Podcasts about praise god

Praise God for his gifts big and small. -------- Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible.     Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org   Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Today, I have two witnesses that I have heard about from friends over the last week. The first one is from my friend, who has been struggling with hearing loss. I did a witness about her last year also. She had a ringing in her ears, and she said it had gotten pretty bad. I reminded her that we were at Encounter School of Ministry, where they teach us and encourage us to pray over people for healing, and where we see a lot of healing. I prayed over her for healing that night, and then later in the night, two other people prayed over her, and there was no change. However, when she woke up the next morning, the ringing was 90% gone. Praise God! She said it was the quietest her mind had been in a long time. My friend also found out that she has a tumor in her ear. They said they are going to need to operate. The operation will leave her with permanent hearing loss. The last time she had her hearing tested, the intelligibility in that one ear was 39% when someone was yelling. That means that even when someone was yelling or speaking loudly into her ear, she could only understand 39% of what they were saying. We have been praying over her ear for over a year now. Besides the ringing that stopped, she had not seen much change. When she was on the way home from an Encounter School of Ministries event the other day, she felt something weird going on with her ear. It felt strange, and I don't remember if she said she heard a noise in it or what. I do remember she said she felt like her hearing was suddenly improving. When she got home, she decided to test it out. We have learned in Encounter School of Ministry that often, the healing doesn't come when the person is praying, but it comes when the person takes that leap of faith and tests it out to see if a healing has occurred. In order to test it, you would try to do something you couldn't do before, or you would stop and evaluate the pain and see if it's less than it was before the prayer started. For my friend, she decided to put YouTube on her phone to a song that she didn't know the words to. She turned her volume all the way down until it was just one bar away from being on silent. She put the phone up to her ear and hit play. She could understand all of the words. Even the words in the commercial at the beginning. When she called me to tell me,  she had the phone up to that ear that previously wasn't able to hear very much at all. In the past, when talking on the phone, she would have to have the phone to the other ear in order to hear the person on the other line. Praise God! He is so good! My friend's hearing is not perfect. It's not back to normal. And that's OK, she's happy with the healing that God has done so far, and she knows and has faith that God's not done yet! Thank you, Jesus! The next one I heard was at the prayer group last week. Recently, there was a Men's March for Life in Boston. It was peaceful; they were just walking the streets with signs in support of saving babies from abortion. Here is what the woman said. Well, a dear friend of mine went on the walk and took her 11-year-old son. He was wearing a black suit and carrying a sign the whole way saying, Why should we kill our babies? They encountered resistance. There were hate-filled faces all around them. There were knives. There were guns. There were people being thrown to the ground. There were people throwing urine-filled balloons. It was awful. There were police around, but the police couldn't keep up with the number of people who were against the march. The people who were marching were scared for their safety. My friend's son got hit with one of these urine-filled balloons. So my friend turned to her little son, who is, like her, very anointed, and said, What do we do? He said, We call on Michael. He was, of course, talking about Saint Michael the Archangel. He started yelling, Michael! And people all around started chanting, Michael! And they were already doing the rosary. Some people kept on saying, Mother Mary, you're going to help us. As many were calling out to Michael, there was a flash overhead. There was a flash. And then there were sparks of light; people were getting out their cameras to document the flash of light and the sparks. They knew St. Michael had heard their calls and came to answer them. The next thing they knew, they were completely surrounded by a blockade of military-looking police. The police were standing shoulder to shoulder, and there were enough of them to surround everyone marching in the parade. The march was able to continue because everyone now felt safe, and there were suddenly enough people to protect them. Thank you, St.Michael. I'm not saying these were angel warriors because the report online said that the police did call for reinforcements. But it was a miracle that they were immediately after the flash in the sky and the sparks. Thank you to both of my friends for sharing their miracles with me so I could share them with you! I am so grateful, especially with this being Thanksgiving week, for all the healing that God is doing in our world. I am grateful for all the miraculous ways He provides and protects His children. Thank you, Lord! I am also grateful for each and every one of you who gives your time to listen to this podcast. It truly means the world to me that I get to spend each morning with you. I pray for those of you in America that you have an amazing Thanksgiving weekend. For those of you not in America, I pray you have an amazing weekend, too! I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260225fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: Romans 5:12-19 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Romans 5:17 Righteousness Is Unfair In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Is it fair to get in trouble for something someone else did? Most kids would say, “No way!” If your sibling breaks something, you shouldn't have to pay for it. If a stranger does something wrong, it wouldn't make sense for you to get punished instead. That's how many people think about sin too. They think: “Big sins should get big punishments.” “Small sins shouldn't matter as much.” “Surely lying isn't as bad as hurting someone.” But God looks at sin differently. The Bible teaches that even one sin breaks God's rules. Everyone has sinned—by thinking, saying, or doing things God tells us not to do. Even before we make our own choices, we are born with sin in our hearts. That sin has been passed down all the way from Adam and Eve. Because of Adam's sin, sin and death entered the world. That means everyone is guilty before God. That part might not feel good—but it is fair. But here's the surprising part. What's NOT fair is what God does next. Instead of giving us the punishment we deserve, God gives us a gift. He sends Jesus. Jesus never sinned—not even once. But on the cross, Jesus took all our sins and the punishment for them. God treated Jesus as guilty so he could treat us as forgiven. That's not fair. That's grace. Jesus gives us something amazing: his righteousness. That means God looks at you and sees Jesus' goodness instead of your sin. You didn't earn it. You don't deserve it. It's a free gift. Praise God for his unfair mercy! Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for giving me the gift of righteousness that I did not earn, instead of punishment that I did earn. Thank you for Jesus, who took my sins and gave me new life. Help me share your love and mercy with others, just like you shared it with me. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children Do you think it's fair to pay for someone else's mistakes? Why or why not? How did Jesus pay for our mistakes? What did he do for us? Questions for Elementary Age Children Why does God say everyone has sinned—even if their sins seem different? What does it mean when God says we are “not guilty” because of Jesus? Questions for Middle School and Above Can you think of a time when someone forgave you or showed you mercy when you didn't deserve it? What is one way you can show God's undeserved love to someone else this week? Download Family Devotions Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. 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.

What an electrifying message! Pastor Dave delivered a powerful sermon on the transformative power of praise and worship. In this dynamic teaching, he illuminated how praise isn't just about singing songs—it's a spiritual weapon that breaks chains and ushers in God's presence. Drawing from Psalms 150 and other scriptures, Pastor Dave emphasized that worship isn't optional for those who have breath; it's our divine purpose and calling. He passionately shared how God is "enthroned in the praises of His people," explaining that when we worship, Jesus literally takes His seat among us, bringing freedom, healing, and breakthrough. Through personal stories and biblical examples, he challenged the congregation to move beyond comfort zones and offer sacrifices of praise regardless of circumstances. The message culminated in a stirring altar call where lives were changed as people responded to God's invitation to "come out of darkness into His marvelous light." This series continues to revolutionize our understanding of authentic worship and its power to transform lives.Psalms 150 Praise the Lord!Praise God in His sanctuary;Praise Him in His mighty [b]firmament!2 Praise Him for His mighty acts;Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!3 Praise Him with the sound of the [c]trumpet;Praise Him with the lute and harp!4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;Praise Him with clashing cymbals6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.Praise the Lord!Psalms 107:22 Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,And declare His works with rejoicing.Psalm 116:17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,And will call upon the name of the Lord.Psalms 54:6 I will freely sacrifice to You;I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good.Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.Revelation 4:11“You are worthy, O Lord,To receive glory and honor and power;For You created all things,And by Your will they exist and were created.”Psalms 18:3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;So shall I be saved from my enemies.Psalms 22:3 But You are holy,Enthroned in the praises of Israel.Psalms 150:2 Praise Him for His mighty acts;Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Deceiving Demon Aliens (1) (audio) David Eells – 2/22/26 From Donald J Trump's X account on Thursday, 2/19/26: Donald J. Trump has now instructed the Secretary of War, (Pete Hegseth) and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters. GOD BLESS AMERICA! There are many people convinced of “aliens” or “guides” that they feel are friendly to humanity, which is a strong delusion because all of the aliens are demons, as the Scripture says. Have you noticed that many of the Planet X / Nibiru researchers have fallen for what they read the ancients said about aliens showing up when Planet X did? They were deceived by demons as a type for our day and they worshipped them. We should not be deceived; they are again being released by God to deceive. Jud.5 Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6 And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. It is possible they will play the good alien / bad alien game to drive the multitudes into the camp of the so-called “good aliens,” but they are all demons. All angels good or bad can manifest as men according to scripture and in dreams and experiences of many. Fallen angels, as aliens, love to claim they planted us on this earth to destroy thoughts that God did this. Satanists are always liars, thieves, fornicators, adulterers, and pedophiles. They also sacrifice women and children. They are perverts because their father demands it. A group of 14 of these graduated from factions “every vile deeds” to satanists who persecuted us and lusted after our women. They took their women through rape and witchcraft. On a Sunday night the Lord spoke to me clearly that on Monday at 7:00 they planed on having an orgy and He was going to kill them all. I spoke to one who knew them who confirmed this plan of theirs. Their were 14 witnesses that these all fell dead at 7:00 am. Then one by one they disappeared in front of the witnesses. An angel told me that they had placed them near their homes around the country so it wouldn't look like a massacre, although there was not a wound on any of them. Others also from the faction died over time.  There are many witnesses that the demons of these people appeared as them in front of us, in a normal setting, to get us to accept them. But the Lord told us to rebuke or ignore them and not to give them permission to continue. They appeared perfectly as their victims whom we knew were dead. The human victims did not come back from the dead because they did not touch their money, wives, or vehicles and we did not give them permission. The satanist leaders demon came down our brother's dead end road with another in his truck to visit a factious couple at the end of the road and these two went in the couples house. Our brother saw them and he had a video camera on his own house pointed down the road they came in on. He found it working, as usual showing every vehicle coming down this dead end road, but the demons and their vehicle did not show up on the video. The brother called me and told me while this was happening, so I called across town to ask if that satanist's truck was where he left it when he died, and it was, so they were in a demon created vehicle just like it. I then asked a sister who had the gift Jesus had when he saw Nathaniel under the fig tree before meeting him. I asked her to look in the factious couple's house and she did and said no one was there. Our brother saw them go in the house but later when he looked the truck was gone and once again they were not on the video and this was the only way out, it was a dead end road. Some would think these were ghosts but they were not. We had another instance like this. Father was teaching us about impersonating demons or familiar spirits. So, we can see that demons can masquerade as people or aliens and their UFO vehicles. Some Christians have found themselves face to face with aliens and rebuked them in Jesus name and they disappeared. A Christian friend of mine, Col. S.C. worked in the military around the underground aliens and he told me, “David, those aliens are demons who can pass through walls effortlessly.” Concerning fake aliens: Inter-stellar space travel is not possible according to the laws of physics. These are interdimensional beings, demons from the second heaven, not Interplanetary travelers. So, let me share some revelations from some brethren, who have received warnings and dreams relating to this alien, aka demon deceptions.   Aliens Are Demons Manifested in Flesh G.C. - 06/15/10 (David's notes in red) In my dream, I was outside in a populated area, maybe in a park or something. It was nighttime and it seemed like any other summer night. All of a sudden, a lot of strange lights started appearing in the sky. First, it seemed like hundreds of shooting stars falling to Earth; then, as the light became more illuminated, the objects took the shape of spacecraft. The night sky was lit up like the Fourth of July! Everyone was shocked and amazed; from east to west, the sky filled with this armada of craft entering Earth's atmosphere. (What the ancients believed were aliens, who showed up during the time of Planet X, according to their writings, were in fact demons who are fallen angels and can take on the appearance of physical bodies, just like God's angels do in scripture. But the fallen angels do it for the purpose of deception. The Tribulation covenant could be made under the cover of catastrophes. Just as the Woman is going into the wilderness, there is a war in heaven and Satan and his fallen angels are cast to earth to deceive the whole world.  Rev.12:9 And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. We also received a dream of a bright star falling from heaven and the confirming scripture Isaiah 14, where Satan is falling from heaven. Isa 14:12-13 How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations! 13 And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit.)  Satan deceives men into thinking he is God, and he is pleased with unregenerate, falsely called “good men,” which is the doctrine of the New Agers. 2Co.11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. The Alliance is bringing about many good moral changes, but it appears they are complicit in this deception of the nations. Rev.18:23 and the light of a lamp shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the princes of the earth; for with thy sorcery were all the nations deceived. Back to the dream, I was very skeptical, even while seeing this with my own two eyes. I confidently told everyone, “Don't be fooled; it's a hologram!” (Which is one of the theories.) I thought these sights were just a crafty trick (which is true but not as a false vision) but then the ships started to get closer to the ground and they ultimately landed. By this time, I was starting to get bewildered; I didn't know what to think. I was really caught off guard. I thought for sure it was all some sort of illusion by the evil rulers of the world. (Is the Alliance in on the plan of “strong delusion”, which is according to God's will to separate the wheat from the tares? 2Th.2:8 And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; 9 even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (Can fallen angels perform lying wonders? Did we get to vote on joining the Galactic Federation?) 10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. It appears in this dream the fallen angels' deception is so strong that God's people will be tested to see who really believes. Mar.13:22 for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, the elect.) Once the craft landed, the door opened and some humanoid beings walked out. Everyone was amazed and startled at the same time. I couldn't believe my eyes. Still believing this was a hologram, I ran over to the ship to touch it and realized it was real. (Satan and his angels are very technological, if they have to be, and have the ability to manifest and interact with the physical realm. They gave men atomic bombs and anti-gravity flying saucers.) I swallowed hard, realizing I was wrong, and I ran back to the crowd.  The humanoid beings dressed in Star Trek-type apparel were being led out by a blond-haired woman. (There is a woman who has introduced many to speaking and hearing from aliens. This is no different than a seance, which is speaking to aliens called familiar spirits.) I, being overwhelmed and slightly intimidated, ran up to her and began to rebuke her in my tongue language. (I often do this in dreams when I feel physically or mentally helpless against an enemy; it often gets me results.)  I thought for sure she would shrivel up in a puddle of goop, like something out of The Wizard of Oz. But, to my astonishment, she just kind of pushed me out of the way, without even acknowledging me. I was perplexed. (The answer to this is, when God sends a delusion to deceive the evil world, we cannot cast it down, nor should we try to. 2Th.2:11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. As you can see, we only have authority to help the believers.) I watched the group of beings disperse into the crowd. It seemed like they had specific orders and didn't even stop to talk to anyone; they just went about whatever it was they were sent here for. I remember being surrounded by hundreds of people like me -- everyone just totally in awe of what they saw. After some time, I started to see the beings again, but now they did not look like humans. They had glass faces, like ice. It was like they were wearing a mask, but they weren't -- I could see through their heads and nothing was inside. (fallen spirits) They had hideous, clown-like faces with big smiles, like jack-o-lanterns. (Thinking these beings to be mere humanoids while in fact they are demon-possessed is more common than we think. But the whole world outside of Christ will be deceived and possessed.) They were now corralling people like cattle in different areas (FEMA camps). The adults were forced to separate from the children and were taken to a designated area. The children were all taken to another area and placed in long lines, all of which led into a large circus-like tent. (This alien disclosure will bring much confusion and distraction as well as cause some people to give up their faith in the One True God.) None of the children quite knew what was happening; they were all a little less concerned than the adults. I remember leaving the adult group and running over to see what was happening to the children. After seeing what was taking place, I immediately woke up.   I Met Satan :o) G.C. - 4/19/11 I would like to share a dream I had that confirms we should not fear Satan or evil. Evil is not as powerful as our minds sometimes imagine, and Satan is no different.  I dreamed that I was with an unknown person in this dream who I believe was an angel. I could tell he knew a lot more of what was going on than I did. I accompanied him everywhere he went. I was like an observer. Toward the end of the dream, we entered an elevator. This elevator took us deep inside the Earth. I was told we were going to Hell to see Satan. The ride took a long time and my mind was wondering about how Satan would really appear. I was thinking, “Would he be intimidating? Would he be scary? How would I react to seeing him?” Once we arrived at the very bottom, the door opened. I looked around and we were inside a very large, dark cave. Hell was just like I'd imagined it: Big, dark and cavernous. I looked out of the area we were in and looked out into the larger opening. I saw armies and very sophisticated weapons. There was violence taking place and fire was everywhere; it was almost like a war itself. One of the weapons spotted us as we came out of the elevator and fired a missile at us, but it missed and exploded against the wall. My companion, the angel, was never frightened; it was like he knew nothing could hurt him.  As he walked, I followed; he knew right where he was walking. He came to a door off in a dark corner of the cave. I realized this was Satan's office. Behind the door was the evil one himself. My heart was racing, not from fear but from the suspense. The angel I was with opened the door and there sat Satan in a chair behind a desk. But to my amazement, Satan was not a seven-foot giant with goat horns. He was a clown. Yes, a clown. And a cartoon clown at that. I was shocked and a little disappointed. I was expecting something more terrifying. Clearly the Lord is saying that Satan and his demons are putting on a false face but are not to be feared. Luk.10:17 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject unto us in thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. The angel then revealed to me that Satan is planning something big for Earth. During our trip back up in the elevator, I saw all these green vines shooting up through the elevator shaft from Hell and they were headed straight to Earth. There were a lot of them, like something from Jack and the Beanstalk. But instead of reaching from Earth to the heavens, they were going from Hell to the earth above. Then I woke up. (According to the follow up dream that Father gave him recently, the vines represent the alien deception that satan is sending to earth from the pit of hell.) G.C. said, “Below is a continuation from the dream above from 2011 called. “I Met Satan”. It has the “green vines connection” where green vines were growing up from hell, and the angel told me, “Satan is planning something big for Earth.” Well, it seems the green vines finally made it to Earth and the plan is revealed....    Satan is Planning Something Big for Earth G.C. - 5/13/22 G.C. said, “For a little context, many years ago I worked for mortgage companies securing and repairing vacant foreclosures.”  I dreamed that my dad and I had been given a work order to secure and inspect a foreclosed home in Los Angeles, California. (Los Angeles means, “The angels.”) It was a big house in a nice neighborhood. It was owned by a black husband and wife in their 50's or 60's. (UFOs and aliens were big in the 50's and 60's. The black couple owning the house could represent that this is a house of sinners submitted to darkness.) (I gathered this information by looking at their family photos still left at the property.) I thought these folks looked very successful from the photos. It didn't make sense to me how they could lose their house to foreclosure. (Foreclosure means that they can't pay their debt so the house is taken back. The debt for our house has been paid by faith in Jesus. If it's not paid because there is no faith, then it belongs to the devil.) I thought maybe one or both of them died. But I wasn't sure. I just knew something was amiss. (When one loses one's house to the devil, their soul is his too.) We proceeded through the large house, taking photos with a camera I had rented at a local camera shop. These photos were to be provided to the bank. Then we walked into the basement and to our utter amazement, we saw a small alien infant tangled up in green vines that appeared to be growing from the floor of the basement. (And according to the previous dream, they came straight out of hell. This represents the alien deception.) The vines were attached to the wall and the infant was wrapped up in them. He had a large brown head with 2 large eyes. When we saw him and approached him he became aggressive and hissed at us. (The aliens/demons hate Christians.) I remember taking the rented camera and snapping pictures of him. Even though I was astonished at this, I was not overly distracted by it. I proceeded with my work at the property. My dad and I decided not to show the photos to anyone as it would become a distraction to the public. (Could this represent the Father hiding things from the wise and prudent and revealing them unto babes?) I knew people would not be ready to see this. I downloaded the photos, removed them from the camera and told my dad to return the camera to the shop.  Later, I sent my report and inspection photos to the bank. The next day, I was out and about and realized the whole world was aware of the alien we had found! They had our photos! They were in every publication and on every news station. I had no idea how this had leaked. (True Christians will recognize this Demon/Alien deception, while the rest of the world will swallow the lie, like the waters out of the mouth of the Dragon.) I assumed it was because we returned the camera and the camera shop found the photos on the device and released them. I knew we had discovered it, but no one would ever know our identity. I was ok with that, but I was a little disturbed by how and why they were released. The world was in a frenzy, to say the least. A few days had passed and I was sent back to the same home by the bank to remove the small area of vines growing in the basement. When I got back to the house, the alien child was gone, but the basement dining room was now absolutely full of green vines. (This will be a worldwide deception that will be ‘fed' to all the people.) The walls and ceiling were now covered. I was supposed to remove them, and it was a daunting task. Then, my dad showed up, and we were talking about the alien. The next thing I knew, I stumbled across the rented camera in the basement. I got so upset at my dad because he returned the case but not the camera. (Honestly, I was worried about the late fees. Lol) He said he forgot to look inside the case when he returned it. I realized something strange had happened. How did the world know of the alien if we never took the camera back? Who released the photos? Then I woke up. (2Th 2:8-12 And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; 9 even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.)   Visions of the Fake The Rapture Posted on 25 August, 2006 by Susan-Defenders Of The Faith  “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 I have personally experienced what I believe John experienced in Rev.4:1-2 on many occasions, with my spirit being with The LORD and how my flesh, as well as John's, did not leave earth. Shortly thereafter, this is what I heard and what was seen during my vision. All television stations, radio news reports, and local churches were telephoning their parishioners, they were trumpeting locations throughout all major cities, instructing the followers of Christ where to go to be “raptured up to be with The Lord”. The TV showed the drama on every channel with people screaming, “It IS the Rapture, Praise God! Let us go to where God IS waiting for us so we will not be left behind in this unbearable tribulation! Quickly now, run!” Not only was this chant being heard from the media, but it was in the air everywhere, near and far.  Thousands upon thousands who previously had not come out of their homes for many days, due to fear of being outside from the foreign military stationed everywhere, in a frenzy, flocked to the appointed places where circular aircraft were positioned in the sky between the tallest buildings. (The demons have these space crafts and have given them to governments as crashed so they could reverse engineer them.) The military stood by, unusually silent and still as they let the masses pass, pressing onward to their predetermined destinations. It did not seem unusual to anyone to see such aircraft, and people were not in the least frightened by their being there. Mostly those confessing to be Christian and even those who did not confess to be a Christian believed it to be the army of The LORD our God, i.e., the Rapture. I could see myself making my way quickly to one of the closest locations to warn people, but my screams of “NO! – Don't Go! It Is NOT The LORD!” were lost as people disappeared under the faint laser type light beamed down from the whirling circular crafts while the sounds of “Here I am Lord, save me!” permeated above all else. (This represents people becoming captive to the Demon/Alien deception.) My heart was heavy with an overwhelming sadness, and my eyes streamed down tears as I grievously watched the great deception. As I looked up, I could somehow hear the horrific screams of those that had been deceptively “beamed up”, (Into the false light) but no one else appeared to hear them or their muffled cries of, “Forgive Me, Lord”, over the turmoil below. During this vision, the following Scripture came forth into my mind and is now seared forever upon my mind and heart. “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” Matthew 24:23-26 I share this information with you because it bears witness with everything I have received from the Lord Jesus Christ over the last ten years. UFOs are real. They are both man-made technology as well as demonic entities. The Lord has also confirmed to me by the testimony of others that some UFOs are living biological entities which are known to some in the UFO community as critters. It is my testimony that these are what the scriptures refer to as “lying signs and wonders”, as well as “wonders in the heavens.” Source: Republished from the eBook ‘UFO Dreams & Visions of Our Future' (PDF eBook)    Fully Vaccinated Easily Traced by UFO's  2/7/2023, Sister Gladys  Greetings, brothers and sisters,  I had a few dreams regarding these end times that I would like to share with you.    UFO Invasion of Earth I was in my kitchen, and it appeared that the roof was open because I looked up and saw the moon and sun were red. I went outside and saw UFOs, spaceships in different forms descending towards the earth. There were so many of them and they spread all over the earth. I suddenly heard something like the sound of a motorcycle and my two nieces disappeared. I knew in my spirit that those demonic UFOs had taken them. I fell asleep again, and I dreamed the second part of the first dream:   We went outside the house with my brothers, and we looked up to the sky, we saw UFO spaceships, one was a light green color, it was in the shape of a square, and it was descending towards our direction, it had some antennas, and it was taking pictures of us, I turned my back towards it so it would not see my face; that spaceship was seeking to take pictures of my face, I felt frustrated, in my spirit. I knew that they could easily trace the people and my brothers who were fully vaccinated with the Covid-19 shots; they could not trace me because I was and am not vaccinated. (A demonic imposed MRNA shot that changes your DNA and removes your resistance to disease.) We must watch and pray so we will not be deceived. Do not take the vaccines, and if you did, you must repent and ask the LORD JESUS to cleanse your blood and your DNA before it is too late. Do not take the final part of the mark of the beast from Revelation 13.  Watch & Pray so that you don't fall into temptation.    Spawns of Satan and Their Inevitable Destruction   10/3/2023, Olasubomi Williams Psalm 21:8-13, Psalm 24:7-10, Bel and the dragon 1:23-28, Daniel 12, 2 Timothy 3:1-17 Children, do not believe everything you see on your news, media, and entertainment. For these things are meant to bring fear and chaos into your life. Satan is a chaos bringer. He likes to cause chaos for my children for as much and as long as possible. Soon, the chaos in this world will cause Satan to reign and dominate your landscape, and you will see hell in all its glory. There will be no peace. Do not be deceived. Peace will be taken from the earth until I come. Anyone promising you peace is lying to you and does not wish well for your soul but rather destruction. Your souls are precious to me. You do not know how precious your soul is to me. When I breathe life into you, I made you mine. I placed my signature in you. My very essence is in you. Even after you fell, I still retained my essence in you.  However, Satan wants you to forget that and focus on his own agenda, which will cause you chaos and panic. If you have faith in me, and you are truly my own, you will see my blessings poured out in you like a well of water poured upon a man, so shall my love, joy, peace, patience, long suffering, gentleness, meekness, kindness, self-control, and temperance be poured upon you. My words shall be your fruits. The fruits are your behaviors and characters that reflect who you are as a person. This is why I say, by their fruit, you shall know them. If you eat and consume my fruits, you will have my attributes and see the way I see. This is why my servant David said, “I have tasted of the Lord and behold he is good”. I am good. Come to me and taste of me and see for yourself.  However, these spawns of Satan, in whom I will thoroughly wipe out from the face of the earth, have no fruits. They are barren entities and have no souls. They are soulless, heartless creatures who reflect their father satan whom in all senses is a deceiver. Satan is a master manipulator. He likes to manipulate the minds of men to rebel. He stirs up the heart of men to rebel against me and my followers. This is his common tactic. However, he has taken it up a notch now. He has now created agents with different mixings and different demonic races to create brand new species that are completely abominable to me. You call them aliens; I call them fallen ones and demons. These are demonic creatures with flesh, strange flesh. (They, like all angels, can appear in any form, including aliens.) They are not of me, and in the time of the end, many of these entities will come out and deceive mankind. (We have seen them taking on dead human forms to deceive. They also take on humanoid forms as aliens.) Do you think that everyone you see around you are humans? Think again. For without my Spirit, you will lie with strange flesh, and your human pattern will change. If you have lain with these beings in the past, it is time to come to me in prayer and fasting, for you have entered into a covenant with demons and fallen entities, and the only possible way to come out of it is by prayer and fasting. (We know a man who has done this and looks like he is dying. If you sleep with satanists their demons enter you.) But in the time of the end, there will be given no such grace, because you will know fully well who these beings are, and if you choose to sleep with them afterwards, then your salvation warranty will be null and void. (Jas 4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.) There will be many of these demonic entities walking around the earth, bringing new technologies, breakthroughs, and devices to deceive mankind into a false enlightenment; an enlightenment of darkness and hell. Those who choose to accept these deceptive beings and welcome them into your abode will have a part to take in the lake of fire. You should not under any circumstances take in these fallen and soulless creatures. When I was with you, abiding by you, you did not welcome me, I who gave you life and gave my life for you, and I am with you at all times. But you want to welcome a stranger, a wicked entity whom you know nothing about, into your homes. You are quick to adopt and use technologies given to you by the fallen ones, but you will not study my words. I pity your very souls. Repent, and come out of mystery Babylon. Come out of Babylon and the teachings of Babylon. Out of the whore who has defiled herself with her abominations.  In the end, I will cast satan into the abyss, and I will destroy and wipe out every one of these strange flesh. They will be destroyed and cast into the lake of fire that burns for all eternity. Any man or woman who partakes in the abominations of strange flesh will also join them, and there will be no repentance for them. Come and taste of me and see that I, Yahushua ha Mashiach am good. Your King, your God and your very High priest. That is all, vessel.    The Mothership / Aliens 7/6/2021 Linda Hasche Luke 21:26-28 “People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because the celestial powers will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near!” DREAM Part 1: A huge “mother ship” appeared in the sky. I saw a massive number of people stunned and staring. I glanced at the mother ship, then looked away at the people. I saw ALL who stared at this ship have their eyes changed while going into some type of trans-like state. (demon possession)  The people were drawn to the ship to get onto it. I absolutely knew this was demonic and evil. I left and went inside a building to hide. I saw my brother James with his dog Cody. James also knew this wasn't good and didn't want to have anything to do with it. I then saw entities that were in the shape of a human coming after me. I then woke up. After getting up for a bit, I went back to sleep and back into the dream. DREAM Part 2: After all the people had gotten on the mother ship, I thought I was safe from the evil, but that was not the case. The entities were looking for ALL humans to capture them.  I was then in a house similar to what I grew up in, located in the city of St. Louis. My brother James was again in this part of the dream with his dog Cody. The entities were coming into the house with people who had been mind-controlled. I saw the eyes of these people had symbols in them rather than human eyes; they were totally mind-controlled.  My brother James chose to go with them because he was so ill and knew he couldn't make it on his own.  These mind-controlled people and the entities with them were trying to convince me that I needed to go with them too. I started SHOUTING, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!!!” Then I started speaking in tongues LOUDLY. Using the name of Jesus immobilized them. They all stopped as if frozen. I then started SHOUTING, “Father, send Your angels!!! Father, send Your angels!!!”  Then suddenly an angel of the LORD appeared in the doorway. All of the mind-controlled humans and the entities had to leave. Both the angel and I went outside. I saw small groups of people who had also hidden from the entities when the mother ship appeared. (Saved from the alien deception) They were ALL Christians, and they were all saved from the evil. I woke up. Interpretation/understanding: My brother James and his dog, Cody, both passed away last year (May 2020). My brother was very ill, but was strong in the LORD Jesus and ready to go be with Him. Many will pass away, and many have passed away in 2020 and 2021 who were also strong in the LORD, but the Heavenly Father chose (and will choose) to take people home to keep them from the evil to come (Isaiah 57:1-2). (Many have died from taking the VAX) The people who all stared at the mother ship and became “mind-controlled” are ALL of those who took the CV-19 death “jabs”; they will not be able to resist the frequencies that come from the skies, that will turn on the nano-particles that were injected into them. These people will become zombie-like. They will ALL want everybody to take the CV-19 death “jabs” and will be helping the entities (fallen angels/demons) try to convince non-jabbed people to take the death jabs.  The AMAZING part of this dream, when it looked like I was going to be captured: the name of JESUS caused the entities and mind-controlled people to stop and freeze. Also, the Heavenly Father sent an angel to protect me from planned harm.  ALL Christians who did not take the CV-19 death jabs were spared from the mind-control that was going to happen. Why the mother ship? Because fallen angels are behind ALL of these CV-19 death “jabs”. The “mother of all lies,” as the saying goes. These CV-19 death “jabs” are to ultimately turn all who survive the depopulation agenda to become satan's army to fight against Jesus, and these will WILLINGLY take “the mark of the beast”, which you will be able to see on the right hand or forehead  Are these CV-19 death “jabs” the “mark of the beast”? NO!! NO!! NO!!!  What are they then? They are “markers for slaughter” and for mind-control minions to take “the mark of the beast”, to ultimately become satan's human zombie army to fight the LORD Jesus. What are the “prized” mind-controlled people by Satan? Professing Christians who willingly took the CV-19 death jabs, who WILL also willingly take “the mark of the beast” unless they REPENT!!  What if you took the CV-19 death jabs? REPENT, REPENT and REPENT!!! Again, I say “REPENT!!!” Ask the Heavenly Father to forgive you for putting this fallen angel death juice into you, into “the temple of the Holy Spirit.” Ask Him to cleanse away ALL that was injected, to heal you and to protect you from ALL harm, in Jesus' name and by the blood of Jesus. Amen and AMEN!!! (Those who believe the Bible that we were healed by Jesus would not take the jab. 1Pe 2:24  who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. Exo 15:26…I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am Jehovah that healeth thee.  What about people you know who took the CV-19 death jabs? Pray for mercy upon their soul. That they will experience the ramifications of the death jab, as the Heavenly Father allows, so they can see the evil of the jabs, repent and turn to Jesus. ONLY WHEN folks truly see how evil these jabs are, when it impacts them personally, can they turn to repentance. Most won't, but some will.    Alien Infiltrated 8/6/2023 - Alcidez A Torrez Shalom everyone, I want to share this dream. I know that there is much talk about the great deception of aliens that are nothing more than fallen angels, demons, and reptilians. This dream was in May 2023.  In my dream, I was in a small building and two agents, like government or FBI agents, were talking. One of them approached me and asked me something, but I don't know what he said. I was wondering why? I didn't pay attention because I was astonished to see his real face. It was really horrible; he had big black eyes all over, and his skin was kind of pale and gray. Then he understood that I could see his real face, and he approached the other FBI agent, but this one was human. He just worked with them and whispered in the agent's ear, but God, at that moment, allowed me to hear what he said. The non-human agent told him, “He can see me,” and the other agent just answered, “How?” Then he told him again, “He can see my face.” At that moment, I looked around, and there were more human people there, but none of them could see the real face of that agent, who was not human, and I felt a little frustrated, but I could see his face clearly; it was very ugly, similar to the aliens that appear in the movies. (We have seen peoples faces turn into the demon that possessed them. It is a form of discernment of spirits.) At that moment, I understood that somehow they use a mechanism to appear like human beings (All angels can appear human. We sometimes “entertain angels unawares.”), but God allowed me to see their true face, and they are really ugly. Then, at that moment, I woke up from my dream.   Spaceships/Aliens vs Fallen Angels!   A Dream & A Few Thoughts! 12/20/24 Elizabeth Marie  A few people have been asking me if I have heard ‘anything' from the LORD concerning what we are now witnessing in the skies….so I thought I would share this dream, and interpretation that I had on 7/20/24…. This dream was a bit bizarre to me (UFOs have never been anything that I studied or followed), so I did not post it. However, in the light of what is happening right now, in the skies, it does not seem so strange!  In this dream, I was outside with lots of people milling about. Apparently, there was some sort of school that was having classes outside. I was one of the teachers and was to start my class soon.  As I was getting ready, I noticed that the students were young adults who were gathering in front of me, ready for class. As I started teaching, I noticed something in the far distant sky…. some lights coming right towards me.  Before I knew it, the students had fled, and, instead, right above me, about 20 feet high, were some drones hovering in front. I remember thinking that they seemed too BIG to actually be drones, for they were the size of a small house. I then noticed that they were in a ‘V' formation, with one in the front (which I knew to be the leader), then two in the next row, then three in the next row, and so on. I don't remember how many there were… but at least 10. The body of these drones were RED and BLACK, half and half, and they looked very sinister. The front ‘leader' DRONE flew up right above my head. As I looked straight up, I saw a TRAP-TYPE DOOR OPEN! At this time, I realized that this wasn't actually a ‘DRONE,' but an ‘ALIEN SHIP!'  Suddenly I felt this tremendous SUCKING POWER coming upon me, much like a VACUUM that was trying to suck me up into the aircraft. I was able to stand up against its FORCE by jumping to the side, away from the SUCTION BEAM, and GRAVITATIONAL PULL. As I escaped, I then woke up!  INTERPRETATION:  I believe that this dream points to an ALIEN DECEPTION that is coming! We will be seeing out-of-this-world alien entities, ships, and strange occurrences in the skies, as well as ORB-TYPE phenomenon.  The ‘drones' in my dream were half black and half red. The LORD has shown me, from previous dreams, that this combination represents Satan's Kingdom and his demons. (Red and black colors are powerful symbols within anarchism) It is important to NOTE that no matter how ‘weird,' or ‘strange' it may get, any ALIEN-TYPE BEINGS that come are not from the LORD. They are from the FATHER OF LIES, Satan, who is a deceiver, and a master of manipulations, and deceptions. This means that it will be hard to discern if we are actually witnessing real ALIEN-TYPE encounters, or FAKE ones that come from human technology. Either way, we must remember that these are sent by Satan, and we must be very careful not to be DRAWN IN by their deceiving ways, and powers…. much like the sucking gravitational pull in my dream! We are to FLEE all evil, and any appearance of EVIL!!!  “…reject every kind of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21  INSTEAD, we have been given ALL THE POWER of the NAME OF JESUS to REBUKE any such entities, or principalities of wickedness! Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” One question that can be asked is about the ALIENS vs. FALLEN ANGELS. In other words, are the ALIENS that are coming, actually FALLEN ANGELS…. or just some sort of wicked principalities? If we look at Revelation 12, it mentions a GREAT WAR in heaven where Satan and his angels battle against Michael and the HOLY ANGELS. Satan loses that war and is then cast down to the earth, along with his angels… (which are demons)  (Antichrist is a spirit and there are many “antichrists,” as John says in 1Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour. 1Jn 4:3 and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the [spirit] of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already.) Are the ANGELS that fall down with Satan, a type of FALLEN ANGELS, much like in the days of Genesis? (Yes) Are they what we call the ALIENS that come to invade Earth? (They can take on the appearance of aliens to deceive. They all deny the creation saying they planted man on the earth.) Or will they be cloaked in such deception that they will just ‘blend' in with humanity, and cause much destruction secretly? (Yes, that too) Only time will tell, as we see these prophecies unfold. I do not have any of those answers, but only a ‘glimpse' of what the LORD has shown me! However, I do believe that what we are experiencing in the skies could be a precursor to what is coming sometime in the future. Revelation 12:7-9 “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”   A Warning to the Prophets  7/25/2024 Alison Pound  This word was first spoken to me on Tuesday, 16 October 2018. All are impatient. All are looking for My appearing. I say soon – and you look now! But time is in My hands and it is not quite time for My appearance.  There is much yet to be done before I can come for you, My beloved.  There is much to be put right with the remnant who will remain. My prophets will have a pure voice before I come. Those (prophets) who do not become pure in voice will be removed. Yes, I will take them home! These are tough times! No compromise!  Eyes must be opened to deception. Anything remaining of the world in My prophets is going to make them weak. Those who do not know what My earth looks like and what My Word says about creation will be awakened to the truth soon. (The creation story has a perfect numeric pattern in it like the rest of the 66 books and no other book has. Aliens are liars who hate the creation story.) If they will not believe, I will remove them. Be assured, I am at work in many. Those who have theology in their heads and not My Word will be dealt with. Those who think I am coming to take them home before the great tribulation will be removed! I can no longer abide those who do not spend time before Me, studying and coming to the truth. There is not multiple truths, there is but one. It is not okay for one to say in My Name that I am coming before the tribulation and for another to say that I am coming after the tribulation. They must be of one mind – My Mind.  It is not okay for those ‘seeing' planets appearing in the skies and aliens coming to attack, to believe what NASA and scientists tell them about space. They are seeing these things in their dreams. I will tell you now, they are not from Me! They are not from Me! The enemy is creeping in. He has long had a foothold with My people because of this great delusion. But I am going to break this lie wide open. I am going to humiliate these godless scientists who are no scientists at all but paid liars.  The whole world is the playground for the enemy. It is his domain. And he has been deceiving the whole world from the beginning, when I kicked him out of heaven. Be assured that everything you read, watch on a screen, and hear from the governments and agencies of this world is lies, half-truths, and straight deception. Because the world is not of Me. I warned you to come out of the world, but you did not. I urged you to come up higher, to be delivered of your demons, to wash yourselves in repentance in the blood of the Lamb daily. But you did not!  And so you have believed all the things that were taught to you in school without question. You took them into adulthood and they became your belief system. When you were born again, you added Me into your belief system. But, My dear ones, the two do not mix. Because I Am not of the world. I Am Holy and the things of this world are profane.  If you will repent and be delivered of the lying spirits that you have unwittingly allowed in your lives, then I will tell you the truth. I will point out these truths to you in Scripture. They will become highlighted as you have never seen them before – because you will be able to see and to hear like never before.  It is not My desire that you be removed from this earth. Because you are My prophets. I need My mouthpiece. Yet I will remove you if you do not repent of speaking this mixture to the people.  PLEASE NOTE: If you believe wrong, then you will see and perceive wrong. Your dreams are corrupted because your belief system is corrupted. If you prefer to go on believing what agencies like NASA tell you, rather than what the Word of God says about what is above us, and continue to prophecy about those things; If you do not repent, then God will remove you. This is a very strong warning from the Lord God. I have had it sitting in my journal since 2018 when the Lord spoke it to me. It is time to publish. The Lord decides these things. I do not. A time of grace has been given to the prophets in order to put right what is not right.  That time is almost at an end. Every type of manifestation and deception is going to be unleashed. Strange spiritual wickedness in high places will manifest here in our skies and upon the earth. We are coming into that time Apostle Luke spoke of: 21:26 “Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”   Dream: "Then Those Called Aliens Will Capitalize on the War"  10/3/2017 - Christopher Harris Dear brothers and sisters, I wanted to share a dream I had on Monday, the 2nd of October 2017. I woke up at 7 am and wrote this dream down as I believe it was from the Lord. In this dream, I was in a waiting room adjoining an office for auditions for a movie or acting role. There were movie producers with their door open, and they were speaking loudly. I overheard them talking and they were acting in a disgusting and vile manner. I heard them apply new age spiritual practices to their behavior, (In order to have a rosy picture of the future they have thrown out the book of Revelation, which also has that perfect numeric pattern in it.) supposedly to stop racism and predatory behavior, but they mocked at this and were only using it to justify their evil thoughts and deeds. They seemed to know this full well and were laughing about it and pretending to speak in a new age spiritual manner.  I saw Asian people from different nations in the waiting room, and the producers came out and were abusing them and threatening them under the guise of these new-age teachings. I don't know how to describe what they were saying, but it was very deceptive. They filmed themselves as they approached one of the young men seated to audition for an acting role. They put a coat hanger around his neck and started strangling him and threatening to kill him. He was hoping to be hired, so he was trying to laugh it off, but they were hurting him. They filmed this and laughed about using the footage for a project. The man's mother elbowed the producer away lightly but firmly and refused. Another young Asian man was having a seizure on the floor in the waiting room. The producers had ignored him for a long time. The woman was tending to him, and I went over and put my hands on him. He became still and opened his eyes. I tried to stop him from sitting up and hitting his head on a sharp corner. Then a young blond girl in a red dress, about 7 years old, came through the double wooden doors. She looked at me, and I smiled at her. She asked me, “Why did you smile?” I said, “You are very pretty.” She said, “Wow, oh really?” Then she walked past, and I was looking at something on the door. She had come there to audition for an acting role alone; her parents weren't there. She came up to my side and said, “Did you do this?”  She held out a Post-it note saying, “To Lana” and with writing about how they were going to explicitly sexually abuse her. She said, “This is my name!” She was distressed and worried, so I said, “These men are vile and disgusting”. (Those in Hollywood and the entertainment business, among other professions, are pedophiles and sexual perverts who use and abuse children, sacrificing them to satan.) She sighed as if she had been through a lot in her life and took my left hand and put her hand on my palm. I said, “What are you doing?” She didn't answer, but moved her thumbs on the palm of my hand, trying to read my palm. I took my hand away and said, “No, I can't let you do that. That is of the demons. Pray to God for the answer”. She closed her eyes and stood still with her hands together in prayer. Then the three producers from the office approached her from behind and were snickering to each other, playing off everything they did in a joking manner to justify it. One reached his hand out to touch her. I elbowed his hand away and said sternly, staring at them, “She is busy”.  They backed away and she opened her eyes and parted her hands, and the double wooden doors before us opened. At the end of the hall was an office with Teresa May (Prime Minister of Britain) standing there. It was her office. Lana told me to follow her and go to the left, and she would go to the right so we would not be seen. As I entered the room, I noticed on the right, there was a stand with news articles reporting events that hadn't happened yet. One spoke of war that would break out, and I felt it was very serious. Other people were in the office, busy on computers and laptops with headsets. I followed Lana, and she went ahead, seemingly invisible to them. I waited for a gap and went inside, crouching down to avoid their gaze. She motioned me to follow further, and I came to a congested area with multiple people, but I turned my head from their gaze, and they were unable to see me. Finally, I came into Teresa May's office, but she could not see me. Lana had crouched down by a bookshelf in the office, and she was weeping. I crouched down with her, and she whispered to me, crying and upset, “I have a secret, do you want to know?”  I looked at her and nodded. As she spoke, a book appeared before my eyes with the words she spoke written on the page, “They will kill all the children, they will kill all the men and women, all who prophesy or speak the law of God”. Then she said, distraught with tears in her eyes, “Are you one of these people?” I looked at her with love and said, “Yes, always, and forever!”  Then I wept about what will come, the murdering of those who prophesy or speak the law of God. My vision went black, but then the brightness and energy of the Lord filled my gaze, and I felt His love and peace as my sorrow was gone. Then my vision went black again, and I saw a vision of a town with war breaking out. I saw tanks, bombs, and troops destroying towns and people.  Then I heard a voice say, “Then those called aliens will capitalize on the war.”  Then I saw flying saucers flying over the partially destroyed town, firing weapons that looked like laser beams, seeking to further destroy and conquer, as if they had waited for the right time to attack. Then the dream ended. Interpretation: I believe the producers represent men in powerful positions abusing children and other innocent victims from other nations. They were using their positions and the deception of new-age spiritual concepts to disguise their actions, but they were vile and wicked. I believe they represented the new age spiritism/religion that will be used to justify and promote evil. The young girl dressed in red was innocent. Those wicked men were seeking to destroy her along with many other innocent children. I knew this was happening all over the world.  When she tried to read my palm, she quickly accepted my suggestion to pray to God, as if she knew instinctively how. To me, this shows the young generation will quickly grow in God if they are given the right influences.  When the double wooden doors opened, I believe the Lord was revealing what was going on in positions of power in the world. News was being written before it happened because the governments planned them in advance. Their plans were to destroy and kill Christians, all who prophesy and speak the law of God. This was written in the book that appeared before my eyes. When Lana asked whether I was one of those who prophesy and speak the law of God, I replied, “Yes, always, and forever!” My response took me by surprise because the courage of the Lord was with me as I boldly declared I was one of those they were seeking to kill. I cried for those who were going to suffer in what was coming. The love and energy of the Lord was with me, comforting me, even as my vision faded into black. I believe the Lord will be with all who are martyred for His name's sake, and they will be with the Lord in joy and peace forevermore. I believe my vision of the town with war breaking out revealed wide-scale war, which was the fulfillment of the news reports written in advance. The war that was planned and written before it even started.  Flying saucers further destroyed the towns. I believe these were not extraterrestrial aliens, but fallen angels, demons, appearing in the guise of aliens to deceive people. I believe these beings will be coming upon the earth because I have had many other dreams about them, including a week ago, when I saw many flying saucers in the sky and demons roaming the streets. I believe widespread Christian persecution is coming, and that we should prepare ourselves to stand firm in the Lord Jesus Christ unto death, refusing to deny His name and also refusing to accept the mark of the beast. I would appreciate your thoughts. May God bless you my brothers and sisters. Your brother in Christ, Christopher Scripture References:  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12)  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. (Matthew 24:9) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. (Revelation 12:11)  Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. (Revelation 9:1) 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. (Revelation 9:14-15)  So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:8)

Today fess song say Jesus na hawa gento shephad and de sekond song say we fit rest for God evalasting hand. De message of Hope say God dey protect hin pipo so dat notin go happun for dem and dat naim bi one way wen God take de care for hin pipo

What are you currently struggling with child of God? What difficulty are you dealing with? The Bible often links praise and worship with the manifestation of God's power. Even before victory, when you and I praise God, our praise invites God's Presence into our situation. When God shows up things happen! Good things! 2 Chronicles 20:22

Seventeen Words That Explain EverythingGuest Speaker, Dennis Magary (Psalm 117:1-2)An Invitation to Praise God (vs 1)Reasons for Praising God (vs 2)

A sermon preached by Rev. Wanda Bynum-Duckett with Foundry UMC January 18, 2026. “Piece Us Together” series.   Isaiah 61: 1-8 [a]The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,     because the Lord has anointed me; He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted,     to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives,     release to the prisoners, 2 To announce a year of favor from the Lord     and a day of vindication by our God; To comfort all who mourn; 3     to place on those who mourn in Zion     a diadem instead of ashes, To give them oil of gladness instead of mourning,     a glorious mantle instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of justice,     the planting of the Lord to show his glory. 4 They shall rebuild the ancient ruins,     the former wastes they shall raise up And restore the desolate cities,     devastations of generation upon generation. 5 Strangers shall stand ready to pasture your flocks,     foreigners shall be your farmers and vinedressers. 6 [b]You yourselves shall be called “Priests of the Lord,”     “Ministers of our God” you shall be called. You shall eat the wealth of the nations     and in their riches you will boast. 7 Because their shame was twofold[c]     and disgrace was proclaimed their portion, They will possess twofold in their own land;     everlasting joy shall be theirs.   As your pastor has been leading you in the brilliance of a sermon series entitled  Piece Us Together, I've been wrestling with the notion that life is to a great extent a series of choices…pieces, deposits, decisions made by us (and others connected to us) that when congruent, consistent and courageously aligned with God's Spirit, can not only be called good choices, but can bear the designation of GOD CHOICES. We know those moments when the Spirit speaks and we actually listen, and we do or resist doing or saying a thing, moving in a certain direction or keeping still, and we know in our knower that it wasn't us, it was GOD. Some choices we know we can't take credit for. We didn't have enough information or wisdom or fortitude on our own and yet sometimes you just know: that was God's leading - even ordaining - a particular path or decision. So my wrestling isn't about whether those kinds of choices are possible, it's more about how we might more intentionally posture ourselves to make them. What are the foundational pieces, the underlying preparation for making God choices? In some situations, seasons, and circumstances, it can be difficult to know what good is, let alone where GOD is. Especially when it seems like everyone is screaming and streaming their rightness, even assigning to it the name and the will of GOD, how do we individually and collectively choose rightly, even GODLY.    I picked up this little knick-knack at a thrift store in Greenville, North Carolina – my mother's hometown – and it simply says, “Make good choices.” So I chose to buy it for a whopping 99 cents. I believe that purchase was a God choice because ever since, this statement, this mantra that has become so popular, has had me wrestling. It sounds good, but it also raises a challenge: how do we know? Hindsight can sometimes be 20/20, sometimes we can look back with satisfaction and say that was a good choice, or we can look back with regret and say this or that was a bad move, but how do we really know the ultimate goodness of a choice, with our limited retroactive vision, and with a future yet unfolding before us?  Sometimes options are so plentiful that the gift of choice (God's free will) feels like a burden. And yet for some, life is such that options are few and choices become a luxury. Sometimes the choice is between what we might call two evils, and the struggle is to discern which is less so. Like a choice of whether to steal or starve, or a choice of whether to go to work and risk being kidnapped from a parking lot or staying home and facing the certainty of no income at all. And every morning when my daughter sends my seven-year-old grandson and my 13-year-old granddaughter to school with lunch, and a kiss, and a prayer that no shooter, no bully, no weapon formed against them will prosper, she also sends them off with these words: Make good choices. And so it is from pre-K to reWirement…how do we know which is which? Some decisions are negligible like sushi or soul food, and God bless you if you have access to both. Some choices are weightier and defining of the trajectory of not only our own lives, but the lives of others… like ballot choices. Anybody rethinking these days how much every vote matters? Consider choices like whether to respond to the sign our unhoused sibling is holding at the traffic light, or to roll up our car windows when we dare to drive through that neighborhood…that is if we even dare choose to drive through that neighborhood. After all, that's what beltways are for, right? To avoid the discourse and dilemmas of Samaria? The bible gives us some help, doesn't it? Choose ye this day who you will serve. (Joshua 24:15) Spoiler alert, choose GOD! Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and God's righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) The bible helps us to know that, God's word is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our pathway (Psalm 119:105), and meanwhile there are some people who believe - or at least say - that they are following a path illumined by God's word even as they CHOOSE to be, or to follow a path that looks more like darkness than light.  The bible is helpful in many ways, even as it lets us know that there is a way that seems right to a man, or a woman or a human, but its end is not life, but death. (Proverbs 14:12) To put it more simply, just because we place a cross on a path, a way, or a choice, does not mean it's a GOD choice, because our nation's history tells us that some have carried their crosses and others have burned them.  The bible helps us with our discernment, but it does not take away the need for that discernment. The scriptures give us examples of heroes and sheroes and they-roes whose choices are stamped with God's approval. Conversely, but equally as helpful, the bible also offers us examples of choices that we can see from our pews were not God choices. Choices like: Barrabas over Jesus, to wash our hands amidst the bloodshed in our communities, and to entertain the conversation of a snake. Yet in the moment, in the mission field, on our jobs - if we are so blessed in this administration to have and keep a job - and even in the church, we have struggled (often with the best of intentions) to make the good choice, the GOD choice. Good people are also capable of bad choices. So how do we know, and even when we know, how do we move in the direction of what we know is good and what is GOD? This Human Relations Sunday, on the eve of a day when we honor the life, work, and ministry of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, JR, it's a good time to have this conversation. Because the pieces, the choices, the decisions, the moves that Dr. King made, we can look at now and say that they were good, and even that they were GOD, but can we also agree that were hard, and they did not reflect the usual metrics of success. They were not financial choices that led to wealth. They were not safe choices that led to longevity. They were not choices that led to comfort for him or his family. As a young scholar and theologian out of Boston University, the world was Dr. King's oyster. He spoke well, he married well, he could have lived well by most standards even for the time, with the cushion of education, and perhaps some ability to escape the ravages and brutality of life as a black man in the Jim Crow south, or – if he chose - the more liberal and more subtly racist north. But like so many other freedom fighters, peacemakers, and GOD-choosers, King chose differently. He used his gifts and his anointing, not to live a successful life but, to live and ultimately give a life that was good. How and why did he choose as he chose, live as he lived, and die as he died. With four fatherless children, a weeping widow, bomb threats from his enemies, and the voices of his friends saying wait for justice to arrive slowly, when the scripture calls for it to roll down like mighty waters.  What's the framework for such a life? Where's the groundwork and the foundation for making those kinds of God choices? And, considering where we are now, some might even argue what's the point? Because the task of evil is to overwhelm us, and numb us so that we give up and give in. But we are those who understand that only light confounds darkness and only love drives out hate. (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1957 sermon entitled Loving Your Enemies) We are those who must keep the work of Dr. King and other GOD-choosers from unraveling, because it's becoming quite clear that the very fabric of our nation is really more loosely stitched together than we realized, and the fuller we get of ourselves, the more likely we are to come apart at the very (s.e.e.m.s.).  Well, this morning I want to offer a few ideas for your consideration as we seek to piece together our choices, our contributions to a tapestry of goodness and God-ness. These ideas do not form a magic bullet, or fast-working formula, but offer a bit of profiling of two prophetic God choosers: Dr. King and the Prophet Isaiah. In our scripture reading, Isaiah is making a profound declaration that I would imagine sounded a bit grandiose, perhaps even arrogant or delusional for Isaiah to declare, “the Spirit of the LORD is upon ME.” But Friends, this is not mere self-confidence. Isaiah is not pontificating his own opinions or positioning himself for re-election. He is not operating under the advisement of any renegade dictator, partisan pundit, or complacent church. This is not ego, or hubris. This is clarity of call. Isaiah is clear from whom his call comes, and he is clear about those to whom he is called. We have all perhaps witnessed the reduction of the work of prophecy to fortune telling, and sometimes misguided proclamations wrapped in boldness of the flesh. But the real work of prophecy lies in the clearly motivated execution of a call that comes from God to speak and act with truth and justice. Isaiah has seen the Lord high and lifted up. (Isaiah 6:1) He has heard the Lord's call and answered, Here I Am, send me. (Isaiah 6:8) And out of this connection and experience with God comes clarity! It's the kind of clarity that Dr. King testified to, declaring, “I've been to the mountaintop…I just want to do God's will.” (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, JR.'s 1968 speech, I've Been to the Mountaintop) And the good news for us is that clarity of call and the capacity to see GOD is not limited to a pulpit, or an appointment, or a title. It is the God-given opportunity for all of us who purport to be God's people to discover, discern and be deployed for the mission from whom and to whom we are called. You want to see Jesus? Look in the eyes of your neighbor. You want to see the Lord? Recognize that we are all made in God's image. You want to have a mountaintop experience? Spend some time in the valley with those who are hurting and get some clarity! Maybe that's what my little plaque is trying to say. Maybe choices become a whole lot easier and godlier when we have clarity about who is calling us and why.  We may feel inadequate, like Isaiah did when he was first called. We may face opposition from our peers and elders as Dr. King did. But clarity will help us show up anyhow, even if its stammering like Moses, running like Jonah, wrestling like Jacob, weeping at a tomb like Mary or Coretta, staying seated like Rosa, speaking out like Father Oscar Romero, running for office like Kamala, speaking truth to power like Jasmine, singing like Mahalia and our choir today, speaking on NPR like Ginger, and marching like Martin. Afraid? Yes, sometimes. Called? Absolutely! God is compelling us to offer our piece to the work for such a time as this, whether our call is to teach, or speak, or organize, or march or pray or sing or write, or cook a meal, or wipe a tear, or serve in the church and in the community. Know that separation of church and state does not require us to be isolated or silenced or detached from the world. The church is a place of worship and equipping; the church is no place to hide. And the good news is that the anointing - the clear call to make God choices - is not only for those we call Reverend, or Doctor, or prophet, or priest, but the book of Joel helps us to know that GOD pours out God's spirit on ALL FLESH! (Joel 2:28), to dream like Martin, and to proclaim like Isaiah a new and hopeful reality of rebuilt ruins, restored cities and everlasting joy. The powerful thing about clarity of call is that it grounds us with the ability to make GOD choices. It is the foundational YES that makes everything else clearer.  Listen to the clarity of Isaiah's call. He's not anointed just to be anointed, but it is to bring good news in bad times, to bind up the wounds of the hurting, to comfort those who mourn. Praise God that the call is a call of hope, of captives set free and chains broken. The audacity, the unmitigated gall and the amazing and dangerous opportunity for GOD-choosers like Isaiah, like Martin, like all of us to participate in a holy exchange of beauty for ashes, oil for tears, and the bible says a glorious mantle instead of a faint spirit.  Secondly, foundational to the capacity to make God choices is consciousness of context: knowing what the people and the times call for, with the bible in one hand, media device in the other. Isaiah was well aware of the self-indulgence and wickedness of the powerful, and the turning away of Judah's collective heart from God. Dr. King may have been studying in Boston, but he was preparing for Selma, Birmingham, Memphis and Washington. He was well-versed in the dehumanization of Jim Crow, the economic echoes of chattel slavery, and the need for change. There was an urgency that called him to a movement and a moment. Our call - and the choices that flow from that call- likewise connect to our time and context in pivotal moments where our choices matter in ways that lead to life or death, both literally and figuratively.  These are Kairos moments, not mere hours on a clock or dates on a calendar, but these are times for decisions and God-inspired choices when we need to know the difference between being disrespectful, and having one's life disrespected and taken too soon. These are times when we need to call out the difference between feigned self-defense and excessive and homicidal force. These are times when our immigrant siblings are experiencing the similarly motivated and equally evil kidnapping that once populated the slave trade around the globe. These are times and moments when hard-fought liberties are being dismantled, when fear rules the day, and politics plague the culture. These are the times that ought to try our souls and inform and inspire our choices…like whether to speak up or opt out of the conversation, to step up or to stand by as we take steps back to parts of our history of which we ought to be ashamed. This is the context in which we must choose to love our neighbors, all of them…locally, globally, radically and unapologetically. Not me first, but Humanity first. Love first. Justice First. Peace first. This is not merely a time to reminisce about Isaiah's call, or to romanticize about Martin's dream. This is not Isaiah's Judah or Martin's south. Although the parallels with the past are present, and the pieces are connected for sure, this is our time, and these choices are on US! And finally, to make GOD choices, not only would we do well to be grounded by clarity of call, and consciousness of context, but we also need courage beyond consequences. Every choice comes with some consequence. Even, and especially GOD choices. Sometimes those consequences look like discouragement, isolation, ridicule, black-listing, or even danger. Neither the clarity of our call, nor the consciousness of our context, exempt us from the need for courage. Isaiah's courage called him to speak truth to fou kings over his lifetime, and we know that even the subtlest of pleas for justice and mercy to leadership that is not so inclined can have major consequences. Martin advocated and demonstrated for peace - not violence - as the way to bring about change and it earned him a Nobel Peace Prize. But he didn't live to see his children pick up the mantle for justice, or his birthday become a national holiday, or a black man become President of the United States. Are we not tired of Good dying young? But death does not have the final say, nor does hatred, nor does violence, and - the sacred text reminds us - nor do kings or kingdoms. (Daniel 2:44) I heard a song that I believe says, Every storm runs out of rain. Every lie runs out of gas. There is a GOD who chose us, who chose love, who chose the cup of Calvary so that we might choose to be clear, and conscious, and courageous as well. That God has the final say. Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, chose to weep, walk, heal and speak truth in perilous times. And one Sabbath day he stood in the synagogue to teach, and he found the words of the prophet Isaiah and said, the Spirit of the Lord is upon ME! Because GOD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” (Luke 4:18-19) Then Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant (the word is now in our hands), and the people stared at him. The audacity, the unmitigated gall! Isn't this just Joseph's son. Didn't they know that God uses and chooses those others deem unlikely and even unworthy? Our Jesus declared, TODAY…. this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” My friends TODAY is the time to live and to choose in alignment with the fulfilment of the gospel of peace. TODAY is not just to reminisce, or to recite the speeches and choices of the prophets of old, but TODAY is the time for making GOD choices of our own, to answer the call God has on our lives, to do and bring our piece to the work. And we too shall be called priests of the Lord, ministers of our God, and everlasting joy will be our witness, because God is not just good. God is GOD! God bless you.

Praise God for what He did during the time in Atlanta for the GOOD NEWS TOUR! God graciously opened doors for the gospel to be preached at 10 schools, teams, church events, and more where 298 people respond to the gospel, making decisions to trust in Jesus by faith as their Lord and Savior. In this episode Doug and Frank share stories and testimonies of what God did, talk about some learnings and take aways, and challenge the listener to go share the gospel! Thank you for listening! If you feel led to partner with Doug Elks Ministries through engagement, prayer, and support you can learn more HERE ! Grace and Peace

Praise God for what He did during the time in Atlanta for the GOOD NEWS TOUR! God graciously opened doors for the gospel to be preached at 10 schools, teams, church events, and more where 298 people respond to the gospel, making decisions to trust in Jesus by faith as their Lord and Savior. In this episode Doug and Frank share stories and testimonies of what God did, talk about some learnings and take aways, and challenge the listener to go share the gospel! Thank you for listening! If you feel led to partner with Doug Elks Ministries through engagement, prayer, and support you can learn more HERE ! Grace and Peace

Answers flow from presence, His presence. Praise God!

FEBRUARY 15, 2026 TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY REV. KENDRA BALLIET ORGANIST JAMES ROSS Prelude - Lord, You I Love With All My Heart - Paul Manz Welcome & Announcements *Call to Worship PASTOR: On this Transfiguration Sunday, we gather on the mountaintop with Jesus, wondering what we will encounter. PEOPLE: We come to encounter God’s glory revealed. PASTOR: We witness the revelation of Christ’s divinity made plain before us. PEOPLE: We come to witness God’s glory revealed. PASTOR: We remember that God’s glory is not about spectacle but truth, not about show but about Love made real among us. PEOPLE: We come to remember God’s glory revealed. PASTOR: We follow Jesus down from the mountaintop into the valleys, as God’s glory goes before us and behind us. PEOPLE: We come to be sent out to share God’s glory revealed. Thanks be to God! Amen. * Opening Hymn – “Majesty, Worship His Majesty” #176 *Affirmation of Faith – Nicene Creed #880 *Gloria Patri #70 Opening Prayer Radiant God, we come to you on the mountaintop to experience your glory. You come to us in the valleys. We meet you in gladness in a place where heaven and earth collide. May our worship of you encourage us on the journey and make us aspire to reflect your kingdom in the world. Transform us and keep us near to you. Amen. Children’s Chat Scripture- 2 Peter 1:16-21 and Matthew 17:1-9 Pastor: The Word of God for the people of God. People: Thanks be to God Message: “Shining with the Glory” Tithes and Offering Offertory - Verset - Leon Boellman *Doxology – Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #94 Prayer Hymn – “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” #349 Prayers of the People - Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer *Closing Hymn – “Every Time I Feel the Spirit” #404 Action Steps and Benediction Postlude - Jubilation - James Denton Thank you for sharing in this worship service. Please continue to stay in touch through our website (stoneumc.org) and/or by following us on Facebook (Stone UMC). If you have joys or concerns that you would like lifted up in prayer, please fill out the Prayer Card in the pew, on the website, or share them by contacting us at 814-724-6736 or churchoffice@stoneumc.org

FEBRUARY 15, 2026 TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY REV. KENDRA BALLIET ORGANIST JAMES ROSS Prelude - Lord, You I Love With All My Heart - Paul Manz Welcome & Announcements *Call to Worship PASTOR: On this Transfiguration Sunday, we gather on the mountaintop with Jesus, wondering what we will encounter. PEOPLE: We come to encounter God’s glory revealed. PASTOR: We witness the revelation of Christ’s divinity made plain before us. PEOPLE: We come to witness God’s glory revealed. PASTOR: We remember that God’s glory is not about spectacle but truth, not about show but about Love made real among us. PEOPLE: We come to remember God’s glory revealed. PASTOR: We follow Jesus down from the mountaintop into the valleys, as God’s glory goes before us and behind us. PEOPLE: We come to be sent out to share God’s glory revealed. Thanks be to God! Amen. * Opening Hymn – “Majesty, Worship His Majesty” #176 *Affirmation of Faith – Nicene Creed #880 *Gloria Patri #70 Opening Prayer Radiant God, we come to you on the mountaintop to experience your glory. You come to us in the valleys. We meet you in gladness in a place where heaven and earth collide. May our worship of you encourage us on the journey and make us aspire to reflect your kingdom in the world. Transform us and keep us near to you. Amen. Children’s Chat Scripture- 2 Peter 1:16-21 and Matthew 17:1-9 Pastor: The Word of God for the people of God. People: Thanks be to God Message: “Shining with the Glory” Tithes and Offering Offertory - Verset - Leon Boellman *Doxology – Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #94 Prayer Hymn – “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” #349 Prayers of the People - Joys and Concerns Pastoral Prayer & Lord’s Prayer *Closing Hymn – “Every Time I Feel the Spirit” #404 Action Steps and Benediction Postlude - Jubilation - James Denton Thank you for sharing in this worship service. Please continue to stay in touch through our website (stoneumc.org) and/or by following us on Facebook (Stone UMC). If you have joys or concerns that you would like lifted up in prayer, please fill out the Prayer Card in the pew, on the website, or share them by contacting us at 814-724-6736 or churchoffice@stoneumc.org

FEBRUARY 15, 2026 TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY REV. KENDRA BALLIET ORGANIST JAMES ROSS Tithes and Offering Offertory - Verset - Leon Boellman *Doxology – Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #94

FEBRUARY 15, 2026 TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY REV. KENDRA BALLIET ORGANIST JAMES ROSS Tithes and Offering Offertory - Verset - Leon Boellman *Doxology – Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow #94

When it comes to praising God, have you ever found yourself in an awkward position because the language of worship is a foreign language to you. I mean, even the word Hallelujah, someone asked me last week, they said they know it's some kind of praise for God - but what does it actually mean? And, I thought --- yeah, that would have probably been a good idea to define it for you... It's Hebrew for (ready for it?) PRAISE GOD.What happens when you have believers who love God, who believe in God - but when it comes time to express praise and worship to God, they just fall back on something rote, without a lot of meaning to it, and something they may not understand, so they really can't be intentional about it.It's like memorizing the phrases before heading to another country, but not really understanding the language because you aren't fluent in it. In the same way our worship may become more meaningful when we learn to be fluent in our  Hallelujah. Because praise has a vocabulary. Heaven has a language. And God invites us to learn how to speak it. And it comes, first of all, with remembering WHO God is and WHAT He does.

Today fess song na "Blessed bi de Lord" and de sekond song na "One tin naim I dey ask God: De message of Hope say de pipo wen God choose know de kain food wen God want make dem eat wen deir bodi go take well and dem dey try eat dat one

February 12, 2026Today's Reading: Catechism: Fifth CommandmentDaily Lectionary: Job 8:1-22; John 4:27-45You shall not murder. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.This might sound absurd to say, but the Fifth Commandment is a hard life lesson to learn. Face value, it could be our favorite, though. You shall not kill? I will go out on a limb and say that everyone reading this devotion today can say, “Yes! I have kept this commandment! I haven't killed anyone, mark it down as the only commandment I have kept!”  Enter Martin Luther, who is the killjoy of the party. The Lord God says, “You shall not kill.” Luther says in his explanation of this Commandment, “We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body…” (Explanation of the 5th Commandment)  How many can check that box? A few less to be sure.  And then we realize Jesus has something to say about this. He says, “Everyone who is angry with his brother is liable to judgment… [and] the fires of hell.” (Matthew 5:22)St. John even gets in on the action and says, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:15)All of a sudden, we are all standing here condemned by the Law in the sight of God, realizing we deserve to be cast into the outer darkness, where Jesus says there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.    Thanks be to God for the Gospel! Praise God, He has taught us through parents, pastors, and teachers that even this sin lies forgiven in His sight for the sake of Jesus. To the one who hates His brother, who has hurt or harmed his brother, even the one who has taken a life, Jesus took that to the cross and died for it.  Understand, it is for this reason that God continues to send His messengers to call us to repentance. Jesus' death is the payment for ALL sin. What the prophet Ezekiel was inspired to write is true! “Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.” (Ezekiel 18:30-32)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Chief of Sinners though I be, Jesus shed His blood for me. Died that I might live on high, Lives that I might never die. As the branch is to the vine, I am His and He is mine. (LSB 611:1)Rev. Timothy Chase, pastor at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Truman, MNAudio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.Better understand difficult and overlooked Old Testament passages in this new book by Authors R. Reed Lessing and Andrew E. Steinmann. Their conversational yet academic writing style makes learning about the Old Testament accessible to those at all points in their Bible reading journey. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter invite you to think more in-depth about what you just read and record your answers. To stretch your understanding, a list of resources for further reading is also included at the back of the book.

Have you ever felt like a spectator in your spiritual life, watching from the sidelines while others experience God's presence? Pastor Dave challenges us to move beyond observation into authentic participation, revealing how true worship isn't about personality but about positioning our hearts before God. Through powerful biblical examples—from Jehoshaphat's victory through praise to Paul and Silas's midnight worship—he shows how God consistently responds to genuine worship with breakthrough, freedom, and transformation. Whether you're seeking deeper connection or facing impossible walls, this message inspires: God responds when we worship. Watch now to discover how your praise can shake foundations and unlock chains!Psalms 150Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp!4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!5 Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals!6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.2 Chronicles 20 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? 7 Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? 8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.' 10 And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them— 11 here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high.20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:“Praise the Lord,For His mercy endures forever.”22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them.23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much.Joshua 6 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.2 And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”6 Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord.” 7 And he said to the people, “Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the Lord.”8 So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns before the Lord advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 10 Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!' Then you shall shout.” 11 So he had the ark of the Lord circle the city, going around it once. Then they came into the camp and lodged in the camp.12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 Then seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually and blew with the trumpets. And the armed men went before them. But the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 14 And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did six days.15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times. 16 And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city! 17 Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are [b]consecrated to the Lord; they [c]shall come into the treasury of the Lord.”20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.Acts 16:25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.

Poem V from Charlotte Mason's “The Saviour of the World” Vol I Book I.

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're talking with Jeremy Baker, Lead Pastor of Elevate Life Church in Connecticut. In just over three years, Elevate Life has grown from 70 people to more than 2,000 weekly attendees, becoming one of the fastest-growing churches in the country—especially remarkable in a region widely known as spiritually resistant and unchurched. Jeremy shares the honest, behind-the-scenes story of how God has moved, and what his team has learned about loving people well, building invite culture, and helping people take meaningful steps in their spiritual journey. Is explosive growth possible in spiritually dry regions? How do churches keep the focus on people instead of preferences as momentum builds? Jeremy offers a refreshing reminder that growth is less about formulas and more about faithfulness. Humble beginnings and a clear calling. // Jeremy and his wife left a comfortable ministry role at a large church in Dallas after sensing God's call to the Northeast—one of the least churched regions in North America. With no church-planting playbook and their personal savings on the line, they launched Elevate Life with high expectations and a large marketing push. When only 70 people showed up on launch day, disappointment could have ended the story. Instead, it became the starting point. Jeremy describes the journey as a “God deal” from the beginning—marked by prayer, obedience, and a willingness to go after people rather than polish programs. Loving people from the street to the seat. // One of Elevate Life's defining values is making people feel seen, heard, and celebrated. Jeremy believes every person walks in carrying an invisible sign that says, “See me.” That belief shapes their entire guest experience. From banner-waving parking lot teams to outdoor tents for first-time guests (even in winter), the church treats arrival as sacred ground. Volunteers walk guests through the building, help with kids check-in, offer tours, and even escort people to their seats. The intentional warmth sends a clear message: you matter here. Taking people where they are. // With nearly 4,000 first-time guests in a single year, Elevate Life assumes nothing about biblical knowledge or spiritual maturity. Rather than pushing people toward instant maturity, the church focuses on meeting people where they are. Grow Track, life groups, and clear next steps help people move forward at a sustainable pace. Jeremy warns that churches often forget how far they've traveled spiritually—and unintentionally expect newcomers to keep up. Invite culture that never lets up. // Elevate Life's growth hasn't come from direct mail or massive ad budgets. Jeremy says he'll never do mailbox ads again. Instead, growth flows from a relentless invite culture. Every service, hallway conversation, life group, and ministry environment reinforces the same message: Who are you bringing? Invite cards, QR codes, social media ads, and consistent language keep invitation top of mind. Jeremy believes repetition—not creativity—is the secret. Reaching people over protecting preferences. // As the church has doubled in size, Jeremy is vigilant about guarding its mission. Growth brings new pressures—parking shortages, crowded services, limited space—but he resists shifting focus inward. If churches aren’t careful, they’ll trade purpose for preferences,. Elevate Life's mission—making heaven more crowded—keeps the team outwardly focused. Jeremy regularly reminds leaders that people are not problems to solve; they are people to pastor. A challenge for church leaders. // Jeremy closes with a simple encouragement to pastors: love people deeply, steward what God has given you, and don't lose sight of why you started. Churches don't grow because they chase growth—they grow when leaders refuse to give up on people. In regions others have written off spiritually, God is still moving—and often through ordinary leaders who simply refuse to stop caring. To learn more about Elevate Life Church, visit elevatelifect.com or follow them on Instagram @elevatelifect. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Portable Church Your church is doing really well right now, and your leadership team is looking for solutions to keep momentum going! It could be time to start a new location. Maybe you have hesitated in the past few years, but you know it's time to step out in faith again and launch that next location. Portable Church has assembled a bundle of resources to help you leverage your growing momentum into a new location by sending a part of your congregation back to their neighborhood on Mission. This bundle of resources will give you a step-by-step plan to launch that new or next location, and a 5 minute readiness tool that will help you know your church is ready to do it! Click here to watch the free webinar “Launch a New Location in 150 Days or Less” and grab the bundle of resources for your church! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. Pumped that you have decided to tune in today. We’ve got a very good conversation. I’m really looking forward to leaning in and learning from this leader and the story that God’s been writing at his church in the last two and a half years.Rich Birch — Elevate Church in Connecticut has grown from 70 people to over 2,000 on a weekly basis. It’s been named one of the fastest growing churches in the country. I love their mission and purpose is really simple: making heaven more crowded. Today we’ve got Jeremy Baker with us. He is the lead pastor. Jeremy, welcome to the show. So glad you’re here.Jeremy Baker — Thank you so much for having me. So excited. And what a great privilege and honor to be on on live with you today. So thank you.Rich Birch — Yeah, I’m excited that to unpack this story a little bit. It is not normal for a church to grow from 70 to 2000 in any part of the country, but even more so in Connecticut. I can say as a guy who served in New Jersey, I’m Canadian, you know – don’t hold that against against me. Jeremy Baker — Let’s go.Rich Birch — So I understand the spiritual context that you’re in a little bit. But why don’t you unpack the story? Kind of tell us a little bit what’s gone on over these last couple of years. For folks that don’t know, tell us about the kind of spiritual, you know, climate in Connecticut. Talk us through those issues.Jeremy Baker — Yeah, I first of all, it’s a God deal all the way. And I know a lot of people are asking me, hey, give me some handles, what’s some formulas, what’s some how-tos.Rich Birch — Right.Jeremy Baker — I’m just blown away by what God’s done. And I think it’s really just the heartbeat of God is going after his people and serving the community really well. So we’re in an area, I’m 30 minutes away from Yale University.Rich Birch — Okay.Jeremy Baker — I’m not too far away from New Haven, Connecticut. I’m in in a town about 100,000 people. Rich Birch — Wow.Jeremy Baker — Matter of fact, the building is actually in between two cities. Rich Birch — Okay. Jeremy Baker — The building is divided right down in half. One half being, yeah, it’s crazy. One half being Meriden, one half being a town called Wallingford. And so in those two cities is about 100,000 people. Rich Birch — Okay. Jeremy Baker — So three and a half years ago, I’m working at a big church in Dallas, Texas, mega-world, mega-church, on staff, XP, and the Lord just pressed on our heart, me and my wife that we’re comfortable. We’re we’re living the good life, we’re living the Dallas life, the big Texas life, and there’s more, you know. And nothing wrong with that, nothing wrong with the Dallas life, the big life, the Texas life, nothing wrong with big churches – God loves this, the capital “C” church, you know. And so long story short, prayed for about a year, and we said, we’re going to the Northeast. Rich Birch — Wow. Jeremy Baker — This is where my wife is originally from, the Connecticut region, this area, actually called a little town called North Haven. And we’re going to go back up here because there’s a group of people that need the Lord. And, you know, the Northeast, New Jersey, you know, New York, Maine, Vermont, Pennsylvania, these kind of, this region up here in this New England region is ah is an unchurched region. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — There’s great people that are God-fearing people, great good Bible-believing churches, but there’s it’s not known as a Southern, you know, Christianity. Rich Birch — Yep.Jeremy Baker — Like everybody goes to church in the South, but up here, it’s a little different region. So we came up here. We didn’t know how to plant a church, honestly.Rich Birch — Love it.Jeremy Baker — I’m just giving you all the honest, the the real, real.Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — I wish I could tell you that I wrote the book on it and I know how to do everything perfectly. Rich Birch — Love itJeremy Baker — But i could I could tell you every horror story what not to do, you know? So we we pulled out our life savings and we started a church and we had 70 people on our launch date. Rich Birch — Wow. And we put about $100,000 into our launch date thinking we would have… Rich Birch — Wow. Jeremy Baker — …you know, 800 people, a thousand people are going to show up. We put mailers in everybody’s mailbox. So long story short, we had 70 people. Rich Birch — Wow, wow.Jeremy Baker — And then out of that, we have just been going after our city. Out of that, we have just been reaching people, inviting people to God’s house, serving our community, clean days, outreaches, food ministry, backpack giveaways, Christmas, Thanksgiving. I mean, just every major holiday, we have just attacked our community. And this last week, we had over 2,400 people in attendance.Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. Praise God. Jeremy Baker — And and so in three and a half years, it’s just been wild. And there’s so much in that story I could tell you.Rich Birch — Right.Jeremy Baker — But that’s kind of been from where we were, planning humble beginnings. God, what do you want to do? And it’s not about the size of a church, as you know, because I know there’s great churches out there that are ministering very well to the size that is in their community, and they’re doing a really good job shepherding people, caring for people.Jeremy Baker — But it’s just, you know, I always believe, God, let me not mess this up. Lord, if I can steward this well, you’ll keep bringing them to me. And so we have a brand new team, new staff. I like to call us the the misfits of Toy Island, if I could use the if i could if i could use the Christmas kind of you know… Rich Birch — Yes. Jeremy Baker — …thought process, you know. We don’t know what we’re doing, but we’re loving people well. We’re serving. We’re discipling to the best of our ability. We’re preaching the full gospel now. I don’t want people to think that we’re not preaching the gospel.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — We’re preaching from Genesis to Revelations, and we’re preaching the whole Bible, the whole council. And but that’s kind of that’s a little bit of kind of like how the beginning happened, but it’s been wild.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool.Jeremy Baker — It’s been wild, man.Rich Birch — Yeah. And I know, you know, we know that, well, all of our churches, you know, they they have the impact they do because God chooses to use what we’re doing at the end of the day. It’s got nothing to with us. It’s got everything to do with him. Jeremy Baker — Right. Rich Birch — But he is choosing to use something that you’re you’re doing. He’s clearly blessing something. He’s working through something. When you step back and think about the last couple of years, two or three years, What would be some of the things that you’ve seen him use that are like, hmm, this seems to be a part of the equation of what he’s pulling together.Rich Birch — And that’s not from a like, hey, we want to replicate all this, but it’s like, hey, here’s here’s your story. This is what God seems to be using in your context to reach your people. What would be some of those things that bubble up to your mind?Jeremy Baker — Yeah, great question. I would think the first thing for us is people want to be seen. People in the world that we live in today want to know that someone cares about them, that someone loves them.Jeremy Baker — We like to say it around here. We have little cultural sayings. We see you. We hear you. We celebrate you. We see you, we hear you, we celebrate you. I love what Mary Kay said, the the makeup organization. She had a quote, and if I can quote her right, she said, everybody has an invisible sign around their neck that says, see me. Jeremy Baker — And and I think it’s important. I think it’s real important that we see people the way God sees them. You know, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever would believe in him. So the whole thing is about seeing people the way God sees them, not seeing them through their lens of brokenness or through the lens of maybe a divorce or the pain or the regret or the shame. No, we got to see them through the grace and the mercy of God, through through what Jesus wants to do in their life. So we’re just loving people really well from the street, if I could say it like this, because I know it’s been said in church conferences, but from the street to the seat, we’re just loving people really well, you know, how to how to make people feel like they’re the big deal. Rich Birch — Right, right.Jeremy Baker — You know, that God does love them. So that would be probably one thing that I would say would kind of be our bread and butter of just loving people well… Rich Birch — Yes. Jeremy Baker — …helping people find hope, especially in a season like this, you know, holiday season. It’s like, a you know, a lot of people are hopeless and we need to give hope to people. And so that would be a big thing. Jeremy Baker — I say think the second thing I would say is taking people on the spiritual journey where they’re at. You know, I’ve been a ministry for 30 years. My dad’s a pastor. So I’ve been in church for a long time. And I think sometimes, you know, we can as as as church kids, or if I could say it that way, or church people, we are called the shepherd. We’re called to minister. We’re called the guide. But sometimes we want people to be on the road that we’re on. And and they don’t realize… Rich Birch — That’s so true. Jeremy Baker — …we have we have we have been on this journey for a long time. There’s been a lot of going to the mat, dealing with us, God doing a work in us. Like David said in Psalms 51, Lord, create me a clean heart. Help me help me grow, Lord, as a leader, as a mature, you know. Put away childish things. I, you know, I want to grow. So so we’re taking people on their journey. Okay, you’re new to faith, so we need to start you on this road or this path, if I could say, you know. Oh, you’ve been walking with God for three years. Okay, we’ve got to make sure that you know some of the foundations, some of the basics. Rich Birch — Right.Jeremy Baker — You know I think that’s been some of our greatness of helping people stick, find community, be a part. So those are, I think those are two things. Understanding people need to be seen. And the second one is taking them on a journey of where they’re at, you know?Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. I love that. The let’s let’s unpack that a little bit. I’d love to start with the loving people well thing – a little bit more detail. Jeremy Baker — Yeah.Rich Birch — When you say that, so what does that mean from the street to the seat? How are you how do you feel like, oh, this is something that Elevate Life’s doing well to love people as they’re coming, as they’re arriving, as they’re a part of what’s going on at the church?Jeremy Baker — Yeah, so great. So for me, it’s going to be guest experience. Rich Birch — Yep.Jeremy Baker — What does it look like when people pull on your parking lot? You know, do we have parking lot – we don’t call them attendants. We call them parking lot banner wavers. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah. Love it.Jeremy Baker — They’re waving a banner, a blessing over your car. Now, it’s going to be a little charismatic a little bit. There’s going to be a little bit of a, you know, my background is, you know, is I’m I’m very very energetic, very enthusiastic…Rich Birch — Sure.Jeremy Baker — …passionate as a leader. So I want people to know it’s a big deal that you’re on property today. Rich Birch — Right.Jeremy Baker — It’s a really big deal that you brought your family, that you showed up. You didn’t have to show up. You didn’t have to be here. You could have stayed home. You could have did what you wanted to do, but you gave God some time today. And so what we do is we we we we really pray that as the tires hit the parking lot, that miracles take place in people’s lives.Jeremy Baker — Whatever that miracle might be, miracle of salvation. A miracle of of of a mindset change, a miracle of restoration. So banner wavers in the parking lot, loving on people. Jeremy Baker — We have a team called the Impact Team that’s in the parking lot. They’re what we call our first time guest experience connection moments. So when they when there’s tents outside, of course, even in the winter, we got tents outside with heaters outside. You know, we just got four inches of snow the other day, but they’re still outside.Jeremy Baker — So the commitment from our servant leaders is there. The commitment from our staff is there, just to make people seen and feel loved. So as they’re walking into the property, if they’re a first time guest, our team has been trained how to identify a first time people, even with the amount of people that are coming. And they’ll walk up to them and just say, so glad you’re here.Jeremy Baker — Is this your first time? No, I’ve been here for about a month. OK, do you need anything? How can I serve you? How can we help you? Do you know how to check your kids in? Or, hey, can i can I walk you to your seat? I mean, we literally have a team over 100 plus people that are helping people walk into a building… Rich Birch — Wow.Jeremy Baker — …get a free get a get a cup of coffee, find them to their seat, make them feel loved. If they’re new, hey, let me take you on an experience tour is what we call it, an experience tour. You’re walking into a brand new building. You’ve never been into the building before. You know, lot of churches, it’s all love, but might not have the right signage of communication of where restrooms are, kids check-in nurseries, nursing mother’s room, you know, special needs, whatever. So we have these people that go and walk these people through this building. And, you know, we don’t have a large building. We’re we’re adding on to our building, but we’re about 28,000 square feet.Rich Birch — Okay.Jeremy Baker — And so even in that size, you know, you can get lost in a building that size… Rich Birch — Right, right. Jeremy Baker — …you you know, especially where there’s hallways and doorways you don’t know. And so we’re having people walk through. And then people walk up all the way to their seat.Rich Birch — Wow.Jeremy Baker — And then when they’re in their seat, we got people that are on the host team, which we’d call modern day ushers. We call them host team members. They just walking up to them. Hey, good to see you. How you doing? Good morning before service starts.Rich Birch — I love that. Yes.Jeremy Baker — So we’re creating this we’re creating this interaction culture. Now, if you’re introverted, I’ll be honest with you, it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be hard, man.Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — It’s going to be hard. If you’re more introverted in your personality and your style, you’re going to feel overloaded at a level, you know what I’m saying?Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — So so that that’s some of the feedback we get.Jeremy Baker — Like, hey, I love the church… Rich Birch — It’s a little much. Jeremy Baker — …but I got 18 people talking to me, man, before I even find a seat. And it’s like, I get it, I get it, I get it. But, you know, we just want you to feel seen and feel loved. So that’s part of what we do.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s very cool. I love that.Jeremy Baker — Yeah.Rich Birch — Super practical. That’s cool. And then I like this idea of talking to people where they’re at. I think that can be a concern we run into or a it’s like we’re not even aware that in our our churches we’re we’re we’re using language or or we’re assuming everyone’s at a certain place. What does that look like for you at Elevate Life? How are you helping? Because that’s a lot of people in a short period of time to both get to know and then also try to communicate in a way that actually connects with where they’re at. Talk us through what do you mean by that when you say we’re trying to talk to people where they’re at in their spiritual journey?Jeremy Baker — Yeah, so if it so if you’re new, let me just give you context. This year alone, in 2025, we’ve had 3,919 first-time guests walk through our doors. Rich Birch — That’s great.Jeremy Baker — This year alone. Rich Birch — Yep. Jeremy Baker — So for us, we know as a new plant, as a new church, we’re going to have to really walk people through this spiritual journey. Some of these people maybe have some form of God, maybe they have been walking with God. Maybe they’ve been out of church since, you know, let’s just talk about pre, know, after or during COVID. Maybe they haven’t been back to God’s house because that’s really real in the Northeast. Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — I mean, some people are just now coming back to church in the Northeast that have not been in church for the last four years. You know, it’s like, oh yeah, I’ve been out of church for about three and a half years and I’m just now getting back into the rhythm of getting back in my faith.Jeremy Baker — So there’s so much I can talk about that. Like how how do we make our services flow? Like I always introduce introduce myself, hey, my name is Jeremy, and I have the privilege to pastor this church, and I just want to say welcome. If if this is your, you know, 52nd welcome this year or if this is your first welcome, I just want to say welcome. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — Because i want I want them to know that we’re real, that we’re authentic, and we want to help them on their spiritual journey. Rich Birch — It’s good.Jeremy Baker — So we offer stuff like, you know, first-time, you know, decision, if you made a first time decision, let’s go, let’s go into, you know, who is Jesus? You know, what does Jesus, you know, want to do in your life? So there’s, there’s, there’s classes, there’s paths that we offer there. Jeremy Baker — Grow track, you know, we have grow track that we offer every month. Hey, hey, won’t we want to teach you a little bit more about faith, who Elevate Life is, what, what our mission is, what our vision is, what, what the values of our church is. And so we walk them through that.Jeremy Baker — And then, and then what we have is we have life groups. And these life groups are from all different walks. Deep dive of Revelation, deep studies of the Old Testament. Or, hey, we’re just going to go through the book of John. We’re just going to start in John 1 and learn what Jesus, you know, who Jesus is. And we’re to start there. Or if you’re more intellectual, we’re going to go a little bit deeper. You know, so we we we we we have these these life groups, we call them, because we’re Elevate Life. So we call them life groups. We want we want these groups to bring life to people.Jeremy Baker — And and so ah so we just we we have people, we encourage them to sign up, to get involved. That’s our conversations always in the hallways. Hey, are you are you serving on a team? Are you in a life group? Here’s here’s why. The goal for me is not just gathering large crowds. The goal for me as as a shepherd, I would just say as ah as as the lead pastor now in this season of my life, is is to help people develop spiritually… Rich Birch — Yeah, so good. Yeah, definitely. Jeremy Baker — …to help people find their personal walk with God, not just come and hear a good word. You know, motivating, it’s inspiring, it’s it’s helpful. Yes, it’s practical. I’ve got handles I can live my life by throughout the week. But my my heart is, don’t just take a Sunday and give it to God, but give God every day of your life. Rich Birch — So good.Jeremy Baker — You know, sometimes we just turn the surrender switch on on Sunday, not realizing the surrender switch needs to be on every day of the week.Rich Birch — Amen. So true.Jeremy Baker — So I’ve got to turn that surrender switch on every day. And just like you a natural thought when you turn the light switch on when you’re in the room, you turn it off when you leave the room. Well, a lot of people look at church that way. I’m going to turn my surrender switch on today. It’s Sunday. I’m going to go to God’s house. And then on when they leave Sunday, they leave away the property. They pull away. The surrender switch turns off. And I think that’s where the consumer mindset, especially in the Western part of the country… Rich Birch — Sure. Jeremy Baker — …you know, we have gotten, you know, we’re, we’re inundated with consumerism. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — And so, and so how, do how do we help people really become disciples of of Christ? So the second part of our mission statement is making disciples that follow Jesus. So the goal is making heaven more crowded, but making disciples that follow Jesus.Rich Birch — So good. That’s great. Let’s talk about a bit like up the funnel a little bit, like at the top end, where, how are people learning about Elevate Life? You talked about when you launched, you did a bunch of marketing stuff. Has that continued to happen? Is this just like, you’re really good at Facebook ads? Help me understand. What does that look like? How, why is the church growing?Jeremy Baker — Yeah, great question. I personally, I will never do an ad in a mailbox again. That was $25,000 that I think one person showed up, and then we had a bunch of them ripped up and mailed back to us and told us to never mail them and again. It’s the funniest story.Rich Birch — Wow. Yes.Jeremy Baker — Yeah, so it’s it’s all good. It’s it’s it’s this is not the South. I’m a Texas guy, and I’m living in the New England region, and it’s it’s night and day, you know.Rich Birch — Yes. Yes.Jeremy Baker — So what we have done really well at, I believe, causes some of the growth to happen is two things, is every week we’re encouraging people to invite somebody. That is a part of our culture. Invite culture. Who you bringing? Who do you know that’s far from God that needs the Lord right now? Who do you know that’s far from Him that you know that that you could bring?Jeremy Baker — So then the second thing is we’re doing really good social media ads. We’re spending about $1,500 a month on social media ads. And our team has done a phenomenal job. And all my team is 19, 20, 21, and 22-year-old young men and women that are running all of my social media.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s great.Jeremy Baker — I’m 50. I want to act like I’m current. But I’m not. You know, there’s things I don’t, I’m not adverse in. There’s things that are constantly changing with technology.Rich Birch — Sure. Yeah, sure.Jeremy Baker — And and and I just got to trust this younger generation.Rich Birch — Yep.Jeremy Baker — And they have done a phenomenal job.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — That’s been one of our huge success for us to put us on the map in this region, to put us, make us aware.Rich Birch — Let’s pull it, but pull apart both of those. When you say you’re encouraging people every week, so you’re like ringing the bell that I want to hear churches to hear more of. You’re inviting people every week to invite their friends. Give us a sense. What does that look like? How are you doing that every single week? What’s that look like?Jeremy Baker — Yeah, so part of that is in our services. It’s in language. Rich Birch — Yep. Jeremy Baker — You know, we always say, you know thank you for being here this morning. We pray that you have brought somebody with you. And then at the end of our service, we’re saying, hey, don’t forget to invite somebody back next week. So we’re always saying that in our language. So it’s become part of our our culture. It’s become part of of who we are as a church. We are a bringer church. We are an inviting church. We are a reach the lost church. We are the great commission. Because the goal for us is not just giving information, but we’re hoping that the people will receive the information that causes some type of revelation in their own spirit that leads them to the Great Commission. Rich Birch — That’s good.Jeremy Baker — Because we want them to be a part of what Jesus said. He you know he said in in Matthew 10, he goes, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. You know. Pray to the Lord of the harvest that he would send more laborers. So we are we are Ephesians 4, equipping the church to do the work of the ministry. We are we have to encourage people to build the local community of the church, the local house of God. And so that’s part of our language in our hallways. We have really practical things. We have invite card stands everywhere. Invite card stands everywhere. So simple. We have QR codes. You can scan. You can download all kinds of invite information. Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — You can invite our service times. So really practical steps like that have really helped us. And then in our life groups, it’s in it’s being said. In our midweek services, it’s being said. We do eight services a week. So that’s what we’re doing right now, eight services a week. And and and so in every service, it’s just been indoctrinated. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — It’s been just repetition, you know, over and over and over. Rich Birch — Yep. Jeremy Baker — And then And I think that’s a big part of why God’s allowed us to… Honestly, I don’t know church any other way. Rich Birch — Right. Sure.Jeremy Baker — I personally don’t know church any other way. I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer.Rich Birch — I don’t know about that.Jeremy Baker — I’m just I know I’m just appreciate the love. I mean I I’m a guy who barely graduated from seminary. I barely graduated, you know. I was like everybody looked at me, all the professors, like, oh, man. I hope you make it. You know, it’s like, it’s like one of those guys, it’s like, I just, I just love people well. And I want people to know Jesus. I mean, Jesus changed my life. I mean, he changed my life. He, he did something in me that no one ever has ever done or no one could ever do. And my life is I’m indebted to him.Jeremy Baker — I’m I’m living my whole life for him. That’s why 30 years of working through whatever I’ve got to work through in ministry and working through stuff as a as a young man, now as an older man. I’ve just stayed the course, stayed faithful. Not perfect, but stayed faithful, step moving forward every season of my life. And so I just love people well, and I think people hear the heart of that through our pastoral team, through our elders. Rich Birch — Sure. Jeremy Baker — They hear the heart of loving people well, that we want people to find Christ. So that’s the language I think helped us in this last season, you know, really in this last season, really grow. A year ago, a year ago, this time, we only ran, not not only, it’s great, but we were around about 900 people a year ago.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s crazy.Jeremy Baker — And then it’s last year, we’ve exploded.Rich Birch — Yep.Jeremy Baker — We’ve doubled our church.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — I mean, we’ve doubled. I mean, we we we have no more parking. I mean, we we we have 345 parking spots. And then two out of the five weekend experiences, because we do other services throughout the week, two out of the five weekend experiences, we have to turn people away, which just breaks my heart as a pastor because it’s like…Rich Birch — Right. Yeah. Yes.Jeremy Baker — …we can’t build fast enough. We’re looking for bigger venues. Again, I could go on that, but we want to make more room. We want people to find hope. It was never about being big. I told a pastor locally, I said, and he was he was coming here to, you know, just to encourage us to keep going, which was very kind of him. But I said, pastor, it was never about being big. It’s always been about reaching the lost.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s great.Jeremy Baker — It’s always been about reaching the lost.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — So I don’t know if that makes any sense.Rich Birch — It does. It does. There’s a lot there that you, that I, you know, I, I, I didn’t want to interrupt because there’s so much packed in there that I think was so helpful for people. And, you know, that singular focus on, Hey, we’re trying to reach people. I want to come back to that in um in a minute. I want you to kind of speak to, leaders on that. Rich Birch — But I want to underline one of the, it’s a simple thing that um we miss in too many churches. And I’ve done a bunch of study on invite culture and you’re doing classically, you’re doing the best behavior classically. You’ve got to keep invite in front of people. We can’t, you can’t let up the gas pedal on that one. You’ve got to keep that in front of people, make it super practical, give them tools, all that like invite card stuff, all of that super important.Rich Birch — Years ago, I was talking to a lead pastor of a church that was growing very rapidly. And this wasn’t on a podcast. We were talking sidebar and I was like, Hey, asked a very similar question. What’s God using? And he’s like, Oh, it’s a little embarrassing. I don’t want to say it. And I’m like, no, no, tell me, what do you think he’s using? And he said, well, every weekend for this last year, We put invite cards on every single chair in every auditorium for the entire year. And we told people, take those and invite people. And he’s like, I really think that that is like just the intensity…Jeremy Baker — That’s it.Rich Birch — …of we’re keeping it in front of people. We can’t let up. So I want to I want to encourage you and that and listeners. Jeremy Baker — Thank you. Rich Birch — Hey, friends, that is that is a key part of this. Talk to us about the the focus on reaching the lost or reaching people who are far from God or unchurched people. Talk talk us through that. Rich Birch — Because what what’s happening at your church, I know we’ve kind of we’ve referenced this a few times, is super unique in in, you know, New England. What would be some of the challenges that you’re facing to keeping that singular focus of reaching unchurched people, people far from God? What’s been the challenge there and how are you having to adjust and kind of keep your culture focused on that as you continue to grow?Jeremy Baker — Such a great question. I mean, such a great question. I would, man, you’re such a great question asker, if I could say it that way.Rich Birch — Oh, that’s nice. Thank you.Jeremy Baker — Yeah I mean, a great question.Rich Birch — Sure.Jeremy Baker — I would think for me, for me, I got into ministry so that people’s lives could be changed by the good news. There’s no other way there’s no other reason why I’m in ministry. I’m here because I want people’s lives to be changed the way my life has been changed. So the the thing I’m always projecting from the the the the platform that I get to walk in, the the place that I get to stand, is it’s got to be about people. That’s why Christ came. He came and he and he died on a cross so that people would find eternal life, so that people would find hope.Jeremy Baker — And so we’re always pushing that agenda from the front. And, you know, whatever said from the platform stage, whatever you want to, however you want to articulate it, is is is is being pushed for a reason, I believe. So we’re constantly pushing this from the stage. We’ve got to reach people. People are dying and going to hell every day. And this is where I think the church sometimes trips. We got enough people now. So now let’s get let’s let’s stop making it about people and let’s start making it about preferences. Rich Birch — Come on.Jeremy Baker — And I think that’s the danger that’s the danger where guys like me can, you know, I was just having an elder meeting a few days ago, and I andI was telling our elders, because now we’ve got to implement some other pathways of discipleship, some other handles to help people grow and mature faster. And I said, you can’t push maturity. Maturity takes time.Jeremy Baker — If we’re not careful, we’ll we’ll lose the vision of what got us here. And then what happens is we’ll become inward focus rather than outward focus. said, I’ve seen it, guys. And I was talking to my elders. and I was just opening up my heart to them. I said, I’ve seen us do this. I’ve been a part of big churches where now it’s about the building. It’s about the butts.Rich Birch — So true.Jeremy Baker — It’s about the budgets. It’s about, you know, I’ve seen that. And I’m like, let us never lose the very thing that God’s allowed us to be a part of in in this season. Rich Birch — Yep, so true.Jeremy Baker — I never woke up one day and said, hey, let’s go and have one the fastest growing churches in America in the New England region. I woke up one day said, God, I’m comfortable. And I don’t want to be comfortable anymore. Rich Birch — So good. Jeremy Baker — I want you to use my life for the rest of my life until I see you to bring an impact in this region, whatever region that you send me. He sent us to the Northeast. Rich Birch — Yep.Jeremy Baker — He sent us back home to where my wife was from. And so that’s our prayer. And I want to keep the main thing the main thing. I don’t want to drift because there is a difference between, there is a difference between preferences and then and then purpose, you know. The purpose of Elevate is to make heaven more crowded. The purpose of Elevate is to make disciples that follow Jesus. The purpose is to reach our community, to make an impact. But but if you’re not careful, you’ll you’ll get you’ll get satisfied with the people. You’ll settle. You’ll get complacent. We got enough people now.Jeremy Baker — But what if but what if God really wants to change? What if God, this is my question I’ve been wrestling with, and maybe maybe you have answers for me, but I’ve been wrestling with this question in my own spirit. Like, is it possible that one church could really change a community? Is it possible that one church could, God could use a church, a group of people. Not not I’m not talking I’m not talking about domination. I’m talking about just a group of people that are passionate about making heaven more crowded, that God could use a group of people that would change the facet of a community. Rich Birch — So good.Jeremy Baker — You know? That would that that that’s the that’s the thing I’ve been wrestling with. Can God use Elevate Life in this region? What if God wants to use us to help Yale? What if God wants us to use us to, you know, to to to get on college campuses and see a revival, you know, at Yale University?Rich Birch — So good.Jeremy Baker — You know, and I mean, that’s an Ivy League school. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — I mean, people from all over the world go to that school. And we haven’t even, I feel like, scratched the surface. So that’s part of my my always, I got to keep the main thing the main thing. It’s got to be about people. So one of our values is, people is our pursuit. That’s what we’re, we’re pursuing people.Rich Birch — That’s so good.Jeremy Baker — And not programs, not not preferences. I got preferences. I mean, I’m sure we all got preferences. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — But I’m putting down my preference so that I can carry the purpose of the good news. I hope that makes sense.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. Makes total sense. And yeah, super encouraging. And yeah, I think I think God’s placed your church in a, you know, every community across the country is an important place. There’s people all over the world that need Jesus, obviously, but I i don’t think you’re, I think it doesn’t, it’s not surprising to me that the Northeast is a place that is, some call it a spiritually dead or spiritually dry part of the country, while at the same time, it is of global significance in a lot of different ways. Like the the communities that you’re serving are are different than other parts of the kind country from an influence point of view. You place like Yale, it’s not just another university.Jeremy Baker — Yeah.Rich Birch — You know. And so I think God’s placed you there for a real specific reason, which I think is you know, super encouraging. Well, this has been a a great conversation, Jeremy. I just want to encourage you, thankful that you would come on today and help us kind of peek behind the curtain a little bit. As we land today’s episode, any kind of final words you give to church leaders that are listening in to today’s conversation?Jeremy Baker — You know, the only thing I would encourage church leaders is my my my thing I always tell pastors and and people that I am connected with always is just make it about people. Make it about people. And I’ll say it this way. It’s not problems to be solved. It’s people to be pastored. It’s not problems to be solved. It’s people to be pastored. Sometimes pastors, and I get it because I’m talking to myself, sometimes we make people the problem, and the people are not the problem. The people are the purpose of why we do the pastoring. That’s why we do what we do. That’s why we do shepherding. Jeremy Baker — So, you know, when you’re dealing with when you’re dealing with people, it’s messy. It can be hurtful. There’s there’s different things that come with that, and we could list a thousand things in that. But I would just say, just love people well to the best of your ability. Give them grace. Give them mercy. Jeremy Baker — If they leave your church and they go somewhere else, just let them know the key under the mat. We’re on the same team. We’re part of the same family. We’re all going to go to heaven to we know one day. It’s not about who’s got the bigger church or who’s better? Who’s got the better kids program or who’s got ah the more youth? It’s not about any of that. It’s about just trusting God with what he’s given us stewardship over and in stewarding that really well and just loving the people that God brings.Rich Birch — Yeah, so good. Pastor Jeremy, appreciate you being on today.Jeremy Baker — Thank you.Rich Birch — If people want to track with you or with the church, where do we want to send them online to connect with you guys and kind of follow your story a little bit? I would encourage people to follow your Instagram. So where can we find that and your website and all that? Jeremy Baker — Yeah, so our website is elevatelifect.com, elevatelifect.com, and that would be the same for our Instagram. And so thank you so much for having me. ‘m very grateful, and thank you for your time.Rich Birch — Thanks so much. Take care.

In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony and Jesse continue their deep dive into the Parable of the Prodigal Son by examining the often-overlooked character of the elder brother. While the younger son's rebellion is obvious, the elder brother's self-righteous moralism represents a more subtle—and perhaps more dangerous—form of lostness. Through careful exegesis of Luke 15:25-32, the hosts explore how religious performance, resentment of grace, and merit-based thinking can keep us far from the Father's heart even while we remain close to the Father's house. This conversation challenges listeners to examine their own hearts for traces of elder brother theology and calls us to celebrate the scandalous grace that restores sinners to sonship. Key Takeaways Two ways to be lost: The parable presents both flagrant rebellion (the younger son) and respectable self-righteousness (the elder son) as forms of spiritual lostness that require God's grace. The elder brother's geographic and spiritual position: Though physically near the house and faithful in service, the elder brother was spiritually distant from the father's heart, unable to celebrate grace extended to others. Moralism as a subtle distance: Self-righteous religion can be more deceptive than open rebellion because it appears virtuous while actually rejecting the father's character and values. The father pursues both sons: God's gracious pursuit extends not only to the openly rebellious but also to the self-righteous, demonstrating that election and grace are sovereign gifts, not earned rewards. The unresolved ending: The parable intentionally leaves the elder brother's response unstated, creating narrative tension that challenges the original audience (Pharisees and scribes) and modern readers to examine their own response to grace. Adoption as the frame of obedience: True Christian obedience flows from sonship and inheritance ("all that I have is yours"), not from a wage-earning, transactional relationship with God. Resentment reveals our theology: When we find ourselves unable to celebrate the restoration of repentant sinners, we expose our own need for repentance—not from scandal, but from envy and pride. Key Concepts The Elder Brother's Subtle Lostness The genius of Jesus' parable is that it exposes a form of lostness that religious people rarely recognize in themselves. The elder brother never left home, never squandered his inheritance, and never violated explicit commands. Yet his response to his brother's restoration reveals a heart fundamentally opposed to the father's character. His complaint—"I have served you all these years and never disobeyed your command"—demonstrates that he viewed his relationship with the father transactionally, as an employer-employee arrangement rather than a father-son bond. This is the essence of legalism: performing religious duties while remaining distant from God's heart. The tragedy is that the elder brother stood within reach of everything the father had to offer yet experienced none of the joy, fellowship, or security of sonship. This form of lostness is particularly dangerous because it wears the mask of righteousness and often goes undetected until grace is extended to someone we deem less deserving. The Father's Gracious Pursuit of the Self-Righteous Just as the father ran to meet the returning younger son, he also went out to plead with the elder brother to come into the feast. This detail is theologically significant: God pursues both the openly rebellious and the self-righteous with the same gracious initiative. The father's response to the elder brother's complaint is not harsh correction but tender invitation: "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours." This reveals that the problem was never scarcity or the father's favoritism—the elder brother had always possessed full access to the father's resources and affection. The barrier was entirely on the son's side: his inability to receive sonship as a gift rather than a wage. This mirrors the historical situation of the Pharisees and scribes who grumbled at Jesus for receiving sinners. They stood adjacent to the kingdom, surrounded by the promises and covenant blessings of God, yet remained outside because they could not accept grace as the principle of God's dealing with humanity. The invitation still stood, but it required them to abandon their merit-based system and enter the feast as recipients of unearned favor. The Unresolved Ending and Its Challenge to Us Luke deliberately leaves the parable unfinished—we never learn whether the elder brother eventually joined the celebration. This narrative technique places the reader in the position of the elder brother, forcing us to answer for ourselves: will we enter the feast or remain outside in bitter resentment? For the original audience of Pharisees and scribes, this unresolved ending was a direct challenge to their response to Jesus' ministry. Would they continue to grumble at God's grace toward tax collectors and sinners, or would they recognize their own need and join the celebration? For contemporary readers, the question remains equally pressing. When we hear of a notorious sinner coming to faith, do we genuinely rejoice, or do we scrutinize their repentance with suspicion? When churches extend membership to those with broken pasts, do we celebrate restoration or quietly question whether they deserve a place at the table? The parable's open ending is not a literary flaw but a pastoral strategy: it refuses to let us remain passive observers and demands that we examine whether we harbor elder brother theology in our own hearts. Memorable Quotes The father's household is a place where grace produces joy, not just merely relief. The elder brother hears the joy before he sees it. That's often how resentment works, isn't it? We're alerted to the happiness of others and somehow there's this visceral response of wanting to be resentful toward that joy, toward that unmerited favor. — Jesse Schwamb There is a way to be near the house, church adjacent, religiously active, yet to be really far from the father's heart. The elder brother is not portrayed as an atheist, but as a moralist. And moralism can be a more subtle distance than open rebellion. — Jesse Schwamb God doesn't keep sinners from repenting. The reprobate are not prohibited or prevented by God from coming to faith. They're being kept out by their own stubborn refusal to come in. That's where this punchline hits so hard. — Tony Arsenal Full Transcript [00:00:44] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 477 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse.  [00:00:51] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother.  [00:00:55] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother.  [00:00:56] Parables and God's Word [00:00:56] Jesse Schwamb: Speaking of ears to hear, it struck me that this whole thing we've been doing all this parable talk is really after the manner of God's words. And one of the things I've really grown to appreciate is how God speaks to the condition of those whom he addresses. He considers our ability, our capacity as his hearers to process what he's saying, and that leads into these amazing parables that we've been talking about. He doesn't speak as he is able to speak. So to speak, but I didn't mean that to happen. But as we were able to hear, and that means he spoke in these lovely parables so that we might better understand him. And today we're gonna get into some of the drama of the best, like the crown jewel as we've been saying, of maybe all the parables. The Parable of the Lost Son. We spoke a little bit about it in the last episode. Definitely want to hit that up because it's setting you up for this one, which is the definitive episode. But now we're gonna talk about this first, this younger lost son. Get into some of all of these like juicy details about what takes place, and really, again, see if we can find the heart of God. Spoiler. We can and we'll,  [00:02:04] Tony Arsenal: yeah,  [00:02:04] Affirmations and Denials [00:02:04] Jesse Schwamb: but before we do both of those things, it's of course always time at this moment to do a little affirming with or denying against. Of course, if you haven't heard us before, that's where we take a moment to say, is there something that we think is undervalued that we wanna bring forward that we'd recommend or think is awesome? Or conversely, is there something that's overvalued that's just, we're over it. The vibe is done. We're gonna deny against that. So I say to you, as I often do, Tony, are you affirming with or deny against?  [00:02:31] Tony's Nerdy Hobby: Dungeons and Dragons [00:02:31] Tony Arsenal: I'm affirming tonight. Um, I don't know how much the audience realizes of a giant ridiculous nerd I am, but we're about to go to entirely new giant nerd depths. [00:02:43] Jesse Schwamb: All right. I  [00:02:43] Tony Arsenal: think,  [00:02:44] Jesse Schwamb: let's hear it.  [00:02:44] Tony Arsenal: So, um, I was a huge fan of Stranger Things. Some, there's some issues with the show, and I understand why some people might not, um, might not feel great about watching it. You know, I think it falls within Christian liberty. But one of the main themes of the show, this is not a spoiler, you learn about this in episode one, is the whole game. The whole show frames itself around Dungeons and Dragons, right? It's kind of like a storytelling device within the show that the kids play, Dungeons and Dragons, and everything that happens in the Dungeons and Dragons game that they're playing, sort of like, um, foreshadows what's actually gonna happen in the show. Which funny if, you know Dungeons and Dragons lore, you kind of learn the entire plot of the story like ahead of time. Um, but so I, stranger Things just finished up and I've kind of been like itching to get into Dungeons and Dragons. I used to play a little bit of tabletop when I was in high school, in early college and um, I just really like the idea of sort of this collaborative storytelling game. Um, whether it's Dungeon Dragons or one of the other systems, um, Dungeons and Dragons is the most popular. It's the most well published. It's the most well established and it's probably the easiest to find a group to play with. Although it is very hard to find a group to play with, especially, uh, kind of out in the middle of nowhere where I live. So this is where the ultra super nerdy part comes in.  [00:04:02] Jesse Schwamb: Alright, here we  [00:04:03] Tony Arsenal: go. I have been painstakingly over the last week teaching Google Gemini. To be a dungeon master for me. So I've been playing Dungeons and Dragons more or less by myself with, uh, with Google Gemini, and I'm just having a lot of fun with it. Um, you can get a free copy of the rules online if you, I think it's DND, the letter NDND beyond.com. They have a full suite of like tools to create your character. Access to a basic set of the core rules. Um, you can spend a lot of money on Dungeons and Dragons, uh, and if you want to like really get into it, the books are basically textbooks. Like you're buying $300 or 300 page, $300, 300 page textbooks, um, that are not all that differently costs than like college textbooks. You'll buy a 300 page Dungeon master guide that's like $50 if you want a paper copy. So, but you can get into it for free. You can get the free rolls online, you can use their dungeon, the d and d Beyond app and do all your dice rolls for free. Um, you, you can get a free dice roller online if you don't want to do their, their app. Um, but it's just a lot of fun. I've just been having a lot of fun and I found that the, I mean. When you play a couple sessions with it, you see that the, the um, the A IDM that I've created, like it follows the same story beats 'cause it's only got so much to work with in its language model. Um, but I'm finding ways to sort of like break it out of that model by forcing it to refer to certain websites that are like Dungeons and Dragons lore websites and things like build your, build your campaign from this repository of Dungeons and Dragons stuff. So. I think you could do this with just about any sort of narrative storytelling game like this, whether you're playing a different system or d and d Pathfinders. I mean, there's all sorts of different versions of it, but it's just been a lot of fun to see, see it going. I'm trying to get a group together. 'cause I think I would, I would probably rather play Dungeons and Dragons with people, um, and rather do it in person. But it's hard to do up here. It's hard to get a, get a group going. So that's my super nerdy affirmation. I'm not just affirming Dungeons and Dragons, which would already be super nerdy. I'm affirming playing it by myself on my phone, on the bus with Google Gemini, AI acting like I'm not. Just this weird antisocial lunatic. So I'm having a lot of fun with it.  [00:06:20] Jesse Schwamb: So there are so many levels of inception there. Yeah. Like the inception and everything you just said. I love it.  [00:06:27] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Well, what I'm learning is, um, you can give an, and, and this is something I didn't realize, what ai, I guess I probably should have, you know, it's not like an infinite thing. Um, you can give an AI instructions and if your chat gets long enough, it actually isn't referring back to the very beginning of the chat most of the time. Right. There's a, there's like a win context window of about 30 responses. So like if you tell the AI, don't roll the dice for me, like, let me roll dices that are related to my actions, eventually it will forget that. So part of what I've been doing is basically building, I'm using Google Gemini when the AI does something I don't want it to do, I say, you just did something I don't want it to do. Gimme a diagnostic report of why you did that. It will explain to me why it did what it did. Right. Why it didn't observe the rules. And then I'm feeding that into another. Prompt that is helping me generate better prompts that it refers back to. So it's kind of this weird iterative, um, yeah, I, I don't, I'm like, I maybe I'm gonna create the singularity. I'm not sure. Maybe this is gonna be possible. We should sit over the edge. It's gonna, it's gonna learn how to cast magic spells and it's gonna fire bolt us in the face or something like that. Right. But, uh, again, high risk. I, I, for one, welcome our AO AI dungeon masters. So check it out. You should try it. If you could do this with chat GPT, you could do it with any ai. Um, it, it, it is going to get a little, I have the benefit because I have a Google Workspace account. I have access to Google Pro or the Gemini Pro, which is a better model for this kind of thing. But you could do this with, with chat GPT or something like that. And it's gonna be more or less the same experience, I think. But I'm having a, I'm having a ton of fun with it. Um. Again, I, I, there's something about just this, Dungeons and Dragons at its core is a, it's like a, an exercise in joint storytelling, which is really fascinating and interesting to me. Um, and that's what most tabletop RPGs are like. I suppose you get into something like War Hammer and it's a little bit more like a board. It's a mixture of that plus a board game. But Dungeons and Dragons, the DM is creating the, I mean, not the entire world, but is creating the narrative. And then you as a player are an actor within that narrative. And then there's a certain element of chance that dice rolls play. But for the most part, um, you're driving the story along. You're telling the story together. So it's, it's pretty interesting. I've also been watching live recordings of Dungeons and Dragon Sessions on YouTube. Oh,  [00:08:50] Jesse Schwamb: wow.  [00:08:51] Tony Arsenal: Like, there's a, there's a channel called Critical Role. Like these sessions are like three and a half hours long. So, wow. I just kinda have 'em on in the background when I'm, when I'm, uh, working or if I'm, you know, doing something else. Um, but it's really interesting stuff. It's, it's pretty cool. I think it's fun. I'm a super nerd. I'm, I'm no shame in that. Um, I'm just really enjoying it.  [00:09:09] Jesse Schwamb: Listen, nerdery is great. That's like part of the zeitgeist now. Listen to culture. It's cool to be a nerd. I don't know much about d and d. I've heard a lot about this idea of this community that forms around. Yeah. The story, correct me if I'm wrong, can't these things go on for like years, decades?  [00:09:25] Tony Arsenal: Oh yeah, yeah. Like, you can do there. There, some of this has made its way into the official rule books, but basically you could do what's called a one shot, which is like a self-contained story. Usually a single session, you know, like you get a Dungeon master, game master, whichever you wanna call the person. Three to four, maybe five characters, player characters. And one session is usually about two hours long. So it's not like you sit down for 20 minutes, 30 minutes at a time and play this right. And you could do a one shot, which is a story that's designed to, to live all within that two hour session. Um, some people will do it where there isn't really any planned like, outcome of the story. The, the DM just kind of makes up things to do as they go. And then you can have campaigns, which is like, sometimes it's like a series of one shots, but more, it is more like a long term serialized period, you know, serialized campaign where you're doing many, um, many, many kinds of, uh, things all in one driving to like a big epic goal or battle at the end, right? Um, some groups stay together for a really long time and they might do multiple campaigns, so there's a lot to it. Game's been going on for like 50, 60, 70 years, something like that. I don't remember exactly when it started, but  [00:10:41] Jesse Schwamb: yeah.  [00:10:41] Tony Arsenal: Um, it's an old game. It's kinda like the doctor who of of poor games and it's like the original tabletop role playing game, I think. [00:10:47] Jesse Schwamb: Right. Yeah, that makes sense. Again, there's something really appealing to me about not just that cooperative storytelling, but cooperative gameplay. Everybody's kind of in it together for the most part. Yeah. Those conquest, as I understand them, are joint in nature. You build solidarity, but if you're meeting with people and having fun together and telling stories and interacting with one another, there's a lot of good that comes out of that stuff there. A lot of lovely common grace in those kind of building, those long-term interactions, relationships, entertainment built on being together and having good, clean, fun together.  [00:11:17] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Well, and it's, you know, it's, um. It's an interesting exercise. It's it, in some ways it's very much like improv. Like you, you think of like an improv comedy like show I've been to somewhere. Like, you know, you go to the show and it's an improv troupe, but they're like calling people from the crowd up and asking them for like different scenarios they might do. It's kind of like that in that like the GM can plan a whole, can plan a whole thing. But if I as a player character, um. And I've done this to the virtual one just to see what it does, and it's done some interesting things. One of the campaigns I was playing, I had rescued a merchant from some giant spiders and I was helping, like, I was helping like navigate them through the woods to the next town. And we kept on getting attacked and just outta nowhere. I was like, what if I sort of act as though I'm suspicious of this merchant now because why are we getting attacked all the time? And so I, I typed in sort of like a little. A mini role play of me accusing this guy. And it was something like, Randall, we get, we're getting attacked a lot for a simple merchant, Randall merchant. What happens if I cast a tech magic? What am I gonna find? And he's like, I don't know what I'm gonna find. I know I don't know anything. And then I cast a tech magic and it shifted. I mean, I don't know where the campaign was gonna go before that, but it shifted the whole thing now where the person who gave him the package he was carrying had betrayed him. It was, so that happens in real life too in these games, real life in these games. That happens in real, in-person sessions too, where a player or a group of players may just decide instead of talking to the contact person that is supposed to give them the clue to find the dungeon they're supposed to go to, instead they ambush them and murder them in gold blood. And now the, the dungeon master has to figure out, how do I get them back to this dungeon when this is the only person that was supposed to know where it is? So it, it does end up really stretching your thinking skills and sort of your improvisational skills. There's an element of, um, you know, like chance with the dice, um, I guess like the dice falls in the lot, but the lot is in the handle. Or like, obviously that's all ordained as well too, but there is this element of chance where even the DM doesn't get to determine everything. Um, if, if I say I want to, I want to try to sneak into this room, but I'm a giant barbarian who has, you know, is wearing like chain mail, there's still a chance I could do it, but the dice roll determines that. It's not like the, the GM just says you can't do that. Um, so it's, it's a, I, I like it. I'm, I'm really looking forward to trying to, getting into it. It is hard to start a group and to get going and, um, there's a part of me that's a little bit. Gun shy of maybe like getting too invested with a group of non-Christians for something like this. 'cause it can get a little weird sometimes. But I think that, I think that'll work out. It'll be fun. I know there's actually some people in our telegram chat. Bing, bing, bing segue. There we go. There's some people in our telegram chat actually, that we're already planning to do a campaign. Um, so we might even do like a virtual reform brotherhood, Dungeons and Dragons group. So that might be a new sub channel in the telegram at some point.  [00:14:13] Jesse Schwamb: There you go. You could jump right in. Go to t.me back slash reform brotherhood.  [00:14:18] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse, what are you affirming since I just spent the last 15 minutes gushing about my nerdy hobby?  [00:14:23] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, no, that was great. Can I, can I just say two things? One is, so you're basically saying it's a bit like, like a troll shows up and everybody's like, yes. And yeah. So I love that idea. Second thing, which is follow up question, very brief. What kind of merchant was Randall.  [00:14:39] Tony Arsenal: Uh, he was a spice trader actually.  [00:14:42] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I don't trust that.  [00:14:43] Tony Arsenal: And, and silk, silk and spices.  [00:14:45] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. That's double, that's too strict.  [00:14:47] Tony Arsenal: He was actually good guy in the, in the story that developed out of this campaign. He actually became part of my family and like, like, like got adopted into the family because he lost everything on his own. Randy we're  [00:15:00] Jesse Schwamb: talking about Randy.  [00:15:01] Tony Arsenal: Randy Randall with one L. Yeah. The AI was very specific about  that.  [00:15:05] Jesse Schwamb: There's, there's nothing about this guy I trust. I, is this still ongoing? Because I think he's just trying to make his way deeper in,  [00:15:11] Tony Arsenal: uh, no, no. It, I'll, I'll wait for next week to tell you how much, even more nerdy this thing gets. But there's a whole thing that ha there was a whole thing out of this That's a tease. Tease. There was a, there was a horse and the horse died and there was lots of tears and there was a wedding and a baby. It was, it's all sorts of stuff going on in this campaign. [00:15:27] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. And I'm sure. Randy was somewhere near that horse when it happened. Right?  [00:15:32] Tony Arsenal: It was his horse.  [00:15:33] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, exactly. That's  [00:15:35] Tony Arsenal: exactly, he didn't, he didn't kill the horse. He had no power to knock down the bridge The horse was standing on.  [00:15:40] Jesse Schwamb: Listen, next week, I'm pretty sure that's what we're gonna learn is that it was all him. [00:15:45] Tony Arsenal: Alright, Jesse, save us from this. Save us from this, please. Uh,  [00:15:49] Jesse Schwamb: no.  What  [00:15:50] Tony Arsenal: you affirming, this is  [00:15:50] Jesse Schwamb: great.  [00:15:50] Jesse's Affirmation: Church Community [00:15:50] Jesse Schwamb: It's possible that there is a crossover between yours and mine if we consider. That the church is like playing a d and d game in the dungeon Masters Christ, and the campaigns, the gospel. So I was thinking maybe is it possible, uh, maybe this is just the, the theology of the cross, but that sometimes, like you need the denial to get to the affirmation. Have we talked about that kind of truth? Yeah,  [00:16:14] Tony Arsenal: yeah,  [00:16:15] Jesse Schwamb: for sure. So here's a little bit of that. I'll be very, very brief and I'm using this not as like just one thing that happened today, but what I know is for sure happening all over the world. And I mean that very literally, not just figuratively when it comes to the body of Christ, the local church. So it snowed here overnight. This was, this is the Lord's Day. We're hanging out in the Lord's Day, which is always a beautiful day to talk about God. And overnight it snowed. The snow stopped relatively late in the morning around the time that everybody would be saying, Hey, it's time to go and worship the Lord. So for those in my area, I got up, we did the whole clearing off the Kai thing. I went to church and I was there a little bit early for a practice for music. And when I pulled in, there weren't many there yet, but the whole parking lot unplowed. So there's like three inches of snow, unplowed parking lot. So I guess the denial is like the plow people decided like, not this time I, I don't think so. They understood they were contracted with the church, but my understanding is that when one of the deacons called, they were like, Ooh, yeah, we're like 35 minutes away right now, so that's gonna be a problem. So when I pulled in, here's what I was. Like surprise to find, but in a totally unexpected way, even though I understand what a surprise is. And that is that, uh, that first the elders and the deacons, everybody was just decided we're going to shovel an entire parking lot. And at some point big, I was a little bit early there, but at some point then this massive text change just started with everybody, which was, Hey, when you come to church, bring your shovel. And I, I will tell you like when I got out of the car. I was so like somebody was immediately running to clear a path with me. One of those like snow pushers, you know what I mean? Yeah. Like one, those beastly kind of like blade things.  [00:17:57] Tony Arsenal: Those things are, those things are the best.  [00:17:59] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. You just run. And so you have never met a group of people that was more happy to shovel an entire large asphalt area, which normally shouldn't even be required. And. It just struck me, even in hindsight now thinking about it, it was this lovely confluence of people serving each other and serving God. It was as if they got up that morning and said, do you know what would be the best thing in the world for me to do is to shovel. And so everybody was coming out. Everybody was shoveling it. It was to protect everyone and to allow one into elaborate, one access. It was just incredible. And so I started this because the affirmation is, I know this happens in, in all of our churches, every God fearing God, loving God serving church, something like this is happening, I think on almost every Lord's day or maybe every day of the week in various capacities. And I just think this is God's people coming together because everybody, I think when we sat down for the message was exhausted, but. But there was so much joy in doing this. I think what you normally would find to be a mundane and annoying task, and the fact that it wasn't just, it was redeemed as if like we, we found a greater purpose in it. But that's, everyone saw this as a way to love each other and to love God, and it became unexpected worship in the parking lot. That's really what it was, and it was fantastic. I really almost hope that we just get rid of the plow company and just do it this way from now on. Yeah, so I'm affirming, recognize people, recognize brothers and sisters that your, your church is doing this stuff all the time and, and be a part of it. Jump in with the kinda stuff because I love how it brings forward the gospel.  [00:19:35] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. That's a great story. It's a great, uh, a great example of the body of Christ being, what the body of Christ is and just pulling together to get it done. Um, which, you know, we do on a spiritual level, I think, more often than a physical level these days. Right, right. But, um, that's great. I'm sitting here going three inches of snow. I would've just pulled into the lot and then pulled out of the lot. But New Hampshire, it hits different in New Hampshire. Like we all d have snow tires and four wheel drive.  [00:20:02] Jesse Schwamb: It's, it's enough snow where it was like pretty wet and heavy that it, if, you know, you pack that stuff down, it gets slick. You can't see the people, like you can't have your elderly people just flying in, coming in hot and then trying to get outta the vehicle, like making their way into church.  [00:20:14] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:20:15] Jesse Schwamb: So there was, there was a lot more of that. But I think again, you would, one of the options would've been like, Hey, why don't we shovel out some sp spaces for the, for those who need it, for, you know, those who need to have access in a way that's a little bit less encumbered. Oh, no, no. These people are like, I see your challenge and I am going to shovel the entire parking lots.  [00:20:35] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. It used to happen once in a while, uh, at the last church, uh, at, um, your dad's church. We would, where the plow would just not come on a Sunday morning or, or more often than not. Um, you know, what happens a lot of times is the plows don't want to come more than once. Right. If they don't have to. Or sometimes they won't come if they think it's gonna melt because they don't want to deal with, uh, with like customers who are mad that you plowed and that it all melts. But either way, once in a while. The plow wouldn't come or it wouldn't come in time. And what we would do is instead of trying to shovel an entire driveway thing, we would just went, the first couple people who would get there, the young guys in the church, there was only a couple of us, but the younger guys in the church would just, we would just be making trips, helping people into the, yeah. Helping people into the building. So, um, it was a pretty, you know, it was a small church, so it was like six trips and we'd have everybody in, but um, we just kind of, that was the way we pulled together. Um, yeah, that's a great, it's a great story. I love, I love stuff like that. Yeah, me too. Whether it's, whether it's, you know, plowing a, a parking lot with shovels instead of a plow, or it's just watching, um, watching the tables and the chairs from the fellowship, you know, all just like disappear because everybody's just, uh, picks up after themselves and cleans and stuff. That's, that's like the most concrete example of the body of Christ doing what the body of Christ does. Um, it's always nice, you know, we always hear jokes about like, who can carry the most, the most chairs,  [00:22:04] Jesse Schwamb: most  [00:22:04] Tony Arsenal: chairs. Uh, I think it's true. Like a lot of times I think like I could do like seven or eight sometimes. [00:22:10] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, you, that's, so, one more thing I wanna say. I, I wanted to tell you this privately, Tony, 'cause it just cracked me up 'cause I, you'll appreciate this. But now I'm realizing I think the brothers and sisters who listened to us talk for any length of time and in the context of this conversation, but the church will appreciate this too. On my way out, I, I happened because I was there early and the snow was crazy. I parked way further out, way on the edge of the lot to just allow for greater access because of all the shoveling that was happening. And by the way, I really hope there were a ton of visitors this morning because they were like, wow, this, this church is wild. They love to shovel their own lot and they're the happiest people doing it. Some sweaty person just ushered me in while they were casting snow. Like,  [00:22:47] Tony Arsenal: is this some new version of snake handling? You shovel your own lot and your impervious to back injuries.  [00:22:53] Jesse Schwamb: Uh. So I was walking out and as I walked past, uh, there was a, uh, two young gentlemen who were congregating by this very large lifted pickup truck, which I don't have much experience with, but it looked super cool and it was started, it was warming up, and they were just like casually, like in the way that only like people with large beards wearing flannel and Carhartt kind of do, like casually leaning against the truck, talking in a way that you're like, wow, these guys are rugged. And they sound, they're super cool, and they're probably like in their twenties. And all I hear as I pass by is one guy going, yeah, well, I mean that's, I was, I said to them too, but I said, listen, I'd rather go to a church with God-fearing women than anywhere else.  [00:23:36] Tony Arsenal: Nice.  [00:23:37] Jesse Schwamb: I was just like, yep. On the prowl and I love it. And they're not wrong. This is the place to be.  [00:23:42] Tony Arsenal: It is.  [00:23:43] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. This is the place to be. Yeah. So all kinds of, all kinds of good things I think going on in that in the house of the Lord and where wherever you're at, I would say be happy and be joyful and look for those things and participate in, like you said, whether it's physical or not, but as soon as you said like the, our young men, our youth somehow have this competition of when we need to like pack up the sanctuary. How many chairs can I take at one time? Yeah. It's like the classic and it just happens. Nobody says like, okay, everybody line up. We're about to embark on the competition now. Like the strong man usher competition. It's just like, it just happens and  [00:24:17] Tony Arsenal: it's  [00:24:17] Jesse Schwamb: incredible.  [00:24:18] Tony Arsenal: I mean, peacocks fan out their tail feathers. Young Christian guys fan out. All of the table chairs, chairs they can carry. It's uh, it's a real phenomena. So I feel like if you watch after a men's gathering, everybody is like carrying one chair at a time because they don't wanna hurt their backs and their arms. Oh, that's  [00:24:36] Jesse Schwamb: true. That's  [00:24:37] Tony Arsenal: what I do. Yeah. But it's when the women are around, that's when you see guys carrying like 19 chairs. Yeah. Putting themselves in the hospital.  [00:24:42] Jesse Schwamb: That's what I, listen, it comes for all of us. Like I, you know, I'm certainly not young anymore by almost any definition, but even when I'm in the mix, I'm like, oh, I see you guys. You wanna play this game? Mm-hmm. Let's do this. And then, you know, I'm stacking chairs until I hurt myself. So it's great. That's, that is what we do for each other. It's  [00:25:01] Tony Arsenal: just, I hurt my neck getting outta bed the other day. So it happens. It's real.  [00:25:05] Jesse Schwamb: The struggle. Yeah, the struggle is real.  [00:25:07] The Parable of the Lost Son [00:25:07] Jesse Schwamb: Speaking of struggle, speaking of family issues, speaking of all kinds of drama, let's get into Luke 15 and let me read just, I would say the first part of this parable, which as we've agreed to talk about, if we can even get this far, it's just the younger son. [00:25:24] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:25:25] Jesse Schwamb: And again, don't worry, we're gonna get to all of it, but let me read beginning in, uh, verse 11 here. This is Luke chapter 15. Come follow along as you will accept if you're operating heavy machinery. And Jesus said, A man had two sons and the younger of them said to his father, father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me. So he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country. And there he squandered his estate living recklessly. Now, when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country and it began to be impoverished. So he went and hired himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. So he went and as he was desiring to be fed with the pods that the swine were eating because no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to himself, he said, how many of my father's men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger. I'll rise up and go to my father, and I'll say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired men. So he rose up, came to his father, but while he was still a long way off. His father saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced him. And the son said to him, father, I've sinned against heaven and before you, I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his slaves, quickly, bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet and bring the fat in calf and slaughter it and let us celebrate. For the son of mine was dead and has come to life again. He was lost and he has been found and they began to celebrate.  [00:27:09] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. This is such a, um, such a, I don't know, like pivotal seminal parable in the Ministry of Christ. Um, it's one of those parables and we, we mentioned this briefly last week that even most. It, it hasn't passed out of the cultural zeitgeist yet. A lot of biblical teaching has, I mean, a lot, I think a lot of things that used to be common knowledge where, where you could make a reference to something in the Bible and people would just get it. Um, even if they weren't Christian or weren't believers, they would still know what you were talking about. There's a lot of things in the Bible that have passed out of that cultural memory. The, the parable of the prodigal son, lost son, however you wanna phrase it, um, that's not one of them. Right. So I think it's really important for us, um, and especially since it is such a beautiful picture of the gospel and it has so many different theological touch points, it's really incumbent on us to spend time thinking about this because I would be willing to bet that if you weave. Elements of this parable into your conversations with nonbelievers that you are praying for and, and, you know, witnessing to and sharing the gospel with, if you weave this in there, you're gonna help like plant some seeds that when it comes time to try to harvest, are gonna pay dividends. Right. So I think it's a really, it's a really great thing that we're gonna be able to spend, you know, a couple weeks really just digging into this. [00:28:40] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, and to define the beginning, maybe from the end, just slightly here, I like what you said about this cultural acknowledgement of this. I think one of the correctives we can provide, which is clear in the story, is in the general cultural sense. We speak of this prodigal as something that just returns comes back, was lost, but now is found. And often maybe there is this component of, in the familial relationship, it's as if they've been restored. Here we're gonna of course find that this coming to one senses is in fact the work of God. That there is, again, a little bit of denial that has to bring forward the affirmation here that is the return. And so again, from the beginning here, we're just talking about the younger son. We have more than youthful ambition.  [00:29:19] The Essence of Idolatry and Sin [00:29:19] Jesse Schwamb: This heart of, give me the stuff now, like so many have said before, is really to say. Give me the gifts and not you, which is, I think, a common fault of all Christians. We think, for instance of heaven, and we think of all the blessings that come with it, but not necessarily of the joy of just being with our savior, being with Christ. And I think there's something here right from the beginning, there's a little bit of this betrayal in showing idolatry, the ugliness of treating God's gifts as if there's something owed. And then this idea that of course. He receives these things and imme more or less immediately sometime after he goes and takes these things and squanderers them. And sin and idolatry, I think tends to accelerate in this way. The distance from the father becomes distance from wisdom. We are pulled away from that, which is good. The father here being in his presence and being under his care and his wisdom and in his fear of influence and concern, desiring then to say, I don't want you just give me the gifts that you allegedly owe me. And then you see how quickly like sin does everything you, we always say like, sin always costs more than you want to pay. And it always takes you further than you want to go. And that's exactly what we see here. Like encapsulated in an actual story of relationship and distance.  [00:30:33] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And I, you know, I think, um. It's interesting to me.  [00:30:39] The Greek Words for Property [00:30:39] Tony Arsenal: You know, I, I, I'm a big fan of saying you don't need to study Greek to understand your Bible, but I'm also a big fan of saying understanding a little bit of Greek is really helpful. And one of the things that I think is really intriguing, and I haven't quite parsed out exactly what I think this means, but the word property in this parable, it actually is two different Greek words that is translated as property, at least in the ESV. And neither one of them really fit. What our normal understanding of property would be. And there are Greek words that refer to like all of your material possessions, but it says, father, give me the share of property. And he uses the word usia, which those of us who have heard anything about the trinity, which is all of us, um, know that that word means something about existence. It's the core essence of a person. So it says, father, give me the share of usia that is coming to me. And then it says, and he divided his bias, his, his life between them. Then it says, not many days later, the younger son gathered all that he had took a journey into the far country. There he squandered his usia again. So this, this parable, Christ is not using the ordinary words to refer to material, uh, material accumulation and property like. I think probably, you know, Christ isn't like randomly using these words. So there probably is an element that these were somehow figuratively used of one's life possessions. But the fact that he's using them in these particular ways, I think is significant. [00:32:10] The Prodigal Son's Misconception [00:32:10] Tony Arsenal: And so the, the, the younger son here, and I don't even like calling this the prodigal sun parable because the word prodigal doesn't like the equivalent word in Greek doesn't appear in this passage. And prodigal doesn't mean like the lost in returned, like prodigal is a word that means like the one who spends lavishly, right? So we call him the prodigal son because he went and he squandered all of his stuff and he spent all of his money. So it doesn't even really describe the main feature or the main point of why this, this parable is here. It's just sort of like a random adjective that gets attached to it. But all of that aside, um. This parable starts off not just about wasting our property, like wasting our things, but it's a parable that even within the very embedded language of the parable itself is talking about squandering our very life, our very essence, our very existence is squandered and wasted as we depart from the Father. Right? And this is so like, um, it's almost so on the head, on the on the nose that it's almost a little like, really Jesus. Like this is, this is so like, slap you in the face kind of stuff. This is right outta like Romans, uh, Romans one, like they did not give thanks to God. They did not show gratitude to God or acknowledge him as God. This is what's happening in this parable. The son doesn't go to his father and say, father, I love you. I'm so happy to stay with you. I'm so happy to be here. He, he basically says like. Give me your very life essence, and I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go spend it on prostitutes. I'm gonna go waste your life, father, I'm gonna waste your life, your existence, your bias. I'm gonna go take that and I'm gonna squander it on reckless living. And I guess we don't know for sure. He, it doesn't say he spends it on prostitutes. That's something his brother says later and assumes he did. So I, I don't know that we do that. But either way, I'm gonna take what's yours, your very life, your very essence. And also that my life, my essence, the gift you've given me as my father, you've given me my life. In addition now to your life or a portion of your life. And I'm gonna go squander that on reckless living, right? Like, how much of a picture of sin is that, that we, we take what we've been given by God, our very life, our very essence, we owe him everything, and we squander that on sinful, reckless living. That that's just a slap in the face in the best way right out of the gate here.  [00:34:28] Jesse Schwamb: Yes, that, that's a great point because it's, it would be one thing to rebel over disobedience, another thing to use the very life essence that you've been given for destructive, self-destructive purposes. And then to use that very energy, which is not yours to begin with, but has been imbued in yours, external, all of these things. And then to use that very thing as the force of your rebellion. So it's double insult all the way around. I'm with you in the use of Greek there. Thank you. Locus Bio software. Not a sponsor of the podcast, but could be. And I think that's why sometimes in translations you get the word like a state because it's like the closest thing we can have to understanding that it's property earned through someone's life more or less. Yeah. And then is passed down, but as representative, not just of like, here's like 20 bucks of cash, but something that I spent all of me trying to earn and. And to your point, also emphasizing in the same way that this son felt it was owed him. So it's like really bad all around and I think we would really be doing ourselves a disservice if we didn't think that there's like a little bit of Paul washer saying in this, like I'm talking about you though. So like just be like, look at how disrespectful the sun is. Yeah. Haven't we all done this? To God and bringing up the idea of prodigal being, so that, that is like the amazing juxtaposition, isn't it? Like Prodigal is, is spent recklessly, parsimonious would be like to, to save recklessly, so to speak. And then you have the love the father demonstrates coming against all of that in the same way with like a totally different kind of force. So.  [00:36:02] The Famine and Realization [00:36:02] Jesse Schwamb: What I find interesting, and I think this is like set up in exactly what you said, is that when you get to verse 14 and this famine comes, it's showing us, I think that like providence exposes what Sin conceals.  [00:36:16] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:36:16] Jesse Schwamb: And want arrives. Not just because like the money ran out, but because again, like these idols, what he's replaced the father with, they don't satisfy. And repentance then often begins when God shows the emptiness of light apart life apart from him. That's like the affirmation being born out of the denial. And so I think that this also is evolving for us, this idea that God is going to use hardship, not as mere punishment, but as mercy that wakes us up and that the son here is being woken up, but not, of course, it's not as if he goes into the land, like you said, starts to spend, is like, whoa, hold on a second. This seems like a bad idea. It's not until all of that sin ever, like the worship of false things collapses under its own weight before it, which is like the precursor of the antecedent, I think, to this grand repentance or this waking up.  [00:37:05] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And you know, I also think it's, um.  [00:37:08] The Depths of Desperation [00:37:08] Tony Arsenal: A feature of this that I haven't reflected on too deeply, but is, is worth thinking about is the famine that's described here only occurs in this far country that he's in. [00:37:17] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah.  [00:37:17] Tony Arsenal: Right. So even that's right. And this is like a multitude of foolish decisions. This is compounding foolish decisions that don't, don't make any sense. Like they don't really actually make any sense. Um. There's not a logic to this, this lost son's decision making. He takes the property. Okay. I guess maybe like you could be anxious to get your inheritance, but then like he takes it to a far country. Like there's no reason for him to do that. If at any point through this sort of insane process he had stopped short, he would not have been in the situation he was in. Yes. And that, I love that phrase, that providence, you know, reveals, I don't know exactly how you said it, but like providence reveals what our sin can bring to us. Like he first see sins against his father by sort of like demanding, demanding his inheritance early. Then he takes it and he leaves his country for no reason. He goes to this far country, then he spends everything and then the famine arises. Right? And the famine arises in this other country.  [00:38:13] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:38:13] Tony Arsenal: And that's, I think that is still again, like a picture of sin. Like we. We don't just, we don't just take what the father has and, and like spend it like that would be bad enough if we weren't grateful for what we have and what we've been given, and we just waste it. But on top of that, now we also have taken ourselves to a far country. Like we've gone away from the good, the good land of the Lord, as those who are not regenerate. We've gone away from the, the Lord into this far country. And it's not until we start to have this famine that we recognize what we've done. And again, this is, this is where I think we get a picture. There's so many theological, like points in this parable particular that it almost feels a little bit like a, like a. Parable that's intended to teach some systematic theology about for sure, the oral salus, which I think there's probably a lot of like biblical theology people that are ready to just crawl through the screen and strangle me for saying that. But this is such a glorious picture of, of regeneration too. [00:39:16] The Journey Back to the Father [00:39:16] Tony Arsenal: Like he comes to himself, there's nothing, there's nothing in the story that's like, oh, and the servant that he was, the other servant he was talking to mentioned that the famine, like there's nothing here that should prompt him to want to go back to his home, to think that his father could or would do anything about it, except that he comes to himself. He just comes to the realization that his father is a good man and is wise and has resources, and has takes care of his, of his servants on top of how he takes care of his sons. That is a picture of regeneration. There's no, yeah. Logical, like I'm thinking my way into it, he just one day realizes how much, how many of my father's servants have more than enough bread. Right. But I'm perishing here in this, this foolish other country with nothing. Right. I can't even, and the, the pods that the pigs ate, we can even, we can get into the pods a little bit here, but like. He wants to eat the pods. The pods that he's giving the pigs are not something that's even edible to humans. He's that destitute, that he's willing to eat these pods that are like, this is the leftover stuff that you throw to the pigs because no, no, nobody and nothing else can actually eat it. And that's the state he's in at the very bottom, in the very end of himself where he realizes my father is good and he loves me, and even if I can never be his son again, surely he'll take care of me. I mentioned it last week, like he wasn't going back thinking that this was gonna be a failing proposition. He went back because he knew or he, he was confident that his father was going to be able to take care of him and would accept him back. Right. Otherwise, what would be the point of going back? It wasn't like a, it wasn't like a, um, a mission he expected to fail at. He expected there to be a positive outcome or he wouldn't have done it. Like, it wouldn't make any sense to try that if there wasn't the hope of some sort of realistic option.  [00:41:09] Jesse Schwamb: And I think his confidence in that option, as you were saying, is in this way where he's constructed a transaction. Yeah. That he's gonna go back and say, if you'll just take me out as a slave, I know you have slaves, I will work for you. Right. Therefore, I feel confident that you'll accept me under those terms because I'll humble myself. And why would you not want to remunerate? Me for the work that I put forward. So you're right, like it's, it's strange that he basically comes to this, I think, sense that slavery exists in his life and who would he rather be the slave of,  [00:41:38] Tony Arsenal: right? [00:41:39] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. And so he says, listen, I'm gonna come to the father and give him this offer. And I'm very confident that given that offer and his behavior, what I know about how he treats his other slaves, that he will hire me back because there's work to do. And therefore, as a result of the work I put forward, he will take care of me. How much of like contemporary theology is being preached in that very way right now?  [00:41:58] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:41:59] Jesse Schwamb: And that's really like why the minimum wages of sin is all of this stuff. It's death. It's the consequences that we're speaking about here. By the way, the idea about famine is really interesting. I hadn't thought about that. It is interesting, again, that sin casts him out into this foreign place where the famine occurs. And that famine is the beginning of his realization of the true destruction, really how far he's devolved and degraded in his person and in his relationships and in his current states. And then of course, the Bible is replete with references and God moving through famine. And whereas in Genesis, we have a local famine, essentially casting Joseph brothers into a foreign land to be freed and to be saved.  [00:42:39] Tony Arsenal: Right.  [00:42:40] Jesse Schwamb: We have the exact opposite, which is really kind of interesting. Yeah. So we probably should talk about, you know, verse 15 and the, and the pig stuff. I mean, I think the obvious statement here is that. It would be scandalous, like a Jewish hero would certainly feel the shame of the pigs. They represent UNC cleanliness and social humiliation. I'm interested again, in, in this idea, like you've started us on that the freedom that this younger brother sought for becomes slavery. It's kind of bondage of the wills style. Yeah. Stuff. There's like an, an attentiveness in the story to the degrading reversal in his condition. And it is interesting that we get there finally, like the bottom of the pit maybe, or the barrel is like you said, the pods, which it's a bit like looking at Tide pods and being like, these are delicious. I wish I could just eat these. So I, I think your point isn't lost. Like it's not just that like he looked at something gross and was so his stomach was grumbling so much that he might find something in there that he would find palatable. It, it's more than that. It's like this is just total nonsense. It, this is Romans one. [00:43:45] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And these pods, like, these aren't, um, you know, I guess I, I don't know exactly what these are. I'm sure somebody has done all of the historical linguistic studies, but the Greek word is related to the, the word for keratin. So like the, the same, the same root word. And we have to be careful not to define a Greek word based on how we use it. That's a reverse etymology fallacy. Like dunamis doesn't mean dynamite, it's the other direction. But the Greek word is used in other places, in Greek literature to describe like the horns of rhinoc, like,  [00:44:21] Jesse Schwamb: right,  [00:44:21] Tony Arsenal: this, these aren't like. These aren't pea pods. I've heard this described like these are like little vegetable pods. No, this is like they're throwing pieces of bone to the pigs.  [00:44:31] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah.  [00:44:31] Tony Arsenal: And the pigs, the pigs can manage it. And this is what this also like, reinforces how destitute and how deep the famine is. Like this isn't as though, like this is the normal food you give to pigs. Like usually you feed pigs, like you feed pigs, like the extra scraps from your table and like other kinds of like agricultural waste. These are, these are like chunks of bony keratin that are being fed to the pigs. So that's how terrible the famine is that not even the pigs are able to get food.  [00:45:00] Jesse Schwamb: Right?  [00:45:00] Tony Arsenal: They're given things that are basically inedible, but the pigs can manage it. And this, this kid is so hungry, he's so destitute that he says, man, I wish I could chew on those bony, those bony pods that I'm feeding them because that's how hungry and starved I am. You get the picture that this, um. This lost son is actually probably not just metaphorically on the brink of death, but he's in real risk of starvation, real risk of death that he, he can't even steal. He can't even steal from the pigs what they're eating, right? Like he can't even, he can't even glean off of what the pigs are eating just to stay alive. He, he's literally in a position where he has no hope of actually rescuing himself. The only thing that he can do, and this is the realization he has, the only thing he can do is throw himself back on the mercy of his father.  [00:45:50] Jesse Schwamb: That's  [00:45:50] Tony Arsenal: right. And, and hope, again, I think hope with confidence, but hope that his father will show mercy on him and his, his conception. I wanna be careful in this parable not to, I, I think there's something to what you're getting at or kinda what you're hinting at, that like his conception of mercy is. Not the full picture of the gospel. Yes. His conception of mercy is that he's going to be able to go and work and be rewarded for his laborers in a way that he can survive. And the gospel is so much broader and so much bigger than that. But at the same time, I think it's, it's actually also a confident hope, a faith-filled hope that his father's mercy is going to rescue him, is going to save him. So it is this picture of what we do. And, and I think, I think sometimes, um, I want to be careful how we say this 'cause I don't wanna, I don't want to get a bunch of angry emails and letters, but I think sometimes we, um, we make salvation too much of a theology test. And there's probably people that are like, Tony, did you really just say that? I think there are people who trust in the Lord Jesus thinking that that means something akin to what. This lost son thinks  [00:47:03] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:47:03] Tony Arsenal: Exactly. They trust. They trust that Jesus is merciful and, and I'm not necessarily thinking of Roman Catholics. I'm not thinking of Roman Catholic theology for sure. I do think there are a fair number of Roman Catholic individuals that fall into this category where they trust Jesus to save them. Right. They just don't fully understand exactly what Jesus means, what that means for them to be saved. They think that Christ is a savior who will provide a way for them to be saved by His grace that requires them to contribute something to it. Arminians fall into that category. Right. I actually think, and I, I think there's gonna be if, if there's, if the one Lutheran who listens to our show hears this is gonna be mad, but I actually think Lutheran theology kind of falls into this in a sort of negative fashion in that you have to not resist grace in order to be saved. So I think. That is something we should grapple with is that there are people who fit into that category, but this is still a faith-filled, hope-filled confidence in the mercy of the father in this parable that he's even willing to make the journey back. Right? This isn't like right, he walks from his house down the street or from the other side of town. He's wandering back from a far country. He, he went into a far country. He has to come back from a far country. And yes, the father greets him from afar and sees him from afar. But we're not talking about like from a far country. Like he sees him coming down the road, it, he has to travel to him, and this is a picture of. The hope and the faith that we have to have to return to God, to throw ourselves on the mercy of Christ, trusting that he has our best interest in mind, that he has died for us, and that it is for us. Right? There's the, the knowledge of what Christ has done, and then there's the ascent to the truth of it. And then the final part of faith is the confidence or the, the faith in trust in the fact that, that is for me as well, right? This, this is a picture of that right here. I, I don't know why we thought we were gonna get through the whole thing in one week, Jesse. We're gonna spend at least two weeks on this lost son, or at least part of the second week here. But he, this is, this is also like a picture of faith. This is why I say this as like a systematic theology lesson on soteriology all packed into here. Because not only do we have, like what is repentance and or what does regeneration look like? It's coming to himself. What does repentance look like? Yes. Turning from your sins and coming back. What is, what is the orde solis? Well, there's a whole, there's a whole thing in here. What is the definition of faith? Well, he knows that his father is good. That he has more than enough food for his servants. He, uh, is willing to acknowledge the truth of that, and he's willing to trust in that, in that he's willing to walk back from a far country in order to lay claim to that or to try to lay claim to it. That's a picture of faith right there, just in all three parts. Right. It's, it's really quite amazing how, how in depth this parable goes on this stuff,  [00:49:54] Jesse Schwamb: right? Yeah. It's wild to note that as he comes to himself, he's still working. Yeah, in that far off country. So this shows again that sin is this cruel master. He hits the bottom, he wants the animal food, but he's still unfed. And this is all the while again, he has some kind of arrangement where he is trying to work his way out of that and he sees the desperation. And so I'm with you, you know, before coming to Christ, A person really, I think must come to themselves and that really is like to say they need to have a sober self-knowledge under God, right? Yeah. Which is, as we said before, like all this talk about, well Jesus is the answer. We better be sure what the question is. And that question is who am I before God? And this is why, of course, you have to have the law and gospel, or you have to have the the bad news before you can have the good news. And really, there's all of this bad news that's delivered here and this repentance, like you've been saying, it's not just mere regret, we know this. It's a turning, it's a reorientation back to the father. He says, I will arise and go to my father. So yeah, also it demonstrates to me. When we do come to ourselves when there's a sober self-knowledge under God, there is a true working out of salvation that necessarily requires and results in some kind of action, right? And that is the mortification of sin that is moving toward God again, under his power and direction of the Holy Spirit. But still there is some kind of movement on our part. And so that I think is what leads then in verse 19, as you're saying, the son and I do love this 'cause I think this goes right back to like the true hope that he has, even though it might be slightly corrupted or slightly wa

Do we praise God for what He gives or for who He is? Drawing from Romans 11:33-36, Sam invites us to reframe our thinking about why we praise God.

WHAT A WAY TO START THIS MONTH! Praise God for His instructions that we be pleasing all the days of our lives.

Tuesday, 27 January 2026   Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? Matthew 16:10   “Nor the seven loaves – the four thousand, and how many hampers you took?” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus reminded the disciples about the five loaves of the five thousand, asking them to recollect how many handbaskets they had taken up. He next reminds them of the second feeding of a multitude, saying, “Nor the seven loaves – the four thousand.”   If the chronology is as recorded by Matthew, this was a very recent event. It is recorded in Matthew 15:32-38, as the chapter closed out. Therefore, unless the events are not chronological, it has been an extremely short period of time since then.   They went to the area of Magdala, had an interaction with the Pharisees and Sadducees, and then they departed. Upon their departure to the other side, Jesus warned them about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The implication is that all of this was in a very short time span. And yet, Jesus is questioning them about what happened, as if they had completely forgotten. He continues with, “and how many hampers you took?”   The answer is seven hampers, meaning big basketfuls, of leftovers. How they could have forgotten that and worried about not having taken bread is a bit astonishing.   Life application: Despite being incredible that the disciples forgot the great thing Jesus did, how can we look down on them for having done so? Do we remember what Jesus did for us? He saved us from the power of sin and the hand of the devil.   One would think we would be constantly and eternally grateful for this. And yet, how often do we forget as we go through our daily lives? We may go back and do some of the stupid things we once did, or we may find some other thing that we never did before and pick up that habit.   Instead of living holy lives and honoring Him, we fail Him often. Imagine the words He would say to us! “Don't you remember the pit you were in? Don't you remember the joy of the day you first believed? How can it be that you have forgotten those things and have picked up the ways of the world again?”   The good news is, Jesus didn't say, “You guys can't be my disciples anymore. Your memory is short, and your level of understanding isn't up to par.” Rather, He continued to work with them despite their many faults and limitations. And He will continue to work through those He has saved throughout the ages.   We are fallible creatures doing an imperfect job in telling the world about the goodness of God in Christ. This is how Jesus has set things up, and it is how God is being glorified as the years pass. When people point their finger at you and say, “You aren't a good Christian because of XXX,” you can respond, “XXX is why I am a Christian. Jesus saved imperfect me. I understand my faults, and Jesus does too. We are in the process of getting me to be more like Him. That is why I need Jesus!”   If we were all perfected when we came to Christ, there would be no need for us to grow in Him. We wouldn't be dependent on Him for our walk. But just as the universe is being held together by the power of His word, we are continually being saved by the power of His all-sufficient atonement.   Thank God for Jesus Christ, who has accepted us and granted us eternal life. How great He is! Let us not forget the great thing He has done and is doing for us. Praise God for His goodness to us.   Lord God, thank You for the surety we possess because of Jesus. We are ever-unfaithful, and yet You are ever forgiving of it because You have saved us through the fully sufficient sacrifice of Jesus. Despite our faults and waywardness, we are Yours. Hallelujah! Hooray for Jesus! Amen.  

This is a guided meditation and reflection on all of Psalm 32. Psalm 32 starts with the reminder of the joy we should know because of the fresh start and a clean slate we’ve been given through Jesus. Have we forgotten how amazing and miraculous his work is in our lives? This Psalm also reminds us that hiding sin in secret places will eat us up from the inside out. The amazing news is – when we bring anything hiden into the light, God renews and receives us. Did you catch that? Every single time you turn back to God, he receives you. Every. Single. Time. He does not tire of our returns, he celebrates them. In this meditation, we will listen to Psalm 32 from the Message Translation and I will give you prompts to reflect on with the Lord. Each reflection space in 1 minute long. Feel free to pause or rewind if you need more time. May the Lord guide you to what he has for you through his Word today. Here are the reflection prompts: Consider, what would your life be like without Jesus? Thank God that through Jesus he has given you a clean slate. Recall a time when you were hiding from God and others and how it felt. When you returned to God and stopped hiding from others, how did that feel? Thank him for his mercy. Bring it forward to today… is there any place in your life that you feel you are hiding from God or others? If so, what’s holding you back from bringing it to the light? Ask God if there is any place in your life where you’re being ornery like a horse or a mule and resisting him. If he reveals anything, Ask him for his help. If nothing comes to mind, ask him to help you stay tender and responsive to his leading. Praise God for the truth that you are loved every time you turn around. If there’s a place that God has shown you where you need to turn around, ask God for his help. And remember you will be received with love. Here’s some links I discussed in the podcast: The guided retreat to help you move into this new year with intention is here. You can find Jodie at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Instagram @jodieniznik Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Lectio Divina and download your free Lectio Divina Journal here. And if you’re ready to make Scripture Meditation a part of your new year, I encourage you to join my Monday email newsletter here. I’ll send out link to the newest meditation every Monday morning. Download free sample chapters from my Bible studies here. The passages we meditated on is as follows: Psalm 32, The Message Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be— you get a fresh start, your slate’s wiped clean. 2 Count yourself lucky— God holds nothing against you and you’re holding nothing back from him. 3 When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. 4 The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. 5 Then I let it all out; I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God.” Suddenly the pressure was gone— my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared. 6 These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray; when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts we’ll be on high ground, untouched. 7 God’s my island hideaway, keeps danger far from the shore, throws garlands of hosannas around my neck. 8 Let me give you some good advice; I’m looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight: 9 “Don’t be ornery like a horse or mule that needs bit and bridle to stay on track.” 10 God-defiers are always in trouble; God-affirmers find themselves loved every time they turn around. 11 Celebrate God. Sing together—everyone! All you honest hearts, raise the roof! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

God created us for relationships. Our God is a relational God, and He created us to be in right relationship with Him and with others. However, there is the problem of sin. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Sin impacts our relationship with God and with others (hurt people hurt people). But there is grace. Praise God for grace! Jesus came to die for our sins and to allow us, by the grace of God, to be restored in our relationship with God. Therefore, we should offer grace to one another. We are called to love others as God first loved us. So, how are you growing in your relationship with God and socially with others? Let's grow in love.

God created us for relationships. Our God is a relational God, and He created us to be in right relationship with Him and with others. However, there is the problem of sin. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Sin impacts our relationship with God and with others (hurt people hurt people). But there is grace. Praise God for grace! Jesus came to die for our sins and to allow us, by the grace of God, to be restored in our relationship with God. Therefore, we should offer grace to one another. We are called to love others as God first loved us. So, how are you growing in your relationship with God and socially with others? Let's grow in love.

God created us for relationships. Our God is a relational God, and He created us to be in right relationship with Him and with others. However, there is the problem of sin. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Sin impacts our relationship with God and with others (hurt people hurt people). But there is grace. Praise God for grace! Jesus came to die for our sins and to allow us, by the grace of God, to be restored in our relationship with God. Therefore, we should offer grace to one another. We are called to love others as God first loved us. So, how are you growing in your relationship with God and socially with others? Let's grow in love.

Today I'm comparing two ankle injuries I had in my twenties. One was healed the next day, the other took 8 months to heal. Using Acts 14, I'll walk you through how the Bible outlines healing happening.I share today:Why you need to have Bible verses to back up what you believeHow faith increases for healingExamples in the Bible were Jesus directly talks about healing coming from faithThe reason Jesus couldn't heal some people A recent podcast listener healing testimony from hearing the episode about Mark 11:23-24A powerful look at Hebrews and Jesus' healing ministry that show us God's heart IS for all mankind to be well on earth!Past podcast episodes mentioned:⁠These Bible verses teach us how to find relief from pain in our bodies⁠ (this is the Mark 11:23-24 episode the pod listener hear and was forever changed by. Praise God!)⁠5 Roadblocks to Receiving Your Healing (Is God Actually Sovereign Over Our Health & Life? Part 3⁠Connect with Nyla:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nyla's IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nyla's website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nyla's Christian business podcast On the Job with God⁠⁠

[1 Thessalonians 5:18] Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Be thankful _____ all circumstances not ________ all circumstances. We aren't grateful for something we feel _____________ to. [Romans 1:20-22] For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. [21] Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. [22] Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. We can't say that we are thankful to God and then constantly __________________. [Luke 17:11-19] As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. [12] As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, [13] crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” [14] He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. [15] One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” [16] He fell to the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. [17] Jesus asked, “Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” [19] And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” Gratitude is revealed in the way we _____________________. [James 1:17] Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. A thankful heart attracts more ____________________. [Psalm 50:14] Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. It is not the ____________ people who are grateful. It is the ___________ people who are happy. [Ephesians 5:20] And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Are you counting your ________________ or your ____________________? [Psalm 100:4-5] Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. [5] For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

We're here with another installment of Pastor FAQ's! Piggybacking off of Jonathan's sermon titled "What Do You See" from Mark 3:20-35, we discuss the frequently asked question, "Have I blasphemed the Holy Spirit?". You can find Jonathan's sermon over on the Shades Valley Community Church sermon podcast.   JM's Album Of The Week: Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein - Stranger Things 5 (Original Score From The Netflix Series) Bradford's Book Club: We Sing: Teaching Kids to Praise God with Heart and Voice by Kristyn Getty & Laura Sayers

Send us a textMorning Prayer - Honoring God - Confessing / Repenting - People With Mobility Issues - Praise God  #prayer #morningprayer #pray #jesus #god #holyspirit #aimingforjesus #healing #peace #love #bible Thank you for listening, our heart's prayer is for you and I to walk daily with Jesus, our joy and peace aimingforjesus.com YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@aimingforjesus5346 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aiming_for_jesus/ Threads https://www.threads.com/@aiming_for_jesus X https://x.com/AimingForJesus Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@aiming.for.jesus

Coming back to God after pain, doubt, or distance can feel overwhelming, but Luke 15:21–24 reveals the heart of a Father who welcomes His children home with compassion, grace, and celebration. Even when suffering, illness, or disappointment shake our faith, God remains loving, present, and ready to restore what feels lost. Highlights Seasons of pain and unanswered prayers can cause believers to drift from God. Feelings of doubt don’t define truth—God’s Word does. Chronic suffering can deepen faith rather than destroy it. God is not the author of pain but the author of redemption and hope. The parable of the prodigal son reveals God’s eagerness to restore, not reject. Confession leads to restoration, not punishment, in God’s kingdom. No matter how far we wander, we are always welcomed home by our Heavenly Father. Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: Coming Home to the FatherBy Vivian Bricker Bible Reading:“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:21-24). Most of us have had times when we have strayed from God. Due to something bad happening in our lives, we just wanted to leave everything, including our faith. Since we know God is all-powerful, we become disheartened when He doesn’t bring us out of a troublesome time. I strayed from God when I was in the middle of being diagnosed with a now-known autoimmune disease. When I was still in the process of finding a diagnosis, I was scared of the worst-case scenario: an incurable disease. I constantly prayed to God and asked that I would not have to walk through the rest of my life with a chronic illness. During that time, I saw my faith begin to crumble. The excruciating pain I was experiencing made me question God, His goodness, and His presence in my life. I saw other people around me, who were thriving and healthy, yet here I was, sitting in a hospital, waiting to undergo another imaging test. For months, I did not talk to God, and I blamed Him for my pain. I hit rock bottom in my mental health as I fell into the belief that God didn’t love me or care about me…. But I must remember that feelings are only feelings—they are not facts. By reading the Bible and relying on what I know rather than how I feel, I have been able to make headway in renewing my mind to know that God does indeed love and care about me—and He loves and cares about you, too. While my disease hasn’t changed much from the time I was first diagnosed, my faith has changed tremendously from the days when I was doubting God. Going through that process has brought about much growth in my spiritual walk with the Lord. I no longer see God as the author behind my pain, but rather, as the author of beautiful endings. Intersecting Faith & Life: Within the Parable of the Lost Son, we are met with this wonderful encounter: “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:21-24). The prodigal son had squandered his father’s wealth in wild living and left his family behind. However, when he had passed the point of no return, he fell before his father, confessed his sins, and told him he was not worthy to be his father’s son. The father chose to have his servants bring the best robe to his son, put a ring on his finger, sandals on his feet, and celebrate with a fattened calf. This would have been a surprise to the son, as he would have expected his father to send him away, yet his father richly adorns him and throws him a celebration. The father and the son in this parable are allegorical to our relationship with God the Father. We were lost, and now we are found. Even though we might not have left God and squandered our lives in wild living, we have all drifted away from Him at some point in our Christian walk. The beautiful reminder we have here is that if we ever drift away, we are always welcomed home in the arms of our Heavenly Father. Praise God for His kindness, mercy, and love! Further Reading: Jeremiah 31:3 Joel 2:12-15 1 Corinthians 1:9 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Question: I have been working through 7 Prayers that Heal the Heart and God has revealed that Masonry is a spirit that is part of my history from my Dad and grandfather who were both Masons.  Do you have any specific things that I need to consider as I work through this issue towards deliverance? Answer:  When Freemasons take their initial vows, they speak several curses over their chest and stomach areas, declaring that if they violate their vows, terrible things may happen to these parts of their bodies. These curses can and do cause problems for their descendants in these areas. Praise God, they can be broken by commanding the curses to be broken in Jesus' Name. You are then likely to feel a pressure lift off you, as I did when I commanded these curses to be gone from me in the name of Jesus.There are a number of prayers you can pray concerning breaking the curses of Freemasonry. They are listed here.Read more here.Support the show

Justified by Faith: Understanding Romans 5:1 Show: Anchored in the Word with Dave Jenkins Topic: Justification and Peace with God Episode Summary In this episode of Anchored in the Word, Dave Jenkins walks through Romans 5:1 and explains what it means to be justified by faith. Justification is a legal declaration from God that the sinner is righteous in His sight, not because of personal works or merit, but because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. Dave shows how this doctrine gives believers peace with God, assurance of salvation, and confidence to live the Christian life in the grace of Christ. Listen to the Episode Watch the Episode Key Scriptures Romans 5:1 - Justified by faith and at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 3:24 - Justified by His grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:8-9 - Saved by grace through faith, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Romans 8:1 - No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Episode Notes What Is Justification Justification is a legal term. It means to be declared righteous in the sight of God. It is the opposite of condemnation. To be justified is to be acquitted, forgiven, and counted as righteous, not because of our own works, but because of what Christ has done in His death, burial, and resurrection. Romans 3:24 reminds us that we are justified by His grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. This is a key aspect of the gospel message. We are justified by God's grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Justification and Faith Alone Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Faith is the means by which we receive justification. We do not earn our standing with God through good deeds, religious rituals, or spiritual performance. We cannot work our way to righteousness. It is a gift given to us by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes this clear. Salvation is by grace through faith. It is not our own doing and not a result of works. Justification is entirely the work of God, not something we can accomplish on our own. Peace With God and Assurance Justification matters because it directly affects our relationship with God. The moment we are justified, we are declared righteous and are no longer enemies of God but at peace with Him. Romans 5:1 assures us that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Justification is the foundation for our assurance of salvation. Our confidence is not rooted in our feelings, our performance, or our spiritual consistency, but in the finished work of Christ. This truth frees us from living in fear of the wrath of God and from striving to earn His favor. In Christ we are accepted, secure, and loved. Justification and the Christian Life Justification is more than a legal declaration. It sets us on a new trajectory. Those who are justified are also indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live in a way that reflects their new identity in Christ. Romans 8:1 says there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Being justified changes how we live. We are called to live in a way that honors God. Our actions, words, and relationships are to be shaped by the righteousness we have received by faith in Christ. We do not strive for perfection in our own strength, but we live with a new heart and a new purpose, reflecting the love and grace we have received. A Call To Trust Christ If you are in Christ, your justification is secure. God sees you as righteous because of Christ's work on the cross. This is not based on your performance but on His finished work. Take time to reflect on the truth of justification. Praise God for the peace you have with Him and let that truth shape how you live each day. If you do not yet know this peace with God, the invitation is open. Repent of your sin and believe the gospel that Christ died, was buried, and rose again on the third day. Receive by faith the justification that comes only through Jesus Christ. Reflection Questions How would you explain justification by faith to a new believer or to someone who is not a Christian? In what ways are you tempted to base your assurance on your performance instead of the finished work of Christ? How does knowing that you are justified and at peace with God change the way you approach trials, temptations, and daily life? Is there someone in your life who needs to hear the hope of justification by faith? How can you encourage them this week? Stay Anchored In The Word If this episode encouraged you, please share it with a friend, leave a review on your favorite podcast platform, and consider subscribing so you do not miss future episodes of Anchored in the Word. You can find more from Anchored in the Word at our page at Servants of Grace or at our YouTube.

Praise God ( Psalm 145 )

Seth Friend continues his sermons based out of 2 Corinthians 5. Tonight, he explores the awesome reality that we, though sinners, have been reconciled to God through His great love and mercy for us. We have been washed, redeemed, and have been set apart to walk in newness of life! Praise God! Sermon originally preached at River Valley Ranch on 1/10/25

Anointing in Heavenly Places (1) (audio) David Eells 1/11/2026 Shaking Out the Sinners Vision given to Ueli Surbeck I saw the Father standing above me with the world in His hand, and He began shaking it -- violently shaking the world up and down, left to the right and backward and forward, and this is what the Father says: “My church has to be shaken out of the world. I want it out, and I am shaking My church until it comes out of the world! They have become so entwined in the world, it is the only way to get them out”. He continued to shake the world violently (it very much reminds me of the process of harvesting potatoes); as I saw the church being shaken out of the world, I saw 3 things happening in the Church: Preachers were falling out of the pulpits, head first, pulpits started falling out of the Church, I saw the prophets falling, as they fell they lost their mantles, their mantles fell out of the churches and then I saw the reprobates start falling out of the Church; and then the Father said IN THE VOICE OF THE GENERAL, “THEY HAVE MISSED THE HOUR OF THEIR VISITATION”. He said it three times consecutively. “They missed the hour of My visitation.” They think they are somebody, but in fact they are blind and naked. (As it was in the days of Jesus and before every beast kingdom brought them down.) As the prophets fell out and lost their mantles, I saw the Father pick up the mantles and give them to the faithful prophets of the hour that had not missed THE HOUR OF THEIR VISITATION. (Isa.66:15-16) For behold the Lord will come with fire, and with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword the Lord will judge all flesh; and the slain of the Lord shall be many.   Faith Escapes a Sinking Ship B. A. - 11/04/2011 (David's notes in red) I've been studying and talking to friends lately about faith, and I had the following dream: I was standing on the deck of a large cruise ship when all of a sudden I heard the captain say, “The ship was sinking.” The cry of peril from the captain was so sudden that none of the lustful people below deck had time to prepare at that point, and they began to panic as confusion overtook them. Some were crying out for God to save them, while others were screaming hysterically, and some were cursing God. I saw people running all over the ship, trying to find something that would float (trying to save themselves); everything was in total chaos. I didn't see any of the ship's crew anywhere. (This cruise ship represents the trap of the kingdom of this world and its pleasures. B.A. had all this under her feet represented by standing on the deck, but the rest were trapped by this.) I went up to the bow of the ship and knelt down by the railing to pray. I heard the word “come” in a soft but firm voice. I stood up and looked out over the water into the distant horizon, and I saw a bright light, and there on the water stood an angel of the Lord. I didn't hesitate; I climbed over the railing and dropped down onto the water. It was very interesting; the water felt soft but firm under my feet. My spirit told me not to take my eyes off the angel, to walk forward, and not to look back. (Faith is the only way to escape what comes so naturally to our carnal life. (Mat.14:29) And he said, Come. And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters to come to Jesus. (30) But when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me. (31) And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (Luk.9:62) But Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. (Gen.19:26) But his [Lot's] wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.) I thought it strange that no one on the cruise ship seemed to notice me climbing over the railing. (They cannot see faith nor recognize it as a way of escape without a gift of faith from God. (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 [man's] works, that no man should glory.) As I drew near the angel, the light kept getting brighter and brighter. I noticed that I had no fear, just an overwhelming sense of joy and peace about me. Finally, I reached the angel, and he took my hand, and instantly we were standing on the shore. I asked the angel why there were no lifeboats on the ship, and he told me that no one on that ship could be saved. I then asked the angel why was I on that ship, and he told me it was to test my faith. Then I awoke from the dream. (We need this world and its corruption to test who it is who will prove to be chosen by their faith and its corresponding works to leave this world beast system. (Mat.16:24) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (25) For whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it. (26) For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?) I couldn't help but think how sad it was that all those thousands of people on that cruise ship died. I thought to myself, what does a cruise ship represent? I believe the Lord was showing me that the cruise ship represented the pleasures of this world and being caught up in fleshly desires. These were all earthly people who were only interested in pleasing the flesh and not getting spiritually prepared. When times get really bad, people who have not prepared spiritually are going to cry out to God to save them, but He will not send them a lifeboat. (Luk.13:24) Strive to enter in by the narrow door: for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able. (For lack of faith… Rom 10:17 So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. Spending time in the Word fills one with faith.) (25) When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; and he shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence ye are; (26) then shall ye begin to say, We did eat and drink in thy presence, and thou didst teach in our streets; (27) and he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.   Walking on Water Michael Hare - December 2010 (David's notes in red) I had a dream about walking on water. I was on a lake with other people, and on the lake was one of those platforms that kids get on and then jump from into the water. One man just stepped off the platform and started walking across the water. My thought (in the dream) was that if I imagined that the water was solid that I could walk on it, as well. I then imagined that the water was kind of like fiberglass (with the crisscrossing fiber), and I stepped onto the surface. I sank up to my ankles but didn't sink any further. It was like walking on a very mushy surface. I don't remember anyone else attempting to take a stroll on the lake. As I remember, the other man who stepped onto the water didn't even sink; he was right on top of the water. The natural truth here is that we must believe to do the “greater works” that Jesus said we would do. Imagining that He lives in us to do those works is biblical. We must see, by faith, Jesus living in us, and it will be so. (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. The spiritual truth is we must believe to walk above the curse of the Word, which is the water, in order to live above it.   Floating on Top of the Water David Eells Briefly, I had a dream of floating on top of the water while going upstream while my eyes were on the sun/Son. Others were floating with me but when they went under a tent stretched over the water and the sun was obscured, they sank. (With our eyes on the Son of God who is the Word we can go totally against all nature. The tent represented man's religion which has obscured the promises bringing their experience down to a natural level. Many die before their time.)   Taking Refuge in the Heavenlies Anonymous - 03/22/2011 (David's notes in red) Another couple, my wife and I, were getting ready to lift off in this rocket. (Now I know some minds would perceive a rapture here but the rest of the dream will deny this interpretation.) We were going to leave the earth to escape the tribulation. (To leave the earth means to overcome the world. (Rev.3:10) Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that [hour] which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. The bride escapes to the King's house, as in Esther, and the rest are threatened by the beast. What does the scripture mean by “dwell upon the earth” or “dwelling in the heavens?” These terms are not used physically, as in flying to heaven, as the last sentence of this revelation confirms. I will read the revelation below: Dwelling on Earth or in the Heavens?  And you can listen to the audio: Dwelling on Earth or in Heaven? A second, more physical aspect of leaving the world has to do with separating from it, meaning the refuge we'll have here, is about to be separated from it by an earthquake cracking fault lines down both sides of what looks like a ship or a rocket ship. And the base of the rocket ship is, according to dreams, going to stay on the ground, just as the revelation below says. Both Brad's vision and Warren's dream depict this shape of a ship and connected to the ground on the south or bottom end. On top of that, the brother who had this dream is one whom we have suspected was living outside the boundaries of this ship's fault lines and would have to get on board. Putting this all together, it is clear that one must “dwell in the heavenlies” by faith in Christ in order to be on this ship that is to separate from earth. The rest of this dream seems to say that some are not yet ready to separate from the earthly and so are not yet worthy of escaping the hour of trial. We were all together at the rocket ship, looking at it and making provisions, and talking about the plans of leaving. We then split up to go home and gather what we could. (Literally, this identifies what we have been doing. We gather at our local assembly, which is geographically on the ship, and plan our provisions, and then split up to go home.) I went to a church to convince my family to come. I told them that an earthquake is going to happen in May. (Update: A spiritual earthquake did, in fact, happen on May 14, 2011, when God separated our spiritual earth in TN. We had been warned for almost two years that a spiritual attack from demonic forces was coming to try to destroy UBM and me, but in effect would only separate those who were not to be with us in the ship. It happened just as dreamed.) I said that we have been getting dreams about this, and also scientific articles that back up the dreams. (We had been getting dreams about this ship and scientific articles about it separating from the earth through earthquake faults.) At first, my family was listening to me, then my younger brother and older sister arose (although in the dream I saw her as my younger sister), who started to put doubt in their minds, and it persuaded my family. (The immature will be doubtful of the possibility of leaving the earthly for the heavenly.) Even though I was talking to my family directly, I was not being discreet, and no one in the church even stirred about the news either. I left very frustrated, especially with my dad, because he was hung up on the “once-saved-always-saved” doctrine. He could not see that if you did not leave, the judgment of God was going to be on you. (His dad here represents a spiritual father over his spiritual children above, who do not yet have spiritual eyes to see or ears to hear. Their doctrine makes them think it is not necessary to overcome to escape in tribulation, and so they will not be counted worthy to escape all these things (2 Thessalonians 1:5). (Luk.21:34) But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare: (35) for [so] shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth. (36) But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.) My wife and I started to head back to the rocket ship and called the other couple, telling them the news of my family. I also told them that it was not so bad that they were staying here as much as it was that I had a strong feeling that my dad's salvation was going to be lost. (The leaders of Christianity who teach such things as unconditional eternal security destroy the motivation for their spiritual children to be counted worthy to escape. These people, if they do not quickly repent, will be lost for this.) I then told them we had a trailer with very little in it, so if they needed, we could put some of their stuff in the trailer to bring it to the rocket ship. (They never did answer if they needed it.) (Very little baggage if any will be needed in the ship or ark as dreams have foretold.) At this point, I knew in the dream that the people who were lifting off the earth were not physically leaving it but were a part of the first-fruits of the Man-child ministry. (The Bride is the first fruits of the Man-child's ministry, as Esther was the first fruits of Mordecai's ministry. “Mordecai” means “little man” meaning, “man-child”. Solomon and the Shulamite are the same parable in the Song of Solomon. In our case, the ship of separation from the earth is the place to escape the earthquake and tribulation, so that in this wilderness, we can train up disciples to go forth with the Gospel in a wonderful revival. We are getting closer to the general call for the saints to go to the ship or ark.) So what is it to dwell on the earth or in the heavens? Let me share this revelation with you called:   Dwelling on the Earth or in the Heavens? Valerie Gleaton - 08/23/2009 (David's notes in red) In a dream, my mother and I were flying in the same direction in two lanes down a highway at a very moderate speed. We were not in any type of vehicle, but felt we were covered by some invisible shield (like a spiritual ark). (Those who overcome will fly “in heavenly places in Christ” above the dangers to those who dwell in earthly realms of this world, but will not use any vehicle or help made by man. (Isa.40:31) but they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles... (Rev.8:13) And I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth... (Rev.12:11) And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.) We came upon what appeared to be an intersection. As we came to a stop, we noticed a cartoon-like, life-sized airplane on the ground next to us. The plane had a lot of people aboard looking straight ahead, as if they were in a daze. (Those who religiously make believe they are overcoming while dwelling upon the earth are out of touch with spiritual reality.) My mother and I looked at one another and wondered what they were doing or where they were going. We didn't say anything; we just knew what the other was thinking. I didn't notice any traffic signals, but I had the sense it was our turn to move ahead. After we had taken off, we noticed the airplane did not move ahead. Instead, it stood still with the people still looking ahead in a daze. (Those who sense the light is green by the Spirit and Word advance, but many are stopped at a green light they never see. We have been given the “GO” by all the very positive promises in the Word.) As we continued to the next intersection, we encountered the same type of airplane sitting still. We then noticed there were quite a few of these types of airplanes sitting still on the road. (Planes can't dwell in heavenly places unless they GO forward. The majority never know about the overcoming life because they are drinking the wine of their Babylonish religion and not the Word.) The road began to get so congested that we had to maneuver our way around the planes to continue. (These are the ones who believed in the false pre-trib rapture doctrine. They are waiting to fly away to escape the tribulation and are in a daze at believing a lie.) We ended up at the house of one of my long-time friends. (She is in an apostate church and is reluctant to come out because of popularity.) She invited us in and immediately told me that she wanted me to talk to one of the women from her church because they were having a revival soon, and she thought I should attend. (She has been trying to get me to visit her church for quite some time.) I ended up in this dark, dreary room, sitting in the middle of a bed, and began conversing with this woman. She spoke as if she had great authority and began to tell me how everyone should be teaching and preaching prosperity because it is what we need in this economy. (The apostates comfort themselves with their popular, false hopes of raptures, eternal security, prosperity, and their false, approving god. Tribulation will be a rude awakening from their stupor.) I responded to her by saying that we are entering a season of judgment and we should worship the Lord in spirit and truth. I told her we all need to turn to Jesus in these times. She immediately became agitated and noticed that I was not supportive of the megachurches and their prosperity preaching. She then said, “I have a Doctorate in Divinity”. (Their trust in religious academia and letters behind their name has deceived them.) I told her that her Doctorate was insignificant because Jesus chose simple, uneducated fishermen as Apostles. (Jas.4:6) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore [the scripture] saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. As I moved to get out of bed and stand to face her, I noticed that she was eating something, and the crumbs were falling to the floor. She was clutching the food container close to her bosom and was packing her mouth as if she was starving and hadn't eaten in days. (They are starving because they are “ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”, which is their true spiritual food.) As I stood facing her, I saw she was a black form and had no defining features. (They have a dark “form of godliness” but are not transformed by the renewing of their mind or conformed by the Scriptures.) I shared with her what I remember from the UBM bible studies when David shared the revelation the Lord had given him that the Gospels and the Book of Acts will happen again in the latter days. Soon after I had said this to her, she vanished. (We pray this means she lost her form of godliness and became spiritual.) End of dream.   Taking the King's City Back R. S. - 09/28/2008 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was camped out under an old bridge, and all I had with me were my sleeping bag, chainsaw, and my three dogs. My twin brother, Reuben, was also there, and he had a sleeping bag and a long plastic gun case. (My identical twin brother Reuben has been dead several years now, since age 21, when he drowned in a lake, but in this dream, he was alive. I think he represents my spiritual man, who has already drowned the old man in baptism and is now battling spiritually. When my brother drowned in 2000, it was like losing my other half.) There was a little town a bit down the road. I told my brother that we should go check out the grocery store. He said, “OK”, but before we left, I put my chainsaw and his gun case close to our sleeping bags where the dogs were. I noticed that the chainsaw was almost out of gas. We walked to the town and went to the grocery store. When I walked into the store, it seemed like my twin brother turned into my one-year-old son, who was named after him -- Reuben. (The name “Reuben” means “Behold a son” and in the dream, he changed into my son or my “fruit”.) I picked him up and put him in a shopping cart. As I was pushing him down the aisle of the store, this guy walked up in front of me and began to yell and curse at me. I was kind of shocked at first because I didn't even know him personally, but I knew we had met once before. Almost immediately after he began to yell at me, my son turned back into my twin brother Reuben again. At this point, I just wanted to leave, but the guy just stayed in front of me, blocking the way to the door, and he seemed like he was on drugs and was full of demons. My brother just walked around me and went up to the guy and began to squeeze the guy's hand really hard. The guy tried to squeeze him back, but my brother overpowered him and pushed the guy over to the side of the aisle so we could both get by. We then made a quick exit through the door. We got out of the store and began to walk back to the bridge where we had been camped out. The guy came out of the store with a few other people following him and began to follow us. As we continued walking, people began to come out of other buildings and houses with different kinds of weapons in their hands. Some had axes, pickaxes, machetes, and all kinds of knives. The entire town seemed like they had become possessed, like the guy in the store. They all wanted to kill us. We just kept on walking until we almost made it to the bridge. I told the people following us that I would sic my dogs on them if they kept coming, but they said that my dogs wouldn't do anything because their dogs were with my dogs. I didn't know what they meant by this at first. When I turned the corner, I saw my three dogs sitting by our stuff, and there were about four or five other dogs there with them. Some were a lot bigger than my dogs. All of the dogs were just sitting there, not doing anything. (I believe the dogs represent trusting in the beastly flesh. We are not supposed to fight in the flesh, which is why they did not defend me. They just sat around with the enemy's dogs, which were even bigger; more flesh. They were all comfortable just hanging around together; they were at ease together, just like how our flesh is at ease with the enemy. As long as we are living in our flesh, others are at ease with us, but when we begin to fight our spiritual warfare, it makes the same people become uncomfortable with us and attack us.) I then thought about getting my chainsaw to see if maybe I could scare all the people away with it, even though I knew it only had a little gas left in it. So I went around the dogs, and as I began to pick up my chainsaw, one of the guys ran at me and threw a hatchet and an ice pickaxe (the kind mountain climbers use). I turned and caught the hatchet in mid-air right before it hit me, and the pickaxe landed just to the left of me. I picked it up and then looked over at my brother, and there were a few guys who had attacked him. He seemed like he had been able to take some of their weapons away from one of them, and he was fighting back. At this point, I began to fight back. I went at them with the hatchet in one hand and the pickaxe in the other, swinging and hacking at them. I took a few of them down, and then I turned and saw that my brother was surrounded. So I ran at the guys who were around my brother and began to fight with them. Once we were both together, we were able to push them back toward the town. They seemed to get afraid of us once we were fighting together. (Once the new man, who is Christ in us, fights with the natural man in submission, we are unconquerable.) Some of them began to run away back to their homes. We kept on fighting until there was only one last guy. We chased him into his house. Then I felt someone put a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see who it was. There was a man who had a crown on his head and a long robe with a sword in his hand. (Now it is Christ fighting in the midst of His people.) There were about two or three other guys with him. I then told my brother, “The King has come”. Then the King with the sword said to me, “Let's go!” I asked, “Where are we going?” He said, “It's time for Me to take back My city on the hill. (Zion the Bride) I'm going to make it shine and we are going to conquer the kingdom”. (I got a picture in my mind of a glowing city on a hill and the verses in Matthew 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do [men] light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house. Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.) At this time, I remember thinking that the guys we were fighting didn't really matter anymore. We had already beaten them and now we were supposed to go with the King to take back his city. So I asked the King if I could go get some stuff that I had left at the campsite. He said that if I wanted to, I could, but that he was going to take back his city. He then began to leave in the direction where I knew the city to be. I asked, “Are you going to take it back already? Don't you need to raise an army?” He said, “I'm going to take it right now. I will have all I need by the time I get there.” He was very confident that he would take his city back, regardless of how many troops he had. I then felt that if I left him to pick up the things I had left, which weren't much, I probably would not be able to catch up with him before he took his city back. I knew I had to leave with him right then and there. (The main point I felt the Lord showed me was that when the King returned, He was going to take back His city, and if I was not prepared and ready to go, I would be left behind.) We have to forsake all to follow the King. (Mat.19:27) Then answered Peter and said unto him, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee; what then shall we have? (28) And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (29) And every one that hath left houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit eternal life.   Birth Like a Breaking Dam  Daniel Paul - 06/21/2011 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was flying above Israel in the Spirit and looking down and viewing the Sea of Galilee below. The Lord then spoke to me and said, “This is a freshwater lake. The water is good to drink”. I knew that this sea represented a holding place of truth. (Jesus was the truth.) Then I began to follow the Jordan River out of the Sea of Galilee. As I followed the river, I understood that this represented truth flowing out of a holding place. It is almost like the Sea of Galilee represented all the truth that man has come to understand by revelation of the Holy Spirit and revelation from the Word of God. (Which is Jesus, the Man-child, Who is the Word made flesh. Jesus was from Nazareth in Galilee. His Word come down to us from Galilee to the Man-child reformers of our day.) The Jordan River was like all of the teachings from pastors, teachers, audio and video tapes, books, radio programs and all sources of available teaching. (More likely this represents the Man-child ministry birthing as it was in Jesus' day to us.) As I followed the Jordan River for quite a while, I came to the Dead Sea. I could smell the Dead Sea before I actually saw it! The smell was putrid and very rank. As I flew over the Dead Sea, I could see salt encrusted on rocks, tree stumps, and other objects that were sticking out of the water. It seemed so dismal and dead. I was very grieved about this sight, and I wanted to know what caused the condition. (Like Ezekiel 47 prophesied, the Dead Sea is having an infusion of fresh water, with it now having even fish swimming in it. This speaks of the beginnings of a revival of reformation truth: https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/commentary-dead-sea-comes-to-life/  (A Reformation of polluted teachings come to life from the original living waters of Jesus.) As soon as the question hit my heart, I knew the answer: this was the church (polluted with false teachings), the salt that was meant to go out into all the world was being held and contained in a confined area with no outlet. It wasn't going anywhere! (This of course results in stagnant poisoning) As sorrow and grief filled my heart, I continued to fly over the Dead Sea (church). I looked, and I could see the end of this Dead Sea. It was stopped or restrained by a large object, which appeared to be a wall. I flew around the right side of the object, and I landed about 30 yards in front of this wall on the dry side of the Dead Sea. I looked up at the wall and realized it wasn't a wall at all but rather a great dam made up of two giant floodgates that were firmly clasped together with a giant black lock. (Like the 3 Gorges Dam) As I looked at these ominous and intimidating floodgates, I was filled with indignation. These gates were massive, probably 200 feet high and approximately 500 feet across. The smell and the feel of the floodgates were very familiar to me. It was the smell and the feel of religion, control and pride. It was the smell and the feel of Jezebel. I felt as if I wanted to tear them down right then and there. The floodgates spoke to me and said, “We are here to prevent a great disaster from happening. If this water were to be let loose without being governed properly, it would create a disaster of monumental proportions”. I was filled with such indignation and frustration. I was confused and could not explain why the floodgates were even there. (The Dead Sea represents everything dead and stagnant about Christianity, which is a curse on those bound in it; on the other hand, it is a blessing in that it has been kept in check by a merciful God and not taken over the earth. It first needs that infusion of fresh water we call revival.) After a while, I realized there was very little that I could do about the floodgates or the black lock. I just turned around and found something to occupy myself. In turning around, I noticed a great dry riverbed leading from the gates. At first, I wasn't sure if it was a riverbed or a lakebed because it was so large. (Representing the masses of lost people waiting for truth to bring them to life.) Then, as I looked at my hands, I noticed that I was carrying two objects. One object was a chisel called “Truth” that actually had the word “Truth” engraved on it. The other was a large hammer called “Spirit”; it also bore the inscription of its name. I wasn't sure what to do with these objects, so I just began using them to carve out large sections in the riverbed. I thought that I would help prepare this river for the work that God would do because I was sure that there was no way that God would put up with those floodgates much longer. (He is now doing something about this. A great storehouse of truth is ready to be unleashed, which will bring healing to the waters and great revival.) After some time of futilely carving large trails across the riverbed, I was startled by a voice behind me. I knew that voice because whenever I heard it, my spirit and soul were both as excited as they had ever been. A great feeling of expectation and a reverent fear filled me. It was the voice of the Lord! I knew He was standing behind me! He asked, “Daniel, what are you doing?” I said, “Lord, I am adding depth and breadth to this dry riverbed with Spirit and Truth”. He put His hand on my shoulder and turned me toward the floodgates. He pointed at the black lock. At this moment, I was aware of what the black lock was and its dark purpose. The black lock was the lies and deception that are used by Jezebel (the religious spirit) to keep them in place. The Lord said to me, “Use Spirit and Truth on the black lock”. (Paul tells us that great delusion will be in these end times, but the good side of the story is that many who have been held in bondage to this Babylonian DS and religious captivity will be released. (2Th.2:9) [even he], whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (10) and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (11) And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: (12) that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (13) But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, for that God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:) So, I flew up to the black lock, grabbing it with my feet, and I began to labor away with Spirit and Truth. It was then that I noticed that there were several other people doing the same thing. I did not see them until I began to work on the black lock. The floodgates were screaming at us, saying, “Who authorized you to do this? You are working against God! (Representing another Spirit, another Jesus, and another gospel and the Pharisees of our day.) You are blaspheming heaven! You are unloving and cruel! You are rebellious and shall be judged!” These lies kept pouring forth, and the floodgates of religion continued to assail us, trying to stop us, but the harder I worked with the hammer of Spirit and the chisel of Truth, the less their words affected me. (This must happen at this time to separate the wheat from the tares and the sheep from the goats.)   Part Two After it had been some time since I had seen the vision of the floodgate, not really knowing how it ended or what happened, I received the second part of the revelation in a different vision. This time, I was flying over an extremely long beach. The beach was covered with hundreds of thousands of large black dots. As I got closer to the beach, I could see that these black dots were actually large circles of men. They were dressed in business suits, but their clothing varied from circle to circle. Each group surrounded a chalkboard, a whiteboard, or a large set of blueprints. They were writing mathematical formulas, studying plans, or writing theories about surfing. That's right, surfing. The kind of surfing that is done in the ocean. Their theories and formulas were very complex, but the funny thing was that none of them appeared to be dressed to surf. In fact, I did not see even one surfboard! (Surfing represents living above the curse, just like Noah's Ark was above the curse of the flood ordained by God's Word. Abiding in Jesus and His Word is our ark. It is dwelling in heavenly places in Christ. The problem is that in many religious “circles” like these, whose formulas do not help them live above the curse. Only those who are dressed up with Christ's Word and works can live above the curse. (Rom.13:12) The night is far spent, and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. (13) Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in revelling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. (14) But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof].) Just then a large wave came onto the beach, rolling over and up the sand. The water came to about the knee height of the men who were the closest to the ocean. The ones farthest from the water were hit at about ankle-level by the water. Yet not one man seemed to even notice the water. Then I saw thousands upon thousands of surfers on the beach, dripping and soaking wet with the Spirit of God. They had just ridden the wave onto the beach. Most of them had long hair, and they were wearing love beads and peace symbols, plus many were wearing sunglasses with funky hats. I knew this to be the Jesus movement of the 1970s. It was a real revival! These surfers immediately began to approach the groups of men standing around with their chalkboards. They began telling the men about the experiences they'd just had. They were telling them all about their ride on the waves, using all kinds of surfing lingo and slang. This went on for a short time. Then suddenly the men in the groups turned to the surfers and began to condemn them, saying, “You don't know anything about surfing! We are the surfing experts! If you want to know something about surfing, learn it from us!” (These new Christians who were born of the Spirit were seduced by the harlot religions.) Many of the surfers went away. Many others conformed and became just like the men around the chalkboards. Others joined existing groups and some created their own groups. Some even created groups that were not committed to Jesus Christ at all. (Some who were saved by grace and the Spirit were brought into bondage to religion, like the denominational sects of Christianity.) Then I heard the Lord say, “The next wave that comes in will be so large and so powerful that everything on the beach will be removed! (A wave of the truth waters from Galilee with the righteous riding it.) Whoever comes riding the wave in will be the ones standing on the beach”. (The first-fruit reformers) Then the Lord explained to me that before this happens, He would direct the men on the beach to take up their surfboards, paddle out into the sea, and wait on Him for the great thing that He would do. (They are now prepared, and outpouring will come upon them). I somehow knew that only a few would respond because some of those who paddled out would feel like they had wasted their time and would return to the beach. Others would paddle out, get tired or disillusioned and stop short of the distance required to ride the wave in. (Many, when God doesn't move in their time, will take destructive steps for their life.) Still, I saw many others who would take up their surfboards, stand at the edge of the water, either peering out into the sea or calling friends to come with them, and still, they would never actually get in the water with their surfboards. (Those who stand on the earthly will be destroyed. The righteous will ride the clear water from the Galilean to wash away the corruption. They are dwelling in heavenly places, abiding in Christ. The dragon/serpent sends forth a flood of deception and corruption to take down the woman in the wilderness, but the earth swallows the deception, and the woman Church is spared. (Rev.12:14) And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle (a gift of overcoming the world through the Man-child ministry), that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time (by the Man-child just as it was with the Man-child Jesus), from the face of the serpent. (15) And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. (16) And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. We have many revelations of the dragon ruling over false religion and faction.) As I continued to consider all these things, I kept looking at the beach. Suddenly, I saw in front of me the floodgates again! It was almost as if I was looking at a split screen. On one side of the screen, I could see the beach covered with men, and on the other side of the screen, I could see the large group of people, including myself, feverishly hammering and chiseling away at the black lock. I noticed, however, something different about the people working on the black lock. There was something different about them than the last time I saw them. All of them, including myself, were clutching surfboards with our feet and somehow being suspended in the air as we continued to work at the lock. (Those who stand in heavenly places in Christ will ride the wave from the Galilean and many who have been held captive will be set free.) Then I knew within myself what was to happen. I was filled with thrilling excitement and so much hope I couldn't stand it. I knew that when the lock broke, the floodgates would fly apart and be dashed to pieces. The water would come through the floodgates with a massive force like a tidal wave. I heard the Lord speak to me again, but this time it was from inside of me instead of outside of me. He said, “All who labored in obedience to what I told them to do will ride the forefront of this wave”. I knew that this wave would go all the way to that beach that I had seen in my other vision, that we would meet up with all those who obeyed the Lord and paddled out into the ocean, and there would be a new day of the church. The church age as we have known it will end, and the True Church will rise up. (Actually, the Bride led by the Man-child reformers will raise up the Church with a true 5-fold ministry. This is just what happened when Jesus the Man-child reformer led the Bride, identified by John as the first-fruits disciples, who followed the Lord and went forth to raise up the 5-fold ministry and the Church.) Later, I heard the Lord say to me, “I, the Father, had My Twelve, the 12 Tribes, and they were cut off. From the stump came a Holy Seed, a new shoot, My beloved Son. And He had His Twelve, the 12 Apostles”. I knew that there were another 12 coming (in these end times) and it would be a work by the Holy Spirit, according to the Word of God, but I do not know what 12 this will be. I do, however, know that though the new thing will come out of the old thing, it will in no way resemble, look like, or operate like the old thing. (Jesus came out of the old thing but didn't look or operate like it. History always repeats, but with larger groups of people. A modern-day 12 Man-child ministry, in whom Jesus lives, will raise up from the 12 spiritual tribes, apostolic forefathers, to go forth and raise up the real five-fold ministries and the Church. [see 12 Man-child revelations ] The greatest revival of true Christianity will cover the earth as persecution burns up the wood, hay and stubble of their lives.) There will be a new Church; through a Holy Bride without blemish, without spot, and without wrinkle. (A holy Bride will come forth from the Church as Esther, Song of Solomon and Psalm 45 teach. Song 6:8-9 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, And virgins without number. 9 My dove, my undefiled, is but one; She is the only one of her mother; She is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed; Yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.) It's been a while since I've shared these revelations of the 12 Man-child ministry, so let me share a few of them with you.   12 Man-children Going Forth Anonymous - 10/9/2008 (David's notes in red) I had a dream about David, and I have never dreamed about him before. In this dream, he was in a large room with the other brethren and me. We were talking together, and for some reason, my mother was with me, and I called her over to introduce her to David. About this time, some men came to take David to another place, and they went off to his right. (Many have taken our Word on the Man-child and passed it on.) Everyone started rushing in that direction. I also started running and came up to a railing with an opening in it. I had the impression that this may have been a stadium or an arena, as I believe there were steps to go down and possibly also levels above. I stood there in the opening to see what was happening. (Stadiums are places where the Word is passed on to increasingly larger circles of people.) I stood there for a bit and then moved to another area. However, there were so many people in front of me that I could not see, so I went back to where I was at first. When I got there, someone said, “It is over; it is finished! Only 12 received this gifting, anointing or equipping for the work ahead.” (I believe it could be 12 from the UBM fellowship.) Everyone was very joyful and excited about this. When I awoke, I pondered this dream for a long time and believe that this was the “Man-child anointing”. I distinctly remember that only 12 were given this anointing. I through UBM have been prophesied for years to be a spearhead for the Man-child ministry. The head of the Man-child body is born first; then the body; then the anointing. This could represent 12 people from UBM, and it could also represent a first fruits of 12 spiritual tribes, passed down through the 12 Apostolic forefathers. In all, there will be 12,000 from 12 spiritual forefathers of 12 tribes, making 144,000 that come into the Man-child ministry.   Twelve at the Feast R.V. - 10/13/2009 (Deb Horton's notes in green) I had a dream about a week or two ago, and it's the first dream I've had with David and me both in it. I've sought the Lord for meaning. I know it is spiritual and it's about preparation, but that's it, besides being very short. I dreamed it more than three times. (2Co.13:1) This is the third time I am coming to you. At the mouth of two witnesses or three shall every word be established. Each time I would ask, “What does this mean?” and then the dream would start over: In the dream, there were 11 men, besides David, who made 12. (This is the Man-child company, represented by the 12 loaves of unleavened showbread.) The only one I saw and recognized was David, but I felt we were all very close. We were all mature and wearing white flowing robes with a belt at the waist. There was a long table (representing the Table of Showbread) covered with a white, silk tablecloth (representing the prayer shawl, or tallit) with gold tassel fringe (the tzit-tzit) all the way around. (To the best of my knowledge, the showbread was covered by a tallit.) The plates, forks, knives, spoons, goblets and napkin holders were all of gold and neatly in place. They were very ornate and regal and there was a very pleasing, sweet aroma (frankincense, representing the anointing) wafting through the space. (Lev.24:6) And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the Lord. (7) And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be to the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord. (8) Every sabbath day he shall set it in order before the Lord continually; it is on the behalf of the children of Israel, an everlasting covenant. A voice with love, authority, and power told us to sit down. There was no jockeying for position or placement; we just seemed to know where we were supposed to sit, and we took our places. (2Ch.13:11) And they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense: the showbread also [set they] in order upon the pure table... There was a sense that food was on its way. (The Man-child company is the food, the unleavened bread.) I felt the 12 in the room were getting ready to receive something really wonderful, and a call that would be like the ministry of Jesus and even greater. There were six seats on each side of the table, with a place set at each end, but we 12 were the only ones in the space. I say space because there were no walls -- none that I could see -- nor was there a ceiling that I recall. I didn't pay attention to the flooring. I'd ask the question, “What does this mean?” and the dream would start over, but nothing changed.   12-Pointed Star of the Man-child Lion Jena Neal - 12/17/2008 (David's notes in red) In the dream, Jena was at some public showers. Later, everyone went outside into what appeared to be something like a campground. Everyone started to look up because there was a star approaching in the sky. The star was radiating light and had several colors emanating from it like fireworks or Christmas lights. She felt so much joy in her heart and soul. Daniel, her husband, then said, “Baby, it's the first sign”. She had some papers in her hands, and she somehow knew they represented the 12 points on the star. The star was so beautiful and started to move over them, sparkling and shooting light. Everyone started singing the song that says, Praise God from whom all blessings flow, although she knew some people who sang didn't do it from the heart. Jena then fell on her knees and then on her face on the ground. She was overwhelmed with peace, joy, and love. Then something fell into her hand like a wooden dowel of some kind with knobs at the ends. (An ancient scroll representing the Word) She didn't see it, but only felt it. She wanted to praise God but was speechless and overwhelmed with joy. She then woke up, unable to move from the impression. She couldn't go back to sleep for a long time. When she fell asleep again, she had another dream. She (representing the Bride) was driving in a car with her mom (representing the Church) while it was dark. In the sky, there was the face of a lion, but her mom couldn't see it. End of dream. The star announced the coming of Jesus the Man-child and now history repeats. The 12-pointed star represents the birth of Jesus in the Man-child body today, from whom many blessings will flow. The face of the lion is what the earth and evil will see now. First the Lamb and now the Lion.   12 Man-children Alan Charles Simpson - 08/13/2015 (David's notes in red) At first, I see a vision of a man in chainmail (Covered in Armor, representing invincibility.) kneeling behind a shield “at 12:00,” and then there were 11 others. All 12 were on and around the face of a clock in the 12 hourly positions, facing forward toward those who could view the clock with their heads toward the outside edge of the clock. All had on chainmail. (Which was high tech armor that permitted better movement that the old armor.) This seems like the coming Man-child warriors in a defensive position and invincible. The 12:00 represents the beginning of a new day and new time. We are almost there!   Twelve Baby Boys Sandy Shaw, Dreams given 1/28/19 and 1/29/19 (David's notes in red) The way this dream starts, I don't think it's in a hospital, but I saw twelve newborn baby boys. I was looking around to find the mothers or nurses. Each of the babies had a bottle in their bassinets. All the babies were crying at the same time, and all of them wanted milk all at the same time. (The 12 babies acting together “At the same time” represents that a corporate body of the Man-child, new reformer leadership, will be in one accord.) The first one I changed had cloth diapers with rubber pants. Then I picked him up to feed him and noticed that the milk was at the perfect temperature because I had tried it on my wrist. I burped him and put him down, then went to the next one. I did that twelve times and that's when I really realized that they were all male. (The Man-child administration will be all male as were previous types in the Bible, including Jesus' administration.) There was a recliner chair in the back of the room. So I went to sit down, went to sleep, and it only seemed like a few minutes. Then I heard crying, so I opened my eyes, and now the babies were all one year old. (This maturing happens very quickly as in previous revelations, and we can see it happens as a corporate body). As I went each time to feed them, I sang a worship song. On the other side of the room, I saw a table on which their bottles were sitting. They were crying because they couldn't reach them. They had to be fed. (For they were growing so fast) I grabbed a bottle and diaper set, and then I laid them down on a diaper pallet. It looks like a two-inch pad with a pillow and a blanket. Then they fell asleep. I had been singing to them. I did it twelve times. And then I went to the recliner again and fell asleep. I woke up and because they were “tapping” my legs. They're now two years old. One of them said, “Eat; eat.” Now on that table instead of bottles were sippy cups and a bowl of baby food. I grabbed the bowl and went to the carpet in the right corner of the room. And I sat down and fed them there. When the food was gone, we would go get the sippy cups full of milk. And I kept thinking, “There should be clothes for them now.” (The clothes represent them putting on the works of Jesus.) There was a pile of clothes sitting on the right side of the floor. (They are sheep not goats.) Then I thought, “I've got to wash them.” There was a sink in the back of the room. So I threw them in and reached for the SNOW soap. And as I washed them, I noticed that they were immediately dried. I put them on the boys and then gave them their sippy cups. Then we went back to the carpet and sat down and started singing. The three songs we were singing were “Jesus Loves Me, The B-I-B-L-E,” and then “Walking Hand In Hand.” (That's the song I love to sing in Spanish). The boys sang the words that they knew. We had just finished singing when one little boy stood up and said, “When is he coming?” and I said, “Who?” And they all said in unison, “Jesus!” Then I woke up. (I dreamt this twice on January 28 and 29). (Jesus is coming with the anointing of the Man-child administration. Hos 6:1-3 Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. 3 And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth. He is coming as the anointing on the Man-child body of reformers.) A verse I got at random, Mark 7:15. There is nothing from without the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man. (Those who speak against the Word will not be in the Man-child body and will be removed from the leadership by Babylon.)

Introduction: John 4:23–24 - But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. Why Should I Sing on Sundays? (Colossians 3:16) Because singing works the WORD INTO MY HEART. (Col 3:16a) Because singing encourages the HEARTS OF EVERYONE WHO HEARS ME. (Col 3:16b) Ephesians 5:19 - ...addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart... Psalm 34:3 - Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! Psalm 107:32 - Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. Psalm 100:1 - Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Because singing voices my HEARTFELT THANKFULNESS TO GOD. (Col 3:16c) Ephesians 5:19 - ...addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart... Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Colossians 3:16What was your big take-away from this passage / message and the entire series?What are your biggest barriers to passionately singing on Sunday mornings? How can you begin to overcome these barriers and be a more faithful worshiper?How does singing help the Word dwell in you richly?How does singing on Sundays encourage others around you? What does their singing teach you?What did Taylor mean that your greatest instrument is your heart? How is your mouth like an amplifier?BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Open your Bibles to Colossians chapter 3 verse 16.Colossians chapter 3 verse 16.Have you ever gone to someone else's houseand witnessed family traditions that didn't make sense to you?You had a friend in college, I went to visit his family onceand he's a part of a family that kisses each other on the lipswhenever they say hello or goodbye.And that's not my experience at all in my family.And to be clear, I'm not judging you,that's how your family does greeting time.You are loved and we're moving on from that, okay?I also had another friend I grew up with,his family drank milk with every single meal they ate.Three meals a day, three glasses of milk a day.And they thought it was really weirdthat I didn't want to drink milk with my pizza.And I thought it was really weird that they wanted meto drink milk with my pizza.Have you ever visited a different countryand been surprised and thrown off by the customs they have?In Netherlands, the person who's throwing a birthday partycongratulates every single person in the room,not just the person having the birthday.In Japan, it is not customary to tip.If you try to leave a tip,the server will probably be very offended by that.I've talked to a lot of people who've visitedor immigrated to America,who are really thrown off that we use,how are you, not as a genuine question,but as a throwaway hello.I've been to Kenya twice,and the first time I was there, I was surprisedthat as I walked from village to village,talking to a certain man,he would hold my hand as we walked.Now guys, will we do that in America?That's never happened to me, stateside.But in Kenya, it's a sign of friendship.It's a sign that person is really listeningto what you have to say.Many traditions and customs seem to be a bit randomand mysterious.When you press people on why they carry out these traditions,they usually don't know why.They don't know the origin or rationale.I don't know, it's what we've always done.We've always had milk with our pizza.We've always eaten funyons at Thanksgiving.One tradition that doesn't really make that much sense,but I'm glad you enjoy it, Pastor Jeff.Traditions and customs can become mechanical,can become rote.If you don't know why you're doing them,it can become a mechanical processof going through the motions.And the saying can be said for Christians in the church.If you pull many professing believersas they exit a Sunday morning serviceand ask them to provide the biblical rationalefor why they did what they just did,I think you'd receive a lot of blank stares.You'd hear a lot of us and ums.You'd hear a lot of hemming and hawing.Why is that?Because they are engaging in worshipwithout thought or intention.They are going through the motions.The traditions and customs that God has laid downin His word for the family gatherings of His peoplemay seem strange.Hard to explain and a bit random.I mean, think about it.Why do we gather once a week to listen to a guy like metalk about the Bible for 30 to 45 minutes?Every few months, why do we watch people get dunked in water?At the end of this service,why will we eat a cup of bread and a thimble full of juice?Why do we do that?Why do we spend almost half of the service singing together?And that final question is particularly hardfor some Christians to answerbecause they don't like to sing on Sundays.They don't want to sing on Sundaysand they don't even know why we sing on Sundays.They don't always see the point.And maybe you were a part of the demographicthat isn't really down with singing.Maybe this biblical tradition seems odd to you.It seems mysterious.You don't know why you have to do it.So what do you do?As Pastor Jeff and Pastor Rich have said in previous sermons,you barely sing above a whisper.You tune out.You mouth the words until you're told to sit down.Or maybe you arrive intentionally lateto skip the singing portions of the service.So you slip out early to skip the final song.You just don't get singing, so you just don't sing.This is the final sermon in a series calledGod is Seeking Worshipers.In John chapter four verses 23 through 24,Jesus makes it clear what kind of worshipis God's on the lookout for.Let's listen to what Jesus has to say.He says, "But the hour is coming and is now here"when the true worshipers will worship the Father"in spirit and truth,"for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him."God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship"in spirit and truth."God is seeking those who will worship Him"in spirit and in truth."Two weeks ago, Pastor Rich dug into what it looks liketo worship God according to the truth of His word.And last week, Pastor Jeff focused on worshiping Godin spirit, you were to have passionand not cold detachment.And this morning, we're gonna focus in particularon the importance of congregational singing.Whether you can't wait to sing or you can't stand to sing,I wanna help you answer one question this morning,just one question.Why should I sing on Sundays?Why should I sing on Sundays?There are a lot of places to turn to answer this question,but there is no place that is clearer and more concisethan Colossians 3/16, just one verse.Before we continue any further,let's go to Lord and ask for His help.Please pray for me, that I'll faithfully proclaim God's wordand I will pray for you, that you will faithfully receive it.Father, we come to you and we thank youfor this most important appointment of the week.This isn't the throwaway time that we can take or leave,Lord, it is the time we come togetherto worship your holy name.Come around your word to be challenged, to be convicted,to be encouraged, to be lifted up,to be pointed to your Son, Jesus Christ.We thank you in advance for what you will doand we pray more than anythingthat you would be pleased with what we do today,that you would be worshiped in spirit and in truth.And we ask all this in Jesus' name, amen.So Colossians is a New Testament letterwritten by the Apostle Pauland it is focused on the supremacy of Christ in all things.Christ is better than anything or anyone.Life is from Him, life is through Him, and life is for Him.In chapter three of Colossians,Paul calls the Colossians to live in light of who Christ isand where He is seated.Christ is Lord and He is seated in heaven,so we are called to submit to His heavenly standards.To be able to put on new clothes,you have to take off your old clothes.Or to put on the new self, you are to put off the old self.You are to put off old, ungodly attitudes and behaviorsso you can put on new and godly behaviors.In verse 12, Paul says the Colossiansare to put on compassionate hearts.And in verse 15, he says, "Let the peace of Christrule in your hearts."Then in verse 16, our passage for today,Paul says there to have worshipful and thankful hearts.And you and I are called to have these worshipful hearts as well.Why is that?What's the result?Well, worshipful and thankful hearts bless God.It blesses others, and it will bless you as well.Now that we have that background in mind,let's answer our main question.Why should I sing on Sundays?Why should I sing on Sundays?Number one, because singing works the word into my heart.Because singing works the word into my heart.Let's read Colossians chapter 3 verse 16."Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,singing psalms and hymns and spiritual psalmswith thankfulness in your hearts to God."Let's focus on that beginning chunk."Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly."What does that mean?It means that your copy of God's word doesn't gather duston your bedside table.The words on these pages, don't just stay on these pages.The word of God finds a place in your heart.It lives within you.Scripture digs down deep into the very core of your beingto change how you think, how you feel, how you love,how you act, and how you react.How does this happen?It happens by reading the word.It happens by studying the word, meditating upon the word.I'm packing what it means and how it applies to your life.It involves writing notes in the margins,jotting down questions, highlighting verses,becoming a student of God's word.But according to Paul, this also happens through singing.And that may surprise you because you don't see the connection just yet.How does singing work the word into your heart?How does singing cause the word of Christ to dwell in you richly?Because lyrics set to music is the most effective methodof memorization and internalization.We all know this to be the case, right?In other areas of life.How did you learn the ABCs?Through your song, right?Prove it to me.ABCD.Very good. Very good.Wow. As a kid, how did you learn the basics of anatomy?Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees, and toes.Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees, and toes.Eyes and ears and mouth and nose.Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees, and toes.We're all cleaning up.Clean up, clean up.Everybody everywhere.Look at you guys.Those lessons are dwelling in you richly to this day.Do you see the point?Growing up in the church, I learned a lot of important biblical factsthrough songs.If you know the song I'm going to sing, please sing it with me.Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he.He climbed up the ladder in the country,the Lord he called to see, and the Savior asked him to pray.He looked up in the street, and the Lord said,"Zacchaeus, you come down, for I'm going to your house today,for I'm going to your house today."The B-I-B-L-E. Yes, that's the book for me.I stand alone on the word of God, the B-I-B-L-E.Isn't it astounding how much biblical truth can be containedin such simple and childlike songs?I sang these songs 30 years ago, and they still dwell in my heart richly.They worked the word into my heart.How arrogant we can be as adults by believing that we maturepast the need to learn and love the word of God through song.Do you feel that way right now?Do you think that the sermon is the only aspect of the Sunday servicethat teaches you something?That's just not true.Every single aspect of the service teaches you God's word.At harvest, we read the word, we preach the word, we pray the word,we see the word in baptism in the Lord's Supper, and we sing the word.All of these elements cause the word of Christ to dwell in you richly.All of these elements work the word into your heart.This is why it's important that we only sing what God's word says.And thankfully, Paul tells us what to sing in this verse.He gives us three types of songs, Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.Psalms are self-explanatory, right?He's talking about the 150 songs and prayers in the Old Testament book of Psalms.When you sing the Psalms, you're singing God's own word back to him.It's like you're speaking God's language.You're using his own divine vocabulary.And when Paul references hymns in this verse, he's not talking about the hymnsas we understand them in 2026.Remember Paul's writing about 2,000 years ago.He's not commanding us to buy old dusty hymns off eBaythat have this singing sheet and all the parts for men and women.But what is he saying?Well, back in his day, hymns were a pagan practice.Hymns were sung to a false God, a famous hero, or a military leader.These hymns were focused on a particular person.Paul is Christianizing and retrofitting this pagan practice for the church.He's saying instead of singing to that lame guy who's not as cool as you think he is,instead of singing to that bloodthirsty general,instead of singing to that false God, praise the Lord God Almighty.Praise him for who he is.Praise him for his sovereignty.Praise him for his glory.Praise him for his majesty.Praise him for his majesty.Praise God for who he is.And most likely spiritual songs were songs of personal testimony.If hymns mainly emphasize who God is,spiritual songs focus on what God has done for you,what he is doing for you, and what he will do for you in the future.Praise God that he gave you another day to worship him and to serve him.How many of us woke up today going, "Ugh, today's going to be terrible.I don't want to do this."Instead of doing that, praise him that he gave you breath in your lungs.Praise him that he has forgiven all of your sin past, present, and future.Praise him that he delivered you from the domain of darknessand has transferred you to the kingdom of his beloved Son.Praise him that he will never, ever let go of you, no matter what you do.Praise God for all the good gifts he has given to you.That is Psalms and hymns in spiritual songs.Why does Paul give us this breakdown of songs?In the past, did you ever make someone a mixtape?Did you ever burn someone a CD?Or for you teenagers who have no idea what I'm talking about?Have you ever made a playlist and shared it with someone else?Why did you do that?Because you wanted that person to experience the songs that you love.You wanted that person to get out of the rut of listening to that same kind of songover and over and over again.That's what Paul is doing here.He's giving the Colossians a godly mixtape, a CD.He's sharing a heavenly playlist with them.He wants to keep them from singing the same type of song over and over and over again.It's often said that variety is a spice of life.Variety is also the spice of worship.God wants to be worshiped by the inspired classics of the Psalms.He also wants to be worshiped as Pastor Jeff just read to us from Psalm 96 with a new song.He wants to be worshiped for who he is.But he also wants to be worshiped for what he does, what he has done, and what he will do.Singing these types of songs will keep us from only emphasizing the truth and missing spiritor only emphasizing spirit and missing the truth.Sticking to this list of songs will cause you to worship in spirit and in truthbecause both are needed to truly worship God.So much damage can be done.If the sermons we hear on Sundays get an A+ in theology,but the songs we sing receive a failing grade.Well, why is that?Because you'll remember the words you sing on Sundayfar longer than the words you hear from the pastor's mouth.If you don't believe me, have you ever been with a Christian on their deathbed?I gotta tell you, they don't invite their pastors then to repreach their favorite sermons.What do they do instead?They sing worship songs that are lodged in their brains and stuck in their hearts.As tired and as feeble as these saints feel, they belt out amazing grace in Christ alone.Crown Him with many crowns.It is well, blessed assurance.Biblically rich songs have the power to instruct your intellect.Spark your passions, engage your emotions, and involve your body.When the Word of Christ dwells in you richly, it will flow out of your mouth freely.Do you begrudgingly sing?Do you barely sing?Do you refuse to sing?If you've answered any of those questions with a yes,I want you to come to grips with what you're truly sacrificing.You are laying aside the blessing of knowing and loving the Word of Godon every single level of who you are as a person, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.You are cutting your spiritual growth off at the knees.You're saying, "I'm going to mature this far and no farther."You are cutting yourself off from a major source of the Word of Christ dwelling in you richly.Of the Word being worked into your heart.You are hurting yourself.But the damage doesn't just end with you.If you have a negative view of singing, you will negatively affect others around you.But in Colossians 3, 16, Paul shows us the opposite as well.If you have a positive view of singing, you will positively affect others around you.Let's read verse 16 for a second time."Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God."Why should I sing on Sundays?Second reason, because singing encourages the hearts of everyone who hears me.Because singing encourages the hearts of everyone who hears me.Paul says that we as a church should be teaching and admonishing who?One another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.He shares an almost identical truth in Ephesians 519.He says the believer should be addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.Pastor Rich and Pastor Jeff have made it clear over the past few weeks that the primary audienceof our worship is who?God, first and foremost, our worship is for and before the Lord.Again, He is the primary audience.But according to Paul, there is a secondary audience of our singing.And who is that secondary audience?One another.Every single person in this room, that person in front of you, those people behind you,those people next to you.To be clear, you're not worshiping other people as you sing.You are only worshiping God, but you are instructing and teaching others as you sing.The goal isn't to impress, the goal is to instruct.By singing, you are reinforcing the glorious truths of God's Word.By singing, you are warning, admonishing others to avoid the consequences of disobeying God's Word.You are playing an important role of the working of the Word into their hearts.You are playing an important role of the Word of Christ dwelling in their hearts, richly.Do you understand that Sunday morning is not your private worship time with God?Yes, it is personal, but it's by no means private.You are commanded to have your private worship time with God throughout the week.As you read the Bible, as you pray, as you fast,Sunday morning is the corporate worship time of God's people.It's not just about you and Jesus, it's about us and Jesus.Why is it so important that we gather together and we sing together?Why do we do that?Well, one pastor puts it this way.The people of God sing together because they have been saved together.And we see this truth in the book of Exodus.In Exodus 12 and 13, the Israelites are let go from slavery in Egypt.They're guided by the very presence of God.But then what happens?Pharaoh changed his mind to the armies of Egypt.Go after the Israelites.But God rescues them.He makes the Red Sea's part.He takes them through the water.Then those waters drown the Egyptian army.The Israelites are saved together by God.How do they respond to being saved together?According to Exodus 15, they sing together.Their voices become one communal voice to their God and their Savior.And we see this in the Psalms.There is a ton of "I," "me," "my," and "my" language in the Psalms.But there are 346 appearances of "we," "our," "us," as well.Again, it's not just private.It's corporate.In Psalm 343, David gives this command,"O magnify the Lord with me.Let us exalt his name together."Psalm 107.32."Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,and praise him in the assembly of the elders."Paul commands the Colossians and the Ephesiansto sing to the Lord together because they have been savedby the blood of Jesus Christ together.You and I are commanded to sing together because we have been savedby the blood of Jesus Christ together.You were not rescued and redeemed from your sinto be your own spiritual island by yourself.You were rescued and redeemed to be a part of the holy people of God,to be adopted into the family of God.You are not an only child.You have a countless number of brothers and sisters across this globeand throughout human history.But let's focus on our church for a minute.If you are a member at harvest,you have committed yourself to the holiness and maturityof the brothers and sisters you have in this roomand in the other service.By becoming a member,you have acknowledged that your faithful attendance,your active participation contributes to the unity and purity of this church.You have chosen to link arms with these peopleand marched through this evil world towards heaven together.You have agreed that I'm going to build up and encourage these peoplebecause they are my family.Do you realize that this service isn't just something you can slip in and slip out of?This is your family.This is a family gathering and you are here to encourage others,not just to be encouraged yourself.So how do you encourage others around you?You sing with passionate enthusiasm.You cannot teach and admonish other people around you with their singingif other people around you cannot hear your singing.You know what this means?This means that you do not have the biblical right to opt out of singing.You do not have God's permission to mumble or mouth the words you see on the screens.You are not given a hall pass from God to come late or to leave early.You are not allowed to be a conscientious objector during the worship set.I know exactly what some of you are thinking right now.I know you are internally sweating and thinking,"Pastor Taylor, you just don't get it.I have a horrible singing voice and I don't want anybody to hear me."Does God expect you to be a trained musician or a world-class vocalist to sing?I sure hope not because you all just heard my voice a few minutes agoand I fall way short of that standard.Does God command you to sing well in Scripture?He calls you to sing, period.Psalm 100 verse 1, "Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth."Can your mouth make noise?Make noise to your mouth by saying yes.Can your mouth make noise?Can you make that noise sound joyful?Even better than you are the perfect person to sing to the Lordto encourage other people in this room with your singing.All of you are not expected to stand on stage and lead the worship time,but you are expected to instruct others during the worship timeas you sing from where you stand.How many of you watched Elf last month before Christmas?Very few of you.Wow, okay, this may be harder for you than I thought.What is Buddy the Elf's singing advice for Christmas?The best way to spread Christmas cheer is..."Lose your mouth for all of the years."I'm going to steal that quote and use it for corporate worship.The best way to spread Christian cheer is..."Lose your mouth for all of the years."I read a study recently that laid out two markers of a healthy church.They're obviously way more than just two,but these two were the focus of the study.The first one was children.Children are being born.Children are being discipled.That discipleship is being reinforced in the life of the church,as Pastor Jeff often says, "Children are a sign of life."How are we doing with that first marker here at Harvest?If you're wondering, just count how many kids almost knock you over after the service is over.Here's the second mark.The second mark is "Men who sing."How are we doing with that one?I got to tell you, not as well as the first.I know what some of you might be thinking."Taylor, singing on Sundays just seems a little feminine.It doesn't seem very masculine to me."That's interesting.You didn't seem to have that same objectionwhen you were singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"at the pirate game this past summer.So let me understand this.It's masculine to sing about going to a baseball game,but it's feminine to sing to the Lord God Almighty.You didn't seem to have that same objectionwhen you were singing in the shower this morning,or singing in the car the way to work last week.You didn't seem to have this objectionwhen you were singing at the top of your lungswhen you saw your favorite band in concert.So let me get it straight.All those things are masculine,but singing to Jesus Christ,who laid down his own life to save yours, that's feminine.Do you see how ridiculous that objection iswhen you really think about it?Moses sang, "Are you more masculine than Moses?When was the last time you were used by Godto defeat the mightiest army on the planetand to lead a bunch of complaining people to the wilderness?"David sang to the Lord and even danced to himas we saw last week."Are you more masculine than David?You were killed a giantor ruled over God's chosen nation?Jesus sang in the Gospels.Are you more masculine than Jesus?Your entire life cannot compare to one secondof the masculinity Jesus displayedduring his time on this earth."Men, please stop making excuses for why you can't sing.Sing for the sake of your wife.Sing for the sake of your kids.Sing for the sake of the church.Your silence is deafening and destructive.Harvest, we should be teaching and admonishing one anotherand all wisdom by singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.We should be instructing and encouraging one anotherby how we sing.This starts at an individual leveland it has corporate ramifications.You have no idea how big of an impactyour singing has on the people around you.And you have no idea how much their singinghas an impact on you.Imagine that there is a woman in the seat in front of youwho is fighting a losing battle with a serious illness.Yet every single Sunday she is worshiping the Lordwith hands lifted high.Does that teach you something?That teaches you that God is worthy of your praiseeven when your physical strength is being sapped from your body.Imagine that there is a dad down the aisle from youwho just lost his son.Yet he is still worshiping the Lord with tears in his eyesand sorrow in his heart.Doesn't that teach you something?That teaches you that the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.Blessed be the name of the Lord.That group of teenagers in the intersectionis rejecting the worldly desire to look coolby worshiping God with reckless abandon.Doesn't that teach you something?That teaches you that age doesn't always equal maturityand they can set you an example to follow.Please sing.Sing to encourage your own heartbut also sing to encourage the hearts of other people around you.Why should I sing on Sundays?Final reason.Because singing voices my heart felt thankfulness to God.Because singing voices my heart felt thankfulness to God.Singing blesses you.Singing blesses others.But most importantly, singing blesses God.Let's read verse 16 and a third and final time.Let the word of Christ dwell in you richlyteaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom.Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songswith thankfulness in your hearts to God.Once again, Paul shares a very similar truth in Ephesians 519.He says that you should sing and address other Christians in songwhile making melody to the Lord with your heart.You realize that your mouth isn't your primary instrument of praise.It's your heart.Your heart is where everything starts.Your heart is where your passions live.Your heart is where your emotions reside.What is in your heart will come out of your mouth.Your heart is like a guitar or a keyboard.While your mouth is a speaker.Your mouth amplifies what is inside.Your mouth amplifies what is in your heart.If your heart is full of negativity and complaining,what will come out of your mouth?Negativity and complaining.If your heart is full of love and praise to the Lord,what will be amplified by your mouth?Love and praise to the Lord.You were made to worship God.And God has revealed that he loves to be sung to.And if you refuse to sing to him,you were refusing to give him the love and thanks that he deserves.At this point, you may be waving the white flag.Okay, Taylor, I get it.I get it.You and other pastors can stop selling me.These sermons have convinced me.I just sing a little bit louder.Fine, I guess I'll sing.Is that honoring to the Lord?You know, my wife has revealed to me that she loves flowers.And she feels loved by me whenever I give her flowers.But imagine that she loves flowers.But imagine I come home after service with a frown on my faceand shove some flowers in her arms and say, "There you go.Will you stop bugging me about the stupid flowers?I did what you wanted.You're not getting more until your birthday.Hope you enjoy it."Would my wife feel very loved by that?I shouldn't buy my wife flowers because I have to.I should buy my wife flowers because I love her and I want to.And the same way, singing to the Lord shouldn't be viewed as something you have to do.It should be viewed as something you want to do.It should be your greatest joy to verbally and physically express the love you feel for him on the inside.And if that's not how you feel, there's a problem going on that you should address.The worship team can make their way forward.God is seeking worshipers.God is seeking those who will worship him in truth.God is seeking those who will worship him in spirit.God is seeking those who will worship him in song.How do you feel about this job description?How do you feel about being a full-time worshiper of God?Some of you in this room are not a worshiper of God.You have not yet trusted in Christ.You are worshiping yourself.You are living for yourself.Let me ask you something.How is that working out for you?I'm guessing not very well.You may think you're happy.You may act happy, but you know something is missing.You know something is wrong.You know there is someone far greater than you who deserves the glory and honor that you're hogging for yourself.This person is God who reveals himself most clearly to the person and work of his Son.Jesus came to this earth to serve sinners.Choose to serve him for all of eternity.Jesus humbled himself by dying on the cross to pay the penalty for sin,even though he was and still is fully perfect and sinless.Choose to exalt him forever and ever.Jesus will not turn you away if you come to him with genuine faith and repentance.Choose to believe in him.Stop believing in yourself.Choose to worship him.Stop worshiping yourself.The role of a full-time worshiper is being offered to you.Accept that job offer.Others of you have accepted that job offer in the past,but you haven't been carrying out your responsibilities lately.Maybe you've been making excuses for why you can't sing.Maybe you've been distracted by a million other things you sit in this service and you're not focusing on Jesus Christ.Maybe you're not truly singing with passionate enthusiasm.If you're honest, you would say, "I've been lazy in my worship."If that's true, let me give you one final exhortation.If Jesus Christ rose from the dead on a Sunday morning, 2000 years ago,you can get up bright and early every Sunday to worship his holy namewith every ounce of energy and passion that you have.It's not too late.You can do it right now.You can do it today.Others of you have been faithful and you've been consistent in your worship.Obviously, it's not perfect, but you have been consistent.If that's you, keep it up.Keep up the good work.Do not waver in the job that God has saved you to carry out.We spend a lot of time talking about singing.Let's actually stand.Let's actually sing.Stand and do what you are made to do.Do what you are saved to do.Do what you should want to do.Let's sing to the Lord.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260110dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [God] chose us in [Jesus] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6 Chosen by God Do you remember the feeling? You are preparing to play kickball during recess at school. Two captains are choosing players for their teams. They start with the best athletes. Was that you? Or were you picked later? Maybe even last? If God were picking teams, would you be chosen? There are days when you think, “Of course I would! I try my hardest. I’m honest, kind, and caring, just the kind of person God would want on his team.” And maybe you go to church, sing in the choir, and volunteer to serve in many ways. God should not only pick you but should name you MVP—Most Valuable Person. But there are other days—or parts of every day—when you realize that you don’t even deserve to be picked last. You shouldn’t even get a spot on the bench. So often, you hurt those around you with what you say or don’t say, with what you do or don’t do. With your life, you say to God, “I want to play by my own rules.” If God were picking teams, why would he choose you? But God did choose you! God’s choice was not based on your ability or performance. His choice, which he made before the creation of the world, came from pure love. He gives you that love freely, generously, and without condition. How comforting that is! It is all in God's hands. It is all because of God’s love. In love, God chose to send his Son, Jesus, to take away your sins and failures, so that you are holy and blameless in his sight. In love, God chose to adopt you as his own child through faith in your Savior, Jesus. In love, God chose to give you an eternal inheritance and a home with him in heaven. Praise God for his loving choice! Prayer: Father, I thank you that, in awesome and undeserved love, you chose me to be your child. 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.

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https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260110dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [God] chose us in [Jesus] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6 Chosen by God Do you remember the feeling? You are preparing to play kickball during recess at school. Two captains are choosing players for their teams. They start with the best athletes. Was that you? Or were you picked later? Maybe even last? If God were picking teams, would you be chosen? There are days when you think, “Of course I would! I try my hardest. I’m honest, kind, and caring, just the kind of person God would want on his team.” And maybe you go to church, sing in the choir, and volunteer to serve in many ways. God should not only pick you but should name you MVP—Most Valuable Person. But there are other days—or parts of every day—when you realize that you don’t even deserve to be picked last. You shouldn’t even get a spot on the bench. So often, you hurt those around you with what you say or don’t say, with what you do or don’t do. With your life, you say to God, “I want to play by my own rules.” If God were picking teams, why would he choose you? But God did choose you! God’s choice was not based on your ability or performance. His choice, which he made before the creation of the world, came from pure love. He gives you that love freely, generously, and without condition. How comforting that is! It is all in God's hands. It is all because of God’s love. In love, God chose to send his Son, Jesus, to take away your sins and failures, so that you are holy and blameless in his sight. In love, God chose to adopt you as his own child through faith in your Savior, Jesus. In love, God chose to give you an eternal inheritance and a home with him in heaven. Praise God for his loving choice! Prayer: Father, I thank you that, in awesome and undeserved love, you chose me to be your child. 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.

The Word of the Day with Rene' Holaday for Friday,1-9-26: John 18 -19: "In Pilate's Court."  Today's episode has a really amazing twist to it that was a real surprise to me.  Come and see! Also...If any of you can help me with buying firewood, I could use help! I've already had 7 AWESOME people contribute, which has already brought me half way to what I need!!  Praise God for those people!   So, if you're blessed by this daily Bible Study and you can help me with a donation of $5 or more to my PayPal address, it certainly would be appreciated!  This next couple weeks I will be having a "FIREWOOD funds drive" so I can buy more firewood, and you can donate any amount to : reneholaday@gmail.com if you go to PayPal.com and let them know your amount and my PayPal email address.  THANK YOU ahead of time! Blessings to everyone!  ;()

The earth belongs to God. The kings of the earth belong to God. Consider the implications of this truth as you listen to this Psalm. As His people, we are given seats of royalty – not to mistreat or misuse our position, but to bring honor to our great God of all creation, of all rule, of all the universe. May be live as those who are humbled by His attention, and attune to His commands. Daylight Meditations is a daily podcast from CFO North America. Please visit CFONorthAmerica.org to learn more about our retreats, and online courses. If you are encouraged by this podcast, please consider supporting us. Contributors: Elizabeth Ames-McCrimmon, Michelle DeChant, Adam Maddock, and Phil Reaser

Here St. Isaac does not define virtues as behaviors but as states of being before God. He strips away external markers and leaves the soul alone with truth. What he offers is not a ladder of accomplishments but a geography of the heart. A stranger, he says, is not one who has left a place, but one whose mind has been estranged from all things of life. This is the quiet violence of the Gospel: “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (Jn 17:16). Estrangement here is not contempt for creation but freedom from possession. Abba Arsenius fled Rome, but what he truly fled was the tyranny of relevance. To become a stranger is to consent to being unnecessary. It is to let the world continue without you and discover that God remains. The mourner is not a melancholic soul but a hungry one. He lives, Isaac says, in hunger and thirst for the sake of his hope in good things to come. This is the blessed mourning of the Beatitudes, the ache that refuses consolation because it has tasted something eternal. St. John Climacus calls mourning “a sorrow that is glad,” because it is oriented toward the Kingdom. It is grief baptized by hope. Such a soul does not despise joy; it waits for the only joy that cannot be taken away. Then Isaac dares to say what a monk truly is. Not one who has taken vows, not one who wears a habit, but one who remains outside the world and is ever supplicating God to receive future blessings. The monk stands at the edge of time and begs. His posture is eschatological. He lives as though the promises are real. This is why the monk's wealth is not visible. It is the comfort that comes of mourning and the joy that comes of faith, shining secretly in the mind's hidden chambers. Christ Himself names this hiddenness when He says, “Your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Mt 6:6). The true treasure does not announce itself. It warms quietly. Mercy, too, is redefined. A merciful man is not one who performs selective kindness but one who has lost the ability to divide the world mentally into worthy and unworthy. This is the mercy of God Himself, who “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good” (Mt 5:45). St. Isaac elsewhere says that a merciful heart burns for all creation: for humans, animals, demons, even for the enemies of God. Such mercy is not sentimental. It is cruciform. It is the heart stretched until it resembles Christ's own. And then Isaac turns to chastity, and again he refuses reduction. Virginity is not merely bodily restraint but an interior reverence. One who feels shame before himself even when alone. This is a startling phrase. It speaks of a soul that lives before God even when no one is watching. Shame here is not self-loathing but awe. It is the trembling awareness that one's thoughts are already prayers, or blasphemies, before the face of God. Therefore Isaac is unsparing: chastity cannot survive without reading and prolonged prayer. Without immersion in the Word, the imagination becomes a wilderness of unguarded images. Without prayer, the heart has no shelter. Abba Evagrius taught that thoughts are not defeated by force but by replacement—by filling the mind with divine fire. The Jesus Prayer, Scripture read slowly, the psalms murmured in weakness, these do not merely resist impurity; they transfigure desire itself. What unites all these sayings is this: St. Isaac is describing a soul that has accepted vulnerability. God has permitted the soul to be susceptible to accidents: not as punishment, but as mercy. Weakness becomes the doorway. Hunger becomes the guide. Shame becomes watchfulness. Mourning becomes wealth. Nothing here is safe, and nothing here is superficial. This is not an ethic for the strong. It is a path for those who have consented to be poor before God. In the end, St. Isaac is teaching us how to stand unarmed in the presence of the Kingdom; estranged from the world, aching for God, clothed in quiet prayer, and guarded not by our strength but by grace that shines unseen in the depths of the heart. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:04:33 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 170 paragraph 7 Homily Six 00:04:45 Angela Bellamy: What is the book titled please? 00:04:56 Angela Bellamy: Reacted to "What is the book tit..." with

It's Tuesday, December 30th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson Trump bombed Nigerian ISIS camps It was a first in United States history. President Donald Trump authorized US military action against ISIS-linked camps in northwestern Nigeria for the purposes of defending Christians who have been the brunt of a genocide that's taken place over the last decade. At least two camps, run by the Muslim terrorists, were hit by 18 precision missiles last Thursday on Christmas Day, reports The Guardian. Nicaragua banned Bibles Nicaragua has banned Bibles at the border.  Tourists may not carry Bibles in any form into the country, according to new regulations. Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that the list of forbidden items now includes Bibles, newspapers, magazines, books of any kind, drones and cameras. The Nicaraguan government has also shut down 1,300 religious organizations since April 2018. Repression has picked up since the 2021 election when Daniel Ortega was elected for a fourth consecutive term in office.  Leading opposition candidates were jailed before the sham election.   Nicaragua has the fourth worst economy in South America, just above Cuba, Venezuela, and Haiti. Scottish pro-life grandmother arrested outside abortion mill A 75-year-old grandmother is the first to be arrested in Scotland for coming within 656 feet of an abortion mill. This comes after an anti-protesting law was passed last year.   The Times reported that Rose Docherty was holding a sign that simply stated: “Coercion is a crime. Here to talk, only if you want.” In John 3:20, Jesus said, “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” Puerto Rico recognizes pre-born baby as a person Puerto Rico will now recognize the human fetus as a natural person from conception. That's the substance of a new law which is intended to provide the unborn child with dignity, rights of inheritance, and legal recognition. Sadly, the country still allows abortion for reasons connected to the alleged “life and health of the mother.” Iran's skyrocketing inflation and war with U.S., Israel, & Europe External and internal pressures are increasing on nations worldwide. Iran has edged up into 53 percent year-on-year inflation. That's the fifth worst in the world.  The economy is exasperated by water and energy shortages. And the nation is dealing with rising numbers of protests and strikes. In a published interview late last week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was in a "full-scale" war with the U.S., Israel and Europe. Russia's unrelenting attacks on Ukraine And Russia continues its war on Ukraine. Russia Today reported an additional 32 settlements in the Donbas area came under Russia control in December. United States sold $11 billion of arms to Taiwan Following the U.S. sale of $11 billion of arms to Taiwan, the Chinese armed forces have initiated an aggressive military exercise in the South China Sea.  It's the largest scale blockade and attack simulation ever conducted to date. The communist nation is conducting live-fire exercises extremely close to the shores of Taiwan.  The official People's Liberation Army news site announced that the drills include “task forces of bombers, amphibious assault ships, and anti-ship missiles.” But keep in mind Isaiah 40:15. The prophet wrote, “The nations are as a drop in a bucket and are counted as the small dust on the scales; [The Lord]  lifts up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before Him are as nothing, and they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.” U.S. blocks Venezuela's oil exports Things are heating up in Venezuelan waters — as the U.S. military continues its blockade of the nation's oil exports.  Tankertruckers.com reports  about $1 billion of oil, or about 8-10 tankers, have been held up in the Caribbean by the current blockade.   The Venezuelan government relies on oil exports for about two-thirds of its financing. Venezuela is pushing 250 percent inflation, year-over-year. That qualifies as the absolutely worst conditions in the world. Private Texas schools applying for $10,000 government grants Now, in stateside news, private schools in Texas are signing up for state funding. At least 600 private schools have applied for grants under a new law, for the 2026-27 school year, according to Center Square.  The pilot program is offering $10,000 grants to 100,000 students in the Lone Star state. U.S. dollar less desirable Will the dollar retain supremacy in the world market? The U.S. dollar is less and less desirable by national banks around the world.  The percent of the world's foreign exchange reserve, held in U.S. assets, has dropped off from 72 percent to 57 percent since 1999.  Oklahoma college teacher fired for penalizing Biblical worldview The teacher at the University of Oklahoma who had given a Christian student a zero score on her paper for advocating a biblical view of gender has been fired.  The university issued a statement charging the teacher assistant, by the name of William Curth, with arbitrary grading. The student, Samantha Fulnecky, had appealed to the Bible in her essay, noting that, “God created men in the image of His courage and strength, and He created women in the image of His beauty. He intentionally created women differently than men.” Dad rescued daughter from kidnapper on Christmas And finally, a Texas dad rescued his daughter from a kidnapper on Christmas Day, reported WDBJ7.com.   The 15-year-old was walking her dog, when she was abducted at knife point. Her father traced her location by the phone — and found his daughter in the suspect's truck, rescued her, and called the authorities. Praise God she was not physically harmed.  What a courageous father! Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, December 30th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

It's Tuesday December 23rd, A.D. 2025.  This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes written by Kevin Swanson and heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  Filling in for Adam McManus I'm Ean Leppin (contact@eanvoiceit.com) Christian Nigerian Youth Fight off Armed Fulani for Over an Hour Young men defending women and children to the death! That's the story from Nigeria today. While a wedding party was taking place in the town of Bundu-Kahugu, a small group off young men, volunteer guards fought off armed Fulani for over an hour. The boys never retreated, as they held off the heavily armed attackers with nothing but machetes and handmade pipe guns. Four of the Christian youth were killed, and another six critically wounded. . The terrorists were unable to kidnap a single soul, or burn down any of the homes in the village. One observer told Truth Nigeria: “[The Fulani] attacked from four sides at the same time, at 11:45 pm Friday night.” And he said. “Our town has about 2000 homes, a small police post, a bank, two primary School and a High School. . .It is a Christian town, and we are expanding all the times because of high birthrates.” “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.” (John 15:13) Praise God for the courage of a few young men.  Would you pray for Nigerian Christians this Christmas season. And be sure to support equippingthepersecuted.org — the ministry most focussed on supporting the persecuted saints in Nigeria.  David Comes in Second at the Box Office A Mormon-owned film company, Angel Studios has made another mark on the US Box Office with an animated release on the biblical David. David came in second, behind Avatar at the weekend box office, with $22 million gross receipts. Angel Studios is best known for their production of the films, “Sound of Freedom” and “His Only Son.” Earlier this year, Angel Studios produced “King of kings” — an animated film on the Life of Christ — pulling down $80 million total receipts. Hallmark Features Sexual Perversion Hallmark Channel enters its sixth year of producing Christmas films featuring couples engaged in relationships characterized by sexual perversion. While Hallmark is running after the homosexual market, the pro-homosexual lobby has issued some disappointment over the drop-off of mainstream media support for their perversions. The 2025 GLAAD Studio Responsibility Index shows Hollywood studios decreasing LGBTQ characterization by 24%, 27%, and 29% respectively in the years 2023, 2024, and 2025. 1 John 2:17 reminds us that “the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” Bolsonaro's Son to Run for President in Brazil Brazil's former conservative president has officially started serving his 27-year sentence for attempting to overturn the 2022 election results. Now, Jair Bolsonaro's son has announced he's running for president in 2026. Flavio Bolsonaro says he's conservative on taxes and spending, but more moderate on others. . . He told Reuters, that he's still good with COVID-19 vaccines. 43% of Churchgoers are Pro-Life A recent Family Research Center survey indicates some bad news for American Christians. Only 43% of churchgoers describe themselves now as pro-life, down from 63% two years ago. The survey looked at regular churchgoers — only 44% of the American population. Only 41% of churches bring up the topic of abortion multiple times a year. The Human Coalition, the Family Research Council, and other Christian leaders have issued a public letter to pastors in America pointing out that the life issue is a gospel issue. The letter, signed by Tony Perkins and Dr. Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary exhorts pastors to 1. Preach the Gospel of Life with clarity and compassion. 2. Proclaim the truth that every unborn child is sacred. 3. Offer the hope of Christ to post-abortive men and women in your pews. And, 4. Equip. . .congregations to be defenders of the vulnerable. 30,000 Attend Turning Point's America Fest in Phoenix Turning Point's America Fest in Phoenix brought in 30,000 Charlie Kirk fans over the weekend. . . The event featured the Who's Who in America conservativism — Ben Shapiro, Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, Vivek Ramaswamy, Donald Trump Jr., and Vice President J.D. Vance. Rifts between the speakers surfaced — on issues related to America First nationalism and policy related to Israel. Younger Republicans are far more hesitant to support Israel than older Republicans, according to a recent You-Gov Survey. Taking one metric for instance, only 10% of twenty-something Republicans favor giving military support to Israel — compared to 49% of Republicans over 65 years of age.  InsiderAdvantage has released presidential approval numbers — Trump stands at 50%. . . The gender gap remains — 34% of American men disapprove of Trump's performance, against 47% of women registering disapproval. Gold Charges Upwards and Condo Prices Rise Gold is still charging upwards — now $4,438 per ounce, and silver upwards of $68 and change. Condo prices, seen as the canary warning in the mines for real estate — are sinking fast right now. Florida condos have dropped 15-30% from 2022 highs. Texas condo prices are down 15-20%, and Colorado Condos prices are down 10-15%. Add 11% for inflation and we're looking at a 20-40% contraction on the 2022 bubble. Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, December 23rd, in the year of our Lord 2025.  Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Filling in for Adam McManus I'm Ean Leppin (contact@eanvoiceit.com).  Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

514-40 Years of Broken Trust to Safety & Celebration: A Christmas Miracle (Laura's Story) There is a kind of marriage pain that does not look dramatic.It's not an outward struggle.Just a quiet ache.A marriage that functions but does not feel alive. Laura lived in that space for decades. From the outside, her life looked good. Forty years of marriage. Seven children. A faithful husband. A stable home. A shared faith. Everything a good Christian marriage is supposed to be. And yet, beneath the surface, something was missing. Emotional Safety.Real connection.Being fully seen. For a long time, she told herself she had nothing to complain about. Her husband was faithful. He wasn't an alcoholic. He never abused her. He provided well for his family. But inside, Laura carried a question she barely allowed herself to ask: "Is this really all there is?" The Hidden Cycle That Brought Broken Trust Even with her husband's steadiness and Laura's determination to be grateful, there was a painful habit that entered their marriage early on that would consistently rear its ugly head. Her husband was addicted to porn. This was their cycle for many years:-Her husband would confess porn use.-There would be repentance and renewed effort.-Then, pressure would follow. Laura would put the blame on herself, thinking, "If I did better, this would not happen." She read tons and tons of books, trying to better herself.She kept respect for her husband.She pursued intimacy, knowing it was important to him. And still, the cycle kept returning. So, she did what many wives do–she minimized her pain.She told herself others had it worse. After all, he worked hard. He stayed. He was a good man. Why complain? But the heart does not heal simply because we silence it. And this belief that Laura had that it was on her was not only a lie… but it was heavy and destructive. Decades of "Just Okay" Laura kept carrying the weight of keeping the peace and enduring that vicious cycle of porn use. So, she poured herself lovingly into family life. She homeschooled their children.She kept their home while he went to work, the way they were taught to do. And yet, beneath the surface, she felt emotionally disconnected. Alongside that, she felt there was no safe place to process her pain.No one equipped to walk with her.Even when reaching out to a Christian counselor, it wasn't quite enough. So, she pushed her own pain down...for decades. But pain does not disappear because it is ignored.It simply goes underground.And it shows up as numbness, distance, or quiet resignation. Eventually, Laura realized something had to change. She could not continue living like this. She told her husband he needed help for his porn addiction and that if he did not, they may need to consider divorce. Her husband obliged, and they tried counseling together, which helped some. But it wasn't until he entered the work privately through the Coaching program that something different happened. When Safety Was Introduced Into Her Marriage Though Laura didn't know he was taking a marriage course (He shared he was taking an online class), she started to notice a difference in the way he showed up to their marriage. He did not try to fix her or pressure her.He did not demand that she change. He began bringing home flowers, letting her know she was beautiful just the way she was, planning dates.He became emotionally present.Humble.Gentle.Safe. He changed. For the first time in their marriage, Laura began to feel celebrated for who she already was instead of feeling like he wished she were different. She no longer felt like she had to earn love. She felt cherished, emotionally safe, and truly loved–just the way she was. And it changed everything. From Feeling Skeptical to Feeling Hopeful After having heard a DYM podcast episode several years before these changes, Laura had closed herself off to the thought of DYM. But then, upon hearing an episode that we created for wives, she began to see the full picture more clearly and open herself up to the program. She decided to try it herself, even though she was still a bit skeptical. She realized that what made the difference was not only the content, but the context.She was no longer alone.She had community.She had a specific place to ask her specific questions about her marriage. For the first time, Laura had a safe place to speak honestly and to process pain without being blamed. She learned she could have a voice in her marriage. She could ask for help.She learned intimacy did not have to be driven by pressure.She learned she could say no to certain requests without any fear. Most importantly, she learned she mattered. 40 Years of Marriage–And Hoping For Many More "In short, it's better than it has ever been." Our hearts filled up when she shared this with us. Her husband is more in tune to what she needs and will go out of his way to bring in "delights"–if it's planning something special, bringing her flowers, or going along with Laura's spontaneous plans (even though he is the planner in the relationship!) Also in the past few years, her husband has kicked his porn addiction for good and has remained in community through Delight Your Marriage, which has helped keep him accountable and growing.  As for Laura, you can hear the joy and peace in her voice as she shares, "I never expected that it would be this good." Praise God. There is no person too far gone and no situation too desperate for the Lord. He is a God that heals and redeems–hearts, habits, marriages, and so much more–because He cares for us. And it is true for you too. As we enter the last few weeks of the year, including celebrating the birth of our Savior, we invite you to remember what God has done and how much He loves you. Enough to send His son for you, as a defenseless child, to live a perfect life and one day die to pay the debt we could never have paid.  And then to send His Holy Spirit–to counsel us and guide us.  And even now, He is available to us to redeem and save the lost, heal our hearts, and be near to his children. He loves us.He loves you. We hope you will keep this truth near to you these next few weeks and remember once again that He sent His son to redeem everything. With love, The Delight Your Marriage Team PS - Want to bring the Delight Your Marriage Coaching to your church? Our next round of In-Person Training will be launching early 2026. Check out our website to learn more about the mission & vision of IPT and how you can bring it to your small groups & churches. PPS - Wondering just exactly how healthy your own marriage is? Are you also surviving instead of thriving? Take our free Marital Health Assessment and see what your marital score is–and how we can help. PPPS - Here is a quote from (another) recent Delighted Wife graduate: "I took the Delighted Wife program. Coming into the program, I was so hopeless that my marriage could ever get better. My heart was full of deep hate for my husband - I had years of built-up unforgiveness and pain for all of the ways I felt he had hurt and abandoned me...I was deeply depressed and suicidal from the pain of the marriage. I constantly saw death as the only way to be free of this hole that I had dug for myself...Emotionally, I am a completely different person. My heart is full of love and joy over my marriage and gratitude to the Lord for the way He has grown me. The Lord literally pulled me out of the darkness and also has shown me how much I was negatively contributing to the marriage...This is the first time in the almost 3 years of marriage that I haven't wanted to leave. I see so much beauty in my marriage and my husband."