Podcasts about our lord god

What happens when the answers to your prayers feel like they're stuck in traffic? Join me, Tosha Williams, as we continue in this deeply personal journey of steadfast prayer against the backdrop of doubts and delays. Inspired by Moses's relentless 40-day prayer marathon, we explore the power of staying committed to intercession even when the road seems endless. Thing is, God is always listening, even when His timing doesn't match our own. What's more, Jesus Himself encouraged us to keep praying, as Scripture says, "Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up" (Luke 18:1). This episode follows the initial "Facedown Forty" podcast that introduced this topic. If you haven't yet heard this challenge to pray for our people, you can listen in to that episode HERE. Let's keep praying, friend! Our Lord God hears, is working, and will answer prayers. ______________________The Family Disciple Me ministry exists to catalyze devotion driven discipleship in our homes and around the world. We believe that discipleship starts with a conversation, and FDM provides free, easily-accessible, biblical resources to encourage these meaningful conversations along life's way. Sign up through our website to be "the first to know" about upcoming releases and resources (including the FDM App - coming soon!!!) You can also follow Family Disciple Me on social media. Family Disciple Me is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ministry, and all donations are tax deductible. More information, blogs, statement of faith and contact info can be found at familydiscipleme.org

Picking up from our episode titled "Our LORD God," in today's episode, George leads us to a deeper understanding of the covenantal name of God as we learn about the two trees.

Reading through the first few chapters in Genesis introduces us to, well, everything. But most of all we start getting to know God, especially in his role as Maker. The first Maker objects, Maker catalogue, Maker store, filled with Maker craft, Maker intention, Maker invention, Maker ideas. All of creation Spoken.Formed.Fashioned.Made. For Glory.4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.5 When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,“This at last is bone of my bones    and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman,    because she was taken out of Man.”24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.Man and things made from the dust, made from the ground, or grown from the dirt of the ground. Earth earthy earthiness.Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, Baker's man. But then the first "not good" thing: the man had no coresponder. No match. No like. Single sock. One shoe. Pants with only one leg.So God made:WomanNot from the ground.Not from the dirt.Not from the dust.But from the Maker-stuff, the Maker-clay, the Image-imbued divine spark-enlivened foundations. Fashioned. Formed. Made.Into the beauty, the intentioned, the purposed, the recognizable sharer-coresponder pinnacle of God's created worshipping glory reflectors.The entirety of all creation wonders with the Psalmist: "What is man that you are mindful of him?"And we all bow before you, Our LORD God, Our Creator Maker King.Love, to my West Coast WillseasWillsea About...Many Things! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnwillsea.substack.com/subscribe

Our Lord God is so much more than just Abba Yahweh. This is the mystery of Him that we are reminded of in His Word often. The mystery of God the Father, Jesus our King and His only begotten Son and the Holy Spirit. In the finite mind and the confines of our clocks and space blocks, it is beyond comprehension. Stop trying to figure Him out; walk in faith as it is the substance of things we cannot see or understand and that evidence we so loudly cry out for all the time. That it is the evidence of things beyond our eyesight. Which is why we must seek Him and listen with spiritual hearing, look with spiritual eyesight and believe in truth. All things in truth, love, knowledge and wisdom from Him who loves us so very much. John 4:16&17, 16:7, Zechariah 4:6.

Walter Wardlaw Jr. shares in this episode from Psalms 23:1 about the "good shepherd" we have in God. This podcast episode breakdowns this text to show the importance of following God's voice as our shepherd. Our Lord God not only leads us but He keeps us from every potential danger that is faced in life.Support the show

"The act of changing one's mind." This is what the scripture says about repentance. True biblical repentance goes beyond remorse, regret, or feeling bad about one's sin. It means turning and walking away never to repeat the sin. When we admit our sins and seek God's forgiveness, He forgives and forgets those things. Our LORD God chooses to forget all the bad stuff that we once were entangled with. We are given a clean slate, basically a do-over! Look at the story told in the Book of Luke 15:17—24, in regard to the Prodigal Son. Just as the earthly father, forgave his son so will your Heavenly Father forgive you when you seek His forgiveness. Remember God loves you — all of you and your imperfections. Only He can wash us and cleanse us from the past errors of our ways. Stay tuned for (Part 3), the conclusion of, "GOD CAN CANCEL YOUR PAST!" Blessings, Elder Barbara Hayes AMP BIBLE NKJ THE WORD FOR TODAY

Revelation 19:1-8Honor and praise belong only to God almighty.  Our Lord God reigns forever. If you want to be a part of His return at the marriage of the Lamb's celebration, accept the Lord Jesus Christ as you personal savior today. 

Glory be to God! **

In this episode, host Lois Matson explores God and His memory. Our Lord God remembers things... and doesn't remember other things. How can that be?! Does God actually forget? We humans are sometimes good forgetters. Also hear some practical tips for remembering the things that are important.Special Announcement: Link to Dicey Stuff: the podcast private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1937602999773749 Please join us!Please send your comments, suggestions, and ideas for future shows to diceystuffpodcast@gmail.com or post them in the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1937602999773749. Are you willing to do an interview? Do you have an idea for a Dicey Bible Story? Send it on in!  Intro and outro vocals created with the voices from LOVO @ www.lovo.ai.

Pastor Marc Sharp introduces today's guest speaker, NRLC member Jared Chrestman. Jared's message to the Body of Christ stresses the importance of recognizing the holiness of God during our times of worship. Our Lord God was, is, and will always be a Holy God. We are to exalt Him, glorify Him, and sanctify His name, making our hearts pure before Him. If you would like to view the video of today's service, as well as previous videos, go to: https://www.facebook.com/northridgelife/videos/ (copy and paste into your web browser address bar). For additional information, you may also visit the church website, www.northridgelife.org, and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/northridgelife/.

Pastor Marc Sharp introduces today's guest speaker, NRLC member Jared Chrestman. Jared's message to the Body of Christ stresses the importance of recognizing the holiness of God during our times of worship. Our Lord God was, is, and will always be a Holy God. We are to exalt Him, glorify Him, and sanctify His name, making our hearts pure before Him. If you would like to view the video of today's service, as well as previous videos, go to: https://www.facebook.com/northridgelife/videos/ (copy and paste into your web browser address bar). For additional information, you may also visit the church website, www.northridgelife.org, and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/northridgelife/.

The Hake Report, Thursday, September 2, 2021: Roe v. Wade "under fire" (per theSkimm) with Texas law, and Mississippi! // Does abortion reduce crime or increase cruelty? // Yet more N-word debate and discussion! // Typical musicians? The Knights of the New Crusade were dumb John Kerry-supporting liberals?! // BLM gets charges against cops and paramedics in Elijah McClaine's 2019 death. // INTERESTING CALLS — see below.  MUSIC: The Knights of the New Crusade – "The Whore of Babylon," "Ain't No Monkeys in My Family Tree," and "I Believe" – from 2004 album My God Is Alive! Sorry About Yours! Songs in Praise of Our Lord God and in Condemnation of Sin   Hake's wearing a Get a Job T-shirt – https://teespring.com/stores/getajob  Also check out Hake News from today.  CALLERS Kelly from Michigan celebrates the Texas heartbeat law.  Jeremiah from Louisiana numbs Hake's mind with the Bible about Esau and the serpent.  John from Kentucky challenges Hake on black reproductive rights and the N-word.  Jacob from North Carolina, who's mixed, talks about the ridiculousness of people.  Art from Ohio talks with Jacob about the liberal attack on black men.  Lord Grim from Washington, DC explains plainly: It's just a word!  BGTG from Los Angeles, CA recommends Art learn a trade and make money!  TIME STAMPS 0:00:00 Thu, Sep 2, 2021 0:00:56 The Whore of Babylon 0:02:41 Hey, guys! 0:04:35 theSkimm: Roe under fire 0:15:13 Super Chats: Kanye 0:18:52 Kelly, MI: Pro-life! 0:30:10 Super Chats: Victims 0:33:23 Jeremiah, LA: Esau 0:39:54 Richard Spencer tweet 0:48:24 John, KY: Black 1:01:56 Ain't No Monkeys in My Family Tree 1:04:08 Super Chats: Consanguineous 1:13:03 Jacob, NC 1:21:04 Jacob vs Art, OH 1:29:35 Super Chats: Lin Yen Chin 1:31:11 Knights were libs? 1:38:31 BLM: Elijah McClaine 1:41:55 Super Chats 1:43:22 Lord Grim, DC 1:52:41 BGTG, Los Angeles, CA 1:58:34 Thanks, all!  1:58:45 I Believe, TKOTNC HAKE LINKS VIDEO ARCHIVE: Facebook | Periscope/Twitter | YouTube | Audio podcast links below PODCAST: Apple | Podcast Addict | Castbox | Stitcher | Spotify | Amazon | PodBean | Google  LIVE VIDEO: Trovo | DLive | Periscope | Facebook | Twitch* | YouTube*  SUPPORT: SubscribeStar | Patreon | Teespring | SUPER CHAT: Streamlabs | Trovo   Call in! 888-775-3773, live Monday through Friday 9 AM (Los Angeles) https://thehakereport.com/show  Also see Hake News from JLP's show today.  *NOTE: YouTube and Twitch have both censored James's content on their platforms lately, over fake "Community Guidelines" violations.  BLOG POST: https://www.thehakereport.com/blog/2021/9/2/090221-thu-more-babies-less-crime-n-word-calls-knights-are-libs 

The Hake Report, Wednesday, September 1, 2021: Super Chats on Richard Spencer and maternal bloodline (not related!) // Non-affectionate use of "N—ga" // Chicago Judge James Shapiro revoked unvaccinated mother's custody! // Joel Brind, Ph.D., asserted an "ABC Link" (Abortion-Breast Cancer correlation) that "scientific consensus" claims to debunk. // "I Take Responsibility" [to fight "racism"], said liberal actresses in June 2020, with the NAACP. // INTERESTING CALLS — see below. //  MUSIC: The Knights of the New Crusade – "Sympathy for Jesus" and "My Way Is the Highway" – from 2004 album My God Is Alive! Sorry About Yours! Songs in Praise of Our Lord God and in Condemnation of Sin; Ending Music: "Desert Brawl" by Vans in Japan (YouTube Audio Library)  Also check out Hake News from today.  CALLERS Brent from South Carolina does not trust the state on capital punishment. He's for Ron Paul.  Chad from Canada talks about where the W-word came from, whites acting black.  Rick from Maine responds to BGTG, saying a wife deserves respect, unlike a slave.  Art from Ohio calls Brent and Marine Stuart Scheller liberals, and doesn't like the N-word.  Christina from Sacramento, CA apologizes on behalf of women, and attended Straight Pride!  Maze from Dayton, OH says to mind your own business and lose weight!  TIME STAMPS 0:00 Wed, Sep 1, 2021 1:23 Sympathy for Jesus, KOTNC 3:32 Hey, guys! 4:39 Super Chat: Richard Spencer 7:50 Super Chat: Maternal bloodline 11:32 Super Chat: Real man? 14:43 Non-affectionate N-word 17:37 Tease stories 18:35 Brent, SC: Capital punishment 26:32 Chad, Canada: W-word 31:19 Unvaxxed mother lost custody 36:25 Rick, ME: Respect women, slaves 49:01 Motherhood, ABC Link 1:03:02 Super Chat: Women 1:04:58 My Way Is the Highway, KOTNC 1:06:27 Music comments 1:08:10 Art, OH: Libs! come off N-word 1:19:48 Javier, MN: $5K trans debate 1:25:48 Actresses: 'I Take Responsibility' 1:35:04 Malicious Rochester doctor? 1:37:29 The Bridge Collective for 'women' 1:43:01 Super Chats 1:43:25 Christina, Sacramento: Activism 1:52:18 News, globalism against USA 1:55:54 Maze, Dayton, OH 1:59:57 Thanks, all! 2:00:26 Desert Brawl, Vans in Japan HAKE LINKS VIDEO ARCHIVE: Facebook | Periscope/Twitter | YouTube | Audio podcast links below PODCAST: Apple | Podcast Addict | Castbox | Stitcher | Spotify | Amazon | PodBean | Google  LIVE VIDEO: Trovo | DLive | Periscope | Facebook | Twitch* | YouTube*  SUPPORT: SubscribeStar | Patreon | Teespring | SUPER CHAT: Streamlabs | Trovo   Call in! 888-775-3773, live Monday through Friday 9 AM (Los Angeles) https://thehakereport.com/show  Also see Hake News from JLP's show today.  *NOTE: YouTube and Twitch have both censored James's content on their platforms lately, over fake "Community Guidelines" violations.  BLOG POST: https://www.thehakereport.com/blog/2021/9/1/090121-wed-unvaxxed-mother-loses-abc-link-i-take-responsibility 

The Hake Report, Tuesday, August 31, 2021: Virginia Supreme Court sides with Christian PE teacher Byron Tanner Cross. // Owen Shroyer and mostly peaceful protesters // Jake Paul makes the right people mad…? // "Sleepy Joe" – CONFIRMED, or Fact Checked by Blue Checks? // The "N-word" and the W-word // New Orleans is below sea level, made rich by the Mississippi River. // U.S. Marine resigns: Is he right or grandstanding? // Liberty Counsel to represent airline workers for religious exemptions. // INTERESTING CALLS — see below.  MUSIC: The Knights of the New Crusade – "Born Winner" and "E Is for Evil" – from 2004 album My God Is Alive! Sorry About Yours! Songs in Praise of Our Lord God and in Condemnation of Sin  Also check out Hake News from today.  CALLERS Kevin from Chicago, IL likes Jake Paul making Young Turks' Hassan Piker and others mad.  John from Kentucky doesn't like white Americans saying the N-word or its relative W-word.  Teronzo from Oklahoma gives cryptic praise to Hake, and says bloodline is from the father.  Killian from Boston, MA tells about New Orleans, the Mississippi, and the Boston Bombing.  Rick from Hampton, VA is trying to keep healthy but wonders if a vaxx mandate is coming.  TIME STAMPS 0:00:00 Tue, Aug 31, 2021 0:02:53 Born Winner, TKOTNC 0:05:18 Hey, guys!  0:06:43 Byron Tanner Cross 0:15:04 Owen Shroyer 0:22:40 Sleepy Joe 0:37:03 Kevin, Chicago: Jake Paul 0:44:41 Super Chats: Bible, History 0:51:21 John, KY: N-word 1:08:37 E is for Evil, TKOTNC 1:11:09 Music comments 1:15:02 New Orleans 1:21:15 Super Chat: N-word 1:23:56 Teronzo, OK 1:30:42 Killian, Boston, MA 1:40:55 Ghost town 1:42:42 Marine resigns 1:52:08 Liberty Counsel 1:58:03 Rick, Hampton, VA 2:00:10 Desert Brawl, Vans in Japan HAKE LINKS VIDEO ARCHIVE: Facebook | Periscope/Twitter | YouTube | Audio podcast links below PODCAST: Apple | Podcast Addict | Castbox | Stitcher | Spotify | Amazon | PodBean | Google  LIVE VIDEO: Trovo | DLive | Periscope | Facebook | Twitch* | YouTube*  SUPPORT: SubscribeStar | Patreon | Teespring | SUPER CHAT: Streamlabs | Trovo   Call in! 888-775-3773, live Monday through Friday 9 AM (Los Angeles) https://thehakereport.com/show  Also see Hake News from JLP's show today.  *NOTE: YouTube and Twitch have both censored James's content on their platforms lately, over fake "Community Guidelines" violations.  BLOG POST: https://www.thehakereport.com/blog/2021/8/31/083121-tue-sleepy-joe-confirmed-n-word-debate-again-vaxx-freedoms 

Thoughts What Is Heaven Like? What is your idea of what Heaven is like? What will we be doing? Of course we have no way of really knowing everything, but the Bible gives us some idea of at least part of what life will be like. In the book of Revelation, chapter 5, verse 13 John tells us, “Then I heard all creatures in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea saying: 'To the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever.” And in Revelation 7:9-10, “…there was a great number of people, so many that no one could count them. They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language of the earth. They were all standing before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. 10They were shouting in a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Revelation 19:5-8 says, “5Then a voice came from the throne, saying:“Praise our God, all you who serve him and all you who honor him, both small and great!”6Then I heard what sounded like a great many people, like the noise of flooding water, and like the noise of loud thunder. The people were saying:“Hallelujah!Our Lord God, the Almighty, rules.7Let us rejoice and be happyand give God glory,because the wedding of the Lamb has come,and the Lamb's bride has made herself ready.8Fine linen, bright and clean, was given to her to wear.” I think we're going to be spending a great deal of time praising God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Encore! Have you ever been at a concert where one of your favorite bands or musicians played? What happens at the end of the show? Usually the crowd stands and applauds, right? And they sometimes go on for several minutes until the band comes out to do an encore. Everyone is euphoric at what a good show it's been. Now imagine at the end of time as we know it, when everything here is wrapped up, and God has made all things right. He's wiped every tear, and the enemy has been finally and eternally sent to his final destination, never to bring heartbreak and havoc again. Don't you think we will all just break out in praise and celebration of the Lamb? Since we will have eternity, it won't be a problem to spend a thousand years or even ten thousand years singing hallelujahs and rejoicing at what He has done. Today's closing chapters of Psalms were just a small warm up for what awaits us when we see God face to face. Holy. Holy. Holy is the Lamb. Hallelujah! Great is He who is the King of kings and Lord of lords! Today's Bible Translation Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 149-150 NCV Support Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude. Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Malcolm Lightbody on Unsplash Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents By Rod Dreher / Sentinel Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn once noted that people often assume that their democratic government would never submit to totalitarianism---but Dreher says it's happening. Sounding the alarm about the insidious effects of identity politics, surveillance technology, psychological manipulation, and more, he equips contemporary Christian dissidents to see, judge, and act as they fight to resist the erosion of our freedoms. 304 pages, hardcover from Sentinel.

Our Lord God is the reason we breathe. I thank him over and over for doing so. As an author I would love for you to read some of my books. They are available at the following:https://www.amazon.com/patricia-askins/e/B00IXPK9AU https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/258356----https://www.amazon.com/K.-T.-Jarodd/e/B079NJZJSR

Our LORD God's Sovereignty Is Evident in . . .  The creation of human life (1:26-27; 2:4-9) The establishment of human freedoms (2:10-17) The distinctions of human sexuality (2:18-25)

Greetings and welcome to this first edition of an occasional series of podcasts that I am starting to add extra commentary for those following the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan. I hope that the things I share in this episode will be relevant to those who have arrived at day number 14. I have taken the title for this series from Mark 13:14 (GW). As Jesus is prophesying in that chapter about the destruction of Jerusalem, he says, “When you see the disgusting thing that will cause destruction standing where it should not (let the reader take note), those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains.” [God’s Word Translation] The parenthetical note, “let the reader take note” probably was addressed to the one who read out loud to others. In Mark’s day, not many people in a congregation would know how to read. The Greek word for ‘read’ in this verse actually means ‘to read out loud’. Because of that, some commentators feel that this warning to understand was not just for the reader, but was intended as a plea to the reader to explain to his listeners about Daniel’s prophecy that mentions ‘the disgusting thing that will cause destruction’. So here I am, your reader (for the whole Bible, not just Mark’s Gospel). I thought it might be helpful to you to give some information that doesn’t fit in the daily podcasts, but I still, of course, will not have time to answer all questions. My intent is to encourage you to dig deeper by sharing things I find to be interesting and inspiring in the passages you have read or listened to already in the 3D plan. If you have questions or comments, my favorite way for you to send messages to me is via the contact button at dailybiblereading.info. Incidentally, from now on I will quote a lot from the translation called God’s Word for the Nations, because I am personally reading that version in my own devotional readings this year. And this year I personally am reading a real-book Bible. See the godsword.org site linked in the episode notes for information on how you can get a gorgeous GW Bible at a great price. And the newest edition is available in YouVersion and the MyBible app. (GW'20) The first verse I would like to share about is Genesis 1:1 (NLT). “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Some translations say ‘heaven’ singular, but the Hebrew is actually plural, ‘heavens’. When my team and I translated that into Indonesian, because Indonesians haven’t previously known a concept of plural heavens, we translated this verse as, “… God created the levels of heaven and the sky.”  When Scripture talks of plural heavens, the sky is the lowest layer, and ancient people had the concept that there were three or perhaps seven layers of heaven. Some of you will recall that Paul was caught up to the ‘third heaven’ in 2 Corinthians 12. It is for this reason that I see verse one as not being a summary of what is to come in Genesis 1-2, but as a hint of acts of creation that we are not told about which happened before the creation of this world. There were principalities and powers and myriads of angels in the heavenly places that were put there before God started counting the six days of creation. To me, it is kind of awesome to think about that. Now quoting from Genesis 1:14 (NLT), “Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years.” Instead of ‘seasons’ the God’s Word translation translates ‘religious festivals’.  The word that can mean ‘seasons’ as NLT translated it is normally translated ‘religious festivals’ all throughout the rest of the OT. In our Indonesian translation, we translated it as ‘seasons’ but we provided a footnote to tell readers that this word often is translated as ‘religious festivals’. Here’s the thing I think that is neat about this: Translators have frequently chosen to translate ‘seasons’ because it is kind of strange to talk of religious festivals when there are not yet any people on earth on the 4th day of creation. BUT consider this: God was preparing all of creation, including the sun and moon, to support humans who would worship Him. We can say that the love and worship of Himself was God’s ultimate goal in the creation of the universe. We exist for his worship. In Genesis 4:19-21 we read that, “Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the first person to live in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the first person to play the harp and the flute.” Isn’t it interesting that the harp and flute are mentioned so early in human history! Certainly Jubal not only played the flute and harp, but he invented and constructed the first ones as well. I think this little story shows that God wanted to provide for glorious worship of Himself. Did you realize that when you hear an instrument play a note, that you don’t just hear that note, but harmonic frequencies above that note. It is the relative strength and weaknesses of the harmonics that lets us hear the difference between the sounds of a harp, flute, trumpet, and all the other instruments.  As I play a low D on the piano, I will help you hear the harmonics. Fundamental note D, octave D, 5th above that, then the octave again, and then another D, and the last that I will play is a third, F#. That forms a D major chord. This happens to be the same overtones that can be gotten with a simple flute made of PVC pipe keeping all my fingers down. The natural harmonics of the strings of a harp or piano or guitar, form a major chord. The natural harmonics of well-constructed flutes form a major chord. God built this system right into the atmosphere and physics of our world. There is a reason why people think songs in major keys are happy sounding. Our ears like the resonance that naturally occurs due to the reinforcement of overtones. I think God intended this beautiful resonance. God created the human ear, in order to give the delight of hearing beautiful music. Note also that God designed the human hand so that simple instruments like a harp and flute can be played easily with our fingers, like when I play a scale on a flute with just 6 finger holes. Then consider how beautiful our voices are when we sing. My friend Arie Scholten says, “When people sing in unison together, we each coordinate 26 muscles together in unity, and the devil hates both the sound and that unity.” Our Creator is awesome and deserves awesome praise. Ps 66:1-2: "Shout happily to God, all the earth! Make music to praise the glory of his name. Make his praise glorious." Now let me explain something that people always ask about: NLT Genesis 6:1-4: 1 Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. 2 The sons of God saw the beautiful women and took any they wanted as their wives. 3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.” 4 In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times. NLT Genesis 6:5: 5 The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, … So who are these sons of God? There are many interpretations of what kind of ‘sons’ are intended. Most interpretations can be classified into two alternatives: 1) The children of God intended are fallen angels— those who sided with the devil in his rebellion, then they were punished by God and thrown into this world. Those angels are now called evil spirits or demons. If so, maybe the spirits possessed male humans, and in that way married the girls. 2) Or, the children of God intended are descendants of Seth. This is in accordance with many verses in the OT that call the Israelites— all of whom were descendants of Seth— as ‘sons of God’. In Ex. 4:22, the nation of Israel is also called the ‘firstborn son’ of God.  Personally the 2nd choice seems fanciful and naive to me. It seems that something ugly and evil is implied, so I go with the first choice. I think that we must admit that we do not always have enough information to interpret things like this.  GW'20 Deuteronomy 29:29: 29 Some things are hidden. They belong to the LORD our God. But the things that have been revealed in these teachings belong to us and to our children forever. We must obey every word of these teachings. The two interpretations I have shared are not harmonious with Job 1:6 and 2:1 where ‘sons of God’ are also mentioned. I don’t think you will find one totally satisfactory conclusion about this that will explain this for both contexts. Whoever the supermen were in Genesis, they were wiped out in the flood. The two interpretations I just mentioned are not harmonious with Job 1:6-8 or 2:1. I don’t think a harmonious interpretation exists for the ‘sons of God’ in both Genesis and Job. And so, let’s segue to Job. GW'20 Job 1:6-8: 6 One day when the sons of God came to stand in front of the LORD, Satan the Accuser came along with them. 7 The LORD asked Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From wandering all over the earth.” 8 The LORD asked Satan, “Have you thought about my servant Job? No one in the world is like him! He is a man of integrity: He is decent, he fears God, and he stays away from evil.” GW'20 Job 2:1: 1 One day when the sons of God came to stand in front of the LORD, Satan the Accuser came along with them. The ‘sons of God’ here seem to be angelic princes who never lived on earth and did not participate in the fall. But whatever they are, it makes no difference because they play no part in the story. We just get the impression that the heavenly nobility have assembled for a meeting of the court around God’s throne. These heavenly nobility are part of the principalities and powers, like what I mentioned talking about Genesis 1:1. Satan makes a crashing entrance here in Job. His name comes up only 14 times in the OT, and all but three times are here in the first 2 chapters of Job. His name means adversary or accuser. He is pictured without a name in other places, such as the ‘serpent’ in the garden of Eden, or is pictured as like the ‘king of Tyre’ in Ezekiel 28, etc. In the NT he is spoken of with his Hebrew name and also with his Greek name, διαβόλου, or the devil. That title or name means the same as the Hebrew name: false accuser, or slanderer. Considering what an important role Satan plays, it is kind of amazing that his name comes up so infrequently. Our adversary has many names! And actually, he likes to stay anonymous. From start to finish, the Bible portrays a prolonged battle between the forces of Satan and God’s forces. We are living right in the middle of the battle field right now.  In the Garden of Eden the serpent incited Eve to distrust God’s good intent. What we see in Job is Satan acting according to his name. He accuses Job to God. Then God allows Satan to act, but only with limitations.  GW'20 2 Corinthians 4:4, we see another way of referring to Satan. 4 The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. As a result, they don’t see the light of the Good News about Christ’s glory. It is Christ who is God’s image. Satan does not work all by himself, of course. There are the fallen angels (or demons) working at his command. They are working overtime now to spread spiritual blindness. In believers, they love to whisper accusations against us and to cast doubt on God’s good intentions for us. Let’s keep our spiritual armor on according to Ephesians 6. The spiritual battle is real, but God supplies our armor, and it is powerful and effective. It is important that we don’t start relying on our own power or trusting in our own supposed maturity in this battle. To some listeners, I may seem really naive to believe that there is a being named Satan, or that demons exist. Let me tell you one of my experiences: I think it was the beginning of the summer of 1970. I was 20 years old, and driving home to Hutchinson, Kansas, from Wichita State University. It was an hour long trip which I made frequently while I was in school there, but on that day, it was the last trip home before the summer vacation. On campus, I was president of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, and probably people thought I had my act together. I was coming home to help out at Kansas Bible Camp, just outside of my hometown. But something very strange happened that made this trip to my hometown different from any other trip on that road. I had a deep sense of shame because I couldn’t control my thought life, and of course that means lust. Girls liked me, and I liked them … too much. So all during that trip I prayed out loud, crying out to God with tears. I couldn’t live with the hypocrite I had become. How could God forgive me when I had to keep asking for forgiveness for the same sins every single day?  Pulling myself together, when I got into town, I stopped to go into a supermarket to buy a couple of things, like soap and shampoo. When I came out, a woman met me, a long-time family friend. This was a woman I had enjoyed looking at since I was old enough to notice women. She had seen me go in and had waited for me to come out. She hugged my arm repeatedly and invited me to come to her house where we could be alone. What a thing to happen! One might make jokes about the timing, but I won’t. What could I do?! I couldn’t bring myself to go back on all that I had prayed to God. After bearing my soul to God so deeply, how could I take advantage of the perfect opportunity to make a plunge into sin. I stupidly mumbled something about being on my way to the Bible Camp, and turned her down. Too politely, I might add. In fact, I walked her to her car and said, “I’ll come another time.” When I got back in my car, I couldn’t believe it! First, I was overwhelmed because I knew that this wasn’t just a coincidence. I said to God right there, “I should never doubt that You answer my prayers or that you are watching me!” And then it occured to me also, “Hey, wait a minute! Did God know that I was going to meet a big temptation and move me to pray? Or did Satan know that I was praying and set me up with that temptation to destroy any spiritual progress I was making?” That summer I certainly had the time to visit that woman at her house, but I never did. God had so clearly forbidden it. For me to do that would be to totally leave any relationship with Him.  So I leave you with these thoughts: Do not doubt that Satan and his dark forces exist.  Satan is out to get you. God is watching over YOU more intimately than you realize! God hears your prayers. Keep asking for God to forgive you. Confess your sins explicitly, not just saying, “Please forgive my sins.” After saying exactly what you have done, ask for insight on how to overcome persistent sin problems. Look for God to help you at just the right time. Let me pray for you now.  Our Lord God and our King Jesus, thank you for my friend who has listened to me in this podcast. Lord, I ask You to prove yourself to my listener and help him or her to find treasures in your Word that will be like keys unlocking spiritual growth and transformation. Please help us to confess our sins and keep our consciences clear in your sight. Amen.  

Greetings and welcome to this first edition of an occasional series of podcasts that I am starting to add extra commentary for those following the Digging Deeper Daily reading plan. I hope that the things I share in this episode will be relevant to those who have arrived at day number 14. I have taken the title for this series from Mark 13:14 (GW). As Jesus is prophesying in that chapter about the destruction of Jerusalem, he says, “When you see the disgusting thing that will cause destruction standing where it should not (let the reader take note), those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains.” [God’s Word Translation] The parenthetical note, “let the reader take note” probably was addressed to the one who read out loud to others. In Mark’s day, not many people in a congregation would know how to read. The Greek word for ‘read’ in this verse actually means ‘to read out loud’. Because of that, some commentators feel that this warning to understand was not just for the reader, but was intended as a plea to the reader to explain to his listeners about Daniel’s prophecy that mentions ‘the disgusting thing that will cause destruction’. So here I am, your reader (for the whole Bible, not just Mark’s Gospel). I thought it might be helpful to you to give some information that doesn’t fit in the daily podcasts, but I still, of course, will not have time to answer all questions. My intent is to encourage you to dig deeper by sharing things I find to be interesting and inspiring in the passages you have read or listened to already in the 3D plan. If you have questions or comments, my favorite way for you to send messages to me is via the contact button at dailybiblereading.info. Incidentally, from now on I will quote a lot from the translation called God’s Word for the Nations, because I am personally reading that version in my own devotional readings this year. And this year I personally am reading a real-book Bible. See the godsword.org site linked in the episode notes for information on how you can get a gorgeous GW Bible at a great price. And the newest edition is available in YouVersion and the MyBible app. (GW'20) The first verse I would like to share about is Genesis 1:1 (NLT). “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Some translations say ‘heaven’ singular, but the Hebrew is actually plural, ‘heavens’. When my team and I translated that into Indonesian, because Indonesians haven’t previously known a concept of plural heavens, we translated this verse as, “… God created the levels of heaven and the sky.”  When Scripture talks of plural heavens, the sky is the lowest layer, and ancient people had the concept that there were three or perhaps seven layers of heaven. Some of you will recall that Paul was caught up to the ‘third heaven’ in 2 Corinthians 12. It is for this reason that I see verse one as not being a summary of what is to come in Genesis 1-2, but as a hint of acts of creation that we are not told about which happened before the creation of this world. There were principalities and powers and myriads of angels in the heavenly places that were put there before God started counting the six days of creation. To me, it is kind of awesome to think about that. Now quoting from Genesis 1:14 (NLT), “Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years.” Instead of ‘seasons’ the God’s Word translation translates ‘religious festivals’.  The word that can mean ‘seasons’ as NLT translated it is normally translated ‘religious festivals’ all throughout the rest of the OT. In our Indonesian translation, we translated it as ‘seasons’ but we provided a footnote to tell readers that this word often is translated as ‘religious festivals’. Here’s the thing I think that is neat about this: Translators have frequently chosen to translate ‘seasons’ because it is kind of strange to talk of religious festivals when there are not yet any people on earth on the 4th day of creation. BUT consider this: God was preparing all of creation, including the sun and moon, to support humans who would worship Him. We can say that the love and worship of Himself was God’s ultimate goal in the creation of the universe. We exist for his worship. In Genesis 4:19-21 we read that, “Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the first person to live in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the first person to play the harp and the flute.” Isn’t it interesting that the harp and flute are mentioned so early in human history! Certainly Jubal not only played the flute and harp, but he invented and constructed the first ones as well. I think this little story shows that God wanted to provide for glorious worship of Himself. Did you realize that when you hear an instrument play a note, that you don’t just hear that note, but harmonic frequencies above that note. It is the relative strength and weaknesses of the harmonics that lets us hear the difference between the sounds of a harp, flute, trumpet, and all the other instruments.  As I play a low D on the piano, I will help you hear the harmonics. Fundamental note D, octave D, 5th above that, then the octave again, and then another D, and the last that I will play is a third, F#. That forms a D major chord. This happens to be the same overtones that can be gotten with a simple flute made of PVC pipe keeping all my fingers down. The natural harmonics of the strings of a harp or piano or guitar, form a major chord. The natural harmonics of well-constructed flutes form a major chord. God built this system right into the atmosphere and physics of our world. There is a reason why people think songs in major keys are happy sounding. Our ears like the resonance that naturally occurs due to the reinforcement of overtones. I think God intended this beautiful resonance. God created the human ear, in order to give the delight of hearing beautiful music. Note also that God designed the human hand so that simple instruments like a harp and flute can be played easily with our fingers, like when I play a scale on a flute with just 6 finger holes. Then consider how beautiful our voices are when we sing. My friend Arie Scholten says, “When people sing in unison together, we each coordinate 26 muscles together in unity, and the devil hates both the sound and that unity.” Our Creator is awesome and deserves awesome praise. Ps 66:1-2: "Shout happily to God, all the earth! Make music to praise the glory of his name. Make his praise glorious." Now let me explain something that people always ask about: NLT Genesis 6:1-4: 1 Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. 2 The sons of God saw the beautiful women and took any they wanted as their wives. 3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.” 4 In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times. NLT Genesis 6:5: 5 The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, … So who are these sons of God? There are many interpretations of what kind of ‘sons’ are intended. Most interpretations can be classified into two alternatives: 1) The children of God intended are fallen angels— those who sided with the devil in his rebellion, then they were punished by God and thrown into this world. Those angels are now called evil spirits or demons. If so, maybe the spirits possessed male humans, and in that way married the girls. 2) Or, the children of God intended are descendants of Seth. This is in accordance with many verses in the OT that call the Israelites— all of whom were descendants of Seth— as ‘sons of God’. In Ex. 4:22, the nation of Israel is also called the ‘firstborn son’ of God.  Personally the 2nd choice seems fanciful and naive to me. It seems that something ugly and evil is implied, so I go with the first choice. I think that we must admit that we do not always have enough information to interpret things like this.  GW'20 Deuteronomy 29:29: 29 Some things are hidden. They belong to the LORD our God. But the things that have been revealed in these teachings belong to us and to our children forever. We must obey every word of these teachings. The two interpretations I have shared are not harmonious with Job 1:6 and 2:1 where ‘sons of God’ are also mentioned. I don’t think you will find one totally satisfactory conclusion about this that will explain this for both contexts. Whoever the supermen were in Genesis, they were wiped out in the flood. The two interpretations I just mentioned are not harmonious with Job 1:6-8 or 2:1. I don’t think a harmonious interpretation exists for the ‘sons of God’ in both Genesis and Job. And so, let’s segue to Job. GW'20 Job 1:6-8: 6 One day when the sons of God came to stand in front of the LORD, Satan the Accuser came along with them. 7 The LORD asked Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From wandering all over the earth.” 8 The LORD asked Satan, “Have you thought about my servant Job? No one in the world is like him! He is a man of integrity: He is decent, he fears God, and he stays away from evil.” GW'20 Job 2:1: 1 One day when the sons of God came to stand in front of the LORD, Satan the Accuser came along with them. The ‘sons of God’ here seem to be angelic princes who never lived on earth and did not participate in the fall. But whatever they are, it makes no difference because they play no part in the story. We just get the impression that the heavenly nobility have assembled for a meeting of the court around God’s throne. These heavenly nobility are part of the principalities and powers, like what I mentioned talking about Genesis 1:1. Satan makes a crashing entrance here in Job. His name comes up only 14 times in the OT, and all but three times are here in the first 2 chapters of Job. His name means adversary or accuser. He is pictured without a name in other places, such as the ‘serpent’ in the garden of Eden, or is pictured as like the ‘king of Tyre’ in Ezekiel 28, etc. In the NT he is spoken of with his Hebrew name and also with his Greek name, διαβόλου, or the devil. That title or name means the same as the Hebrew name: false accuser, or slanderer. Considering what an important role Satan plays, it is kind of amazing that his name comes up so infrequently. Our adversary has many names! And actually, he likes to stay anonymous. From start to finish, the Bible portrays a prolonged battle between the forces of Satan and God’s forces. We are living right in the middle of the battle field right now.  In the Garden of Eden the serpent incited Eve to distrust God’s good intent. What we see in Job is Satan acting according to his name. He accuses Job to God. Then God allows Satan to act, but only with limitations.  GW'20 2 Corinthians 4:4, we see another way of referring to Satan. 4 The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. As a result, they don’t see the light of the Good News about Christ’s glory. It is Christ who is God’s image. Satan does not work all by himself, of course. There are the fallen angels (or demons) working at his command. They are working overtime now to spread spiritual blindness. In believers, they love to whisper accusations against us and to cast doubt on God’s good intentions for us. Let’s keep our spiritual armor on according to Ephesians 6. The spiritual battle is real, but God supplies our armor, and it is powerful and effective. It is important that we don’t start relying on our own power or trusting in our own supposed maturity in this battle. To some listeners, I may seem really naive to believe that there is a being named Satan, or that demons exist. Let me tell you one of my experiences: I think it was the beginning of the summer of 1970. I was 20 years old, and driving home to Hutchinson, Kansas, from Wichita State University. It was an hour long trip which I made frequently while I was in school there, but on that day, it was the last trip home before the summer vacation. On campus, I was president of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, and probably people thought I had my act together. I was coming home to help out at Kansas Bible Camp, just outside of my hometown. But something very strange happened that made this trip to my hometown different from any other trip on that road. I had a deep sense of shame because I couldn’t control my thought life, and of course that means lust. Girls liked me, and I liked them … too much. So all during that trip I prayed out loud, crying out to God with tears. I couldn’t live with the hypocrite I had become. How could God forgive me when I had to keep asking for forgiveness for the same sins every single day?  Pulling myself together, when I got into town, I stopped to go into a supermarket to buy a couple of things, like soap and shampoo. When I came out, a woman met me, a long-time family friend. This was a woman I had enjoyed looking at since I was old enough to notice women. She had seen me go in and had waited for me to come out. She hugged my arm repeatedly and invited me to come to her house where we could be alone. What a thing to happen! One might make jokes about the timing, but I won’t. What could I do?! I couldn’t bring myself to go back on all that I had prayed to God. After bearing my soul to God so deeply, how could I take advantage of the perfect opportunity to make a plunge into sin. I stupidly mumbled something about being on my way to the Bible Camp, and turned her down. Too politely, I might add. In fact, I walked her to her car and said, “I’ll come another time.” When I got back in my car, I couldn’t believe it! First, I was overwhelmed because I knew that this wasn’t just a coincidence. I said to God right there, “I should never doubt that You answer my prayers or that you are watching me!” And then it occured to me also, “Hey, wait a minute! Did God know that I was going to meet a big temptation and move me to pray? Or did Satan know that I was praying and set me up with that temptation to destroy any spiritual progress I was making?” That summer I certainly had the time to visit that woman at her house, but I never did. God had so clearly forbidden it. For me to do that would be to totally leave any relationship with Him.  So I leave you with these thoughts: Do not doubt that Satan and his dark forces exist.  Satan is out to get you. God is watching over YOU more intimately than you realize! God hears your prayers. Keep asking for God to forgive you. Confess your sins explicitly, not just saying, “Please forgive my sins.” After saying exactly what you have done, ask for insight on how to overcome persistent sin problems. Look for God to help you at just the right time. Let me pray for you now.  Our Lord God and our King Jesus, thank you for my friend who has listened to me in this podcast. Lord, I ask You to prove yourself to my listener and help him or her to find treasures in your Word that will be like keys unlocking spiritual growth and transformation. Please help us to confess our sins and keep our consciences clear in your sight. Amen.  

Genesis chapter 3 highlights the fall of mankind by showing how Adam and Even listened to the voice of satan rather than being obedient to LORD God. Our LORD God created a perfect world to be inhabited by human beings who would bear His image; however, when sin entered the world everything changed. Our relationship with God and others is now contaminated by sin causing all sorts of problems including the fact that we will all die. While this story is painful and tragic it is imperative that we study and learn from this story so that we can learn the Gospel and grow in Christ. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub

Homily for Pascha the Resurrection of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ given by Fr. Michael Mandelas on April 12, 2020 at St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church, Seattle WA USA. Visit us at: stjohnchrysostom.org www.facebook.com/StJohnChrysostomByzantine/

February 2, 2020 Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, Tone 1; The Encounter of Our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ Hebrews 7:7-17; 2 Timothy 3:10-15; Luke 2:22-40; Luke 18:10-14

Exegisis of Revelation 21:1-27. Our Lord God will give His New Heaven and Earth as His gift to the saints who had taken part in the first resurrection. From this moment on, the saints will live not in the first heaven and earth, but in the new, second heaven and earth. This blessing is God's gift that He would bestow on His saints. God will give such a blessing to only the saints who had participated in the first resurrection.

The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives. (Psalm 37:21) Borrowers It seems that everyone hates a borrower. We're not sure whether or not we'll be repaid. We wonder why this person wants to borrow this item. What are they going to do with it? All these questions are there because we know people who don't intend to pay it back. Luther writes in a sermon on John 6, "Our Lord God does not bestow more on one than on another only to have us misuse it for purposes of arrogance and luxury but to have us more willingly help others, who need it, and to save for them and for us." God gave us things so that we can use them for others. St. Benedict also used this idea when he wrote his rule for monasteries. He takes the example of the apostolic church and exhorts Christians to imitate them: "Let all things be common to all, as it is written (Acts 4:32), and let no one say or assume that anything is his own" (Rule of Benedict 33). That's where the psalmist comes to us this morning. What we have has been given to us so that we may give to others in need. Look around this morning and see who the Lord may have put in your life in order to give to them. Amen.

Our Lord God is good and compassionate. We should never fear to return to Him. We have a God we can admire and love. Gratitude is the reason for the Liturgy. This morning's Gospel passage shows that Repentance is about Two things: 1) Realizing that Jesus is God and has done great things for us, and 2) Return physically to His presence to give thanks. Like the one grateful healed leper, return to Jesus to give thank... making plans to return to be in His physical presence. For Orthodox Christians, this place is in the Church, the Body of Christ, Sunday mornings for Divine Liturgy.

Sermon Notes: Our LORD God’s Sovereignty Is Evident . . . In The Creation Of Human Life. (4-9) Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and...

The Lord Jesus is Jehovah God. (Compare Isaiah 6:1 and John 12:41) Jehovah is not Buddha, Allah, the Great Spirit or any other false God. Jehovah gave us the Ten Commandments and He is God alone. We know Him through Jesus, Who is the "I Am" and Who died for our sins and rose again. Here is where life and true worship begins. Our Lord God is the Lord Jesus Christ – He alone is God. He alone is worthy.

The Lord Jesus is Jehovah God. (Compare Isaiah 6:1 and John 12:41) Jehovah is not Buddha, Allah, the Great Spirit or any other false God. Jehovah gave us the Ten Commandments and He is God alone. We know Him through Jesus, Who is the "I Am" and Who died for our sins and rose again. Here is where life and true worship begins. Our Lord God is the Lord Jesus Christ – He alone is God. He alone is worthy.

On the previous episode you heard Nikki's poem, 'From Darkness to Light'...this was the very first poem Nikki had ever written. Now, two weeks on, Nikki has wrtten and composed her first ever song, 'Great is Our God'. Our Lord God has put the seed of creativity in all of us. Nikki never thought that she could do this, but God knew that she could! Great is our God He calls our name But we do not always hear Never giving up He is always near Down on our knees We are broken The pain is too much But you have spoken Great is our God, Great is our God, Great is our God, Great is our God (x2) You open our hearts We become alive inside You know everything We can not hide We will follow you Showing others your love Till the day we join you Up in the clouds above Great is our God, Great is our God, Great is our God, Great is our God (x2)

Our Lord God calls His Church to make no compromise with the world!1. His commendation2. His concern3. His comfortTime:MorningMinister:Rev. J. LouwerseTexts:Revelation 2:12–17

Our Lord God blesses and preserves His church1. He bears our burdens2. He protects us from harm3. He defeats our enemiesTime:MorningMinister:Rev. W.B. SlompTexts:Psalm 68:19–21