Podcasts about Paraclete

“What the soul is to the human body, the Holy Spirit is to the Body of Christ, which is the Church.” The Catechism uncovers how the Holy Spirit truly builds up the whole Church in the name of Jesus. Fr. Mike dives into the incredibly diverse gifts that the Holy Spirit gives up for the building up of the Kingdom—the charisms. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 797-810. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Tonight‘s group consisted mostly of a monologue (out of necessity) about how it is that we are to read the Fathers. We have learned over these few years that one must read in a discerning and discriminating fashion, as well as prayerfully. There is great wisdom to be found within the ascetical writings, however, we must understand that the spiritual life and the personal struggle of each of the desert monks was unique. Furthermore, the desert itself was a laboratory like no other. In the deep solitude, the fathers saw with great clarity the workings of the human mind and heart as well as temptations that came from within and through demonic provocation.  If there is one point that I wanted to make clear in pressing through this with the group is that our love of virtue, of God and our desire to be free of the passions can lead us not only into extremes of discipline but also into a kind of psychological violence. The sorrow over our own poverty and sin can lead us to repress certain parts of our personality and aspects of our life as human beings that are a source vitality and the capacity to love. We have often spoken about desire being at the heart of the spiritual life; we seek He  alone who can fill what is lacking within us.  Yet when the ascetic life is treated like a defense mechanism, we can project our struggles and responsibility for ourselves onto others or, in the intensity of the struggle, repress that which is essential to being fully human. This is not an ancient phenomenon. Those who engage in the spiritual battle today can be tempted in similar ways. Each generation is unique in regards to the nature of the battle but the same pitfalls remain. It is for this reason that the ascetical life cannot be seen as an end in itself. It must begin with Christ, our relationship with him and our trust in his mercy and grace. Devoid of this relationship, the ascetic life can draw us into self focus that is destructive to us both emotionally and spiritually. Thus, our reading of the fathers places upon us a responsibility to be striving at the same time to draw close to Christ. Otherwise, the spiritual life can become a tragic distortion of the truth rather than the source of healing that it is meant to be. The current state of affairs within the life of the Church and the disconnect with this greater spiritual tradition points to such a distortion. When Christianity becomes a cultural phenomenon and whenever even its deepest and most beautiful forms of prayer become habitual and automatic, it becomes lifeless. Let us take heed then of this great responsibility and entrust ourselves to the grace of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. All things are possible with God, but without him there is  only darkness or a sad simulation of faith. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:13:17 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 230, K 00:23:29 Rachel: Is the connection instable for anyone else? 00:23:42 Rachel: unstable* 00:24:21 Monk Maximos: Replying to "unstable*" Mine is fine 00:24:44 Nypaver Clan: Reacted to "Mine is fine" with

What makes a church truly grow? Beyond programs, strategies and even evangelism, there's a crucial ministry that acts as spiritual fertilizer for everything else. In this enlightening message from Acts 11, we discover how Barnabas' ministry of "parakaleo" – encouragement – became the catalyst that transformed the early church in Antioch.The Greek word "parakaleo" combines two powerful ideas: coming alongside someone with sympathy and tenderness, while also directing them toward truth with loving insistence. This balanced approach – truth wrapped in love – creates the perfect environment for spiritual growth. Yet most of us naturally fall off this balance beam, either being too harsh with truth or too soft with affirmation.Why is this balance so crucial? Our spiritual growth is constantly hindered by sin's deceptive nature. We remain blind to our most significant flaws, spinning narratives that justify ourselves. Without loving intervention from others who will speak truth while walking patiently with us, we simply won't change. As Hebrews reminds us, we need encouragement "daily" to prevent being hardened by sin's deceit.The remarkable insight from Acts 11 is that when Barnabas began his encouragement ministry in Antioch, "considerable numbers were brought to the Lord." His ministry didn't replace evangelism or teaching – it supercharged them. Like salt that enhances every dish at a meal, encouragement makes every other ministry more effective.What made Barnabas so effective at this difficult balance? He was "full of the Holy Spirit" – the ultimate encourager whom Jesus called the "Paraclete." Only by experiencing the Spirit's perfect blend of truth and love in our own hearts can we effectively minister this way to others.Ready to see transformation in your spiritual life and community? Learn to balance loving support with truthful challenge, and watch how everything else begins to flourish.Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU6kcxNBJ8k

In this episode, Fr. James Brent, O.P., introduces us to what scripture scholars call paraclete promises, which are found throughout scripture and are a great reason to be confident in our prayer before God. Fr. James will point to many of these promises that God has made (which can be found in scripture) and, over the next 5 episodes, he will look at the 5 Paraclete Promises the Lord promised to send in the Upper Room. Pope St. John Paul II focused on these paraclete promises quite a bit. He really believed that this was the place to turn in order for the church and for the world to receive the renewal that we need so desperately.Follow us on: Instagram: ​​​​@contemplatapodcast Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/DominicanFriarsMedia Support: If you want to support this podcast, please visit dominicanfriars.org/contemplata

Fr. Mike continues to examine the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit's mission. We explore the joint mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit. When the Son and the Spirit act, they act together. Fr. Mike emphasizes that though the Son and the Spirit are two distinct persons, they are inseparable. We also examine the proper name of the Holy Spirit and the different titles we use for the Holy Spirit. Today's readings from the Catechism are paragraphs 689-693. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Return of the Man-Child (6)  (audio) David Eells – 4/6/25  We know that in the Gospels, the Lord has shown us that the things that happened in those times are going to happen again around the world. In fact, He gave us these as types and shadows of prophecies which shall come to pass in our days. Praise the Lord! God has hidden so many wonderful things in His Word. Father, we thank You for opening our eyes and bringing us into agreement with You. You say, “How can two walk together except they be agreed?” So, Lord, it is so awesome to see what You are doing so that we can cooperate with You and be used as vessels of Your glory in these coming days. We are just so happy to hear about the great revival You have planned for us that is almost upon us, Lord. We want to be partakers in that and let You use us in it. We thank You so much, Lord, in Jesus' name.  I'd like to go back and talk a little bit more about the John the Baptist ministry because there's much still to cover. (Mat.3:1) And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying, (2) Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (3) For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight (or “make a straight path for Him”). John's job was to prepare people for the coming of Jesus, and there is a corporate John the Baptist ministry in our day whose job it is to prepare for the coming of Jesus in the Man-child.  Remember, Jesus said He was coming again on the morning of the third day (Hosea 6:2), which is where we are now. We're at the third millennial day from Jesus, when He came the first time as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth (Hos.6:3). He came as the former rain, and now He is coming as the latter rain in a corporate body of people. We'll return to that text, but first, let's look at this. (Luk.1:12) And Zacharias was troubled when he saw [him,] and fear fell upon him. (13) But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: because thy supplication is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. (14) And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. (15) For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.   There is also a fulfillment of that in our time. Remember that Paul spoke about being separated from my mother's womb (Gal.1:15), meaning he was being born out of the Jewish religion. In John's case, it could be taken that way as well, although Luke literally meant “from his (John the Baptist's) mother's womb.” I believe this John the Baptist ministry in our day is going to be the spiritual fulfillment of that corporate body. I believe that they will be anointed from their spiritual “mother's womb”, or, in other words, they are delivered out of their religion. The woman in Revelation 12 who birthed the Man-child and other later seeds represents the Church who brings forth these seeds as they grow up and mature.  Luke goes on to describe what we know to be a great revival that is coming because this John the Baptist ministry is on the verge of coming forth, probably after the next great judgment. Luke continues, And many of the children of Israel shall he turn unto the Lord their God (Luk.1:16). Notice that it states “many of the children of Israel,” so this refers to those who were considered to be God's people. However, they were not who they thought they were. Jesus had a great problem with people like that, who believed they were right with God because of their religion. But He said that the Father had sent Him to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24). In our day, we have the same situation. There are a lot of lost sheep in Christianity, and the Man-child ministry of our day is going to be sent to them as the fulfillment of that in our day. (1Co.10:11) Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition (referring to Christians), upon whom the ends of the ages are come. It says, “Many of the children of Israel shall He turn unto the Lord their God.” That's a great revival!  (Luk.1:17) And he shall go before his face (that is, Jesus' face, or in our day, it would be the Man-child's face) in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children … What He means by that, I believe the Lord showed me, and this is also in Malachi, to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,” is that we need the heart that our fathers had. We need to have the diligence and discipleship that our early Church fathers had. God is going to restore what has been lost to the Church for the last 2000 years. He said in Malachi that if He did not do this, He would have to smite the earth with a curse (Mal.4:6). (Luk.1:17) And he shall go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient [to walk] in the wisdom of the just … This will be the result of the John the Baptist ministry in our day. People will be seeking righteousness, purity, holiness, and repentance. This was the main message that John had, to “make ready for the Lord” a people prepared for Him. His ministry will be to prepare hearts to recognize Jesus.  Interestingly, most Christians could not recognize Jesus if He walked in the door. That's the whole reason for this repentance. We don't have eyes to see and ears to hear unless we have repented, which is the ministry of John the Baptist, who came to turn the people back to the Lord. If you turn to the Lord, you can hear and you can see; you can recognize someone spiritual. But not if you're dull of hearing and have closed eyes like Jesus talks about when He says, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given (Mat.13:11). He was referring to His own people here who had become blind and hard of hearing, and who did not recognize Jesus. They didn't know the importance of His words and didn't lay any importance on the sanctification that was in those words. Also, it says, This is He that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight (Mat.3:3). In other words, “make a straight path for your connection with the Lord and His coming into your life.”  This is a part of Isaiah. (Isa.40:1) Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. (2) Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem; and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. It sounds like that's when John came because this is a prophecy of John, which we'll see when we look at the next verses. They had just come through a time of judgment, and this probably softened them up to be ready to repent when John preached and baptized in the river. He said that they had received double for all their sins. As we read on, we are going to see this again. (Isa.40:3) The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of the Lord … The way to the Lord is in the wilderness. It is not in the city; it is not in apostasy; it is not in Babylon.   The way to the Lord is in the wilderness, as Moses told Pharaoh (Exodus 10) because you cannot serve God in Egypt. We have to go into the wilderness to serve God and that's exactly what is going to happen here. We're going into a wilderness where people will once again learn to walk by faith. (Hab.2:4) … But the righteous shall live by his faith. (Heb.10:38) But my righteous one shall live by faith … (Isa.40:3) The voice of one that crieth, Prepare ye in the wilderness the way of the Lord; make level in the desert a highway for our God. In other words, make a way for His entrance into your life. You have to get all the stones out of the way; you have to remove anything that is between you and God. That's what the John the Baptist ministry is going to be all about.  (Isa.40:4) Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low (God is saying about this coming time, that when a person is humbled, then they'll be exalted and when a person is exalted, then they'll be humbled.); and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain: (Isa.40:5) and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. It was prophesied of John to speak this, and in the letter, Isaiah was referring to the coming of Jesus. But Jesus said He was coming again on the morning of the third day, at the latter rain, and He's going to come in His Man-child company first. His purpose is to fill His whole body with His glory. You know that we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory (2Co.3:18). “Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord” is the real Gospel and the people have forgotten that it's the Good News. They've forgotten that the Lord has done this; it is not us. We have faith in Him.  (Isa.40:6) The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. (7) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath (or the “spirit”; it's the same word) of the Lord blewit upon it; surely the people is grass. (8) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever. (9) O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up on a high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold, your God! This is prophesied of John the Baptist. “Behold, your God!”   The Lord is coming, folks! This is an exciting thing about the days to come. We're going to see the Lord again. No, not in His first physical body, but it's going to be Him manifested in His people. This is the great joy that God's people are going to have, and this is why no one will make them afraid in the wilderness because God's people are those who do truly desire Him and invite Him into their hearts to truly live, not as religion says, but for the truth.  The next verse speaks of His coming. (Isa.40:10) Behold, the Lord God will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him … (Isa.53:1) … To whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? That was Jesus and it is still Jesus today. Jesus in you is still the arm of the Lord that strengthens His hands to do His work, and He calls us His hands in Isaiah 53:10. (Isa.40:10) Behold, the Lord God will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for him: Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. Notice that His recompense is before Him. That sounds like what we just read, that Jerusalem has paid double for her sins. It sounds as if judgment is coming before the Lord comes, and I believe that the Lord is showing us exactly that through many revelations, dreams, and visions. We'll return to that topic shortly, but it says, Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the earth (that is where we are), Say ye to the daughter of Zion (The daughter is born-again Zion, the New Jerusalem.), Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him (Isa.62:11). We can see that in two ways: First, we know that Jesus is coming in the Man-child as the white horse rider (Revelation 6:2) to bring judgment, like Moses came to bring judgment. But, and this is very interesting, it could also mean that there will be judgment before He comes, as we just read in Isaiah 40:2. (Isa.40:11) He will feed his flock like a shepherd (Ezekiel 34 refers to that – that He will shepherd His own sheep, His own flock.), he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, [and] will gently lead those that have their young. That sounds great, doesn't it? Praise the Lord! Glory to God! John the Baptist isn't such a bad guy. He's going to bring the beginning of a massive world revival.  (Mat.3:4) Now John himself had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about the Jordan. That sounds like a revival exactly as Luke 1 prophesied of John, that there would be a great move of repentance in God's people. What would cause God's people to repent like this? I believe, according to Isaiah 26, that one of the main things that moves God's people toward repentance is judgment. A very shaking judgment is coming, not only to America, but also to the world, and I believe that this may be the beginning of a John the Baptist ministry, which many will listen to. Something has to happen for God's people to listen and it is spoken about in Isaiah. (Isa.26:8) Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee. So I think God is going to catch people's attention with judgment and then He's going to bring the John the Baptist ministry, which will have a message of repentance.  (Mat.3:5) Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about the Jordan; (6) and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Notice that “Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about the Jordan went out unto him, and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” (Mat.3:7) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: (9) and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. We see here that there were two kinds of people who came to the John the Baptist revival. Those who were worthy and those who were not worthy. So, according to Jesus, even those who were actually sons of their father, the devil (John 8:44), were coming out there to that revival.  Now, it just so happens that we received a revelation that really fits this John the Baptist revival, the repentant burning up of the wood, hay, and stubble, and the two kinds of people there. Kendall Remmick received this on February 7, 2010. My comments are in parentheses.  I was walking down an old, familiar street with a friend whom I never did see in the dream. I knew the person standing next to me was a friend, but I did not know his identity. (It could have been the Lord. Who knows?) The street is the one I used to walk home on every day from school when I was in the first and second grades. (I think he's going to give us a revelation here of the path of immaturity, as you'll realize shortly.) My friend and I walked by one house that had some low evergreen bushes about two feet high, and there was a woman sitting in a chair in the midst of the bushes. She was pregnant and had her hands on either side of her stomach in anticipation of giving birth. In appearance, she was actually a silhouette of a woman, yet still three-dimensional. Inside the silhouette was black darkness, like deep space with no stars. Staring at her was like looking at a portal into darkness. (This is talking about the apostate, immature Church in whom is the absence of God's light. It is space, a vacuum, the absence of many things, but especially God's light. The Church is in bad shape, andi it's not the glorious Church that it's soon to become. God has a plan and He is going to tell you about that here.)  When we walked past her, either my friend or I said, “She's about to give birth to twins.” (The interpretation that came to me as I read this is that the twins represent the end-time Jacobs and Esaus born to the immature Church. Remember Jacob and Esau wrestled in the womb, And the children struggled together within her (Gen.25:22), and they were opposites, weren't they? Jacob is the father of the 12 patriarchs, just as Jesus was the “father” of the 12 patriarch apostles. In our day, the endtime Man-child will be used to raise up the patriarch apostles to the end-time Church. So there are parallels there and history always repeats, so we should expect this. Esau represents those who have sold their birthright, as Paul said in Hebrews 12:16. These two types will be separated at birth, and Esau will persecute Jacob, who is a type of the Man-child. Jacob was the father of the 12 patriarchs, and the Man-child will also raise up the patriarchs in our day. These two different types are being born to this Church, very similar to what we saw in Matthew 3. Some sold their birthright because they were sons of Abraham, and there is the true seed of promise.)  At this point, we looked away and continued to walk forward a few steps. I then stopped and noticed that I had a very small lawnmower in my right hand. The woman who was in the small hedge was behind us now, and the yard had grown very big. The grass needed to be mowed, but it wasn't green. It was golden yellow-brown, like wheat. And I realized that we were there to mow the lawn. (Now we're back to what we just read: (Isa.40:6) The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass … So the yard of the woman, who represents the Church, has a large, grassy lawn, which represents lots of flesh. (Isa.40:6) The voice of one saying, Cry. And one said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. (7) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the breath (or the “spirit”; it's the same word) of the Lord bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass. (8) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand forever. This is truly going to be a revival because of the Spirit of God breathing upon the flesh, withering it up. This is a part of the John the Baptist revelation of Isaiah 40. This is what we need in preparation for the coming of the Lord into our lives in a greater way than we have ever known, in the latter rain movement.)  I looked down at the little lawnmower in my hand. The top of it looked like a regular lawnmower, but the bottom side, where the blades were, looked like a house fan with a safety screen on it. (My interpretation is that a corporate John the Baptist ministry will breathe out the winds of the Spirit. That will cut down the flesh of the Church in repentance to prepare for the coming of the Man-child ministry.) I began to laugh and said, “I can't mow this lawn with this little thing. This lawn is huge!” (Meaning that flesh is abundant in the worldwide Church. This is a worldwide John the Baptist ministry coming to a worldwide Church and their job is cutting the grass. I recently had a lady tell me that she saw me mowing her lawn and I said, “That means I'm cutting your flesh.” This should be the work of every minister, to cut down the flesh to make room for the coming of the Lord.)  My friend said, “Well, sit down on the grass.” (I believe that this represents that these ministers are going to be tested. They haven't been anointed yet, so they'll have to be tested. I believe they're being tested right now, that John the Baptists and the future Man-childs are out there right now. The thing is, they haven't been anointed. I don't know if you've ever noticed, but evangelists like John the Baptist can say less and see more people come to an altar or any other form of receiving the Lord. Their message is very simple, but people just seem to flock to them. It's a gift, an anointing that God gives. These people could be preaching away right now, but it's Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts (Zec.4:6). Great revivals come by the Spirit of God. He is going to grant repentance, the Bible says. He can grant it to anybody. He doesn't even need your help to do it. A great revival is going to be just that; it's going to be a lot of people coming to repentance and wondering what happened. There's nothing from the outside you can observe that would tell you why this is happening, but you know that it's a move of God.)  When they set the mower down in the grass, it cut surprisingly well. But we realized that the lawnmower was way too small, so we agreed that we needed to go home and get a bigger lawnmower. (When the anointing comes on the worldwide John the Baptist ministries from Heaven, which is our real home because this world is not our home and we're going back home, the people will be prepared for the coming of the Man-child ministries. (Mat.11:10) This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send My messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee. Malachi 3:1 calls him “messenger.”   We once had a brother come and share, and the Lord had been telling me for weeks beforehand that this brother was a John the Baptist, and so when I told Brother Brad to put a banner up on the site to let everyone know he was coming, Brad said that the Lord had spoken to him that this was a John the Baptist. I said, “I know that; the Lord has spoken the same thing to me.” And then, the first thing that the brother said when he opened his mouth was that he was a messenger. I said, “Aha! You just confirmed something for me.” Of course, he didn't know that he was a John the Baptist. A lot of people don't know who they are, but it doesn't matter that you don't know who you are. It matters that you follow the Will of God until you find yourself in the Will of God. Praise the Lord! He can do this!)  When I was writing this, a verse came to me. (Amo.7:2) And it came to pass that, when they made an end of eating the grass … (In Daniel 4, the Beast Nebuchadnezzar, who was the head of the Babylonian Empire, had been given over to the mind of a beast and had devoured much flesh. But when he was delivered over to the mind of the beast, he devoured the flesh of the field for seven years, representing the nations that he was conquering. The nations of the Beast were conquered. Why is God raising up the Beast? He's raising up the Beast to cut the grass. He's not raising up just the John the Baptists who preach repentance, but He's also raising up the Beasts that put you on the cross in the first place. People don't want to see the Beast. They don't have any idea what the meaning and the purpose of the Beast is. They don't understand that God raises up the Beast to put His people on the cross; in other words, “to cut the grass,” so that they will humble themselves before God.)  (There's only one escape from the Beast, folks, and people are going to realize that it's going to be the Highway of Holiness. The Beast can't go on the Highway of Holiness. If you're walking holy before the Lord, Isaiah 35 says the Highway of Holiness goes to Zion, the City of God, the holy city, the mountain of God's presence, where also the Beast cannot tread. There is a place of safety from the Beast. God is going to make people understand that and that's why people are going to flock to Zion. We know that the John the Baptist ministry is baptized for the death of the flesh before the Man-child brings the latter rain.)  The lawnmower is the ministry before the latter rain. (He had that right because I had that revelation as I was reading from the top down, and I didn't know he had that there, but the ministry before the latter rain is the John the Baptist ministry. The dry grass is the saints who will die to the flesh. John the Baptist came in the anointing of Elijah, the Bible says. He will also come again in our time, to fulfill this revelation.)  According to Jesus, Elijah comes twice. (Mat.17:10) And his disciples asked Him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come? (11) And he answered and said, Elijah indeed cometh, and shall restore all things: (12) but I say unto you, that Elijah is come already (So He said that Elijah was future and that Elijah had come already.), and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they would. Even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them. (Mat.17:13) Then understood the disciples that He spake unto them of John the Baptist. John the Baptist was Elijah (spiritually), who had come the first time, and now we have another John the Baptist Elijah that is coming. According to Jesus, he is coming twice.  Our text in Matthew 3 is an interesting revelation of a great revival and wave of repentance. We have had revivals, but a revival always starts with repentance, not just questionable signs and wonders. And for wise people, they are not even questionable. John the Baptist preached against such Babylonish hypocrisy as the Saul leadership, which we saw and understood must die before the David leadership could come.  I was talking with a brother one time about the John the Baptist ministry or evangelists in general, about how different they were, in that they generally stuck with the basics. The brother told me that the Lord had been telling him to get back to the basics, and I recognized that was what the Lord had taught me about evangelists or John the Baptist-type ministries. They're speaking to a people who do not have eyes to see or ears to hear, but through the preaching of repentance God is going to give them eyes and ears. They need to get the basics first in order to come into the Kingdom. The John the Baptists and evangelists both are speaking to people who are not yet fully manifested coming into the Kingdom, and also to apostate ministries, to bring them to repentance. You cannot bring a deep word; in fact, a deep word will just hinder their work.  John the Baptist had a real simple message of repentance, which is more than just crying at an altar. It is changing your mind, turning, going the other way. The Bible says, For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, [a repentance] which bringeth no regret: but the sorrow of the world worketh death (2Co.7:10). That means you might repent, but you'll regret it and go right back where you came from. The sorrow of the world is that way, but real repentance changes a person. It does not matter if you cry or not. Repentance is not necessarily crying; it's changing your mind enough to where you reject your old way of thinking, which is the main problem.  Another text in Matthew 11 speaks about John the Baptist's simple ministry, and perhaps he didn't yet understand a few things. It seems very plain here. (Mat.11:1) And it came to pass when Jesus had finished commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and preach in their cities. (2) Now when John heard in the prison the works of the Christ, he sent by his disciples (3) and said unto him, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another? Now, why did he say that? It may be that Jesus was not living up to expectations, not that Jesus wasn't already doing great work. Maybe in John's eyes He wasn't living up to the expectations of what they thought the Messiah was going to bring. I'm referring to the religious crowd of his day; they didn't expect Him to come this way or act this way. John likely had some of that in him because he asked the question through his disciples, “Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another?”   (Mat.11:4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and tell John the things which ye hear and see: (5) the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good tidings preached to them. (6) And blessed is he, whosoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me. Well, that was a mild reproof for John, to tell John, “You shouldn't stumble; don't stumble in Me.” Jesus was the “stone of stumbling” (Romans 9:33) and people did stumble over Jesus. But He warned John not to stumble over Him because there was a big difference between their ministries. John preached repentance and Jesus was an enigmatic teacher of the deep things of God. He had deep revelations of these things. We never had any sign that John ever went beyond the basic preaching of faith and repentance, which is what is needed to prepare the way for the coming of the teaching. People are not even interested in that unless they have changed their mind and turned to God. We hear many times of people who, after repenting and turning to God, ask Him to lead them to truth, and God did that for them. He led them to truth because they had repented and truly became a disciple, but they needed some “food.”  The important thing is that when John is through with you, you're ready for Jesus. That is what's coming in our day. When an evangelist is through with you, you're ready for a teacher. So God is laying the foundation, and He always does a very good job of that. (Mat.11:7) And as these went their way, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind? (8) But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft [raiment]? Behold, they that wear soft [raiment] are in king's houses. John was not a fancy person at all, was he? He certainly did not eat fancy food. (Mat.11:9) But wherefore went ye out? to see a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. This is a great prophet. (10) This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee. As we'll see a little further down in the text, John was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, according to Jesus, not because he spoke a lot of great things, but because of the anointing and the preparation and the job that he had to do. Once again, God is choosing a people through whom He is going to do a great work. Many of God's people are going to turn to God through this ministry, a worldwide ministry.  (Mat.11:11) Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is but little in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. In Jesus' day, John came at the end of the Old Covenant and was an Old Covenant prophet who was, at that time, preparing for a New Covenant; it was the old order preparing for the new order. The old and new orders are slightly different in our day but still have to follow according to the pattern. The old order in our day is the former rain ministry, and I know not many people have even come into that. This is really sad because, if you just read the Bible and pay attention to it, not getting distracted by religion, you cannot help but realize that you're supposed to be filled with God's Holy Spirit.  I believe the John the Baptist ministries that are coming in our day are going to fulfill being in the end of an old order, to prepare the way for the coming of a new order, which is the Man-child ministry. The John the Baptist in our day is going to come as the greatest prophet of the former rain and be a great ministry, bringing in multitudes of people. He will have the gifts of the former rain and be a former rain prophet, but the Man-child ministry is coming with the latter rain. That's the anointing that will fall upon the Man-child. The anointing that fell upon Jesus was the former rain, but the latter rain will fall upon the Man-child. We know that Jesus said He was coming again after two days on the morning of the third day, as the latter rain (Hosea 6:2-3).  So you see, Jesus is coming again, but this time He's coming as the new order for our day. He came as the new order for His day last time, and He's coming as the new order this time, as well, but He's coming after a John the Baptist ministry, which will be the greatest of the old order former rain. We know that the prophecy says that the rain will come, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first [month] (Joe.2:23). We see that there's a revival coming and it's going to be a revival of the former rain and the latter rain. The latter rain is going to supersede the former rain, and John the Baptist said just that. (Joh.3:30) He must increase, but I must decrease. In other words, “Don't get your eyes on me too long, boys, because there is coming One whose shoe latchets, I am not worthy to undo” (John 1:27). So John's disciples started getting the revelation of Who Jesus was, and they started following Him. John freely admitted that he was not the Messiah, but that the One Who was coming was greater.  (Mat.11:12) And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force. How much more is this going to be true in the coming revival? Why do we have to take the Kingdom by force? Because there is a whole army standing against you, one over which you have been given authority. (Luk.10:19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. He gives us authority, but we have to fight a spiritual warfare to take the Kingdom of Heaven. It has been given, but you still have to take it with your “sword” (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). When God sent the children of Israel to take the Promised Land, they had to take it with their sword. God said, “You go in there with your sword, and I will be with you.” Basically, that's where we are today. We have to take the Kingdom with our sword. Why? Because there's a second heaven before the third Heaven.  We dwell in the first heaven, but the second heaven is filled with the principalities, powers, and world-rulers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12) that do everything they can to keep us from reaching the third Heaven. We don't take the Kingdom from God; we're taking it from these spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places] (Eph.6:12). By the way, Paul was a type of the Man-child who entered the third Heaven. He said that he fought the good fight and finished the race (2 Timothy 4:7). We are fighting a fight to take the Kingdom of God, but we must take it here. People think that you don't enter the Kingdom on Earth, but you do. (Luk.17:20) And being asked by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God cometh, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: (21) neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you. So He says, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force (Mat.11:12). Remember the authority that the Lord gave you. You have a right to everything that the Lord says is yours in this Book, but that doesn't mean you're going to get it if you don't take up your sword and fight. For everything that God has given you, you may have to fight. Don't expect God to just lay it in your hand. You may have to speak faith, act faith, and repent to receive it.  (Luk.17:13) For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. (14) And if ye are willing to receive [it,] this is Elijah, that is to come. (15) He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Praise the Lord! And so it is, we are about to enter into more of the Kingdom than we have ever experienced, or anybody has experienced, except the Lord. We're going to enter into it right here. And for some people to receive the former rain, repent of their sins, and become true disciples, it's going to be because of John's ministry. Then the Man-child ministry shall come, which is the latter rain. During the first 3½ years of Jesus' ministry, He was the only One Who had the former rain. When He was baptized by John in the river, He came up and the Spirit of God came upon Him; that was the former rain. At the end of His 3½-year ministry, He breathed on His disciples and said, Receive ye the Holy Spirit (Joh.20:22).   Their former rain came out of Jesus and in our day, it's a perfect parallel because the John the Baptist ministry in our day is going to have the former rain, while the Man-child ministry in whom Jesus lives is going to have the latter rain for the first 3½ years. At the end of that time, they're going to pass on their mantle to their disciples. Why didn't the disciples need it during the first 3½ years? It's because they were being trained under Jesus' authority. He said that He would send them “another Comforter” (Greek: Paraclete; John 14:16). Jesus was also a Paraclete, meaning “One who stands beside and helps.” But the Holy Spirit was also a Paraclete, and Jesus went away in order to send the Holy Spirit, Who would manifest Him in those disciples.  So for the first 3½ years, Jesus' disciples were given authority by Him to go and do the things that they would do. They needed the other Paraclete when Jesus left in order to continue with the anointing and the power. Jesus was the only One Who had the former rain for the first 3½ years, but He imparted that mantle to them, as Elijah had done to Elisha (2 Kings 2:13), who turned and faced 42 youths who were mauled by two bears (2 Kings 2:23-24). The bears were the Beast, and the 42 youths represented the 42 months of the last 3½ years. We're seeing the parallel there of passing on this anointing, this mantle. Elijah passed his mantle to Elisha, who went out and performed more miracles than Elijah ever did. So did the disciples of Jesus; they went out and did greater works than Jesus (John 14:12) because they were multiplied. This was Jesus in all of them, going out and performing the same works that Jesus was doing, so it was multiplied into many greater works.  This is going to be repeated again and the reason this revival is going to spread all over the world is because of a geometric progression, or the “stadium effect” we've spoken of before. The stadium effect is a circle inside a circle inside a circle, and each circle that receives the words spoken in the center passes it on to a larger circle. Everyone who receives the Word passes it on to more than one person, creating a progressively larger circle. Geometric progression is going to turn the world upside-down in these coming days, just as it did for these disciples. The Man-child ministry is going to teach under the latter rain for the first 3½ years and will impart that to the disciples, who are going to go on in the second 3½ years to raise up the five-fold ministry (Ephesians 4:11), and so on and so forth.  We saw in Acts 16 that Jesus was still with them in Spirit, just as Moses went halfway through the wilderness and had to put a veil on his face because there was a glorified man underneath. Then Moses went with the Israelites the rest of the way through the wilderness, which represents the last 3½ years of the Tribulation. We know that the wilderness is, according to Revelation 12 and 17, the first and second 3½ years of the Tribulation. So, every Man-child type in Scripture adds more and more detail to the final revelation. Praise God! He's going to do an awesome miracle, an awesome revival, that will start with John the Baptist and be carried on through Jesus and the Two Witnesses because they're the ones who were trained by Jesus. He sent them out two-by-two, in every place that He was about to go. Where is He going? The whole world, For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man (Mat.24:27). That anointing will be passed from these ministries throughout the Church in this way and Jesus is going to raise up a body in His image. He will raise up the body of Christ.  We have been calling ourselves the body of Christ for a long time, but Jesus lives in the body of Christ, and He ministers from the body of Christ, so we're going to really see the body of Christ in the earth. Jesus will be famous from here on out. For the last 2000 years, His name has been small among the nations, but not so from here onward. The Lord is going to manifest His glory in this earth and people will fear the name of the Lord. They are either going to love Him or fear Him, but He is coming again, though not in the way the Pharisees and the Sadducees think. He didn't come the last time the way they thought He would, either. Once again, God has hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes (Mat.11:25). Praise God!   The Lord has a great plan to once again hide these things from the Pharisees and the Sadducees of our day. They will not understand it; they will not believe it; they cannot see Him, and they do not know Him. But, as Jesus said, those who come as a child to the Kingdom of God will do awesome wonders in the power of God, like He did through those ignorant fishermen. They were like babes to the great theologians who looked down on them, but these were the true believers, the true people of God. And in our day, it's going to be God coming in simplicity through John the Baptist. You couldn't imagine John the Baptist in a suit and tie in the wilderness, could you? He was a simple man here for a very important purpose, and I will guarantee you that's exactly what is going to happen. Praise God!   Thank You, Lord, for doing a mighty work. Amen!   The things God has spoken in Matthew are prophetic of something to come in the future. The prophet Isaiah also said the same thing: (Isa.7:14) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign (The Hebrew word there is uwth, meaning “a sign of something to come.”): behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Jesus' birth to the virgin Mary was for a sign and we've discovered that Jesus' ministry was a sign of the coming Man-child ministry. When we look in the Gospels, we can also see a prophetic word about the coming days. Our study has reached the part where Jesus was anointed of the Holy Spirit, so we'll continue there. (Mat.3:16) And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him; (17) and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. This, too, is a prophecy of the things to come. As you know, Jesus spoke to us in John 16 and said that He was going to come again as a baby born to a woman, “a woman when she is in travail” (John 16:21). When we look all the way through the Bible, we come to Revelation 12:2 and there's the woman in travail with the Man-child.  After the sign that Jesus gave us here in Matthew, we know the Man-child is a corporate body coming forth in our day. It's interesting that everything that happened in the former rain is going to happen in the latter rain and this Spirit of God falling upon Jesus at this particular time was the outpouring of the former rain of the Holy Spirit that Joel prophesied would restore all things to the people of God (Joel 2:23). The former rain was given to Jesus first, who taught His disciples for 3½ years and then breathed on them, saying, Receive ye the Holy Spirit (Joh.20:22). Ten days later, a mighty, rushing wind came into their presence and baptized all of them in the Holy Spirit and they received the former rain.   But Jesus had it first and was the One Who breathed it on the disciples. Paul said that Jesus is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence (Col.1:18). And He is going to have the preeminence this time, as well. Many people leave Him out of their Manchild theology, but the point is that it is the Lord Who is coming to do this. The Lord came with the former rain, and He is the One coming with the latter rain, although He's coming in a different body. It is still Him coming to do it. He came in the body of the Son of David, the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15).  I know people want to make that the “seed of God,” but That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (Joh.3:6). Jesus was declared to be of the seed of David according to the flesh (Rom.1:3), but declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness (4). God was the Father of the spiritual man Jesus, the Son of God, Who came from Heaven, and it was Mary's seed that was the son of David. Jesus said, a body didst thou prepare for me (Heb.10:5), and that body was from man. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Once again, the Lord is going to take on a human body in these days and the body gets no credit; it is the Lord Who gets the credit.   But the Lord is coming to start the latter rain and though you've heard this before, I'll share it with you again briefly. (Hos.6:2) After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. (3) And let us know, let us follow on to know the Lord: 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. “He will come unto us … as the latter rain that watereth the earth.” This is referring to the epiphany of Jesus, not the parousia of Jesus. The parousia is the physical coming of Jesus, but this latter rain is the epiphany of Jesus coming in His body. The first-fruits who are going to receive this blessing are called the Man-child ministry and it's on the morning of the “third day,” exactly what we see here in the text. It is Jesus who is coming to anoint His people and to, once again, sit upon the throne of David, as Luke 1:32 tells us; Jesus sat upon the throne of David.  The Bible also tells us, by the way, that the Man-child is going to be caught up unto God, and unto his throne (Rev.12:5). A lot of people do not realize that the throne the Man-child is caught up to is not some throne up in Heaven, way out yonder. It's the Kingdom of Heaven here. The “throne” that Jesus was caught up to is that He was given the throne of David to rule over Israel and He even came in the triumphal procession into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9; John 12:13), where it was quoted, Behold, thy King cometh … (Mat.21:5; Joh.12:15). Of course, He wasn't treated like a King, was He? He was a King Who was born of the seed of David and was to sit on David's throne and rule Israel. The Bible tells us, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king (Jer.23:5), and that David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel (Jer.33:17). So, once again, the Man-child is caught up to the throne, but I want to tell you Who rules on that throne: it is not the Man-child; it is Jesus! Jesus is coming as the latter rain to rule.  Here's another verse that pertains to this: (2Ch.9:8) Blessed be the Lord thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God. He's talking about the throne of David. We are still talking about flesh, aren't we? Who is that Spirit in David? Paul spoke about the Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets and that Spirit of Christ was pointing toward the suffering of Christ in our day. So, who was in David who manifested that righteousness and goodness? It was Christ. He has always been on the throne; nobody else is going to sit on the throne. Oh, yes, there will be fleshly bodies that rule, just like there are in the Church today. There's the five-fold ministry that God raised up, and those are now our leaders in the Church. They rule, yet they really only have a gift that comes from the Lord, and it's the Lord manifested in them to Whom we are submitting. Paul said, Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ (1Co.11:1). In other words, “Follow me as I follow the Lord.”  The latter rain is in complete parallel to the former rain and the Lord is coming to rule in a body, to raise up the whole Church into His Image, the glory of God. (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. That's the Gospel! I believe that the Man-child is the first-fruits in our day to reach sun glory. There is “star glory,” there is “moon glory,” and there is “sun glory,” the three glories that Paul spoke about in 1 Corinthians 15:40-41. He said that we grow through each of them in stages to come to maturity in Christ, Who is sun glory  Notice that one of the key words spoken in the verses that we looked at from Hosea 6:3 is “rain.” (Hos.6:3) He will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth. This “rain” keys in on quite a few verses, especially in the Old Testament. Those verses give us little clues as to what's going to happen in the latter rain, not only for the Church, but also in the Tribulation, because the latter rain happens in the Tribulation, which is “on the morning of the third day,” the third thousand years from when Jesus came.   Now let's look at Micah 5. The chapter starts out speaking about Jesus. (Mic.5:2) But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel (that was Jesus); whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. (3) Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth (That's the woman bringing forth the Man-child in Revelation 12. He has given them up, but they are going to come back.): then the residue of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. However, the children of Israel in the New Testament are not those who are circumcised in flesh but circumcised in heart. That's what Paul tells us in Romans 2:28-29. His brethren are going to come back to the children of Israel, the ones who are grafted into the olive tree. As the Bible tells us, they're going to be grafted again back into their own olive tree that they were broken off from because of unbelief (Romans 11:23).   This is what He's referring to right here, but the wonderful thing, the thing that excites me, is this: (Mic.5:4) And he shall stand, and shall feed [his flock] in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God: and they shall abide; for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. This is the Lord coming as the latter rain, at the time that the woman brings forth the Man-child, and it says He is going to feed His flock. That excites me! The Lord is coming, folks! I love to think about His coming. He's coming to feed us and minister to us. The Lord is angry with the shepherds and what they have done unto His flock, as He tells you all through the Old Testament.  Some key verses that refer to the latter rain begin a little further down. (Mic.5:7) And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples as dew from the Lord, as showers upon the grass (There it is again, “showers upon the grass.”), that tarry not for man, nor wait for the sons of men. Wow! They are not dependent on this world, are they? People who love the latter rain are just carried by it. Without the Spirit of God, it is such a struggle to live and do His work and to minister as He called us to minister. It's a struggle without the Word of God. He makes it easy. We're supposed to give Him our burdens (Matthew 11:28-30). It's Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts (Zec.4:6). It will get done by God's Spirit. We have now wasted almost 2000 years and made very little progress, as far as Christianity being born in the earth, as Isaiah 26 tells us. In just a very short time, the anointing of God is going to do its work. The Lord Jesus is coming with that anointing to sit once more on the throne of David and rule over His born-again people.  (Mic.5:8) And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples (We are spread throughout the world among the beasts of the field, the Beast being the nations of lost mankind.), as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep; who, if he go through, treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and there is none to deliver. (9) Let thy hand be lifted up above thine adversaries, and let all thine enemies be cut off. He is referring to the Lord here, the Lord in His people. The Lord stands and feeds His flock, and the Lord raises up “seven shepherds, and eight principal men,” or “princes among men,” as stated in Micah 5:5. The seven shepherds are like the apostle John, who was also caught up to the throne as a type of the Man-child, but he gave a revelation of the end time to seven angels, who were then to bring it to the Church. The word “angel” is the same word as “messenger,” and it's used in the New Testament for not only heavenly-type angels or messengers but also earthly ministers. John is giving his revelation to seven ministers, who go forth to the seven churches. This is what Jesus did. He raised up disciples to go forth to the 12 tribes because He was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. John raised up seven ministers to go forth and bring the message of the end time to the seven churches. Here in this text, we see the same thing. We see the seven princes among men, and the eighth is Jesus in the midst.  We also see here that they are going to be used to bring judgment in the earth, that they will be like a lion and not like lambs. Jesus came as a Lamb and He sent out His sheep to be lambs in the midst of wolves (Luke 10:3), but now He is saying they will be like lions. Not only are they going to bring the Gospel, but they are also going to bring judgment, like the Two Witnesses company brought judgment upon the earth. The Two Witnesses represent the disciples of Jesus because Jesus sent them forth two-by-two, corporately, to the places He was supposed to go, and the same thing is going to happen to the Man-child ministers: they are going to send forth witnesses, two-by-two, and they are going to speak judgments. It is like Revelation 11 on the earth and upon the wicked. No, it's not going to be like a lamb this time. It's going to be the Lamb and the Lion this time.   There is judgment coming with the latter rain movement because the end is near. All nations are going to persecute the saints, but God is not going to leave them defenseless. He is raising up a Man-child ministry, who is raising up a Two Witness ministry, which is raising up a five-fold ministry. Remember the disciples that Jesus sent out ordained a five-fold ministry to lead and guide the Church. This is what we're referring to that will happen again in our day. The Spirit that is upon Jesus, the mantle that is upon Him, He put upon His disciples, and they put it upon the five-fold ministry, and so on. This same thing is going to happen. The anointing that is upon Jesus coming as the latter rain is going to be put upon His disciples, etc. This anointing is the latter rain. It's the power of the Holy Spirit.  There's another way that God speaks about coming judgment. (Rev.6:1) And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals (the first seal), and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, Come. (2) And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown (this is the crown of David): and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. Notice that he had a bow but no arrows, and this is the first judgment. I have shared before that this is not really referring to the Antichrist, nor literally Christ. It's referring to the Man-child ministry, which is coming with judgment. Moses was the Man-child ministry in his day and he loosed all of the “horses” of judgment in his day. All of them followed his ministry. All of the judgments that fell upon Egypt came right out of Moses' mouth, and this is the same thing that's about to happen, according to type and shadow. The Man-child is the first judgment and because of his ministry, all those other horse judgments and the other seals are loosed upon the earth. This white horse rider is none other than the Lord in His Man-child.  We can see the same thing here: (Zec.10:1) Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain (We need to be praying for that now because it is very near.), [even of] the Lord that maketh lightnings; and he will give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. There are ‘the showers' on the grass again. Peter said, All flesh is as grass (1Pe.1:24), and yet, the Lord said that He was going to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh (Acts 2:17). That refers to the Church because that is “all flesh,” men and women out of all nations. He is pouring out His rain upon the “grass of the field,” which Jesus said was the world (Matthew 13:38). This gives you the timing that we are talking about in the latter rain; this is a prophecy of our time. If we go back one chapter, we read, For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim (Zec.9:13). What does Judah represent? Well, Jerusalem the Bride came from Judah, and David was from Jerusalem, and David ruled over the Bride in Jerusalem over the rest of Israel. He says, “I have filled the bow with Ephraim,” and the name “Ephraim” means “the fullness of nations.” That refers to what we just studied in Revelation; it's a different parable, but it means the same thing. A remnant of Jacob or Israel was going to be used by God and was going to receive the anointing of the Man-child through the seven shepherds, who went to the churches, etc.  So how is this going to spread all over the world in just seven short years? It will be like a geometric progression, starting with a 144,000-member Man-child, first-fruits people with an anointing. And that anointing is nothing to belittle; look at the miracles that Jesus did. And then consider the miracles that Jesus is going to do because The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former (Hag.2:9). The miracles of the Man-child through the Two Witnesses, through the five-fold ministry, and through the Church will spread very quickly. God is doing a quick work here, for the Lord will execute [his] word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short (Rom.9:28) in righteousness. He will fill His bow with Ephraim. Notice also that the Man-child who rode upon the white horse had a bow, but he did not have any arrows. He had already sent forth His arrows.   The Bible says that our children are our arrows. (Psa.127:4) As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, So are the children of youth. Jesus called His disciples “children” (John 21:5) and He sent them forth. He drew the bow and sent them forth as His arrows to bring His anointed, His works, and His ministry all around the world. The exact same thing is going to happen again. (Zec.9:13) For I have bent Judah for me, I have filled the bow with Ephraim; and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion (the Bride), against thy sons, O Greece (the Beast at that particular time), and will make thee as the sword of a mighty man. Anytime one of the Beasts (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, Rome, etc.) is mentioned in the Bible, it's a type and a shadow of the end time. Well, He says He would stir up sons, so there's a war preparing to happen here.  Let's see what He says about this white horse rider. (Zec.10:1) Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain, [even of] the Lord that maketh lightnings; and he will give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. (2) For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams, they comfort in vain. He's referring to the ministry that is there when the Man-child comes. It's the same as the ministry that was there when Jesus came. They were into a lot of falsehood – a lot of false prophets, false shepherds – and they had dealt corruptly. The Lord was judging them, but He did not judge them like He is about to judge this time because it is the Lion who is coming this time. (Zec.10:2) For the teraphim have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie; and they have told false dreams, they comfort in vain: therefore they go their way like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is no shepherd. Remember, the Lord is mourning because there is not a shepherd in Israel. They are like sheep scattered without a shepherd. Of course, they had shepherds, but God was not calling them “shepherds” and that's the problem. So the Lord sent His Own right arm, the Lord Jesus.  (Zec.10:3) Mine anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the he-goats; for the Lord of hosts hath visited his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as his goodly horse in the battle. You know, all those horses in Revelation 6 represent the harnessing of the flesh to do work. They were all judgments, but God was using different flesh to bring each kind of judgment. The kind of flesh that the Man-child is riding here is talking about Judah. David's authority was first received by the Bride because the capital city was Zion, which represents the Bride, and David was king in Zion.   The house of Judah will be “his goodly horse in the battle.” (Zec.10:4) From him shall come forth the corner-stone (which we know has happened), from him the nail (which we also know has happened), from him the battle bow … (And we know that happened. He sent forth Judah and Ephraim as the arrows. Judah is once again going to be in leadership, including the Lord Himself, Who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. They will raise up the whole Church and that's what Ephraim represents as the “fullness of nations.”), from him every ruler together. (Zec.10:5) And they shall be as mighty men, treading down [their enemies] in the mire of the streets in the battle … A lot of people do not know the authority God has given His people, especially in a time when grace is being taken from some. There is going to come a time during the Tribulation period when nobody else will repent. In fact, God will turn away from the Gentiles and He will turn to the remnant of the Jews that He is going to bring in, like He said He was going to do, back in Romans 11.  Once again, this white horse rider is going to bring judgment in the earth, like Moses did with the judgments he brought. (Zec.10:5) And they shall be as mighty men, treading down [their enemies] in the mire of the streets in the battle; and they shall fight, because the Lord is with them … That's another meaning of “Immanuel.” Remember the sign that the woman would conceive and bring forth a son and they would call His name “Immanuel,” meaning “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14)? Once again, “God is with us” because the Man-child is going to be born to the woman and God is going to be with us again. This is not saying that men will be God. It's saying that God is coming to do His works. If that offends anyone out there listening, the Bible says through Paul, Or know ye not as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed ye be reprobate (2Co.13:5). To the extent that you are bearing the fruit of Jesus, 30-, 60- and 100-fold, as in the Parable of the Sower, to that extent Jesus lives in you. We're just talking about Him coming in maturity in some people first in order to lead the rest into the same maturity. It's still Jesus, and He is still the Son of God. He is still God. (Zec.10:5) And they shall be as mighty men, treading down [their enemies] in the mire of the streets in the battle; and they shall fight, because the Lord is with them; and the riders on horses shall be confounded. Now, what is this referring to? God is leading the horsemen, yes, but they don't have any effect upon God's people. If you remember, in the Exodus, the judgments that fell upon Egypt, God separated His people in Goshen from those judgments (Exodus 8:22). So the riders on horses will be confounded in one aspect and that is concerning God's people because they are under the Passover; they are not under the curse.  (Zec.10:6) And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them back (Back from where? Bring them back from Babylon, back from bondage. They were the first ones to come out of bondage and build the city of God.); for I have mercy upon them; and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the Lord their God, and I will hear them. (7) And [they of] Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine; yea, t

Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the Trinity. As such we do not refer to the Spirit as “it” or “that”, but rather Him! Wherever the Holy Spirit is, the Father and Son are also present because they are one (John 14v18-23). The Ministry of the Holy Spirit What is the ministry of the Holy Spirit and His relationship with you as a Christian Disciple? 1. Glorify Christ: His prime role is that He will glorify Jesus Christ the Son of God (John 16v13-14). He does this by testifying (John 15v26) and witnessing for (Acts 1v8) Jesus Christ. 2. The Paraclete – Comforter: He stands alongside (John 14v16) and lives in all believers (John 16v7). 3. Declares God’s Word: For you, the Holy Spirit interprets and illuminates the Bible, as you submit to Him and the Bible (John 16v12-15; 1 Corinthians 2v10-16)! 4. Convicts: The Holy Spirit convicts you of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16v8) 5. Salvation: As Christian Disciple, you are born of the Holy Spirit (John 3v3-8). For without the Holy Spirit, nobody can be a Christian Disciple (Romans 8v9; Gal 2v20; Colossians 1v25-27) 6. Sealing / Ownership: The Holy Spirit indwelling you is assured proof of you being God’s possession (2 Corinthians 1v22; Ephesians 1v3), for the Holy Spirit is a deposit, guaranteeing your future redemption, salvation and inheritance (Ephesians 1v13; 2 Corinthians 1v22). 7. Filling: This speaks of the Holy Spirit’s control or domination of your life. The imperative here is that we are to be filled, and go on being filled (Ephesians 5v18). 8. Sanctification: As you walk, live in, and are led by the Holy Spirit, you are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 7-18), (Galatians. 5v16; Romans 8v13). 9. Baptism: While this Holy Spirit baptism usually occurs at your conversion, it does sometimes after afterwards! The Biblical accounts show both of these occurrences. As Billy Graham once said “I don’t care how you get Him – get Him!” 10. Service: The Holy Spirit equips you for service by giving you spiritual gifts and working in you to will and to act according to His purpose (Philippians 2v13). Finally, how is the Spirit seen? The Spirit’s work is in greatest evidence, where people’s lives become more holy and more like Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12v3; 2 Corinthians 13v7). Look back on your life and see how the Holy Spirit has been working in and transforming you since your conversion. Then ask Him to reveal to you the areas you still need transforming. Click or tap here to download as a mp3

Message from Liturgist David Piorek, entitled "The Paraclete." For more information, visit sntandrews.org. © St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church.

John 15:26-16:15 The Paraclete

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Because you're living the most complete and powerful prayer you can pray- Thy Will be done.

The gospel of John records Jesus introducing the concept of the Holy Spirit to His disciples shortly before His death and resurrection, and the word He used was the word Paraclete. This Greek word has many interpretations, from counselor to comforter, but in all its meanings, it sheds some very important light on who the Holy Spirit is and what He does. In this message, we're going to explore the roles that the Holy Spirit plays in our lives, and come to a greater love and appreciation for all that He does for us.Visit us online at http://www.fathershouseportland.org

The Catechism introduces us to the Holy Spirit and describes how the Spirit reveals the Father and the Son to us. It also gives us some background and context regarding the way we describe the Holy Spirit in the Roman Catholic Church compared to the way that the Eastern Orthodox Church describes the Holy Spirit. Fr. Mike breaks it down for us and gives us some hope for a future reconciliation between Eastern and Western Churches. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 243-248. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

John 14:16 (NLT) - And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,* who will never leave you.

John 14:16 (NLT) - And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,* who will never leave you.

(5:11) Bible Study: Mark 3:22-30 What is the sin against the Holy Spirit? Father Explains Hebrews 9:15, 24-28 This text is used as reason why we don’t believe in reincarnation. (20:57) Break 1 (29:48) Letters: Father shares what it means that the Holy Spirit is the Paraclete as well as answering questions about a rabbi from medieval times and other obscure details. Father Answers these and other questions. Send him a letter at simon@relevantradio.com (34:53) Break 2 (35:52) Word of the Day: Love (39:58) Phones: Richard - my cousin said that Rosary is like the ouija board. you try to conjure up good spirits with Rosary. John - 4 cups. could you explain what the 4 cups are in Jewish tradition and how Jesus fulfills the new covenant with these cups? Lisa - Mass offered person who wasn’t religious. is that ok? Michael - phrases in today's 1st reading. what is the meaning of Hebrews 9:15? Meg – Why is sacrifice so important?

John 14:16 (NLT) - And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,* who will never leave you.

John 14:16 (NLT) - And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,* who will never leave you.

John 14:16 (NLT) - And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,* who will never leave you.

John 14:16 (NLT) - And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,* who will never leave you.

Listen along as we begin our series on the Holy Spirit. Notes//Quotes: Acts 1:6-11 - Josh Reading We believe that this salvation, attested in all Scripture and secured by Jesus Christ, is applied to his people by the Holy Spirit. Sent by the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ, and, as the other Paraclete, is present with and in believers. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and by his powerful and mysterious work regenerates spiritually dead sinners, awakening them to repentance and faith, and in him they are baptized into union with the Lord Jesus, such that they are justified before God by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. By the Spirit's agency, believers are renewed, sanctified, and adopted into God's family; they participate in the divine nature and receive his sovereignly distributed gifts. The Holy Spirit is himself the down payment of the promised inheritance, and in this age indwells, guides, instructs, equips, revives, and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.   We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. “The key affirmations are: (1) The Holy Spirit is God, being called "the Lord" and, together with God the Father and God the Son, being the object of worship and adoration. (2) The Holy Spirit is a divine Person, the Third Person of the Trinity, proceeding from both the person of the Father and the person of the Son. (3) Two major works in which the Holy Spirit (without separation from the Father and the Son) is involved are as the "Giver of life" — creation/re-creation/perfection-and as the one who spoke by prophets— revelation-with particular reference to Scripture, the written Word of the triune God.” —Allison & Kostenberger “The presupposition is that, far too often, we settle for and suffer "parched lives, in need of renewal and refreshment. Tragically, some believers and churches are skeptical about and even afraid of the presence and work of the Spirit. Their mistrust and dread are often due to poor or absent teaching about the Holy Spirit and/or bizarre experiences with extreme forms of Pentecostalism and/or the Charismatic movement. Such suspicion and trepidation, even when properly held, too often result in a suspicion of rightful experiences of the Spirit. Our pneumatology, with its emphasis on a renewing experience of the Spirit, seeks to prompt believers and churches to move beyond cynicism and fear. Indeed, it affirms, "Without the active presence of the Spirit of God there must be a desperate vacuum at the heart of the Christian life”  For believers and churches who find themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum, our doctrine of the Holy Spirit cautions them against overly emphasizing the Spirit's "bold" or "miraculous" manifestations but to expect with joy and thanksgiving the Spirit's "mundane" or "normal" works. From a simple prayer like "Spirit, fill me!" as they tumble out of bed in the morning to their daily reading of Scripture, and from their trust in and obedience to th  Spirit-breathed Word of God to going about their work as spouses, singles, parents, educators, small business owners, carpenters, farmers, homemakers, and more, they should be renewed by the spirit in the routines of life.” Allison and Kostenberger

The Holy Spirit comes alongside us to bear our burdens, defend us, and give us strength and courage. Today, Barry Cooper examines a Greek word that richly illustrates our relationship with Christ and His Spirit. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/simply-put/paraclete/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

As the most misunderstood and underappreciated person of the Trinity, we often fail to invoke the power of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. So we need to better understand Pentecost, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, etc. Become a Marian Helper!Discover more about the Catholic faith on Divine Mercy Plus! 

Jesus tells the disciples that they will receive the Holy Spirit. John calls him a Paraclete just like Jesus was. What is he? Let's find out together as we read Acts 1-3.

Send Us Feedback via TextKirk Verner is a true legend in skydiving, with a remarkable career spanning decades. As a founding member of Arizona Airspeed, Kirk has amassed an incredible 72 gold medals at world and national levels in both 4-Way and 8-Way formation skydiving. His achievements place him among the most successful competitors in the history of the sport.Kirk has also made significant contributions beyond competition. He captained both the 300- and 400-way world record formations and has coached thousands of skydivers, revolutionizing training and flying techniques in both indoor and outdoor settings. He's held leadership roles, including as a USPA National Director and chairman of the competition committee, and currently serves as the General Manager of Skydive Paraclete XP in Raeford, NC.In 2022, Kirk was inducted into the International Skydiving Hall of Fame. Just weeks after his induction, he secured another victory at the World Championships in Eloy, Arizona, the birthplace of Airspeed. His team continued their winning streak by claiming gold at the US Nationals and World Championships in Beaufort, NC, setting records with 37 points in a single round and achieving the highest average in 8-Way history with 23.9 points. Kirk's legacy in the sport continues to grow.

As Paul addresses some of the problems with the church in Corinth, he is most concerned with how corporate worship is conducted. Is it a symphony of harmonizing parts for the common good? Does it build up all who are gathered? Temple – build up, edify: seven times (3, 4 (twice), 5, 12, 17, 26 Paul is using a metaphor related to building a temple, of building up the corporate Temple of the Holy Spirit, the Body of Jesus, Jesus himself being the True Temple. Peter uses the same metaphor: “You yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood…” I Pet. 2:5 As we consider prophecy and spiritual language (tongues), we need to hear Paul address how the church should function in worship so that all the gifts of the Spirit are offered FOR THE COMMON GOOD. "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” I Cor 12:7 In verse 2 forward, Paul clarifies the proper use of prophecy and tongues in public worship. As we make love our aim, the use of our spiritual gifts has a specific impact on all those gathered in worship. How shall we understand these two gifts? “2 For one who speaks in a tongue speak not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.” 1. This spiritual language called tongues is not speaking horizontally, but vertically, i.e., to God… he utters mysteries in the Spirit. We understand that speaking to God is actually prayer, praise or worship directed towards God. So tongues is prayer, thanksgiving, in spoken word and song (14:15). 2. Speaking, singing, giving thanks in the Spirit (tongues) builds up the person employing the gift. Prophecy edifies the whole assembly. “ v. 4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself , but the one who prophesies builds up the church.” Paul is saying that praying in tongues is a powerful means of strengthening one's life in Christ. Paul refers to the use of tongues in public as needing interpretation, and when in private devotion, interpretation isn't necessary (one is built up by speaking directly to God in prayer. Let me return to this. For now, one's prayer in tongues edifies, strengthens the person actively praying. Jude 20 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith [and] praying in the Holy Spirit… KJV, NASV, RSV, NRSV do not add “and” … inferring how to build up your most holy faith, praying in the Spirit. Both Jude 20 and Romans 8:26-27 are interpreted by NT Scholars Gordon Fee and Peter Davids as praying in transcendent, trans-rational prayer language. They both refer to I Cor. 14:14-15. Praying in the Spirit? All forms of tongues are considered praying in the Spirit. Verse 5: Now I want you all to speak in tongues (public / private), but even more to prophesy. What is prophecy? A beginning definition might be “speaking forth something God has spontaneously brought to mind.” Michael Green's summary is another good working definition of prophecy: ‘a word from the Lord through a member of his body, inspired by his Spirit and given to build up the rest of the body.' Prophetic Impact (14:1–5) (I Corinthians by David Pryor) 1. Upbuilding: Any purported word of prophecy that undermines or shakes the faith of others must be rejected. conversation. (2) The second word is encouragement (paraklēsis), the same root as the word used in John to describe the Holy Spirit as Paraclete, Advocate, Counsellor. It literally means ‘to be called in alongside' to assist and support. (3) Paul's third word to describe how a true word of prophecy will help the church is consolation (comfort) (paramythia). This has the sense of whispering in the church's ear, probably in the sense of allaying fear and enabling God's people to be calm under pressure. ‘ If this is something of the impact prophecy can have on the church, it is no wonder that Paul wants every Christian to desire such a gift.

Revelation, Session Three Christ the Savior, Anderson SC Fr. Anthony Perkins We also went over: https://www.stmaryorthodoxchurch.org/orthodoxy/articles/tremors_of_doub Sources: The translation of the Apocalypse is from the Orthodox Study Bible. Lawrence R. Farley, The Apocalypse of St. John: A Revelation of Love and Power, The Orthodox Bible Study Companion (Chesterton, IN: Ancient Faith Publishing, 2011), Bishop Averky, The Epistles and the Apocalypse (Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament, Volume III. (Holy Trinity Seminary Press, 2018). Andrew of Caesarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse, ed. David G. Hunter, trans. Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou, vol. 123, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 2011). Jack Norman Sparks, The Orthodox Study Bible: Notes (Thomas Nelson, 2008), 1712. Venerable Bede, The Explanation of the Apocalypse, trans. Edward Marshall (Oxford: James Parker and Co., 1878). William C. Weinrich, ed., Revelation, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005). Correction from Last Week Revelation was removed from active use because it was being used to support the Marcionists, not the Gnostics [or Montanism as I said in the class!].  Lord have mercy, my brain is too small! Review of Last Week 1:1-3. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants – things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.  Who bore witness to the Word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.  Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.   New Stuff 1:4 - 6.  (4) John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, (5) and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.  To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, (6) and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever.  Amen. (OSB) Orthodox Study Bible Notes 1:4 Church tradition maintains St. John dwelt and was bishop in Ephesus, in an area where the seven churches were located along a major roadway. The number seven signifies fullness, suggesting the entire Church is also in view. The doxology is Trinitarian, involving the Father (vv. 4, 6), the Spirit (v. 4), and the Son (vv. 5, 6). This initial greeting (lit., “the Existing, the Was, and the Coming”) may express the Father, the one who is (Ex 3:14); the Son, who was (Jn 1:1); and the Holy Spirit, who is to come (Acts 2) at Pentecost and shall always be present. Or it may denote the character of the Holy One, who is eternally present and exercises lordship throughout history (see Heb 13:8 – Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow). God reveals the meaning of the present in light of the past and the age to come. This title may be a paraphrase of the Tetragrammaton, YHWH (“I Am”), of Ex 3:14. Seven is the number of fullness or completion. The seven Spirits of God most likely refers to the Holy Spirit and His several gifts, as this phrase is included in the blessing with the Father and the Son. Alternately the term could refer to the seven archangels who, according to Jewish tradition, stand before the throne of God (Tb 12:15; see also 1En 20:1–8; 90:21, 22; TLev 8:2; “I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints, and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One.”). 1:5 Jesus Christ is presented as the Risen Savior, Lord of all (see Zec 12:10), giving hope to the early Christians that the Church will not always be dominated by a cruel state. Instead of washed, many Greek texts read “freed.” The term witness (Gr. martys), used only here and in 3:14 in the entire NT, refers to Christ, the authentic witness of all divine revelation; all that God has revealed is summed up in His life, witness, Passion, Resurrection, and exaltation. He has inaugurated the new age, for He is firstborn from the dead in His humanity and has achieved a universal sovereignty by His death, Resurrection, and revelation of His Kingdom for the world's salvation. 1:6 Those joined to the body of Christ in baptism comprise the messianic royal priesthood promised of old (see Ex 19:5, 6; Is 61:6; 1Pt 2:9; and the Anaphora of the Liturgy of St. Basil). This priestly ministry is to offer the world back to God in a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving—eucharistically—as in the Orthodox Church's Divine Liturgy. The universe itself thus becomes hallowed, transfigured, and sacramental. Amen is Semitic. It signifies ratification: an acknowledgment of something trustworthy. From Fr. Lawrence Farley John sends this message to the seven churches in Asia who were under his pastoral care. By choosing but seven of these churches, John widens the intended audience, for seven is also the number symbolic of perfection. Thus the Revelation is intended not only to the seven churches of Asia, but also for the perfect totality of all God's churches. In calling God Him who is and was and who is coming, John describes God the Father as the One who is sovereign over time and history and therefore over all the historical events that touch us. God sits enthroned as Lord of the present, the past, and the future, and therefore there is nothing in the past, present, or future that can ever hurt us. God is the Lord of time and of all our days. The message not only comes from the hand of God, it also comes from the entire heavenly court. All in heaven offer the Church on earth this word of encouragement and triumph. The seven spirits before His throne are the seven archangels (see 5:6, “the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth,” and 8:2, the “seven angels who stand before God”). (In chapter 20 of the Book of Enoch, these angels are listed as Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Saraqael, Gabriel, and Remiel.) Once again, the number seven is symbolic, an image for all the archangels who stand closest to God's throne and hear His counsel. In saying that this message comes from the seven spirits before His throne, John means that this message comes directly from the Throne itself, with secrets not given to the world at large. Later liturgical usage, in which reference to the Father and the Son was always followed by reference to the Holy Spirit, has misled some interpreters into seeing this reference to the seven spirits as a reference to the Holy Spirit. But when the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the Book of Revelation, He is referred to simply as “the Spirit” (e.g. 2:7; 14:13; 22:17), always in the singular and never as “seven spirits” or as a “sevenfold” Spirit. These seven spirits stand before God's throne; that is, they are portrayed as waiting upon God as a part of His heavenly court. It is inconceivable that the Divine Spirit, co-eternal and consubstantial with the Father and the Son, could be portrayed as such a servant. Indeed, the other references to the Spirit in the Apocalypse carry the suggestion of His sovereignty and authority. The message also comes from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness (Gr. martus; compare our English “martyr”). Christ bore faithful witness before Pilate to the Truth, even at the cost of His Life (1 Tim. 6:13); John stresses this so that we may imitate His faithfulness. The Lord does not call us to walk in any place where He has not gone before. Jesus is further described as the firstborn of the dead. In using this Jewish concept of the firstborn (in which the firstborn son is the main heir), John shows that Jesus Christ is the heir of the whole age to come; the entire coming Kingdom belongs to Him. His faithfulness unto death resulted in His victory and His inheriting all the world. Our faithfulness unto death will result in our sharing that victory. Death has no terrors for Jesus Christ, and so it need have none for us. Thus Christ is also the ruler of the kings of the earth. Caesar may think he has no superior or master, but Jesus, the humble carpenter crucified under the governor Pontius Pilate, is the true Master of the Roman Empire and indeed of the whole cosmos. The Christians of St. John's day, haunted by a sense of their own powerlessness and humility, were thus made to see their true dignity and power. The Church is described as those whom the Lord loves and therefore continues to protect and care for (the present tense is used to denote Christ's ongoing care), and as those who were loosed from their sins by His Blood. This is an important theme in the Apocalypse. The Cross of Christ was seen by secular Rome as His defeat and proof of how pathetic and deluded the Christians were—that they would worship a crucified man. But for John, the Cross is proof of the power of God that defeats all other powers. The Lord Himself said of the Cross, “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). For St. John, our faith in Christ and His Cross also “overcomes the world” (1 John 5:5). Thus the Apocalypse speaks not only of us “making our robes white” in His Blood (7:14) but also of us overcoming Satan “by the Blood of the Lamb” (12:11). The Christians are not to be ashamed of Christ's Cross, for through His Blood they overcome death, Satan, and the whole world. In describing the Christians as a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, John asserts the privileges of the Christians in the face of the pride of Rome. The Roman powers may think the Christians are but poor, uneducated, and powerless, to be utterly disdained. John knows them to be God's own Kingdom, one destined to outlast all the kingdoms of the earth, and to be priests to God Himself, with access to His awe-inspiring Presence. Priests had status and honor in the Roman secular world, and St. John says this is the true status of the Christians before God. Bishop Averky 1:4.  The number seven is usually taken as an expression of fullness.  St John addresses here only the seven churches with which he, as one who lived in Ephesus, was in especially close and frequent contact.  But in these seven he addresses, at the same time, the Christian Church as a whole. Grace to you and peace from the Tri-Hypostatical Divinity.  The phrase ‘which is' signifies the Father, Who said to Moses: I am He that Is (Exod 3:14).  The expression ‘which was' signifies the Word, Who was in the beginning with God (John 1:2).  The phrase ‘which is to come' indicates the Comforter, Who always descends upon the Church's children in holy baptism and in all fullness is to descend in the future age (Acts 2). (St. Andrew of Caeserea, Commentary on the Apocalypse, chapter 1). By these “seven Spirits,” it is most natural to understand the seven chief angels who are spoken of in Tobit 12:15.  St Andrew of Caesarea, however, understands them to be the angels who govern the seven churches.  Other commentaries, on the other hand, understand by by this expression the Holy Spirit Himself, Who manifests Himself in seven chief gifts: the spirit of the fear of God, the spirit of knowledge, the spirit of might, the spirit of light, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of the Lord or the spirit of piety, and inspiration in the highest degree (compare Isa 11: 1-3; “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear;.”) 1:5. The Lord Jesus Christ is called here “the faithful witness” in the sense that He has witnessed His Divinity and the truth of His teaching before men by His death on the Cross. “As Life and Resurrection, He is the first-born from the dead (Col 1:18, I Cor 15:20), and those over whom He rules will not see death, as did those who died and rose before, but will live eternally.  He is ‘prince of kings,' and Lord of lords (1 Tim 6:15), equal in might to the Father and one in Essence with Him” (St Andrew, chapter 1). 1:5-6.  “Kings and priest” are to be understood here not in the strict meaning, of course, but in the sense in which God has promised this to His chosen people through the prophets (Exod 19:6); that is, He has made us, true believers, to be the best, the holiest people, which is the same thing that a priest and king are with relation to the rest of mankind. Venerable Bede. 4. seven. By these seven churches he writes to every church, for universality is wont to be denoted by the number seven, in that all the time of this age is evolved from seven days. Grace. Grace he desires for us, and peace from God, the eternal Father, and from the sevenfold Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, Who gave testimony to the Father in His Incarnation. He names the Son in the third place, as he was to speak further of Him. He names Him also the last in order, as He is the first and the last; for He had already named Him in the Father by saying, “Who was to come.” 5. the first-begotten. This is the same that the Apostle says, “We have seen Jesus Christ for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour.” And in another place, in setting forth the reproach of the cross, he added, “Wherefore also God highly exalted Him, and gave Him the Name which is above every name.” 6. priests. Because the King of kings and heavenly Priest united us unto His own body by offering Himself for us, there is not one of the saints who has not spiritually the office of priesthood, in that he is a member of the eternal Priest 7. cometh. He Who was concealed, when at the first He came to be judged, will be manifested at the time when He shall come to judge. He mentions this, that the Church which is now oppressed by enemies, but is then to reign with Christ, may be strengthened for the endurance of sufferings. pierced. When they see Him as a Judge with power, in the same form in which they pierced Him as the least of all, they will mourn for themselves with a repentance that is too late. Amen. By interposing an Amen, he confirms that without doubt that will happen, which, by the revelation of God, he knows most surely is to come to pass. Gregory of Caesarea. 1:4. John, to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from the One who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne. Due to the existence of many churches in many places, he sent to only seven, mystically meaning by this number the churches everywhere, also corresponding to the present-day life, in which the seventh period of days is taking place. For this reason also he mentions seven angels and seven churches, to whom he says, Grace to you and peace from the Tri-hypostatic Divinity. For by the who is the Father is signified, who said to Moses, “I am He who is,” and by the who was the Logos, “who was in the beginning with God,” and by the who is to come the Paraclete, who always enlightens the children of the Church through holy Baptism, more completely and more strongly in the future. It is possible to understand the seven spirits as the seven angels who were appointed to govern the churches, not counting them equal to the most divine and royal Trinity, but mentioned along with it as servants, just as the divine Apostle said, “I call upon you in the presence of God and the chosen angels.” By the same token, this may be understood differently: the One who is, and who was, and who is to come, meaning the Father, who contains in himself the beginning, middle, and end of all that exists, and the seven spirits the activities of the Life-giving Spirit, following Christ God, who became man for our sake. For in many places each divine Person is indifferently placed and arranged by the Apostle. For this he says here: 1:5a. And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. He is the one who witnessed to Pontius Pilate, faithful to his words in all things, the firstborn of the dead as life and resurrection, for those whom he governs will no more see death, like those who were dead before and rose, but will live eternally. Ruler of the kings, as “King of kings and Lord of lords,” equal in power with the Father and consubstantial. Elsewhere, ruler of the kings of the earth is also said earthly desires. If, according to the Blessed [15] Gregory, this usage of he who is, who was, and who is to come, the ruler of all refers to Christ, then it is not unreasonable that words similar to those which will be said shortly after refer to him, to which also the ruler of all is attached and without the repetition or introduction of another person. For here the addition of and from Jesus Christ appears to confirm the understanding we have presented. For it would be unnecessary if he were talking about the only Logos of God and the person of the Son to add immediately and from Jesus Christ in order to show him as distinct from the other one, the expressions that befit God equally honor and are appropriate to each of the divine Persons, and are common to the three, except for their distinctive properties, that is to say, the relationships , as said by Gregory the Theologian, and except for the Incarnation of the Logos. also clear from the things from which we learn, that in the Gospel the thrice-holy hymn of the Seraphim16 is said about the Son, in the speech of Paul in the Acts about the Holy Spirit, and then about the Father, in the offering of the awesome mysteries, to whom we are accustomed to say this prayer,19 as the blessed Epiphanios says in his homily On the Holy Spirit. these things to show that our own understanding does not contradict the patristic voices, and also, with God's help, we continue. 1:5b–6. To the One who loved us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us kings and priests to God and his Father. Glory and dominion to him to the ages of ages. Amen. The glory belongs to him, it says, who freed us through love from the bondage of death, and washed the stains of sin through the outpouring of his life-giving blood and water. And he has made us “a royal priesthood” so that we may offer, instead of irrational sacrifices, “rational worship”22 as a living sacrifice to the Father.    

Be Strong #RTTBROS #Nightlight "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." - Joshua 1:9 (KJV) In times of change and challenge, God calls us to be strong and courageous. Just as Joshua was tasked with leading the Israelites into the Promised Land after Moses, we too face transitions and new responsibilities in our lives. God's command to Joshua echoes through the ages, speaking to us in our own circumstances. Whether we're dealing with difficulties in our marriages, troubles at work, or challenges in our family lives, this verse reminds us that we are not alone. The Lord our God is with us wherever we go. The Holy Spirit, described in the Gospel of John as the Paraclete or Comforter, provides us with inner strength beyond our human capabilities. This divine presence empowers us to face our fears and overcome obstacles. As we navigate through the valleys of our lives, we can take comfort in knowing that God walks beside us. His rod and staff, symbols of His guidance and protection, bring us solace in our darkest hours. Let us pray for the courage to draw near to God, allowing our faith to be strengthened even in difficult times. May we face each day with the assurance of His presence, finding comfort and strength in His unfailing love. Remember, no matter what challenges you face, be strong and of good courage. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out. https://linktr.ee/rttbros

Bride, Chosen and Revealed (Audio) David Eells 8/7/24 The Glorified Bride Donna Loftus  8/3/24  (David's notes in red) I dreamed that there was a man (acquaintance) in the other room that called me and said look and I looked and there was a miniature city on a table with a golden light shining on it from above (l knew it was new Jerusalem) (Whom John said in Revelation was the Bride.) He said, “look it is the golden city coming alive”.  I then saw a piece of paper that was laying on a desk or table in the room start to flutter and move as well as other things. I started to go up in the air and kept repeating “He is risen”, “He is risen “, “He is risen”!  (Jesus' Bride will have His resurrection life.)     There is No More Time Debbie Fenske 8/4/24 Yesterday I heard the Lord speak, “There is no more time” when I was praying and doing spiritual warfare. I sat waiting and listening for Him to say more. But I didn't hear any more until today when I purposed, with my pen and tablet, to hear what more he had to say on that. Then I heard: My dear ones, you are my pearls, my prized gems. You are the love and desire of my heart. You are my chosen from before the very beginning. You are my choice. I want you as my Bride. And so, I say to you, “There is no more time.” I say again, “ There is no more time.” it is now, or never. Now is the time for groundbreaking overcoming. Let it be witnessed among you, all things being of divine newness. I have cleansed from you those who were seriously lacking, those who were lagging, and those who would not touch the divine. They have been taken out from among you. Your perfecting is almost complete. No more looking back at anything to hinder you in my purpose that I have for each of you. Only look within your hearts for any need of repentance, and repent, and be wholly new. Now is the victory over your enemies, these demon spirits that have been speaking unworthiness to you. But, now is the time to boldly proclaim, unrelentingly, that they are liars. They are against what is divine. This fight goes on, but not the fight within your own mind and heart. That time has ended. There is no more time for that. There is only time for engaging in spiritual warfare, knowing you are the victor in casting Satan and his demons down, and putting them under your feet. Yes! It is time for My desire of the ages to come forth in fighting victory. Know who you are. Speak who you are. Speak to each other who you are. Call out to the enemy who you are. You are my perfected, divine overcomers. I see the lights of my divine ones covering the earth, all joining together in one soul, one mind, and one spirit, with one purpose. I am rising up in all of you. For I Am your strength to engage, and to overcome. No more defeat. Defeat is forbidden. For it is only I in you, and you in Me. Weaknesses in you are defeated. There cannot be defeat, and there is no time for defeat. Now is the time for victory. For I have prepared you. I have cleansed and healed you of so much. You have overcome in your own sufferings, battles, and all constant attacks against you. Now, see and encourage each other as being what I am saying of you, and seeing in each of you. Always encourage one another. This is part of your overcoming. You will continue in your pursuit of only Me. There is no time to pursue any lesser thing. Remember, I have said, “There is no more time.”     Those Culled From the Bride David Eells  8/3/24 Last night I saw that people were being disqualified and removed from the Bride running. I saw the spirit of Jezebel who ruled over her husband were to be removed. I saw those who were judging others by spirits of criticism and pride were to be removed. I saw that those who were cold in their relationship to the body were removed. (This reminded me of those who got closer and closer to the back door and then were gone.) I saw those who were in willful sins are to be removed.     Removed For Willful Disobedience Marie Kelton 7/26/24  (David's notes in red) During the meeting, I had asked the Father where a certain backslider from UBM was with him. And then I had an open vision of a beautiful tree with leaves on it on a hill. I then saw a hand come from heaven and shake the tree until there were no leaves on it. (They were not capable to take in the Son for life.) And then snap the tree from the trunk. And pull it up. The roots were still in the ground though. (At this point there was still a possibility to return.) Luke 13:6-9 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. 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? And he answering saith unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit thenceforth, well; but if not, thou shalt cut it down. I wasn't sure if I was seeing clearly. (She was not wanting to make a mistake on something so important.) So the lord gave me another vision of the same tree with a rope being tied around it, being pulled up from the roots this time. I still wasn't sure so the lord gave me a vision of him standing next to me with a little potted plant in his hand and he pulled the plant up from the pot showing the roots. And yet still I wasn't sure if I was seeing clearly. So the Lord gave me another vision of me sitting in my house sitting on my couch, having an open vision of the tree with the rope around the trunk being pulled from the ground with the roots showing.  Jude 1:12 These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds (No numeric pattern) that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots. The Lord then gave me another open vision during the meeting of 3 pieces of silver hitting the floor. I immediately thought of the 30 pieces of silver that Judas threw down before the Pharisees. (This person was a Judas to the Body of Christ.) Matthew 27:3-5 Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? see thou to it. And he cast down the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. (He was removed from among those who John the Baptist said were the Bride. “He that hath the Bride is the bridegroom.”)     Those Who Repent Will Find Grace Marie Kelton  7/19/24 During the meeting I had an open vision of me carrying a black back pack on my back (Representing the weight of mistakes and sins with condemnation and a spirit of heaviness.) I saw the Lord walk up to me and take the back pack off my shoulders and He started to carry it. We were walking on a road. As we were walking the back pack turned white and merged into the Lord. (The Lord took away condemnation for sins and the spirit of heaviness on the cross. When this happened I physically felt lighter in the meeting.) The Lord and I reached a body of water. The black back pack then appeared again on the Lord's back. He then took it off and dropped it into the water. I knew the body of water was the sea of forgetfulness.  Micah 7:19-20 He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the lovingkindness to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.     Beast Changing Human DNA to His Marie Kelton 8/5/24  (David's notes in red) During the meeting, I had an open vision. Of my spirit man, being translated to a red rocky cliff. There was a warring angel with wings standing beside me. On top of the cliff was a giant red stone that had been carved out. (The stone which the builders rejected and crucified.) A door was in the stone and a keypad was next to the door. (Jesus is the door and the key is faith.)  The Lord appeared, and opened the door which led to an elevator. Then the Lord, the angel, and I went on an elevator down to a lower level in the Earth. When the doors opened,  I saw a science lab. The Lord and I walked through the science lab. To a second door. The Lord opened that door and I saw demons working in the lab. The demons couldn't see the Lord and I.  I knew we were there on a mission to get human DNA that had not been tampered with by the demons. (The demons using the DS scientists are in the process of changing the DNA of mankind to make them their servants. The cure is to have the Lord's DNA through faith in His blood.) The Lord and I walked up to a stand where there was a double helix of human DNA in an oblong container. The Lord took the container and put it in a white satchel bag that was around him. Then we walked through the doors. And translated back to the top of the entrance on the cliff where we started. (Some will be rescued from the beasts DNA either by refusing their shots, chemtrails, or by healing. The rest will be marked by the Beast.)     The Bride is Being Chosen Marie Kelton  8/3/24  (David's notes in red) During the meeting, I had an open vision. I saw the Lord walking toward me with a nice red pillow (the blood of Jesus) with gold trim and gold tassels hanging from the four corners of the pillow.  It had a tiara on it. The tiara had a sheer white veil on it. I went to go grab the tiara. But the Lord told me that "You do not choose yourself to be in the Bride. I choose who is in the Bride. (Not by my works, but by the Lord's grace will we be in the Bride). Then the Lord, took the tiara and put it on my head. After that I saw, a bigger pillow with a bigger tiara and veil on it like the first one. I knew it was for the corporate Bride body. I turned my head in the vision and saw a really huge tall lady, next to me with blonde hair. (The corporate Bride body.)  I saw the Lord put put the tiara on her head and fix the veil. I then had another vision, of a woman walking down an aisle, with a white dress on and a veil with a long train behind her.  The woman was walking towards a really bright light, I knew there were rows of white chairs next to her on both sides. When she was walking, at first it looked like she was walking on mud or dirt, but then it turned into grass. (Peter said, “All flesh is as grass.”)(The bride has the flesh under her feet).      How to be Chosen David Eells Esther is a prophecy of the Church Age, a prophecy that is hidden (“Esther” in Hebrew means “hidden” or “secret”) and, of course, Esther is the Bride – she's hidden and secret. Also, in the Song of Solomon, the Bride was furiously running after her Beloved. It was more important to her to seek the Lord than it was to the rest of the queens, concubines and virgins. It was rather ho-hum with them, but with the Bride, this was serious business. She was desiring earnestly to come into the presence of the Master.  Looking at the type and shadow in Esther how when the Lord came and called Israel, His Old Testament Bride, to come before Him, they refused, just as Vashti refused Ahasuerus. When we read in Esther chapter 2, we see that a new Bride is to be chosen for the King.  (Est.2:1) After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her. (2) Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king: (Notice; the Bride did not come out of the people but the fair virgins, who came out of the people of God.)(3) and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hegai the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them.   I believe that Hegai, the King's chamberlain here, represents the Holy Spirit. He is the “keeper of the women.” It is his job to make sure that these women are beautiful to the King. The Holy Spirit's job is to manifest Jesus Christ in us and that is what is beautiful to the King: Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col.1:27). So, many fair young virgins were gathered together and a Bride was going to be chosen from among these.  In the Song of Solomon, it is the Bride who is running after her Beloved, while the rest of the queens, concubines and virgins didn't seem to be so excited about this. They even questioned her, What is thy beloved more than [another] beloved, O thou fairest among women? (Son.5:9). In other words, “What makes your Jesus any better than our Jesus?” And like what it says here: (Son.6:8) There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, And virgins without number. (9) My dove, my undefiled (that's the word for “perfect”), is [but] one; She is the only one of her mother (Meaning she's the only one who has come out of the mother; the rest of these are still a corporate body of the mother.); she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed; [Yea,] the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. It's going to be that way because this is also a prophecy of the end-time and, even though there are many virgins who are contending to be in this Bride, not everyone is going to be.   Back in (Est.2:4) And let the maiden that pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so. A Bride will be chosen out of virgins of His New Testament people that we call the Church and that's why this is so important. (Est.2:5) There was a certain Jew in Shushan the palace, whose name was Mordecai…. The name “Mordecai” in Hebrew means “little man” and in Persian it means “little boy,” both of which mean “Man-child.” Mordecai is the Man-child. The Man-child ministry is about to start again and the exact same thing is going to happen, except this time it's a corporate Man-child, a much larger one that covers the earth.   (Est.2:7) And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther…. “Brought up” here means “nourished”; not just fed, but nourished. All the queens and concubines get fed, but not everybody is nourished. (7) And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.  Here are more verses about the Bride: (Psa.45:9) Kings' daughters are among thy honorable women: At thy right hand doth stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Notice that the king's daughters are not the queen. They are honorable women, but they're not the queen. (10) Hearken, O daughter, consider, and incline thine ear; Forget also thine own people, and thy father's house: (11) So will the king desire thy beauty; For he is thy lord; and reverence thou him. Who is the Lord? When we leave father and mother, we need to submit to our Lord, submit to our Husband, Who is the Lord God. The Bride is beautiful to the King because she completely submits to His Lordship since the head of every man is Christ” (1Cor.11:3). “Thy father's houses” represent the apostate denominations, or queens and concubines, of Christianity.  Back in Esther, after her mother and father were dead, Mordecai the Man-child nourished her. Who was following Jesus when John the Baptist said, He that hath the bride is the bridegroom (Joh.3:29)? Who was it was walking with Jesus, learning of Jesus, sitting at His feet? It was the Bride, but where did she come from? She came out of the apostate denominations of Judaism. We also see this in (Rev.14:4) These are they that were not defiled with women (The “women” are the queens, the concubines, the denominations, the groups, the sects.); for they are virgins…. The meaning of this is that they don't received any seed of man. (Rev.14:4) These [are] they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. Remember, the Shulamite, or “perfect one,” in the Song of Solomon was only interested in following after the Bridegroom. (Rev.14:4) …These were purchased from among men, [to be] the firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb. And they're not defiled with the “women.”  Now turn back to our text in Esther. (Est.2:8) So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai (Who is, the King's chamberlain, representing the Holy Spirit), that Esther was taken into the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. (9) And the maiden pleased him…. What do we do to please the Holy Spirit? Obviously, we can grieve the Holy Spirit. Scripture speaks about that, but just the opposite is true of those who please the Holy Spirit. We can't be pleasing unto God without having faith. The Bible says, Without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing [unto him] (Heb.11:6) and the Holy Spirit is God's Spirit. (Est.2:9) And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him (We need the kindness of the Holy Spirit. We need the favor of the Holy Spirit because we're doing what is pleasing unto Him.); and he speedily gave her her things for purification….   The Bride will have a more glorious garment than the virgin bridesmaids. (Rev.19:8) And it was given unto her (the Bride) that she should array herself in fine linen, bright [and] pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. This garment is called lampros in Greek, meaning bright, glowing, or brilliant. This bright lamp represents her pure works. On the other hand, those invited to the marriage supper have only a “white” garment. Obviously, what the Lord is looking for is a purified Bride. Esther cooperated and the Holy Spirit gave to her the things that she needed for purification speedily. (Est.2:9) … and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with her portions, and the seven maidens who were meet to be given her out of the king's house….   The seven maidens were given to her because she pleased the Lord. I believe that the Lord showed me years ago that this was talking about the seven beams of light in the spectrum. Jesus said, I am the light of the world (Joh.8:12) and a prism breaks down the light into seven different attributes that we call “colors.” Joseph's “coat of many colors” (Genesis 37:3) designated him as a type of the Man-child reflecting Jesus Christ, a garment that he put on. The Bible says, Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom.13:14).  Also, this represents the seven attributes of Christ spoken of by Peter: (2Pe.1:5) Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith…. In the original, there was no comma after “diligence.” It was put there by translators who thought it needed to be there, but there is no comma there. It is “adding on your part all diligence in your faith.” Faith is a gift of God. (5) Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence in your faith, supply virtue; and in [your] virtue knowledge. (6) And in [your] knowledge self-control; and in [your] self-control patience; and in [your] patience godliness;   (7) and in [your] godliness brotherly kindness; and in [your] brotherly kindness love. (8) For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (9) For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near (The Greek wording there actually means “near-sighted”; “not seeing things from afar”; not seeing what God has given us from afar.), having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. Have you forgotten that Jesus took away your sins – that you don't have those attributes that are contrary to Christ? You have now been given Christ. (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory…. What we're saying is, “Jesus lives in me because the Book says so.” He's given us this free gift of His righteousness.  Getting back to Esther, the first-fruits to enter into the Kingdom is the Man-child, and he is raising up the Bride to enter into the Kingdom. Jesus is being manifested in His first fruits, Man-child, in order to fellowship and mature the Bride and that's what He desires greatly. (Est.2:9) … And he removed her and her maidens to the best place of the house of the women. (Praise God!) (10) Esther had not made known her people nor her kindred; for Mordecai had charged her that she should not make it known. (11) And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what would become of her. Notice that Mordecai followed her and, actually, he was her leader all the way through the Book of Esther.  (Est.2:12) Now when the turn of every maiden was come to go in to king Ahasuerus (to be inspected; to see who was going to be the Bride), after that it had been done to her according to the law for the women twelve months (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, [to wit,] six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors and with the things for the purifying of the women), (13) then in this wise came the maiden unto the king: Whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house. This is very important, that “Whatsoever she desired was given her.” Do you have a desire? If you read Song of Solomon, you see something about the difference between the Bride and the virgins. There was a difference in desire. The desire of the Bride was to fellowship with her Lord, her King, her Beloved. Her desire was to constantly run after her Beloved, to appropriate more of Him.   Notice also that it says here very plainly that Whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house. Everything we need has been supplied to us. (2Pe.1:2) Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; (3) seeing that his divine power hath granted (Everything we need has been given to us. This is what you see in the Spirit, with your eyes exercised to discern good from evil, by the Word of God. This is how you are supposed to see.) unto us all things that pertain unto life (God's life, zoë life) and godliness (He's given us all things that we need for life and godliness, or purification. That was what the virgins were going through, purification, to be ready.), through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue.  It's not just any knowledge that you can get at any church. It's God's knowledge, the knowledge of His Word. It cannot be changed; it will not be changed for the Bride. She is accepting the Word just exactly as it is, not perverting or twisting it for her ego's sake; she's not twisting it for her own doctrine's sake. She's not “adding to, or taking away from,” the Word (Rev 22:18-19).  She's a virgin, so she has not received the seed of men. (4) Whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature (He's already given us what is necessary; He's given us His “promises.”), having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust.  See, it's already been done. The only thing we have to do is exercise faith. If we exercise faith, we please the Holy Spirit. If we please the Holy Spirit, He quickly gives us purification, the “seven maidens” which we just read in 2 Peter 1:5-8. The only thing that impresses the Holy Spirit is faith in the true promises of God. That's why He gives us authority. That's why He empowers us. The Holy Spirit comes to us for the purpose of manifesting Christ in us. That's what He's there for. He's our helper, our Paraclete. (2Co.7:1) Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. This is what the Bride is doing!  Going on in (Est.2:13) … Whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house. (14) In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain (This is a different chamberlain here. This one has charge over the women's house, not the King's house.), who kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and she were called by name. And, of course, Esther was the one who was called by name. (15) Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. We need nothing but what the Holy Spirit will give unto us – the Word of God – and nothing else. It behooves us to really seek after the truth and run after the Word.   The Bible says that we don't even have need for any man to teach us, that we have an anointing from the Holy One: (1Jn.2:27) And as for you, the anointing which ye received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that anyone teach you; but as his anointing teacheth you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, ye abide in him. However, the Holy One uses men to teach us and to preach and to lead and to guide, but He has to be in it. We have no need for men to do this; we have to make sure that we're receiving from the Lord. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Rom.8:14).  So, Esther took advantage of the fact that all she needed came from the Holy Spirit, represented in type by Hegai, the King's chamberlain, she didn't have anything but what was appointed of Him. Esther received the favor of the chamberlain, as we already read, because she pleased him in the works that she was doing, in desiring the right things. (Est.2:15) … And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all them that looked upon her. (16) So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. We are now in the seventh year. We've already started the seventh year, or the 7000th year, of His reign. (Est.2:17) And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.  (18) Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release (the word “release” here means “rest”) to the provinces, and gave gifts…. The “rest” that the Lord promises to give unto us, which most Jews did not enter into, is referred to in Hebrews chapters three and four. We enter into this rest by ceasing from our works and believing the promises. (Heb.4:3) For we who have believed do enter into that rest…. The Lord is offering this wonderful rest, the rest from your enemies, the rest from your problems, from the curse, etc. It's a rest because the Lord has already provided everything. There's never been a time like that last seven years of the Marriage Feast, when God's going to hand out such great gifts – never in history! He's going to be celebrating with the Bride, just as John the Baptist said: He that hath the bride is the bridegroom (Joh.3:29).

John 14:16-18. “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Paraclete, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” Jesus speaks of a way of receiving the Spirit, welcoming him, and knowing Him. He says the world cannot receive him because it does not SEE Him or know Him. Most post-enlightenment Christians, all of us, have to deal with barriers to receiving Him, and knowing Him. Though Jesus, too, is now not physically present, we have the Gospels, and Jesus took on our humanity. Thus, we have icons of him as a human being. We can visually connect with the four ways Jesus is presented in the Gospels. But when it comes to the Spirit, we have the Spirit descending on Jesus, and empowering Jesus. Who is the Holy Spirit?

"Jesus stood up and CRIED out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart (innermost being) will flow rivers of living water.'” Not this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" John 7:37-38 John 16:7: “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage (better) that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.” John 14:16-18. “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Paraclete, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

For this week's “Best of The Literary Life” series episode, we revisit a conversation about George Orwell's essay “Why I Write.” Angelina and Cindy kick off the discussion about how much they each identify with Orwell's description of his childhood. In his story of learning to write, we see many aspects of a good education, even his inclination to imitate other authors. An important point Angelina brings up is Orwell's own struggle against the calling he felt to write, in contrast to having an ambition to do so. Angelina brings up a related story about musician Gregory Alan Isakov, and Cindy reiterates the idea of why we need leisure in order to find our vocation. Cindy and Angelina also bring out some of the qualities Orwell possessed that make a good writer. Maturity as a human being and as a master of a craft are crucial to certain forms of writing, as Orwell points out about his own work. Other topics of conversation include truth-telling in writing, the motives for writing according to Orwell, and the growing process of writers. If you want to find replays of the 2019 Back to School online conference referenced in this episode, you can purchase them in Cindy's shop at MorningTimeforMoms.com. For replays of the How to Love Poetry webinar with Thomas, you can find those at HouseofHumaneLetters.com. Check out the schedule for the podcast's summer episodes on our Upcoming Events page. Commonplace Quotes: Never had she seen it so clearly as on this evening — what destiny had demanded of her and what it had given her in return with her seven sons. Over and over again joy had quickened the beat of her heart; fear on their behalf had rent it in two. They were her children, these big sons with their lean, bony, boy's bodies, just as they had been when they were small and so plump that they barely hurt themselves when they tumbled down on their way between the bench and her knee. They were hers, just as they had been back when she lifted them out of the cradle to her milk-filled breast and had to support their heads, which wobbled on their frail necks the way a bluebell nods on its stalk. Wherever they ended in the world, wherever they journeyed, forgetting their mother– she thought that for her, their lives would be like a current in her own life; they would be one with her, just as they had been when she alone on this earth knew about the new life hidden inside, drinking from her blood and making her cheeks pale. Sigrid Undset, from Kristen Lavransdatter Orwell was a poet who happened to find his medium in prose, a poet not so much in his means of expression as in the nature of his vision, which could strip the sprawling tangle of the world around him down to its core with the simplicity of a timeless flash of intuition. C. M. Wodehouse, from the introduction to Animal Farm Veni, Creator Spiritus by John Dryden Creator Spirit, by whose aid The world's foundations first were laid, Come, visit ev'ry pious mind; Come, pour thy joys on human kind; From sin, and sorrow set us free; And make thy temples worthy Thee. O, Source of uncreated Light,  The Father's promis'd Paraclete!  Thrice Holy Fount, thrice Holy Fire,  Our hearts with heav'nly love inspire;  Come, and thy Sacred Unction bring  To sanctify us, while we sing!  Plenteous of grace, descend from high,  Rich in thy sev'n-fold energy!  Thou strength of his Almighty Hand,  Whose pow'r does heav'n and earth command:  Proceeding Spirit, our Defence,  Who do'st the gift of tongues dispence,  And crown'st thy gift with eloquence!  Refine and purge our earthly parts;  But, oh, inflame and fire our hearts!  Our frailties help, our vice control;  Submit the senses to the soul;  And when rebellious they are grown,  Then, lay thy hand, and hold 'em down.  Chase from our minds th' Infernal Foe;  And peace, the fruit of love, bestow;  And, lest our feet should step astray,  Protect, and guide us in the way.  Make us Eternal Truths receive,  And practise, all that we believe:  Give us thy self, that we may see  The Father and the Son, by thee.  Immortal honour, endless fame,  Attend th' Almighty Father's name:  The Saviour Son be glorified,  Who for lost Man's redemption died:  And equal adoration be,  Eternal Paraclete, to thee. Book List: Kristen Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset Animal Farm by George Orwell P. G. Wodehouse The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings by Philip and Carol Zaleski Support The Literary Life: Become a patron of The Literary Life podcast as part of the “Friends and Fellows Community” on Patreon, and get some amazing bonus content! Thanks for your support! Connect with Us: You can find Angelina and Thomas at HouseofHumaneLetters.com, on Instagram @angelinastanford, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at morningtimeformoms.com, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CindyRollinsWriter. Check out Cindy's own Patreon page also! Follow The Literary Life on Instagram, and jump into our private Facebook group, The Literary Life Discussion Group, and let's get the book talk going! http://bit.ly/literarylifeFB

Jesus is in his adoptive hometown of Capernaum, visited by great throngs of both supporters and adversaries. Among the latter are scribes from Jerusalem and members of his own family traveling from Nazareth to confront him. Accused of being possessed by the devil, Our Lord uses the famed “House Divided” parable to put them to shame. Comparing and contrasting the ensuing dialogue, clear parallels emerge that paint Jesus as the mighty victor come to ransack Satan and steal us back for himself should we only be willing to accept His salvation.

At the heart of the Liturgy of the Eucharist is the epiclesis, when the priest begs the Holy Spirit to come and transform the bread and wine into the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. The Catechism explains this mysterious reality, and Fr. Mike reiterates that the Mass is not a repetition of Christ's once-and-for-all sacrifice, but a re-presentation and celebration of his eternal sacrifice on the Cross. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 1104-1112. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

The son of a previously unrevealed badass, sports like surfing had attracted Mike Brewer from a young age, but as he found himself running track for a military academy he couldn't help but feel that something was missing. As usually happens, random chance and circumstance found him taking the leap on his first static line jump. Then his second that same day. That was pretty much all it took. Realizing that his previous love for photography could aim him toward the top of the pyramid as a... tandem videographer. His almost singular goal moving forward became all things skydiving. Improving his flying skills, the pursuit of film making within the sport and a drive to compete were just a few of facets that drew him in.  From living in a tent behind the Paraclete wind tunnel to working as a military contractor and skydiving competitor, to speed skydiving, to taking on the role of a documentarian for the lofty Project 19, Mike Brewer is in it for the long run, tempering his Lunatic Fringe tendencies with a high work ethic and desire to move his vision for the sport into the future. 

Fr. Eric Nicolai preached this meditation at Cedarcrest Conference centre north of Toronto, on May 21, 2024. We read in the prayer of consecration to the Holy Spirit, there was a description of the nature of the Paraclete himself, the consoler, the spirit of truth. It talks about the gifts he leaves in us, and then all the fruits that are left behind, that are noticeable in a person who has truly been touched by the Holy Spirit: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, longanimity, meekness, faith, modesty, continence, and chastity. He leaves his mark, his stamp on us. But the mark he leaves in us, is not his own. He leaves the embossed mark of Christ in everything we do. In what we say and what we do. Does this show? Music: Original music by Michael Lee of Toronto. Thumbnail: Rembrandt, The Hundred Guilder Print, 1647, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Throughout history, man has sought the truth of his existence. And though the Spirit of Truth, the Paraclete, has been given to the Church to reveal the fullness of truth to man, the intrusion of worldly thinking and temptations has seen the Church turning away from revealed truth since the Second Vatican Council.View on YouTube: https://youtu.be/05MG3NMgUjg Subscribe to receive every sermon here: https://sspx-sermons.captivate.fm/listenSee all our Sermons: https://sspxpodcast.com/sermons/Donate: https://sspxpodcast.com/faq/#donateView on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SSPX

Though Jesus preached in parables that still captivate us, not every story told in a homily has a similarly lasting impact. The Rev. Christopher Clohessy shares how preachers can craft stories that linger long after Mass is over. This week on “Preach,” host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., is joined by another South African priest. Chris is a priest of the Archdiocese of Cape Town who now teaches Arabic and Islamic theology at the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic studies in Rome. In his homily, Chris harnesses the technique of narrative storytelling to illuminate what the work of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, looks like in our lives. In the conversation after the homily, Ricardo and Chris talk about the power of telling stories in homilies—and the art of telling a good one. Chris says that a successful story starts with a character with whom the congregation can relate, and it comes alive through “word pictures,” images that will stick in listeners' minds after the homily concludes. “You want to be able to get people involved, not in their listening, but in their imagination and in their emotions,” Chris explains. “I think a good emotional response to a sermon is a very important thing because in the Gospels, people respond emotionally to Jesus.” Read Chris' homily. Read the Scripture readings for Pentecost. Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 John 1:5-2:6 You can subscribe to our sermon podcast on iTunes by clicking this link.

Hail Lady, Holy Queen, Holy Mary, Mother of God, who are the Virgin made Church and the one chosen by the Most Holy Father of Heaven, whom He consecrated with His Most Holy Beloved Son and with the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete;  in whom there was and is all fullness of grace and every good.  Hail His Palace; Hail His Tabernacle; Hail His Home.  Hail His Vestment; Hail His Handmaid; Hail His Mother and hail all you holy virtues, which through the grace and illumination of the Holy Spirit are infused into the hearts of the faithful, so that from being unbelievers, you make them faithful to God.

Dr. Matthew Barrett is professor of Christian Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His passion is teaching the Great Tradition of the Church. He is the author of Simply Trinity and the Reformation of Renewal. He is the host of the Credo podcast and Director of the Center for Classical Theology. He is currently writing a Systematic Theology (Baker Academic) for seminary students. The Fifth Sunday of Eastertide John 14:15–21 Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal glory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“What the soul is to the human body, the Holy Spirit is to the Body of Christ, which is the Church.” The Catechism uncovers how the Holy Spirit truly builds up the whole Church in the name of Jesus. Fr. Mike dives into the incredibly diverse gifts that the Holy Spirit gives up for the building up of the Kingdom—the charisms. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 797-810. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Be the dot on the 'i' today, be up (t)here, you're everywhere,  but keep your attention up (t)here. Notice how quiet it is up (t)here. You're above thoughts up here. See? When you're up here you can feel the vibration instantly. that breeze, the Holy Spirit instantly, You're in a position to give this love instantly, no matter who it is you think you're seeing. No matter what it is you think you're hearing, you're loving and that's your power. Like Sri Mataji says, whenever you remember me, I will be by your side with all my powers. That's my promise to you. I love you,  I am you,  nik ************** Support the show: ▶▶https://www.patreon.com/goodmornings QUOTES: "This Lord is to be worshipped by one's own consciousness, not by material substances - by waving of lamps, lighting incense, offering flowers or even food or sandalpaste. He is attained without the least effort; he is worshipped by self-realisation alone. This is the supreme meditation, this is the supreme worship: the continuous and unbroken awareness of the indwelling presence, inner light or consciousness. While doing whatever one is doing - seeing. hearing. touching. smelling, eating, moving, sleeping, breathing or talking - one should realise one's essential nature as pure consciousness. Thus does one attain liberation." - The Yoga Vasistha (the Supreme Yoga)  "Just because you know how Faith works doesn't mean you know how God is going to do your miracle." - Mark Hankins "I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."- Galatians 2:20 "... your light, give me your mercy! My Redeemer, redeem me, for I am yours; the one who has come forth from you. You are my mind; bring me forth! You are my treasure house; open for me! You are my fullness; take me to you! You are (my) repose; give me the perfect thing that cannot be grasped! I invoke you, the one who is and who pre-existed in the name which is exalted above every name, through Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords, the King of the ages; give me your gifts, of which you do not repent, through the Son of Man, the Spirit, the Paraclete of truth. Give me authority when I ask you; give healing for my body when I ask you through the Evangelist, and redeem my eternal light soul and my spirit. And the First-born of the Pleroma of grace -- reveal him to my mind! Grant what no angel eye has seen and no archon ear (has) heard, and what has not entered into the human heart which came to be angelic and (modelled after the image of the psychic God when it was formed in the beginning, since I have faith and hope. And place upon me your beloved, elect, and blessed greatness, the First-born, the First-begotten, and the wonderful mystery of your house; for yours is the power and the glory and the praise and the greatness for ever and ever. Amen. Prayer of Paul (the) Apostle. In Peace. Christ is holy. -Prayer of the Apostle (Nag Hammadi) 

Fr. Mike continues to examine the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit's mission. We explore the joint mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit. When the Son and the Spirit act, they act together. Fr. Mike emphasizes that though the Son and the Spirit are two distinct persons, they are inseparable. We also examine the proper name of the Holy Spirit and the different titles we use for the Holy Spirit. Today's readings from the Catechism are paragraphs 689-693. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Hildegard von Bingen - O ignis spiritus (O fire of the Paraclete)Oxford CamerataJeremy Summerly, conductorMore info about today's track: Naxos 8.550998Courtesy of Naxos of America Inc. SubscribeYou can subscribe to this podcast in Apple Podcasts, or by using the Daily Download podcast RSS feed.Purchase this recordingAmazon

The Catechism introduces us to the Holy Spirit and describes how the Spirit reveals the Father and the Son to us. It also gives us some background and context regarding the way we describe the Holy Spirit in the Roman Catholic Church compared to the way that the Eastern Orthodox Church describes the Holy Spirit. Fr. Mike breaks it down for us and gives us some hope for a future reconciliation between Eastern and Western Churches. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 243-248. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

As the government strikes against the disciples of the Paraclete's Gulch, Faulkner seeks refuge and an untraceable hiding place at his old childhood home in the Whisper Plains - but he is not alone there.This episode contains some distressing scenes and depictions of early-onset dementia and PTSD, loud noises, repeated allusions to childhood abuse, attempted suicide, and one short reference to accidental deadnaming (which does not occur).This episode features B. Narr, H.R. Owen, Steve Shell, and Aud Andrews, with additional voices from Shaun Pellington, Sophie Lynch, Marlon Dance-Hooi and Rissa Montanez.Transcript: https://www.thesiltverses.com/transcript-season-3-chapter-9 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is the Holy Spirit called the "Paraclete"? In this episode, R.C. Sproul speaks on the Spirit's ministry of bringing strength and encouragement to God's people in their every trial. A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://www.ligonier.org/donate/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

This week, we're sharing another session from our Restore conference, this time featuring a scholar most of you will be familiar with: our long time friend and advisor Terryl Givens.Terryl's heartfelt session explores what he finds to be the “peaceable things” of Christ, referred to in scripture. An unsettling experience at the age of sixteen led Terryl to confront the inherent risk and uncertainty of our choices in life. And while life may not always be “peaceful,” Terryl says, we can always access “peaceable things”, which he anchors in the Restoration's understanding of God.If you know Terryl's work, you know of his gift for illuminating gospel truths gleaming quietly throughout Christian history. Terryl guides us through three names of Christ–Creator, Emmanuel, and Paraclete–that show God to be relational, loving, and open-hearted. This God doesn't seek to judge or condemn, but to invite us at their table as peers and mutual witnesses of each other's inherent goodness.We hope you enjoy this hopeful message that cuts straight to the heart of the fear and uncertainty that so many of us feel, day to day.