Podcasts about Philistines

Life is not a straight line. At some point, living it fully will require you to walk by faith, and faith does not wait for perfect conditions. Faith moves on a maybe. In 1 Samuel 14, Israel is pressed down in a low place: a trembling king, six hundred frightened men, and only two swords in the whole nation. But one young man got tired of living in bondage. Jonathan had no burning bush, no prophecy, no open vision. He had one revelation: nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few. And that was enough to move on. You will either live your life based on your situation or your revelation. Your situation says stay put. Your revelation says move. Scriptures: 1 Samuel 14:1-16, 1 Samuel 14:2, 1 Samuel 14:4, 1 Samuel 14:6, 1 Samuel 14:7, 1 Samuel 14:11-12, 1 Samuel 14:15-16, 1 Samuel 17, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Matthew 14:22-33 Stay connected at https://calvaryfl.com

Spiritual Eyes of Faith (1) (audio) David Eells, 8/2/26  V. W. - 6/4/19 (David's notes in red) I had this dream where some of us of local UBM were in the living room of a house. Some of us were talking casually, sitting at a picnic table that was in the living room. My husband and I were sitting next to each other; Debbie Fenske was to the right, a little farther away. She was talking to us about the book we are reading in our Wednesday Bible studies, The Real Good News. (This book is about what the Gospel provides for those who overcome through faith.) She said something about the chapter we are in, and she had read a few chapters ahead. She was also very excited about the deliverance the Lord is doing now, and something about spiritual warfare. I remember seeing Joe D. (who has come here to visit) sitting in a chair diagonally across from her, smiling. As she was talking about the book, I knew we were now receiving “grants”. (For those who take part in the cleaning up process, the heavenly “grants” will come to those who have faith in the promises.) Then, when I woke up I thought of (Php.1:29) …to you it hath been granted in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer in his behalf. (Those who suffer with Jesus in our death to self will also reign with him through the grants. (2Ti.2:11) Faithful is the saying: For if we died with him, we shall also live with him: 12 if we endure, we shall also reign with him: if we shall deny him, he also will deny us. (Rev.2:26) And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give authority over the nations. All the promises we've been given from the Lord are past tense, so we see them as being “granted” already.) I thought about how a grant is a gift to be used for a specific purpose. And I searched the New Testament for the word ‘granted' and found these verses. (I added the Old Testament grants to overcomers.) It is amazing to see all the things the Lord is granting us now. Thank You, Father, for Your grace and for granting us to be delivered out of the hands of our enemies! Thank You for all the things You are giving us. May we use all You grant us for Your Kingdom and glory in Jesus name, Amen! (Luk.1:73-75) The oath which he sware unto Abraham our father, 74 To grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Should serve him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before him all our days. (Act.4:29) And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness. 30 while thy stretchest forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of thy holy Servant Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness. (Act.14:2) But the Jews that were disobedient stirred up the souls of the Gentiles, and made them evil affected against the brethren. 3 Long time therefore they tarried there speaking boldly in the Lord, who bare witness unto the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. (Act. 27:23-25) For there stood by me this night an angel of the God whose I am, whom also I serve, 24 saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must stand before Caesar: and lo, God hath granted thee all them that sail with thee. 25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even so as it hath been spoken unto me. (Rom.5:5) Now the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus: 6 that with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Gal.3:16) Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (And He grants to those who abide in Christ who are sons of Abraham by faith.) 17 Now this I say: A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not disannul, so as to make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no more of promise: but God hath granted it to Abraham by promise. (Eph.3:16-19) that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God. (2Pe.1:3-4) Seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue; whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. (1Ch.4:10) And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it be not to my sorrow! And God granted him that which he requested. And He will grant us this too. (2Ch.1:11) And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thy heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of them that hate thee, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: 12 wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee; neither shall there any after thee have the like. (Ezr.3:6) From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah: but the foundation of the temple of Jehovah was not yet laid. 7 They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and food, and drink, and oil, unto them of Sidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar-trees from Lebanon to the sea, unto Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia. (Trump as Cyrus is conquering D.S. Babylon and freeing the Christians and granting them expenses to build the true Temple. Its happening!) (Ezr.7:6) this Ezra went up from Babylon. And he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which Jehovah, the God of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of Jehovah his God upon him. 7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. 8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. … 13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and their priests and the Levites, in my realm, that are minded of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with thee. … 15 and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, 16 and all the silver and gold that thou shalt find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill-offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; (Just as above, Ezra was granted to lead the people of God out of Babylonish bondage with a grant from the King to build the temple of God, which is a type of God's people so it will be granted today.) (Est.5:8) If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to-morrow as the king hath said. (Esther the Bride was granted to save the people of God from the D.S. Beast kingdom and bring them to their spiritual Red Sea destruction so it will be today.) (Neh.2:7) Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the River, that they may let me pass through till I come unto Judah; 8 and a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the castle which appertaineth to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. (Again a grant from the King to rebuild the true Temple of God and so it will be in our day.) (Est.5:6) And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed. (So ask today, Bride, for whatever you need!) (Est.7:2) And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed. (The Bride is granted to be a joint heir with Christ.) (Est.8:11) wherein the king granted the Jews that were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, their little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey, (The Bride is granted to give authority to destroy the D.S. Beast kingdom.) (Est.9:12) And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done. 13 Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews that are in Shushan to do to-morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows. (The Bride is granted to give authority to utterly destroy the D.S. Beast kingdom.) (Job.10:12) Thou hast granted me life and lovingkindness; And thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. (Pro.10:24) The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; And the desire of the righteous shall be granted. 25 When the whirlwind passeth, the wicked is no more; But the righteous is an everlasting foundation. (Psa.20:4) Grant thee thy heart's desire, And fulfil all thy counsel. (Psa.119:29) Remove from me the way of falsehood; And grant me thy law graciously. 30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness: Thine ordinances have I set before me. 31 I cleave unto thy testimonies: O Jehovah, put me not to shame. 32 I will run the way of thy commandments, When thou shalt enlarge my heart. (Psa.140:7-11) O Jehovah the Lord, the strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. 8 Grant not, O Jehovah, the desires of the wicked; Further not his evil device, lest they exalt themselves. Selah. 9 As for the head of those that compass me about, Let the mischief of their own lips cover them. 10 Let burning coals fall upon them: Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, whence they shall not rise. 11 An evil speaker shall not be established in the earth: Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.   Abiding in Heavenly Places Alenna Timoshchuk - 12/17/21 (David's notes in red) I dreamt that my husband went to visit David Eells and Michael, but instead of visiting them where they lived now, he actually was visiting them in heaven. (Representing the first fruits Man-child ministers living in “heavenly places in Christ”.) None of them were dead; they were still alive on this earth, but it was like there was a lower part of heaven that was open to those who abide in Christ, and they could visit it, even though they were still alive on earth. (The first fruits come into perfection through Christ first by abiding with Him in heavenly places.) I got to see a bit of it as if I was looking through my husband's eyes and it looked like it was just above all the mountain peaks. (Looking through our husband's eyes represents seeing the way our heavenly husband Jesus sees. The Bride has the eyes of a dove, representing the Holy Spirit, just as her husband Jesus does. (Son.4:1) Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; Thine eyes are as doves behind thy veil. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, That lie along the side of mount Gilead. And (Son.5:12) His eyes are like doves beside the water-brooks, Washed with milk, and fitly set.) It had beautiful pine trees and rivers, and Michael and David lived in a beautiful large log cabin, a really fancy one. (For anyone who loves the outdoors and appreciates nature, this would be their dream place. Just the prettiest scenery you could ever imagine.) (I was shown in a vision years ago a tower of logs that represented the UBM ministry that the Lord was giving me. This log cabin represents the UBM ministry living the crucified life, represented by the cross timbers at the corners.) My husband stayed with them for three days, then came back to me and was just so excited, telling me all about it. He was saying how Michael (Meaning, “Who is like God”) held a staff in his hand, and if someone wanted to enter that part of heaven, then he'd hold it out, and if the color turned red, then the person could not enter because they were not abiding in Christ. But if it turned green, then they could go in. He told me how relieved he was when the staff turned green and not red. He started telling me about how wonderful and beautiful everything was up there. (The first fruits have very good discernment; the discernment of Jesus, and the wicked don't ever get past them. (2Co.10:6) and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full.) Then he pulled out a branch from a pine tree and gave it to me. It had the most beautiful aroma. I thought it was so sweet that he brought me a souvenir from heaven. (Pine trees are evergreens, and they represent everlasting life. Jesus is the Father of Eternity and the Branch. This is the gift or souvenir that Jesus has brought back to us with His resurrection. (Isa.9:6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father (Hebrew: Father of Eternity), Prince of Peace.) Then I told him, “I want to go so badly. I want to be in heaven.” And he smiled and hugged me and said, “Let's go for your birthday on March 6th. (3/6 or 3+6=9. Nine was the hour that Jesus died on the cross, and there are 9 fruits of the Spirit for those who have died to self. And, as in the natural, those who die get to go to heaven. Our birthday begins when we begin to die to our flesh by living the crucified life; then we begin to bear the fruits of the Spirit of God as He makes us a fully born again new creature in Christ.) Then he said, “Maybe then we can stay there for a month.” (30 days? Jesus was 30, as the Law states, when He began his ministry.) I was so excited! I knew it would be the best birthday I've ever had, but I worried a little that we wouldn't have enough money to not work for an entire month. (God will always make provision when He holds the green staff because we walk by faith to follow in His footsteps.) Then I woke up.   Seeing Others Through Faith Eve Brast - 06/13/08 (David's notes in red) The Shulamite bride in Song of Solomon had the eyes of a dove, meaning she saw things the way God's Spirit sees things. This dream teaches us to see others by faith as God does, to see that they have already been given godliness through Christ. This is the opposite of the way the faction views righteous people. (2Pe.1:2) Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue; 4 whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in that world by lust. Spiritual eyes see the end from the beginning. I had a dream that began in an indoor swimming pool area. The voice of David Eells was talking over my right shoulder throughout the whole dream. He was showing me different people and situations; people that I had wondered whether they were saved or would be saved, or if these people were making the right choices or living their lives the right way. These things had disturbed or concerned me throughout my life. (Rather than wonder about them, we should have faith for them to be saved. (Php.1:6) being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ: 7 even as it is right for me to be thus minded on behalf of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as, both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers with me of grace.) David would show me these different people. Some of them were close friends or family members; others were strangers whom I had never seen before, or people I had only had brief encounters with. I was walking on the right side of the pool. David's voice was talking over my shoulder in my right ear from behind me. Suddenly, I could hear the voices of my son Noah and his friend Nathan squabbling ... I walked up to them, not sure how to handle their squabble, and was frustrated with their childish foolishness ... Then David Eells walked over to both of them and, in a gentle way, started teaching them ... He calmed them with a gentle voice. Then he showed them how to…reconcile their differences. (Mat.5:9) Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.) Then the scene changed. David's voice was still in my right ear, teaching me. The more he taught me, the more my spiritual sight opened up, and I began to see these people the way God sees them or knows them, even when they are still living in sin or ignorance. (We have to be the peacemakers between the immature and teach them to let God be the judge between them.) The next scene was outdoors on some land that David owned... I drove up in a flatbed pick-up with food, plants, flowers and one small crate of special baby birds. I was contributing these things as a gift to UBM. (No buying and selling but giving and receiving.) All of us lived on his land and had our different positions and chores or things we were assigned to do, based on what we were good at. (Everyone will work according to their assigned gifts and abilities from God, Him working in them to will and to do of His good pleasure; this creates peace and rest.) ... The women and I carried all the food, plants and flowers into the greenhouse nursery to tend to them. I set the baby birds on the top right corner of a table in the center of the nursery. (Baby Christians in the nursery will grow up like the Father's planting.) One of the women who was older than me in her 50's with dyed, dark brown hair walked past the birds and looked down at them with presumptive irritation and said, “What are those?” I started to tell her, but she cut me off because her true intention was to make a point that she wasn't going to help me feed them or care for them. She said, “Well, I hope you don't expect me to take care of them”. I was offended at first by her presumptuousness. But David's voice on my shoulder explained to me why she said that, because that was not God's calling for her and then something amazing happened. All at once, I was able to see her heart attitude and knew this woman intimately as God saw her! All my anger just melted away …and I loved this woman and was so grateful for all she had done for UBM. I was shown how precious and valuable she was to God, and I cherished her like a hidden treasure! (Everyone will learn to appreciate individual callings and gifts as the people manifestly become the body of Christ. No one will do without, for the body will minister to itself as it was in the Book of Acts.) After this, the scene changed, and the plant nursery turned into my grandmother's house. It was Christmas, and there were gobs of Christmas décor everywhere. My mother's family was celebrating Christmas and standing around, eating and talking to one another. My grandmother was being the good hostess that she has always been, preparing food and asking everyone about themselves ... (In God's nursery, the babies can grow up out of their Babylonish traditions without condemnation.) Suddenly, I realized that my grandfather was there. (He passed away back in September 2007.) He was dressed in a colorful Christmas sweater and he looked so young and full of life! (Representing those who are immature, who are dead in their sins, can grow up out of Babylonish works.) My grandmother acted as if it were normal to have a dead man mulling around her house! My mom finally came in, and I rushed over to her in a panic and said, “Thank God you are here! Grandpa is alive! And he is running around here talking to everyone!” I was fearful and horrified. My mother was surprised and concerned. She didn't know what to do except pretend like everything was normal and talk to my grandpa like he was still alive. My mom and I were the only two who realized that my grandpa had died. (Resurrection life will come to those in immature Babylonish habits when we see them and talk to them as though they are alive from the dead and new creatures in Christ. (2Co.5:14) For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again. 16 Wherefore we henceforth know no man after the flesh: even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know [him so] no more. 17 Wherefore if any man is in Christ, [he is] a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new. 18 But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beseech [you] on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God. 21 Him who knew no sin he made [to be] sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him.) As I stood there, I could hear David's voice over my shoulder again, and it calmed me down, and my fear melted away. ... Then that amazing thing happened again! I started quietly observing my grandpa as he talked and interacted with the other family members. He was beautiful and radiant. He was kind and his heart was childlike. I saw him the way God had seen him! (Yes, by faith and renewed imagination as a new creature in Christ.) He was going around, really just pouring his soul into his children and grandchildren! I couldn't believe what a precious soul this was! (My grandpa used to be a very hard man in his younger years. When I was a child, I heard him and my father arguing as my dad tried to share the Gospel with him. A stream of obscenities would pour out of his mouth. He said he didn't need God. Later in his life, during his 60s, he had a change of heart. He got involved in a local Methodist church and went to Sunday school and church most Sundays and dragged my grandma along, who also got involved with that church. They were really serious about it all. (As baby Christians, we were all involved in a simplistic experience of Christianity, so we should love these as Christ loved us as His babies who are learning to walk -- at the same time correcting the system and leaders who would keep them as babes.) When he had been alive, I judged them for their denominational choice and what I viewed as a shallow, almost worthless relationship with God. (Babies play in the shallow end of the pool until they grow up. We must speak justification by faith to them to give them the joy and confidence of their salvation.) As I was observing my dead grandpa at this Christmas party, I was able to see his heart the way God saw him. It was incredible to me how I could feel how God felt and saw my grandpa! I saw that God cherished his childlike faith and his desire to help others understand things and mentor them, and his desire to help others with their projects. (We must see the immature as accounted righteous by faith.) At that moment, I knew that he was with the Lord and not in hell, as I had been concerned about it since his death. The scene changed again, and my grandmother's house turned into the apartment of two homosexual men. As I observed them, they couldn't see me. I was immediately disgusted that I was in their home. (We are forbidden to judge any of the lost, for they have not grace yet to obey and are in bondage, to be pitied [1 Cor.5:9-13].) I was fearful of some sort of defilement or something. These two men were nicely dressed. I listened to them talk. They had several Great Dane dogs that were running around in the backyard. I wasn't happy about those dogs. … As I was feeling threatened by these men and their dogs, I heard David's voice talking in my right ear again, and as I listened, the threat melted away, and I began to see these men's hearts. They had such compassion and loving kindness in their hearts! I watched them love and care for their animals, when suddenly I heard a knock at the door. One of the men went over to open the door. There was a naked man who was obese and hairy all over his body, sitting in a wheelchair with a colostomy bag taped to his lower abdomen that was filled with feces. He was homeless and needed a place to live and someone to help him change his colostomy bag every day. The sight of this man horrified me, and I doubted these men would take him in. I watched as they happily discussed the possibility between themselves and eagerly agreed to take this crippled, naked man into their home and take care of him! I was astounded at their love for other people, their compassion, and their blindness to the flaws of others. God showed me all the qualities that he had formed in their hearts, how He used the betrayal and rejection that they had experienced throughout their lives in order to form Christ in them! I was seeing the end from the beginning in these men (even though they were still in ignorance and lost in their sin). (Those who have been sinners and rejected can appreciate the acceptance of Christ through the Gospel. Some lost people have more of the nature of Christ than some Christians, but they are not justified through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus. In everyone whom God will ultimately draw and call to Himself, He prepares the soil by breaking it up through adverse circumstances and failure, so that through repentance and faith the seed of Christ is planted. Those who are forgiven of much are able to love much. (Luk.7:47) Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, [the same] loveth little.) God told me, “These are mine!” And they were so beautiful!! So perfect in heart! Such compassion that I had never seen or experienced before! It just made me want to weep. I felt defiled by my own attitudes and judgmental self-righteousness and was horrified at myself. David's words had helped me to see things and people the way that God saw them, in process. I was able to finally see my own heart clearly and repent to God. After this dream, seeing others the way God sees them became a permanent gift. (God sees us as a finished product from the beginning through Jesus' sacrifice, and we must do the same for others. As we forgive them, God forgives us. We can tell them the good news that they are free from sin. The repentant sinner will appreciate this greatly.) They looked so precious to me, and I just cherished each one in my heart like a rare jewel! I didn't see their sin anymore or their imperfections. I wasn't concerned about their immediate state or what they were planning to do that was sinful or wrong. I just saw the end from the beginning and felt such rest! (Seeing our loved ones through the sacrifice of Christ by faith gives us rest that God will do the work in them.) Not only did God settle my uncertainty about the salvation or spiritual condition of all the people whom I have prayed for or been “concerned” about in my family or other people's families, but He gave me the faith I needed to believe in the sanctification of others that we pray for and believe for their salvation. (When we pray for lost loved ones, we are commanded to believe we have received what we prayed for and see it as done. (Mar.11:24) Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received (in original Greek) them, and ye shall have them.) This has been an issue for me that I have worried over and struggled with a lot. These situations were representative of all the lost loved ones whom the saints of God are praying and believing for! Praise God for peace of mind and for His great mercy! To be balanced on this subject, we must not give grace to believers who walk in willful disobedience. (Heb.10:26) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. 28 A man that hath set at nought Moses law dieth without compassion on [the word of] two or three witnesses: 29 of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense. And again, the Lord shall judge His people.   Learning to Walk in the Spirit Winnie Osegueda - 1/25/22 (David's notes in red) In this dream, I was at my mom's house and there were quite a few different types of people of all colors and nationalities. (I believe this could be part of God's elect still stuck in the mother harlot Church.) There was a man who came into the house who looked like Brandy Arney when he was a bit younger. This man looked like a mix between Brandy Arney and the actor Daniel Craig, who plays James Bond. (Bond is a play on words representing the first fruits Man-child who are bonded together in the agape love of Christ to teach the woman, as Revelation 12 shows. The Man-child body of all nations teaches the woman to fight for the Kingdom like Bond fought for his.) I wanted him to come in because he was going to show me how real the spiritual realm is, and I invited him inside. He was wearing a white or light cream sweater as he stood across from me in front of my mom's front door. As “Brandy/Bond” stood there, I saw his spirit man come out of his body and I was blown away. I asked him how to do that, and he began to teach me. (This represents learning to walk in the Spirit and be led by the Spirit rather than walk in the flesh. (Rom.8:12-14) So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: 13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.) Then, as I stood there, my spirit man also came out of my body. This aspect of the dream felt so real. I literally felt myself leave my body. (living in the flesh no more) As I was “walking in the spirit,” I could see and feel my spirit man's arm and hand touch a white lady's sweater with ruffles on the shoulders that was folded over on the back seat of a wooden chair in my bedroom. I believe this sweater was for me. (These are the righteous acts of the saints that we are clothed with when we walk in the Spirit, denying our flesh.) (I see this dream as a parable of coming out of the flesh and walking in the Spirit, and how we are able, by faith, to put on the Lord's righteous garments.) Then I woke up. I asked the Lord for a couple of verses regarding myself in this dream and I received by faith at random: (Joh.3:12) If I told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things? (We walk in Heavenly things when we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.) And (Eph.4:14) (14-16 for context) that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; 15 but speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ; 16 from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.   Seeing Christ in the Mirror Marie Kelton - 1-28-22 (David's notes in red) During the night the Lord gave me a vision of my spiritual man in a dark place. (1Co.13:10-12) but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known.) She was wearing all white and standing in front of a vanity that was all white with a desk and a chair. My spiritual man was looking in the mirror and saw a black being there. I knew it was my flesh man in the mirror. (Jas.1:23-24) But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves. 23 For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: 24 for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.) My spiritual man broke the mirror by hitting it. (Because we cannot see the old man in the mirror, or we will not be justified by faith and not have the power to obey.) Then I saw the Lord standing next to my spiritual man in front of the vanity. (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.)   Get the Beam out of Your Own Eye C. P. - 1/15/22 (David's notes in red) In a vision, I saw a mist and heard the word “fumigate”. (Fumigate means to exterminate or disinfect using smoke or chemicals.) (I believe this mist is the prayers of the saints, as well as the Holy Spirit). Then in the mist I saw a wooden beam. (Mat.7:1-5) Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.) In the wooden beam, there was the tiniest little black speck, but as the mist continued to stay on the beam, the black speck became bigger until something wriggled out from the wooden beam. It looked like a newt or a small lizard. It was struggling to survive so it left. (The black newt or lizard can be the spirit of judgement, which hangs around with rejection and fear of rejection. These unclean spirits are curses from the evil one. All factious spirits of criticism, judgement, rejection, etc. leave when the fumigation mist of the saints' prayers comes. We need to be praying for our brothers and sisters! (1Th.5:23-25) And the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it. 25 Brethren, pray for us.) The prayers, both personal and collective, for ourselves and for others, are how we cast out the beam from our own eye. Then you can see the beam and what was in it. Our prayers to be cleansed from all unrighteousness are heard, and He will complete the good work He has started in each one of us! Praise God!) This vision greatly encouraged me, and I have been trying to use every opportunity in my daily disciplines to pray for others, even if it is in the Spirit with tongues. I asked the Lord if I should share this dream with the body to encourage everyone, and received by faith at random (Psa.65:5) of them that are afar off, so that's an affirmative! (In context 5-7) By terrible things thou wilt answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation, Thou that art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, And of them that are afar off upon the sea: 6 Who by his strength setteth fast the mountains, Being girded about with might; 7 Who stilleth the roaring of the seas, The roaring of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples.   The Lord is Cleansing His Body Winnie Osegueda - 9/20/21 (David's notes in red) I dreamt that I was at the house where we (UBM) meet locally. (Winnie here represents the Bride body that the Lord is faithfully attending to in order to get them cleaned up and ready for ministry during the 7 years of tribulation.) I was sitting on the couch that I normally sit on with my family, which is on the right of David. Instead of David sitting on the chair he normally sits in, however, he was sitting beside me. As David sat next to me, he turned into another man, whom I had not seen before. This man was regular-looking and was younger, but not too young. He also had a nice tan, like someone who'd been out in the sun often. (I believe this man was Jesus, but at the same time, he was also still David.) (Jesus and David 'merged together' represents the Lord through the David/Man-child body of ministers shepherding and caring for their flocks in faithfulness and love.) The man began to speak to me and told me that when I sing, it sounds very beautiful to the Lord. (Our praise and worship are not just songs that we sing to the Lord, but we worship Him with the sacrifice of our lives through obedience to His Word and taking up our cross daily to follow Christ in our suffering of death to self. (Joh.4:23) But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers. The Greek word for worship here is Proskuneo, meaning to “kiss towards.” i.e. an act of love towards God is worship. This could include praise, singing, or what we normally think of as worship or other acts of love towards Him and our fellow man.) (For the morning prayer meeting on the morning that I received this dream, the verses I got by faith at random were the story of the woman with the alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which I received confirmation of when Chuc received the same story in a different gospel the following day or two. (Mar.14:3) And while he was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster cruse of ointment of pure nard very costly; and she brake the cruse, and poured it over his head. (This was an act of love toward the Lord.) (I believe this could be symbolic of giving the Lord our all and holding nothing back.) Winnie went on to say: He also said that He hears my pain and that it echoes through the kingdom. In the dream, I knew immediately that it meant I needed to cast my burdens onto the Lord. When the man said this to me, the thought came to me that I had to lay down my pain and give it to the Lord. (When we allow the enemy to inflict his pain upon us by receiving his fiery darts, it affects the whole body of Christ, and everyone suffers when one is suffering. This is how it echoes through His Kingdom.) The man also said to me, “Can't you see the angels around you?” I looked up and saw several angels above me, almost forming a circle. (Psa.91:11) For he will give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. (Psa.34:7) The angel of Jehovah encampeth round about them that fear him, And delivereth them.) (We must keep our angels who are assigned to go forth for us into battle against our enemies employed. (Heb.1:14) Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation?) As this man was talking to me, I could see his eyes were very kind, and they also teared up. The man had a lot of compassion, and as he was telling me all these things, my eyes began to well up with tears. As a tear began to fall down my left cheek, the man reached over to wipe it away. As he wiped away my tear, he also began to rub a black spot off of my face. (Jesus not only came to wipe away our sorrows and give us His joy and freedom, but He also came to take away all our sins, spots, and blemishes.) A feeling of shame tried to creep up on me, as if I did not want the man to look too closely at my faults and flaws. (Shame and condemnation will keep us trapped in a prison and an endless cycle, and we will not be effective for the Kingdom of God if we stay in this state.) Then I woke up suddenly. The verse that came to me as I was typing this was: (Eph.5:25-27) Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it; 26 that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, 27 that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. This is a work that the Lord will complete in us, and all we have to do is repent and believe. (1Jn.1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  I asked the Lord if I should share this dream with the body and received by faith at random: (Eph.2:21-22) in whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit. (I thought this was a pretty good confirmation.) (I believe, and also Winnie, that when the Lord removed the black spot, she was representing the Body.)   Loving the Hidden Treasure Eve Brast - 07/30/2016 (David's notes in red) I dreamed that my son Elijah and I were in the basement of a greenhouse where David and Michael lived. It was painted forest green. (I believe Father is using a word play here for a greenhouse where plants are nurtured and protected from the harsh elements.) (This is what we do. Eve represents the Bride of the “last Adam”. Elijah means “my God is YAHWEH”, meaning “my mighty one is YAHWEH”. Those who trust in God's strength to do their works.) The basement had a dirt floor, and the dream started with Elijah and me pulling up a large golden crate out of the ground that had been unearthed. (An obvious hidden treasure in the UBM house. The golden ark of the covenant.) We opened the lid and golden light shone forth from its contents. I don't know who had unearthed it, but he and I were excited to carry it upstairs and show it to our brethren. It was surprisingly lightweight and wasn't at all hard to carry up the basement stairs. (God's hidden treasures are Jesus' light burden. His treasures put faith in us, which gives His power to bear any burden.) Elijah and I brought it and set it on the threshold between the living room and dining room, and I knelt in front of it as Elijah moved around to the other side in the dining room next to Michael Hare. I thought in the dream that it was a “hope chest”. (A hope chest is something that young girls used to have in the old days, where they would store things away for the time when they would be married.) (Representing a treasure hidden for Eve, as a type of the Bride's marriage.) There was a well-lit kitchen off to my right and in front of us, where David was busy preparing something for us all to eat. (Jesus said we must eat His body and He is the Word made flesh, the manna from Heaven that the fleshly tire of, for they value flesh.) Several brethren were standing behind me, waiting to see what was inside the crate. They seemed perturbed at us for bringing the crate up out of the basement. (These are not one spirit with the Bride because of a critical spirit. They are not in one accord to prepare for the coming outpouring.) It's hard to explain, but I could see things through their eyes, as well as my own view. I was going back and forth between what I was seeing and what they were seeing and thinking. Once I knelt down in front of the golden crate, I was then inside the minds of those behind me. I saw myself through their eyes kneeling down in front of an ugly, old wooden crate that had mud and dirt on it. (They do not value the treasure of the Bride as she and the Groom do.) When I opened the crate, the people stepped forward, and when they looked inside, they saw nothing but a small piece of white paper lying on the floor of the upper right-hand corner of the crate. It looked like the corner of a larger piece of white paper that had been torn away. (They don't see the whole page but only a small portion. God gives knowledge and wisdom to those who will use it. He does not give the hidden treasure to those who are only hearers and not doers because they would just be more condemned for not obeying.) They began to make critical comments and think critical things about the crate. They said, “There is nothing in there but a little piece of trash! Why did you drag that old thing up here?” (They who speak against the gifts and Word of God become defiled by what they speak. (Mat.15:18) But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings: 20 these are the things which defile the man... The righteous treasure everything that comes from God. Those who are satisfied with the world don't hunger for the things of God. (Pro.27:7) The full soul loatheth a honeycomb; But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. (Psa.17:15) As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with beholding thy form.) At the same time, I was able to see myself opening the crate through my own eyes, and when I opened it, Elijah, Michael, and I saw that same warm, beautiful golden light come shining forth out of it again. We saw a rich, golden crate and, as we watched, two silver trays of thinly sliced sourdough bread came rising up out of the light. (Sourdough represents “bitter in the belly” or flesh. The bread of Heaven is the light, and it is Christ. Search for Him as for treasure. (Pro.2:3) Yea, if thou cry after discernment, And lift up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seek her as silver, And search for her as for hid treasures: 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, And find the knowledge of God.) One side was completely full of bread, and the other side still had a third of its bread left on the tray. (Two tablets in the ark that were placed there with a bowl of manna and Aaron's rod.) (Both the manna and the tables represent the bread of the Word: (Heb.9:4) ... the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was a golden pot holding the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant...) I said in amazement, “Look at that!” But the people behind me asked, “Look at what? There is nothing there!” Then I heard Father say to me in my right ear, “My promises and entrance into My Kingdom are obtained by faith, but they (meaning the ones behind me) only walk by sight. They can't see what you see.” Michael then gestured with an open hand toward the two trays of bread floating in front of me, cocked his head to the side and said, “Y'all have got two days to eat this bread or else it's going to go bad and we'll have to throw it out! Now get to eatin.'” (Those who saved the bread for another day, saw it go bad. Eat it now or lose it. In Exodus 16, what was the manna that was given? Actually, the word given in Exodus 16 for manna is the word “man”. Look at your footnote at the bottom of the page. The footnote says “man”. Do you know who that man was? The man who came down out of Heaven and gave life to the world. The one we have to eat in order to have life. It is Jesus, the Word. How do you eat Jesus and have life? You have to consume Him. He is the Word made flesh. The Word has to go into you and become a part of your being. How does it do that? You have to believe and obey it. This is exactly what the Word says: (Exo.16:4) Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you... Jesus said, “I am the bread that came down out of heaven for you”. Exodus continues, 4 ... and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in My law, or not. What is it to eat your portion every day? It is to walk in God's Word. He is proving them to see if they will walk in His law. We are supposed to partake of God's Word and walk in it every day. Did you know that for six days they went out and gathered the manna? When they tried to store it up, it bred worms; but when they gathered it for the seventh day, it did not breed worms. What does six mean? Six means “man” and what is earthly and worldly. Seven means rest for those who believe it.) At this point, I had a vision of a flock of Mallard ducks outside the house waiting for that molded bread that had not been eaten after the two days were up, to be tossed to them. (Ducks are waterfowl.) (The bread of the Word is to bring us into the resurrection life of Christ on the third day. (Luk.13:32) And he said unto them, Go and say to that fox, Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I am perfected.) I picked up a slice of bread from the tray that had one-third of the bread left and took a bite. It was good but really sour. The people behind me were angry and were asking, “What bread? What are you talking about?!” They couldn't understand because they didn't have the faith to see what was right in front of them. All they saw was the natural state of that crate and all the negative things. They couldn't even see the bread to eat it. (Luk.8:10) And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to the rest in parables; that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. (Mat.11:25) At that season Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes... Notice that the treasures are hidden from those who are wise in their own eyes. At this point, I was sad for them and felt alone. I obediently kept eating the bread, but I asked Michael, “How am I going to eat all this myself? I'm only one person.” (Those who love the hidden manna are one in Christ.) He didn't answer; he only smiled at me because I was helping to eat the bread so that it wouldn't go bad. Then I woke up. When I woke up from this dream, I asked Father for a verse or text for this dream and received Acts 1:12 (12-26). This is also the verse I gave at the morning prayer meeting. This text talks about the need for us to be in one accord (for the outpouring) as God replaces Judas with another who is faithful to eat the bread. I asked Father for a verse for the critical brethren behind me and received (Pro.8:13) The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate. This whole chapter is an excellent parable for this dream!   Why Die Walking After the Flesh? Suani Guzman - 03/01/2011 (David's notes in red) I asked the Lord for a dream, and He gave me a very good one. There was a woman whose name was Delilah (meaning “weakened, uprooted or impoverished”) who had lost her son. (She was weakened and uprooted because she lost her spiritual man or fruit of the womb of her heart, as in the parable of the sower. How can we lose our spiritual man or fruit? (Jud.12) Twice dead plucked up by the roots. Jesus said in (Joh.15:2) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away.) Some Christians gathered to pray about finding the boy. (Praying for her to find her fruit again.) They were waiting for me to finish washing my teeth. (Son.6:6) Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes, Which are come up from the washing; Whereof every one hath twins, And none is bereaved among them. Each tooth has its opposite so that a person may be well fed spiritually. (Gen.49:12) His eyes shall be red with wine, And his teeth white with milk. The teeth must be washed with the milk of the Word. In this way, clean teeth mean clean spiritual food of the Word.) My son began to pray a mellow prayer, and I felt that prayer wouldn't do it. I started to pray with power and faith. We finished and went on the search. I think the boy's name was Elijah (“my God is YHWH”) and his father's name was Onesimus, a carpenter, who was a very good father. (Onesimus was the runaway slave who met Paul and became “profitable or helpful”, as his name means, when he brought forth the fruit of the spiritual man, his son.) I found an old man who was attaching a boy to a pallet. (The old man had taken the spiritual man captive. It's called walking in the flesh. A pallet is for moving merchandise around. So the old man makes merchandise of the spiritual man, much like false ministers do.) I went over to him and took the boy off and grabbed him. I put the old man on my side like carrying a baby (We must take the old man where he would not go, as Jesus said to Peter) and asked him, “Where is the boy, and who do you work for?” He wouldn't say. I said with a firm determination, “I will win”; then he said, “You already won.” (Through Jesus, we have already won against the old man, who works for the flesh and the devil. (Gal.2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, [the faith] which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. (Gal.5:24) And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof.) While still carrying the old man, I noticed the empty packaging of what he had been using to attach the boy, and I picked it up. I read the label, hoping to trace it to the kidnappers. The price tag read “Humble Oct. 6-11”. (The Lord paid the price to set us free from this bondage above. And the old man will pay a terrible price for taking authority over the spiritual man. What is “Humble Oct.6-11”? This is the opposite of and solution for what happened above when the old man took authority over the spiritual man. This symbolizes the 10th month or book, 6th chapter, 11th verse (Watch this formula), which is (2Sa.6:11) And the ark of Jehovah remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months: and Jehovah blessed Obed-edom, and all his house. A Gittite is a Philistine of the city of Gath. This is the old man of the flesh that dwells in the land. When the flesh is “Humble”ed, as Obed was under David, and serves the spiritual man, who is the ark of God's presence, he is blessed. The very next verse says that the ark was taken to the city of David, which is Zion, the Bride. 12 And it was told king David, saying, Jehovah hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. And David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with joy. It is the most joyful thing for the ark of God's presence to rest in the Holy of Holies of our spiritual man in the Holy City. In the time of Eli, the ark was taken captive under the authority of the Philistines or fleshly man in 1 Samuel 4-6, and it brought a curse to all their cities so much that they returned it under the authority of the spiritual man, Israel. So when we walk in the flesh, we bring these curses on us, but when the spiritual man is in the lead, we are blessed. The moral of the story is so perfectly written in (Rom.8:12) So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: 13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. This warfare against the gods that rule over the flesh man and seek to bring under subjection the spiritual man is spoken of in the New Testament, (Here it is again) 10th book, 6th chapter, 11th verse: (Eph.6:11) Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. Amen.

#top .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-df6f01107eca46217f6892a3152522f4{ padding-bottom:10px; } body .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-df6f01107eca46217f6892a3152522f4 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{ font-size:25px; } .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-df6f01107eca46217f6892a3152522f4 .av-subheading{ font-size:15px; } Through My Bible Yr 03 – August 01Amos 6 LISTEN HERE Through My Bible – August 01 Amos 6 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0801db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Judgment Against Complacency 1 Woe to [1] you who are complacent in Zion, you who feel secure on Mount Samaria,     you distinguished people of the leading nation,     to whom the house of Israel comes. 2 Travel to Kalneh and look.     Go from there to Hamath Rabbah,     and go down to Gath of the Philistines.     Are you better than those kingdoms?     Are their territories greater than your territory? [2] 3 You who are trying to put off the evil day,     you bring near the session for violence! 4 Those who lie on ivory beds,     sprawling upon their couches,     eating lambs from the flock     and calves straight from the stall, 5 improvising tunes on the lyre,     composing music for themselves on musical instruments like David, 6 drinking large bowls of wine—     they slather [3] themselves with the most expensive perfumed oils,     but they do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. 7 That is why they will go into exile as the first of the exiles.     Those who sprawl out at their feasts for the dead will depart. Certain Destruction for Proud Israel 8 The Lord God swears by himself,     declares the Lord, the God of Armies:     I detest the pride of Jacob,     and I hate his citadels,     so I will hand over the city and everything in it. 9 If ten men happen to survive in one house, they will die. 10 When a relative who burns the bodies [4] comes to take away the bones from the house, he will say to whoever remains in the recesses of the house, “Is there anyone else still with you?” And they will say, “No one.” And he will say, “Silence! For you must not invoke the name of the Lord!” [5] 11 Look, the Lord is indeed giving a command, and he will smash the largest house into fragments and the smallest house into splinters. 12 Do horses run on a rocky cliff?     Does anyone plow the sea with an ox? [6]     Yet you turn justice into poison     and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood. 13 You are rejoicing over Lo Debar.     You are saying, “Was it not by our strength that we captured Karnaim for ourselves?” 14 Indeed, I am about to raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel,     declares the Lord, the God of Armies.     They will oppress you from Lebo Hamath to the Canyon of the Arabah. [7] Footnotes Amos 6:1 Or how terrible it will be for Amos 6:2 The line of thought is difficult to follow here. The context seems to require that the two lines of the verse be parallel statements, each of which requires the answer “no.” The context therefore seems to call for reversing the second comparison, but there is no manuscript evidence to support such a switch. Amos 6:6 Literally anoint, but the reference is not to anointing to office. Amos 6:10 Or who prepares bodies for burial Amos 6:10 Verses 9 and 10 are difficult. Translations vary greatly. Amos 6:12 The translation follows a re-division of a word of the Hebrew text. The main Hebrew text reads does one plow with oxen, a reading which calls for the answer “yes,” but which does not fit the context. Another solution is to repeat the object rocky cliff from the first half of the verse: does one plow a rocky cliff with oxen? Amos 6:14 Lebo Hamath is far to the north in Syria. The Arabah is the rift between the mountains of Edom and the mountains of Sinai, south of Israel. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-aocsdx-89cb4ca21532423cf697fc393b6fcee0{ height:10px; } The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-4vzadh-3f04b370105df1fd314a2a9d83e55b26{ height:50px; } Share this entryShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

Welcome to our 200th Episode. During the last 5 years, we have released 200 talks covering 175 complete chapters of the King James Bible, studying each chapter verse-by-verse and word-by-word.Today we reach 1 Samuel 21, with David in a truly desperate state, fleeing from King Saul, who is determined to kill him. David first goes to Nob, the town of the priests, where he begs for bread and a sword. Then he goes to Gath, the town of his enemy, the Philistine champion Goliath, hoping for a safe place of refuge from Saul's anger. On the way, there's deceit, and fear and danger, and the chapter doesn't show David at his best. But even so, David is learning a deeper trust in God too, and his experiences in this chapter provided the inspiration for two of the Psalms, Psalm 56 and 34.Please also visit our website, usefulbible.com

The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com Garth Heckman   Point 4:  Pain Trains, It Doesn't Just Test Greek: γυμνάζω (gymnazo) — Hebrews 12:11: "no discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness for those who have been trained (gymnazo) by it."    Samuel 30 - David has been on the run for 14 years from King Saul… now they get sent packing from the Philistines… “not good enough”. They get back to camp and all of their wives, children, goods, food everything was taken by the Amakelites.  His men have had it… they want to stone him. V. 6 But David found strength in the LORD THIS IS DAVID IN TRAINING -  HE found strength   And he wrote Psalm 13 Psalm 13: 1 O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? 2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? 3 Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. 4 Don't let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don't let them rejoice at my downfall. 5 But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. 6 I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me   This verse is from David in the midst of his final crushing painful experience running from Saul…   He is ready to give up… his life. Literally… I'll just let them kill me!    But he goes to God… seeks his guidance. - what should I learn from this pain… They go and kill the Amalekites and not only get everything back but more….   HERE IS THE POINT HE WAS ONLY MONTHS AWAY FROM BEING KING!     What is around your corner of pain?

Tony Alamo with Tony Alamo World Wide Ministries Kingdom Life Over Democracy: Repentance, Authority, and the Word That Rules Forever Ep230 How To Have Gods Life Living In You Part 128: Tony Alamo continues How to Have God's Life Living in You with gospel music, international listener letters, ministry updates, doctrinal teaching, warnings about rebellion and false authority, and a call for listeners to repent, receive Christ, and live under the kingdom of heaven rather than the changing laws of man. Gospel Music, Ministry History, and a Call to Repentance In this Tony Alamo program, How to Have God's Life Living in You — Part 128, Tony Alamo opens Program 230 with a recorded song and references to Gary S. Paxton, Kris Kristofferson, and the ministry's earlier television history. He recalls the ministry's work with hippies on Hollywood Boulevard, its broadcasts from Los Angeles and other locations, and his belief that God called the ministry to preach repentance and the kingdom of heaven. The corrected transcript notes that claims, religious opinions, political statements, accusations, and doctrinal assertions are preserved as speaker statements and were not independently verified. Letters From Italy, Angola, India, and Zimbabwe A major part of the episode features Sharon reading listener letters from Italy, Angola, India, and Zimbabwe. These correspondents thank the ministry for literature, ask for Bibles and teaching materials, describe missionary needs, and report that Tony Alamo's newsletters and broadcasts are influencing people in their communities. Tony responds by emphasizing the ministry's reported international outreach, the need for gospel workers, and the importance of supplying Bibles, literature, tapes, concordances, food, clothing, water, and other practical support to people he describes as strong Christians in desperate conditions. Africa, Missions, and Practical Ministry Support Tony spends extended time discussing Africa after the Angola letter, describing needs for clean water, toilets, food, medicine, clothing, gospel literature, and missionary assistance. He says the ministry has purchased water tanks, tools, and supplies while looking for ways to provide drinking water and support evangelism. He contrasts what he presents as real missionary work with televised prosperity-style preaching, arguing that genuine Christians in poorer regions are not asking for luxury, but for Bibles, food, water, and the means to spread the gospel. These claims should remain framed as Tony's ministry statements rather than independently verified reporting. Warnings About Judgment, Nations, and End-Time Deception The episode then shifts into a more confrontational sermon on judgment, Scripture, government, war, disease, media, and religious institutions. Tony references Matthew 24, Judges 13, the Philistines, Israel, Rome, the United Nations, the Vatican, presidents, terrorism, Waco, the World Trade Center, and other controversial topics. He uses these themes to argue that when people or nations reject God's Word, God may turn them over to wicked authorities or destructive consequences. Because the transcript flags historical, political, medical, legal, and religious claims for verification, these sections should be treated strictly as Tony's statements and doctrinal assertions. Democracy Versus the Kingdom of Heaven The central theological contrast is between democracy and the kingdom of heaven. Tony argues that democracy allows people to assert their own opinions and change laws, while the kingdom of heaven requires submission to God's unchanging Word. He teaches that God's laws cannot be voted on, revised, or protested, and he links rebellion against divine authority to Adam and Eve's original sin. In his view, believers must leave the mindset of worldly democracy and begin thinking, speaking, and living as citizens of the kingdom of God. Authority, Rebellion, and the Bible as the Standard Sharon reads teaching material about humanity's resistance to being ruled, the sinful nature inherited from Adam and Eve, and God's ultimate authority. Tony responds by arguing that true authority belongs to God and to those who preach the gospel, not to governments or institutions that oppose the Bible. He challenges common interpretations of authority in Scripture, rejects reincarnation, describes demonic influence as the explanation for certain spiritual phenomena, and insists that Christians must judge all things according to God's Word. The Bible remains the controlling standard for his message, and obedience to it is presented as the only path away from rebellion. Salvation Prayer and Closing Invitation Tony closes by telling listeners that they need to understand the kingdom-of-heaven life, turn away from the world's systems, and come to Christ. He presents Jesus as loving, saving, and able to give rest to those who are burdened. The episode ends with a salvation prayer in which listeners are led to confess sin, affirm belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and God come in the flesh, believe in His resurrection, invite Him into the heart, and thank Him for saving the soul. Sharon then gives ministry contact information for receiving Program 230 on CD or audio tape, and the broadcast closes with another recorded song.

“So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.” (I Samuel‬ ‭17‬:‭50‬)

In this episode of El Niño Speaks, José Niño and Based Meth Addict (Isaac) trace the 4000 year history connecting ancient Israelites, Philistines, and Judeans to modern-day Palestinians and Jews, dismantling popular but historically inaccurate narratives pushed by both the online left and mainstream discourse.Follow Based Meth Addict here: Substack: Twitter: https://x.com/methadvocateNEXT: If you liked the show, feel free to continue supporting my work. Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/josenino This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.josealnino.org/subscribe

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0729db.mp3 Listen to Bible reading Through My Bible Yr 03 – July 29 Amos 1 – 2 Amos 1 1 The words of Amos, who was among the sheep breeders [1] from Tekoa. He saw a vision concerning Israel during the days of Uzziah king of Judah and during the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 2 He said:     The Lord roars from Zion.     From Jerusalem he sends out his voice.     The pastures of the shepherds dry up, [2]     and the top of Mount Carmel withers. Judgment Against Aram 3 This is what the Lord says:     Because of three sins [3] of Damascus,     because of four, I will not hold back judgment,     because they cut up Gilead with iron threshing boards. [4] 4 So I will send fire against the house of Hazael,     and it will consume the fortresses of Ben Hadad. 5 I will break the bars of the gates of Damascus,     and I will cut off the one seated in the Valley of Aven,     and the one who holds a scepter in Beth Eden. [5]     So the people of Aram will go into exile toward Kir. [6]     The Lord has spoken. Judgment Against Philistia 6 This is what the Lord says:     Because of three sins of Gaza,     because of four, I will not hold back judgment,     because they sold an entire population into exile,     handing them over to Edom. 7 So I will send fire against the city wall of Gaza,     and it will consume her citadels. 8 I will cut off the one seated in Ashdod,     and the one who holds a scepter in Ashkelon.     I will also turn my hand against Ekron,     and what is left of the Philistines will perish.     The Lord God has spoken. Judgment Against Canaan 9 This is what the Lord says:     Because of three sins of Tyre,     because of four, I will not hold back judgment,     because they delivered over an entire population and exiled them to Edom,     and they did not remember a treaty of brotherhood. 10 So I will send fire against the city wall of Tyre,     and it will consume her citadels. Judgment Against Edom 11 This is what the Lord says:     Because of three sins of Edom,     because of four, I will not hold back judgment,     because he [7] pursued his brother with a sword,     and he had no compassion. [8]     His anger kept tearing Israel apart,     and his fury raged without stopping. 12 So I will send fire against Teman,     and it will consume the citadels of Bozrah. Judgment Against Ammon 13 This is what the Lord says:     Because of three sins of the Ammonites,     because of four, I will not hold back judgment,     because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their own territory. 14 So I will ignite a fire against the city wall of Rabbah,     and it will consume her citadels         with a battle cry on the day of war,         with a strong wind on the day of the storm. 15 Then their king will go into exile,     he and his officials together.     The Lord has spoken. Judgment Against Moab Amos 2 1 This is what the Lord says: Because of three sins of Moab,     because of four, I will not hold back judgment,     because they burned the bones of the king of Edom to make lime. 2 So I will send fire against Moab,     and it will consume the citadels of Kerioth.     Moab will die in an uproar,     with a battle cry, with a blast of a ram's horn. 3 I will cut off the judge [9] from her midst,     and I will kill all her officials with him.     The Lord has spoken. Judgment Against Judah 4 This is what the Lord says:     Because of three sins of Judah,     because of four, I will not hold back judgment,     because they rejected the law of the Lord,     and they did not keep his statutes.     Their lying idols led them astray,     the idols that their fathers followed. 5 So I will send fire against Judah,     and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem. Judgment Against Israel 6 This is what the Lord says:     Because of three sins of Israel,     because of four, I will not hold back judgment,     because they sell the righteous for silver     and the needy for a pair of sandals. 7 They trample the heads of the poor into the dust of the earth,     and they turn aside the claims of the oppressed.     A man and his father go to the same young woman.     In this way they profane my holy name. 8 They stretch themselves out beside every altar         on pieces of clothing they seized as collateral.     In the temple of their gods they drink wine obtained through fines. 9 I was the one who destroyed the Amorites in front of them,     the Amorites, who were as tall as cedars,     who were as strong as oaks.     I destroyed their fruit above and their roots below. 10 I myself brought you up from the land of Egypt,     and I led you in the wilderness for forty years,         so that you would take possession of the land of the Amorites. 11 I raised up some of your sons to be prophets,     and some of your best young men to be Nazirites.     Is this not so, you people of Israel? declares the Lord. 12 But you made the Nazirites drink wine,     and you commanded the prophets, “You must not prophesy!” 13 Look, I am weighed down under you,     just as a cart is weighed down when it is loaded with sheaves of grain. [10] 14 There will be no escape for the swift runner.     The powerful man will not be able to exert his strength,     and the strong warrior will not be able to save his own life. 15 The archer will not stand his ground.     The swift runner will not save himself,     and the horseman will not save his own life. 16 The most courageous among the warriors will flee naked on that day,     declares the Lord. Footnotes Amos 1:1 Or ranchers Amos 1:2 Or mourn Amos 1:3 Or crimes Amos 1:3 A threshing board or threshing sledge is similar to a toboggan, but it has iron teeth protruding from the bottom. It is dragged over piles of grain to cut up the straw and release the kernels of grain. Amos 1:5 Valley of Aven and Beth Eden mean Valley of Wickedness and House of Pleasure. They may be figurative names for the region around Damascus. Amos 1:5 The location of Kir is unknown. It probably lies far to the north or east. Amos 1:11 Edom is referred to by the singular he because it is also a name of Jacob's brother Esau. Amos 1:11 Or he destroyed pregnant women Amos 2:3 Or ruler Amos 2:13 The meaning of the verse is uncertain. It may mean I will weigh you down as a cart is weighed down. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

(This podcast was previously published on September 7, 2021)   Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...   2 Peter 2:9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:  

God Will Not Be Dismissed (1 Samuel 6:1-9) The sermon examines the Philistines' seven-month struggle with the Ark of the Covenant to illustrate that God cannot be dismissed or treated as a mere mechanism for relief. It contrasts their desire to simply remove pain with the necessity of genuine reconciliation and submission to God's authority. The preacher warns against inventing human remedies for guilt, emphasizing that only Christ's sacrifice provides true atonement rather than superficial religious adjustments. A critical theme is the danger of hardening one's heart despite clear evidence of God's hand, urging immediate obedience over delayed or intellectualized responses. Ultimately, the message calls believers to acknowledge God's glory and justice, seeking a softened heart rather than just a changed circumstance.

“But the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them . . . . Then Samuel took a stone . . . a... More...

Today we finish up our series, Who is King?, in 1 Samuel. In the final chapter of 1 Samuel, Saul and his sons die in a battle against the Philistines, as the prophet Samuel warned King Saul just a few chapters earlier. Pastor AJ highlights three points from the chapter: 1) Earthly kingships only end one way. 2) What we do affects others. 3) Our lives answer the question, “Who is King?”.

What happens when a nation substitutes genuine spiritual alignment with mechanical, "magic box" religion? In this episode on Shmuel I, Chapter 4, we dive straight into one of the darkest, most pivotal chapters in Tanakh: the total collapse at Even HaEzer.After losing 4,000 soldiers in an initial clash with the Philistines, Israel's elders ask the right question—why did we lose?—but jump to the worst possible answer. Instead of seeking Shmuel's direction or engaging in introspection, they decide to drag the Ark of the Covenant onto the battlefield, treating the throne of God like a divine cheat code to force His hand.Key moments unpacked in this episode:The Magic Jew Box Fallacy: Why bringing the Ark to the front lines backfired, and how mechanical ritual differs from true relationship with Hashem.Behind Enemy Lines: The Philistines' pagan panic over the "mighty gods" of Egypt turning into a raw, survivalist battle cry: "Be men, Philistines!"The "Flishtim" Linguistic Shift: Textual ironies in the Hebrew that reveal why Israel was crushed—not because their enemy was invincible, but because God withdrew His backing.The Secret Marathon: The Midrashic layer behind the runner from Benjamin (Shaul) snatching the tablets from Goliath to save the "power pack."The Fall of the House of Eli: The avalanche of tragedy as 30,000 soldiers fall, the Ark is captured, Eli breaks his neck, and a dying mother gives birth to Ichabod (I-chavod)—sealing the end of the Shiloh era.A deep, narrative-driven breakdown of dramatic irony, national psychology, and the stark lesson that God will let His own symbols fall into enemy hands before He lets His people treat Him like a magic charm.

Send us Fan MailIf you've ever had that sinking moment where you realise you're drifting again, this conversation sits right in that tension and refuses to stay vague. We pick up the story around 1 Samuel 7 and trace Israel's rise and fall under Philistine pressure, not as ancient history, but as a mirror for our own patterns. The question underneath it all is simple and confronting: when you're stressed, busy, or disappointed, what do you turn to first, and what does that reveal about your devotion?We talk about faith as something that grows, not something you either “have” or “don't”. Starting with the mustard seed picture, we unpack how every person is given a measure of faith and how maturity comes through a real relationship with God, not a perfect record. Along the way we share a personal wake-up call from a season of being in a wheelchair and what it exposed about a one-sided spiritual life. If you want practical Christian encouragement that stays honest about setbacks, this will land.From there we get uncomfortably specific about modern idols. Footy culture, money, weekend plans, and “I'll get to God later” can quietly take first place, even when we'd never call them idols out loud. We also break down the covenant pattern that helps the Old Testament make sense: blessing when hearts return, consequences when people rebel, and mercy when they repent. We close on Samuel's intercession, the power of prayer and fasting, and why the new covenant in Jesus Christ means direct access to the Father without needing an earthly mediator.If this helped you take stock of your priorities, share it with a mate, subscribe for the next conversation, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What's the one thing you need to change to grow closer to God?Good morning, good afternoon, wherever you are in the world - Welcome to Grapevine Ministries. Support the showPlease feel free to check out my first publication, it is also available on Google and Amazon Books. https://www.xlibris.com/en-au/search?query=Phillip+Barker

As we look down through this passage and examine all the various pieces of armor which Christ has given us, we remember that there are certain pieces which are worn as clothing, which we "put on" in verses 14 and 15, and there are certain pieces which we "take up" found in verses 16-18. There are 3 of each. We find that of those that we take up, only one of them is a weapon and that is our focus this afternoon. The weapon of choice for every Christian is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. I think that it will do us well to remember that prayer is not a weapon but rather the offering up of our desires to God for things agreeable to His will. It is communication; a request for help and reinforcements for ourselves and others who are soldiers in the spiritual battle. We are not to "take up" prayer, but to be praying always in the Spirit. We are, however, to take up the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God, and use it in prayer and in fighting the battles of the Lord. When David was fleeing from Saul in 1st Samuel 21 he came to the city of Nob, and he asked Ahimelech the priest for a sword and he told David that the only sword he had on hand was the sword of Goliath the Philistine. And David said, "There is none like it, give it to me." And as we come this study we can truly say of our sword – Truly there is none like it. The Word of God is given to the believer to use as a powerful weapon in spiritual battle. It is a powerful weapon for 2 reasons. 1st – Because it can be used defensively. 2nd – The Word of God is given to the believer to use offensively as well, in fighting the spiritual battle with the Lord's enemies and yours

The sermon examines Psalm 56 to illustrate how believers should respond to fear by trusting in God rather than denying or justifying their anxiety. Drawing on David's experience of fleeing from Saul and the Philistines, the Pastor Shepard emphasizes that acknowledging one's need for mercy is the proper entry point into God's presence. The central message asserts that true faith involves confronting fear with a firm resolve to trust in God's word and character, even when circumstances remain unchanged. By referencing Isaiah 43, the text encourages the audience to walk through trials with the assurance of God's presence rather than expecting immediate removal of the obstacle. Ultimately, the Pastor Shepard calls for a deepened reliance on divine mercy and covenant faithfulness as the antidote to spiritual torment.

We continue exploring the life of Samson, the Philistine destroyer. We delve into his pattern of disobedience, his encounters with Philistine women, and his downfall at the hands of Delilah. Despite Samson's repeated failures to uphold his Nazarite vow, God uses him to subdue the Philistines. Samson's final act of strength, pulling down the pillars of the Philistine temple, highlights the tragic end to his story of general disobedience.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @realbiblebriefX: @biblebriefFacebook: @realbiblebriefEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgWant to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out our partner Biblingo (and use our link/code for a discount!): https://biblin...

We explore the early life and exploits of Samson, the Nazarite dedicated to God from birth. We discuss his miraculous birth to a barren woman and his vow as a Nazarite, which included abstaining from alcohol, avoiding contact with dead bodies, and not cutting his hair. Despite these vows, Samson's actions were often driven by personal desires rather than divine commandments. From pursuing a Philistine woman for marriage to posing a riddle at his wedding feast, Samson's life was marked by impulsive decisions and defiance. Yet, God used even his flaws to begin delivering Israel from the Philistines.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @realbiblebriefX: @biblebriefFacebook: @realbiblebriefEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgWant to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out our partner Biblingo (and use our link/code for a discount!): https://biblin...

2:15 - What should we do with books that are referenced by the Bible but are not in the Bible? / 9:03 - How can you identify a cult? / 14:51 - What's a good Bible for a young boy? / 19:40 - Why does Solomon say that money solves all problems? / 24:50 - Comment on the doctrine of demons. / 34:16 - Why do some versions of the Bible refer to the Philistines as Palestine? / 42:02 - Is there a book that compiles all the prophecies Christ fulfilled?

Have you ever experienced the thrill of getting what you hoped for, only to realize it wasn't as great as you imagined, or at least, not for long? Approximately 1000 years before the coming of Christ, the tribes of Israel asked for a king. Badgered and beaten by the armies of the Ammonites and the Philistines, the Israelites' memories of deliverance from Egyptian slavery and the felled walls of Jericho faded. Disenchanted with God and His prophets, the children of Israel looked enviously at the neighboring nations. They ignored Samuel's warning and insisted, “Give us a king like other nations have.”

Have you ever experienced the thrill of getting what you hoped for, only to realize it wasn't as great as you imagined, or at least, not for long? Approximately 1000 years before the coming of Christ, the tribes of Israel asked for a king. Badgered and beaten by the armies of the Ammonites and the Philistines, the Israelites' memories of deliverance from Egyptian slavery and the felled walls of Jericho faded. Disenchanted with God and His prophets, the children of Israel looked enviously at the neighboring nations. They ignored Samuel's warning and insisted, “Give us a king like other nations have.”

Have you ever experienced the thrill of getting what you hoped for, only to realize it wasn't as great as you imagined, or at least, not for long? Approximately 1000 years before the coming of Christ, the tribes of Israel asked for a king. Badgered and beaten by the armies of the Ammonites and the Philistines, the Israelites' memories of deliverance from Egyptian slavery and the felled walls of Jericho faded. Disenchanted with God and His prophets, the children of Israel looked enviously at the neighboring nations. They ignored Samuel's warning and insisted, “Give us a king like other nations have.”

Have you ever experienced the thrill of getting what you hoped for, only to realize it wasn't as great as you imagined, or at least, not for long? Approximately 1000 years before the coming of Christ, the tribes of Israel asked for a king. Badgered and beaten by the armies of the Ammonites and the Philistines, the Israelites' memories of deliverance from Egyptian slavery and the felled walls of Jericho faded. Disenchanted with God and His prophets, the children of Israel looked enviously at the neighboring nations. They ignored Samuel's warning and insisted, “Give us a king like other nations have.”

Have you ever experienced the thrill of getting what you hoped for, only to realize it wasn't as great as you imagined, or at least, not for long? Approximately 1000 years before the coming of Christ, the tribes of Israel asked for a king. Badgered and beaten by the armies of the Ammonites and the Philistines, the Israelites' memories of deliverance from Egyptian slavery and the felled walls of Jericho faded. Disenchanted with God and His prophets, the children of Israel looked enviously at the neighboring nations. They ignored Samuel's warning and insisted, “Give us a king like other nations have.”

In this Bible Story, we learn about the rule of Amaziah. He defeats a great threat, but grows arrogant and pompous. The Lord humbles Amaziah in the battle against Israel, and dies in exile. This story is inspired by 2 Chronicles 25 & 2 Kings 14:1-22. Go to https://www.BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Chronicles 25:18 from the King James Version.Episode 145: The people of God needed a strong, courageous, godly King, and Uzziah provided that hope for the people. The young man was sixteen when he sat on the throne, and he sought God for wisdom just like Solomon did. He leaned on this wisdom of his elders and held the word of the prophet close. He sought God, fought battles against the Philistines, and gained the respect of the nations around him. However, as the stories about him grew, so did his ego. And in his arrogance, he walked into the temple of God without a priest and began to burn incense, as if he were a priest, beginning his downfall.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the ⁠Pray.com⁠ app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shoftim 15 traces the widening cycle of betrayal and revenge as Shimshon burns the Philistine crops, retaliates against their violence, and is ultimately handed over by the fearful men of Yehuda. The shiur explores the symbolism of the foxes, the halachic and moral questions surrounding Shimshon's surrender, and his miraculous victory with the jawbone of a donkey. It concludes by examining Shimshon's complicated emergence as a leader whose deliverance of Israel remains powerful but incomplete.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260720dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me?” Isaiah 44: 6-7 The Bible Stands Alone In Old Testament times, God gave his people a visible reminder of his presence called the Ark of the Covenant. There was a time when the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines who had defeated Israel in battle and claimed the ark as their prize. Since they already believed in many gods, why not add the God of Israel as well? So, they placed the ark in the temple of their god, Dagon. The next morning, when they went to worship Dagon, there he lay, facedown before the ark of the Lord! So, Dagon was put back in his place. The next morning, it was the same result—Dagon facedown before the ark of the Lord, but this time his head and hands had broken off. Message received! The ark needed to go back to Israel because Dagon could not handle being in the presence of the Lord. (1 Samuel 5) God has placed in our hearts an awareness that there is a God and a desire to know that God. Throughout the course of human history, different gods and goddesses, spirits, and mystical powers have been proclaimed as gods. But “who then is like me?” asks the Lord. The best that the false worshippers could hope for is that their gods and goddesses would send rain and grow their fields and grow their families and flocks. If they gave the right sacrifices, perhaps those gods would listen. The Lord God stands alone. He does something that sinful minds couldn’t have even imagined. He came to us, wearing our flesh and blood. He redeemed us, taking our sinful failures upon himself. He loves us, promising his presence with us through life and preparing a place in eternity with him when this life comes to its close. Truly, the God of the Bible stands alone. Prayer: Lord God, help me to see you for you who are—eternal, powerful, and singular in your love for fallen humanity. Move my heart to serve you in my life. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260720dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me?” Isaiah 44: 6-7 The Bible Stands Alone In Old Testament times, God gave his people a visible reminder of his presence called the Ark of the Covenant. There was a time when the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines who had defeated Israel in battle and claimed the ark as their prize. Since they already believed in many gods, why not add the God of Israel as well? So, they placed the ark in the temple of their god, Dagon. The next morning, when they went to worship Dagon, there he lay, facedown before the ark of the Lord! So, Dagon was put back in his place. The next morning, it was the same result—Dagon facedown before the ark of the Lord, but this time his head and hands had broken off. Message received! The ark needed to go back to Israel because Dagon could not handle being in the presence of the Lord. (1 Samuel 5) God has placed in our hearts an awareness that there is a God and a desire to know that God. Throughout the course of human history, different gods and goddesses, spirits, and mystical powers have been proclaimed as gods. But “who then is like me?” asks the Lord. The best that the false worshippers could hope for is that their gods and goddesses would send rain and grow their fields and grow their families and flocks. If they gave the right sacrifices, perhaps those gods would listen. The Lord God stands alone. He does something that sinful minds couldn’t have even imagined. He came to us, wearing our flesh and blood. He redeemed us, taking our sinful failures upon himself. He loves us, promising his presence with us through life and preparing a place in eternity with him when this life comes to its close. Truly, the God of the Bible stands alone. Prayer: Lord God, help me to see you for you who are—eternal, powerful, and singular in your love for fallen humanity. Move my heart to serve you in my life. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260720dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me?” Isaiah 44: 6-7 The Bible Stands Alone In Old Testament times, God gave his people a visible reminder of his presence called the Ark of the Covenant. There was a time when the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines who had defeated Israel in battle and claimed the ark as their prize. Since they already believed in many gods, why not add the God of Israel as well? So, they placed the ark in the temple of their god, Dagon. The next morning, when they went to worship Dagon, there he lay, facedown before the ark of the Lord! So, Dagon was put back in his place. The next morning, it was the same result—Dagon facedown before the ark of the Lord, but this time his head and hands had broken off. Message received! The ark needed to go back to Israel because Dagon could not handle being in the presence of the Lord. (1 Samuel 5) God has placed in our hearts an awareness that there is a God and a desire to know that God. Throughout the course of human history, different gods and goddesses, spirits, and mystical powers have been proclaimed as gods. But “who then is like me?” asks the Lord. The best that the false worshippers could hope for is that their gods and goddesses would send rain and grow their fields and grow their families and flocks. If they gave the right sacrifices, perhaps those gods would listen. The Lord God stands alone. He does something that sinful minds couldn’t have even imagined. He came to us, wearing our flesh and blood. He redeemed us, taking our sinful failures upon himself. He loves us, promising his presence with us through life and preparing a place in eternity with him when this life comes to its close. Truly, the God of the Bible stands alone. Prayer: Lord God, help me to see you for you who are—eternal, powerful, and singular in your love for fallen humanity. Move my heart to serve you in my life. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Most of us prefer the path to be direct and short. When life requires a longer route — application after application with no offer, a caregiving season that stretches on without relief, a waiting period that feels uncertain and never-ending — it is easy to become disillusioned not only with the situation but with God Himself. Why this way? Why so long? Why not the obvious route that was right there? The Israelites asked the same questions. After the miraculous liberation from Egypt, God led them away from the shortest path and around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. It made no sense — until it did. The longer route was not a delay. It was divine protection. If they had gone the direct way and encountered the Philistines in battle, they would have lost heart and run back to Egypt. And when Pharaoh's army bore down on them at the edge of the sea, what looked like the worst possible outcome became the stage for one of the greatest displays of God's power in all of Scripture. Psalm 27:14 calls us into the posture the Israelites ultimately had to choose: wait for the Lord, be strong, take heart, and wait. The three invitations this episode offers — pray to trust the detour, pray to see God at work, and pray until you praise — trace the same journey the Israelites traveled from fear to song. God is fighting for you. Stand firm long enough to see it. Today's Bible Verse "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."— Psalm 27:14, NIV Ponder Today The longer route is not a mistake — it may be divine protection. God led the Israelites away from the shortest path because He knew what lay on the other side of it. When His timing makes no sense, He may be shielding you from something you cannot yet see. What looks like the worst possible timing is often the setup for God's greatest display of faithfulness. The Israelites were trapped between Pharaoh's army and the Red Sea — and that was exactly where God chose to part the waters. Your impossible situation is not beyond His reach. Standing firm in fear is an opportunity to see God at work. Moses told the terrified Israelites to stand still and watch. That instruction still holds. When circumstances feel overwhelming, resist the urge to retreat to what feels familiar. Stay long enough to witness what God will do. A Prayer for You Today Lord God, when the road ahead feels uncertain, long, and tiring, I am tempted to lose heart. Help me to trust Your direction for my life and Your timing for the situation I face. Remind me that even when Your ways seem longer or less direct than I would like, You are still leading me with wisdom, protection, and care. Give me the courage to stand firm when fear rises and circumstances feel overwhelming. Open my eyes to see You at work in ways I might otherwise miss. Teach me to wait for You and to be strong even when I feel like quitting. I commit to waiting until my heart is once again filled with praise for Your majesty, grace, and faithfulness. Amen. Don't Miss an Episode If today's prayer helped you trust the detour you are currently walking, we'd love to stay connected. Subscribe to the LifeAudio newsletter at LifeAudio.com for daily prayers, devotionals, and more content to strengthen your heart while you wait on God's perfect timing. If you like this podcast, be sure to check out our sister podcast, Your Nightly Prayer - an evening Christian prayer podcast to help you end your day in conversation with God. https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION“It takes courage to love, but pain through love is the purifying fire which those who love generously know. We all know people who are so much afraid of pain that they shut themselves up like clams in a shell and, giving out nothing, receive nothing and therefore shrink until life is a mere living death.”~Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), diplomat, activist, and longest-serving U.S. first lady “The condition of the Psalmist's mind was complex—he feared, but that fear did not fill the whole area of his mind.... It is possible, then, for fear and faith to occupy the mind at the same moment. We are strange beings, and our experience in the divine life is stranger still. We are often in a twilight, where light and darkness are both present and it is hard to tell which predominates. It is a blessed fear which drives us to trust. Unregenerate fear drives from God, gracious fear drives to him.”~Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), famed London pastor “The Psalter is the prayer book of Jesus Christ in the truest sense of the word. He prayed the Psalter and now it has become his prayer for all time.”~Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), theologian-pastor, executed for his opposition to the Nazis Question 1: What is the chief end of man?Answer: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. Question 2: What rule has God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?Answer: The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him. Question 3: What do the Scriptures principally teach?Answer: The Scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.~Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647) “Don't bother to give God instructions; just report for duty.”~Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983), Dutch survivor of a Nazi death campSERMON PASSAGE Psalm 56 (ESV)To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths.A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. 1  Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;  all day long an attacker oppresses me;2  my enemies trample on me all day long,  for many attack me proudly.3  When I am afraid,  I put my trust in you.4  In God, whose word I praise,  in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.  What can flesh do to me? 5  All day long they injure my cause;  all their thoughts are against me for evil.6  They stir up strife, they lurk;  they watch my steps,  as they have waited for my life.7  For their crime will they escape?  In wrath cast down the peoples, O God! 8  You have kept count of my tossings;  put my tears in your bottle.  Are they not in your book?9  Then my enemies will turn back  in the day when I call.  This I know, that God is for me.10 In God, whose word I praise,  in the Lord, whose word I praise,11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.  What can man do to me? 12 I must perform my vows to you, O God;  I will render thank offerings to you.13 For you have delivered my soul from death,  yes, my feet from falling,  that I may walk before God  in the light of life.

07/19/2026 Jacob Kim   Judges 2:20-3:6   20 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said, “Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, 22 in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their fathers did, or not.” 23 So the Lord left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua. 3 Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. 2 It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. 3 These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. 4 They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. 5 So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 6 And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.

Today we continue in our series, Who is King?, in 1 Samuel. In chapter 29-30, David's attempt to fight with the Philistines fails, and he returns to Ziklag. He finds Ziklag burned to the ground, with all the women and children taken captive. David inquires of the Lord, and decides to go up against the Amalekites to recover everything that was lost, including the women and children. Elder Kevin Geier highlights three points from the chapter: 1) God can be depended on. 2) God will not share our dependence. 3) In dependence, we find God's presence.

Facing the Philistine Threat

Judges 2 and 3 show Israel in the promised land, but not with every enemy cleaned out. God says He will no longer drive out the nations Joshua left, because through them He will “test Israel” and teach the generations “to know war.” God lets some things stay in the land, not because He forgot, not because He failed, but because obedience has to be tested where trouble still lives. Joshua is the book where the talking stops and the taking starts. The land gets entered, the promise gets possessed, but the inhabitants do not all get removed. God leaves the Philistines, the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the other “ites” as pictures of fleshly, worldly, and satanic attacks that still come against the people of God. The Philistines picture the flesh, that old self that loves to wallow. The flesh wallows in self pity, self deprecation, self importance, self indulgence, and self pleasure. The flesh threatens, shouts, struts, begs, plots, and sobs, whatever keeps itself alive. The Holy Spirit pulls the mask off that sickly face and says, “Man, you can't be that way.” The born again believer is not a remodeled version of the old person. God has made a new creation, “something like you that's never ever existed before.” The Canaanites picture worldliness, the merchant spirit that wants to cut a deal and stay close to whatever profits. The worldly heart can even come to church asking what it can get out of it, looking religious while still bargaining with the world. God leaves that tension to test whether obedience is real or just performance. The Hittites picture fear, the “sons of terror” that move in close and try to shut mouths. Fear says, “Don't testify. Don't praise. Don't speak the Word.” Testimony throws rocks at the enemy like David hit Goliath, but the Word takes the sword and removes his head, his authority. Praise declares, “It is finished,” not as retreat, but as the sound of the enemy on the run. The battleground has shifted from gathered fields to the mind, but the fight is still real. The big bad wolf does not create the weak house, he reveals it. The straw house and stick house fall because they were rushed, but the brick house stands because somebody took the time, brick by brick. God allows the wolf to come knocking so the house can reveal what has really been built. Jesus never leaves His people alone in the test. The Holy Spirit stays present while God teaches, tests, watches, and gives enough room to grow. God may leave some “ites” in the land, but He is still looking, still helping, and still making sure His people can make it through.

Shoftim chapter 14 tells the story of Shimshon's marriage to a Philistine woman from Timnah, a match his parents object to but that turns out to have a deeper divine purpose. Along the way we meet the famous riddle Shimshon poses at his wedding feast, the betrayal by his bride, and the violence that follows.

The Bible foretells a mysterious character called “the Assyrian” who seems to have a role in the end times war against Israel. Who is he?  What's odd is the Hebrew text of Micah 5:5–6 (and Isaiah 14:25, 31:8, and 52:4) lacks the definite article “the.” In other words, there is no “the Assyrian” in the Old Testament.  The Hebrew word Assur can referred to Assyria, its capital city, or its chief deity, who was the equivalent of the Sumerian/Babylonian god Enlil (called Ellil in Akkad), El of Canaan, Dagon of the Philistines, and Milcom of Ammon—and thus Molech, the netherworld god who demanded the sacrifice of children from his followers.  We believe the passages in Micah are an “already but not yet” prophecy, referring to the imminent conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel by Assyria, which occurred during Micah's lifetime in 722 BC, and a future return of Assur in the end times as the Destroyer, Abaddon/Apollyon, who is released from the abyss for five months to torment those without the seal of God on their foreheads.  Sharon's niece, Sarah Sachleben, has been battling stage 4 bowel cancer and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah. Our latest book The Gates of Hell is available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! Derek's book Destination: Earth, co-authored with Donna Howell and Allie Anderson, is available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! If you are looking for a text of the Book of 1 Enoch to follow our monthly study, you can try these sources: Parallel translations by R. H. Charles (1917) and Richard Laurence (1821)Modern English translation by George W. E. Nickelsburg and James VanderKam (link to book at Amazon)Book of 1 Enoch - Standard English Version by Dr. Jay Winter (link opens free PDF)Book of 1 Enoch - R. H. Charles translation (link opens free PDF) The SkyWatchTV store has a special offer on Dr. Michael Heiser's two-volume set A Companion to the Book of Enoch. Get both books, the R. H. Charles translation of 1 Enoch, and a DVD interview with Mike and Steven Bancarz for a donation of $35 plus shipping and handling. Link: https://bit.ly/heiser-enoch JOIN US IN ISRAEL (NOTE NEW DATES)! We will tour the Holy Land Oct. 25–Nov. 6, 2027 with an optional three-day extension to Jordan. For more information, log on to GilbertHouse.org/travel. Follow us!• X: @gilberthouse_tv | @sharonkgilbert | @derekgilbert• Substack: GilbertHouse.substacdk.com | SharonKGilbert.substack.com• Telegram: t.me/gilberthouse | t.me/sharonsroom | t.me/viewfromthebunker• YouTube: @GilbertHouse | @UnravelingRevelation | @thebiblesgreatestmysteries• Facebook.com/GilbertHouseFellowship Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! We truly appreciate your support. If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started this journey in 2005, P.I.D. Radio. Best of all, it bypasses the gatekeepers of Big Tech! The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV. Links to the app stores are at www.gilberthouse.org/app/. Gilbert House T-shirts and mugs! New to our store is a line of GHTV and Redwing Saga merch! Check it out at GilbertHouse.org/store! Think better, feel better! Our partners at Simply Clean Foods offer freeze-dried, 100% GMO-free food and delicious, vacuum-packed fair trade coffee from Honduras. Find out more at GilbertHouse.org/store. Our favorite Bible study tools! Check the links in the left-hand column at www.GilbertHouse.org.

Drawing from David’s life as a shepherd and later as Israel’s king, this devotional paints a beautiful picture of God's care. Just as shepherds built protective hedges around their sheep at night and positioned themselves as the gate, God lovingly surrounds us with His protection. He doesn't simply guard us from afar—He walks beside us, shielding us from the enemy's lies while gently directing our steps through every season of life. When anxiety tempts us to rely on our own understanding, we can rest knowing we are never navigating life alone. God's hand remains upon us, leading us with wisdom, protecting us from danger, and giving us the freedom to follow Him with confidence. We don't have to live in fear or constantly anticipate every possible threat because our Good Shepherd has already gone before us. Highlights: God surrounds His children with His loving presence, protection, and guidance. Psalm 139 reminds us that God is always before us, behind us, and actively involved in our lives. David's experience as a shepherd illustrates God's protective care like a hedge surrounding His sheep. God's presence guards us against fear, anxiety, and the enemy's deception. We can trust God's gentle guidance instead of relying solely on our own understanding. Because God walks with us, we are free to follow Him without living in constant fear. Join the Conversation When have you experienced God's protection or guidance during a season of uncertainty? How does remembering that God surrounds you with His presence give you peace today? Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/ Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: Encased by the Father’s Love By Jennifer Slattery Bible Reading:You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. - Psalm 139:5 NIV This has been an unsettling and confusing season where I’ve questioned my perspective and the path forward in a highly consequential area. I know God is leading, watching over, and blessing me, but my emotions don’t always align with what I know is true. Sometimes, at night, when I’m trying to sleep, the stress and unknowns of this situation pull me into an anxious spiral. In that space, there’s a part of me that fears getting pulled into the devil’s deception, in part because I recognize how easy it is to convince myself that following my preference is God’s leading. That’s a dangerous place to be. It leaves me vulnerable to the enemy’s schemes. Yet, today’s verse reminds me that I’m well-protected by the One who knows me, remains with me, and shields me from what Scripture calls the devil's “flaming arrows.” Lies he aims at my soul to draw me away from Christ and His life-giving truth. David, ancient Israel’s second king who wrote the passage from which today’s verse comes, understood how it feels to find yourself under attack—by the devil, and those he uses to carry out his will. For over a decade, he lived as a fugitive, hiding in caves and even in Philistine territory, for fear of death. During that season, numerous people betrayed him, and he often felt alone and as if no one cared about him. Those were the statements his emotions made when life felt hard, exhausting, and his situation uncertain. But even when his heart cried out for relief, he recalled the truth. He knew how to preach to his soul, a practice we see in many of the poetic prayers preserved in Scripture. Scholars believe he wrote Psalm 139 after he’d assumed the throne and his life became more stable—with a few bumps along the way. Standing on the other side of intense suffering, he was able to look back and reflect upon how God had remained present and faithful each moment of his life—from before he took his first breath. The Lord didn’t guide him from a distance. He came close and surrounded David with His strong, loving, and protective presence. God “hemmed” David in. In the original Hebrew, one could state today’s verse as: Behind and before you have hedged me and laid upon me Your hand.” You may have heard the phrase, “a hedge of protection.” That analogy likely came from today’s verse. And I wonder if David’s statement came from his experience as a shepherd, where, at night, he would’ve created a literal hedge of thorns and branches that formed a makeshift pen for the sheep under his care. For added protection, the shepherd often slept on the ground, forming a gate with his body. Intersecting Life & Faith: This rich historic imagery, when applied to today’s text, reminds us that the Lord surrounds us like those thorny branches that surrounded sheep. He is our shield, strong tower, fortress, and defense who hides us in the shadow of His wings—another picturesque symbol of His protective stance over His children. But notice, He also places His hand upon us. Whenever I read this, I’m reminded of how I guided and protected my daughter when she was learning to walk. She’d gone from strangle-gripping my finger to releasing my hand and toddling off in exploration. I wanted to give her as much freedom as developmentally appropriate while also keeping her from falling into sharp corners or getting too close to the stairs. My solution? To place a gentle hand on her head, remaining alert to when I needed to direct her from danger and back to safe exploration. Speaking of sheep, shepherds, gates, and exploration reminds me of Jesus’ analogy in John 10, when He said His sheep would go in—to the pen—and out to find pasture. His words speak of freedom and the rhythm of coming into the “sheepfold” for the spiritual nourishment and rest we need, then leaving to explore the wide-open spaces He’s provided. But even when we exit the pen, we remain well-protected, whether the threat comes from the devil and his minions or some other frightening or dangerous encounter. God hems us in—by His power and love. By His very self. This gives me the peace to follow, knowing I don’t have to remain hyper vigilant, scanning the horizon for every possible threat. I simply need to remain in step with the One who matches His steps with mine. Further Reading:Psalm 139:1-24Psalm 125:2 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION“The Psalter is the prayer book of Jesus Christ in the truest sense of the word. He prayed the Psalter and now it has become his prayer for all time.”~Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), theologian-pastor, executed for his opposition to the Nazis “As long as you have not yet reached Christ, the divine word has only one piece of advice for you: ‘Come nearer; you are not yet in a place of security.'”~Augustine (354-430), North African church leader and theologian “When you are being pursued and certain ones are perpetrating slander….do not succumb to weariness, but being confident in the Lord and hymning him, recite the things in [Psalm 56].”~Athanasius (c. 296-373), theologian and church leader, in his “Letter to Marcelliuns” “The condition of the Psalmist's mind was complex—he feared, but that fear did not fill the whole area of his mind.... It is possible, then, for fear and faith to occupy the mind at the same moment. We are strange beings, and our experience in the divine life is stranger still. We are often in a twilight, where light and darkness are both present and it is hard to tell which predominates. It is a blessed fear which drives us to trust. Unregenerate fear drives from God, gracious fear drives to him.”~Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), famed London pastor “God hath so great compassion on his servants in trouble that he reckoneth even the steps of their wanderings and pilgrimage, and numbereth all their tears, and keepeth the count thereof, as it were in a register; and therefore every troubled servant of God, when he looks upon his sufferings, should look upon God also taking as particular notice of his troubles as he himself can do.”~David Dickson (1583-1662), Scottish pastor and theologian “…is it fair for a loving God to sit on His throne in Heaven and let us struggle and suffer on our own? …It makes perfect sense to me that God decided to come among us, live like us, and die a horribly painful death after being tortured. This is a God I can love with all my heart. A God who sets an example. A God who has bled and whose heart has been broken. This is who Jesus is to me. I don't pretend that I understand the Holy Trinity. But I understand love and sacrifice. I understand faithfulness.”~Marina Nemat, author of After Tehran: A Life Reclaimed, former political prisoner and inaugural recipient of the European Parliament's Human Dignity Award (2008)SERMON PASSAGEPsalm 56 (ESV)To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths.A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. 1  Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;  all day long an attacker oppresses me;2  my enemies trample on me all day long,  for many attack me proudly.3  When I am afraid,  I put my trust in you.4  In God, whose word I praise,  in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.  What can flesh do to me? 5  All day long they injure my cause;  all their thoughts are against me for evil.6  They stir up strife, they lurk;  they watch my steps,  as they have waited for my life.7  For their crime will they escape?  In wrath cast down the peoples, O God! 8  You have kept count of my tossings;  put my tears in your bottle.  Are they not in your book?9  Then my enemies will turn back  in the day when I call.  This I know, that God is for me.10 In God, whose word I praise,  in the Lord, whose word I praise,11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.  What can man do to me? 12 I must perform my vows to you, O God;  I will render thank offerings to you.13 For you have delivered my soul from death,  yes, my feet from falling,  that I may walk before God  in the light of life.

Who is the Assyrian?The Bible foretells a mysterious character called “the Assyrian” who seems to have a role in the end times war against Israel. Who is he? What's odd is the Hebrew text of Micah 5:5–6 (and Isaiah 14:25, 31:8, and 52:4) lacks the definite article “the.” In other words, there is no "the Assyrian" in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word Assur can referred to Assyria, its capital city, or its chief deity, who was the equivalent of the Sumerian/Babylonian god Enlil (called Ellil in Akkad), El of Canaan, Dagon of the Philistines, and Milcom of Ammon—and thus Molech, the netherworld god who demanded the sacrifice of children from his followers. We believe the passages in Micah are an “already but not yet” prophecy, referring to the imminent conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel by Assyria, which occurred during Micah's lifetime in 722 BC, and a future return of Assur in the end times as the Destroyer, Abaddon/Apollyon, who is released from the abyss for five months to torment those without the seal of God on their foreheads.

[Galatians 6:7] Don't be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. There's usually a gap between your ________________ and your ________________. God often uses those who are ___________________, for his glory. [1 Samuel 17.13-17] Jesse's three oldest sons—Eliab, Abinadab, and Shimea—had already joined Saul's army to fight the Philistines. [14] David was the youngest son. David's three oldest brothers stayed with Saul's army, [15] but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem. [16] For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army. [17] One day Jesse said to David, “Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers. Nothing is insignificant in your life when it is done for the ________________ of Jesus. The best opportunities come when we wholeheartedly serve Jesus in the __________ __________ [Luke 16.10] “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. [1 Samuel 17.17-23] One day Jesse said to David, “Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers. [18] And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing.” [19] David's brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines. [20] So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries. [21] Soon the Israelite and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army. [22] David left his things with the keeper of supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers. [23] As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel. When you serve, you are ________________ people to the power of Jesus. [Ephesians 6:7-8] Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. [8] Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free. Life's greatest ________________ are received when we ________________ Jesus.

Today we have a teaching about the blessings for being obedient to God. If you have any questions, or you would like to share how our teachings have affected your life, please email us or visit us at rejoicingheart.net Our email is listed under the about tab on this page. God bless you! Rob and Donna Rejoice In You From the Integrity Music Release One, featuring Planetshakers Ministries Int'l ©2009 Planetshakers Publishing (APRA) (admin. By Music Services, www.musicservices.org) All Rights Reserved. Used by permission. 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (KJV) 22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 1 Samuel 13:12 (KJV) 12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. 1 Samuel 13:13-14 (KJV) 13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. 1 Samuel 15:3 (KJV) 3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. 1 Samuel 15:9 (KJV) 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. Isaiah 1:19 (KJV) 19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: John 15:14 (KJV) 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 1 John 3:23 (KJV) 23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. Acts 4:12 (KJV) 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. James 1:25 (KJV) 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. Romans 6:16 (KJV) 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Luke 11:28 (KJV) 28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

The day before 9/11, a 70-pound branch fell from 30 feet and split Lance's chair in half — right where his head had been one second earlier. The only reason he moved? An unaccountable impulse while praying in the Spirit that he couldn't plan, reason through, or explain. What does the Holy Spirit reveal through praying in tongues that your mind simply can't access on its own? In this message, Lance shares the story of that divine deliverance at a Tony Robbins event in 2001, what it taught him about yielding to the Spirit's nudges before you understand them — and how that same supernatural sensitivity connects to the 7 wells God is calling His people to dig in 2026. Drawing from Isaac's story in Genesis 26 and the Seven Mountains mandate, Lance brings a prophetic update on why the Philistines keep filling your wells with gravel, and what God is releasing this year to push the enemy back across every key mountain of culture. In this episode: The "unaccountable impulse" that saved Lance's life the night before 9/11 Why praying in tongues is "the believer's edge" — not a cosmic battery, but revelation in delay The seven wells God wants dug in 2026 — and how the enemy tries to fill each one Isaac's pattern: blessings so conspicuous that even your enemies want peace The Seven Mountains mandate and its relevance to America's next chapter This is the kind of story that reframes why you pray in the Spirit — even when nothing seems to be happening.   Podcast Episode 2173: How The Unaccountable Impulse of God Saved My Life! | don't miss this! Listen to more episodes of the Lance Wallnau Show at lancewallnau.com/podcast   

Why did the angel announcing the birth of Shimshon (Samson) appear to his mother and not his father, and why did the strongest man in Tanach need to be a nazir before he was even born? This shiur on Shoftim (Judges) chapter 13 traces who the Philistines really were, why Israel's savior came from the tribe of Dan, and what the mysterious angel's hidden name reveals about the miracle of a barren woman having a child. Along the way we meet the unsung hero of the story, Shimshon's unnamed mother, whose quiet faith stands in sharp contrast to her husband Manoach's anxious questions and hints at the destiny of her famous son.

Today we continue in our series, Who is King?, in 1 Samuel. In chapters 26 & 27, David spares Saul's life for a second time, and then makes a poor decision to flee to the Philistines. Elder Brian Webb breaks the text down into these three points: 1) If following God's plan is the A+ plan, then we need to trust God in whatever circumstance we are in. 2) Following God's A+ plan requires us to walk in wisdom. 3) We are forgetful and pursue our own ways. ** Due to technical difficulties, this sermon audio was pulled from YouTube. We apologize for any inconsistency in sound, and pray it is still a blessing!

There is a series of theological debates between Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananya and the Roman emperor, which demonstrate the sublimity of God through man's inability to look directly at the sun or to sustain the natural armies that serve God. A similar discussion with the emperor's daughter, who scoffed at the providence of God in the world, leads to a punishment of leprosy being inflicted upon her, emphasizing the principle that God's presence is indirectly guiding the world. Rav Yehuda defines the difference between the dimensions of an ox and a donkey that affect the laws of buying and selling. He also explains that the ox sacrificed by Adam possessed only a single horn on its forehead, and that its horns preceded its hooves in creation. This structural precedence supports the view of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, according to which all works of creation were created in their full stature, their full understanding, and their full mature form. Rabbi Chanina bar Papa expounds that the Angel of the World praised the grasses when they applied a kal v'chomer argument and proactively emerged according to their specific kinds (without intermixing), as derived from Genesis 1:11–12. Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi reconciles the scriptural contradiction regarding the creation of the luminaries, detailing the moon's claim that two kings cannot share a single crown, which prompted the divine decree for it to diminish itself. To appease the moon, God granted it dominion by both day and night, linked Israel's calendar to the moon's counting of days and years, and called righteous people "small" like the moon. However, the moon was not appeased by all of these attempts, and God then established a sin offering to be offered on Rosh Chodesh (the New Moon) - a male goat - as an atonement for God. Rav Asi reconciles a contradiction in Creation regarding the emergence of vegetation, explaining that the grass remained hidden at the opening of the ground until the prayer of Adam brought down rain and caused them to sprout, teaching that God desires the prayers of the righteous. Rav Chanan bar Rava identifies the shesua as a unique creature possessing two backs and two spinal columns - as definitive proof that the Torah is from Heaven, as it is impossible to believe that Moshe knew of the existence of that creature. Reish Lakish analyzes a series of seemingly redundant verses, emphasizing that they constitute the core essentials of the Torah itself. For example, the description of the displacement of nations in the land of the Philistines and the land of Moab via intermediary conquests was legally meant to permit the eventual conquest of the land without violating ancient oaths or divine decrees.

In this Bible Story, we learn about Ahaziah's short reign as king over Israel. He falls from the top of his upper room and injures himself beyond repair. He sought the healing and guidance of the Philistine gods, but is instead met with Elijah's rebuke and God's justice. This story is inspired by 2 Kings 1. Go to https://www.BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Kings 1:15 from the King James Version.Episode 128: As Elijah traveled with his servant Elisha throughout the land of Israel, they crossed the Jordan river, pausing for a moment Elisha asked his master for a blessing, a double portion of the Spirit that was on Elijah. Though this was not something he personally could give, he said that if his servant should see him as the Lord took him away, then it would happen. As they continued walking along the path the sky opened up and chariots of fire descended to receive Elijah taking him away.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“David asked the soldiers standing nearby, ‘What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?’” (1 Samuel 17:26 NLT) David may have thought to himself, “This is a joke. This guy can’t be serious!” David was on an errand for his father, who had sent him to the front lines to deliver food to his brothers. He arrived to find Goliath bellowing from the valley, mocking the God of Israel, blaspheming his Lord that he loved so deeply. Goliath was a gigantic Philistine—nine feet and six inches of solid muscle, covered in armor. Every day he would taunt the Israelites, shouting something to the effect of, “I’ll make you a deal. Send someone out to fight me. If he wins, we’ll be your servants. But if I win, you’ll be our servants. Any takers?” No one wanted to go near him. Meanwhile, there stood David. Though David was a musician, a poet, and a tenderhearted guy, he was also as tough as nails. When there were threats against his sheep, he took them on. He had killed a lion and a bear. He wasn’t afraid. And he wanted to know why someone wasn’t responding to Goliath’s challenge. “David asked the soldiers standing nearby, ‘What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?’” (1 Samuel 17:26 NLT). David wasn’t intimidated by this giant because David looked at things differently than everyone else. Everyone else saw a giant of a man and, apparently, a small God. David, however, saw a big God. That giant didn’t intimidate David the way he intimidated everyone else. And we know how that perspective paid off for David in the end. Maybe you have a giant in your life that’s taunting you right now. Maybe it’s some kind of threat. Maybe it’s a habit or an addiction that has you in its grip. Maybe it’s a situation that needs to be dealt with once and for all. Or, in keeping with the theme of preparing for the Harvest Crusade next month, maybe your loved one does not have a personal relationship with Jesus. This giant, so to speak, seeks to control you. It seeks to hurt you. It seeks to torment you. What should you do? Like David, you should see God for who He is and your giant for what it is. Align your perspective with spiritual reality. Nothing in your life is too big for God. Nothing is too complex for Him to solve. Nothing is beyond His experience or expertise. Call on the Lord and pray for His power. Pay attention to His prompts. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone in faith, to do the hard—but doable—things necessary. Attack your giant and see what God does in and through you. Reflection question: How can you attack the most prominent giant in your life right now? Harvest Crusade tickets are fully claimed—but it’s not too late to participate and witness what God does on July 11. Invite your loved ones to watch online with you and make sure you join the waitlist in case more tickets become available. — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Bible Story, Jehoshaphat becomes king over Judah and rules righteously. He sends out teachers and priests to care for the people, and teach them God's ways. However, his alliance with Ahab the King of Israel proves to be unwise, as Ahab leads them into an unwinnable battle. This story is inspired by 1 Kings 22 & 2 Chronicles 17-19:3. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Chronicles 17:10 from the King James Version.Episode 126: Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, spent his time fortifying cities and tearing down idols. He also sent teachers and priests to the surrounding territories so that they might know God. What the King was doing became so influential that even other nations such as the Philistines took notice and sent tribute. Jehoshaphat wanted to extend this peace to his brothers in Israel, so he made an alliance with King Ahab. During their celebration, King Ahab requested Jehoshaphat's help in reclaiming some territory. But Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from the Lord first. So Micaiah was called in and prophesied that this battle would be King Ahab's last.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices