Podcasts about Oh Father

A sequel to "Jenna Goes to Church"A Series in 17 parts, By Blacksheep. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.  More fun with the ever-horny Jenna and the good chaps of St. Michael's church and beyond!At the Vicarage Social, Jenna meets an ordained Catholic Priest.A full year had passed since Jenna Fox had started attending St Michael's church. During that time, she'd carried out God's work and in the true Christian spirit, brought much happiness to several male members of the church, thus helping them to become better Christians. In her new role as a vicar's wife, she finds there are still many other men of the church in need of guidance,Reverend Simon Morris and his wife Jenna were holding their annual November social at the vicarage. November always seemed such a depressing month, when, after the initial excitement of Guy Fawkes Night, nothing much happened. Christmas was still a little too far away, although the shops had been selling festive stuff since September. It got earlier every year.The usual members of St. Michaels church were in attendance, Gordon Leesmith the church organist and choirmaster, Josh the curate, Bishop George, Yulia et al, plus a few new faces from other churches that Jenna hadn't seen before.Jenna was wearing a low-cut, black velvet dress and a diamond encrusted cross necklace. A couple of times, she caught a tall, serious-looking man in the corner of the room staring at her. He quickly averted his eyes when she looked at him."Wonder who he is?" The chap was clad in black and wearing a clerical collar, so evidently a vicar or priest of some kind. She knew most of the clergy at the local churches, but had never seen this guy before.Gordon was circulating, and on the hunt for a toilet. Beer always went straight to his bladder."Great atmosphere Jenna," he said, winking at her. "You look lovely by the way.""Why thank you," she winked back. "You look rather fine yourself. That navy blue suit, Umm. We need more men in suits. Down with casual dress I say!" The organist still turned her on, despite her offloading him onto Yulia's willing friend Martika. "A shame Martika couldn't attend tonight.""Yes, she's been struck down with flu. Been in bed all week.""Aww." They looked at each other. Gordon's face bore an expression that was pretty much screaming, "I am unbearably horny and really need a fuck right now, I know you're the vicar's wife now but I still fancy you like crazy and miss your lips on my cock, ""Er is there a downstairs loo here?" He said. "There's a queue for the upstairs one and I'm bursting for a pee.""Afraid not. Hard to believe in a house this size I know. There's always the back garden. Plenty of bushes and it's dark." Jenna replied, and tossing him a crumb of hope, added. "I might join you out there later."Gordon's face lit up. "Okay. Thanks!"Jenna scanned the living room. Presently, her husband appeared. "Nice to see so many guests. I didn't think so many would turn up!""I know, It's great!" Jenna couldn't help but notice that there were way more male guests than female ones. "I wonder why that is?" She grinned to herself. "By the way, who's that guy in the corner over there? He looks like he's at a funeral rather than a vicarage social. His face could turn milk sour."Reverend Morris looked. "Oh. That's Father Aiden. He's a Catholic priest. Only been in this neck of the woods for a few weeks. He's taken over at St Gregory's. Prior to that he was based in Liverpool. Huge Irish community there of course, and I believe he was born in Dublin.""Can't get more stereotypically Irish, can he?" The name, the look: Father Aiden had black hair, pale blue eyes and a bone-white complexion. His hairstyle struck Jenna as being somewhat old-fashioned, with sideburns."He'd be good at playing a vampire. Why's he looking so miserable? Is it because he's in a Church of England vicarage?"Reverend Morris laughed. "Ha! No, my love. All denominations are welcome at this vicarage, we've got the Oakwood Road Methodist guys here too and the Living Earth Free Church. From what I've heard, Father Aiden is just a very serious man. It's just how he is. He's probably enjoying himself, even though he looks miserable.""If he's a Catholic priest does that mean, ""Oh yes. Vow of celibacy.""That's the real reason he's miserable then!" Jenna replied."Indeed. Whilst I respect his vows, personally it's something I could never adhere to!""Nope. You like pussy too much, Rev.""Jenna, shush! You're making me blush!""I'm right though.""You know I can never get enough of your pussy," the vicar whispered in her ear. "I must go and mingle, before I get another hard-on."Jenna sensed the moment was right to get to know the mysterious Father Aiden a bit better. The priest was currently being bored to death by an elderly woman from St. Michael's who was lamenting the state of modern Britain.", And like I keep saying, this country went to the dogs long ago. Useless, lying politicians, rising crime, rising cost of living. Unbridled filth peddled on every street corner. I imagine, Father, coming from a big city like Liverpool, this small town must seem like paradise to you. Don't be fooled! County lines are a big problem! And the local park. Would you believe it? It's become a dogging hotspot, "Father Aiden said nothing and just nodded patiently at her. Sensing he needed rescuing, Jenna cut in."Sorry Mrs. Grimes, can I just interrupt and borrow Father Aiden for a minute? I need to discuss something.""Oh be my guest," the pensioner replied. "He's not got a lot to say.""Probably because he couldn't get a word in," Jenna muttered under her breath as Mrs. Grimes shuffled off. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Jenna, Reverend Morris' wife. Nice to meet you, Father Aiden." She held out her hand, and he reluctantly shook it."Hello." The priest spoke at last, in a thick Irish accent, his dour expression unchanging."You look rather trapped. Too many people here for your liking?""A little." Father Aiden replied. He looked extremely uncomfortable in Jenna's presence. "I'm still, finding my feet around this area.""I'm sure you'll settle in just fine, Father. Have you tried any of the buffet? My husband's a great cook; he's made some great cakes and, ""Maybe later. I, I would appreciate a cup of tea if possible.""Oh no problem. Why don't you take a seat in the snug? You'll find it more relaxing in there. Less chatter.""Thanks." He skulked off. Jenna took a deep breath. "Blimey, what a cold fish. I'd get better conversation out of a statue. Still, early days. With a little bit of help, he's bound to open up sooner or later." Far from putting her off, Father Aiden's stern exterior only served to fascinate Jenna further. And the fact he was a celibate priest, .hmm. That couldn't possibly be good for him, could it?Moments later, she brought him a cup of tea. "Here you go," she said, putting it on the side table by his chair and taking a seat opposite him."Thanks, Mrs. Morris.""Jenna, please."He twitched. "Jenna.""I've never met a Catholic priest before," Jenna said, and Father Aiden straightened in the chair and braced himself for the usual questions he was always asked, usually concerning vows of celibacy. He swallowed as he noticed how close Jenna was to him.Damn. She looks so much like Róisín, but even prettier. I can't believe this."Well, we're not that rare," he mumbled, sipping his tea."I know very little about the Catholic church," Jenna continued. Nobody in my family is Catholic. Mostly Church of England, and a few Methodists, ""I'm sure your husband can help you with any questions you might have," Father Aiden said, and Jenna wondered if this was his polite way of saying "please leave me in peace."Pretending to be upset, Jenna stood up. "I, I'm sure you're right, Father. I'm sorry for bothering you." She hurried out of the snug.Alone at last, Father Aiden smacked his forehead. "Why does this keep happening to me? Why do I always end up saying the wrong thing?""Definitely a lot of issues with that one," Jenna smirked to herself. A couple of chips on both shoulders methinks. I'm not giving up on the good Father though. Maybe in time, he'll soften a little."Gordon had successfully relieved himself on the rose bushes in the vicarage's back garden. "Ah, that's better. I'm sure those plants needed a good watering," he muttered, zipping up his trousers. Hearing the back door opening, he spun round."Hi there," Jenna smiled. "It's a bit cold out here, Gordon. You'll be getting a chill in your organ pipe.""Umm. I was hoping you might be able to warm it up."Jenna glanced round and took him by the hand. "In that case, come with me, "In the garage, Gordon's face flushed red with lust as Jenna leaned against a car, hiked up her dress and slipped her hand inside her drenched black panties. Her aroused smell met his nose and made his stiff cock throb more than ever. Already his pre-cum was leaking out. The fact that she was now the vicar's wife, was turning him on even more."Oh God, Jenna. You always know what buttons to press," Gordon groaned, as she ran her hand down his crotch, cupping his bulge."Don't you mean which stops to pull out?" She teased, unzipping his trousers. "Your cock is like the Wurlitzer organ in Blackpool Tower. It's always rising.""Ha-ha. That's why it needs you to play it," he chuckled. Jenna ran her hand down the front of his y-fronts. "Ooh, I'm not the only one here who's got damp undies!"Gordon groaned again. Jenna pulled out his cock and squeezed his balls. As she groped his manhood, she realized just how wet with pre-cum it was."Nice and sticky, just how I like it." She knelt down and teasingly licked the head of his cock before putting it in her mouth."Umm yes!" Gordon hissed as the vicar's wife began giving him a good blow. He'd remembered just how brilliantly Jenna was at giving blowjobs. Back during that day in church, she'd given him some superb head.Jenna withdrew and reclined on the bonnet of the car. She rubbed her neatly-trimmed bush of pubic hair and Gordon knew what she wanted him to do. With just one finger at first, the organist began tracing circles around the outside of her wet pussy. Jenna moaned, enjoying the attention, but wanting more. Sensing this, Gordon spread her pussy lips with his finger and pushed inside her, spreading her walls and began to fuck her with it. Then he lowered his head. Very slowly at first, teasing her into a state of desperate pleasure, he tongued her, savoring her juices."Oh Gordon!" Jenna screamed. She began moving her body in time to his motions, trying to get his tongue to go even deeper. Then without warning, Gordon stopped his treatment, as he felt her hand brush against the head of his prick. "Slide your organ pipe in," she purred, knowing he got such a kick from these corny phrases."With pleasure!"Positioning the tip of his dick right up against her wet opening, he slid inside her and was soon thrusting with vigor."Umm, more Gordon! Yes!"He continued pumping her hard and fast, pulling almost all the way out and then slamming his dick all the way back in. He grabbed her hips to steady himself, still fucking her rapidly. Then their coupled bodies convulsed ferociously, and Gordon's pulsating member filled Jenna's snatch with his cum."Here endeth the organ lesson," Jenna said, planting a kiss on his lips.Gordon kissed her back. "Oh thanks Jenna. I enjoyed that immensely.""And you really needed that!" She replied, adjusting her clothing. "It's not good for an organist to have so much cum building up like that, there might be a risk of a ruptured bellows."Gordon zipped up his trousers. "Far worse than trapped wind!"They both laughed. "We'd better get back to the party. I'll go first, okay?"Jenna headed out of the garage. As she walked round the side of the house, she almost walked straight into Father Aiden."Oh!" He recoiled in shock. "Mrs, er, Jenna.""Father Aiden! You made me jump! Don't tell me you're looking for a downstairs toilet too?"He blinked. "Um no. I was, er, I wanted to apologies for earlier. I was very rude. Whatever must you think of me? You being the vicar's wife and all.""I'd say you're a chap who's just finding his way in a new place," Jenna smiled. Even in the dark, his watery blue eyes seemed to be staring right into her soul. "Anyways, apology accepted!" Before he could say another word, she planted a kiss on his cheek. "Would you like another cup of tea, Father?"Father Aiden clutched his chest as though he'd glimpsed Satan himself. A look of horror on his face."What's the matter?" Jenna said, glancing back at him. "My tea isn't that bad is it?"The Priest is caught masturbating"Holy Spirit, come into my heart and show me my sins. Give me a proper spirit of repentance and the grace to make a good confession. Give me your peace that I might not be anxious but rather trust in your abundant mercies."Father Aiden said a prayer to himself. He was anxiously sitting in his confessional, awaiting the arrival of any lost sheep who were in need of his guidance. Here of all places, he needed to be focused on his job as a priest, yet his mind was on other things. Last night, he'd attended a gathering at St. Michael's vicarage. He hadn't really wanted to go, as social events made him uncomfortable, but had gone along to show willing. It had been his first social since he'd left Liverpool.It had all been going well until he'd met the vicar's wife, Jenna. The woman had shocked him to the core. She reminded him so much of Róisín, a twentysomething woman whom he'd developed feelings for back in Liverpool. He'd come perilously close to breaking his celibacy vows with her, they'd kissed passionately a couple of times in the confessional booth, until Father Aiden's nerves and guilt finally got the better of him and he'd pushed her away. Feeling it best to move on before things developed into something more serious, he quit his post and requested to be moved elsewhere. He'd narrowly avoided a scandal.Father Aiden was thirty-five, and had been a priest for eight years now. He recalled his early years, growing up in a small village near Dublin. As rigidly as he'd stuck to his celibacy vows since joining the priesthood, Father Aiden was no virgin. As an eighteen year old, he'd been an altar boy at his local church, and lost his virginity to Sara, a much older married woman who was a member of the congregation. They'd enjoyed passionate romps in the confessional booths, in the vestry, just about everywhere. Sara had a very high sex drive and didn't get any from her dull husband. Then a nightmare situation. Sara had fallen pregnant. Aiden's world had been rocked.In their strict Catholic community, even the thought of getting an abortion was out of the question. Aiden had resigned himself to becoming a young dad, but then just as he was starting to like the idea, fate intervened and Sara suffered a miscarriage. He didn't think it would have affected him so badly, but it did, and he blamed himself. It had been a punishment from God. From that day on, Father Aiden made up his mind to become a priest, much to the delight of his parents.However, much as he tried to bury any sinful urges, Father Aiden struggled. After Róisín, he hoped he wouldn't be attracted to another woman, but now he'd seen Jenna Morris, and been immediately smitten."Dear God, help me not to be so weak in body and mind. I must cast out these sinful thoughts."He was interrupted by the sound of someone entering the confessional."Bless me Father, for I have sinned." A middle-aged man said. "It's been a week since my last confession."Father Aiden composed himself and did his duty as a priest.Jenna grinned as an Amazon delivery van pulled up outside the vicarage."Oh good. It's arrived. That was quick."Reverend Morris was coming down the stairs as she was eagerly opening a parcel."What do you think?" Jenna said, holding up a nun costume."Ooh sexy. That'll turn heads at the church hall's fancy dress party next month! How very naughty and sinful. Better hope that Father Aiden doesn't turn up to that, eh? Might prove a bit too much for him! Talking of which, would you mind calling at St. Gregory's and dropping off that book he wanted to borrow?""No problem," Jenna replied. She picked up the paperback. "The Seeker by S G Maclean. Oh, he's into historical fiction is he? Well good to know he has other interests."Reverend Morris started laughing. "Heh, I don't know how I coped when the curate made that joke to him at the social. I know Josh had had way too much to drink but, dear God, I could've died when he started going on about Catholic priests lusting after choirboys.""What? I must've missed that! It must've been when I was f, er, talking to Gordon.""Yes. Father Aiden didn't see the funny side at all. I don't think Josh will even remember what he said to him. Anyways, I had to apologies!"Jenna couldn't help but snigger. "By the way, who are you going to dress up as for the party?""Haven't decided yet. You once said I looked like Prince Edward, perhaps I should dress as up in Royal robes and get a crown? Anyways, I must get going. I've got a meeting with Bishop George. What a busy week. Christopher's coming round tomorrow.""It's be lovely to see him. If the weather's nice, we can have a day out somewhere. I know how much he loves dinosaurs, why don't we take him to the museum?""Sounds great! Okay, I'll be back around four. Take care my love. Do give Father Aiden my best wishes." The vicar embraced her and they shared a lingering kiss, before he reluctantly tore himself away.Alone in the house, Jenna turned to the nun costume. Just how would Father Aiden react? "That would be a risk worth taking," she said out loud.Father Aiden had retired to his study. Saturdays were always quiet, and he relished this calm period. Reclining in a chair, he closed his eyes,Slowly, he unbuttoned his cassock. Before long he'd unzipped his trousers too. He was alone in the privacy of his study. His dick was now standing fully at attention. With mental images of Jenna Morris filling his head, Father Aiden took it in his hand and stroked it. He started talking out loud, as though reading out an erotic story where Jenna was pleasuring him."She settles to her knees between my thighs, opens my cassock and reaches up to open my trousers."He stopped and moaned."My willing lamb Jenna starts by licking the tip, tasting my precum. It is like silk. She then takes the head into her mouth and sucks it, darting her tongue into the slit. By now, I am rock hard, but still silent. She then takes my entire shaft into her mouth and keeps it there, running her tongue along the bottom. My cock shivers in her mouth; my only reaction. For what she is about to receive, I know she is truly thankful."Father Aiden was furiously pumping his cock up and down. "I gently place my hand on her head, and utter another prayer. My eyes are closed. I am about to come. I can't explain how glorious a moment this is. My lamb is so skilled, and now her sins shall be absolved."He was panting as he felt his orgasm building.Jenna parked the car in the street opposite St. Gregory's. The church was a grand old building, double the size of St. Michael's. The plaque on the railings described the church in eloquent fashion: ", an edifice in the Early English style, consisting of a basidial chancel, nave, transepts, north porch, lady chapel, and an embattled western tower, added in 1894 and containing 8 bells.""Never been in this church before. Oh well, first time for everything." with her usual bold as brass demeanor, she entered the church. "Wow, this is pretty ornate," she remarked. The place appeared deserted. No churchwardens or other staff anywhere. There was no sign of the priest. Jenna walked around the church, nosey-parkering here and there. She waited for a while, wondering if someone might come out of the confessional, but evidently that was empty too. Then she heard a muffled voice coming from a door at the back of the church."She knows I am ready and expects me to moan or yell, but all I do is tense slightly, for there are still other members of the congregation in the church. Then she feels my load in her mouth. She swallows everything, letting the last bit rest on her tongue so she can savor it." Father Aiden continued muttering to himself, in between moans.Jenna put her ear to the door. It was Father Aiden's voice alright, and he sounded like he was talking to someone on the phone. Then a load groan made her take a step back.."What the hell is he doing in there?" She wondered. She was about to knock, but what he said next made her gasp."She continues to suck my cock, a soft and gentle motion, caressing me with her lips and tongue, the feeling of this is indescribable. When she removes her mouth, she kisses the tip of my cock, and I moan, oh dear God, yes, yes!"Jenna squinted and peered through the keyhole. Her eye widened as she witnessed the priest reclined in a chair, masturbating furiously. He had that same miserable expression on his face, but his pale complexion was tinged with a blush, and he was grunting, seconds later he climaxed, shooting his seed into his free hand."Oh wow!" Jenna couldn't believe what she was seeing. "No wonder he was so miserable. Just look how horny the poor man is!" She licked her lips. The priest had an attractive uncut cock and to say it was large was an understatement. Though tempted to walk in and suck it right there, Jenna decided against it. "No. Not yet. I must wait for the right moment. And then I'll finally put a smile on this face."As he recovered from his orgasm, Father Aiden finished with a prayer."God, I thank you for your abundant mercies. No sin of mine is beyond your power to forgive, and your forgiveness has restored my soul to friendship with you. Thank you for never ceasing to love me even when my actions show that I do not love you fully. Thank you for seeking me out as the shepherd seeks the lost sheep."A dull thud outside the door brought him to his senses. Quickly, he wiped the cum of his hand with a tissue and zipped up his trousers. Cautiously opening the door, he looked around. The church was deserted, but there was a vague scent of a familiar perfume in the air, where had he smelt that before? He glanced down. And saw the book. He bent down to pick it up."Holy Mother of God, "Jenna had been here!Beauty and the PriestFriday night presented a perfect opportunity. Jenna's heart was pounding as she made her way to the clergy house where Father Aiden resided. The nun costume was proving to be quite itchy and uncomfortable, seeing as she wasn't wearing anything underneath it. To be expected of cheap Chinese tat purchased on Amazon. Still, the costume would serve its purpose, she hoped.Father Aiden reclined in an armchair as he read a chapter of the book that had been left in the church. Normally, he would be immediately engrossed in the story, but his mind was elsewhere."Did she hear what I was saying? She must've heard something."The thought that the vicar's wife might have overheard what he'd been saying was mortifying. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, jolting him back to reality."Who could that be at this late hour?" The priest mused as he got up. Usually the odd lost sheep called round, mostly Eileen Hattersley, a lonely old widow always in desperate need of a chat and reassurance. Then there was Bernard, a troubled fifty-something man whom Father Aiden suspected was closeted.He opened the front door. What he saw was almost sufficient to make him faint."Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.""Uh, Jenna? What, the, what are you doing here?""Well Father, I would've thought my intentions were rather obvious. Please may I come in?"His stern expression remained the same. He took a deep breath as he ushered her inside. "I know why you've come," he said at last. "You left the book the other day, didn't you? You obviously heard me, in my study.""I did," Jenna replied. "And yes, I heard."His ice-cold calmness slipped a little. "Celibacy, is hard," he murmured, staring at the floor. "I can only apologies for the disgraceful things you heard."Jenna raised her hand and touched his cheek. "But you have nothing to apologies for, Father. "Hearing you saying your erotic thoughts out loud was a huge turn-on. And a relief as well. Nice to know that priests have lustful urges like the rest of us.""Oh dear God Jenna, that's just the problem. I'm having too many of these lustful urges. I'm a poor servant of God. I can't stick to my vows. I'm sinning whilst in church, what is God to do with me?"Jenna thought for a moment. "Your opinion of God is different from mine. I was always taught that because he sent Jesus, who died for us, we do not need to fear eternal punishment for sin. You seem such an unhappy man, Father. Why not be truly honest, as God knows your thoughts anyway. Tell me, what do you truly want?"The sight of her dressed as a nun and giggling in a coquettish manner was sufficient to send blood surging to his manhood. He didn't reply, just put his hands to her face and planted a soft kiss on her lips."Oh Father!" Jenna whispered.The priest recoiled at once. "I-I'm sorry. Please forgive me.""You are forgiven. Now please kiss me again."He gazed at Jenna, moving his head in closer to kiss her on the lips. She pressed up against his body, feeling his hands on the small of her back. He broke it off. Jenna used the opportunity to gently bite the side of his ear, running over his inner ear with her tongue. He stiffened as she moved across his ear, going down until she got to the lobe.Father Aiden moaned, his breath warm on her cheek. His open mouth pressing into it. He didn't respond further. Jenna dislodged herself from his ear, causing him to look up as he moved his head."Come," he said, taking her by the hand and leading her into the sitting room. Jenna liked the way he was taking control like this."Yes, Father."In the middle of the room, he stood facing her."Kneel."She did as he asked. Father Aiden unbuttoned his cassock, revealing a straining bulge in his black trousers."Please, heal me," he whispered.Jenna needed no further encouragement. Putting her hands together in a prayer, she smiled up at him. "For what I am about to receive, may the Lord make me truly thankful." Slowly, she unbuckled his belt and started on his trousers. Father Aiden's huge cock sprang free the moment she unzipped them, and Jenna was surprised that he was commando under there."Are all Catholic priests as well-endowed as you?" She commented as she lowered her mouth over the end of his erection.Father Aiden simply shrugged.Jenna sucked on the head, tasting him as she ran her tongue over the sensitive opening, while pumping the shaft with her hand. She took more and more of his hardness into her mouth until she felt him hit the back of her throat. She relaxed and pushed on until she had his entire holy tool in her mouth and she was nuzzling his pubic hair. He groaned as he grabbed the back of her head and thrust into her mouth. The priest could not believe his eyes as Jenna took him into her mouth. Never would he have dreamt that his dull evening would have ended like this. And yet here this beautiful young woman was sucking on his hardened member. He groaned with pleasure at the sensations of her warm mouth on him. He was afraid to move at first, so he stood still, giving her free reign.Jenna continued to suck and was amazed to see Father Aiden's erection become even thicker and harder under her ministrations. She had never seen anyone so well-endowed, putting even her husband to shame. Her hands pumped the bottom of his shaft up and down as she continued to suck.Without saying anything, Father Aiden beckoned Jenna to stand up. He led her to the armchair and raised the nun costume, above her waist. He let out a sigh as Jenna's unclothed pussy was revealed to him. He liked the fact she was unshaved down there, unlike so many of the women he'd seen in porn videos, waxed and plucked so much that their pubic areas reminded him of supermarket chickens. Father Aiden slid down and began to slowly lick, nibble and suck her clitoris."Oh my God Father, " Jenna exclaimed.Hearing her utter his title like that, emboldened him. He licked and fingered her some more, and could feel her impending climax building, her hips rose up, she arched her back and started to yell."Oh Father; oh, yes!Father Aiden worked his tongue up inside her womanhood, swirling it around. His upper lip brushed her clit and moments later she exploded, squirting on his tongue and face. With a single finger, Father Aiden took some of the juice and marked the sign of the cross on his forehead. Still, he said nothing! After she'd recovered, he stood up and gently helped Jenna to her feet. He looked deeply into her eyes, and brought her lips to his.They kissed passionately, Jenna tasting her own juices on the priest's tongue. Finally, Father Aiden withdrew, and removed his clothes. Jenna did the same, glad to be free of the itchy nun costume."Oh," she smiled, noticing his dark chest hair. She ran a finger through it. Father Aiden took her hands in his and pulled her down to the floor. He reclined on the sheepskin rug. The warmth and light from the wood burning stove played across her body as Jenna straddled the priest and slowly lowered herself onto his erect pole. His thick head slid into her, stretching her to the limit. She paused to get adjusted to the mass of flesh inside of her, then continued to push down, filling herself.Father Aiden groaned with pleasure as he felt himself enter Jenna's tight opening. She kept moving up and down his shaft, each time lowering herself further and further until he was completely buried inside of her. The feeling of his erection deep inside her tight wet opening was incredible. He reached up and caressed her breasts as Jenna rode up and down his throbbing rod.Pressure began to build in Father Aiden's groin as Jenna continued to slide up and down his erection, slick with her juices. Her hot tunnel gripped him like a vice and seeing this beautiful redhead riding him, eyes closed, mouth open gasping with pleasure as he kneaded her breasts was too much for him. He felt the pressure continue to build, then a tightening at the base of his balls until he felt like he was about to explode.The waves of pleasure built to a peak until the continuous pummeling pushed Jenna over the edge and her body convulsed as she climaxed a second time. As she writhed in pleasure above him, Father Aiden felt himself explode as he released his load deep into her womb. His cock seemed to spasm forever as he shot spurt after spurt of cum, filling her until he was completely drained. Jenna collapsed on top of him, also completely spent.When Jenna opened her eyes, Father Aiden was staring right back at her, and he was smiling. A truly lovely smile.To be continued.By Blacksheep, for Literotica.

Oh Father of compassion! We earnestly hope and desire that You will bear with our situation of not being able to think of the authority, honor or situation of our Father who has such an aching heart, but rather we are living by receiving the power of Your compassion...

Oh Father! Please don't leave us only to ourselves...

Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky词汇提示1.jealous 妒忌的2.Egyptian statue 埃及雕像3.aquariums 水族馆4.robe 长袍5.pillow 枕头原文Chapter 3: OdetZigfried left, and Odile went inside the castle.Odet, the wizard's evil daughter, was behind a tree.When she saw Odile talking to the Prince,she was jealous; she wanted to go to the ball, and what was more, she wanted to marry the Prince.She didn't like Odile, because she was so beautiful and kind.But the wizard loved her, so Odet couldn't do anything to hurt her... until now!Odet went to the wizard's room, but he was not there.The room looked like a museum.There was an Egyptian statue against one wall, and large aquariums full of strange fish.On a table stood many different colored bottles.Odet opened one of the bottles.Smoke came out of it.It smelled of burning wood.The magic owl flew into the open window,unseen by Odet, and changed back into the wizard."Do you like the smell?""Oh, Father! You scared me.""You wouldn't be afraid if you were not in my room when I wasn't here.""I know father, but I have something very important to tell you. It's about Odile."The wizard opened his eyes wide.He was a tall man, with a long, white beard and long, white hair.He wore a big black hat and a long black robe with stars on it."Tell me what you know!""First, you must promise to do something for me.""What is it?""I can't tell you now. First, I must tell you about Odile, then I will ask for something. Will you do it?"The wizard was very much in love with Odile.He would change his daughter into a frog because he wanted to know about Odile."Today, I saw Odile talking to Prince Zigfried. The Prince asked Odile to go to the royal ball tonight. He wants to marry her and free her from your evil powers. "The wizard turned in a circle and pointed his hand at the floor.Fire came from his fingers and hit the floor.The whole castle shook."I should have destroyed the Prince today, when I saw him with Odile.""You saw him, too?""Yes, at the lake. I attacked him,but I was only an owl. Odile knew this and she left him. He must have followed her here.""Oh yes Father, and he is so handsome! You should see his face!""Silence!"The wizard turned himself into a large,stone ball.He threw himself against the walls,making the castle shake again.Alone in her room, Odile felt the castle shaking.She hid her head under a pillow on her bed; she hated it when the wizard got angry.The wizard changed back into himself in his room."Now Father, you promised you'd do something for me.""I never promised you anything!""Oh, Father. I want to go to the ball! I want to marry the prince."The wizard angrily raised his hand again.Then, he thought of something.Slowly, he lowered his hand."You would like to go to the ball,wouldn't you?""Oh yes, Father!""And you would like to marry the prince?""Yes, I would." "Then you will, and he will think that you are Odile.""Oh Father, what a wonderful idea!"She put her arms around him.His body was cold as stone, and his eyes were filled with fire.翻译第三章：奥德齐格弗里德走了，奥迪尔进了城堡。奥德，巫师的邪恶女儿，在一棵树后面。当她看到奥迪尔和王子说话时，她很嫉妒；她想去参加舞会，更重要的是，她想嫁给王子。她不喜欢奥迪尔，因为她是如此美丽和善良。但是巫师爱她，所以奥德不能做任何伤害她的事……直到现在!奥德去了巫师的房间，但他不在那里。这个房间看起来像个博物馆。墙上有一尊埃及雕像，还有满是奇奇怪怪的鱼的大水族箱。桌子上放着许多不同颜色的瓶子。奥德打开了其中一个瓶子。烟从里面冒出来。它有木头燃烧的味道。那只神奇的猫头鹰在奥德没有看见的情况下飞进开着的窗户，变回了巫师。“你喜欢这种味道吗？”“噢,爸爸!你吓到我了。”“如果我不在的时候你不在我的房间里，你就不会害怕了。”“我知道，爸爸，但我有非常重要的事情要告诉你。是关于奥迪尔的。”巫师睁大了眼睛。他个子很高，留着长长的白胡子和长长的白发。他戴着一顶黑色的大帽子，穿着一件上面有星星的黑色长袍。“告诉我你知道些什么！”“首先，你必须答应为我做点什么。”“什么事？”“我现在不能告诉你。首先，我必须告诉你关于奥迪尔的事，然后我再提点要求。你愿意做吗？”巫师深深地爱上了奥迪尔。他想把他的女儿变成一只青蛙，因为他想了解奥迪勒。“今天，我看见奥迪尔和齐格弗里德王子说话。王子邀请奥迪尔今晚去参加皇家舞会。他想娶她，把她从你的邪恶力量中解救出来。”巫师转了一个圈，用手指着地板。火从他的指缝里冒出来，打在地板上。整个城堡都震动了。“我今天看到王子和奥迪尔在一起时，真应该把他干掉的。”“你也看见他了？”“是的，在湖边。我攻击了他，但我只是一只猫头鹰。奥迪尔知道这一点，于是离开了他。他一定是跟着她来的。”“哦，是的，爸爸，他是如此英俊！”你应该看看他的脸！”“安静!”巫师把自己变成了一个巨大的石球。他一头撞在墙上，城堡再次摇晃起来。奥迪尔独自一人在房间里，感到城堡在摇晃。她把头藏在床上的枕头下面；她讨厌巫师生气的样子。巫师回到自己的房间里变回了自己。“爸爸，你答应过要为我做点什么。”“我从来没有答应过你什么！”“哦,爸爸。我想去参加舞会！我想嫁给王子。”巫师又愤怒地举起了手。然后，他想到了一件事。慢慢地，他把手放下来。“你想去参加舞会，是吗？”“噢，是的，爸爸！”“你愿意嫁给王子吗？”“是的，我愿意。”然后你会，他会认为你是奥迪尔。”“噢，爸爸，多好的主意啊！”她搂着他。他的身体冷得像石头，眼睛里充满了火焰。

Oh Father! Please let Your holy life force become connected to our beings...

Oh Father, who has not cast us aside and who never rests while guiding us through new love!...

Oh Father, who has endured and fought throughout the long course of history in order to seek the glory of heaven!...

Oh Father! We know that if there were people who had true minds, then there wouldn't be anyone who did not long for the original world;...

A sequel to "Jenna Goes to Church" By Blacksheep. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. A sequel to "Jenna Goes to Church. More fun with the ever-horny Jenna and the good chaps of St. Michael's church and beyond! At the Vicarage Social, Jenna meets an ordained Priest. A full year had passed since Jenna Fox had started attending St Michael's church. During that time, she'd carried out God's work and in the true Christian spirit, brought much happiness to several male members of the church, thus helping them to become better Christians. In her new role as a vicar's wife, she finds there are still many other men of the church in need of guidance,Reverend Simon Morris and his wife Jenna were holding their annual November social at the vicarage. November always seemed such a depressing month, when, after the initial excitement of Guy Fawkes Night, nothing much happened. Christmas was still a little too far away, although the shops had been selling festive stuff since September. It got earlier every year. The usual members of St. Michaels church were in attendance, Gordon Leesmith the church organist and choirmaster, Josh the curate, Bishop George, Yulia et al, plus a few new faces from other churches that Jenna hadn't seen before. Jenna was wearing a low-cut, black velvet dress and a diamond encrusted cross necklace. A couple of times, she caught a tall, serious-looking man in the corner of the room staring at her. He quickly averted his eyes when she looked at him. "Wonder who he is?" The chap was clad in black and wearing a clerical collar, so evidently a vicar or priest of some kind. She knew most of the clergy at the local churches, but had never seen this guy before. Gordon was circulating, and on the hunt for a toilet. Beer always went straight to his bladder. "Great atmosphere Jenna," he said, winking at her. "You look lovely by the way." "Why thank you," she winked back. "You look rather fine yourself. That navy blue suit, Umm. We need more men in suits. Down with casual dress I say!" The organist still turned her on, despite her offloading him onto Yulia's willing friend Martika. "A shame Martika couldn't attend tonight." "Yes, she's been struck down with flu. Been in bed all week." "Aww." They looked at each other. Gordon's face bore an expression that was pretty much screaming, "I am unbearably horny and really need a fuck right now, I know you're the vicar's wife now but I still fancy you like crazy and miss your lips on my cock, " "Er is there a downstairs loo here?" He said. "There's a queue for the upstairs one and I'm bursting for a pee." "Afraid not. Hard to believe in a house this size I know. There's always the back garden. Plenty of bushes and it's dark." Jenna replied, and tossing him a crumb of hope, added. "I might join you out there later." Gordon's face lit up. "Okay. Thanks!" Jenna scanned the living room. Presently, her husband appeared. "Nice to see so many guests. I didn't think so many would turn up!" "I know, It's great!" Jenna couldn't help but notice that there were way more male guests than female ones. "I wonder why that is?" She grinned to herself. "By the way, who's that guy in the corner over there? He looks like he's at a funeral rather than a vicarage social. His face could turn milk sour." Reverend Morris looked. "Oh. That's Father Aiden. He's a Catholic priest. Only been in this neck of the woods for a few weeks. He's taken over at St Gregory's. Prior to that he was based in Liverpool. Huge Irish community there of course, and I believe he was born in Dublin." "Can't get more stereotypically Irish, can he?" The name, the look: Father Aiden had black hair, pale blue eyes and a bone-white complexion. His hairstyle struck Jenna as being somewhat old-fashioned, with sideburns. "He'd be good at playing a vampire. Why's he looking so miserable? Is it because he's in a Church of England vicarage?" Reverend Morris laughed. "Ha! No, my love. All denominations are welcome at this vicarage, we've got the Oakwood Road Methodist guys here too and the Living Earth Free Church. From what I've heard, Father Aiden is just a very serious man. It's just how he is. He's probably enjoying himself, even though he looks miserable." "If he's a Catholic priest does that mean, " "Oh yes. Vow of celibacy." "That's the real reason he's miserable then!" Jenna replied. "Indeed. Whilst I respect his vows, personally it's something I could never adhere to!" "Nope. You like pussy too much, Rev." "Jenna, shush! You're making me blush!" "I'm right though." "You know I can never get enough of your pussy," the vicar whispered in her ear. "I must go and mingle, before I get another hard-on." Jenna sensed the moment was right to get to know the mysterious Father Aiden a bit better. The priest was currently being bored to death by an elderly woman from St. Michael's who was lamenting the state of modern Britain. ", And like I keep saying, this country went to the dogs long ago. Useless, lying politicians, rising crime, rising cost of living. Unbridled filth peddled on every street corner. I imagine, Father, coming from a big city like Liverpool, this small town must seem like paradise to you. Don't be fooled! County lines are a big problem! And the local park. Would you believe it? It's become a dogging hotspot, " Father Aiden said nothing and just nodded patiently at her. Sensing he needed rescuing, Jenna cut in. "Sorry Mrs. Grimes, can I just interrupt and borrow Father Aiden for a minute? I need to discuss something." "Oh be my guest," the pensioner replied. "He's not got a lot to say." "Probably because he couldn't get a word in," Jenna muttered under her breath as Mrs. Grimes shuffled off. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Jenna, Reverend Morris' wife. Nice to meet you, Father Aiden." She held out her hand, and he reluctantly shook it. "Hello." The priest spoke at last, in a thick Irish accent, his dour expression unchanging. "You look rather trapped. Too many people here for your liking?" "A little." Father Aiden replied. He looked extremely uncomfortable in Jenna's presence. "I'm still, finding my feet around this area." "I'm sure you'll settle in just fine, Father. Have you tried any of the buffet? My husband's a great cook; he's made some great cakes and, " "Maybe later. I, I would appreciate a cup of tea if possible." "Oh no problem. Why don't you take a seat in the snug? You'll find it more relaxing in there. Less chatter." "Thanks." He skulked off. Jenna took a deep breath. "Blimey, what a cold fish. I'd get better conversation out of a statue. Still, early days. With a little bit of help, he's bound to open up sooner or later." Far from putting her off, Father Aiden's stern exterior only served to fascinate Jenna further. And the fact he was a celibate priest, .hmm. That couldn't possibly be good for him, could it? Moments later, she brought him a cup of tea. "Here you go," she said, putting it on the side table by his chair and taking a seat opposite him. "Thanks, Mrs. Morris." "Jenna, please." He twitched. "Jenna." "I've never met a Catholic priest before," Jenna said, and Father Aiden straightened in the chair and braced himself for the usual questions he was always asked, usually concerning vows of celibacy. He swallowed as he noticed how close Jenna was to him. Damn. She looks so much like Róisín, but even prettier. I can't believe this. "Well, we're not that rare," he mumbled, sipping his tea. "I know very little about the Catholic church," Jenna continued. Nobody in my family is Catholic. Mostly Church of England, and a few Methodists, " "I'm sure your husband can help you with any questions you might have," Father Aiden said, and Jenna wondered if this was his polite way of saying "please leave me in peace." Pretending to be upset, Jenna stood up. "I, I'm sure you're right, Father. I'm sorry for bothering you." She hurried out of the snug. Alone at last, Father Aiden smacked his forehead. "Why does this keep happening to me? Why do I always end up saying the wrong thing?" "Definitely a lot of issues with that one," Jenna smirked to herself. A couple of chips on both shoulders methinks. I'm not giving up on the good Father though. Maybe in time, he'll soften a little." Gordon had successfully relieved himself on the rose bushes in the vicarage's back garden. "Ah, that's better. I'm sure those plants needed a good watering," he muttered, zipping up his trousers. Hearing the back door opening, he spun round. "Hi there," Jenna smiled. "It's a bit cold out here, Gordon. You'll be getting a chill in your organ pipe." "Umm. I was hoping you might be able to warm it up." Jenna glanced round and took him by the hand. "In that case, come with me, " In the garage, Gordon's face flushed red with lust as Jenna leaned against a car, hiked up her dress and slipped her hand inside her drenched black panties. Her aroused smell met his nose and made his stiff cock throb more than ever. Already his pre-cum was leaking out. The fact that she was now the vicar's wife, was turning him on even more. "Oh God, Jenna. You always know what buttons to press," Gordon groaned, as she ran her hand down his crotch, cupping his bulge. "Don't you mean which stops to pull out?" She teased, unzipping his trousers. "Your cock is like the Wurlitzer organ in Blackpool Tower. It's always rising." "Ha-ha. That's why it needs you to play it," he chuckled. Jenna ran her hand down the front of his y-fronts. "Ooh, I'm not the only one here who's got damp undies!" Gordon groaned again. Jenna pulled out his cock and squeezed his balls. As she groped his manhood, she realized just how wet with pre-cum it was. "Nice and sticky, just how I like it." She knelt down and teasingly licked the head of his cock before putting it in her mouth. "Umm yes!" Gordon hissed as the vicar's wife began giving him a good blow. He'd remembered just how brilliantly Jenna was at giving blowjobs. Back during that day in church, she'd given him some superb head. Jenna withdrew and reclined on the bonnet of the car. She rubbed her neatly-trimmed bush of pubic hair and Gordon knew what she wanted him to do. With just one finger at first, the organist began tracing circles around the outside of her wet pussy. Jenna moaned, enjoying the attention, but wanting more. Sensing this, Gordon spread her pussy lips with his finger and pushed inside her, spreading her walls and began to fuck her with it. Then he lowered his head. Very slowly at first, teasing her into a state of desperate pleasure, he tongued her, savoring her juices. "Oh Gordon!" Jenna screamed. She began moving her body in time to his motions, trying to get his tongue to go even deeper. Then without warning, Gordon stopped his treatment, as he felt her hand brush against the head of his prick. "Slide your organ pipe in," she purred, knowing he got such a kick from these corny phrases. "With pleasure!" Positioning the tip of his dick right up against her wet opening, he slid inside her and was soon thrusting with vigor. "Umm, more Gordon! Yes!" He continued pumping her hard and fast, pulling almost all the way out and then slamming his dick all the way back in. He grabbed her hips to steady himself, still fucking her rapidly. Then their coupled bodies convulsed ferociously, and Gordon's pulsating member filled Jenna's snatch with his cum. "Here endeth the organ lesson," Jenna said, planting a kiss on his lips. Gordon kissed her back. "Oh thanks Jenna. I enjoyed that immensely." "And you really needed that!" She replied, adjusting her clothing. "It's not good for an organist to have so much cum building up like that, there might be a risk of a ruptured bellows." Gordon zipped up his trousers. "Far worse than trapped wind!" They both laughed. "We'd better get back to the party. I'll go first, okay?" Jenna headed out of the garage. As she walked round the side of the house, she almost walked straight into Father Aiden. "Oh!" He recoiled in shock. "Mrs, er, Jenna." "Father Aiden! You made me jump! Don't tell me you're looking for a downstairs toilet too?" He blinked. "Um no. I was, er, I wanted to apologies for earlier. I was very rude. Whatever must you think of me? You being the vicar's wife and all." "I'd say you're a chap who's just finding his way in a new place," Jenna smiled. Even in the dark, his watery blue eyes seemed to be staring right into her soul. "Anyways, apology accepted!" Before he could say another word, she planted a kiss on his cheek. "Would you like another cup of tea, Father?" Father Aiden clutched his chest as though he'd glimpsed Satan himself. A look of horror on his face. "What's the matter?" Jenna said, glancing back at him. "My tea isn't that bad is it?" The Priest is caught masturbating "Holy Spirit, come into my heart and show me my sins. Give me a proper spirit of repentance and the grace to make a good confession. Give me your peace that I might not be anxious but rather trust in your abundant mercies." Father Aiden said a prayer to himself. He was anxiously sitting in his confessional, awaiting the arrival of any lost sheep who were in need of his guidance. Here of all places, he needed to be focused on his job as a priest, yet his mind was on other things. Last night, he'd attended a gathering at St. Michael's vicarage. He hadn't really wanted to go, as social events made him uncomfortable, but had gone along to show willing. It had been his first social since he'd left Liverpool. It had all been going well until he'd met the vicar's wife, Jenna. The woman had shocked him to the core. She reminded him so much of Róisín, a twentysomething woman whom he'd developed feelings for back in Liverpool. He'd come perilously close to breaking his celibacy vows with her, they'd kissed passionately a couple of times in the confessional booth, until Father Aiden's nerves and guilt finally got the better of him and he'd pushed her away. Feeling it best to move on before things developed into something more serious, he quit his post and requested to be moved elsewhere. He'd narrowly avoided a scandal. Father Aiden was thirty-five, and had been a priest for eight years now. He recalled his early years, growing up in a small village near Dublin. As rigidly as he'd stuck to his celibacy vows since joining the priesthood, Father Aiden was no virgin. As an eighteen year old, he'd been an altar boy at his local church, and lost his virginity to Sara, a much older married woman who was a member of the congregation. They'd enjoyed passionate romps in the confessional booths, in the vestry, just about everywhere. Sara had a very high sex drive and didn't get any from her dull husband. Then a nightmare situation. Sara had fallen pregnant. Aiden's world had been rocked. In their strict Catholic community, even the thought of getting an abortion was out of the question. Aiden had resigned himself to becoming a young dad, but then just as he was starting to like the idea, fate intervened and Sara suffered a miscarriage. He didn't think it would have affected him so badly, but it did, and he blamed himself. It had been a punishment from God. From that day on, Father Aiden made up his mind to become a priest, much to the delight of his parents. However, much as he tried to bury any sinful urges, Father Aiden struggled. After Róisín, he hoped he wouldn't be attracted to another woman, but now he'd seen Jenna Morris, and been immediately smitten. "Dear God, help me not to be so weak in body and mind. I must cast out these sinful thoughts." He was interrupted by the sound of someone entering the confessional. "Bless me Father, for I have sinned." A middle-aged man said. "It's been a week since my last confession." Father Aiden composed himself and did his duty as a priest. Jenna grinned as an Amazon delivery van pulled up outside the vicarage. "Oh good. It's arrived. That was quick." Reverend Morris was coming down the stairs as she was eagerly opening a parcel. "What do you think?" Jenna said, holding up a nun costume. "Ooh sexy. That'll turn heads at the church hall's fancy dress party next month! How very naughty and sinful. Better hope that Father Aiden doesn't turn up to that, eh? Might prove a bit too much for him! Talking of which, would you mind calling at St. Gregory's and dropping off that book he wanted to borrow?" "No problem," Jenna replied. She picked up the paperback. "The Seeker by S G Maclean. Oh, he's into historical fiction is he? Well good to know he has other interests." Reverend Morris started laughing. "Heh, I don't know how I coped when the curate made that joke to him at the social. I know Josh had had way too much to drink but, dear God, I could've died when he started going on about Catholic priests lusting after choirboys." "What? I must've missed that! It must've been when I was f, er, talking to Gordon." "Yes. Father Aiden didn't see the funny side at all. I don't think Josh will even remember what he said to him. Anyways, I had to apologies!" Jenna couldn't help but snigger. "By the way, who are you going to dress up as for the party?" "Haven't decided yet. You once said I looked like Prince Edward, perhaps I should dress as up in Royal robes and get a crown? Anyways, I must get going. I've got a meeting with Bishop George. What a busy week. Christopher's coming round tomorrow." "It's be lovely to see him. If the weather's nice, we can have a day out somewhere. I know how much he loves dinosaurs, why don't we take him to the museum?" "Sounds great! Okay, I'll be back around four. Take care my love. Do give Father Aiden my best wishes." The vicar embraced her and they shared a lingering kiss, before he reluctantly tore himself away. Alone in the house, Jenna turned to the nun costume. Just how would Father Aiden react? "That would be a risk worth taking," she said out loud. Father Aiden had retired to his study. Saturdays were always quiet, and he relished this calm period. Reclining in a chair, he closed his eyes, Slowly, he unbuttoned his cassock. Before long he'd unzipped his trousers too. He was alone in the privacy of his study. His dick was now standing fully at attention. With mental images of Jenna Morris filling his head, Father Aiden took it in his hand and stroked it. He started talking out loud, as though reading out an erotic story where Jenna was pleasuring him. "She settles to her knees between my thighs, opens my cassock and reaches up to open my trousers." He stopped and moaned. "My willing lamb Jenna starts by licking the tip, tasting my precum. It is like silk. She then takes the head into her mouth and sucks it, darting her tongue into the slit. By now, I am rock hard, but still silent. She then takes my entire shaft into her mouth and keeps it there, running her tongue along the bottom. My cock shivers in her mouth; my only reaction. For what she is about to receive, I know she is truly thankful." Father Aiden was furiously pumping his cock up and down. "I gently place my hand on her head, and utter another prayer. My eyes are closed. I am about to come. I can't explain how glorious a moment this is. My lamb is so skilled, and now her sins shall be absolved." He was panting as he felt his orgasm building. Jenna parked the car in the street opposite St. Gregory's. The church was a grand old building, double the size of St. Michael's. The plaque on the railings described the church in eloquent fashion: ", an edifice in the Early English style, consisting of a basidial chancel, nave, transepts, north porch, lady chapel, and an embattled western tower, added in 1894 and containing 8 bells." "Never been in this church before. Oh well, first time for everything." with her usual bold as brass demeanor, she entered the church. "Wow, this is pretty ornate," she remarked. The place appeared deserted. No churchwardens or other staff anywhere. There was no sign of the priest. Jenna walked around the church, nosey-parkering here and there. She waited for a while, wondering if someone might come out of the confessional, but evidently that was empty too. Then she heard a muffled voice coming from a door at the back of the church. "She knows I am ready and expects me to moan or yell, but all I do is tense slightly, for there are still other members of the congregation in the church. Then she feels my load in her mouth. She swallows everything, letting the last bit rest on her tongue so she can savor it." Father Aiden continued muttering to himself, in between moans. Jenna put her ear to the door. It was Father Aiden's voice alright, and he sounded like he was talking to someone on the phone. Then a load groan made her take a step back.. "What the hell is he doing in there?" She wondered. She was about to knock, but what he said next made her gasp. "She continues to suck my cock, a soft and gentle motion, caressing me with her lips and tongue, the feeling of this is indescribable. When she removes her mouth, she kisses the tip of my cock, and I moan, oh dear God, yes, yes!" Jenna squinted and peered through the keyhole. Her eye widened as she witnessed the priest reclined in a chair, masturbating furiously. He had that same miserable expression on his face, but his pale complexion was tinged with a blush, and he was grunting, seconds later he climaxed, shooting his seed into his free hand. "Oh wow!" Jenna couldn't believe what she was seeing. "No wonder he was so miserable. Just look how horny the poor man is!" She licked her lips. The priest had an attractive uncut cock and to say it was large was an understatement. Though tempted to walk in and suck it right there, Jenna decided against it. "No. Not yet. I must wait for the right moment. And then I'll finally put a smile on this face." As he recovered from his orgasm, Father Aiden finished with a prayer. "God, I thank you for your abundant mercies. No sin of mine is beyond your power to forgive, and your forgiveness has restored my soul to friendship with you. Thank you for never ceasing to love me even when my actions show that I do not love you fully. Thank you for seeking me out as the shepherd seeks the lost sheep." A dull thud outside the door brought him to his senses. Quickly, he wiped the cum of his hand with a tissue and zipped up his trousers. Cautiously opening the door, he looked around. The church was deserted, but there was a vague scent of a familiar perfume in the air, where had he smelt that before? He glanced down. And saw the book. He bent down to pick it up. "Holy Mother of God, " Jenna had been here! Beauty and the Priest Friday night presented a perfect opportunity. Jenna's heart was pounding as she made her way to the clergy house where Father Aiden resided. The nun costume was proving to be quite itchy and uncomfortable, seeing as she wasn't wearing anything underneath it. To be expected of cheap Chinese tat purchased on Amazon. Still, the costume would serve its purpose, she hoped. Father Aiden reclined in an armchair as he read a chapter of the book that had been left in the church. Normally, he would be immediately engrossed in the story, but his mind was elsewhere. "Did she hear what I was saying? She must've heard something." The thought that the vicar's wife might have overheard what he'd been saying was mortifying. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, jolting him back to reality. "Who could that be at this late hour?" The priest mused as he got up. Usually the odd lost sheep called round, mostly Eileen Hattersley, a lonely old widow always in desperate need of a chat and reassurance. Then there was Bernard, a troubled fifty-something man whom Father Aiden suspected was closeted. He opened the front door. What he saw was almost sufficient to make him faint. "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned." "Uh, Jenna? What, the, what are you doing here?" "Well Father, I would've thought my intentions were rather obvious. Please may I come in?" His stern expression remained the same. He took a deep breath as he ushered her inside. "I know why you've come," he said at last. "You left the book the other day, didn't you? You obviously heard me, in my study." "I did," Jenna replied. "And yes, I heard." His ice-cold calmness slipped a little. "Celibacy, is hard," he murmured, staring at the floor. "I can only apologies for the disgraceful things you heard." Jenna raised her hand and touched his cheek. "But you have nothing to apologies for, Father. "Hearing you saying your erotic thoughts out loud was a huge turn-on. And a relief as well. Nice to know that priests have lustful urges like the rest of us." "Oh dear God Jenna, that's just the problem. I'm having too many of these lustful urges. I'm a poor servant of God. I can't stick to my vows. I'm sinning whilst in church, what is God to do with me?" Jenna thought for a moment. "Your opinion of God is different from mine. I was always taught that because he sent Jesus, who died for us, we do not need to fear eternal punishment for sin. You seem such an unhappy man, Father. Why not be truly honest, as God knows your thoughts anyway. Tell me, what do you truly want?" The sight of her dressed as a nun and giggling in a coquettish manner was sufficient to send blood surging to his manhood. He didn't reply, just put his hands to her face and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "Oh Father!" Jenna whispered. The priest recoiled at once. "I-I'm sorry. Please forgive me." "You are forgiven. Now please kiss me again." He gazed at Jenna, moving his head in closer to kiss her on the lips. She pressed up against his body, feeling his hands on the small of her back. He broke it off. Jenna used the opportunity to gently bite the side of his ear, running over his inner ear with her tongue. He stiffened as she moved across his ear, going down until she got to the lobe. Father Aiden moaned, his breath warm on her cheek. His open mouth pressing into it. He didn't respond further. Jenna dislodged herself from his ear, causing him to look up as he moved his head. "Come," he said, taking her by the hand and leading her into the sitting room. Jenna liked the way he was taking control like this. "Yes, Father." In the middle of the room, he stood facing her. "Kneel." She did as he asked. Father Aiden unbuttoned his cassock, revealing a straining bulge in his black trousers. "Please, heal me," he whispered. Jenna needed no further encouragement. Putting her hands together in a prayer, she smiled up at him. "For what I am about to receive, may the Lord make me truly thankful." Slowly, she unbuckled his belt and started on his trousers. Father Aiden's huge cock sprang free the moment she unzipped them, and Jenna was surprised that he was commando under there. "Are all Catholic priests as well-endowed as you?" She commented as she lowered her mouth over the end of his erection. Father Aiden simply shrugged. Jenna sucked on the head, tasting him as she ran her tongue over the sensitive opening, while pumping the shaft with her hand. She took more and more of his hardness into her mouth until she felt him hit the back of her throat. She relaxed and pushed on until she had his entire holy tool in her mouth and she was nuzzling his pubic hair. He groaned as he grabbed the back of her head and thrust into her mouth. The priest could not believe his eyes as Jenna took him into her mouth. Never would he have dreamt that his dull evening would have ended like this. And yet here this beautiful young woman was sucking on his hardened member. He groaned with pleasure at the sensations of her warm mouth on him. He was afraid to move at first, so he stood still, giving her free reign. Jenna continued to suck and was amazed to see Father Aiden's erection become even thicker and harder under her ministrations. She had never seen anyone so well-endowed, putting even her husband to shame. Her hands pumped the bottom of his shaft up and down as she continued to suck. Without saying anything, Father Aiden beckoned Jenna to stand up. He led her to the armchair and raised the nun costume, above her waist. He let out a sigh as Jenna's unclothed pussy was revealed to him. He liked the fact she was unshaved down there, unlike so many of the women he'd seen in porn videos, waxed and plucked so much that their pubic areas reminded him of supermarket chickens. Father Aiden slid down and began to slowly lick, nibble and suck her clitoris. "Oh my God Father, " Jenna exclaimed. Hearing her utter his title like that, emboldened him. He licked and fingered her some more, and could feel her impending climax building, her hips rose up, she arched her back and started to yell. "Oh Father; oh, yes! Father Aiden worked his tongue up inside her womanhood, swirling it around. His upper lip brushed her clit and moments later she exploded, squirting on his tongue and face. With a single finger, Father Aiden took some of the juice and marked the sign of the cross on his forehead. Still, he said nothing! After she'd recovered, he stood up and gently helped Jenna to her feet. He looked deeply into her eyes, and brought her lips to his. They kissed passionately, Jenna tasting her own juices on the priest's tongue. Finally, Father Aiden withdrew, and removed his clothes. Jenna did the same, glad to be free of the itchy nun costume. "Oh," she smiled, noticing his dark chest hair. She ran a finger through it. Father Aiden took her hands in his and pulled her down to the floor. He reclined on the sheepskin rug. The warmth and light from the wood burning stove played across her body as Jenna straddled the priest and slowly lowered herself onto his erect pole. His thick head slid into her, stretching her to the limit. She paused to get adjusted to the mass of flesh inside of her, then continued to push down, filling herself. Father Aiden groaned with pleasure as he felt himself enter Jenna's tight opening. She kept moving up and down his shaft, each time lowering herself further and further until he was completely buried inside of her. The feeling of his erection deep inside her tight wet opening was incredible. He reached up and caressed her breasts as Jenna rode up and down his throbbing rod. Pressure began to build in Father Aiden's groin as Jenna continued to slide up and down his erection, slick with her juices. Her hot tunnel gripped him like a vice and seeing this beautiful redhead riding him, eyes closed, mouth open gasping with pleasure as he kneaded her breasts was too much for him. He felt the pressure continue to build, then a tightening at the base of his balls until he felt like he was about to explode. The waves of pleasure built to a peak until the continuous pummeling pushed Jenna over the edge and her body convulsed as she climaxed a second time. As she writhed in pleasure above him, Father Aiden felt himself explode as he released his load deep into her womb. His cock seemed to spasm forever as he shot spurt after spurt of cum, filling her until he was completely drained. Jenna collapsed on top of him, also completely spent. When Jenna opened her eyes, Father Aiden was staring right back at her, and he was smiling. A truly lovely smile. To be continued. By Blacksheep, for Literotica.

A sequel to "Jenna Goes to Church" By Blacksheep. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. A sequel to "Jenna Goes to Church. More fun with the ever-horny Jenna and the good chaps of St. Michael's church and beyond! At the Vicarage Social, Jenna meets an ordained Priest. A full year had passed since Jenna Fox had started attending St Michael's church. During that time, she'd carried out God's work and in the true Christian spirit, brought much happiness to several male members of the church, thus helping them to become better Christians. In her new role as a vicar's wife, she finds there are still many other men of the church in need of guidance,Reverend Simon Morris and his wife Jenna were holding their annual November social at the vicarage. November always seemed such a depressing month, when, after the initial excitement of Guy Fawkes Night, nothing much happened. Christmas was still a little too far away, although the shops had been selling festive stuff since September. It got earlier every year. The usual members of St. Michaels church were in attendance, Gordon Leesmith the church organist and choirmaster, Josh the curate, Bishop George, Yulia et al, plus a few new faces from other churches that Jenna hadn't seen before. Jenna was wearing a low-cut, black velvet dress and a diamond encrusted cross necklace. A couple of times, she caught a tall, serious-looking man in the corner of the room staring at her. He quickly averted his eyes when she looked at him. "Wonder who he is?" The chap was clad in black and wearing a clerical collar, so evidently a vicar or priest of some kind. She knew most of the clergy at the local churches, but had never seen this guy before. Gordon was circulating, and on the hunt for a toilet. Beer always went straight to his bladder. "Great atmosphere Jenna," he said, winking at her. "You look lovely by the way." "Why thank you," she winked back. "You look rather fine yourself. That navy blue suit, Umm. We need more men in suits. Down with casual dress I say!" The organist still turned her on, despite her offloading him onto Yulia's willing friend Martika. "A shame Martika couldn't attend tonight." "Yes, she's been struck down with flu. Been in bed all week." "Aww." They looked at each other. Gordon's face bore an expression that was pretty much screaming, "I am unbearably horny and really need a fuck right now, I know you're the vicar's wife now but I still fancy you like crazy and miss your lips on my cock, " "Er is there a downstairs loo here?" He said. "There's a queue for the upstairs one and I'm bursting for a pee." "Afraid not. Hard to believe in a house this size I know. There's always the back garden. Plenty of bushes and it's dark." Jenna replied, and tossing him a crumb of hope, added. "I might join you out there later." Gordon's face lit up. "Okay. Thanks!" Jenna scanned the living room. Presently, her husband appeared. "Nice to see so many guests. I didn't think so many would turn up!" "I know, It's great!" Jenna couldn't help but notice that there were way more male guests than female ones. "I wonder why that is?" She grinned to herself. "By the way, who's that guy in the corner over there? He looks like he's at a funeral rather than a vicarage social. His face could turn milk sour." Reverend Morris looked. "Oh. That's Father Aiden. He's a Catholic priest. Only been in this neck of the woods for a few weeks. He's taken over at St Gregory's. Prior to that he was based in Liverpool. Huge Irish community there of course, and I believe he was born in Dublin." "Can't get more stereotypically Irish, can he?" The name, the look: Father Aiden had black hair, pale blue eyes and a bone-white complexion. His hairstyle struck Jenna as being somewhat old-fashioned, with sideburns. "He'd be good at playing a vampire. Why's he looking so miserable? Is it because he's in a Church of England vicarage?" Reverend Morris laughed. "Ha! No, my love. All denominations are welcome at this vicarage, we've got the Oakwood Road Methodist guys here too and the Living Earth Free Church. From what I've heard, Father Aiden is just a very serious man. It's just how he is. He's probably enjoying himself, even though he looks miserable." "If he's a Catholic priest does that mean, " "Oh yes. Vow of celibacy." "That's the real reason he's miserable then!" Jenna replied. "Indeed. Whilst I respect his vows, personally it's something I could never adhere to!" "Nope. You like pussy too much, Rev." "Jenna, shush! You're making me blush!" "I'm right though." "You know I can never get enough of your pussy," the vicar whispered in her ear. "I must go and mingle, before I get another hard-on." Jenna sensed the moment was right to get to know the mysterious Father Aiden a bit better. The priest was currently being bored to death by an elderly woman from St. Michael's who was lamenting the state of modern Britain. ", And like I keep saying, this country went to the dogs long ago. Useless, lying politicians, rising crime, rising cost of living. Unbridled filth peddled on every street corner. I imagine, Father, coming from a big city like Liverpool, this small town must seem like paradise to you. Don't be fooled! County lines are a big problem! And the local park. Would you believe it? It's become a dogging hotspot, " Father Aiden said nothing and just nodded patiently at her. Sensing he needed rescuing, Jenna cut in. "Sorry Mrs. Grimes, can I just interrupt and borrow Father Aiden for a minute? I need to discuss something." "Oh be my guest," the pensioner replied. "He's not got a lot to say." "Probably because he couldn't get a word in," Jenna muttered under her breath as Mrs. Grimes shuffled off. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Jenna, Reverend Morris' wife. Nice to meet you, Father Aiden." She held out her hand, and he reluctantly shook it. "Hello." The priest spoke at last, in a thick Irish accent, his dour expression unchanging. "You look rather trapped. Too many people here for your liking?" "A little." Father Aiden replied. He looked extremely uncomfortable in Jenna's presence. "I'm still, finding my feet around this area." "I'm sure you'll settle in just fine, Father. Have you tried any of the buffet? My husband's a great cook; he's made some great cakes and, " "Maybe later. I, I would appreciate a cup of tea if possible." "Oh no problem. Why don't you take a seat in the snug? You'll find it more relaxing in there. Less chatter." "Thanks." He skulked off. Jenna took a deep breath. "Blimey, what a cold fish. I'd get better conversation out of a statue. Still, early days. With a little bit of help, he's bound to open up sooner or later." Far from putting her off, Father Aiden's stern exterior only served to fascinate Jenna further. And the fact he was a celibate priest, .hmm. That couldn't possibly be good for him, could it? Moments later, she brought him a cup of tea. "Here you go," she said, putting it on the side table by his chair and taking a seat opposite him. "Thanks, Mrs. Morris." "Jenna, please." He twitched. "Jenna." "I've never met a Catholic priest before," Jenna said, and Father Aiden straightened in the chair and braced himself for the usual questions he was always asked, usually concerning vows of celibacy. He swallowed as he noticed how close Jenna was to him. Damn. She looks so much like Róisín, but even prettier. I can't believe this. "Well, we're not that rare," he mumbled, sipping his tea. "I know very little about the Catholic church," Jenna continued. Nobody in my family is Catholic. Mostly Church of England, and a few Methodists, " "I'm sure your husband can help you with any questions you might have," Father Aiden said, and Jenna wondered if this was his polite way of saying "please leave me in peace." Pretending to be upset, Jenna stood up. "I, I'm sure you're right, Father. I'm sorry for bothering you." She hurried out of the snug. Alone at last, Father Aiden smacked his forehead. "Why does this keep happening to me? Why do I always end up saying the wrong thing?" "Definitely a lot of issues with that one," Jenna smirked to herself. A couple of chips on both shoulders methinks. I'm not giving up on the good Father though. Maybe in time, he'll soften a little." Gordon had successfully relieved himself on the rose bushes in the vicarage's back garden. "Ah, that's better. I'm sure those plants needed a good watering," he muttered, zipping up his trousers. Hearing the back door opening, he spun round. "Hi there," Jenna smiled. "It's a bit cold out here, Gordon. You'll be getting a chill in your organ pipe." "Umm. I was hoping you might be able to warm it up." Jenna glanced round and took him by the hand. "In that case, come with me, " In the garage, Gordon's face flushed red with lust as Jenna leaned against a car, hiked up her dress and slipped her hand inside her drenched black panties. Her aroused smell met his nose and made his stiff cock throb more than ever. Already his pre-cum was leaking out. The fact that she was now the vicar's wife, was turning him on even more. "Oh God, Jenna. You always know what buttons to press," Gordon groaned, as she ran her hand down his crotch, cupping his bulge. "Don't you mean which stops to pull out?" She teased, unzipping his trousers. "Your cock is like the Wurlitzer organ in Blackpool Tower. It's always rising." "Ha-ha. That's why it needs you to play it," he chuckled. Jenna ran her hand down the front of his y-fronts. "Ooh, I'm not the only one here who's got damp undies!" Gordon groaned again. Jenna pulled out his cock and squeezed his balls. As she groped his manhood, she realized just how wet with pre-cum it was. "Nice and sticky, just how I like it." She knelt down and teasingly licked the head of his cock before putting it in her mouth. "Umm yes!" Gordon hissed as the vicar's wife began giving him a good blow. He'd remembered just how brilliantly Jenna was at giving blowjobs. Back during that day in church, she'd given him some superb head. Jenna withdrew and reclined on the bonnet of the car. She rubbed her neatly-trimmed bush of pubic hair and Gordon knew what she wanted him to do. With just one finger at first, the organist began tracing circles around the outside of her wet pussy. Jenna moaned, enjoying the attention, but wanting more. Sensing this, Gordon spread her pussy lips with his finger and pushed inside her, spreading her walls and began to fuck her with it. Then he lowered his head. Very slowly at first, teasing her into a state of desperate pleasure, he tongued her, savoring her juices. "Oh Gordon!" Jenna screamed. She began moving her body in time to his motions, trying to get his tongue to go even deeper. Then without warning, Gordon stopped his treatment, as he felt her hand brush against the head of his prick. "Slide your organ pipe in," she purred, knowing he got such a kick from these corny phrases. "With pleasure!" Positioning the tip of his dick right up against her wet opening, he slid inside her and was soon thrusting with vigor. "Umm, more Gordon! Yes!" He continued pumping her hard and fast, pulling almost all the way out and then slamming his dick all the way back in. He grabbed her hips to steady himself, still fucking her rapidly. Then their coupled bodies convulsed ferociously, and Gordon's pulsating member filled Jenna's snatch with his cum. "Here endeth the organ lesson," Jenna said, planting a kiss on his lips. Gordon kissed her back. "Oh thanks Jenna. I enjoyed that immensely." "And you really needed that!" She replied, adjusting her clothing. "It's not good for an organist to have so much cum building up like that, there might be a risk of a ruptured bellows." Gordon zipped up his trousers. "Far worse than trapped wind!" They both laughed. "We'd better get back to the party. I'll go first, okay?" Jenna headed out of the garage. As she walked round the side of the house, she almost walked straight into Father Aiden. "Oh!" He recoiled in shock. "Mrs, er, Jenna." "Father Aiden! You made me jump! Don't tell me you're looking for a downstairs toilet too?" He blinked. "Um no. I was, er, I wanted to apologies for earlier. I was very rude. Whatever must you think of me? You being the vicar's wife and all." "I'd say you're a chap who's just finding his way in a new place," Jenna smiled. Even in the dark, his watery blue eyes seemed to be staring right into her soul. "Anyways, apology accepted!" Before he could say another word, she planted a kiss on his cheek. "Would you like another cup of tea, Father?" Father Aiden clutched his chest as though he'd glimpsed Satan himself. A look of horror on his face. "What's the matter?" Jenna said, glancing back at him. "My tea isn't that bad is it?" The Priest is caught masturbating "Holy Spirit, come into my heart and show me my sins. Give me a proper spirit of repentance and the grace to make a good confession. Give me your peace that I might not be anxious but rather trust in your abundant mercies." Father Aiden said a prayer to himself. He was anxiously sitting in his confessional, awaiting the arrival of any lost sheep who were in need of his guidance. Here of all places, he needed to be focused on his job as a priest, yet his mind was on other things. Last night, he'd attended a gathering at St. Michael's vicarage. He hadn't really wanted to go, as social events made him uncomfortable, but had gone along to show willing. It had been his first social since he'd left Liverpool. It had all been going well until he'd met the vicar's wife, Jenna. The woman had shocked him to the core. She reminded him so much of Róisín, a twentysomething woman whom he'd developed feelings for back in Liverpool. He'd come perilously close to breaking his celibacy vows with her, they'd kissed passionately a couple of times in the confessional booth, until Father Aiden's nerves and guilt finally got the better of him and he'd pushed her away. Feeling it best to move on before things developed into something more serious, he quit his post and requested to be moved elsewhere. He'd narrowly avoided a scandal. Father Aiden was thirty-five, and had been a priest for eight years now. He recalled his early years, growing up in a small village near Dublin. As rigidly as he'd stuck to his celibacy vows since joining the priesthood, Father Aiden was no virgin. As an eighteen year old, he'd been an altar boy at his local church, and lost his virginity to Sara, a much older married woman who was a member of the congregation. They'd enjoyed passionate romps in the confessional booths, in the vestry, just about everywhere. Sara had a very high sex drive and didn't get any from her dull husband. Then a nightmare situation. Sara had fallen pregnant. Aiden's world had been rocked. In their strict Catholic community, even the thought of getting an abortion was out of the question. Aiden had resigned himself to becoming a young dad, but then just as he was starting to like the idea, fate intervened and Sara suffered a miscarriage. He didn't think it would have affected him so badly, but it did, and he blamed himself. It had been a punishment from God. From that day on, Father Aiden made up his mind to become a priest, much to the delight of his parents. However, much as he tried to bury any sinful urges, Father Aiden struggled. After Róisín, he hoped he wouldn't be attracted to another woman, but now he'd seen Jenna Morris, and been immediately smitten. "Dear God, help me not to be so weak in body and mind. I must cast out these sinful thoughts." He was interrupted by the sound of someone entering the confessional. "Bless me Father, for I have sinned." A middle-aged man said. "It's been a week since my last confession." Father Aiden composed himself and did his duty as a priest. Jenna grinned as an Amazon delivery van pulled up outside the vicarage. "Oh good. It's arrived. That was quick." Reverend Morris was coming down the stairs as she was eagerly opening a parcel. "What do you think?" Jenna said, holding up a nun costume. "Ooh sexy. That'll turn heads at the church hall's fancy dress party next month! How very naughty and sinful. Better hope that Father Aiden doesn't turn up to that, eh? Might prove a bit too much for him! Talking of which, would you mind calling at St. Gregory's and dropping off that book he wanted to borrow?" "No problem," Jenna replied. She picked up the paperback. "The Seeker by S G Maclean. Oh, he's into historical fiction is he? Well good to know he has other interests." Reverend Morris started laughing. "Heh, I don't know how I coped when the curate made that joke to him at the social. I know Josh had had way too much to drink but, dear God, I could've died when he started going on about Catholic priests lusting after choirboys." "What? I must've missed that! It must've been when I was f, er, talking to Gordon." "Yes. Father Aiden didn't see the funny side at all. I don't think Josh will even remember what he said to him. Anyways, I had to apologies!" Jenna couldn't help but snigger. "By the way, who are you going to dress up as for the party?" "Haven't decided yet. You once said I looked like Prince Edward, perhaps I should dress as up in Royal robes and get a crown? Anyways, I must get going. I've got a meeting with Bishop George. What a busy week. Christopher's coming round tomorrow." "It's be lovely to see him. If the weather's nice, we can have a day out somewhere. I know how much he loves dinosaurs, why don't we take him to the museum?" "Sounds great! Okay, I'll be back around four. Take care my love. Do give Father Aiden my best wishes." The vicar embraced her and they shared a lingering kiss, before he reluctantly tore himself away. Alone in the house, Jenna turned to the nun costume. Just how would Father Aiden react? "That would be a risk worth taking," she said out loud. Father Aiden had retired to his study. Saturdays were always quiet, and he relished this calm period. Reclining in a chair, he closed his eyes, Slowly, he unbuttoned his cassock. Before long he'd unzipped his trousers too. He was alone in the privacy of his study. His dick was now standing fully at attention. With mental images of Jenna Morris filling his head, Father Aiden took it in his hand and stroked it. He started talking out loud, as though reading out an erotic story where Jenna was pleasuring him. "She settles to her knees between my thighs, opens my cassock and reaches up to open my trousers." He stopped and moaned. "My willing lamb Jenna starts by licking the tip, tasting my precum. It is like silk. She then takes the head into her mouth and sucks it, darting her tongue into the slit. By now, I am rock hard, but still silent. She then takes my entire shaft into her mouth and keeps it there, running her tongue along the bottom. My cock shivers in her mouth; my only reaction. For what she is about to receive, I know she is truly thankful." Father Aiden was furiously pumping his cock up and down. "I gently place my hand on her head, and utter another prayer. My eyes are closed. I am about to come. I can't explain how glorious a moment this is. My lamb is so skilled, and now her sins shall be absolved." He was panting as he felt his orgasm building. Jenna parked the car in the street opposite St. Gregory's. The church was a grand old building, double the size of St. Michael's. The plaque on the railings described the church in eloquent fashion: ", an edifice in the Early English style, consisting of a basidial chancel, nave, transepts, north porch, lady chapel, and an embattled western tower, added in 1894 and containing 8 bells." "Never been in this church before. Oh well, first time for everything." with her usual bold as brass demeanor, she entered the church. "Wow, this is pretty ornate," she remarked. The place appeared deserted. No churchwardens or other staff anywhere. There was no sign of the priest. Jenna walked around the church, nosey-parkering here and there. She waited for a while, wondering if someone might come out of the confessional, but evidently that was empty too. Then she heard a muffled voice coming from a door at the back of the church. "She knows I am ready and expects me to moan or yell, but all I do is tense slightly, for there are still other members of the congregation in the church. Then she feels my load in her mouth. She swallows everything, letting the last bit rest on her tongue so she can savor it." Father Aiden continued muttering to himself, in between moans. Jenna put her ear to the door. It was Father Aiden's voice alright, and he sounded like he was talking to someone on the phone. Then a load groan made her take a step back.. "What the hell is he doing in there?" She wondered. She was about to knock, but what he said next made her gasp. "She continues to suck my cock, a soft and gentle motion, caressing me with her lips and tongue, the feeling of this is indescribable. When she removes her mouth, she kisses the tip of my cock, and I moan, oh dear God, yes, yes!" Jenna squinted and peered through the keyhole. Her eye widened as she witnessed the priest reclined in a chair, masturbating furiously. He had that same miserable expression on his face, but his pale complexion was tinged with a blush, and he was grunting, seconds later he climaxed, shooting his seed into his free hand. "Oh wow!" Jenna couldn't believe what she was seeing. "No wonder he was so miserable. Just look how horny the poor man is!" She licked her lips. The priest had an attractive uncut cock and to say it was large was an understatement. Though tempted to walk in and suck it right there, Jenna decided against it. "No. Not yet. I must wait for the right moment. And then I'll finally put a smile on this face." As he recovered from his orgasm, Father Aiden finished with a prayer. "God, I thank you for your abundant mercies. No sin of mine is beyond your power to forgive, and your forgiveness has restored my soul to friendship with you. Thank you for never ceasing to love me even when my actions show that I do not love you fully. Thank you for seeking me out as the shepherd seeks the lost sheep." A dull thud outside the door brought him to his senses. Quickly, he wiped the cum of his hand with a tissue and zipped up his trousers. Cautiously opening the door, he looked around. The church was deserted, but there was a vague scent of a familiar perfume in the air, where had he smelt that before? He glanced down. And saw the book. He bent down to pick it up. "Holy Mother of God, " Jenna had been here! Beauty and the Priest Friday night presented a perfect opportunity. Jenna's heart was pounding as she made her way to the clergy house where Father Aiden resided. The nun costume was proving to be quite itchy and uncomfortable, seeing as she wasn't wearing anything underneath it. To be expected of cheap Chinese tat purchased on Amazon. Still, the costume would serve its purpose, she hoped. Father Aiden reclined in an armchair as he read a chapter of the book that had been left in the church. Normally, he would be immediately engrossed in the story, but his mind was elsewhere. "Did she hear what I was saying? She must've heard something." The thought that the vicar's wife might have overheard what he'd been saying was mortifying. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, jolting him back to reality. "Who could that be at this late hour?" The priest mused as he got up. Usually the odd lost sheep called round, mostly Eileen Hattersley, a lonely old widow always in desperate need of a chat and reassurance. Then there was Bernard, a troubled fifty-something man whom Father Aiden suspected was closeted. He opened the front door. What he saw was almost sufficient to make him faint. "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned." "Uh, Jenna? What, the, what are you doing here?" "Well Father, I would've thought my intentions were rather obvious. Please may I come in?" His stern expression remained the same. He took a deep breath as he ushered her inside. "I know why you've come," he said at last. "You left the book the other day, didn't you? You obviously heard me, in my study." "I did," Jenna replied. "And yes, I heard." His ice-cold calmness slipped a little. "Celibacy, is hard," he murmured, staring at the floor. "I can only apologies for the disgraceful things you heard." Jenna raised her hand and touched his cheek. "But you have nothing to apologies for, Father. "Hearing you saying your erotic thoughts out loud was a huge turn-on. And a relief as well. Nice to know that priests have lustful urges like the rest of us." "Oh dear God Jenna, that's just the problem. I'm having too many of these lustful urges. I'm a poor servant of God. I can't stick to my vows. I'm sinning whilst in church, what is God to do with me?" Jenna thought for a moment. "Your opinion of God is different from mine. I was always taught that because he sent Jesus, who died for us, we do not need to fear eternal punishment for sin. You seem such an unhappy man, Father. Why not be truly honest, as God knows your thoughts anyway. Tell me, what do you truly want?" The sight of her dressed as a nun and giggling in a coquettish manner was sufficient to send blood surging to his manhood. He didn't reply, just put his hands to her face and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "Oh Father!" Jenna whispered. The priest recoiled at once. "I-I'm sorry. Please forgive me." "You are forgiven. Now please kiss me again." He gazed at Jenna, moving his head in closer to kiss her on the lips. She pressed up against his body, feeling his hands on the small of her back. He broke it off. Jenna used the opportunity to gently bite the side of his ear, running over his inner ear with her tongue. He stiffened as she moved across his ear, going down until she got to the lobe. Father Aiden moaned, his breath warm on her cheek. His open mouth pressing into it. He didn't respond further. Jenna dislodged herself from his ear, causing him to look up as he moved his head. "Come," he said, taking her by the hand and leading her into the sitting room. Jenna liked the way he was taking control like this. "Yes, Father." In the middle of the room, he stood facing her. "Kneel." She did as he asked. Father Aiden unbuttoned his cassock, revealing a straining bulge in his black trousers. "Please, heal me," he whispered. Jenna needed no further encouragement. Putting her hands together in a prayer, she smiled up at him. "For what I am about to receive, may the Lord make me truly thankful." Slowly, she unbuckled his belt and started on his trousers. Father Aiden's huge cock sprang free the moment she unzipped them, and Jenna was surprised that he was commando under there. "Are all Catholic priests as well-endowed as you?" She commented as she lowered her mouth over the end of his erection. Father Aiden simply shrugged. Jenna sucked on the head, tasting him as she ran her tongue over the sensitive opening, while pumping the shaft with her hand. She took more and more of his hardness into her mouth until she felt him hit the back of her throat. She relaxed and pushed on until she had his entire holy tool in her mouth and she was nuzzling his pubic hair. He groaned as he grabbed the back of her head and thrust into her mouth. The priest could not believe his eyes as Jenna took him into her mouth. Never would he have dreamt that his dull evening would have ended like this. And yet here this beautiful young woman was sucking on his hardened member. He groaned with pleasure at the sensations of her warm mouth on him. He was afraid to move at first, so he stood still, giving her free reign. Jenna continued to suck and was amazed to see Father Aiden's erection become even thicker and harder under her ministrations. She had never seen anyone so well-endowed, putting even her husband to shame. Her hands pumped the bottom of his shaft up and down as she continued to suck. Without saying anything, Father Aiden beckoned Jenna to stand up. He led her to the armchair and raised the nun costume, above her waist. He let out a sigh as Jenna's unclothed pussy was revealed to him. He liked the fact she was unshaved down there, unlike so many of the women he'd seen in porn videos, waxed and plucked so much that their pubic areas reminded him of supermarket chickens. Father Aiden slid down and began to slowly lick, nibble and suck her clitoris. "Oh my God Father, " Jenna exclaimed. Hearing her utter his title like that, emboldened him. He licked and fingered her some more, and could feel her impending climax building, her hips rose up, she arched her back and started to yell. "Oh Father; oh, yes! Father Aiden worked his tongue up inside her womanhood, swirling it around. His upper lip brushed her clit and moments later she exploded, squirting on his tongue and face. With a single finger, Father Aiden took some of the juice and marked the sign of the cross on his forehead. Still, he said nothing! After she'd recovered, he stood up and gently helped Jenna to her feet. He looked deeply into her eyes, and brought her lips to his. They kissed passionately, Jenna tasting her own juices on the priest's tongue. Finally, Father Aiden withdrew, and removed his clothes. Jenna did the same, glad to be free of the itchy nun costume. "Oh," she smiled, noticing his dark chest hair. She ran a finger through it. Father Aiden took her hands in his and pulled her down to the floor. He reclined on the sheepskin rug. The warmth and light from the wood burning stove played across her body as Jenna straddled the priest and slowly lowered herself onto his erect pole. His thick head slid into her, stretching her to the limit. She paused to get adjusted to the mass of flesh inside of her, then continued to push down, filling herself. Father Aiden groaned with pleasure as he felt himself enter Jenna's tight opening. She kept moving up and down his shaft, each time lowering herself further and further until he was completely buried inside of her. The feeling of his erection deep inside her tight wet opening was incredible. He reached up and caressed her breasts as Jenna rode up and down his throbbing rod. Pressure began to build in Father Aiden's groin as Jenna continued to slide up and down his erection, slick with her juices. Her hot tunnel gripped him like a vice and seeing this beautiful redhead riding him, eyes closed, mouth open gasping with pleasure as he kneaded her breasts was too much for him. He felt the pressure continue to build, then a tightening at the base of his balls until he felt like he was about to explode. The waves of pleasure built to a peak until the continuous pummeling pushed Jenna over the edge and her body convulsed as she climaxed a second time. As she writhed in pleasure above him, Father Aiden felt himself explode as he released his load deep into her womb. His cock seemed to spasm forever as he shot spurt after spurt of cum, filling her until he was completely drained. Jenna collapsed on top of him, also completely spent. When Jenna opened her eyes, Father Aiden was staring right back at her, and he was smiling. A truly lovely smile. To be continued. By Blacksheep, for Literotica.

This week, we're diving into Madonna's groundbreaking album Like A Prayer, ranked #77 on Apple Music's Top 100 Albums of All Time!

So our podders were on Vacation reading a Vogue article about the Material Girl.  Keep It Together, y'all, it's only Human Nature they watched Who's That Girl.  So get ready for a Bedtime Story about Erotica, a Bad Girl, and some Hanky Panky! Like a Prayer we learned in church we said Oh Father, Justify My Love for this movie even though it's Borderline a Fever dream. So whether you Cherish this True Blue classic or if you're Like a Virgin and you've never seen it, Express Yourself!  Also, Papa Don't Preach about pronunciation (You'll See once you finish the pod).  And remember Don't Cry for Me Argentina, , Bitch I'm Madonna, La Isla Bonita!!!!!!     

Tim is one of Hollywood's most versatile and brilliant actors who gives us an insider's look into his great new movie, "Asleep in my Palm,"  tells the story of a father and his daughter living off the grid on the outskirts of an elite liberal arts college in northeastern Ohio. Tim reveals why he took on the part, how he chose the incredibly unique characters he plays and decided acting was his destiny after majoring in the Classics in college.

Madonna ist die Queen of Pop. Und das spätestens seit ihrem 1989 erschienenen vierten Album und gleichnamigen Megahit "Like A Prayer", mit dem sie auch schon den Sound der 90er-Jahre einläutet hat. Es ist eine der großen Qualitäten von Madonna: ihre Wandlungsfähigkeit! Mit jedem Album schafft es die Queen of Pop, sich neu zu erfinden. Das war auch schon in den 80er-Jahren so, sagt SWR Musikredakteur Niels Berkefeld im Meilensteine Podcast zum Album "Like A Prayer": "Die Madonna von '83 klingt anders, als die von '85, die von '87 klingt anders als die von '89 [...] und diese ständige Entwicklung hat sie ja auch sehr erfolgreich durchgezogen." Sich andauernd zu verändern, bringt aber auch Nachteile mit sich. "Da vergraulst du auch Stammkunden", erklärt Niels Berkefeld weiter. Bei "Like A Prayer" hat Madonna wieder mit dem Sound experimentiert und es gibt auch mehr Soul, Funk und Hip-Hop-Einflüsse zu hören, als bei ihren ersten drei Alben. Auf ihrem vierten Album "Like A Prayer" ist Madonna deutlich erwachsener geworden, sagt SWR1 Musikredakteurin Michelle Habermehl im Podcast. Madonna war auch in einer ganz anderen Lebenssituation als noch beim Album "True Blue". Sie war frisch geschieden und hat auf diesem Album versucht, vieles zu verarbeiten. "Bei "Like A Prayer" stellt sie sich quasi ihren Dämonen aus der Vergangenheit.", erklärt SWR1 Musikredakteurin Michelle Habermehl im Podcast. Dass Madonna mit dem Album erwachsener geworden ist, hört man unter anderem auch daran, dass viel mehr akustische Instrumente auf "Like A Prayer" verwendet worden sind als bei ihren vorherigen Platten, findet SWR1 Musikredakteur Dave Jörg. "Echte Gitarren und ein echtes Schlagzeug waren bis dahin für Madonna eher untypisch", ergänzt er. Das Musikvideo zum Song "Like A Prayer" hat damals einen handfesten Skandal ausgelöst. Der Musiksender MTV hat den Song sogar aus seinem Programm genommen. "Da spielt ein Künstler mit vermeintlichen Tabus, provoziert so ein bisschen einen Skandal, aber am Ende ist es ja auch künstlerische Freiheit", sagt SWR1 Musikredakteur Niels Berkefeld zum Skandal um das Video zu "Like A Prayer". Und so ein bewusst provozierter Skandal bedeutet für Künstlerinnen wie Madonna oder auch Künstler wie Falco und seinen Song "Jeanny" natürlich immer jede Menge Gesprächswert und damit sowas wie Gratiswerbung, wenn der Song dauerhaft im Gespräch ist. Aus heutiger Sicht kann man sich den Skandal Ende der 80er kaum noch vorstellen, findet Niels Berkefeld: "Wenn man sich das Video heute anschaut, denkt man sich: Was ist eigentlich passiert? Es ist ein Video gegen Rassismus, es ist ein tolles Video!" Neben dem Überhit "Like A Prayer" und dem erwähnten skandalträchtigen Video zum Song hat das Album aber noch einiges mehr zu bieten. Zum Beispiel den feministisch-unterstützenden Song "Express Yourself". Insgesamt hat Madonna mit "Like A Prayer" damals einen großen Schritt nach vorne in Richtung Popikone gemacht. Auch, in dem sie ihre eigene Vergangenheit verarbeitet hat und dadurch die Kraft hatte, sich und ihre Position zu nutzen, um sich für andere starkzumachen. Dieses Album ist auf jeden Fall ein wichtiger Baustein in der Festungsmauer, auf den sich Madonnas inoffizieller Titel "Queen of Pop" stützt. __________ Über diese Songs vom Album "Like A Prayer" wird im Podcast gesprochen (03:13) – "Like A Prayer" (15:07) – "Express Yourself" (19:45) – "Oh Father" (22:45) – "Till Death Do Us Part" (28:44) – "Love Song" (31:01) – "Dear Jessie" __________ Über diese Songs wird außerdem im Podcast gesprochen (27:10) – "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" von Madonna (aus Evita) (30:29) – "Hung Up" von Madonna __________ Shownotes Das Musikvideo zu "Like A Prayer": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79fzeNUqQbQ Interview mit Madonna-Produzent Patrick Leonard in Billboard: https://web.archive.org/web/20211119200818/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/madonna-producer-patrick-leonard-talks-like-a-prayer-at-25-5944767/ Buchtipp: "Madonna und wir": https://www.suhrkamp.de/buch/madonna-und-wir-t-9783518459928 ZDF-Dokumentation "The True Story of Madonna": https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/zdfinfo/the-true-story-of-madonna/zdf/Y3JpZDovL3pkZi5kZS9QUk9EMS9TQ01TXzU5ZTg1YzM5LWEzYzktNGU0Yy04NzkzLTE3M2FmNTA1YTlkMQ SWR1 Meilenstein zu Madonnas Album "Ray Of Light": https://www.swr.de/swr1/rp/meilensteine/swr1-meilensteine-ray-of-light-madonna-100.html __________ Ihr wollt mehr Podcasts wie diesen? Abonniert die SWR1 Meilensteine! Fragen, Kritik, Anregungen? Meldet euch gerne per WhatsApp-Sprachnachricht an die (06131) 92 93 94 95 oder schreibt uns an meilensteine@swr.de

We Need To Check Ourselves (1)  (audio)  David Eells 1/3/24  We are very close to the appearance of the Man-child reformers to chose the Bride. It is past time to stop playing and draw close to the Lord. It is time to check ourselves to be sure we are in the running. Major disasters are coming at the same time so pray that you are accounted worthy to escape all these things. Lam 3:40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.  1Co 11:27-34 Wherefore whosoever shall eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh, eateth and drinketh judgment unto himself, if he discern not the body. 30 For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep. 31 But if we discerned ourselves, we should not be judged.   32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, wait one for another. 34 If any man is hungry, let him eat at home; that your coming together be not unto judgment. And the rest will I set in order whensoever I come.  2Co 13:5 Try your own selves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your own selves. Or know ye not as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed ye be reprobate. Gal 6:4 But let each man prove his own work, and then shall he have his glorying in regard of himself alone, and not of his neighbor. Psa 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts; 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. Psa 26:1-2 A Psalm of David. Judge me, O Jehovah, for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in Jehovah without wavering. 2 Examine me, O Jehovah, and prove me; Try my heart and my mind.  Eph 5:15-21 Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot, but be filled with the Spirit; 19 speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.  (Rev 3:11  I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.)      Purposely Desire The Lord  Anonymous 4/7/23 (David's notes in red)  Nothing comes from anything else other than Me. Not your own works, or other people, or this earth. Just Me. (Joh 3:27 ASV  John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven.)  Endure the suffering now. Have selflessness now above all. If it hurts or is undesirable to the flesh, it is most likely to be for My Glory. (As in Death to self; the crucified life.)  There are testings of your patience and diligence to make way for the end result of My Will.  And these testings will enable you to always resist the enemy.  Have a high regard and hope of Who I Am! (The highest of all, the creator of all; cares for you.) Ask yourself, can there be anything I cannot do? Would I leave anything undone? (Jer 32:27 ASV  Behold, I am Jehovah, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?) Keep loving so much so, that the intensity drives darkness into nothingness.  You are in a very tough but major change. Be ready for the blessings in abundance. (I felt to be ready to utilize, not just receive.)  Let go of your own feelings and satisfactions. Look at My Son. Did He not lay His life down for you, and yet said nothing? (We are to do just the same as Lord Jesus.) NENT Act 8:32-35 Now the passage of the scripture which he was reading was this, He was led as a sheep to slaughter; And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth: 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: His generation who shall declare? For his life is taken from the earth. 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other? 35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached the gospel to him, Jesus.   1Jn 3:16 Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  Repent quickly. The quicker you do so, you can then be close to each other as I am to you. (I saw a triangle. We must yearn for each other in unity.)  You are in a time of sanctification. Tried and true. (I saw how metal being beaten into shape by a blacksmith and tried and proven and made stronger in a fiery furnace.)  There is nothing that compares to My Love. I want you and desire your company forever. Cherish this and do not get distracted from My Love. I am pure and true. Everything else is a test of our love together.  When you see the time where children and those young in faith are speaking as Jesus did in the temple, then you are unable to ask for more time for the end of time is here. Be ready. (I felt that these are the times where we are seeing those being called out from the apostate churches, His Sheep who follow His Voice, for Our Father's Glory.)   NENT Luk 2:46-49 And it came to pass, after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both hearing them, and asking them questions: 47 and all that heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when they saw him, they were astonished; and his mother said unto him, Child, why hast thou thus dealt with us? lo, thy father and I seek thee sorrowing. 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? knew ye not that I must be about my Father's business.   Trust Me. I have a way. (I felt we are to let go of all our desires and to treat each day as the last. Not for pleasure but for closeness to Him.)  Hold to Me. Never let go. You are doing well and keeping true on the righteous path. Never let this be a reason to stop or slow down. Never allow lies or self to be a hinderance to our life together – now.      There Must Be An Exchange  Debbie Fenske 12/30/23 (David's notes in red)  My children let Me speak this Word of love to you from My heart.  Being where you are does not make you part of My Holy Bride. Only ignoring this world around you, and consuming yourself with the business of My Kingdom, willingly and faithfully from a heart of total repentance, and a life of Holy Living as you abide in Me, do I stamp upon you, “Holiness To the Lord."  In this hour of much darkness and much falling away of My people, I need your oneness with Me, and I so desire My oneness with you. I need you to be in the thick of warfare against this darkness. Realize the exchange that has taken place. I have been exchanged for meaningless activities. Do you really understand the times we are in? Yes, we are in this together. You need to make the exchange back from the meaninglessness to My High Calling, exchange from darkness to light. Yes. I say that this is an exchange from darkness to light.  Let Me open your eyes so that you will see the darkness where you spend so much of your time. This world and the things that are only for occupying your mind and your time are things of darkness. (The distractions of the pleasures of the flesh are darkness.) For a very short time, now, My hand of invitation is still mercifully stretched out to you. What great mercy I have given to you, My people. I have given you so much of everything. So much of Myself. And now the choosing of My Bride is at hand.  This is the time to make the exchange. You know what I am asking each of you. Search your hearts. Examine your hearts. Separation is not what I am merely asking of you. I Am requiring it of you. Be diligent to enter the fight for those to whom I have called, and am calling, still, out of My great mercy. Enter in, in the beauty of holiness. Remember, desire is not enough. Your will must win over mere desire. Just as My will was to give My life for Yours, so now, so close in this last hour, will you by your will, and by My extended grace and mercy, give up your life for Me and for others? There are many who need you to give up your life for them, in warfare for them against the enemy.  Have you not known that playtime has been over? The time has always been for death to self, but life in Me, for Me and with Me in our Kingdom Reign together on this earth for eternity. Eternity is right now. Right now, spend it with Me on your knees. Keep your hearts bowed. I Am waiting to cloth you with My glory. Are you making yourselves worthy of My High Calling?  You are not alone, though you may feel it, being separated from beloved friends and family. For I have given you one another, a family to work together, to come into this calling together as one in Me. I love you, My Children.      So Many Will Not Be Kept Safe   Debbie Fenske 9/30/23 (David's notes in red)    I received this last Thursday night, 9-28-23. It was our worship and praise night on the Zoom Outreach conference call. I could not share it that night because I knew I had to pray about how to present this.  Our worship time was awesome. It was such a wonderful uplifting time. I was being really blessed worshiping and praising God, and being lifted up in my spirit, so, I was not prepared for such a turn that I received.   One of the last few songs we were singing had lyrics about how He will keep us in the fire, and He will keep us in the storm. After that song I began feeling a spirit of heaviness come over me. It just wasn't normal.   I asked Father, “What is this all about, God? Why am I feeling this way?” And then, suddenly I was seeing a vision of Jesus in a white robe. His hair was brown, and shoulder length. His head was somewhat bowed allowing His hair to fall forward over His shoulders, and hang down at each side of His face. Then, I was suddenly given a closer view of His face, like the way a camera focuses on an object. I could see Jesus was not happy. I could tell He was very sad, and grieving, and I could not understand that, because I thought our worship time was so great.  Then our worship went into another song with real high praise, and people were so happy, lifting up Jesus. The main lyrics, I will say, were, “I just can't stop praising His Name.” And the song kind of went on and on. I opened my eyes and watched as I was singing with them. It was really a great song. But I was feeling this heaviness at the same time,   Then, closing my eyes again, I was again seeing the same vision of Jesus, really grieving, with such sadness on His face. I couldn't understand this. I was still confused, asking myself, “Why this, now?” Then, Jesus faded out, and I was looking at what I had just been watching: people on stage, raising their arms, singing loudly, kicking their legs, and dancing, and twirling while praising God. I saw one group of praisers that were really dressed up, and then another group of praisers were in just jeans and T-shirt, just like what we were watching in these worship videos.   But what I heard the Lord say after that, I don't think He was necessarily applying to these particular groups, individuals, and choirs of people that we were just seeing in the worship videos. But He was referring to many people out there that are lifted up in this way. And not just groups or individuals who are popular out there, but to so many who are saying they are doing what they are doing for God's kingdom. But they are not. As I was watching that vision, and after seeing Jesus looking so sad and grieved, and feeling His heart, this is what the Lord said.   “So many will not be kept safe from the burning fire, from the storm, from the battle. They will not be kept safe, though they praise Me, because they have not known Me. They are deceived. Oh, they look like they know Me when they are singing great songs of praise to Me. But though they know that what they sing about Me is true, they do not know Me.”   “They boast in that I love them. But they cannot boast in their love for Me, for they do not know Me. Therefore, I do not know them. These people grieve My heart so, as I watch them make fools of themselves before the devil and his demons. If they only would really want to know what is in My Word. But they have no desire to know My Word, because they have no real desire to know Me. What they really desire is to be looked upon and worshiped by others. Foolish, they are.”  “And though it grieves Me, I know that there are many of them who realize they are empty of Me, and will repent, and come to Me, and follow Me. But so much more than those who will repent, are those who will not repent, and are going to stay on their stage singing their way into hell.”   After I finished writing this down, I just happened to opened my Bible. I wasn't, at this point, going for a random word for confirmation. But I was thinking I would do that. So I was really amazed when I read the verses that my eyes looked down at after I opened my Bible. Thank you Lord!   I looked at verse 7 of Matthew 7. I'm reading Matthew 7:6-7.  6 And He said unto them, “Rightly did Isaiah, prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: this people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from Me. 7 But in vain, do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.”  So, the numbers, 767 strongly stood out to me. When numbers stand out to me I like to look them up in the Strongs concordance. So what Strongs says of 767 is, “of no mark, unmarked, or unstamped, insignificant, ignoble.”  Oh Father, You've shown that You do grieve for those who are in such a deceived state. It is scary to be thinking that people who worship You before men, are in that place. (Hollywood entertainment has invaded the Church.)  The same as all people who say they are Christians, but are deceived by doctrines of demons, thinking that popularity while wearing Your name tag is acceptable. They know of You only in their head, not in their heart. But so many do not realize that they are unmarked, or unstamped, and insignificant to You, and ignoble in what they think they are doing unto You, or for Your kingdom. And they don't realize that You do not know them. I pray that we, and all of Your people will always examine our hearts before You, searching our hearts, and repenting, of not worshipping You in spirit and in truth in all we do.  Father, as we are staying in Your Word, reveal to us where we are being in the flesh, and of any spirit of pride and self-grandeur which is so unpleasing to You, so that we can repent. Thank You for Your grace to us to stay in the light of Your Word, wanting Your light to shine on any darkness in our lives so that we can repent and remain true, pure, and clean before You, before one another, and before those out in the world, for Your honor and glory alone.   Please open the eyes of Your people, quickly, who don't see that they are in this dangerous, place, trapped in the lie of the devil that tells them they are right with You, while they are really just lifting up themselves, desiring only to please men. Please make them aware of the strong truth of Your words in Matthew 7:23, “I never knew you.” And Matthew 25:41“Depart from me ye cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”   Lord, put in them a Holy fear of You, and cause them to repent, to change their ways by walking according to Your Word. Deliver them from the darkness so that they will be a Light in the darkness, bringing honor to only Your name, never to their own. And always, in all they do, worship You from their heart, in spirit, and in truth. Thank you, Father. Amen.      Sing For The Lord  Anonymous 4/9/23 (David's notes in red)  “Are you worshipping Me to make yourself feel good or are you doing it for (or to revere) Me? The songs you listen to and the words you sing, are they Holy? Are they, My Word? Are they truth? Or is it repetitive flesh pleasing and self-pleasing words? Are the words (lyrics) contrary to My Word?   Are the feelings you are experiencing the Holy Spirit, or the flesh being aroused? Is this for Me or for You?   Don't you know that you can't even speak or walk without Me and My grace? Use your mouth for Me and My Glory. Let Me bridle your tongue and let Me only speak through you. Stop speaking about self and singing for self. Think about how those who worship Me now in the Holy of Holies for eternity. You have heard some say, ‘Holy Holy Holy' and they don't speak or glorify self. Think and speak with Me about the beats you listen to.  Music goes straight to your soul and there is no filter, spirits transfer whether you see it or not. Are the people you are listening to singing from My Spirit? Are the instrumentals to Glorify Me and from Me or is it another spirit to make and manipulate you to feel a certain way? Is it making your flesh feel good? When the song finishes do you lose the joy? Does it feel like a come down? Or is it My Joy that is always present? Does the pleasure only last the duration of the song or is it My Peace which is always there?   Abide and remain in My presence. Ask Me and allow Me to open your eyes to see what spirits are singing, speaking and playing through in the songs you listen to. Allow Me to show you what is really happening in the spiritual when you listen to these songs. When you listen to it you are agreeing with it and in some ways, it has put you under curses.   Yes, My Grace is for you but I can't break or go against My own words. Touch NO unclean thing and be Holy as I Am Holy. I love when you sing to Me from your heart. It doesn't matter the tone of your voice or how it sounds in the physical. Your singing from your heart gives Me greater joy than you know. I created you to sing for me and dance for Me.   Allow My spirit to sing through you. You don't need to always listen to others singing when you don't even know what spirit they are singing from, and you don't even know them. Sing to Me, you don't even need a beat but sing to Me, My child with My Spirit, commune with Me not just in Spirit and Word but in songs and dance. When you are alone and when you come together.   The flesh doesn't like the Spirit singing and dancing through you to Me and will do anything to hinder it. Your Spirit desires to sing and dance to Me always. And when you do it hinders and crucifies the flesh so your Spirit rises up.   I love you My child but do these things. I desire you to be clean, holy, pure, undefiled. I Am with you and I will help you, I will show you if you just ask.”      Your Time Is My Time  Eve Brast 7/23/17 (David's notes in red)  Father spoke a word to me that I would like to share. I had been meditating on a couple of conversations I'd had with a brother and sister after the morning prayer meeting and, as a result, I asked Father to speak to me.  I realized I hadn't heard from Him in a while so I asked Him why he'd been silent lately? He answered me immediately as if He had been waiting for my attention.  He said, "I have not been silent. It's that your mind has been too loud. Empty your mind and void it of busyness and the soulish thoughts that continually scream for your attention. Still your mind and be quiet and you will hear My voice clearly.  Don't allow external distraction or the soulish thought life dull your discernment of the attacks from the enemy. He hides behind these and intermingles with them to keep you in turmoil and keep you from fully entering into the life and purpose I intend for you.  Guard your mind with My Word. Build the wall with the Rock of my Word and the mortar of quietness and stillness of mind. This will protect and strengthen your mind with My peace and a singleness of purpose. Cast down the soulish thought life and turn away from distraction. Shut them out so you can hear Me clearly and distinguish the voice of the enemy. Strive to walk out your days in stillness of mind. As you train your mind in this way, I will meet you there in the stillness.”  I asked our Father for a verse or text for this word and received: Psalm 139:3 (1-4), O Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether.  When I was driving home from work Sunday evening, Father again spoke very clearly to me as I was thinking on this Word above. He said, "Your time is My time! Don't waste My time. Seek Me on how I would have you spend it.”  This really convicted me, because I do waste time at some point each day. I didn't realize that He considered my time His time and that it was precious to Him. I figured, "Well, I'm nobody, so how I spend free time isn't all that important.” Looks like I was presumptuous on that one!   I asked Him for a verse concerning my time being His time and received, Acts 1:14 These all with one accord continued stedfastly in prayer, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.  Hope this helps any who are also struggling in these areas.      Scripture Test of Discipleship David Eells     Rom 8:13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live.  Mat 10:34 Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law: 36 and a man's foes shall be they of his own household.     37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.   Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit. 25 He that loveth his life loseth it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will the Father honor.    1Co 9:23 And I do all things for the gospel's sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof. 24 Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain. 25 And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air: 27 but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.   Luk 13:6 And he spake this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none. 7 And he said unto the vinedresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why doth it also cumber the ground? 8 And he answering saith unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 and if it bear fruit thenceforth, well; but if not, thou shalt cut it down.    Jas 1:2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; 3 knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. 4 And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. 5 But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; 8 a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways.    2Pe 2:2 And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not. 4 For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;    5 and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds):   9 the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment; 10 but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. Daring, self-willed, they tremble not to rail at dignities:  Jas 5:9 Murmur not, brethren, one against another, that ye be not judged: behold, the judge standeth before the doors. 10 Take, brethren, for an example of suffering and of patience, the prophets who spake in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we call them blessed that endured: ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful.  Rom 8:17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him. 29 because to you it hath been granted in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer in his behalf:   2 Th 1:4 so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which ye endure; 5 which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God; to the end that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:    1Pe 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.  1Pe 3:14 But even if ye should suffer for righteousness' sake, blessed are ye: and fear not their fear, neither be troubled;  1Pe 4:19 Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator.  Rev 2:10 Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life. 

THE TWO WINGS OF LEADERSHIP 1.1Cor 3:3 Be careful who you compare yourself to For the person that you choose is the limit for you Deep in your heart, down where nobody sees. You've defined the highest level of what you can achieve. You don't realise the person is still making progress, What they will be in years to come you don't know The jealousy in your small heart is the highest vision that you have of yourself It is Christ that you should look to. And see that it is in His image that He has made you. 2.1 Samuel 18:17 Our God expects from us leaders of might. Mighty in many domains, men of mighty deeds God responds and He gives results. To leadership of might, we need leaders of might Many people don't aspire to might because They compare themselves to others. Looking around and seeing you're better than others makes you satisfied That is the problem with comparison. It stops us from aspiration to the night that God wants. 3.1Samuel 16:18 Now see David, what a mighty man Mighty in many domains, what a mighty man Mighty in music, in praise, in battle In giving, in leadership and the fear of God God demands leadership of might from our ministry. So, He can give those leaders results. We need leadership of might in our ministry, it's what God demands Let's look at David as a model! And let us develop mighty in many domains. 4. Actes 7:22 If you're the leader of a housechurch Then you must develop might in at least three domains. If you're an elder in a local church Then you must develop might in at least six domains. If you are a city leader, it must be nine domains. Leader of a nation it is twelve. If you are the leader of a continent my brother, it must be eighteen. If your department touches our work world-wide Then you must be mighty in twenty-four domains. 5: 1Samuel 18:7 What we've been labouring to develop Is leadership of might in our ministry The other routes to promotion Have weakened this leadership, this leadership of might. All these little clans and personal affinities And religious politics With no love for God and little knowledge of God, empty heads and hearts Our God demands leadership of might. And we must give to Him these leaders of might. 6.1Rois 3:4-15 There are two wings of leadership The leadership of might and leadership of gifts David exerted leadership of might But Solomon his son, a leadership of gifts Leadership of might is that which we labour to do The leadership of gifts is what God gives We must have these two wings of leadership in our midst, in our ministry But if we don't work to develop might The gifts that we receive will crush our character. 7. Daniel 6:3 Your talents can become spiritual gifts And then those spiritual gifts grow to leadership gifts If we want spiritual leaders like this We need people we can describe as being gifted Father, reach out to us all over our ministry Give to us the leaders we need Give us leaders who have might and who have many gifts, this is what we need Oh father give us the leaders we need The leaders of might and the leaders of gifts. Oh Father make us the leaders You need The leaders of might and the leaders of gifts. Edification songs, message from Brother Theodore, Fasting and prayer crusade from 16/10 to 24/11/2023. Day 11

In this episode we will be talking about:Kirk Franklin's documentary... Father's Day-possible trigger warning!Topics will include: faith, fatherhood, abandonment, healing, and redemptionOur guest today is Athena Monet. Athena Monet is an author, gifted intuitive healer, and spiritual guide. Born into a lineage of remarkable women, Athena inherited the extraordinary gifts of clairvoyance and clairsentience from her family. Fueled by a deep curiosity and thirst for knowledge, Athena immersed herself in the realms of art, interior architecture, and diverse spiritual disciplines during her studies at the Ohio State University. She explored the realms of yoga, astrology, philosophy, Buddhism, and anthropology, almost completing a minor in Anthropology—a path that would shape her understanding of human experiences and cultures.After spending a decade working at prominent commercial architecture firms in Washington, D.C., Athena felt a calling to break free from the corporate world. Following her heart's desire, she ventured to a tranquil coastal town, seeking solace and a new beginning. It was in this unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers, that tragedy struck on Christmas Day—she experienced the devastating loss of her beloved mother. Overwhelmed by grief and loneliness, Athena's pain manifested into mysterious illnesses and chronic gastrointestinal distress, leaving her searching for answers and relief when conventional Western medicine failed her. In a fateful turn of events, a friend recommended that Athena seek the guidance of the local Medicine Woman. Little did she know that this encounter would bring about miraculous healing and transform her life forever. The profound experience with her shaman marked a turning point, granting Athena permission to embrace her true self fully and to courageously share the ancestral gifts that had coursed through her bloodline for generations. Athena continues to walk her sacred path, guided by the ancestral wisdom that flows through her being.Find her on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube and her website:Seaside Shaman

Join us for Part #2  with our guest, the extraordinary Lady Bosé, talented singer, vocal coach, and vocal producer, graciously guides us with thrilling stories of her vocal journey and shares her invaluable tips for budding singers. Bosé brings her expert knowledge to the table, discussing vocal health and wellness, and the importance of understanding our voices as instruments. The episode takes a riveting turn as Lady Bosé talks about the profound difference between teaching and directing, and how nurturing raw talent can shape the future of music. We explore the intriguing parallels between these principles and sports, and discuss how proper training can alleviate fear and nerves during auditions. Don't miss the touching reminder of God's sovereignty as Dorian presents to us the Hymn of the Week, 'Oh Father, You are Sovereign'.  Then we turn our conversation to the role congregational singing plays in worship and the significance of hymn lyrics being based on scripture. So tune in, take away some valuable lessons and let's keep the melody of choir music alive!  Perpetuating and Promoting the Christian and Positive Idea Through the Medium of Music and Other Arts.

Why dads are the hardest to buy for.

Our guest this week is Dr. Cole Galloway of Clevelend, OH who for more than two decades, was a professor of physical therapy at University of Delaware and is founder of Go Baby Go, a human rights movement dedicated to promoting mobility and social mobility.While doing research, he developed a small car that young children, with special needs, could control themselves thereby opening a whole new world of possibilities. That discovery lead to the creation of Go Baby Go, which has forever transformed the lives and trajectories of tens of thousands of children across the U.S. and beyond. Go Baby Go has an open architecture that allows virtually anyone or any organization to make use of the resources, now in more than 200 locations. It's a fascinating and uplifting story and Dr. Gallaway is our guest this week on this episode of the Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links - Email – jacgallo@udel.edu LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-galloway-1ba715107/Go Baby Go - https://sites.udel.edu/gobabygo/ 55 Page Manuel - https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/sites.udel.edu/dist/f/3415/files/2017/07/GoBabyGo_Manual-1m8z16m.pdfTEDx Talk – Changing The Landscape of Mobility - https://www.ted.com/talks/cole_galloway_changing_the_landscape_of_mobilityTEDMED Talk – A Movement For Mobility - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joYgbUWiZAISpecial Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations. Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/ab...Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channe... Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/do...Find out about Horizon Therapeutics – Science and Compassion Working Together To Transform Lives. https://www.horizontherapeutics.com/

Our guest this week is Corey Ferguson of Gahanna, OH who is s Developmental Disabilities professional and the father of three children with a wide range of special abilities.Corey and his wife, Andrea, have been married for 15 years and are the proud parents of three children: Linleigh (12) who is a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, Brody (9) who has dyslexia, and Everly (8), who has bi-lateral hearing loss. Corey has a real passion for being a dad and the work he does serving other families raising children with special needs. We'll hear Corey's family story and more this week on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links:Email – cfferguson@hotlmail.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyfferguson/A Kid Again - https://akidagain.org/chapter/central-ohio-chapter/OH Dept of Developmental Disabilities - https://dodd.ohio.gov/homeRising Above Ministries - https://www.risingaboveministries.org Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations. Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/ab...Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channe... Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/do...Find out about Horizon Therapeutics – Science and Compassion Working Together To Transform Lives. https://www.horizontherapeutics.com/

Synopsis On today's date in 1885, the Paris Opera gave the first performance of “Le Cid,” the 11th opera written by the French composer Jules Massenet. “Le Cid” is set in medieval Spain and tells the story of Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, a legendary hero who defended his country against the Moors. The same story inspired a 1961 movie titled “El Cid,” starring—who else?—Charlton Heston. But back in 1890, the New Orleans Opera introduced Massenet's opera to American audiences and reached New York City in 1897, serving as a vocal showcase for turn-of-the-century superstars of the early Metropolitan Opera. Enrico Caruso made a famous recording of the opera's most famous excerpt—Rodrigo's Act III aria, “O souverain, o juge, o pere,” which translates as “Oh Lord, Oh Judge, Oh Father.” Unlikely as it may seem, this aria inspired a pop hit in 1981, when composer and performance artist Laurie Anderson translated its opening line as “O Superman, O Judge, O Mom and Dad.” As a credit to the French composer, Laurie Anderson‘s “O Superman” is even subtitled For Massenet. Trained as a classical violinist with the Chicago Youth Symphony, Laurie Anderson soon shifted to a variety of electronically-altered fiddles, and one of her albums is titled, appropriately, Life on a String. Music Played in Today's Program Jules Massenet (1842-1912) O souverain, o juge, o pere, from Le Cid Ben Heppner, tenor; Munich Radio Orchestra; Roberto Abbado, conductor. RCA/BMG 62504

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2] Pt. 1] We are excited to be back! The first part of this movie was hilarious and we are hyped to share it with you. Please subscribe and review: Spotify: Subscribe and rate on the Spotify app Apple Podcasts: Subscribe, rate, and review Seasons are organized by phases (Season 1=Phase 1). Follow us on Instagram @mavellesspodcast . HUGE thanks to Lil Jim for our sick intro song & Paige for coordinating our new intro and outro. Be sure to check out his music on all streaming platforms as "Lil Jim" and follow him on Instagram @liljim_hgs & Tiktok @liljimpnw. Be sure to give Paige a follow on Instagram @dudette.director and check out her work on www.paigecompton.com

“Arise you children of the Light” In the Orthodox Creed, the church fathers declared that Lord Jesus Christ is “Light of Light”. The term “Light of Light” is the official Orthodox analogy of the relationship between The Son and The Father. The Scriptural origin of that term may be found in the words of King David below: “"For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You and Your righteousness to the upright in heart" (Ps 36: 9,10) - “For with You (O Father) is the fountain of life (The Son)” – St. John elaborated on King David words in his first Epistle saying, “the life (The Son) was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life (The Son) which was with the Father and was manifested to us.” (1 Jn. 1: 2). Lord Jesus also confirmed this saying, “I am the resurrection and the life” (Jn 11:25) – “ I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (Jn 14:6). Moreover, St. John said, “And this is the testimony: that God (The Father) has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 Jn 5:11). Lord Jesus Christ connected the terms “light” and “life” when He said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.” (Jn 8:12). It is no surprise then to hear St. John say, “In Him (In The Son) was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light (The Son) shines in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (Jn 1: 4,5) – “That (The Son) was the true Light which gives light (gives life) to every man coming into the world” (Jn 1:9). - In Your light (In Your Son who is Light of Light) we see light (we see / know You O Father). Oh (Father), continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You (Through Your Light; Your Son) and Your righteousness to the upright in heart – St. John said that “No one has seen (known) God (The Father) at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him (Made Him known)” (Jn 1:18). Lord Jesus Christ said “No one comes to the Father except through Me (The Son). If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” (Jn 14: 6,7) – Notice how “to see” and “to know” are used interchangeably. The words of King David could be understood as a prophecy about the knowledge of the Father through His Son. Read more:

“Arise you children of the Light” In the Orthodox Creed, the church fathers declared that Lord Jesus Christ is “Light of Light”. The term “Light of Light” is the official Orthodox analogy of the relationship between The Son and The Father. The Scriptural origin of that term may be found in the words of King David below: “"For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You and Your righteousness to the upright in heart" (Ps 36: 9,10) - “For with You (O Father) is the fountain of life (The Son)” – St. John elaborated on King David words in his first Epistle saying, “the life (The Son) was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life (The Son) which was with the Father and was manifested to us.” (1 Jn. 1: 2). Lord Jesus also confirmed this saying, “I am the resurrection and the life” (Jn 11:25) – “ I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (Jn 14:6). Moreover, St. John said, “And this is the testimony: that God (The Father) has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 Jn 5:11). Lord Jesus Christ connected the terms “light” and “life” when He said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.” (Jn 8:12). It is no surprise then to hear St. John say, “In Him (In The Son) was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light (The Son) shines in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (Jn 1: 4,5) – “That (The Son) was the true Light which gives light (gives life) to every man coming into the world” (Jn 1:9). - In Your light (In Your Son who is Light of Light) we see light (we see / know You O Father). Oh (Father), continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You (Through Your Light; Your Son) and Your righteousness to the upright in heart – St. John said that “No one has seen (known) God (The Father) at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him (Made Him known)” (Jn 1:18). Lord Jesus Christ said “No one comes to the Father except through Me (The Son). If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” (Jn 14: 6,7) – Notice how “to see” and “to know” are used interchangeably. The words of King David could be understood as a prophecy about the knowledge of the Father through His Son. Read more:

We're talking about Madonna's 1989 confessional album Like A Prayer, which turns up on the 2020 Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums list at #330. How does the Queen of Pop's fourth studio album hold up 30+ years after it was released?Record Roulette host Sonya Walton was sweating bullets - she loved it as a teenager, but lots of stuff we loved as teenagers are terrible now. Did she have to worry? You have peak 1980s Madonna pissing off the Catholic Church, plus deeply personal stories about spousal abuse, crumbling family ties and more packaged with exceptionally listenable pop music and the occasional shred on the guitar from the one and only Prince. What's not to love?Record Roulette co-hosts Eamon O'Flynn, Nathan Smith and Sonya Walton are joined by special guest Mike Pereira of the Mid-Credit Scene Podcast to discuss.Leave comments on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at @rrmusicpod or visit our website at recordroulettepodcast.com.Runtime: 55 minutesMusic by lemonmusicstudio from Pixabay.

My aim today in this message is to remind you of your salvation. There are so many glorious aspects of our salvation and of redemption that it is like looking at a prism and seeing how the light refracts into different colors. There is only one salvation and yet there is a universe of glories in this great salvation. Psalm 3:8 and Jonah 2:9 both say that “Salvation belongs to the Lord.” And so my goal, by God's grace, is that you would love the redemption of God even a little bit more. That you would understand how we've been redeemed even if just a little bit more. That you would taste and see the riches of His grace that you've been adopted in. And that it may overflow in thanksgiving and multiply into heartfelt sacrificial worship, a true worship that would lead to endurance, to a personal regard of holiness, to a greater love of humanity in general and the family of God specifically, and to an ever deepening appreciation of what Christ has done for you and a boldness to that witness. All for the good of these Cities and for the glory of God. We can't do this in our own strength. This is only possible with God. So let us go to our Father. Father, by the grace of your Spirit, and in your Son's name we ask for your help. We need your grace. Lead us, guide us, in your will, and for your glory. Amen. This passage continues the train of thought from last week's message from Pastor Jonathan which was the second half of Galatians chapter 3. We started seeing the glorious reality that God is our father and we are children of God. We saw that the law was added because of transgressions. We saw that Paul was not being exhaustive about the uses of the law under the New Covenant but because of the specific context that the Galatian church was facing, Paul was being clear that the law could not save. There were false teachers that were saying Christians needed to believe in Jesus and live under the Mosaic law to have life. As I heard it once said, when it comes to salvation, Jesus + something = Nothing, but Jesus + Nothing = Everything. The message of the Gospel is that law keeping does not give life but only grace through faith in Jesus gives life. And so the Apostle Paul here in verses 1 and 2 of Ch.4 finishes his train of thought from the previous passage about how the law was meant to be a guardian. Galatians 4:1–2 (ESV): 4 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. V.1 and 2 is describing Paul and all Israelites under the Old Covenant and it's protective role designed to keep them mindful of their condition looking forward to the promises of God. He compares them to a child who has an inheritance but can't use it until they are a certain age or until the date that is set by the parents. The child, in regards to touching and using the inheritance is no different than the lawyer who helped write the will, until that set time. The law under God's specific covenant with the people of Israel in all of its requirements was necessary in that stage of redemptive history. [My 2 sons find car seats very annoying. And you know what I do too.] But in their specific stage of physical development it is meant to protect them. It is meant to guard them. And in a similar way that's what the law under the old covenant was like. V.3 states “In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.” That phrase, “elementary principles of the world” is the same wording we find in Colossians ch 2v 8, 20 where its translated “elemental spirits of the world”. The context there is similar where people are being taken captive by different teachings and traditions and not walking in Jesus as they were taught. They were replacing faith and obedience to Jesus through biblical standards with a faith and obedience to another set of regulations and standards. Paul says in Colossians 2:23 that “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” This is similar to what Jesus told the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day, saying in Matthew 23:28: “So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” And it's actually demonic, the Apostle Paul, says in 1 Timothy 4:1 “some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.” Back in our passage the old covenant was a type of bondage relative to the freedom found in the new covenant. A commentator notes that Paul uses the same phrase in v.3 that he uses in v.9 and he states “v.9 is referring to the idolatrous practices in the Galatians' pagan past, drawing an implicit and shocking link between the false teachers misuse of God's law and the pagans' allegiance to false deities.” Outside of freedom in Christ we are enslaved. It doesn't matter if there is a religious exterior or a non religious exterior. Titus 3:3 “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures” John 8:34 Jesus says: “everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” John Piper describes sin as: The glory of God not honored. The holiness of God not reverenced. The greatness of God not admired. The power of God not praised. The truth of God not sought. The wisdom of God not esteemed. The beauty of God not treasured. The goodness of God not savored. The faithfulness of God not trusted. The promises of God not believed. The commandments of God not obeyed. The justice of God not respected. The wrath of God not feared. The grace of God not cherished. The presence of God not prized. And the person of God not loved. Oh church let us not allow our hearts to be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin but let us love the Lord God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We saw in last weeks passage that the law was added because of transgressions, that the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin… we were held captive under the law… and today in this passage we've seen we were enslaved… but then we are shown the glorious truth of our redemption, and this sets up how our redemption allows us to be adopted to be the children of God— in v.4 and the beginning of v.5 here in this 4th chapter of Galatians it says that “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law” Here we see the beautiful Christological truth that Jesus was the God-Man, he was both fully divine and fully human. Truly God and truly man. Though he was born of woman he was sent by God. Sent purposefully at just the right time. Galatians 4 continues saying “He was born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law” He redeemed us. He lived sinlessly under the law and fulfilled all that the law required. In his life of obedience, and through his atoning sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from death He did all that was necessary to redeem us. And one aspect of our redemption is God declaring us righteous in justification. At the end of Galatians chapter 3 from last week's passage it said “We were held captive under the law… until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” Some of you might know I have been arrested before. When I was a younger I got into a fight with someone and after the police showed up I ended up getting into an altercation with the police and I was charged with 3 misdemeanors: assault, interfering with an officer, and breach of peace. And one of the things that happened is by God's grace I had the opportunity to go through a specific pre-trial diversion program that they offered in Connecticut, the state I was living in, and I was able to fulfill the requirements needed and it allowed me to avoid criminal conviction. And so when I fill out a job application. And the question comes up “have you ever been arrested?” I can legally say that I've never been arrested. And everytime I've had a background check it comes up clean. In my eyes I know what I've done but in the eyes of the law, I have been legally declared completely innocent and it's like it never happened. And in an infinitely greater way that's what happens with us in Christ. Even though we are guilty, by grace through faith in Christ, we are covered by the righteousness of Christ because of the blood of the cross, and God declares us innocent. Listen, when someone is justified in Christ, when by God's grace, they repent of their sins and put their faith and trust in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, trusting in Christ alone as their only hope for their salvation, though they are guilty, God looks at them with the innocence of Christ and declares them righteous. And our adoption as children of God is similar. Scottish theologian John Murray wrote “Adoption, like justification, is a judicial act. In other words, it is the bestowal of a status, or standing, not the generating within us of a new nature or character” he goes on “in adoption the redeemed become sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty; they are introduced into and given the privileges of God's family” John 1:12–13 “12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. Joel Beeke, on this verse says, “This may be the clearest statement of adoption by God in the Gospels, for “right” implies a legal authority, liberty, or privilege. A believer does not receive power to make himself into a child of God, but receives the privilege of being counted a child of God.” 1 John 3:1 “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” Yo this is a glorious thought. In one way it's simple. God loves and he makes us his children. And yet in another way there are vast glories in that truth, an ocean of the riches of the goodness of God's love that are contained in that verse. It's a statement that transcends the loftiest places of the human imagination. A truth that ventures deep into the eternal recesses of the heart touching an instinctive familial desire and yet it's also a truth that goes outside of us beyond the reach of space and time and journeys into the shores of eternity, to where as the scriptures say in Ephesians 1 “he chose us in him before the foundation of the world” and that “he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” An echo of the reality that we find in Revelation that “the dwelling place of God is with man.” and of what God proclaimed through the prophet in Jeremiah 31, when he said “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God, and so we are” Romans 5:5 says that “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” Our adoption into the family of God is such a precious truth. God is creating in himself and for his glory a new family. We were dead in our trespasses and sins in which we once walked, following the ways of the world, we were sons of disobedience, children of wrath, we were like the pharisees, when Jesus told them that there “Father was Satan.” But God sent the Son to redeem us and then God sent the Spirit of the Son because he adopted us. V.6 says “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son in to our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” We see the word “Abba” which is an aramaic word for Father and here we see a glimpse of the mysterious glory of the Trinity at work that God sends the Spirit of His Son to our hearts, the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, who cries out with the very cry of Jesus for His father. And His cry for the Father becomes our cry for the Father so that we can cry out to God our Father as His children. Wilhelmus à Brakel, a pastor in the Netherlands in the 1600's wrote “God hears and answers [his children] as their loving Father. As children they take refuge [in] their Father [even] in perplexity and by reason of this relationship they call Him, “Abba, Father!” In an intimate manner they bring their needs before Him, and with tearful eyes they tell Him what their sorrow is [by crying] out…. “The Lord looks upon such children in love, and is pleased with their childlike complaints and their taking refuge [in] Him. He will most certainly answer them and deliver them at His time and in His manner.” Jesus in the gospel of John says something fascinating. He said, “I will not leave you as orphans.” The disciples hearts were troubled, they knew they were coming to the end of Jesus' ministry even if they didn't fully realize what was going to happen.” Let me read to you John 14:16–18, Jesus says 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. I will not leave you as orphans. That's why when Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, he astonishingly tells them to say “Our Father in Heaven” “Our Father.” We can call God, “Our Father” And so here in Ch. 4 of Galatians Paul says in v.7, “So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” It is one thing to free someone who is enslaved but God frees us, adopts us, and allows us to be an heir through Him. Our inheritance is through Him. And so one important implication of our adoption is that— we are heirs with Christ if we suffer with Christ I get this from Romans 8:15-17, which is a parallel passage to our Galatians passage. It says. 15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Think about this: the span of your life in light of eternity is a speck of dust. It's a grain of sand. And in that short amount of time is the only time and opportunity in your existence that you will get to suffer for Christ and to suffer with Christ. Romans 8:18–19 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time... are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:16–18 “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. We suffer but we have hope in our suffering. And because of our hope sometimes we even risk suffering. A Pastor in Ukraine this past week in the midst of what's going on in his country wrote, “We have decided to stay, both as a family and as a church. When this is over, the citizens of Kyiv will remember how Christians have responded in their time of need. And while the church may not fight like the nation, we still believe we have a role to play in this struggle. We will shelter the weak, serve the suffering, and mend the broken. And as we do, we offer the unshakable hope of Christ and his gospel.” Oh Father may we live faithfully for your glory in light of these glorious realities, give us grace even right now to live in light of your redemption and the truth that we are your children. Thank you that we have been adopted into a family that spans the globe. Give grace and strength to our brothers and sisters around the world including Ukraine and that whole region. May we live obediently to you in what you have placed before us in our specific lives. May you be to us the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with your very comfort. Would we be renewed and sanctified through your Spirit and by your truth, going to you and crying out to you. Knowing you are our father who cares for us and loves us with an everlasting love. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Words and Voice by Rev'd Jon SwalesMusic 'This too Shall Pass'. by Scott BuckleyFather of Creation,God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ,The earth was formless and void,The earth was drenched in darkness,And the  wild goose of love hovered over the waters of the deep.Father of Creation,God of Faithfulness,You spoke and breathed life into being.A tapestry of textures, Displaying Bountiful biodiversity,An interconnected web of life,Formed and Filled as an act of creative love and power.You declared it to be good, And it is good,It is our home. To you be all praise and glory.You declared it to be good,And it is good,We share this home with non-human worshippersTo you be all praise and glory.Father of Creation,Creation sings your praise,Non-human worshippers partake in a litany of life, A sweet song of praise, A reverent dance and waltz of wonder.Aardvarks and BadgersCats and DogsElephants and flying foxes,The sweet embrace of life.Gorillas and Hippos,Iguanas and Jellyfish,Koalas and Llamas,The sweet embrace of life.Meerkat and Nightingales,Orang-utans and Polar Bears,Quetzals and Racoons,The sweet embrace of life.Seals and Tigers,Umbrella Bird and VolesWalrus and Xantus Leaf-toed Gekkos,The sweet embrace of life.Yellow Fin Tuna and Zebra FinchThe sweet embrace of life.To to you be all praise and glory.And yet, Oh Father,The song of praise is being silenced As humanity betrays it's calling to tend and keep.Lord have mercy,Christ have mercy.And Yet, Oh Father,Creations dance turns to final waltz,As holy habits are plundered and pillaged,Lord have mercy,Christ have mercy.Father of Creation, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,At this late hour,As the earth becomes formless and void,As the light of life becomes drenched in darkness, We thank you that the Wild Goose of Love still hovers Wild goose of Love,Creation Groans.Wild goose of love,Creation groans.In darkness, we wait.In darkness, we hope.These dry bones may yet live.In darkness, we wait,In darkness, we hope,These dry bones may yet live Father of Creation,God  of faithfulness,Speak your word afresh and breathe life into being. So that creations song will sing once more,That out of the lament for loss may once again be found a litany of life A sweet song of lifeThe sweet embrace of life, To you be all praise and glory. 

Bless the Seed Planters (2) (Audio) David Eells - 1/5/22   Gathering the Vessels to be Filled Eve Brast - Dec. 15 - 17, 2021 Dreams (David's notes in red) On December 15th in a dream we of UBM were in a warehouse gathering pots and dishes of all kinds and crockpots etc. together and placing them on our white fold-out pot blessing tables that were lined up in a straight row.  There wasn't any food in them we were all just gathering the vessels together in preparation for the food. Then I heard the voice of the Lord from above and to the right of me say, “You must wait 6 weeks.” (The time period would be up on Jan. 26th IF the date of the dream is when the 6 weeks start.) I woke up pondering about what this could mean. (Could it be the anointing upon the food of the Word that we have stored up to serve to the people?) Then on December 16th I had two dreams that were identical back to back in the night. (The dream was doubled) (Meaning as Joseph said that it will surely come to pass.) In these dreams we of UBM were all in a large wooden Ark that was still sitting on dry ground with the big door still down and resting on the ground and opened like a ramp leading up into it. (The Ark is being prepared to "escape all these things” as in Luke 21:36) It was nice weather outside at the moment. I could see the sun shining through the gathering white  clouds. (The light of the Son is shining on us to prepare.) We were, again, gathering many different pots, pans and crockpots in preparation for the food. I wasn't sure how we were going to get all the meals and food but we were getting ready to receive the supplies and dishes of food in order to distribute it to all the people. (We have been told that we are storing up in the grain silos of Joseph for a time of releasing the anointed food to the people.) (This made me think of Elisha and the widow in 2 Ki. 4:1-7 when there was a famine and her husband had died and they were going to take her sons into slavery and bondage because she couldn't pay her debts. So grace came when the prophet told her to go and ask her neighbors for as many vessels as she could gather and begin pouring what little oil she had into them until they were all full. Then he told her to go and sell the oil to pay her creditors and save her boys.) Then on December 17th I dreamed that UBM was again gathering dishes together to be filled with food in a house that belonged to David that had many, many rooms of different sizes all joined together. (The Lord told me that He would build me a house as a type of David Man-child's house which was finished before the House of God. My house in the natural is almost finished. So we are about to start on the temple house which is in the Bride city and they are built by the food which is the Word that has been stored up to create "Christ in you”..) I again heard the Lord's voice from directly above me say, “From beneath the bars of the gates, you shall escape.” (The first fruits Bride escapes Babylon to re-build on their promised land.)  I woke up repeating this phrase to myself and wondering what the Lord was saying. (The thing that came to me was about when Cyrus diverted the Euphrates away from Babylon so that his armies could go under the bars and then through the gates on both banks and conquer Babylon.  This was as the king was receiving the interpretation of the writing on the wall by Daniel who was made the third ruler in the kingdom at that time.) (According to Operation Disclosure: On Sun. 2 Jan. 2022 “Earth Quakes” under Geneva Lake in Switzerland destroyed the Cabal's CIA CERN Headquarters and was considered the Fall of Babylon. These earthquakes were actually bombings or Rods of God. Just as Cyrus did, Trump decapitated Babylon. Many traitorous leaders will be executed. Then the headless enemy will be cleaned up. False flag is already planned by the DS and incoming.)  During my waking hours on these days the Lord brought an old song back to my memory that I hadn't heard or thought about in a very long time. It was called, “Seek ye First”. I couldn't get it out of my head and just kept singing the first verse over and over.  So I looked up the rest of the song so I would be able to sing the whole thing.  And then the Lord put it in my heart to request that Barry lead us to sing it at the Friday night meeting and that we could put it as a permanent addition in our song books. Here's the lyrics below: Seek ye first the kingdom of God And His righteousness And all these things shall be added unto you Allelu, alleluia Man shall not live by bread alone But by every word That proceeds from the mouth of God Allelu, alleluia Ask and it shall be given unto you Seek and ye shall find Knock and the door shall be opened unto you Allelu, alleluia Seek ye first the kingdom of God And His righteousness And all these things shall be added unto you Allelu, alleluia (This is a really good exhortation to Seek first His Kingdom to be prepared for the choosing of the Bride.)   Praying for Latter Rain Isaac Payne -1/1/22 (David's notes in red) I wanted to share this dream I had last night. It was a very direct and quick dream. I'm wondering if there is significance of this being the first dream for me of the new year, 2022.  (Issac has very good dreams on a regular basis, so the Lord could certainly be sending us a message about what to expect as far as timing for the latter rain anointing coming early this year, 2022.) In this dream it was night. (The night time represents the tribulation when gross darkness in over the earth and the peoples. This is the time when the former and the latter rains will be poured out upon God's elect in a great revival as it was when God's people were entering the wilderness, a type of the tribulation.)  There was a couple in their upper 50's holding onto each other in a desolate area. (Representing the wilderness tribulation.) They called out to me and I went to speak with them.  I knew the man's name in the dream was John. (Meaning, “God is gracious or graced by God". John the Baptist was preparing for the anointed One who comes as the latter rain according to Hos. 6:1-3.) The woman he was holding had blonde hair and it was a couple of inches from her shoulders. (The Bride is prepared to be chosen by the anointed One.) (They looked like husband and wife; at least that's what it seemed like.)   They asked me if I would pray for the latter rain with them. We all joined hands and prayed in agreement. I prayed, “Oh Father thank you! We ask for the latter rain anointing, and we claim it done. We thank you for it in Jesus's name. Amen!” Then I woke up. (The anointed One is Jesus in the Man-child body of reformers.)   Psalm 87 and Zion the 'Desert of the Lord' Deborah Horton 9-20-21 (David's notes in red)  I hope I can explain what the Lord revealed to me in these texts below. :0) (As we will see in Deb's revelation, the couple mentioned in Issac's dream who were holding on to one another in a desolate place praying for the latter rain represents those in Zion.) It says in Psa.87:1 His foundation is in the holy mountains. (2) Jehovah loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. (The actual meaning of “Zion" is the Hebrew word tsiyyah meaning "desert, drought, dry, dry places, parched, parched land"! Think about that for a minute.) (She is prepared to soak up the anointing and Word of the Man-child reformers.) It says in Psa.63:1 O God, thou art my God; earnestly will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, In a dry and weary land, where no water is. (So, we are the "dry and weary land”. But why are we seeking Zion if it's a desert? And why would the Lord love a "dry and weary land”?) (Some people are hungry and thirsty for God.) (Psa.87:3) Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah (Glorious things are spoken of a desert?)  (4) I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon as among them that know me: Behold, Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia: This one was born there. (Here in verse 4 notice that Rahab, Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia were enemies of Zion until they were (re-)born there. (Col.1:21) And you, (speaking of the Gentiles) being in time past alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil works, (22) yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him.) (5) Yea, of Zion it shall be said, This one and that one was born in her; And the Most High himself will establish her. (6) Jehovah will count, when he writeth up the peoples, This one was born there. Selah (Look at another place where the location of birth is important: (Luk.2:1) Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled. (2) This was the first enrolment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. (3) And all went to enrol themselves, every one to his own city. (4) And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; (5) to enrol himself with Mary, who was betrothed to him, being great with child. (6) And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered.) Back to (Psa.87:7) They that sing as well as they that dance [shall say], All my fountains are in thee. (Well, "fountains" are "living water,” In Joh.3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God! (6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew. (8) The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.) When we come to Zion, we have to come empty, a dry and dead-to-self desert, in order to be filled. It says in (Php.2:5) Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (6) who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, (7) but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; (8) and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. (9) Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; (10) that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Also in (Mat.5:6) Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. David Mullinix added this text: (Isa.53:2) For he (Jesus) grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. (So Zion has gone through a crucifixion at the hands of the apostates and God will pour out upon this Bride the a renewal of the former rain as the Man-child ministries receive the latter rain and gives it to the Bride after 3 1/2 years just as it was with Jesus.)     UBM Books Getting Anointed Merlene Laughlin - 12/2/21 (David's notes in red)  I dreamed the sky was getting gray as a storm was coming soon. (In the natural, Trump and the Alliance have said, "The Storm is upon us"; meaning the warfare on the DS in our government that will temporarily bring down the Satanic Cabal and bring God's people a temporary reprieve from the left wing of the Dragon Beast as the right wing rises at the Man-child's return in His Body of Man-child ministers to lead God's people in the first 3 1/2 years of the 7 year tribulation period.) I knew that I was in a white, one story school building. (We are in the school of sanctification learning to walk in holiness. As in Eve's dream when Lion Man came and expounded on David's books but with a greater anointing.) Some of the UBM women, that had been working on the books, were in a huge library trying to take the UBM books out of many boxes and put them in order on the library shelves after they had dusted them. I saw everyone working with happy hands and hearts. (A library is a quiet, restful place where people are able to study and learn. 'Dusting and putting in order' represents cleaning up the spiritual environment so that the knowledge in the materials can be received. Psa. 68:11 The Lord giveth the word: The women that publish the tidings are a great host. ) Then we all heard thunder and saw a mix of swirling gray clouds. It was starting to rain, but only a mist. We hurried so we could get that last pallet done so all the boxes of books would be “shelved and in order.” (The time is short we must get the house in order. Jesus told His disciples in John 9:4 We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.) The whole side of the school looked as if it was suddenly gone. One person looked up and said, “Where did the windows go? There were windows there earlier.” (During the latter rain the veil will be taken away from our knowledge and understanding. The windows of Heaven are opened to release revelation knowledge to a hungry and thirsty people.  1 Co. 13:8-12 ...but whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10 but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known.)   I heard the,“splat, splat, splat” of large rain drops falling. Each “splat” was several inches from the other. (Hos. 6:1-3 Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. (This is the 1000 year days and we are on the morning of the 3rd day as it says in the next verse.) 3 And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.) Seeing that some stacks of books had a rain splat on them, I took a white towel and started to quickly wipe off the medium, dark blue covers of the remaining books on the table, but the rain would not wipe off! Then I heard some one say, “Merlene, it's the latter rain. It will not wipe off!” (Psa 68:7-12  O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, When thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah 8 The earth trembled, The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God: Yon Sinai trembled at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, Thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary. 10 Thy congregation dwelt therein: Thou, O God, didst prepare of thy goodness for the poor. 11 The Lord giveth the word: The women that publish the tidings are a great host. 12 Kings of armies flee, they flee; And she that tarrieth at home divideth the spoil.)    Pray for Good Weather for Building on the UBM Land                  Vanessa Weeks - 12/1/21 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was listening to an Unleavened Bread Bible Study with my ear buds. Towards the end of the study, David asked all of us who were listening to pray that we would have good weather in the area over the next several days. (The good weather may be the sun/Son shining on us and no storm in the heavens.)  He said that we would be working on or building something that would be shelters for the people. 1Co 3:9  For we are God's fellow-workers: ye are God's husbandry, God's building.) (I asked the Lord for a word about the shelters and received by faith at random Mat. 24:30 and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.) (We know that this verse does not fit timing wise but if we just consider the words of the verse, we know that the Lord is coming in His Man-child body of reformers which is a Son of man. So the Son of God is coming in a son of man to repeat History.) As David talked to us about praying for good weather, I saw him hammering some metal frames together and it appeared that it would be a large building. (This reminds me of Eph. 2:20-22  being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone; 21  in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; 22  in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.) I asked the Lord for a word about David hammering and what we were building and received by faith at random Dan 2:19 (In context  19-23)    Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. (Daniel was a type of the Man-child Ministry at the time of the fall of Babylon who was a revealer of these secrets to the people who were coming out of bondage to rebuild the kingdom in the promised land.)  20  Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might are his. 21  And he changeth the times and the seasons; he removeth kings, and setteth up kings; he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that have understanding; 22  he revealeth the deep and secret things; he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. 23  I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast now made known unto me what we desired of thee; for thou hast made known unto us the king's matter.) David also said the building will be on some land UBM has and I saw it as a park like setting. (God's people were told to conquer the old man and take the land of promise which means to stand on the promises of God. The first land to be taken after the Babylonian falling away was Zion and the Temple ground which represents the new leadership of born again Zion which represents the Bride in whom is the presence of God.) I was thinking in the dream, I did not know UBM had land, but we have had several dreams of this land and us standing on the grass. (Standing on the grass represents conquering our flesh for as Peter said, “All flesh is as grass.”) I asked the Lord for a word for this dream and received by faith at random Luke 9:25 (In context 23-27) 23  And he said unto all, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, (for the flesh to die on) and follow me. 24  For whosoever would save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25  For what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose or forfeit his own self? 26  For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in his own glory, and the glory of the Father, and of the holy angels. 27  But I tell you of a truth, There are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God. (Denying ourselves and taking up our cross to follow Jesus is the land we have in UBM.)   I went to the UBM site and put the word “shelter" in the site search and saw a dream from Eve on 10/10/10 called 'Man-Child & Bride Save  Apostates'  This is the portion that had "shelter " in it and the verse she got is the same Daniel text I received above when I asked what David was hammering on and what we were building. (So here's the portion of Eve's dream…) …She (The Pakistani woman who said to me, “You are the seer right?") then handed me the piece of cardboard she had been writing on. I took it in my right hand (I'm naturally left-handed) and held it up toward the light to my right. She had written the Roman numerals XXVIII (28) on it. As I was doing this, a voice from behind me and up and to my right resonated through my being, asking, "Are you ready for March 28th?" I answered, "Yes”.  After this, the Pakistani woman turned into a child, came around and took shelter under my right arm, which became a wing with white feathers. This is when the dream ended. (Eve had this dream on 10/10/10. The very next March 28th was a significant day. March 28th in Roman Numerals represents the day the Roman Catholic [meaning "universal"] Church attempted, with the Roman beast government, to force the Jews [now also representing the Christians] on threat of death into their one world order religion. This attempt was thwarted by God using an earthquake on what is now March 28th. We are not saying anything will happen on the 28th but the parallel, as symbolism, is unmistakable. I believe the future attempt at the "covenant with many” will bring terrible earthquakes to America? Could something like this be a demonstration for the apostate church's sake. Because of this and more to come, those who have been given discernment among them may come under the authority and protection of the Bride and Man-child, as in the dream above. When Haman, as a type of the antichrist beast, got an edict to destroy the Jews, it was Mordecai the Man-child and Esther the Bride who were used to save them.)  When I asked the Lord about "seer", I opened my Bible and put my finger down on Daniel 2:20. I then went on to read verses 19 above it and 21-23 after it. {Dan.2:19} Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. {20} Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might are his... {21} And he changeth the times and the seasons; he removeth kings, and setteth up kings; he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that have understanding; {22} he revealeth the deep and secret things; he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. {23} I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast now made known unto me what we desired of thee; for thou hast made known unto us the king's matter. (God has revealed the timing and nature of His judgments to His Bride, represented by Eve, of which the Man-child, represented by Daniel, is the head.) I just thought it was an amazing confirmation when Eve's dream came up and had the same scripture I received for my dream. On 12-14-21 Eve asked for a word to answer David about our promised land last night and she received by faith at random  Neh 9:15  and gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and commandedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.     UBM Light Workers Reaching Those in Darkness   Deborah Fenske - 12/22/21 (David's notes in red) I had a short dream last night that I want to share after hearing the broadcast about the Bride shining the light on those coming out of the apostate church.  I was in a house like Jeff's house, but it seemed bigger. The layout of the rooms were about the same. It was pretty plain and emptied inside. (We must be emptied inside to be filled with the light of Christ.) I knew there were quite a few people in this house… Then the scene changed, and I was standing out in the front of the house but it didn't look like the front of Jeff's house.  I was standing in front up on the hill, like the way Jeff's house is and it was dark outside. I was looking at a line of several people, far away, down below. But I wasn't looking down a driveway. I was just looking from way above these people, and I could see very sparsely wooded land that they were walking through. (Representing their personal wilderness trials.)  It's amazing that I could see them so clearly, because they were a far distance away.  And since it was dark I knew they needed light. And I could see, even from that far off distance away, that a couple people were using the flashlights on their cell phones. I thought I would give them more light, so I started shining the flashlight of my phone way out there to them, and I could tell it made a little bit of a difference. (All the UBM workers are working on getting the light of the Gospel to people through books and digital means like Debbie's phone. Light represents knowledge of truth which Jesus said would set us free.)  I could even see people turn around and look, wondering where the extra light was coming from. But it still wasn't that much light. They needed more. (Yes, people need more light and truth. The latter rain anointing of the Man-child would open their understanding. I desire that God's people would take the great commission evangelism more seriously. Many will miss the Bride because of this.) So I tried a couple different ways of holding my phone to try to find the best way for my flashlight to give them the most light. I finally raised my arm up higher and let my light shine down on them.  I could see my light shining all over them, from the rear of the line of the people clear to the front of them, and even further out in front of them. And I saw them looking around, again, as I knew they were trying to figure out where that light was coming from. Then I woke up. (UBM is working on shining the light to help people find their way in their wilderness. PTL! A big 'thank you' to all the Light Workers in the Kingdom. :o) Luke 1:76-79 Yea and thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Most High: For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to make ready his ways; (UBM is one of the John the Baptist ministries, preaching repentance in our day to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord in His people.) 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people In the remission of their sins, 78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, Whereby the dayspring from on high shall visit us, (This is Jesus in the Man-child ministry by Word and Spirit.) 79 To shine upon them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death; To guide our feet into the way of peace.   Select LanguageAfrikaansAlbanianAmharicArabicArmenianAzerbaijaniBasqueBelarusianBengaliBosnianBulgarianCatalanCebuanoChichewaChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CorsicanCroatianCzechDanishDutchEsperantoEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchFrisianGalicianGeorgianGermanGreekGujaratiHaitian CreoleHausaHawaiianHebrewHindiHmongHungarianIcelandicIgboIndonesianIrishItalianJapaneseJavaneseKannadaKazakhKhmerKinyarwandaKoreanKurdish (Kurmanji)KyrgyzLaoLatinLatvianLithuanianLuxembourgishMacedonianMalagasyMalayMalayalamMalteseMaoriMarathiMongolianMyanmar (Burmese)NepaliNorwegianOdia (Oriya)PashtoPersianPolishPortuguesePunjabiRomanianRussianSamoanScots GaelicSerbianSesothoShonaSindhiSinhalaSlovakSlovenianSomaliSpanishSundaneseSwahiliSwedishTajikTamilTatarTeluguThaiTurkishTurkmenUkrainianUrduUyghurUzbekVietnameseWelshXhosaYiddishYorubaZulu Powered by Translate Printer-friendly version

If you have been in any kind of ministry, then you will almost certainly know what it is to have felt rejected and gossiped about. Some churches ought to have a notice posted on the door: ‘Here be dragons!' How we need to guard our heart and be careful what we say and think, Lord! You know that our thoughts control our life, and that they lead to many consequences. (Prov. 4:23) Align our hearts with Yours so that we run in the freedom of Your leading, rather than toiling and labouring under the crushing impact of stinging words and actions reinforcing our sense of rejection. Lead us to friends and counsellors with whom we are able share honestly about the pain that these stinging criticisms have caused, people who are able to lovingly tend our wounds and draw out darts and arrows that have pierced our soul. Help them to help us readjust burdens and deep concerns that we have allowed to slip from spirit to soul – for that is what it means to carry each other's burdens and so walk in the way of the Lord. (Gal. 6:2) Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? (Jas. 3:11) Oh Father, how often salty, bitter words come out of my mouth! How often I have hurt and rejected others by not even just my words and deeds, but also by the subliminal messages and subtle expectations of my attitudes. I have pushed people away, people whom You want to welcome. Forgive me. Face me with the reality of the injury I have caused and then open up Your springs of life in me so that, where I once spread shadows and darkness, I am able to bring light and restoration. I pray especially for those closest to me, who have so often found themselves suffering as the result of my unhealed hurts and resentments. Forgive me for offending against and even rejecting these dear ones who You have brought so carefully into my life. I bring these people to You now, Lord, and ask You to set them free from the hurt I have caused them.

The story behind t he recording of Madonna's seminal album, with details of the photoshoot, the singles and a focus on Oh Father. 

OH FATHER...OH DADDY!Dear Kuya Jush and Ate Jen on PHLV Radio! SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23 at 10 PM (PDT) SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24 at 1 PM (Philippines)Listen to the advice of KUYA JUSH and ATE JEN that is sometimes serious, funny, shocking, or irritating but definitely oozing with life's lessons.LIVE AUDIO streaming is also available at PHLV Radio App and at www.phlvradio.com WATCH and LISTEN LIVE for FREE here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phlvradioYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PHLVRadioWebsite: https://www.phlvradio.com/Amazon Fire TV Channel: PHLV Radio AppAlexa device: Alexa, Play PHLV RadioPodcast edition on iHeartRadio, Spotify, and Apple Podcast*Snail mail, email, PM or text...send them to Kuya Jush and Ate Jen. Jen Kho Jush Andowitt PHLV Radio #jenkho #atejenkho #DearKuyaJushAtAteJen #PHLV #phlvradio #jushandowitt #hiram

Preserved From the Beast (15)  (Audio) David Eells - 10/17/19 October Sign: Death & Resurrection  Note from Eve: I came across this series of dreams from March of 2019 and felt it was no coincidence that Father would bring these past revelations to light at this current time. October seems to be a month of interest in these dreams as a possible timing for the Bride and the Man-child.   Update: Funds Delayed Till Now Eve Brast - 3/8/19 (notes by David Dengler) (notes by David Eells) I dreamed that David, merged with my maternal grandfather Robert Ford meaning: “Bright Fame”, was teaching me to drive his vehicle. (David could represent the Man-child body of Bright Fame.). Elijah, Josiah, and Isaiah were all in the back seat. (The Man-child raised up children of the bride which Elijah and Josiah are. They represent the witnesses and reformers and Isaiah was also. [David Dengler: The combined ages of the boys is 42, as in months, or 3 1/2 years.] As we see below these children of the Bride grow up quickly to be mighty warriors for the Kingdom in the tribulation. They are in the back seat because they follow the training of the Bride. Jesus the Man-child raised up the bride first and out of her the two corporate witnesses were born.) This vehicle was a golden colored luxury sedan with the driver's side on the right side of the vehicle like the European cars are designed. (Eve represents the Bride and the vehicle; our temple and vehicle) (This golden sedan could also represent the money transfer from God to David mentioned below in this dream.) 1 Jo. 3:2, Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is.  David was in total control of the vehicle from the passenger side so I didn't have to worry if I made any mistakes. (This is in type of the first Man-child, Jesus, who trained the Bride in total control.) (God is in total control of everything that is currently happening and the tribulation time to come.) ...Elijah, Isaiah, and Josiah were thrilled with the increased speed at which we were traveling and were excited about going to the large warehouse where David lived. (Php 4:19  And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. David's house is a place of storage of grain, the Word, for the seven years of famine as we have received in other dreams.)   This reminded me of a dream David had back in 2016 of a warehouse and a large box of gold coins to supply the needs of the saints during the tribulation:   Box of Gold Coins Given to DavidDavid Eells - 11/04/16 I had a vision in the night. I saw myself in a huge warehouse. I had been sent by my Boss (Father) to move a large box that I saw in the Spirit to our part of the warehouse. When I got there, I still saw the box in the Spirit and I saw the industrial-sized forklift that I was to use to pick it up. I would judge the box to be about 8' square and very strong. It was full of dollar-sized gold coins. I looked at the forklift and wondered if it was big enough to pick the box up. I found the manager of the warehouse and told him what I was told to do. He said, "I was told by my boss not even to speak nominally (in name only) of that box". Then I told him, "Do you want me to go back to my Boss or do you want to speak to yours?" I knew my Boss, Father, was over his boss, Satan. End of vision. (I believe the Lord is saying we are soon to receive access to the money to serve His saints.) Back to Eve's dream: David told me to put the right turn signal on as we exited going up onto the exit ramp from the highway and turned right at the stop sign. (It is obvious that the David's are going the RIGHT way! The driving down and then up represents death and resurrection. The sheep go to the right as the goats go left.) ...1Co. 9:24, Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain.  As we pulled up to the warehouse, I noticed it was painted white and light blue. (Representing purity and heavenly places).  It was dark inside the warehouse because we were the first ones to arrive. So David went and turned the lights on. (Like Jesus, of whom it was said, They that sat in darkness saw a great light.)  Elijah, Isaiah and Josiah were fascinated with the unique doorway into the warehouse and decided to play with the panels practicing taking the panels off and putting them back onto the nail head pegs. Isaiah was especially interested in doing this. (Opening and closing this door represents the authority we have to bind and to loose, to provide or not.) He said, ”We've got to make sure that the others will be able to get the panels open". (All who follow in their steps will have to learn the same ability.) Isaiah 22:20-25, And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim (Meaning: “God will establish” concerning the Man-child ministries.) the son of Hilkiah: (Who is replacing the apostate leadership symbolized by Shebna.) 21 and I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; and he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.  23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a throne of glory to his father's house. 24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the flagons. 25 In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, shall the nail that was fastened in a sure place give way (Shebna the apostate leader); and it shall be hewn down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off; for Jehovah hath spoken it.) ”So they all stayed near the door as David and I went to the large wash room. (The storehouse of the grain or seed represents the Word we have stored up and the washing is by the Word)  I was standing over by a large white washing machine as David came over and laid the car keys on top of the washer.  He said, ”Are you ready to take your driving test?” (When we are washed up we are ready to solo drive for ourselves. Driving symbolizes us steering our vehicle which is this body according to the dictates of the Word of God.)  I said, “Sure. Even though I haven't had that much practice, I know I will pass the test.”  David had only taught me how to operate the turn signals as he had been driving the car. 2 Co. 12:9, And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Then Catherine Austin Fitts, an international financial expert, came into the washroom of the warehouse. I knew she would be the instructor that gave me my final driving test. She said, “Are you ready Eve?” I said, “Yes. I believe so.” (Elijah will be taking his final driving test on Oct. 20th 2021. Elijah represents, corporately, a ministry of repentance and getting cleaned up in preparation for the Man-child Jesus' appearance.)  (Wikipedia says: Catherine Austin Fitts has a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from The Wharton School. She is also an expert in the mishandling of funds by the factious DS. Her website is called the Solaire Report from Latin, Sun [Son] Report.)   Then David received a call from Sandy Shaw and walked outside the warehouse to talk with her. She was telling him that she was late in transferring the “funds into his account” and that it was going to be delayed. I had a vision of Sandy sitting in her motorized chair in her living room, where we currently have our meetings, talking on the phone with David and I heard everything she was telling him.  So I walked outside and I asked David, ”What's the matter?” And he said, “Sandy says she will be late in transferring the funds into my account. The funds are there but, she hasn't had a chance to transfer them yet.” (This was back in 2019. As we know there was a delay there. Sandy is very prophetic and let us know what is coming in the future. So a delay of finances coming into our account in the future was implied. Now we need to know when it's going to happen. [David Dengler: Sandy means defender of men protector of mankind, which she does with her prophetic revelations, which the faction hates so much and have tried to kill her many times.]) (I felt this was about the finances the Lord promised to David to take care of God's people being delayed so I asked if we could pray against this delay and the Lord said, Yes.) (This is relevant for now since the DS is trying desperately to stop the plundering of their stolen funds. So this is a warning to pray against this delay which the D.S. desires so much.)   When Catherine Austin Fitts heard that the transfer was delayed she said, “We'll have to reschedule the final driving test in light of the transfer delay.” And then she left. (This is a warning to prayed down the delay so this reschedule of giving the Bride authority and mobility is unnecessary.)  (I asked Father for a word concerning the delay of the “money transfer” and my finger was on “in the house?” in Est.7:8 (The delay was when the Bride did not intercede to the King against Haman at the first banquet of wine but waited till the second banquet in this context. So we need to intercede to the Lord against the faction and the D.S. Oh Father we ask that there be no more delay in the declassification of documents, FISA Warrants, etc. against the D.S., and factious criminal activities but that their sins be enumerated without delay as Esther did at the second banquet below.)  Est.7:8 (in context 5-10), Then spake the king Ahasuerus and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? 6 And Esther said, An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. 7 And the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. 8 Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the couch whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he even force the queen before me in the house? (Interestingly enough, five of us got dreams that the factious leader was molesting the women in our body. We knew this was in his lusts.) As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.  9 Then said Harbonah, one of the chamberlains that were before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman hath made for Mordecai, who spake good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. And the king said, Hang him thereon. 10 So they hanged Haman (the factious Judas of that day) on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.) (Father hung Haman, which is what has been done to traitorous people in church and state. We know that the Alliance has tried in Military Tribunals many thousands of DS criminals. Much evidence is coming out concerning the election fraud, vac/cine damages, and the criminal acts of the DS players. God has tried and will judge the Judas' in the Church.)  Once I was outside the warehouse, I realized that we were in the middle of a small downtown area that resembled our local town. Elijah, Josiah, and Isaiah joined David and I outside the warehouse. As we went to meet the rest of the UBM brethren in town, I noticed there was a pumpkin festival, that was a big deal celebration, going on… Then I woke up. (The timing for events in this dream seems to be October.)   Pandemic: Houses and Funds Transfer Suspended Eve Brast - 3/9/19  (notes by David Dengler) (notes by David Eells) …I dreamed that David had started a school for me to homeschool my 3 sons, Noah, Elijah and Josiah in. (The children of the Bride are schooled by her.  Psa 45:14-16  She shall be led unto the king in broidered work: The virgins her companions that follow her Shall be brought unto thee.  15  With gladness and rejoicing shall they be led: They shall enter into the king's palace.  16  Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, Whom thou shalt make princes in all the earth.) I got into a golden luxury vehicle, like the one in the dream above, (The text we just looked at has the Bride in gold also indicating that she has received the reward promised to the Bride. Psa 45:13  The king's daughter within the palace is all glorious: Her clothing is inwrought with gold.) I drove to my Father's land (Our promised land) in TX on a narrow road (Representing the way of sanctification) to pick them up from the right side mobile home.  When we got back to the school in TN... I said to David that I needed to use the restroom. (The Bride is getting cleaned up for the blessings to come.) David said, “You'll have to go across the street to the county clerk's office to use the restroom.” (This is where the vehicle registration office is located.) (You must have your driver's license to go there and to make your vehicle legal to drive on the road.)   So I headed outside and I saw all these light green colored locusts everywhere. It was like a plague of them there were so many. They looked like Cicadas and there were so many of them on their backs, all dying on the streets and sidewalks, that I had to step very carefully. So it took me awhile to get over to the restroom. I thought in the dream, “This is pestilence.” (Vac/cines causing mass die-offs of the population. Christians are increasingly hated as anti-vaxxers and being blamed for the countries woes and the increase of the CV Delta variant spread. The persecution will intensify mid-trib.) (The D. S., in government and church, is represented as the locusts of Joel 2 and their attempted attack on Jerusalem, the Bride. This army was likened to a pestilence, but God saw to it that it killed them instead of the Bride. At the Red Sea, Northern Army, Armies against Jehoshaphat, Sennacherib scenario, they came against God's people but it was they who were destroyed by a supernatural move of God.)  [David Dengler: In Exo.12, the first Passover leading to Unleavened Bread is where there must be no leaven for 7 days and God promises to smite the Egyptians in the 10th plague of the destroyer Passing Over to kill the (vaxxed) Egyptians.]  Once I walked into the restroom I saw Amy Methvin standing as if in suspended animation. She was merged with David's daughter Deborah who is a realtor. They were just frozen there in the middle of the restroom... (I believe Amy, the UBM treasurer, may represent finances coming to the ministry for the people and Deborah could represent the “real estate” that will be purchased with the transfer of funds received by the ministry to meet the needs of the people. Suspended animation makes me think of the delay in transferring the funds in 2019 to David's account in the first dream.) Then I woke up. (This is the delay which we are to cast down by spiritual warfare and because the Bride is not to delay to do this intercession against the D.S. Northern army.  The D.S. is desperate to distract and stop the declassification of documents, that prove their criminal works and send them to Gitmo. Pray that they fail and the allies of Trump are insistent to reveal these documents and that the funds are released that are part of this domino effect of good things to come).  I also received by faith at random Zec.9:15 (finger was on, “they shall be filled like bowls” (context 9-16), Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee; (The Man-child ministry comes at a point when the people of God are weak.) he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Jesus comes in the son of David to fight the Beast for His people.) 14 And Jehovah shall be seen over them; and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning; and the Lord Jehovah will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south.  15 Jehovah of hosts will defend them; and they shall devour, and shall tread down the sling-stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, like the corners of the altar. 16 And Jehovah their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted on high over his land. (The Lord will fight for us during this pestilence and the northern army.) Now we're going to discuss two dates in October that have come up in our dream revelations; the 23rd which represents death and the 26th which represents ressurrection. We were amazed to discover on our Number Table list that these two were connected as a reference to the number 26 with death and ressurrection spoken of. This reference spoken of is: 1 Co.15:1-4=died (23), rose 3 days later (3)=26.     October 23rd Death/Birth of the Man-child Eve Brast - 6/12/14 (David's notes in red) I think this dream is announcing the completion of death of the pre-anointed Man-child ministers and their anointing. (October 23rd - the 26th? ) I dreamed that I was part of a school of Hispanic children, even though I was an adult (Abraham's seed; sojourners in a foreign land). This school was kindergarten through 12th grade. (God's people [of all spiritual ages] are aliens in a strange land.) {1Pe.2:11} Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul (and are part of this world). {Act.7:6} And God spake on this wise, that his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and that they should bring them into bondage, and treat them ill, four hundred years (a time of tribulation).  All the children were excited because school had just let out for the summer. (Joy at the end of a time of training and tribulation.) We all exited the school building onto the playground. The sun was so bright and it seemed that it was almost directly overhead. {Pro.4:18} But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The ground of our playground area was all sandy. {Jer.33:22} As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured; so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me. The sun had killed all the grass and there were just a few tumbleweeds left rolling along with the breeze. (The Son has put to death the flesh during our training and tribulations.) {1Pe.1:24} For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth... I went and spread a striped, rainbow-colored, woven Mexican blanket on the sand. (The rainbow was a sign of grace that God would not destroy mankind. The beginning of Jesus' Man-child ministry was a time of great grace given to God's people. The blanket is a covering that is foreign or heavenly. The many colors represent the attributes of the light of the world, Jesus, the Word.) {Gen.37:3} Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors. Ezekiel was caught up to the throne. Eze 1:26  And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above. Then he describes the rainbow in the cloud. {28} As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. (Ezekiel had just seen the throne of God and was now sent as a Man-child to God's people. {2:1-3} And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak with thee. {2} And the Spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet; and I heard him that spake unto me. {3} And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel.) I then sat down to rest on the rainbow-colored blanket against the silver chain link fence that separated our playground from the outside of the school grounds. (Representing resting and leaning upon sanctification or separation from that which is of the world.) {Heb.12:14} Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord:  We were all waiting to be picked up in a bus to go somewhere (into the wilderness to be taught of the Man-child). Many of the children had lunches packed and sleeping bags and some clothes packed, but all I owned was the Mexican blanket (covering of righteousness), so that was what I was taking. (When we abide in Christ, He is all the provision we need.)  I could hear all the children running and playing with squeals of joy while waiting for the bus driver to arrive. Summer was finally here! {Mar.13:28} Now from the fig tree learn her parable: when her branch is now become tender, and putteth forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh; (All God's children will enter the seven-year tribulation wilderness with varying degrees of faith.) (Summer was also a time of the Lord's coming; in our case at this time, of Jesus in the Man-child: {29} even so ye also, when ye see these things coming to pass, know ye that he is nigh, [even] at the doors.) Then a Hispanic mother (a believer) named Maria (or Mary) and her son came up and sat down next to me with their belongings. {Luk.1:45} And blessed [is] she (Mary) that believed; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord. (That she would bear the fruit of Jesus) {46} And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord. She was wearing a colorful head covering (Representing the renewed mind of Christ) and her son had light tan colored skin, light golden brown hair and green eyes. He was around five years old. They were very thirsty and wanted me to give them a drink of my pineapple juice that I was drinking. So I shared it with them. (This could represent another woman who had successfully born the fruit of Christ through grace represented by the number 5. We share the same fruit - juice or drink.)... While I was waiting for the bus driver, a Hispanic father (Representing the Father) approached me. (An alien to this world, the spiritual head of His house.) When I looked up at him, the outer edges of the sun made a halo of light around his head. (A heavenly mind like the Son.) He humbly presented an invitation for my oldest son Noah to attend a party for his son and held it out to me with both hands. (Our Father sends out invitations for us to fellowship with the Son in the Man-child at the tribulation seven-day Marriage Feast.) I could dimly see his face because of the brightness of the halo around his head. He cocked his head a little and looked upon me with such love that his eyes looked as if they were about to shed tears and with a sparkle of pride in his eyes on behalf of his son. He was so proud of his son! I smiled and thanked the man as I took the invitation and told him I would deliver it to Noah. (The King "sent forth his servants [the Bride] to call them that were bidden to the Marriage Feast".)  (Could this invitation be linked to the one below that David and I were looking at for October 26th?) In the dream, I thought, "This boy has to be around eight years old and my son Noah is 17 years old; why is a younger boy inviting Noah, who is a teenager, to his party?" ([8 is new beginnings - Christ in the Man-child?] 888 is the gematria for Jesus and 17 represents those preserved through tribulation [17 could represent the ark of preservation for Noah].) The invitation was in a large clear "party favor" bag with a gold twist tie that sealed it at the top. (This is a play on words. {Luk.1:30} And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. Those who bear the fruit of Christ will find favor from the Lord.) ... I could see through the favor bag that the invitation was a round black and white soccer ball card. (The invitation will be given to join the battle between darkness and light.) And behind that a light blue 8.5" x 11" piece of paper with four paragraphs of instructions on it. The paragraphs were written in two columns so that each paragraph took up four equal quadrants of the page. (Two columns are used on each page of most Bibles. The invitation text above is in two columns in my Bible.) After the Father disappeared ("God is Spirit"), I opened the invitation to find out the details of where, when and what time this party was so that I could help Noah find it. (The when and what time would indicate the beginning of the Marriage Feast which is the Tribulation and beginning of the Man-child's Latter Rain ministry.) "Noah" was written in English in bold capital letters across the top curve of the invitation. (The invitation is to the "few chosen", i.e. those in the ark of rest. "Noah" means "rest".) Then under that, to the left, was written, also in English, New York Ave but no number address. (New York is known as a mini type of Babylon America where this invitation is being given.) In the center under Noah's name was written "Octa" (Octa means 8) and below Octa was a small rainbow sparkled butterfly sticker with 23rd written on it with black pen ink. (What the Spirit showed me is that the rainbow sparkled butterfly represents {Isa.61:3} ...a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. (The butterfly and the colors represents resurrection life from the dead.)  Throughout the scriptures, caterpillars were sent by God for judgment (and represent death). But once our fiery trials are over, His people become butterflies clothed in the rainbow colors of Christ "that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified". (I don't know if this is a literal date but Father is using it for its numeric significance.) (We also must note that when a series of events is delayed it no longer has to happen on the original date in later years.) The number 23 was handwritten by the Father in black ink and 23 means death.) After their crucifixion of the Man-child body, that body will receive resurrection life which is the same as being caught up to the throne. Because when Jesus was resurrected, He was caught up to the throne. {Isa.61:1-5} The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me (This is Jesus' first sermon as the Man-child of His day as a type of the end-time Man-child body); because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the year of Jehovah's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vine-dressers. I then looked at the paper behind the invitation with the four paragraphs and it was all written in bold strange letter symbols that I knew was a heavenly script or language. (They say the number 4 means "creative works or creation".) But in the dream, I said, "I can't read most of this because it is all in Spanish”. (Since God is representing Himself as a foreigner then the dream is pointing out that “Spanish” represents a heavenly language.) I then asked Maria, who was also looking over my shoulder at the invitation, if she could help me translate it. I said, "I can read 'New York', but there are a lot of parks on New York Ave". Then I looked at the date and asked her what "Octa" means in Spanish and she said, "Oh, that's October” (Lol). So I said, "OK. October 23rd". (Again, I don't know that this represents a literal day and time, but it could.) Then I looked over to the right at the time and asked her what the time 0:09 (zero hours and nine minutes) represented in Spanish and she said, "Oh, that's 2:00 pm". (On the Biblical clock, 2:00 pm is the ninth hour. If you look at this as a decimal, the nine is in the 100ths place. 100-fold fruit of Christ after crucifixion.) {Mat.27:45,46} ... Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?... The death which gives life ... at the ninth hour. Then we looked at the 8.5" x 11" paper and I asked, "What does this all say?" She said, "Well, it is the building instructions to a water park". I asked, "How am I ever going to find this park with no address?" She said, "Well, there aren't very many parks that are water parks on New York Ave”.  I said, "Noah and I will have to leave an hour ahead of time so that we will be sure not to be late". {Hab.2:3} For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay. It won't be late. (The first fruits will be right on time.)  I then asked her to read the light blue instructions to me and while she was reading it, a vision of the water park opened up in front of me on the playground. All the slides were red and yellow. Then I looked down at the paper and I could no longer hear Maria's voice but instead the Father's voice describing all the dimensions of the water park, like I've imagined him telling Noah the dimensions of the Ark and Moses the dimensions of the tabernacle. Then a small, heavenly, 3D version of the water park materialized over the paper and I cupped it in the palm of my hand and looked closely at all the intricate details. The waterslides shimmered and sparkled; the yellow was golden and the red was metallic and sparkling as well. Then I woke up. Speaking of the month of October, I am reminded of a dream that I had of the date of October 26th. (Which we have seen represents resurrection.)    The Program for October 26th Eve Brast - 3/1/19 (notes by David Dengler) (notes by David Eells) I dreamed I (Representing the corporate body of the Bride) was holding a white invitation or small program. David was standing to the right of me looking at it as well. (David represents the corporate body of the Man-child ministers.) All I could read on it was the date 10-26. In the dream I said, "Of this year 2019.” (Of the beginning of the delay.) (David Dengler: This is HRC's birthday and there are 66 days left to the end of the year.) (Representing the Man-child's Judas) (This date could have been delayed to be fulfilled this current year 2021? This date could represent the Man-child returning from being caught up to the throne authority to lead the first fruits Bride body (His 12 disciples corporately) to the Marriage Feast for the 7 day/years of the Tribulation.) In the dream, while I was holding the invitation or program and David and I were reading it, there was an alien entity with the eyes of a dragon and many thin tentacles invading many people's bodies all around us and completely taking them over. When it would get inside of them, their eyes would look like dragon's eyes and eventually the entity would burst out of their chest with it's thin tentacles, killing it's host and moving on to a new host. (Representing coughing out spike proteins to kill others.) (This alien entity is also a timing indicator that we didn't understand back in 2019 pre-pandemic.) (Spiritually speaking, this is what the D.S. faction in Church and state does with their slander infestations of others as they infect them with demons. They are members of the Dragon body of Satan that attempt to devour the Man-child and Woman. The apostates have always fought against the truth and those who speak it.)  (Let's address this alien entity with thin tentacles that kills people.) (We are currently in the midst of an engineered vac/cine plan/demic. People are dying by the tens of thousands because of the poisons and the foreign bodies and substances that are being injected into their bodies through the mass vac/ci/ne mandate campaign.  We've recently viewed a video interview by Stew Peters of Dr Zandre Botha, who is a blood specialist, on what the scientists have found in one droplet of a vac/ci/ne vial under a microscope and it revealed these alien looking creatures that looked like little squids with tentacles called immortal Hydra Vulgaris.  According to Wikipedia: The hydra have four to twelve tentacles that protrude from just outside the mouth. They cling to a base object with a "foot" pad, shaped like a disk. The Hydra moves by releasing its grip on its base and is carried away by the current. (Or, in this case, the blood stream). When a hydra is cut into segments, each segment, if large enough, will grow into an individual hydra sized relative to the size of the segment. This scientist who was describing what she saw said that one of these creatures at the edge of the slip cover on the slide was lifting itself up off of the slide in what looked like an attempt to free itself from being partially trapped under the slip cover.) In Stew Peters interview with Dr Jane Ruby, she talks about the Polish scientist, Dr Franc Zalewski's video. He discovered that the Hydra shaped life forms that had been discovered by other scientists in the vaxx were composed of aluminum, carbon, and bromine. The graphene oxide rich environment  causes the eggs to start to move, then the life form hatches out of the eggs. Screenshots below: In Stew Peters interview with Karen Kingston She talks about the patents and explains how the nano-tech machinery that is being injected into people through the so called vac/ci/nes is activated through electronic devices outside the body like phones or computers. She talks about an app that is downloaded onto the phones or computers to do this. THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE PUTTING INTO PEOPLE'S BODIES! (Many see the aspects of this va/cc/ine as the Mark of the Beast, which does not come until the abomination of desolation is set up in the middle of the Tribulation. However they will build on this experiment and its success until then. They were pushing the Mark early but Trump will give us time to build the Kingdom and then it will come.) These creatures remind me of a dream Father gave me that was shared in one of our evening meetings back in Oct. 2018, almost exactly 3 years ago:   Operation Warp-speed: A Bioweapon Attack on the American People Eve Brast - 10/16/18 (David's notes in red) I dreamed that I was talking to David about the "Hurricane Michael" event that wiped out Mexico beach, Panama city, and Tyndall AFB in Florida. (Michael means, ‘Who is like God?' and the storm that is upon us is bringing God's judgment upon the US especially but also the rest of the world. As goes the US, so goes the world.) (In that hurricane, which did not act like any hurricane, large buildings were wrecked with many DS jets of different kinds were destroyed.  I saw the pictures of this back then.) Suddenly, Father began showing me what really happened. He took me up into the atmosphere and shrunk me down on a molecular level to the size of the molecules. (In hindsight I believe the storm was Operation Warp-speed, which Trump signed off on, which appears to have brought a vaccine induced plague and resulting vaccine mandates and medical tyranny upon the world.)(Don't be surprised if President Trump has a hidden angle on this to destroy the DS who created this monster. I read that He says they deceived him. Cyrus is doing his job and the Lord always spoke well of that job in His Word. Let the truth come out Lord no matter who it catches.) Everything in this strange place had the colors of the rainbow around like an aura them. I saw particles that had been discovered by scientists, but their existence had not been disclosed to the public. They were white but had the appearance of "mother of pearl" at different angles. (As described in the video linked above with Dr. Madej, she described rainbow colors and translucent particles in the vaccine droplet under the microscope.) Father spoke behind me in a deep booming voice that made everything in this place shudder and move all around with excitement. He said, "They have modified and weaponized these particles.” (These injections aren't vaccines; They are binary bio-weapons that are currently killing tens of thousands of people and once people start getting the boosters they will kill hundreds of thousands. (update: 700,000 are reported to have already died.) He brought me up close to one of them and it had a fluidity to it and was similar to a jelly fish. It would change from a mushroom shape to a bullet shape with very short tentacles at it's end. It seemed to have intelligence and could change shape to propel itself through space. (These are the Hydra Vulgaris Immortal that we saw under the microscope in the video linked above which the drug companies have put into these so called vac/ci/nes.) I watched as the particle started out in a mushroom shape but changed into a bullet shape as it was drawn into a narrow slit all around the circumference of a large metallic man-made saucer shaped weapon in the atmosphere. It was then compressed down with millions of like particles in some sort of centrifuge funnel or barrel and then directed and streamed to the earth. (Centrifuges are used in labs to spin down and separate fluids and their substances. They are able to arisolize these spike proteins and spray them from the air upon population centers or conventions where people are gathered. These spike proteins have been proven to be able to penetrate the skin (Video link) and enter peoples bodies that way also.) Father spoke again and said, "President Trump has been briefed on and knows about this technology and had signed off on its use upon the state of Florida.” (The name Florida means, “full of flowers” and is represented as all flesh on earth. 1 Pe. 1:24  For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth.) I then had an open vision of President Trump, with one of his generals standing over him on his left, signing off on the orders to use this technology on the state of Florida. (It's looking like Father was showing us a parable in this dream of the mass vac/cin/ation campaign and mandates that are being forced on the entire population of the world.  According to Wikipedia: On May 15, 2020, President Donald Trump officially announced the public-private partnership. The purpose of Operation Warp Speed was to coordinate Health and Human Services-wide efforts, including the NIH ACTIV partnership for vaccine and therapeutic development, the NIH RADx initiative for diagnostic development… (It has been said that P. Trump had another vac/ci/ne in process using beneficial ingredients. Did they deceive him or was he involved? We pray the truth comes out no matter who is responsible.) Goals: According to the Department of Health and Human Services' fact sheet, the main stated goal of Operation Warp Speed was to "produce and deliver 300 million doses of safe and effective vaccines with the initial doses available by January 2021, as part of a broader strategy to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics”.  Specific targets, as outlined in various media, included: support pharmaceutical companies... of seven different vaccine candidates simultaneously and certain therapeutic compounds. support several vaccine manufacturers for rapid scale-up of manufacturing capacity. support organization and facilitate simultaneous FDA review of Phase I-III clinical trials on several of the most promising vaccine candidates. (Phases 1,2, & 3 in which phase one is the placebo, phase two is the low dose of spike protein and phase three is the full dose of the spike protein, are all being rolled out simultaneously. This is why some people have no side effects because they received a placebo and others have varying degrees and severity of side effects.) facilitate manufacturing vaccine candidates while they remain pre-approved during pre-final clinical research to prepare for rapid deployment, if proven to be safe and effective. coordinate with the Department of Defense for vac/cine supply, production, and deployment around the United States, and track every vaccine vial and the injection schedule for each American receiving a vaccination. (This is what was happening in the dream with the general standing to Trump's left.) (We pray the tracking of these deadly bioweapons is made known.) While coordination was expected with the FDA on technical matters, Commissioner Stephen Hahn noted that the FDA would "provide technical and development assistance to Operation Warp Speed, but the manufacturers decide if they're going to go forward or not" and clarified that the agency had "drawn a very bright line at FDA between us and Operation Warp Speed because we're the independent regulator". Back to Eve's Bio-weapon attack dream: Then I was back in our physical realm trying to explain to David what Father had just shown me, but we couldn't understand the technology or what I was trying to describe and couldn't believe that Trump would do such a thing to the American people. (I have read all the verses of God's opinion of Cyrus and it is all good. Do I believe that he could be deceived by their witchcraft? YES, I have seen it happen with the faction.) Then I woke up. (Well, hindsight is 20/20. I think this dream is a lot clearer than it was almost exactly 3 years ago.) (David's note in 2018: Time will tell concerning this dream above. I believe both sides have these weapons and more exotic ones, as Eve saw. and God will make use of them to bring a chastening to America and the Church, but revival will come afterwards.  As we have seen in the type of Jesus ministry, Jesus in the Man-child will bring the revival. I believe the DS is using threats from the earthquakes and a new plague to cause the President to stop his rounding these criminals up for prosecution and execution and bringing in the new economy which effectively cuts out the DS.)   I asked Father for a word by faith at random concerning Trump's signing of the order to use this technology on Florida and my finger was on,"remove thy way far from her" in Proverbs 5:8 (in context 4-14) (The American Harlot is still a Harlot no matter how much you love her and want to see her restored. Her ways will still bring you down to death if you aren't sanctified.) 4  But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. 5  Her feet go down to death; Her steps take hold on Sheol; 6  So that she findeth not the level path of life: Her ways are unstable, and she knoweth it not. 7  Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me, And depart not from the words of my mouth. 8  Remove thy way far from her, And come not nigh the door of her house; 9  Lest thou give thine honor unto others, And thy years unto the cruel; 10  Lest strangers be filled with thy strength, And thy labors be in the house of an alien, 11  And thou mourn at thy latter end, When thy flesh and thy body are consumed, 12  And say, How have I hated instruction, And my heart despised reproof; 13  Neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me! 14  I was well-nigh in all evil In the midst of the assembly and congregation. I asked Father for a word by faith at random concerning the Hurricane Michael event and my finger was on, "All things come alike to all" in Eccl. 9:2 (in context 1-3) 1  For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it be love or hatred, man knoweth it not; all is before them. 2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. 3  This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.  Back to Eve's dream of the invitation and the alien creatures: I asked Father for a word for this dream by faith at random and got: Job 14:7 (in context 7-9), 7 For there is hope of a tree, If it be cut down, that it will sprout again, And that the tender branch thereof will not cease. 8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, And the stock thereof die in the ground; 9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, And put forth boughs like a plant. (Daniel saw the tree of Babylon cut down and we know that when Cyrus conquered Babylon the people of God re-sprouted and went home to their land to rebuild the Kingdom and some of these people will be those fallen to the Babylonish faction.)    Select LanguageAfrikaansAlbanianAmharicArabicArmenianAzerbaijaniBasqueBelarusianBengaliBosnianBulgarianCatalanCebuanoChichewaChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CorsicanCroatianCzechDanishDutchEsperantoEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchFrisianGalicianGeorgianGermanGreekGujaratiHaitian CreoleHausaHawaiianHebrewHindiHmongHungarianIcelandicIgboIndonesianIrishItalianJapaneseJavaneseKannadaKazakhKhmerKinyarwandaKoreanKurdish (Kurmanji)KyrgyzLaoLatinLatvianLithuanianLuxembourgishMacedonianMalagasyMalayMalayalamMalteseMaoriMarathiMongolianMyanmar (Burmese)NepaliNorwegianOdia (Oriya)PashtoPersianPolishPortuguesePunjabiRomanianRussianSamoanScots GaelicSerbianSesothoShonaSindhiSinhalaSlovakSlovenianSomaliSpanishSundaneseSwahiliSwedishTajikTamilTatarTeluguThaiTurkishTurkmenUkrainianUrduUyghurUzbekVietnameseWelshXhosaYiddishYorubaZulu Powered by Translate Printer-friendly version

On this episode of Talk Clearlyer, Cipha and Wil are joined by comedian Mehran Khaghani to discuss Wil's biggest fears, colonizing Mars, and museums stealing their collections! Try to follow along! New episodes arrive every Wednesday! It's just funny! FOLLOW MEHRAN! https://mehrankhaghani.com https://twitter.com/MehranX https://facebook.com/themehran https://instagram.com/themehran FOLLOW THE SHOW http://thelaughbutton.podlink.to/talkclearlyer http://talkclearlyer.com https://twitter.com/talkclearlyer https://instagram.com/talkclearlyer FOLLOW CIPHA SOUNDS http://ciphasounds.com http://twiter.com/ciphasounds http://facebook.com/ciphasounds http://instagram.com/ciphasounds FOLLOW WIL SYLVINCE http://wilsylvince.com http://twitter.com/wilsylvince http://instagram.com/wilsylvince http://facebook.com/wsylvince For advertising opportunities email: advertise@thelaughbutton.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Father we love you! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/quinn-hood/support

A gente tá palpiteira! A gente quer comentar e se posicionar! Kkkkkk. Fizemos uma seleção de assuntos enviados pelos ouvintes para darmos nossa opinião com Thiago Guimarães e Diego Bargas. O que achamos do Canal de Suez? Qual nosso posicionamento na redução da caixa de bombons? Faustão e Selena se aposentarão juntos? A queda da Bastilha forçou por likes? LOTUS Chamar preconceito de “mimimi” Vestidos virtuais Mosca de banana MERYL Montero (Call Me By Your Name) Ratchet and Clank Maya Rudolph de Minnie Riperton INTERESSANTENEY CLIPES: “Vogue”, “Express Yourself”, “Oh Father” e “Bad Girl” da Madonna SÉRIE: Histórias para Vestir TIKTOK: Kevin James Thorton ARTISTA: Arlo Parks ME AJUDA, WANDA! O boy é perfeito mas as cuecas são PODRES! Dopada de remédio, tive as nudes vista pela minha mãe. Quero amarrar ele mas ele tem medo de eu desmaiar! Wanda, minha vida virou um “Eu Me Importo” real! Podcast #338 apresentado por: @phelipecruz @eusousamir @santahelena @orathiago @diegobargas Edição / Produção: Felipe Dantas (dantas@papelpop.com / @apenasdantas) Quer ter seu caso lido em nosso podcast? Mande um desabafo, uma rapidinha, ou pergunte curiosidades para o e-mail redacao@papelpop.com. Coloque qualquer coisa com "Wanda" no assunto! Toda quinta-feira, às 13h17, um episódio novo, exclusivamente no Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“If you have messed up and you find it continues to be an ache in your heart talk to a trusted friend, tell them what you've done. This is part of healing and restoration.” James 5:16 - Bud Lamb TranslationAt key times in my life, this ancient pathway has been a place of tremendous breakthrough. The weight of my secret sins is lifted when I practice this element of the Christian lifestyle. You may come from another faith background where confession is a Sacrament that is administered by a Priest and absolves a person of guilt. If so, this may sound untrue; however, the Bible is clear on how sin is absolved; i.e. the finished work of Christ on the cross. (Romans 5:1-11)The first person to go to when you've messed up is to God. He is the first offended and the quickest to forgive. God holds no grudges and wants to clean up the mess and help us get back on the road.“But if we confess our sins to him, he can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins.” 1 John 1:9 Living BibleIf you find it continues to be an ache in your heart, you may find it helpful to talk it over with a trusted friend who will keep your conversation in complete confidence. “Confession” for the absolution of sin is made to God, not a man. The confession implied for us is to uncover something secret, share it with another we trust, who will, in turn, confirm to us God has completely covered our sin and things are “right” again between us and God.I have practiced confession with my wife Lea Ann and a number of trusted friends (you know who you are).When you “hear” the confession of a friend, put the judge and critic in you aside. Look at the log in your own eye, pause, and invite God into your heart asking Him for the grace to listen. Your job is to listen to what your friend has to say, remind them the sin is forgiven (1 John 1:9), and offer a Prayer of Remembrance. Keep it short. Use this as a framework:Oh Father, here we are, two broken people. My friend has talked to you about this so it's no surprise to You and You have already wiped the slate clean, forgiven completely, and my friend sits here with You holding nothing against them. Thank You Jesus for taking the hit. I bind the enemy from spewing guilt and shame on my friend. Thank You Holy Spirit for your comfort and encouragement in the deepest part of my friend's heart. Amen“...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 NASB“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone.” John 8:7 NIV-----------------------------------------------------PrayYikes God, this sounds daunting! Tell someone else -- my spouse -- what I've done!!!! What if they hold it against me, shame me, and instead of reminding me I'm forgiven they ask for a divorce??? And God, help me to “hear” a confession by my spouse or friend in a way of tenderness and compassion for the ground is level at the cross. Amen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peggy visited the doctor after having a slight stroke. The doctor told her she was not to go back to teach. This had to break Peggy's heart because teaching was an important part of her life. The realization of not being able to finish the school year or teach again is reflected in Peggy's Prayers. She prayed, "Oh Father, if I and indeed hearing You right You have brought me out of school by night (Doctor's orders), in haste and are telling me not to return. What a burden lifted to know. Confirm it Lord to my heart if that is Your will and way and give me the great release of knowing that I know Your perfect will. Praise You for making Your way known and for the release and peace You can give to me. Praise You for hearing and answering our prayer." Amen. We can trust God even in the midst of sickness, pain, and disappointments. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/paul-coy/support

Kenny and Mark continue exploring Madonna’s (semi) autobiographical songwriting on this “shoulda been” classic Madonna power ballad. Topics include: male authority figures, Simon & Garfunkel’s Concert in Central Park, Kenny’s love of acoustic gravitas, the return of David Fincher, threatening shadows, singing statues, Charlton Wilborn, and an ode to one of the greatest moments in Madonna Hair History. Plus … another Special Guest (and longtime listener) joins Mark to discuss his experience performing the song … Dominic Yacobozzi! Madonna – Oh Father video (1989)Sia – Oh Father – Live at Sunset Sessions (2018)Perfume Genius – Oh Father cover (2012)Madonna – Oh Father live on the Blonde Ambition Tour 90 (Truth or Dare Version)

  Like a Prayer is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna, released on March 21, 1989, by Sire Records. Madonna worked with Stephen Bray, Patrick Leonard, and Prince on the album while co-writing and co-producing all the songs. Her most introspective release at the time, Like a Prayer has been described as a confessional record. Madonna described the album as a collection of songs "about my mother, my father, and bonds with my family." The album was dedicated to Madonna's mother, who died when she was young. The album uses live instrumentation and incorporates elements of dance, funk, gospel, and soul into a more general pop style. Madonna drew from her Catholic upbringing, as seen on the album's title track, which was also released as its lead single. The lyrics deal with themes from Madonna's childhood and adolescence, such as the death of her mother in "Promise to Try", the importance of family in "Keep It Together", and her relationship with her father in "Oh Father". Madonna also preaches female empowerment in "Express Yourself". Like a Prayer received universal acclaim, with Rolling Stone hailing it as "close to art as pop music gets." Commercially, the album was an international success, reaching the top of the charts in multiple territories, and was certified quadruple platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America. Six singles were released from the album: the title track, "Express Yourself", "Cherish", "Oh Father", "Dear Jessie", and "Keep It Together". "Like a Prayer" became Madonna's seventh number-one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, while "Express Yourself" and "Cherish" peaked at number two and "Keep It Together" became a top-ten hit. Worldwide, the album has sold over 15 million copies. With the singles' accompanying music videos, Madonna furthered her creativity and became known as a leading figure in the format. The music video for "Like a Prayer" was a lightning rod for religious controversy, using Catholic iconography such as stigmata and burning crosses, and a dream about making love to a saint, leading the Vatican to condemn the video and causing Pepsi to cancel Madonna's sponsorship contract. The video for "Express Yourself" was the most expensive video at its release. Like a Prayer preceded Madonna's ground-breaking Blond Ambition World Tour. At the end of the 1980s, following the release of the album, Madonna was named "Artist of the Decade" by several publications.

 Like a Prayer is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna, released on March 21, 1989, by Sire Records. Madonna worked with Stephen Bray, Patrick Leonard, and Prince on the album while co-writing and co-producing all the songs. Her most introspective release at the time, Like a Prayer has been described as a confessional record. Madonna described the album as a collection of songs "about my mother, my father, and bonds with my family." The album was dedicated to Madonna's mother, who died when she was young.The album uses live instrumentation and incorporates elements of dance, funk, gospel, and soul into a more general pop style. Madonna drew from her Catholic upbringing, as seen on the album's title track, which was also released as its lead single. The lyrics deal with themes from Madonna's childhood and adolescence, such as the death of her mother in "Promise to Try", the importance of family in "Keep It Together", and her relationship with her father in "Oh Father". Madonna also preaches female empowerment in "Express Yourself".Like a Prayer received universal acclaim, with Rolling Stone hailing it as "close to art as pop music gets." Commercially, the album was an international success, reaching the top of the charts in multiple territories, and was certified quadruple platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America. Six singles were released from the album: the title track, "Express Yourself", "Cherish", "Oh Father", "Dear Jessie", and "Keep It Together". "Like a Prayer" became Madonna's seventh number-one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, while "Express Yourself" and "Cherish" peaked at number two and "Keep It Together" became a top-ten hit. Worldwide, the album has sold over 15 million copies.With the singles' accompanying music videos, Madonna furthered her creativity and became known as a leading figure in the format. The music video for "Like a Prayer" was a lightning rod for religious controversy, using Catholic iconography such as stigmata and burning crosses, and a dream about making love to a saint, leading the Vatican to condemn the video and causing Pepsi to cancel Madonna's sponsorship contract. The video for "Express Yourself" was the most expensive video at its release. Like a Prayer preceded Madonna's ground-breaking Blond Ambition World Tour. At the end of the 1980s, following the release of the album, Madonna was named "Artist of the Decade" by several publications.

Jack Crystal's The Vagabond Poet   Philosophical Poems I, part 34: "Oh father"

This week we bring on the amazing JM Gibson, and she joins us on a music video breakdown. We tackle one of the legendary Madonna's lesser known songs, "Oh Father". We reveal how Sherrick & JM met, we tackle one of Madonna's more serious songs, and more! "Oh Father" - Madonna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvVvN0QvzTk Amelia WTF is This? https://twitter.com/fleur_de_livres/status/1289040786571624448?s=20 Today's Guest: Our #1 Fan JeanMarie Gibson - Twitter: @jeanmariegibson Zeldathon promo and info: https://twitter.com/Zeldathons/status/1291532005361045506?s=20 https://zeldathon.net/ Buddha by Kontekst https://soundcloud.com/kontekstmusic Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/b6jK2t3lcRs

This is about worship. Please listen. Taught by Pastor Lonzine Lee, of Astounding Love! A Global Church Fellowship To learn more visit https://astoundinglove.org/ ContactUs@AstoundingLove.org Or call (408) 945-4439 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/communion5779/support

An episode dedicated to the great fathers out there! Y’all enjoy. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Jeff Cronenweth comes from three generations in the film business and followed his father, cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth (Blade Runner) into a career as a director of photography. Growing up on film sets and working alongside his father enabled Jeff to take a hands-on role in the camera department. He started as a loader and camera assistant, getting into the union while attending USC. He met David Fincher while working on the Madonna music video "Oh Father" as a camera assistant. Fincher gave Jeff his first opportunity to DP for the film Fight Club. Jeff's collaboration with Fincher later earned him two Oscar nominations- one for The Social Network and one for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He also began working with director Mark Romanek on music videos, such as Eels “Novocaine for the Soul” and Nine Inch Nails' “The Perfect Drug.” Jeff and Romanek also worked together on the feature film, One Hour Photo starring Robin Williams. The film presented many lighting challenges since the bulk of it takes place inside a store with flat white lights before the darker undertones of the movie are revealed. Jeff also shot the pilot for Tales from the Loop with director Mark Romanek, streaming now on Amazon Prime. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1htuNZp82Ck Find Jeff Cronenweth https://www.ddatalent.com/client/jeff-cronenweth-asc-commercial Find out even more about this episode, with extensive show notes and links: http://camnoir.com/ep72/ LIKE AND FOLLOW US, send fan mail or suggestions! Website: www.camnoir.com Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Twitter: @ShortEndz

Shawn Gonsalves-Guitar,Bass,Keyboardss,vocals PoPPa G-Drums,percussions,Keyboards,Vocals

In our Season 3 premiere, we analyse each track from Madonna's "Like A Prayer" album. Continuing her successful partnerships with producers Patrick Leonard and Stephen Bray, in 1989 Madonna released the iconic "Like A Prayer", with a slight purple touch. It was indisputably her most thoughtful and introspective album up to that point, displaying a clear evolution in her artistry. Interview credits: Molly Meldrum, In Bed With Madonna Special thanks: Lucas Cava (https://medium.com/@lucascava/like-a-prayer-30th-anniversary-celebration-27027ad4abd8) https://www.facebook.com/JohnCameronProductions https://twitter.com/Cameron_John

Criticizing without knowledge is dangerous. If you don't know all the ins and all the outs, if you don't know what this person knows, how can I How can I tell you what to do unless I know what it is that you're truly facing. Oh Father, I thank you. I thank you for, for, for opening our eyes and our hearts to you so that we can see others the way that you see them I know that that's something and I desire that's something that's needfull, in my life That I compare myself to you. As I pray for them. Whoa! As I talk about others, the only person I compare myself to, is Jesus. Oh I praise you and just as he when the woman was brought to him, to judge and he stooped down and wrote on the stone on the stone pavements And he was the only one that was without sin. Who would have been able to cast the first stone. But he didn't. He prayed for her, he prayed for, He strengthened her. So I thank you that today we will speak life into people's lives. We will speak strength into people's lives and we hear what from you what it is that they truly need. When we spend time praying for them. Saying God, what do they need? What do I need to pray? How can I pray for this one? How do I pray for my president? How do I pray for the vice president? How do I pray for the Congress? How do I pray for this one? How do I pray for those first, that say that they belong to you? How do I pray for them? Give me the words to pray for this one. Let us start to take time. It takes time to pray for all those people rather than just to have an opinion. Have you prayed for them? Before you speak against them, no matter who they are. Have you prayed to know what's going on? Oh no, no, no, no, I haven't had time. I don't, are you kiddin'? It would take forever to pray about to pray for all the people that I criticize?! Oh No All the people that I have thoughts and opinions about. If I took time to pray even one minute for all of them I'd be praying all day. See, that's what the average person would have to say that's what the average ecclesia the average Christian, the average believer would have to say. Well then if I if I'm not gonna pray for them, to find out what to say about them, why would I say anything about them? Dr. B. Baker Transcribed by https://otter.ai --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/communion5779/support

Show Notes Hello everyone and welcome to episode 45, where today we look at 7 relationship lessons found in the greatest Christmas movie ever made. I never, ever, in a hundred million years, ever want to be known for exaggeration and hyperbole. So it’s going to be a challenge for me to reign myself in when talking about the wonders found in It’s a Wonderful Life!, that 1947 Christmas movie classic staring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. The thing I like about the movie is that while it’s become a holiday tradition for people to watch, it’s more than just one of those Christmas feel good movies. There’s so much relational, and spiritual wisdom, found in this film that’s easy to miss because it’s become so familiar to many of us. So today I’m suggesting that during this Christmas season, when you watch It’s a Wonderful Life! you look at through the lens of relationships. It will be a much richer experience for you, and the people you watch it with.Let me first remind you of the plot of the movie. The main character, George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, grows up in Bedford Falls prior to WWII. From the time he was young, George was a very popular, engaging person, well-liked by everyone. George had big dreams for himself - to live a life larger than could be lived in a place like Bedford Falls. He talked often about his dream of traveling to far away places where he would work as an engineer to build big things like skyscrapers and bridges. George grew up in a loving family where his father and uncle ran the Bailey Brothers Building and Loan, a savings institution in competition with the bank in town owned by the antagonist in the movie, Henry Potter. “Old man Potter” as he was called. George’s father, Peter Bailey died suddenly and George puts his plans to go to college on hold to run the savings & loan, while his younger brother Harry goes off to college. The plan was that once Harry graduated from college, he would take over the Building & Loan, so George could leave Bedford Falls to pursue an education and his dreams But things didn’t turn out as planned. Harry returns from college, not just with a diploma, but also with a wife and a job out of town with his father-in-law. All this leaves George with the responsibility of running the Building & Loan, causing him to feel all the more trapped, which is a major theme of the movie. On Christmas Eve, Uncle Billy misplaces $8,000 right as a bank examiner shows up for an audit. If the money isn’t found, it will mean bankruptcy, scandal, and jail time for George. He’s beside himself with fear, and it brings out the worst in him. The rest of the film is about how George goes about dealing with this problem, and how others deal with George. If ever there was a movie about relationships, this would be it. Here are 7 relationship lessons I learned from this movie. I’ll have a list of them in the bottom of the show notes for this episode. 1. Before is often better than now Great things happened before we were born. The film came out in 1947, before I was born, and before almost all of you were born. It was not well received by the contemporary culture of its day. It took years for it to become a Christmas classic. Important things in our culture take time to be appreciated. I'm cautioned me to not elevate the contemporary over what has come before. As a culture, we tend to over-value new, at the expense of before. Often we value the new only because it’s new, and not for any intrinsic value of its own. Christmas is not a time for new. It’s best experienced for it’s before-ness, not its new-ness. This concept is often true in relationships. We can easily get wrapped up in new relationships, that take us away from relationships that have been years in the making. New isn’t always better than before. Imagine what would happen if we took the energy we pour into new relationships, and instead directed that energy toward reinvigorating relationships that served us well in the past. 2. People need our prayers A second thing that struck me in the film is the significant amount of prayer in the movie. There are 3 scenes where we see this In the opening scenes of It’s a Wonderful Life! I hear 7 different people praying to God, interceding on behalf of George Bailey. They were aware he was in trouble and in need. Makes me wonder about people in my community. Which of them are in trouble and in need of intervention from God? Do we know the important people in our life well enough to know their needs that we could pray for. We are all much needier than we care to admit. Then in the scene the night of Christmas Eve after George comes home and yells at the kids, kicks over the model bridge in his living room, and throws papers all over the floor, he finally walks out the door. Mary picks up the phone to make a call, while two of the kids, Janie and Tommy ask their mom, “Should I pray for Daddy?” Finally, near the end of the film George is sitting at bar, at his wits end as to how in the world he’s going to get $8k to make to make up for the shortfall at the Building and Loan. Wringing his hands, and looking ever so distraught, George prays under his breathe, “Oh Father in heaven. I’m not a praying man. Show me the way, I’m at the end of my rope. Show me the way.” Interesting prayer. It wasn’t until George was at the end of his rope that God comes through and in a short time, answers George’s prayer and the prayers of others. And he answers in a most unusual way. For some people, it takes coming to the end of themselves before they turn to God. How much better, and wiser, though, would it be to call upon God before we come to the end of our self. This is an important principle I picked up from the movie; I hope it resonates with you, too. 3. Good leaders are good with relationships Another thing that caught my eye is the way in which George Bailey was a leader in relationships. We see it early in the movie when as a 12-year old he organizes his friends for a snow sledding event down a small hill, using snow shovels for sleds. You could tell he was in charge. Then brother Harry falls into a hole in the ice and George forms a rescue party to save his brother. We have corporate leaders, organizational leaders, ministry leaders, but we don’t talk much about relational leaders. Leaders who lead others into better and deeper levels of relationships. George Bailey was such a leader, not only as a 12 year old, but also as an adult in his work at the Savings and Loan, and respected citizen of Bedford Falls. At the end of movie all that money comes pouring in, because of the love people have for GB and the relationships he has developed with them. 4. Keenly observing people enables us to help them Another relationship lesson I learned is the power of being a keen observer of people. George Bailey could “read the room” as a keen observer of people and the human condition. This skill allowed him to connect the dots with people, to understand then better. He pictures himself in the shoes of another. As a kid at his after-school job at Mr. Gower’s drug store - he saw Mr. Gower in a drunken state - then he saw the telegram about his son Robert’s death. He saw this as an explanation for why Mr. Gower was the way he was. His observation skills allowed him to extend grace to Mr. Gower for slapping him upside the head. George, as a young boy, shows his relational maturity when he realizes Mr. Gower put poison in the prescription he filled. He sees the poster “Ask Dad” seeks him out, but he’s in a meeting. Confronts Mr. Gower. Pretty brave of him to do so. By the way did you notice the role of alcohol in the movie? The incident with Mr. Gower, and then Uncle Billy’s drinking problem. We see this first when Harry comes home from college with a new wife, and then he gets drunk at the welcoming home party. We get insight into his problem in the scene on Xmas Eve where George goes over to Uncle Billy’s house to look for the lost $8,000. George roughs up his Uncle and Billy said he’s “looked through the entire house; even those rooms that have been locked up since I lost Laura.” He’s a bit muffled when he says it, but it could explain his drinking. Just like Mr. Gower was drinking upon learning the death of his son Robert. Uncle Billy’s was coping with the death of his wife Laura, and possibly his brother, Peter Bailey. Then we see Uncle Billy the day the S & L closed for the day when there was a run on the bank. Using George and Mary’s wedding money, they had $2 left when they closed at 6pm. Uncle Billy celebrates by drinking. To what extent do you make it a practice to “read the room,” to take notice of what people might be feeling? Hmm. 5. That which bothers us most often reveals the idols in our life George, from early on, had a sense of adventure. He wanted to travel, build big things, bridges, skyscrapers. He shares his dream with Mary in the scene where they throw stones at the vacant Granville house. He tells Mary, “I’m throwing the dust off this crummy little town. I’m gonna see the world, then build skyscraper and bridges a mile long” We see lot again when George’s father asked him if he would come back to the building and loan. The anguish on George’s face. He’d feel trapped at the Building and Loan, “I want to do something important. If I don’t get away I think I’ll bust.” George’s dream for his life comes through loudly in the scene where Harry returns home on the train with his new wife, that no one in his family knew about (and this is a close family????? ) The sister-in-law lets it slip that her father offered Harry for a job, meaning he wouldn’t be taking over for George at the building and loan so he can leave Bedford Falls. Oh, the anguish on George’s face at the train station!! We see it again at the welcome home party for HB and his new wife Ruth. Uncle Billy gets drunk. George hears the train whistle with a melancholy expression contemplating his dark future stuck in Bedford Falls. This goal for his life culminates in the scene where George roughs up Uncle Billy while looking for the missing money. In his anger he calls Uncle Billy a silly old fool. “Don’t you realize what this means. It means scandal, bankruptcy and one of us is having to jail, well it’s not going to be me.” Yeah, jail. The physical manifestation of his emotional entrapment. For George, “throwing the dust off this crummy little town. I’m gonna see the world, then build skyscraper and bridges a mile long“ has clearly become his idol. There’s certainly nothing wrong with what George wanted. but when it becomes this important, and it replaces other good things, when it becomes too important, it becomes an idol. When not getting what you want causes this much anger, it’s become an idol. His idol is change and wanting something he doesn’t have. But as we see at the end of the movie, he had already “traveled,” in a sense. Because of his relationship skills, he was “traveling” wonderful journeys into the hearts and minds of the people of Bedford Falls. He had already built big things, deep and long lasting relationships with the people he encountered. His life was  already a truly Wonderful Life! What are the idols in your life? What are the good things in your life that have become TOO important, that have caused you stress because you don’t have what you want? 6. Relationships have the power to calm our hearts in the midst of stress and turmoil. We see this in George’s relationship with Mary. “What do you want, Mary? You want the moon? Just say the word and I’ll through a lasso around it. I’ll give you the moon and you can swallow it and the moon beams will flow out of the ends of your fingers and hair.” What a great line. George and Mary soon get married. After the run on the bank that drained all their honeymoon money, and that drained George emotionally from dealing with this crisis at work, George goes home to find Mary, who greets him with a wide smile and says, “Welcome home George Bailey.”  The expression on her face causes the tension in George to just drip off the scree. It’s his relationship with Mary that calms George’s heart. At the very end of the film, after dealing with the misplaced $8,000, George gets his 2nd chance to live again. He runs home. Mary then enters house runs up the stairs. Hugs George. Then takes him downstairs, clears two card tables and says,“It’s a miracle, George, It’s a miracle.” Mary opens the door, calls Uncle Billy in, carrying a big wicker laundry basket full of cash. (Hark! the Hearld Angels Sing playing in the background) A very-excited- Uncle Billy then says, “Mary did it George. Mary did it. She scoured all over town telling people you were in trouble….” Then a crowd of people start coming through the door, each bringing in more money for George. Sam Wainwright sent a telegram from London saying Mr. Gower wired him. He authorized the transfer of up to $25,000 for George Bailey” I love this scene at the end. Mary is standing in the background and lets all the other people who care for George to come through the door to greet him and contribute their money. His relationship with his family is what ultimately calms George’s heart in the midst of the prospect of scandal and jail-time. This example of relationships having the power to calm our hearts in the midst of stress and turmoil raises the question of what relationship do I have that calms my heart like this. While our relationships with people can certainly do this, the ultimate source of peace and calm in our hearts is readily available to us in our relationship with God. The bible is overflowing with stories and verses that attest to this fact. 7. When we pray for a solution to a problem, God often provides one we never could have imagined. After the scene where George gets angry and throws a fit is living room and knocks down the model bridge, and then walks out the door, there’s this awkward moment of silence. For all the wonderful qualities of George Bailey, we see a darker side to him, which is one of the reasons I like this movie so much. Like all of his, he’s a mature of virtue and vice. His anger is out of control. I refer to this scene when I give talks on anger, and helping people understand the anger in others and what to do about it. But we’ll save that for another episode. Anyway, back to this scene. After George walks out the door, Mary gets on the phone and calls Bedford 247 and says, “Hello? Uncle Billy?” Next scene is George at Mr. Potter’s office. “I’m in trouble Mr. Potter.” Interesting contrast on where he and Mary go for help. George to Old Man Potter. Mary to Uncle Billy the people who know George best. George went to outsiders for help. Mary went to the insiders of their tribe.. Then we have those great scenes showing God answering the prayers of the 7 people at the very beginning of the film, and George himself. He uses Clarence Oddbody, AS2 (Angel 2nd class), who before he died and became an angel was a clock maker, described by Joseph has “having the IQ of a rabbit.” The voice of God counters with , “Yes, but he has the faith of a child - simple.” How so like God to use people like this to further his purposes and bring glory to himself We see George on abridge, looking down into the waves of the cold river below, contemplating suicide so Mary could collect his life insurance to pay off the missing $8k.. Clarence then jumps in the water, and cries for help. George dives into the water in to save him. The attendant at the bridge asks Clarence, “How did you happen to fall in? “I didn’t fall in; I jumped in to save George.” Sometimes the best thing we can do to help someone is to be needy, to put our self in a position for someone to help us, like Clarence did. While drying off, George tells Clarence that his bleeding came from a punch to his jaw, as an answer to his prayer. Clarence, “Oh no, George. I’m the answer to your prayer. I was sent down to save you, by letting you help me.” Sometimes what we think is the answer to our prayer is entirely different than what we think!!!!!! Clarence is his guardian angel, he says. This is hard for George to accept help. He’s been doing it on his own for the whole movie. He’s helping others, but isn’t letting others help him. Clarence’s challenge is to get George to appreciate all he has done in investing in relationships throughout his life. Clarence keeps saying “If it hadn’t been for you…” That is George’s underlying problem. George, however, is thinking only about the need for the $8k. Then Clarence gets an idea from heaven, when George says “I wish I never would have been born” he stops using logic to change his mind. Clarence stops fighting GB ,and instead begins to show him the implications of what happens if he gets what he wants. Clarence then shows what actually would have happened if George had never been born. One in particular that hits home with George was Clarence showing the tremendous loss of life from a transport ship sinking. Clarence says “Every man on that transport died because Harry wasn’t there to save them, because you weren’t there to save Harry. he died at 8 years of age.” Clarence: “Strange, isn’t it. Each man affects every other man.” This finally registers with George. After this he rushes back to the bridge. He calls for Clarence, his guardian angel. “Clarence, Clarence, get me back. Get me back. I don’t care what happens to me. Get me back to my wife and kids. Help[ me Clarence, Please. Please. I want to live again [ NOTE: he’s asking for help. It’s like a prayer…] he says several times “I want to live again. I want to love again. Please God, let me live again” So it was a prayer to God.] What a remarkable and unimaginable means God used to answer the prayers of many on behalf of George Bailey. An angel second class, “with the IQ of a rabbit, but the faith of a child.” It’s just like him! Here’s a list of the 7 relationship lessons I picked up from this movie. Before is often better than now People need our prayers Good leaders are good with relationships Keen observing of people enables us to help them That which bothers us most reveals the idols in our life Relationships have the power to calm our hearts in the midst of stress and turmoil When we pray for a solution to a problem, God often provides one we never could have imagined. Here’s the one thing to remember from today’s episode, our show in a sentence: It truly is a “Wonderful Life!” when we invest in relationships, caring for each other, even though the deepest longings in our own heart are never satisfied. Here are some suggestions for what you can do in response to today’s show. First off, make plans now to see It’s a Wonderful Life! soon. Carefully consider WHERE you see it. If you can, go see the movie on the big screen in a movie theater. There’s something about that big gray Liberty Bell from Liberty Films that you just don’t get watching the movie at home. Second best, is to rent or buy the DVD of the movie. I bought the DVD on Amazon. Under no circumstances should you ever ever ever watch the colorized version! As a last resort, watch it on network TV during the Christmas season. But with all the interruptions for commercials it loses a lot. Then consider HOW to watch the film. Watch it with your family or friends. And then discuss it with them Watch it looking for the relationships lessons I mentioned. You’ll probably find even more that what I’ve commented about. Consider what a wonderful place our community would be if we were more like Bedford Falls, and cared for each other like the characters in the movie. With that in mind, watch It’s a Wonderful Life! looking for a character or two you could aspire to be more like. George Bailey? Mary? Peter Bailey. Mr. Gower. But if it’s Old Man Potter…. Consider what you could do to make your town a bit like Bedford Falls Finally, watch it looking to see where God is at work in the life of the characters. That’s important, because as we God at work in the lives of other people, it reminds us how He can work in our life too…if we let him. Closing Our other listeners and me would love to hear what resonated with you about today’s episode. You can share your thoughts in the “Leave a Reply” box at the bottom of the show notes. Or you can send them to me in an email to john@caringforothers.org. Next week will be our last episode of Season Two. But we’ll start up again soon with Season Three of You Were Made for This in January. I’ll explain more next week. Now for Our Relationship Quote of the Week Strange, isn’t it. Each man affects every other man.                                     ~ Clarence Oddbody,  Angel first class, because he earns his wings by the end of the film) That’s all for today. See you next week. Bye for now. Resources mentioned in today’s show It’s a Wonderful Life! Dvd

Part 5 of 5 part series on Men. We finish with a deep reflection on the value and role of a father and how to overcome "daddy issues" - a deep and insightful look into a seldom talked about issue.

You are listening to Joni and friends. Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada. Last fall, I took one of those strength assessment tests alongside my coworkers at Joni and Friends. It’s the kind of test where you learn if you are a support person (on the scale, those people are colored blue) or if you are a detail person (that’s green) or an assertive person (that’s red). Well, my husband Ken Tada and I work with six other women in our department, and everybody was mostly a support person colored blue. I was the only one who came out red. Don’t jump to conclusions, red on this assessment test means many good things. But it also means a few not-so-nice things about who I can be as a person. Like some of that assertiveness can come out as aggressiveness. I also can be very stiff-necked, very perfectionist, and very stubborn. I thought about that test recently after I committed a stubborn, willful sin (I’m not going to go into details here), but I knew what I was doing when I resisted the Spirit’s caution. But guess what, I didn’t care. The “red” in me was coming through, and I knew I was being stubborn. It was one of those “it’s my way or the highway” sort of things, you know what I mean? Well, about two or three days afterward, I sensed the distinct withdrawal of the Holy Spirit’s power in my life. It felt awful! It wasn’t until I cried out to God while reading Psalm 51, “[O Lord,] take not your Holy Spirit from me” that I once again sensed His nearness and approval… and for me it was an even better lesson than taking that strength assessment test! In fact, I looked at all the bad aspects of my “red” character on those test results and I prayed earnestly: “Oh Jesus, keep me from becoming like that; willful and stubborn, and aggressive.” In short, keep me from falling back into my natural self. The things of the flesh war against the things of the spirit, and I want the Holy Spirit to do war on my behalf. I want him to keep me from being led astray. And friend listening, I want you to join me in asking God to keep you from disobeying when the shorter, easier route is tempting. Keep us in our youth when our passions are strong; Oh Father, keep us in old age when we think we know it all; Oh Jesus, keep us in the valley when we’re prone to complain. God, keep us from hogging the spotlight and failing to give credit where credit is due. Lord Jesus, keep us from constantly talking about ourselves, and keep us focused on the needs of others, rather than on our own. Keep us from nagging, scolding, chiding and manipulating. Keep us from fudging the truth. Keep me from stubborn, willful, stiff-necked behavior. In short, oh Jesus, keep me from overdoing the “red” parts of who I am! The nearness of the Holy Spirit is a very precious thing. You don’t want to risk, you don’t want to jeopardize that closeness with Him. And it’s why it is wise to ask Him to keep you; to fight for you. And Jude 23-25 says it best: “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence; to the only God our Savior be glory, and majesty, and power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” Did you catch that? God is able to keep you from falling, falling back into the default mode that is your own old nature. So today, please, please ask the Holy Spirit to keep your heart pure, your spirit bright, and your conscience clean, no matter if you are a “blue” support person or a “green” detail person or like me, “red” to the core. God bless you and thanks for listening. By: Joni Eareckson Tada © Joni and Friends

In 1974 a hippie kid hiked into the Philippine jungles searching for the existence of wild Panda’s the Abominable Snowman and one Lieutenant Hiro Onoda.    Hiro Onoda was a young Japanese Soldier in his 20’s In 1944. The 2nd World War is raging in the Pacific. Lieutenant Onoda is dropped off on one of the innumerable, heavily jungled Philippine Islands and is told to do what he can to hamper allied activities in the area. And to continue fighting until he heard order to the contrary from the commanding officer who sent him on the mission.    That order did not come until the 9th of March, 1974, 29 years after the 2nd World War ended. This guy had been fighting, shooting, being shot at, killing and injuring the locals for 30 years.    He came out with 100’s of rounds of ammo, a well maintained working rifle and hand-grenades.    The guy who formally dismissed him, his commanding officer had long since retired from military service and was working as a bookseller. He had to be flown in by the Japanese government to this Philippine Island before Onoda would come out.   People asked him why… to which he replied that he sincerely didn’t believe the war was over. He would find newspapers with reports about life in Japan, which he thought to be propaganda by the enemy. Because he was convinced as long as a single Japanese citizen was living the war was not over.    Can you imagine spending 30 years in the Jungle only to emerge in the 70’s, to DISCO? Think of all that had changed.    Change is an inevitable part of life - we change personally, and the world around us changes. That’s why the wisest man who ever lived Solomon compared life to a series of Seasons. Learning to embrace a new season and celebrate it is one of the keys to a happy life. Rather than like Hiro Onoda climbing into a jungle and waiting for it to pass.     Today we are looking at one of life’s most challenging seasons - the season of loss. How do you face life when someone you love passes from this world?    The statistics on death are staggering, one out of everyone one persons that live die. 3 people die every second, 180 people die every minute, 11,000 people die every hour, 260,000 people die every day 95 million people die every year I hope you have no need of this sermon today, but the day is coming when you will need these words…. Death is the Great Equalizer - Death visits the elderly, the youth, the strong, the weak, the rich, the poor. Strong young men die, and occasionally small children drop their toys to wrestle with the strong arm of death. I’ve buried little babies 5 year old boys Teenagers Young mother Middle aged men Senior adults   I’ve buried people who have died in a drunken stupor and I have buried preachers of the Gospel. I’ve buried saintly senior adults and a war veteran who died an atheist.    But nothing is as sad as ministering to a man who is burying his wife.    That is the case in our text this morning – At this point in our story Sarah is 127 and Abraham is 137. She and Abraham had been married well over a hundred years.    BTW, “What do you get someone at their 100th wedding anniversary?”   It had been exactly 62 years since they had left Ur of the Chaldeans to follow God on their Journey of Faith.    Sarah and Abraham were the parents of a 37 year old son named Isaac.    It was then that Sarah met her appointment with death. Hebrews 9:27 that we all have an appointment with death -    27And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: THOUGHT - We know of only two people who never tasted death – Elijah and Enoch. Quite possibly they are the two witnesses who will stand and prophecy in the last days as recorded in the book of revelation. Then, even they also will taste death. David writes in Psalm 139:16 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.   It’s important that you realize that there are a certain number of days ordained for you. When those days are complete, there isn’t a doctor on the planet that can extend them.  ILLUSTRATION: Kind of kills any motivation for dieting doesn’t it? We take care of ourselves to improve the quality of our life, but the quantity is already determined.    TEXT: Moses our human author, the Holy Spirit our Divine author gives one verse to the death of this great woman. Genesis 23:1 (NAS) 1 Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.    One verse – then the remainder of the chapter focuses on how Abraham dealt with Sarah’s death. I find that interesting. You see, her story was over. Nothing could be added or taken away from the account of her earthly life. Her story continues in Heaven.    Paul speaking of the believers death in 2 Corinthians 5:8 (NAS) 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.    Sarah is at home with the Lord. But Abraham isn’t, he’s here on earth alone. As some of you are, as many of you will be one day. What are we to learn from the Patriarch’s example? We are to Mourn the Loss  Genesis 23:2 (NAS) 2 Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. I’ve heard preachers rebuke families for mourning, reminding them that this is to be the celebration of a home going. But friend, that’s all well and good, but it’s sad just the same and it’s ok to weep. I believe the ability to weep is a gift that helps us cope with the pain of loss. ILLUSTRATION: Carly space camp: I remember when my daughter Carly went to her first Summer Camp – Space Camp here in H’ville. I remember watching her walk away with the counselor with her little pink back pack on. Thinking that at any minute she was going to turn around and run back to me and call the whole thing off. But she didn’t, she never even looked back. Well, I knew she was going to be fine. I just didn’t like the separation. I knew the house would be a little quieter now. Some of you have had that experience when a son or daughter went to college. You know they are safe, but it doesn’t make it easier. In the same way when you loose someone who is a Christian – you know they are safer than ever. But it still hurts. Our Lord Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus. It’s the shortest verse in the Bible. Now if anyone knew the fact that his friend was in Heaven it’s Jesus. If anyone understood the power of the resurrection, it’s Jesus. Just the same he cried.  King David wept over the loss of his son Absalom.  Jesus cried at death, David cried at death Abraham cried at death and friend it’s ok if you cry at death. 1 Corinthians 15:26 (NAS) 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.  Friend I hope you live the kind of life that people will mourn your death.    I’m telling you some of you the burning question on the minds of people after the dirt is on your grave is, “Where is the potato salad??”   But that is why I beg you to make your life count for eternity, “life is short will soon be passed only what is done for Christ will last.” If that’s true – everything else is a utter waste. Abraham mourned the death of Sarah…   Mourning is one of the healthiest things you can do when you experience the loss of a loved one.    ILLUSTRATION: I remember over 10 years ago my wife Julie miscarried… we lost a child just a few weeks old… but I mourned… I remember thinking - I wanted to give that child so much! I wanted to give them a home, an education, a car… but all I could give them were tears… so I gave the child my tears.    Abraham mourned the death of Sarah… He Honored the Loss Genesis 23:3–4 (NAS) 3 Then Abraham rose from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying, 4 “I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me a burial site among you that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” It is a sad fact that you aren’t able to mourn for long before your attention must be turned to matters of business. Specifically, securing a proper burial. NOW – Why is this important? We as Christians believe that the person is with God right? So what difference does it make how we deal with the body left behind?  Well you need to understand that there is something very special about the particular body you inhabit. You see – when a believer dies his Soul is immediately taken into God’s presence.  2 Corinthians 5:8 (NAS) 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. The believer’s body obviously stays here on earth –  Then when the Lord Jesus Christ returns -  Paul explains in 1 Thes. 4:14 … God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep”  1 Corinthians 15:52 … the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  The Body and Spirit are rejoined to the resurrected body. Jesus says in John 5:28, “The hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment”. Jesus also says in John 6:39, “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:39–40) Well what will that body be like? The same, but different - 1 Corinthians 15:42–44 (NAS) 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. NOW – with this reality in mind, what are we to do with the body of those who die before the return of Christ? We are to honor the body of the deceased. We see that when Jesus died, Joseph of Aramathia claimed his body and buried it according to Jewish custom. One of the most fascinating passages in scripture is found in 2 Kings 13.  Remember that when God called Elijah up to Heaven that Elisha requested that a double portion of the Spirit be upon him. Elijah told him that if his mantle fell as he ascended into Heaven it would be done. Sure enough it happened. Now count the number of miracles that were performed by Elijah then the number performed by Elisha and you will find that Elisha performed almost double in his lifetime, but he was one short of double. But them in 2 Kings 13 2 Kings 13:20–21 (NAS) 20 Elisha died, and they buried him. Now the bands of the Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. 21 As they were burying a man, behold, they saw a marauding band; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And when the man touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet. NOW think about this – the soul of Elisha was with the Lord, but the Spirit of God still used the body of Elisha. What about cremation? The Bible does not directly address the subject of cremation, and theologians have varying views on the subject. Typically cremation is reserved for people who died a dishonorable death, but there is an exception in the case of Jonathon the son of Saul in 1 Sam. 31. We should also remember that burning was an honorable way to treat sacrifices to the Lord (e.g. the burnt offerings). Paul even compared Christ's death to a burnt offering (see "aroma" in Eph. 5:2; cf. Exod. 29:18,25; 29:41) It all comes down to an issue of attitude. God can made man from the dust of the earth, it is no problem for God to call up the ashes of the deceased and glorify their body. We are to mourn the loss, honor the body… Exhibit Your Faith In verses 3-20 Abraham engages in a series of typical Middle Eastern negotiations. They follow a well established pattern of respect and request. The sons of Heth offer to give Abraham a cave to bury Sarah, but Abraham refuses to receive the cave as a gift, as a matter of fact, ultimately, he pays far more than the land was worth to purchase both the cave and a large spot of land here in the heart of Canaan. Why? Why did he not take her body back to Ur of the Chaldeans? We will see in Chapter 24 they still had family there. Because God had promised that he would give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants. By insisting that he purchase the land in a public way, paying far more than it was worth Abraham was saying that he intended to put down roots in Canaan. We don’t hear about this land until the end of Genesis Israel makes a request of Joseph that he be buried back in this same cave. When God called Abraham he promised to give him the land from River of Egypt to the Euphrates River… but Abraham did not receive that promise in his lifetime… the only land Abraham took possession of was this little field and a cave in which to bury his wife.    How would you feel if you followed God expecting a NATION but ending up with FIELD?    Speaking of Abraham and Sarah - The writer to the Hebrews writes in Hebrews 11:13–16 (ESV) 13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.    In taking possession of this field Abraham greeted from afar that which God had promised…. Like the little cloud that Elijah saw and ran for the hills lest he be swept away in the flood… this little field was evidence that his faith had not been in vain.    Ultimately Abraham’s descendants would receive the territory promised… but better than that…Abraham’s eyes were set elsewhere…   16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.   There are a few times in life when your faith is placed on display -  When you respond to the Gospel.  When you are baptized.  When you face death.    ILLUSTRATION: Dr. Barnhouse tells the story of a young wife who received the news that her relatively new husband had just been killed in battle. After the military personal left the home the young lady ran up to her room and closed the door. Her mother called her father and he quickly returned home. He went upstairs in her room and found his daughter with the letter opened on her bed, she was bowed down on the floor praying, “Oh Father, Oh Heavenly Father, Oh heavenly father”. The dad closed the door, went back down stairs, hugged the mother and said, “She’s in better hands than mine…”   Perhaps the light of the gospel never shines brighter than it does at the graveside – where you weep with hope.    You say, but pastor didn’t you tell us we should grieve? Yes but 1 Thessalonians 4:13 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.    We know that the shadow of death is inevitable, but we also Remember there can be no shadow without light – the fact that death is difficult reminds us that eternity is set in the hearts of man.    ILLUSTRATION: The story of two boys in the back seat of the car when a bee stung the younger. The elder brother was stung first. The bible says, 1 Corinthians 15:54-56 55"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"[b] 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. Jesus took deaths sting on the cross. So now death is a precious friend that escorts us into the presence of our Savior. "I have performed my duty to my God, my country, and my family. I have nothing to fear in approaching death. To me it is the mere shadow of God's protecting  wing . . “ Andrew Johnson (Written just before his death in July 1875)  

Vin and Sori's introduction to Behemoth's "oh father oh satan oh sun" how will they react? what will the rating be? #Nergal #behemoth #satanism #christianity --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/conversations-with-vin-and-sori/support

In this episode the Unflopped crew discuss capes, stairs, and patchouli oil. Stuart and Sean each pitch a flop single that they think deserved to be a pop music hit and Judge Joe gives his verdict. This week’s songs are ‘Living For Love’ and ‘Oh Father’ by Madonna. This episode was edited by Ben Goodstein.

Last week as a very final episode of Hear We Go Podcast. This week – we are back from the dead! Listen to songs based on the topic theme of Revenant. Brains! You’ll fine none here. www.lead.deals EPISODE TRACKLIST SPOILER ALERT: “Zombie” by the Cranberries, “Astro Zombies” by My Chemical Romance, “King Park” by La Dispute, “Oh Father, Oh Satan, Oh Son” by Behemoth, “Vampires Will Never Hurt You” by My Chemical Romance, “Governed by Contagians” by At the Drive In, “Tell That Devil” by Jill Andrews

In our fast-paced and entertainment-saturated culture, it’s easy to let book-reading fall by the wayside. In fact, many studies show that after college, the average person only reads 3 more books for the rest of their life! And don’t be tempted to think that the reading of books is old-fashioned and no longer relevant. There is power in the written word. And whether you’re an entrepreneur, business person, or simply someone who wants to continue to grow, reading books is an effective way to continue your personal development.   “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” — Charlie “Tremendous” Jones Click here to download or listen to this episode now. Tip of the Week Since developing Parkinson’s in 2011, I have been receiving deep-tissue massage therapy as part of my treatment. I started with once a month, then once a week, and these days I get 3 massages a week. Here’s what this has taught me: your body is the frame through which you see the world. If the frame is bent, twisted, or in pain… you will experience the world that way. Get over your hangups, and go get a massage from a reputable massage therapist. Try it at least once per week for a month or more and let me know the difference it makes in your life! Spiritual Foundations Pray Prayers of Proclamation. When you have a need, do you pray or do you plead? Do you begin your prayers with words like, “Please God, please! God, I beg You to have mercy!” Prayers that plead and beg imply that your heavenly Father is not willing to help you. Yet, He is far more gracious and willing to give to you than you are willing to ask, think or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20) He desires above all things that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. (3 John 1:2) In fact, long before you have a need, God has already met that need. Long before you knew you needed a Savior, He sent His Son to be your Savior. This is your God! He is a good God. So when you beg Him for something, you are actually saying that He is reluctant to give and needs to be persuaded strongly before He will move. Yet, He is not like that. Jesus knew the heart of the Father. When He saw the woman bound with a spirit of infirmity, He did not pray, “Oh Father! She has been suffering for 18 long years! I beseech You, Father, have mercy on her. Please, please heal her!” No, when Jesus saw her, He immediately proclaimed, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity!” He spoke this way because He knew the heart of the Father. He knew that the Father wanted her delivered from her crippling condition. At the end of a church service, I don’t stand and pray, “Oh God, please bless Your people. Oh God, do keep them. Oh God, be ever so gracious to them!” Instead, I proclaim, “The Lord bless you. The Lord keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you!” Beloved, when you pray, proclaim your healing, protection and provision because your Father’s heart overflows with love for you. And when you declare it, He sanctions it. When you declare it, He establishes it! Feature Presentation “9 Reasons You Need a Book-Reading Plan“ Here are 9 reasons you need a book-reading plan: Reading helps keep you current. Books can help keep you current on business trends and strategies. You can either spend thousands of dollars flying around the country going to seminars and masterminds or spend a few dollars on a book! Consider reading Michael Hyatt’s book, Your Best Year Ever – A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals. Provides material for your own writing and podcasting. Reading books offers you fresh information, strategies for presenting that information, and great stories to share with your readers. Read Chris Ducker’s book, The Rise of the Youpreneur. Reading books exercises your brain. Joseph Addison wrote, “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” Believe me, in this competitive environment, you don’t want a “flabby” brain!  I challenge you to read a book like, Miracles by Eric Metaxas. I guarantee that book will give your brain a workout.   Expands your worldview. Let’s face it. Most of us live and work within a fairly small bubble of relationships. Our market is defined by what and who we know. Reading can broaden our perspective. Consider reading, Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant by W Chan Kim. Stimulates new ideas. Frequently, I’ll be reading a book and the content I’m reading launches me into a totally new idea. Reading does that! If you need some fresh ideas and new thinking for your business, read a book. Try reading, The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. Increases your vocabulary and conversational skills. Whether you realize it or not, when you’re reading, your mind assimilates new words and phrases. These new modes of expression become part of your vocabulary and find their way into your conversation without your conscious effort. Read Perry Marshall’s book, Evolution 2.0. Makes you a better writer. When you read a book that’s well written, your own writing begins to take on the qualities that you admire in others. Here’s a book that focuses on writing skills, but also features writing at its best: On Writing Well by William Zinsser. Corrects and/or corroborates your thinking. Reading what others think about a topic can either correct our misconceptions or confirm what we’ve held to be true. A best-selling classic that will either challenge or confirm your beliefs is Lee Strobel’s The Case for a Creator. Enriches your life. So far, we’ve been talking primarily about growing our intellect and our business. But reading for pleasure offers many benefits as well. Reading a book before bedtime is a great way to wind down and relax. Recreational reading opens a whole world of history, intrigue, humor, adventure, and fantasy. Reading kicks the borders off your imagination. Patrick Rothfuss’s epic novel, The Name of the Wind, is sure to provide you with an enriching experience. Creating A Reading Plan Commit to read a book a month. Create a list of books that you want to read. Read on an e-device or paper. (Consider the option of highlighting and scribbling notes in the margins of a printed book.) Find a reading buddy. Listen to audiobooks. (The retention rate for listening to a book drops significantly over reading it.) Resources Mentioned In This Episode Permission to Prosper is your key to unlock the vaults of wealth, wellness, and wisdom that will prosper you and everyone around you. Join us at this life-changing event, where we will help you construct your own prosperity blueprint… remove the inner conflicts about money, wealth, and possessions… and learn from our world-famous speakers, including Jeff Goins, and more surprise guests to be announced soon. VIP seating and red carpet perks are also available, including personal time with Ray. To get the details, and to get your ticket now at the lowest possible price, go to permissiontoprosper.com   Subscribe to the show through Apple Podcasts and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will mention you on this show. Get The Transcript Right-Click and “Save As” to Get the PDF Transcript.  

It’s confession time as Thos chats to Harry Style and Arnoud Breitbart, the two people behind the fresh and impressive new British musical, Forgive Us, Oh Father!.  Hear about the creation of this impressive show and how various ideas permutated over time until it became a little slice of Heaven!  The main character, Stephen-Peter, an incredibly lazy priest, might end up in purgatory – but you certainly won’t!

"One of the greatest tragedies in life is that fathers and sons can love each other deeply without ever getting to know one another," per Michael Josephson. Needless to say, this scientific certainty is a venomous/heartwrenching reality. Author Mujahid Akil returns to profess living truth regarding the ramifications imposed upon children and domestic households corresponding to imprisoned fathers. As we GPS track and locate institutionalized dads, let's ask ourselves if absentee dads are void by default? Furthermore, let's expound the role mass incarceration labors in this formula. Moreover, let's delve deeper to decode the rationale behind this scenario/predicament. Please view Mujahid Akil's published literary work at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1480810347/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520194455&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=street+certified+book

It’s time for more Edinburgh Festival Fringe insights from Thos and Michael Gordon Shapiro, the noted composer, as they look into a number of very successful shows including the Toxic Avenger, Thrill Me, the Time Machine, Forgive Me, Oh Father and Stop the Musical.  They also discuss the usefulness (or otherwise) of topicality to a show-writer.  All this and a song from Michael’s wonderful show, The Bully Problem.  It’s a feast for the ears

Bland veckans nya utmanare hittar vi Håkan Hellström med Jag utan dig och Linda Sundblad med Bridges. Dessutom blir det rockabilly med The Kingbees och Stockholm Blue. Det här är veckans utmanare Linda Sundblad Hon slog igenom med gruppen Lambretta. Från solokarriären minns vi listframgångar med låten Oh Father och starten i Melodifestivalen 2011. Nu kommer första singeln sedan 2012, Bridges. The Kingbees Rockabilly-gruppen The Kingbees hörde vi senast på Svensktoppen 2004 med låten Big boys and Pink Ladies. Nu är de aktuella med Stockholm Blue Håkan Hellström Håkan har haft fyra låtar tidigare på Svensktoppen. Kommer Jag utan dig att bli hans femte?

If you ask people in church if they believe in heaven and believe that it's the best life possible, they’d all say yes. Now add a second question, “Would you go there right now if you could?” If I promised you that if you stood at the altar in church and prayed real loud, “OH Father, please let me die now and go to you!” you’d drop dead where you stood and enter heaven would you pray it? We are very, very attached to this physical world and to life in the body.And this keeps us from experiencing the full freedom we could know in Christ. Learn more in this week's Thread podcast, the Bible study for those in formal and informal ministry.

“If we must 'feel' God’s presence before we believe he is with us, we again reduce God to our ability to grasp him, making him an idol instead of acknowledging him as God.” - Craig S. Keener

Leaders are teachers, recruiting great talent and balancing career and family. Tim Selgo Bio: Retired this year after twenty years as the Director of Athletics at Grand Valley State University. Grand Valley has been nothing short of a powerhouse at the NCAA Division II level, claiming the Directors' Cup as the top overall athletic program ten times. Under Tim's leadership, Laker teams have won 161 conference championships, 74 NCAA regional championships and 18 national championships. Tim was named Division II AD of the Year three times by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), and this past year he became the first Division II athletic director selected to serve as president of that organization in its over 50 year existence. Though retired as an AD, Tim is now a consultant with Athletics Staffing and Consultants, where he advises athletic departments on leadership training and staffing. He will be inducted into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame this fall. Interview Notes: Introduce yourself and give some background Pettisville, OH Father teacher/coach; brothers were D1 athletes; mother and father athletes as well and in bowling hall of fames Bob Nichols at Toledo gave him scholarship to play basketball, and then hired him as a G.A. and then assistant coach; led to being head women's coach Quickly realized the importance of recruiting great talent if you want to be successful Moved from coaching to administration at Toledo They both Nick Saban and Gary Pinkel as football coaches in the early 90s Talk about the change in the industry for where administrators come from Changed as more money came in and it became an entertainment industry Working in athletics is a lot like farming, it's not a job as much as it is a way of life Advice for being an AD – get some coaching experience. The best coaches are the best teachers, and that skill translates well to administration. This isn't fantasy sports; you can't point and click your way to succes How did you approach the hiring of coaches and staff? What were you looking for, both positively and negatively? Must surround yourself with the best people As AD you're the coach of the coaches, staff and student-athletes; it's a teaching position…true in many leadership positions in/out of athletics Mistake early on to be the “change agent” prior to observing/listening You have to have patience if you want to build something that will last Hiring people is a leader's most important job It took time with Brian Kelly; people wanted him gone He was 5-5 in his tenth year at GVSU Went and fought to get him a new four year contract that year Be open to all types of candidates; the best could come from anywhere Prefers those coming up through the ranks (Examples in volleyball, soccer, track/field) Easy to make the sexy hire to win the press conference, but that is almost always meaningless You have talked about how proud you are of the success across all of your programs. How did you create a culture where that was valued, when I'm sure it would have been easy to make things all about football? (went back to prior question) Critical to develop those best people That was GVSU's philosophy when he arrived, and that was important to him taking the job More than resources, which are important, people want to know you care Be there/present, especially when it matters most – in competition All the kids work hard Exit surveys ask whether kids felt they had admin support Said yes because admin was there; not because of material support From our interactions at NACDA, you were always a great connector of people. How did you develop that skill or is it something you have always had? People will make you successful, and I love people and being part of a team Ex. Steve Payne, Manistee, MI office furniture You talk a lot about family and I know that spending more time with your kids and grandkids is a priority for you. How did you go about maintaining your family relationships while in such a high demand job? Athletics is a way of life, and it's important to be there for your people Gave up personal life and only focused on faith, family and work Exception being reading, which he does very early in the morning, and exercise. The best leaders have some type of balance, and if it is out of balance, it is so for the good things like family What can you tell us about your new book, and where people can connect with you? Memoir as GVSU AD; leadership instruction; entertaining stories; November release Athletic Staffing and Consulting – ASCwinners.com Teaching at Davenport University in sports management Thank Yous/Acknowledgements: Antioch Live/Clear Day Media Group – music More here. Jonathan Davis – production Clint Musslewhite – voice over

PLAYLIST: Rebel Alliance, Work One Day, Brummy Brothers, Weed, Whiskey,Women, Danny Draher Band, Li’l Girl, Bronze Radio Return, Mister,Mister, Gus Spenos, If You Were Gold, Baby, Otis Clay, Mississippi Poor Boy, The Hitman Blues Band, Bad Bad Man, Tim Bastmeyer, Malted Milk, Big Jon Atkinson & Bob Corritore, She’s My Crazy Little Baby, The Young Presidents, Loner, Markey Blue, Cash Is Always King, Tweed Funk, Light Up The Night, Big Harp George, I Wasn’t Ready, The Rad Trads, Since You Been Gone, Bill Phillippe, Parade, Corey Dennison, She’s No Good, John Long, Things Can’t Be Down Always, Bill Johnson, Night Train, Mike Wheeler Band, Brand New Cadillac, Diana Rein, Livin Loud, Kalo, Oh Father, Chase Walker Band, Living On Thin Ice, Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers, Love Whip Blues, Cheryl Arena, Blow My Blues Away, Session Americana, Ice Cream Man, Darrell Nulisch, Just A Little Blues, Brian Charette, Late Night Tv, Mojomatics, Soy Baby

O Wanda dessa semana está atacando de Ana Maria Braga! Tendência criada por Phelipe em edição passada, o Interessanteney dessa edição dá lugar ao Receitaney! Hahaha. Convidamos Federico Devito para uma nova brincadeira: "Quem tem mais chances de", que causou revelações chocantes dos apresentadores. E o Me Ajuda Wanda também tem bapho! Segura essa marimba! ASSINE O PODCAST NO ITUNES LINK > bit.ly/AssineWandaNoItunes RSS FEED DO MILKSHAKE LINK > bit.ly/RSSdoWANDA WANDA NO FACEBOOK: facebook.com/PodcastWanda WANDA NO TWITTER: @PodcastWanda RECEITANEY Sorvete em Lata Farofa Parmesanada Tabule de Quinoa Coxinha do Federico ME AJUDA WANDA O que os apresentadores fazem no intervalo entre os blocos? Wanda lacrou nos especiais de final de ano! "Meu chefe assistiu uma série e acha que tá arrasando" Sessões de cinema merda com todo mundo bagunçando "Estou no armário e com medo de perder o boy perfeito super assumido" "Tô transando com um cara ótimo mas ele quer compromisso fora da cidade, e agora?" "Wanda, estou pegando o sócio do meu pai. HELP!" MÚSICAS "Shine" - Years & Years "Tarantella Napoletana" "Oh Father" - Madonna "Partition" - Beyoncé Podcast #73 apresentado por: TWITTER / INSTAGRAM @phelipecruz @santahelena @samsworld @federico_devito SNAPCHAT papelpop marinastahelena samirduarte eudevito MANDE SEU CASO PARA O "ME AJUDA WANDA" Quer ter seu caso lido em nosso podcast? Mande um desabafo, uma rapidinha, ou pergunte curiosidades para o e-mail redacao@papelpop.com. Coloque qualquer coisa com "Wanda" no assunto! ASSINE O PODCAST NO ITUNES (E, se curtiu, avalie a gente!) LINK > bit.ly/AssineWandaNoItunes RSS FEED DO MILKSHAKE LINK > bit.ly/RSSdoWANDA Toda semana um episódio novo: Às quintas-feiras, às 13h17, no papelpop.com e também no blog dontskip.com

Today's topics: World Youth Day in Rio Summary of today's show: Millions of youth from around the world will be gathering in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, next week for World Youth Day, including more than 160 who will be traveling from the Archdiocese of Boston. Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams are joined by Chuck and Amber Kelley, a father and daughter from Townsend who will be traveling to their first World Youth Day, to discuss what they expect and to preview the events they will participate in and to explain the World Youth Day plenary indulgence. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Matt Williams Today's guest(s): Chuck and Amber Kelley Links from today's show: Oh Father, You sent Your Eternal Son to save the world, and You chose men and women, so that through Him, with Him and in Him, they might proclaim the Good News of the Gospel to all nations. Grant us the necessary graces, so that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the joy of being the evangelists that the Church needs in the Third Millennium may shine in the faces of all young people. Oh Christ, Redeemer of humanity, the image of Your open arms on the top of Corcovado, welcomes all people. In Your paschal offering, You led us, by the Holy Spirit, to encounter the Father as His children. Young people, who are nourished by Eucharist, who hear You in Your Word and meet You as their brother, need your infinite mercy to walk along the paths of this world as disciples and missionaries of the New Evangelization. Oh Holy Spirit, Love of the Father and of the Son, with the splendor of Your Truth and the fire of Your Love, shed Your Light upon all young people so that, inspired by their experience at World Youth Day, they may bring faith, hope and charity to the four corners of the earth, becoming great builders of a culture of life and peace and catalysts of a new world. Amen !

Pastor Andy Davis preaches a verse-by-verse expository sermon on Isaiah 29:1-24. The main subject is the great power God uses to sanctify us and cure us of spiritual hypocrisy. - Sermon Transcript - God is here right now, by the power of his Holy Spirit, he is seeking out those who will give him true worship, those who will worship him in spirit and truth, he is seeking us so that we will seek him, and God is seeking our hearts. The Bible says in Psalm 139, "I praise you, O Lord, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." There is no part of us more fearfully and wonderfully made, more complex than that part of us, the Scripture calls our heart, our heart. What is the heart? The Bible says that it's the part of us that thinks and reasons and analyzes and studies, the heart does that, part of us that understands. But it's also the part of us that loves and hates what it understands. Love should love righteousness and hate wickedness, but it's our heart that does that, it's the part of us that delights and makes plans and has emotions, and that makes choices, that's the heart. There is nothing in the human existence more complex than that, and according to the Scripture, that's what God desires. He wants our hearts. He is seeking the heart, God seeks the heart. God searches the heart, God studies the heart. Naturally in Adam, our hearts are, as Jeremiah put it, desperately wicked beyond comprehension, we cannot understand our own hearts, we don't understand why we do what we do, as Paul said in Romans 7, our hearts are complicated. And apart from Christ, naturally, desperately wicked, but in Christ, supernaturally transformed. Praise God for that. There is no hope for us other than that, the transforming work of Christ, radically transformed and yet still a battlefield. Do you feel it? Do you feel the assaults of the evil one on your heart? Have you felt it this week? I have. And what are the weapons of the devil: the idolatry of this world, going after your heart trying to lure it away. As it says in Hebrews 3, "See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." The deceitfulness of sin hardens our hearts. That's the battle. So those are Satan's weapons, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the boastful pride of life, that's the assault every day, every hour on your heart. But what are God's weapons? Oh, they are mighty. How about just the truth? The greatness of God. The greatness of God. He is a mighty God, he doesn't have to hide, he doesn't need any deceptions about himself, he doesn’t need any salesman to shade the truth a bit. He is great, he is magnificent. The truth is on God's side, not just about himself, but about Christ, his only begotten Son, who was sent into the world for sinners like you and me. The truth is very attractive if we can just see it, and so he has the truth on his side and he also has the power of the Spirit, he has free access to your heart, he can do whatever he wants to your heart, he can take out that heart of stone and he can give you that heart of flesh any time he pleases. And he doesn't have to ask your permission to do it. And he has sovereign power through the Spirit to transform us, those are God's weapons, and God will win in the end. But there's a battle going on for the hearts. Now, this morning, it just so happens. You don't believe in luck, do you? I sure don't. It just so happened in the ordinary course of preaching, I get to preach this morning, on one of the two most important corrective texts there are in the Bible on worship. Marvelous. Now, this one comes at us negatively, it comes at us convictingly, searchingly, it's verse 13, right in the middle, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." This text has been for me a mirror, or perhaps even a surgeon's scalpel probing my own heart this week. It's worked on me, it's done it's work on me. And I was saying to a number of people this morning, it's been a very, very pleasing pain for me this week, it's been painful, but pleasing. It's an odd combination, you might think, how do pleasure and pain go together? Well, this is how it works, it's pain because it's showing me the weaknesses and the deficiencies of my own heart. The text has been true of me often times this week and regularly in my Christian life, that I honor God with my lips, with my external, but my heart is far from him. And it's hard to hear that, isn't it? Painful. To have God say that to me and for me to recognize it's true, actually. That's painful. Why is it pleasing? Well, thank God I feel the pain. You know what that means? I'm alive, and if I'm alive, I will never die. I've crossed over from death to life. What it means is, wherever I fall short, that's going to be changed, I'm going to be healed. Someday with a united heart, I will praise God perfectly, forever. So it's been a pleasing pain for me. "Well, thank God I feel the pain. You know what that means? I'm alive, and if I'm alive, I will never die. I've crossed over from death to life. What it means is, wherever I fall short, that's going to be changed, I'm going to be healed." I wish it weren't true ever of me, verse 13, but it is sometimes true. You may ask, ‘What's the other text?’ It's the parallel text kind of mirror image text in John chapter 4, where Jesus speaks to the Samaritan woman, remember how she tried to change the subject off of her sin, remember that? To worship and she went, just where Jesus wanted her to go anyway. Let's talk about worship, believe me, woman, “The time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” Frankly, I think that Isaiah 29:13 and John 4:23-24 are teaching the same thing. One of them negatively, one of them positively. Negatively, God doesn't want our hearts to be distant from him while we worship. Positively, we should be passionately engaged with our spirits, passionately engaged in the truth. So it's teaching the same thing, two sides of the same coin. Now, Isaiah 29 as a whole, the whole chapter, Nathan read just part of it, the whole chapter is about how God is willing to do and really must do heart surgery on his people to transform them. He's willing to do heart surgery, in fact, he must do heart surgery on us, the surgery must come from the outside-in because we cannot operate on ourselves, God must do this work in us. And big picture, the message of Isaiah 29 as a whole in redemptive history, as we see, is that God is willing to hurt his people in order to heal them. And as I was thinking about it and talked to doctors, dentists, about the medical procedures, therapies, there are in this world, it's amazing how many of them, maybe most of them, hurt the body in order to heal it. Think about it. Every surgery does. Isn’t that true? We are willing to have a wound made so that the tumor can be removed. Every surgery does it. I'm thinking every time a bone is set, it's a necessary pain in order to bring about healing. Every time there's a gash in the skin and some stitches are done, additional wounds made to the body so that the gap can be pulled together and there can be healing. Chemotherapy, radiation does acceptable damage to perfectly good tissue so that the cancer can be killed, and body healed. I was talking to Jim Eaker at the Turkey Bowl yesterday, he said, "Dental work, he's always going through perfectly good enamel to get to the rottenness." So it is here, God is willing to, and I say he must hurt us in order to heal us, he must. I. God Humbles Both Complacent Jerusalem and Ruthless Enemies to the Dust Now, in this chapter, it's all about a siege that comes to a city, he's bringing a siege to Jerusalem, he's gonna do it, but the reasons for it are in the middle of the chapter, it's because of what's going on inside their hearts, and God is willing to hurt his people in order to transform them and heal them, and by the end of the chapter, there's just nothing but good news, nothing but the transformation that God has worked. So though it's a difficult chapter and a difficult journey, how marvelous is it to see God's truth speak to us even today? So let's start at the beginning, verses 1-8, we see God humbling his own people down to the very dust, verses 1-4, and then in verses 5-8, crushing his enemies to the very dust, so God does some different kind of work there, it's different with his people than it is with his enemies. So look at verses 1-4, God humbles complacent Jerusalem down to the very dust by a siege, so you look at verse 1-4, "Woe to you Ariel, Ariel, the city where David settled! Add year to year and let your cycle of festivals go on. Yet I will besiege Ariel; she will mourn and lament, she will be to me like an altar hearth. I will encamp against you all around; I will encircle you with towers I will set up my siege works against you. Brought low, you will speak from the ground; your speech will mumble out of the dust. Your voice will come ghost-like from the earth out of the dust; your speech will whisper." Well, what's Ariel, you may ask. Well, it's the city where David settled, so it's pretty obvious we're talking about Jerusalem. Ariel means altar hearth, most scholars tell us so, it's a place of an altar where burning sacrifices go up in worship to God. So the issue of this chapter is the religiosity of the people, they're just in this religious machine and it's just turning like a machine, they're adding year to year, and the cycle of festivals is just going on endlessly. It’s just going on, and he says almost sarcastically, go ahead, keep going, just add year to year, and let the cycle of festival just keep on going, but I'm going to besiege you and I'm gonna crush you. So they were into their religion, and Isaiah's already dealt with this at the beginning of the book, in Isaiah 1:11-14, God says to the people who are just, they're just cranking it out in terms of religion, they're just cranking it out week after week, year after year, they're just cranking it out, they're bringing animal sacrifices to God again and again and again. In Isaiah 1, he says, "The multitude of your sacrifices—what are they to me?” What are they to me, “Says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings of rams and of the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moon, Sabbath, convocations—I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feast, my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; and I'm weary of bearing them.” That's Isaiah 1. It says the same thing basically in this chapter, they're just cranking it out, the religion, you know what I'm saying? The religion, the outward forms week after week after week. Doing what they think God told them to do, and God did tell them to do it, but that's not the point. Point is they're just, it's the outward show. And along with this machinery came a religious complacency, a false confidence, trusting in their pure, heaven-sent religion, they thought God would never destroy them. They're safe, they're safe, it didn't matter how they lived, it didn't matter what's going on in their hearts, they're safe. And they assumed that God would never let anyone else come and stop it. Years later, Jeremiah would find the same thing, that people were saying the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, three times stated. It's like, well, it's a talisman, it's a religious good luck charm. Because we have a temple, God's never gonna let the city get destroyed. Watch what I do to my temple. That's what Jeremiah got to say a century later. But the same thing's going on here. This religious complacency. So therefore, God predicts judgments. Look at verse 2-3, "I will besiege, Ariel;” Jerusalem, “I'll besiege it, she'll mourn in lament, she will be to me like an altar hearth." So there'll be fire, but not the kind of fire you're used to. A different kind of fire. I will encamp against you all around. I will encircle you with towers and set up my siege works against you. And the people of God, Jerusalem, is gonna be humbled down to the very dust, they're going to be brought low, right down to the dust, and they'll barely be able to speak, their spirit will be so weak, so crushed by this action of God. Notice he says, "I will besiege you," I'm the issue, I'm the one doing it. I will besiege you and I'm gonna bring you down. I'm gonna bring you to the dust, and you'll barely be able to whisper out any kind of prayer or anything at all, you'll be that weak. Verse 1-4, but then interestingly, verses 5-8, God turns and says, I'm gonna bring actually your besieger down to the dust too. I'm gonna crush him and it's gonna happen suddenly, I'm gonna turn just like that, and it's gonna happen suddenly. Look at verses 5-8, "But your many enemies will become like fine dust," so there's that word dust again, they're gonna be humbled to the dust too. "The ruthless hordes will be like blown chaff. Suddenly in an instant, the Lord Almighty will come, will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire. Then the hordes of all the nations fight against Ariel, that attack her and her fortresses and besiege her, all of those besieging forces will be like it is with a dream, with a vision in the night—as when a hungry man dreams that he's eating, but he awakens, and his hunger remains; or as when a thirsty man dreams that he's drinking, but he awakens faint, with his thirst unquenched, so it will be with the hordes of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion.” So the hoards here are unnamed, but we have to think in context, he's talking about Assyria, that's coming soon. They're going to attack and besiege Jerusalem, they're gonna come against it, and they're going to make incredible progress, Isaiah's already been playing about this, they're going to conquer every city in Judah, but one. A lot of people will die, a lot of people will die, many will flee to the city of the walled fortress of Jerusalem, they'll flee there, but they're gonna die there too, from famine and all that. It's gonna be a time of great suffering. So it looks really bad. Assyria undefeated, powerful, dreaming of conquest, dreaming of plunder, dreaming of crushing the people of YHWH, that's what they're dreaming about, and they're gonna come, but then suddenly everything turns like in an instant. Do you see that right in the text? Suddenly in an instant, everything changes, so it's an instantaneous appearance of Almighty God with power like a storm. Well, if you know the history, you know exactly what this is talking about. Assyria was there, they're in place. They're gonna win. No doubt about it. And God sends out that angel 185,000 Assyrian troops died in one night. And it's amazing how the text reads there in Isaiah 37:36, "When the people awoke the next morning," it's gotta do with waking up and looking around, it's exactly what we have here in this chapter. He awakens and his dream is unfulfilled, he cannot have what he thought he was gonna get, because his soldiers are all dead. Now, it's amazing throughout history how many times the enemies of the people of God have licked their chops at the imminent demise of the people of God. Assuming that they would all be destroyed, that they would be gone, excited for the death of this eminent leader, let's say of the Christian church or of Christianity itself. I think about in Acts 23, when Paul's enemies were so committed to his destruction that they took an oath not to eat or drink ever again until they had assassinated Paul. Remember that one? I think they got real thin or they gave up the oath. Because a little nephew somewhere gets wind of it, tells the Roman commander and he gets hundreds of soldiers and they move Paul quickly that night from Jerusalem to Caesarea. So much for that. So they had a dream, they thought it was gonna happen, and they wake and faint, and they didn't get what they wanted. When you think about other enemies of the people of God, think about Voltaire during the Enlightenment, making predictions that the Bible is gonna go on the ash heap of forgotten literature. Well, I haven't forgotten the Bible. I think it's fantastic. What do you guys think? I bet you more people today know the Bible than Voltaire. What do you think? I'm thinking so. Or just think about the Communist leaders of the 20th century who predicted the destruction of Christianity, thought that Christianity would grow weaker and weaker. It's the opiate of the people and all that kind of thing, remember? Or how about this? How about a rock star, 1966, John Lennon of the Beatles made a famous statement, he said this, "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I need not argue with that; I am right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now." Now, some of you, I may need to tell who the Beatles are. So much for that, John Lennon. Christianity is not gonna go, Christianity is gonna go on and on and on forever. The enemies who lick their chops thinking that it's going to sometime disappear, it is not going to disappear, it's just gonna keep getting stronger. How many people do you think have been brought into the kingdom of Christ since John Lennon made that statement in 1966? Tens of millions. So the dream of God's people vanishing into nothingness itself will vanish into nothingness. II. God Exposes the Root Issues: Spiritual Blindness, Cold-Hearted Worship, Worldly Wisdom Now, in verses 9-16, Isaiah gets into the reason why God is bringing this judgment on his people. There's a reason, there are reasons why God has to work, why he has to do heart surgery. What is the nature of this disease? We're gonna find three aspects to it. First, cause number one for this judgment that's coming, is willful spiritual blindness, verses 9-12. It says, "They'll be stunned and amazed, blind yourselves and be sightless; be drunk, but not from wine, stagger, but not from beer." That's talking about the reaction to the coming invasion, they're going to be like drunk people, they don't know what to do, they don't know where to go with their bodies, they're gonna stagger back with the news. Verse 10, "The Lord has brought over you a deep sleep: He has sealed your eyes (the prophets); He has covered your heads, (the seers). For you, this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll, and if you give the scroll to someone who can read and say to him, read this, please, he will answer, ‘I can't; It's sealed. Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read and say, 'Read this, please,' he will answer, 'I don't know how to read.'" The scroll represents the Word of God, it represents the word of the true prophets of God. The people who could understand it, the prophets, the seers, and all that, that could understand that, can't make anything out of it. It's like it's sealed. They can't get to it. They should know better, they should know what God is doing. They should be able to read God's Word and understand it, but it's a sealed scroll to them. And then there are others who just don't have the ability to comprehend it, it's like they can't read. It represents willful spiritual blindness, in reference to the Word of God, in reference to the Scripture. That's cause number one. Cause number two, in verses 13 and 14, especially verse 13, "The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth, and they honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Therefore, once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder, the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish." So the Lord is judging his people because of their distant hearts. The externals are in place, they're doing the religion that they received from Moses, the laws of Moses. They're adding the cycle of festivals year after year, they're doing the animal sacrifices, but their hearts are far from God. They're hypocrites, religious hypocrites. In Isaiah 58:2, he says this, "For day after day, they seek me out, they seem eager to know my ways as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and they seem eager for God to come near them." But they're not. And so they have the outside show, and they say the right things, but they're living corruptly from inside their hearts. Jeremiah will say to his generation dealing with the exact same issue in Jeremiah 3:4-5, he says, "Have you not just called to me, 'My father, my friend from my youth? Will you always be angry? Oh Father, will your wrath continue forever?' This is how you talk, but you do all the evil you can.” So they honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far from him. What does that mean? What does that mean their hearts were far from God? Well, the Lord weighs the inner person, he weighs your heart, he knows what you think about, he knows what you love and what you hate, what you're attracted to, what you're repulsed from, God is not at all interested in religious formalism, in a machinery of religion. In Jesus's day, the Pharisees and scribes, the teachers of the law, were the quintessential examples of this hypocrisy. They were experts in religion, experts in matters of the law, experts in tithing; mint, and dill, and cumin, experts in religiosity, but their hearts were dead toward God. They looked beautiful on the outside, but inside, they were full of dead men's bones and everything unclean, Jesus said. They were actually idolaters who were living for the trappings of power and the praise of people who loved to be greeted in the marketplaces and have people call them Rabbi, who for a pretense made extended prayer so that people would honor how religious they were, but secretly plotting to devour widows homes, and so they're living for earthly things despite all their religious trappings, so they love the stuff of this world, just like always. Power and pleasure and money and all that stuff, that's what they're living for. And so Jesus reaches for this exact verse in Isaiah 29, to describe them, he said when they came to him to criticize him about not doing the ceremonial washings that the elders had said they were supposed to do. He said, you hypocrites, you hypocrites, you actors, you external ones. Who look so good on the outside, but I know the heart, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you. These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are just rules taught by men.” Now, during the First Great Awakening, Jonathan Edwards was facing some people just like that; religious experts who are against what God was doing through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, just incredible. An incredible work of God, a work of revival. People's hearts were being transformed, they were being moved out of churchianity, dead religion, they were being brought to a living, vital relationship with God, and God was using many different servants to do it. George Whitefield, probably the greatest, but he used Edwards and others too. And they were preaching the new birth and a transformation from within. But the old lights, they were called, there wasn't any light there, but anyway, the old lights were trying to shut it down, trying to shut down the revival, and there were some pretty bad excesses going on, that happens during revival, some things that shouldn't have happened. Went too far. And so Jonathan Edwards, who is the ultimate scientist of spirituality, the guy was amazingly accurate in his careful assessment, looking at what was the real deal in the work of God, and he wrote this masterpiece, A Treatise on Religious Affections, to say, fundamentally, the issue of true religion is from the heart. It's heart affections. What did he mean? Well, he said, the heart has the ability to analyze and assess everything, that's the intellectual side, plus have affections toward it and be attracted to it or repulsed from it, to a great or less degree, depending on what it is. That's what the heart does. And this is what Edwards wrote in that masterpiece, "If we are not in good earnest in religion, if our wills and our inclinations are not strongly exercised, we are nothing. The things of religion are so great, the responses of our hearts cannot be proportional unless those responses be lively and powerful. In nothing is vigor in the actings of our inclinations, so appropriate as in religion, conversely, in nothing is lukewarmness so odious. True religion is ever more a powerful thing; and its power appears primarily in its inward exercises in the heart it's principle and original seat." Edwards is saying, bring it. Bring your passions. And don't be lukewarm when it comes to worship. “God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in Spirit and in truth.” That means mentally understand right doctrine, get it right, get it accurately, and then just praise God for it. Let your heart be elevated out of its stupor and its deadness. Alright, well, that's what it means, these people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me? They knew the right stuff, but their hearts were cold and dead toward it, they had no concern for it, therefore, verse 14, "Therefore, I will once more astound these people with wonder upon wonder." Let's just keep it literalistic: I'll do two wonders. [chuckle] Wonder upon wonder. The wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish. Alright, well, I don't know for sure that he was having in mind two wonders precisely, but how about the wonder of bringing the Assyrians and then the wonder of killing them and sending the rest away? I'm going to astound them therefore, therefore, because of the deadness of the heart, my remedy is radical heart surgery, I'm gonna bring the Assyrians, and the pressure that they will bring to bear will change the hearts of my people. I'm gonna bring this horror to them, and then I'm gonna take it away and they will be healed. And so he talks about their worldly wisdom, the wisdom of the wise, I'm gonna frustrate the intelligence of the intelligent. And then in verse 15 and 16, he talks about this, the secret plans that people make and how what a joke, what a joke about that, “Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord.” Don't bother, make no effort to hide anything from God, there's no point. Who do their work in darkness and think who sees us? Who will know? “You turn things upside down as if the potter were thought to be like the clay. Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘He did not make me?’ Can the pot say of the potter, "He knows nothing?"” Well, I think there're two issues going on here with this hidden dark secret thing, simply in context, it may be talking about just the plans that they're making to form an alliance with Egypt to stave off the invasion of the Assyrians. He talks about it in the next two chapters. Again and again, chapter 30, ““Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the Lord, “to those who carry out plans.”" There's that word plan, "Carries out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; to those who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh's protection and to Egypt shade for refuge.” But they don't look to me. So I think in context, that's one answer. But let's go deeper, please, because if you don't find delight in God, you're going to find it in some idols, just the way it is. You're not gonna say ‘I'll just be pleasureless in life, I'll just abstain from pleasure the rest of my life. I don't care about pleasure, I don't want to be happy.’ No, no, you have a relentless drive to be happy, and if you're not going to find it in God, you'll find it in some created thing or things, you just will. And some of them are gonna be shameful, frankly, and in competition against God, all of them are shameful, even if they're themselves good things. He says to those who do this, who have these secrets in darkness, he says, you're perverse. You're turning things upside down. Don't you know who I am? He who formed the eye, does he not see? He who formed the ear, does he not hear? You think I don't know what you're doing? I am the issue. Not the audience that you're trying to hide it from, I'm the issue. Clear out the idolatry and you will be able to worship me passionately from the heart. You're the clay, I'm the potter. Don't turn things upside down, let me shape you, let me change you, let me heal you. And you'll be able to worship me. III. God Transforms His People from All Effects of Sin And so, good news. Verses 17-24 end really happy. Aren't you glad the chapter ends happy? I like happy, I'm big on happy. And it ends happy, so beautiful, verse after verse of God transforming his people from all effects of sin, amazing promises. Verse 17, the strip forests of Lebanon are going to be returned to being a fertile field. Verse 18, the spiritually deaf and blind will be able at last to read God's scroll and understand it. Verse 19, the poor or downtrodden and remnant will rise up in joy-filled worship. Verses 20 and 21, the ruthless oppressors, both inside the community and outside are gonna be crushed and gone. Verses 22 and 23, the children of Abraham will be redeemed. They will glory in God's work. It says there, "No longer will Jacob be ashamed; no longer will their faces grow pale. When they see among them their children, the work of my hands, they will keep my name holy; they will acknowledge the Holy One, holiness of the Holy One of Jacob, and they will stand in awe of the God of Jacob." You know what I call that? That's worship friends. Stand in awe of the God of Jacob. And then the final verse, verse 24, "Those who are wayward in spirit." What's it mean? “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it.” Do you feel that, your heart “prone to wander. Prone to leave the God you love,” “Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding; and those who complain will accept instruction” and will be transformed. IV. Applications: Seeing Jesus and the Gospel in Isaiah 29 So application. How does this chapter preach Christ? Well, it does, friends. [chuckle] The only hope for the wayward human heart is the blood of Jesus. It is through Christ, the son of God, who gave himself on the cross to take our wrath, the judgement we deserve, for all this wickedness, this coldness, this wretchedness. He has taken that on himself and he has extinguished the wrath of God in our place. By his blood shed on the cross, God is at peace with all who repent and trust in Jesus. So repent and trust in Jesus. Turn away from idolatry. Turn away from wickedness, turn away from these things that do not satisfy, but actually corrupt your hearts, turn away from them and find in Jesus the only pure delight there really is in this world. Turn to Jesus, trust in him. Perhaps you were invited here by a friend, you don't know Christ as your Lord and Savior, please trust in him now. Please talk to somebody who is a believer and tell them, ‘I wanna know more about Christ, I wanna follow Jesus. I don't wanna be on the outside anymore, I wanna be a true Christian. How can I do that?’ But all you need to do is repent and believe in Christ. And then for all of those of us that are Christians, just look at this chapter and say, is this applicable to me? Am I like this? Do I have a hard time hearing God's word? Is it like a closed book to me, am I cold and dead toward it? Is my heart distant from God? Is it true that I'm going through the motions coming to church week after week, and I don't have that genuine heart of affection? Have I forsaken my first love? Did I used to have a fiery heart after Christ, but now it's not so much that way. Maybe you need that pleasing pain in your life, maybe you need to be convicted. Stare at verse 13. And if you feel the pain, praise God, it means you're alive, but don't let it stay there. Say, ‘God change me. Transform my heart, make me different.’ Work of Christ alone can do that. I just wanna conclude with a couple of comments that I think might be helpful for our church, just where we're at right now. The New Testament gives us various metaphors for the church: Bride of Christ, light shining in a dark place, city on a hill, sometimes we're likened to a building made up of living stones, and a priesthood within that building offering spiritual sacrifices to God. Sometimes we're called a holy nation. I’d like to zero in on the image of family. How's that? Family of God. We are a family. This church is a family. We have the same heavenly Father who adopted us, we are his sons and daughters through faith in Jesus, we have the same elder brother who is not ashamed to call us family members. That's amazing. Who shed his blood for us. We have the same indwelling spirit that cries out from within us, the spirit of adoption by which we cry Abba, Father, we're a family. Now, as a family, we are committed to each other. We're in covenant commitment. Guess where the covenant is, we promise to be things for each other. And that means we carry each other's burdens, and when we don't agree, we strive to understand one another, listening without anger to each other. Loving each other, like that expression ‘as iron sharpens iron,’ both pieces of iron need to recognize that they need to change too. Not just the other piece of iron, and as the two interact in a godly way, I could go really into engineering right now, but when you're doing some machining, you need a cooling lubricant there to keep the heat down. Do you know what I'm saying? To keep the heat down or else they're gonna be damaged, there's gonna be damage, and so love, love is that cooling lubricant. But we need to sharpen one another. We haven't arrived there. Now, last week, a number of you noticed that our corporate worship time was a little different than it usually is, music a little louder, a little faster than you're used to, maybe a new song you hadn't heard before, some of you were delighted by it. Some of you just noticed it was different and it was a matter of indifference to you. Some of you didn't like it at all. Well, I can tell you this, every brother and sister that stood up here and has sought to lead this church in worship since Eric Campbell left in this interim time that we're in, that's what we're in now, interim time, until the Lord brings us an elder that will be gifted and will work on music, every single one of them, I know them, has done what they have done out of a love for God and for his glory and for this church. They've sacrificed their time, they've sacrificed their energy, they've brought their gifts, and they've sought to use them for the glory of God. And they have full-time jobs, they have other things that take their time, and they have given to us, and they should be thanked and encouraged for it, even if you didn't like that song so much. But on the other side, it's also important for us as elders, and I'm speaking as an elder now, as a shepherd with the other shepherds of this flock, it's important for us to lead this flock through the changes I think God has for us to make. To lead this flock sensitively and in a good pace, gently, patiently, we have a journey to travel. We have not arrived yet, and ultimately, we are responsible for the things that happen here at the human level, and we failed you to some degree, we didn't stay together the way we needed to in terms of pacing and other things. Now, as a family, we act in grace toward one another, unless you're in that one perfect family in this church, and which you'd never need that, but there isn't such. And you know, we've got to cover each other. Pray for each other. Carry each other's burdens. Now, in the 14 years that I've been here as pastor of FBC, there have been many changes, it's a very different church than the one that I inherited in October of 1998, those changes have been deep and profound and essential. And I think biblical. Everything the Lord has led FBC to do in those 14 years have been geared toward making us more biblically faithful to be healthy for the long haul, for the long term, so that after, if the Lord tarries and he doesn't come back in our generation, this church will still be here testifying to the greatness and the glory of God in this community, so it will be healthy and bear good fruit. That's what we're trying to do. And one of the significant changes that's happened here has been the move from the single pastor model, the senior pastor who's kind of the boss, and then deacons that kind of, I don't wanna go into all that. Anyway, ask me about it if you weren't here in those days, I'll tell you all about it. But to go away from that to a plurality of elders in which there’s shared leadership of godly men who have made it through the filter of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, and who seek to serve together and to lead the church together. And I think that's been absolutely right, and it's been one of the greatest blessings of my life, and these men have given me so much good counsel over the last week, and over the last years we've been together, it's just a privilege to minister with them. And that's why we have made changes in our Sunday school ministry, to go to a BFL five year where you're getting basically like a Bible education, Bible college education or seminary education, if you just do those tracks, over five years. It's really a blessing. It's to prepare you for works of service for the future. And we've added elders with term limits, and there's a whole thought to that, and building leadership development pipeline for the future generation of elders, so that young men are trained up, those that have an ambition 1 Timothy 3:1, have set their heart to be an overseer, they're trained and prepared so that the church is ready to receive them when they're ready to serve, discipling our directors so that they can do excellent ministry now and then serve in amazing ways, either this church or another church setting in the future. Developing an intern program, many of you don't know that we have that, but training seminary students in a kind of an on-site church-based internship. It's not the most awesome internship program in the country, but it's pretty good, and we've had every semester some great young men that are learning and growing, developing our deacons. All of this has been, and Ashok really just gave me some insight on this, but a prepare and send motion here, not a build and settle and enjoy motion. Does that make sense, the difference between the two? It's all toward prepare and send, not just settle in and enjoy. That static thing can be very dangerous, and I think it leads right to the problems of Isaiah 29, that settled, dead formalism. And in that vein, we've made significant changes in our worship style. And it may keep evolving within the bounds of our values in a way that we seek always to honor the Lord. Now, when it comes to corporate worship, the elders are united, that the primary sound of corporate worship, if an outsider should come in and listen, the primary sound they should hear are your voices united in passionate song. That's what they should hear. And Isaiah 29:13 goes right to that issue, if you let that text work on you, then come next Sunday and sing with all your heart. Whether it's your favorite song or not. Brothers and sisters, God wants your hearts, not just on Sunday morning, he wants seven days a week, he wants it all the time, but let's not minimize the importance of our corporate worship. These are like dress rehearsals for heaven. And you get to look around and see other people that God's working on, it's just so powerful. He wants you, he wants your hearts. He wants you to put away your idols and the things done in secret when you think God doesn't know what you're doing, put the sin to death so that you can worship. God's grace is there, it's sufficient for all your sin, his mercies are new every morning. Let's come next week clean and ready to worship. Don't let it be said of any of you, “These people honor me with the lips, but their hearts are far from me,” hand your hearts to the Lord, say ‘God I have allowed the busyness of this life, I've allowed the desires for worldly things, I've allowed some sins to creep in and crowd out my love for you. Please draw me back. Please heal me. Please. And he will. He will. And worship in spirit and in truth. In truth. Study the Scripture, study the doctrines, get your mind focused on the doctrines that we have, the greatness of God, the sinfulness of the human race, our great need, and Christ the Redeemer, study the incarnation, the doctrine of the Trinity, study the miracles and the words of Jesus and greatly study the cross and the theology of the cross, get your mind around these truths and then let your heart be passionate about them. Now, in future weeks, months, years, the united desire of the elders in corporate worship is to steer, I think a safe middle course between two deadly extremes. On the one side is the danger of cold traditionalism leading to religious formalism and hypocrisy, which this text covers. So if there's a static feel and over a generation, two, three, nothing can change, we have inherited this worship style and nothing can change, that's just a recipe for disaster. And we have decided, we have desired to loose the moorings from that and to be free from that so that we are not just traditionalists and formalist, that's not to say that we don't learn from the past. We've got to sing the hymns and know church history. I love church history, I'm all for it. But that we embrace what's right and then just keep moving. But on the other side, worldliness that thinks that anything that's trendy out there in popular culture and anything that is effective and moves people's hearts can be dropped wholesale right in the middle of worship and used without being assessed or filtered in any way. That's deadly on the other side. Now we'll do a good or not good job on that as the Lord... and we're gonna keep trying to follow... and it's like this, we are not perfect people. But that's what we're trying to do. Does that make sense? So we're trying to navigate between those. We want our true worship sound to be your hearts singing, praising God telling him, ‘thank you for saving me. Thank you Jesus for shedding your blood for me, what you did on the cross and at the empty tomb is enough for me to be happy right now.’ So let's put away all anger, let's put away all factions, and let's put away all divisions and all self-righteousness that assumes that you have the whole picture and the whole truth on this issue. Let's put that away, let's put away all selfishness, let's put away all efforts to twitle the knobs and flip the switches of the church to get the lighting just right for your taste, and the cushion under your seat just right for your taste, and the temperature just right for your taste, and the sounds coming into your ears just right for your taste. I can tell you with great confidence, the next time that all of us will be perfectly satisfied with every sight that comes in our eyes and every sound that comes in our ears will be in heaven, not now. "I can tell you with great confidence, the next time that all of us will be perfectly satisfied with every sight that comes in our eyes and every sound that comes in our ears will be in heaven, not now." So we're all gonna have to put up with something, so let's put up with it together, what do you say? Pray for the elders to have wisdom and to make wise choices and to lead well, in the meantime, hand God your heart and say, ‘let it not be said of me, this person honors me with his lips, but his heart is far from me.’ Close with me in prayer. Father, we thank you for the time we've had to study your word. We pray that you would please drive its truth home. I pray that we'd stare into the mirror of Isaiah 29:13 and let it do its painful, pleasureful work in us to bring us to a far healthier worship of Jesus than we have ever experienced before. In Jesus name, Amen.

Retro 70s Rock Fusion Feel with this song. Fans of Phil Keaggy may appreciate the Phil Keaggy style lead guitar work ; a bright, overdriven electric guitar tone playing inventive, chromatic, melodic and bluesy 16th note phrases ( nobody compares to Phil's virtuoso playing!). The song has a very engaging Funky Rhodes Electric Piano( very 70's!), a warm groovin' Pop Bass playing syncopated 1/2 notes with tasteful fills, Fingerpicking Acoustic Guitars, and Nashville influenced drumming. The song has a very Retro 70s Rock Fusion Feel. The Outro has a delightful guitar jam.Time: 3:13Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.                                                               1Peter 5:7Blessings, Shiloh Worship MusicWww.ShilohWorshipMusic.comOur Music Free on iTunes:http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/free-praise-and-worship/id436298678© 2012 Shiloh Worship Music Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.                                                               1Peter 5:7* I Need More I Need More of Your MercyI Need More of Your LoveEverlasting Father From AboveChorus:I Know That You CareYou Care for All of My NeedsLike The Lilies Of the ValleyYou Provide All of My NeedsI Need More of Your PeaceYour Righteousness To IncreaseHoliness, Oh Father, Is What I Need!I Need Overcoming WisdomI Need Overcoming FaithI'm Looking To The SaviorFrom Heaven AboveSong StructureIntroBm     C#m    D    EVersesA    F#m  A  F#m D6/F#          AChorusAmaj9 D2/A  E7 ABm     C#m    D    EI Need More © 2012 Shiloh Worship Music COPY FREELY;This Music is copyrighted to prevent misuse, however,permission is granted for non-commercial copying-Radio play permitted   www.ShilohWorshipMusic.com Free Christian Worship Music on the iTunes Storehttp://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/free-praise-and-worship/id436298678Please check out our Free Christian Worship Music on the iTunes Store. We offer 4 free Podcasts that contain our original worship music. Below are the links- if you like them you can subscribe FREE and receive new songs in the form of podcasts as they are released.FREE Original Praise and Worship MusicOur style is very eclectic ranging from Blues to Folk to Reggae to Worldbeat to Bluegrass to Rock-n-Roll. Most songs Are in English, some songs are in English and Spanish, and  a few songs have been translated into other languages like Swahili, French, Chinese, and Korean. Etc.http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/free-praise-and-worship/id436298678

Introduction It is to the glory of a king to show lavish generosity. And the more lavishly generous, the more glory comes to the king, thereby. And we see this in scripture and we see it in history, Solomon for example, put on a lavish display of generosity for the Queen of Sheba, to impress her. And she, for her part, brought a lot of lavish gifts herself. So they were dueling in their generosity to see which could outdo the other in lavish generosity. But then in the Book of Esther, King Xerxes puts on a lavish and full and rich display of his wealth for 180 days showing just how generous he could be, and how rich. And it culminated in a rich seven-day feast in which all the nobles of his empire were invited and the palace was decked out richly with blue and white hangings and with silver decorations and everyone sat at table with the king and everyone drank from different goblets, however they wished, in keeping with the king's lavish generosity. And later in that same book when Esther came unannounced into his throne room and he extended the scepter to her, he said to his queen, “What is your request? Even up to half of my kingdom, I will give you.” What a bold statement. But kings love to say these kinds of things. You remember King Herod, evil King Herod, said the same thing to a dancing girl after he was so pleased with that dance. He said, “What would you like me to give you? Even up to half of my kingdom.” She asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter, but the king wanted to show his lavish generosity and so he made such a bold boast. So also the Caesars ruling the world loved to impress with lavish and generous gifts. When Hadrian visited the city of Athens, he lavished on that city innumerable costly gifts, and competed with others to show who could have the most generous civic and municipal gift given to the city of Athens. So there are all kinds of building projects that were done. Ultimately he won and was shown to be the most generous, Hadrian. When King James took the throne to rule Great Britain, he put on a lavish Christmas and New Year's celebration to display his wealth and his largesse to the people. There were lavish feasts and gifts for all the guests, indescribable foods, and there was even a play written by one William Shakespeare and he even acted in his own play. So the king, King James, very very generous. Machiavelli, in a cynical study of the power of kings entitled The Prince, said this about generosity by kings, he said lavish generosity is a way that a king would show his power and it's usually self-serving. And it's sometimes dangerous, for these displays are usually expensive and paid for by raising taxes. And the people start to get resentful. Even worse, they might actually come to expect it. So, Machiavelli said it was best for a king to be generally stingy and just occasionally generous, especially if his was somebody else's money. So if you won a military victory and it was some other king's money, spend that money like water. So that was Machiavelli. Well, I do believe it is to the glory of our king, the king of kings, the glory of the God of the universe, to be lavishly generous to us. God, the creator of the ends of the Earth has been lavishly generous to his subjects, more than any king there has ever been. Now, this week is what we call Holy Week, the time in which Christians can meditate on and weigh again, and feel the weight of the glory of God in Christ at the cross, and also at the empty tomb. The cross on which the Savior of the World died and the empty tomb from which he rose. But what I wanna do this morning, and that's just in the natural text, the next passage that we're going to read in Matthew, and so we see the hand of God and the providence in lining that up for us. But I wanna take a concept from last week's parable and put it side by side with the plain prediction that Jesus gives his disciples of his death and his resurrection. And that concept is that God is free to be as lavishly generous with his own things as he chooses. He can do whatever he wants with his own. And so, therefore, I want to talk about God's sovereign freedom to be generous in all things, and especially in giving his son the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ Declares God’s Sovereign Freedom to be Generous A Declaration of Freedom So look back at the parable from last week in verse 15. I'm gonna read, I think, the ESV, which I think is a better, a little more faithful translation. Mathew 20:15 says, “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me, or do you begrudge my generosity?” Now remember the context, the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. Some worked only one hour, and some worked more, some worked even the entire day, 12 hours. Those that worked only one hour received a denarius as you remember, and those that worked 12 hours also received a denarius. They each received the same. The one who worked only one hour had received lavish generosity, really surprising and even shocking generosity from the owner of the vineyard. Those that had worked 12 hours and received the agreed on wage, a denarius were not so impressed. And the landowner said “it's not a matter of justice here, friend.” Oh no, it's a matter of generosity. Look what he says in verse 13, “he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair or unjust to you, didn't you agree to work for a denarius?’” He said, “I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with my own things, what belongs to me? or do you begrudge my generosity?” So the lavish generosity of God, the freedom, the sovereign generosity of God is on display, in this parable. He can be as generous as he chooses to be. And he says, “I want to give.” That's his nature. “I want. This is my will, it's my desire to be generous. I want to give this.” And he says, “Don't I have the right to do it? Isn't it right for me to do whatever I choose, with my own things?” So it's a matter of sovereign rights and privileges. And then he says, “Are you envious because I'm generous?” So it's a matter of generosity. God’s Sovereignty Defined So what do I mean by God's sovereignty, defined? Sovereignty of God is the doctrine that God is king over the entire universe. Every square inch of it is his. Every atom in it is his, for he made it. He can do whatever he wants with all of it. He owes us nothing. He does not ask us permission, he does not ask advice, he does not owe it to us to make us all equally gifted or blessed. He does not owe us a single word of explanation concerning what he does with his own. He is not accountable to us in any way, but we are accountable to him. And therefore, God can be as generous as he chooses to be with his own things. Now the tendency for us, in our sinful state, is to resent God's sovereign generosity and his freedom in giving as he sees fit. We tend to resent it. “Do you begrudge my generosity?” he says. God’s Sovereignty Resented The doctrine of God's sovereign generosity is a very troubling one to human beings. They resent the way that God sits on his throne. And is in no way held accountable to us. Doesn't need to give us any explanation. They resent that. It’s especially poignant, I think, for many in the issue of salvation. They feel if God does such and such for one person, he must do equally the same for all. He's under obligation to do the same thing for everyone, he must give everyone equal access to his grace and his generosity. So they say. God’s Generosity Required for our Blessedness Now, I say to you that God's generosity is absolutely required for our blessedness. If he is not generous to us, we will not be blessed. I say that in two senses, first of all, given our status as creatures, as created beings. God is glorified in creating us totally dependent on him. He created us that way, that we would be completely and totally dependent on God's generosity. Our very atoms are held together by a direct act of his sovereign will. Our biological lives depend on oxygen and water and nutrients that come from outside of us in. And if they're not out there, if they don't come in, we die. And so, God has created us completely dependent on him. We were created needy, and God is greatly glorified by this. It would be the case, even if we had never sinned. God is honored by our dependence on him, so because we are creatures and he is the creator, we must have God's generosity, for our blessedness but even more now, friends that we are sinners. Even more now that we have rebelled against the king. When Adam sinned in the garden of Eden, all of his posterity, all of us, sinned in him and with him. We are members, therefore, of a sin-cursed race of rebels against the throne of Almighty God. We are all of us, each one of us, under a death sentence uttered in Genesis, in chapter 2, where it says, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it, you will surely die.” So also it's restatement later through the pen of the apostle Paul, “The wages of sin is death.” And we have sinned, friends. We have violated God's commands, not just in being descended from Adam, but in that we have actually violated his commands, his Ten Commandments. Or the summation of all of his commands. Look at that, the two great commandments, Jesus said, “The first, that you should love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, with all your strength. And with all your mind.” We have violated that commandment, we are sinners. And we should love our neighbors as ourselves, we've violated that, we have not done this. And therefore we deserve condemnation. We deserve eternity in hell. We deserve the deepest punishment. Therefore for us to receive anything good at all is sovereign generosity on the part of God. If there's anything in this life that you enjoy, anything that brings you pleasure or happiness. Anything that lightens your burdens, it is a gift of grace, of sovereign grace given to you. And God didn't have to do it. That we should actually have sunshine and rain, and delicious food, and the beauty of the Earth and natural gifts and enriching and pleasure-filled experiences. All of this is nothing less than astonishing generosity from this sovereign God. So, we are totally dependent on God's generosity, in that first we are creatures and we depend on him for our very existence and secondly, because we are sinners. We must start here, because we are creatures we can make no demands whatsoever on God, whatever he gives we receive gratefully. And how much more now that we have sinned? God can be as generous as he chooses to be and we would have no right whatsoever to complain. We all received a stay of execution from the death that our sin deserved. God decided to allow history to continue. Not just general history, but our own personal history. We didn't drop dead, the moment we sinned the first time. And so God's given us time and with that also many, many blessings and anything we get other than condemnation is grace from God. God’s Common Generosity, Given as He Thinks Best Common Grace Blessings But let's look a little bit more specifically at aspects of God's sovereign generosity to us. I wanna talk first about common grace blessings, those things that are just generally given to human beings. Let's start with the heavenly lights, the sun, and the moon and the stars. In James 1:17, it says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from the father of the heavenly lights, who does not change, like shifting shadows.” So it refers to the heavenly lights, the sun, the moon, and the stars, which Deuteronomy 4 says, “The Lord set in heavens as the portion for all nations.” So basically, all nations get to enjoy the sun and the moon and the stars and look up at them and see their beauty. And so Jesus extends it in Matthew 5:45 to talk about how life and nourishment and blessing comes from the sun and the rain. That God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good. And sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. This is just sovereign generosity on the part of God. Love to his enemies who do not acknowledge him. And even beyond this, the Apostle Paul says, in Acts 14:17, “He has not left himself without testimony. He has shown kindness, by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons. He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” And he's speaking this to a bunch of pagans, idolaters who don't acknowledge him at all, but the apostle Paul says, “God gives you these things richly to enjoy.” And then there are kind of unique physical blessings given to people, different blessings at different levels in people's lives. Let's look at physical blessings. Some are tall, some are short. Some are strong, some not so strong. Also known as weak. Some are really, really attractive and beautiful, some not so much. Some people are quick and agile, others a little bit more awkward, a little slower. So also in the issue of mental strength, some are brilliant, intelligent, others not so much. Some people have the ability to concentrate and focus, and they have received gifts of insight and education. There are financial resources, inheritance money, talent for earning money, blessing in business. God Sovereignly Gives Common Gifts God gives these blessings as he chooses and he gives them in the measure he chooses and all of it is sovereign generosity. And it's patently obvious, I hope it is to you, that all men are not created equal when it comes to these things. Despite what the writers of the Declaration of Independence said. I'll go with the scripture rather than Thomas Jefferson, okay, on this one? But isn't it obvious? That we have not received equally of these kinds of blessings? Some live in particularly fertile soil, rich and black and nutrient-filled and the soil is soaked with the appropriate amount of rain. And so all they have to do is just kind of scatter seeds and everything just grows lavishly and it's an abundant harvest. Others have to scrape out a living from it looks like desert areas, and you wonder why they live there and they can barely survive. Some have excellent physical capabilities, they're excellent athletes, they excel on the ball-field on the basketball court, they're tall, they have incredible hand-eye coordination, very quick, and they're just skillful. I've seen others that are not so. I've had times like that myself. But these are gifts that God gives or he doesn't. Some have clear minds, fantastic memories, sharp perception skills. They acquire new concepts with remarkable ease. Others struggled to concentrate, they forget things readily, they seem somewhat dense, they do not excel in mental tasks or in school. Now, God is free to give these gifts as he sees fit without asking us first, whether we'd like the gift package he gives us. He opens his hand, and gives them as he chooses. God sits on his throne and can be as generous as he wants to be, and it's for us to praise him and thank him for whatever we get. Whatever gift he has given and not to murmur against God. Or to boast about the gifts you have, for who makes you different from another? And what do you have that you didn't receive? And if you did receive it, then why do you boast as though you had not? God’s Greatest Generosity, Given as He Thinks Best The Greatest Gift in History: Jesus Christ Yet, for all of that, God has been incredibly generous to the sinful human race. Far more generous than we deserve. We can see that generosity in these common grace blessings. How much more dear friends in the blessings of the gospel, in the blessing of giving his only begotten son poured out on the cross for us, resurrected from the grave for us. Let us stand in awe at his most breathtaking generosity. Put your hand over your mouth and be astonished that he would give his only begotten son for people like you and me. And didn't he have the right to do it? Doesn't he have the right to be as generous with Jesus as he chooses? He didn't have to give him but he did. And this is the greatest generosity that we have ever received. I think that's the logic of Romans 8:32, the infinite value of Christ, Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also along with him, graciously give us all things?” Think of the logic of the verse. “He who did not spare his own son, will he not also give us all things?” So his own son, infinitely greater than all things. That's the root concept of this verse is that the greatest gift God could have given, the greatest gift he did give, is Jesus Christ, not all things. His only begotten son, therefore, all the universe’s material wealth, all of its gold, and silver, and diamonds and starry host are as so much dust on the scales compared to the infinite magnitude of the gift of the only begotten son of God. And all of your talents and all of your abilities and all of your deficiencies and weaknesses and limitations, all of it is as nothing, dust on the scales compared to this gift, the gift of Jesus Christ. I've quoted it before, but C.S. Lewis said it so beautifully, “He who has Christ, and all the world has no more than he who has Christ alone.” So it is true. Now, God had the right to be generous with Jesus, he had the right and he was. This deliverance of Christ was done by the good pleasure of our Sovereign God. He was under no compulsion, he was under no obligation. God the Father gave God the Son freely and generously with lavish generosity and it was infinitely painful and costly because He gave Him up for us in death and destruction. Details of the Most Generous Gift Look at the details of that in verses 17-19, “As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles, to be mocked and flogged and crucified. And on the third day, He will be raised to life.’” In this intimate moment in which Jesus opens up his mind about his impending death, we see some amazing aspects of just how generous this gift of God the Father is. Does not the father have the right to be this generous with his son? Yes, he does have the right. But we therefore have an obligation to pick up this jewel and turn it and look at every facet of its glory and be amazed and have a sense of wonder and awe at the gift of Jesus Christ: Crucified, dead, buried, and raised again on the third day. So let's look at some details. First, look at the aspect of intimate relationship with Jesus. Intimate Relationship Look at verse 17, “He took the twelve disciples aside,” that means away from the crowd. He pulled them away just to talk to them privately. The twelve were his chosen ones, his apostles, those closest to Jesus. The crowds that followed him did so for a myriad of reasons. Most of all because He healed all their diseases and sicknesses and that was a value. He had fed the 5,000 and they were there the next day looking for another meal. So that's a motive, for following Jesus. It was quite a show I'm sure. And they didn't have cable back then, and so there just needed to be something to do in a day. And so you're gonna just follow Jesus, “Where is he going today?” “I don't know, you're never sure where he's gonna go.” “Well, let's find him.” And so just to be there to watch it and to see the healings and to listen to the teachings and no man ever spoke like this man and, there's all kinds of reasons for following Jesus, but it says in John 2, that Jesus didn't entrust Himself to them for he knew what was in a man's heart. He knows what's inside man, he didn't entrust Himself to them. But he pulled and said to these twelve aside, and they were his apostles, and it implies intimacy, it implies closeness in relationship with Jesus. A sweet relationship with Christ, what a gift. What a gift, listen to John 15:15. He says, “I no longer call you servants because a servant doesn't know his master's business, instead I've called you friends for everything I learned from my Father I've made known to you.” That's what he's doing here in these verses. He pulls them aside he says, “Friends, I want you to know what's gonna happen. I wanna tell you ahead of time.” He could have just done it. But he wants to let them in on it. He wants to have that intimate relationship with him. And frankly, other passages give us more of a sense of this intimacy, they really do: In John 12, Jesus opens up his heart to them and actually speaks about how he feels about his crucifixion. He says, “And now my heart is troubled and what shall I say, ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ It was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Oh, he's opening up his heart to them. “It's hard for me to be crucified, it's hard for me, there's a part of me that's shrinking back but I want God to be glorified. Oh Father, glorify your name,” he's opening himself up. Intimacy. He does it even more in Gethsemane, you know that. He doesn't just take the twelve at this point, he takes Peter, James, and John aside with him, and the three in an incredible intimacy are invited to come and to be with Jesus in his time of unutterable agony. As he has revealed to him, I think, by the Father, just what it's going to be like to drink the cup of his wrath on the cross. And so he goes a little farther and he falls to the ground and says, “Father, if it is possible, let this cup be taken from me, yet, not as I will, but as you will.” And then he goes back to the three and talk to them and back to some more prayer. He's just drawing them into his feelings, intimate relationship with Christ, what a gift. He didn't have to give that. That was sovereign generosity in the part of Jesus, he didn't have to give that. And notice the word of intimacy, we, “we” are going up to Jerusalem, we're going up together. Now, Jesus had to go to the cross alone as it says in the language of Isaiah, he trod the winepress, alone, he had to do that alone. But he wanted to spend it with them. Prophecy Secondly, we see the aspect of prophecy, of prediction. The ability to predict the future is a unique gift of God, to the human race through the prophets. Only God really knows the future. Only God knows the end from the beginning, only God can establish the future. Isaiah 46:10, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times what is still to come. I say my purpose will stand and I will do all that I please.” So, the Bible is full of prophecies of God making known the end from the beginning, and of establishing His plan and His purpose and doing all that he pleases. And the center of the prophetic word is Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected, that's the center of the prophetic message. Some of these prophecies come in patterns and types. Things lived out in the life of Israel. For example, the saving of Isaac, on Mount Moriah, in Genesis 22, when God tested Abraham and said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and offer him up as a sacrifice.” And you remember what happened, how Abraham obeyed God and was just about to kill Isaac, and the angel of the Lord calls out, and Isaac is spared by a substitute, the ram in the thicket caught by his horns. What a picture of the cross of Christ. Or the Passover lamb in Exodus 12, on the night of that dreadful tenth plague against the Egyptians when all the firstborn of Egypt were dying, and though the firstborn of Israel deserved to die, they did not die because the Passover lamb was sacrificed, and the blood of the lamb was painted over the door posts, and the angel of the Lord moving over saw the blood and forgiveness and freedom was given. What a picture of the death of Christ. So those are types. Sometimes prophecies were verbal predictions like in Psalm 22, “They have pierced my hands and my feet.” And Isaiah 53, which speaks so plainly of substitutionary atonement, of Jesus standing in our place, “All we like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” So those are verbally predictive prophecies. So here, Jesus gives a simple and about the clearest prophecy you can have about his own death and resurrection. “We are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of man will be betrayed to the chief priest and the teachers of the law, they will condemn Him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified and on the third day, He will be raised to life.” What a plain, what a clear prediction of prophecy this is. Now this prediction was given in love to teach us a simple lesson and that is that Christ willingly, gladly chose to go to the cross for you and me. He willingly, gladly, chose to lay down His life. “No one takes my life from me,” said Jesus, “but I lay it down freely.” And so it says in John 13:19, “I'm telling you now, before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe that I am.” Betrayal Thirdly, we see the aspect of betrayal. Let's look at some of the details of the prediction. “The Son of man,” He said, “will be betrayed.” This is a very specific word. Some of those horoscopes and Nostradamus predictions and all that are very general. Ever read a horoscope, and it says, “Something unusual will happen to you, today,” and you're waiting all day long for that unusual thing, and if you want to believe in horoscopes you'll find it, “Something unusual did happen to me today.” Well, this isn't like that. This is something very specific, betrayal. He's going to be betrayed. And it really just connects with what we've already established, intimacy, relationship, the chosen ones. You cannot be betrayed by a total stranger, you can only be betrayed by a beloved friend, somebody close to you. And so he says, “The Son of Man will be betrayed.” He makes this much more abundantly later on at the Lord's Supper. The Last Supper while they were eating, in Matthew 26, “He said, while they were eating, ‘I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.’ And they were very sad and began to say to Him, one after the other, ‘Surely not I, Lord.’ Jesus replied, ‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man. It would be better for him if he had never been born.’ And then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, ‘Surely not I Rabbi.’ Jesus answered, ‘Yes, it is you.’” Condemnation by the Priests Betrayal, fourth, we see condemnation by the priest. Look at verse 18, “The Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priest and the teacher of the law, they will condemn Him to death.” The betrayer would hand Jesus over to his Jewish enemies, the leaders of the Jewish nation. The leaders were the chief priest and the teachers of the law. This is even more powerful, even more striking. These men spent their whole day, supposedly, studying the scriptures, immersing themselves in the written Word of God. Jesus said in John 5:39 and 40, “You diligently study the Scriptures, because you think that by them you possess eternal life, these are the scriptures that refer to me. And yet you're unwilling to come to me that you may have life.” The priests were the ones who are supposed to ... Supposedly offering up animal sacrifices in fulfillment of the laws of Moses, all of those types, those predictions. Every animal sacrifice was a prediction of the death of Jesus. And so it says in Hebrews 10:11, “Day after day, every priest stands and performs his religious duties. Again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sin.” They should have known better, they should have known that the blood of bulls and goats could not in any way atone for human sin, they should have understood who Jesus was, why he had come, but they were the ones most set against him, they were his bitterest enemies. John 1:11, “He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.” They therefore represent the rejection by the whole Jewish nation of Jesus from being their Messiah, they condemned him to death, amazingly and in so doing fulfilled the types of the animal sacrifice. It was only by their rejection and their condemnation of Him to death that Jesus would die, his blood shed for us. Hatred by the Gentiles The next aspect is hatred by the Gentiles. They'll condemn him to death, verse 19, and will turn him over to the Gentiles. Though the Jews' hatred for Jesus was strong enough to kill him, and frankly, many times in his life and his ministry, they sought to do so. From the very beginning when he was there in Nazareth and he opened up Isaiah and that whole encounter ends with them pushing him to the edge of a cliff as to throw him over. And they wanted to kill him right there and then, but Jesus just miraculously moved right through the crowd and went. Or the time in John chapter 8, when Jesus made this stunning assertion, “Before Abraham was born, I am,” and they just picked up stones to stone him right there and then. Or later in John's Gospel when he said, “I and the Father are one,” again, they pick up stones to stone him. They wanted to kill him many times. But it was God's will, it was God's sovereign will, it was part of his sovereign generosity to us, that it would be both Jew and Gentile together that would condemn the Son of God. A collaborative effort. A few years ago, as you remember when Mel Gibson's controversial film came out, the Passion of the Christ, you remember that, do you remember some of the controversy on that? That the film suggested that the Jews were in any way involved in the death of Christ was offensive to the Anti-Defamation League. They found the Gospel of John in general offensive. But they found the film offensive and I think because they couldn't do anything with the Gospel of John, what could they do with that? They did something with Mel Gibson's film. But do you not see the sovereignty of God in ensuring that Jew and Gentile alike were equally responsible for the death of Jesus Christ? For in this way, Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. In this way, Jews and Gentiles alike are all rebellious against God, Jews and Gentiles alike could not see in Christ the glory of God. Jews and Gentiles alike are in danger of the fire of hell. And so God ordained that the Jewish leaders would condemn Jesus to death and turn him over to the Gentiles, for what? Mocked Well, to be mocked. What do we mean by mockery? It's a sense of perverted humor. Finding humor in a very dark and wicked and sinful way. There's an arrogance in mockery too, as though you are above the one that you're mocking. And so, the Gentiles would delight in mocking Jesus. Frankly, so were the chief priests and the scribes and the Pharisees, and the Jewish crowd, as well. This mockery was predicted in the Old Testament. In Psalm 22:7-8, “All who see me mock me, they hurl insults shaking their heads. He trusts in God, let the lord rescue Him, let Him deliver Him, since He delights in him.” So, this mockery predicted by Psalm 22, fulfilled in life of Christ. Now, first it was the Romans, oh, and they made a science of it. They were expert mockers. Mathew 27:27 and following, “Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the praetorium, and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. And they stripped him and they put a scarlet robe on him. And they twisted together a crown of thorns, and set it on his head and they put a staff in his right hand, and they knelt in front of Him and mocked Him, ‘Hail King of the Jews!’ They said. And they spat on Him. And they took the staff and struck him on the head again and again,” driving those thorns deep into his scalp, blood flowing down his face. Mockery. Luke 22:63-65 says, “The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him, they blindfolded Him and demanded, ‘prophesy to us, Christ, who hit you?’” Little did they realize that he could read their minds and thoughts and could have said, he could have told their whole life history, if he'd wanted to, but they're mocking him. King Herod did the same thing, do you remember when they sent Jesus over to Herod, and it says in Luke 23:11, “And Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him, dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate.” The crowds that lined the street pitched in. Mark 15:29, “Those who passed by hurled insults at him,"” and the chief priests and the scribes, and Jewish leaders stood at the foot of the cross to rub it in. It says, “In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law and the elders mocked, ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can't save himself! He's the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross and we will believe in him. He trusts in God, let God rescue him now, if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” The soldiers who crucified Jesus mocked Him. Luke 23, “The soldiers came up and mocked Him. They offered him wine vinegar, and said, ‘If you're the King of the Jews, save yourself.’” Even the thieves crucified with Jesus, began the time mocking. Thanks be to God, one of them stopped. Thanks be to God, one of them repented in the middle and said, “Remember me, Jesus, when you come in your kingdom.” We've been saved from mocking Jesus, amen. We don't mock Him anymore, we fall before Him and we claim that he is our God. But he was mocked. Amazingly the Bible speaks in prophetic form of how graciously willing Jesus was to submit to this mockery. Isaiah 50:6 it says, “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard, I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.” But yet, you know something? Galatians 6:7 said, “God cannot be mocked.” Jesus ends up looking regal to me, doesn't he to you? He looks glorious to me, He looks majestic to me 'cause I understand why he did it, and I see the glory of it, and I see the shame of the human race. We're really just mocking ourselves when we mock Jesus. Flogged Well what's the next step? Well, he would be flogged. They'll turn him over to the Gentiles, to be mocked and flogged. Flogging is one of the most heinous tortures ever devised by man. It involves a short stick with long straps of leather. And at the end of the straps of leather, are bits of bone and lead, embedded in the straps of leather, and a skillful sadist who knows what he's doing, and what he's trying to do, could wrap these straps around the victim's back and plow deep into his back and expose the tendons and the muscles and the blood vessels and even the white bone. He could kill him if he wanted to. Jesus spoke the single word “flog,” to be mocked and flogged. He spoke at about himself. What must have been going through his mind? The flogging almost didn't happen. Pontius Pilate wanted to release Jesus. He was innocent, he knew it was out of jealousy that the Jews had handed him over, he kept trying to set him free and finally he said, “Well maybe if I flog him, they'll wanna set him free.” And so, he had Jesus flogged, even though he said, “I flogged him so that you know I find no fault in him.” That makes no sense to me at all. That's why he did it. This is the flogging that Jesus predicted. Crucified And then the final step of the agony, to be mocked and flogged and crucified. The most hideous form of death employed by the ancient world, invented by the cruel Assyrians. Picked up by the Romans for use only on foreigners, it was against the law to use it against any Roman citizen. It didn't matter how awful or heinous his crime, he would never be crucified if you were a Roman citizen. But a Jew could be crucified, and the mechanics of the death are well known to you: Hands and feet pierced, nailed to the wood. He's hanging there pushing up on His pierced feet so that he can gulp breath and sink back down until he needs another breath. And in this way Jesus knew he would die. It had been written in the prophecies with specific word, “pierced.” Psalm 22:16-17, “Dogs have surrounded me, a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones, people stare, and gloat over me.” Isaiah 53:5 uses the same word, “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” This is the cost of the gift of the only begotten Son of God, for us. This is what it costs us friends, and how could any of us come to the throne and try to persuade God the Father to send such a gift for people like us. This is sovereign, generosity of the highest kind, this is infinite generosity. And he didn't have to do it. He was under no obligation to do it. Why was the son of God so shamefully destroyed? Well, he did it as our substitute. You look at all of that suffering, all of that rejection, that mocking, spitting, blood, pain, all of that, the shame, then you must say as a believer in Christ, I deserve that, and worse. I deserve that, and worse, I deserved eternity under the wrath of God. And He came as my substitute. He came to take my place. Resurrected God's sovereign generosity culminates in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, in a human body, in flesh and bones to come back and show himself to his apostles, and say, “A spirit doesn't have flesh and bones as you see I have.” God's sovereign generosity culminates in the gift of the resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead. He was resurrected for our justification, it says in Romans Chapter 4, that we might be justified, vindicated of our sins. Have you trusted in Him, friend, have you looked to him? Do you realize you have no standing before this God except that he be sovereignly generous to you? Have you asked Him for faith to believe? It's in his hand to give. Ask Him for faith to believe, look to the cross for the forgiveness of your sins, look to the empty tomb for your hope for the rest of your life. This is sovereign free generosity. Great and lavish generosity, more than Solomon did for the Queen of Sheba. More than Xerxes did for his 180 days and then the seven-day feast besides. A greater promise than “Up to half of my kingdom I'll give you.” Better than anything that Hadrian did for Athens, better than anything King James did on Christmas and New Year’s with William Shakespeare included, this is the most lavish generosity, the greatest feast any king has ever spread for anybody. Come to the table. Come and believe in Jesus. Find forgiveness of sins in God's sovereign generosity. Application See Every Blessing as Grace from God Now, what application can we take from that other than come to Christ. I would urge you to see every blessing you have in your life as a gift of sovereign generosity that God didn't have to give you. Thank him for it, for every physical capability, for every piece of food you enjoy, for everything that brings you any kind of pleasure, or happiness or peace, whatsoever, it is a gift of grace to you and, see, every earthly limitation you have, all of those things you've fought against your whole life, the struggles you've had with your mind, or with your body, with your nature, your tendencies those limitations are a gift of God to you for they cause you to look to something better, something higher. To look to Jesus Christ. And they cause you to not be jealous or envious of someone else. To say, “I have my advantages and my limitations. They have theirs. All of these things are given as a gift, a lavish gift of God, and I don't deserve any of it. I'm delighted at any good thing that God gives to anyone else.” Focus Your Minds on God’s Greatest Gift And therefore, focus your mind on his greatest gifts. All earthly gifts are temporary and not worth comparing with this one, the glory of Christ crucified and risen from the dead. In Christ alone then find your worth, your success, your beauty, your strength, your righteousness, your achievement in Christ, and Christ alone. And thank God hourly for this, what Paul calls indescribable gift, it will sweeten your life. To live a life of thankfulness to God for what he has done, of His sovereign generous freedom. Close with me in prayer.

I. Bookends of Grace Surround Severe Judgment In the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, a huge pile of debris was left on ground zero - twisted steel, gutters, rubble and other wreckage which continued to smolder for five months after the attack. It was dubbed “the pile” by those who worked there. On May 30th, 2002, there was a significant ceremony. The last piece of steel from the World Trade Center was removed from the site. It was draped in an American flag and recycled as the bow of the new San Antonio class amphibious assault ship, the USS New York, and the term pile was no longer used after this. Now the clearing of ground zero in New York city was essential in order to go ahead with plans for building the proposed Freedom Tower in its place. Without the clearing of that pile of smoldering rubble, the Freedom Tower, 1776 feet tall, could never be built. And so it is also with the work of God in redemptive history. Across human history with the city that we know as Jerusalem and in our own individual hearts spiritually, until the wreckage that sin has left is removed the work of God cannot proceed. The building site must be cleared. It must be cleansed and then the building of God can be established. Biblically then the building site is ultimately the hearts of its people, the hearts of the people of God. That is the building site. I believe it also a physical Jerusalem as well. It’s both. The building that He is building is called, in Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem, a Holy City, a combination of a spiritual and physical dwelling place where the eternal God, the Holy God, will dwell with His people, His cleansed people forever. And they will see His face and He will be their God. And they will dwell in His presence forever and ever. The rubble then is the residue of human arrogance and defilement and sin that must be purged. It must be removed or that eternal structure cannot be built. So it is then that we come to Isaiah 3 and Isaiah 4. In Isaiah 3 we see the destruction of the city of Jerusalem because of human sin, and a pile of rubble. A “heap of ruins,” it's called in verse six. But it must be cleared so that the New Jerusalem can be built. It is a passage that speaks a word of warning to our own nation, because there are many similarities spiritually between the Jerusalem that was cleansed and cleared in Isaiah 3 and our nation of the present time. And it is a word that speaks to each individual Christian, a word of warning of the need for repentance and personal faith and prayer. As I've said before, I say it again. I renew this encouragement and exhortation to you, to not let there be a distance between you and Isaiah and the people that he writes about. Find yourself here and you will be well. Find ground for repentance and humbling of yourself before God's mighty hand and He will lift you up. Don't keep a distance between you and the people of Jerusalem. I say that to myself and to all of us. The Mountain of the Lord (Isa. 2) and the Branch of the Lord (Isa. 4) As we look at the unfolding glories of Isaiah's prophecy we have what I call bookends of grace. We have two bookends of grace surrounding a pile of rubble. Bookend number one, we have Isaiah chapter 2, the mountain of the Lord's temple established as chief among the mountains, raised above the hills, and all nations streaming to it, a vision of glory. Bookend number two, we have Isaiah 4, the branch of the Lord established as beautiful and fruitful and glorious in Mount Zion, and a canopy of glory over Mount Zion, and there will God's cleansed and glorified people dwell forever and ever. In between, you have wreckage. You have a city destroyed because of human sin. And that's what we're looking at today. Great Judgment Clears the Building Site (Isaiah 2-3) Great judgment clears the building site - Isaiah 2, which we looked at last week. All lofty, arrogant human structures are removed and the Lord alone will be exalted. Isaiah 2:17 says, “The arrogance of man will be brought low, and the pride of men humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” And then in Isaiah 3 the Lord takes away. He takes away. He removes. He clears. Do you see it? Verse one, right away. “For behold, the Lord God of hosts is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah supply and support. All supply, support of bread, and all support of water.” He is removing the supports, the supply systems. Later in verses 18-20, the Lord snatches away the finery of the daughters of Zion, “the bangles and head bands and crescent necklaces, the earrings and bracelets and veils, the headdresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms.” He takes it away. He's clearing it, as though the building site is being cleared for a spectacular new building that will last for all eternity. That's what I see. And so in judgement, in a terrible chapter of judgment, still there is God's grace immediately after in chapter 4. And we'll look at it today. CS Lewis in Mere Christianity put it this way, “Imagine yourself living in a house and God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on. You know these jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently, He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on Earth is He up to? Well, the explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting an extra floor up there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage, but He is building instead a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” So that is the clearing and the adjustment and the cleansing and the rebuilding that I see here, so that God can dwell with us for all eternity. II. Loss of Stability (Verses 1-15) The “Pillars of Society” Are Gifts of God Now it begins here in chapter 3:1-15 with the loss of stability. The pillars, humanly speaking, are getting pulled out. They are just getting pulled out and the wreckage comes as a result. Look at verses 1-3. “See now, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: all supplies of food and all supplies of water, the hero and warrior, the judge and prophet, the soothsayer and elder, the captain of fifty and man of rank, the counselor, skilled craftsman and clever enchanter.” These are the pillars of society, humanly speaking. Pillars are a source of support. They hold up buildings. These people hold up everyday life in society. They are pillars, the daily existence by which the inhabitants of that city made their life through the world. Now you remember the story of blind Samson whose eyes were put out by the Philistines. He was brought to the temple of Dagon, the false god. And the boy who was leading him by the hand asks him, “Can you put me at the place where there are the big pillars that support the whole building?” That has to be one of the stupidest moments in biblical history, matched only by Samson's own stupidity when Delilah kept asking, "How then can we destroy you?" And Sampson toys with that question. But he returns the favor here. And remember he has his hands on the pillars that hold up the entire temple. And with awesome strength he pushes them out, and the whole structure comes crumbling down. Thousands were killed. Perhaps you remember from last year a bridge in Minneapolis. The repair, the on-going upkeep, had been neglected. Perhaps it had a fresh paint job every year and looked good. But it was structurally unsound and people died as a result, because the bridge came crumbling down. So when the pillars are removed, everything falls. I think that is what is going on here. God is threatening to remove all the structural supports of Jerusalem and Judah. He starts with the stable food supply, all supplies of food and all supplies of water. God created us needy and dependent. We must have that steady stream of food and water. So He is going to remove that. I believe he is speaking here of both the Assyrian and then later the Babylonian invasions, when the people were starving and the food supply and the water supply were destroyed and the people would starve. But then he goes on to talk about other pillars, about human beings who play certain key roles in Jewish society. They are leaders and skilled craftsmen and counselors and people who play a certain role. Let's start with the issue of good leaders. A godly king who rules with justice provides incredible blessings for his nation. Now Isaiah 3 depicts a total vacuum of leadership, the scourge of anarchy, and therefore resulting instability. So we see the removal of godly leadership. Proverbs 28:2 says, "When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order." And so He is going to remove these godly leaders, these qualified men who are able to lead. They are removed. They're not there. But he goes on to talk about military heroes, “the hero and warrior…, the captain of fifty and man of rank” (verses 2 and 3). These are all military terms and it has to do with the removal of a man who will stand in the gap at the key moment of battle and turn the battle with great courage and conviction. They are removed from Judah and Jerusalem. He is going to remove them. There won't be any at that key moment. You remember back in the day of Judges, when God was judging his people for sin. And then He would raise up a judge. He would raise up a Jephthah or a Gideon or a Samson. And they would stand there, like Shamgar standing with an ox goad. Now it takes courage to face an army with an ox goad, but he was a courageous man. I don’t know much about him, but I do know this. Any man who will face an army with nothing in his hand except an ox goad, that is a courageous man. He is a hero and he was able to turn the battle from just sheer courage and conviction, by standing his ground. But in this final assault from the enemies of God, from Babylon in the end, there would be no hero to stand in the gap. There would be no courageous man to turn the battle. They'd be gone. A nation depends in times of great trial on heroes who step forward and lead. I was reading recently about General George Washington in the winter of 1776. Of course there had been the glorious moment of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. I think it is hard for us to imagine how much courage it took to put your name on that document. Someone once said, "We must hang together or assuredly we will all hang separately." So it took a lot of courage. They had to have the victory. They had to have the military victory and by the end of the year it was looking very bad. General Washington had been thoroughly beaten in New York, barely escaping with the remnant of his army. He was across the Delaware river, licking his wounds and trying to hold the army together. The British were in strong control of three states and things looked very, very bad at that point. General Washington had lost about ninety percent of his army and panic and despair were spreading through the states. And he wrote privately of his opinion that the game was almost up. He knew that an army lives even more on morale and a sense of the certainty of victory than they do even on food. They will go a long time without food, but if they think they are going to lose, they will give up. And so at Christmas time in 1776, he crosses the Delaware (a very famous painting). He goes across. He catches the Hessians sleeping, defeats them, captures a thousand men, and turns the tide of battle. He was a great, great courageous hero at that particular moment and it took incredible courage to do it. In our day, I think the soldiers who are risking their lives for the stability of Iraq are modern day heroes. We have one in our midst every week. You need to get to know Scott Smiley. He's sitting there a few pews back. I asked if I could use his name. He is a soldier who went out to Iraq and stood his post courageously week after week. Then on April 6th, 2005, he lost his eyesight in a suicide car bombing. And I think that is where his courage really took over. Because as a strong and committed Christian, he continued to be a witness, an encouragement, an example to people on how to overcome great obstacles. Please get to know him. He is here today. I think he is a hero, and I think our country has been blessed again and again by men who will stand in the gap at difficult places, in difficult times, and be a hero, a captain of fifty, a man of rank. But by the time this country, Jerusalem, Judah, is ready to fall, there is nobody like that. They are gone. The pillars are removed. There is no man who will stand and do that. They are all gone and woe to that nation that runs out of heroes and warriors at the time of crisis. And that is exactly what is going to happen to Judah in Jerusalem. There is no warrior, no captain of fifty. They're gone. God Removes These Pillars God removes these pillars. Why? Well, first and foremost, as an act of judgement, bringing the sins of Judah and Jerusalem down on their heads. Secondly, it is an act of vindicating God's holiness. God is saying, “You can't play with my laws.” God cannot be mocked. “So I am going to remove these leaders from you.” And ultimately, as I see it, because I love to declare this, where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more, as an act of mercy to clear the sight so we can establish what will last forever. Anarchy And so he removes them and the result is anarchy. The leaders are removed. The nation staggers, the nation stumbles, the nation falls. Now God's ordinary pattern of leadership is to raise up qualified men. He raises up mature men. He seasons them. He trains them. He prepares them to bear the burden of leadership. And yes, men, from the very beginning in Genesis 2 when God raised up Adam and he was alone and his wife had not yet been created, He established a man as a leader, not just in his own home, but Adam, we believe from Romans 5, is the federal head of the whole human race. And so he is the leader of all of it. He is the head. Now we know he sinned. And in Adam, we all sinned. But he was the head, and God therefore established men as leaders. But in Judah and Jerusalem, the men are dead or they are removed. All that are left are women and children and unqualified men, wicked men who shouldn't be leading anything at all. And so in verse four we have young children becoming rulers. “I will make boys their officials.” Look at it. “Mere children will govern them.” And whatever men there are left squabble over who is going to lead based on the most ridiculous terms. Look at verses six and seven. It's stunning. “A man will seize one of his brothers at his father's home and say, ‘You have a cloak, you be our leader. Take charge of this heap of ruins.’" Is that all it takes, a cloak, at that point? If you have a cloak, you can be king of the pile of ruin. But he doesn't want the job. He says, "I have no remedy. I have no food or clothing in my house. Do not make me the leader of the people." “Jerusalem staggers, Judah is falling.” There are no leaders. There's no one that can step up. And the total absence of qualified male leadership results also in women ruling, and children. Look at verse 12. “Youths suppress my people, women rule over them. O my people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path.” God has ordained men to lead. A society like this that we're describing here in Isaiah 3 has totally broken down, fallen apart, and an indicator of that in verse 12 is that there are women leading. Now Isaiah 3:12 is a fascinating verse for a nation like ours at this critical moment in history, about to perhaps elect a woman president for the first time. And we consider ourselves enlightened. We consider ourselves advanced and believe you're somewhat of a Neanderthal if you think it's not God blessed, that it's not a godly thing. But I have a simple question to ask Christians. What does the scripture say? Does Isaiah 3:12 support the direction of our country? Are you willing to be seen to be a Neanderthal and backward and to say the Lord has established men to lead, godly qualified men, and it's not a moment of enlightenment and something we can take pride in when a woman rules a country? So, Isaiah 3:12 indicates how far Judah and Jerusalem have fallen. And the result is anarchy, an almost total loss of societal structure, when might makes right. Look at verse 5. "People will oppress each other - man against man, neighbor against neighbor. The young will rise up against the old, the base against the honorable." That's the result. Once you have anarchy, then might makes right. Whoever is the biggest bully rules and takes over. The Root Cause Now, what is the root cause of all of this? Look at verses 8-11. “Jerusalem staggers, Judah is falling; their words and deeds are against the Lord, defying His glorious presence. The look on their faces testifies against them. They parade their sin like Sodom. They do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves. Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done.” These verses describe why it's gotten like this, why God is pulling the pillars out, why there are no qualified men to lead, why there are no heroes, why all the pillars are removed, why the supply of food and water is taken. Why? Because of defiance of Almighty God, because of violations of His law. Now in chapter 1 Isaiah had already likened the people to Sodom and Gomorrah. He has already likened them to that. But now he says they parade their sin like Sodom. They are actually proud of sin. They are proud of what they should be ashamed of. One can scarcely read these words without visualizing gay pride parades, which we have here in our own city, and which we also see in Disney World and other places. They parade their sin like Sodom. They don't hide it. And it is amazing that there is an indication here that it would be better if they hid it. Now, we know from scripture that there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed. God is going to bring every secret out into the light of His presence. You can't hide anything. But it would be better if you did, that is the sense here, because there is a spreading contagion and corruption of sin when there is pride over what we should be ashamed of. That's why. That's why. That's why it is happening: defiant sin. And God will not be mocked. As a matter of fact, He can't be mocked. It is impossible to mock God. You’re really just mocking yourself. And he zeroes in on specific wickedness by the rulers. See verses 14 and 15. "The Lord enters into judgement against the elders and leaders of His people." He is really zeroing in on leaders who have led them badly at this point. And I'll tell you, Isaiah 3 is a very, very important chapter in terms of the importance of leadership. How are you leading? Whatever position of leadership you may have, how are you leading? I tremble about the Supreme Court justices that legalized abortion in our country and led us astray. They are accountable for what they've done because leadership matters. How you lead matters. Look at verses 14 and 15. "The Lord enters into judgement against the elders and leaders of His people. ‘It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?’ declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty." These leaders are using their position to crush the poor and needy. They are using their power to rob the weak of their possessions. They have forgotten. They have forgotten that all authority comes from the throne of God, and it will go back to the throne of God; all of it. And each mayor, each councilman, each representative, each senator, each governor, each secretary of this or that, each ambassador, each cabinet member, each judge, each king, each emperor, yes, each president will give to Almighty God a careful accounting of what they did with their leadership time. These people, these leaders led the nation astray. They led them into sin. Now there is a place of refuge in the middle of all this, verse 10, just right in the middle. “Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.” God knows how to make a distinction between the just and the unjust, between the righteous and the wicked. He knows how to do that. The principle of judgement day is always the same. God will give to each person according to what he has done. Now we Christians, we know to tremble at that. And then we realize that it's only by the imputed righteousness of Christ that any of us are called righteous, that Isaiah 3:10 is not a null set, an empty set with no human being meeting the criteria. There are righteous ones. You know how they are made righteous? By trusting in Jesus, by looking to His shed blood on the cross, by trusting that His righteousness can be yours by simple faith. I say to you, if that is you, it will be well with you. You will enjoy the fruit of your deeds. But in verse 11, “Woe to the wicked!” That's the message. III. Loss of Unstable, Luxurious Vainglory (Verses 16-4:1) Pampered Daughters of Zion Lavishing Luxury on Themselves In chapter 3:16 up to chapter 4:1, he talks about the loss of unstable, luxurious vainglory. And it begins with the pampered daughters of Zion who are lavishing luxury on themselves. Look at verses 16 and 17. “The Lord says, ‘The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps, with ornaments jingling on their ankles. Therefore, the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion. The Lord will make their scalps bald.’” So these arrogant women of Zion have all the tricks of the trade, it seems, for attracting men. Really seeking for lust, I think. They are fishing for lust. Not the godly love of a husband here, but there is a kind of trafficking and there is a bait being put out and the desire is this: please lust after me. They are haughty in their attitude, there are haughty airs. And there is a flirting with their eyes. It says in Proverbs 6:25, “Don't let her capture you with her eyes.” So they know how to use their eyes. They know how to use jewelry to attract attention, bells jingling on the ankles and saying, "Look at me, look at me, look at me!" And there it is. It's just, "Look at me. Focus on me, on who I am." And look at the list of equipment needed for that. It seems to take a great deal to achieve. See it all in verses 18-23, “The bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, the earrings and bracelets and veils, the headdresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, the signet rings and nose rings, the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls.” Take a deep breath after that list! It's overwhelming the amount of equipment that these daughters of Zion need. God gave them an abundance of material prosperity. What did they use it for? They used it for vainglory. They used it to lavish on themselves this kind of luxury. In a few minutes, I am going to talk about the true beauty described by Peter, “a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight” (1 Peter 3:4). But we don't see any of that here. No, we see equipment. These daughters of Zion have forsaken true beauty, which is piety before God, and traded it away for the counterfeit kind. God Takes Away Their Luxury and Gives Them Judgment Instead Therefore, God is going to take away their luxury. He is going to give them judgment instead. Verse 24, “Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding.” The Fall of the Men Signals the End of Opulence Why? Well, because the fall of men, the fact that there are no heroes anymore, no captain of fifty and man of rank, means the protection is gone. And this kind of luxury here by the daughters of Zion can only flourish where there are men to protect. When the men are removed, then they are vulnerable. Look at verses 25 and 26. “Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors dead in battle. The gates of Zion will lament and mourn; destitute, she will sit on the ground.” So, the women are helpless before the invading hordes. In they come, and the invaders will snatch away everything of value. Usually the invading army then violates the women and slaughters them, or carries them away as captives to live the life of a slave in somebody else's house. The physical defenses of the city are gone, and these women will suffer. And how the mighty have fallen! By the time we get to Chapter 4:1 it is a whole different situation. “In that day seven women will take hold of one man and say, ‘We will eat our own food and provide our own clothes; only let us be called by your name. Take away our disgrace!’" These once mighty women now beg for the lowest level of existence, seven of them willing to live together in some kind of an ad hoc harem under one guy's roof, having his name for theirs. They'll even pay their own way. They're willing, if he would just take them under his name. In that day, the disgrace of Jerusalem will be complete. So that's Isaiah 3 up to 4:1. It is a dismal picture, a picture of judgment, a picture of wrath poured out on the city of the eternal King, on Jerusalem. And why? Because the leaders have led them astray, and the people were corrupt and loved sin, and so God brought judgment. IV. Gain of Stable, Luxurious Glory (Verses 2-6) Oh, but redemption is drawing near, and praise God for it. You have to face the bad news before the good news looks as glorious as it should. And the good news is glorious. And it is infinitely more glorious than anything sin can do. Where sin abounds, grace becomes infinite. And so, we praise God for it. And look what we have here in Isaiah 4:2-6. We have a gain of stable, luxurious glory. Look at these words. “In that day the branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who will assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.” Amen and amen! Oh, my friends, that is where we are heading. That is our future. That's a city of glory. And you know, if you read Isaiah 3 properly, you realize none of us deserve to go there. We don't deserve to be there. The Branch of the Lord: Jesus Christ But that, by God’s grace in Christ, is precisely where He is taking us, and it begins as it should with a focus on the branch of the Lord. There is going to be this branch of the Lord. Let's say His name is Jesus Christ. His name is Christ and He is the branch of the Lord. The image here is of a tree, a flourishing tree that has been cut down and there is nothing left but a stump. We get that in Isaiah 6. We get it again in Isaiah 11, the picture of a stump, the people of God. But from it springs forth the shoot, a grain shoot, and from that branch comes all life. And the shoot, the branch is Jesus, and all of us live in Him or we don't live at all. And so, the people of God are chopped down like a tree but out from it comes this branch. Jeremiah speaks of the branch in Jeremiah 23:5,6. "'The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.'” I think, with humility and with reverence, insert one little word, because it is understood: “The Lord is our righteousness!” That is Jesus's name. We have no righteousness apart from Jesus. And we must have righteousness to dwell in the city that He is describing here. The branch is our righteousness. “I am the vine” (shifting the image a little bit). “I am the vine”, Jesus said, and “you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” “Apart from me you are dead, but in me”, says the branch, “you can live forever and ever.” The branch is Jesus. And He comes. And He's going to emerge, and He will be beautiful, and He will be glorious. Now like the Jews after judgement day there is no beauty or majesty naturally in Him. And especially not, my friends, when He is dying on the cross under the wrath of God. Isaiah 53:2, much later in this book, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.” He was under the judgement of God. He was under the wrath of God. He was a cursed for us. Why? Because He was our substitute. “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). To be Isaiah 3 for us, to be disgusting, wretched, Sodom-like sin for us. He made Him to be sin for us, so that in Him, we might be pure as the driven snow, so that we might be seen to be righteous. Oh, look to Christ! I don't know your hearts. I don't know what you are trusting in. But if you are trusting in anything but Jesus and His shed blood on the cross, you are lost. Look to Christ. Trust in Him. Say, "Lord Jesus, be my righteousness. Let your resurrection be my resurrection. I trust in you." And if that is you, if God is speaking to your heart right now, come and talk to me after the service> Or go through that door, and talk to the brothers and sisters that are going to be in the parlor. Say, "I want to know Jesus. I think I came to know Him this morning. I need to know more about that life. I want to be in Christ." Don't put it off. Okay, so there is a glory in Jesus's death on the cross. Oh, but that future glory that we're looking at here is going to be beautiful, and it is going to be glorious. The branch is going to be beautiful and glorious, and so will the city be that He builds, where we will dwell forever and ever. Oh, you can't even imagine the ravishing beauty that will hit your eye at that point, how fantastic it is going to be, how beautiful the new Jerusalem will be. Matthew 24:30 says, “They will see the son of man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.” He is going to be glorious in that day, and beautiful. Revelation 21:23 says, “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” Beautiful and glorious. And He is going to make the land fruitful. Oh, it's going to be lush! Eden would be jealous of how beautiful the new Earth is going to be. It's going to be lush. Look at Verse 2. "The fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.” Now the promised land was meant to be lush. It was meant to be a land flowing with milk and honey, and it was when they came in to it. But when they were done with it, it was a desert under the judgment of God. You look at satellite photos of Palestine today, does it look like a lush garden of Eden to you? It looks like Arizona. Not meaning to insult anybody from Arizona, but it looks dry. Where is the land flowing with milk and honey, a land blessed, where the ground opens up its mouth to drink in the early and latter rains? Where is that? It's under the judgement of God, that land is. It is a desert. And so the plot, the lush land, becomes a desert. But, we will find out later in Isaiah, He can turn it back again. He can go from desert back to Eden again. He can make it lush again and He will. The fruit of the land is going to be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. The Remnant Will Bask in the Glory Then there is this remnant. Look at verse two. “The fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel.” Verse three, “Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem…” “Remain” equals remnant. This is the remnant friends, the remnant of the Jews. The lush paradise will be the home of the remnant, the survivors in Israel. They are recorded in God's book. It says, "Those who are recorded” in God's book. Do you hear overtones of Romans 9-11 here? Concerning God's sovereign election of some to be saved, His predestination of them and His protection of them (though they don't deserve it)? So today there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if it is by grace, it is no longer by works. If it were, grace would no longer be grace (Romans 11). There is that remnant chosen and written in God's book and protected. He keeps them safe. Though they deserve wrath, yet they will have mercy. And they will have grace, and they will live with Him forever and ever. So they must be cleansed. Just because they're predestined, just because they are elect, just because they are the remnant, doesn't mean they are not sinful. Oh, they are sinful. Look at verse four. "The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; He will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgement and a spirit of fire." And so, God will cleanse us, and we will be pure, and we will be made holy, and we will be radiant. Jesus says, “Then righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father” (Matthew 13:43). The Dwelling of God is with Men at Last We will be beautiful and glorious like Jesus is. He will cleanse us and make us pure, and then at last the dwelling of God will be with His people. Look at verses five and six. “Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.” Isiah finishes by recording the vision of God's holy habitation with His people in a cleaned up, a perfect Jerusalem, a cleansed Jerusalem. There is a strong Hebrew word here by the way, "The Lord will create." It reminds me of Genesis 1:1 - “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.” So, at the beginning of eternity He is going to recreate the Heavens and the Earth. He is going to make a new Heavens and a new Earth, and it is going to take the creative power of God to do it. He is going to create it, and He is going to create a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night. Doesn't this harken back to the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire that traveled with the people of God? It was a picture of His provision, a picture of His protection. Boy, if any enemy came, like the chariots from Pharaoh, the pillar gets there between the enemy and the people of God. Oh, you can't take the pillar on. You'll lose. And some of the Egyptians came to that realization. "God is fighting for the Israelites against us. Let's get away from them." Too late! They’re already in the Red Sea. Because God is powerful. He's a pillar to protect His people, and to guide them and lead them. Well, to lead them where? To the promised land. But now it's no longer a movable pillar. It's a canopy. It's a cloud of protection and a fire of glory, reminiscent of Mount Sinai when God comes down with His presence. And then, when the tabernacle was built as a dwelling place for God, and God came in with the Shekinah glory (that means the dwelling glory), He comes and dwells with his people. And when Solomon built the temple the Glory of God came and filled it, the place where God would dwell with his people. Those are all just pictures. Solomon knew it. “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27). We raise money for it. No, no, no. God will dwell in a place He builds with His hands. A new Jerusalem comes down from Heaven, prepared as a bride, beautifully dressed for her husband. Comes down, made ready by Christ. And He's made it ready with His own power. And then at last, the people of God will dwell with Him. God is going to marry Jerusalem. That canopy? It's like chuppah, which the Jewish couples stand under for a wedding ceremony. It is going to be a wedding ceremony. It says in Isaiah 62:5, "As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you." And then again, Revelations 21:1-3, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, [that’s God’s voice], a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’” “[Oh] Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory" (John 17:24). That's what He wants. That's what you want, isn't it? That's what I want. Oh Lord Jesus, come and bring it! Clean this place up get rid of the rubble, clear the building site, and build this place so that we can dwell with you forever and ever. Verse six, “It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.” A refuge and hiding place from God's wrath and judgement. You will be safe there forever and ever. V. Application Come to Christ. I've already told you that. Come to Christ. Flee to Christ. You can't survive judgement day without Him. You can't escape, even if your sin isn't paraded like Sodom but hidden in the secrets of your life. God knows it. There is only one refuge, and that is the cross of Christ. Flee to Him. Secondly, pray for our nation. Do you not see? When you read Isaiah 3, do you not see it? We are much like this. We lack godly, strong men to be leaders. We have people in our midst who brazenly celebrate sin and parade it like Sodom. We have poor in our midst, and we don't seem to care about them the way God would have us care for them. We need national and personal repentance. Our food supply is not as secure as we might think. Have you noticed the ever-escalating prices at Kroger’s, or Food Lion, or wherever you go? Is there an end in sight? I think it's interesting how some of these supermarkets are giving you money off on your gas. I think there's an incredible link between the two. So, I'm grateful for that I guess. But I just wonder where is the end in sight? We are vulnerable, friends. Most of our food comes from a thousand miles away. We should not arrogantly think that life will forever continue as it always has and we've always known it. We need to repent. We need to pray. We need to humble ourselves. Thirdly, thank God for qualified godly leaders and skilled craftsman alike, for heroes. Thank God for them. If there are still any in our culture, which there are, thank God for them. Pray for them, that they would be faithful to what God has called them to do. And ask God to protect them from falling into sin and leading people wrongly. Fourthly, men, seek to be the godly leaders that God wants you to be, first over your homes. Lead your homes spiritually. Lead them well. And if God gives you a wider scope of leadership, be faithful to do it, knowing you are going to give God an account for what you do. And women, let me read the 1 Peter 3 passage I alluded to. "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is a great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters, if you do what is right and do not give way to fear” (1 Peter 3:3-6). Don't get your view of beauty from Cosmo magazine. It's not there. There are some incredibly beautiful older women in this church. I don't think magazine editors would put their photo on the cover of a magazine. I think they ought to, but they won't, because they have a perverted view of beauty. I see them as beautiful because they have been walking with Jesus for decades. That's a view of beauty I embrace. That's a view of beauty that I want to see in my daughters, that I do see in them and in my wife. That's true beauty. I'm not speaking against jewelry. There is the positive use of jewelry in the Bible. I'm not saying that. What I am saying is, "Where does your beauty come from?" And when you get dressed are you seeking like these sinful daughters of Zion to allure, to entice to lust? Is that your motive? Dress before Jesus and you'll be fine. Just stand before Jesus and dress in front of him. He is your true husband. Dress in front of him. Fifthly, ask God to purify your heart and your life. Fire burns through this passage. It's been burning in my heart all week. The fire of the judgement of God. Ask God therefore to search out the chaff in your life. There is some there. Say, "Oh, God. Show it to me! Purify me. Make me ready for fruitful service on Earth and eternal joy and reward in Heaven. See if there is any offensive way in me, any yearning for worldly luxury, any yearning for worldly power, any yearning for worldly beauty." Ask God to purify you with the fire of the Holy Spirit and wash you clean with the water of His word. Repent, and pray for our nation to repent. And finally, look forward to our glorious wedding day. Look forward to dwelling in the new Jerusalem. I can't wait. And like Paul, I’m happy to serve here as long as God wills, but I'm looking forward to this day when God will dwell with His people in a display of glory we can't even describe. Close with me in prayer.

A listener's question about how to deal with his father under difficult circumstances is addressed.

Introduction "Whoever rules the waves rules the world," that is the thesis of Alfred Thayer Mahan's book, The Influence of Sea Power upon History. He was Naval strategist who wrote in 1890 saying,"Whoever rules the waves rules the world.” He was meditating on the effect of British sea power on confining Napoleon to the continent about 80 years before that. Because the French did not have a strong navy, not strong enough at least, compared to the British, they couldn't expand Napoleon's reign. He was just extending it beyond that, several centuries back and just talking about the need for naval might. He was writing at a time toward the end of the 19th century, when the British Empire was at its absolute apex, when the sun never set on the British Empire, and in which British people sang a somewhat unofficial national anthem written in 1740 by the British poet, James Thomson entitled "Rule Britannia". In the refrain it says, "Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves, Britains never will be slaves." British power was projected by naval might all around the world. It's an interesting thesis, the one who rules the waves rules the world. I happen to think it's true, I just happen to think Jesus rules the waves. I think he displays that in the text today. It's interesting in Daniel's prophecy and vision, he had a vision of the rise and fall of the world. Nebuchadnezzar had the dream of the statue, with the gold and the silver and the bronze and the iron and the clay and it was a picture of the rise and fall of world empires. Later in his book, in Daniel 7, he's looking out over the sea and the sea is troubled by the waves, the four winds of Heaven are churning up the great sea and up out of it come four beasts, each of them representing four world empires. John saw the same thing in Revelation 13, as the dragon was standing by the shore and up out of the sea, comes the Beast, which I think is the final world empire, the rule of the anti-Christ in Revelation 13. It's interesting that both the four beasts of Daniel, and this final beast, in Revelation 13, come out up out of the troubled sea, the churning sea and I think it represents humanity. The churning of the nations in its rise and fall, in its ebbing and all of its wickedness, and rebellion, and all of the lack of peace we feel inside our hearts. I think a turbulent sea is a good representation of human history, and I think the theme of the Book of Daniel is really the theme of all of world history, and that is that God almighty reigns over Heaven and Earth, and He will someday clearly establish the kingdom of Jesus Christ over all the Earth. It says in Daniel 2:44, "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end but will itself endure forever." This is the theme, I think, of the whole gospel of Matthew, the Kingdom of Heaven and especially the King of the Kingdom of Heaven who is Jesus, He will reign forever and ever. What is the nature of His power, how great is it? The nature of His omnipotence? I think we see it in our text today. "Whoever rules the waves rules the world, and I say that Jesus, Jesus rules the waves, and He will forever more. Isn't that encouraging as we look at the turbulence of our present day and we think that it's still true, that it's a fit metaphor for human history, the churning of the waves that cannot rest, that churn up mire and mud as Isaiah said, "There is no peace says my God for the wicked.” But there is Jesus, the Prince of Peace and what an image in our text today, Jesus walking on the water, walking through the waves through the bellows with omnipotence holding him up. The power of God. There was another British poet who wrote something else about an Empire, and it was Isaac Watts. Long before James Thomson wrote "Rule Britannia”, Isaac Watts wrote, "Jesus shall reign where'er the sun does his successive journeys run, His kingdom spread from shore to shore till moon shall wax and wane no more.” That I believe is the true theme of the great passage we're looking at today. This passage shows and displays, so beautifully, the power of Jesus Christ over all things, and is my purpose today to beguile you into a greater estimation of that power that you would have a sense of just how powerful Jesus is, over the winds and the waves. The Importance of Solitary Prayer We begin with Jesus's essential quiet and peaceful communion with His Heavenly Father. Let's set the thing in context. We already saw in John chapter 14, the martyrdom of John the Baptist, how John was beheaded at King Herod's birthday party after the dance of a dancing girl, when she said, “Give me here on a platter, the head of John the Baptist.” Then John's disciples came and took John's body and buried it, and then they went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard this, He got in a boat and withdrew privately to a solitary place. He’s wanting to be alone for prayer. Unfortunately, for that purpose, at least at that moment when He lands, He sees a huge crowd, 5000 men plus women and children. We saw last week the great compassion of Jesus to put his own needs aside and to minister in a three-fold way to that crowd in Mark's gospel. He had great compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd, so He taught them many things. First His teaching ministry, and then we saw Jesus's healing ministry, a river of miracles, flowing out and there was nothing He could not do. There was no sickness He could not heal. We see that great power and then He wasn't done. The disciples wanted to send the crowds away so they could buy themselves some food, but Jesus said, "They don't need to go.” Then we see the great miracle of the feeding of the 5000 that was a full coverage of all of their needs by Jesus, the preaching of the gospel, the healing of the sick, the feeding of the hungry every need met. Now it's Jesus's time. The time has come for him to send the crowd away and for Him to get back into that place of great power and communion with his Heavenly Father, the essential communion of Jesus, so He sends the crowd away. Look at verse 22, it says immediately that Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side while He dismissed the crowd. There's really somewhat of a battle of wills going on here because in John 6:14, it says, "After Jesus had fed the 5000, the crowds wanted to take Him by force and make Him king.” They want to force Jesus to be king right there and then in their own way, after their own patter. Jesus forces the disciples to get in the boat and then forcefully dismisses the crowd. Who's in charge here? Jesus is in charge. He's not going to be made king in their way. He has his own timetable, and He must go to the cross. He does it his way because if He didn't do it that way, none of us would be saved. He's not going to be king that way, but He will be king, He is king, and He will reign forever and ever, but first He must go to the cross. He’s not going to follow their way; He's not going to be forced into their agenda. No, instead He's going to force the disciples to get on the boat. The Greek word is strong; He's going to dismiss the crowd and so off they go, and then Jesus returns to solitary prayer. He goes up by himself alone. It's night by this time, it's dark, and you can imagine Jesus by the light of the moon or by the light of the stars, making His way up the mountain side, and there He is in solitary prayer with His Heavenly Father. This was His regular habit. In Mark 1:35, it says that Jesus, a great while before dawn while it was still dark, got up and left the house, where He was staying, and went off to a solitary place where He prayed. Another time, after healing a leper, such a huge crowd surrounded Jesus, that He couldn't get any rest. In Luke 5: 15-16, it says, “News about this healed leper spread all the more so that crowds of people came to hear him and be healed of their sicknesses, but Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” This was His regular habit. He would withdraw from the crowd to get alone, and He'd spend time in prayer. Crowds were overwhelming. Another time in Luke 6:12, He spent all night alone in solitary prayer to his Heavenly Father, then came down off the mountain, and designated his twelve apostles, after spending the whole night in prayer with His Father. Jesus regularly had this pattern of withdrawal into solitary places, sometimes mountains. This was his essential communion with his father, and I believe this was the true source of Jesus's power for ministry. This was the true source of the way that He ministered in power. Jesus did a river of miracles before. Toward the end of our text here everybody who comes, even those who just touched the hem of His garment, are healed. It’s a river of power flowing through Jesus. What was the source of that river? Well, Jesus told us He openly claimed it was the father working in him that accomplished these things. That's what he said. And we have to take his word for it, in consistent solitary communion with His Father, Jesus got his daily work assignments. And he also got from his Heavenly Father, the power in order to do those assignments and then went out in the power of the Spirit and did the things the Father told him to do. This is precisely what Jesus said happen in John 14, he said, "Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me." There's a perfect union between the Father and the Son. "The words I say to you are not just my own rather it is the Father living in me who's doing his work.” He says, "Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.” Jesus claimed that the very words He spoke and certainly the miracles He did were the result of the Father living in him powerfully. He also said in John 10:32 to His enemies. "I have shown you many great works from the Father, for which of these do you stone me?” The Father is doing his work in Jesus again in John 8:28 when Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the son of man, then you will know that I am the one I claimed to be, and then I do nothing on my own, but speak just what the Father has taught me." Jesus got alone with his heavenly Father and He listened to the Father. The Father gave him the words to speak and the works to do, and he went and did it. Let me stop for a moment and ask about your own personal life. Is this your regular habit? Do you regularly get alone with the Heavenly Father in solitary prayer? Do you spend time alone with him to renew yourself spiritually or are you stronger than Jesus? Are you wiser than Him? You know just what to do and you've got the strength to do it. I think we're easily deceived in this. Do we really know just what to do and do we really have the strength to do it? Maybe you don't have a mountain side or some solitary place where you can go. Jesus, in Matthew 6 said, "Go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father is unseen." That could be your solitary place. The question is, are you doing it? Jesus did this regularly. This was his essential communion with his father. Next in our account, however we see the disciples’ peril and fear. Jesus is up there in serenity and in peaceful fellowship with his heavenly Father, but the disciples are in a boat in the middle of a storm. What a beautiful contrast that is. it. I want to apply it to our lives. Fear: The Enemy of Faith What a picture we have of Jesus up on the mountain, the disciples way down below in a boat. They're being tossed and turned by the waves, and Jesus, in peaceful a heavenly communion with his father, sees the problem and descends to help them. Hebrews 7 tells us that Jesus is at the right hand of God and is always living to intercede for us no matter what trouble we're going through. I think it's right for us to think that way, and that Jesus is able to help us in the midst of our troubles. Now we have the disciples in fear of peril. Now fear is intrinsic to our suffering here. Few of us go through a week without feeling some fear, perhaps some of us don't go through a day without feeling some kind of fear. Fears are connected to the danger of physical or psychological pain for us as people. Animals have physiological reactions. You see a deer drinking at a pond or something like that, and then jerking up its head and looking sniffing and then back down jerking up again, or a squirrel. Try to catch a squirrel. Squirrels are quick and they know what they're all about. They're all about survival; they have instincts towards survival. I don't know if we call it fear, but they're designed to be able to save themselves. Human fear is different though. It has to do with our intellect, it has to do with our imaginations and our anxieties as much as thinking that we're an imminent physical danger. Most of the time that's not the case, most of the time it's not the case that we think we're about to perish. Sometimes happens, like in a car situation when something unexpected quickly happens, but most of our fears are tied to our thoughts about the future and something's about to happen to us that we don't want to happen. It might be a sickness, it might take something from us or a loved one from us, or our own health, our ability to thrive in this world, we might be afraid of that. It might be financial dangers, thinking that ruin is facing us. Many times, however, our fear amounts to nothing at all, isn't that the case? We fear for no reason. We spent a lot of emotion, a lot of time, a lot of anxiety, afraid about something that never even happens. Wouldn't you admit that that's the way it is with most of your fears? But some of them are genuine, some of them really are genuine things we're afraid of, and they actually do come to pass and cause great harm, and they bring us great pain and suffering. Some of it doesn't go away for a long time, if it ever does go away in this world. It’s painful, we go through these experiences and we're afraid to go through them again. Once burned twice shy. We become afraid. Fear is part of life in this sin cursed world. The disciples were afraid, I think, in the midst of the storm. If you look at verse 24, it says, “The boat was already a considerable distance from land buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.” John 6: 18 says, “A strong wind was blowing in the water.” The peaceful calm of the Sea of Galilee can quickly be transformed by a violent storm. It has to do with the way that the hills and mountains around are shaped. It can just kind of a funnel wind down in there. It swirls around and really can whip it up into quite a storm. The disciples were rightly afraid. But it wouldn't be long in this account before they're more afraid of Jesus than they are of the storm. Look at verses 25 through 27, "During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them walking on the lake when the disciples saw him walking on the lake.” They are terrified; “It's a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear, but Jesus immediately said to them, "Take courage. It is. Don't be afraid.” Their superstitions fit into this fear that they think it's a ghost. The theology of ghost does not receive much support from the Bible, but they thought it was a ghost. As a matter of fact, at a more significant moment in redemptive history, this issue is going to come up again namely, at the resurrection when doubts arise in their minds. They thought they were seeing a ghost. It was Jesus risen, and He has to prove to them that he's not a spirit. This is in Luke 24 when He eats a piece of broiled fish, and shows them his hands, and side. He wants them to interact with him physically to prove He has actually defeated death and that He's not a spirit. He's not a ghost. But here they're being afraid, and they cry out in fear. They're afraid that Jesus is a ghost. Fear is the great enemy of our faith. Over 100 times in the Bible, God or an angel of God or a prophet of God, or a leader from God assures the people of God not to be afraid. It is a repeated theme. Fear is a great enemy of our faith. God is constantly laboring through the Word against our fears, because, like termites, fears are constantly laboring against the structure of our faith. So, we have to work on this issue of fear. God wants us to trust and not be afraid. How many Psalms pick this up as a theme? Psalm 56:3-4, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you, in God whose word I praise. In God I trust, I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" I get the sense there that the psalmist in Psalm 56 is preaching to himself, he's proclaiming truth to himself, he’s talking himself out of fear, and we need to do that. It is important in the Christian life to learn how to take scriptural truth and preach it to yourself. You are definitely your own most important preacher, far more than I am. Preach to yourself against your own fears. Jesus’ Compassion for the Fearful Next, we see Christ's compassion and power as He is sitting up on the mountain. He sees his disciples. We don't get that in Matthew's account, but we do get it in Mark's account. Mark 6:47-48, says, "When evening came the boat was in the middle of the lake and He, Jesus was alone in the land.” Verse 48, "He saw the disciple straining at their oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he went out to them walking on the lake." What an image. Jesus is up on the mountain and He looks down and sees the trouble the disciples are in. I tell you that God sees everything you're going through, He sees all things. The Lord Jesus sees everything you're going through. I don't know the nature of his vision at that time and in the days of His incarnate ministry on earth. Maybe God the Father, gave him a supernatural vision of the disciples in the middle of the lake. But He saw them. He looked, and seeing their peril, comes to their rescue. There is such a unifying theme in this text. He sees the disciples' peril and comes to their rescue. He sees Simon Peter's peril and comes to his rescue. He sees the people of Gennesaret and their peril, and He comes to their rescue. Above all, He sees your peril and mine, and He comes to our rescue. He comes to them walking on the water. Now we use that expression “walk on water” to do something extraordinary, something that can't be explained. Talk even about politicians, you know, they expected him or her to walk on water, this kind of thing. It's really blasphemous. Only Jesus can do it and those empowered by Jesus apparently. I have to add that because of this text. Now, people talk about the laws of physics, that expression you'll not find in the Bible. That's just the way God consistently chooses to work in this world. I'm not saying that science isn't something we can pursue, we can, but God isn't subject to those so-called laws, He can do whatever he wants. He's not asking permission of the water to hold them up, he's not doing a study on buoyancy or surface tension. My goodness, what some unbelievers will do to passages like this: The ever present and moving sandbar just below the surface. I've never seen a sandbar like that and certainly not one that went all the way across the whole lake. What a strange thing. One study group at Florida State University led by one particularly creative professor was talking about how, if the atmospheric and water conditions are right, you can actually get small chunks of ice floating, and that explains what happened. Imagine Jesus kind of surfing on the ice getting across. That's not convincing to me. And then, how does Peter get his own little piece of ice just outside the boat? It doesn't make any sense. The lengths that people will do to undercut what the Spirit of God is doing in this text, which is giving us a display of Jesus' power. He can do all things. He's walking on the water, because He's God, because He can do it. When they see Jesus they cry out, thinking he's a ghost, and He assures them that He is Christ, that He is God. He sees Peter's peril and comes to his rescue. We'll deal with that in a moment, but when He gets across the lake and lands of Gennesaret, his heart is moved with compassion for those people as well. He sees their peril, and his ministry extends to them as well. Look at verses 34-36. “When they crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and when the men of that place recognized Jesus they sent word to all the surrounding country.” People brought all their sick to Him and begged Him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak. All who touched Him were healed. The crush of people resumed, that's Jesus' life, that was his ministry. He has those occasional times alone with his father, but mostly He's surrounded by needy people and He sees the peril. He's moved out of compassion and He wants to heal them and to take care of them. There is nothing that our Savior cannot do. Touching the hem of the garment, they're cured. The power of Jesus, that's what's displayed in Matthew 14. But above all, He looks and sees our peril and He come to our rescues. What is the nature of our peril? We could talk about the winds and the waves of your life. We can talk about the trials that you're facing, but let's go right to the heart of the matter. Jesus said, "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice like a wise man who built his house on the rock, and the rains came, rose... Rains fell, and the streams rose and blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock, but everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice, like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rains fell on that house and the streams rose and the wind blew and beat against that house and it fell with a great crash. I think this is Judgment Day and the only way we're going to survive Judgment Day is Jesus seeing our peril and coming to our rescue. This is precisely what He has done at the cross. Do you know Him as your Savior, have you trusted in Him? Do you know for certain that your house is built on a foundation that will survive the peril of Judgment Day? Has Jesus reached down and drawn you up out of judgment by His saving grace? Trust in Him, don't leave this place without trusting in Christ. Call on Him as Peter does, “Lord save me.” Call on Him and He will rescue you. This is Jesus' ministry, He sees peril and He rescue, He saves, trust in Him. Now, let's talk for a moment about Peter's supernatural journey. What a fascinating thing. Let me ask you a question, if you had been with them in the boat would you have been Peter getting up and walking, or will you have been those that stayed in the boat and waited to see how it turned out with Peter? First of all, would the idea have popped in your mind, “You tell me to come to you on the water.” Would that have even come to your mind? What an amazing man Peter was. Aren't you glad for Peter and all of his successes, and even more perhaps for his failures? Aren't you glad to see what God can do through a person like him? What God can do through someone like you. Look at Peter’s supernatural journey, look at its beginning, its middle, and its end. First the beginning. "Lord if it's you, Peter replied, "Tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," said Jesus. Then Peter got down on the boat and walked on the water and came towards Jesus. Peter was willing to ask something that no one else thought to ask or was willing to ask. And Jesus granted to him a supernatural power that no other human being has ever had, as far as we know. The power to walk on water. We forget that it's not only true that God himself can do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine but he actually can do through us immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine. Isn't it true? And how much we forget that, because we forget to ask, we don't ask him to do great things through us. But Jesus himself said in John 14, the night before he was crucified. "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing, he will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father and I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it." We under-asked. Let's just stop and apply it for a moment. What are you trusting God for that only God can do? What ministry are you stepping out to do and you know if God doesn't support you, you will fail? I think we're just living natural lives and we really called to live super naturalized. We're called to do things that only God could do through us. Verse 30, "But when he [Peter]saw the wind and the waves, he was afraid and beginning to sink, cried out. Lord, save me." He steps out, he's doing well, but then all of a sudden, he maybe gets smacked in the face by a wave or some sound occurs, and he gets distracted. He stops looking at Jesus, and he starts to esteem the power of the waves to kill them as greater than the power of Jesus to save him. He starts to look at his situation and then he looks inward and says, "Can I do this? No, I cannot do this." And he sinks. Quickly. It's an issue of his faith. He has stopped focusing on Jesus' power and instead he's sinking because he’s sitting on his own strength and he knows he can't do it. He begins to sink and cries out, "Lord, save me," and Jesus says at that particular moment, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" You will never find anywhere in the gospels or in all of scripture where Jesus cuddles unbelief, where he comforts the unbeliever. He doesn't, He rebukes it. "Why did you doubt? Don't you know who I am?" "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come." “It is me. I'm still me, I'm still here.” He never cuddles unbelief. The end of the journey is that Jesus is powerful to rescue. In the end, He gets the glory. He will get the glory for your supernatural journey also. He'll get the glory from mine. In the end, He gets all the glory. Beginning to sink, Peter cries out, Jesus reaches out and draws him up. What kind of strength would that take? But this is a supernatural power of almighty God working through them, and He draws him up instantly. He doesn't let him flounder, He doesn't let him sputter, He doesn't let him drown, He immediately rescues him. This is the compassion of Jesus. He's not going to let you drown either. The real issue going on in your life and mine right now is an issue of faith. Satan's real design on you is to destroy your faith in Jesus. That's what he’s after, he wants to kill your faith, so Jesus goes to the heart of the matter, “You of little faith. Why did you doubt?” These are issues of faith. Peter has not yet had at this point his hardest trial of faith. We know when it is. It's the night that Jesus was arrested, and Jesus predicted, "Simon, Simon. Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat.” It's plural, just sift all of them like wheat, “but I have prayed for you, Simon, particularly that your faith may not fail and when you have turned back, then strengthen your brothers." Jesus in that statement shows us the center of his intercessory prayer ministry for us while we're going through trials. You may be going through the biggest trials of your life, you may not. You may have just gotten through some of those winds and waves and all the stuff that was happening, and the water is coming in the boat and you think you're going to drown. But now you've gotten on the other side of it. Or this may yet be in your future. But the object of all of that from Satan's point of view, is to destroy your faith in Jesus. You say, "That's impossible. Isn't it true? Once saved, always saved.” Are we going to continue to believe in Jesus right to the end? Yes, we will. If we have been justified by faith, we will continue right to the end. But you know what? It's a dynamic process. Jesus had to reach up and grab Peter and hold him. Do you have faith independent of Jesus' energetic intercessory prayer in your behalf? Do you have it on your own? Is this your own faith? He gave the faith to you; He is the vine where the branch keeps sustaining that faith. He's interceding for you in the middle of your trial. “You of little faith. Why did you doubt?” He's saying, "Oh Father, don't let our faith fail. Oh, Father, don't let his faith fail." He continues to intercede at the right hand of God, that our faith may not fail. This is the issue. The ultimate inevitable conclusion is worshipping Jesus as God. Someday I'll get to see Jesus and I will get to worship Him. I'll get to fall down in His presence and say, "You are God, You are Almighty God." That's the outcome of this whole journey, that's where we're heading. What could be better than that? The outcome even in this account is they're worshiping him as God. In verse 27, when they cry out, Jesus literally says, "Take courage. I AM. Do not be afraid." What are the words “I AM” mean to you? This is God's name, he's saying, "I AM, I am God." This is the name by which the Jewish God, Yahweh, is known. He revealed himself to Moses, in the flames of the burning bush. Saying, "Tell them that I AM sent you, I AM that I AM.” This is what he says, "I AM. Don't be afraid, I AM God." The disciples, react naturally to a supernatural power, verse 33, "Then those who are in the boat worshipped him saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’” This is God's end. His purpose is worship, in spirit and truth, and there's no jealousy in the trinity. It's not like the father says, "Hey, hey, wait about me, what about me? I'm the one who gave him the power." No, He wants us to honor the Son, even as we honor the Father, that's his yearning. It says in Philippians 2, that, “Jesus being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross, therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father.” There's no jealousy in the trinity, He's delighted to see the disciples’ worship and say, "Truly, you are the Son of God." Application What application do we take from this? First, I've already given you, solitary prayer. Do not think that you can get along better without solitary prayer than Jesus did. Look at your prayer life. How is it? I had to do that just as I was preparing this sermon. How is my prayer life? Is it what it needs to be? I was convicted, that I need to spend more time in solitary prayer. I take comfort in Matthew 6, where Jesus said, "Go into your room and close the door and pray to your Father unseen.” That's good, but it's still good to have a special place where you can go to be refreshed and renewed spiritually to strengthen yourself. He restores my soul. Do you have that regular habit of private prayer? What about this whole issue of allegory? Is He the Lord of our rocking boat? Jesus will rescue from the storms of your life. What are the storms of your life? The problem with allegories it denies that this ever really happened historically. I tell you, it happened, there are details. It was about the fourth watch of the night. The disciples are straining at their oars. Peter starts, but it starts to sink. Who makes this kind of stuff up? This actually occurred in space and time. But that doesn't mean that there are not spiritual connections, the stuff you will face in your life, even if you never get into a boat the rest of your life. We have permission to do that because in Ephesians 4, it says if you get good teaching ministry, a good pastor and teacher to teach you, then you will no longer be infants, blown and tossed back and forth by the waves. You won’t be blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men that are deceitful, scheming false doctrine, being under the influence of false doctrines, like being in a storm-tossed sea, says Paul in Ephesians 4. James says, "If you lack wisdom, then ask God, but you better believe that He'll give it to you, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man unstable in all he does.” This is a way of speaking. We know what storms are like, we know what it's like to be under the influence of something that's more powerful than we are that seems to mean harm. We call those things trials. Jesus is watching over you in the middle of your trials to rescue you and help you. But I'm going to go further than that. He actually is bringing the trials to you. He has brought the storm into your life. He is not just managing the storm, he brought it, he has certain purposes in your life. Nothing comes to you except directly by the will of your Heavenly Father, and He is managing and protecting you in the middle of that storm and that trouble. Finally, look at Peter as a commendable example of faith. I know he failed in the middle of it, but he got up out of the boat. How comfortable do we get in our Christian lives? You know what I'm talking about? How comfortable? We don't want to witness; we don't want to go to the far reaches on a mission trip. He may be calling you to get up out of your boat and walk to Jesus. He may be calling on you to go to foreign lands. But there are applications to be courageous, to step out in faith and do things that only God can do in and through you. What are you doing like that? I want to close with the example of DL Moody who made two commitments in his life that carried him the rest of his life. DL Moody made a commitment after hearing Henry Varley who was a fellow evangelist say this, the world is yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to Him. He resolved to be that man. A man fully consecrated Jesus. That means at every moment, I'm given over to doing the will of God. He said to RA Torrey, his co-worker, he said, "If I believe that God wanted me to jump out that window, I would jump." Fully consecrated, whatever God told me to do, I want to do. He made a second commitment, and this is very interesting. This came out in RA Torrey's funeral sermon for Moody. He preached why God used DL Moody. Moody made a commitment that he would not allow 24 hours to pass over his head without witnessing to somebody about Christ. That's pretty practical, isn't it? Are you courageous enough to make a commitment like that? Try a week, let's start with one week, alright? For one week, you won't let 24 hours pass over your head without witnessing to somebody. There are amazing stories about Moody's commitment. Once, late, late in the day, he hadn't witnessed anybody. It was about 11 o'clock, and he was going back to his hotel. He doesn't know what to do, and he sees a man by a lamp post, and he goes up and he starts sharing and says, "Friend. Are you a Christian?" The man is immediately offended, he says, "How dare you? You don't even know me; you don't know anything about me. And you're asking me that question?" The man knew that Moody was a preacher. He said, "If you weren't some kind of preacher, I'd knock you into the gutter right now." That man went and told some of DL Moody's sponsors that Moody had a zeal without knowledge, and that he was rude and was actually under cutting the work of Christ. The organizer called DL Moody in, he was a young man at this point and said, “You're doing more damage than good.” It caused Moody to doubt some of his own convictions. It was very tough time until three weeks later, late in the night, there’s a loud knock on the door and it's the same man. He said, I've not been able to get your question [ Are you a Christian?] out of my mind. I've come to the conclusion, I'm not a Christian, and I've given my life to Christ, and I just wanted to thank you. There was another time again late at night. Moody hadn't witnessed and thinking that it’s too late, he goes out and is pouring rain. He sees a man immediately, a man who is walking with an umbrella, so he runs out of his little hotel area, and goes out in the pouring rain, and says, “Do you mind if I share your umbrella? He said, "No, come on." So, there are two of them walking along under the umbrella and he gets an idea and says, "Do you know the security and the shelter that comes from following Christ? He uses the umbrella as a picture of salvation and led the man to Christ. I just think we don't step out in faith because we're afraid of what will happen. We're afraid of what will happen if we make a commitment to go to foreign places or to not let one day go by in seven that we don't witness for Jesus. We're afraid to try new ministries. Don't be. When you step out in faith, you will find the ground under your feet secured by the power of God, by the power of Jesus.