Podcasts about Pharisees

December 7, 2025. Fr. Tyler's homily for the 2nd Sunday of Advent. Enjoy! Gospel Matthew 3:1-12 John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. John wore clothing made of camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

1 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,  "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:  'Prepare the way of the Lord;   make his paths straight.' " 4 Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins.   7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore, bear fruit worthy of repentance, 9 and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.   11 "I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 

John the Baptist and the Second Sunday of Advent, Year A 2025 Gospel Matthew 3:1-12 John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. John wore clothing made of camel's hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

When Jesus addressed the religious leaders of His day, known as the Pharisees, He used jarring descriptions of their hypocrisy. He said that Pharisees served only to be seen. Pharisees used God as leverage to manipulate people to their preferences. Most alarming of all, Jesus said that Pharisees do not know God. Are you a Pharisee or a genuine follower of Jesus?

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judeaand saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:A voice of one crying out in the desert,Prepare the way of the Lord,make straight his paths.John wore clothing made of camel's hairand had a leather belt around his waist.His food was locusts and wild honey.At that time Jerusalem, all Judea,and the whole region around the Jordanwere going out to himand were being baptized by him in the Jordan Riveras they acknowledged their sins.When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadduceescoming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers!Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.And do not presume to say to yourselves,'We have Abraham as our father.'For I tell you,God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees.Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruitwill be cut down and thrown into the fire.I am baptizing you with water, for repentance,but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I.I am not worthy to carry his sandals.He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.His winnowing fan is in his hand.He will clear his threshing floorand gather his wheat into his barn,but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

We begin by looking at John the Baptist. Matthew 3:1-2 and 5-6 tells us.  "In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.' People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River." Pastor shares a personal visit to the Jordan River with pics of the area. As our story continues we see John calling out to the Pharisees and Sadducees who had come to the Jordan River to see what he was doing. He tells them that they need to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. What John is saying is that when they truly turn to the Living God, it will change them, that their attitude, behavior and thought patterns will be radically transformed.  John goes on in verse 11 of chapter 3 to say, "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." John's message was repent. His message was that the Messiah they had been waiting for was coming. He says that the Messiah will baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire, the fire of judgement.  People were drawn to John the Baptist because he spoke the truth in love. He wasn't the only one that talked about repentance. The Call to Repentance     ⁃    John the Baptist - Matthew 3:2     ⁃    Jesus Christ the Messiah - Matthew 4:17     ⁃    Apostle Peter - Acts 2:38     ⁃    Apostle Paul - Acts 17:30     ⁃    Holy Bible - 2 Peter 3:9 Repent means to: Change your mind Change your attitude Change your thoughts Change your direction Turn around - do a 180 Repentance IS important. Who needs Repentance?     ⁃    Isn't this the punchline to a joke? - No. Jesus says in Luke 13:3 that unless we repent, we will all perish. Jesus considers repentance to be absolutely essential.     ⁃    Isn't repentance just for bad people? - this depends on how you translate the word bad. The point of comparison is not against people, it is against a holy God. The Bible tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Matthew 21:31 Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you."     ⁃    This isn't for religious people, is it?  Jesus continues in Matthew 21:32 "For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him." Repentance is for ALL people especially the religious. This teaching brings anger and bitterness from the religious because it exposes them for what they really are not and for what they show to others.     ⁃    Isn't this Old Testament teaching? Yes, but it is also New Testament teaching as seen earlier in this message.      ⁃    Surely Christians don't need to repent? From Jesus we read a series of seven epistles in Revelation. In Revelation chapters 2 & 3 Jesus says the word "repent" 7 times. Martin Luther said in Thesis 1: "When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent' (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance". If you find yourself rebelling against what you are hearing today - we encourage you to hear the rest of the story. What is True Repentance     1.    I am a Sinner - when I recognize this then I understand that     2.    I need a Savior - turning to the only one who can save us. We are all sinners and we need a Savior. Without Him we are lost forever and it calls us to say     3.    I trust in Christ alone - because the Living God stepped into this world, living a life of perfect obedience and willing went to the cross to pay for rebellion and sin and the one who rose victorious of death. Jesus is that Savior. We are called by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, to trust in the redemption found only in Jesus and then to say     4.    I will live for Him - repentance changes the way we think, the way we look at God and look others and the world, it changes the way we turn to the Living God and hang onto the Lord Jesus who is our Savior and Deliverer and seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit to live a life of faith, obedience, joy and peace, power in Him. This true repentance. Although the call to repent may sound scary, the gift of God through repentance is the greatest joy any one can know in this world and the life of the world to come. Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE. Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/whats-the-answer Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

Great Restoration and Revival (3) (audio) David Eells – 12/7/25 Do you know why God speaks to us in parables as in Jesus, the Man-child's day? He said, To hide these things from the wise and prudent that He may reveal them unto babes… I want to share with you some revelations to help you and encourage you to be spiritually prepared for tribulation and the outpouring of the latter rain anointing.   Terrorism, Spiritual Invasion and Apostasy Don Lett - 06/22/2008 (David's notes in red) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph.6:12) (At first, this appears to be a physical terrorist attack, but the further you read on, the more it is revealed to be a spiritual invasion and attack on the U.S. and Christians.) Somehow, I found out about a terrorist attack that was going to occur on an Air Force base where I was staying. Although this base seemed like a normal civilian area. (The U.S. is the eagle of the “Lion with Eagles Wings” of Babylon. It is called this partially because of its air superiority. I believe the U.S. is the air force base in the “normal civilian area”.) I was in a bathroom hiding, and I could see that a group of Caucasian, American-looking men had captured most of the leadership on the base. (The enemy looks like average Americans but has a foreign ideology and spirit.) I looked behind me and saw that the General of the base was incapacitated and a little bloody. He wasn't able to stop this attack. The terrorists were looking for him but couldn't find him. I decided that he was OK and that he would be safely hidden in this bathroom. (The corporate beast spirit body from the pit has infiltrated and captured the minds of most of the leadership of the U.S. and is using them for their one world order purposes against the saints.) In another room to my rear, I could see a baby being watched by an adult. They were safe for the time being in a glass room, but I had no idea what was getting ready to take place. (The alien terrorist attack is happening to raise up this dragon/beast entity over the U.S. and bring down the freedoms we have known in the past. The baby is the newborn corporate Man-child that the beast entity wants to extinguish, as Herod attempted in the Gospels and the dragon will attempt in the Rev.12 end-time parallel. However, this baby, although visible, is safely caught up to heavenly places in Christ. The beast that is taking over all nations is the real terrorist that will make war against the saints.) I was scared, but I also noticed there was an escape route to the rear. I had to warn the authorities on base. I went straight to the guard shack at the check-in point. When I told the guards that I needed to talk to someone immediately about something that was going to occur, an MP car pulled up. They suggested that I inform the MPs who were in the car. They rolled down their window, and I leaned down to begin to tell them about the terrorists. But then I remembered that part of the plan was to infiltrate the base with other terrorists. I wasn't sure if these were real MPs or terrorists in disguise. I asked the MPs in the guard shack if they had ever seen these individuals before. They said no. (We really don't know who can receive our warning of this invasion. Some whom we think are brethren we find out are really the enemy.) I went and spoke to another MP whom they did recognize. As I was explaining to him about the terrorists, several people from my past were walking by and casually listening with interest, but not alarm, like J____. The MP seemed interested but not alarmed either. But it appeared that he would take someone to investigate these claims. (Most authorities will not take this spiritual alien invasion seriously, and others have already been taken over by it.) Next thing you know, I was sitting at a long table with a group of other civilians who were eating. Most of them, it seems, knew that I had found out about this terrorist attack. Some family members then began to brag about T___, who they said was getting these amazing words from God. The method that she was getting this word was from occult spiritualism or witchcraft-type practice. (Many times masquerading as Christian gifts.) They thought of her as a white witch. When they explained this to me, I told them right away that this is not the way that God works and that she was being influenced by a familiar spirit, but they didn't believe me. Just then, a very old friend from my past, S____, began to tell me what a hypocrite I am because of something I had done to him when I was a teenager (30 years or so ago). I told him that I was sorry and explained to him about forgiveness and how I had completely forgotten about this incident that had held him in captivity for so long. I asked him to let it go. (Many will be taken in because they are turned over to the tormentors for their own unforgiveness.) I turned my attention back to T____. My family members continued to press me about how God was speaking through her and that she was a good witch. And I reiterated that God didn't work this way. I told them that if they would meet with me outside, I would lay hands on her and cast this demon out. They still didn't believe me, but decided to meet with me, probably to prove that she was getting the word from God. (Many today pay no attention to the source of knowledge and power in these fakes since they are infiltrated with the enemy, but if we hold fast to the scriptures, we will know them.) While walking to meet with her, I got mixed up in a Catholic procession. They were singing “Amazing Grace”, but I could not get in tune with the way they were singing it. I tried several times and eventually got frustrated and stopped walking and singing with them. (The righteous will not assimilate into the larger end-time Universal, meaning Catholic, religion of the new world order that turns grace into lasciviousness.) I ended up in a different room. I noticed T____ walking with the group as they were walking in a line up a ramped corridor. The wall between us had an opening about one foot high at the neck so that I could see the faces of those walking. T____ was walking with them. I remembered that she looked pretty, but something was very odd about her countenance. Everyone seemed to be walking in an almost trance-like state. (Those who are into the witchcraft of rebellion to the Word will be assimilated by the alien spirits.) I had to go downstairs to meet with her and found myself on an elevator with a bunch of other people. This elevator was wide open without even a handrail. As I was going down the elevator, I was praying that God could do this work through me. I was concerned that I had not been close enough to God lately to cast this powerful demon out. (Closeness to the Lord enables us to be useful in the deliverance of our brethren.) When I came downstairs, there were a lot of activities. A lot of people I knew were playing basketball. I wanted to join them, but I had to take care of this first. I was still very concerned that I wouldn't be able to cast this demon out. Several people stopped me on the way to that side of the room to say hi. I quickly said hi and continued to move toward my cousin. (Most are caught up in the game of competition and scoring points between the sects of Christianity and are unaware of the spiritual alien invasion in their midst.) When I finally made my way past the basketball court, more acquaintances whom I had not seen in a while wanted to say hi. I gave a friend of mine a hug and said hi, and continued to move on. Finally, I got face-to-face with T___. I told her that I was going to lay hands on her, and just as I began to lay hands on her, a very shapely woman, whom I had never met, dressed in a turquoise stretchy dress that was cut very low at the breasts and high on the thighs, came out of nowhere and approached me to hug me. None of this made any sense to me that such a beautiful lady, whom I had never seen before, would come up to me and decide to hug me. I knew this had to be the work of the enemy. (The harlot of apostate Christianity seeks to seduce those who seek to deliver its adherents.) I thought about some of David Eells' teachings, and I held my hand out and said, “Lord, take this demon away from me”. (Or maybe, “Don't allow this demon to touch me”.) I was astonished by what happened next. This lady was lifted off the ground about an inch or two and slid backward about 10 to 15 feet and landed in a chair. She had her back arched, and you could see spiritual demonic activity above her chest. This startled me so much that I awoke from the dream. (The Word will cause the elect to recognize strong delusions of apostasy.)   My Interpretation: The Air Force base is the U.S. “This building (the Pentagon) will be attacked 3 million times today”. It is protected by the Air Force from cyberattacks. Terrorists are not Muslims; they are ordinary-looking Americans. Christian babies are somewhat protected, but they are totally unaware of the dangers. They are protected for a time, but the room is made of glass. These people have infiltrated a large part of our police forces (and government organizations). People will listen mostly out of interest but not out of concern. People have no problem listening to false prophets, but don't believe the Word of God. Satan will attempt to divert us from our mission by using: False prophets Past wrongs you committed Family members False religions You question your confidence in your walk with the Lord Extra-curricular activities Friends Lusts The Personality Profiles: J____- nominal but professing Christians, with very little biblical knowledge and virtually no relationship with Christ S____ - former Christian having fallen from the faith. Atheist or agnostic at best T____ - little or no biblical knowledge, professing a relationship with God   The Cross Revives the Church  Eve Brast - 10/04/2016 (David's notes in red) I dreamed that my son Elijah and I were making our way through crowds of frustrated people in an airport. (Elijah represents the John the Baptist ministry calling God's people to repentance.) (Without repentance God's people cannot live in heavenly places above this world. (Mal.4:5) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come. 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers; lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. The children don't know their fathers in the faith. All they have known is Babylonian false prophets and haven't grown up.) The people were angry and frustrated because an announcement had been made overhead that all flights were "delayed" and no one knew why. (Flights being delayed are representative of earthly bondages continuing.) Why do earthly bondages continue? They don't know their need because they don't know their spiritual fathers. (Eph.1:3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ... All of our needs are supplied in heavenly places by abiding in Christ, Who is the Word. When we do not depart from the Word, we are a heavenly creation with heavenly benefits. Right behind John's repentance came Jesus and the church fathers.) (I asked Father for a word concerning the announcement of the delayed flights in the airport and received (Isa.1:25) I will turn my hand on you, thoroughly purge away your dross, and will take away all your tin. 26 I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors (Fathers) as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called 'The city of righteousness, a faithful town'.) As we came up to the last terminal (time is running out), an older woman with blonde hair that had streaks of gray throughout, wearing a head covering, came up to us and pleaded with us to come and help her daughter, who was being a rebellious teenager. She was concerned because her daughter would not obey her concerning staying home and helping her clean the house and her bedroom. (Representing sanctification or "holiness without which no man shall see the Lord".) She kept sneaking out of the house to hang out with her friends at the mall and go shopping. (This woman represents the original church whose daughter has gone astray [in immature rebellion]. I believe there is one daughter in this dream because she represents the elect of God who will return to the true church. (Time is running out for the rebels to escape the power of this world before the judgments come. (Rom.2:3) And reckonest thou this, O man, who judgest them that practise such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? (The rebellious teenager/church is about to miss her plane to safety.) (Luk.21:34) But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare: 35 for so shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth. (Meaning those not in heavenly places in Christ.) 36 But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. (Heb.2:3) how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard. (Heavenly places is to be caught up to the throne of God's authority over this cursed world.) 4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will. 5 For not unto angels did he subject the world to come, whereof we speak. 6 But one hath somewhere testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him? 7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownedst him with glory and honor, And didst set him over the works of thy hands: 8 Thou didst put all things in subjection under his feet. (To be in the heavens is to have everything worldly and all of the curse under your feet.) For in that he subjected all things unto him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we see not yet all things subjected to him. (Whose fault is that? Jesus said that we have heavenly authority over this earth and its curse in (Mat.16:19) I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Rev.3:21) He that overcometh (the teenager rebellion and lust), I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne.) While the woman was lamenting to us about the daughter, I noticed an escalator off to the side of the terminal. I noticed that there were many people packed onto the downside (falling away) and only two or three individuals going up on the upside (those ascending to heavenly throne authority) to the next level. (Only one out of the four bore fruit in the parable of the sower.) (We are called to heavenly places, which are in Christ. Much of the church is earth-bound because they have not learned to abide in Christ, Who is the Word.) Then the woman's voice came back into my focus and hearing as Elijah was agreeing that we would go with her to her house and help her daughter. (The Bride will bring repentance to the rebellious church but not before some judgment arrives.) The scene changed as we found ourselves standing at the entrance to the daughter's bedroom from within the house. The mother was opening the door and gesturing for us to enter. Her daughter's room looked like a shop at the mall. (Love of the earthly stops one from receiving love of the heavenly places.) Shoe displays and mannequin torsos were displaying risqué teen clothing. (Many are in idolatry [and lust] with the world.) The mother explained that the daughter was hardly ever home, choosing to be at the mall and with her friends over home life with the family. (The heavenly family has been departed from, for earthly pursuits. We all know people like this who are full of excuses, but they will find out too late that they didn't eat their Word.) Elijah and I (Eve, the Bride) began to walk around the room to get an idea of what to say to the daughter and how to help her. I noticed a white door with glass panes in the top half, and on the other side of the room, which led into the room from the outside. There was a short hall entryway between the room and the door. (The door is Christ and represents salvation.) I noticed some activity going on in the entryway. (This is where most of the Church stops, not bearing the fruit of Christ in their soul and ministry.) David was busy doing something. Then Michael came up to us and began explaining about a project that David had been working on for a while for this girl. Michael showed me a few of the nails that he had helped gather for the project. He had quite a few gathered in a small silver metal bucket near the wall of the entryway. (The nails are to hold our flesh on our cross so that we may have the resurrection life of Christ in heavenly places of throne authority.) (David and Michael are representative of the Man-child ministers who have been prepared and are preparing for this end-time harvest.) Suddenly, a bunch of the Local UBM brethren came into the room in the same direction that Elijah and I had entered. I saw that everyone was cooperating with one another to transform the daughter's room. (The apostate Church will see a role model in the Bride that they never did in their leadership.) I saw M. L. consulting with the other ladies to alter all the clothing into more appropriate things for the daughter to wear. (The mature don't flash flesh, they crucify it. Modesty is a necessity.) The men were discussing how to move around some of the shelves (too many of God's things are on shelves) and bring in appropriate furniture for a bedroom. (To rest in faith in God's promises.) (Being in one accord and one Spirit with body ministry for our little sister.) (It appears a little sister was matured and glorified. (Psa.45:13) The king's daughter within the palace is all glorious: Her clothing is inwrought with gold. 14 She shall be led unto the king in broidered work: The virgins her companions that follow her Shall be brought unto thee. 15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be led: They shall enter into the king's palace. 16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, Whom thou shalt make princes in all the earth. And it appears that she became a spiritual mother to many.) Then the door to the outside opened, and David stepped over the threshold carrying a large, lightweight transparent cross over his right shoulder. (The Davids will first bear the cross to death of themselves so that they may give it to others. (Heb.12:2) looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.) Michael said excitedly, "There it is. That's the project!" I asked Father for a word concerning David and Michael and the project and received 1 Timothy 2:5 (context: 5,6). (1Ti.2:5) For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself a ransom for all; the testimony to be borne in its own times. (Just as Jesus paid the price for us to be freed, so will He do it in the Man-child, and much fruit will be borne. (Joh.12:24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit.) David knelt down and gently laid the cross down with the foot at the threshold and the head where the room began. He reached over the cross and pulled the bucket of nails toward him as Michael went over and handed him a heavy hammer. As David pulled the nails out of the bucket, they began to light up a beautiful sky blue like neon signs. He nailed them in groups of three at all four points on the cross. (Giving others an example of death to self. There were 12 blue nails representing discipleship. This cross bridges the gap so that those who are without can enter the house. (Representing the now-holy house and place of heavenly provision. No cross, no crown.]) Once David had finished, the daughter came home, and as she stood looking in amazement at the entryway, she couldn't believe that David had cared enough to do that for her. She was so touched that she had to come in and see the rest of the room. (The Church's eyes will be opened through the crucifixion of the Man-child, and they will enter into the Kingdom life.) She was amazed at how we had all worked together to transform her room, and she really liked what she saw. Everything was so new to her as she walked around admiring the transformation. I went over to her as she stood in front of some shelves that the men had restored. I watched her pick up some sort of tool off the shelf, wondering what it was. It had a part of it that glowed blue like the nails in the cross. I began to explain to her what it was and how to use it. Her face was filled with wonder as I watched her transform before my eyes into a young boy with beautiful blonde hair. (The transformation of our little sister into Christlikeness through our witness and examples. Showing her how to use the tools of the Gospel in order to overcome.) Then I woke up. I asked Father for a verse or text for this dream and received by random John 20:19 (context: 19-23). (Joh.20:19) When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had said this, he showed unto them his hands and his side. (Proofs of crucifixion and resurrection.) The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (Through spiritual crucifixion and resurrection.) 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit (The great power of God to lose our life to gain Jesus' life and ministry.): 23 whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.   Spiritual Food for the Tribulation Janie McManus - 04/30/2009 (David's notes in red) Generally, I wake up early, by 6:00 AM, to pray and read the Word, but this morning when I awoke, I wanted to sleep some more. It was my day off and I had a long list of things to do, and I thought, Oh no, what will happen if I stay in bed? Then I sensed the Holy Spirit say, “Sleep. I want to give you a gift”. I drifted off into sleep and dreamed I was within a group of people being herded along urban streets, and jostling among folks. (This is in the hard times of tribulation when the World Beast will take charge of people's lives.) I realized that I was not among people I knew, but we seemed about the same middle, lower-middle class crowd -- no one too fancy, and basically healthy. So I am standing in the middle of all these sacks of grain, and we have to move, suddenly, like we were being driven, so I asked the ones around me, “Can you help me carry these sacks?” (The Word we need to live by), and they laughed, saying, “No need to drag that along; we get plenty to eat”. (Those who set aside obedience to the scripture.) But I figured, this is perfectly good grain, and I am not going to just throw it away, so I loaded my pack and pockets, and we walked and jogged on. (Revival among the poor, outside the camp of mainstream churchianity, who will “load up” on the grain of God's Word.) Soon we stopped, out on this country road, and long board tables were set out, and we were instructed to line up on the sides, and then plates were put in front of us filled with this mush, which, on closer inspection, was filled with maggots. Looking up and down the length of the table, I saw people just pick up the plates and start shoveling it in. (The Beast and their false prophets will feed their corrupt teachings to the spiritually starving.) Needless to say, I was NOT hungry, so I wandered away from the table and snatched a few grains to chew on.  Immediately, I could hear the boots of these uniformed troops as they rushed up to the table to see if the food was eaten and all the plates were empty, except mine. In a gruff voice, they asked, “Whose plate is this?” and everyone who had been alongside me turned and pointed to me, but the troops just stormed past me, as though I wasn't there. (Martial law will enforce the harlot's wishes on the multitudes, as in Jesus' day. Our site has testimonies of people being invisible to the enemy as they served the Lord. Jesus passed through the midst of those who would kill Him. Peter passed two trained guards as an angel led him out of prison.) This wearying trek of meals and marching kept being repeated, and I just munched on my grain and shared with anyone who asked for some. (The righteous will carry the Word to those hungry for life.) At first, everyone liked the sweet taste, but they didn't like chewing it, so they spit it out, preferring the gruel. (The clean beasts chew the cud until the Word is thoroughly digestible and useful to the body.) The ones who did eat from both sources became sort of shadowy and wispy (spiritual), but also fearful, and they began to hide. (Those who begin to mix the Word in with their traditions become more spiritual, but their corrupt lives are condemned, and they fear the Lord without an understanding of grace.) Then they refused to eat what I offered and they became “solid” (fleshly) again but everyone had sort of an oily, flabby, fleshy muscle tone, and they wheezed in an unhealthy way. (Those who hear the Word and turn back to walk in the flesh will be cursed. (2 Pet.2:20) For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. 21 For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 It has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire.) Eventually, we came to a small strip mall that had already been looted, and all the folks rushed into the ransacked stores to see if there was anything they could yet steal. Some were stuffing CDs and techno things into their packs, which was dumb, since they had no electricity or batteries. (The mall represents the buying and selling of the merchants of Babylonish Christianity. They don't know that they have been plundered of anything useful and what is left is useless and powerless.) In the strip mall, I saw that there was a Christian bookstore and, although the windows were smashed, the shelves had been swept clear (no knowledge of God left) and piles of books were on the floor. (What knowledge was there was on the lowest level. The smashed windows represent no clear vision.) I went and picked up a book off the floor and, when I lifted it, all this ash fell out; I looked at the pages, and they were completely empty. When I sifted through the ashes, I found a few little stones. When I licked one off, it proved to be a tiny diamond, hard and translucent. (The only value in the teachings of Babylon is when they quote the scriptures. Nothing else will endure the fires of tribulation.) I wrestled with whether I ought to pocket the tiny diamonds or leave them behind. I searched for some Bibles but found none. (The Word will not be found in the government-approved churches.) I went up to a full bookshelf and opened a standing book. Instantly, the printed words crumbled and slid off the page -- all of them except some bold-print quotes. Suddenly, these leapt off the page and coiled up like microfilm (hidden treasures) and fell at my feet. I realized these words were direct Bible quotes and they were the tiny diamonds. So I scooped up as many as I could gather before the marching orders were barked out. (The Bible will be treasured by the hungry and destroyed by the wicked.) The people were gathering out in the front parking lot of the mall, so I went out to join them. They saw all the diamonds I had, tackled me and looted me! They were shaking me down and gulping down the diamonds by the fistful, without even chewing them, and then left me on the curb, in the middle of nowhere, and went on. (Those apostates who hear but do not digest the Word of truth will persecute the righteous. (Mat.7:6) Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you.) I saw that the back door of the store was standing open, and I dragged myself over to the door. There was an enormous interior space that was floored like a warehouse, and there were people in low wheelchairs scooting back and forth, from one end of the mall to the other. I felt afraid for them, realizing that they were the ones who would be culled from the herd, but I “understood” that these were below the radar: “In their weakness, God's strength is made perfect”; so, even though they were physically handicapped, they were rather healthier than the others. (Those whom the world considers crippled and unworthy of its company, God chooses and protects. (1 Cor.1:26) For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]: 27 but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong; 28 and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, [yea] and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are: 29 that no flesh should glory before God.) On the far end, there was a kindly woman who was feeding the handicapped handfuls of the diamonds. The kindly woman was spry and very old (strength and maturity); she came up and asked me if I was a Christian. I said yes, and then she asked, “How do you know?” I began sobbing and saying, “I was hungry and thirsty” (I felt like a little child who was over-tired). I then said, “Because I only want to eat diamonds” (You know you are a Christian when you hunger and thirst for the pure Word. (Mat.18:3) and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.) This made me cry even more because I felt I had given the wrong answer. I started wailing and weeping and saying, “I gave all the grain I had to the others, and they hate me. I try to walk with them and I share what I have, and I don't make trouble”. (Many “on fire Christians” have had the sad experience of trying but failing to fit in among the apostates and being persecuted for it.) I went on and on about all the stuff I had done, knowing it all sounded so foolish, and I was overcome with exhaustion and was sobbing uncontrollably. (Failure to reach many lost souls with the true Word will be a grief to many saints.) She gently put her hand on my shoulder and said, “You must go on now”. Suddenly, she paused, turned and asked me, “Do you know how to get more diamonds whenever you want?” Before I answered, she held up a single page of NT scripture for me to see. The page was almost sheer, and the lettering was moving like tiny rivulets of water (as “living water”) and she asked me, “Do you recognize any of this?” I began crying and with such intense joy that it hurt, and I could not even see through my tears. I reached up to try and grab the whole page to try to stuff it in my mouth, but she would not let me lay hold of it. (Reading it too fast and missing the details.) Laughing, she said, “No, you sit still and read the words so you can hear what they say and see what they mean”. Calming myself down, I sat to read, and whenever I came to words I knew, they suddenly froze and became like a sticker or label. (As we meditate on the Word, it becomes real to us -- digested into our being.) She said, “Peel them off and eat that,” so I did just that. Some passages I ate 10 or 15 times, but immediately after peeling off the label/passage, they were replaced. So, like a hungry man, I gorged myself and thought I could eat until I fell asleep. She said, “Now, you can keep eating whenever you want, or you can lug the grain sack around”. I was puzzled and asked, “Where will I carry it?” and she said, “It is in your mind and in your heart, but you must stand still and look for it and ask for it; there it will be”. (There is a time when we only carry the Word of God in our hand, but as we digest it, the Holy Spirit is able to bring it up out of our hearts to meet the needs around us.) Then she again said, “You must go on now”. Now I was greatly strengthened, rested and fed. I even began to wake up, ready to conquer the day, but I heard her voice say, “Wait, there is more”, and I fell into sleep again, into the same dream. I was being dragged out of the crowd in the middle of a campground by some of the people I had fed earlier, and they began dragging me toward the troops. I didn't feel a bit afraid and I wasn't resisting. I said to them, “Let's just stand here; they can come over to us”, which they did immediately! (The apostate church will use the beast government to persecute those whose doctrine doesn't please their flesh.) The troops asked, “Where is she?” and the others said, “Right here, between us”, which I thought was odd; they would have had to be blind not to see me. (God will, in some cases, physically blind the wicked to protect His saints. They are “hidden with Christ in God”. The spiritual blindness of the OT law and the letter of the Word “veils” the eyes and mind of apostate persecutors.) So they instructed the ones holding me to restrain me, but I calmly stood up straight and tall, and watched as one of the troops lifted an enormous sword (like in the movie Braveheart) high above his head, and in slow motion watched it drop to the crown of my head. It sliced me right in half, all the way to my ankles, and there at my feet were all my clothes and all around my feet was a pile of these diamonds, like I was some sort of grain sack that had been slit open. (Just as Jesus was “the Word made flesh”, so it will be with His disciples. The persecution will reveal this to those who have eyes to see.) I felt the embarrassment of a dream when you are completely naked, yet no one even saw me, so I stood still. The ones holding my arms let go of me and dove on top of my clothing and started tearing them, eating them, ripping them up, and passing them around. (When Jesus was naked and crucified, they parted His garments. The garments of the righteous represent the “righteous acts of the saints”, as in Rev.19:8,14. The apostates devour the righteous through their denigrating words and accusations. (Gal.5:15) But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.) Oddly, everyone wanted some of the fabric, and everyone was gobbling up the diamonds, but completely forgot about me. (In the same way, they will criticize the truths of the Word that the saints have become, but God will reprobate them.) When they turned away to march on, I noticed that no longer were they people, but almost like half-pig, half-human, and the feces that fell behind them were loaded with the diamonds -- unchewed, undigested, and unharmed -- just dirty. (Like sows that had washed, they return to wallow in the mire. The church world and its greedy leadership have polluted the truths of God's Word. They have not digested the true meaning of the Scriptures. Please read all of Eze.34. Verse (Eze.34:18) Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have fed upon the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture? and to have drunk of the clear waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? 19 And as for my sheep, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.) I reached out, hesitant to touch the “stuff” but saw my hand was covered in a white glove, so I looked for something to put the rescued diamonds in and wondered where I would get water to wash them off. I squatted down and saw (to my relief) that my knees were covered in this satiny, sheer curtain-like fabric, and low down I could hear water trickling. (The humble may go to their knees to find wisdom from God to turn the polluted hearts of the deceived to the pure Word. The white glove represents works of righteousness, as you take the clean water of the Word and Spirit.) I noticed then that ALL OVER the ground lay bodies of dead people. I was horrified and astounded. So I stood up and began to sing. The more I sang, the more clearly I could see the bodies. Some were being eaten by grubs, but others were rather like fertile ground, and when I flipped them over, they were filled with earthworms. In those bodies, I “planted” some of the diamonds, just out of curiosity. Suddenly, I watched the diamonds unfurl, and all the letters began sprouting roots and tendrils; they were alive! I became engrossed in putting out the diamonds, like one planting seeds by hand in a furrow. (The true gospel saves, heals, delivers, and resurrects those who are dead in sin.) When I looked back, the field was filling with people coming out of the ground, who immediately turned to begin tilling the ground and planting bodies! We were all quite busy and a multitude was coming alive. (The sowers of the Word will sow the seed and bring forth life in others, who in turn go to work in the field.) I woke myself up, shook off sleep, got out of bed, and went to start a load of laundry, thinking, ‘Now that was weird!' (We have been exhorted by this dream to clean up the garments of our works so that we are not partakers of the defilements of Babylon by their religious spirits. (Exo.19:10) And Jehovah said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their garments... (Num. 8:21) And the Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes... (31:24) And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean; and afterward ye shall come into the camp.) I have a little box of scripture verses that are about 70 years old, from my grandmother's house, next to my washing machine. So, waiting for the water to fill the tub, I chose a card at random to read; it was (Mat. 7:7) Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.   Wolves and the John the Baptist Revival Eve Brast - 04/27/2016 (David's notes in red) Wolves of all kinds wait to pick off the new believers in this revival before they can mature. Pray for them, brethren, and do spiritual warfare against the demonic enemies. This repentance revival must succeed, or a great curse will come upon this country. John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah, according to Jesus. (Mal.4:5) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come. (6) And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers; lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. Are these apostate leaders the children's fathers? No, the early Church fathers are their fathers. And the Man-child, Bride, and witnesses are their fathers. This revival will point them to these fathers. I dreamed I had just given birth to my son Elijah on top of a large white round table in the center of a cafeteria. My husband was standing to my right and holding my hand. (Her husband represents the Lord.) He was so happy and proud of his new son. We both knew the baby was very special. (I believe this represents the Bride birthing through prayer the John the Baptist revival, which precedes Jesus in the Man-child reformers.) Then, some cafeteria workers posing as hospital nursery employees came to take Elijah to the nursery and asked us if we wanted him circumcised. (Cafeteria workers are they who feed spiritual or, in this case not spiritual food. They are acting as though they are ordained to take care of this revival, to cut away the flesh, but it is they who are flesh. The false leaders always try to hijack any true revival trying to impose their unscriptural foolishness. We must do warfare against this.) My husband emphatically said, “No. That's not necessary anymore”. So they left the room with Elijah. I assumed they would take care of him. (We bind this leaven masquerading as Christianity from this repentance revival.) I then went and got in line with some other people to get a tray of food. The cafeteria workers all had disposable white hair nets. A young, tall, lanky guy and a short woman put various food items on my plate and handed me the tray. I saw that they had put shredded pork on my plate, and I said, “I'm not allowed to eat pork. My husband doesn't allow it”. (This is spiritual. Our Lord does not allow us to partake of their unclean fleshly nature, words, spirits and teachings. Like pigs, their god is their belly.) When my hand touched the tray, I had an open vision. I saw Elijah lying on the floor in pain in another room. The cafeteria workers who had posed as hospital nursery workers had circumcised him and botched the procedure in addition. They had also stuffed pork into his mouth and he was lying there half choked from it. (These apostate ministries cutting off what they call “flesh” from this revival. Their unscriptural, overindulgent lives prove they do not know what flesh is. Adding their pork as a type of their unclean demon doctrines to choke the revival.) When the vision ended, I was back over at the table where I had given birth to Elijah. I was telling my husband what they had done to him, and then the “nursery worker” came up with the dried foreskin in her hand. She had a strange necklace around her neck with many others hanging from it, and she placed Elijah's dried foreskin onto her necklace, too. It was like a bizarre trophy necklace or something. (The demons in the false revival people want to claim this revival as their own for selfish ambition.) My husband was so angry that they did this to his son. I hurried into the room where they had left him to suffer and choke to death. I quickly picked him up and performed the infant version of the Heimlich maneuver on him that I had learned in a CPR class that I took at the hospital. (They must not be cut off from the breath of the Spirit.) I took a white baby blanket and wrapped him up in it, and carried him out of that cafeteria building and walked with him on a white covered concrete walkway over to the large UBM warehouse next door. (Just as John said in (Joh.3:30) He must increase, but I must decrease. The John the Baptist revival will morph into the Man-child revival of the Unleavened Bread and signs and wonders. But for God's people to escape the judgments promised, there must be repentance. This revival must succeed.)   THE CONDITION FOR PROPHECY TO COME TO PASS OR NOT AND THE CURSE (Jer.18:1) The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying, (2) Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. (3) Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was making a work on the wheels. (4) And when the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. (5) Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, (6) O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith Jehovah. Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel. (This pot has to be handled roughly to get the clay back in a moldable form. This remolding of the clay historically has involved judgment until the clay is repentant.) (7) At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it; (8) if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. (9) And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; (10) if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. (11) Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings. (12) But they say, It is in vain; for we will walk after our own devices, and we will do every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart.   Great Holy Spirit Revival & Escape Eve Brast - 05/04/2016 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was in the spirit, floating right above the waters of the Red Sea. (This is after the Passover that brought death to the Egyptians and freedom to God's people just before the wilderness tribulation on the other side of the sea.) I was looking toward the bank on the shore, which was dark. (The way of escape from Pharaoh's army or martial law is not clear.) I saw a small tongue of fire come down out of heaven and alight on top of the waters. (The tongue of fire is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Act.2:3) And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. (4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. This individual tongue of fire is the anointed Man-child from Heaven. This is the Man-child revival that follows the John the Baptist revival. Like Moses they are to bring the people into and through the wilderness tribulation.) Suddenly, all the waters were set on fire and they parted with great force and power as if Moses himself had struck them with his staff! (Jesus in the Man-child by His Word and anointing will divide the sea and make a way of escape from Pharaoh's army and his FEMA camps, as Moses did. (Exo.14:16) And lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground.) They became two flaming walls of fire, and between them, the tongue of fire landed on the dry seabed, and it lit up the shoreline. (The anointed Man-child made the way of escape clear when it looked impossible.) I could then see a set of 12 stone steps (representing the 12 tribes of New Testament Spiritual Israel) leading down from the top of the shoreline to the seabed. Then all these modern-day people from all the different denominations were lit up in the dark, and they began descending the steps to go across. A man who was also dressed in modern-day clothing was the first to descend and was at the head of them to go into the wilderness and on to the Promised Land. Then I woke up. (What would it take to unify all the true people of God to seek Him and spiritually leave Egypt, as a type of the world, and head toward the promises of the Promised Land? The John the Baptist repentance revival would have wised up many to the bondage of the Pharisees and Sadducees and their dead religion by then. Pharaoh had made slaves of the people of God, somewhat like our Pharaoh, and fierce judgments had fallen on the worldly at Passover. Could this be engineered economic collapse, earthquakes, volcanic activity, and martial law? The judgments on Egypt so the people can escape. I asked the Lord, “Will martial law come?” and got two heads for “yes”. I asked, “Can it be overturned by our faith?” and got two tails for “no”. And this was fulfilled for we are in it now. Pharaoh's army was about to bring them into bondage when God divided the Red Sea. At this point, they were unified by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (1Co.10:1) For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; (2) and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud [baptism of the Holy Spirit] and in the sea [water baptism].) I asked the Lord, if we went the Trump route, would the earthquakes not come and He said, “No”. In other words, the quakes are coming. They are a sign of the coming Man-child reformers.   White Glove Inspection Sandy Shaw - 2/11/18 (David's notes in red) At the beginning of this dream, I am standing in front of an extraordinarily large white house. In real life, there is no way that you would see a house this large on Earth. (At this time, there are no people who this white house can represent but the Bride. Certainly not the larger Church. But the Bride's job is to bring this purity to the Church as did Jesus' early disciples.) The steps leading up to the door were made of gold. (The steps of Gold are the most valuable steps a person could take to go through the door who is Jesus.) But the top step had an adjoining white marble floor that ran throughout the whole house. There are two pillars that start where the gold ends. There were two double doors, bright white (Lampros garment of the Bride) made of a substance that I didn't know. (This entrance represents righteous acts Rev.19:8 And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright [Greek: Lampros] and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. The gold plates around the door handles had an intricate design around the edges. The handles were of round crystal. I opened the doors and in front of me is a huge room. And I strained my eyes to see how far it goes. Then I looked to the left of me, and there were hundreds of doors to the rooms and the same on the right. I'm wearing a white robe with white gloves to the elbows. (The Bride cleaning her house, representing righteous Works) I went to the first door and went to the upper right-hand corner, and then went diagonally down to the left corner. I opened the door and went into the room and closed the door. And did it again on the opposite side. Then I opened the door. And then I inspected the walls. I took my finger and by my height, I slid it across to the corner. (The white glove inspection. If dirt comes up on the finger, there is unrighteousness in the house of the Bride.) Then, from the wall, I bent down to inspect the floor. It passed inspection, so I walked to the bed, bent down, and put my hand under the bed and then I stood up. Then I looked at the bed. (Representing the rest through faith) It was made up of white satin-like fabric. I can see my handprint from kneeling down, so I took my hands and smoothed out the wrinkle that I had made. (The Bride is the first of the Church to be without spot and wrinkle.) The three white pillows were soft and very inviting. Then I walked to the nightstand and gave it the white glove test. There was a beautiful crystal vase. In it were a dozen white roses all at the perfect stage of openness. (Fruit born through water of the Word – A present from the Groom. Rev. 22:1 And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, The fragrance of them was throughout the whole room. Then I looked to see the amount of water in the vase. The only color in this dream was the stems. Then I walked to the window and pushed aside the curtain. The window was so clear that you couldn't see it. (Pure of sight) Then I took my finger and went from the upper right corner to go diagonally to the left. There were two windows in the room. They were open an inch each. A slight breeze was coming in. (Breath of the Holy Spirit) Now there was a coolness that blended with the warmness, and you felt it together to make a perfect temperature. I then checked the curtains, and then I walked to the door. I turned around to look at the room for the last time. I noticed that the curtains were barely moving with a slight breeze. Then I remembered to look up at the ceiling. There was no ceiling...just a beautiful deep blue. (Heavenly perspective. Son shining in.) I did this in all the rooms on the right and on the left. In the huge room, I ran my finger over the floor while walking to the kitchen. The kitchen has a white swivel door. Everything is still white. The first thing I saw was a row of ovens. (To bake the pure unleavened Bread of the Word and Body of the Bride.) I know that there are forty ovens. I walk over to give them the test. Then from there I went to the four vintage farmhouse sinks, and they passed inspection. Then I went to the four huge refrigerators, and I opened them. There was no food in them. (To be pure and white, you must have eaten the food of the bread and wine of the life of Jesus.) Inside was only a rectangular glass container that held water with a silver spigot. (Silver kills contaminants in Water. The Water of the Word must be clean of leaven.) All four refrigerators were the same. Then I did the floor test again. There was a door on the right side of the kitchen that went into a very small hall. This led into a big room. At the other end of the room was a huge chair that looked like it was made for a giant. A man was sitting in it with pure white hair and garment. (Rev.1:13 and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle. 14 And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire.) I walked slowly and said very softly, “Sir,” and he said, “Yes.” The inspection is done.” And he said, “OK.” Then I woke up. My feeling was one of total relief and acceptance from Him, and He was pleased. I received by faith at random this text for this dream: Finger was on vs 26, “he made.” Acts 17:24 The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 and he made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed seasons, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us: 28 for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man. 30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent:   Worldwide Holy Spirit Outpouring  Samuel Paguaga - 09/21/2010 (David's notes in red) I think this dream tops all my spiritual dreams in its intensity and revelation. In it, I was in a small gathering of sorts. We were talking and then praying. A bit more had happened before that, but I think the point of this event is that none of what had happened before this mattered. All of a sudden, it was like when you step out of your home straight into the sun at noon. I was overwhelmed with light/energy, not as much as to blind the eyes, but more of a light/energy that penetrated to every cell and fiber of my body. I felt I was no longer physical or fleshly but a new being. As I looked straight forward in front of me, the physical world began to fade, but not because it was disappearing; it was because I began to perceive it in a new way, with new senses, and everything became almost transparent. I looked up and began to speak words in a new language. I was confessing something. Although I could not understand the words, I could feel them in my being. The words were energizing and vibrating my being, my frequency, my entity, my spirit. It was as if all of me became one: my spirit with my mind and my body. As I began to speak, my perception of my surroundings grew. I could feel, perceive, and see all those around me who were experiencing the same thing. First, the two people beside me; then, outwardly, the people in the place; then the whole block; then the city, and then the whole Earth. We, disciples of Christ, were all one and not because we perceived each other, but because we were confessing the same words and because the same flow of energy and power of the Holy Spirit was flowing through us. Although there was a worldwide outpouring, only the vessels of glory, the vessels of light, were filled to the seal. (This could be the first-fruits outpouring at the beginning of the tribulation.) I could feel the power and energy flowing through me, vibrating every part of my being. I spoke words and feelings became more and more intense, so much so that I could not even begin to describe them. I saw everything as white, yellowish, and orange lights, as if everything was transparent. I felt one with the source, at one with the words, and as one with everyone confessing these words. All these feelings of oneness occurred at three distinct levels. All of this along with a feeling of peace; it was as if this was a new nature, and I knew what it was. I experienced the whole thing even when I awoke. It seemed like I knew what was happening. I knew what the source was, what the energy and power was, and the meaning of the words. I woke up shortly afterward, possibly on the last word spoken, although in the dream it seemed like from that point on things would not be the same. As I awoke, I could almost feel the vibration of energy in my being as it dispersed into the normality of my awakened state. I always wondered, what does it mean to be one with God and His Christ and His Spirit ... and now I know. 

Matthew 3:1-12In those days, John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea proclaiming, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near. This is the one about whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, ‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight.'” Now, John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist and his food was locusts and wild honey.Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all along the region of the Jordan, to be baptized by John in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to him for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance and do not pretend to say about yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor.' For I tell you, from these stones, God could raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees and every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize with fire, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me. I'm not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hands to clear the threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Well, last week Pastor Cogan gave us the Grinch who stole Christmas – and terrorized some small children by bursting into their homes and stealing Christmas gifts, right before their eyes and right out from under their Christmas trees. So, not to be outdone, I give you John the Baptist, with his camel's hair and leather, his locusts and wild honey, those axes, threshing floors, winnowing forks, and unquenchable fire. Merry Christmas.But seriously, if you heard Pastor Cogan last week and took advantage of his homework assignment – to make an Advent List of things you'd like for God to remove from your life in preparation for the coming of Christmas and beyond – then I hope the words of John the Baptist aren't as scary as some have made them out to be over the years. I mean that it's deeply faithful and profoundly meaningful to see John the Baptist as less of a Grinch and more of a harbinger of hope. It can be life-changing to see that the trees being chopped and the threshing floor being cleared and the chaff being burned don't have to represent people, for crying out loud, which is what too many have believed for too long in this world.We don't have to fear the Lord who's on the way, in those ways, any longer. Instead, we are invited to look forward to and prepare for God's coming in Jesus by getting ready for this unquenchable fire of God's grace as a good and holy thing, instead, that means to lovingly burn away the chaff of our lives – to rid us of the bad stuff like our pride… the sinful stuff like our selfishness… the faith-stealing stuff of our fear, the light-dimming stuff of vengeance and war and more.John calls us to be rid of it all by way of a good bath, or a thorough pruning, or maybe by setting it out like so much trash at the curb on garbage day.And while this is all good news – and not nearly as terrible or as scary as many have made John the Baptist's words out to be – it may not always come easy; there's some tough love in what John offers up today, too. And it has to do with this call to repentance.And, my favorite story about repentance is one from my own childhood.When I was a kid – about seven or eight years old – I was sledding in the winter with my neighbors and very best friends – on a hill not far from where we lived. Our sledding hill was great. It was in the yard of some members of our church, and complete with a creek of running water at the bottom. The creek was small, but deep enough apparently, that it didn't always freeze in the winter.Anyway, during an afternoon of sledding and snowmen and snow ball fights, I got into a real, actual fight with one of my best friends, who was and is more like a second big brother to me. (I told this story at his wedding, at which I presided, just a couple of weeks ago, which is why it came to mind again this week.) Anyway, there was yelling and screaming and pushing and pulling and, even though he was 3 years older than me – and bigger and stronger in every way – I somehow managed to push him into the icy water of that creek at the bottom of the hill.As surprised as I was by whatever strength, good luck, and gravity had worked in my favor, I was just as instantly ashamed and scared and consumed with guilt over what I had done to my friend. I felt bad for whatever fluke had allowed me to win the fight. I felt terrible that my friend was cold and wet and embarrassed by it all. And I was worried, too, about what would happen to both of us once our parents found out. So, in all of my shame and guilt and fear and regret – and with all the wisdom of my seven or eight years – I shouted out my apologies as I did my own wintry version of the Nestea plunge right next to him in the icy water of that creek.And, even if my repentance was cold and wet and unhelpful in so many ways, it was heartfelt. It was honest. And it came from a real and deep desire to make things right again between my friend and me. I would have undone my transgression altogether if I could have, but that wasn't possible. So, all I could do was apologize and begin a long, soggy, very cold, frozen walk home.And I think the tough love of John the Baptist was – and is – an invitation to this kind of repentance. Not that we have to jump into the cold, unforgiving waters of our sinfulness – or that that would accomplish anything more than my Nestea plunge was able to accomplish.But that we would recognize the fullness of our sins in the light of God's willingness to do that for us – and more: to jump into the world, I mean … to enter into the cold, frozen waters of our transgressions, I mean … to climb onto the cross and out of the tomb for our sake, I mean. And that once we recognize the fullness of that kind of sacrifice and love, we'll resolve to do better and different in response to God's grace.So, what does that mean for you in these days leading up to Christmas? What does it mean for Christians, waiting on the birth of Jesus, to “bear fruit worthy of repentance?” After all, we're just as flawed, broken, scared, insecure, imperfect, and hard-hearted as those Pharisees and Sadducees who showed up at the Jordan to be baptized by John. And while repentance is one of the most faithfully Christian things we can practice, it's not something that comes easy for most of us.I think to “bear fruit worthy of repentance” means we give ourselves over to grace; we let our guard down; we open our hearts up; we let the cracks of our brokenness show; and we let those cracks be filled with all God has to offer as a loving fix. Repentance is about letting ourselves be vulnerable to the love of God, so that we might be changed by the good news that comes in Jesus.When we buy that… When we let that Truth into our heads and into our hearts… When we allow that reality to shape and influence our actions and our behavior… that's when true, deep, faithful repentance will happen. Repentance will come because we will be changed and we will change the ways we live in this world. Then, I believe, the chaff of our lives – our greed, our pride, our selfishness, and all the rest – will fall away and we'll be happy and blessed to watch it burn in the unquenchable fire of God's amazing grace and be drowned by the waters of God's unrelenting love, until we're able to share more of the same love, mercy, and forgiveness in Jesus' name.Amen

Read Online“I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:11–12This passage comes just before Jesus is baptized and begins His public ministry. John the Baptist had been ministering in the desert of Judea, preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Many came to him to be baptized with a baptism of repentance. But when John saw many scribes and Pharisees coming to him, he said, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.” The passage above is John's warning to them—and to us—about what will happen if we fail to repent.At that time, when wheat was harvested, it was left to dry. Then, a winnowing fan was used to blow the wheat and chaff into the air. The lighter chaff would blow away, while the grains of wheat would fall to the ground to be gathered, milled into flour, and used for baking. John uses this familiar image to depict what Jesus will do with the righteous and the wicked. The righteous are like the grains of wheat that will be gathered and brought to Heaven. The wicked are like the chaff that, once separated from the righteous, will burn in the unquenchable fire of hell.Though it is comforting to speak of the glories of Heaven and to anticipate being brought there by our Lord, it is necessary to also consider the reality of the unquenchable fires of hell. Pondering the reality of those unquenchable fires is something we should not neglect.In his spiritual classic, The Spiritual Exercises, Saint Ignatius of Loyola presents a format for a thirty-day directed silent retreat, considered by many to be the ideal retreat experience. During the first week of that retreat, the retreatant focuses primarily upon mortal sin and its consequences—the unquenchable fires of hell. Why would Saint Ignatius begin his retreat this way? Because he understood that the foundation of our growth in union with God is repentance, and repentance requires an honest and thorough examination of sin and its consequences.Reflect today on the unquenchable fires of hell, and allow yourself to foster a burning desire to flee from every sin that leads to that end. As we enter the second week of the penitential season of Advent, ponder this warning from Saint John the Baptist. Hear him speak those words directly to you. We must fear sin and avoid it, as much as we want to avoid the unquenchable fires of hell. Start with this foundational truth, so that having fostered deep repentance, you are ready to turn your heart and mind toward the glorious promise of Heaven. Jesus, our Just Judge, You hold the winnowing fan in Your sacred hand and separate the righteous from the sinner. Please grant me the grace to see my sin clearly, so that I may humbly acknowledge it and turn from it with all my might. May I build this foundation of repentance during Advent, so that Christmas becomes an even greater time of union with You. Jesus, I trust in You.Image via Adobe StockSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Today, we will see Jesus at the home of a Pharisee: a very religious man who adhered to the Law of Moses. But then a Prostitute showed up and the Pharisee was angry because Jesus showed her compassion and care. Today we will be challenged to look at our own lives and determine – who do I resemble the most? The Pharisee or Prostitute?

Today, we will see Jesus at the home of a Pharisee: a very religious man who adhered to the Law of Moses. But then a Prostitute showed up and the Pharisee was angry because Jesus showed her compassion and care. Today we will be challenged to look at our own lives and determine – who do I resemble the most? The Pharisee or Prostitute?

Experience the power of Jesus' teachings and miracles at a Pharisaic feast, where divine compassion confronts legalistic traditions.In this episode, we explore the tension between Jesus and the Pharisees during a feast, where Jesus challenges their understanding of the Sabbath and performs a miraculous healing. Witness the unfolding drama as Jesus' acts of compassion and justice clash with the rigid legalism of the religious leaders.Today's Bible verse is Micah 6:8, from the King James Version.Download the Pray.com app for more Christian content including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Pray.com is the digital destination for 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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

n this thought-provoking episode of "Faith with Friends," host Lisa Lorenzo guides listeners through the sixth chapter of the Book of Luke. As part of a December series, the podcast explores each chapter of Luke in the lead-up to Christmas, offering insights into the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. With a focus on the spiritual journey and personal transformation, Lisa encourages listeners to delve deeper into the scripture and reflect on its contemporary significance.This episode emphasizes Jesus's teachings from Luke 6, highlighting the conflict with the Pharisees and the revolutionary principles he espouses. Lisa examines key moments, including the healing on the Sabbath and the selection of his disciples, as windows into understanding Jesus's challenges to societal norms and religious traditionalism. Engaging with SEO keywords like “spiritual growth,” “faith journey,” and “Jesus's teachings,” the episode invites listeners to consider themselves as part of a divine narrative centered on mercy, forgiveness, and unyielding faith in turbulent times.Key Takeaways:Jesus challenges societal and religious norms by prioritizing human need over traditional rituals.The teachings of Jesus in Luke 6 call for a transformation of the heart, advocating love for enemies and mercy over judgment.Personal discipleship is highlighted as a foundation built on faith, understanding, and action rather than mere knowledge.The importance of self-reflection is stressed through metaphors about good and bad fruit, encouraging personal spiritual assessment.The episode invites listeners to actively integrate faith into their lives, promising a deeper encounter with Jesus by Christmas.Notable Quotes:"A human need is more important than rituals and rules.""The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath.""Life with me is going to flip everything that you've known.""Jesus isn't asking for a Sunday religion or passive faith.""Know me, and then build your life on me."Resources:Follow Lisa Lorenzo and the "Faith with Friends" podcast on Instagram: faithwithfriendsImmerse yourself in the full episode to explore how the teachings of Luke 6 can anchor your spiritual journey today. Stay tuned for more enlightening discussions as the podcast unfolds the profound narrative of Jesus's life through December's introspective series.

In this theologically rich episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Jesse and Tony delve into the Parable of the Lost Coin from Luke 15:8-10. They explore how this parable reveals God's passionate pursuit of His elect and the divine joy that erupts when they are found. Building on their previous discussion of the Lost Sheep, the brothers examine how Jesus uses this second parable to further emphasize God's sovereign grace in salvation. The conversation highlights the theological implications of God's ownership of His people even before their redemption, the diligent efforts He undertakes to find them, and the heavenly celebration that follows. This episode offers profound insights into God's relentless love and the true nature of divine joy in redemption. Key Takeaways The Parable of the Lost Coin emphasizes that God actively and diligently searches for those who belong to Him, sparing no effort to recover what is rightfully His. Jesus uses three sequential parables in Luke 15 to progressively reveal different aspects of God's heart toward sinners, with escalating emphasis on divine joy. The coin represents something of significant value that already belonged to the woman, illustrating that God's elect belong to Him even before their redemption. Unlike finding something new, the joy depicted is specifically about recovering something that was already yours but had been lost, highlighting God's eternal claim on His people. The spiritual inability of the sinner is represented by the coin's passivity - it cannot find its own way back and must be sought out by its owner. Angels rejoice over salvation not independently but because they share in God's delight at the effectiveness of His saving power. The parable challenges believers to recover their joy in salvation and to share it with others, much like the woman who called her neighbors to celebrate with her. Expanded Insights God's Determined Pursuit of What Already Belongs to Him The Parable of the Lost Coin reveals a profound theological truth about God's relationship to His elect. As Tony and Jesse discuss, this isn't a story about finding something new, but recovering something that already belongs to the owner. The woman in the parable doesn't rejoice because she discovered unexpected treasure; she rejoices because she recovered what was already hers. This illustrates the Reformed understanding that God's people have eternally belonged to Him. While justification occurs in time, there's a real sense in which God has been considering us as His people in eternity past. The parable therefore supports the doctrines of election and particular redemption - God is not creating conditions people can move into or out of, but is zealously reclaiming a specific people who are already His in His eternal decree. The searching, sweeping, and diligent pursuit represent not a general call, but an effectual calling that accomplishes its purpose. The Divine Joy in Recovering Sinners One of the most striking aspects of this parable is the overwhelming joy that accompanies finding the lost coin. The brothers highlight that this joy isn't reluctant or begrudging, but enthusiastic and overflowing. The woman calls her friends and neighbors to celebrate with her - a seemingly excessive response to finding a coin, unless we understand the theological significance. This reveals that God takes genuine delight in the redemption of sinners, to the extent that Jesus describes it as causing joy "in the presence of the angels of God." As Jesse and Tony note, this challenges our perception that God might save us begrudgingly. Instead, the parable teaches us that God's "alien work" is wrath, while His delight is in mercy. This should profoundly impact how believers view their own salvation and should inspire a contagious joy that spreads to others - a joy that many Christians, by Tony's own admission, need to recover in their daily walk. Memorable Quotes "Christ love is an act of love and it's always being acted upon the sinner, the one who has to be redeemed, his child whom he goes after. So in the same way, we have Christ showing the self-denying love." - Jesse Schwamb "The coin doesn't seek the woman. The woman seeks the coin. And in this way, I think we see God's act of searching grace... The reason why I think it leads to joy, why God is so pleased, is because God has this real pleasure to pluck sinners as brands from the burning fire." - Jesse Schwamb "These parables are calling us to rejoice, right? Christ is using these parables to shame the Pharisees and the scribes who refuse to rejoice over the salvation of sinners. How often do we not rejoice over our own salvation sufficiently?" - Tony Arsenal Full Transcript [00:00:08] Jesse Schwamb: There still is like the sovereign grace of God who's initiating the salvation and there is a kind of effect of calling that God doesn't merely invite, he finds, he goes after he affects the very thing. Yeah, and I think we're seeing that here. The sinner, spiritual inability. There's an utter passivity until found. The coin doesn't seek the woman. The woman seeks the coin. And in this way, I think we see God's act of searching grace. It's all there for us. And the reason why I think it leads to joy, why God is so pleased is because God has this real pleasure. To pluck sinners as brands from the burning fire. Welcome to episode 472 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. [00:00:57] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother. [00:01:01] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. [00:01:02] Jesus and the Parable of the Lost Coin [00:01:02] Jesse Schwamb: So there was this time, maybe actually more than one time, but at least this one time that we've been looking at where Jesus is hanging out and the religious incumbents, the Pharisees, they come to him and they say, you are a friend of sinners, and. Instead of taking offense to this, Jesus turns this all around. Uses this as a label, appropriates it for himself and his glorious character. And we know this because he gives us this thrice repeated sense of what it means to see his heart, his volition, his passion, his love, his going after his people, and he does it. Three little parables and we looked at one last time and we're coming up to round two of the same and similar, but also different and interesting. And so today we're looking at the parable of the lost coin or the Lost dma, or I suppose, whatever kind of currency you wanna insert in there. But once again, something's lost and we're gonna see how our savior comes to find it by way of explaining it. In metaphor. So there's more things that are lost and more things to be found on this episode. That's how we do it. It's true. It's true. So that's how Jesus does it. So [00:02:12] Tony Arsenal: yeah. So it should be how we do it. [00:02:14] Jesse Schwamb: Yes. Yeah, exactly. I cut to like Montel Jordan now is the only thing going through my head. Tell Jordan. Yeah. Isn't he the one that's like, this is how we do it, that song, this is [00:02:28] Tony Arsenal: how we do it. I, I don't know who sings it. Apparently it's me right now. That was actually really good. That was fantastic. [00:02:36] Jesse Schwamb: Hopefully never auto tuned. Not even once. I'm sure that'll make an appearance now and the rest, somebody [00:02:42] Tony Arsenal: should take that and auto tune it for me. [00:02:44] Jesse Schwamb: That would be fantastic. Listen, it doesn't need it. That was perfect. That was right off the cuff, right off the top. It was beautiful. It was ous. [00:02:50] Tony Arsenal: Yes. Yes. [00:02:51] Affirmations and Denials [00:02:51] Jesse Schwamb: I'm hoping that appearance, [00:02:53] Tony Arsenal: before we jump into our, our favorite segment here in affirmations of Denials, I just wanted to take a second to, uh, thank all of our listeners. Uh, we have the best listeners in the world. That's true, and we've also got a really great place to get together and chat about things. That's also true. Uh, we have a little telegram chat, which is just a little chat, um, program that run on your phone or in a browser. Really any device you have, you can go to t Me slash Reform Brotherhood and join that, uh, little chat group. And there's lots of stuff going on there. We don't need to get into all the details, but it's a friendly little place. Lots of good people, lots of good conversation. And just lots of good digital fellowship, if that's even a thing. I think it is. So please do join us there. It's a great place to discuss, uh, the episodes or what you're learning or what you'd like to learn. There's all sorts of, uh, little nooks and crannies and things to do in there. [00:03:43] Jesse Schwamb: So if you're looking for a little df and you know that you are coming out, we won't get into details, but you definitely should. Take Tony's advice, please. You, you will not be disappointed. It, it's a fun, fun time together. True. Just like you're about to have with us chatting it up and going through a little affirmations and denials. So, as usual, Tony, what are you, are you affirming with something or are you denying again, something? I'm, I'm on the edge of my seat. I'm ready. [00:04:06] Tony Arsenal: Okay. Uh, it is, I thought that was going somewhere else. Uh, I'm, I'm affirming something. [00:04:13] AI and Problem Solving [00:04:13] Tony Arsenal: People are gonna get so sick of me doing like AI affirmations, but I, it's like I learned a new thing to do with AI every couple of weeks. I ran across an article the other day, uh, that I don't remember where the article was. I didn't save it, but I did read it. And one of the things that pointed out is that a lot of times you're not getting the most out of AI because you don't really know how to ask the questions. True. One of the things it was was getting through is a lot of people will ask, they'll have a problem that they're encountering and they'll just ask AI like, how do I fix this problem? And a lot of times what that yields is like very superficial, basic, uh, generic advice or generic kind of, uh, directions for resolving a problem. And the, I don't remember the exact phrasing, 'cause it was a little while ago since I read it, but it basically said something like, I'm encountering X problem. And despite all efforts to the contrary, I have not been able to resolve it. And by using sort of these extra phrases. What it does is it sort of like pushes the AI to ask you questions about what you've already tried to do, and so it's gonna tailor its advice or its directions to your specific situation a little bit more. So, for example, I was doing this today. We, um, we just had the time change, right? Stupidest thing in the world doesn't make any sense and my kids don't understand that the time has changed and we're now like three or four weeks past the, the time change and their, their schedule still have not adjusted. So my son Augie, who is uh, like three and three quarters, uh, I don't know how many months it is. When do you stop? I don't even know. When you stop counting in months. He's three and a quarter, three quarters. And he will regularly wake up between four 30 and five 30. And when we really, what we really want is for him to be sleeping, uh, from uh, until like six or six 30 at the latest. So he's like a full hour, sometimes two hours ahead of time, which then he wakes up, it's a small house. He's noisy 'cause he's a three and a half year old. So he wakes up the baby. The baby wakes up. My wife, and then we're all awake and then we're cranky and it's miserable. So I, I put that little prompt into, um, into Google Gemini, which is right now is my, um, AI of choice, but works very similar. If you use something like chat, GPT or CLO or whatever, you know, grok, whatever AI tool you have access to, put that little prompt in. You know, something like since the time change, my son has been waking up at four 30 in the morning, despite all efforts to the contrary, I have not been able to, uh, adjust his schedule. And so it started asking me questions like, how much light is in the room? What time does he go to bed? How much does he nap? And it, so it's, it's pulling from the internet. This is why I like Google Geminis. It's actually pulling from the internet to identify like common, common. Related issues. And so it starts to probe and ask questions. And by the time it was done, what it came out with was like a step-by-step two week plan. Basically like, do this tonight, do this tomorrow morning. Um, and it was able to identify what it believes is the problem. We'll see if it actually is, but the beauty now is now that I've got a plan that I've got in this ai, I can start, you know, tomorrow morning I'm gonna try to do what it said and I can tell. The ai, how things went, and it can now adjust the plan based on whether or not, you know, this worked or didn't work. So it's a good way to sort of, um, push an ai, uh, chat bot to probe your situation a little bit more. So you could do this really for anything, right. You could do something like I'm having, I'm having trouble losing weight despite all efforts to the contrary. Um, can you help me identify what the, you know, root problem is? So think about different ways that you can use this. It's a pretty cool way to sort of like, push the, the AI to get a little deeper into the specifics without like a lot of extra heavy lifting. I'm sure there's probably other ways you could drive it to do this, but this was just one clever way that I, that this article pointed out to accomplish this. [00:08:07] Jesse Schwamb: It's a great exercise to have AI optimize itself. Yeah. By you turning your prompts around and asking it to ask you a number of questions, sufficient number, until it can provide an optimize answer for you. So lots, almost every bot has some kind of, you can have it analyze your prompts essentially, but some like copilot actually have a prompt agent, which will help you construct the prompt in an optimal way. Yeah, and that again, is kind of question and answer. So I'm with you. I will often turn it around and say. Here's my goal. Ask me sufficient number of questions so that you can provide the right insight to accomplish said goal. Or like you're saying, if you can create this like, massive conversation that keeps all this history. So I, I've heard of people using this for their exercise or running plans. Famously, somebody a, a, um, journalist, the Wall Street Journal, use it, train for a marathon. You can almost have it do anything for you. Of course, you want to test all of that and interact with it reasonably and ably, right? At the same time, what it does best is respond to like natural language interaction. And so by turning it around and basically saying, help me help you do the best job possible, providing the information, it's like the weirdest way of querying stuff because we're so used to providing explicit direction ourselves, right? So to turn it around, it's kind of a new experience, but it's super fun, really interesting, really effective. [00:09:22] Tony Arsenal: And it because you are allowing, in a certain sense, you're sort of asking the AI to drive the conversation. This, this particular prompt, I know the article I read went into details about why this prompt is powerful and the reason this prompt is powerful is not because of anything the AI's doing necessarily, right. It's because you're basically telling the AI. To find what you've missed. And so it's asking you questions. Like if I was to sit down and go like, all right, what are all the things that's wrong, that's causing my son to be awake? Like obviously I didn't figure it out on my own, so it's asking me what I've already tried and what it found out. And then of course when it tells me what it is, it's like the most obvious thing when it figures out what it is. It's identifying something that I already haven't identified because I've told it. I've already tried everything I can think of, and so it's prompting me to try to figure out what it is that I haven't thought of. So those are, like I said, there's lots of ways to sort of get the ais to do that exercise. Um, it's not, it's not just about prompt engineering, although that there's a lot of science now and a lot of like. Specifics on how you do prompt engineering, um, you know, like building a persona for the ai. Like there's all sorts of things you can do and you can add that, like, I could have said something like, um. Uh, you are a pediatric sleep expert, right? And when you tell it that what it's gonna do is it's gonna start to use more technical language, it's gonna, it's gonna speak to you back as though it's a, and this, this is where AI can get a little bit dangerous and really downright scary in some instances. But with that particular prompt, it's gonna start to speak back to you as though it was a clinician of some sort, diagnosing a medical situation, which again. That is definitely not something I would ever endorse. Like, don't let an AI be your doctor. That's just not, like WebMD was already scary enough when you were just telling you what your symptoms were and it was just cross checking it. Um, but you could do something like, and I use these kinds of prompts for our show notes where I'm like, you're an expert at SEO, like at um, podcast show notes. Utilizing SEO search terms, like that's part of the prompt that I use when I use, um, in, in this case, I use notion to generate most of our show notes. Um, it, it starts to change the way that it looks at things and the way that it, I, it responds to you based on different prompts. So I think it, it's a little bit scary, uh, AI. Can be a strange, strange place. And there's some, they're doing some research that is a little bit frightening. They did a study and actually, like, they, they basically like unlocked an AI and gave it access to a pretend company with emails and stuff and said that a particular employee was gonna shut out, was gonna delete the ai. And the first thing it did was try to like blackmail the employee with like a risk, like a scandalous email. It had. Then after that they, they engineered a scenario where the AI actually had the ability to kill the employee. And despite like explicit instructions not to do anything illegal, it still tried to kill the employee. So there's some scary things that are coming up if we're not, you know, if, if the science is not able to get that under control. But right now it's just a lot of fun. Like it's, we're, we're probably not at the point where it's dangerous yet and hopefully. Hopefully it won't get to that point, but we'll see. We'll see. That got dark real fast, fast, fast. Jesse, you gotta get this. And that was an affirmation. I guess I'm affirming killer murder ais that are gonna kill us all, but uh, we're gonna have fun with it until they do at least. [00:12:52] Jesse Schwamb: Thanks for not making that deny against. 'cause I can only imagine the direction that one to taken. [00:12:57] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. At least when the AI hears this, it's gonna know that I'm on its side, so, oh, for sure. I, for one, welcome our new AI overlords. So as do Iye. [00:13:05] Christmas Hymns and Music Recommendations [00:13:05] Tony Arsenal: But Jesse, what are you affirming or denying today to get me out of this pit here? [00:13:09] Jesse Schwamb: So, lemme start with a question. Do you have a favorite Christmas hymn? And if so, what is it? [00:13:16] Tony Arsenal: Ooh, that's a tough one. Um, I think I've always been really partial to Oh, holy Night. But, uh, there's, there's not anything that really jumps to mind my, as I've become older and crankier and more Scottish in spirit, I just, Christmas hymns just aren't as. If they're not as prominent in my mind, but oh, holy night or come coming, Emanuel is probably a really good one too. [00:13:38] Jesse Schwamb: Wow. Those are the, those are like the top in the top three for me. Yeah. So I think [00:13:42] Tony Arsenal: I know where you're going based on the question. [00:13:44] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, we're very much the same. So, well maybe, so I am affirming with, but it's that time of year and people you, you know and love and maybe yourself, you're gonna listen to Christian music and. That's okay. I put no shade on that, especially because we're talking about the incarnation, celebrate the incarnation. But of course, I think the best version of that is some of these really lovely hymns because they could be sung and worshiped through all year round. We just choose them because they fit in with the calendar particularly well here, and sometimes they're included, their lyrics included in Hallmark cards and, and your local. Cool. Coles. So while that's happening, why not embrace it? But here's my information is why not go with some different versions. I love the hymn as you just said. Oh, come will come Emmanuel. And so I'm gonna give people three versions of it to listen to Now to make my list of this kind of repertoire. The song's gotta maintain that traditional melody. I think to a strong degree, it's gotta be rich and deep and dark, especially Ko Emmanuel. But it's gotta have something in it that's a little bit nuanced. Different creative arrangements, musicality. So let me give two brand new ones that you may not have heard versions and one old one. So the old one is by, these are all Ko Emanuel. So if at some point during this you're like, what song is he talking about? It's Ko. Emmanuel. It's just three times. Th we're keeping it th Rice tonight. So the first is by band called for today. That's gonna be a, a little bit harder if you want something that, uh, gets you kind of pumped up in the midst of this redemption. That's gonna be the version. And then there are two brand new ones. One is by skillet, which is just been making music forever, but the piano melody they bring into this and they do a little something nuanced with the chorus that doesn't pull away too much. From the original, but just gives it a little extra like Tastiness. Yeah. Skill. Great version. And then another one that just came out yesterday. My yesterday, not your yesterday. So actually it doesn't even matter at this point. It's already out is by descriptor. And this would be like the most chill version that is a hardcore band by, I would say tradition, but in this case, their version is very chill. All of them I find are just deeply worshipful. Yeah. And these, the music is very full of impact, but of course the lyrics are glorious. I really love this, this crying out to God for the Savior. This. You know, just, it's really the, the plea that we should have now, which is, you know, maranatha like Lord Jesus, come. And so in some ways we're, we're celebrating that initial plea and cry for redemption as it has been applied onto us by the Holy Spirit. And we're also saying, you know, come and fulfill your kingdom, Lord, come and bring the full promise, which is here, but not yet. So I like all three of these. So for today. Skillet descriptor, which sounds like we're playing like a weird word game when you put those all together. It does, but they're all great bands and their versions I think are, are worthy. So the larger affirmation, I suppose, is like, go out this season and find different versions, like mix it up a little bit. Because it's good to hear this music somewhat afresh, and so I think by coming to it with different versions of it, you'll get a little bit of that sense. It'll make maybe what is, maybe if it's felt rote or mundane or just trivial, like you're saying, kind of revive some of these pieces in our hearts so we can, we, we can really worship through them. We're redeeming them even as they're meant to be expressions of the ultimate redemption. [00:16:55] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, I, um, I heard the skillet version and, uh, you know, you know me like I'm not a huge fan of harder music. Yeah. But that, that song Slaps man, it's, yes, [00:17:07] Jesse Schwamb: it does. It's [00:17:07] Tony Arsenal: good. And Al I mean, it, it also ignited this weird firestorm of craziness online. I don't know if you heard anything about this, but Yes, it was, it was, there was like the people who absolutely love it and will. Fight you if you don't. Yes. And then there was like the people who think it's straight from the devil because of somehow demonic rhythms, whatever that means. Um, but yeah, I mean, I'm not a big fan of the heavier music, but there is something about that sort of, uh. I don't know. Is skill, would that be considered like metal at all? [00:17:38] Jesse Schwamb: Oh, that's a loaded question. Probably. [00:17:39] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. So like I found, uh, this is, we're gonna go down to Rabbit Trail here. Let's do it. Here we go. I found a version of Africa by Toto that was labeled as metal on YouTube. So I don't know whether it actually is, and this, this version of skill, it strikes me as very similar, where it's, ah, uh, it, it's like, um. The harmonies are slightly different in terms of like how they resonate than Okay. Other harmonies. Like I get [00:18:05] Jesse Schwamb: that [00:18:06] Tony Arsenal: there's a certain, you know, like when you think about like Western music, there's certain right, there's certain harmonies when, you know, think about like piano chords are framed and my understanding at least this could be way off, and I'm sure you're gonna correct me if I'm wrong, is that um, metal music, heavy metal music uses slightly different. Chord formations that it almost leaves you feeling a little unresolved. Yes, but not quite unresolved. Like it's just, it's, it's more the harmonics are different, so that's fair. Skillet. This skillet song is so good, and I think you're right. It, it retains the sort of like. The same basic melody, the same, the same basic harmonies, actually. Right. And it's, it's almost like the harmonies are just close enough to being put into a different key with the harmonies. Yes, [00:18:52] Jesse Schwamb: that's true [00:18:53] Tony Arsenal: than then. Uh, but not quite actually going into another key. So like, sometimes you'll see online, you'll find YouTube videos where they play like pop songs, but they've changed the, the. Chords a little bit. So now it's in a minor key. It's almost like it's there. It's like one more little note shift and it would be there. Um, and then there's some interesting, uh, like repetition and almost some like anal singing going on, that it's very good. Even if you don't like heavier music. Like, like I don't, um, go listen to it and I think you'll find yourself like hitting repeat a couple times. It was very, very good. [00:19:25] Jesse Schwamb: That's a good way of saying it. A lot of times that style is a little bit dissonant, if that's what you mean in the court. Yeah. Formation. So it gives you this unsettledness, this almost unresolvedness, and that's in there. Yeah. And just so everybody knows, actually, if you listen to that version from Skillet, you'll probably listen to most of it. You'll get about two thirds of the way through it and probably be saying, what are those guys talking about? It's the breakdown. Where it amps up. But before that, I think anybody could listen to it and just enjoy it. It's a really beautiful, almost haunting piano melody. They bring into the intro in that, in the interlude. It's very lovely. So it gives you that sense. Again, I love this kind of music because there's almost something, there is something in this song that's longing for something that is wanting and yet left, unresolved and unfulfilled until the savior comes. There's almost a lament in it, so to speak, especially with like the way it's orchestrated. So I love that this hymn is like deep and rich in that way. It's, that's fine. Like if you want to sing deck the Holes, that's totally fine. This is just, I think, better and rich and deeper and more interesting because it does speak to this life of looking for and waiting for anticipating the advent of the savior. So to get me get put back in that place by music, I think is like a net gain this time of year. It's good to have that perspective. I'm, I'm glad you've heard it. We should just open that debate up whether or not we come hang out in the telegram chat. We'll put it in that debate. Is skillet hardcore or metal? We'll just leave it there 'cause I have my opinions, but I'm, well, I'm sure everybody else does. [00:20:48] Tony Arsenal: I don't even know what those words mean, Jesse. Everything is hardcore in metal compared to what I normally listen to. I don't even listen to music anymore usually, so I, I mean, I'm like mostly all podcasts all the time. Anytime I have time, I don't have a ton of time to listen to. Um, audio stuff, but [00:21:06] Jesse Schwamb: that's totally fair. Well now everybody now join us though. [00:21:08] Tony Arsenal: Educate me [00:21:09] Jesse Schwamb: now. Everybody can properly use, IM prompt whatever AI of their choice, and they can listen to at least three different versions of al comical manual. And then they can tell us which one do you like the best? Or maybe you have your own version. That's what she was saying. What's your favorite Christmas in? [00:21:23] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And [00:21:24] Jesse Schwamb: what version of it do you like? I mean, it'll be like. [00:21:28] Tony Arsenal: It'll be like, despite my best efforts, I've been un unable to understand what hardcore and medical is. Please help me understand. [00:21:37] Jesse Schwamb: Oh, we're gonna have some, some fun with this at some point. We'll have to get into the whole debate, though. I know you and I have talked about it before. We'll put it before the brothers and sisters about a Christmas Carol and what version everybody else likes. That's also seems like, aside from the, the whole eternal debate, which I'm not sure is really serious about whether or not diehard is a Christmas movie, this idea of like, which version of the Christmas Carol do you subscribe to? Yeah. Which one would you watch if you can only watch one? Which one will you watch? That's, we'll have to save that for another time. [00:22:06] Tony Arsenal: We'll save it for another time. And we get a little closer to midwinter. No reason we just can't [00:22:10] Jesse Schwamb: do it right now because we gotta get to Luke 15. [00:22:12] Discussion on the Parable of the Lost Coin [00:22:12] Tony Arsenal: We do. [00:22:13] Jesse Schwamb: We, we've already been in this place of looking at Jesus' response to the Pharisees when they say to him, listen, this man receives sinners and eats with them. And Jesus is basically like, yeah, that's right. And let me tell you three times what the heart of God is like and what my mission in serving him is like, and what I desire to come to do for my children. And so we spoke in the last conversation about the parable lost sheep. Go check that out. Some are saying, I mean, I'm not saying this, but some are saying in the internet, it's the definitive. Congratulation of that parable. I'm, I'm happy to take that if that's true. Um, but we wanna go on to this parable of the lost coin. So let me read, it's just a couple of verses and you're gonna hear in the text that you're going to understand right away. This is being linked because it starts with or, so this is Jesus speaking and this is Luke 15, chapter 15, starting in verse eight. Jesus says, or a what woman? She has 10 D drachmas and loses. One drachma does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it. And when she has found it, she calls together her friend and her neighbors saying, rejoice with me for I found the D Drachma, which I lost in the same way I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. [00:23:27] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. On one level, this is, uh, again, it's not all that complicated of a scenario, right? And we have to kind of go back and relo through some of the stuff we talked about last week because this is a continuation of, you know, when we first talked about the Matthew 13 parables, we commented on like. Christ was coming back to the same themes, right? And in some ways, repeating the parable. This is even stronger than that. It's not just that Christ is teaching the same thing across multiple parables. The sense here, at least the sense I get when I read this parable, the lost sheep, and then the prodigal, um, sun parable or, or the next parable here, um, is actually that Christ is just sort of like hammering home the one point he's making to the tax collectors and or to the tax collectors or to the scribes who are complaining about the fact that Christ was eating with sinners. He's just hammering this point home, right? So it's not, it's not to try to add. A lot of nuance to the point. It's not to try to add a, a shade of meaning. Um. You know, we talked a lot about how parables, um, Christ tells parables in part to condemn the listeners who will not receive him, right? That's right. This is one of those situations where it's not, it's not hiding the meaning of the parable from them. The meaning is so obvious that you couldn't miss it, and he, he appeals, we talked about in the first, in the first part of this, he actually appeals to like what the ordinary response would be. Right? What man of you having a hundred sheep if he loses one, does not. Go and leave the 99. Like it's a scenario that anyone who goes, well, like, I wouldn't do that is, looks like an idiot. Like, that's, that's the point of the why. He phrases it. And so then you're right when he, when he begins with this, he says, or what woman having 10 silver coins if she loses one, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until he, till she finds it. And of course, the, the, the emphasis again is like no one in their right mind would not do this. And I think like we think about a coin and like that's the smallest denomination of money that we have. Like, I wouldn't, like if I lost a, if I had 10 silver coin, 10 coins and I lost one of them, the most that that could be is what? 50 cents? Like the, like if I had a 50 cent piece or a silver dollar, I guess, like I could lose a dollar. We're not really talking about coins the way we think of coins, right? We're talking about, um. Um, you know, like denominations of money that are substantial in that timeframe. Like it, there was, there were small coins, but a silver coin would be a substantial amount of money to lose. So we are not talking about a situation where this is, uh, a trivial kind of thing. She's not looking for, you know, I've, I've heard this parable sort of like unpacked where like, it's almost like a miserly seeking for like this lost coin. Interesting. It's not about, it's not about like. Penny pinching here, right? She's not trying to find a tiny penny that isn't worth anything that's built into the parable, right? It's a silver coin. It's not just any coin. It's a silver coin. So she's, she's looking for this coin, um, because it is a significant amount of money and because she's lost it, she's lost something of her, of her overall wealth. Like there's a real loss. Two, this that needs to be felt before he can really move on with the parable. It's not just like some small piece of property, like there's a [00:26:57] Jesse Schwamb: right. I [00:26:57] Tony Arsenal: don't know if you've ever lost a large amount of money, but I remember one time I was in, um, a. I was like, almost outta high school, and I had taken some money out of, um, out of the bank, some cash to make a purchase. I think I was purchasing a laptop and I don't know why I, I don't, maybe I didn't have a credit card or I didn't have a debit card, but I was purchasing a laptop with cash. Right. And back then, like laptops, like this was not a super expensive laptop, but. It was a substantial amount of cash and I misplaced it and it was like, oh no, like, where is it? And like, I went crazy trying to find it. This is the situation. She's lost a substantial amount of money. Um, this parable, unlike the last one, doesn't give you a relative amount of how many she has. Otherwise. She's just lost a significant amount of money. So she takes all these different steps to try to find it. [00:27:44] Understanding the Parable's Context [00:27:44] Tony Arsenal: We have to feel that loss before we really can grasp what the parable is trying to teach us. [00:27:49] Jesse Schwamb: I like that, so I'm glad you brought that up because I ended up going down a rabbit hole with this whole coined situation. [00:27:56] Tony Arsenal: Well, we're about to, Matt Whitman some of this, aren't we? [00:27:58] Jesse Schwamb: Yes, I think so. But mainly because, and this is not really my own ideas here, there's, there's a lot I was able to kind of just read and kind. Throw, throw something around this because I think you're absolutely right that Jesus is bringing an ES escalation here and it's almost like a little bit easier for us to understand the whole sheep thing. I think the context of the lost coin, like you're already saying, is a little bit less familiar to us, and so I got into this. Rabbit hole over the question, why would this woman have 10 silver coins? I really got stuck on like, so why does she have these? And Jesus specific about that he's giving a particular context. Presumably those within his hearing in earshot understood this context far better than I did. So what I was surprised to see is that a lot of commentators you probably run into this, have stated or I guess promulgated this idea that the woman is young and unmarried and the 10 silver coins could. Could represent a dowry. So in some way here too, like it's not just a lot of money, it's possible that this was her saving up and it was a witness to her availability for marriage. [00:28:57] The Significance of the Lost Coin [00:28:57] Jesse Schwamb: So e either way, if that's true or not, Jesus is really emphasizing to us there's significant and severe loss here. And so just like you said, it would be a fool who would just like say, oh, well that's too bad. The coin is probably in here somewhere, but eh, I'm just gonna go about my normal business. Yeah. And forsake it. Like, let's, let's not worry about it. So. The emphasis then on this one is not so much like the leaving behind presumably can keep the remaining nine coins somewhere safe if you had them. But this effort and this diligence to, to go after and find this lost one. So again, we know it's all about finding what was lost, but this kind of momentum that Jesus is bringing to this, like the severity of this by saying there was this woman, and of course like here we find that part of this parable isn't just in the, the kingdom of God's like this, like we were talking about before. It's more than that because there's this expression of, again, the situation combined with these active verbs. I think we talked about last time that Christ love is an act of love and it's always being acted upon the sinner, the one who has to be redeemed, his child whom he goes after. So in the same way, we have Christ showing the self-denying love. Like in the first case, the shepherd brought his sheep home on his shoulders rather than leave it in the wilderness. And then here. The woman does like everything. She lights the candle, she sweeps the house. She basically turns the thing, the place upside down, searching diligently and spared no pains with this until she found her lost money. And before we get into the whole rejoicing thing, it just strikes me that, you know, in the same way, I think what we have here is Christ affirming that he didn't spare himself. He's not gonna spare himself. When he undertakes to save sinners, he does all the things. He endures the cross scor in shame. He lays down his life for his friends. There's no greater love than that. It cannot be shown, and so Christ's love is deep and mighty. It's like this woman doing all the things, tearing the place apart to ensure that that which she knew she had misplaced comes back to her. That the full value of everything that she knows is hers. Is safe and secure in her possession and so does the Lord Jesus rejoice the safe sinners in the same way. And that's where this is incredibly powerful. It's not just, Hey, let me just say it to you one more time. There is a reemphasis here, but I like where you're going, this re-escalation. I think the first question is, why do the woman have this money? What purpose is it serving? And I think if we can at least try to appreciate some of that, then we see again how Jesus is going after that, which is that he, he wants to save the sinner. He wants to save the soul. And all of the pleasure, then all of the rejoicing comes because, and, and as a result of that context. [00:31:22] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. [00:31:23] Theological Implications of God's People [00:31:23] Tony Arsenal: The other thing, um, maybe, and, and I hope I'm not overreading again, we've, we've talked about the dangers of overreading, the parables, but I think there's a, and we'll, we'll come to this too when we get into the, um, prodigal son. Um, there is this sense, I think in some theological traditions that. God is sort of like claiming a people who were not his own. Right. And one of the things that I love about the reform tradition, and, and I love it because this is the picture the Bible teaches, is the emphasis on the fact that God's people have been God's people. As long as God has been pondering and con like contemplating them. So like we deny eternal justification, right? Justification happens in time and there's a real change in our status, in in time when, when the spirit applies, the benefits that Christ has purchased for us in redemption, right? But there's also a very real sense that God has been looking and considering us as his people in eternity past. Like that's always. That's the nature of the Pactum salutes, the, you know, covenant of redemption election. The idea that like God is not saving a nameless, faceless people. He's not creating conditions that people can either move themselves into or take themselves out of. He has a concrete people. Who he is saving, who he has chosen. He, he, you know, prior to our birth, he will redeem us. He now, he has redeemed us and he will preserve us in all of these parables, whether it's the sheep, the coin, or as we'll get to the prodigal sun next week or, or whenever. Um. It's not that God is discovering something new that he didn't have, or it's not that the woman is discovering a coin, right? There's nothing more, uh, I think nothing more like sort of, uh, spontaneously delightful than like when you like buy a, like a jacket at the thrift store. Like you go to Salvation Army and you buy a jacket, you get home, you reach in the pocket and there's like a $10 bill and you're like, oh man, that's so, so great. Or like, you find a, you find a. A $10 bill on the ground, or you find a quarter on the ground, right? Yeah. Or you find your own money. Well, and that that's, there's a different kind of joy, right? That's the point, is like, there's a delight that comes with finding something. And again, like we have to be careful about like, like not stealing, right? But there's a different kind of joy that comes with like finding something that was not yours that now becomes yours. We talked about that with parables a couple weeks ago, right? There's a guy who finds it, he's, he's searching for pearls. He finds a pearl, and so he goes after he sells everything he has and he claims that pearl, but that wasn't his before the delight was in sort of finding something new. These parables. The delight is in reclaiming and refining something that was yours that was once lost. Right? That's a different thing. And it paints a picture, a different picture of God than the other parables where, you know, the man kind of stumbles on treasure in a field or he finds a pearl that he was searching for, but it wasn't his pearl. This is different. This is teaching us that God is, is zealous and jealous to reclaim that which was his, which was lost. Yes. Right. So, you know, we can get, we can, maybe we will next week, maybe we will dig into like super laps area versus infra laps. AIRism probably not, I don't necessarily wanna have that conversation. But there is a reality in the Bible where God has a chosen people and they are his people, even before he redeems them. [00:34:52] Jesse Schwamb: Exactly. [00:34:53] God's Relentless Pursuit of Sinners [00:34:53] Tony Arsenal: These parables all emphasize that in a different way and part of what he's, part of what he's ribbing at with the Pharisees and the, and the scribes, and this is common across all of Christ's teaching in his interactions and we get into true Israel with, with Paul, I mean this is the consistent testimony of the New Testament, is that the people who thought they were God's people. The, the Jewish leaders, especially the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes, the, the sort of elites of, uh, first century Jewish believers, they really were convinced that they were God's people. And those dirty gentiles out there, they, they're not, and even in certain sense, like even the Jewish people out in the country who don't even, you know, they don't know the scriptures that like, even those people were maybe barely God's people. Christ is coming in here and he is going, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Like you're asking me. You're surprised that I receive sinners and e with them. Well, I'm coming to claim that which is mine, which was lost, and the right response to that is not to turn your nose up at it. The right response is to rejoice with me that I have found my sheep that was lost, that I have reclaimed my coin that was lost. And as we'll see later on, like he really needles them at the end of the, the, uh, parable of the prodigal son. This is something I, I have to be like intentional in my own life because I think sometimes we hear conversion stories and we have this sort of, I, I guess like, we'll call it like the, the Jonah I heresy, I dunno, we won't call it heresy, but like the, the, the like Jonah impulse that we all have to be really thankful for God's mercy in our life. But sort of question whether God is. Merciful or even be a little bit upset when it seems that God is being merciful to those sinners over there. We have to really like, use these parables in our own lives to pound that out of our system because it's, it's ungodly and it's not what God is, is calling us. And these parables really speak against that [00:36:52] Jesse Schwamb: and all of us speak in. In that lost state, but that doesn't, I think like you're saying, mean that we are not God's already. That if he has established that from a trinity past, then we'd expect what others have said about God as the hound of heaven to be true. And that is he comes and he chases down his own. What's interesting to me is exactly what you've said. We often recognize when we do this in reverse and we look at the parable of the lost son, all of these elements, how the father comes after him, how there's a cha singer coming to himself. There's this grand act of repentance. I would argue all of that is in all of these parables. Not, not to a lesser extent, just to a different extent, but it's all there. So in terms of like couching this, and I think what we might use is like traditionally reformed language. And I, I don't want to say I'm overeating this, I hope I'm not at that same risk, but we see some of this like toll depravity and like the sinner is lost, unable to move forward, right? There still is like the sovereign grace of God who's initiating the salvation and there is a kind of effect of calling that God doesn't merely invite, he finds, he goes after he affects the very thing. Yeah, and I think we're seeing that here. There is. The sinner, spiritual inability. There's an utter passivity until found. The coin doesn't seek the woman. The woman seeks the coin. And in this way, I think we see God's act of searching grace. It's all there for us. Yeah, it's in a slightly different way, but I think that's what we're meant to like take away from this. We're meant to lean into that a bit. [00:38:12] Rejoicing in Salvation [00:38:12] Jesse Schwamb: And the reason why I think it leads to joy, why God is so pleased is because God has this real pleasure. Jesus has this real pleasure. The Holy Spirit has this real pleasure. To pluck sinners as brands from the burning fire. You know, it was Jesus, literally his food and drink like not to be too trite, but like his jam went upon the earth to finish the work, which he came to do. And there are many times when he says he ammi of being constrained in the spirit until this was accomplished. And it's still his delight to show mercy like you're saying He is. And even Jonah recognizes that, right. He said like, I knew you were going to be a merciful God. And so he's far more willing to save sinners than sinners are to be saved. But that is the gospel level voice, isn't it? Because we can come kicking and screaming, but in God's great mercy, not because of works and unrighteousness, but because of his great mercy, he comes and he tears everything apart to rescue and to save those whom he's called to himself. [00:39:06] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I love that old, um, Puritan phrase that wrath is God's alien work. And we, you know, like you gotta be careful when you start to talk that way. And the Puritans were definitely careful about everything. I mean, they were very specific when they spoke, but. When we talk about God's alien work and wrath being God's alien work, what we're saying is not, not that like somehow wrath is external to God. Like that's not what we're getting at of Right. But when you look at scripture and, and here's something that I think, um. I, I don't know how I wanna say this. Like, I think we read that the road is narrow and the the, um, you know, few are those who find it. I think we read that and we somehow think like, yeah, God, God, like, really loves that. Not a lot of people are saved. And I, I actually think that like, when we look at it, um, and, and again, like we have to be careful 'cause God, God. God decreed that which he is delighted by, and also that which glorifies him the most. Right? Right. But the picture that we get in scripture, and we have to take this seriously with all of the caveats that it's accommodated, it's anthropopathism that, you know, all of, all of the stuff we've talked about. We did a whole series on systematic theology. We did like six episodes on Divine Simplicity and immutability. Like we we're, we're right in line with the historic tradition on that. All of those caveats, uh, all of those caveats in place, the Bible pic paints a picture of God such that he grieves over. Those who are lost. Right? Right. He takes no delight in the death of the wicked. That's right. He, he, he seeks after the lost and he rejoices when he finds them. Right. He's, his, his Holy Spirit is grieved when we disobey him, his, his anger is kindled even towards his people in a paternal sense. Right. He disciplines us the way an angry father who loves us, would discipline us when we disobey him. That is a real, that's a real thing. What exactly that means, how we can apply that to God is a very complicated conversation. And maybe sometimes it's more complicated than we, like, we make it more complicated than it needs to be for sure. Um, we wanna be careful to preserve God's changeness, his immutability, his simplicity, all of those things. But at the end of the day, at. God grieves over lost sinners, and he rejoices when they come back. He rejoices when they return to him. Just as the shepherd who finds his lost sheep puts that sheep on his shoulders, right? That's not just because that's an easy way to carry a sheep, right? It's also like this picture of this loving. Intimate situation where God pulls us onto himself and he, he wraps literally like wraps us around himself. Like there are times when, um. You know, I have a toddler and there are times where I have to carry that toddler, and it's, it's a fight, right? And I don't really enjoy doing it. He's squirming, he's fighting. Then there are times where he needs me to hold him tight, and he, he snuggles in. When he falls down and hurts his leg, the first thing he does is he runs and he jumps on me, and he wants to be held tight, and there's a f there's a fatherly embrace there that not only brings comfort to my son. But it brings great joy to me to be able to comfort him that that dynamic in a, uh, a infinitely greater sense is at play here in the lost sheep. And then there's this rejoicing. It's not just rejoicing that God is rejoicing, it's the angels that are rejoicing. [00:42:43] The Joy of Redemption [00:42:43] Tony Arsenal: It's the, it's other Christians. It's the great cloud of witnesses that are rejoicing when Aah sinner is returned to God. All of God's kingdom and everything that that includes, all of that is involved in this rejoicing. That's why I think like in the first parable, in the parable of the lost sheep, it's joy in heaven. Right? It's sort of general joy in heaven. It's not specific. Then this one is even more specific. It's not just general joy in heaven. It's the angels of God. That's right. That are rejoicing. And then I think what we're gonna find, and we'll we'll tease this out when we get to the next par, well the figure in the prodigal son that is rejoicing. The one that is leading the rejoicing, the chief rejoice is the one who's the standin for God in that parable. [00:43:26] Jesse Schwamb: Right, exactly right. So, [00:43:27] Tony Arsenal: so we have to, we have to both recognize that there's a true grief. A true sorrow that is appropriate to speak of God, um, as having when a sinner is lost. And there's also an equally appropriate way to speak about God rejoicing and being pleased and delighted when a sinner returns to him. [00:43:53] Jesse Schwamb: That's the real payoff of this whole parable. I think, uh, maybe all three of them altogether, is that it is shocking how good the gospel is, which we're always saying, yeah, but I'm really always being moved, especially these last couple weeks with what Jesus is saying about how good, how truly unbelievable the gospel is. And again, it draws us to the. Old Testament scriptures when even the Israel saying, who is like this? Who is like our God? So what's remarkable about this is that there's an infinite willingness on God's part to receive sinners. [00:44:23] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:44:23] Jesse Schwamb: And however wicked a man may have been, and the day that he really turns from his wickedness and comes to God by Christ, God is well pleased and all of heaven with him, and God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, like you said, but God has pleasure and true repentance. If all of that's true, then like day to day, here's what I, I think this means for us. [00:44:41] Applying the Parable to Our Lives [00:44:41] Jesse Schwamb: Is when we come to Christ for mercy and love and help and whatever anguish and perplexity and simpleness that we all have, and we all have it, we are going with the flow. If his own deepest wishes, we're not going against them. And so this means that God has for us when we partake in the toning work of Christ, coming to Christ for forgiveness, communing with him despite our sinfulness, that we are laying hold of Christ's own deepest longing and joy. [00:45:10] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And [00:45:10] Jesse Schwamb: Jesus is comforted when we draw near the riches of his atoning work because as his body, even his own body in a way is being healed in this process. And so we, along with it, that I think is the payoff here. That's what's just so remarkable is that not only, like you're saying, is all heaven kind of paying attention to this. Like they're cognizant of it. It's something worthy of their attention and their energies and their rejoicing. But again, it's showing that God is doing all of this work and so he keeps calling us and calling us and calling us over and over again and just like you said, the elect sinner, those estr belongs to God and his eternal purpose. Even that by itself, we could just say full stop. Shut it down end the podcast. Yeah. That's just worthy to, to rejoice and, and ponder. But this is how strong I think we see like per election in particular, redemption in these passages. Christ died for his chief specifically crisis going after the lost coin, which already belongs to him. So like you were saying, Tony, when you know, or maybe you don't know, but you've misplaced some kind of money and you put your hand in that pocket of that winter coat for the first time that season and out comes the piece of paper, that's whatever, 20 or whatever, you rejoice in that, right. Right. It's like this was mine. I knew it was somewhere, it belonged to me, except that what's even better here is this woman tears her whole place apart to go after this one coin that she knows is hers and yet has been lost. I don't know what more it is to be said. I just cannot under emphasize. Or overemphasize how great God's love is in this like amazing condescension, so that when Jesus describes himself as being gentle and lowly or gentle and humble or gentle and humiliated, that I, I think as we understand the biblical text, it's not necessarily just that he's saying, well, I'm, I'm displaying. Meekness power under control. When he says he's humble, he means put in this incredibly lowly state. Yeah. That the rescue mission, like you're saying, involves not just like, Hey, she lemme call you back. Hey, come over here, says uh. He goes and he picks it up. It's the ultimate rescue, picks it up and takes it back by his own volition, sacrificing everything or to do that and so does this woman in this particular instance, and it should lead us. I think back to there's this virtuous cycle of seeing this, experiencing this. Being compelled by the law of Christ, as Paul says, by the power of the Holy Spirit and being regenerated and then worshiping, and then repenting, and then worshiping, and then repenting, and then worshiping. Because in the midst of that repentance and that beautifulness recognizing, as Isaiah says, all of these idols that we set up, that we run to, the one thing they cannot do for us is they cannot deal with sin. They cannot bring cleanliness and righteousness through confession of sin. They cannot do that. So Christ is saying, come to the one you who are needy, you who have no money. To use another metaphor in the Bible, come and buy. And in doing so, we're saying, Christ, Lord have mercy on me, a sinner. And when he says, come, come, I, I've, I have already run. After you come and be restored, come and be renewed. That which was lost my child. You have been found and I have rescued you. [00:48:04] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And these, these are so, um, these two parables are so. Comfortable. Like, right, like they are there, there are certain passages of scripture that you can just like put on like a big fuzzy warm bathrobe on like sn a cold morning, a snuggy. Yeah. I don't know if I want to go that far, but spirits are snuggy and, and these two are like that, right? Like, I know there are times where I feel like Christ redeemed me sort of begrudgingly, right? Mm-hmm. I think we have, we have this, um, concept in our mind of. Sort of the suffering servant, you know, like he's kind of like, ah, if I have to do it, I will. Right, right. And, and like, I think we, we would, if, if we were the ones who were, were being tasked to redeem something, we might do it. You know, we might do it and we. We might feel a certain sense of satisfaction about it, but I can tell you that if I had a hundred sheep and I had lost one, I would not lay it on my shoulder rejoicing. I would lay it on my shoulder. Frustrated and glad that I finally found it, but like. Right. Right. That's not what Christ did. That's right. Christ lays us on his shoulders rejoicing. Right. I know. Like when you lose something, it's frustrating and it's not just the loss of it that's frustrating. It's the time you have to take to find it. And sometimes like, yeah, you're happy that you found it, but you're like, man, it would've just been nice if I hadn't lost this in [00:49:36] Jesse Schwamb: the That's right. [00:49:37] Tony Arsenal: This woman, there's none of that. There's no, um, there's no regret. There's no. Uh, there's no begrudging this to it. There's nothing. It's just rejoicing. She's so happy. And it's funny, I can imagine, uh, maybe, maybe this is my own, uh, lack of sanctification here. I can imagine being that friend that's like, I gotta come over 'cause you found your coin, right? Like, I can be, I could imagine me that person, but Right. But honestly, like. This is a, this is a situation where she's so overcome with joy. She just has to tell people about it. Yeah. She has to share it with people. It, it reminds me, and I've seen this, I've seen this, um, connection made in the past certainly isn't new to me. I don't, I don't have any specific sorts to say, but like the woman at the well, right. She gets this amazing redemption. She gets this, this Messiah right in front of her. She leaves her buckets at the well, and she goes into a town of people who probably hate her, who think she's just the worst scum of society and she doesn't care. She goes into town to tell everybody about the fact that the Messiah has come, right? And they're so like stunned by the fact that she's doing it. Like they come to see what it is like that's what we need to be like. So there's. There's an element here of not only the rejoicing of God, and again, like, I guess I'm surprised because I've, I've, I've never sort of really read this. Part, I've never read this into it too much or I've never like really pulled this out, but it, now that I'm gonna say it, it just seems logical, like not only is God rejoicing in this, but again, it should be calling us to rejoice, right? Christ is. Christ is using these parables to shame the Pharisees and the scribes who refuse to rejoice over the salvation of sinners. How often do we not rejoice over our own salvation sufficiently? Like when's the last time? And I, I don't want to, this is, this can be a lot of loss. So again, like. God is not calling every single person to stand up on their lunch table at work, or, I don't know if God's calling anybody to stand up on the lunch table at work. Right. To like, like scream about how happy they are that they're sick, happy, happy. But like, when's the last time you were so overcome with joy that in the right opportunity, it just over, like it just overcame you and you had to share it. I don't rem. Putting myself bare here, like I don't remember the last time that happened. I share my faith with people, like my coworkers know that I'm a Christian and, um, my, they know that like, there are gonna be times where like I will bring biblical ethics and biblical concepts into my work. Like I regularly use bible examples to illustrate a principle I'm trying to teach my employees or, or I will regularly sort of. In a meeting where there's some question about what the right, not just like the correct thing to do, but the right thing to do. I will regularly bring biblical morality into those conversations. Nobody is surprised by that. Nobody's really offended by it. 'cause I just do it regularly. But I don't remember the last time where I was so overcome with joy because of my salvation that I just had to tell somebody. Right. And that's a, that's a, that's an indictment on me. That's not an indictment on God. That's not an indictment on anyone else. That's an indictment on me. This parable is calling me to be more joyful about. My salvation. [00:52:52] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. One of the, I think the best and easiest verses from Psalms to memorize is let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Yes. Like, say something, speak up. There's, there's a great truth in what you're saying. Of course. And I think we mentioned this last time. There's a communal delight of redemption. And here we see that played out maybe a little bit more explicitly because the text says that the joy is before the angels, meaning that still God is the source of the joy. In other words, the angels share in God's delight night, vice versa, and not even just in salvation itself, but the fact that God is delighted in this great salvation, that it shows the effectiveness of his saving power. All that he has designed will come to pass because he super intends his will over all things that all things, again are subservient to our salvation. And here, why would that not bring him great joy? Because that's exactly what he intends and is able to do. And the angels rejoice along with him because his glory is revealed in his mighty power. So I'm, I'm with you. I mean, this reminds me. Of what the author of Hebrew says. This is chapter 12, just the first couple of verses. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses in this communal kind of redemption of joy surrounding us. Laying aside every weight and the sin,

Have you ever realized you were doing the right thing . . . for the wrong reason? In these moments, we end up looking a lot like the Pharisees – like pretenders. In today's video, Matthew reflects upon the Gospel's difficult challenge of constant conversion, and offers a hopeful reminder that will inspire you to truly turn back to God again and again.

Join us as we uncover the deeper rest and ultimate freedom offered by Jesus through the Sabbath, in a story that defies legalism and showcases divine healing.In this episode of our series, we delve into the significance of the Sabbath, exploring its meaning through a powerful story of Jesus healing a woman bound by a demon for eighteen years. Discover how Jesus' teachings and actions on the Sabbath challenge the legalistic views of the Pharisees and emphasize the true rest and freedom found in Him.Today's Bible verse is Deuteronomy 5:12, from the King James Version.Download the Pray.com app for more Christian content including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Pray.com is the digital destination for 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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1055/29?v=20251111

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1055/29?v=20251111

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1055/29?v=20251111

Recorded live at the Expositors Collective training event at White Fields Church in Longmont, Colorado, this session features Shaun Sells teaching the core principles and habits of inductive Bible study. Designed to equip Bible teachers to handle Scripture with accuracy and integrity, Shaun's message lays out the essential path of observing the text carefully, interpreting it responsibly, and applying it faithfully.Shaun shows why the message must come from the passage rather than the personality of the preacher, how poor observation leads to poor interpretation, and why interpretation is the stage where most problems arise. He introduces practical tools like the 7-Letter Rule, demonstrates how to use word studies without drifting off course, and urges teachers to read widely so they grow in wisdom and depth. Throughout the session, Shaun emphasises that the way we study the Bible shapes who we become, warning teachers to guard their hearts from becoming more like the Pharisees than like Christ.The training concludes with a reminder that patient, honest inductive study fuels clear and confident proclamation of the Word, serving both the teacher and the church.About Shaun SellsShaun has served in ministry for nearly thirty years, including twenty four at Calvary Chapel Cheyenne, where he was youth pastor, assistant pastor, and senior pastor for eighteen years. His leadership began in the unexpected transition after the founding pastor stepped away, forcing him to learn the breadth of pastoral ministry firsthand. That experience produced a long standing desire to help pastors grow without facing those same burdens alone. Shaun now serves with Poimen Ministries, investing in the health and strength of pastors and churches around the world.Listen to an interview with Shaun Sells here: https://cgnmedia.org/podcast/expositors-collective/episode/ministry-in-motion-guest-preaching-mentorship-and-sermon-application-with-shaun-sellsFor information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com Join our private Facebook group to continue the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExpositorsCollective

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1055/29?v=20251111

In this episode of the Jesus Everyday Podcast, Pastor Ken Nienke and Andrew McPheron unpack one of Jesus' most famous claims:“I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).Recorded the week of Thanksgiving (with Ethan out hunting), this conversation dives into the rich historical, theological, and biblical context behind Jesus' words — spoken in one of the most symbolic locations in the entire Temple.Jesus made this declaration inside the Treasury, also known as the Court of Women, the most public court in the Temple — and standing in front of four 75-foot candelabras that lit the sky like massive torches during the Feast of Booths.This was not accidental. Jesus was declaring Himself to be:the true pillar of fire in the wildernessthe presence of God dwelling among His peoplethe fulfillment of the Exodus storyWhen Jesus said “I am…”, the Pharisees would have immediately thought of Exodus 3:14 — God's name revealed to Moses.This was not metaphoric only.It was a direct claim to deity.Despite miracles, teaching, and fulfilled prophecy, the Pharisees responded with willful unbelief.The conversation explores:the difference between being uneducated and being willfully ignoranthow spiritual blindness workswhy proximity to Jesus isn't the same as salvationwhy evidence alone cannot overcome a hardened heartEven though leaders wanted to arrest Jesus, they couldn't.God's timetable—not human plans—controlled every moment of Christ's life.The episode highlights massive Old Testament connections:pillar of fire (Exodus 13)God as light (Psalm 27:1)prophecy of a coming light to the nations (Isaiah 9, 49)Jesus as the true Light in John 1believers now shining His light (Matthew 5)Light in Scripture doesn't just expose darkness — it invites healing, redemption, and direction.Jesus isn't offering advice. He's offering Himself — the Light who guides, reveals, illuminates, and transforms.To follow Him is to walk out of darkness and into life.

"Send Us A Message"Luke 11:27-54SummaryIn this episode of the One Truth Podcast, Dan and Josh delve into Luke 11, discussing the interactions between Jesus and the Pharisees. They explore themes of repentance, the significance of the sign of Jonah, and the contrast between external appearances and internal righteousness. The conversation highlights the woes pronounced by Jesus on the Pharisees, emphasizing the importance of justice, mercy, and the dangers of self-righteousness. The hosts reflect on the implications of these teachings for contemporary believers, with the exhortation listeners to examine their own hearts and motivations in their faith journey.

A warrior joins the Great Cloud! Faithbucks.com Matthew 12:3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 12:4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? 12:5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? 12:6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. 12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. 12:9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: 12:10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. 12:11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? 12:12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 12:13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. 12:14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; 12:16 And charged them that they should not make him known: 12:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

Notes Matthew 3:1-12 Isaiah 11:1-10 Romans 15:4-13 Summary In this episode of the Pulpit Fiction Podcast, hosts Robb McCoy and Eric Fistler discuss the readings for the second Sunday of Advent, focusing on John the Baptist's message of repentance and the concept of the Kingdom of Heaven. They explore the significance of bearing good fruit in faith, the role of religious leaders, and the historical context of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The conversation emphasizes the importance of embodying faith through actions and the continual nature of repentance. In this conversation, Robb McCoy and Eric Fistler explore the themes of continuity between Jesus and John the Baptist, the significance of Isaiah's prophecy, and the transformative imagery of the stump. They discuss the hope embedded in these biblical narratives and the role of Gentiles in the Christian faith, emphasizing the importance of radical welcome and compassion within communities. The conversation highlights the intrinsic value of individuals and the potential for renewal and growth, even in seemingly hopeless situations. Takeaways This episode discusses the readings for the second Sunday of Advent. John the Baptist's message emphasizes repentance and preparation for the kingdom of heaven. The concept of the Kingdom of Heaven is often misunderstood as merely a place after death. John's call to produce good fruit is a central theme in his message. The relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus is one of continuity, not separation. The Pharisees and Sadducees are called out for their hypocrisy, emphasizing that all need to bear fruit. The idea of repentance is not a one-time act but a continual process. The imagery of the axe and the winnowing fork highlights the urgency of John's message. The conversation touches on the historical context of the religious leaders of the time. The discussion reflects on the importance of embodying faith through actions. Jesus' message is a continuation of John the Baptist's teachings. Isaiah's prophecy speaks to transformation and hope. The stump symbolizes decay but also potential for new life. God's grace nurtures us even when we feel like a stump. The roots of faith are essential for growth and renewal. Wisdom and understanding lead to peace and transformation. The message of inclusion extends to Gentiles in the faith. Radical welcome is central to the Christian community. Compassion is necessary for healing broken relationships. Communities can thrive by embracing openness and generosity.

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How many resurrections are there? It’s an intriguing question and the answer is even more intriguing. Michael Rood explains, in detail, how the end-time resurrection sequence unfolds in the Book of the Revelation, thanks to the teaching of a celebrated ancient Pharisee-turned-believer we know as the Apostle Paul. Join this channel to get access to perks: / @aroodawakening Watch more on the Michael Rood TV App! https://bit.ly/2X9oN9h Join us on ANY social media platform! https://aroodawakening.tv/community/s... Your Donation keeps these videos going! Thank you! https://aroodawakening.tv/donate/ Support us by visiting our store! https://roodstore.com/ Support us with purchases on Amazon!* https://amzn.to/3pJu9cC Have Questions? Ask us Here! https://aroodawakening.tv/support/con... "PLEASE NOTE: This is an affiliate link. This means that, at zero cost to you, A Rood Awakening! International will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Chris Croghan joins Scripture First to break down the many preaching moments found in this lectionary text about John the Baptist including: Why the wilderness is significant,The definition of repentance,The definition of the kingdom of heaven,Why Jesus calls the Pharisees and Sadducees a brood of vipers, And why you don't need to fear when you hear that the ax is lying at the root of the tree and Jesus has his winnowing fork in his hands.You don't need to make yourself into wheat. You need to receive a promise of forgiveness. CHALLENGE GRANTA Luther House of Study donor is sponsoring a challenge grant. If you sponsor one podcast episode by the end of the year, another podcast episode will be sponsored on your behalf. If you'd like to have your donation doubled, email Sarah Stenson at sarah@lhos.org or go to lutherhouseofstudy.org/donate CARE OF SOULS - ADDICTIONIn 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 struggling with life's challenging situations: addiction, death, family disharmony, and more. 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.With conversations, real-life stories, and reflections from the front lines of ministry, Care of Souls equips listeners to enter the broken places of addiction not with easy answers, but with the crucified and risen Christ.Because in the end, it's not about fixing people—it's about preaching the Gospel.Listen to Care of Souls wherever you listen to podcasts or on the Luther House website: Care of Souls - Addiction GOSPEL Matthew 3:1-12 1 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'" 4 Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." Support the showInterested in sponsoring an episode of Scripture First?Email Sarah at sarah@lhos.org or visit our donation page: lutherhouseofstudy.org/donate

Join us as Pastor Frank wraps up our 'Parable' series!

Main Theme: Hope in Christ is not wishful thinking — it is a confident certainty rooted in the person and promises of Jesus. Pastor Matthew taught that when our hope is centered in Christ, our joy remains steady, and when joy remains, strength endures. The message called believers to anchor hope solely in Jesus, not in people, possessions, or circumstances. The Foundation of Hope Opening with 1 Timothy 1:1 — “Jesus Christ, our hope.” The Greek word elpis means hope as a sure expectation, not uncertainty. The verb form elpo means to expect confidently — always used with “in” or “on.” Pastor explained that English hope has a question mark (“I hope it won't rain”), but biblical hope has no question mark because it rests in Jesus' finished work. “When your hope is in and on Jesus Christ, there's no question mark — because He's already overcome death, hell, and the grave.” Lesson: If our hope is placed in people, success, government, or even ourselves, disappointment is inevitable. Only hope in Christ sustains true joy and strength. The Connection Between Hope, Joy, and Strength Quoting Nehemiah 8:10 — “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Joy is sustained when hope is rightly placed. When hope shifts to unstable things, joy fades and strength follows. “If you see someone without joy, you're seeing someone who's lost strength — because their hope has drifted.” Misplaced Hope and the Trap of Blame Pastor warned that misplaced hope gives others power to manipulate our emotions: “If my hope is in someone else, then how they act determines how I feel. That's bondage.” Believers must stop blaming others for disappointment and instead reaffirm God's sovereignty. “Either God is in control of your life, or that person is — but not both.” Insight: Hope in Christ frees us from emotional control by people or circumstances. The Certainty of God's Promises Using Hebrews 11, Pastor explained that biblical hope is assurance in things unseen. The patriarchs “saw the promises afar off” and believed even when they hadn't yet received them. Their hope without a question mark made them strangers and pilgrims on earth, focused on a heavenly city. “Abraham built his altars and pitched his tents — not the other way around. We're in danger today of building our tents and pitching our altars.” Application: Believers must reorient life around eternity, not temporary comfort or possessions. Abraham: Hoping Against Hope (Romans 4:16–21) Abraham believed God's promise for a son despite being 100 years old and Sarah's womb barren. His hope wasn't natural optimism but supernatural confidence in God's word. “He hoped against hope — natural hope said it's impossible, but divine hope said, ‘God cannot lie.'” Pastor reminded that God's blessings are gifts of grace, not rewards for performance. “You can't earn it. Everything from God is a gift — received by faith, not achieved by merit.” Staying Coupled to God The Hebrew term for “upright” (Psalm 84) means “to stay coupled.” Pastor illustrated with train cars: A shiny new car and a rusty old one both reach the destination if they stay coupled to the engine. “Some of you have dents and rust from life's battles — but if you stay coupled to Jesus, you'll reach the destination.” Encouragement: Even when believers fall, they must “fall forward.” God forgives failure and restores hope. Hope Through Hard Times (Jeremiah 29:10–13) In exile, God promised Israel restoration after 70 years. Jeremiah believed enough to buy land in a desolate place, trusting God's word when it looked foolish. “You must decide whether to believe what God said — or what you see.” Pastor compared linear human logic to “block logic”: Human logic says, “If A, then B.” God's truth says, “If God said it, it's true — regardless of what A or B looks like.” Prisoners of Hope and the Example of Job (Zechariah 9:12) “Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope… I will restore double.” Job embodied this: even in suffering, he declared, “Though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God.” Because Job kept his hope, God restored him double in every area. “We don't like hard times — but God uses them to prove our hope is real.” Hold Fast Your Confidence (Hebrews 3:6; 10:19–23) True boldness before God is not emotional force but confidence in Christ's finished work. “Hold fast the confession of your hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Confidence (Greek tharseo) comes from cheer — meaning God deposits courage and strength when we abide with Him. “If you're not spending time in His presence, you're missing those divine deposits of courage that keep your hope alive.” Key Point: Our boldness comes from knowing God's heart toward us — not our performance. “I don't go to God because I've been good; I go because He's been good.” The Heart of God and True Boldness Pastor illustrated how believers often approach God differently depending on how they “performed” that week. On good weeks, we feel bold; on bad weeks, we hide. “That's Pharisee thinking — you made it about you instead of Him.” God's heart toward His children never changes. “He's the Father who hugs the son when he strikes out, not just when he hits a home run.” Final Call: Never Surrender Hope Our hope must be in and on Christ alone — not in ourselves or others. When hope stays fixed on Jesus: Joy is maintained. Strength is renewed. Faith endures through hardship. “Don't ever surrender your hope. If it's in Christ, it will win — it always bears out.” The service closed with an altar call to: Surrender misplaced hopes. Renew confidence in Christ. Come home if distant from God. Core Message Jesus Christ is our hope — not a supplement to it. Hope without a question mark produces joy, and joy gives strength. Stay “coupled” to Christ; even when you fall, get up and keep moving. Confidence before God comes from His heart toward you, not your record. Never surrender hope — because in Christ, victory is certain.

Parables: Pharisee & Tax Collector - Luke 18:9-14Dave Goffeney | November 23, 2025Redemption Tucson Church

Spring Lake Church – DowntownSermon: What More Do You Need?Teacher: Jack GuerraPassages: John 8:12-30In “What More Do You Need?” Pastor Jack Guerra walks through John 8:12–30, where Jesus declares Himself the light of the world and the One sent by the Father. Though the Pharisees demand more proof, Jesus reveals that His words, His works, and the Father's own testimony confirm His identity. He warns that unbelief leads to dying in sin, but faith leads to life. The question remains for us today: What more do we need to believe?springlakechurch.org | springlakechurch.org/give | springlakechurch.org/prayer

Spring Lake Church – BellevueSermon: What More Do You Need?Teacher: Arlen ChastainPassages: John 8:12-30In “What More Do You Need?” Pastor Arlen Chastain walks through John 8:12–30, where Jesus declares Himself the light of the world and the One sent by the Father. Though the Pharisees demand more proof, Jesus reveals that His words, His works, and the Father's own testimony confirm His identity. He warns that unbelief leads to dying in sin, but faith leads to life. The question remains for us today: What more do we need to believe?springlakechurch.org | springlakechurch.org/give | springlakechurch.org/prayer

In Luke 5:36–39, Jesus uses the parable of new wine and new wineskins to confront the religious mindset of His critics. After calling Matthew and dining with sinners, Jesus is questioned by Pharisees and John's disciples about why His followers don't fast like they do—a sign of comparison and religious prejudice. Jesus responds by teaching that new wine (the fresh movement of the Holy Spirit) cannot fit into old wineskins (rigid traditions, mindsets, and comfort zones). He highlights the shift from the old covenant to the new, showing that God's work requires new structures and open hearts. Throughout history, the Church has struggled with clinging to what God did in the past instead of embracing what He is doing now. The real loss isn't outdated methods—it's missing the Spirit's fresh work. Jesus notes that people naturally prefer the “old wine,” symbolizing our tendency to stay with what's familiar. Yet every generation is called to remain flexible, ready to receive and steward the ever-fresh outpouring of God.

Chapter 6 in Hebrews today highlights the example of Abraham and his faith in God.  The events of his life illustrate the need for patience in waiting for God to fulfil his promises – and so we read, “Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise” [Ch. 6 v.15]. The account in Genesis shows how he and his wife Sarah's faith was tested to the limit before God's promise was fulfilled and Sarah herself gave birth to a son. This illustrates the ways of God in dealing with those he has called to serve him.  His purpose will be fulfilled in His time. This world is now so evil it offers us no future, not that it ever did.   Today's world has virtually nothing of any spiritual value; we see an ever more chaotic state of affairs in so many countries, political conflict is increasing in democratic countries.      Against this background, how true are the words we read in Hebrews about the certainty of the promise of God that “we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.  We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor” [Ch. 6 v.18,19]. Maybe we have not sensed (as yet) that we “have fled for refuge”?  Will we feel motivated for such action when the situation reaches that stage?We thought of this in contrast to the mariners in the ship with Jonah as we read today of their desperation when “there was a mighty tempest of the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up” [Ch.1 v.4], just as this world threatens to break up with the nations becoming more disunited than ever – within themselves and between one another.In the New Testament Jesus makes a strange statement in response to “the scribes and Pharisees … he answered them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” [Matt.12 v.38,39] ; he states  that just as Jonah was in the “belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” [v.40].How few still believe that sign – and that Jesus died and rose again?  Yet the history of the rest of the First Century and thereafter defies explanation if that did not really happen.  This fact is “a sure and steadfast anchor” as to the reality of the foundation of our faith as the tempests of this world grow ever greater.

Matthew 12:36-37 is often misunderstood out of context to mean that all of our sins ("every careless word") will be put on display for all to see on judgment day. This verse, in context, is spoken to self-righteous Pharisees who attributed Jesus' miracles to Satan…it was about their rejection of God's work—not a universal principle that our sins will be publicly displayed. WATCH FULL SERVICE ON YOUTUBE DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE

A New Testament figure venerated as a saint in a number of Christian traditions, Nicodemus is depicted in the Gospel of John as a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin who is drawn to hear Jesus's teachings. Owing to his insistence on a hearing for Jesus according to Jewish law, Nicodemus is sometimes referred to as 'defender of Jesus.' E165. Books by Bishop Robert Barron available at https://amzn.to/44W7nwN Gospel of John available at https://amzn.to/42tgaIW ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark Vinet's video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Mark's HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICA podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Mark's Books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio credits: Barron’s Sunday Sermons-Nicodemus Came at Night, Episode #213, 10mar2021 (Word on Fire Catholic Ministries). Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The four Gospels present the Pharisees who saw Jesus right in front of them, yet missed Him. This is a warning: One can be good, moral, religious, and generous yet still miss Jesus entirely. In this message, Pastor Miller describes three signs that we've truly encountered His glory. How can we tell a true encounter with Jesus from a superficial one? This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://moodyoffer.com or call us at 1-800-215-5001.  Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Moody Church Hour," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives. Your gift helps deliver insightful teaching from Pastor Philip Miller, inviting people on The Journey of a Lifetime—following Jesus! Your generosity makes the Moody Church Hour, a listener-supported program for over 50 years, accessible to those far from God or unable to attend their local church. Click below to support the Moody Church Hour with your gift now or call Moody Church Media at 1.800.215.5001.    SUPPORT:  Tax Deductible Support: https://www.moodymedia.org/donate/  Become an Endurance Partner: https://endurancepartners.org/    SUBSCRIBE:   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoodyChurchMedia  Weekly Digest: https://www.moodymedia.org/newsletters/subscription/

Acts 9:1-31 shows that moving from sinner to servant requires dying to our self-made identity and receiving God's chosen purpose, as Saul the Pharisee became Paul the apostle. Jesus's words "Why are you persecuting Me?" reveal that attacking the church means attacking Christ Himself—a truth that revolutionized Saul's theology. When Barnabas risked his reputation to vouch for Saul, he modeled how God uses courageous bridge-builders to integrate transformed lives into the community of faith.

John 12:1-8,Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”And the Lord, in verse 7, defends the way Mary of Bethany expresses her devotion to him.What Mary does in verse 3 is good and right, and I think we can learn from her. So that's the goal of this sermon. All last week, my prayer for today has been that through Mary's example in John 12, the Spirit would reawaken in us Mary-like devotion to Jesus. I want us to learn from Mary how to be more like Mary for the glory of Jesus. To that end, this morning I want to show you seven truths of Mary-like devotion.1. Mary-like devotion is surprising. Verse 1 opens with the setting: we are six days away from Passover, and Jesus has come back to Bethany. Now remember that Bethany is where he raised Lazarus from the dead in Chapter 11, verse 43, but then when the Jewish leaders plotted to kill Jesus, John tells us in verse 54 that Jesus “no longer walked openly” among them, because they were looking for him. The Pharisees wanted to arrest him. So Jesus left that area and went to Ephraim, which gave him more distance from Jerusalem. (Bethany was 2 miles outside Jerusalem, Ephraim was about 15 miles). So by the end of Chapter 11, Jesus is laying low.But Chapter 12 opens here and he's back in Bethany, where news travels quickly to Jerusalem, which means this is dangerous — why would he do it? Why would he come back to Bethany now? It's because Passover is six days away. Remember Jesus has a purpose to accomplish in Jerusalem, and now he's getting closer. But since Jesus is in Bethany they throw a special dinner for him. And because it's Bethany, we would expect our favorite Bethany family to be there. We saw these three siblings in Chapter 11 — Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Now, John knows we'd expect their attendance, so he takes roll in verse 2. Look what he says:“So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served [check her name off — she's there], and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him as table [check his name off — he's just happy to be in the room].And right away that's Martha and Lazarus. Which sibling is missing?Mary. Now look at verse 3 (verse 2 was just a build up to this):“Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.”The first thing I want you to see is that this was not expected. This is a dinner! People are sharing a meal. Martha is staying busy like she does. Lazarus is at the table (you know he's getting seconds). And then Mary, finally, enters into this dining room with a bottle of ointment (or perfume) and she does this extravagant display of worship.Most of us had big dinners a few days ago. Imagine for a minute if something like this happened! It was not on the menu. It's never happened before. This was a surprise! That's the first thing to know about Mary-like devotion. This is not what most people would expect — because it responds in the moment to the glory of Jesus regardless of the context.2. Mary-like devotion is costly.We can see in verse 3 that this perfume was expensive. John tells us that plainly. But he also gives us two details that explain why. It has to do with quantity and quality.First, with quality, this perfume was made from “pure nard.” That's a plant that's grown in India. The root of this plant produced an oil that was collected to make this perfume.So it's a product derived from nature, created by a process, imported from far away — that sounds expensive. (This is why many scholars believe this Bethany family was well off — this perfume would have only been owned by the luxury class of the Mediterranean world.)Second, notice the quantity. John tells us it was a pound — and that's a Roman pound. The Greek word is litra — and it's equivalent to about 12 ounces. So imagine the American pop can. (I don't know the last time you turned a can of pop upside down to pour it out, but it takes a little longer to empty it than you might think.)Twelve ounces is not a little bit. And Mary doesn't have pop, it's perfume — 12 ounces of perfume — that's a lot of a really nice thing. And to give us more of an idea of how precious it is, John tells us the number value in verse 5. Judas says it's worth 300 denarii — which is about a year's wages.So to draw a parallel to our day, this is what we'd call an annual salary, and the average annual salary in the Twin Cities, Google says, is between $80,000–$90,000. So translate this in your imagination... Picture this: Someone at dinner this past week walks into the dining room and pours out $90,000 on somebody else's feet … Again, this is stunning. And the costliness amplifies the surprise! Those two things go together in Mary-like devotion. It's surprising because it's costly.3. Mary-like devotion is humble.Now, for our imagination's sake, it helps to know how people ate together at this culture and time. They didn't use raised tables and chairs like we do, but they used low tables, and sat on cushions on the floor. They “reclined” on the table, like verse 2 says, and their feet were stretched out behind them, away from the table. So Mary approached Jesus, verse 3, while he was sitting like that, and she anointed his feet.This is a key detail. Because with the extravagance of her gift, we might imagine Mary's actions to be surrounded by pomp. Like maybe Mary enters the room and first clears her throat, and makes sure somebody's getting the video, and then she does it. But it's just the opposite.Mary comes into the room, and stays at the feet's distance away from the table. She's not the center of attention. Nobody was probably even looking in her direction, and then she pours the perfume on Jesus's feet and wipes his feet with her hair. This is borderline undignified. She definitely looked a little silly. To everyone's surprise, with likely the costliest thing she's got, she humbles herself at the feet of Jesus in worship — but then the most vivid display of her humility is the use of her hair.In the ancient world, a woman's hair was her glory. It was her honor. This was Mary's strength, but here she turns her strength into a servant's towel … Her radiance into a rag. Her splendor into a sponge. Her crown becomes a cloth. … to wipe feet.Which means, Mary gives the best part of herself for the least part of Jesus. The highest aspect of her presentation (hair) is submitted to the lowest aspect of his (feet).This is profound humility.Mary is not even audacious enough to pray here: “Jesus, take my utmost for your highest.” She just says, “Jesus, take my utmost!” — And I don't care what anybody else thinks. I'm not concerned about appearance. It doesn't matter what people might say. This is all about Jesus. Mary shows us a marvelous self-forgetfulness. Mary-like devotion is humble.4. Mary-like devotion is fitting.This is #4 of 7, and it really is the central truth in Mary's example.So far we've seen that Mary-like devotion is surprising, costly, and humble, but here's where we need to be clear that the only reason any of this makes sense is because of Jesus. And Jesus doesn't just make Mary's actions make sense, he makes them right. Because of who he is, what Mary does is fitting. John calls her act an “anointing,” which is something done to set someone apart for a certain office. The examples we have in the Old Testament are individuals anointed as a priest or king, and we should think especially of kings in the Gospel of John. If you remember, way back in Chapter 1, when Nathaniel first met Jesus he confessed right away that Jesus is the Son of God and the King of Israel (1:49). Then in Chapter 6, verse 15, after Jesus fed the five thousand, the crowd wanted to take him by force and make him king.So we've seen a kingship theme already.But then right here in Chapter 12, the very next day after Mary anoints Jesus, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a young donkey, and the crowd paves the way for him with palm branches, and they say — in verse 13 — “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”So we have every reason to see that Mary's anointing of Jesus is anointing him as King.Because that is who he is. It'll be explicit and public tomorrow in this story, in Jesus's ‘triumphal entry,' but tonight, at this dinner, with Mary, it's implicit and private. In the moment, even Mary doesn't know the full extent of what she's doing, but we as readers can see it. In Chapter 11, we saw her fall at Jesus's feet in grief, here she bows at Jesus's feet in worship.Last chapter she came to Jesus needing his help; now she comes to him just giving him glory.This doesn't mean we ever stop coming to Jesus for help — we do! We always need his help! But sometimes we can also just come to him in simple worship.This is when we come to him, not to ask him for things, but to give him whatever we can because he is worthy — just because he's our king and he's a good king! It is fitting to worship him!Think about this: When was the last time your heart moved toward Jesus, not for what he gives, but for who he is? When was the last time you were simply compelled by the worth of Jesus?The Little Drummer BoyMary's devotion here in Chapter 12 actually reminds me of what used to be one of my least favorite Christmas songs. “Santa Baby” is dead bottom, but not far from there used to be “The Little Drummer Boy.” And the reason I didn't like the song is because for years it didn't make sense to me, and it was kinda irritating. The pa-RUM-pa-pum-pums are distracting. But if we can get rid of that part and focus on the real words in the song, it's actually beautiful. It's a song about a boy who is invited to meet the newborn Jesus (and it's fictional; didn't really happen; we're supposed to use our imaginations). The boy starts the song by saying:Come, they told meA newborn king to see, Our finest gifts to bring,To lay before the king,So to honor himWhen we come You get it? The boy is invited to come meet Jesus, so he does. And in the second stanza he's at the manger, and he speaks to the infant Jesus:Little baby,I am a poor boy tooI have no gifts to bringThat's fit to give a KingShall I play for you on my drum?See, I imagine that's what Mary of Bethany thought. While Martha was busy serving and Lazarus was sitting at the table, Mary thought: The king is here. He's in the room. What do I have that's fit to give a King?And the technical answer is nothing. Nothing we have is enough to match the glory of this King, but Mary thinks I've got that bottle of perfume — just like the boy thought, I've got this drum. And the boy says, “Shall I play the drum?” Mary thinks, “Shall I pour the perfume?” So the boy plays his best, and Mary pours it all. I don't have enough to give you, but I'll give you my best because you're worthy.That's what the song is about. That's what Mary does here. And it's fitting because of the King!And John tells us that the fragrance of her worship fills the entire house. Which means: her personal reverence and self-forgetfulness in recognizing the glory of Jesus becomes uncontainable. Everybody around her can literally sense her devotion for Jesus.5. Mary-like devotion is criticized. This is verses 4–5: But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”Apparently, Judas caught the aroma, but instead of recognizing Mary's act as a surprising, costly, humble, and fitting act of devotion, he criticized her. He immediately liquidated the value of the ointment in his head, and he corrected her decision. That could have been used for something better! That could have been a lot of money to help poor people! Mary is being unwise!Now, before we look closer into the criticism, I just want to note that it happened, and right away, because that's just how things go — even things as wholesome as Mary's devotion.The Bible gives us no impression that devotion to Jesus will be easy — it actually ensures the opposite. There's a Forest Frank lyric my younger boys love. It goes: Jesus promised that the bad would come along, ‘Cause if life is always easyProbably doin' something wrong.That's true. I want everybody to know: when your devotion to Jesus meets difficulty, that's a good sign. The question for us is about our willingness to endure difficulty. Are we willing to be criticized? Are we willing to express devotion to Jesus that others would call wasteful but Jesus calls beautiful?6. Mary-like devotion is vindicated.Let's look closer at what Judas said in verse 5.At face-value, we might think Judas is onto something, because what he says is not untrue. That perfume was worth a lot of money — three hundred denarii/$80–90K — that's a lot of money you can do a lot with. Judas names one possibility. The problem, though, is that he's thinking about it all the wrong way. See, he's thinking about gifts from the giver's perspective, not from God's perspective. He's thinking about everything from earth looking around, not from heaven looking down.In his mindset — the ‘Judas mindset' — all value is monetary, and all that is monetary is a zero-sum category: which means I'm always thinking, “whatever I give here is what I cannot give there.” And see, Judas is so caught up in this mindset — he cares so much about the optimal management of the gift — that he's blind to the One the gift is for. That is what is most striking about verse 5 — it's the absence of anything to do with Jesus. Judas says nothing about him. So Judas not only rebukes Mary here, but he also registers how little he thinks of Who she worships.And if that wasn't clear, John adds in verse 6. He wants us to know that Judas said what he said:“…not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.”Judas was part of a program called ‘Feeding Our Future' …Greed is an ancient sin — it's the root of all evil, and it ruined Judas. (And it's behind the ruin of our state. God help us.)In verse 7, Mary doesn't say anything back to Judas, but Jesus speaks up on her behalf, and he says, first, “Leave her alone.”Which is amazing. Jesus doesn't argue with Judas. He doesn't explain why his mindset is wrong, he first just tells him to stop. Jesus defends Mary, and he makes the issue about himself, because it is!With this perfume Mary has prepared Jesus for the day of his burial, because, verse 8:“…the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”And it's clear now, with the mention of his burial and that he won't always be here, Jesus is talking about his death. Which raises the question for us: Was Mary anointing Jesus as king or preparing him for his death? And the answer is Yes.Again, Mary is doing more here than she realized. She is anointing Jesus as King — it's just that he's a king who will sacrifice his life for his people.He's a King who has come to die. His reign will conquer the grave for good — remember Lazarus — but first Jesus's reign will come through the grave. Our triumphant King will also be a slain Lamb. And John wants us so badly to get this! He gives us hints here in Mary's devotion, but then later in the Book of Revelation he tells us about a vision when saints and angels together pour out their praise to Jesus, and they say, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)Listen: I want you to know that the final vindication of our every sincere act of devotion to Jesus will come on that day when we see him. If it's Mary-like devotion, it is never wasted. Jesus is worth it. And this brings us to the last point.7. Mary-like devotion is instructive. We're gonna finish how we started: I think we can learn from our sister Mary. It is a gift to us to be able to see her gift to Jesus, and I want us to be more like her. That's been my prayer: that the Spirit would reawaken or awaken in us Mary-like devotion to Jesus.Devotion that is surprising because it responds to Jesus in the moment, even if it doesn't fit the setting. Costly because it brings Jesus our best, humble because it doesn't worry about what others might think, fitting because Jesus is the King and nothing given to him is too much, criticized because it's not supposed to be easy, and vindicated because the King who Mary worshiped is the Lamb who was slain and one day we will see his worth with our own eyes.Mary's devotion is instructive because it shows us what it looks like when a heart is overcome by the worth of Jesus.And what's incredible for us, is that we know more about Jesus's worth than Mary does here. We already know the end of the story! That Jesus who has come will die, will be resurrected, and will come again.So in closing, I want to invite you to ask yourself this: For Advent, in this season of waiting, what is Jesus calling you to do that would simply reflect his worth?That's what brings us to the Table.The TableWe come here to this Table to rest in the worth of Jesus Christ. Let his glory be your comfort by taking refuge in him. That's what it means to trust in Jesus, and that is who this table is for. If you're here and you have put your faith in Jesus, we invite you to eat and drink with us and give him thanks.

On Sunday, we will continue our study in Mark, focusing on chapter 12:18-27. We've already seen Jesus in the Temple courts, rebuking the chief priests and scribes by comparing them to wicked tenants in God's vineyard. We've observed Him skillfully outmaneuver the Pharisees and Herodians' trap regarding paying taxes to Caesar. Now, the scene shifts to another challenge from the religious elite—the Sadducees—who try to discredit Jesus and the idea of resurrection with a crafted riddle about marriage in the afterlife. Although there are several related questions we will attempt to work through, the Sadducees ultimately seek to demonstrate how foolish the idea of a resurrection is. (They did not believe in an afterlife and accepted only Genesis through Deuteronomy as God's Word.) As Jesus skillfully outmaneuvers these Sadducees, just as He did with other leaders trying to trap Him with His words, He teaches us about the glorious hope of our resurrection with Him. This hope isn't mere wishful thinking; it is based on Jesus' clever response to the Sadducees, which exposes their mistake in denying God's power and His Word. God's power to transform His people assures us that He defeats death, sin, and loss, giving us confident hope for eternity. Jesus then directs the Sadducees to Exodus (a part of Scripture they accepted) and shows (based on the tense of a verb!) that resurrection is real. He points to Exodus 3:6, where God says, "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" in the present tense, even though they had died long ago. This demonstrates ongoing life and a covenant with God, because He is the God of the living, not the dead. Resurrection is built into God's Word, even in verb tenses, and reaches its pinnacle in Jesus' own resurrection as the ultimate proof, giving us comfort in grief and confidence that death does not end our story. The Theological Trap: Denying Resurrection (vv. 18-22) Jesus' Response: Ignorant of God's Power (vv. 24-25) Jesus' Response: Ignorant of God's Word (vv. 26-27)

Click here to WATCH LIVE STREAM Worship Service on our Youtube Channel. Gratitude Luke 17:11-19 Luke 17:11-19 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. Luke 17:12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance Leviticus 13:45-46 The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.' 46 He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp. Luke 17:13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Luke 17:14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Matthew 9:35-36 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Luke 17:15-18 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Luke 17:19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. · Gospel gratitude trusts in Jesus' saving work. Romans 1:18-21 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Lamentations 4:15 “Away! Unclean!” people cried at them. “Away! Away! Do not touch!” So they became fugitives and wanderers; people said among the nations, “They shall stay with us no longer.” Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. · Gospel gratitude doesn't take the blessings of God for granted. Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Psalm 103:1-5 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:10-13 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Revelation 21:3-4 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. · Gospel gratitude leads to humble worship. Luke 18:9-14 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Psalm 100:1-5 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Respond | Connect | Next Steps The post Gratitude appeared first on Charleston Baptist Church.

We often think of the Old Testament as outdated rules that Jesus came to replace, but this message challenges us to see something far more beautiful: Jesus didn't abolish the Torah—He fulfilled it and called us to a deeper righteousness than we ever imagined. As we journey through Matthew 5:17-20, we discover that Torah isn't about legalistic regulations or religious checklists. It's about living in harmony with God and others, about transformation from the inside out. Jesus confronts both the rigid legalism of the Pharisees and the casual dismissiveness of the Sadducees, showing us a third way—the way of the heart. When He says our righteousness must surpass that of the religious leaders, He's not asking us to follow more rules; He's inviting us to embrace the weightier matters: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. The golden rule—do unto others as you would have them do unto you—becomes the lens through which we understand all of God's wisdom. This isn't about being spiritually inconsistent, caring about some issues while ignoring others. It's about allowing God's Word to inform every moment of our lives, every decision we make, every relationship we navigate. We're called to be people of Torah today, right now, letting the ancient wisdom transform our modern hearts.

Sermon by Michael Bailey on November 30, 2025.Key scripture: John 11:45-12:11The raising of Lazarus set in motion the chain of events that would escalate to Jesus' crucifixion. In John 11:45-12:11, John shows us the responses to Jesus become increasingly polarized. The Pharisees see him as a threat and plot to kill him. Mary sees him as worthy of worship and anoints him with costly perfume. The same tension exists for us. Will see respond to Jesus as a threat to what we hold dear, or worthy of it all?

Sermon Theme: Jesus is the one true Savior who joyfully and persistently seeks and saves the lost. Therefore, whether we're a worldly sinner or a self-righteous Pharisee, we must own our desperate need for God's grace, repent of our sin, and rejoice that the Father welcomes us home and celebrates our return!

In episode 471 of The Reformed Brotherhood, hosts Jesse Schwamb and Tony Arsenal begin a multi-part series on Jesus's parables of lost things in Luke 15. This first installment focuses on the Parable of the Lost Sheep, exploring how Jesus uses this story to reveal God's disposition toward sinners. The hosts examine the contextual significance of this teaching as Jesus's response to the Pharisees' criticism of his fellowship with tax collectors and sinners. Through careful analysis of the text, they unpack how this parable not only rebukes religious self-righteousness but also reveals the active, seeking love of Christ for His own. The discussion highlights the profound theological truth that God's joy is made complete in the restoration of His lost children. Key Takeaways The Parable of the Lost Sheep demonstrates Christ's heart for sinners, showing that seeking the lost is not exceptional behavior but the expected norm for those who understand God's character. Jesus positions this parable as a direct response to the Pharisees' criticism, turning their accusation ("he eats with sinners") into an affirmation of His mission and identity. The lost sheep represents those who belong to Christ but have gone astray; the shepherd's pursuit illustrates Christ's commitment to recover all whom the Father has given Him. God's rejoicing over one repentant sinner reveals a profound theological truth: divine joy increases in the act of showing mercy and restoring the lost. The shepherd's willingness to leave the 99 to find the one reflects not recklessness but the infinite value God places on each of His children. Regular worship practices, including family worship and congregational singing, reflect the same disposition of praise that heaven displays when sinners return to God. The parable serves not only as a comfort to sinners but as a challenge to believers to adopt God's heart toward the lost rather than the judgmental attitude of the Pharisees. Understanding the Shepherd's Heart The central focus of the Parable of the Lost Sheep is not simply God's willingness to receive sinners, but His active pursuit of them. As Tony Arsenal points out, Jesus presents the shepherd's search not as an extraordinary act of sacrifice, but as the obvious and expected response: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the one that is lost?" Jesus frames this as the normal behavior that any shepherd would exhibit, making the Pharisees' lack of concern for "lost sheep" appear not just uncompassionate but utterly irrational. This reveals a profound truth about God's character: He is not passively waiting for sinners to find their way back to Him; He is actively seeking them out. As Jesse Schwamb emphasizes, "Christ's love is an active, working love." The shepherd does not merely hope the sheep will return; he goes after it until he finds it. This reflects God's covenant commitment to His people—those whom He has chosen before the foundation of the world. The parable thus powerfully illustrates the doctrines of divine election and effectual calling within a deeply personal and relational framework. The Divine Joy in Restoration Perhaps the most striking element of this parable is the emphasis on the shepherd's joy upon finding his lost sheep. This isn't merely relief at recovering lost property, but profound celebration that calls for community participation: "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost." Jesse highlights Thomas Goodwin's profound insight that "Christ's own joy, comfort, happiness, and glory are increased and enlarged by his showing grace and mercy." This suggests something remarkable about God's relationship with His people—that in some mysterious way, God's joy is made more complete in the act of showing mercy and restoring sinners. The hosts point out that this doesn't imply any deficiency in God, but rather reveals the relational nature of His love. When Jesus states that "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance," He's indicating that divine celebration isn't prompted merely by moral perfection but by restoration and reconciliation. This understanding transforms how we approach God when we've strayed. As Jesse notes, "Jesus is never tired, flustered, or frustrated when we come to him for fresh forgiveness or renewed pardon." Our repentance doesn't merely avoid punishment; it actually brings joy to the heart of God. This is a profound comfort for believers struggling with sin and failure, assuring us that our return is met not with divine disappointment but with heavenly celebration. Memorable Quotes "This parable of the lost sheep gives us the beating heart of God, his normative disposition toward his children. It's really an exceptional and special window into God's design, his loving compassion for us, his heart of ministry and seeking for us, for his children who are lost." - Jesse Schwamb "He wants us to draw on his grace and mercy because it is inherently who he is. And he drew near to us in this incarnation so that his joy and ours could rise and fall together, which is insane that God would come and condescend to that degree that in his giving mercy and in ours receiving it, Christ gets more joy and comfort than we do when we come to him for help and mercy." - Jesse Schwamb "Christ's love is an active working love. Just as the shepherd did not sit still, wailing for his lost sheep, so our blessed Lord did not sit still in heaven pitying sinners. He comes to us, he came to us, and he continues to draw to himself those who are sheep, who hear his voice." - Jesse Schwamb Host Information Jesse Schwamb and Tony Arsenal are the hosts of The Reformed Brotherhood, a podcast that explores Reformed theology and its application to the Christian life. With a blend of theological depth and practical insight, they examine Scripture through the lens of historic Reformed doctrine, offering accessible teaching for believers seeking to grow in their understanding of the faith. Resources Mentioned Scripture: Luke 15:1-7, Matthew 18, John 10 Worship Resource: Sing The Worship Initiative (sing.theworshipinitiative.com) Theological Reference: Thomas Goodwin's writings on Christ's joy in redemption Brad Kafer and Michael Lewis, The Theocast Tragedy, episode 75, with guest Jeremy Marshall, November 16, 2025, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-reclamation-podcast/id1747221237?i=1000736883898. Joshua Lewis and Michael Rowntree, The Theocast Split: Examining Christian Unity and Theological Differences, November 11, 2025, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-remnant-radios-podcast/id1392545186?i=1000736293538. Daniel Vincent, Fallout of Theocast, November 15, 2025, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-particular-baptist-podcast/id1512601040?i=1000736872315. Tony Arsenal, "A Refutation of Reformed Fringe," Reformed Arsenal, November 2025, https://reformedarsenal.com/category/a-refutation-of-reformed-fringe/. Tony Arsenal, "The Quest For Illegitimate Religious Gnosis: How 'Fringe' Theology Deforms Christology," Heidelblog, November 24, 2025, https://heidelblog.net/2025/11/the-quest-for-illegitimate-religious-gnosis-how-fringe-theology-deforms-christology/. Full Transcript [00:00:08] Jesse Schwamb: And what's special about the series? Parables that we're about to look at is it gives us the beating heart of God, his normative disposition toward his children, which is not like, we haven't seen some of that already, but this is, I think, really an exceptional and special window into God's design. His loving can compare for us, his heart of ministry and seeking for us for his children who are lost. It's really unequal in all the parables and probably among some of the most famous, Welcome to episode 471 of the Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. [00:00:56] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother. [00:01:01] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. You know, it seems like sometimes we could just summarize the teaching of Jesus like this. You get a parable and you get a parable, and you get a parable, and we've already, by looking at some of these parables, gotten to see what the kingdom of God means. The kingdom of God is Jesus coming in His power. It's here, but also not yet. The kingdom of God is the judgment of God. The kingdom of God is a blessing of God. The kingdom of God is the treasure of God. And what's special about the series? Parables that we're about to look at is it gives us the beating heart of God, his normative disposition toward his children, which is not like, we haven't seen some of that already, but this is, I think, really an exceptional and special window into God's design. His loving can compare for us, his heart of ministry and seeking for us for his children who are lost. It's really unequal in all the parables and probably among some of the most famous, and I think we'll probably have some maybe like semi hot takes, maybe some like mid hot takes as the young kids say. [00:02:07] Tony Arsenal: Mid hot takes. [00:02:08] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. [00:02:08] Tony Arsenal: So like [00:02:09] Jesse Schwamb: lukewarm takes, well my thought is like, what is a hot take that's not heretical? Do you know what I mean? So it's gotta be, yeah, [00:02:16] Tony Arsenal: there you go. [00:02:16] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. That's what I'm saying. It's like, listen, we want to be orthodox in our approach here, but I think we gotta, we gotta chew these up a little bit. Like we gotta digest them, we gotta move them around in our gut and really take everything that we've, we thought we knew about these, we just heard and they've been written on cards or postcards or crocheted into, I guess you're not crocheting bible verses, but like cross stitching Bible verses on pillows and really go deep because I think there's so much here for us, and if this were like for, for everybody that wants to say that, sometimes we take a little bit too long with our series. Again, I do have a question, simple question for all of those people. And that question is how dare you? And the second thing I would say is, you're lucky that you're not listening to a Puritan podcast. Maybe you never would, like at the Puritans in a podcast, the series would never end. They'd start with like a single verse and be like, we're gonna do two episodes on this. And then they'd be getting to the like, you know, 4 71 and they still wouldn't have left like the, the first five words. [00:03:11] Tony Arsenal: It's true, it's true. We move a little bit faster than that. Pace. Not much. Yeah. Way, [00:03:15] Jesse Schwamb: listen, way faster. By like Puritan standards, we are cruising. Like we're, we're just like NASCAR going through these parables. And to that end, I'll try to keep us moving though. I've already delayed us already because we're, we're late for affirmations. [00:03:30] Affirmations and Denials [00:03:30] Jesse Schwamb: Denials. The time is ripe. It is Now. The fields are gleaning with affirmations and denials. So let's, let's bring them in. Tony, are you denying against, are you affirming with something? [00:03:40] Tony Arsenal: It's a little bit of both, I guess. Um, do it. [00:03:44] Controversial Theology Discussion [00:03:44] Tony Arsenal: A little while ago, uh, it was maybe back in September, I did an episode on, uh, some theology that was being propagated by a podcast called Reformed Fringe. Um, it was a solo episode, so if you haven't listened to it, go back and listen to it. The affirmation here comes in, in, uh, the form of a show called, I think it's called The Reclamation Cast. Um, there are a series of podcasts that have addressed some of the same issues. For those who haven't been following it, which I would assume is probably most of you, the issue is kind of blown up online. Um, Theo Cast, which was a pretty big a, a really big podcast in the, uh, sort of reformed ish, particular Baptist world. Um, they actually split because of this. And so John Moffitt was one of the hosts. Justin Perdue was the other. And then John was also on this show called Reform Fringe with Doug Van Dorn. So I'm affirming some of these other podcasts that have covered the same issue, and I would encourage you to seek them out and listen to them. I can can pull some links together for the show notes today. Um, more or less the, the issue that I identified, um, is beyond just sort of what's known as Divine Counsel Theology, which was made, made, really made popular by, um, Michael Heiser. I don't know that he would, we could say that he was necessarily like the. Architect or inventor of that. I'm sure there are people who've had similar thoughts before that, but he's really the main name. Um, he's passed on now, but, um, Doug Van Dorn was a, uh, he's a Baptist pastor outta Col, uh, Colorado, who took his views and actually sort of like cranked him up and particularly. Uh, troubling is the way he handles, um, the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament. Um, I won't go into all of the details, but he wants to argue and he has argued in writing actually, and he, he published the paper first in 2015, and then again in 2024, he published it again, uh, with very minimal changes and nothing substantial. It was really kind of contextual stuff. Um, he actually argues that in the Old Testament, when we see the angel of the Lord, it's not just, not just God appearing as an angel, it's God actually becoming an angel. And in his paper, at least, he argues, um, more or less that this is a sort of hypostatic union. It's not just a temporary taking on of some sort of like outward appearance. Um, it's an actual, uh, uh, assumption of properties into the person of the sun. And the whole reason he makes this argument, which is why it's a little disingenuine, that now he's saying that's not what his argument was. He makes this argument in order to make it so the angel of the Lord can genuinely suffer, experience passions, change his mind, um, enter into covenant, come to know new knowledge, like there's all sorts of things that he wants the angel of the Lord to be able to actually do, not just accommodated, but actually. Experience. Um, and he does that by having the angel of the Lord be an appropriation of angelic properties into the person of the sun, what we would call a hypostatic union. And in his paper, he actually says like, I would want to use all of the same language of, uh, of this union as I do of the incarnation. He intentionally uses the words image and form kind of drawing from Philippians two. So the, the affirmation comes in and there are other podcasts that have identified this. So it's not just me. I would encourage people to go find them. Where the denial comes in is, um, there have been many people, including myself, who have attempted to engage with Doug Van Dorn, like publicly, directly, um, through private messaging. There are many people who've tried to reach out to him, and he has just sort of waved all of them away. Which is one thing, if like you just say like, I don't really care to interact with you. I don't really care to have this discussion. But then he is also presenting the situation as though he, he is totally open to having these conversations and nobody is trying to reach out to him. So I would encourage everyone, you're all reasonable people, search the scriptures, read what he has to say. The paper that he wrote is called Passing the Impassable pa or impassable Impasse, which is hard to say, but it's a very clever title. Um, and it was, it actually was written, I don't know a lot about this controversy and maybe I need to do a little bit more research. It was actually written during a time where, um, the particular Baptist conventions that were out out west where experiencing a lot of internal controversy regarding impassability, and this was his proposal for how, how biblically you can still maintain the divine attributes of changeness and impassability all these things, uh, without compromising the real, the real passable, um, appearance that we see of the, of God in the Bible. So. I don't wanna belabor the point. This is not the point of the show. We, I already did a whole episode on this. I've published, I wrote many blog articles. There's a lot that I've, I've put out on this. Um, so check it out, look at it. Wait for yourself. Um, the only reason I've been, this has come up in our telegram chat. People have encountered this theology. Um, one, one guy was asking about it, 'cause I think like his mom or his aunt or someone close to him had, has been sort of reading Michael Heider's work. Michael Heiser was very instrumental at logos. He was on staff at Logos for quite a while. So a lot of their, um, more speculative theological articles that you might find on their website are written by him. Um, he was a, one of the main people behind the sort of proprietary translation that, um, Laro uses the Lham, um, English Bible. So. It's not a neutral point. Pretty significant theological consequences if, uh, if our reading of what Doug is saying is correct. Um, and there doesn't seem to be any real openness to discussing that. He has to be fair, he has published a series of affirmations and denials, um, affirming his a his orthodoxy saying he affirms the change changeness of the son. He denies that there was a hypothetic union. So that's encouraging. It's great to see that when it comes down to it. He's willing to make affirmations, uh, of orthodox things and to deny unorthodox things, but it doesn't really help the situation when those things and those affirmations, denials are still at very least difficult to reconcile with what he wrote. I think in point of fact, they're actually contradictory to what he wrote. So the, the proper course of action would be for him to say, well, no, that's not what I meant. Or, or, yes, I wrote that, but that's not what I believe. Um, rather than to just try say, trying to say like, well, you all got it wrong. There's a lot of people reading these papers looking at it going, Ooh, it sure seems like the sun took on an angelic nature, even if that was temporary. That's, that's got some pretty weird consequences for your theology. And one of the shows I was listening to made this point that I thought was interesting and a little scary is this is like an utterly new theology. Um, no one that I've talked to who is aware of this, who studied these issues. Is aware of anyone ever saying anywhere that the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament was some sort of like assumption of actual angelic properties into the person of the sun. Almost everywhere that you read. It's either a manifestation view where the sun is kind of appearing as an angel, um, but it's not actually becoming an angel. It's, it's sort of taking on created medium, uh, in order to reveal himself or an instrumental view, which would be something like there's an angel that is used instrumentally by the Lord, and so we can say that it the angel of the Lord is the Lord in an instrumental sense, kind of like saying like if I pick up a hammer. Use that hammer for as long as I'm using that hammer. The hammer is actually sort of an extension of me. I'm moving it, I'm motivating it, I'm controlling it, it's connected to me, and then I put it down when I'm finished. Those are kind of the two main views that people, people would argue in the Old Testament, if they want to even say that the angel of the Lord is a Christoph, it would either be this manifestation view or this instrumental view, this sort of weird novel assumption of properties view. I'm, I've never encountered anything like that and I've studied this, this, this particular issue at some length. So check out the other episodes, I'll pull together some links, uh, of ones that have done it, both that have been, uh, critical of Doug's position. And also there was one, um, on remnant radio, which I never heard of, but, um, that was acknowledging that there are some question marks, but sort of saying like, this really is an overblown controversy. Um, and then I'll link to Doug's podcast too, so you can listen to his own words and, and sort of think through it yourself. [00:11:51] Jesse Schwamb: Some point I have this volition, you know, places, organizations, groups might have like FAQs, frequently asked questions. I have this idea to put together for us, like a frequently discussed topic. This would be one of them. We've talked, or we co we've come back to this idea of like the molecule way, the messenger of the Lord many times. Yeah. In part because I think there's a good and natural curiosity among many when you're reading the scriptures and you see that's the angel of the Lord and you're trying to discern, is it Christoph? And in some cases it seems more clear than others. For instance, the Maia appearing to, you know, Joshua, or, you know, there's, there's all kinds of instances in the scripture that draw us into this sense of like, well, who is it that is being represented here? And the funny thing about this though, and I agree with you, that like makes it. Puts it in like, I would say contradistinction to like just kind of innocently wanting to understand is that there's a lot of theological gymnastics happening here, like a lot and two, it seems to me that he's kind of trying to create a problem to find a solution on this one. Yeah. And so it should give everybody that sense that we always talk about where like the red light goes off, the flags get thrown up, that when you hear that, you're just like, well, something is not right about that. And the thing that's not right about it is one, it doesn't subscribe to, like you're saying, any kind of historical orthodoxy. And two, it's just funky for funky sake. It's, there's really a lot that's happening there to get to some kind of end, and it's better to know what that end is. I'm glad you brought that up. So I think you can, everybody who's listening can weigh, like, if you. Don't wanna weigh into that, or you don't really need to solve the problem that's being created here, then don't bother with it altogether. Yeah. Uh, it's just not worth your time. But people, this is the hide thing. Like when, when we are challenged to be discerning people, when we are challenged to take scriptures at face value, there is always a tendency for us sometimes to go too deep, to get too wild with it, to try to turn around and bend it to, to answer all in every single question. And even the reform tradition doesn't attempt to do that. So here, there is something that's beautiful about these certain mysteries of God and to take him at his face, to trust him in his word, we should seek, seek out many things. Some things are just not worth seeking out. So, you know, the Internet's gonna internet and people are gonna, people and theologians are gonna theologize. And sometimes that's good and sometimes it's not that productive. [00:14:08] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I, I think to be as charitable as I possibly can be, I think, um, Doug is, has identified a legitimate. Question about the Old Testament, right? Right. The, the Bible appears when we read about God in the Old Testament. He appears to do things like change his mind, suffer yes. Grieve experience passions. Right. Um, and, and so that's a real, um, question that needs to be answered as you read the Old Testament. Um, and the two options of course, or the two primary options of course, are either that God actually suffers, he actually experiences those things, in which case he wouldn't be a changeless God. Um, he wouldn't be a perfect God because there's these, these modes of change within God. The other option would be that there's some sort of appearance of suffering or appearance of, of change or passions that is not actual, it's not real in the sense that he's not God's lying. It's not that God's lying to us, of course not. But that these are appearances for our sake. We would say that's, we call that the doctrine of accommodation. Right. Um. What Doug tries to do is actually exactly what the church did in trying to understand how it could be that the second person of the Trinity suffered. Uh, why, why we can genuinely say that God suffered. Um, we can say that and that the answer was the hypothetic union, and this is where it really kind of like jumped into full relief for me is Doug has the same answer for the Old Testament, but instead of an incarnation of humanity, I don't know what you would call it, an, an evangelization or a, something like that, um, he would probably call like a, some somatization. Um, he uses the difference between Soma and sars as though that somehow answers the question. He says it's not a, an incarnation into sarks. It's a, an assumption of properties in da Soma. But in either case, like his answer is the same answer. That the way that the angel of the Lord suffers in the Old Testament is not according to his divine nature. It's according to these angelic properties that are assumed into his person well. Okay, so like you get the same conclusion. There needs to be some explanation now of like, well, why is it a hypostatic union when it's the human nature, but it's not a hypostatic union when it's the angelic nature or angelic properties. Um, and I think the, the real answer is that when Doug wrote those papers, he just didn't realize those implications. Um, Doug is a sharp guy, like, don't get me wrong, he's a smart guy. Um, I think he's got a pretty good grip on Hebrew and, and a lot of this too is, um. Not to make this more of an episode than it is, but, um, this Divine Council worldview at first feels like not that big of a deal when you, when you read about it the first time. Um, or when you read sort of like popular treatments of it. Um, the real problem is that this divine council worldview, um, which I'm not gonna define again, you can look, I'll pull the radio episode or the other podcast episodes, but this divine council worldview becomes like the controlling meta narrative for the entire scripture for these guys. And so if, if the son is to be the sort of lead Elohim on this divine council besides Yahweh himself, then he has to become an angel. He has to become a one of the sons of God in order to do this. Sort of almost ignoring the fact that like he already was the son of God. Like, it, it just becomes, um, this controlling meta-narrative. And if all that this, all that this divine council worldview is saying is like, yes, there's a class of creatures. Um, that are spiritual in nature and the Bible uses the word Elohim to describe them and also uses the word Elohim to describe the one true God who's in an entirely different class. And it just happens to use the same, the same word to describe those two classes. Okay. Like I would find a different way to say that that's maybe not as risky and confusing, but that would be fine. But this goes so much farther than than that. And now it has all these weird implications. He actually did a five, five-part sermon series at his church where his argument is essentially that like this. This overarching narrative of the Sons of God and, and the 70 sons of God. Um, that that's actually the story that explains how salvation functions and what we're being saved to is we're not being swept into the life of the Trinity, which is kind of the classic Christian view, the classic orthodox view that because, because of who the son is by nature, in reference to the father, when we're adopted, we gain that same relationship with the father and the son and the spirit. Um, he's, he's wanting to say, it's actually more like, no, we, we we're sort of brought onto this divine council as, as creator representatives of the cosmos. So it's, it, there's a lot to, it's, um, again, I, I don't want people just to take my word for it. I'm gonna provide as many receipts as I can, um, in the, the, um, show notes. Um, but yeah, it's, it's weird and it, it's unnecessary and [00:18:57] Jesse Schwamb: that's right. [00:18:58] Tony Arsenal: It made a lot of sense to me when Michael Heiser went down these routes, because his whole program was, he had a, a podcast called The Naked Bible, and the whole idea was like he interprets the Bible apart from any prior interpretations, which of course we know is not possible. But that was sort of his plan was he's. It wasn't necessarily anti cre, anti-real or anticon confessional. He just thought you needed to and could come to the Bible without any sort of pre interpretive, uh, positions. Um, so it made a lot of sense to me when he was like, well, yeah, this isn't the way that the historic tradition isn't understood this, but that doesn't matter. But then you have someone like Doug Van Dorn come around who claims to be a 1689 Confessional Baptist. This is like radically foreign to that system of doctrine. So it's just a weird situation. It's kind of an abandonment of the pattern of sound words that handed down to us, the ages. Um, and it does have all these weird implications, and I'm not hearing loud and clear. I am not saying Doug Van Dorn is not a Christian. Um, I do think that the implications of what he's teaching are heretical. Um, but we've made the distinction before that like, just because you teach something heretical doesn't mean you're a heretic. Um, that's a, that's a formal proclamation that the church officially makes not some dude on the internet with a podcast. But the, the implications of his teaching are quite dangerous. So. Check it out. Read it with caution and with discernment, um, and with, you know, a good systematic theology that can help kind of correct you in your hands. And the creeds and the confessions. But dude, check it out. You, you're reasonable people. Look at the scriptures yourself and make your own decisions. I don't expect anybody to ever just take my word for any of this stuff. [00:20:25] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's right. Or like you said, don't bother with. Yeah. Or don't bother. Just read the confessions. Unaware of it. Yeah. That's also, okay. Stick to the, the, hopefully the good local preaching and teaching that you're receiving and just hang out there. Yeah. And that's also okay. The internet is a super strange and weird place. Yeah. And that includes even among well intentions. Theology, sometimes it just gets weird. And this is one of those examples. [00:20:51] Tony Arsenal: It's true, it's true. I often tell people that my, my goal in any sort of public teaching or podcasting or blogging or when I'm preaching, uh, my goal is to be as like vanilla reformed as I possibly can. Like that's what I'm saying. There, there are times where like some of the stuff that I be, like, I, I'm not like straight down the middle on every single thing. There are things that I would, you know, like my view on, um, state relations with church like that, that's not exactly run of the mill vanilla presbyterianism. Um, so there are definitely things where I'm, I'm sort of a little off center on, um, but I try to be like right down the middle of the vanilla, vanilla aisle here with maybe a little bit of chocolate sauce here and there. But it's, it's pretty, uh, my reform theology is pretty boring and I'm fine with that. I love [00:21:35] Jesse Schwamb: it. I love it. It's okay to be boring, isn't it? Like boring? It's is for the most part, right. On the money. Because often when we do take our views and we polarize them to some degree, we know that there's a greater probability propensity for the errors to lie there if you're always hanging out there. Yeah. But especially in this, again, you've said all the right things it, it's just one of those things. But it's a good mark for all of us to understand that when we move so far away from orthodoxy that we're just kind of out on the pier by ourselves and you're looking around, you ought to ask what happened that you're out there so far. [00:22:05] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Well, Jesse, save us from this train of thought. What are you affirming or denying today? [00:22:10] Jesse Schwamb: I hope I have something that's exactly the opposite. As you know, Tony, not all affirmations especially are created equal because sometimes we throw one out there and it's, it's good. We think it's great. Maybe not for everybody. It doesn't resonate. It doesn't hit. This is not one of those, this is for everybody. [00:22:24] The Importance of Daily Worship [00:22:24] Jesse Schwamb: I'm coming in with a hot, strong affirmation, and that is one of the things you and I have promulgated for so long is the beauty, the necessity, the responsibility, and the joy of regular daily worship, and that can look. Lots of ways, but I think you and I have tried in our own lives and we've spoken a lot about the high conviction that we have that that kinda worship should be participatory and it can involve reading the scriptures, praying, singing this spills over into convictions about family worship, leading our families, and that kinda experience, even if it's just a little bit every day and even if it's, we give it our best efforts, this is not like a kind of legalistic approach. And so I just came across something that I think I've been testing for a while that I think is faab fabulous for everybody, could be helpful to you in daily worship. And I'm just gonna give you the website first and explain what it is. Secondly, so the website is sing the worship initiative.com. That's sing dot the worship initiative.com. You can find it if it's easier. Just search the Worship initiative. What this is, is it is. Once you sign up for this, you'll actually get a text. It's a daily text, and that text will be a link in a browser every day. So it's not a podcast, but it comes through a browser every day. It is a time of, I would say, I'll use the word colloquially, it's a time of devotional with singing led by Shane and Shane and some of their other musicians and their friends. And this is glorious. It's no more than 15 minutes, and it's purposely orchestrated to lead you or whoever's listening with you in singing, including in the app or rather in the browser. They will give you the words for the songs that they're gonna sing that day. And one, Shannon and Shane are fantastic musicians. You wanna listen to this with a good speaker or set of, uh, earbuds because, uh, the music is great and it's very stripped down. It's just, it's just piano and a little bit guitar generally. Uh, but the speaking of the theological pieces of what's in these songs is fantastic. And this just past week, they've done songs like Crown Hit with Many Crowns. Um, in Christ Alone, he will hold me fast, he will hold me fast, is an incredible piece of music and a piece of worship. So I'm just enjoying, they are using rich deeply theological songs to speak rich, deep theological truths, and then to invite you into a time of singing, like along with them. It's as if like they were just in your living room or in their kitchen and said, Hey, you got 15 minutes, especially start the day. Why don't we gather around this table and why don't we worship together? So I haven't found something quite like this where it's like an invitation to participate, both by being active listeners into what they're saying, but by also singing together. So I. Can only come at this with a really hot affirmation because I'm being blessed by it. And this rhythm of somebody like leading you daily into song, I'm finding to be so incredibly valuable. Of course, like we can find song in lots of places. We may lead ourselves, we may rely on the radio or a playlist to do that, but this kind of unique blend of a time that's being set apart, that's organized around a theme and then brings music into that as a form of meditation and worship is pretty singular. So check out, sing the worship edition of.com and especially if you're a fan of Shane and Shane, you're gonna slide right into this and feel very blessed because they're talented musicians and what they're bringing, I think is a, is a rich theological practice of actual worship, not just devotionals of some kind, but like actual participatory worship of, of in spirit and truth. [00:25:53] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I just signed up for this while you're talking. It took about a minute. It's super easy. So, um, and I'm sure that they have a way to opt out. If you start it and you hate it and you want to just stop getting text messages, I'm sure you can just respond, stop. Um, so there's really nothing to lose. There's no gimmick. They don't ask for a credit card, anything like that. Um, and I, I'm with you, like I love me some Shane and Shane music, and I do like some Shane and Shane music, um, that, that like takes me way back. Those, there are a lot of singers who've been at this for a long time. Yes, Shane and Shane was like. A really like popular band when I was in like, like upper high school. Oh yeah. So like, we're talking about a multi-decade career, long career doing mostly worship music, like they're performers, but they have entire, they have entire, many entire, um, albums that are psalms, um, entire albums that are worship choruses or what you might think of as chorus singing. Um, so yeah, I think this is great. And I'm always looking for new ways to integrate worship into my life. So this could be something as simple as like, maybe you're not gonna be able to sing out loud, but you could listen to this on the bus on the way home. Or you could put in your air, your ear pods, uh, when you're, you know, doing the dishes and instead of just listening to another podcast. I recognize the irony of saying that on a podcast that you may be listening to while you're doing the dishes, but instead of just listening to another podcast, you spend a little bit of time thinking about meditating on God's word. So that's great. I think that's an awesome, awesome information. A little [00:27:20] Jesse Schwamb: bit like very casual liturgy, but you're right, they've been around for a while and this, the content that they're producing here strikes me as like very mature. Yeah, both like in, of course, like the music they're doing and how they're singing, they're singing parts, but also just what they're speaking into. It's not just like kind of a, let's let tell you how this song impacted my life. They're, they're pulling from the scriptures and they're praying through. They're giving you a moment to stop and pause and pray yourself. There's a lot that's, that's built in there. And can I give like one other challenge? [00:27:47] Encouragement for Family Worship [00:27:47] Jesse Schwamb: This, this came to me as well this week and I know we've had some conversation in the telegram chat about like family worship, leading our families in worship about somehow how do we model that? How do we bring that together? And music often being a part of that. And I think that it's especially important for families to hear their. Their fathers and their husbands sing, no matter what your voice sounds like. Can I give a, a challenge? I think might sound crazy. This might be a hot, hot take. And so you can bring me back down instead of a mid hot take. If it, yeah, if it's a little bit too hot. But I was reading an article, and this is really from that article, and it, it did challenge me. And the article basically challenged this and said, listen, most people are actually far more musical than they understand themselves to be. And that might just not be in the instrumentation of the voice, but in other ways. And so the challenge was if you're a, a husband, a father, maybe you have some proclivity of music, maybe you have none. The challenge was basically, why don't you consider. Learning a musical instrument to lead your family in worship. And, and the challenge was basically like, pick up a guitar and, uh, see if you can eke out a couple of chords. Work through that just for the sole purpose of if nothing else, but saying like, I want to participate in something differently in my home. And maybe that's getting a keyboard and just, just trying it there. If I can play the guitar, anybody truly I think can play the guitar. It's, it's not really that difficult. I just found this captivating that this guy laid down the gauntlet and said, maybe you ought to consider doing that if only to be a model of worship in your own home throughout, throughout the week. And I just thought, you know what? That's something we're thinking about. I think all of us have something there. And that might be for some, like, maybe it means strengthening your personal prayer closet. So like your example in time of, of corporate worship of your family is stronger. Maybe it means your study of the scriptures, not just of course for like pure devotional life, but to instruct or to practice that scripture for your family. So I, I take this point of, it's not just about the music, but it could be if you're, if you're looking and saying like, man, I wish that we had some music. Um, you, you possibly could be the music. And it's just something to think about. [00:29:47] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I'll say this. Uh, it's not that hard to play guitar, but Jesse is actually quite a talented guitar player, so even though he's right, it's not that difficult. Uh, Jesse is, uh, is much better than he's letting on. But yeah, I mean, most modern worship songs, um, you can get by, you might have to like find a version online of it in this key, and you might not be able to sing it in this key, but like GC, D and E Minor. Yeah, that's right. We'll get you, we will get you basically every major worship song that you're used to singing. And those are all very easy chords to play. Yes. Um, there are difficult chords and some, some worship songs are more difficult or the, the tone is more difficult. Um, but even, even something like that, or get a keyboard and just do, you know, you can just pluck out notes, right? You can write on the notes what the, what the name of the notes are and just pluck out notes so people can sing with it. Um, there are lots of ways you can do, get a kazoo. You could lead music, you could lead your, that's your family in worship with a kazoo, um, or get the Trinity Salter hymnal app. Like, it's, yes, there are many ways that you could incorporate music in your family devotions and your personal devotions that, um, are not that challenging and, uh, really do add a lot. Now, I know there are some, there are probably a few people in our, our listening audience that are acapella only people. And I respect that perspective and, and I understand where it comes from. But, um, even then, like this might also be a little bit of a hot take. I'm not an excellent singer. I'm not a terrible singer, but, um, I could be a better singer if I practiced a little bit. And with the, with the ease of finding things like YouTube vocal coaches and right, just like vocal lessons and techniques and practice. Cool. Like, you could very easily improve your ability to sing and your confidence to sing, right? And that's only gonna help you to lead your family. I'll even throw this in there. Um. I'm in a congregation with lots and lots and lots of young families. There are five pregnant couples in our church right now. Wow. And our church, our church is probably only about 70 people on an average Sunday. So five pregnant, uh, couples is a pretty high percentage. Um, what I will tell you is that when the congregation is singing, we have lots of men who sing and they sing loud. But when the children are looking around at who is singing, they're not looking at the women, they're looking at the men. Right. Um, and you know, we're not, we are not like a hyper-masculinity podcast. We're not, you know, this isn't Michael Foster's show, this isn't the Art of Manhood. Um, but we've been pretty consistent. Like, men lead the way. That's the way the Bible has, that's way God's created it. And that's the way the Bible teaches it. And if you're in the church. You are commanded to sing. It's not an option. [00:32:28] The Importance of Singing in Church [00:32:28] Tony Arsenal: But what I will tell you is that, um, singing loud and singing confidently and singing clearly and helping the congregation to sing by being able to project your voice and sing competently, uh, it does a lot for your church. Yes. So it's never gonna be the wrong decision to improve your ability to sing and your confidence to sing. So I think that's great. I think the whole thing is great. You can learn to sing by listening to Shane and Shane and singing with them, and you can Yes. Invest a little bit of time and maybe a little bit of money in, in like an online vocal. I mean, you can get something like Musician or something like that that has guitar, but also you can do vocal training through that. There's lots of resources out there to do that. So yes, I guess that's the challenge this week. Like, let's all get out there and improve our singing voices a little bit and, and see if we can, can do this together. [00:33:14] Jesse Schwamb: I love it. I, I don't wanna belabor the points. [00:33:16] Encouragement to Learn Musical Instruments [00:33:16] Jesse Schwamb: I only bring it up because there might be somebody out there that's thinking, you know, I'd like to do more of that. And I say to you, well, why not you? It's okay. Like you could just go and explore and try get or borrow a relatively inexpensive guitar. And like you said, you don't need to learn to read music to do that. You're just kind of learning some shapes and they correspond to certain letters in the alphabet. And in no time at all, you could be the person that's strumming out, eking out some chords and you're doing that at home. And that might be a great blessing. It might change your life. It might change the trajectory of how you serve in the church. And you might find that God has equipped you to do those things. Yeah. And wouldn't it be lovely just to try some of those things out? So whatever, whatever they are, it's certainly worth trying and, and music is a big part of, I know like your life. Mine and it is someday. Tony, we have to do the sing episode. I don't know that we've actually done that one, right? We just talk about what it like, is it a command that we sing and why I think we've [00:34:08] Tony Arsenal: done that. I think we did have, we, it's early on in the episode on our views. Might have changed a little bit. So we maybe should um, we should loop back to, I'm sure we talked about 'em when we were going through Colossians as well. [00:34:17] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I think we did. I just dunno if we did, like, we're, we're just gonna set a whole hour aside and for us, that's definitely not an hour, but, and just talk about this in particular and like what, why do we sing and what, why does guy command this? And then why our voice is different and why do some people feel this, you know, sense of like why don't have a good voice and you know, we, you always hear people say like, well make a joyful noise. And I think sometimes that falls flax. You're kinda like, yeah, but you don't know the noise I'm making you. That's kind of the response you hear. So some someday we'll come back to it, but I'm gonna make a prophetic announcement that there is no way we're going get through this one parable. No already. So. [00:34:55] Introduction to the Parable of the Lost Sheep [00:34:55] Jesse Schwamb: Everybody strap in because we'll do probably a part one. And if you're curious about where we're going, we're moving just away from Matthew for now, we're gonna be hanging out in Luke 15. We've got a trio of parables about lost things. And again, I think this is gonna be very common to many people. So I encourage you as best you can, as we read these to always start our conversation, try to strip away what you've heard before and let's just listen to the scripture. [00:35:20] Reading and Analyzing the Parable [00:35:20] Jesse Schwamb: So we're gonna start in Luke chapter 15 in verse one. I'm not even gonna give you the name of the parable because you will quickly discern which one it is. So this is the Luke chapter 15, beginning of verse one. Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Jesus to listen to him, and both the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling saying, this man receives sinners and eats with them. So he told them this parable saying. What man among you, if he has 100 sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it. And when he is found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors saying to them, rejoice with me for I found my lost sheep. I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repentance than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. [00:36:19] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And yeah, this, this will definitely be a multi-part episode. And, and part of that is we just spent a half an hour talking about affirmations and denials. I think we probably should have a podcast called Belaboring The Point, which is just us talking about other random stuff. Fair. [00:36:33] Comparing the Parable in Luke and Matthew [00:36:33] Tony Arsenal: But, um, the other part is that this parable is, um, slightly different in Luke as it is in Matthew. [00:36:41] Jesse Schwamb: Yes. [00:36:41] Tony Arsenal: Um, and also it's positioning in the narrative and what comes immediately following it is different. And I think that's worth unpacking a little bit as we talk about it this week, next week and, and probably maybe even into a third week. Um, but the, the parable here on, on one level, like most parables is super, super straightforward, right? Like right. This is God's di, this is God's demeanor, and his disposition is that he seeks that which is lost, um, which is good news for us because all of us are lost. There's only lost people until God finds them. Right. Um, and find again, of course, is an accommodated way of saying it's not like God has to go out searching for us. He knows where we are and he knows how to find us. Um. But this is also a different format for a parable, right? He's, he's not saying the kingdom of heaven is like this. The parable is what man of you having a hundred sheep? Like the parable is a question Yes. Posed to the audience, and it, it is in the context here, and this is where, this is where looking at the parallels between different, different gospels and how it's presented and even the different variations here shows you, on one level it shows you that Jesus taught these parables in multiple different contexts and different occasions. Right? In this occasion, it's he's sitting down, he's with the tax collectors and the sinners. They're grumbling. They're saying, this man eats with sinners. And receives them in, um, in Matthew, it's slightly different, right? He's in a different context and sit in a different teaching context. So the way that we understand that is that Christ taught these parables multiple places. And so we should pay attention to the variation, not just because there's variation for variation's sake, but the way that they're positioned tells us something. So when he's telling the account in Luke, it's told as a corrective to the tax collectors and the um. Right on the Pharisees, um, who are, sorry. It's a, it's a corrective to the Pharisees and the scribes who are grumbling about the tax collectors and the sinners drawing near to Christ. And so he speaks to the Pharisees and to the scribes and is like, well, which one of you wouldn't go seek out their lost sheep? Like, it's this question that just lays bare. They're really sinful. Ridiculous Jonah. I just invented that. Like Jonah I perspective that like, oh, exactly how dare God go after how dare Christ eat with sinners and tax collectors? And he says, well, if you love something. If you love your sheep, you're going to go after your sheep. [00:39:03] The Deeper Meaning of the Parable [00:39:03] Tony Arsenal: You're not going to just abandon, uh, this sheep to its own devices, even though there is, and again, this is a, a comedy way of talking about like, even though there's some risk associated with going after the one sheep, because you do have to leave the 99, he still is saying like, this is the character. This is my character speaking as grace. This is my character. This is the character of my father. And there's this implication of like, and it's obviously not the character of you. So I think this is a, this is a really great parable to sort of highlight that feature of parables when they're repeated across different, um, gospels. We have to pay attention, not just to the words of the parables themselves, but what the teaching is in response to what the teaching like proceeds. We'll see when we look at Matthew, there's a very, there's a, a different. Flavor to the parable because of what he's going to be leading into in the teaching. So I love this stuff. This has been such a great series to sort of like work through this because you, you really start to get these fine details. [00:39:59] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. This parable of the lost sheep is I think on the face straightforward, like you said. But it is actually complex. It's complex in the argumentation and the posturing Jesus takes here, like you said, he's binding the pharisee. This is condemning question of like which one of you, like you said. So there's that, which is slightly different element than we've seen or covered so far. There's also the context, like you said, in which it happens and I think we need to think specifically about. Who is this lost? Who are the 99? Who are the ones that Jesus is really trying to draw in with conviction, but also, again, what is he saying about himself? And it's way more, of course, like we're gonna say, well, this is again, that default, that heart posture. Even those things are more cliche than we mean them to be. Yeah. And we need to spend some time, I think, on all of these elements. And it starts with, at least in Luke, we get this really lovely context about when the teaching unfolds. And even that is worth just setting down some roots for for just a second. Because what I find interesting here is I think there's a principle at play that we see where. Everything that everything gives. Jesus glory, all the things give him glory, even when his enemies come before him and seek to label him. It's not as if Jesus appropriates that label, repurposes, it turns it for good. The very label, the things that they try to do to discredit him, to essentially disparage him, are the very things that make him who he is and show his loving and kindness to his people. And I think we'll come back to this like this, this sheep this, these are his children. So these words that it starts with, that were evidently spoken with surprise and scorn, certainly not with pleasure and admiration. These ignorant guides of the Jews could not understand a religious preacher having anything to do with what they perceive to be wicked people. Yeah. And yet their words worked for good. I mean, this is exactly like the theology of the cross. The very saying, which was meant for reproach, was adopted by Jesus as a true description of his ministry. It is true. He's the one who comes and sits and subs and communes and touches the sinners, the ugly, the unclean, the pariahs. It led to his speaking three of these particular parables in Luke in rapid succession. For him to emphasize that he's taken all of what was literally true that the scribes of Pharisees said, and to emphasize that he is indeed the one who received sinners. It's not like he's just like saying, well, lemme put that on and wear that as a badge. He's saying. You do not understand God if you think that God does not receive sinners, to pardon them, to sanctify them, to make them fit for heaven. It's his special office to do so. And this, I think therein lies this really dip deep and rich beauty of the gospel, that that's the end that he truly came into the world. [00:42:47] Christ's Joy in Finding the Lost [00:42:47] Jesse Schwamb: He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. He came to the world to safe sinners, what he was upon Earth. He's now at the right hand of God and will be for all eternity. And he's emphatically the sinner's friend. And without this reproach from the Pharisees, like we don't get this particular teaching and what they intended again, to be used to really discredit God, to say, look, how can this be the son of God? What we get then for all of eternity is some understanding of Christ. And even here now with his word, we have this sense like, listen, do we feel bad? Do we feel wicked and guilty and deserving of God's wrath? Is there some remembrance of our past lives, the bitterness of sin to us? Is there some kind of recollection of our conduct for which we're ashamed? Then we are the very people who ought to apply to Christ. And Christ demonstrates that here, that his love is an act of love. Just as we are pleading nothing good of our own and making no useless delay, we come because of this teaching to Christ and will receive graciously his part in freely. He gives us eternal life. He's the one who sinners. I'm so thankful for this parable because it sets up very clearly who Jesus is, and this is where we can say he is for us. So let us not be lost for lack of applying to him that we may be saved. This text gives us the direct inroad to apply for that kind of healing and favor of God. [00:44:08] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And, and I love, um, there is such a, um, subtle sort of SmackDown that Jesus does. Like, yeah. I, I think, um, just speaking on a purely human level for a second, like Jesus is such a master re tion. Like he is so handy and capable to just dismantle and smack down people who, and I obviously, I don't mean that in like a sinful way. Like he just puts down the argument. He just gets it done with, and even the way this is phrased, right, they come, they're grumbling, this man receives sinners and meets with them. So he told them this par ball, what, what man of you having a hundred sheep, if he lost one of them, doesn't leave the 99 in the open country and go after the one that is lost, right? So he's saying like, he jumps in right away, like. This is just the obvious answer. This is just the obvious state, like who would not go after their sheep. I think we hear this, and again, I'm not an expert on like first century sheep herding practices, right? But like we think of it, I look at it, I'm like, actually, like that seems like a really bad investment. Like it would be really bad idea to go after the one sheep and leave your 99 in the open country. That seems like a silly answer. That's my error. That's me being wrong because he's saying that as the obvious answer. Right? I think we sometimes, um, I've heard, I've heard sermons that preach this, that make it almost like this is a super reckless. You know, abandonment. Like he's so enamored with us that he leaves the 99 and he goes after the one, and he's taking such a huge risk. But the way that this is presented, this is the obvious thing that anyone in their right mind would do if they lost a sheet. Right? For sure. Right? It's not an unusual response. Yes. There's an element of risk to that, and I think that's, that's part of the parable, right? There's a, there's a riskiness that he's adding to it because, um. Again, we wanna be careful how we say this. Um, God's love is not reckless in the sense that we would normally think about reckless, but it's reckless in the sense that it, it es assumes sort of ordinary conventions of safety. Right? Right. That's not really what's at play here. Like the, the fact is Christ presents the scenario where you, you go after one lost sheep and leave your 99 in the open country or in Matthew, it's on the mountains. Like that's the normal expected course here, such that if you are the person who won't do that, then you are the one that's out of the ordinary. But then he goes on to say, and this is where, where I think he's just such a master, he's such a master at setting a logical trap. Here he says, um. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors saying to them, rejoice with me for I have found my sheep that was lost. And again, this is the expected answer. This is not some unusual situation where like people are like, oh man, he like, he had a party 'cause he found a sheep. That's strange. This is what, what would be expected, right? This would be the normal response. But then he says, just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. He is able, in the course of like. 30 words, like this is a short, short response. He's able to show them that their response to, to sinners is totally out of the ordinary. Like it's a, it's sort of an insane response. Um, he positions going after the one sheep and leaving the 99 as the sane response and leaving the, you know, leaving the one to be lost, leaving the sinners and tax collectors to be lost. That's the insane response. Right. That's the one that like, nobody would do that though. Why would anybody do that? But then he goes to show like, but that's exactly what you're doing. [00:47:55] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Right. And he [00:47:56] Tony Arsenal: says, what you should be doing is rejoicing with me for, I found my lost, she. Right. He shifts. He shifts. He's now the man in the parable saying, um, not just, uh, not just rejoice or not just I'm rejoicing, but he's summoning them to rejoice with him over the salvation of these lost sinners. And that is the normal expected response. And then he, he shows like there will be this rejoicing in heaven when a sinner repents more so than if there was a, but, and we should address this too. He's not saying that there is a such thing as a righteous person who needs no repentance. Right? He's saying like, even if there were 99 righteous people who need to know repentance, even if that was somehow the case, there would be more joy. There is more joy, there will be more joy over the sinner who repents than over a hun 99 people who didn't need to be saved. Right? He makes the sin, the, the, um, Pharisees and the scribes look like total chumps and totally like. Totally self-absorbed and turned inwards on themselves in this tiny little master stroke that you wouldn't even, you wouldn't even think that that was part of the point. If it wasn't for the fact that it was positioned right after verse 15, one and two. You just wouldn't get that from this parable. That there is this sort of like rhetorical SmackDown going on that I think is, is important for us to, to latch onto a little bit here. [00:49:18] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, why is our podcast not three hours? Because there's so much I want to say, so. I'm totally with you. I like what you brought up about this recklessness of God, and I'm with you. We shouldn't define that in the same way. Maybe we can modify it. I might say like His love is recklessly spend thrift. That is, we see when Paul says like God has lavished his love on us, like these big verbs that they are real. Yeah. It's not just hyper rip hyperbole or just like flowery language. And I think as you're speaking, what really occurred to me, what really kind of came through with what you're saying is, okay, what is this cost? Why is he so particular to go after this one? And I think it's because it's, he's looking for his sheep. So these are his children. Yes. It's not just, I think Christ is out in the world because he will find his children. He will find the one who is. His own. So he is looking for his own sheep. One of his, one of his fold. So like the sheep I might find in the world is the one that God has been seeking to save, even one of whom knows his name. That's like John 10, right? So one of, I think our problem is understanding this parable has to do with the when of our salvation. You know, we generally think it's at the time that, you know, we believe. The people are those given to God before the foundation of the world. And God sees us as his people before we were ever born, even before the world began. And when we believe it is just our Lord finding us as his last sheep and we're returned to the fold. So he always goes after that one. So we'll learn more. Like you said, when we look at Matthew's account about who are those other 90 nines. So we can set that aside, I suppose, for now. But it really is a matter of our status before Adam, before the fall, and then after Adam, after the fall, while all men fell with Adam. So also did God's people, which he had chosen before time began. And so this idea of going after the one is bringing back into the fold that who is his child though, who he has made a promise, a covenantal promise to bring into the kingdom of heaven. I was thinking as well of this amazing quote and like, what that all means about God's love for us, which again, is just more than like, isn't it nice that when you are out in

Mark 12 (NKJV)Andrew and Edwin learn hope and trust from a poor widow. They also recognize this chapter has been setting the stage for all the coming discussion about judgment on Jerusalem and the temple.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=23545The 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/ 

At a Mar a Lago wedding for his friend Mike Wilkerson, President Trump suddenly walked into the reception, saw Eric, and told the bride and groom, “This is the guy who is going to get me into heaven.” The clip went ultra viral, and a wave of online critics accused Eric of failing to share the gospel in that moment. In this episode, Eric explains what really happened in the noisy, chaotic room, why he answered the way he did, and how the reaction exposed what he calls a growing Pharisee spirit and an idol of evangelism in the church. He also responds to a recent Tucker Carlson comment about Bonhoeffer and clarifies why Bonhoeffer acted as he did from a Christian ethical framework. Later, Eric talks with groom Mike Wilkerson about the wedding itself and then with Kevin McCullough about Christian Solidarity International and how viewers can help free real slaves in Sudan.Sponsors:Christian Solidarity International: https://csi-usa.org/metaxas/MyPillow — Save BIG with code ERIC: https://www.mypillow.com/ten Boom Coffee— Save 10% with code ERIC: https://tenboom.coffee/Legal Help Center - Get Free Legal Help Today: https://www.legalhelpcenter.com/⏱️ TIMESTAMPS0:00 Intro2:23 Trump Heaven Comment Explained22:29 Mike Wilkerson Joins Show25:21 Inside The Wedding Moment34:08 Kevin McCullough Joins Show

In this Bible Story, Paul is saved from certain death by the judge of Jerusalem. The jews spit and spite Paul, planning to take his life. Yet Paul remains protected by God through the Roman legal system. This story is inspired by Acts 22:30-23:35. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Acts 23:3 from the King James Version.Episode 238: As Paul stood before the judge and a council of Pharisees, Sadducees, and Elders, he saw his opportunity to shift the attention from himself. He addressed the crowd in a loud voice saying that it was because of the hope of the resurrection from the dead that he was on trial. And at that, the crowd became divided, the Pharisees and Sadducees broke out into an argument so fierce that once again the judge had to send men to rescue Paul. While there in prison once again he received a word from God that He was sending him to Rome.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 HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fr. Mike highlights the boldness of Peter and John in our reading from Acts as they stand before the council of church leaders and defend the name of Jesus. He also addresses Paul's writings on God's grace given to us in our sinfulness and the war between good and evil present within ourselves. Today's readings are Acts 4, Romans 6-7, and Proverbs 27:4-6. 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.