Podcasts about Pharisees

Luke 20Andrew and Edwin discuss Jesus's parable of the wicked tenants and are comforted by learning in the resurrection we cannot die anymore. Praise the Lord!Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=26988The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

What if the thing God is asking you to walk into isn't a loss at all, but the doorway to a kingdom far bigger than the one you've been living in? Graham Cooke follows Peter across the threshold of Cornelius's house, where an apostle who had never set foot in a Gentile home discovers that God "doesn't care anything for the traditions of man" and that "hundreds of millions of people" were lining up behind that one door. Then Saul, the academic theologian who was "100% on a mission from God," has "a violent encounter with grace" on the Damascus road, and thick scales fall from his eyes. Discover why God gave you a Comforter ("so that he could mess with you"), why some things have to be forcibly removed before we can see, and why Graham insists that "if grace is not scandalous, it's not grace" — because "if it's not too good to be true, it's not God."Key Scriptures:+ Acts 10:28. "And he said to them, 'You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.'"+ Matthew 15:3. "And He answered and said to them, 'Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?'"+ Philippians 3:5-6. "circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless."+ Acts 9:3-5. "As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' And he said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.'"+ Acts 9:17-18. "So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized."Want to explore more?

[Jesus said:] “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them, … “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.” … When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, because they held Him to be a prophet. (Matthew 21:33-42a, 43, 45-46)

Having watched some of the old Superman TV shows and some of the movies, it's got to be tough for Clark Kent. I mean, these days it's getting harder and harder to find a phone booth to change in. That's what he used to do! But He always manages to change his identity to Superman. That's the important thing. You can't be a super hero until you change your identity. When you think about it, most of our super heroes over the years don't become heroes without that change of identity, whether it's Clark Kent changing to Superman, or it's Wonder Woman, or it's Batman. Now, that's okay for the comics, but in real life, the heroes are the ones who never change their identity. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Only One You.” Our word for today from the Word of God is found in Philippians 3. It's about a man who had many possible identities. He would make Clark Kent look like a piker. Listen to this. The Apostle Paul writes to us about some of the identities in his life. He says beginning in verse 5, “I was circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel, I am a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin…” “I've got a tribe I'm very proud I'm from.” He says, “a Hebrew of the Hebrews.” He says, “I'm the top of the line in that department.” “…in regard to the law, I'm a Pharisee.” Boy, there's another identity. And then, “As for zeal, persecuting the church,” He said, “I was a very good church persecutor.” Great way to make a living, huh? He says, “As for legalistic righteousness, I was faultless.” Look at all those identities this guy's got. Now, “But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Out of all the identities Paul could have had, he said, “There's one that I want to step into. I have settled on one identity and I have decided to give that one identity everything I've got. It is following Jesus Christ. That's who I am.” Most of us are like Clark Kent. There's the me I am at work. Now, I don't get into a phone booth (can't find one anyway), but I change my identity to be the me I am at church, and then there's the me I am with my wife, and then the me I am with different groups of friends, and the me playing sports, etc. I talked with this high school football player, and he said, “Ron, it's tough to be only one of 30 kids who stands up to the teacher when they say godless things. It's tough to be the only guy in the locker room with a clean mouth and the only guy who is loyal to Christ.” I wanted to encourage him. I said, “Bill, you won't always be a football player. You won't always be a student at that school. You won't always be friends with those kids. You won't always be a student in that class. There's only one thing you'll always be. You'll always be a follower of Christ.” I'll tell you what I told him. “Life becomes more peaceful, less stressful, and less confusing when you pick one identity and stick with it.” See, life settles down when you make this choice, “I'm going to really be what I'll always be.” And that's what you'll always be, a follower of Christ. That was Paul's choice. He said, “All other identities are temporary.” Don't let a temporary identity cause you to betray who you really are and who you will always be. You're so afraid. It's kind of like “Well I'm an employee of Company X, or I'm a student of Professor Y, or I'm a neighbor or coworker of person Z.” None of those are who you are. Whose hero do you want to be? Don't let your Jesus identity be your secret identity anymore. You will forever be the property of Jesus Christ bought with His blood. So why don't you really be what you'll always be. Fantasy heroes keep changing identities, but real heroes pick one and go for it because heroes know who they are.

Thursday, 1 October 2026   They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, Matthew 23:6   “They affectionate, also, the first-reclining in the suppers, and the first-sittings in the synagogues.” (CG)   In the previous verse, Jesus noted how the scribes and Pharisees widened their phylacteries and enlarged the tassels of their garments. He continues with their self-serving attitude, saying, “They affectionate, also, the first-reclining in the suppers.”   There are a couple of new words. The first is prótoklisia, a first-sitting. It is derived from protos, foremost (in time, place, order, or importance), and klisia, reclination, as when sitting in a lounge chair or lying back on something.   The idea here is the most important seat at a meal, where people recline at low tables. This is a meal, as seen in the next new word, deipnon, the chief meal, usually in the evening. Of this seating, the Pulpit Commentary says –   “The custom of reclining on cushions set in horseshoe fashion at three sides of the table was now prevalent... The place of honour is said to have been at the upper end of the right side, the president being placed, not in the centre of that end of the table which faced the opening, but at the side. The most honoured guest would be at his right hand... There was often much manoeuvring to obtain this post, and many petty squabbles about precedence arose on every festal occasion.”   The point is that even during meals, these men strove to be recognized as the most important by being seated more honorably than others. Along with this, Jesus says, “and the first-sittings in the synagogues.”   Another new word is seen, prótokathedria, the first sitting. It is derived from protos, foremost, and kathedra, a bench. Again, the Pulpit Commentary, citing Edersheim, provides an explanation of the intent –   The synagogue “was built of stone, with an entrance generally on the south, and so arranged that the worshippers might direct their prayers towards Jerusalem. In the centre was placed the lectern of the reader; the women's gallery was at the north end. ‘The inside plan is generally that of two double colonnades, which seem to have formed the body of the synagogue, the aisles east and west being probably used as passages. At the south end, facing north, is a movable ark, containing the sacred rolls of the Law and the prophets. Right before the ark, and facing the people, are the seats of honour, for the rulers of the synagogue and the honourable.' These were the places for which the Pharisees contended, thinking more of gaining these, where they could sit enthroned in the sight of the congregation, than of the Divine worship which nominally they came to offer.”   This was a me-centered aspect of the religious life of the scribes and Pharisees. They wanted to be seen as important in the eyes of everyone, and these were ways they could obtain such recognition.   Life application: Jesus has already given His disciples instruction on such attitudes –   “But Jesus called them to Himself and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.'” Matthew 20:25-28   Paul wrote about this mindset as well –   “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3, 4   In James 2, we read of showing partiality, something similar in thought, but from the other side of the matter. In these and other examples, we can learn that God does not look with favor on those who are consumed with themselves or who treat others poorly.   Each of us, therefore, should evaluate ourselves and our actions toward others, understanding that we are just people, like all others. Conducting our affairs in life as God desires is what assigns value to us. Therefore, let us endeavor to be pleasing to Him in this manner as we live our lives in His presence.   Heavenly Father, help us not to seek to exalt ourselves in the eyes of others, but to live with humility, knowing that You are evaluating us. May we always think of others as better than us, showing them kind respect no matter who they are. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.  

In this episode, Windy shares her thoughts on followers of Jesus missing the main thing that Jesus taught us. To love one another as He has loved us.

How easily do we sin not only through our spoken words, but within the hidden theater of our thoughts? Father Robert Nixon, OSB—Benedictine monk at New Norcia in Australia and translator for the TAN Resurrection Series—joins host Anna Mitchell on the Son Rise Morning Show to reflect on Thomas à Kempis's classic insights from Solitude and Silence: The Cloister of the Heart. Father Nixon breaks down the spiritual connection between thought, speech, and action, explaining how internal thoughts act as a form of interior speech before God, why Jesus repeatedly addressed the thoughts of the Pharisees, and how we can practically manage passing temptations and distractions without falling into scrupulosity. Stream now to listen!Support the show: https://www.sacredheartradio.com/donate-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why did Jesus quote Psalm 118 to the Pharisees during Holy Week after telling the Parable of the Wicked Tenants? Dr. John Bergsma—prolific author, illustrator, and theology professor (Bible Basics for Catholics, Psalm Basics for Catholics)—joins Anna Mitchell on the Son Rise Morning Show to unpack the deep Old Testament roots of this famous passage. Dr. Bergsma explains how Psalm 118 was traditionally prayed during the Passover meal, how the historical life of King David foreshadowed Christ's rejection, and how Jesus became the true cornerstone of a new temple built of living stones—the Church. Stream now to listen!Support the show: https://www.sacredheartradio.com/donate-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does a short seven-verse psalm contain over a dozen distinct prophecies about Jesus Christ? Apologist and author Gary Michuta (Messiah: Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled in Christ) joins Sacred Heart Radio's Son Rise Morning Show to unpack Psalm 110. From Jesus's famous riddle to the Pharisees in Matthew 22 to St. Peter’s iconic Pentecost sermon in Acts 2, Gary explores how this powerful text points to the pre-existence of Christ, His eternal priesthood after the order of Melchizedek, and the ultimate triumph of the Messiah. Stream now to listen!Support the show: https://www.sacredheartradio.com/donate-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Bible Story, Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth. The young man who is healed is then questioned by the Pharisees, for they do not want to admit that Jesus is truly good and had the power to heal. The once blind man stands firm in declaring that no evil man could do what Jesus did. This story is inspired by John 9:1-38. Go to https://www.BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is John 9:25 from the King James Version.Episode 196: As Jesus and His disciples were passing through the streets of Capernaum, they passed by a man who had been blind since birth. The disciples, misunderstanding the man's condition, thought that his blindness was a result of sin. But Jesus proved to them that the man was not blind because of sin but rather so God could be glorified in healing him. After Jesus had healed the man he was brought in front of the Pharisees to be questioned about his newfound sight. But as they were questioning the formerly blind man, his honest answers revealed their spiritual blindness.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the ⁠⁠Pray.com⁠⁠ app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Read OnlineTestifying to the TruthJesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.”  Luke 10:1–3One of the clearest safeguards for ensuring the authenticity and integrity of Christian duty is that we proclaim the Gospel in communion with others. The Christian disciple is never a lone ranger. We do not carry the mission of Christ by private inspiration or isolated insight, but in the context of the Church. The Gospel we preach is not our own. It originates in God, is handed on through Sacred Tradition, and is entrusted to the Church as a whole.When Jesus sent out the seventy-two disciples, He sent them in pairs. This had deep theological and scriptural significance. According to Mosaic Law, the testimony of two or three witnesses was necessary to establish truth (cf. Deuteronomy 19:15). This standard was well known in Jewish culture and was traditionally applied to legal cases, but Jesus elevated it to strengthen the credibility of evangelization. Two disciples witnessing together to the truth of the Gospel would speak with a kind of moral and spiritual authority that mirrored this ancient tradition. Moreover, when we speak in union with the Church and act in concert with other faithful witnesses, our united work of evangelization becomes a harmonious echo of God's Word rather than a solitary voice subject to distortion.Even our Lord Himself respected this principle. When the Pharisees challenged Jesus for speaking on His own authority, He responded, “Even if I do testify on my own behalf, my testimony can be verified… I testify on my behalf and so does the Father who sent me” (cf. John 8:14, 18). Jesus makes clear that He does not speak in isolation; the Father testifies on His behalf. Thus, even the Son, in His earthly mission, models the humility of cooperative testimony.Consider your own duty to testify to the truth of the Gospel. The Twelve whom Jesus had earlier sent represent the bishops of the Church, who form the foundation of Christ's mission through their participation in apostolic succession. In today's Gospel, the seventy-two represent every disciple of Christ, including each of us today. Discipleship is much more than following Jesus through a personal devotion to Him and His teachings. It also includes being sent by Him. Once we receive the Gospel and interiorize it through living faith and prayer, we will then be sent by Christ to go forth and testify to the truth we have received. This is not an option; it's a necessity.How well do you do this? Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking that our faith is something personal that we keep to ourselves. But it is not. It must be shared, and if we are disciples, then we are also evangelists.Being an evangelist does not necessarily mean we enter into a full-time apostolate by which we preach and teach as we travel from town to town. For most, evangelization takes place in the ordinary rhythms of life—in our families, workplaces, neighborhoods, and social settings. It means living our faith with authenticity, speaking the truth with charity, and radiating Christ through our actions as well as our words. It means being willing to witness to the Gospel even when it is uncomfortable, unpopular, or rejected, and doing so in union with others in the faith.Reflect today on whether you are testifying to the truth in the way God is asking of you. Have you embraced both the privilege and the responsibility of being sent? Resolve to go forth with the courage of a lamb in the midst of wolves, never alone, but always in communion with Christ and His Church, bearing witness to the Kingdom that is at hand. Doing so will not only bring blessings to others, it will also deepen your faith and communion with God.My Lord and Living Word, Your voice must go out to the ends of the earth, drawing many to You through the members of Your Mystical Body, the Church. Please draw me close to You, dear Lord, and when I am ready, send me forth with others to testify to the Truth of Your saving Word. Use me as an instrument of Your grace, that through my witness, You may draw many souls into the glory of Your Eternal Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Sending Out Disciples by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.Source: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:4b-14)

“The end is coming!” Throughout the years, this short but terrifying sentence has sent shivers down the spines of believers, conjuring images of apocalyptic destruction and trials foretold by ancient texts. But should the faithful tremble at the thought of the book of Revelation, or is there a deeper understanding to be had?This is a question Jenny Mire was able to answer in her journey to understand the end times. In this episode of The Revelations Podcast, we take a deeper look into the Bible and human history. Jenny sheds light on Daniel's 70 Weeks prophecy, and why she believes that Jesus reigns in the present. She explains the Olivet Discourse and the relevance of the Old and New Covenant so we can better understand the meaning behind the book of Revelation.This episode will give you hope to continue Gods will in your life and peace to sustain you as you walk with Jesus!Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode:Gain insight into the different major perspectives of the end times and Jenny's partial preterist, amillennialist view.Understand the Olivet Discourse and how Jesus' proclamations are fulfilled throughout history.Be freed from fear with a better understanding of the end times and the new covenant with our Lord, Jesus.Become Part of Our Mission! Support The Revelations Podcast:Your support fuels our mission to share transformative messages of hope and faith. Click here to learn how you can contribute and be part of this growing community!ResourcesMore from the Revelations Podcast hosted by Reagan Kramer: Website | Instagram | Apple Podcast | YoutubeSeason 4 Episode 4: The Rooted Truth of God's Word (ft. Jenny Mire)The Rooted Truth Podcast hosted by Jenny MireEpisode 92: Healing + Deliverance in the Church with Reagan KramerRemnant Rising by LoriThe Rooted Truth: Join the community | Get the app | Instagram | WebsiteThe 70th Week of Daniel free resource from The Rooted TruthThe Complete Works of Josephus by Josephus, translated by William WhistonBible Verses:Daniel 9Daniel 12:11Matthew 23; Matthew 23: 36 - 38Matthew 24; Matthew 24:2; Matthew 24:15Luke 21; Luke 21:22Isaiah 61Hebrews 8:13 Jeremiah 29Connect with Jenny: Instagram | WebsiteThis Episode is brought to you by Advanced Medicine AlternativesGet back to the active life you love through natural & regenerative musculoskeletal healing: https://www.georgekramermd.com/Episode Highlights[03:28] Jenny Explains EschatologyEschatology is the study of the end times or the end of the world as we know it. The Greek word “escha” means last or farthest away.There are many different views and words for this study. Specifically, Jenny views it as the “last days.”Like many others, Reagan and Jenny have been exposed to the fear of the end times that Hollywood and society have perpetuated.However, the book of Revelations isn't about fear. It is about the revealing of Jesus Christ. [06:55] Jenny: “Revelation is ‘the revealing of'… It means the revealing of Jesus Christ. It is about Jesus. When you look at Revelations with those lenses of ‘Where are we seeing him revealed?' your view starts to change.” It reveals the New Covenant and what that means for us, believers.[07:23] The Major Views of the End TimesThe dispensational view looks at Revelations at different times. From the growth of the Church to the 7-year peace agreement of the Antichrist and Jesus' return to reign and end all evil. The Church is raptured before, in the middle, or after the 7-year tribulationAmillennialism believes that Jesus reigns right now. There will be no rapture and the Church waits for Jesus' second coming and then eternity.A preterist view believes the Revelations were fulfilled in the first century. A partial preterist believes that it has mostly been fulfilled and only awaits the return of Jesus.Other views include historical, post-millennialism, futurism, and idealism. Listen to the full episode to gain a better understanding of the different views of the end times with Jenny.Jenny is a partial preterist with an amillennialist viewpoint. She believes that Jesus is reigning in the present. Once He comes back, he will bring eternity.[13:09] The Journey Into Studying the book of RevelationIn 2020, Jenny started questioning what other people told her about the end times. She started reading Revelations and felt uneasy about how some things didn't make sense.She discovered that the 7-year tribulation theology came from Daniel's 70 Weeks prophecy. Jenny started reading the Book of Daniel and listened to different viewsJenny started studying the Hebrew writings in Daniel. It's through this that she better understands the 70 Weeks prophecy and how it actually refers to Jesus and His ministry.The next step in her journey was understanding what Matthew 24 says when talking about the end times and the great tribulation.In the past year, she studied Revelations and listened to different views and perspectives. With prayer, Jenny felt the Holy Spirit confirm her beliefs not with fear but with peace.[17:02] A Deeper Look Into Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theology and HistoryDispensationalism was made popular in the 1800s by John Nelson Darby. His work has then been taught in seminaries.Josephus was a first-century Jewish historian. He documented the history of the Jewish-Roman War. His works are crucial in understanding the views of the end times.In Matthew 23, Jesus proclaimed destruction and judgment on that generation before He died in 30 AD. In 66 AD, Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem before pulling out and allowing Christians who heeded Jesus' warnings to flee the city.The Roma-Jewish War lasted for 3 and a half years as written in the books of Revelations and Daniel. It ended in 70 AD after a final siege lasting 5 months.A better understanding of these dates gave Jenny a deeper look. Learn more about these historical dates and Bible writings in Jenny's full explanation in this episode.[27:02] The Book of RevelationsMany believe that John wrote Revelations between 90 and 95 AD. However, based on his age and writing, it makes sense to have been written around 60 ADRevelations is the last book in the Bible as it describes the destruction of the temple and how it embodies the Mosaic Covenant.Jenny asks important questions to better understand Revelations in her journey. This brings her to the realization that the Old Covenant is done and the New Covenant has everything we need.[31:30] Explaining the Olivet DiscourseThe Olivet Discourse is found in Matthew 24 and Luke 21. Before this, Jesus calls out the Pharisees and scribes as hypocrites in Matthew 23.Jesus and His disciples talk about His proclamation of judgment on the Pharisees, the destruction of the temple, and when it will occur. The disciples ask Jesus about the signs of coming and the end of the age, referring to the Old Covenant Age.In Matthew, Jesus refers to the “Abomination of Desolation” mentioned by Daniel about the first-century destruction. Luke 21 tells the same story of this discourse where he writes about this desolation as Jerusalem surrounded by armies.These chapters and verses can be seen in the Roman-Jewish war between 66 AD and 70 AD.Jesus' proclamation was fulfilled. Romans conquered, took people captive, and left others dead. Not one stone was left in the temple when it was destroyed in the war.[42:38] The End of the Old CovenantThe 70 weeks of Daniel was during Jesus' 3-and-a-half-year ministry. He was crucified midway through the 70th week. [43:19] Jenny: “When Jesus came when he resurrected and ascended into heaven, He began reigning at that point. The new covenant was in effect for those who accepted it.” After Jesus' resurrection and ascension, the New Covenant and His reign began.This overlapped with the Old Covenant as it became obsolete and slowly vanished. The fall of the temple was the end of the Old Covenant.[46:14] Following the Way of the New CovenantRecently, there has been talk about rebuilding the temple. However, Jenny believes that this is a distraction of the enemy from our task to grow and become many. [46:34] Jenny: “You and I are the temple and the Holy Spirit. God dwells in us and where He dwells is His glory. So when it says the glory will fill the whole Earth, that is us, believers.” People are so focused on what can happen in the future that it distracts us from what we should be doing. Many are scared and choose not to live their lives due to this fear.We get stuck in fear. However, it's important to ask about if this is from the Lord. The Lord is perfect love and not based on fear.John, as a prophet of the first century, wrote Revelations referring to the first destruction of the temple like the prophets of the Old Testament.Jenny believes we are at the end of the book, experiencing Jesus' reign and waiting for His return. We are made spiritually new in Christ but yearn for physical restoration.[56:16] Freedom From Fear By Understanding the End TimesWhat Jenny has learned about the end times has helped her in understanding the New Covenant.She is now on a new journey to find out what it means to be a new creation and know our true identity.Once we stop fearing and looking for the Antichrist and more, we can focus on Jesus and the New Covenant. There is freedom from fear to be able to live and move forward. About JennyJenny Mire is the founder of The Rooted Truth and Think Fit. She is a child of God who is dedicated to her mission to teach and empower women through God's Word. Jenny is also an author, speaker, and the host of The Rooted Truth Podcast.Connect with Jenny on her website and Instagram.Enjoyed this Episode?If you did, subscribe and share it with your friends!Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning in, then leave us a review. You can also share this with your friends and family. This episode is all about understanding what Revelations is about and finding freedom from fear of the end times.Have any questions? You can connect with me on Instagram.Thank you for tuning in! For more updates, tune in on Apple Podcasts.

Thus far in Matthew's gospel, we haven't heard complaints from the crowds about any of Christ's teachings or any unrest from his ministry to sick or suffering people, but in today's episode Jesus begins crossing boundaries which had been laid through the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees. After forgiving the sins of a paralyzed man, the scribes claim that Jesus is blaspheming, but he immediately shows them that he has the power to do even greater things through his authoritative word. Similar encounters follow, but the power and authority that Jesus has over Creation simply cannot be denied. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Wednesday, 30 September 2026   But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. Matthew 23:5   “All, also, the ‘deeds, theirs', they do to ‘see', the men. They widen, also, the ‘phylacteries, theirs', and they enlarge the ‘tassels, the cloaks, theirs'.” (CG)   In the previous verse, Jesus noted that the scribes and Pharisees bind heavy burdens on the shoulders of men, but they are unwilling to move them with one of their own fingers. He continues excoriating them, saying, “All, also, the ‘deeds, theirs', they do to ‘see', the men.”   Jesus speaks of this elsewhere, such as people making long, showy prayers for everyone to hear. Some people have attention magnets stuck all over them, begging for everyone around them to see them and notice how interesting and important they are... in their own eyes.   The scribes and Pharisees were a lot like this, wanting everyone to notice them and everything they did. Their deeds were calculated for maximum exposure to the eyes around them. If they brought gifts to the temple, they were the types who would gladly tie bells to them so that with every step they took, the bells would ring and their offering would be seen by everyone – ohhhh, ahhhhh.   You know the types. They fill many churches around the world today. It is a ‘me-centered' religion, even if it supposedly is directed toward the Lord. Jesus continues, saying, “They widen, also, the ‘phylacteries, theirs'.”   A couple of new words are seen. The first is platunó, to widen, make broad, enlarge, etc. It can be used figuratively, as in opening wide one's affections. The next new word is phulaktérion. Vincent's Word Studies describes these –   Phylacteries, called by the Rabbis tephillin, prayer-fillets, were worn on the left arm, toward the heart, and on the forehead. They were capsules containing on parchment these four passages of Scripture: Exodus 13:1-10; Exodus 13:11-16; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Deuteronomy 11:13-21. That for the head was to consist of a box with four compartments, each containing a slip of parchment inscribed with one of the four passages. Each of these slips was to be tied up with well-washed hair from a calf's tail; lest, if tied with wool or thread, any fungoid growth should ever pollute them. The phylactery of the arm was to contain a single slip, with the same four passages written in four columns of seven lines each. The black leather straps by which they were fastened were wound seven times round the arm and three times round the hand. They were reverenced by the Rabbis as highly as the scriptures, and, like them, might be rescued from the flames on a Sabbath. They profanely imagined that God wore the tephillin.   Jesus next says, “and they enlarge the ‘tassels, the cloaks, theirs'.”   Another new word is seen, megalunó. It signifies to make or declare great. As such, it can signify to exalt or magnify. In this case, the tassels they were commanded to wear on their garments according to the law were made into long, showy tassels. One gets the sense of “Hey, look at how religious I am! I have super long tassels, proving that I am super fulfilling the law mandated by the Lord through Moses.”   One can almost see them hoping for people to come and get their autographs.   Life application: If you have faith in the Lord, and if you are truly in love with Him and what He has done for you, what more do you need in regard to man's approval? The answer should be obvious. You don't need it.   When you have the favor of the King of the universe, there is no need to impress others. Rather, you can spend your time working on a proper relationship with Him. When you fail in one way or another, you are still motivated to work on the relationship through acknowledging your faults and moving on.   If you are living your life in this manner, you will find there is neither the time nor the need to impress others. Be content in your faith, and live your life for the Lord. That is a life well spent.   O God, how wonderful it is to know You and to share in Your goodness. Help us to not seek the world's attention or try to impress others with our faith, except as they want to know why we are filled with joy. In this, may others want to know You personally and intimately. May it be so, to Your glory. Amen.

00:00:00 Matthew 1 – The Genealogy and Birth of Jesus Christ00:03:13 Matthew 2 – The Wise Men, Flight into Egypt, and Slaughter of the Innocents00:06:37 Matthew 3 – John Preacheth and Baptizeth Christ00:08:43 Matthew 4 – Christ Fasteth, is Tempted, and Beginneth His Ministry00:11:46 Matthew 5 – The Sermon on the Mount00:17:19 Matthew 6 – Christ Continueth His Sermon on the Mount00:21:33 Matthew 7 – Christ Endeth His Sermon on the Mount00:24:42 Matthew 8 – Christ Cleanseth the Leper and Stilleth the Tempest00:28:39 Matthew 9 – Christ Cureth the Palsy and Calleth Matthew00:33:01 Matthew 10 – Christ Sendeth Out His Twelve Apostles00:37:53 Matthew 11 – John Sendeth His Disciples to Christ00:41:27 Matthew 12 – Christ Reproveth the Pharisees and Sheweth Who is His Brother00:47:27 Matthew 13 – The Parable of the Sower and Other Parables00:54:53 Matthew 14 – John Baptist Beheaded and Christ Feedeth Five Thousand00:58:36 Matthew 15 – Christ Reproveth the Pharisees and Feedeth Four Thousand01:02:55 Matthew 16 – The Pharisees Require a Sign and Peter's Confession01:06:28 Matthew 17 – The Transfiguration of Christ01:09:51 Matthew 18 – Christ Teacheth Humility and Forgiveness01:14:08 Matthew 19 – Christ Healeth the Sick and Answereth Concerning Divorce01:17:50 Matthew 20 – The Labourers in the Vineyard01:21:54 Matthew 21 – Christ's Entry into Jerusalem and Cleansing of the Temple01:27:48 Matthew 22 – The Parable of the Marriage of the King's Son01:32:13 Matthew 23 – Christ Admonisheth the People and Denounceth Woes01:36:52 Matthew 24 – Christ Foretelleth the Destruction of the Temple01:42:03 Matthew 25 – The Parables of the Ten Virgins and the Talents01:47:09 Matthew 26 – The Lord's Supper and Christ's Agony in the Garden01:55:18 Matthew 27 – Christ Delivered to Pilate, Crucified, and Buried02:02:22 Matthew 28 – The Resurrection of Christ

Today on the show, I share my personal review of The Chosen Season 4, Episode 6—an episode that blends celebration, confrontation, and foreshadowing in powerful ways. I talk about Jesus and the disciples observing Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication, and I discuss Jesus’ bold declaration to the Pharisees in the temple: “I and the Father are one.” I also reflect on Judas’s growing frustration as he pushes for an earthly kingdom while Jesus continues pointing to a heavenly one, a tension that clearly hints at the betrayal still to come. I also look at the emotional turn the episode takes when Jesus and the disciples receive the heartbreaking news that Lazarus has died. We also discuss an important subplot that contains one of my favorite moments in this episode- a conversation between Thomas and Peter about loss and how God’s perspective is so much higher than ours. Their exchange adds depth to an already weighty episode and reminds us that even in grief, God is working out His perfect plan. Listen, share with a friend And don't forget to watch this episode for free on the web at thechosen.tv!

God Empowers the Weak (7)  (audio) David Eells, 9/30/26 We all want to manifest the fruit of the Spirit, but first there must be the crucifixion of the lusts. Jesus taught us and He's our example. Many people think He was an example so that we wouldn't have to die. No, Jesus didn't die so that we wouldn't have to die. Jesus died so that we could die. I'm talking about dying spiritually; dying to self. He died to make it possible for us to die to self.  Those who refuse to take up their cross and follow Him, and refuse to obey His commands, are refusing to be disciples. Even if they call themselves Christians. I want to show you that Jesus turned the other cheek, but He did it as an example to us. When Jesus was before Pilate and the Sanhedrin (Matthew 27:12-14), He resisted not the evil. He did turn the other cheek. He had the power to say “No.” He had more power than the disciples understood He had because they thought they were going to save Him with the sword. (Mat.26:52) Then saith Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into its place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. He said, “Don't you know I could call more than 12 legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53) Look, Jesus had power they didn't know of to keep from going to the cross. He didn't have to resort to man's arm of the flesh. One angel in the Old Testament killed 185,000 men (2 Kings 19:35) and Jesus is talking about calling 72,000 angels here. That's power! Christians need to realize that their power is not in the arm of the flesh; it's in the Kingdom of Heaven. That power should be used to fulfill God's Will. In the very next verse after Jesus said, “Don't you know I could call more than 12 legions of angels?” He said, “how then should the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” (Mat.26:54) We want the Scriptures to be fulfilled in us, which is the manifestation of Christ; however, they won't be fulfilled if you refuse to go to your cross. Just as Jesus had a free will and He could have called the 12 legions of angels, we have a free will, and we could, in many cases, walk away from our cross. But that doesn't mean we won't be faced with it again. We will be faced with it again and again because God is merciful. And we'll be faced with it until we get it right or just run out of time because we are running out of time. We've been put here to bear fruit, and we've been given a certain amount of time to do that. There's a door closing on the other end of this life. I've shared before the vision my wife had about being on a treadmill. The door ahead was closing. We had to run faster and faster to get through the door before it closed. The treadmill was imperceptibly picking up speed going in the opposite direction, and we had to run faster and faster. That's the way the world is; it's picking up speed in the opposite direction, and the door is closing. We're running a race but it's not a race against one another; this is a race against time. There's a door closing. You have to bear fruit or else you'll be called what Scripture and Jesus called an “unprofitable servant,” cast forth into outer darkness (Matthew 25:30). There's no such thing as bearing fruit without the cross. I'm going to point out just a few of Jesus' commands and show you that when you obey them, they put you in a position of weakness. You cannot defend yourself. You cannot hit back. You won't be able to do the things that your flesh wants because, if you do, your flesh will live and it will get stronger. (Rom.8:13) For if ye live after the flesh (in other words, if you walk in obedience to the flesh), ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. We want the new man to live and there's only one way that can happen – the old man has to die. They live in the same house. The spiritual man was supposed to go into the Promised Land and kill the old man and live in his house, and we are, in one parallel, that promised land. That spiritual man is Christ in us and He's the spiritual man in every one of us, Who seeks to take over our vessel. (1Pe.2:18) Servants, [be] in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. (19) For this is acceptable (the literal translation is actually “grace”), For this is grace, if for conscience toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully. Grace? That's right. God sends us through grace down here on this earth. Sometimes we don't look on it as grace, but it's fleshly suffering. He calls it grace. That's the original word there. We have to go through suffering. (Act.14:22) … Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. We must go through suffering because the flesh doesn't die without suffering. If you're not suffering, then you're not ceasing from sin. Peter said, He that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin (1Pe.4:1). That's because when you're suffering, when the flesh is suffering – and I'm talking about that entity of the old man in you, the mind of the flesh in you – when that old man is suffering, it means that he's not getting his way and he's dying. This is not about the physical flesh suffering, you understand. I'm talking about that entity that lives in you that wants to gratify “self.” If the old man is not suffering, you're not bearing the cross; you're not obeying the commands of Jesus to lose your life. So Peter called it “grace” here. (1Pe.2:20) For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted [for it,] ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it,] ye shall take it patiently, this is grace with God. The last thing we want is to do right and to have wrong done to us in return. We want justice and our rights. The flesh demands its rights, but the flesh is a dead man. We reckon the old man to be dead unto sin (Romans 6:11) and dead men don't demand rights. You can slap the dead man on one cheek and they'll turn the other one, too. That's the way Jesus commanded us. If you want that old man to die, then don't feed him. Just don't obey him and he'll die. This is grace with God. (1Pe.2:21) For hereunto were ye called…. We were called to suffer in what the world would call “wrongfully.” In other words, we're called to suffer when we do right. (1Pe.2:21) For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: (22) who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: (23) who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously. In other words, Jesus left judgment, wrath and payback in the hands of God. Peter said Jesus left this example to us so that we should follow in His steps. Every day we're going to have an opportunity to do this. There's just no way you could live this life without having an opportunity to deny our self life. Don't waste your time. Redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16), the Scripture says. This is what we're here for. Suffering is one of God's greatest methods to put to death your flesh so that Christ can live in you.  (1Pe.3:13) And who is he that will harm you, if ye be zealous of that which is good? (14) But even if ye should suffer for righteousness' sake, blessed [are ye:] and fear not their fear, neither be troubled; (15) but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: [being] ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear: (16) having a good conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life in Christ. (17) For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing. (18) Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit. We can see a spiritual type there in the life of Christ. When He resisted not the evil, He was put to death in the flesh, but He was made alive in the spirit. This is a spiritual type for us because, if we want to be made alive in the spirit, we must accept our death in the fleshly self-life daily.  (1Pe.4:14) If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed [are ye;] because the [Spirit] of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you. (15) For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men's matters: but if [a man suffer] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name. (17) For the time [is come] for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if [it begin] first at us, what [shall be] the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? (18) And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? (19) Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God (That doesn't fit the prosperity doctrine very well, does it?) commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator. Commit your soul unto a faithful Creator. Jesus obeyed His own command in Matthew 5:39 and He was crucified for it. I can imagine several places where He could have interjected just a little bit of truth and totally turned the situation around, such as when He talked about, “destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (Joh.2:19). Of course, he spake of the temple of his body (21), but that's not what was brought out at the trial by the Sanhedrin and I never saw Him even objecting to it, though He knew what He meant. He didn't bother to stick up for Himself. There's one person from the Old Testament who really impressed me with his understanding of not resisting him that is evil, and that's David. He obeyed this. I've seen probably a half-dozen to a dozen good examples of where David obeyed this doctrine. He seemed to be way ahead of his time in understanding what it was that pleased God. He seemed to be almost walking in New Testament revelation in some areas of this resisting not evil and it definitely bore fruit in his soul. (Psa.38:12) They also that seek after my life lay snares [for me,] And they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and meditate deceits all the day long. (13) But I, as a deaf man, hear not; And I am as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. (14) Yea, I am as a man that heareth not, And in whose mouth are no reproofs. (15) For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God. David put his trust in God to bring about justice, just as the Lord did (1 Peter 2:23), and not with his own tongue, nor in his own strength. In fact, as we read on here, you'll see that David knew and understood God's purpose. You know, it's a fiery trial when you resist not the evil, no matter what form it is. There's a righteous indignation that rises up on the inside of you wanting justice, but listen, we can't afford justice. Nobody reading this can afford justice. We want mercy. With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful (Psa.18:25). If you get justice, you're in trouble. Did you know that? God gives justice to some and He gives mercy to others (Romans 9:21-23). Christians get mercy. The world doesn't always get mercy. But I'll tell you what, the only thing we better show to the world is mercy because God's going to be merciful and forgiving to those who are merciful and forgiving. And to those who are not merciful, He's going to give justice (Matthew 18:35). None of us here can afford the justice of God. Not everybody even gets a revelation of God in this world, but they get justice because every man is going to reap what he sows (Galatians 6:7). People ask, “What do you do with the wicked who never hear the name of Christ?” No problem. They're going to get justice. Everybody in this world is going to at least get justice, but Christians, at least true Christians, are going to get mercy and grace from Him.  God's not doing wrong by doing that because He's at the very least giving justice to people. But we had better pray that we don't get justice because that means we'll pay for what we've done and what we are doing that is wrong. David understood this, and Jesus understood this. So David says, “for I said, Lest they rejoice over me: When my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me.” (Psa.38:16) (17) For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me. (18) For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin. (19) But mine enemies are lively, [and] are strong; And they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. (20) They also that render evil for good Are adversaries unto me, because I follow the thing that is good. (21) Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me. (22) Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation. (39:1) I said, I will take heed to my ways, That I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, While the wicked is before me. (2) I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; And my sorrow was stirred. (3) My heart was hot within me; While I was musing the fire burned; [Then] spake I with my tongue: (4) Lord, make me to know mine end, And the measure of my days, what it is; Let me to know how frail I am. You know, when David resisted not the evil, when he kept his mouth shut when he was really being pressured to speak up, he said the fire burned in him. Have you ever felt that fire? I have. It's just like a real fire burning in you. It's a fiery trial that's come to prove you and to burn up the wood, hay and stubble of the self-life. You know, we've been told by some church ministers that the fiery trial is in the next life, but that's as big a lie as has ever been told. (1Co.3:12) But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble; (13) each man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man's work of what sort it is. It's here that you go through the fiery trial to burn up the wood, hay and stubble, not in the next life. The Bible says, “the day shall declare it.” There are no days in eternity. This is where the fiery trial comes. But you can avoid the fiery trial very easily. All you have to do is not obey the commands of Jesus. If you don't obey Him, it's easy to avoid those kinds of trials, and quite often we'll go around them, but what we're doing is putting off the day of crucifixion and the day of bearing fruit. God wants to motivate us with many, many Scriptures that today is the day of salvation. Today is God's day of deliverance (2 Corinthians 6:2). I found many places where David understood this. One of them is when Nabal's herds had been protected by David and his men out in the wilderness (1 Samuel 25:16). By the way, Nabal means “fool.” And David's men were sent to Nabal to get some supplies for his men, who were living in the wilderness, and Nabal answered them very roughly and sent them back without any help (1 Samuel 25:10,11,14). So David had decided, “I'll just go over there and take his head off” (1 Samuel 25:22). Meanwhile, Nabal's wife, who was a very understanding and wise woman, decided she was going to go meet David and ask his forgiveness, and she did (1 Samuel 25:24). And one thing she said is, “Thank God that the Lord has withheld you from avenging yourself at your own hand” (1 Samuel 25:26,31). She said that twice. Then David thanked her for her part in bringing that to pass (1 Samuel 25:32,33). You know, there's something wrong about us avenging ourselves with our own hand. (Rom.12:19) Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath [of God:] for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord. He said, if you do this, “thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head” (20). In other words, it's God's job to repay. If we repay, then God has to whip us because we've been commanded over and over not to repay. If we do it, He's going to whip us, but He doesn't have to whip them.  I'll give you an example. If you have two kids and you tell them, “Now, look, don't you hit back. If so-and-so does something to you, you come and tell me; I'll take care of it. If one of them hits back, then the other one has al­ready gotten his punishment. In that case, why should I hit him again? I'm going to have to hit you since you're the one who needs the whipping because you disobeyed me.” Here's the point. This is the way God does things. If He tells us. “Don't do it,” there's a purpose in it. (Eph.6:12) For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. What we war against must be done in the spirit; it must be done with authority of Christ and through the power of faith. It can't be done in the flesh.  Let me show you a really good example of this from David. (2Sa.16:5) And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out thence a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out, and cursed still as he came. (6) And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. (7) And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Begone, begone, thou man of blood, and base fellow: (8) the Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned … Well, I don't know if Shimei knew it or not, but David had opportunity about three times to kill Saul. It was in his hand to do it, and he wouldn't do it. He would resist the evil. He wouldn't repay. He left that to the Lord, and the Lord took care of that. The Lord used the Philistines to take Saul and his whole family out (1 Samuel 31:6), but He didn't have to blame David for it. David even had to dodge some of Saul's spears and his evil spirits (1 Samuel 18:11, 19:10). Shimei went on with his slander… And the Lord hath delivered the kingdom unto the hand of Absalom thy son; and, behold, thou art [taken] in thine own mischief, because thou art a man of blood. (2Sa.16:9) Then said Abishai the son of Zeruah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse the lord my king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. (10) And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? Because he curseth, and because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David … Do you see that? “The Lord hath said unto him, ‘Curse David.'” David wasn't wrong here. The Lord works all things after the counsel of His Own Will (Ephesians 1:11). He sends wicked people to us to crucify our flesh. It's His purpose to do that, just as He sent and used the hand of wicked men to crucify the Lord. (Act.2:23) Him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay. God used these vessels of dishonor. He used the people of Israel and He used the wicked Roman Empire to crucify the Lord, as the Scripture says. It's the same with us. He put us here in the midst of a bunch of wolves. Jesus said, “I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves” (Luk.10:3). We have been put here for crucifixion, and the world is designed to crucify us. If you don't understand that, you don't understand the sovereignty of God. God designed this world to crucify us. Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). Stop and think. “The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Before Adam fell, God designed a Savior. Do you think we're in Plan B? Nope. We're in Plan A. There never has been a Plan B because God is Sovereign. He designed this world to manifest sons, and to manifest sons, you have to have a fallen nature to begin with. There have to be people who don't deserve God's goodness. That's where you have to start out because God wasn't creating angels. If He was creating angels, He wouldn't have had to make man at all. God didn't want angels. He wanted somebody who was fallen and so they could gratefully realize they picked up by the grace of God. You remember what Jesus said to one of the Pharisees? (Luk.7:40) And Jesus, answering, said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Teacher, say on. (41) A certain lender had two debtors: the one owed five hundred shillings, and the other fifty. (42) When they had not [wherewith] to pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most? (43) Simon answered and said, He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. (47) Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, [the same] loveth little. In other words, “Who is forgiven much, loveth much.” See, we're going to know how to love God because we don't deserve anything. We have fallen and have been picked up by grace, not by our works, but by grace or unmerited favor. We don't deserve anything. We deserve justice, but pray you don't get that because God's grace is far above justice. His mercy is far above justice. That's why we have to give grace to other people. Don't give them what they deserve; you may get what you deserve. (Mat.7:2) For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you. If you give somebody justice, you'll receive it back. Give them mercy. Give them grace. God will judge them. God may even judge them out of your mouth, but understand that it won't be with your flesh. The prophets spoke judgments. In the Book of Revelation, prophets speak judgment in (Revelation 11:6). I'm convinced that everything that happens in the Book of Revelation comes out of the mouth of God's children. Many of the curses today that are coming upon this world are coming out of the mouth of God's children. In fact, I'm convinced that all of them do. God is bringing judgment, and He's doing it through His people but it won't be personal retaliation or unforgiveness. They're speaking judgment, but they're not doing it with the mouth of the flesh. You know, we can't rise up against this government that God ordained according to Romans 13. If you do, God promises, “all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (Mat.26:52). But ultimately God's Kingdom is coming. The saints are going to possess the Kingdom, and they're going to take it from the Beast. They will do this by using the Sword of the Spirit and it will be happening in the spirit realm. They won't be doing it in the flesh. The flesh must be crucified. Works of the flesh must cease. You must desist. You must resist not him who is evil. In the spirit realm, we can do many mighty things. God has planned it that way so that your spirit man will be strong, but your flesh will be weak. That's the way God's salvation, God's deliverance, and every need is going to come. David understood that the Lord had commanded this, and we need to understand this, too. All we have to do is read Job to see that circumstances are the same today as they were back then. (Job2:10) … What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?…. And you know what? Job repented after God answered him in chapters 38-40. He repented of his self-righteousness. He repented (Job 42:1-6) and God gave him back what he'd lost (Job 42:10). But God used crucifixion in Job's life. Job wasn't physically doing wrong things; he wasn't in outward immoral disobedience. His problem was self-righteousness. God brought all this against him to bring him to repentance. David was also put in a position of crucifixion by God. God sent this enemy against him and David understood that. I think very few people in the Old Testament had wisdom like David concerning this. And he said, (2Sa.16:10) And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? Because he curseth, and because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David; who then shall say, Wherefore hast thou done so? (11) And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more [may] this Benjamite now [do it]? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him. “The Lord hath bidden him.” Think about that the next time people come against you and want to put you on the cross, and you keep wanting to climb down. We do want to climb down off that cross, but you can't drive the nails. God has designed the wicked to put the cross in the ground and drive the nails. That's their calling in this world.  God has vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor. He has vessels of grace and vessels of wrath. They're all doing His Will, one way or the other. All things serve the Lord, and He works all things after the counsel of His Own Will (Ephesians 1:11). If you understand this, you can walk in grace and peace in this world, no matter what comes against you, because God put you there for a purpose. He put you there to be crucified and so that you would learn to use the weapons of your warfare (2 Corinthians 10:4). You know, sometimes the Lord sends the devil against you just so you can defeat him. He'll send the enemy against you, but He doesn't want you to go against him by wrestling with flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). Remember that the Bible says, “resist not him that is evil” (Mat.5:39). On the other hand, it says, “resist the devil” (Jas.4:7). “Resist not him that is evil” is talking about man. We don't wrestle with flesh and blood. When they wrestled with flesh and blood in the Old Testament, that was a type and shadow of them wrestling with principalities and powers. Go back over there and read the names of those kings and the names of those tribes that were conquered, and study in the Hebrew what those names mean. You're going to find out they're all the lusts of the flesh and demon spirits. That's who the Israelites were spiritually wrestling with and everything that happened to them was a type and a shadow for us. (1Co.10:11) Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. So go back to the Old Testament and look at it carefully. You'll see what they wrestled with.  Today we think we're supposed to carry on an Old Testament-type warfare in the way we war with people, but you can't grow if you do that. God will chasten you if you do that because you're rebelling against His Word. And David said of his accuser, “the Lord hath bidden him” (2Sa.16:11). (12) It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, and that the Lord will requite me good for [his] cursing of me this day. David is saying that the Lord will pay him back good for his resisting not evil. If the Lord's going to bless you for it, go ahead and let them curse. Didn't Jesus say you'd be blessed when men would curse you? Absolutely (Matthew 5:11). Didn't He say the spirit of grace and the Spirit of God would rest upon you? Have you ever experienced that? I have. When I first learned of this doctrine, the Lord put me in situations where I did, by His grace, turn the other cheek, and I felt the power of God on me for going through that. It's just a great anointing that comes upon you when you obey God in the place where you want to defend yourself, and you refuse to do it. Instead, you leave it in the hands of God, and you won't defend yourself.  If you do defend ‘self', then the old man will live; he'll climb down off that cross. Even though he's crucified, he's not totally dead yet, so he can still climb down. It's true that we have to reckon him dead (Romans 6:11), but until he is dead, don't let him live; don't feed him. Do you know what fasting is a type of? Well, when you fast, you're not feeding the flesh. What happens when you don't feed it? It gets weak. What does that do? It makes the spiritual man strong. There's a reason for fasting and there's a spiritual type. The whole chapter of Isaiah 58 is talking about spiritual fasting, about denying yourself, so we see that they had a revelation of that in the Old Testament, too. (2Sa.16:13) So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hill-side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust. (14) And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary; and he refreshed himself there. Well, that wasn't the end of the story. David never did do anything to Shimei, but his son Solomon had him killed because he rebelled against his commands and left the city. It's hard to comprehend why Shimei was so against David. My guess is he was a low-life who just didn't want to understand the situation here. Anybody who was on Absalom's side and saw righteousness in Absalom and not in David, and saw righteousness in Saul and not in David, was in trouble. He was a sick son of the devil. Leaving our recompense in God's hands will do a work in you that nothing else will do because our old man would like to get the last word. And the last place you'll usually overcome in doing this is in your family. You can do it pretty well with the world and with the Christians around you, but one of the last places you're going to do it is with your family. The Scriptures teach this really well. The Lord says, “bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not” (Rom.12:14).(17) Render to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men. (18) If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men. We're to be at peace with all men. I once had a rather strange thing happen to me when I was in that state between dreaming and waking up. I was faced with an enemy that had come against this country. I saw an invasion force, and I was in the midst of it, and I was saying things to them in this dream like, “You're not my enemy.” The world may have enemies, but the world is not our enemy. Did you know the world is not our enemy? He said, “I will be his father, and he shall be my son: if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men” (2Sa.7:14). See, the rod is not your enemy; the rod is God's method of creation. When what we call our “enemy” is finished doing their work, God's going to destroy them. They have a work to do that we have to cooperate with God in. They are the rod of God who comes against us, but they're not really our enemy. We are to resist not that evil because that evil is what crucifies this flesh, which is our true enemy; it's the enemy of our eternal life. So they're doing a work in us that nothing else could do, and we need them. And God says, “as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men” (Rom.12:18). (19) Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath [of God]. “Give place unto the wrath.” That “of God” wasn't in the original. Just cross that out because it's not in there. It says, “give place unto the wrath: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord” (19). (20) But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. (21) Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Our method to bring the Gospel to people around us is to overcome evil with good. And Paul said, always leave the vengeance up to the Lord. Now I've heard for years that this ‘heaping coals of fire upon their head' was coals of conviction. Maybe so. But if you don't take vengeance, the Lord will, because He said to Israel, I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse (Gen.12:3). The Bible says we're the Israel of God. That verse is about you. It's not about a bunch of pagan Israelites who don't know God. No, it doesn't have anything to do with them. It has to do with the Israel of God. For as many as are of the faith of Abraham, these are the sons of Abraham (Romans 4:16). (Rom.2:28) For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: (29) but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart…. God's going to bless those who bless you, but He's going to curse those who curse you.  (Psa.140:9) As for the head of those that compass me about, Let the mischief of their own lips cover them. (10) Let burning coals fall upon them: Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, whence they shall not rise. So, this ‘burning coals upon the head;' could mean a lot more than just the convicting power. There are some people who will be totally convicted when you resist not their evil, and God can overcome evil in people who can be convicted because the power of God is drawing them. But there are some people who have no desire toward God. They're not being drawn of God, as a matter of fact. The Scripture doesn't say God draws everybody. (Joh.6:44) No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him…. It's just not in there. And this won't do anything for them, but the Bible does say God's judgment will fall upon them. If you resist not the evil, God's judgment will fall upon them, so those burning coals can mean the judgment of God. (Rom.13:1) Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God…. Did you know that there is no power but of God? If somebody has power over you, guess Who gave them that power? Jesus told Pilate, “thou wouldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above” (Joh.19:11). It's the same situation with us. God puts us in positions where physically we don't have the power; the enemy, the wicked, have the power. How many times have you ever seen a Christian government over a country? Daniel said that God gives the kingdom to whom He will and He sets up over it the basest of men (Daniel 4:17). Did you ever wonder why God does that? Did you ever wonder why, in the days of Jesus, there were the Neros and the Caesars, and since then the Hitlers and the Mussolinis? God does that because we need crucifixion. God is in the process of creating sons, and there has to be a crucifixion for sons. The people in power most often are the wicked. The Bible says in Romans 13 that when they're put in power, God puts them there. So it says, “let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the [powers] that be are ordained of God” (Rom.13:1). And that was written in the days of the Herods and the Caesars and the Neros! God put them in there and they crucified the Christians. They brought the Christians through trouble and all that was God's purpose. (Act.14:22) … Through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.

In this Bible Story, Jesus defends a woman caught in adultery from being stoned to death. She is drug out into the public half naked for all to shame her. Yet Jesus stands up to the religious leaders, and proclaims that whoever was without sin could throw the first stone. Since none of them had a rebuttal for Jesus, they left, and the woman was forgiven. This story is inspired by John 7:1-8:12. Go to https://www.BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is John 8:7 from the King James Version.Episode 195: The Pharisees once again trying to trap Jesus in His words bring Him a woman caught in the act of adultery. As they were trying to push Jesus into either forgiving the woman against the Law of Moses or stoning her as the Law requires, Jesus pushed them instead. He challenged them to take a look at the sin in their own lives first and the Pharisees began to leave one by one. When all who were left were Jesus and the woman, He spoke words of forgiveness and comfort, sending her on her way saying “go and sin no more.”Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the ⁠⁠Pray.com⁠⁠ app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Send us a message!We read Mark 7–8 and watch Jesus confront religious hypocrisy, redefine what makes a person unclean, and keep showing mercy to people on the margins. We also wrestle with His warning about being ashamed of His words and why our lives need to match the Bible we say we believe. • Pharisees and law experts challenging unwashed hands and ritual tradition • Jesus quoting Isaiah and exposing hearts far from God • Redefining defilement as what comes out of the heart • A Syrophoenician mother pushing forward with persistent faith • Healing a deaf man and the unstoppable spread of the news • Feeding four thousand and the disciples missing the point • Pharisees demanding a sign and Jesus refusing to perform • Warning about the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod • Healing a blind man in stages and what it says about perception • Peter confessing Jesus as the Christ and the shock of the suffering Messiah • Denying self, taking up the cross, and Mark 8:38 as a sober warning • Refusing to apologize for Scripture and choosing integrity instead  At outloudbible.com, you can find free resources to help you study the Bible. And while you're there, send us a message to say hi, or start a conversation about having us at your church or event. If Outloud Bible has been a valuable part of your understanding of the Bible, please consider supporting the ministry by visiting outloudbible.com.Support the showCheck out outloudbible.com for helpful study resources, and to discover how to bring the public reading of God's word to your church, conference, retreat, or other event.

Tuesday, 29 September 2026   For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. Matthew 23:4   “They bind, indeed, burdens, weighty and oppressive, and they lay upon the ‘shoulders, the men'. The, also ‘finger, theirs', not they will to stir them.” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told those He was talking to that they were to guard and do the things the scribes and Pharisees told them to do, but they should not do according to their works. He next explains why, saying, “They bind, indeed, burdens, weighty and oppressive.”   Three new words are seen here. The first is desmeuó, to be a binder. This includes the thought of enchaining a prisoner or tying a load on another. It is from desmos, a chain, bond, band, etc. One gets the sense of these men putting fetters on others, binding them with loads that burden them.   The next new word is barus, weighty, as in burdensome or grievous. The third word is dusbastaktos, an adjective signifying something oppressive or grievous to be borne. It is derived from dus, hard or grievous, and bastazó, to bear or carry. Thus, it signifies a load that is miserable to carry around. One easily gets the sense of Jesus' words.   It is as if these men have bound those under them with fetters attached to balls and chains, weighing them down and causing them to be oppressed and grievously burdened. And more, Jesus says, “and they lay upon the ‘shoulders, the men'.”   Another new word is seen, ómos, the shoulder. Strong believes it may be derived from the alternate of the word pheró, to bring or carry. The NAS Concordance thinks it is a primary word. Either way, it refers to the shoulder. It will only be seen again in Luke 15:5.   One can think of Jacob Marley from A Christmas Carol, weighed down and burdened with the torments that oppressed him. Jesus says that this is what the doctrines of these men were like. And more, He says, “the, also ‘finger, theirs', not they will to stir them.”   Two more new words are seen. The first is daktulos, the finger. It is probably derived from deka, ten, the normal number of digits a person has on his hands. The last new word of the verse is kineó, to stir. It is from kio, to go. It can be used literally or figuratively to indicate movement in various ways, such as moving through life, provoking others into an insurrection, and so on.   One can see the ancient granddaddy of our word kinetic. That is derived from kinetikos, which is from kinein, a word cognate to kineó. The imagery is that of people overburdened by the rules and regulations of these religious leaders. They are grievously burdened, unable to move through life with any source of freedom or enjoyment. And yet, these men won't assist them in the slightest.   Life application: Although the people of Israel had the law and they were expected to live under it and by it, the additional burdens cast upon the people only made their lives more difficult. The law itself was already a burden the people could not carry –    “Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” Acts 15:10, 11   Peter, a man who was born and lived under the law, saw this and understood it to be true. He also knew that Jesus fulfilled the law for those who were under it. As such, that yoke was removed from the people when they came to Christ.   And yet, there are people today who reimpose the law upon people of Israel who never properly lived their lives under the law. But as soon as they profess Christ, some heretic comes along and tells them that they have to observe Moses. And more, they take people who were never under the law, meaning any non-Jewish person on the planet, and they tell them they must now observe Moses!   Think of it. These are the scribes and Pharisees of today. They cast a burden on those they instruct that the people of Israel were never able to bear and that the Gentiles never had to bear. Instead of leading them to Christ, who is the fulfillment of these things, they lead people into the bondage of legalism and law observance.   If Jesus' words about the scribes and Pharisees are actively condemning of them and their actions, imagine how much trouble these false teachers will be in! And more, if all of Israel were swept away because of the teaching of its leaders, how much more do you suppose those who follow these law-observing heretics will also receive their just condemnation?   It is hard to imagine how thoroughly duped people allow themselves to be. But there is a remedy. Pick up the Bible and read it! In the Bible, one finds freedom in Christ. May you find it today.   Lord God, help us to live our lives faithfully in Christ Jesus our Lord, trusting in His fulfillment of all works necessary to restore us to You. We can rest in His accomplished word, apart from any deeds of our own. Hallelujah and amen.  

Guest speaker Pastor Shaun Dutile from Water's Edge Church joins us to explore the stories of Simon the Pharisee and the sinful woman in Luke 7. Discover how understanding the depth of God's grace reveals the "7:47 principle"—that our ability to truly love others stems entirely from first receiving His transformational love.

With all their rules and regulations, the religious leaders of Jesus' day turned God's blessings into burdens. Examine Jesus' controversial teaching that provoked the Pharisees—and still provokes legalists today. Listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. ----------------------------------------- • Click here and look for "FROM THE SERMON" to stream or read the full message. • This program is part of the series A Study in Mark, Volume 1' • Learn more about our current resource, request your copy with a donation of any amount. • If you struggle to pray because your mind drifts, you don't know what to say, or you even question if God is listening and able to answer, transform your prayer life by learning to pray like the apostle Paul!  ‘Download the free audiobook Pray Big by Alistair Begg.' Helpful Resources - Learn about God's salvation plan - Read our most recent articles - Subscribe to our daily devotional Follow Us YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | X This listener-funded program features the clear, relevant Bible teaching of Alistair Begg. Today's program and nearly 3,000 messages can be streamed and shared for free at tfl.org thanks to the generous giving from monthly donors called Truthpartners. Learn more about this Gospel-sharing team or become one today. Thanks for listening to Truth For Life!

What actually makes someone a strong Christian?A viral post claimed that the strongest Christians watch Disney movies, avoid politics, wear bikinis, drink alcohol, shop at Target, and celebrate Halloween. The argument was that Christians who impose restrictions on these things are essentially modern Pharisees.There is an important truth here: Christians should not invent laws and impose them on other believers as though those rules came from God. But there is also a problem with defining Christian freedom by a list of cultural behaviors.In this episode, I examine the distinction between Christian liberty, legalism, conscience, modesty, discernment, and genuine godliness. Scripture does not present godliness primarily as a collection of cultural boxes that we check. It begins with the character of the heart and manifests itself in how we live.The question is not simply, “Can a Christian do this?” The deeper question is: What actually marks a godly Christian?The episode also considers the “weaker brother,” the misuse of Christian liberty, alcohol, Halloween, modesty, political involvement, consumer choices, pornography, and the danger of creating our own standards of righteousness.Christianity is marked by inward virtue that manifests itself outwardly.00:00 — The Tweet About “Strong Christians”01:22 — Are These Really Issues of Christian Liberty?02:58 — The Weak Brother and Christian Conscience05:16 — When the “Weak Brother” Becomes a Human Shield06:25 — Alcohol, Communion, and Christian Freedom08:34 — What Actually Makes Someone Godly?10:42 — The Biblical Marks of a Godly Man11:57 — Modesty, Virtue, and Godly Women13:08 — The Problem With a Pornographic Culture15:34 — What Strong Christians Are Actually Known For17:24 — Halloween, Alcohol, and Circumstantial Wisdom19:04 — How to Avoid Becoming a PhariseeJon's Music: jonharristunes.comTo Support the Podcast: https://www.jonharrismedia.com/support/Become a Patronhttps://www.patreon.com/jonharrispodcastSubstack: https://substack.com/@jonharris Follow Jon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonharris1989Follow Jon on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonharris1989/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Original Postdate: 9-30-2024 === Gospel Luke 9:46-50 An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest." Then John said in reply, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in' your name and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company." Jesus said to him, "Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.” Reflection It's clear that the disciples were not unlike the scribes and Pharisees. They were also very much self-centered. But Jesus points out something I think so interesting, He talks about the intention of their hearts. What do they really, really want? Who are they really? The heart is where God dwells, and that's the source of the wisdom that we need. And so Jesus is giving them this piece of wisdom. Don't try to become more than you are. Accept your vulnerability as a child. Trust in me, not in yourself. That's his longing for them to understand. Closing Prayer Father, awaken in our hearts the center of compassion and understanding. A way of seeing the world. We tend to see it only with our mind. And now you're teaching us that we need to turn to you in our hearts, and seek your wisdom. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Luke 16Andrew and Edwin discuss the materialism of the Pharisees, the failure of the rich young man, and how we need to steward our earthly blessings so we may prepare for the resurrection.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=26931The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

In Luke 13, Jesus encounters a woman who had suffered for eighteen years and had been pushed to the margins by those around her. While religious leaders saw rules and traditions, Jesus saw someone in need of compassion and freedom. He healed her completely, revealing the heart of God's Kingdom.In today's episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef contrasts the mercy of Christ with the hard-heartedness of religious legalism. The Pharisees were more concerned that Jesus healed on the Sabbath than they were amazed that a woman had been delivered from years of suffering. Jesus exposed the difference between God's Law and man-made traditions—and demonstrated that His Kingdom brings true freedom.Jesus then compared the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed. It may appear insignificant from the outside, but it grows far beyond what anyone expects. What began with a small group of disciples would expand to include people from every nation, tribe, people, and language.The Kingdom is also like yeast working through dough. Its influence may not always be obvious, but God is quietly and powerfully transforming lives, resurrecting spiritually dead hearts, and advancing His purposes throughout the world.When evil appears overwhelming, do not mistake visibility for victory. The Kingdom of Christ is at work—and one day its full glory will be revealed.Pray with me.Father, may I bear witness to Your glorious Kingdom, the source of true compassion, love, and blessing. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today's devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don't have to walk through it alone.

Can being religious actually keep you from Jesus? In this episode of Talk'N Truth, Dan Whitney (Larry the Cable Guy), Pastor Bryan Clark, and special guest Reno Collier continue through the Gospel of Mark and examine why Jesus surrounded Himself with people the religious establishment considered sinners, misfits, and outsiders.The conversation explores why Jesus chose someone as despised as Matthew to become a disciple, why the Pharisees struggled so much with Jesus, and what modern-day self-righteousness can look like. Reno also shares how hitting rock bottom helped him recognize his need for Christ, while Bryan explains why sometimes the people who believe they are “good enough” can have the hardest time seeing their need for a Savior.What's the difference between practicing religion and actually following Jesus? Dan, Bryan, and Reno wrestle with outward appearances, genuine transformation, and what it means to let Jesus change us from the inside out. Jesus isn't looking for people with perfect records. He's calling people who recognize their need and are willing to trust Him.Perfect for viewers interested in: The Gospel of Mark, Mark 2, religion vs. relationship, Pharisees, Matthew the tax collector, self-righteousness, following Jesus, grace, Christian discipleship, spiritual transformation, and authentic Christianity.#BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #TalkNTruth #LarryTheCableGuy #BryanClark #RenoCollier #GospelOfMark #Mark2 #FollowJesus #Grace #ChristianLiving #BackToTheBible

What happens when we start treating God's kingdom as though it belongs to us? In this episode, Jesus tells a parable about tenants who reject the prophets, kill the Son, and convince themselves that they can seize the inheritance for themselves. We explore why the fruits of the kingdom aren't something we produce or control, but faith in the Son whom God sent—and why the cornerstone we reject is the very Christ who gives us mercy.GOSPEL Matthew 21:33-4633 "Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34 When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35 But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.' 39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" 41 They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time."42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. 44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls."45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46 They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.CARE OF SOULS: DEATHIn Care of Souls, a special mini-series podcast from Luther House of Study, Lutheran pastors and theologians come together to explore the deeply personal and pastoral task of preaching to and caring for those facing death, grief, and loss.Rooted in the theology of the cross and the Lutheran tradition of radical grace, this series offers both theological depth and practical guidance for pastors, church workers, and lay leaders.Across five episodes, the hosts tackle tough but essential questions on death:How does Lutheran theology speak uniquely to death and grief?What does faithful pastoral care look like when walking alongside those who mourn?How can pastors offer both honesty and hope in the face of tragedy and loss?What does ministry look like when death impacts the pastor as well as the congregation?Why do funerals matter, and what is God giving through them?With conversations, real-life stories, and reflections from the front lines of ministry, Care of Souls equips listeners to enter the sorrow of death not with easy answers, but with the crucified and risen Christ.Because in the end, it's not about avoiding death—it's about hearing the Gospel from the One who has passed through death and opened the way to life.Listen to Care of Souls wherever you listen to podcasts or on the Luther House website: Care of SoulsSupport the showInterested in sponsoring an episode of Scripture First?Email Sarah at sarah@lhos.org or visit our donation page: lutherhouseofstudy.org/donate

Send Us Your Questions/CommentsIf your prayers have started to feel like one more task you fail at, Luke 18 offers a different picture: prayer as a necessity that keeps us from losing heart. We sit with Jesus' parable of the persistent widow and ask what it means to keep showing up with faith when answers feel slow, pressure is real, and life refuses to cooperate. Along the way, we confront the ways our instant gratification culture trains us to treat God like a shortcut instead of a Father. Then we take on one of the most uncomfortable contrasts in Scripture: the Pharisee and the tax collector. One prayer is packed with self-congratulation, the other is a simple cry for mercy and only one walks away justified. We talk about works-based salvation, spiritual pride, and the subtle ways comparison can turn faith into either contempt or despair. If you've ever wondered why your spiritual life feels out of alignment, this section will help you diagnose what's happening beneath the surface. We close with Jesus welcoming children and redefining what connected faith looks like. Childlike faith is not naïve; it is humble dependence, trust, and a willingness to receive the kingdom as a gift. If you feel disqualified, distracted, or distant, this conversation points you back to the foundation: consistent prayer, honest repentance, and staying connected to Christ. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review, then tell us what part of Luke 18 challenged you most.New episodes every Mondaywww.lifehousemot.cominfo@lifehousede.comJoin us Sundays at 9 & 11 AMIntro music by Joey Blair

Guided Question Are you trusting in your own righteousness and good works, or are you relying on the righteousness of Jesus, who perfectly fulfilled the law on your behalf? Summary In this episode, Dr. Robert Lewis explores Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:17–20 concerning the law. He explains why understanding God's law is essential for understanding God's holiness, humanity's sinfulness, Christ's work, and the greatness of salvation. Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it completely. Dr. Lewis distinguishes the Mosaic law from the oral traditions developed by the scribes and Pharisees. While the law revealed God's righteous standard, these additional regulations became so extensive that they could actually contradict and invalidate God's commands. Jesus confronted this legalism and redirected attention to the true intent of God's Word. The law also reveals that righteousness is not merely about outward behavior. Jesus raises the standard by showing that God examines the heart, including motives and attitudes. The law therefore exposes humanity's inability to achieve righteousness through personal effort. This leads to the heart of the gospel: Jesus alone perfectly fulfilled the law. While the law leaves humanity aware of its sin and unable to earn salvation, Christ offers His righteousness to those who trust in Him. Salvation is not achieved through religious performance or good deeds, but received through faith in Jesus Christ. Outline 1. The Importance of the Law The law reveals God's holiness and righteous standard. Understanding the law helps us understand sin, salvation, justification, and Christ's work. 2. What the Law Contains Ceremonial laws Civil laws Moral laws The moral law provides a continuing standard of righteousness. 3. Jesus and the Law Jesus came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He fulfilled its ceremonial, civil, and moral requirements. God's Word is completely reliable and trustworthy. 4. The Problem of Legalism The scribes and Pharisees added extensive oral regulations. Their traditions sometimes contradicted the very law they claimed to uphold. Jesus challenged religious traditions that replaced God's Word. 5. Righteousness Beyond External Behavior The law addresses the heart as well as outward actions. Jesus exposes the inadequacy of outward religious performance. True righteousness must extend to attitudes, motives, and desires. 6. The Only Way to Salvation No one can earn salvation by keeping the law. The law reveals our sin and inability to meet God's standard. Jesus alone perfectly fulfilled the law. Through faith, believers receive Christ's righteousness. 7. The Cross Road One path trusts in personal righteousness and good works. The other trusts in Christ and His righteousness. Jesus offers forgiveness, grace, and entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Key Takeaways Jesus Fulfilled the Law: Christ did not abolish God's law; He perfectly fulfilled it. God's Word Is Reliable: Scripture provides a stable and trustworthy foundation in an uncertain world. Legalism Distorts God's Law: Human traditions can become substitutes for God's commands when they are elevated above Scripture. God Looks at the Heart: Righteousness involves motives and attitudes, not merely outward actions. The Law Reveals Our Sin: The law shows that no person can earn justification through good works. Jesus Is Our Righteousness: Christ accomplished what no human being could accomplish by perfectly fulfilling the law. Salvation Comes Through Faith: The gospel offers Christ's righteousness as a gift of grace to those who trust in Him. Scripture References Matthew 5:17–20 — Jesus fulfills the law and calls for true righteousness. Mark 7:5–13 — Jesus confronts traditions that replace God's commands. Exodus 20:1–17 — The Ten Commandments establish foundational moral law. Proverbs 16:2 — God examines a person's motives. 1 Samuel 16:7 — God looks at the heart rather than outward appearance. Matthew 5:21–28 — Jesus applies the law to inner attitudes as well as outward actions. Matthew 23:27–28 — Jesus exposes the hypocrisy of outward righteousness without inward transformation. Galatians 3:22 — Scripture reveals humanity's bondage to sin. Romans 3:20–24 — The law reveals sin, while righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 3:23 — All have sinned and fall short of God's glory. 1 Timothy 5:8 — Believers are responsible to care for their families.   Recorded 3.13.83

With all their rules and regulations, the religious leaders of Jesus' day turned God's blessings into burdens. Examine Jesus' controversial teaching that provoked the Pharisees—and still provokes legalists today. Listen to Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. ----------------------------------------- • Click here and look for "FROM THE SERMON" to stream or read the full message. • This program is part of the series A Study in Mark, Volume 1' • Learn more about our current resource, request your copy with a donation of any amount. • If you struggle to pray because your mind drifts, you don't know what to say, or you even question if God is listening and able to answer, transform your prayer life by learning to pray like the apostle Paul! ‘Download the free audiobook Pray Big by Alistair Begg.' Helpful Resources - Learn about God's salvation plan - Read our most recent articles - Subscribe to our daily devotional Follow Us YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | X This listener-funded program features the clear, relevant Bible teaching of Alistair Begg. Today's program and nearly 3,000 messages can be streamed and shared for free at tfl.org thanks to the generous giving from monthly donors called Truthpartners. Learn more about this Gospel-sharing team or become one today. Thanks for listening to Truth For Life! To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/163/29?v=20251111

Monday, 28 September 2026   Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. Matthew 23:3   “All, therefore, as much if they might say to you to guard, you guard, and you do. According, also, to their works, not you do. They say, indeed, and not they do.” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told those He was talking to that the scribes and the Pharisees sat in Moses' seat. Because of this, He continues, “All, therefore, as much if they might say to you to guard, you guard, and you do.”   The instruction from Jesus is that those things taught by the scribes and Pharisees were to be kept (guarded) and done. Naturally, there are many views on what exactly this means. But Jesus just said that they sit on Moses' bench. Therefore, this pertains to those things that are demanded by the law.   For example, the law says in Deuteronomy 19:15-21 that matters were to be brought before the priests and judges “who serve in those days.” The matter was to be presented, and a ruling was to be made for one and against another. This was considered binding, just as when someone goes before a court today.   Likewise, there may be a dispute about a matter of law, a point concerning tithing, for example. Such a matter was to be raised to the appropriate level, a decision was to be made, and it was to be followed. There were also matters that could not be handled by these men because Rome reserved the right to decide them. Therefore, such a ruling would not apply to Jesus' “all.”   Those things that belonged within the realm of their authority were to be guarded and done. However, Jesus continues, saying, “According, also, to their works, not you do.”   Suppose in America you have a judge who has authority to render a decision on a matter. When the decision is made, it is expected to be complied with. However, that same judge is a sexual deviant, participating in drag shows, carousing at night, and conducting his life in a generally ungodly manner. It would be unwise to follow such a person.   This is what was going on in Israel. The scribes and Pharisees had the legal authority to render decisions and direct the actions of the people. At the same time, they were ungodly and not to be emulated. Their works were works of wickedness. Jesus sums that up, saying, “They say, indeed, and not they do.”   To substantiate this, Jesus will directly address these men throughout the chapter, calling out their aberrant ways for the people to see and understand exactly what He is referring to. When He is done, there will be no doubt as to His view of these men.   Life application: Jesus' words fit leaders throughout the world at any given time in history. Once people get into positions of authority, they quickly abuse those positions for personal gain or to meet perverse agendas.   From there, they set the guidelines that ensure those who are like them will also get into power. Unfortunately, many people see the conduct of their leaders as freeing rather than diabolical. They are enabled to act out their sexual fantasies, promote political agendas that grant them power to harm those they disagree with, and so on.   In places where communism flourishes, it often starts with the promotion of some society-degrading aspect that will allow enough people to join those seeking power that they will gain that power. However, as soon as the power has been secured, the same people they enlisted through those perverse actions are rounded up and eliminated.   Such people are called “useful idiots.” They think they will gain freedom in some warped way, throw their weight behind a person who has the ability to seize control, and expect that they will be a part of the leadership when control has been established.   However, they find that what they hoped for was never a part of the long-term goals of those using them. For example, who would want a society filled with people who pretended to be animals? But animal pretenders may be of such significant numbers that they can sway the grabbing of power.   Once power has been seized, the animal pretenders are no longer needed, nor are they wanted. Their deviant life will not fit with the greater utopia the communists are looking for. Therefore, they are eliminated. This is why so many millions of people are often exterminated at such points in history.   Whatever those who have seized power think is right and normal will survive the culling. Whatever they disagree with is terminated. It is always an arbitrary decision-making process that ends badly for many.   For those countries that have a system based on Christianity, it must be carefully guarded. If people are not paying attention, such massive changes are inevitable, and when they come, they will come suddenly and violently.   Lord God, help us to live our lives morally and properly. For those of us who live in societies that honor You, may we carefully and attentively watch over what we have. How easy it is for wickedness to step in and take control. Help us to be attentive to what is going on around us. Amen.

MARK 12:13-27 13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn't we?" 16 But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. 17 Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. 18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?" 24 Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising--have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' ? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!" LESSON NOTES The Roman Denarius: This specific coin bore Caesar's image and the inscription calling him "son of the divine" and "high priest." It was the common understanding during this time because his image was stamped onto the denarius that the coins actually belonged to Caesar. "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God." Jesus wasn't primarily teaching civic duty or tax policy. He was making a far deeper point: paying a tax stamped with Caesar's image doesn't mean you belong to Caesar. You are stamped with God's image — so you belong to Him. The Greatest Compliment: Being an "image bearer" is not just the only good thing you can say when someone is difficult to love; it is actually the greatest, most profound reality that can ever be spoken about another human being. Longing to Belong: Human relationships like marriage, friendships, and community are beautiful reflections of connection, but they are only temporary signals pointing to something greater. Our deep, built-in human longing to belong can only be completely fulfilled by resting in God for eternity. Forever Stamped: Every human being is stamped with the image of God. And all those who believe in the resurrection power of God through His Son Jesus Christ will be forever stamped. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Icebreaker: If you could design a "forever stamp" to represent your life, what would be on the stamp and why? 2. Every person — even the hardest one to love — is "an image bearer." Is there someone in your life right now who is difficult to love? How might reminding yourself that they're stamped with God's image change how you treat them this week? 3. What are some places you've personally looked for belonging (friendships, family, career, social media, marriage, etc.)? Which of these have felt most satisfying, and which have left you wanting more? 4. Augustine wrote, "Our heart is restless until it rests in you." Do you resonate with that restlessness? What does it look like practically to let your primary sense of belonging come from God rather than from people or achievements? 5. If you truly believe that you belong to God, how should that change the way you view your identity, your time, your possessions, and your decisions?

Joe Reel is back with us for a conversation on the First Things. Joe and Adam talk about the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector. Adam reflects on today's Gospel. Are you trying to be the greatest? Download the Covenant Network app today! Pray the Visual Rosary at VisualRosary.org For more information on Covenant Network, visit OurCatholicRadio.org

“And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?' But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go” (Luke 14:2–4).

"The Gathering Storm "Today pastor Ralph Teaches from Mark 12:1-27Jesus continues to teach his followers in the days leading up to the resurrection. During this passage he is approached by Pharisees as they continue there plans to trap him so he can kill him. In this he uses the opportunity to tell three parables that refute them. Pastor Ralph leads us in deciphering these parables, the most famous of which is dealing with the idea of paying taxes.YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/QyZ6ixvxEL4Thank you for joining us today! Please connect with us by filling out a communication card here: www.lakewoodlcop.com/connectPlease access the bulletin to view all the announcements please check out the bulletin here: www.lakewoodlcop.com/resources

In Matthew 23, we encounter one of the most confrontational passages in all of Scripture, where Jesus delivers a series of sharp warnings to the religious leaders of his day. But here is the surprising truth at the heart of it all: these warnings were not born out of hatred. They were born out of love. The Pharisees had mastered the art of looking right while being deeply wrong on the inside, and Jesus refused to let that go unchallenged. This message forces us to ask a hard but necessary question about our own lives: are we pursuing a genuine relationship with God, or have we settled for the appearance of one? Religion, as Jesus exposes it here, is a system that teaches us to clean the outside of the cup while the inside remains a mess. It trains us to obsess over minor details while neglecting justice, mercy, and faith. The spiritual lesson here cuts deep: outward behavior can never substitute for inward transformation. What God is after is not a polished performance but a changed heart. As we sit with this passage, we are invited to examine not just what others see when they look at us, but what God sees when he looks within us.

How much can we really know about the historical Jesus? The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John have shaped Christianity for nearly 2,000 years, but they were written decades after the events they describe. So how should we treat them as historical sources?Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Helen Bond to examine where the Gospels came from, who wrote them and how closely they reflect the world of first-century Judea. Were they based on eyewitness testimony and earlier traditions? And what do their stories reveal about the life of Jesus of Nazareth?MOREThe PhariseesListen on AppleListen on SpotifyRise of ChristianityListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresented by Tristan Hughes. Editor is Matthew Wilson. The producers are Joseph Knight and McKenna Fernandez. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic SoundsThe Ancients is a History Hit podcast.History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™The Ancients is now on YouTube! Watch HEREWant even MORE Ancients? Sign up to History Hit for early access ad-free, plus exclusive subscriber-only episodes. PLUS with a History Hit subscription you can watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Read OnlineEmbracing and Becoming the LeastAn argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.” Luke 9:46–48The Twelve Apostles had left everything behind to follow Jesus. Their lives had been radically transformed. As they accompanied Him on His mission, they heard the very voice of God preach and teach. They witnessed His divine power as He performed miracles and cast out demons. And yet, today's Gospel reveals that they still struggled with a common weakness of fallen human nature: ambition. They argued among themselves about who was the greatest.Jesus, though surely sorrowful over their foolish dispute, responded not with rebuke but with merciful instruction. He addressed the intention of their hearts by offering a striking lesson as He placed a child at His side. That child became a living parable—a model of true greatness in the eyes of God.In many cultures today, children are cherished, protected, and seen as possessing great dignity. Parents work hard to ensure their children know their value. But in first-century Israel, the perception of children was quite different. While loved by their families, children were socially insignificant. Their high mortality rate and inability to contribute to the household's livelihood often rendered them overlooked or dismissed. For Jesus to place a child at the center of His teaching and to equate receiving that child with receiving Himself would have been both startling and countercultural.In this act, Jesus uproots worldly standards of greatness. In His Kingdom, true greatness is not found in status, success, or acclaim. It is found in humility, simplicity, and openness of heart. To welcome the lowly, the unnoticed, and the vulnerable in Jesus' name is to welcome Jesus Himself. And to welcome Jesus is to welcome the Father who sent Him.Consider whom you most readily welcome and embrace. Teenagers often dream of meeting the rich and famous. Adults may strive for social status or recognition. In truth, we are not so different from the Apostles, who desired esteem among their peers and to be chosen while others are set aside.Jesus offers us two essential lessons through this living parable. First, like our Lord, we must love and embrace the lowly and the weak. Jesus was not drawn to the status of the Pharisees or the social elites. He found joy in embracing the child, the sinner, the tax collector, the leper, the crippled, the blind, and the poor. These were the ones who, because of their low status, were often more humble and receptive. If we wish to be like our Lord, we must seek out the humble and the lowly, for it was to such souls that He was drawn.Second, we are not only called to embrace the lowly, we are called to become the lowly. We must become like children: dependent, vulnerable, humble, and easily overlooked in the eyes of the world. Why? Because those are the very ones Jesus embraced. And if we desire to rest in His arms, we must take the lowest place, trusting that it is there that true greatness is found.Reflect today on the countercultural lesson Jesus taught and apply it to your own life. Turn your eyes to the weakest, humblest, and most vulnerable. Allow grace to draw you to these simple souls. Run to the sinner and outcast. Then, don't stop there. Strive also to live in that same humility and dependence. Turn from worldly views of greatness and embrace Jesus' view. Become like a child, embrace the weakest among you, and our Lord will embrace you. Most loving Lord, though You loved all people with the perfection of charity, Your mercy and compassion poured forth, especially upon the weakest, most humble, and lowliest. Please fill my heart with that same love You so perfectly exemplified. Help me also to heed Your warning that I must become humble and lowly like a child in order to receive the greatness of Your eternal embrace. Jesus, I trust in You.  Source: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Hold on to your pulpits this week, preachers! The Gospel is one of the hardest parables in Matthew — and one with the most difficult history in Christian preaching. The parable of the wicked tenants has been used, throughout Christian history, to justify the church's replacement of Israel and to fuel centuries of anti-Jewish violence, from medieval pogroms through Nazi propaganda. Preachers must handle it with unusual care.Track One brings us the Ten Commandments at Sinai. Track Two brings us Isaiah's song of the vineyard — the direct source material for the Gospel parable. The Epistle gives us Paul's autobiographical turn: whatever gains I had, I count as loss for Christ.For preachers continuing a series: last week's parable of the two sons exposed the yes that did not go. This week's parable of the wicked tenants exposes what happens when tenants forget they are tenants. The Matthew arc keeps sharpening toward the passion.The ReadingsExodus 20:1–4, 7–9, 12–20First Reading (Track One) — The Ten CommandmentsSummaryGod speaks to Moses at Sinai. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Then the commandments: no other gods. No idols. No misusing God's name. Remember the sabbath and rest. Honor your father and mother. Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Do not covet what belongs to your neighbor. When the people see the thunder, the lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they tremble and stand at a distance. They tell Moses: “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” Moses reassures them: God has come to test you, so that the fear of God may be with you and keep you from sinning.Key Ideas for Preaching* The commandments begin with a verb about God, not a demand of the people. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out.” Deliverance comes first; then the shape of life among the delivered. What might your sermon do with the specific order — grace before command — that most preachers know but many congregations have never actually heard?* The commandments protect people. Do not murder protects human life. Do not steal protects property. Do not bear false witness protects reputation and truth. Do not covet protects the heart from unrest. These are not arbitrary rules; they are the shape of a community where life can flourish. Where in your congregation have the commandments been imagined as arbitrary restrictions when they are actually protections?* “You speak to us, but do not let God speak to us” — the people's request captures a real spiritual pattern. We often prefer mediated religion to direct encounter. What might it look like to preach a God who is willing to be heard directly, and to name the tender fear that keeps us at a distance?Significant Cautions* Do not preach the commandments as if the whole ethical life of the church can be reduced to ten rules. Jesus himself will summarize them in two.* The lectionary omits verses 5–6 (the “jealous God” verses). Preachers should know what has been omitted and decide honestly whether to preach the whole passage or just the assigned selection.* The commandments have often been misused as a checklist for civic religion. Handle their communal, covenantal context carefully.Psalm 19The Psalm (Track One) — The Heavens Are TellingSummary“The heavens are telling the glory of God.” The psalm begins with creation's silent praise — day pours out speech to day — and moves to the law: perfect, reviving the soul; sure, making wise the simple. The psalm closes with a prayer against hidden faults and presumption, and the famous closing petition: let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you.Key Ideas for Preaching* The psalm links creation and law in the same song. The heavens declare God's glory; God's word revives the soul. Both are revelation. Where has your congregation imagined creation and Scripture as competing sources of knowing God, when the psalm holds them together?* “Clear me from hidden faults” — the psalmist prays not for the sins he can see but for the ones he cannot. What might your sermon do with a spiritual practice that includes asking God to name what we are not yet aware of?Significant Cautions* “The heavens declare the glory of God” has been misused in the culture wars around science. The psalm is not a scientific claim; it is doxology.Isaiah 5:1–7First Reading (Track Two) — The Song of the VineyardSummaryThe prophet sings a love song about his beloved's vineyard. God did everything for the vineyard — dug it, cleared it of stones, planted choice vines, built a watchtower, hewed a wine vat. And expected grapes. But the vineyard yielded wild grapes. So God will remove its hedge, break down its wall, make it a waste. The song ends with the interpretation: “The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!”Key Ideas for Preaching* The prophet's judgment on Israel is Israel's own prophet speaking within Israel's tradition. This is not an outside voice condemning God's people. This is Isaiah's love for his people speaking hard truth. What might it look like to preach a prophetic word that comes from love rather than distance?* The wordplay in Hebrew is untranslatable but worth naming. God expected mishpat (justice) but saw mispach (bloodshed); God expected tsedaqah (righteousness) but heard tse'aqah (a cry). Justice and bloodshed sound alike. Righteousness and outcry sound alike. Only one letter apart. What might your sermon do with the closeness of what God wanted and what God got?* Isaiah 5 is the direct source for today's Gospel parable of the tenants. Jesus is not inventing a new critique; he is quoting Israel's own prophet. Where in your congregation might people be helped by hearing that Jesus's hardest words about religious leadership are drawn from Israel's own tradition of self-critique?Significant Cautions* This passage should not be read as evidence that God has rejected Israel. Isaiah's critique is a call to return, not a decree of replacement.* “He expected justice but saw bloodshed” has been quoted in ways that reduce injustice to individual sin. Isaiah is naming systemic failure of leadership, not simply personal wrongdoing.Psalm 80:7–15The Psalm (Track Two) — The Vine You Brought Out of EgyptSummaryAnother vineyard psalm. God brought a vine out of Egypt, drove out the nations, and planted it. It sent out its branches to the sea, its shoots to the river. But now its walls are broken down and passersby pluck its fruit. “Turn again, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, the stock that your right hand planted.”Key Ideas for Preaching* The psalm imagines God as the planter and Israel as the tended vine. It is a picture of intimate care — God's own right hand doing the planting. What might your sermon do with a picture of God's investment in the people that is this personal?* “Turn again, O God” is a psalm of return — not the people's return to God, but a prayer that God will turn back toward them. What might it look like to preach a faith that includes asking God to notice again, when God's face seems turned away?Significant Cautions* This psalm's laments have sometimes been used to shame communities into thinking their difficulties are always God's judgment. Not all suffering is discipline.Philippians 3:4b–14The Epistle — I Count It All as LossSummaryPaul lists his credentials. Circumcised on the eighth day. Of the people of Israel. Tribe of Benjamin. Hebrew of Hebrews. A Pharisee. A persecutor of the church — by which he means he was zealous. Blameless under the law. Then the turn: whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. He counts everything as rubbish compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. He wants to know Christ, the power of his resurrection, the sharing of his sufferings. Not that he has already obtained this or reached the goal, but he presses on to make it his own, because Christ Jesus has made him his own. Forgetting what lies behind, straining forward to what lies ahead, he presses on toward the goal.Key Ideas for Preaching* Paul's list of credentials is not fabrication. He really did have every advantage of Jewish religious life in the first century. He is not saying his credentials were worthless in themselves. He is saying that compared to knowing Christ, they are loss. Where in your congregation has this passage been read as if Paul were dismissing Jewish life? Preach it more honestly.* Paul's word for what he considers his gains to be is stronger than “rubbish.” In Greek it means excrement — the kind of language you would not read from the pulpit lightly. Paul is being deliberately shocking. What is your sermon doing to hold the shock of this passage rather than sanitizing it?* “Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal” — Paul refuses spiritual complacency. He has been at this for years, and still he presses on. What might it look like to preach a mature Christian life that includes this specific refusal of arrival?Significant Cautions* Paul is not rejecting Jewish life. He is naming his own reordering of priorities. Do not preach this passage as if Judaism were the enemy Paul overcame; that reading has caused enormous harm.* “Forgetting what lies behind” has been misused to shame people who need to process their past. Paul is talking about not resting on his own credentials, not about pretending painful history did not happen.Matthew 21:33–46The Gospel — The Wicked TenantsSummaryJesus tells another parable in the temple. A landowner plants a vineyard, puts a fence around it, digs a wine press, builds a watchtower, and leases it to tenants before going away. When harvest time comes, he sends slaves to collect his share of the fruit. The tenants beat one slave, kill another, and stone another. He sends more slaves; they do the same. Finally he sends his son, thinking “they will respect my son.” The tenants say, “This is the heir; let us kill him and get his inheritance.” They seize him, throw him out of the vineyard, and kill him. Jesus asks: what will the owner do to those tenants? The audience answers: he will put them to a miserable death and give the vineyard to others. Jesus responds by quoting Psalm 118: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” He tells them: the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces its fruits. The chief priests and Pharisees realize he is speaking about them but are afraid to arrest him because of the crowds.Key Ideas for Preaching* This is one of the parables most badly used in Christian history. It has been read as “God took the kingdom from the Jews and gave it to the Christians” — a reading that has fueled centuries of anti-Jewish violence. But the parable is not aimed at “the Jews” as a people. It is aimed at specific religious leaders in Jerusalem who have failed in their role. What might it look like to preach this passage without the supersessionist reading that has haunted the church for two thousand years?* The parable draws directly from Isaiah 5's song of the vineyard. Jesus is not inventing a new attack; he is speaking in Israel's own prophetic tradition. This is Israel's own prophet speaking Israel's own hard truth to Israel's own leadership. Where might your sermon make this connection explicit, so that the parable's real target — failed leadership — becomes clearer than the Christian misreading has allowed?* The tenants' fundamental problem is that they forgot they were tenants. They started acting as if the vineyard belonged to them. When the owner's son came, they killed him for the inheritance. What might your sermon do with a picture of religious leadership — or of Christian life generally — that reminds people they are stewards, not owners?* The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. That reversal is not simply about Jesus. It is about a pattern: what the systems of power reject, God builds on. Where in your congregation might people be helped by hearing that God's building materials are often the ones religious leadership has thrown out?Significant Cautions* This is the critical caution for this passage. The parable has been used throughout Christian history to justify anti-Jewish violence — from medieval pogroms to Nazi propaganda. Preachers who do not name this history and preach against it become complicit in it. Handle with utmost care.* “The kingdom will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces its fruits” has been read as “given to the church instead of Israel.” This is a distortion. The “you” is specific religious leadership; the “people that produces fruits” is not the church replacing Israel but any community that lives faithfully.* The parable ends with the crowd protecting Jesus from arrest. This detail is often overlooked. It is precisely “the crowds” — the people, largely Jewish — who are Jesus's protection here. Do not read this as “the Jews were all against Jesus.”Thematic ConnectionsThe Gospel is the natural center — and it is one of the most difficult parables in Matthew. The three other readings, in different ways, deepen its themes without letting it be reduced to the supersessionist reading that has haunted Christian history.Track One's Ten Commandments give us the shape of life for a community that has been delivered. The commandments are not the vineyard's product; they are the trellis on which the fruit is meant to grow. Preachers can name this pairing: the commandments are what God expected the tenants to steward.Track Two's Isaiah 5 is the direct source material for the Gospel parable. Reading them together makes clear that Jesus is not inventing a new critique of Israel — he is quoting Israel's own prophet. That connection alone can inoculate the sermon against the supersessionist reading.Philippians 3 sits inside the day as Paul's own reordering of what counts. Paul has all the credentials the wicked tenants would have envied — he was a Pharisee, blameless under the law. And he now counts it all as loss for Christ. That is not a rejection of Jewish life; it is a specific spiritual reorientation. Paul, of all people, would not have preached the supersessionist reading of Matthew 21.For preachers continuing a series: last week's parable of the two sons exposed the yes that did not go. This week's parable of the wicked tenants exposes what happens when tenants forget they are tenants. The Matthew arc keeps sharpening toward Holy Week. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lectionarypro.substack.com/subscribe

Jesus' question, “Have you not read?” challenges us to move beyond simply knowing Scripture to knowing and following Christ. In Matthew 12, the Pharisees knew the rules but missed God's heart of mercy. Jesus shows that Scripture, the Sabbath, the temple, and the entire biblical story point to Him. The goal of Scripture isn't merely information; it's transformation: knowing Jesus should make us more humble, compassionate, and Christlike.

Sunday, 27 September 2026   saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. Matthew 23:2   “saying, ‘Upon the ‘Moses' bench', they sat, the scribes and the Pharisees.'” (CG).   In the previous verse, it said that Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples. That continues with, “saying, ‘Upon the ‘Moses' bench', they sat.'”   In the Bible, the seat signifies the situation in which one exists. A great example of this is found in Exodus 12:40 –   “And seat, sons Israel, who they sat in Egypt: thirty year and four hundreds year.” (CG)   Thus, the situation Israel found itself in was sitting in Egypt for a lengthy period of time. Understanding this, the bench of Moses, his seat, signifies the situation of their occupying the authority of Moses in relation to the law. Moses was the lawgiver. In addition to that, people would come to him for judgment in matters related to the law –   “And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14 So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, ‘What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?' 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, ‘Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.'” Exodus 18:13-16   Jethro saw that this was too much for one man and recommended he choose able men from the multitudes to judge the people. Only when a matter was too difficult was it elevated to Moses.   Within this structure, a more refined leadership was organized in Numbers 11, where seventy men were consecrated to assist Moses in leading the people. This body eventually became known as the Sanhedrin. In Jesus' time, He recognized that such a set authority was comprised of “the scribes and the Pharisees.”   Whether this is exactly what Jesus is referring to, or the general authority given to those who made up the Sanhedrin (for example, not all Pharisees were members of the Sanhedrin, and there were Sadducees within the Sanhedrin), the point is that there was an understood authority within the Scribes and Pharisees that the people were to submit to in religious matters. Jesus calls this authority “Moses' bench.”   Life application: Within the church, there are positions of authority that have been designated by Paul in the pastoral epistles. These positions were set within individual churches. There is nothing in Scripture to suggest that a body existed or would exist that had authority over the Christian faith.   But this is exactly what large denominations began to do. The Roman Catholic church, for example, claimed special authority derived from the seat of Peter, as if Peter were the leader of the early church and his authority then transferred to other men throughout the years.   Because of this unbiblical claim, such large denominations began to claim authority over the word of God, as if they had the sole right to interpret it, translate it, and decide what the word actually says when texts with conflicting words or phrases arose.   No such body is hinted at in Scripture. No such authority was ever granted to Peter. And there is no line of succession authorized by Scripture. These are all false claims intended to trap adherents of various denominations into believing that the ticket to their salvation rests in the denomination, not in the finished work of Jesus Christ.   Jesus' words about the scribes and Pharisees will acknowledge their positions of authority, but He will excoriate them for their abusive lifestyles. The only marked difference between the scribes and Pharisees and the leaders of these large denominations is that they do not possess biblical authority for the positions they sit in.   Take time to read the pastoral epistles, see what God has determined through Paul's hand concerning church leaders and church structure, and then be content to ignore anything that does not fit into the simple model set forth there.   Other than the quality and conduct of the men chosen to lead a local body, there is very little set forth as guidelines for the church to operate. The main thing you will notice is that there is a heavy stress on honoring God through Jesus and carefully handling the word of God. If a church is not doing this, you should not waste your time with it.   Lord God, may our time in church be filled with honoring You and learning Your word. Help us not to get misdirected from these priorities. May our time there be a time of true fellowship with others and growth in our walk with You. Amen.  

Remembering “he who is forgiven little, loves little”, Is Your Focus Outward in the Love and Service of Others? MESSAGE SUMMARY: From the Gospel of Luke (7:36-50): "Compassion Unpacked" Luke 7:36-50 describes the compassion of God revealed to those who come to Him in humility and faith. In unpacking Luke's Gospel reference, Luke is relating a dinner party taking place in the home of a Pharisee. The Pharisees' thought that their attempts at righteousness would earn them more favor with God, but their focus was outward not inward and in their hearts. The Pharisees were always in Jesus face attacking Jesus and trying to dismiss His teachings. In the Scripture references from Luke and Matthew below, Jesus gave strong words of description and condemnation regarding the Pharisees' hearts and behaviors. However, there were many Pharisees that were Godly and spiritual men. We need to be careful that we do not become twenty-first century Pharisees like the Pharisees identified by Jesus in Luke 7. Like the Pharisees, many of us know the Word of God; but we need to be careful that we do not become judgmental and self-surviving, thereby, missing the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit and forgetting to apply the love and Justice of God in our lives and relationships. Jesus is at this dinner party, in Luke 7, given by a Pharisee, and we are told that a sinful woman comes into the party. The woman comes up behind Jesus and weeps with such intensity that her tears fall on Jesus' feet. The woman, after her earlier conversion, is probably overcome with the conviction of her sinful life and remorse, thereby, becoming a servant to her Lord. In these actions of conviction and love toward Jesus, Jesus explains, to Simon the Pharisee in Luke 7:47, that: “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”. Simon the Pharisee represents many modern day “church people”. We can get caught up in our personal righteousness. We get used to the presence of God and His peace in our lives, but then we encounter a new follower of Jesus. They, before their conversion, were living in the ways of the world without God's peace. Now, these new believers are so excited with their new life; and their outward manifestation of their conversion may not “fit” with our personal Christian behavioral norms. Sadly, too many modern Christians judge and condemn these new believers rather than loving, encouraging, and embracing these new believers. After all, none of us deserve the forgiveness of God: “I am who I am by the Grace of God through Jesus.“. God wants to have a heart-to-heart talk with us. Therefore, if there is anything in our lives blocking our talk with God, we must remove it – we need to open ourselves to what God will do for us if we will just let go of our life impediments. We must pray for God's guidance to keep us from becoming judgmental, self-righteous, self-centered Christians like the Pharisees in Luke 7.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD'S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  Luke 7:36-50; Matthew 5:20; Luke 11:37-44; Luke 15:1-7: Matthew 23:13-19; Matthew 23:23-36; Psalms 55b:13-23. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE SEARCH: www.AWFTL.org/bible-search/ WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Daniel's Prayer Was “seeking him {God} by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting . . . ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God . . . we have sinned and done wrong'””: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.   DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Wealth Transfer and Stewardship (1) (audio) David Eells – 9/27/26 Because of the transfer of wealth that's coming soon, I want to share what the Lord says about our stewardship. The Bible speaks of building the house of the Lord, which is the people in whom the Lord lives, not a building. This includes meeting their physical and spiritual needs. As stewards of the Lord's money and things, we are all responsible for doing this. {Luke 14:33} So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for tithing mint and anise and cummin, and left undone the weightier matters of the law. He said tithing was of the law. Notice we are stewards of 100% of what belongs to the Lord, not owners who tithe 10% and own 90% as under the law. In the New Testament, this would make us thieves. 100% belongs to the Lord, and He gets to tell us individually what He wants done with it. And He has done a very good job in the Scriptures {1 John 3:17} But whoso hath the world's goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him?Love is who the Bride is. The bride is about to be chosen, and it will be people who love God's people, who are generous and loving, and want to meet the needs of God's people. Some demonstrate this love, and some don't. I'm not talking about giving to me; the Lord supplies my needs, and I am content, which enables me to give to the needs of others. I have never taken a collection for myself. I do not receive money from UBM and so do not gain from fee-will offerings sent in, except that I get to see the Gospel go forth. The early disciples never took collections for themselves nor preached gimme sermons because they had faith with contentment. {2 Chronicles 24:4} And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to restore the house of Jehovah. We really need to restore the original house of the Lord. You can't do that unless you return to the original word of the Lord. {5} And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year; and see that ye hasten the matter.Howbeit the Levites hastened it not. (The priests were not doing their job to rebuild the Kingdom. There's a lot of stuff out there that's not the kingdom of God. It's just men's ego, men's kingdoms. They build it the way they want because they use their own words, not the words of the Bible. And so that needs to be departed from, and especially those that have a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof. From such, turn away, we're told.) {6} And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tax of Moses the servant of Jehovah, and of the assembly of Israel, for the tent of the testimony (or house of God)? And it is to benefit the house of God, not a building, not a particular ministry that doesn't really see to the needs of God's people, but to their own needs. {2 Cor.8:1} Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God which hath been given in the churches of Macedonia; {2} how that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. In other words, they were very gracious and giving people, even though they lived in poverty. Forced poverty is a curse, but a free-will offering of one's life to deny oneself is not a curse. So that's a blessing. I mean, Jesus lived in what most people would call poverty, and so did His disciples, and they did it as a sacrifice unto God. {3} For according to their power, I bear witness, yea and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord, So, they had to have the power of God.) {4} beseeching us with much entreaty in regard of this grace and the fellowship in the ministering to the saints: {5} and this, not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God. (If we don't give ourselves to the Lord, we won't be able to do what the Lord wants. It's the Lord in us that does it, and as was said, “to us through the will of God.”) {6} Insomuch that we exhorted Titus, that as he made a beginning before, so he would also complete in you this grace also. {7} But as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. (Amen. The command still goes out.) {8} I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love. In other words, prove your love. Love has actions. Love is sacrificial. Love is patient, and on and on.) {9} For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might become rich. {10} And herein I give my judgment: for this is expedient for you, (In other words, follow in his steps. Sacrifice your life. Meet the needs of the brethren) who were the first to make a beginning a year ago, not only to do, but also to will. (Some people say it's okay as long as you're willing. No, no. Faith, if it has not works, is dead, right?) {11} But now complete the doing also; that as there was the readiness to will, so there may be the completion also out of your ability. {12} For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according as a man hath, not according as he hath not. (In other words, you can't give more than you got. And, it's out of your ability, right? But it's even beyond your power, as he said.) {13} For I say not this that others may be eased and ye distressed; {14} but by equality: your abundance being a supply at this present time for their want, that their abundance also may become a supply for your want; that there may be equality: {15} as it is written, He that gathered much had nothing over; and he that gathered little had no lack. (God wants equality in the body, meaning everyone has their needs met.) The poor need to give as much as the rich need to give because it is multiplied back, as Jesus said. Jesus said the widow who gave 2 mites gave more than all the rich Pharisees because she gave out of her need. {Mar.12:41} And he sat down over against the treasury, and beheld how the multitude cast money into the treasury (Which was in the temple of God's people, not a building and ministry that does not meet the spiritual and physical needs of God's people): and many that were rich cast in much. (And that's not bad, it's good.) {42} And there came a poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing. {43} And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than all they that are casting into the treasury: {44} for they all did cast in of their superfluity; (meaning their overabundance) but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. I can tell you that she went away getting her needs met. I can guarantee you that, because that's the word of God. She cast in all that she had, even all of her living. Notice that it is not how much you give but how much you have left that counts. There's an awesome group of promises here that we should pay attention to. It's not like you're going to go into poverty if you give and give and give. You'll just receive and continue to receive. It's clear. This is what God says. In fact, some people stay poor all their lives because they don't give. They don't consider that they have enough to give. Well, you can't possibly do that and get away with it. So stay in poverty. You'll always be in need to other people; you'll always stay in poverty.  {2 Cor.9:6} But this I say, He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. {7} Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart: (This is also different for each person because every person has a different amount of income, right? In other words, you're not under law here. This is proof of your love, right? You're not under law, but it's to your benefit that you do this.) not grudgingly, or of necessity: (So you're not under the law anymore. You're especially not under the law to tithe, because now you have to renounce it all.) for God loveth a cheerful giver. (Be happy about what you're able to give to people and their needs.) {8} And God is able to make all grace abound unto you; (Oh would you look at that! Is that a powerful promise or what?) that ye, having always all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto every good work: (there's another powerful promise. And I tell you, we all need that.) {9} as it is written, He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the poor; His righteousness abideth for ever. (Notice God gives righteousness to the person who meets the needs of God's people.) {10} And he that supplieth seed to the sower (Notice it's not seed to the keeper, like the prosperity movement, where they need three, four, five airplanes and big fancy buildings.) and bread for food, shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, (So He gives you more to sow, so that you can reap more, so that you can be just a channel through whom God blesses people.) and increase the fruits of your righteousness: (He again promises righteousness for this.) {11} ye being enriched in everything unto all liberality, (This is not the kind of liberality we get in government; this is a liberality we have in giving, in meeting needs), which worketh through us, thanksgiving to God. (Yes, everybody thanks God for their needs being met, the miracles they receive through this. It's a blessing. And they keep on bragging on what God did for them. That's awesome.) {12} For the ministration of this service not only filleth up the measure of the wants of the saints, but aboundeth also through many thanksgivings unto God; {13} seeing that through the proving of you by this ministration they glorify God for the obedience of your confession unto the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution unto them and unto all; (Notice it's unto them. It's unto people. It's not fancy buildings and all these things that people want to do to pump up their ego. The Lord wants us to be practical not exorbitant.) {Luke 16:1} And he said also unto the disciples, There was a certain rich man, who had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he was wasting his goods. (Well, now that's rampant out there. Its like the guy with the talent who hid it in the earth.) {2} And he called him, and said unto him, What is this that I hear of thee? render the account of thy stewardship; for thou canst be no longer steward. {3} And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, seeing that my lord taketh away the stewardship from me? I have not strength to dig; to beg I am ashamed. {4} I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. (Here, he's using an evil man's parable for us, but we also will be giving up our stewardship one day.) {5} And calling to him each one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? {6} And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bond, and sit down quickly and write fifty. {7} Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. He saith unto him, Take thy bond, and write fourscore.  {8} And his lord commended the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely: for the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light. (Meaning, of course, the righteous are not learning a lesson here. Listen to what the lesson actually is. It's not that you're to be bad and cheat the owner; no, here's the lesson. {9} And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; (Well, who's our friend? That's right, your brothers and sisters in the Lord, they're your friends. You can't really trust the world. But he says, use your money to make these kinds of friends.) that, when it shall fail, (and it will.) they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles. (In other words, use your money to bring in the lost, so that one day you can visit them in their eternal tabernacle.) {10} He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much. (The Lord tested me with a major test one time, but it enabled me to be ready for a much bigger blessing. I had to give to a person who was totally unworthy, but understanding what the Scriptures had to say that if they take away from you, just give it to them. I finally just decided, ‘Well, this is what I have to do, so I did.' And then the Lord gave me a promise that was way bigger than the one I had. A tremendous thing. One day, I'll probably tell you about this.  {11} If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? (Yes, these are not true riches we're dealing with down here. This is not worth much of anything) {12} And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another's (It's not yours. Stewards are not owners but handle their Lord's money and things), who will give you that which is your own? (in heaven we are joint heirs of all things. We inherit it all! Praise God! And we're owners there, joint heirs with Christ.)  {13} No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. (What he's saying is you despise the other, that's the Lord. If you hold to the one, you're despising the Lord. He has children He wants you to take care of. And if you do that, He'll give you more children because He multiplies your seed for sowing.) Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (If you're serving that mammon, you're going to be stingy with the Lord and stingy with His people, and He's going to be stingy with you. Because with whatever measure you mete it out, it'll be measured back to you.) {14} And the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things; and they scoffed at him. (And they do it today, too.) {15} And he said unto them, Ye are they that justify yourselves in the sight of men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. (And it's in Christianity too saints. I think I recounted before how there were two churches built in my area many years ago. One was built for two and a half million dollars, and the other was built for something like, I believe, twelve million dollars. The two-million-dollar one was actually more functional, very comfortable. Everything that was needed. It was a metal building on the outside. It didn't have all the glory and stuff like the other one, but it met the needs. Think what you could do with that much left over money to help God's people. That's why I say it's a sin to be extravagant just for ego.)  {Ecc.5:10} He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; (Notice that. ‘When their goods increased,' guess what? Some people can't sit on it, while others do without. There's also an increase of the people who have the need.) and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes? (Oh, look what I got. Come, let me show you my treasures, my church building.) {12} The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. {13} There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt: {14} and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand. {15} As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand. (So there's no fruit born in greed and extravegence.) {Hag.1:8}, (2-11) Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, This people say, It is not the time for us to come, the time for Jehovah's house to be built. {3} Then came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet, saying, {4} Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses, while this house lieth waste? {5} Now therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Consider your ways. {6} Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. (That's the curse on a person that hasn't learned how to share, how to meet the needs of others, how to give out of their own need so that their needs are met. Because when you give out of your own need to others, your needs are met.) {7} Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Consider your ways. {8} Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it,and I will be glorified, saith Jehovah. {9} Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith Jehovah of hosts. Because of my house that lieth waste, while ye run every man to his own house. (And who is the house of the Lord, according to Paul? We are.) {10} Therefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholdeth its fruit. {11} And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the grain, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands. (What a curse! All because they're not meeting the needs of God's house. Amen? I tell you, folks, learn this lesson. This is a way to abundance. Give, and it will be given unto you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall men give into your bosom. On the way to abundance. Get used to giving. Do it till you like it. Give. Because the Lord said in {Luke 6:35} But love your enemies, and do them good, and lend, never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: (In other words, this is a way to sonship. Nobody who is stingy is a son of God. There's nobody who doesn't meet the needs of the people around them that's a son of God. You shall be sons. Remember, we've talked about the difference between children and sons. The world's waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. That's what the world needs: sons.) for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. (So don't be a judge or you will be judged. I mean, people need time to grow up. They need to live long enough to grow up. So make sure that you take care of them.)  {36} Be ye merciful, even as your Father is merciful. (Having mercy is giving people what they don't deserve.) {37} And judge not, and ye shall not be judged: and condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: release, and ye shall be released: {38} give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again. (So if you give abundantly, you will receive back abundantly. You will receive it multiplied here, according to this text, multiplied back abundantly. Isn't that awesome? Oh, Praise You Father! Father, please teach Your children to give like You do. And we praise You for it.) {Matthew 6:19} Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: (Do you know about the money system in this world, how the thieves have broken through, and they're stealing? Yeah, so don't count on their system to see to your future. See to God's economy for your future. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, because you can do this. There is a bank that these guys can't get into. And you can make a withdrawal on it anytime you want to. But if you don't put it in there, you can't withdraw on it.) {20} but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (They can't get into your heavenly bank. Only you can get into that one. But you have to deposit it there.) {21} for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also. (So if you're hoarding up and you have all your faith in what you have down here on earth, your heart is on this and not on the Lord. Your trust is not in the Lord. In fact, I'll prove that to you here in this text.)  {22} The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. (So put your eye on the Word of God, on what you have according to the Word, and how God will meet your needs, and how He wants you to live towards others, and love towards others.) {23} But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness! {24} No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one (that's the money, the mammon), and despise the other (that's God.) That's what the Lord is saying. If you hold to it, you hoard it; you are despising God. You are not being a disciple, because you haven't renounced your ownership yet. Do I say that because you have to give it all away? No, you have to give it all into the hands of God and let Him tell you what to do with it. It's that simple.) Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (This is the Common Aramaic word for riches and is derived from the Hebrew word for treasure. From mammonas, meaning ‘confidence, that which is trusted in.' So, it's not necessarily just money either, but it's what you have your confidence in. It could be gold, it could be silver, it could be properties. Whatever you're storing up your treasure in, and you have your confidence in, that's your mammon. So, we must repent. We must please God.) {Luke 12:28} But if God doth so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven; how much more shall he clothe you, O ye of little faith? (People want to make sure that they're going to be provided for, and their trust is in their mammon, to take care of themselves. But they don't have faith. And didn't God choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith? Yeah, because they know they don't have to pack it with them everywhere they go. They know God will be there to supply their every need according to His riches and glory.) {29} And seek not ye what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. {30} For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: but your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. {31} Yet seek ye his kingdom, and these things shall be added unto you. {32} Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. {33} Sell that which ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, (In other words, don't store up your money for long periods of time.) a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth. {34} For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (So it's a dangerous thing to count on the treasures of the world and men of the world and their schemes. And of course, the hierarchy out there in the economic world, they're just there to cheat you. And they've got an ultimate plan to do that. So if you're playing their game, you know, they're going to beat you at it. God wants us to get into His economy.) {Luke 12:16} And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: {17} and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits? (meaning, on himself) {18} And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my grain and my goods. {19} And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry. (I remember back when things were leading up to Y2K, how people stored up whole rooms full of food and stuff like that. And when they heard me preaching and teaching on these things, and how God's not going to favor that, and that it'll be stolen, and how people will look for people that do that to steal it from them, and maybe kill them in the process. You know, a lot of them went to look at their stores, and they found that, yeah, the thieves had broken through and were stealing. There were all kinds of little critters feeding on their food, and they had to throw it away.) {20} But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul required of thee; (it actually says, “this night they require thy soul of thee.” Why is that? These things that he had stored up were his god.) and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be? (Yeah, who's going to get that while you're gone? Who's going to eat all that which cost you your life, and you're gone, and you're not in the kingdom?) {21} So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. (So he's saying, if you're laying up treasure for yourself, you're not rich towards God. Wouldn't you rather be rich towards God? Wouldn't you have to have your needs met wherever you go?)  {Luke 18:22} And when Jesus heard it, he said unto him, One thing thou lackest yet: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. (Grain was stored up under Joseph for the coming 7 years of famine/tribulation. Joseph was the greatest type of Jesus, Who was sold by his brethren into bondage and preached to the spirits in prison, and came out to rule the world. So, we can store up under Jesus in heaven by meeting the needs of others. And when we have a need, our need will be met. That's what He says, and it can't be stolen.)  {23} But when he heard these things, he became exceeding sorrowful; for he was very rich. {24} And Jesus seeing him said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! {25} For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (We know about the needle's eye. The Pharisees made it a doorway, but no, that wasn't what He was saying at all. He said it's very hard, impossible, actually, for a camel to go through a needle's eye.) {26} And they that heard it said, Then who can be saved? {27} But he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. (How does God save men? He changes them. Anybody who's not willing to change cannot be saved. You have to be willing to change.)  {Luke 16:19} Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, faring sumptuously every day: {20} and a certain beggar named Lazarus was laid at his gate, full of sores, {21} and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table; yea, even the dogs came and licked his sores. {22} And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels into Abraham's bosom: (which was the good side of Sheol, which was the place of the dead. When Jesus was resurrected, He took Abraham's bosom to heaven.) and the rich man also died, and was buried. {23} And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, (Hades is the bad side of Sheol.) and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. {24} And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame. {25} But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, (In other words, you can either hold to wealth here or you can have there forever. You know, sometimes we're called to give up something that we can't keep in order to get something that we can't lose.) and Lazarus in like manner evil things: but now here he is comforted, and thou art in anguish. (I know people just pass right over this, and they don't really fear God. They just pass right over this like it's nothing. Look at what He's saying. Look at the life Jesus and His disciples gave us as an example of. Look at that life. And they were happy. There's no happiness in riches and things. Look at the people who have won lotteries. Look how long it takes for them to be destroyed and how they're never happy. And now they're even worse off. It's just an opportunity to live after the lusts of the flesh and lose your life. Look how happy the disciples were. They gave as they went, everywhere. And because they gave, it was given unto them. They became a channel for God's goodness to people. That's what God wants for us. He wants us to be blessed in this way.)  {26} And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that they that would pass from hence to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from thence to us. {27} And he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house; {28} for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. {29} But Abraham saith, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. (In other words, they have the word of God, let them hear the word of God. Notice, he is speaking to us. Look how important this text is. He is speaking to us. They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. Gods not sending them somebody from the dead that they're going to listen to, because He did send somebody from the dead, and they wouldn't listen.) {30} And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one go to them from the dead, they will repent. {31} And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, if one rise from the dead. (And he did. What we have to do is hear the word of God. We have to hear what it says, not because somebody else is doing it or not doing it. We have to hear what He says in the Word of God. We're going to be held responsible for what we hear in the Word of God. And those that do will bear much fruit, and He will give them that which is their own. But if you're not faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? What you have is not yours. Nothing that you have, that you consider yours, is yours. It's God's. We are now stewards. It never calls us owners in the New Testament. These people are liars. When they put you under the tithe to bring money to them, they have to put you under the law to bring money to them, because God would not work it in your heart to give to them. And they know that. So they put you under the law, which is under a curse, because it's a totally different relationship with God. Come out from under the law, which is come out from under the curse. He wants a cheerful giver, not of necessity. They preach necessity all the time. You must tithe, or else they say, If you don't do this, you're going to be cursed. But actually, if you do that, you are cursed. Unless you've just done it in your ignorance, and then, as soon as you found out what the Bible really said, you began to follow the Bible, like a lot of people do. They're not staying in one spot. They're not stagnant. They're running after God, like I was.  When I first went to a church that taught tithing, I said to myself, Well, if God likes ten percent, I'm going to give Him twenty. So, I did. By the way, along with that, I sold almost everything I had. All my toys and things. I just sold them all. I didn't have time to do anything but read the Bible anyway. So, I just sold them all and gave that to God. So, it was far above twenty percent. But then the Lord taught me that, No, you're still a Pharisee, because you're under a law that you made for yourself. So, as soon as I gained understanding about that, I went right into listening to the Holy Spirit, because you've been given the Holy Spirit to show you what God wants you to do with what belongs to Him. You see? So I began to listen to the Holy Spirit, and come out from under any laws I made for myself, as well as any laws that man would put upon me, bringing me under a covenant that does not exist anymore, in order to break my covenant that does exist. Amen?   The Transfer of Wealth Prophetic Vision: Wealth Transfer – Time is Short! End times Lindsay and Richard Roberts (son of Oral Roberts, healing evangelist, founder of ORU) from Living Truth 9/21/26 Link Partial Transcript: Lindsay said, I had been asleep off and on at night. Sometime in the middle of the night, I became fully awake and I saw a vision. God shows me things in billboard signs. Billboards, to me, are information and God was showing me things in billboards, and they're always very illuminated, very bright, very electric, and very what I would call succinct, distinct messages. I saw myself getting into a car and driving along a road, and I saw the first billboard. And all of a sudden the first billboard illuminated brightly; just as bright as it could be. It had a black outline with a gold frame and when it illuminated, it was like someone switched the light on. Like it was dark and then, BAM! The light came on; it said, END TIME. Now, that's not a big revelation. The first billboard said END TIME. Not like time's going to end, but “End Time,” but there was more to it. I kept on driving. The second one said TRANSFER. So I saw where this is going: End Time Transfer…. And then the next one, the third one said, OF WEALTH. Now the END TIME sign was just the most illuminated gold; like a gold color, but it was like an illuminated light that was shining gold. The next one said, TRANSFER; and it was also illuminated gold. And the next one said, OF WEALTH, and it was also illuminated gold. I kept driving and the next one said, WICKED, and it did NOT illuminate. So, it was like, WEALTH OF THE (was illuminated) and then “WICKED” – I could see it on the billboard, but it was not illuminated, not super bright, and it went dark. (God has been gathering up the wealth of the wicked and putting it in His account to transfer it in the days to come to the needs of His people. This is a parallel in history to when His people were coming out of Egypt to go into their wilderness, which Rev. chapters 12 and 17 reveal to be the Tribulation. The Egyptians' gold and silver was TRANSFERED to His people.) All the first billboards were illuminated brightly, almost like enticing, and I wanted to see the next one, but on the one that said, WICKED, the light went out, as if the “lights went out on the wicked.” And I thought, okay, that's just kind of weird. And it didn't make sense to me. And I kept on driving. And there it went again; another billboard said, END TIMEand was totally illuminated. TRANSFERENCE was so electric and illuminated. And then it said, OF WEALTH. And when I saw the word WEALTH and drove past it, it began to illuminate. And out of the W of the word WEALTH transfers came…., Okay, so I'm immediately thinking “money.” But no, it wasn't. Although money was part of it, I could see like, money was being ready to transfer out of the W. I saw it come down from the W. There were ideas; the word technology came out of it, the wordtelevision came out of it, the word radio came out of it, the word paintings came out of it, the word affluence came out of it, the word influence came out of it. So when the word WEALTH lit up out of the W, it was as though God was releasing not just what the world would call “wealth”, but what He was calling wealth. We think of wealth in terms of money, but I think God was saying to me in this vision; He was showing me that there are lots of things that are “wealth” that create financial wealth. And some of those are “ideas”. Some of those are “art”. Some of them are the “industry”. Some of them are “sales”; they're businesses, ways of doing things, new ways. And here's the weird thing. It was creative things that I knew, but then all of a sudden it had, like a twist, like it was technology. Well, when I saw the word technology come out of the W, it was like new technology. And then I saw the word radio. Well, I've seen the radio; we have a radio. But it was like new control over the airwaves, television; new control over what's on television or creating new television stations. And I kept seeing all of this come pouring out of the word WEALTH but it wasn't going anywhere yet. I thought, okay, that's interesting. What came to me was the scripture, “wealth of the wicked laid up for the righteous” -END TIME TRANSFERENCE OF WEALTH. I got in the car and kept right on driving. So, here it is, Wealth. And all of this was just pouring out of the W. Then I saw the words OF THE totally illuminated; and WICKED and it was not illuminated. You could see it; the outline, but WICKED was not illuminated. They, the Wicked, weren't the bright light they used to be. And then as I'm still driving, instead of anything else, the next sign was dark and dark and dark. (Does this mean darkness will cover the earth?) And I'm like, "Wow, I have been passing along, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting for the next sign." Think about that. We're waiting for the next sign from the Lord. Every billboard I passed was dark. And then all of a sudden, the last billboard popped up out of nowhere and the word on it was illuminated gold. Only it wasn't TRANSFER or TRANSFERENCE. It was TRANSFERRED. It was done. (The Lord showed me this too. It will be done.) WEALTH OF THE WICKED. I waited and waited; we're waiting for it, and all of a sudden the next billboard was brightly illuminated, and it didn't say TRANSFER like the other ones. It said TRANSFERRED. I began to look at it and I saw two groups of people underneath [the billboard]. They were all Christians. Now, here's the second part where it was WEALTH OF THE WICKED TRANSFERRED…. and I'm about to rejoice! And then the Lord said, "Look down. There's two groups of people." So, where the W was, it was all pouring out, but it wasn't going anywhere. Out of the TRANSFERRED, there are two groups of people; they were all Christians underneath that sign. One group was like, "I'm waiting. Yay! Hey, I'm a Christian, so slap it on me." Nothing was hitting them. Not that they deserved it because, "Hey, I'm a Christian." Because they were all Christians. It was just really weird. But the second group: they were on their knees, not necessarily looking for anything; they were just worshiping God. They had waited, and they had waited and waited. But they stayed in worship. They stayed in this atmosphere of worship. They weren't looking... They were worshiping. And when the one group who were just worshiping God, not looking up to what was happening on the billboards, they were in this atmosphere of worship. And all of a sudden, when the word TRANSFERRED illuminated it was not just financial, it was ideas. And all of a sudden the words television, radio, authority and all of this- especially like ownership, businesses- were just pouring out and it was TRANSFERRED. The ones who were in the state of worship continued. And then the other ones saw [them], and thought, ‘wait a minute, we need to be worshiping.' (Then Richard said, “It's never too late to worship.”) And all of a sudden, it became almost like an outpouring of worship. And where there was an outpouring of worship, then there was an outpouring of God's provision. Now, what may be provision to me and come pouring out may be different for somebody else. But I want you to focus on whatever it is that represents what God wants to provide for you and how you are believing God for provision. And instead of focusing on everything else, I personally just want to focus on worship. And I just want to encourage you to begin to worship God because He honors that; He said He inhabits, lives, and dwells in the praises of His people. And you know, in this past year, sometimes, “Praise the Lord!” should have come out of my mouth faster than other things. I'm a human being. But I do think it's not too late. And that was the whole thing. It's not too late. God knows what happened when the wicked seemed to prosper. And I believe that we have not only the privilege of worshiping God, but it's also one of our wonderful opportunities to combat the attacks of the devil. So my word to you today is what I saw: “The wealth of the wicked being transferred to the righteous,” and then I saw the word TRANSFERRED as if God is already on it. It's done!   Praying Over The 1% and the Wealth Transfer Link Brandon Biggs 8/7/25 Partial transcript: God said, "Brandon, I just want you to know there'll be 1% that flows in this end time wealth transfer of the great wealth. (of the Church) And I'll not share My glory.” Just like I won't share My glory whenever you pray for somebody and they try to say, "Thank you, sir." And you say, “No, it ain't me. I'm just a vessel.” We got to always keep the main thing in mind and give God praise for everything in these last days. We have to always be looking at His face and knowing that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. It's not Brandon; it's not you. I may write the check. I may be the distributor of what wealth that He gives me, but it's always to give God the praise. And it [the transfer?] will be for the unlikely people….. (Who can handle the wealth for God and His people.) The end time wealth transfer of what's about to happen with the finances; it's something you can't earn and it's something you don't deserve. But God said, "I'm going to bless you." And I've seen what's about to happen again with a glimpse. As I was lying in bed, I could see, and I was looking into these months ahead of what God is trying to do just for His remnant…. So what Brandon was emphasizing in the video about the wealth transfer distributions coming is that God wants us to be faithful in the little things in obedience before He will give you more responsibility with the greater things.   The Great End Times Transfer of Wealth Glynda Lomax, 12/13/25 wingsofprophecy.blogspot.com My children, you have heard there is a great transfer of wealth coming in these end times and it is true. Many have tried to understand how this wealth will come, as they put great hope in it. They believe the wealth is so they may own it, but that is not My way. My way is always giving and sharing with those in need. My way is always that it glorifies My Son Jesus, not mankind. Those who have little fear of the greater lack that is coming, yet I am already providing for them ahead of time and I need only speak to those who are truly Mine and they will give immediately. It is to those children that I will give the end times wealth. It is those who will give whatever amount, as much as I say. WHEN I say that I will endow, that My purposes may be fulfilled, that MY Son's great name may be glorified and not their own. These are those who have purified themselves for My pleasure. They live holy lives to please Me and that I may use them in greater ways. These of My children, who are very few, shall be greatly endowed yet will not flaunt it. They will not consume it upon their lusts. They will not use the power of it against others. These are those with hearts to give. They are simply channels of My glory. There will be no announcement or fanfare when they become wealthy. They will simply continue doing what they are already doing – being about their Father's business in the Earth, helping the poor and watching for My Son's return. Inquire of Me if you desire to qualify for this great transfer, for it happens soon. (Glynda gave these verses) Deuteronomy 6:10-12 And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, 11 And houses full of all good [things], which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; 12 [Then] beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Proverbs 13:22 A good [man] leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner [is] laid up for the just. (This is not just for personal use but for whatever the Lord wills and to get the gospel out.) Job 27:16-17 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; 17 He may prepare [it], but the just shall put [it] on, and the innocent shall divide the silver. Ecclesiastes 2:26 For [God] giveth to a man that [is] good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to [him that is] good before God. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit. Proverbs 28:8 He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor. James 2:15-16 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be [ye] warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what [doth it] profit? Matthew 25:35-40 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed [thee]? or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took [thee] in? or naked, and clothed [thee]? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me. Luke 3:10-14 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? 11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. 12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? 13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. 14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse [any] falsely; and be content with your wages. Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. Matthew 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.   Vision About The Wealth Transfer Victoria Ang, 7/28/23 link The enemy does not want this Word to go out!!! I typed up the whole post; I went to send and everything got deleted!!! So I had to start all over again!!!! I wanted to share some encouragement the Lord gave me this morning. I was woken in the early morning hours as usual to pray, around 5 AM. I spent about an hour in prayer, praise and worship. Afterwards, I wanted to go back to sleep for a little bit before getting up for the day to tackle tending the animals. Immediately after prayers, I received a vision…. In the VISION, I saw I had a check in my hand. I was made to know I could cash it. There was a woman standing in front of a register. I handed her the check. As I gave it to her, she dropped it on the floor. She bent over to pick the check up to cash it for me. She looked at the check and opened her drawer and pulled out large stacks of bills in piles. Before giving it to me, she glanced once again to verify the amount. As she was verifying, she put the large piles of money back into the drawer. She walked over to a HUGE bank vault. She put the combination in and opened the vault. She walked into the vault as I waited to receive my money. Next she came back out pushing an enormously big cart. Full from top to bottom with stacks upon stacks upon stacks of money! She went to give me the money and the vision ended! Interpretation: his vision is about the wealth transfer that will soon occur. Money from the evildoers that has been hidden. And those who stashed money away for themselves are about to fall from their hands to the ground. Losing EVERYTHING! (God takes it for His use.) And transferred to God's righteous! Blessing them in abundance!!! The Lord God has made it known to those who will receive the funds!   1978 Prophecy Wealth Transfer Charles Capps Posted 2/5/26 link Transcript: Here's a prophecy Charles Capps gave February 1, 1978, in a meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. Financial inversion shall increase in these days. Now, let's define financial inversion or inversion. A turning upside down or inside-out reversal of position. Have you got it? Turning upside down or inside out. Reversal of position. One party has it, oppressing others with it. But after the inversion, positions change. That's what an inversion is. Now listen to this. Financial inversion shall increase in these days. For you see, it is My desire to move in the realm of your financial prosperity. But release Me, saith the Lord, release Me that I may come in your behalf and move on your behalf. For yes, yes, yes, there shall be in this hour financial distress here and there. The economy shall go up and it will go down. (Now, this was prophesied in 1978.) The economy shall go up and it will go down. But those that learn to walk in the Word, they shall see the prosperity of the Word come forth in this hour in a way that has not been seen by men in days past. Yes, there's coming a financial inversion in the world's system. It's been held in reservoirs of wicked men for days on end, but the end is nigh. Those reservoirs shall be tapped and shall be drained into the gospel of Jesus Christ. It shall be done, saith the Lord. It shall be done in the time allotted. And so shall it be that the Word of the Lord shall come to pass that the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. Predominantly in two ways it will be done in this hour. Those that have hoarded up and stored because of the inspiration of the evil one and held the money from the gospel shall be converted and drawn into the Kingdom. Then shall it release that reservoir into the Kingdom. Now the Spirit of God said that wealth will come in two ways. Number one, many of those people will be born again and bring their wealth into the Kingdom. Can you shout amen? Amen. And then the other way He said, but many, many will not. They'll not heed the voice of the Word of God. They'll turn aside to this and they'll turn aside to that and they'll walk in their own ways, but their ways will not work in this hour. It'll dwindle and it'll slip away as though it were in bags with holes in them. It'll go here and it'll go there and they'll wonder why it's not working now. It worked in days past, they'll say. I mean, the world's at that point right now. They cannot figure out why what they've done all these years is not working anymore. But it shall be, saith the Lord, that the Word of the Lord shall rise within men; men of God, of low esteem in the financial world. They shall claim the Word of God to be their very own and walk in the light of it as it has been set forth in the Word and give. They'll begin to give small at first because that's all they have. But then it will increase. And through the hundredfold return, so shall it be that the reservoirs that have held the riches in days past, so shall it return to the hands of the giver. Because of the hundredfold return shall the reservoirs be lost from the wicked and turn to the gospel. For it shall be in this hour that you will see things that you never dreamed would come to pass. Oh, it'll be strong at first in ways, then it will grow greater and greater until men will be astounded, and the world will stand in awe, because the ways of men have failed, and the ways of God shall come forth. As men walk in My Word, so shall they walk in the ways of the Lord. Oh yes, there will be some who say, "Yes, but God's ways are higher, surely higher than our ways, and we can't walk in those." It's true that the ways of God are higher. They are higher than your ways as the heavens are above the earth. But I'll teach you to walk in My ways. I never did say you couldn't walk in My ways. Now learn to walk in it. Learn to give. So shall the inversion of the financial system revert. And so shall it be that the gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached to all the world. And there shall be no lack in the Kingdom. Those that give shall walk in the ways of the supernatural. They shall be known abroad. My Word shall spread and the knowledge of the Lord shall fill all the earth in the day and the hour in which you stand. Ye shall see it and know it, for it is of Me and it shall come to pass, saith the Lord. Can you shout, "Amen?" Now, that was prophesied in 1978. God said there would be an allotted time. And we're walking in it right now. The inversion has begun. Now the door is not fully open…. Before Cyrus/Trump came to deliver the people of God from Babylon DS, there was a plan by previous Socialist Communists to redistribute the wealth to themselves and those who are bent on destroying the people of God, like Haman and his people in Esther. But Mordecai, representing the pre-anointed Man-child, and Esther, representing the Bride, interceded to the King, which overthrew their evil plan, which is what we are now seeing. Ecc.1:9-10 That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been long ago, in the ages which were before us. Cyrus gave great wealth, taken from Babylon's treasury, into the hands of God's people to leave Babylon and rebuild the Kingdom, represented by the Temple, in the Promised Land. So Trump is doing now, by the hand of God, through the RV and GCR. Ezr.6:4 with three courses of great stones, and a course of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house. This was a great redistribution of wealth to God's people. 2Ch.36:22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whosoever there is among you of all his people, Jehovah his God be with him, and let him go up. (These represent a first fruits of those to leave Babylonish religion to go to the true place and teaching of God. Building the Temple represents the building of the saints who are the temple of God. Jesus is the Temple of God and they are coming into His image.) The people also contributed great wealth towards this rebuilding. Ezr.1:4-11 And whosoever is left, in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the freewill-offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem. 5 Then rose up the heads of fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem. 6 And all they that were round about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered. 7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of Jehovah, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods; 8 even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. 9 And this is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, a thousand platters of silver, nine and twenty knives, 10 thirty bowls of gold, silver bowls of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. 11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when they of the captivity were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem. (These vessels of the house of God represent His people who were taken captive by Babylon but were released by Cyrus to be returned to the Promised Land to live on the promises.) Ezr.6:5 And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple, which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to its place; and thou shalt put them in the house of God. ………………………………………… (Here is some news and predictions from the Alliance. Sometimes their dates are disinformation to throw off the enemy's plans. They wisely may not give a date when they finally do some things. The D.S.is warring to stop them.) Restored Republic via a GCR Update as of Sat. 26 Sept. 2026 On Thurs. 1 Oct. 2026 The Bankrupt US Inc. Corp. Government Closes Shutting Down Their Privately Owned Federal Reserve & IRS. Government Shrinks 90-95% As The Global Military Alliance Takes Control Until New Elections. United States of America Republic Begins Under Gold/asset-backed QFS & GCR Activation. Emergency Broadcast System Broadcasts Take Over Phones, TV, Radio To Explain What's Going On Judy Note: Think Congress went on recess Friday until after the November election? Think again. With US Inc. Bankrupt, there would be no November election for that private corporation. Most of it's Congressional officers were said to be under arrest, charged with Treason and Crimes Against Humanity. Within 60 days there would be an election for the new United States of America Republic that starts its new fiscal year on Thurs. 1 Oct. 2026 under a gold-backed US Note as part of a Global Currency Reset. To accomplish a new US Republic that runs under concepts of the original Constitution, President Trump and the Global Military Alliance have been executing the largest Sting Operation in history. Over 80 nation's Military forces across the globe were mobilized – US, Canada, UK, EU, and beyond. They've already arrested and tried over half a million Global Elites for Crimes Against Humanity. On Thurs. 1 Oct. 2026 the Global Elite Cabal's US Inc. Corp. Government would be dissolved, finally ending their fiat monetary system and closing their US Inc. government. On that same Thurs. 1 Oct. 2026 the privately owned (by Cabal bankers) Federal Reserve and IRS would shut down because US Inc. Corp.'s fiscal year ended. It was bound to happen. US Inc. has been bankrupt since 2008, with no Congressional budget approvals, or accountability – just running on fumes with a fiat dollar. The Cabal's Blackrock was also Bankrupt. This was the Deep State's financial arm that controlled more wealth than entire nations. With 209 nations' switching to the gold/asset-backed currency system on Thurs. 1 Oct, the Deep State no longer had access to Taxpayer monies. So sad. All banks worldwide not Basel III compliant (have gold backing to their monies) will be closed. The Basel III regulations could alter the real estate market in unprecedented ways. In the first week of October the Emergency Broadcast System was set to activate and broadcast documentaries 24/7 on the state of the World. With the QFS activation, governments as we know them were expected to shrink by 90-95%. The Global Military Alliance will take control worldwide until after elections, which have to be held within 60 days. Forget the November elections. They're not happening, not on this timeline. NESARA GESARA was well in force as countries worldwide were activating the gold/asset-backed Quantum Financial System and Global Currency Reset. The BRICS nations heads the greatest wealth transfer in history. 134 nations were ditching the fiat US dollar and moving to gold-backed currencies. Each of these currencies will trade at a 1:1 ratio. Also on Thurs. 1 Oct the new United States of America Republic will start its new fiscal year under a gold-backed US Note as part of the Global Currency Reset. “Peace Without Concession. Order Without Apologies. Truth Without Permission. You Are Watching The Return of A Republic. Not Announced, But Executed.” …Nesara Gesara Secrets on Telegram Fri. 25 Sept. 2026 “The Greatest Financial & Political Shift in Modern History is Underway. The Global Currency Reset Has Been Released. Mass Arrests Have Been Happening For Some Time. Be Ready. Blackout (of communication). The World is Connected & Watching. TRUST THE PLAN,” …Tier4b ISO20022 on Telegram Fri. 25 Sept. 2026 At the conclusion of the GCR the general population Worldwide would be invited into a Redemption Center to set up their personal wallets (formerly known as bank accounts) on the new Starlink Satellite System. Individuals would set up their wallet by way of their own body rhythms and DNA. The system was digital and completely secure. No one but that person could access their own account. The digital account would be accessed through their cell phone. ATMs would be available to obtain cash. A integral part of the revolution to make the World a Better Place through release of the GCR, was better health for all people of the World through release of Med Bed treatments. It is my understanding that Med Bed Treatment Centers have been built around the World and some were actively treating clients right now. Some large hospital chains have been bought out and Med Beds have been placed in them with doctors, nurses and medical staff fully trained in the process. People will be issued Med Bed cards to cover cost of their treatments in their own countries. The United Arab Emirates has hereby suspended Iranian flights, complying with Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent's devastating and ultimate sanctions. BESSENT LAST NIGHT: “External flights from Iran, probably more than 80%-90% got shut down. I'm not sure how the Iranian representatives at the UN are gonna get home!” Bessent's order made clear that any country aiding Iranian flights will FAFO be out of the American system. Countries must basically shun any Iranian airline aircraft if they even try landing there. …Trump Office on Telegram Fri. 25 Sept. 2026. CUBA'S ENTIRE POWER GRID JUST COLLAPSED. Total blackout. Officials have no idea when it comes back. Rubio's been saying it: the economic model is the problem. Communism. They leeched off Venezuelan oil. That tap is gone. Venezuela is aligned with the U.S. now. The lights went out. The regime is next. …Fox News Fri. 25 Sept. 2026 Possible Timeline of Global Currency Reset: …JFK on Telegram Thurs. 24 Sept. 2026:  https://t.me/johndurhamchannel By Thurs. 17 Sept. 2026 the US Inc. was broke,  sixty-three Cabal banks sat insolvent, seventy-five Cabal banks had been seized, the Chinese Elders wiped out the US National Debt, Visa and Mastercard rails were dead and Petrodollar contracts expired the next day on Fri. 18 Sept. 2026.  On Wed. 23 Sept. 2026 at ten am EST the Federal Reserve System was shut down and bank wires were no longer going through on the old SWIFT System. On Wed. 23 Sept. 2026 at 6 pm EST the Quantum Financial System (QFS) was absorbed by the new US Treasury. On Thurs. 24 Sept. 2026 at 2am EST 23 global currencies on the QFS Trading Platform were activated and began trading. On Thurs. 24 Sept 2026 at 4 pm EST total activation of the QFS System occurred. his weekend Fri 25 to Sun 27 2026 will be an amazing revelatory weekend. Groups out West will be notified that they have access to funds. On Fri. 25 Sept. 2026 Trump gave the go-ahead for a Global Currency Reset of 209 nations to gold-backed currencies. Schedules were ready at Redemption Centers. Six new QFS nodes in Atlanta, Warsaw, Bangkok, Mexico City, Melbourne and Toronto pulsed live after the Kahlooni Family Gathering locked in the Restored Republic window. On Sun. 27 Sept. 2026 at 5pm EST Trump will give his keynote address. On Mon. 28 Sept. 2026 Blackout: NESARA will kick off. The main arrests begin of judges, prosecutors and lawyers who were paid by George Soros to betray and sabotage the United States. On Mon. 28 or Tues. 29 Sept. 2026 Tier4b (us, the Internet Group) should be notified to set exchange/ redemption appointments, a

presented by Jennifer Miller Lately, I’ve been thinking about work-life balance and the traps in thinking we get tangled up in regarding this. I know not everyone has my bent or personality, so maybe this doesn't apply to you, but one of my greatest traps in thinking about work-life balance is my desire for a formula to follow.   I really just want someone to sit down and say, “Okay, Jennifer, here is your perfect schedule. If you follow this plan, everything will work out and be balanced. Spend this much time in the Word each day, this much time each month having family fun, serve in church in this ministry every other week, meal plan like this, and use this perfect planner to make all your dreams a success.”   There are many voices out there who promise the perfect formula for a meaningful life. Often, they have great tips, but no matter what I try, I leave frustrated because there are too many formulas and none fit perfectly.   This frustration has led me to resonate deeply with Matthew 22:34-40.   Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  To give you a little context, this story comes after several questions that have been posed to Jesus in order to trap him. The religious rulers of the day are fed up and feel threatened, so they work to trap him in his words so people will see he is not worth following.   The only problem is every time they ask him a question, he answers it so well that his following only increases, adding to their frustration. So, here the Pharisees are pondering: What question would totally trap Jesus? And here is the question they come up with: What is the greatest commandment in the law?  Now when I read that, I'm left wondering, why is that such a tricky question? I can think of a lot of hot button topics that would be harder to answer in our day, but at this time, this was a very divisive question. The Pharisees' whole mission was to uphold God's rules, all 613 of them from the Torah. They cared so much about keeping those rules that they made another set of rules to help people keep God's rules.   But there were other groups who disagreed about which rules were most important. So, asking Jesus to pick a rule would automatically offend some group. Now what does this have to do with you and me? I often come to God in prayer burdened by all the items I have on my to do list—all of the good things I want to get done, all of the amazing ideas I've heard other people do to have joy and satisfaction—and I sit looking at all these little pieces feeling overwhelmed and overloaded. Like the Pharisees, I tend to focus on all the to-dos. I like rules, I like formulas, and I can come in prayer in a sense praying, “Just tell me what to do today, Jesus.”  How does Jesus respond to this question? Jesus did 2000 years ago what AI is only now beginning to do today. Maybe you have benefitted from AI's ability to sort through massive amounts of information and quickly provide a summary of the most important parts. Well, in a sense, Jesus does something similar. He knew every law God had ever given, and from all the information in the Law and from knowing God personally, he sorts through all that information and gives a perfect and succinct summary of God's requirements.    Jesus says all God calls us to can be summed up as “love God and love people.” In fact, he says all the other commands hang on these two. That is an interesting picture, isn't it? Imagine that you work in a clothing store and are given 613 coats. Your boss tells you to display the coats on a front wall, and you just stare at each and every coat. There are so many—it's overwhelming! How can you possibly manage them? But then a coworker comes and installs two massive rods into the beams of the wall. These rods are strong and can support the weight of the coats, so all the coats can be hung and displayed from them.  That is what Jesus says about these two commands to love God and love your neighbor. Instead of giving a formula ranking each command in order, Jesus gives us two principles that guide all of life. It is as if God has given us two secure and strong hooks that everything else hangs on. All the other commandments hang on these two.   When we think about all the things in life we want to do or feel pressured to do, it is like 613 coats scattered on the floor, but Jesus comes and says, “Look, focus on just two things—loving God and loving others. Hang the to-dos of your life on these, and all will be well.”   The life you have been called to live is a life of love. That is the priority Jesus gives. Even good things like your job or serving in church or caring for your home, if they are not hanging from the hook of love, they do not please God. Whatever we do must be rooted in love. Isn't it amazing how Jesus lifts our eyes off the million and one things we have on our plates, and gives us two things to focus on? That's more manageable. It's not that all the tasks of life suddenly disappear, but they are rightly hung on the greatest pursuit which is love.  So, let's take a moment to ponder what this means for your daily life and mine. What does it mean to love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind? I think the key word here is all. This love for the Lord should encompass all of who we are. This loves shapes all we do, say, think, and choose.    Now you may be thinking, sure, I love God, but that is a feeling. How does it actually affect my schedule? How you choose to spend the time you are given reveals the priorities of your heart. As you think about your schedule, does it reflect that you love God above all else? That he is the #1 priority in your life? Do you carve out and guard time to commune with him each day through listening to his voice through his Word and responding to him in prayer?    While your love for God is not limited to the time you spend with him in this way, choosing to actively commune with him is a marker of healthy love. The nourishment and love we receive from him is then meant to fuel how we live every minute of the day. Whether you are working, making dinner, meeting with a friend, cleaning the house, or putting a child to bed, your love for God affects your work. It gives it purpose and direction.   The second hook Jesus gives is directly linked to the first. If you are loving God with all of you, you will love your neighbor as yourself. In the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus redefines your neighbor to be anyone you encounter. Think about the circle of relationships God has given you. The closest circle is your immediate family, and generally speaking, they should be the focus of your greatest care and energy. Think for a moment, what would be the most loving thing you could do for your husband this week? Or for your kids? Or for your closest relationship? Prioritize that.   Then keep thinking about the circles in your life. Think of the people you come in contact with at work, at church, in the neighborhood, friends. Prioritize who God has given to you to love most in this season and think about how your time should reflect that love. You know, we cannot be all our husbands, kids, friends, family, and acquaintances need. That is the Lord's job, not ours, but we can respond to the specific call to love others in practical ways.   These two commands to love God and love others are not just vague ideas. Jesus lived them out perfectly. His ministry was all about loving God through obedience and proclaiming his glory and loving people by serving, healing, encouraging, and liberating. But the most striking example ever provided of loving God and loving others was seen at the cross.    There Jesus demonstrated his love for the Father by following his plan obediently even to a torturous death, and Jesus demonstrated his love for the world by taking the punishment of sinners upon himself to bring salvation. This is the kind of love that is a life-giving, sacrificial, total, the hold-nothing-back kind of love, and Jesus calls you and me to this as well.   As you consider your time, what is the priority? Is it love? Would you join me as I pray for us to be marked not by worldly success and productivity but by love?    Dear Lord, we come to you now and lay all of our tasks and responsibilities at your feet. You have made us finite beings with limitations. As we seek to use the time you have given, may we prioritize loving you and loving others for the glory of your name. Amen.   

This passage follows Jesus rebuke of the Scribes and Pharisees who failed to accept His message and the message of John the Baptist. Jesus is denouncing legalism again here by reminding the Scribes and Pharisees that He’s not impressed with their fanfare and show. Jesus is saying that His authority is being shown to the humble and receptive. It’s not for people who think they know it all. Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/livingalegacySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the Return period! Jeff Cavins joins Fr. Mike to introduce the ninth biblical period, which covers the Israelites' return to Jerusalem, the rise of the Pharisees, and the establishment of common household practices. They explain the pattern of exiles and returns throughout the Bible, starting with Exodus and leading all the way to Jesus' ministry. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Fr. Mike continues to explain the parables Christ recites in Jerusalem, specifically focusing on the dangers of preaching God's Word without practicing it in our lives. Jesus goes on to speak against the Scribes and Pharisees, reminding us that he's not only the Prince of Peace, but the Way and the Truth. Today's readings are Matthew 22-24 and Proverbs 19:17-20. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.