts and backbones for Christ by equipping students to lead lives of integrity and influence others for God's glory. www.bju.edu

All songs performed by licensing agreement through CCLI: Copyright License 20465877 Size A Streaming Plus License 21412465 Size A Connect With Us Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christcenter... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccconline/ If you would like to support this ministry give online 1. PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Chris... 2. CashApp $CCC2711 3. www.myccc.faith

All songs performed by licensing agreement through CCLI: Copyright License 20465877 Size A Streaming Plus License 21412465 Size A Connect With Us Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christcenter... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccconline/ If you would like to support this ministry give online 1. PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Chris... 2. CashApp $CCC2711 3. www.myccc.faith

All songs performed by licensing agreement through CCLI: Copyright License 20465877 Size A Streaming Plus License 21412465 Size A Connect With Us Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christcenter... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccconline/ If you would like to support this ministry give online 1. PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Chris... 2. CashApp $CCC2711 3. www.myccc.faith

All songs performed by licensing agreement through CCLI: Copyright License 20465877 Size A Streaming Plus License 21412465 Size A Connect With Us Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christcenter... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccconline/ If you would like to support this ministry give online 1. PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Chris... 2. CashApp $CCC2711 3. www.myccc.faith

Series: Signs & GloryTitle: How do I live as a disciple of Jesus today?Subtitle: Part 2Scripture: John 15:7-17 NIV, Isaiah 5, Psalm 80Bottom Line: A disciple of Jesus today is growing to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him, and leading others to do the same.INTRODUCTIONCONTEXTSERMON OUTLINECONCLUSIONNOTESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDER DISCUSSION QUESTIONSMAIN REFERENCES USEDOpening prayer: Lord God, help us grow to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him and leading others to do the same. INTRODUCTIONWhat does a disciple of Jesus look like today? Well, these examples are a good place to start. They loved their enemies and forgave them.Bottom Line: A disciple of Jesus today is growing to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him, and leading others to do the same.CONTEXTJesus's disciples are deeply troubled because they have just heard 3 things:One of them will betray Jesus,Jesus is about to leave them and go where they cannot go, and Peter will deny Jesus 3 times that night.He's taught them again to love each other as he has loved themHe's told them his spirit will come and empower them to do all that he's taught them to doHe's coming back (resurrected, as his spirit, second coming)They leave the upper room where they've had their feet washed, heard all of this, and now they're heading to the garden of gethsamene to pray and be arrested.Sub questions for today:Q. What does spiritual fruit look like?Q. How do I bear spiritual fruit that will last?OUTLINE (w/ help from Matt Carter & ChatGPT)Transition: This passage breaks down into 2 sections: 1) True disciples bear fruit, and 2) What that fruit looks like. Today we'll focus on part 2: What does true spiritual fruit look like and how do we bear it?Let's ask some questions:Q. What do I want you to know today?A. What the fruit of a true disciple of Jesus Christ looks like.Spiritual fruit Is from God through his spiritLasts foreverWhat does this fruit look like according to this passage?Answered prayer. God tells us to ask whatever we want in Jesus' name and it will be given to us. (15:7, 16)Proof that we're true disciples of Jesus. (15:8, 14)Glorify God (15:8) which is why we were created.Overflowing with his joy (> happiness, which is based solely on circumstances). (15:11)Love of God (in obeying his commands) and people (in obeying his commands). (15:10, 12, 14, 17)Friendship with God through Jesus. (15:14-15)Security in your salvation:"Already clean" (15:3)"I chose you" (15:16)Q. Why do I want you to know this?A. Because you will know where you stand as a disciple of Jesus Christ: true or false; fruit-bearing or not.Q. What do I want you to do?A. Bear spiritual fruit that will last forever. Q. Why?A. Because Jesus says this is why he chose you and me. Therefore, we should do this.Q. How?A. By training to remain in Christ. Here are 4 training regiments that will help:Know, believe, and obey God's word.Pray bold, specific, and believing prayers in Jesus' name.Love each other sacrificially ("As I have loved you").Recognizing and embracing the principle of pruning requires suffering, trials and testing.ConclusionBottom Line: A disciple of Jesus today is growing to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him, and leading others to do the same.When we train to remain/abide in Christ, we will grow in the character and competencies of Jesus Christ, in his power (not ours), and we will lead others to do this as well. Q. How do I know I'm doing this?A. You'll multiply yourself. You'll lead people to Christ deep and wide.You'll help others lead people to Christ deep and wide.You'll see God's love spread through his word in you.Q. What's next?A. Commit to getting a good grip on God's word by reading it daily, praying it daily, and obeying it daily.B. Consider H.E.A.R. Method. https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/bible-journaling-method-to-hear-god-speakINVITATIONWhat about you? Peter puts it all in perspective in his first sermon:““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬How do we respond? Answer 2 questions:Take out a card or piece of paper right now. Write down the answer to these questions: What is God saying to me right now?What am I going to do about it? Write this down on a sheet of paper. What I hear you saying, Lord, is ___________________.[my name] is going to believe/do __________________________________________________ as a result.Finally, share this with your Home or Mission group this week when you gather as a testimony about what God is doing in your life. You don't have to get too specific to give him praise.Lord's Supper, 1 Cor 11:23-26 is good passage.Also, say something like, "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again." (past, present, and future)PrayNOTESOutline with help from Matt Carter and ChatGPTII. Spiritual Fruit in a Disciple of Jesus today looks like this: (15:7-17)A. Answered prayer--this happens because of the union with Jesus. The "sap" is the back and forth communication. "My words remain in you" (7)Jesus speaks through his word. God prunes and cleans through his word (3).We respond in prayer. Where there is prayer, there are answers. God listens to his people. It looks like breathing. "When the Holy Spirit is pulsing through you, you pray without thinking. You just talk to God." -CarterPrayer is as important to the soul as breathing to the body.B. Obedient love--we obey because we love. Our love flows from our obedience. Obedience is the evidence of love.A persistently, willfully, disobedient person is not a Christian.What's cool here is that even though Jesus is our King and has every right to demand our obedience, he doesn't treat us like slaves. He sees us as friends. Slaves are given commands without explanation. Jesus invites us into his inner circle. He shares his friendship and explains what he's doing. Not always as much as we'd like but he tells us what the Father says to him. (14-15)C. Inexhaustible joy--Jesus, who fills our Dixie cup/cone cup with joy, immerses our Dixie cup of joy into his ocean of joy.Happiness is dependent on your circumstances. Joy transcends your circumstances.ExamplesPaul in Prison (Philippians 1:12–21; 4:4)Happiness: No one would be happy about being chained up, falsely accused, and awaiting trial. His circumstances were bleak.Joy: Paul still wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Phil. 4:4). His joy was rooted in Christ being proclaimed and in knowing that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” His joy transcended his imprisonment.The Apostles Beaten (Acts 5:40–42)Happiness: After being flogged by the Sanhedrin, they weren't happy about the pain or humiliation.Joy: They “rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” Joy came from sharing in Christ's sufferings and being faithful witnesses.Jesus on the Cross (Hebrews 12:2)Happiness: The cross was excruciating, shameful, and horrific—nothing about it was happy.Joy: Yet Hebrews says Jesus endured it “for the joy set before him”—the joy of redeeming us, glorifying the Father, and sitting down at His right hand.Job LossHappiness: Losing your job doesn't make you happy. The stress, loss of income, and uncertainty feel heavy.Joy: A believer can still have joy by trusting God's provision, remembering His past faithfulness, and resting in His promises. Joy looks like saying, “This is hard, but I know God is still with me and will provide,” even while updating your résumé.It's no coincidence that Jesus follows, "If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love" (10) with, "I have told you this so that my joy may be in your and that your joy may be complete." (11) "Joy comes through obedience." -Carter

Mama, we as moms are always searching for God's will for our lives, aren't we?  Tune in as we dive into today's podcast!"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." John 13:17 

Bold Faith When life doesn't make sense, faith calls us to trust anyway. Bold Faith is a series about obeying God when it's hard, giving when it feels risky, and praying like it truly changes things. Come discover how trusting God with bold faith can unlock His power in your everyday life.

The Debate to Burn New York: Washington Regrets Obeying Congressional Order Against Arson Professor Benjamin L. Carp, Professor of History at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center | The Great New York Fire of 1776: A Lost Story of the American Revolution Following defeat at Long Island, Washington's forces escaped to Manhattan. The British Howe brothers hesitated, offering pardons and hoping for reconciliation. The debate over burning intensified: General Nathanael Greene advocated burning (September 5), but Congress President John Hancock ordered Washington to prevent it (September 6). Washington later confessed this refusal was a "terrible error," as burning would have deprived the British of critical winter quarters. Although Americans publicly blamed the British, rebels had previously burned Norfolk, Virginia. Loyalists circulated rumors that rebels planned arson.

Series: Signs & GloryTitle: How do I live as a disciple of Jesus today?Subtitle: Part 1Scripture: John 15:1-6 NIV, Isaiah 5, Psalm 80Bottom Line: A disciple of Jesus today is growing to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him, and leading others to do the same.INTRODUCTIONCONTEXTSERMON OUTLINECONCLUSIONNOTESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDER DISCUSSION QUESTIONSMAIN REFERENCES USEDOpening prayer: Lord God, help us grow to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him and leading others to do the same. INTRODUCTION"(Jesus said from the cross), 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' That young man—I forgive him. I forgive him, because it is what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do." Erika KirkCf. Members of Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston forgave the murderer of their family members (Dylan Roof). (2015)Cf. Tim Allen forgiving his father after hearing Erika Kirk forgiving the young man who assassinated her husband Charlie.Jesus loved and forgave his enemies as they were executing him.What does a disciple of Jesus look like today? Well, these examples are a good place to start. They loved their enemies and forgave them.Bottom Line: A disciple of Jesus today is growing to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him, and leading others to do the same.Draw the matrix showing that high or Christlike character and high competency results in spiritual fruitfulness forever.CONTEXTJesus's disciples are deeply troubled because they have just heard 3 things:One of them will betray Jesus,Jesus is about to leave them and go where they cannot go, and Peter will deny Jesus 3 times that night.He's taught them again to love each other as he has loved themHe's told them his spirit will come and empower them to do all that he's taught them to doHe's coming back (resurrected, as his spirit, second coming)They leave the upper room where they've had their feet washed, heard all of this, and now they're heading to the garden of gethsamene to pray and be arrested.OUTLINE (w/ help from Matt Carter & ChatGPT)Bottom Line: A disciple of Jesus today is growing to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him, and leading others to do the same.Transition: This passage breaks down into 2 sections: 1) True disciples bear fruit, and 2) What that fruit looks like. We'll follow that with how we bear this spiritual fruit that lasts.I. True Disciples of Jesus Today Bear Spiritual Fruit that will last. (15:-1-6)7th of 7 "I am" statementsI am the bread of lifeI am the light of the worldI am the gateI am the good shepherdI am the resurrection and the lifeI am the way, the truth and the lifeI am the true vineNot "a" but "the""True vine" implies that there are "false vines"While the vineyard was a picture of Israel (Isaiah 5, Psalm 80), Jesus says it's a false vine because they produced "sour, inedible grapes". Jesus is the True Vine.Jesus is also the true Israel or God and man in fellowship through Jesus Christ. -JohnstonFruitfulness = Living to our God-given potential out of the overflow of our relationship with Jesus.God calls Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. (Genesis 1:28) "The fruitfulness that was lost thorugh the Fall, is recovered through Christ and his redemption." -Johnston"The recovery of true fruitfulness in life is bound up in the recovery of fellowship with God through Jesus Christ." -JohnstonJesus connects fruitfulness to fellowship. We are Grace Christian FELLOWSHIP. That is we are a people connected in fellowship to one another through our fellowship with Jesus Christ. The Point: "The path to God doesn't go through the nation of Israel; it goes through Jesus." -CarterIt's about union with Jesus. (Connection to the true vine)Jesus is the True Vine, Father is the Vinedresser, we are the branches.2 types of disciples:Living and (alive in Christ)Dead (never exercised saving faith; Ex. Judas Iscariot); "They hang around Jesus without a genuine, life-giving relationship with him." False disciples will be cut off and burned in judgment.If you are alive in Christ, God will do his part to insure you are fruitful--pruning is key:Dead woodGood wood that will decrease fruitfulness if not removedGod's commitment to your fruit-bearing > Your commitment to comfort"God will do whatever it takes for you to bear fruit. John Newton, the great eighteenth-century English pastor and songwriter, began a letter this way:'At length, and without further apology for my silence, I sit down to ask you how you fare. Afflictions I hear have been your lot; and if I had not heard so, I should have taken it for granted: for I believe the Lord loves you, and as many as He loves He chastens.I think you can say, afflictions have been good for you, and I doubt not but you have found strength according to your day; so that, though you may have been sharply tried, you have not been overpowered.'" -Newton, Amazing Works, 156-57True disciples abide or remain connected to Jesus. Ex. Like a branch drawing life-giving sap from the vine is essential to life and fruit-bearing.“Here Jesus introduced that rich word abide, which has to do with remaining close to Him. Jesus declared that our productivity, our fruitfulness, is directly linked to our abiding in Him. As Christians, we will bear fruit, but it will vary in degree. The closer we stay to Christ, the more fruit we will bear. The more we wander out from the center and neglect the means of grace that He has given to us, the less fruit we will produce” -RC Sproul"People who claim to be Christians but do not show evidence of his life flowing through them will be cut off, gathered up nd burned." V. 6"A fruitless disciple is not a disciple at all."- CarterHow does God cause us to bear spiritual fruit? Through his word.II. Spiritual Fruit in a Disciple of Jesus today looks like this: (15:7-17)A. Answered prayer--this happens because of the union with Jesus. The "sap" is the back and forth communication. "My words remain in you" (7)Jesus speaks through his word. God prunes and cleans through his word (3).We respond in prayer. Where there is prayer, there are answers. God listens to his people. It looks like breathing. "When the Holy Spirit is pulsing through you, you pray without thinking. You just talk to God." -CarterPrayer is as important to the soul as breathing to the body.B. Obedient love--we obey because we love. Our love flows from our obedience. Obedience is the evidence of love.A persistently, willfully, disobedient person is not a Christian.What's cool here is that even though Jesus is our King and has every right to demand our obedience, he doesn't treat us like slaves. He sees us as friends. Slaves are given commands without explanation. Jesus invites us into his inner circle. He shares his friendship and explains what he's doing. Not always as much as we'd like but he tells us what the Father says to him. (14-15)C. Inexhaustible joy--Jesus, who fills our Dixie cup/cone cup with joy, immerses our Dixie cup of joy into his ocean of joy.Happiness is dependent on your circumstances. Joy transcends your circumstances.ExamplesPaul in Prison (Philippians 1:12–21; 4:4)Happiness: No one would be happy about being chained up, falsely accused, and awaiting trial. His circumstances were bleak.Joy: Paul still wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Phil. 4:4). His joy was rooted in Christ being proclaimed and in knowing that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” His joy transcended his imprisonment.The Apostles Beaten (Acts 5:40–42)Happiness: After being flogged by the Sanhedrin, they weren't happy about the pain or humiliation.Joy: They “rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” Joy came from sharing in Christ's sufferings and being faithful witnesses.Jesus on the Cross (Hebrews 12:2)Happiness: The cross was excruciating, shameful, and horrific—nothing about it was happy.Joy: Yet Hebrews says Jesus endured it “for the joy set before him”—the joy of redeeming us, glorifying the Father, and sitting down at His right hand.Job LossHappiness: Losing your job doesn't make you happy. The stress, loss of income, and uncertainty feel heavy.Joy: A believer can still have joy by trusting God's provision, remembering His past faithfulness, and resting in His promises. Joy looks like saying, “This is hard, but I know God is still with me and will provide,” even while updating your résumé.It's no coincidence that Jesus follows, "If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love" (10) with, "I have told you this so that my joy may be in your and that your joy may be complete." (11) "Joy comes through obedience." -Carter

Are we ready to embrace the call to bold discipleship? This powerful message challenges us to examine our faith and commitment to Christ. Drawing from Matthew 28 and Acts 22, we're reminded of Jesus' command to make disciples and Paul's unwavering testimony in the face of persecution. The central theme revolves around the cost of discipleship - denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily, and following Jesus wholeheartedly. We're encouraged to cultivate a burning desire to share God's love, ignited through prayer, study, and worship. The message emphasizes that true discipleship isn't about a checklist, but about a passionate relationship with Jesus. As we reflect on Paul's boldness and the early Christians' response to persecution, we're invited to consider: How can we let our light shine brightly in our community? Are we willing to step out of our comfort zones and speak God's word with great boldness?

Are we ready to embrace the call to bold discipleship? This powerful message challenges us to examine our faith and commitment to Christ. Drawing from Matthew 28 and Acts 22, we're reminded of Jesus' command to make disciples and Paul's unwavering testimony in the face of persecution. The central theme revolves around the cost of discipleship - denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily, and following Jesus wholeheartedly. We're encouraged to cultivate a burning desire to share God's love, ignited through prayer, study, and worship. The message emphasizes that true discipleship isn't about a checklist, but about a passionate relationship with Jesus. As we reflect on Paul's boldness and the early Christians' response to persecution, we're invited to consider: How can we let our light shine brightly in our community? Are we willing to step out of our comfort zones and speak God's word with great boldness?

Romans: Transforming Power of the Gospel, Pt. 23 – Obeying AuthorityRomans 13:1–7 | King's Chapel Live StreamRomans 13:1–7 calls us to wrestle with a challenging question: how do we live faithfully under human authority while remembering that God is the ultimate authority?Paul reminds us that every position of power is given by God. History itself is His story with a beginning, a turning point at the cross, and an ending point when Christ returns. Because of this, we are called to honor God as we live under earthly rulers, giving what is owed to Caesar, to God, and to our neighbor.This passage does not dismiss the reality of injustice or the brokenness of human authority. But it does point us back to the sovereignty of God and to a life that trusts Him above all.If you have ever wondered how to live out your faith in a world of governments and systems, Romans 13 will help you see how the gospel transforms our perspective on authority.Connect with King's Chapel in Longwood, FL- ▶️ www.kingschapelfl.com▶️ https://www.facebook.com/KingsChapelfl▶️ https://www.instagram.com/kingschapelfl/For the GLORY of our Great GodFor the GOOD of our NeighborRomans 13 sermon, obeying authority in the Bible, God and government, King's Chapel Longwood FL, Romans Bible study, Christian view of authority, Paul letter to the Romans, ultimate authority is God, giving to Caesar and to God, gospel and obedience, biblical authority explained

The students learn which positions are best for breeding. Based on the work of firebird68. listen to the Podcast on Steamy Stories “Hi, Andrea!” Sunny called, waving as the small, brunette girl entered the room, walking briskly to her seat. “Are you feeling better?” Lindsay asked. It was a fair question. The last time they had seen her was at the end of class yesterday. When the period had wrapped up, she was still dazed and limp, totally mind-fucked in the aftermath of her overwhelming climaxes, and being cradled in Chris's arms. “Of course.” Andrea snapped, her cheeks growing bright red.“See?” Chris said from his desk across the room. “I told you she was fine. She loved it.” “I did NOT love it!” Andrea lied. “That was humiliating! Seriously, being fucked like a dog?! What kind of girl wants to be fucked like a dog??” “O, me!” Sunny waved her hand in the air. “Gosh, it was so hot watching him dominate you like that. I wouldn't mind being turned into a ragdoll for a strong man like that. Yes, please!” “God, do you ever think about anything other than dick?” Andrea scoffed. “Of course.” Sunny nodded. “I swing both ways, ya know. I think about girls, too.” She winked and blew a kiss at the flustered girl, who gawked at her, her cheeks red hot, before regaining her composure to glare at the busty blonde. “You really are hopeless.” Andrea said, hiding her fierce blush. “You gotta admit,” Samantha spoke. “You did orgasm like a bitch in heat until your brain turned off. Kinda seems as though you liked it to me. Better yet, it looked like you LOVED it.” Andrea's jaw dropped and she shook with anger, popping up from her chair to glower at the smug goth. “What did you just say?” she demanded. “I'll have you know tha-…” “Something wrong, Miss Andrea?” Andrea's eyes went wide and she quickly closed her mouth as Miss Banks walked into the room. “No, of course not, Miss Banks.” Andrea stammered. “Nothing is wrong at all.” “Good.” Miss Banks smiled. “I heard you raise your voice and naturally figured you must be upset about something. Could it have something to do with yesterday's lesson? If you have a problem with the curriculum, please let me know and we can…rectify…the problem.” Swallowing as she noticed the sinister glint hiding in her teacher's eye, Andrea shook her head profusely and sat back in her seat, hurriedly. “Absolutely not, Miss Banks!” she squeaked. “I have no issues whatsoever with your teaching!” “That's great to hear.” Miss Banks said, her smile growing wider. “Well, now that that's settled, let's jump right into today's lesson, shall we? Since we ran out of time yesterday and our session had to be cut in half, we will be continuing with sexual position basics and demonstrations today. But, before we do that, can anyone tell me what the purpose of intercourse is?” “To have fun and cum lots!” Sunny exclaimed. “That's true,” Miss Banks nodded. “But not quite the answer I am looking for in this instance.” “To grow a mutual bond between two partners and bridge their connection both physically and emotionally.” Daniel offered. “Well, that was very sweet!” Miss Banks clapped. “Yes, also very true. Good response, Daniel. You'll make a girl very happy one day if you keep that mindset. Still, though, not the answer that I'm looking for. I'm talking basic. Biological. What is the most prominent purpose behind intercourse?” Lindsay timidly raised her hand, and Miss Banks gestured to her. “To; to make babies?” she said. “Exactly!” Miss Banks confirmed. “To make babies. Or, more properly, the medical term is procreation. There are, of course, a number of different ways to define it and a whole host of vernacular associated with the act. Impregnating, inseminating, mating, breeding. Some of the more, unscientific terms include 'getting knocked up' and 'putting a bun in the oven'. I'm sure you have all heard most or all of these terms before, right?” The students all nodded, some of them avoiding the eyes of their co-eds. “As we discovered last class, different sexual positions are best suited for different purposes. There are those that are more personal and sensual, suited for loving couples, such as spooning. There are those that cater to the female, like Sunny demonstrated with the cowgirl position. There are also those that are more dominant. More; primal.” Miss Banks didn't say anything more, but everyone nonetheless turned to look at Andrea who shrunk in her chair, humiliated. “And, as expected, there are positions that are especially ideal for conception.” Miss Banks continued. “Today, we'll be going over some of those. Of course, you girls have all been required to regularly take birth control for this course, so there will be no…ahem…knocking up. But, this will give you all the basic principle on the specialties for the tasks each serves and it may help you in the future when you are ready to start a family of your own. Now then, Samantha.” Samantha swallowed and straightened as she heard her name being called. “Come up here, please. Daniel, you as well.” Miss Banks waited for them to make their way up and come to stand before her. “The two of you will be performing the most basic and natural of positions for impregnation. Missionary. This can be done with both partners on the same level, or with the female elevated. Samantha will be elevated today, as though she were on the edge of a bed. We don't have a bed here, so we'll be substituting that for my desk. You can begin when ready.” Taking a deep breath, Samantha hopped up to sit on the edge of her teacher's desk, facing the class, and leaned backwards to lay flat on her back. As her head came to hang just off the other side of the desk, she found herself staring up at the disappointed, glaring face of Miss Banks. Her teacher had her arms crossed and was wrapping her fingers on her bicep, her face hard. “Aren't we forgetting something, Miss Samantha?” she asked, a bit of an edge having crept into her voice. Realization dawned on Samantha as she remembered that she forgot to start off the demonstration with a blowjob. She went to raise herself up so that she could climb off the desk and drop to her knees, but Miss Banks' hand came down to press on her shoulder, holding her down. “Stay there, if you will.” She instructed. “Since you're already in this position, this will give us a good opportunity for you to work on your deepthroating skills again.” Samantha's face paled as she had a Vietnam flashback of herself on day one of class, in this same position, getting her throat reamed out by Tanner's donkey dick. A nervous squeak escaped her, but she didn't dare go against her teacher and remained where she was. Miss Banks saw that Daniel was kicking his way out of his dress pants and waved him over to stand behind the desk with her. “Class, come gather around, as well.” Miss Banks called out. “I want you all to have a good view of our demonstrations.” Samantha could vaguely hear the footsteps of her peers clambering around her, but her attention was much more focused on the raging erection bobbing above her. Daniel swallowed and grasped his engorged length, guiding it down to Samantha's upside-down face, and the black-haired girl reluctantly opened her lips and let him in. Letting out a low moan as his tip was bathed in the warmth of Samantha's mouth, Daniel dropped his hands to the desk on either side of her and began to rock his hips back and forth, pushing his head past her lips. “Here, Daniel, try this.” Miss Banks offered. She moved in and took his wrists, lifting them off of the desk and placing them back down on Samantha's large boobs. His fingers subconsciously squeezed down, squishing the soft globes as his palms came in contact with the teen's clothed breasts. “That's much better, right?” Miss Banks laughed. “Remember to loosen up and act accordingly. Forget the fact that you are peers and act as though she is your doting girlfriend. Use her body as a lover would. That includes her breasts. And, Samantha.” She dropped down to her knees to look the nervous girl in the eyes. “You, as well. Play the part of the doting girlfriend. Don't be scared of his cock. Embrace it. Get involved. You should want to pleasure him. Every moan he makes should make you tingle and burn with pride.” Steeling herself, Samantha tried to take her teacher's advice to heart. She began to move her tongue about, swirling it around Daniel's pumping tip as best as she could. She was rewarded with another, slightly louder moan, that did, in fact, make her swell slightly with pride. The other response from Daniel was an increase in speed and depth in his thrusts. He began to move a bit deeper into her mouth, poking at the back of her throat, tripping her gag reflex. Panicking slightly, she tried to move away, fearful of a repeat of her last ordeal, but Miss Banks held her in place. “Shhh.” She whispered, stroking the scared teen's cheek softly. “It's okay. You're doing fine. Just relax. Relax your throat and accept him. That's it. Relax…” Samantha hummed, nervously, but she did find comfort in her teacher's gentle stroking. Easing up her tensed muscles, she took a long breath through her nose, forcing herself to relax. To her surprise, on the very next stroke, Daniel's tip slid right past the tight barrier to her throat and half of his length disappeared between her lips. Miss Banks smiled at the newfound progress and continued to brush her fingers across the girl's cheek, murmuring words of encouragement and occasional advice. Closing her eyes, Samantha allowed herself to do everything that Miss Banks told her to. Her muscles and tendons went lax. She focused solely on breathing through her nose, to the exclusion of all else. Of course, she was still gagging and choking quite frequently, but it wasn't nearly as violent as before and she was now able to regroup much faster and take the reflex in stride. Becoming more and more used to the motions and more receptive, she re-engaged her tongue to rub against the top of Daniel's cock as it moved on the track of her neck. Feeling something smack into her face, Samantha opened her eyes, confused. She was just in time to watch as Daniel's heavy balls came swinging back into her face, tapping her lightly before rebounding. That could only mean…she was taking his entire length! She couldn't believe it. Just a few minutes ago, even entering her throat seemed like an impossibility. But now, here she was, his full seven and a half inches of thick meat sliding down her gullet with relative ease. She had done it! And, Miss Banks was right. She did feel a burning pride at having accomplished the feat. The pleasured groans and sighs floating down from Daniel were just another cherry on top. “That will do, Daniel.” Miss Banks said. “We don't want you finishing just yet, and not in that hole. This is, of course, a demonstration on fertility positions.” Samantha felt the raging shaft retreat fully from her throat, leaving her mouth completely empty. Raising her head, she was once again greeted by her teacher's face. This time, however, Miss Banks was beaming down at her pupil, eyes shining and smiling wide. “That was wonderful, Samantha!” she praised. “Excellent work! See what a little dedication and focus can do? Do you feel that pride burning in you?” Samantha nodded, coughing slightly to clear her throat. “Good! And what else do you feel?” “I feel…” Samantha paused. The burning had moved its way out from her chest and was now spread throughout her whole body, particularly between her legs. “I feel horny.” She admitted. “Yes!” Miss Banks crowed. “Perfect. Take it from there, Daniel.” Samantha felt Daniel lift her legs and assisted him, pointing her limbs skyward, her skirt falling down around her waist. Today, she had forgone her typical pantyhose in lieu of some thigh-high stockings. Daniel's fingers fumbled around her waistline, grasping the hem of her tiny, lace panties and sliding them out from under her. The small piece of fabric went up her legs, over the stockings, over her shoes, and then somewhere off to the side, discarded. Spreading her thighs, he moved between them, and Miss Banks leaned across the desk, reaching between them to guide his penis to Samantha's pussy, prodding against her already-wet slit. Samantha gasped as she felt the hard tip of Daniel's erection rub against her opening. She bit her lower lip and tried to keep her head up, but her neck was getting tired. Seeing the girl's head start to slump down, Miss Banks sat down in her chair and wheeled it up behind her. She gently lifted the teen's head and rolled in beneath her, letting her head back down to rest on her large breasts. Grateful for the soft pillow of her teacher's bust, Samantha relaxed her neck, her head now at the perfect angle to see over her own impressive chest and watch the action. Taking a deep breath, Daniel rubbed his tip down her entrance one last time and then pushed in, driving his cock slowly and steadily in to the base. The teens both gasped and moaned as their union was completed and they became connected at the hips. They stared into each other's eyes, their mouths open and breathing heavily. Samantha whimpered and closed her eyes, feeling Daniel shift slightly inside of her. He wasn't the biggest in the class, but that was hardly a good bar to judge his size by. He was still well above average, particularly with his girth, and he was much bigger than anything she had played with up to that point. Miss Banks listened closely to the girl's sounds and gently massaged her shoulders, urging her to relax like she had earlier. She kept rubbing her until she felt the knotted muscles finally ease up and her breathing evened out a bit. Samantha opened her eyes again as her tight cunt adjusted to the thick rod stretching her out. Daniel was still gazing back at her, concern permeating his expression. Chewing on her lip, Samantha met his questioning look and nodded her approval, signaling for him that it was okay to start moving. Acting on her consent, Daniel withdrew his hips, making them both gasp again as his throbbing shaft rubbed against her snug walls. When only the tip remained, he reversed course and drove back in, just as slowly. Upon bottoming out and receiving a cry of pleasure from Samantha, he retracted again and started to get a slow, but steady rhythm going. She felt absolutely incredible. Her pussy was so, so tight and wet. It was so much better than any fleshlight he had ever used before to satiate his teenage male hormones. After a minute or two of nothing but satisfied moans from both of them, he kicked the pace up a notch, moving a bit faster. With a jolt, Samantha realized that this was her first-time having sex. With a real person, that is. Her fingers and toys didn't count. No, this was officially her very first time being fucked. And it felt so…right! God, she couldn't believe what she was missing out on all this time. Maybe now she understood Sunny a little bit better. Actually, no. It wouldn't just work with any old boy. Daniel was rather exceptional at fucking her at just the right way for her specific needs. He was moving well, but not too fast to make it uncomfortable. And on top of that, his cock! It was as though it was made specifically with her pussy in mind. It was nice and big, but not so big that it hurt. More important than the length, though, was the girth. It stretched her wide and made her feel so deliciously full. And the shape was just perfect for rubbing against her G-spot in addition to every little sensitive place inside of her. That was without mentioning all the other little things his hands were doing. In the fray, he had tugged her turtleneck shirt and untucked it from her loose skirt so that his hands could slide under it and grip her waist. The skin-on-skin contact was far more satisfying than when there was a cloth barrier separating them, and Daniel was taking full advantage of that, even if it was miniscule in detail. His fingers rubbed and stroked her sides and grabbed at her firmly. To Samantha, the feeling of his fingers against her bare skin was like a hot iron of lust sizzling on her hips. Samantha was losing herself in the heat of the situation. She could feel her reason and sanity slipping away in the face of her looming orgasm and the utter bliss that she was experiencing. So, this is what it had been like for Andrea? Fuck, she could really get used to this. She was panting like a bitch in heat and sweating profusely. Just when she thought it couldn't get any more intense and erotic, Miss Banks arms came up and wrapped around her to squeeze her shirt covered breasts. It would surely have been better had she been fully nude, but just the firm pressure against her sensitive globes was sufficient to send her rocketing over the cliff. As soon as the first spasm rolled through Samantha's pussy, Daniel lost his own battle and came with her, shooting a large shot of cum into her depths. A millisecond later, Samantha's legs whipped up and wrapped around him, yanking him fully into her until her pussy lips were kissing his twitching balls. Daniel felt the soft nylon material of Samantha's stocking-clad legs that were locking him in place, and groaned, sending off a second, equally copious jet of jizz in her. Gripping her hips just as tightly as her legs were holding him, they both stayed perfectly still, save for their uncontrollable trembling. Even after their mutual climaxes had come and gone, they still stayed frozen in place, Daniel's rigid dick still lodged inside of her. Samantha could feel the enormous load that he had stuffed inside of her. It felt so incredibly warm and utterly filling. She knew that she was packed to the gills with virile, potent sperm. If she wasn't on birth control, she would undoubtedly be sporting a baby bump in a few months' time. Her mind still swimming and foggy, she reached up and grabbed Daniel's sweaty face, pulling him down to her where their lips met in a passionate embrace. They eagerly swapped spit, their tongues swirling and intertwining for a couple minutes until Daniel's cock was soft enough that it slipped out of her hot, grasping hole on its own, making Samantha gasp into his mouth. Tightening his hold on her hips, he lifted her rear up slightly to allow gravity to keep his semen stuck inside her until her pussy closed back up, sealing it in on its own. When they finally broke their lip-lock, they both looked up and were met with the speechless faces of their peers. The students all gawked at them, utterly shocked and unbelievably turned on by the over-the-top-hot display they had been witness to. The boys all adjusted their pants and the girls all subconsciously rubbed their thighs together, even Andrea, although she was more sly and embarrassed about it. Miss Banks grinned down at them, overjoyed, Samantha's head bouncing slightly on her boobs as her teacher laughed with delight. “That was immaculate!” she praised. “I couldn't ask for a better demonstration. You two have some chemistry, I think. Students, did you all see how her legs wrapped around him, holding him in her? That's a classic, biological response that serves the breeding purpose. It's involuntary and happens when the female is lost in the carnal desire, her sole focus on ensuring impregnation. That was a pleasure to watch and I think you both deserve some extra credit for a remarkable performance. You two can take a seat on the couch in the back to catch your breath and get yourselves together before joining us for the next demonstration.” Miss Banks leaned down and placed her lips to Samantha's ear so that only she could hear her. “Or maybe you both prefer to relax back there together and watch from afar. There's still plenty of time in the period. You never know what might happen.” Samantha didn't say anything in response, but Miss Banks felt a slight shiver run through the girl's body and she hid a smirk as Daniel carried her limp form off to the back. “Now that you've all been motivated by that display, let's move along. Lindsay.” She turned and fixed her eyes on the skinny redhead, who shrunk a bit under her gaze. “You and Tanner will go next. You will be demonstrating a slightly less household position. The Mating Press.” “Mating press?” Lindsay squeaked out, her eyes wide. “Precisely.” Miss Banks nodded. “Tanner, are you familiar with that position?” “Yeah.” Tanner nodded. Of course, the part he wasn't going to admit was that he had been introduced to the mating press through hentai. Not exactly something you blurted out to your classmates. “Good. You can get started while I get a blanket ready. This position best performed with both partners on the same level, because it allows for the male to get over top of her.” Lindsay gulped as Tanner turned to her, expectantly, and she dropped to her knees before him. Even when she was standing, he had a good foot on her in height. Looking at it now, their contrasting sizes were almost comical. Tanner made no move to unzip his pants, instead opting to let Lindsay do it. After a moment of hesitation, she timidly began fumbling around at his groin to undo his pants. She could already feel his erection straining to escape. It was like a huge, angry bull being just barely contained by a rodeo gate and any moment, that gate was going to open and Lindsay would be in for one hell of a ride. “Holy shit…” Lindsay whispered as Tanner's intimidating dick sprung from his pants to hover over her. It was very rare that the sweet redhead swore, but she just couldn't help herself when faced with the prospect of taking this menacing monster. She knew that he was huge, but up close and personal, it was so much more enormous than she had remembered. He rivaled the size of her forearm, for God's sakes. How was he going to fit in her?? Lindsay let out a noise of surprise as Tanner, who was tired of waiting for her, placed his hand on her head and drew her in to him. Lindsay found herself squished up against his crotch, his penis stuck between her face and his abdomen. Guiding her a bit lower, he let out a sigh as her soft lips rubbed against his heavy ball sack. Lindsay couldn't fathom the sheer size of those orbs. With her eyes pressed against his front, she couldn't see down to where his nuts were contacting her lips. They seemed like they were as large as tennis balls, but she knew that was just her imagination playing tricks on her. Still, she knew that they were huge and were full of virile sperm, just waiting to try to breed her little pussy. “Don't be shy, Lindsay.” Miss Banks said, returning from prepping the blanket. “He's showing you what he wants. Suck on his balls.” Obeying her instructor, Lindsay parted her lips and opened up until one of his hefty spheres popped into her mouth. It filled her entire mouth up with its size and she sucked on it, gently, for a few seconds before letting it fall from her grasp and moving to the other one. “Fuck.” Tanner hissed, pressing the cute ginger's face harder into his crotch. Her little tongue felt incredible swirling around his full nuts, but his cock was throbbing and ready for attention of its own. Grabbing a handful of her red hair, he drew her away from where she had been slobbering on his nuts, letting his shaft fall off her face to bob in front of her. She looked up at him, briefly, and, seeing the hungry look in his eyes, decided to take action before he took it for her. She had seen the aggression release that had come from Tanner and didn't want to end up like Samantha had on day one. Tanner released her hair and allowed her to lean forward, capturing the head of his penis in her mouth in much the same way she had done with his balls. Her lips wrapped tightly around him and she sucked hard. Lindsay's first blowjob on the first day of classes had been rather pathetic. Since then, her skill had not increased by much, but her eagerness had. Or rather, her desire to keep Tanner from taking over and refraining from fucking her face was very much present. She bobbed her head back and forth, stiff and uncoordinated, but with some vigor. Her lips stayed tight around him for the most part and her tongue stayed pressed to the bottom of his shaft as she moved down on him. She had the basics learned, but she lacked any finesse and it showed. Miss Banks tried her best to coach the girl, but it didn't result in much changes in the teen's performance. “Drop your jaw, Lindsay.” She instructed. “Add some movement to your tongue. Relax your throat and try to go a bit deeper.” Lindsay briefly attempted the tips her teacher gave her, but it was only momentary before her inexperience and nerves kicked back in. Tanner was fine to let her continue like that, though. He knew that the main event was yet to come. This novice blowjob was passable for a warmup because in a minute, he was going to be enjoying her tight pussy. Lindsay looked up, surprised, as she was pushed away from Tanner, his slick head bouncing in front of her. Her question was answered moments later when Tanner's hands came down under her arms and lifted the tiny girl, easily, to carry her over to the blanket, laying her down on her back. Lindsay's pulse raced as he went to work on her clothes and she remembered what was coming next. She was going to have to take that monster in her little pussy. Her nerves were buzzing, but it was too late to back out now. Her panties and stockings were already off and in a pile off to the side with her shoes. Fuck, now she had to do the mating press. What the hell is a mating press? Unfortunately for her, Tanner had no such confusion about the position and went right to work getting her in it. He grasped her ankles and lifted them, pushing her legs back until she was folded in half and her feet were pinned to the floor on either side of her head. Lindsay was glad that she was reasonably flexible or else this would be fairly uncomfortable. Intent on stretching other places on her tiny body, Tanner moved forward to crouch over top of her, his thick, baseball bat of a dick resting on her small opening. Held in place in the extremely compromising position, Lindsay could only watch as his hips drew back to line up with her vulnerable pussy. A soft whimper escaped her sealed lips, and then he was in. “Holy fuck, that's big!” she cried, her walls instantly stretched to the max. She felt like she was going to be ripped right in half as he pushed deeper and deeper. She shrieked and shook in his grasp, but he had no intention of stopping and kept powering forward until Lindsay felt his groin touch her stretched lower lips. By that time, though, the teen was panting and trembling, completely and utterly impaled on Tanner's monstrous length. Noticing the redhead struggling, Miss Banks stepped up and leaned down to Tanner before he could move. “Hold still.” She instructed. “Let her grow accustomed to you some. The poor girl has never even dreamt of taking something that big. You can't start fucking away immediately.” Nodding in affirmation, Tanner kept completely still, his enormous rod still stuffed inside her snug cunt. Miss Banks, seeing that his hands were currently busy pinning Lindsay's ankles by her head, decided to assist the process so that things could move a little smoother. She knelt down next to the enjoined pair and reached between them. She couldn't see between their tightly pressed bodies, but her experienced hands knew exactly where to go. Lindsay gasped as she felt her teacher's fingers start to gently rub her clit, clearing the pain haze slightly and making her moan. In almost no time at all, Miss Banks' talented digits had worked her into a squirming, gushing mess. She cried out, weakly fighting against Tanner's grip, but stood no chance whatsoever to break away. Screaming, she went rigid as her instructor brought her to orgasm. Tanner groaned, Lindsay's clenching, contracting walls begging for him to start moving, but Miss Banks held his gaze with her own, sternly making sure that he waited. Keeping her slender fingers moving and rubbing the squealing girl's clit, she heightened the sensations as much as was manually possible until the little ginger was left panting and gasping. “Okay.” Miss Banks nodded, withdrawing her soaked hand from between them. “You can start up again.” All too happy to comply, Tanner pulled back, making Lindsay whimper as he dragged against her slick, sensitive walls. Before he had even pulled more than halfway back, he switched directions, ramming back into her. The sudden, unexpected thrust ripped a scream from Lindsay as his tip mashed against her cervix, her eyes rolling up and her pussy clenching. Tanner grunted, feeling her walls tighten up on him briefly. Eager to feel that again, Tanner retreated a couple inches and powered right back home, moaning as her tight hole spasmed around him yet again. Lindsay momentarily had the realization that what happened to Andrea yesterday was going to happen to her today. She could already feel her sanity slipping away, and Tanner had only just begun to fuck her. Her vision was persistently blurred and obscured, a result of her eyes lolling about in her head as she lost control of her muscles and sensory application. It only took a few minutes of steady pounding for Tanner to force another intense climax from her. Miss Banks frowned as Lindsay's shrill scream pierced the air, reverberating throughout the classroom. “It seems Miss Lindsay is certainly a screamer.” She said. “As cute as that is, we don't want to disturb any other classes. The walls can only keep in so much noise. Tanner, please keep your mate quiet.” Two solutions formed in Tanner's mind. The first was to simply wrap his hand around her neck and choke her into silence. That was quite appealing, but he could tell that she was already more than overwhelmed, sexually, by the whole situation and cutting off her breath might make her pass out from the combination of sensation and lack of air. The only other choice was to block her mouth off. His hands were busy pinning her ankles down, so he used his own mouth. Two negatives make a positive? Two mouths make a sloppy kiss. At first, it was very much one sided and mostly consisted of Tanner using his lips to muffle Lindsay's screams while he kept fucking her. But, as Lindsay's mind glazed over further and she came up on orgasm number three, her primal instincts took over and she joined him in making out, more subconsciously than intentional at this point. She kept kissing him furiously, her blood rushing and burning madly, until orgasm number three struck her. Tanner briefly broke the kiss to huff out a rapid breath as Lindsay tightened sharply around him. She shivered and cried out, but he just re-engaged the lip-lock and fucked her all the harder. By the time Tanner's own orgasm came along several minutes later, Lindsay was much less a performer and more of a participant in the position demonstration. When the first hot jet of cum erupted into her cunt, orgasm number four reached her as well and she became little more than a limp doll for Tanner to spew his load into. Unable to even vocalize her screams at this point, she just laid there, a receptacle for semen, quivering slightly, her eyes crossed and her mouth parted. Tanner pumped a hefty portion of boy batter into her snug cunt, breathing heavily at the conclusion before finally pulling out and moving away from her. Lindsay's legs flopped back down to lay flat on the floor and a small river of jizz briefly escaped her pussy until her lips shut, trapping the remainder inside of her. Miss Banks looked down at the broken teen and sighed. “That was a good demonstration, Tanner.” She said. “You have some stuff to work on, but all the building blocks are there. Lindsay, I doubt you can hear me, but you did all right, as well. Your oral needs a lot of help and you're even more fucked silly than Andrea was yesterday, but we can work on those things. I suppose it can't be helped completely, given the substantial size difference between the penetrator and penetratee in this example. Well, students, you have…” She glanced up at the clock. “Three minutes before class is over. I'm going to let you go a little early today. Don't worry about Miss Lindsay. I'll have her right as rain in an hour or two and send her on her way. Have a good weekend.” She turned towards the back of the room as the other four gathered up their bags to leave. “That means you two as well.” She called to the Daniel and Samantha, who were currently entangled in each other's' arms, their clothes askew and their lips fighting for dominance. Chuckling as they failed to notice her speaking to them, she made her way to the back to break up the hormonal pair and sent them on their way before turning back to her mind-fucked redhead student and began to nurse her sanity back. based on the works of firebird68 for Literotica

Scripture: Genesis 11:27—12:9 Key Takeaways: Genesis 3:14–15 Matthew 1:1 Galatians 3:6–9 + Obeying the Call Mark 1:16–20 + Believing the Promise + Promise - Faith - Obedience - Leave the Results to God Zechariah 2:7–9 + Extending the Hope + Establishing Praise

Reverend Chris Harper - Scripture: Hebrews 13:17-19

Pastor Kevin Griffin preaches on 15, Life in the Vine: Abiding, Obeying, Rejoicing

Pastor Kevin Griffin preaches on 15, Life in the Vine: Abiding, Obeying, Rejoicing

Sunday, September 7, 2025, Hebrews 11:8-10 by David Cecil

Send us a textEpisode #482: Hearing is Good, But Obeying is BetterGod doesn't just want us to hear His voice—He wants us to respond to it. In this powerful kickoff episode of the Faith in Motion series, April Nicole Scipio reminds us that the blessing is in the doing.You'll be challenged to take inventory of where you may have delayed obedience, and inspired to move forward with confidence—knowing that partial obedience is still disobedience, but grace is available to help you course-correct.This episode will stir your faith, nudge you into motion, and equip you to walk in full obedience to what God is calling you to do.In this episode, you'll learn:Why obedience is the key to unlocking God's bestThe danger of hesitation and half-obedienceHow to take bold steps of faith even when it's hardScripture Focus:James 1:22 (NIV) — “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”✨ Declaration of the Day:“I choose full obedience to God, even when it's hard.”

The Lie of IsolationDepression tells us we're too heavy for others to carry.This lie leads us into silence and loneliness.But God never designed us to walk alone.The Gift of CommunityRelationships are meant to be reciprocal—we carry each other at different times.Sometimes we're the strong one, sometimes we're the one who needs support.That balance is what makes relationships Christ-like.Obeying the Law of ChristGalatians reminds us that sharing burdens is not weakness—it's obedience.Asking for help honors God's design for the body of Christ.Practical Steps to Lean In Instead of WithdrawingStart small: share a need with a trusted friend.Practice honesty: “I'm not okay today, could you pray for me?”Remember—it's not about dumping on someone, but allowing them to love you.God's Presence in Our BurdensEven when people fail us, God never sees us as a burden.Jesus Himself says, “Come to me, all who are weary…” (Matthew 11:28).Reflective Question for Listeners:Where in your life have you pulled away out of fear of being a burden, and what small step could you take today to let someone in?If this message spoke to you today, remember—you don't have to do life alone. Reach out, ask for prayer, and let yourself be supported. And if you'd like to go deeper, I'd love to walk alongside you through coaching. You can find out more on my website or connect with me through the links in the show notes.Find me on https://link.chtbl.com/hwiEDhYp I'm on YouTube @nickyasherbowlingand on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nicky.asherbowling

Ability or Dependability? This week join Aaron with special guest Sean Butler as they unpack the Faithful fruit. In Scripture, the concept of faith is often misunderstood as mere belief or mental agreement. However, a deeper look at both the Hebrew (אָמֵן – aman, H539) and Greek (πιστεύω – pisteuō, G4100) roots reveals a fuller picture: faith is trustworthiness, reliability, and dependability—not just belief in God, but faithfulness to God. “The just shall live by his faith.” – Habakkuk 2:4 In both the Old and New Testaments, faith is consistently shown through action and loyalty. It's not enough to acknowledge God's existence; true faith manifests as consistent obedience and unwavering commitment to God's ways. This is why Abraham was counted righteous—not because he believed God existed, but because he trusted and obeyed Him. Moses, too, is called faithful in all God's house—not because of what he believed, but because of how he lived. Even Jesus commended individuals for their faith when He saw their actions—like the friends who lowered the paralytic through the roof (Matt. 9:2) or the Canaanite woman whose persistence led to her daughter's healing (Matt. 15:28). A faithful husband is not judged by his beliefs, but by his consistency, loyalty, and actions. Likewise, God calls His people to demonstrate faith by their dependability—by living lives that reflect His character. Faithfulness is Dependability ● Keeping commitments, even when it's hard. ● Trusting God's Word enough to live by it. ● Showing up consistently—for others and for God. ● Obeying when it's inconvenient. ● Being loyal to God's Kingdom over worldly pressures. Faith is more than ability. It's not about being strong, talented, or capable in ourselves—it's about being reliable and loyal to God, just as He is to us: "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God." – Deuteronomy 7:9 Faithfulness is the Victory In the end, it's not ability but faithfulness that overcomes the world. “This is the victory that overcomes the world—even our faith.” – 1 John 5:4

In this episode, we are challenged to take Jesus at His word and to trust the Spirit to empower us to live the life He has called us to live!

The Torah in Parashat Shoftim (18:15) introduces the command to obey the instructions of a prophet. Once someone has been confirmed as an authentic prophet, the Torah commands, "Elav Tishma'un" – we must heed everything he tells us to do. The Rambam discusses this command in Hilchot Yesodeh Ha'Torah (9:3), and he explains that it includes an obligation to obey a prophet in the exceptional case where he instructs doing something that the Torah forbids. Even when the prophet tells the people to transgress a Torah law – we are required to comply. However, the Rambam adds, this depends on several conditions. Firstly, and most obviously, the prophet must have previously established his credentials and been recognized as an authentic prophet of G-d. Secondly, this requirement applies only if the prophet calls for a temporary suspension of a Torah command. If, the Rambam writes, a prophet announces the permanent abolition of a Torah law, then not only should he be disobeyed – he is determined to be a false prophet, and must be put to death. The final condition is that the prophet calls for suspending a Torah law other than the prohibition against idol-worship. A prophet who calls upon the people to worship a foreign deity, even as a temporary measure, must not be obeyed. The Rambam draws our attention to a classic example of a prophet who called for a temporary suspension of a Torah command – the story of Eliyahu's confrontation with the prophets of the idol Ba'al. As we read in the Book of Melachim I (chapter 18), Eliyahu assembled the people at Mount Carmel for a "showdown" with the pagan prophets. He invited the prophets of Ba'al to offer a sacrifice to Ba'al, after which he would offer a sacrifice to Hashem, so that the sacrifice which received a response would prove who the true Deity is. The prophets of Ba'al offered their sacrifice, which of course elicited no response, whereupon Eliyahu offered a sacrifice which was miraculously consumed by a fire that descended from the heavens. The people then realized the fallacy of paganism, and the truth of Hashem's existence. Now offering a sacrifice outside the Bet Ha'mikdash constitutes a grave Torah violation, punishable by "Karet." Nevertheless, the people were required to accept Eliyahu's decision to offer a sacrifice on Mount Carmel as a temporary measure necessary for the purpose of opposing the pagan prophets. Rav Meir Simha Ha'kohen of Dvinsk (1843-1926), in his Meshech Hochma (Parashat Re'eh), offers an insight into why the Rambam pointed to this specific incident as an example of a prophet calling for the suspension of a Torah law. He notes that when the Torah introduces the prohibition against offering sacrifices outside the Bet Ha'mikdash, it explains the reason for this command – so that people will not sacrifice to foreign deities ("Ve'lo Yizbehu Od Et Zivhehem La'se'iriim Asher Hem Zonim Aharehem" – Vayikra 17:7). By requiring that all sacrifices must be brought to the Bet Ha'mikdash, the Torah helps ensure that people will not offer sacrifices to false gods. It thus emerges that this prohibition – which Eliyahu temporarily suspended at Mount Carmel – is associated with the prohibition against idolatry, as it is intended as a safeguard against foreign worship. Hence, the Meshech Hochma writes, a prophet does not actually have the authority to suspend this command. As we saw earlier, a prophet must be disobeyed if he orders the people to worship foreign deities – and presumably, this should extend also to commands intended to distance the people from idol worship, such as the prohibition against sacrificing outside the Bet Ha'mikdash. Nevertheless, the Meshech Hochma explains, Eliyahu was allowed to suspend this prohibition, because he did so for the specific purpose of leading the people away from idolatry. Seeing how the worship of Ba'al had become rampant among the nation, Eliyahu realized he needed to resort to drastic measures to convince the people to worship G-d, instead – and this necessitated offering a sacrifice outside the Bet Ha'mikdash. Therefore, although a prophet may not suspend a prohibition associated with the prohibition of idolatry, this is allowed when it serves to distance the people from idolatry. The Meshech Hochma explains on this basis why the Rambam chose specifically this example of a prophet temporarily suspending a Torah law – because this is the most extreme case of a prophet's legitimate suspension of a Torah command, a situation that we would have assumed would require the people's disobedience. Specifically this story exemplifies the extent of the prophet's authority, how he must be obeyed even when he calls for the temporary suspension of a law associated with the prohibition of idolatry when he deems this necessary to lead the people away from idolatry.

Man-Child and Bride Throne (audio) David Eells 8/27/25 Please be patient as I lay a little foundation for anyone who may be new to this. Jesus laid down His physical body, not only to take on glorified body, but also in order to take on a spiritual, corporate body through His Word abiding in the saints. The Man-child is a corporate body within the Church, which will be the firstfruits in whom the full Word is manifested. Like Mary, each believer has the seed of Jesus, the Word of God, growing in him as a baby in the womb of his heart. As in the parable of the Sower, when the seed of the Word is sown in good ground, it will bring forth the fruit of Christ, 30-, 60- and 100-fold. As the inner, spiritual man grows in the image of Jesus, the outer, carnal man is dying. (2Co.4:16) Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. The resurrection life of Christ is being manifested in us through death to self (Philippians 3:10-15). As we are united with Christ in His death, we, too, travail over our death to this world. Jesus tells us that this sorrow of travailing in death to self would give way to the joy of bringing forth the life of Jesus: (Joh.16:20) Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. (21) A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, 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. Jesus' disciples were likened to a woman in travail who brings forth the man-child in the image of Jesus in Revelation 12. Verse (22) And ye therefore now have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you. He will see us again first in the Revelation 12 Man-child body of reformers. Just as Christ was the firstfruits in His time, the end-time Man-child is the firstfruits of those who manifest Christ after a time of apostasy (falling away). Seeing this full manifestation of "Christ in you" as already accomplished at the cross brings power from God to manifest it in the natural, which we do by faith as it says in (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. Paul tells us that Jesus comes in our mortal flesh, not glorified bodies. (2Co.4:10) Always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. (11) For we who live are always delivered unto death (to self) for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (Gal.4:19) My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you. Through death to self, we no longer live, but Christ lives in us and does His work through us. (Gal.2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth 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. God is raising up a corporate Man-child of spiritual Davids in these days, and they will lead the Bride; they will be the head of the Bride to bring them to maturity. We know that Jerusalem is the Bride, according to Revelation. The firstfruits of Christ coming to be manifested in His people is the David Man-child ministry. We read in (Luk.1:32) 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. This is of course, Jesus but it is also Jesus in the Man-child as history repeats on a larger scale. What many do not know is that David's throne was the throne of God that Jesus, and now Jesus in the Man-child, is caught up to. (2Ch.9:8) Blessed be the Lord thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do justice and righteousness. Notice that the throne of God was for the purpose of ruling over His people on earth, just as David and Jesus did and will do again. This is not a carnal king or a carnal throne. This is not going to be anybody glorifying flesh here; this is going to be the Lord, once again, coming in humble flesh in order to do His work and to be the spiritual leader over His people. He is the one in whom the Son of God lives. That spiritual David will be sitting upon God's throne on earth. He said, He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I overcame, and sat down with my Father in His throne (Rev.3:21). Jesus overcame and He sat down on the throne of God, which, once again, is an earthly but spiritual place of authority. He is coming in us; He's coming in a firstfruits to rule and to reign, to lead God's people back to the ways of righteousness, to rebuild the tabernacle of David and the kingdom of David. John wrote of this Man-child and throne long after Jesus' ministry. (Rev 4:1)...Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter. So this was not about Jesus physically but about Him in the Man-child body. (Rev.12:5) And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. (6) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they (the Man-child company) may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days. The firstfruits Man-child company will be caught up to the throne of God to minister to the Church in the wilderness for 3 ½ years as Jesus did and history repeats. This throne represents Jesus exercising His authority on earth through the Man-child body filled with His Word and Spirit. He said to His disciples, "As the Father hath sent me so send I you" (Joh.20:21); and "What things soever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Mat.18:18); and "He that receiveth you receiveth Me" (Mat.10:40). Of course, no one will ever sit on the throne but "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col.1:27), for it is always He who rules in the heart and head of His Body that is to be the Word made flesh. The kingdom of David will be restored, as it was in Jesus' day and in our day. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations (Gentiles) shall be gathered unto it, to the Name of the Lord, to Jerusalem (Jer.3:17). Notice that Jerusalem represents the Name of the Lord. The word for "name" means the "nature, character and authority" of the Lord. So, we see a throne within a throne. We see David's throne in Jerusalem but we see all of Jerusalem as the throne and also the Bride. God is restoring the type of the kingdom of David. He's restoring the Bride and He's restoring the Bridegroom. Yet again ... the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride (Jer.33:10-11) will be heard in spiritual, heavenly Jerusalem. Now I have a few revelations to share that relate to those who will be chosen to this position of the throne of the Man-child and the Bride.   Anointed Ministries Lead in Tribulation M.C. - 04/08/2011 (David's notes in red) The setting seemed to be dusk, but with enough lighting so I could see. (Dusk is that time between day and night, indicating here a transition into darkness.) On the road there were many troop trucks with no canopies filled with UBMers who were standing, waiting to be taken to a major event. (Having no canopies represents the Son shining in. UBM ministry with its people are getting ready, in the light of the Son, and in position for the spiritual battle with the beast, harlot, earthquakes, economic fall, tribulation, persecution, sickness, demons, etc.) I've tried very hard to remember the event, but I haven't been able to remember it yet. (You don't remember it because it will not be revealed beforehand. Nobody except God knows the specifics of what is coming, but everyone will be given specific personal direction when the time comes.) I wasn't yet, or at least I didn't feel, qualified to be in the trucks. (This is reflecting what probably most of us feel like in our present state -- not worthy and not quite ready yet to be marching on as peaceful warriors and anointed saints of God.) Everyone had been waiting for a long time. (We have been waiting for a long time because God is warning, and cleaning out the factious, and getting the elect ready as the time draws near.) All of a sudden, David said, "OK, it's time to go!" (David leading the troops represents the anointed Man-child ministry on a global level, leading the saints, including UBM, into the wilderness tribulation, like Moses and Jesus did.) So we all piled into his open-top army jeep, which was somewhere at the back of the convoy and we sped off past all the troop trucks. (The top open represents the Davids' unhindered communication with the Father. The jeep speeding past all the troops represents the David/Man-child ministries' leadership of the Church becoming stronger, as it was in Jesus' day. Those who were in the jeep but not driving could be the bride and witnesses who will receive the same anointing.) It was a very exciting moment. We roared past the first truck at the front of the convoy and headed into the dark tunnel ahead (which is the tribulation ahead). David waved his hand and called out jovially to the convoy, "The first shall be last and the last shall be first!" (We are seeing here the fulfillment of prophecies and the promises of God coming true. After having been last for so long, the David ministries shall now be first to lead the battle in tribulation). If I remember right, the tunnel was fairly short at the beginning of the trip. I suddenly realized that I was in his jeep but should have been in the last truck, if at all. (This represents all the believers who are "poor in spirit" and don't think highly of themselves and don't believe they deserve this privilege of being in the Man-child or Bride companies. Yet they shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and be in the firstfruits.) I was very embarrassed and turned around in my seat, trying to face the convoy, putting my hands together in a gesture, and asking for forgiveness for getting ahead of where I should have been in the lineup and yelled, "Please forgive me!" (Their natural humility shows they did not feel they earned this position. But we are accounted worthy through our faith that it is ours by grace.) Then I turned back around in my seat and just started to cry. (This could be weeping for joy and gratitude for such grace and anointing flowing to us freely from the Lord.) I think we were all very happy to be finally headed toward the destination. The darkness of the tunnel didn't seem to matter. (The first job of the anointed David ministries is to secure Jerusalem, the Bride, from the old man of the land, as it says in 1 Chr.11:3-5 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of Jehovah by Samuel. 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.)   The Bride's Throne Authority Amos Scaggs - 04/17/2010 (David's notes in red) In a dream, there was a young woman. (Representing the Bride, who will sit in the throne of authority with the King) A man looking up at her was questioning how she got to the control room (God's throne room), which was visible but not easily accessible. (The way is straight and narrow and is visible in the Word but one must be faithful and dedicated in order to access it.) She said there was really nothing to it because she worked outside of the control room and had been there many times. (The dedicated ones have been working under the authority of the throne room of God.) (And this was to permanently attain to be a pillar in the temple of the Philadelphia Bride and to go out no more as in Rev.3:12.) The young woman climbed up a tall and very dangerous set of scaffoldings where the steps and handholds had to be precise to get to the control room. The man (who represents the false, corporate leadership) was invited to follow her but the way appeared too shaky and unstable for him. (It is impossible for the apostate leadership to exercise God's true authority, for they are unstable and double-minded and without the renewed mind. They cannot walk in heavenly places any more than the Pharisees could.) The man went around to the back where he found a set of steps that wasn't as steep as the ladder the woman had climbed. (Joh.10:1 ... He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. They don't come through the door Who is Christ, the Word.) He climbed to the top but couldn't keep up with the woman and lost track of her. On the way he met friendly people working with old equipment (representing inefficient, traditional ways). All the man found were dead-end rooms and people causing him to lose direction and sight of the young woman. ("Babylon" means "confusion". Their authority rests on religious degrees and titles. Jesus, Who is the Word, is the WAY. Only "he that overcometh" will sit with Jesus in His throne.) The man never found the control room where the young woman went. (You will never find the throne room of God's authority using traditional methods. There is a Bride emerging who sees and lives more of God than the old, antiquated and apostate church.)   Death and Resurrection to the Throne Eve Brast - 12/16-17/15 (David's notes in red) Dream snippet I dreamed I was high above the ground, looking at a city neighborhood. Suddenly, everything began to shake. (These quakes are foreshadowed by the ones at Jesus' death and resurrection, which bring the same results to the Man-child reformer ministries, and will shake much of the population.) After the shaking ended, it seemed like everyone (of us) was relieved of some sort of burden. (The quakes will bring the resurrection life and anointing to the Man-child with miracles and a time of grace, safety, and reward to the Bride. Then the Church will enter the wilderness tribulation and deliverance from the burdens that the Israelites bore, slaving for the Egyptians, representing their old man. This would include deliverance from the financial burdens since the Egyptians were plundered of their wealth.) Some time passed as I watched children swinging and everything being peaceful, then I heard in my spirit, "After three days". (When Jesus died as a type of the Man-child's spiritual death, "after three days" came the resurrection and the "great earthquake" which we believe is the New Madrid quakes.) Once this was said, chaos among the people broke out everywhere and they were stealing and killing people and running around in a panic to survive. (This literally happened when the Egyptians lost their DS army at the Red Sea. After the reality of the quakes and financial shaking sets in, like "after three days", there would be great fear and panic, with survival instinct bringing out the worst in the lost. Martial law would bring bondage for those whose faith is in the Beast instead of Jesus. There was a shaking when Jesus died and then after three days, there was another great shaking when He arose. Mat.27:54 Now the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake (at His death), and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. And in Mat.28:2 And behold, there was a great earthquake (three days later at His resurrection); for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. Then there would be an empty grave for the Man-child, as we then see in the dream. Then I saw men digging up an old grave site. They were digging in red dirt and when they reached the bottom of the grave, they were amazed that it was empty. There wasn't even a coffin. (Reminiscent of Jesus, the Man-child, not being in the grave when they went to see.) This was a huge revelation to them and they went to look for David. They had many questions about this. (The spiritual resurrection of the Man-child will be a huge revelation. Then the people would be looking for the David/Man-child ministers after their death and resurrection to the throne, anointing would have been completed. Their many questions could be answered then by Jesus manifested in the anointed Man-child ministry.) This is all I remember from this dream. Dream - 12/17/15 I dreamed that David had just raised a man from the dead. (Because the Man-child Jesus resurrected Lazarus, many were coming to the Lord, so the chief priests decided to kill Jesus and Lazarus.) Everyone at UBM was excited and we knew it was time for "the feast". (The feast shortly after Lazarus' resurrection was Passover, which represented that the Man-child was crucified and there would be a Passover of judgment on the believers.) We all gathered on the upper floor of David's house and were setting up a very long rectangular table with a white tablecloth. (This table was for the Last Supper, the Passover: Luk.22:11 And ye shall say unto the master of the house, The Teacher saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And three days after the Passover was the resurrection of Jesus and His catching up to the throne, as a type of the beginning of the ministry of the Man-child of Revelation 12.) (Then we see this Passover beginning.) My oldest son, Noah, was nine years old again in this dream and he was demonized, so I brought him to David and he cast the demons out of Noah, who was completely restored. I was so glad to have my son restored to me! And I was just praising the Lord. (The people of God who dwell in the ark of Christ have a Passover covenant right to deliverance of every sort. When Jesus started His ministry, He began to deliver the people of God, as He said in Mat.15:24 But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.) After the Passover feast, I was walking with my sons out to the parking lot. (A place of rest from man's works for vehicles of faith, which we are.) This was outside David's house because we were all going to the ocean. (This represents evangelism, the Great Commission, to the peoples, nations and tongues of those Christians under the Harlot: Rev.17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.) There was a long RV parked illegally in David's parking lot. (This is a dual prophecy. Those resting in the flesh, as an RV or recreational vehicle, during the harvest are not in the rest of God and should not be in the parking lot that is for vehicles at rest from their own works. Also, we are expecting an RV, a revaluation, which will put us to work in the harvest and should not be resting in the flesh.) As I walked by it, I saw a fierce tiger painted on the RV's side. (I'm reminded of the term "paper tigers.") (Another dual prophecy. The faction fighting against the Man-child is a paper tiger with no authority or power with God. Whereas the Man-child driver of this RV is described like a tiger in Isa 11:4 ...shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.) As I passed by the open door of the RV, a painter who was an enemy of David's was mixing up some paint. (The factious leadership misrepresents the Man-child reformers through character assassination and would like to paint over the tiger. They disregard the authority and power of the tiger to their own undoing.) He turned to me and complained that we (UBM members) were all parking in front of his "NO PARKING" signs that he had placed all over the parking lot. (They think they have the power to bind or forbid the righteous. Like the faction against Jesus where Judas was a thief, so is the faction against the Man-child Davids of our day. They are Judas thieves claiming what is not theirs. Joh.10:10 The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. And in Joh.12:6 Now this he said, not because he cared for the poor; but because he [Judas] was a thief, and having the bag took away what was put therein. I told him that he was the one illegally parked and that he had no right to be there. He said, "Well, there is my father over there; you need to talk to him!" Jesus told the Pharisees in Joh.8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. So I went over and started talking to his "father". He started to repeat what his son had told me. But I refuted him at every turn and he became nervous and quickly began to leave the property. (The Bride is therefore subject to God as in Jas.4:7 Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. The Bride has the real authority of the Lord due to holiness. Luk.10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you.) The next thing I remember, I was at the ocean with David and Michael and all the UBM members. We were swimming in the ocean and ministering to the people there. (Obeying the Great Commission by Evangelizing the lost sheep under the Harlot.) There was a dividing wall under the ocean water in the area that we were swimming in and David and Michael were near that underwater wall up to their necks. (The underwater wall represents the sanctification or division between the elect who will come to the Lord and the other side who will not.) I saw Lexi playing with and tossing a ball in the water with David. (Lexi means "protector of mankind.") Everyone was very joyous. (Because the revival had begun.) This is all I remember. Verse given on 12/17/15 and dreams Psa.18:3 I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies. Please read the whole chapter! It really goes with the dreams. :O) Verse 1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David (representing the David/Man-child company of Revelation 12) the servant of Jehovah, who spake unto Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul (The apostate leadership that died at the hands of their old man of the land as David became king): and he said, I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength. 2 Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. 3 I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies. (The Dragon of Revelation 12 will fail to devour the Man-child and Woman, by God's grace.) 4 The cords of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 5 The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me. 6 In my distress I called upon Jehovah, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry before him came into his ears. 7 Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations also of the mountains quaked And were shaken (Major earthquakes are coming when the Lord visits in the Man-child company.), because he was wroth. 8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it. 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down (the visitation of the Lord); And thick darkness was under his feet. 10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his hiding-place (a visitation of the Lord, hidden in the Man-child ministry), his pavilion round about him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire. (A judgment through Moses the Man-child to set God's people free from the beast of that day symbolizing our day.. Exo 9:24  So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25  And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.)  13 Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice, Hailstones and coals of fire. 14 And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them (As He has told us of the faction, like the Sennacherib scenario and Joel's northern army being scattered.); Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them. 15 Then the channels of waters appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare, At thy rebuke, O Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. (He is coming with the earthquakes when the evil foundations of the beast are becoming known as today.) 16 He sent from on high, he took me (David Man-child is taken to the throne); He drew me out of many waters. 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from them that hated me (The factions against the Man-child, as the Dragon, fails to devour him when he goes to the throne of David in Rev12:4-5. When Jesus went to the throne, He had complete dominion over the Sanhedrin faction and delivered them to the Roman Beast.); For they were too mighty for me. 18 They came upon me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay. 19 He brought me forth also into a large place (An hour ago I got by faith at random in 2Sa 22:18-20, which is this same Psalm text. What a confirmation! The large place here is freedom of the Man-child to do his works in the Promised Land); He delivered me, because he delighted in me. 20 Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not wickedly departed from my God. (The Davids who walk righteously, even in the trials of Saul's persecution, will rule. The Son of God who dwelt in the son of David, the Man-child, said in Mat.21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; This was from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes? 1Pe.2:7 For you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner. Throughout the history of the Bible, the faction has rejected God's ordained leadership, who was given authority to judge them.) 22 For all his ordinances were before me, And I put not away his statutes from me. 23  I was also perfect with him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity. 24 Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. 25 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; With the perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect; 26 With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward. 27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; But the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down. 28 For thou wilt light my lamp: Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness. (Jesus manifested in the David Man-child reformers will give him authority over all our enemies and supernatural ability, as we will see.) 29 For by thee I run upon a troop; And by my God do I leap over a wall. 30 As for God, his way is perfect: The word of Jehovah is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him. 31 For who is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, besides our God, 32 The God that girdeth me with strength, And maketh my way perfect? 33 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: And setteth me upon my high places. 34 He teacheth my hands to war; So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass. 35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; And thy right hand hath holden me up, And thy gentleness hath made me great. 36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped. 37 I will pursue mine enemies, and overtake them; Neither will I turn again till they are consumed. 38 I will smite them through, so that they shall not be able to rise: They shall fall under my feet. 39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. 40 Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me. 41 They cried, but there was none to save; Even unto Jehovah, but he answered them not. 42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets. 43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; Thou hast made me the head of the nations: A people whom I have not known shall serve me. 44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me; The foreigners shall submit themselves unto me. 45 The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places. 46 Jehovah liveth; And blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation, 47 Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, And subdueth peoples under me. 48 He rescueth me from mine enemies; Yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man. 49 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing praises unto thy name. 50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, for evermore.   Man-child Given Throne Dominion to Minister Cathy D's Vision 1998 (David's notes in Red) Cathy came to us and she was new to our teachings on these things, and reported that she had seen in a vision that some people were being taken from the earth by beams of light that came down and gripped them by their heads and drew them up into Heaven. She said that the Lord spoke and said "that these people had the secret of planting corn, the pure seeds". She said that in her vision, she was standing in the shadow of a building when she saw this. This is about the man-child being caught up to the throne of God, as Revelation 12 says, to receive anointing and dominion to minister on earth what they know of the true seed of God's Word. These, as reformers, are going to replace the apostate ministry in the heart of the true Church like Jesus, Moses, Joseph, etc., did. The building Cathy saw was the traditional Church which she saw spiritually standing in the shadow of at the time. As Jesus was a man-child on the spiritual throne of David to feed the woman, Israel, in her wilderness for 3 ½ years before the great persecution, so the end-time Man-child company in whom Jesus lives will feed spiritual, New Testament Israel, the Church, for 3 ½ years before their persecution. Rev.12:5 And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days (3 ½ years).

“A multitude comes from the east and the west To sit at the feast of salvation With Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the blest, Obeying the Lord's invitation. Have mercy upon us, O Jesus!”

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Support our mission to teach every verse of the Bible on video over the next 23 years. Read more about it here: PROJECT23 Our text today is Judges 1:1-2: "After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord, 'Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?' The Lord said, 'Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.'" — Judges 1:1-2 The book opens in a moment of loss. Joshua is gone. The strong leader. The voice of God's direction. The man who filled Moses' sandals and led battles with divine clarity. Now? Silence. No commander. No plan. Just questions. But the people do something right—they ask God. And he answers. "Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand." Notice that God doesn't give them a detailed strategy. He just tells them who goes first. And that was enough. Judah. The tribe whose name means praise. The tribe from which kings would come. And eventually—Jesus. Notice God's tense in the statement: "I have given." Not will give. He speaks with certainty. It's the assumptive sale! That's the language of divine sovereignty. Faith isn't based on circumstance—it's based on God's character. But here's the rub: Inquiring is easy. Hearing is easy. Obeying is hard. You've probably asked God for direction lately. Maybe about your job, your marriage, your next move. You've prayed, and maybe you've even sensed what God's telling you. But have you moved? God isn't asking for your full understanding. He's asking for your next step. Obedience doesn't require a detailed map—just faith in the One giving the directions. Take one small step forward today, even if it's just that—small. With God, the land and the territory have already been given. ASK THIS: Where do I feel unsure about my next step? Have I truly asked God, or just tried to figure it out on my own? What's something God has already spoken that I'm hesitating to obey? What would faith look like in motion today? DO THIS: Take one obedient step today in the direction God has already spoken. PRAY THIS: Father, thank you for leading even when I feel uncertain. Help me trust your voice and act on what you've already said. Amen PLAY THIS: "Same God."

Staying the Course. Obeying the Call.

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Sponsored by Charity Mobilehttps://www.charitymobile.com/rtt.phpSources:https://www.returntotradition.orgorhttps://substack.com/@returntotradition1Contact Me:Email: return2catholictradition@gmail.comSupport My Work:Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/AnthonyStineSubscribeStarhttps://www.subscribestar.net/return-to-traditionBuy Me A Coffeehttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/AnthonyStinePhysical Mail:Anthony StinePO Box 3048Shawnee, OK74802Follow me on the following social media:https://www.facebook.com/ReturnToCatholicTradition/https://twitter.com/pontificatormax+JMJ+#popeleoXIV #catholicism #catholicchurch #catholicprophecy#infiltration