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It was a miracle they were able to stop this terrorist from crashing the plane and killing even more people in Israel. Praise God and all of his gifts. As James says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above".
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Why do Christians worship, raise their hands, sing, clap, and praise God together?In this message, Pastor Ryan Visconti breaks down what the Bible teaches about praise and worship—why we worship, what worship actually is, how God desires to be worshiped, and how worship changes us. Worship isn't simply music or a warm-up before the sermon. It is our response to who God is and everything He has done for us through Jesus. Because Christ died for our sins, rose again, rescued us, and gave us eternal life, God is worthy of our praise whether we feel like worshiping or not.Pastor Ryan also explains the biblical practices of singing, raising our hands, clapping, shouting, surrendering, and worshiping sincerely without worrying about what others think. Worship not only honors God—it renews our minds, brings encouragement, points people toward Jesus, and helps us experience God's presence in a powerful way. The goal isn't to perform or follow a church culture, but to worship God the way Scripture teaches us and give Him the response He deserves.
In this powerful episode of PTSD of the Christian Life, Pastor Brent Snook tackles one of the most subtle yet destructive sins in the Christian life — jealousy. Drawing from Proverbs 14:30, he reveals how envy works its way inward, rotting the bones and poisoning every relationship it touches.Pastor Brent identifies four traps that make us vulnerable: the trap of Prosperity — coveting what others have; the trap of Power — resenting those in authority; the trap of Performance — brooding over another's success; and the trap of People — where jealousy slithers right through the front door of our own homes.He then exposes the truth about jealousy — that it ultimately destroys not just its victims, but the one who carries it. From Cain to King Saul to Daniel's accusers, the pattern is unmistakable.But there is hope. Pastor Brent closes with four practical steps to triumph over jealousy: Pronounce it as sin, Pray for those you envy, Praise God for your own blessings, and Pursue love — because as Scripture reminds us, love does not envy.
Wealth Transfer and Stewardship (1) (audio) David Eells – 9/27/26 Because of the transfer of wealth that's coming soon, I want to share what the Lord says about our stewardship. The Bible speaks of building the house of the Lord, which is the people in whom the Lord lives, not a building. This includes meeting their physical and spiritual needs. As stewards of the Lord's money and things, we are all responsible for doing this. {Luke 14:33} So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for tithing mint and anise and cummin, and left undone the weightier matters of the law. He said tithing was of the law. Notice we are stewards of 100% of what belongs to the Lord, not owners who tithe 10% and own 90% as under the law. In the New Testament, this would make us thieves. 100% belongs to the Lord, and He gets to tell us individually what He wants done with it. And He has done a very good job in the Scriptures {1 John 3:17} But whoso hath the world's goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him?Love is who the Bride is. The bride is about to be chosen, and it will be people who love God's people, who are generous and loving, and want to meet the needs of God's people. Some demonstrate this love, and some don't. I'm not talking about giving to me; the Lord supplies my needs, and I am content, which enables me to give to the needs of others. I have never taken a collection for myself. I do not receive money from UBM and so do not gain from fee-will offerings sent in, except that I get to see the Gospel go forth. The early disciples never took collections for themselves nor preached gimme sermons because they had faith with contentment. {2 Chronicles 24:4} And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to restore the house of Jehovah. We really need to restore the original house of the Lord. You can't do that unless you return to the original word of the Lord. {5} And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year; and see that ye hasten the matter.Howbeit the Levites hastened it not. (The priests were not doing their job to rebuild the Kingdom. There's a lot of stuff out there that's not the kingdom of God. It's just men's ego, men's kingdoms. They build it the way they want because they use their own words, not the words of the Bible. And so that needs to be departed from, and especially those that have a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof. From such, turn away, we're told.) {6} And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tax of Moses the servant of Jehovah, and of the assembly of Israel, for the tent of the testimony (or house of God)? And it is to benefit the house of God, not a building, not a particular ministry that doesn't really see to the needs of God's people, but to their own needs. {2 Cor.8:1} Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God which hath been given in the churches of Macedonia; {2} how that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. In other words, they were very gracious and giving people, even though they lived in poverty. Forced poverty is a curse, but a free-will offering of one's life to deny oneself is not a curse. So that's a blessing. I mean, Jesus lived in what most people would call poverty, and so did His disciples, and they did it as a sacrifice unto God. {3} For according to their power, I bear witness, yea and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord, So, they had to have the power of God.) {4} beseeching us with much entreaty in regard of this grace and the fellowship in the ministering to the saints: {5} and this, not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God. (If we don't give ourselves to the Lord, we won't be able to do what the Lord wants. It's the Lord in us that does it, and as was said, “to us through the will of God.”) {6} Insomuch that we exhorted Titus, that as he made a beginning before, so he would also complete in you this grace also. {7} But as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. (Amen. The command still goes out.) {8} I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love. In other words, prove your love. Love has actions. Love is sacrificial. Love is patient, and on and on.) {9} For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might become rich. {10} And herein I give my judgment: for this is expedient for you, (In other words, follow in his steps. Sacrifice your life. Meet the needs of the brethren) who were the first to make a beginning a year ago, not only to do, but also to will. (Some people say it's okay as long as you're willing. No, no. Faith, if it has not works, is dead, right?) {11} But now complete the doing also; that as there was the readiness to will, so there may be the completion also out of your ability. {12} For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according as a man hath, not according as he hath not. (In other words, you can't give more than you got. And, it's out of your ability, right? But it's even beyond your power, as he said.) {13} For I say not this that others may be eased and ye distressed; {14} but by equality: your abundance being a supply at this present time for their want, that their abundance also may become a supply for your want; that there may be equality: {15} as it is written, He that gathered much had nothing over; and he that gathered little had no lack. (God wants equality in the body, meaning everyone has their needs met.) The poor need to give as much as the rich need to give because it is multiplied back, as Jesus said. Jesus said the widow who gave 2 mites gave more than all the rich Pharisees because she gave out of her need. {Mar.12:41} And he sat down over against the treasury, and beheld how the multitude cast money into the treasury (Which was in the temple of God's people, not a building and ministry that does not meet the spiritual and physical needs of God's people): and many that were rich cast in much. (And that's not bad, it's good.) {42} And there came a poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing. {43} And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than all they that are casting into the treasury: {44} for they all did cast in of their superfluity; (meaning their overabundance) but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. I can tell you that she went away getting her needs met. I can guarantee you that, because that's the word of God. She cast in all that she had, even all of her living. Notice that it is not how much you give but how much you have left that counts. There's an awesome group of promises here that we should pay attention to. It's not like you're going to go into poverty if you give and give and give. You'll just receive and continue to receive. It's clear. This is what God says. In fact, some people stay poor all their lives because they don't give. They don't consider that they have enough to give. Well, you can't possibly do that and get away with it. So stay in poverty. You'll always be in need to other people; you'll always stay in poverty. {2 Cor.9:6} But this I say, He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. {7} Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart: (This is also different for each person because every person has a different amount of income, right? In other words, you're not under law here. This is proof of your love, right? You're not under law, but it's to your benefit that you do this.) not grudgingly, or of necessity: (So you're not under the law anymore. You're especially not under the law to tithe, because now you have to renounce it all.) for God loveth a cheerful giver. (Be happy about what you're able to give to people and their needs.) {8} And God is able to make all grace abound unto you; (Oh would you look at that! Is that a powerful promise or what?) that ye, having always all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto every good work: (there's another powerful promise. And I tell you, we all need that.) {9} as it is written, He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the poor; His righteousness abideth for ever. (Notice God gives righteousness to the person who meets the needs of God's people.) {10} And he that supplieth seed to the sower (Notice it's not seed to the keeper, like the prosperity movement, where they need three, four, five airplanes and big fancy buildings.) and bread for food, shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, (So He gives you more to sow, so that you can reap more, so that you can be just a channel through whom God blesses people.) and increase the fruits of your righteousness: (He again promises righteousness for this.) {11} ye being enriched in everything unto all liberality, (This is not the kind of liberality we get in government; this is a liberality we have in giving, in meeting needs), which worketh through us, thanksgiving to God. (Yes, everybody thanks God for their needs being met, the miracles they receive through this. It's a blessing. And they keep on bragging on what God did for them. That's awesome.) {12} For the ministration of this service not only filleth up the measure of the wants of the saints, but aboundeth also through many thanksgivings unto God; {13} seeing that through the proving of you by this ministration they glorify God for the obedience of your confession unto the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution unto them and unto all; (Notice it's unto them. It's unto people. It's not fancy buildings and all these things that people want to do to pump up their ego. The Lord wants us to be practical not exorbitant.) {Luke 16:1} And he said also unto the disciples, There was a certain rich man, who had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he was wasting his goods. (Well, now that's rampant out there. Its like the guy with the talent who hid it in the earth.) {2} And he called him, and said unto him, What is this that I hear of thee? render the account of thy stewardship; for thou canst be no longer steward. {3} And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, seeing that my lord taketh away the stewardship from me? I have not strength to dig; to beg I am ashamed. {4} I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. (Here, he's using an evil man's parable for us, but we also will be giving up our stewardship one day.) {5} And calling to him each one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? {6} And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bond, and sit down quickly and write fifty. {7} Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. He saith unto him, Take thy bond, and write fourscore. {8} And his lord commended the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely: for the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light. (Meaning, of course, the righteous are not learning a lesson here. Listen to what the lesson actually is. It's not that you're to be bad and cheat the owner; no, here's the lesson. {9} And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; (Well, who's our friend? That's right, your brothers and sisters in the Lord, they're your friends. You can't really trust the world. But he says, use your money to make these kinds of friends.) that, when it shall fail, (and it will.) they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles. (In other words, use your money to bring in the lost, so that one day you can visit them in their eternal tabernacle.) {10} He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much. (The Lord tested me with a major test one time, but it enabled me to be ready for a much bigger blessing. I had to give to a person who was totally unworthy, but understanding what the Scriptures had to say that if they take away from you, just give it to them. I finally just decided, ‘Well, this is what I have to do, so I did.' And then the Lord gave me a promise that was way bigger than the one I had. A tremendous thing. One day, I'll probably tell you about this. {11} If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? (Yes, these are not true riches we're dealing with down here. This is not worth much of anything) {12} And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another's (It's not yours. Stewards are not owners but handle their Lord's money and things), who will give you that which is your own? (in heaven we are joint heirs of all things. We inherit it all! Praise God! And we're owners there, joint heirs with Christ.) {13} No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. (What he's saying is you despise the other, that's the Lord. If you hold to the one, you're despising the Lord. He has children He wants you to take care of. And if you do that, He'll give you more children because He multiplies your seed for sowing.) Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (If you're serving that mammon, you're going to be stingy with the Lord and stingy with His people, and He's going to be stingy with you. Because with whatever measure you mete it out, it'll be measured back to you.) {14} And the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things; and they scoffed at him. (And they do it today, too.) {15} And he said unto them, Ye are they that justify yourselves in the sight of men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. (And it's in Christianity too saints. I think I recounted before how there were two churches built in my area many years ago. One was built for two and a half million dollars, and the other was built for something like, I believe, twelve million dollars. The two-million-dollar one was actually more functional, very comfortable. Everything that was needed. It was a metal building on the outside. It didn't have all the glory and stuff like the other one, but it met the needs. Think what you could do with that much left over money to help God's people. That's why I say it's a sin to be extravagant just for ego.) {Ecc.5:10} He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; (Notice that. ‘When their goods increased,' guess what? Some people can't sit on it, while others do without. There's also an increase of the people who have the need.) and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes? (Oh, look what I got. Come, let me show you my treasures, my church building.) {12} The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. {13} There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt: {14} and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand. {15} As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand. (So there's no fruit born in greed and extravegence.) {Hag.1:8}, (2-11) Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, This people say, It is not the time for us to come, the time for Jehovah's house to be built. {3} Then came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet, saying, {4} Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses, while this house lieth waste? {5} Now therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Consider your ways. {6} Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. (That's the curse on a person that hasn't learned how to share, how to meet the needs of others, how to give out of their own need so that their needs are met. Because when you give out of your own need to others, your needs are met.) {7} Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Consider your ways. {8} Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it,and I will be glorified, saith Jehovah. {9} Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith Jehovah of hosts. Because of my house that lieth waste, while ye run every man to his own house. (And who is the house of the Lord, according to Paul? We are.) {10} Therefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholdeth its fruit. {11} And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the grain, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labor of the hands. (What a curse! All because they're not meeting the needs of God's house. Amen? I tell you, folks, learn this lesson. This is a way to abundance. Give, and it will be given unto you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall men give into your bosom. On the way to abundance. Get used to giving. Do it till you like it. Give. Because the Lord said in {Luke 6:35} But love your enemies, and do them good, and lend, never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: (In other words, this is a way to sonship. Nobody who is stingy is a son of God. There's nobody who doesn't meet the needs of the people around them that's a son of God. You shall be sons. Remember, we've talked about the difference between children and sons. The world's waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. That's what the world needs: sons.) for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. (So don't be a judge or you will be judged. I mean, people need time to grow up. They need to live long enough to grow up. So make sure that you take care of them.) {36} Be ye merciful, even as your Father is merciful. (Having mercy is giving people what they don't deserve.) {37} And judge not, and ye shall not be judged: and condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: release, and ye shall be released: {38} give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again. (So if you give abundantly, you will receive back abundantly. You will receive it multiplied here, according to this text, multiplied back abundantly. Isn't that awesome? Oh, Praise You Father! Father, please teach Your children to give like You do. And we praise You for it.) {Matthew 6:19} Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: (Do you know about the money system in this world, how the thieves have broken through, and they're stealing? Yeah, so don't count on their system to see to your future. See to God's economy for your future. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, because you can do this. There is a bank that these guys can't get into. And you can make a withdrawal on it anytime you want to. But if you don't put it in there, you can't withdraw on it.) {20} but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (They can't get into your heavenly bank. Only you can get into that one. But you have to deposit it there.) {21} for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also. (So if you're hoarding up and you have all your faith in what you have down here on earth, your heart is on this and not on the Lord. Your trust is not in the Lord. In fact, I'll prove that to you here in this text.) {22} The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. (So put your eye on the Word of God, on what you have according to the Word, and how God will meet your needs, and how He wants you to live towards others, and love towards others.) {23} But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness! {24} No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one (that's the money, the mammon), and despise the other (that's God.) That's what the Lord is saying. If you hold to it, you hoard it; you are despising God. You are not being a disciple, because you haven't renounced your ownership yet. Do I say that because you have to give it all away? No, you have to give it all into the hands of God and let Him tell you what to do with it. It's that simple.) Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (This is the Common Aramaic word for riches and is derived from the Hebrew word for treasure. From mammonas, meaning ‘confidence, that which is trusted in.' So, it's not necessarily just money either, but it's what you have your confidence in. It could be gold, it could be silver, it could be properties. Whatever you're storing up your treasure in, and you have your confidence in, that's your mammon. So, we must repent. We must please God.) {Luke 12:28} But if God doth so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven; how much more shall he clothe you, O ye of little faith? (People want to make sure that they're going to be provided for, and their trust is in their mammon, to take care of themselves. But they don't have faith. And didn't God choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith? Yeah, because they know they don't have to pack it with them everywhere they go. They know God will be there to supply their every need according to His riches and glory.) {29} And seek not ye what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. {30} For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: but your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. {31} Yet seek ye his kingdom, and these things shall be added unto you. {32} Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. {33} Sell that which ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, (In other words, don't store up your money for long periods of time.) a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth. {34} For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (So it's a dangerous thing to count on the treasures of the world and men of the world and their schemes. And of course, the hierarchy out there in the economic world, they're just there to cheat you. And they've got an ultimate plan to do that. So if you're playing their game, you know, they're going to beat you at it. God wants us to get into His economy.) {Luke 12:16} And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: {17} and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits? (meaning, on himself) {18} And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my grain and my goods. {19} And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry. (I remember back when things were leading up to Y2K, how people stored up whole rooms full of food and stuff like that. And when they heard me preaching and teaching on these things, and how God's not going to favor that, and that it'll be stolen, and how people will look for people that do that to steal it from them, and maybe kill them in the process. You know, a lot of them went to look at their stores, and they found that, yeah, the thieves had broken through and were stealing. There were all kinds of little critters feeding on their food, and they had to throw it away.) {20} But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul required of thee; (it actually says, “this night they require thy soul of thee.” Why is that? These things that he had stored up were his god.) and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be? (Yeah, who's going to get that while you're gone? Who's going to eat all that which cost you your life, and you're gone, and you're not in the kingdom?) {21} So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. (So he's saying, if you're laying up treasure for yourself, you're not rich towards God. Wouldn't you rather be rich towards God? Wouldn't you have to have your needs met wherever you go?) {Luke 18:22} And when Jesus heard it, he said unto him, One thing thou lackest yet: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. (Grain was stored up under Joseph for the coming 7 years of famine/tribulation. Joseph was the greatest type of Jesus, Who was sold by his brethren into bondage and preached to the spirits in prison, and came out to rule the world. So, we can store up under Jesus in heaven by meeting the needs of others. And when we have a need, our need will be met. That's what He says, and it can't be stolen.) {23} But when he heard these things, he became exceeding sorrowful; for he was very rich. {24} And Jesus seeing him said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! {25} For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (We know about the needle's eye. The Pharisees made it a doorway, but no, that wasn't what He was saying at all. He said it's very hard, impossible, actually, for a camel to go through a needle's eye.) {26} And they that heard it said, Then who can be saved? {27} But he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. (How does God save men? He changes them. Anybody who's not willing to change cannot be saved. You have to be willing to change.) {Luke 16:19} Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, faring sumptuously every day: {20} and a certain beggar named Lazarus was laid at his gate, full of sores, {21} and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table; yea, even the dogs came and licked his sores. {22} And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels into Abraham's bosom: (which was the good side of Sheol, which was the place of the dead. When Jesus was resurrected, He took Abraham's bosom to heaven.) and the rich man also died, and was buried. {23} And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, (Hades is the bad side of Sheol.) and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. {24} And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame. {25} But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, (In other words, you can either hold to wealth here or you can have there forever. You know, sometimes we're called to give up something that we can't keep in order to get something that we can't lose.) and Lazarus in like manner evil things: but now here he is comforted, and thou art in anguish. (I know people just pass right over this, and they don't really fear God. They just pass right over this like it's nothing. Look at what He's saying. Look at the life Jesus and His disciples gave us as an example of. Look at that life. And they were happy. There's no happiness in riches and things. Look at the people who have won lotteries. Look how long it takes for them to be destroyed and how they're never happy. And now they're even worse off. It's just an opportunity to live after the lusts of the flesh and lose your life. Look how happy the disciples were. They gave as they went, everywhere. And because they gave, it was given unto them. They became a channel for God's goodness to people. That's what God wants for us. He wants us to be blessed in this way.) {26} And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that they that would pass from hence to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from thence to us. {27} And he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house; {28} for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. {29} But Abraham saith, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. (In other words, they have the word of God, let them hear the word of God. Notice, he is speaking to us. Look how important this text is. He is speaking to us. They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. Gods not sending them somebody from the dead that they're going to listen to, because He did send somebody from the dead, and they wouldn't listen.) {30} And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one go to them from the dead, they will repent. {31} And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, if one rise from the dead. (And he did. What we have to do is hear the word of God. We have to hear what it says, not because somebody else is doing it or not doing it. We have to hear what He says in the Word of God. We're going to be held responsible for what we hear in the Word of God. And those that do will bear much fruit, and He will give them that which is their own. But if you're not faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? What you have is not yours. Nothing that you have, that you consider yours, is yours. It's God's. We are now stewards. It never calls us owners in the New Testament. These people are liars. When they put you under the tithe to bring money to them, they have to put you under the law to bring money to them, because God would not work it in your heart to give to them. And they know that. So they put you under the law, which is under a curse, because it's a totally different relationship with God. Come out from under the law, which is come out from under the curse. He wants a cheerful giver, not of necessity. They preach necessity all the time. You must tithe, or else they say, If you don't do this, you're going to be cursed. But actually, if you do that, you are cursed. Unless you've just done it in your ignorance, and then, as soon as you found out what the Bible really said, you began to follow the Bible, like a lot of people do. They're not staying in one spot. They're not stagnant. They're running after God, like I was. When I first went to a church that taught tithing, I said to myself, Well, if God likes ten percent, I'm going to give Him twenty. So, I did. By the way, along with that, I sold almost everything I had. All my toys and things. I just sold them all. I didn't have time to do anything but read the Bible anyway. So, I just sold them all and gave that to God. So, it was far above twenty percent. But then the Lord taught me that, No, you're still a Pharisee, because you're under a law that you made for yourself. So, as soon as I gained understanding about that, I went right into listening to the Holy Spirit, because you've been given the Holy Spirit to show you what God wants you to do with what belongs to Him. You see? So I began to listen to the Holy Spirit, and come out from under any laws I made for myself, as well as any laws that man would put upon me, bringing me under a covenant that does not exist anymore, in order to break my covenant that does exist. Amen? The Transfer of Wealth Prophetic Vision: Wealth Transfer – Time is Short! End times Lindsay and Richard Roberts (son of Oral Roberts, healing evangelist, founder of ORU) from Living Truth 9/21/26 Link Partial Transcript: Lindsay said, I had been asleep off and on at night. Sometime in the middle of the night, I became fully awake and I saw a vision. God shows me things in billboard signs. Billboards, to me, are information and God was showing me things in billboards, and they're always very illuminated, very bright, very electric, and very what I would call succinct, distinct messages. I saw myself getting into a car and driving along a road, and I saw the first billboard. And all of a sudden the first billboard illuminated brightly; just as bright as it could be. It had a black outline with a gold frame and when it illuminated, it was like someone switched the light on. Like it was dark and then, BAM! The light came on; it said, END TIME. Now, that's not a big revelation. The first billboard said END TIME. Not like time's going to end, but “End Time,” but there was more to it. I kept on driving. The second one said TRANSFER. So I saw where this is going: End Time Transfer…. And then the next one, the third one said, OF WEALTH. Now the END TIME sign was just the most illuminated gold; like a gold color, but it was like an illuminated light that was shining gold. The next one said, TRANSFER; and it was also illuminated gold. And the next one said, OF WEALTH, and it was also illuminated gold. I kept driving and the next one said, WICKED, and it did NOT illuminate. So, it was like, WEALTH OF THE (was illuminated) and then “WICKED” – I could see it on the billboard, but it was not illuminated, not super bright, and it went dark. (God has been gathering up the wealth of the wicked and putting it in His account to transfer it in the days to come to the needs of His people. This is a parallel in history to when His people were coming out of Egypt to go into their wilderness, which Rev. chapters 12 and 17 reveal to be the Tribulation. The Egyptians' gold and silver was TRANSFERED to His people.) All the first billboards were illuminated brightly, almost like enticing, and I wanted to see the next one, but on the one that said, WICKED, the light went out, as if the “lights went out on the wicked.” And I thought, okay, that's just kind of weird. And it didn't make sense to me. And I kept on driving. And there it went again; another billboard said, END TIMEand was totally illuminated. TRANSFERENCE was so electric and illuminated. And then it said, OF WEALTH. And when I saw the word WEALTH and drove past it, it began to illuminate. And out of the W of the word WEALTH transfers came…., Okay, so I'm immediately thinking “money.” But no, it wasn't. Although money was part of it, I could see like, money was being ready to transfer out of the W. I saw it come down from the W. There were ideas; the word technology came out of it, the wordtelevision came out of it, the word radio came out of it, the word paintings came out of it, the word affluence came out of it, the word influence came out of it. So when the word WEALTH lit up out of the W, it was as though God was releasing not just what the world would call “wealth”, but what He was calling wealth. We think of wealth in terms of money, but I think God was saying to me in this vision; He was showing me that there are lots of things that are “wealth” that create financial wealth. And some of those are “ideas”. Some of those are “art”. Some of them are the “industry”. Some of them are “sales”; they're businesses, ways of doing things, new ways. And here's the weird thing. It was creative things that I knew, but then all of a sudden it had, like a twist, like it was technology. Well, when I saw the word technology come out of the W, it was like new technology. And then I saw the word radio. Well, I've seen the radio; we have a radio. But it was like new control over the airwaves, television; new control over what's on television or creating new television stations. And I kept seeing all of this come pouring out of the word WEALTH but it wasn't going anywhere yet. I thought, okay, that's interesting. What came to me was the scripture, “wealth of the wicked laid up for the righteous” -END TIME TRANSFERENCE OF WEALTH. I got in the car and kept right on driving. So, here it is, Wealth. And all of this was just pouring out of the W. Then I saw the words OF THE totally illuminated; and WICKED and it was not illuminated. You could see it; the outline, but WICKED was not illuminated. They, the Wicked, weren't the bright light they used to be. And then as I'm still driving, instead of anything else, the next sign was dark and dark and dark. (Does this mean darkness will cover the earth?) And I'm like, "Wow, I have been passing along, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting for the next sign." Think about that. We're waiting for the next sign from the Lord. Every billboard I passed was dark. And then all of a sudden, the last billboard popped up out of nowhere and the word on it was illuminated gold. Only it wasn't TRANSFER or TRANSFERENCE. It was TRANSFERRED. It was done. (The Lord showed me this too. It will be done.) WEALTH OF THE WICKED. I waited and waited; we're waiting for it, and all of a sudden the next billboard was brightly illuminated, and it didn't say TRANSFER like the other ones. It said TRANSFERRED. I began to look at it and I saw two groups of people underneath [the billboard]. They were all Christians. Now, here's the second part where it was WEALTH OF THE WICKED TRANSFERRED…. and I'm about to rejoice! And then the Lord said, "Look down. There's two groups of people." So, where the W was, it was all pouring out, but it wasn't going anywhere. Out of the TRANSFERRED, there are two groups of people; they were all Christians underneath that sign. One group was like, "I'm waiting. Yay! Hey, I'm a Christian, so slap it on me." Nothing was hitting them. Not that they deserved it because, "Hey, I'm a Christian." Because they were all Christians. It was just really weird. But the second group: they were on their knees, not necessarily looking for anything; they were just worshiping God. They had waited, and they had waited and waited. But they stayed in worship. They stayed in this atmosphere of worship. They weren't looking... They were worshiping. And when the one group who were just worshiping God, not looking up to what was happening on the billboards, they were in this atmosphere of worship. And all of a sudden, when the word TRANSFERRED illuminated it was not just financial, it was ideas. And all of a sudden the words television, radio, authority and all of this- especially like ownership, businesses- were just pouring out and it was TRANSFERRED. The ones who were in the state of worship continued. And then the other ones saw [them], and thought, ‘wait a minute, we need to be worshiping.' (Then Richard said, “It's never too late to worship.”) And all of a sudden, it became almost like an outpouring of worship. And where there was an outpouring of worship, then there was an outpouring of God's provision. Now, what may be provision to me and come pouring out may be different for somebody else. But I want you to focus on whatever it is that represents what God wants to provide for you and how you are believing God for provision. And instead of focusing on everything else, I personally just want to focus on worship. And I just want to encourage you to begin to worship God because He honors that; He said He inhabits, lives, and dwells in the praises of His people. And you know, in this past year, sometimes, “Praise the Lord!” should have come out of my mouth faster than other things. I'm a human being. But I do think it's not too late. And that was the whole thing. It's not too late. God knows what happened when the wicked seemed to prosper. And I believe that we have not only the privilege of worshiping God, but it's also one of our wonderful opportunities to combat the attacks of the devil. So my word to you today is what I saw: “The wealth of the wicked being transferred to the righteous,” and then I saw the word TRANSFERRED as if God is already on it. It's done! Praying Over The 1% and the Wealth Transfer Link Brandon Biggs 8/7/25 Partial transcript: God said, "Brandon, I just want you to know there'll be 1% that flows in this end time wealth transfer of the great wealth. (of the Church) And I'll not share My glory.” Just like I won't share My glory whenever you pray for somebody and they try to say, "Thank you, sir." And you say, “No, it ain't me. I'm just a vessel.” We got to always keep the main thing in mind and give God praise for everything in these last days. We have to always be looking at His face and knowing that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. It's not Brandon; it's not you. I may write the check. I may be the distributor of what wealth that He gives me, but it's always to give God the praise. And it [the transfer?] will be for the unlikely people….. (Who can handle the wealth for God and His people.) The end time wealth transfer of what's about to happen with the finances; it's something you can't earn and it's something you don't deserve. But God said, "I'm going to bless you." And I've seen what's about to happen again with a glimpse. As I was lying in bed, I could see, and I was looking into these months ahead of what God is trying to do just for His remnant…. So what Brandon was emphasizing in the video about the wealth transfer distributions coming is that God wants us to be faithful in the little things in obedience before He will give you more responsibility with the greater things. The Great End Times Transfer of Wealth Glynda Lomax, 12/13/25 wingsofprophecy.blogspot.com My children, you have heard there is a great transfer of wealth coming in these end times and it is true. Many have tried to understand how this wealth will come, as they put great hope in it. They believe the wealth is so they may own it, but that is not My way. My way is always giving and sharing with those in need. My way is always that it glorifies My Son Jesus, not mankind. Those who have little fear of the greater lack that is coming, yet I am already providing for them ahead of time and I need only speak to those who are truly Mine and they will give immediately. It is to those children that I will give the end times wealth. It is those who will give whatever amount, as much as I say. WHEN I say that I will endow, that My purposes may be fulfilled, that MY Son's great name may be glorified and not their own. These are those who have purified themselves for My pleasure. They live holy lives to please Me and that I may use them in greater ways. These of My children, who are very few, shall be greatly endowed yet will not flaunt it. They will not consume it upon their lusts. They will not use the power of it against others. These are those with hearts to give. They are simply channels of My glory. There will be no announcement or fanfare when they become wealthy. They will simply continue doing what they are already doing – being about their Father's business in the Earth, helping the poor and watching for My Son's return. Inquire of Me if you desire to qualify for this great transfer, for it happens soon. (Glynda gave these verses) Deuteronomy 6:10-12 And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, 11 And houses full of all good [things], which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; 12 [Then] beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Proverbs 13:22 A good [man] leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner [is] laid up for the just. (This is not just for personal use but for whatever the Lord wills and to get the gospel out.) Job 27:16-17 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; 17 He may prepare [it], but the just shall put [it] on, and the innocent shall divide the silver. Ecclesiastes 2:26 For [God] giveth to a man that [is] good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to [him that is] good before God. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit. Proverbs 28:8 He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor. James 2:15-16 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be [ye] warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what [doth it] profit? Matthew 25:35-40 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed [thee]? or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took [thee] in? or naked, and clothed [thee]? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me. Luke 3:10-14 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? 11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. 12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? 13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. 14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse [any] falsely; and be content with your wages. Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. Matthew 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Vision About The Wealth Transfer Victoria Ang, 7/28/23 link The enemy does not want this Word to go out!!! I typed up the whole post; I went to send and everything got deleted!!! So I had to start all over again!!!! I wanted to share some encouragement the Lord gave me this morning. I was woken in the early morning hours as usual to pray, around 5 AM. I spent about an hour in prayer, praise and worship. Afterwards, I wanted to go back to sleep for a little bit before getting up for the day to tackle tending the animals. Immediately after prayers, I received a vision…. In the VISION, I saw I had a check in my hand. I was made to know I could cash it. There was a woman standing in front of a register. I handed her the check. As I gave it to her, she dropped it on the floor. She bent over to pick the check up to cash it for me. She looked at the check and opened her drawer and pulled out large stacks of bills in piles. Before giving it to me, she glanced once again to verify the amount. As she was verifying, she put the large piles of money back into the drawer. She walked over to a HUGE bank vault. She put the combination in and opened the vault. She walked into the vault as I waited to receive my money. Next she came back out pushing an enormously big cart. Full from top to bottom with stacks upon stacks upon stacks of money! She went to give me the money and the vision ended! Interpretation: his vision is about the wealth transfer that will soon occur. Money from the evildoers that has been hidden. And those who stashed money away for themselves are about to fall from their hands to the ground. Losing EVERYTHING! (God takes it for His use.) And transferred to God's righteous! Blessing them in abundance!!! The Lord God has made it known to those who will receive the funds! 1978 Prophecy Wealth Transfer Charles Capps Posted 2/5/26 link Transcript: Here's a prophecy Charles Capps gave February 1, 1978, in a meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. Financial inversion shall increase in these days. Now, let's define financial inversion or inversion. A turning upside down or inside-out reversal of position. Have you got it? Turning upside down or inside out. Reversal of position. One party has it, oppressing others with it. But after the inversion, positions change. That's what an inversion is. Now listen to this. Financial inversion shall increase in these days. For you see, it is My desire to move in the realm of your financial prosperity. But release Me, saith the Lord, release Me that I may come in your behalf and move on your behalf. For yes, yes, yes, there shall be in this hour financial distress here and there. The economy shall go up and it will go down. (Now, this was prophesied in 1978.) The economy shall go up and it will go down. But those that learn to walk in the Word, they shall see the prosperity of the Word come forth in this hour in a way that has not been seen by men in days past. Yes, there's coming a financial inversion in the world's system. It's been held in reservoirs of wicked men for days on end, but the end is nigh. Those reservoirs shall be tapped and shall be drained into the gospel of Jesus Christ. It shall be done, saith the Lord. It shall be done in the time allotted. And so shall it be that the Word of the Lord shall come to pass that the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. Predominantly in two ways it will be done in this hour. Those that have hoarded up and stored because of the inspiration of the evil one and held the money from the gospel shall be converted and drawn into the Kingdom. Then shall it release that reservoir into the Kingdom. Now the Spirit of God said that wealth will come in two ways. Number one, many of those people will be born again and bring their wealth into the Kingdom. Can you shout amen? Amen. And then the other way He said, but many, many will not. They'll not heed the voice of the Word of God. They'll turn aside to this and they'll turn aside to that and they'll walk in their own ways, but their ways will not work in this hour. It'll dwindle and it'll slip away as though it were in bags with holes in them. It'll go here and it'll go there and they'll wonder why it's not working now. It worked in days past, they'll say. I mean, the world's at that point right now. They cannot figure out why what they've done all these years is not working anymore. But it shall be, saith the Lord, that the Word of the Lord shall rise within men; men of God, of low esteem in the financial world. They shall claim the Word of God to be their very own and walk in the light of it as it has been set forth in the Word and give. They'll begin to give small at first because that's all they have. But then it will increase. And through the hundredfold return, so shall it be that the reservoirs that have held the riches in days past, so shall it return to the hands of the giver. Because of the hundredfold return shall the reservoirs be lost from the wicked and turn to the gospel. For it shall be in this hour that you will see things that you never dreamed would come to pass. Oh, it'll be strong at first in ways, then it will grow greater and greater until men will be astounded, and the world will stand in awe, because the ways of men have failed, and the ways of God shall come forth. As men walk in My Word, so shall they walk in the ways of the Lord. Oh yes, there will be some who say, "Yes, but God's ways are higher, surely higher than our ways, and we can't walk in those." It's true that the ways of God are higher. They are higher than your ways as the heavens are above the earth. But I'll teach you to walk in My ways. I never did say you couldn't walk in My ways. Now learn to walk in it. Learn to give. So shall the inversion of the financial system revert. And so shall it be that the gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached to all the world. And there shall be no lack in the Kingdom. Those that give shall walk in the ways of the supernatural. They shall be known abroad. My Word shall spread and the knowledge of the Lord shall fill all the earth in the day and the hour in which you stand. Ye shall see it and know it, for it is of Me and it shall come to pass, saith the Lord. Can you shout, "Amen?" Now, that was prophesied in 1978. God said there would be an allotted time. And we're walking in it right now. The inversion has begun. Now the door is not fully open…. Before Cyrus/Trump came to deliver the people of God from Babylon DS, there was a plan by previous Socialist Communists to redistribute the wealth to themselves and those who are bent on destroying the people of God, like Haman and his people in Esther. But Mordecai, representing the pre-anointed Man-child, and Esther, representing the Bride, interceded to the King, which overthrew their evil plan, which is what we are now seeing. Ecc.1:9-10 That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been long ago, in the ages which were before us. Cyrus gave great wealth, taken from Babylon's treasury, into the hands of God's people to leave Babylon and rebuild the Kingdom, represented by the Temple, in the Promised Land. So Trump is doing now, by the hand of God, through the RV and GCR. Ezr.6:4 with three courses of great stones, and a course of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house. This was a great redistribution of wealth to God's people. 2Ch.36:22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whosoever there is among you of all his people, Jehovah his God be with him, and let him go up. (These represent a first fruits of those to leave Babylonish religion to go to the true place and teaching of God. Building the Temple represents the building of the saints who are the temple of God. Jesus is the Temple of God and they are coming into His image.) The people also contributed great wealth towards this rebuilding. Ezr.1:4-11 And whosoever is left, in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the freewill-offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem. 5 Then rose up the heads of fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem. 6 And all they that were round about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered. 7 Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of Jehovah, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods; 8 even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. 9 And this is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, a thousand platters of silver, nine and twenty knives, 10 thirty bowls of gold, silver bowls of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. 11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when they of the captivity were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem. (These vessels of the house of God represent His people who were taken captive by Babylon but were released by Cyrus to be returned to the Promised Land to live on the promises.) Ezr.6:5 And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple, which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to its place; and thou shalt put them in the house of God. ………………………………………… (Here is some news and predictions from the Alliance. Sometimes their dates are disinformation to throw off the enemy's plans. They wisely may not give a date when they finally do some things. The D.S.is warring to stop them.) Restored Republic via a GCR Update as of Sat. 26 Sept. 2026 On Thurs. 1 Oct. 2026 The Bankrupt US Inc. Corp. Government Closes Shutting Down Their Privately Owned Federal Reserve & IRS. Government Shrinks 90-95% As The Global Military Alliance Takes Control Until New Elections. United States of America Republic Begins Under Gold/asset-backed QFS & GCR Activation. Emergency Broadcast System Broadcasts Take Over Phones, TV, Radio To Explain What's Going On Judy Note: Think Congress went on recess Friday until after the November election? Think again. With US Inc. Bankrupt, there would be no November election for that private corporation. Most of it's Congressional officers were said to be under arrest, charged with Treason and Crimes Against Humanity. Within 60 days there would be an election for the new United States of America Republic that starts its new fiscal year on Thurs. 1 Oct. 2026 under a gold-backed US Note as part of a Global Currency Reset. To accomplish a new US Republic that runs under concepts of the original Constitution, President Trump and the Global Military Alliance have been executing the largest Sting Operation in history. Over 80 nation's Military forces across the globe were mobilized – US, Canada, UK, EU, and beyond. They've already arrested and tried over half a million Global Elites for Crimes Against Humanity. On Thurs. 1 Oct. 2026 the Global Elite Cabal's US Inc. Corp. Government would be dissolved, finally ending their fiat monetary system and closing their US Inc. government. On that same Thurs. 1 Oct. 2026 the privately owned (by Cabal bankers) Federal Reserve and IRS would shut down because US Inc. Corp.'s fiscal year ended. It was bound to happen. US Inc. has been bankrupt since 2008, with no Congressional budget approvals, or accountability – just running on fumes with a fiat dollar. The Cabal's Blackrock was also Bankrupt. This was the Deep State's financial arm that controlled more wealth than entire nations. With 209 nations' switching to the gold/asset-backed currency system on Thurs. 1 Oct, the Deep State no longer had access to Taxpayer monies. So sad. All banks worldwide not Basel III compliant (have gold backing to their monies) will be closed. The Basel III regulations could alter the real estate market in unprecedented ways. In the first week of October the Emergency Broadcast System was set to activate and broadcast documentaries 24/7 on the state of the World. With the QFS activation, governments as we know them were expected to shrink by 90-95%. The Global Military Alliance will take control worldwide until after elections, which have to be held within 60 days. Forget the November elections. They're not happening, not on this timeline. NESARA GESARA was well in force as countries worldwide were activating the gold/asset-backed Quantum Financial System and Global Currency Reset. The BRICS nations heads the greatest wealth transfer in history. 134 nations were ditching the fiat US dollar and moving to gold-backed currencies. Each of these currencies will trade at a 1:1 ratio. Also on Thurs. 1 Oct the new United States of America Republic will start its new fiscal year under a gold-backed US Note as part of the Global Currency Reset. “Peace Without Concession. Order Without Apologies. Truth Without Permission. You Are Watching The Return of A Republic. Not Announced, But Executed.” …Nesara Gesara Secrets on Telegram Fri. 25 Sept. 2026 “The Greatest Financial & Political Shift in Modern History is Underway. The Global Currency Reset Has Been Released. Mass Arrests Have Been Happening For Some Time. Be Ready. Blackout (of communication). The World is Connected & Watching. TRUST THE PLAN,” …Tier4b ISO20022 on Telegram Fri. 25 Sept. 2026 At the conclusion of the GCR the general population Worldwide would be invited into a Redemption Center to set up their personal wallets (formerly known as bank accounts) on the new Starlink Satellite System. Individuals would set up their wallet by way of their own body rhythms and DNA. The system was digital and completely secure. No one but that person could access their own account. The digital account would be accessed through their cell phone. ATMs would be available to obtain cash. A integral part of the revolution to make the World a Better Place through release of the GCR, was better health for all people of the World through release of Med Bed treatments. It is my understanding that Med Bed Treatment Centers have been built around the World and some were actively treating clients right now. Some large hospital chains have been bought out and Med Beds have been placed in them with doctors, nurses and medical staff fully trained in the process. People will be issued Med Bed cards to cover cost of their treatments in their own countries. The United Arab Emirates has hereby suspended Iranian flights, complying with Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent's devastating and ultimate sanctions. BESSENT LAST NIGHT: “External flights from Iran, probably more than 80%-90% got shut down. I'm not sure how the Iranian representatives at the UN are gonna get home!” Bessent's order made clear that any country aiding Iranian flights will FAFO be out of the American system. Countries must basically shun any Iranian airline aircraft if they even try landing there. …Trump Office on Telegram Fri. 25 Sept. 2026. CUBA'S ENTIRE POWER GRID JUST COLLAPSED. Total blackout. Officials have no idea when it comes back. Rubio's been saying it: the economic model is the problem. Communism. They leeched off Venezuelan oil. That tap is gone. Venezuela is aligned with the U.S. now. The lights went out. The regime is next. …Fox News Fri. 25 Sept. 2026 Possible Timeline of Global Currency Reset: …JFK on Telegram Thurs. 24 Sept. 2026: https://t.me/johndurhamchannel By Thurs. 17 Sept. 2026 the US Inc. was broke, sixty-three Cabal banks sat insolvent, seventy-five Cabal banks had been seized, the Chinese Elders wiped out the US National Debt, Visa and Mastercard rails were dead and Petrodollar contracts expired the next day on Fri. 18 Sept. 2026. On Wed. 23 Sept. 2026 at ten am EST the Federal Reserve System was shut down and bank wires were no longer going through on the old SWIFT System. On Wed. 23 Sept. 2026 at 6 pm EST the Quantum Financial System (QFS) was absorbed by the new US Treasury. On Thurs. 24 Sept. 2026 at 2am EST 23 global currencies on the QFS Trading Platform were activated and began trading. On Thurs. 24 Sept 2026 at 4 pm EST total activation of the QFS System occurred. his weekend Fri 25 to Sun 27 2026 will be an amazing revelatory weekend. Groups out West will be notified that they have access to funds. On Fri. 25 Sept. 2026 Trump gave the go-ahead for a Global Currency Reset of 209 nations to gold-backed currencies. Schedules were ready at Redemption Centers. Six new QFS nodes in Atlanta, Warsaw, Bangkok, Mexico City, Melbourne and Toronto pulsed live after the Kahlooni Family Gathering locked in the Restored Republic window. On Sun. 27 Sept. 2026 at 5pm EST Trump will give his keynote address. On Mon. 28 Sept. 2026 Blackout: NESARA will kick off. The main arrests begin of judges, prosecutors and lawyers who were paid by George Soros to betray and sabotage the United States. On Mon. 28 or Tues. 29 Sept. 2026 Tier4b (us, the Internet Group) should be notified to set exchange/ redemption appointments, a
St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Farmersville, OhioSeptember 27, 2026Eighteenth Sunday after PentecostAnnouncementsPreludeOpening Hymn - "I Love to Tell the Story" - LBW #390Responsive ReadingPrayer of the DayFirst Lesson - Isaiah 55:6-9Second Lesson - Philippians 1:15-26Hymn - "I, the Lord of Sea and Sky" - WOV #752Gospel - Matthew 20:1-16Sermon - "Equal Call, Equal Reward"Hymn - "Pass it On"Apostles' CreedOfferingOffertory - "Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow" - LBW #565Prayers of the Church and Lord's PrayerBenedictionExodus Hymn - "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus" - LBW #389DismissalPostlude
Peter blesses God for His great mercy: He causes believers to be born again to a living hope through Christ's resurrection, keeps an imperishable inheritance for them in heaven, and guards them by His power through faith until their salvation is revealed in the last time.
Praise God! No, it's my privilege, and thank you for allowing me to do these videos with you. So, let's kick things off by way of introduction. Of course, we always start with that. God does speak to people today. That's very important. God speaks through His Word. We read that in Second Timothy three verses 16 to 17.To donate please visit us at:https://loveisrael.org/donate/Checks may be sent to:LoveIsrael.org
Praise God! No, it's my privilege, and thank you for allowing me to do these videos with you. So, let's kick things off by way of introduction. Of course, we always start with that. God does speak to people today. That's very important. God speaks through His Word. We read that in Second Timothy three verses 16 to 17.To donate please visit us at:https://loveisrael.org/donate/Checks may be sent to:LoveIsrael.org
Caleb Flynn is charged with aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault, tampering with evidence, and intimidation in the death of his wife Ashley Flynn, 37, in Tipp City, Ohio. Prosecutors allege he shot her twice in the back of the head on February 16, 2026 while she slept, then staged a burglary. His defense says the state has no recovered murder weapon and no eyewitness.The prosecution's central witness is Alleigha Botner — a 23-year-old worship leader who spent more than four hours reading twelve months of text messages to the jury. Over more than 100,000 messages, according to her testimony, the texts moved from Flynn complaining about his marriage to both of them discussing how to make Ashley disappear.In May 2025, per testimony, Flynn texted that he'd kill Ashley in a heartbeat. By June, he was asking Botner to hire someone. She asked for a future; he told her he'd never been joking. By July, Botner was texting in his language — calling Ashley “douche” and writing that she “needs to go.” Flynn's reply, per testimony: he'd smile the whole time. Botner texted back: “Praise God.”The messages reveal five moves repeated for a year: death wishes served as devotion, helplessness trained into her, emotional crisis deployed against every hard question, a 40-day spiritual fast used to replace real deadlines, and jealous surveillance framed as sacrifice. By September, five months before the shooting, they were coordinating the permanent deletion of these messages using methods Botner researched on ChatGPT. Cross-examination has not begun.Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#CalebFlynn #AshleyFlynn #HiddenKillers #AlleighaBotner #MiamiCountyOhio #TippCity #AggravatedMurder #TrueCrime #TextMessages #Manipulation
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Five moves, twelve months, and more than 100,000 texts — that's what the prosecution's central witness described from the stand as she read her own messages with Caleb Flynn to the jury. Messages that show a 23-year-old worship leader going from receiving death wishes about Flynn's wife to sending them back.Flynn faces aggravated murder charges in the death of Ashley Flynn, 37, in Tipp City, Ohio on February 16, 2026. Prosecutors allege he shot Ashley twice in the back of the head while she slept and staged a burglary.Alleigha Botner testified for more than four hours, reading text after text. In May 2025, according to her testimony, Flynn wrote that he'd kill Ashley in a heartbeat if it wouldn't send him to hell. By June, he was asking Botner to hire someone. When she asked for a future together, he told her he'd never joked about it. By July, Botner was texting back — calling Ashley “douche” and writing that she “needs to go.” Flynn's reply, per testimony: he'd have a smile on his face the whole time. Botner wrote back: “Praise God.”The texts document a full year of the same pattern: death wishes as proof of devotion, a woman conditioned to treat his crisis as hers, emotional collapse every time she pushed for answers, a 40-day spiritual fast that replaced every deadline, and jealous surveillance wrapped in sacrifice talk. By September 2025, five months before the shooting, they were coordinating the permanent deletion of every message using methods Botner researched on ChatGPT. Cross-examination has not started.Listen Anywhere You Get Podcasts: https://pod.link/1655749292Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod?sub_confirmation=1Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#CalebFlynn #AshleyFlynn #HiddenKillers #AlleighaBotner #MiamiCountyOhio #TippCity #AggravatedMurder #TrueCrime #TextMessages #Manipulation
Praise God Part Two 2 Chronicles 20 The more I praise God, the more I will win. The more I praise God, the more I will win against the devil. When you praise God, you recall the truth! ABOUT US At Nashville Life Church, our vision is dedicated to following Jesus & building leaders. We are here to point every person to Jesus Christ. CONNECT Ready to connect? Click this link so we can stay in touch and get you connected here at Nashville Life: http://www.chrch.es/ap9bd GIVE To support this ministry & help us continue to reach people all around the world: http://www.chrch.es/3a843 PRAYER REQUESTS If you have a prayer request or need, we'd love to pray with you. Click this link to let us know how we can pray with you: https://bit.ly/3fVDSDh
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260922dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jonah] prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah 4:2-3 Too Much Grace Jonah was a messenger God sent to Nineveh, a city known for its wickedness, cruelty, and immorality. Jonah’s message was, “God is going to destroy Nineveh because of your wickedness.” Jonah was from Israel, a nation that witnessed that wickedness firsthand. You would think he would be eager to go and tell them that God was going to destroy them. But instead, he ran the other way. After Jonah fled, was swallowed by a fish, and was spit out on the shore, he finally went where God told him to. And when he preached, something amazing happened. The people were sorry for what they did and prayed for God’s mercy. When he saw this, God decided not to destroy them. Instead, he had mercy on them. And Jonah’s reaction? “It’s not fair. I knew you weren’t going to punish them. That’s just the kind of gracious, compassionate God you are. You show too much grace.” Do we ever think like that? Wickedness spreads like an unstoppable virus. It infects our schools, our communities, even our families. We experience hatred and hurt from other people. And hatred grows in our hearts against them. We don’t want to forgive, and we don’t think God should either. But if God’s grace had limits, if there are things God won't or can’t forgive, will he forgive me for holding a grudge or harboring hatred in my heart? Will his grace reach the selfish corners of my heart that only God can see? Praise God that his grace is for all! It is never too much. It is just what we need. Because of God's grace, we are forgiven. That’s great news to hear and to share! Prayer: God, thank you for loving and forgiving me in your amazing grace. 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/20260922dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jonah] prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah 4:2-3 Too Much Grace Jonah was a messenger God sent to Nineveh, a city known for its wickedness, cruelty, and immorality. Jonah’s message was, “God is going to destroy Nineveh because of your wickedness.” Jonah was from Israel, a nation that witnessed that wickedness firsthand. You would think he would be eager to go and tell them that God was going to destroy them. But instead, he ran the other way. After Jonah fled, was swallowed by a fish, and was spit out on the shore, he finally went where God told him to. And when he preached, something amazing happened. The people were sorry for what they did and prayed for God’s mercy. When he saw this, God decided not to destroy them. Instead, he had mercy on them. And Jonah’s reaction? “It’s not fair. I knew you weren’t going to punish them. That’s just the kind of gracious, compassionate God you are. You show too much grace.” Do we ever think like that? Wickedness spreads like an unstoppable virus. It infects our schools, our communities, even our families. We experience hatred and hurt from other people. And hatred grows in our hearts against them. We don’t want to forgive, and we don’t think God should either. But if God’s grace had limits, if there are things God won't or can’t forgive, will he forgive me for holding a grudge or harboring hatred in my heart? Will his grace reach the selfish corners of my heart that only God can see? Praise God that his grace is for all! It is never too much. It is just what we need. Because of God's grace, we are forgiven. That’s great news to hear and to share! Prayer: God, thank you for loving and forgiving me in your amazing grace. 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.
It can be so hard to push aside feelings of tiredness to praise God. Emma and Brigette chat about making the choice to praise God even when circumstances aren’t easy.
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260922dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jonah] prayed to the LORD, “Isn’t this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah 4:2-3 Too Much Grace Jonah was a messenger God sent to Nineveh, a city known for its wickedness, cruelty, and immorality. Jonah’s message was, “God is going to destroy Nineveh because of your wickedness.” Jonah was from Israel, a nation that witnessed that wickedness firsthand. You would think he would be eager to go and tell them that God was going to destroy them. But instead, he ran the other way. After Jonah fled, was swallowed by a fish, and was spit out on the shore, he finally went where God told him to. And when he preached, something amazing happened. The people were sorry for what they did and prayed for God’s mercy. When he saw this, God decided not to destroy them. Instead, he had mercy on them. And Jonah’s reaction? “It’s not fair. I knew you weren’t going to punish them. That’s just the kind of gracious, compassionate God you are. You show too much grace.” Do we ever think like that? Wickedness spreads like an unstoppable virus. It infects our schools, our communities, even our families. We experience hatred and hurt from other people. And hatred grows in our hearts against them. We don’t want to forgive, and we don’t think God should either. But if God’s grace had limits, if there are things God won't or can’t forgive, will he forgive me for holding a grudge or harboring hatred in my heart? Will his grace reach the selfish corners of my heart that only God can see? Praise God that his grace is for all! It is never too much. It is just what we need. Because of God's grace, we are forgiven. That’s great news to hear and to share! Prayer: God, thank you for loving and forgiving me in your amazing grace. 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.
God's RecordingWhat Does It Mean To Praise God?Hosted By. Rev. Dr. Bertram Be'Jay Major Monday, September 21, 2026The 3rd Annual Our Words Matter Black Authors Expo: https://www.harobedsthoughts.com/plan Floor 62: https://www.floor62.us/https://linktr.ee/dr_bejaymajor#Christian #Podcast #PraiseGod #God #Jesus
Praise God for Great Reversals by Franklin City Church
How often do you praise God? In this Heartbeat Rosemary shares with us the many reasons to praise God and the joy we experience when we do it.
Christians are a people who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ. We have received "the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints." This is the good news of what God has done for us in Christ, and it calls us to submit ourselves to Jesus as our Master and Lord. In Christ we are saved from the wrath of God against sin and brought into his limitless mercy, peace and love. Praise God! But Jude reminds believers that we cannot simply take the faith for granted. We are called to "contend for the faith." It is altogether too easy for the truth of the gospel to become distorted by ungodly influences—even within a church of professing believers. What does such distortion look like? Jude gives us several examples: denying the certainty of God's judgment, treating God's grace as permission to pursue sinful desires, and claiming Christ as Lord while refusing to submit to his authority. Such a rejection of the truth produces people who are grumblers and malcontents, driven by sinful desires, loud-mouthed boasters, and those who show favouritism for their own advantage. Rather than falling prey to such distortions, Jude calls us to contend for the faith entrusted to us. Let us hold firmly to the truth of the gospel, submit ourselves to Christ our Master and Lord, and rejoice in the common salvation we share in him.
Send us Fan MailEvening Prayer (Praise God; Wanderers Come Home; Persecuted Christians; Serious Illness / Multiple Myeloma; Traumatic Loss of Loved Ones; Thank You Lord)#pray #Jesus #Christian #prayer Thank you for listening, our heart's prayer is for you and I to walk daily with Jesus, our joy and peaceaimingforjesus.comYouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@aimingforjesus5346Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aiming_for_jesus/Threads https://www.threads.com/@aiming_for_jesusX https://x.com/AimingForJesusTik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@aiming.for.jesus
What happens when we praise God? In this message, Praise God (Part One), Pastor Alvin Love explores what Scripture teaches about praise and why it is much more than a response to good moments. Walking through Psalm 91, Psalm 22, and several Hebrew words used throughout Scripture, we see that praise is a choice—and that our lives can look different when praise becomes part of how we respond to God no matter the circumstance. Learn how praise shifts our focus toward who God is and helps us intentionally honor Him with our words, our bodies, our music, and our lives. Scripture references: Psalm 91:2–16 Psalm 22:3 Psalm 35:18 — Halal Psalm 138:1 — Yadah Psalm 103:1 — Barak/Baruch Psalm 150:3–5 — Zamar Psalm 63:3–4 — Shabach Psalm 34:1 — Tehillah Psalm 50:23 — Towdah —— ABOUT US At Nashville Life Church, our vision is dedicated to following Jesus & building leaders. We are here to point every person to Jesus Christ. CONNECT Ready to connect? Click this link so we can stay in touch and get you connected here at Nashville Life: http://www.chrch.es/ap9bd GIVE To support this ministry & help us continue to reach people all around the world: http://www.chrch.es/3a843 PRAYER REQUESTS If you have a prayer request or need, we'd love to pray with you. Click this link to let us know how we can pray with you: https://bit.ly/3fVDSDh
More Than a Song - Discovering the Truth of Scripture Hidden in Today's Popular Christian Music
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God goes with and leads His people forward. God is a bulwark who defends and fights for His people. We have seen this time and again in the Old Testament, and we've seen Jesus do it on the cross. Praise God, who is for us, who goes with us in life, who is our salvation, who is faithful...Live streams are available each Sunday at 11:00 am on our website, app, and Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/chippewaumcChippewaUMC.org
As we celebrate 10 years of ministry at Grace Capital City, Pastor Chris teaches from John 1:18 on how our church has been and will continue to be part of God revealing himself to our city and world. Praise God for His faithfulness to us this last decade!GRACE CAPITAL CITY: "Reaching, raising, and releasing disciples for the glory of the King and the coming of His Kingdom."www.gracecapitalcity.com | @gracecapitalcitySunday Gatherings at 10 am | Miracle Theater | 535 8th St SE, Washington, DC
Jesus Followers Should Fear, Respect, and Praise God's Power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but in Life's Trials They Should “fear not for I {Jesus} am with you always” MESSAGE SUMMARY: You should fear, respect, and praise God's power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but, as a Jesus Follower, you should “fear not” in life's trials and tribulations or at your time of judgment. As David's praise tells us in Psalms 103:13: “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”. David models again and again, in Psalms, how we should praise God. For example, in Psalms 146, David says: "Put not your trust in Princes; Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, Oh my soul!". When we are wondering how to praise the Lord, we can read one of David's Psalms to God like David's praises to the Lord in Psalms 112:1-2: “Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.". Also, we learn in Proverbs 1:7, the “fear of the Lord” and “wisdom” are closely linked: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.". These verses from the Old Testament point to the fear, respect, and praise that God warrants and demands from His power, sovereignty, and Holiness. On the other hand, as we see when the Apostle John quotes Jesus from Revelation 1:17-18, when Jesus, in all His power and Glory, reassures us of God's Grace and His plan for working out the Salvation and Eternal Life for all those that have accepted Jesus as their Savior: “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.'”. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FORGIVEN. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Revelation 1:17-18; Psalms 118:1-20; Proverbs 1:7; Psalms 73a:1-14. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Some Christians Easily Walk Away from God, But God Rejoices When They Return”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Some Christians Easily Walk Away from God, But God Rejoices When They Return MESSAGE SUMMARY: From the Gospel of Luke (Luke 15:11-32): Rejoicing in Heaven As Christians, we tend to easily walk away from Jesus, but He rejoices when we return. Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son – As Viewed through the Eyes of the Young Son: The younger son, firstly, took his inheritance, for which he was not yet entitled, and abandoned his father and family to move to a “distant country”. These were the actions of someone who abandoned his responsibilities, disrespected his father, broke off his relationship with his father, and then treated his father as being dead. In the “distant country”, the younger son quickly squandered his inheritance through sinful living. Being destitute in the “distant country” that was experiencing a severe famine, the younger son hired himself out to tend pigs (NOTE: For a Jewish person of that period, it was an abomination to work with pigs.). Also, he was starving; therefore, the son ate the food rejected by the pigs. However, in the desperate situation in the “distant country”, the young son “came to his senses” – he had an inner awakening. As a part of coming to his senses, the son, as described in Luke 15:17-20a, remembered and returned to his father: “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.' And he arose and came to his father.”. Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son – As Viewed through the Eyes of the Father: As requested by the younger son, the father gave the younger son his unentitled inheritance; and, without resistance, the father let his young son leave. When the young son “came to his senses” and returned to his father from a “distant country”, the father saw his son returning; and the father ran, thereby disgracing himself, to meet the young son while the son was still a great distance away. The father's heart was filled with compassion and love upon the return of the young son – the father was expressing unmerited and unsolicited love for his returning son. The young son had disgraced and disrespected his father, and the young son deserved to be punished. However, the father took all the hurt, disrespect, and punishment merited by his young son on himself. The father expressed this punishment merited by the young son when the father ran to his son; accepted and restored the son back into his family without question; and celebrated the return of the young son. The father, in this parable, demonstrates God's love that God gives to us when we return to Him from a “distant country” of sin and broken fellowship. When we return to God, we see His love for us, but not for our sins and our actions that broke our personal relationship with Him. We and the young son must face the consequences of our sin when we walk away from God: but through Jesus' acceptance of the cost of our sins on the cross and through our repentance, we can return to the love and fellowship offered by God. Summary: When we return from walking away from God, He rejoices; and there is rejoicing in heaven. God's perspective, regarding someone who has walked away from Him, is expressed, in Luke 15:31-32, when the father is explaining to his older son why he is accepting and celebrating the return of his young son from a “distant country”: “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'”. This parable clearly reflects that God wants intimacy and a personal relationship with us, and it hurts God when we walk away from His relationship with us. However, God and Heaven rejoice when we repent and return! As we consider those around us who have rejected and walked away from God, what should we do for them? We should: 1) pray, asking God to invade their life and circumstances to the point they will want to return to Him; 2) love them where they are – we can't rescue them; 3) “let them go” – they have intentionally rejected God (as the young son rejected his father), and our chasing after them may harden their heart to God; and 4) like the father in the parable, “be looking and expecting” their return – when they return, we need to embrace the one returning, with the love of God, like the father embracing and accepting his young son in the parable. TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FORGIVEN. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 15:11-32; Luke 15:7; Luke 15:10; Psalms 45:1-17. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE SEARCH: www.AWFTL.org/bible-search/ WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Should Fear, Respect, and Praise God's Power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but in Life's Trials They Should “fear not for I {Jesus} am with you always””: ”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. 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Why does God want us to praise Him? And what if praising God sometimes feels awkward, artificial, or forced?In this reflection on Psalm 67, John Ortberg explores the same question that once troubled C. S. Lewis.Lewis eventually discovered that God doesn't need praise like an insecure person needs compliments. Praise is actually part of our enjoyment of what's good.We naturally praise the things we love, and we want other people to enjoy them too. That's why Lewis concluded that praise doesn't merely express joy:Praise completes joy.And when praise still feels like duty? Keep tuning the instrument. The duty exists for the delight.In this episode: Psalm 67 • C.S. Lewis • praise • worship • doubt • awe • joy#Psalm67 #CSLewis #JohnOrtberg #Praise #Worship #SpiritualFormation
Let Everything Praise the Lord150 Praise the Lord!Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens![a]2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!5 Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!Praise the Lord!+++For more information about this group, please visit their website at reformationboise.com. Every weekday at 3:30 am and 7:30 am you can listen to The Gospel for Life on KSPD 94.5 FM and 790 AM Boise's Solid Talk in the Treasure Valley, Idaho, USA.If you have a question, comment, or even a topic suggestion for the Pastors, you can email them. If you enjoy The Gospel for Life, please give us a rating and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. That helps us a lot!Phone: (208) 991-3526E-mail: thegospelforlifeidaho@gmail.comPodcast website: https://www.790kspd.com/gospel-for-life/to donate on line https://www.reformationboise.com/donate
In CI News this week: MPs reject dangerous plans to legalise assisted suicide in England and Wales, Stormont has been warned that a ‘conversion therapy' ban will bake gender self-ID into law, and more than ten thousand people march for life in London. You can download the video via this link. Featured stories ‘Praise God': Assisted suicide Bill defeated in House of Commons Stormont ‘conversion therapy' Bill enables self-ID in law, top KC warns Campaigners urge PM to tackle ‘censorship crisis' March for Life: ‘Abortion wounds families'
The Bible can be confusing – It can also be so powerful it will radically change your life. There are some books in the Old Testament you can flip to that seem so rigid and so impossible, that a life following God is unattainable. Then there are books in the New Testament filled with overflowing mercy and grace that perfectly cover your every imperfection. So which is it – rigid and impossible, or, mercy and grace? Actually, I believe it’s both. It’s old and it’s new. It’s what we could never live up to, so it’s what Jesus died for. It’s what was expected of us, and what was done for us. There are many pages of my Bible in the Old Testament where I’ve written in bold letters across the print “JESUS”. The first 15 chapters of the book of Leviticus were specific instructions given to Moses from God to redeem his people and make them holy. There’s procedures for the burnt offering, procedures for the grain offering, the peace offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering, contaminations and purifications and discharges. This was the Old Covenant with God for an unholy people. Countless things they had to do, ceremonies and offerings with elaborate steps to make them good enough for a Holy God. And guess what … we couldn’t do it. The truth is, we could never make ourselves holy. We could never get it right and keep it right. And for THIS, we have JESUS!!!!!!!! So, on these pages of procedures and offerings I have written JESUS. Not to cancel God’s requirements, but to remind myself that Jesus fulfilled all of those requirements for me. THE OFFERING HAS BEEN MADE FOR ME. When I needed an offering to cover my sin, Jesus made the offering of his life for me. When I need an offering for my guilt, Jesus made the offering with his blood. Ephesians 1: 4-7 tells me that God loves me and chooses me in Jesus to be made HOLY without fault in his eyes. Praise God for his glorious grace he pours out on us who belong to Jesus. He purchased MY FREEDOM with the blood of Jesus and forgives my sins. And with this, the Old Covenant was fulfilled and we are given a New Covenant with Jesus. We’re not living trying to patch up the old, we’re dwelling in the new, covered in the new, free in the new! It was a very hard concept for everyone to understand in the days of Jesus. All they had known for every generation before them was rules and regulations and offerings trying to make them good enough for God. But Jesus comes as God in the flesh and says, “Now we’re doing something NEW!” To help them understand, Jesus tells 2 stories about the old and the new. First, the story of the patch. Mark 2: 21, “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.” Clothing in Jesus’ day was all wool and linen – both of them shrink when washed. You would intentionally make something larger than needed because as you washed it, you knew it was going to get smaller and smaller. So what would happen if you got a hole in your linen robe that’s been washed 100 times and you patched it with a brand new piece of linen cloth? Well, it would make a real mess! You can’t make something old right again with something new. You either have to start over with something totally new – or cut a patch of linen from old cloth to fix the old hole. What is Jesus telling the people here? He’s telling them he didn’t come to patch up the Old Covenant between God and his people. He didn’t come to patch up where they continually fell short of God’s requirements. Once he fulfilled the law, he was giving them something brand new! A New Covenant. And what is this New Covenant between us and God? It is total forgiveness. Jesus shed his blood on the cross to pay for all human sins once and for all. It’s a transformed heart. In this new covenant, God places his Holy Spirit inside his believers, changing our hearts to help us live according to his will. It’s living by grace, realizing salvation is a free gift received through faith, not something we could earn by following strict rules. And finally, it’s direct relationship. We no longer require a mediator to speak on our behalf in the Temple – we can have a relationship with God through Jesus. This was a radical shift for everyone hearing Jesus. What? We’re not patching up the old law that we keep failing at? You’re telling us you’re offering something totally new? Something we could never earn. Something that makes us forever good enough?!!!!! So Jesus tells a follow up story to paint the picture further. Mark 2:22, “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.” Just in case you’re not in the business of wineskins these days, let me explain. A wineskin was basically a bag made from animal hide that people used to store and transport wine. When the wine was new, it was still fermenting. As it fermented, it released gases and expanded. If new fermenting wine was put into an old brittle wineskin, there was no stretch and it would split wide open and everything would be ruined. Jesus was using something people understood to explain something spiritual: You can’t put something completely new into something that isn’t willing or able to change. Jesus was bringing something new—a new covenant, a new way of relating to God, a new kind of life through Him. The old religious systems and traditions couldn’t simply be patched up and expected to contain what Jesus was bringing. The point wasn’t that the “old” was bad. It was that something new requires room for something new. You don’t have to live in the Old Testament with the old rules and laws. Jesus did something radically new to make us forever good enough. We are made holy through our faith in him. Accept that. Receive that. And let it transform you and make you new. You can’t remain the way you were. In this relationship with Jesus, he’s going to make you new too. Why? Because the old you simply cannot hold what God is offering you now. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a NEW PERSON. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” God isn’t trying to pour something new into your old life. He’s trying to make you new and this new you can hold everything he’s pouring out. No, you can’t stay the same because through Jesus, you’re simply not who you used to be. That old version of you is gone. Let go of her. Receive the new you. You’re walking in a New Covenant with God made possible by Jesus. Jesus didn’t come to put a patch on your old life. He didn’t come to make a few improvements, cover a few holes, and send you on your way. He came to make you NEW. And He doesn’t just give you new wine; He makes you a new wineskin—able to receive, hold, and live in everything He is offering you. So let go of the old you. Stop trying to make your new life with Jesus fit into your old ways of thinking, old patterns, old fears, and old rules. The patch is gone. The old wineskin is gone. The old you is gone. You are walking in a New Covenant with God, made possible by Jesus. Receive the new life He has given you, make room for what He wants to do, and let Him transform you from the inside out. You are not a patched-up version of your old self. You are a NEW creation in Christ. The old has gone, and the new has begun! So stop trying to squeeze your new life with Jesus into the old patterns, old mindsets, old fears, and old ways of doing things. Let the old you go. Make room for what God is doing. You have a New Covenant, a new heart, a new freedom, and a new life—and it's all because of Jesus. New wine calls for new wineskins. And your new life calls for a new you. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:25 NLT) There is a story of an infamous pirate named Juan Carlos was rumored to have buried an enormous treasure in a location only he knew. One day a man approached Juan Carlos in Mexico, pushed him to the ground, and said, “Tell me where all your money is buried, or I will kill you right here on the spot!” Juan Carlos didn’t speak a word of English and needed an interpreter, so he saw a boy nearby and called him over. The boy relayed the man’s message to Juan Carlos and, fearing for his life, Juan Carlos said to the boy, “Tell this man I don’t want to die. Tell him the money is located thirty paces north of the city water tower, under a large rock.” The boy turned to the man and replied, “Juan Carlos says he is an honorable man and that he will never tell you where the money is. Juan Carlos says kill him now.” There are some people who, once they see an opportunity to claim something for themselves, will do so without a second thought about the consequences. For them, joy and satisfaction come from possessing. In geometric terms, they see God’s blessings as a line segment with fixed ends. The blessings begin at Point A, with God, and end at Point B, with them. God, on the other hand, views His blessings as a ray. They begin at Point A, with Him, but then continue indefinitely, through Point B and beyond. The apostle Paul explained it this way: “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT). This perspective aligns with the words of Jesus in Luke 6:38: “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” (Luke 6:38 NLT). This isn’t a formula for getting rich; it’s a picture of the overflowing generosity God cultivates in His people. Proverbs 11:25 puts it this way: “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” (NLT). The amazing truth at the heart of these passages is that God blesses us so that we can bless others. Ultimate joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment come not from possessing or hoarding God’s blessings but from passing them on to others. One of the best-known hymns ever written begins with the line, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” Flow is the key. His blessings flow to us and then through us to others. God wants us to be part of how He blesses others. When we think only in terms of benefit for ourselves, we dam the flow. We become obstacles to the ways He might bless others. The only way for God’s people to truly prosper is to be generous. Refreshing others with what God has given us is one of our highest callings. Reflection question: What would blessing others with what you’ve received from the Lord look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — 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.
How do you examine your anxieties? How will you make it through your day?
After giving her concern to God, nakatanggap ng kakaibang peace si Anna. Nawala ang pangamba at nagka-confidence siya na all will be well. And true enough, she was able to deliver her commitments, God's way.All Rights Reserved, CBN Asia Inc.https://www.cbnasia.com/giveSupport the show
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Series: One With ChristSermon: Praise God From Whom All Blessings FlowScripture: Ephesians 1:1-10Pastor: David Giese
God Empowers the Weak (1) (audio) David Eells, 9/6/26 To all those who have struggled to please the Lord and do His Will, I want to share with you some good news. It will be a rest and refreshing, a casting down of the burden of salvation, in all its many facets, by self-works. It is not in ourselves to do these things but in Him. Personal strength and determination will not be enough. As a matter of fact, it will get in our way and His. He will wait until we give up so that He may give the free gift through faith that He also supplies. So, ask for faith. Gideon was faced with an army that was “like locusts for multitude.” He gathered together all the manpower at his disposal. All of this human strength stood in the Lord's way of doing a miracle for His glory. Man would certainly take the credit, and then others would not see the true source of our physical and spiritual salvation. (Jdg.7:2) And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. At this point, the Lord proceeded to choose only 300 men and then gave them trumpets for weapons. In the natural, there was none weaker than this army. Now the Lord could show that His “power is made perfect in weakness.” And what of David, who was naturally the youngest, smallest and weakest of Jesse's sons? When Samuel anointed him with the power of the Spirit, he went on to slay Goliath with a sling in the very next chapter. How often is this scenario repeated through the Scriptures so that we might know that weakness is a true strength when it qualifies us for the Lord's power. We should refuse to size up the opposition, knowing that when the “odds” are against us, they are in our favor. Our victory is assured by the fact that it was accomplished already at the cross. Each of us needs to become as a child because we can walk with the Lord if we become as a child. The thing about grownups is they're self-confident, self-sufficient, and self-dependent. The world thinks of those traits as being positive, but in the Kingdom, God does not consider it that way. The Lord says the only way you can enter into the Kingdom is to be a child. Jesus said, “suffer the little children to come unto me; forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God (Mar.10:14). Forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God, is what it said in the original. Of such is the kingdom of God. (15) Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein. (16) And he took them in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.” Now we tend to think of the Kingdom as someplace that we're going to so that we can enter into it, but actually we're entering into the Kingdom here on Earth. In reality, the Kingdom is to be every place in your life. The kingdom of God is within you (Luk.17:21), Jesus said. The Kingdom is every place in your life where God is able to rule, where He is King. God is not able to rule until you're in agreement with Him. To be a child is to be confident in your Father, not self-confident. It's to be dependent upon your Father, not self-dependent. This is valuable to God. As He said, “my righteous one shall live by (“from” in the Numeric) faith: And if he shrink back, my soul hath no pleasure in him” (Heb.10:38). What pleases God is that we live from faith, that we do not live from our self-confidence, or our self-sufficiency, or our own ability, or the strength of the arm of the flesh, but that we put our trust in God and walk with Him like a little child walks with his father. In other words, there's no other way to enter into the Kingdom. We must give up being grownups. We must become as children. In order for God to be able to rule everywhere in our lives, we have to become as children. (Mat.18:1) In that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? (2) And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them, (3) and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. And these were His disciples that He was speaking to. These were not the lost Pharisees; these were the disciples of Jesus, those who were learning and following Him. He said you will not enter in unless you turn and become as little children. The process of the Christian life is this process of turning and becoming as little children and becoming God-dependent, God-sufficient and God-confident. (Mat.18:4) Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (5) And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. You see, Jesus was a little child. That's Who He was. He says, if you receive one of these little children, you receive Me. That's somebody who's in My likeness; you receive Me. He was a child. He really was. He wasn't a grown-up in the ways of the world, in the ways of confidence in the world, the strength of the world. Grown-ups are known for making their own way, making their own living, being self-sufficient, being great providers, but the Lord wants to wash all that out of us. He wants us to put all of our confidence and our trust in Him and become as little children. If you receive one such little child, you receive Jesus. That's the way He was. He was confident in His Lord. I'll tell you, the best way we can help ourselves is by walking by faith in God's Word. You've probably heard the old saying that “God helps those who help themselves,” but that's not found in the Bible. That saying is credited to Benjamin Franklin in his Poor Richard's Almanack. No, the best way to help yourself is walking in faith in God's Word. (Rom.14:22) The faith which thou hast, have thou to thyself before God. That's what the Bible says. You can help yourself. You can help yourself to everything that God has for you through faith in His Word. (Luk.10:21) In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, 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: yea, Father; for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight. What was He talking about? Reveal what things to the babes? Well, the disciples had just come back from being sent out by the Lord to take authority over the works of the devil. They came back rejoicing that God had given them authority over the power of the devil and that they had done the works of Jesus, and they saw that the spirits were subject unto them. But why did Jesus call them babes? Well, it was babes who received this revelation of the authority of Jesus, and it was babes who received this revelation of how to use the authority of Jesus. Let's back up a little in this chapter. (Luk.10:3) Go your ways; behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves. (4) Carry no purse, no wallet, no shoes; and salute no man on the way. So we see they were babes because Jesus sent them out totally dependent upon the Lord. (5) And into whatsoever house ye shall enter, first say, Peace [be] to this house. (6) And if a son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him: but if not, it shall turn to you again. And so he said, “salute no man on the way,” because you really don't know people, but you find out later who people are. We're going to find out before the end of the tribulation who people really are and who His children are. God sent these disciples out as children, as totally dependent upon the Lord, not self-sufficient, not able to take care of themselves. He deliberately took away their ability to take care of themselves when He sent them by not letting them take any kind of insurance with them. The only thing they took was His assurance because He said, “the laborer is worthy of his hire” (Luk.10:7), meaning that if you just go, God will always pay His workers. You don't have to worry about it. God is that way. He wants us to go without our own sufficiency or our own insurance so that we can see His provision on the way. I really, truthfully believe that Jesus never changed this way of sending out people. Many times, if God says, “Go,” you may go. It doesn't matter if you have the wherewithal to do this. If God says, “Go,” you may go. He will never fail you. He will meet you on the way. He's done it many, many times with me when He said, “Go,” and I've noticed, “But, God, I don't have this” or “I don't have gas” or “I don't have money.” But God doesn't take “no” for an answer. If He says, “Go,” you can go because He will be there. He'll put gas in your car. He's done it to me several times. Or He'll make it run without gas. He's done that, too. Or He'll put money in your pocket somehow or another. He'll do it. Or He'll make your money stretch. He can surely multiply it. He can do all things. He'll have you meet up with people whom He has put there specifically to supply your needs, if you go by faith and be obedient to Him. If you go as a child, just trusting in your Father. In America, there are far too few children. Everybody in America seems grown-up. Everybody in America wants to insulate themselves against anything that could happen, as though they don't believe in a sovereign God. The Bible says, “A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven” (Joh.3:27). God, Who is Sovereign, will make sure that He blesses you if you go by faith in Him. Believe me, the time is coming when everybody will have to go by faith in God because He's going to take away all the things that people have insured and insulated themselves with from the things that might happen in the world. But God is God. He never goes to sleep. He's never fallen off the throne. He's there always. He is going to make sure that His Word comes true. And we can be just like little children. We can cast ourselves on His mercy. Children never even think about where the next meal is going to come from. Little children don't worry about those things; they just know that it's Momma and Daddy's responsibility; they'll take care of that. And you know, that's the way God is with us. He wants that kind of relationship with us. God's not happy with anything less. (Heb.10:38) My righteous one shall live from faith: And if he shrink back, my soul hath no pleasure in him. God doesn't have pleasure in self-sufficient people. He has pleasure in people who walk by faith, talk by faith, live by faith. And it is a pleasure to live by faith. I don't yet know all of what living by faith is; God's only shown me the little parts that He's shown me, but I would love to live by faith in every direction. Some directions I've never even thought about, and other people will come and say, “Oh, did you try this?” For example, a sister in the Lord once told me that she and some other people just picked up some instruments and started playing them by faith, and pretty soon they got better and better at it. They were surprised at how God blessed them. Well, that led us to pray over our children, Nathan and Jennifer, by faith, and God answered that prayer. I tell you, it was just the very next week after that when they started playing music, picking it up quite naturally, by ear. So there isn't anything God won't do for those who put their trust in Him. There is nothing that God can't do and won't do for those who put their trust in Him. I believe this is the reason that He said He revealed these things unto babes. God reveals the authority of God and God reveals the power of His name to people who will become children, people who will cast care to the wind and put themselves in His Hands, just trusting in Him, believing in Him. (Eph.3:20) God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. God loves it when we are weak, but we don't see it that way. We like to be strong, and we do our best to make sure that we're strong in every situation that we can get in. As I said, we do our best to insulate ourselves from any possible mishap, but that doesn't please God. It doesn't please God that we put our trust in the gods of this world, the saviors of this world. The apostle Paul learned that lesson. He was caught up to paradise and he said, “On behalf of such a one (the man who was caught up to paradise) will I glory: but on mine own behalf I will not glory, save in my weaknesses” (2Co.12:5). The King James Version translates that word “weaknesses” there as “infirmities” because they had the idea that the apostle Paul had some kind of sickness or infirmities, but a closer look at this reveals that's not the case at all. Those translators believed the apostle Paul had an eye disease or something like that and that God said, “my grace is sufficient for thee” (2Co.12:9), meaning, “You just keep that because you need that; you need that to be an overcomer; you need that to humble you.” But obviously that would be contrary to a lot of the rest of the Word. The Bible says, “by whose stripes ye were healed” (1Pe.2:24). It doesn't say that we're healed only when we really need it, and it doesn't say that we're healed only sometimes. You were healed all the time. Let's read on. (2Co.12:6) For if I should desire to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I shall speak the truth: but I forebear, lest any man should account of me above that which he seeth me [to be,] or heareth from me. (7) And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. So we see that he said what the “thorn in the flesh” was. He said it was a messenger of Satan, an angelos. The word there is angelos, which is translated 181 times in the New Testament as “angel” and the other few times as “messenger,” but it means the same thing. It's the same Greek word, angelos. Here was an angel of Satan that was sent to buffet Paul so that he wouldn't be proud. Paul didn't say it was a sickness that was sent to buffet him. And, by the way, to “buffet” is not just one blow, like a sickness. It's to beat over and over and over. It's many blows. That's what buffet means. But a thorn in the flesh, in this case, was an angel of Satan that was sent to buffet Paul. In the Old Testament, for every verse that talks about a thorn in the flesh, never, not once, is it ever a sickness. It was always referring to the enemies of God's people that came against them, and in this case it's the same thing. An angel of Satan was sent to buffet Paul so he wouldn't “be exalted overmuch.” (2Co.12:8) Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. (9) And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for [my] power is made perfect in weakness. The King James here has that this word is “weakness,” but this word and the word up in verse five are the same Greek word, so one of them can't be “infirmity” and the other one “weakness.” Both of them have to be the same thing, and the truth is they are, because using the same Greek word in talking about Jesus, the Bible says, “for he was crucified through weakness” (2Co.13:4). Now, nobody would have put “infirmity” there. Jesus wasn't crucified through infirmity, so they had to put the truth there and the King James did use “weakness” in that case. (4) For he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him through the power of God toward you. See, when you are weak in Christ, you're going to live through the power of God. It's when you are not able. It's being weak in ability to save yourself, being weak in ability to deliver yourself, being weak in ability to heal yourself. He says when you're in that condition, then God's power is going to be with you. This is the same thing Paul said back in 2 Corinthians 12:9. I'm pointing out this verse because in the King James they used the word “weakness” here and it could not possibly be put in as “infirmity” because we can't read anywhere in the Scriptures that Jesus was infirm, nor was He crucified because He was infirm. Now, that's the same word that's being used over here and over in 2 Corinthians 12:9. He said, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for [my] power is made perfect in weakness.” You know, if we will be weak as a little child, God's power will be there. Most often, God's power is not there because we refuse to be weak. We want to be strong in a circumstance. We see what we think needs to be done and we run to do it, and we are not ceasing from our works. We are not entering into the Sabbath (Hebrews 4:11). We're not refusing to be strong. If we will refuse to be strong and we will put our trust in God, we will see His power there every time. This reminds me of a vision I had years ago, in which Mary and I were sitting in some lawn chairs in front of our house in Louisiana. While we were sitting there, we saw this power line hanging from pole to pole. The strange thing about it, as we were looking at this and studying it, was that the power line was almost touching the ground in the middle because it was sagging so badly. And while we were watching that, a tornado came over that power line and sucked us up out of our chairs. Then the vision changed, and I feel like we were over in Florida, and the Lord was showing us something about our ministry over there. But what He showed me about that always stuck with me. As we were sitting there, ceasing from our works and resting in lawn chairs, watching the power of man come to an end (that's the power lines), as we watched the power of man come to an end, then the power of God took over. Man's extremity is God's opportunity. God's not ready to move until we cease from our works because we have faith. Every time you have faith, you can stop; you can cease from your work, you can cease from your struggling; you can cease from trying to save yourself because the Bible says you are saved. It doesn't say He will save you. If it said that, you'd wonder what method He wanted to use, but since His method is past tense and you believe it, you have to stop; you have to cease. And so God's power is made perfect in our weakness. Paul said, “most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses (not “infirmities” because it's the exact same Greek word), that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2Co.12:9). Glory in our weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon us. That's the way a child is. They have all the power of Daddy because he is the provider, he is the deliverer, he is the savior. He takes care of it all, and they don't think it should be any other way, and we should be that way, too. We've been trained up to think otherwise, to be grownups, but you know, we shouldn't be thinking in any other terms than what a child thinks. This is the way God wants it. Well, I think that we can see by now that the ‘verse,' “God helps those who help themselves,” is not Godly at all; it's antichrist. It will never allow you to enter into the power of God. It will never allow the Spirit and the power of Christ to rest upon you. So Paul says he glories in his weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon him. (2Co.12:10) … I take pleasure in weaknesses…. King James says “infirmities.” Nobody takes pleasure in infirmities. That's ridiculous. The word here is the same Greek word again; it's “weakness.” Yes, we take pleasure in weaknesses. It's great to be weak. It's great to not have the ability to deliver yourself because then you get to see the miracle of God. And he went on to say, in “injuries,” or actually the word there is “insults,” according to the ancient manuscripts and the Received Text and several others; it's “insults,” not necessarily “injuries.” You don't take pleasure in injuries, but “in insults, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2Co.12:10). Now, what was this buffeting that this angel sent his way, this angel of Satan? Some people say there are no such things as angels of Satan. You know that the demons are angels. Some people say the demons are not angels, but no, that's not what the Bible says. The demons are the angels of Satan, so just forget about that theology. Don't believe that and don't go down that road because it's wrong. Michael and his angels fought with Satan and his angels (Revelation 12:7), the Bible says. Demons are all fallen angels. That's where they came from. They are the fallen angels, the non-elect angels. So what is this buffeting? What are these many different blows that the angel of Satan brought Paul's way in order to make him weak, and bring him into a position of weakness? Well, Paul gives a list of them. (2Co.11:21) I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet whereinsoever any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also. (22) Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. (23) Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft. He's talking about the places where he was weak to save himself. You know, when we get into places where we don't see any possibility of saving ourselves, that's wonderful because we get to see the power of God. If we walk by faith in those places, then we get to see the miracles of God. That's what God wants to teach us. He brings us into those places. Remember, God was the One Who sent this angel of Satan to humble Paul. Why do we need humbling? We need humbling because we're grown-ups and we need to become children. We need to not be self-sufficient; we need to be God-sufficient. We need to be trusting in our Lord because His promises are there to save us in all these situations. So God brings us into these places, and Satan's angel brings us into these places where we're weak, where we need the power of God. If we will be weak, we will see the power of God. Many times we want to look for man's help, man's way, man's wisdom. Let's continue reading Paul's list. (2Co.11:24) Of the Jews five times received I forty [stripes] save one. (25) Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep; (26) [in] journeyings often, [in] perils of rivers, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils from [my] countrymen, [in] perils from the Gentiles, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren; (27) [in] labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. He was in all these places in order to be weak so he could see the power of God. God put him in those places, like He brought the Israelites into those places in the wilderness so that they could see the power of God. Being weak is not a time to be anxious or worried; it's a time when you should expect to see the power of God. It's God's purpose to bring us to weakness so we can see His power. This is His plan. Don't ever be cast down because of what you see, because what you see is these places that make you weak. It's God's plan for you when you get into these places that you put your trust in Him and that you see His power. This is the place where God's power rests upon you. This place of weakness, the place of your own inability to save yourself or deliver yourself, is the place you can look for the promise of God and trust in God. Paul went on, “besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches (2Co.11:28). (29) Who is weak (that's the word “weak”), and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not? (30) If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weakness.” That's another place that the King James calls it “infirmity.” It's the same word! In the same text, if a word is translated one way in one part of the text and another way in another part of the text, that is dishonest. That is deceiving; it's wrong. It either has to be one or the other. If you look at this word in other parts of the Bible, the conclusion is that it's talking about weakness, not infirmity. Thank God for the places that He brings us to where we're weak! That's the only place we ever see miracles. Do you realize that? It's the only place we ever see miracles, and yet that is the place we're most tempted to throw up our hands and be anxious or worried or troubled. That is the place where all miracles are given, right there, in a place of weakness, the place where you're unable. Now, if you have the mind of a child and you get in that place, you just expect Father to take over from then on. This is something that He normally does. God normally supplies your need, like in the teaching Jesus gave about the birds and the flowers. He said they don't labor and they don't toil to clothe and to feed themselves (Matthew 6:26,28). You mean, the Lord is saying you don't have to work to bring about this clothing and feeding? You don't have to toil? That's exactly what He said. Go back and read it. It's so clear. That's exactly what He said. He knew that you'd get yourself in a situation, and He even ordained these situations to come, where you wouldn't be able to provide for yourself. And He said, “are not two sparrows sold for a penny? and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father (Mat.10:29). (30) But the very hairs on your head are all numbered. (31) Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Look, not even a hair falls out of your head; can you imagine that God doesn't know it?! He knows us so intimately that not one hair can fall out of your head without Him knowing it. I mean, your hairs are always falling out and growing back. How can He number the hairs of your head? That is an intimate God Who can number the hairs of your head. He knows a lot, so how could we possibly get into a situation that He doesn't know about and hasn't planned for? He is our Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord our Provider. (Php.4:19) And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. You can't get so far out that God can't reach you. You can't get in so impossible a situation that He can't take care of it. He can pay your taxes out of a fish's mouth (Matthew 17:27). He can do anything. Think about some of the things that God has done in the Scriptures, and He really did do them. He stopped the solar system for a day so Joshua could defeat his enemies. God can do anything. And, you know what? The great thing about it is He's “the same yesterday, and to-day, [yea] and for ever” (Heb.13:8). He is the same. He will still do anything to meet your needs if you will be weak and have faith. Be weak and have faith. Now, the time when you ought to have faith is when you're weak, because God doesn't need to meet your needs when you don't have any. You don't need a miracle until you need a miracle. Don't think that you can avoid a trial of your faith by receiving the miracle before you need it. No. God tries your faith. The miracle doesn't come till the miracle's needed. Trust in Him between here and there because He will be there. He will do what you need. Be confident in Him. Be children in Him. This is what we need to learn, and it's not an easy lesson. It demands the death of self, but religion has trained us up with the mind of the beast because religion has taught that God helps those who help themselves and it trains us to take care of these situations. Religion trains us to trust in the arm of the flesh. They even changed God into a god which He has never been so that they can trust in the arm of the flesh. “Now God does it this way,” they say, as if Jesus doesn't heal the same way He always healed, by laying hands on the sick or by speaking the word of faith. He's always healed that way and He still does. But you see, they've changed God so that you can trust in the arm of the flesh, so that you can be strong. You can run out and get the strength of the world, make your alliances with the world, get your insurance from the world. They'll change God and go to any extent to let the flesh live. But we have to become as a child; otherwise, Jesus says, you're not entering into the Kingdom of Heaven (Luke 18:17). The Kingdom of Heaven is where God rules, God reigns, God saves, God delivers. He hasn't changed. Man has attempted to change Him. God put us here in this weak position. He planned for us always to be in a weak position, so that He could be our Savior. (2Co.4:7) But we have this treasure (the treasure Paul is talking about is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God) in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves. God put this treasure, this knowledge of God, in such a weak vessel so that when anything happened, it would have to bring glory to Him and not to us. He could have put us in a strong vessel. He could have put us in a very knowledgeable, very wise, very strong, very healthy vessel, and we wouldn't have needed His help. He wouldn't have needed to be God, would He? We would have been our own gods. If we watch all the children's superhero shows, we'll notice the thing that's super about them is they're their own gods. They do what they want. They are able. That's not what God ever wanted. God didn't choose us because we are able. He chose us because we're not able. He wanted to give us His ability freely through grace, and that's unmerited. You can't earn it; you can't pay for it. He wanted to give it to us freely. When you get yourself in an impossible situation, think about it. God put you there and He put you there so that you could see how great He is. So God put this wonderful treasure in a very weak earthen vessel. (2Co.4:8) We are pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair; (9) pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed; (10) always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus (which is the death of self), so that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. God wants Jesus to live through us, but we have to be weak for Him to do that. The power of Christ will rest upon those who are weak. We're powerful only because we have faith in God. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13) but He doesn't strengthen until you're weak, you see. We have to cease before He will start. We have to keep the Sabbath and cease from our works and enter into His works through faith. God not only put us in a world that's bigger than us and with an enemy that was a lot bigger than us; He put us in a vessel that was weak to begin with, so that when the salvation came, we would also know it was from Him and not from ourselves. We think we're so great and we've been trained to be self-sufficient. Mommas and daddies train up their children to be self-sufficient. That's not what God wants. He wants a child. He's always chosen the weak (1 Corinthians 26-29). He's never chosen the strong and this gives you hope. This gives you hope that when you get in impossible situations, God planned for you to be there so that He could show you His power, His deliverance, and His salvation. This is God's plan. It's been His plan from the beginning and He's done it over and over. (Deu.7:6) For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth. And did you know that God still does that? God has still chosen you above all the peoples upon the face of the earth. Did you know that? If He chose you, He chose you above someone else, but He didn't choose you because you're wiser or smarter or more able or mighty, because “not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]” (1Co.1:26). God chose the weak. God called the weak “above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth.” (Deu.7:7) The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all peoples. And it's still that way, isn't it? God chose “the fewest of all peoples.” Why did He do that? Certainly, if He was fighting battles with all the Canaanites, He would want the greatest number, wouldn't He? No, because when the battle was won, He didn't want anybody to say, “Look what we did!” And when the battle is won in our lives, He doesn't want anybody to be able to say, “Look what we did!” “Look how powerful we are!” “Look how wise we are!” Or “Oh, we were smart enough to follow God.” You know, all these things that people could say. No. God said He didn't choose us because we were the mightiest but because we were the fewest. It's still that way today. The true Christians are few. Don't think that the Christians in this country are the many. What do they call them? The “moral majority.” That is just totally ridiculous! For proof of that, look at the people we have in elected office. If there was a moral majority, believe me, you would always have a government that was moral and good because that's the way democracy works. There's no moral majority. Never was. God chose us because we were the fewest of all peoples. (Deu.7:8) But because the Lord loveth you, and because he would keep the oath which he swear unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, and from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (17) If thou shalt say in thy heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them? (18) thou shalt not be afraid of them: thou shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt; (19) the great trials which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, whereby the Lord thy God brought thee out: so shall the Lord thy God do unto all the peoples of whom thou art afraid. And so shall the Lord thy God do to all of the curse that you come against, and to all of the flesh that you have to conquer, and to all the principalities and powers that you have to conquer. They are made strong, and you are made weak for a purpose, so that you can see the power of God move against them. We never need to count on our own strength. David did that and brought a curse on Israel (2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21). He counted the people of Israel and brought a curse on them because God sent a pestilence that killed 70,000 men, just so David couldn't count on his own strength (2 Samuel 24:15; 1 Chronicles 21:14). When you count on your strength, look out because you have trouble coming. God's going to humble you. God's in the humbling process with us. He wants to deliver us from trusting in the arm of the flesh. You know, in almost every battle that Israel won, they were outnumbered. Isn't it amazing that God demanded that they be outnumbered before He would give them the victory? For example, in Judges we're told that the Israelites had an army coming against them that the Bible says were as the sands of the sea for multitude (Judges 7:12). The Midianites, the Amalekites and the children of the east were coming against them, and all the men of Israel who could be gathered together weren't enough to do the job and they knew it. At first they were counting on their own ability and the numbers they had, but they were ridiculously outnumbered. (Jdg.7:2) And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. Well, that was just the beginning of God whittling down the people and those people who are fearful will not be the ones who have the victory over the enemy. Being weak is one thing, but being fearful is quite another. Being fearful is not trusting in the power that God has given us to come against our enemy. Being fearful is judging by your own ability. It's looking at your own ability or your own inability, but that's where God is putting us on purpose. This is God's plan to put us in a position of weakness, to make our enemy look big. He sent the Israelites into a promised land where the enemies were giants, and they were vastly outnumbered. It was God's plan for it to look like an unfair contest. In every trial that we go into, it's going to look that way so that when we get the victory, we know it's God's power, not our own. If you're thinking, “Yeah, but God chose Gideon, a great man of valor, to bring this about.” Well, let's go back and look at Gideon. (Jdg.6:12) The angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. The Lord tells you the same thing. He's with you. His authority is behind you whenever you walk for Him. Whatever we do, we do in the Name, representing Him. His power and His authority are behind us when we act on the Word. (Jdg.6:13) And Gideon said unto him, Oh, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where are all his wondrous works which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath cast us off, and delivered us into the hand of Midian. Have you ever thought, “Where are the mighty works of God?” Well, I'll tell you where they are. They're waiting on people to be weak. If people won't be weak, they won't see them. As long as we're strong to save ourselves, we don't need God. There's no faith involved in that. So now Israel had just gotten itself into a position of weakness, and do you know what? God chose just as weak a man to lead them. (Jdg.6:14) The Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and save Israel from the hand of Midian: have not I sent thee? “This thy might”? What is the Lord talking about? What does He mean here? It's because God sent Gideon. This kind of reminds you of Peter. “Lord, you just bid me to come to You on the water.” And when the Lord said, “Come,” Peter stepped out of the boat. The Lord said he could do it, and just on the word of the Lord, Peter did it (Matthew 14:28,29). He stepped out of the boat by faith. Nobody else stepped out of the boat, but he did. You know, if the Lord told you in the Word, that's all you need. “In this thy might.” God's always going to be behind His Word. If you step out on His Word, exercising faith in His Word, then His might is going to be there. You're always going to be weak, but His might will be there. “Have not I sent thee?” It's the same thing the Lord did to Moses when he protested, “O Lord, I'm not an eloquent speaker” (Exodus 4:10) and God answered him with, “Who hath made man's mouth?” (Exodus 4:11) God chose Moses not because he was great; God chose him because he was weak. (Jdg.6:15) And he said unto him, Oh, Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. Gideon wasn't listening, was he? “My family is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least of my father's house.” There it is. God chose the weakest and the least. Don't expect God to send Superman. That's not what He's looking for. This will not accomplish the purpose that He has. God is going to send someone who's weak, someone who is like a child. That qualifies some of us. You know, we can be as a child; we are unable in so many things. Sometimes we're forced into a position of being unable. But I tell you that what Jesus wants for us is not that we be forced into a position of weakness, but that we walk in that position of our own free will, refusing to be strong. This is the great thing. If we will learn to refuse to be strong, we will see the miracles of God now. And when we get forced into that position later, it won't be a big thing. It was no big thing for Moses to go through the wilderness with the children of Israel. They were being tried. He wasn't being tried. He'd already gone out into that wilderness and lived in that wilderness by faith in God. And God sent him because he had been there. He sent him back to bring the rest of the Israelites through that wilderness. And if you've been there, it won't be a big trial for you, but you'll be able to show others. This is very important for the times that are coming. People who are weak are going to be strong in the times that are coming, and others are going to be fearful. This wilderness experience that's coming is going to weed out the strong from the weak. The ones who are strong, who've always trusted in their own strength and who refuse to do anything else, they're going to fall by the wayside. It's going to be the babes who are going to go through the wilderness and make it to the other side. And God's always planned it that way. God will not permit salvation to come any other way but by grace. Some people look around and they say, “Look what God did here,” and “Look what God did there,” but if you look carefully, it's what a man did. They're giving credit to a man. (Exo.7:3) And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. It's funny, but you see God on both sides of this thing. It was God who hardened Pharaoh's heart, as it says here, so that the miracles that came would be mighty miracles. God gave the Israelites a strong enemy who would not let them go. (Psa.105:25) He turned their heart to hate his people, To deal subtly with his servants. The Egyptians brought the people of God into bondage because they hated them. And in Psalm 106, God made them set His people free. First God hardened the Egyptians, then He made them set the Israelites free. It was God's plan to put them in an impossible situation so that they would know how great God's salvation was. “I hardened Pharaoh's heart and multiplied my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.” (Exo.7:4) But Pharaoh will not hearken unto you, and I will lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. (5) And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. It is God's plan to put us in an impossible situation. We think it's the devil's plan and the devil fighting against us. No, it's God's plan for us to be in impossible situations. A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven (Joh.3:27), the Bible says, so God puts us in these impossible situations full-well planning to do a miracle for us. When we get in these situations, we shouldn't look at the impossibility of the situation and then look at our strength and say, “Woe is me!” because we can see from history this has been God's plan all along. When we get in that kind of situation, we should figure that the odds are in our favor, if you figure odds. See, when a situation is impossible, that's when the odds are in your favor. It's just the opposite for the world because they count on their strength and not God's strength, but when you look with your eyes and you see the situation is impossible and you see the promise of God, that's when you should be confident in God. He put us in this situation so we could see what a great Savior He is. He hardened Pharaoh's heart; He turned the Egyptians' hearts to hate His people, to bring them into bondage so that He could do mighty miracles to deliver them. It was His plan all along to do mighty miracles to deliver them. Instead, people want to be strong. The Egyptians wanted to be strong. Pharaoh called for their wise men and sorcerers and magicians to see if they couldn't do the same curses that Moses was bringing. (Exo.7:11) Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers: and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner with their enchantments. (12) For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. So the curse is sent by God upon the earth. The whole chapter in Deuteronomy 28 is about the curse, and it came by the Hand of God. I know that we've been talking about the hand of the devil, but that's not what the Scripture says. God said He sent the curse. But men, in whom we put our trust, they also propagate the curse. In this instance, Moses brought this curse, but also the magicians brought this curse. And the magicians, the sorcerers, never took away a curse, not one time. (Note that the word in the New Testament for “sorcery” or “witchcraft” is the word pharmakia.) According to this, they can't take away a curse. They can bring a curse, but they can't take one away. Moses was the one who always took the curse away, both the one that he brought (from the Lord) and the one that the magicians brought. Moses was always the one who took away both curses (Exodus 7:12; 8:13). And it wasn't until the sorcerers came to the end of their ability that God made a division between Goshen and Egypt. The sorcerers couldn't duplicate any of the curses from the plague of lice onward (Exodus 8:19). That's when God made a division, right there. When they failed to duplicate the plague of lice, when they came to the end of themselves, their ability, then God made this differentiation. By the way, we are called to walk in health. For instance, God said, “I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee” (Exo.15:26). When did He do that? God did it right here. When the sorcery came to an end, when the witchcraft came to an end, then God made a division. From then on, the curses always fell upon the Egyptians and not on the Israelites. So what are we here for? We are here to be weak in the ways of the world. The carnal church is not weak in the ways of the world. They have absorbed and taken hold of the ways of the world; that's why they're called the “harlot.” And we're called to step out by faith, to put our trust wholly in God, not just in the area of healing, but in deliverance in circumstances. The Lord came to deliver us from everything that involves the curse of sin and of death. In fact, in Ephesians, where he says, “by grace are you saved (sozo) through faith,” the word “saved” there is used in the Scriptures for salvation of the soul, for salvation regarding healing, for salvation in circumstances (when they were in the boat that was filling with water, for instance), and for deliverance from demons. The same word is used in all of those instances. Sometimes it's translated “made whole.” (Eph.2:8) For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; (9) not of works, that no man should glory. God will not permit us to have His salvation where we can earn it or where we are strong enough for it. He doesn't permit it. He puts us in situations where we're not strong or wise enough. But the world and the worldly Christian will try to convince you that you can be wise enough, you can gain enough strength to take care of this thing and they will give you all their worldly wisdom so that you'll come against it but, ultimately, because God loves you, He will see to it that you fail. In all of your efforts to save yourself, because He loves you, He will see to it that you fail. Men can't take one curse off, although they can sure shove it around. Only God can take a curse off because these curses come to try us, to get us in the position of being saved by God. Therefore, if you fail in this point, then you're going to go around the mountain again and you're going to come into the same trial again. This is why men can't ever deliver you because, if you do it man's way, well, you're just going to bump into it again down the road. You're going to go around that mountain, and the same trial again and again; and you'll just keep going around until you get it right. All man can do is put more curses upon you, you see. You'll keep going around and come back to the same trial until you get it right, until you do it God's way. How many times did God run the Israelites around out in that wilderness? And they cried, and they moaned, and they groaned, and they wanted to go back to Egypt (Exodus 14:11-12; 16:3). That's what the worldly church leadership is teaching people. “Go back to Egypt. Go ahead. There's nothing wrong with that. That's the way God does it now. Go on back to Egypt. Go back to the ways of the flesh. Go back to the strength of man, the arm of the flesh,” and so on and so forth, you know. They want you to put your trust in the arm of the flesh, but no, don't do it because there's a curse in that. (Jer.17:5 Thus saith Jehovah: Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from Jehovah.) The curse is here, if nowhere else. You see, we've been given a certain amount of time to run this race and to bear fruit, and if all you do is run in circles, you're never going to finish the race. You never finish the race running in circles. We're running a race against time and at the finish line, we have to have the fruit. And God puts these trials in our way so that we go through them His way and overcome them His way. He puts them in our way because they're much bigger than we are. We can cry about going back to getting the strength of Egypt, or we can walk by faith in Jesus to overcome and have that strength for the next trial. Every time you overcome, you have that strength from Him. You can look back and remember what God did, and that's His plan. It was God Who brought the Israelites out into that wilderness, into some impossible situations. When they first came out of Egypt and were going south, they were free; they were delivered; it was nothing but open country in front of them. (Exo.14:1) And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, (2) Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon: over against it shall ye encamp by the sea. (3) And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. (4) And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he shall follow after them; and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh…. Who do you think Pharaoh might be? He was the ruler over the Egyptians, but I'll tell you another thing that can be seen here. If you remember, Paul likened the Israelites going through the Red Sea to them being baptized (1 Corinthians 10:1,2) and, of course, going through the Red Sea, the old man dies, but the new man is given life. So the old man was the Egyptian and the new man was the Israelite. When they went through the Red Sea, they were baptized in the Red Sea, in the water and in the cloud, and the old man, the Egyptian, died. Well, Pharaoh was the Lord, the god of the Egyptians. In fact, that was what his name meant – “The God.” Now, who is the god of the flesh? Satan. The devil is the god of the flesh and has been given power and authority to do what he does. Jesus said, “all authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth” (Mat.28:18). “All of it. All of it's been given unto Me.” Therefore, what the devil has, God gives him. And what the devil has, we give him. You can make “Pharaoh” bigger or you can make him smaller. You can take away his authority and power by agreeing with the Word, or you can give him authority and power by believing in him, believing in his strength and believing in his might. You can do that. Well, God made Pharaoh strong. He hardened Pharaoh's heart, and He made him strong. He made Pharaoh's people strong so that the salvation would be from God. God gave us an enemy to conquer that appears to be so much stronger than we are, and that's the flesh. You look at your flesh. You look at the old man, the Egyptian, and you say, “Oh, Lord!” You get worried. The more you look at him, the more worried you get. “How am I ever going to beat this giant?” But God puts you in those positions on purpose. He has you there with enemies that appear much bigger than you are, but in actuality they're just bread for you. I like what Joshua and Caleb said about the people of Canaan: “they are bread for us” (Num.14:9). They're just something that is made for you to eat up and get bigger and stronger. God put them there so that His power would totally conquer them. He wasn't counting on your power. The Israelites had no power against the Egyptians. The Egyptians were a mighty, well-armed army, and God put the Israelites in that position so their salvation had to come from God. Back where we left off, Pharaoh wanted them to serve God in Egypt and God told Moses what to say to Pharaoh. (Exo.7:16) And thou shalt say unto him, the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou hast not hearkened. And then later, when Pharaoh was starting to give in a little bit, he called for Moses and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land (Exo.8:25); in other words, in Egypt. You know, that's right where a lot of Christians are. They're sacrificing to God in Egypt. That is, they think they're doing it God's way, but they're doing it in Egypt. (Exo.8:26) And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God. See, we can't serve God in Egypt. We can't do it the Egyptians' way. If you're copying the world in any way in your salvation, then you're missing God because that's not the way God does it. Pharaoh's going to tell you, “It's okay. You can serve your god but just do it in Egypt, don't do it in the wilderness.” In Egypt they trusted in the strength that they received from Egypt and lived off the flesh-pots (Exodus 16:3); in other words, they lived off the flesh. But God wanted them in the wilderness where they couldn't have any help from anything else but Him. The power came from God, His ability. And the devil's going to tempt you the same way. He does it all the time. “It's okay, serve God, but do it this way. Just do it the way the Egyptians do it.” But God is doing it in such a way that we'll never be able to put our trust in the arm of the flesh again. It'll be a total victory over the flesh. So God brought the Israelites out there into that wilderness, and He put them in this neat little trap between Migdol and the Red Sea to see what they would do. They didn't handle it well. They cried out, “Whoa! We wish you would have left us in Egypt to serve the Egyptians!” (Exodus 14:10-12) But God brought them there to part the Red Sea and do the greatest miracle of deliverance for them. He brought them to that situation, and we ought to see our situations that way too. We are in a wilderness experience going through this world. God is bringing us to all these impossible situations so that He can prove how big a God He is. His whole purpose is to prove how big a God He is. And the more impossible the situation, the bigger He becomes, in our mind anyway. That's what He wants. He wants us to glorify Him for what a great salvation He brings us to. And so God brought the Israelites from this trap to other traps. He brought them to the bitter waters (Exodus 15:23) and He had Moses throw in a tree that made the bitter waters sweet (Exodus 15:25). And I personally believe that the “bitter waters” symbolize our tongue because James talks about the sweet and the bitter waters that come from the same well, and he says it shouldn't be this way (James 3:10,11). (For a deeper understanding of this, read our book titled “The Tongue Conquers the Curse.”) God delivered us at the cross. That was the tree that was cast in that made the bitter waters sweet. God delivered us from the bitter waters of our own tongue because “death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Pro.18:21). “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” We have the ability to change things in this wilderness that we're in with our tongue. God gave us that ability at the cross. He made the bitter waters sweet at the cross. The very next thing God did was make an ordinance. (Exo.15:26) If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his eyes, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee (Hebrew: Jehovah-Rophe). And God brought them to the place in the wilderness where there was no food (Exodus 16:3) and He gave them the food. He met their need for food. And He brought them to the place where there was no water (Exodus 17:1) and He brought water out of the rock (Exodus 17:6). God brought the Israelites to impossible situations, one after another, and He brought them against enemies who were much bigger than them. It was one impossible situation after another and, in every case, God planned a great deliverance for them, if they would just put their trust in Him. We see over and over in the Scriptures that God did this. Look at what God did with Gideon's army. The Lord whittled them down from 32,000 men to 10,000 and then from 10,000 down to 300 (Judges 7:7) to come against an army that was as many as the sands of the sea (Judges 7:12), so that Gideon's army couldn't say, “mine own hand hath saved me” (Jdg.7:2). There were too many Israelites for God to give the Midianites and Amalekites and children of the east into their hand, and He would have to whittle them down so that they would know that this was a mighty miracle from God. And how did He do it? He sent those 300 men out there with pitchers and torches, and when they broke the pitchers, the torches shone forth (Judges 7:20) and put the enemy in a fright (Judges 7:21). I believe those torches are likened to our spirit and that those pitchers are likened to our carnal vessel, our earthly vessel. The torch is like the spirit-man, so that when we're broken, the spirit-man is able to shine forth and the enemy is put to flight. What a simple thing! No swords, no cannons, no nothing! God made it ridiculous. He put a fright in those Midianites and Amalekites so that they feared and they ran, and they killed each other because of 300 torches. God's plan will work when reason just never will. You wouldn't think that would reasonably work. Nobody would make a plan like that except God, Who has the ability to put fear- total, devastating fear- in your enemy. I've seen Him do that. It's so wondrous how He can do that, make them turn and run. Praise God!
Why we Praise God, Part 2: For What He Does
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Today we're studying Psalm 146:2 in just one minute! Grab your scriptures and let's dive into them together!And grab study guides for the whole family here: -Grab Kristen's copies of helpful PDFs and study guides here: https://shop.kristenwalkersmith.com/products/ Check out her YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@startherestudy/shortsWaitlist for Kristen's NEW Children's book Simon Spots the Spirit: https://kristenwalkersmith.kit.com/simonwaitlist- To get Cali's scripture study guide for adults click here: https://comefollowmestudy.com/shop/ Discount code: OMSSOr purchase on Amazon: https://a.co/d/07HMYuKoGet our NEW 365-day Old Testament daily devotional book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0p3Ds0t Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tuesday, 1 September 2026 The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, Matthew 22:23 “In that, the ‘day', they approached Him, Sadducees (saying not is ‘resurrection'), and they queried Him.” (CG) In the previous verse, the Pharisees and Herodians marveled at Jesus' words and departed. Maybe having seen or heard about this, another group comes forward, ready to test Him. Matthew records, “In that, the ‘day', they approached Him, Sadducees.” This sect was first seen, along with the Pharisees, in Matthew 3:7. This was at the time John the Baptist was baptizing in the Jordan. They were noted again, several times in Matthew 16. Their specific interaction at that time was with Jesus as they, along with the Pharisees, asked for a sign from heaven. Of this group of religious leaders, Matthew specifically notes a point of doctrine that they held to, which is “(saying not is ‘resurrection').” Surprisingly, this is a new word in Scripture, anastasis, a standing up again. It is from the word an anistémi, to stand up. That is prefixed with the word ana, up, but used in various other ways in a distributive manner. In the New Testament, other than Luke 2:34, anastasis is always used in reference to a resurrection. In Luke 2:34, it says – “Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, ‘Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising [anastasis] of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against...” As for the reason they have come to Jesus, Matthew records, “and they queried Him.” The word used to describe their query is one of deliberate asking. Thus, their query is specifically designed to glean an answer or response from Jesus about a matter. Life application: In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes the following – “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 The key point of Christian faith is that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The cross of Christ is the key focus of our faith, and the point on which every Christian's boast should be directed (see Galatians 6:14), but a crucifixion without a subsequent resurrection is a pointless place to direct one's hope. Many people have been crucified in human history. They died, and they remain dead. But Jesus was resurrected from the tomb. This event then solidifies the meaning of the cross. Someone can say, “I will give up my life to save another.” And, in fact, many have done that throughout human history. But that type of saving is only to prolong the temporary life we live. A soldier could jump on a grenade to save his fellow soldier, but the saved soldier could be shot dead thirty seconds later. Both are dead and both will remain dead. However, no human can die for another's sin when they have already inherited Adam's fallen nature. The sin is there in us from the moment we are conceived. Various pagan religions sacrificed babies, young virgins, etc., all hoping for some type of atonement, but such a sacrifice is ineffectual because of original sin. Jesus, however, was born without Adam's fallen nature. His father is God. Thus, with a human mother, He is the God/Man. He was born without sin, He lived under the law without sinning, and He died in fulfilment of the law, taking away sin committed under law for those who trust in Him. The resurrection proves that our sin is atoned for. It also proves that we are eternally saved (because we are no longer under law, and it is by law that sin is imputed). The resurrection also proves that Jesus is God. As all humans who descend from Adam have sin through their father, and because Jesus resurrected, it proves that Jesus' Father is God. As all beings reproduce after their own kind, the resurrection provides irrefutable proof that Jesus Christ is the God/Man. Hope? Hope? We have the greatest hope of all when we put our trust in Jesus Christ. Nothing can ever separate us from God again when we come to Him through Jesus Christ. Let us remember this as we pass through this world of toil, trouble, trial, and times of temptation or turmoil. These things are bound to come, but Christ has overcome the world. For those who are in Him, they too have overcome the world. Praise God for Jesus Christ our Lord! We praise and exalt You for what You have done for us, O God. The majesty of what You have done is more wonderful than all else. Thank You for the giving of Jesus Christ our Lord, in whom, we now have the hope of the resurrection to eternal life. Amen.
Praising God is a continuous choice. God has given us free will, and when we choose to praise Him continually, it puts us in a position to receive His blessings. In this episode Rabbi shares how to praise God continually. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate **** TEACHING NOTES - https://djj.show/gkd Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com
Wherever you are today, this biblical meditation, narrated by Melissa Disney, offers a quiet space to pause and reconnect with God. God is worthy of all of our praise! Meditate on Deuteronomy 10:21. Abide is a Christian meditation app that helps you experience peace and grow in your relationship with Christ through Scripture, prayer, and reflection. Try Abide free for 30 days and explore our premium, ad-free meditations here: https://abide.com/peace Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Series: N/AService: Sun AMType: SermonSpeaker: Emerson, Kris
The Gospel is a practical continuation of last week's way-of-the-cross language. If we are going to follow Jesus together, how do we handle it when we hurt each other? Matthew 18 gives us one of the most concrete passages in the New Testament about how a Christian community handles conflict — a text often preached badly and often skipped altogether.Track One brings us the institution of Passover — the community meal that will define God's people, remembered forever. Track Two brings us Ezekiel as watchman — the prophet made responsible to warn, but not responsible for the response. The Epistle gives us the ethical grounding for all of it: owe no one anything except love, for love is the fulfillment of the law.For preachers continuing a series: last week we heard about taking up the cross and following. This week, the road brings us into a specific and hard question — what does following look like when the person following alongside us has hurt us?Photo curated by Unsplash.comThe ReadingsExodus 12:1–14First Reading (Track One) — Passover InstitutedSummaryGod gives Moses and Aaron detailed instructions for a meal — one that will mark a whole new calendar, and one that will be remembered for generations. Each household takes a year-old lamb without blemish, keeps it until the fourteenth of the month, and then slaughters it at twilight. The blood is put on the doorposts and lintel. The lamb is roasted whole, eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, and the family eats in haste — dressed to travel, sandals on their feet, staff in hand. It is the Passover of the Lord. And this night is to be remembered as a festival forever.Key Ideas for Preaching* The instructions are elaborate and detailed — a whole liturgy for a meal. Israel's freedom will begin with a shared table and a specific practice of remembering. Where in your congregation has the shared table been reduced to a formality, and how might this text restore its weight?* The lamb is to be shared — if your household is too small, join with a neighbor. Even the meal of deliverance requires community. What might it mean for your people to hear that no one is meant to eat this meal alone?* The meal is eaten “in haste, ready to travel.” This is not a celebration of arrival but a meal for the road. God's people are being fed for a journey they have not yet made. Where in your congregation has faith been imagined as arrival, when the biblical picture is more often provision for the road?* Jesus will later use this meal as the frame for his own last supper with his disciples. Christian preachers should honor both readings — the meal as it is celebrated by our Jewish neighbors, and the meal as it has shaped the Christian eucharist — without letting the second erase the first.Significant Cautions* Do not preach the Passover in a way that reduces its meaning for Jewish communities who continue to celebrate it. The Christian tradition of reading Jesus into this meal is real, but it does not replace the meal's own meaning.* The tenth plague, which frames this text, involves the death of every firstborn in Egypt. Do not skip this or celebrate it. It is a hard, painful part of the story that deserves acknowledgment rather than triumphalism.Psalm 149The Psalm (Track One) — The Lord Takes Pleasure in His PeopleSummaryA short psalm of praise for the community of the faithful. Sing a new song. Praise God in the assembly. Let the faithful dance and rejoice, for the Lord takes pleasure in his people and adorns the humble with victory. The closing verses take a sharp turn toward warfare — a two-edged sword, vengeance on the nations, binding kings — that has troubled Christian readers for centuries.Key Ideas for Preaching* “The Lord takes pleasure in his people.” That is one of the most tender lines in the psalter — God as a delighted parent, not a distant judge. Where has your congregation quietly assumed God's default posture toward them was disappointment?* “He adorns the humble with victory.” The word for adorn is not the language of grim reward — it is the language of dressing up, decorating, honoring. God does not merely permit the humble to succeed; God delights in decking them out. What might your sermon do with a God whose delight in the humble is that concrete?Significant Cautions* The closing verses about the two-edged sword and executing vengeance have been used in some of the worst chapters of Christian history — to justify religious violence, crusades, and colonial conquest. Do not preach the joyful opening without acknowledging what the closing verses have done in the world.Ezekiel 33:7–11First Reading (Track Two) — The WatchmanSummaryGod appoints Ezekiel as a watchman for the house of Israel. He is to warn the wicked when he hears God's word — and if he fails to warn them and they die in their iniquity, their blood will be on his hands. But if he warns them and they refuse to turn, he has done his duty. The passage ends with a striking word from God: “As I live, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live. Turn back, turn back... why will you die, O house of Israel?”Key Ideas for Preaching* The watchman is responsible to warn, not responsible for the response. That is a distinction many faithful people have not been given. Where in your congregation are people carrying the weight of outcomes that were never theirs to control?* “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live.” That is God's own posture. The God we serve is not eager for judgment; God is longing for return. Where in your congregation has God been imagined as more eager to judge than the text actually depicts?* The plea “why will you die?” is the heart of this passage. It is not the voice of a wrathful judge; it is the voice of a heartbroken parent. What might it look like to preach a God who genuinely does not want the people God loves to be destroyed?Significant Cautions* The watchman role has been used throughout Christian history to justify harsh, aggressive, and self-righteous confrontation. That is a distortion. Ezekiel is not being given license to browbeat; he is being given a solemn responsibility of loving witness.* The “blood on your hands” language is meant to weigh on the prophet, not to be used to weigh on ordinary Christians who are silent for good reasons. Be careful.Psalm 119:33–40The Psalm (Track Two) — Turn My Eyes from VanitiesSummaryAnother section of the long acrostic psalm on God's word. The psalmist prays to be taught God's statutes, given understanding to keep them, turned from vanities, and given life. The prayer is not that God's law be made easy but that the psalmist be shaped to receive it.Key Ideas for Preaching* “Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in your ways.” That is a beautiful pairing — asking to be turned from what wastes attention and asking, in the same breath, for life. Where in your congregation are people whose eyes have been captured by vanities they cannot easily look away from?* Every verb in this section is a request. The psalmist is not boasting about his obedience; he is asking to be made able to obey. What might it look like to preach a faith that begins with asking, not with claiming?Significant Cautions* The psalm's love for God's law is not legalism. Do not preach against a strawman the psalm never sets up.Romans 13:8–14The Epistle — Love Fulfills the LawSummaryPaul turns to specific ethical instruction. Owe no one anything except the debt to love one another — for the one who loves fulfills the law. The commandments — do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet — are all summed up in one word: love your neighbor as yourself. Then Paul shifts key. You know what time it is, he says. The night is far gone; the day is near. Wake from sleep. Lay aside the works of darkness. Put on the armor of light. Live honorably as in the day. And put on the Lord Jesus Christ.Key Ideas for Preaching* “Owe no one anything except to love one another.” Paul frames love as a debt that cannot be paid off — it is owed continually, freshly, to every neighbor. Where has your congregation quietly imagined love as a finite currency, when Paul describes it as a debt you carry always?* Love, Paul says, is the fulfillment of the law. Not its opposite. Not its softening. Its fulfillment. What does it mean for your sermon to hold together the demands of Christian ethics and the primacy of love, without letting one erase the other?* “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ” is one of the most striking phrases in Paul. He treats Christ like a garment we put on each morning. Where in your congregation might people be helped by the practice of consciously beginning the day this way?Significant Cautions* “The night is far gone, the day is near” has been misused as fuel for end-times prediction. Paul is describing a posture of expectant readiness, not a timetable.* The love-fulfills-the-law language has been used to argue against Christian ethical seriousness — “as long as we love, anything goes.” That is not Paul's argument. He names the specific commandments and says love is what actually makes them possible.Matthew 18:15–20The Gospel — If Your Brother Sins Against YouSummaryJesus gives his disciples a specific process for handling harm within the community. If a member sins against you, go first alone and speak with them privately. If they will not listen, take one or two others as witnesses. If they still will not listen, tell the church. And if they still refuse, treat them as a Gentile and a tax collector. Then Jesus repeats the binding and loosing language he gave Peter two chapters ago — but now given to the whole community. And he closes with a promise that has become one of the most quoted verses in the New Testament: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”Key Ideas for Preaching* Jesus takes it as a given that members of the community will hurt each other. He does not offer a formula for avoiding conflict; he offers a process for handling it faithfully. Where in your congregation has the desire to avoid conflict been mistaken for the practice of peace?* The process starts private. Alone. One-on-one. Not a public accusation. Not a group text. Not a whispered campaign. The person who has been hurt is asked to go to the person who hurt them, face to face. What would your congregation look like if this were the default rather than the exception?* “Treat them as a Gentile and a tax collector” is one of the most misinterpreted lines in the Gospels. Matthew's Jesus eats with Gentiles and tax collectors constantly. He calls a tax collector to be his disciple. The instruction is not “shun them” — it is closer to “regard them as one who is still being invited in.” What might your sermon do with the possibility that this passage is not about excommunication but about the persistence of love?* “Where two or three are gathered in my name” is almost always quoted as a promise for small groups, retreats, and prayer meetings. In context, it is the promise that Christ is present in the community's hardest work — its discernment about hurt and reconciliation. What might it change to hear this verse in its actual context?Significant Cautions* The whole passage has been used throughout Christian history to justify shunning, excommunication, church trials, and harsh discipline. Jesus is not endorsing any of that. The process he outlines is designed to protect the offender's dignity at every step, keeping the circle as small as possible for as long as possible.* The “two or three gathered” verse has been so thoroughly severed from its context that many congregations have never heard it in the passage where it actually appears. If you can restore that connection, do.* Do not use this passage to force conflict-avoidant congregations into confrontation they are not ready for. The text describes what a mature community's process should look like; it does not weaponize confrontation for its own sake.Thematic ConnectionsThe Gospel is the natural center — a specific, practical passage about how a following community handles its own harm.On Track One, Passover pairs with the Gospel in a specific way. Both texts are about how a community holds itself together — one through a shared meal remembered across generations, the other through a shared process for repair. Both assume the community is worth preserving, and that preservation requires practice.On Track Two, Ezekiel's watchman pairs directly with the Gospel's opening instruction to go and tell your brother. Both texts insist that loving witness includes the willingness to speak. And both temper that responsibility with a limit — the watchman is not accountable for the response, and neither is the disciple in Matthew 18.Romans 13 gives us the ground under all of it. Owe no one anything except love. If love is genuinely the fulfillment of the law, then the Matthew process is not a code of church discipline; it is what love looks like when it refuses to give up on someone.For preachers continuing a series: last week's “get behind me” was about following. This week's passage is about what happens when the ones following alongside us hurt us. Next week will bring the parable of the unforgiving servant — a continuation of the same Matthew 18 arc on community life. This is a public episode. 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1 Corinthians 15:50-58
“Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.” (Psalm 107:8 NLT) In the Old Testament we find an interesting story of how King Jehoshaphat took an uncommon approach when his enemies waged war against him. “After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: ‘Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!’” (2 Chronicles 20:21 NLT). Imagine the scene: “All right, guys, here’s the plan today. The enemy soldiers are out there, armed to the teeth. So, our first wave of attack will be musical. We’re sending out the choir.” If I’d been one of those choir members, I might have wondered whether the king liked our music. But God had directed Jehoshaphat in this unusual battle tactic. The result was nothing short of amazing. “At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped” (verses 22–24 NLT). Good things happen when God’s people prioritize thanking and praising the Lord. It’s a simple lesson, but one that’s shockingly easy to forget. Luke 17:11–19 tells the story of Jesus’ encounter with ten men who had leprosy. When the men saw Jesus approaching their village, they cried out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (verse 13 NLT). And with a single instruction from Him, the men were healed. Their leprosy disappeared. Their lives were changed forever. Verse 15 says, “One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, ‘Praise God!’” (NLT). One out of ten thanked Jesus. That percentage surprised even the Lord Himself. “Jesus asked, ‘Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?’” (verses 17–18 NLT). It’s not so much that Jesus was offended by the inconsiderate reactions of the other nine; it was more of a concern that they were going to miss out on the blessings that come when people express their thanks to God. Of course, few of us would dare shake our heads at the lack of response from the inconsiderate nine. If we could do an inventory of the number of times God has answered our prayers and then compare that to the number of times we’ve thanked Him, we probably would cringe at the results. The psalmist wrote, “Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them” (Psalm 107:8 NLT). Let that be our daily priority. Reflection question: How can you be more proactive in giving thanks to God for His blessings in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — 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.