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——Your Daily Portion Sabbath School Lesson with LD “The Anomaly” Harris (L. David Harris)——Get the YDP Life Application Guide for the JUL., AUG., & SEPT. 2025's Lesson titled, “Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land.” https://amzn.to/3ZyOb8HBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-daily-portion-with-l-david-harris--2912188/support.
——Your Daily Portion Sabbath School Lesson with LD “The Anomaly” Harris (L. David Harris)——Get the YDP Life Application Guide for the JUL., AUG., & SEPT. 2025's Lesson titled, “Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land.” https://amzn.to/3ZyOb8HBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-daily-portion-with-l-david-harris--2912188/support.
Jesus Delivers Us (13) (audio) David Eells – 8/31/25 Saints, I'm going to continue with our teaching on how Jesus delivers us and our authority over the demons. I'm going to pick up where we left off last time about the true and false manifestations of the Spirit and begin by sharing the following testimony called: More Than We Can Imagine or Think by P.O. I was one of thousands of people who wanted to experience "revival" in Brownsville and Toronto. As a fairly new Christian, I wanted the excitement that I thought should come from living a life for God. My prayer during that time was: "Father, do whatever You need to do so that no man or no devil can ever quench my desire for You." The first few visits there, I came away somewhat frustrated. Every time a minister approached me, he would veer away and start the laying on of hands in another direction. I recognize now that this was the grace of God, keeping me from receiving wrong impartations. But one time when we were leaving, I forgot my cape. I returned for it and tried to walk through a large lobby full of people writhing on the floor. Something invisible hit me. I fell to the floor and felt heat, like electricity, start at my feet and work all the way up to my head. I became temporarily but totally paralyzed. A friend who had followed me reported afterward that he saw my eyes roll. This man, a medic in the army, picked me up in his arms to remove me. But the strapping, six-footer made it only to the outside steps. There he, too, was taken down to the ground by this spirit. When he dropped me, I rolled under a small tree. Looking up, I saw the stars like diamonds and trees in 3-D as if "the trees were indeed clapping their hands" as the Word describes. I wanted to praise God, but I was rendered incapable of doing anything but baying like one of my uncle's hound dogs. My heart goes out to my friends who visited the "revival." Three of them died prematurely. Another four of them divorced within a year. Several of them now have serious health concerns. In short, these people are anything BUT revived. With some of these friends, I tried gently to get them to look at the falsehoods. But no. It was like the old saying, "You can lead a horse to the water, but you can't make him drink." The times I tried, I encountered upturned noses, so to speak. My dearest friend, whom I met thirty-eight years ago, lived at one of the revival venues for months. She no longer returns my calls. I don't know why this is the case, since we aren't talking. But I suspect that she just couldn't handle the upturns that my life, and my children's lives, kept taking as opposed to her own. I'll always love her. She prayed for me when I wasn't even a believer. God will save her from this deception. At first I thought the experience had been the Holy Spirit. But, sparing the details, my life began to fall apart. I kept crying out for truth, the truth, nothing but the truth. Somehow, I was led via an internet science site to the e-book called "Sovereign God." I "inhaled" it. God's truth revealed in that book healed me of lifelong bouts of severe depression. Then, via the internet, I saw that people around the world were getting their vision healed. I thought, "God is no respecter of persons. Father, would you heal my vision?" It was a progressive miracle, full of dialogue with Him. After a trial of several months, the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles pronounced me as having near-perfect vision. Father God also engineered that my unbelieving daughter would be present to hear the verdict. All my life, I'd had progressively poorer vision, ending with 20-200, which the state of Indiana considered as legally blind. God is able to do abundantly over and beyond what we can imagine or think. In His sovereignty, Father brought me through into the truth. He has orchestrated major periods of repenting and casting out of spirits revealed to me. By the grace of God, my marriage is thriving like never before. My blind eyes are healed. My depression is gone. I have hair now. I actually feel beautiful, but it's not of myself. It's Jesus, coming from the inside out. My children are fighting and winning for their marriages. I'm no longer fat. I have a room with a view. In this room, I help build God's Kingdom with the gifts He's given me. I'm welcomed at foreign airports with bouquets of flowers, like I'm some royal person. I'm surrounded by a vibrant company of other believers who cherish one another every day of the week. None of these blessings came as a result of the revival movement that so many people, including myself, touted for a while. All of these blessings are just "by-products" of a graceful God who loves me. He gave me the hunger and the unction to seek and find Him. Reading that blessing list, an unknowing person might say that I've won life's lottery. But it is all nothing compared to the fact that ... I have Jesus. I hope and pray you do, too. And here is another awesome testimony of God's amazing grace, called: Delivered & Made Whole by C.M. As a young adult I was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr, chronic fatigue syndrome. For almost two years I would have to sleep at least twelve hours per day to barely function. Having visited every specialist, I was given no hope, other than just to deal with it and get rest. As a child I was taught about the Lord, even experiencing a vision of heaven at the age of seven years. I had been healed of a toothache during that vision. But when my dad left, our family fell apart, and our faith slowly faded away. By the time I was twenty-one years old, the Bible was in my closet, unread in years. One night I cried out to the Lord while remembering a story told to me when I was a child. A woman in the Bible was healed of her blood flow of twelve years. As I was begging the Lord to let me touch His garment just like that woman, I felt such a hot flow of heat through my body! I knew I was healed. The Lord let me feel that heat to help my faith. Within twenty-four hours, I felt completely better! I told everyone. People said it was just psychological—I had healed myself. But I knew better. I started reading my Bible as a babe in Christ. Almost two years later, I did join a church. I was reading the Bible regularly, but I started practicing yoga. I even became a yoga instructor, certified in sport yoga. I knew yoga had Eastern philosophies, but I thought if I just did the exercise part, I would be okay. I even asked my pastor. To my surprise, I had his support as long as it was just for exercise. Another elder even encouraged Tai Chi, another Eastern philosophy of exercise. Yoga was the pathway to all of the other Eastern philosophies: Tai Chi, hypnotherapy, and Reiki, the bringing of "energy" from the universe into your body. After two years of practicing yoga and getting involved with Reiki, I met a bold woman of Christ named Jane. She informed me of my backsliding. Jane insisted that I pray and get right with God and speak to her husband. He had knowledge of the occult. The word "backsliding" kept ringing in my ears from this woman. I had thought exercising was okay. After looking up the word "backsliding" in the concordance, I was directed to Jeremiah Chapters 3-6. The Lord showed me that night that I had left the Lord for the harlot. I felt the Lord's anger with me for what I was doing. After the Lord opened my eyes that night, I discarded everything that had to do with yoga: the music, clothes, DVDs, my teaching certification, books, equipment, mat, candles, etc. I quit teaching the next day. I visited Jane and her husband, who further explained how yoga is an occult practice. They prayed over me and anointed me with oil. We claimed that I was forgiven and that all the effects of this practice had left me. Praise God for His forgiveness, mercy and love. Now I have given my life to the Lord and have been walking with Him ever since! An undeserved blessing He gave me was a daughter, as I had not been able to have a child. According to the specialists, for fourteen months, I was not ovulating. Within two weeks of giving up yoga, I was pregnant. I am so grateful for God's love and forgiveness. David: Amen! Praise God for all His goodness towards us. It's important to remember that we must continue walking in Christ to obtain the fullness of His salvation. (Mat.24:13) But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. We have to continue in Him to receive what He's laid hold on us for. (Php.3:12) Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. He laid hold on us to manifest the fullness of Christ, and if we believe the Word, and we keep holding fast to the Word, we're going to enter into more and more of Christ. He is the Word. When we walk in Christ, we have faith to exercise the authority that He's passed on to us, but notice that although Jesus totally conquered the devil (Ephesians 1:20-22), we still see him. Why? It's because the devil still exercises authority. You may ask, "David, how is that possible?" Well, let's look at how that authority has been passed around. God never took back the authority over all creation that He gave to Adam in Gen.1:28 And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. But God didn't have to take it back; Adam gave it away to the devil! He gave it to the devil by virtue of the fact that he obeyed the devil. (Rom.6:16) Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves [as] servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? He made the devil his lord and gave him that authority. We know that the Bible says, "What we bind on earth is bound in heaven," so if the devil can talk us into believing he has authority, then he has it because we gave it to him. We loosed him by believing him, and we bound God by not believing Him, because God made the condition for receiving His benefits, which is our faith. Today, Adam's children have lost their authority because he gave it to satan. However, Jesus is called the "last Adam" because He is the father of the born again creation. Because He refused satan's authority He gained authority back and passed it on to His spiritual children. (1Co 15:22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But Christians need faith to exercise this authority. What does the Bible say? (1Jn.3:21) Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; (22) and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. When we walk in Christ, we have faith to exercise our authority, faith to believe what the Bible says about the authority given to us. Adam was a natural man who was given authority over this natural creation. Jesus Christ was called a spiritual man, and He was given authority over this spiritual and natural creation. We just read about the authority God gave to Adam over this natural creation. Most Christians haven't entered into the authority that Adam had as a natural man, much less the authority that Jesus had as a spiritual man. We are supposed to have authority in both places, the natural and the spiritual. (1Co.15:45) So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam [became] a life-giving spirit. (46) Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; then that which is spiritual. (47) The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is of heaven. (48) As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. (49) And as we have borne the image of the earthy, let us also bear the image of the heavenly. If your Bible has "we shall," it's wrong. There's probably a footnote that tells you the Greek says, "let us also bear the image of the heavenly." We have been given a command to bear "the image of the heavenly." God is not saying that "we shall" because that's not true. A lot of people are not going to bear the "image of the heavenly" because they're going to refuse to do that. We've borne "the image of the earthy" because we've been a natural man, like the first Adam, but to bear "the image of the heavenly" is to bear the Image of the spiritual Adam, Who is Jesus Christ. (Heb.2:5) For not unto angels did he subject the inhabited earth to come... If your Bible says, "the world to come," you probably have a footnote that says "the inhabited earth." This is the correct translation from the Greek according to the numeric pattern. Notice its "the inhabited earth to come" meaning the earth under and following Adam's authority. (Heb.2:5) For not unto angels did he subject the inhabited earth to come, whereof we speak. (6) But one hath somewhere testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him? What was "man"? That was Adam. And who was the "son of man"? That was Adam's children. Jesus was the Son of man and the Son of God. This is talking about both the natural Adam and the spiritual Adam. The spiritual "Adam" is Christ, and so then, who is the "son of man"? That is Christ's children. Adam and his children had authority, and if they hadn't fallen because of sin, they would still have that authority. Jesus has authority and all of His children have the same authority because He is an Adam. He's the Procreator of the whole race of the spiritual man. He's the (Rom.8:29) ... firstborn among many brethren. The Greek word there is adelphos, and it means "brothers." (Gal.3:26) For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. Through faith, we should be living up to our sonship; we should be exercising the authority of the first Son, Jesus Christ, our spiritual Father. (Heb.2:7) Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownedst him with glory and honor, And didst set him over the works of thy hands. We found that was true of Adam, and it's still true. Jesus exercised authority over the works of God's hands. Just as Adam did in the natural before he fell; Jesus did in the spiritual and natural. There's a natural creation, and there's a spiritual creation beyond the natural creation. Adam had dominion over the works of God's hands; he exercised authority over all the earth, the beasts, the fish, the birds, and so on. However, there are other works of God's hands that Adam didn't know much about: the principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness, the spiritual creation of God (Ephesians 6:12). Because of what Jesus accomplished at the Cross, we've been given authority over not just the natural creation, but the spiritual creation. (Eph.1:19) And what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might (20) which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly [places], (21) far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (22) and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, (23) which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Notice that Jesus was the head of His body the Church but He put all things in subjection under the feet of His body. We have this authority as we follow the Head. Our authority over the natural creation and the spiritual creation is given by right of two facts. We have come from the first Adam, and we have come from the second Adam. Both of those have been given authority, and that authority has been passed on to us, but the only way you can exercise that authority is to believe what the Word of God says. All of this has been put under your feet; you have complete sovereignty over it as you follow the Head. (Luk.10:19) 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. Notice: "Behold, I have given you authority ... over all the power of the enemy." Here's another witness that God has put all things in subjection under His feet: (Heb.2:8) Thou didst put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he subjected all things unto him, he left nothing that is not subject to him. (Primarily, He was talking about Adam and his children. Secondarily, He's talking about Christ and His children.) But now we see not yet all things subjected to him. In other words, it's a fact that Jesus conquered the devil and gave us authority over him, but it's also a fact that we haven't exercised that authority. (Heb.2:9) But we behold him who hath been made a little lower than the angels, [even] Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for every [man]. (10) For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory (These are His sons.), to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (11) For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one (We have one Father.): for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. So you see, we are sons of God first by faith and then by manifestation. Jesus, as the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:47), received this authority from God over all of creation, and we are in Him. As end-time saints, we are in Him as His body and even the lowest member, the "feet," have been given authority to "stomp" on the devil's kingdom. (Rom.16:20) And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. We've been given this authority, so what's the holdup here? The holdup is for us to be convinced about what the Bible says in black and white. It isn't a deep revelation; it's in the letter of the Word, and we need to step out and start exercising our authority according to His Word by faith. We have dominion over all the works of God's hand! It makes no sense to think God would have given this dominion to Adam, a physical, natural creation, but would not have given it to His spiritual creation, sons born after the Image of Jesus Christ. Start imagining yourself as a son of God with authority. See yourself that way. (Psa.8:4) What is man, that thou art mindful of him? (In other words, why would you pay any attention to man?) And the son of man (That's not only Adam, but his children. That's not only Christ, but His children.), that thou visitest him? (Psa.8:5) For thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honor. (6) Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet: (7) All sheep and oxen, Yea, and the beasts of the field, (8) The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, Whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. Do you remember when the disciples had been fishing all night without catching anything until the Lord commanded the fish into their net? (Joh.21:6) And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. And (Psa.8:9) O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth! Our words and actions must agree with God's Word. Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2 are parallel in speaking about Adam and his children, and Christ and His children, both having dominion over the work of God's hands. Everything Jesus said agrees with this. (Mat.18:18) Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Because we don't understand this principle, we are continually loosing the devil to terrorize us. We are continually loosing the curse to take dominion over us. We are continually doing this because we are disagreeing with the Word of God. This is what happens when we speak contrary to the Word of God, and we act contrary to the Word of God. Many of God's people don't yet understand that they have this authority to loose the devil. They loose him when they disagree with God's Word. They loose him when they agree with these spirits that rule over the lusts of the flesh. If you agree with them, they are going to rule over you, as with Adam and Eve. We have authority over the work of God's hands. We have authority over the things that God has given us. We have authority over our automobiles and our washing machines; literally anything we have stewardship of. It doesn't make any difference what it is; we have authority. Some of you have exercised your authority and commanded healing for people, and God healed them, or you've commanded healing over broken appliances or cars, and God healed them, too. What we have to do is be convinced that we have the authority of creative power in us. (Joh.20:21) Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. This means that the Father sent Jesus with authority over the works of His hands, and everywhere He went, He exercised authority. And He said, "Even so send I you." He sent us with that same authority. (Mat.28:18) And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. (19) Go ye therefore... Why did He say that? He said it because He was passing that authority on to His disciples. (Mat 28:19) Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: (Just in case you believe this was only for the Apostles, He addresses all nations of disciples saying this.) 20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you (so we all have the authority they had.): and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. And in another Gospel He said in (Mar.16:17) And these signs shall accompany them that believe... "Them that believe" includes every believer. Every believer has authority in the second heaven, too. That's where Satan rules, and he reaches from the second heaven into the first heaven to rule as prince of the powers of the air in this world (Ephesians 2:2). We can read that here, where Jesus talks to Peter and the disciples. (Mat.16:18) And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (19) I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven... What Matthew 16:19 actually says in the original is "the kingdom of the heavens." Over in Matthew 18:18, which we've looked at, the word used is "heaven," singular, because it's only talking about the third heaven, but Matthew 16 is talking about all the "heavens," plural. It says in the Nestle's Text, the three most ancient manuscripts, "the kingdom of the heavens." It says in the Numeric English New Testament, "the kingdom of the heavens." Other translations just haven't copied it correctly. This verse correctly reads, (Mat.16:19) I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in the heavens... That means you are binding in the second heaven too. But even in the third heaven we bind or loose by unbelief or faith. The devil is hidden from us in the second heaven, another realm, and he rules from there as prince of the power of the air in the first heaven, but we have authority in the realm of the second heaven when we obey the principles of God's Word. (Mat.16:19) I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in the heavens; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in the heavens. That doesn't say that we are going to destroy everything the devil does because God doesn't want to do that. God sent the devil here to administer the curse, such as when apostle Paul turned a man over to Satan (1Co.5:5) ... for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. God still does this today, so He doesn't want to destroy the power of the devil. God wants to destroy the power of the devil in the life of the believer. Jesus didn't give the keys to just Peter, as some people mistakenly read this verse. Jesus was talking to all of His disciples. (Mat.16:20) Then charged he the disciples that they should tell no man that he was the Christ. What made Jesus speak of Peter in the first place? It was because of what Peter had spoken. (Mat.16:13) Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that the Son of man is? (14) And they said, Some [say] John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. (15) He saith unto them, But who say ye that I am? (16) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. (17) And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. (18) And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. He wasn't talking about Peter alone. What was shown to Peter was the revelation that Jesus was the Son of God. This was the rock. Everybody who is saved has gotten that revelation. It is a foundational revelation. Everybody with that revelation has authority if they believe. This is the "key of David." (Isa.22:22) And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; and he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. Everybody who is saved has the key of the Kingdom of Heaven but only a few will manifest it. (Rev.3:7) And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth and none openeth. Jesus in the believer has the authority of the key of David. "And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church." The name "Peter" is the Greek word petros, which means "a small rock or stone such as a man may throw." We are all one of these. But the Greek word for "rock" in this verse is petra, and it means "a huge mass of rock (a boulder), such as a projecting cliff." All of us small rocks who make up the body of Christ could also corporately be this huge Rock. Peter himself said that Jesus was the Rock. (1Pe.2:3) If ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious: (4) unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious, (5) ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (6) Because it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame. (7) For you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; (8) and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. Peter said that we are "living stones" and all of the disciples are "living stones." Peter didn't believe that he was the huge Rock. We are living stones in God's building, and that whole building is petra, a mass of rock. Jesus is the foundation of the building of the Body of Christ. He is the Chief Corner Stone, which is missing from the Great Pyramid because He is in heaven, but that Chief Corner Stone also looks like the rest of the building, which is the body of Christ. He is the Foundation and the Head, the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:8,11; 21:6; 22:13), and the many stones are His body, just like the Great Pyramid represents. [Note: According to Josephus, the Great Pyramid is a prophecy built by Enoch and his sons.] Peter didn't exercise any more authority than the rest of the apostles. God gave all of His disciples the authority to bind things in the second heaven (Ephesians 2:2), things in the third heaven (Matthew 24:31; 2 Corinthians 12:2), and things in the first heaven (Mark 13:27). God's peopare not doing the works of Jesus Christ because they don't realize this authority is also theirs. We need to get this understanding down in our hearts because the devil's been given authority from God to make war on the saints. God sent an adversary so that not only would we learn to fight, but we would learn to fight and win! Did you know that if you fight the devil, you are going to be warring with your flesh? When you fight the spirit of fear, you are going to conquer fear in yourself. If you fight the spirit of lust, you are going to conquer lust in yourself. God has to send the devil because he reveals to you what is inside you. When you come against him by faith, you are not only consuming the lusts, you are not only plundering the devil's kingdom as far as the ground that he has taken in your life, but you are plundering him (Matthew 12:25-30; Mark 3:20-27; Luke 11:14-23). You are overcoming his spirits. Take your Promised Land. Conquer the carnal man that lives in it. Use the authority God gave you! This is your God-given right! Praise the Lord! Now, let me share another wonderful testimony with you called: Faith in God's Word Plundered the Devil by sister L.W. About a year ago, the Lord showed me that I had a spirit of rejection. I received it through the bloodline of my dad. My grandparents tried to abort him. His siblings constantly reminded him that he was not wanted. The spirit of rejection took all my life experiences and twisted them in my head. It made me take everything personally and made me perceive its version of the truth instead of reality. Kids are cruel in school, and everybody is picked on in some way. They picked on me because I'm a redhead. So I saw my hair as a physical disfigurement. I thought if I were pretty, people would like me despite the color of my hair. When I would get beaten up by the boys after school, I thought I was the only one getting picked on. I didn't have any black eyes but there was a lot of hair-pulling, kicking, biting, scratching, and punching. I thought it was all because of the color of my hair. And I thought because I was different, I would never be accepted; and I hated myself and my hair. During this time, I developed nervous facial tics. My mom told me to stop, but I told her that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't. I told her my face would feel extremely funny and the only relief was to allow the tic. She told me to rub my face every time I felt that and I did. The Most High God had mercy on me and broke the nervous tics that very instant, and I was immediately delivered. A couple of years later in the summer, I woke up and the left side of my face was paralyzed and felt heavy. When I would blink, my left eye wouldn't close. When I smiled, only half my face would smile. My dad thought I was just making funny faces and told me if I didn't stop my face would stick. But very quickly, he realized this was a serious medical condition. The doctors discovered I had Bell's Palsy and informed us there was no cure and that I would have to live with this the rest of my life. Later, I asked my parents if that was really true. Would I have to live with this the rest of my life? I felt ugly enough having red hair, without adding a paralyzed face to the equation. And they said, "We serve a God who heals. He is a healing God." Being a child, I thought my parents were smarter than the doctors. So I put my faith in what they told me and ignored what the doctors said. The Lord completely healed my face within seven days. The doctors were stunned. The healing was so complete, there is not even the slightest trace even to this very day, despite the doctors' report. When my parents became missionaries to Swaziland, I was so ecstatic, looking forward to a fresh start. Maybe there they would accept my red hair. Little did I know that the country we were going to believed people with red hair were witch doctors. Now, not only did the color of my hair stand out, but the color of my skin, too. I was really different. I felt I would never fit in. I didn't know the language and couldn't understand their accent—even when they spoke in English. The Swazi kids were actually loving and gentle, unlike the American kids, and they were intrigued by me. They wanted to touch my hair and skin and smell me, but I felt intimidated. (After my sister read this testimony, she told me those Swazi kids loved me and loved playing marbles with me during recess.) The love they gave me, the spirit of rejection stole from me. I thought I was the dumbest one in my class. The standard of schooling was much higher than in the States, and the kids laughed at me because I didn't know the answers when the teacher called on me. Inevitably, there was always somebody who had pity on me and whispered the answer to me. The spirit of rejection twisted my thoughts. Once again I felt rejected. I was a loner. I thought there was something wrong with me because I was dumb. I wanted to be anybody else but me. Because there was no high school in the country we lived in, I was forced to go to boarding school. I went to an all-white, all-girls high school in South Africa. Suddenly, my hair became my greatest asset. I became interested in fashion and beauty and surrounded myself with prim and proper British tea-drinking girls who were gossips and snobs. I was the queen of beauty secrets, sharing them with everybody. Even during my short-lived popularity, inside I still felt dumb and ugly. I felt I was the object of gossip and that the girls were looking down their noses at me. After three years of boarding school, my family moved to Johannesburg, South Africa. I was finally able to live at home with my parents and go to a public school. No longer was I surrounded by prim and proper British girls, but fighting Jezebels. My sister and I rode the school bus. The Jezebels would not allow us to sit, even though there was a vacant seat. They said the seats were reserved. I was determined to sit because I didn't want to have to stand through high school. The girls converged on my sister and me. They pulled our hair, tore our dresses, kicked, scratched, bit, punched and burned us with their cigarettes. I stood up for myself and protected my sister. At that point in my life, I didn't know to turn the other cheek. I prayed and asked God to give me strength. After a while, they gave up. After I graduated from high school, I returned to the States to go to college. Before school started, I lived a few months with relatives. During those months, the spirit of rejection made me feel more alone than ever. Even though I had returned to the land of my birth, I realized I had become a foreigner. I was stranger than ever. My clothes were the latest in fashion in Europe, but they just didn't go in Wyoming. There was nothing indecent about them, but a pastor's wife wrote a letter to my parents stating I looked like a streetwalker and carbon copied it to the church headquarters. Apparently, nothing but jeans, cowboy boots, or tennis shoes was accepted. My clothes were too colorful and different. The day finally came when I was able to go to college and move into the dorm. God blessed me with a fabulous roommate and we became immediate friends. She helped me adjust to the American way of life. I became more confident. I finally started having fun, but didn't study enough; I got kicked out of two church colleges with which my parents were affiliated. I was labeled a rogue missionary kid who dressed like a streetwalker. In my shame, I went back home to South Africa. All my life I was judged by my hair and now I have begun to judge other people by their hair. One night I dreamed I was walking on a busy sidewalk in a big city. The sidewalk was crowded with people walking to and fro. There was a long, green snake gliding at shoulder level. When our eyes met, he immediately came at me and coiled himself tightly around my ponytail. I grabbed him with my right hand and tried to pull him out of my hair, but he was coiled so tightly, he wouldn't budge. I woke up. At this time, I didn't know anything about the importance of dreams. But it was so vivid that I never forgot it. Eventually, my head started to itch and burn. I thought to myself, "Whatever you do, never itch in public." I didn't want to act like the baboons in Africa, always scratching. A couple of years went by and ridges started to form on my scalp, but I ignored it. Later, I got married and moved into my husband's house. Within a week, I realized I had made a huge mistake. He became physically abusive and would often kick me out. In an effort not to worry my parents and hide my shame, I spent the nights at a hotel and kept going back. The abuse became more frequent. I felt like I was having a nightmare and couldn't wake up. It became increasingly difficult to hide the abuse from my family and from work. I found out he was addicted to pornography (that's why he would kick me out). I thought I had married a Christian. One morning, he came at me with full force. I couldn't get away because he was so much bigger and stronger. I grabbed the phone and dialed 9-1-1, but he slammed the receiver down. "God, get me out of here. Help me!" I cried. A few minutes later, a police car pulled up. Shocked, I didn't recognize myself when I looked in the mirror that day. Somebody else was staring at me! We had only been married four months, four days. This was the ultimate rejection and betrayal. For the next two and a half years, we were separated, but trying to work things out. Even during that time, he was physically abusive. My family was afraid he was going to kill me. When I was with him, they would often call. If I did not answer, they would call the police. It ended in divorce. I went to my mom's beauty shop for a haircut. She told me I needed to see the dermatologist because the ridges at the crown of my head had turned a reddish purple. The dermatologist did a biopsy and discovered I had a rare condition called Pseudopelade of Brocq. She gave me little green pills to take. The first morning I took one, I was doubled over in pain within 20 minutes. No matter how hard I tried to take those pills, I was never able to keep them down. I called the dermatologist to ask her what the pills were supposed to do. She said they wouldn't cure my scalp condition—they would only stop the burning and itching. I threw those useless pills out. They were not going to free me from the green snake coiled up in my hair. The name of that snake is Jealousy. When the LORD showed me the root cause of the problem, I repented from my sins of pride and vanity. (Isa.3:16) Moreover, the Lord said, Because the daughters of Zion are proud And walk with heads held high and seductive eyes, And go along with mincing steps And tinkle the bangles on their feet, (17) Therefore the Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs, And the Lord will make their foreheads bare. (24) ... Instead of wellset hair, a plucked-out scalp. I lived under a mountain of condemnation. No matter how much I forgave and repented of my sins, I always felt like God was mad at me. I am the elder of two girls and I felt like I was Esau and my sister was Jacob. (Heb.12:17) For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. (Rom.9:13) Just as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. I was jealous of my sister. I felt like I was Leah and my sister was Rachel. I was unloved and my sister was loved. I was the one who had weak eyes and couldn't please my Heavenly Father, while my sister was given wisdom and favor with God and man. The LORD gave me: (Gal.3:27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. This verse changed my life. A year before this, my dad baptized me into Jesus Christ, which meant I fulfilled the beginning of the verse. If I was baptized into Jesus Christ, then I was clothed with Christ! I was bouncing off the walls! I was firmly convinced I was clothed with Christ. I told my family about that verse, confessing I was clothed in Christ. My dad and sister said I still had to manifestly be clothed in Christ. I told them that's not what the verse said. It was a very plain and simple verse. I understood it perfectly and I wasn't budging from my stance. I was so ecstatic over that verse and I told them with a huge smile on my face, "Nobody can talk me out of that promise." My mom turned to me and said, "Grab onto that promise with your stubborn mentality and don't let go." The next morning, something flew out of my left nostril with extreme force, waking me up. I heard the sound of a loud rushing wind and physically felt the force. Whatever it was hit my window and caused it to rattle. I jumped out of bed, expecting to see a broken window, but it was completely intact. That had never happened to me before, but I knew I didn't imagine or dream it. I told my family what happened. My dad said a demon was evicted because of my believing that verse. I was so happy! I became obsessed with cleansing myself from all defilement of flesh and spirit. By this time, my dad and sister were listening to me. A few mornings later while sleeping, my whole body cramped up painfully and then relaxed, causing me to wake up. I called my dad, crying on the phone, because I was afraid the demon had come back. He said the demon hadn't come back, but another demon had left and wracked my body on his departure. He said demons typically do that when they leave. I was so happy, jumping up and down, praising Jesus. A few days later, my chest still hurt. I had a big bruise on it to remind me of my deliverance. It was simply a gift Father gave me to believe His Word. His Word is true. When you submit yourself to God, the devil will flee from you. (Jas.4:7) Be subject therefore unto God: but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. I learned the importance of meditating on the word. Each night I would pick a verse. I came across (Sol.4:1) ...Your hair is like a flock of goats that have descended from Mount Gilead. Because of my hair and scalp condition, I was always attracted to any scripture that dealt with hair. I knew there was a spiritual meaning, but I didn't know what it was. Despite not understanding this verse, I was going to meditate on it anyway. I imagined my hair being like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead. As I meditated, I heard a voice that sounded like my own say, "Don't do that!" I flew out of bed and turned on the light. I looked under my pillows and tore my whole bed apart looking for something, but I knew not what. I realized it was a demon using my voice. He didn't like me meditating on that verse. I thought, "Stupid demon. If that verse is causing such an uproar with a demon, I'll meditate on it every waking moment!" The next day as I was meditating on the verse, I heard another voice squeal my name. The Word of God is alive! A few weeks later, my mom commented that there was a huge improvement while cutting my hair at the beauty shop. She said an amazing thing was happening—my hair was growing in thick and long. (Sol.7:5) Your head crowns you like Carmel, And the flowing locks of your head are like purple threads; The king is captivated by your tresses. It's easy to see the faults in other people, but it's difficult to see the faults in yourself. I decided to ask my sister what my problem was because I knew she would be brutally honest. She told me I had a spirit of rejection. She said that a demon was the cause of my scalp condition, and that I was easily offended and it manifested in my scalp being irritated and tender. I decided to take her at her word and fight the spirit of rejection. My sister showed me this scripture: (Luk.21:12) But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake. (13) It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. (14) So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; (15) for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. (16) But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, (17) and you will be hated by all because of My name. (18) Yet not a hair of your head will perish. Suffering rejection is a part of taking up your cross and following Jesus. It's forgiving those who do you wrong and turning the other cheek. A few weeks later I was at the mall with my family. I saw a really neat soap dispenser that I thought my mom should buy, but she said she didn't like it. Then I saw a perfect soap dispenser for my sister's bathroom, but she didn't like it either. The words, "So what's wrong with MY soap dispenser," flew out of my mouth! I was hearing them for the first time myself. I realized what I said was so outrageous and so unreasonable. For the first time, I saw how easily I was offended. I finally saw for myself the spirit of rejection in me. One night, I asked Father for a scripture by lot: (Luk.9:42) While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. I thought Jesus did it for the boy only and I wanted Him to do it for me. But then my sister showed me Jesus' words: (Mar.13:37) What I say to you I say to all. I was ecstatic! Jesus rebuked the spirit of rejection in me and healed me and gave me back to my Heavenly Father. The spirit of condemnation would overwhelm me. One night while meditating on (Rom.6:11) Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus, another demon flew out from behind my right ear with force. I felt and heard a major vibration. I couldn't wait to tell my family. And I said to my sister, "You wouldn't believe what happened to me last night!" She asked, "Now what flew out of you?" (Luk.11:20) But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. I devoured the audio series, "The Curse of Unforgiveness" and I followed along in my Bible, highlighted scriptures, wrote notes and searched my heart for any unforgiveness that may have been lurking. I also devoured the audio series, "Overcoming Sin." I was on a mission to completely rid myself of the spirits of rejection, judgment and condemnation. I became obsessed with (2Co.7:1) Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Early one morning I dreamed I had bloodstains all over me. A little boy with blonde hair said to me, "Let me help you." I woke up, desperately wanting help! Immediately, when David Eells started the Bible study, "Deliverance from Rejection and Its Fear," I knew he was talking to me! The Man-child was helping me. My deliverance was already accomplished! I was set free from the spirit of rejection and condemnation! The mental torment has been removed from my mind. My family will no longer have to tread lightly. My Heavenly Father poured His love into me. I finally felt His acceptance. I was no longer rejected, but accepted. (Isa.43:3) For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place. (4) Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. How can I possibly feel rejected? (Rom.8:31) What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? I had been burnt to a crisp. But I learned the ashes of burning the wood, hay and stubble mixed with the water of the Word was a potent purifying cleanser, which is exactly what I needed. (Num.19:9) Now a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place, and the congregation of the sons of Israel shall keep it as water to remove impurity; it is purification from sin. (Act.11:9) But a voice from heaven answered a second time, What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy. L.W.'s Prayer: Father, Have Mercy ... Father, I ask You, for anyone out there who is in bondage to sin, needing a healing, needing a restoration in their family, needing a restoration of fellowship, that You will convict them of their sins. Convict them to go and make things right with their brethren. If they've done sin, if they're unforgiving, whatever, convict them to go and make things right with their brethren and then come to You for their benefits: healing, deliverance, blessing, whatever, Lord. We thank you, Lord, for putting Your faith and conviction in hearts. Some are very hardened in their heart, Lord. We ask you to have mercy. Restore their consciences. Grant them this gift to be bold to confess their sins so that You may bless and preserve them and heal and deliver them. Father, we ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen. David: Yes, Amen! Our Lord Jesus has said in (Mat.6:15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Without the Father's forgiveness, we are living under the curse. (Mat.18:32) Then his lord called him unto him, and saith to him, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me: (33) shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee? (34) And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due. (35) So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts. The tormentors are the demons who administer the curse, which is partially described in Deuteronomy 28. Many are living under this and think it normal, but Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us... (Gal.3:13). Therefore, it would be of great benefit to you, saints, to also read or listen to these teachings. Deliverance From Rejection and its Fear https://ubm1.org/?page=deliverance The Curse of Unforgiveness http://www.ubm1.org/books/pdf/TCOU.pdf https://www.ubm1.org/?page=sabs-onehour
Today we wrap up our series on Moses. Also, we'll look at where Moses went wrong, and what he did to be kept out of the 'earthly' Promised Land.
We parents try to do all the things we can to help our children to grow up. We advise. We admonish. We even end up preaching at them sometimes. But it's not what we say, it's what we do, how we live – what they see our life to be, that has the greatest impact in shaping them as they grow up. A Godly Example Well, this is the last message in a series that I have called, “Building a Godly Family” and what I've decided to do; I talked to a friend of mine in the U.S., his name is Mark. He has nine children of his own and I thought I'd ask him for his top three or four tips. Now if you want to find out what they are, stick with me today on the programme because we are going to explore what a father of nine had to say. Now I don't know how things are in your neck of the woods but one of the really hot topics around where I live is binge drinking amongst teenagers. I mean, blind Freddy can see that alcohol abuse is so incredibly destructive. I was listening to a doctor at the head of the Emergency Ward in our local hospital and he was saying that something like eighty percent of the young people under thirty, who get admitted to the Emergency Ward of the hospital on a weekend, are there because of alcohol related issues. Now that's amazing – violence, injury, illness – it's pretty scary and it kind of begs the question: "How does that happen?" I mean how does a kid go from being this beautiful little baby to a drunken teenager in the gutter? And to combat this teenage binge drinking they have been running an ad on television – a bunch of Australian men in the back yard drinking beer and one of the dads send his young son to the fridge to get him another bottle of beer. And the punch line is about making the point that our children are taking in our habits. They're watching us, they are taking it all in, they pick up things by what rubs off from us. Do you know something? That kind of makes sense. Where there is drinking, child abuse, all those things are so negative, so destructive and yet this powerful imprinting thing happens to children in a family. And parents ... we as parents, we're right up there; we are the authority figures and when a child is growing up the only reality that it has is the family that it's living in. That's all that child knows; you grow up in the family and that's it. You don't know any different whether it's anger, violence, alcohol abuse, whatever it is, if that's a powerful part of your reality growing up, it's going to leave an imprint. Now, our DNA determines who we naturally are but our personalities; our characters, our view of ourselves and others, our morals, our values, our patterns of behaviour – all of those things are hugely ... hugely shaped by our environment. God's plan is for a loving family, not just a nuclear family, the way we are used to in the West, I guess but the wider family. If you have a Bible, I want you to grab it, open it up with me. We are going to the New Testament, the Book of Titus chapter 2, beginning at verse 2. This is what it says: Tell the older men to be temperate, serious, prudent, and sound in faith, in love and endurance. Likewise, tell the older women to be reverent in behaviour, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be self controlled, chaste, good managers of the household, kind, being submissive to their husbands so that the word of God may not be discredited. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self controlled. Show yourself in all respects a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity and sound speech that cannot be censured; then any opponent will be put to shame, having nothing evil to say. You see what's happening here? Paul is writing to Titus and he's saying, "Look, Titus, look, here's how it is: older men should set an example; older women should set an example so that the younger men and the younger women will learn from the older ones, so that needs to be handed down from the older men and women to the younger men and women and then, from the younger men and women, to their children." See, so much of our behaviour comes from the behaviour we learn from older people, both as children and as adults. That's why mentorship is so important. You may have heard me talk about a man, Graham, my business partner for twenty years. Now Graham is about seventeen or eighteen years my senior and he taught me so many things – I watched his behaviour. He was good and descent and effective in so many ways and I learned from him. I became all that I am by watching him and learning from him, like ... like a life's apprentice. We have been talking these last few weeks about building a godly family and today I want to get really down to earth with some practical things. I believe ... I truly believe that the most powerful thing that you and I can do to build a godly family is to be a godly person and to live a godly life. Let me say that again; this is important. The most powerful thing that you and I can do to build a godly family is to be a godly person and to live a godly life. Are you an older man or woman? Some societies respect their elders, other like mine, well; we're not quite as good at this as we should be. Anything old is out of date; it's beyond its use-by date; it's old fashioned. We take older people and we stick them in nursing homes. I don't generalise, but as a society, mine doesn't value older people as much as some other societies do. But you older people can be such a godly influence in your family. You've been around, you know something. You should have godly wisdom that comes from a life-long faith in and walk with Jesus Christ. You are not involved any more, by and large, in the daily cut and thrust and pressures of bringing up children. What a godly influence you can be on your grandchildren! You can be gentle, yet powerful. The glow, the radiance of God that shines through your eyes and your mouth can be such an influence. And you parents! What a godly influence you can be on one another and on your children, husband and wife, by your behaviour and your countenance and your attitude and deeds and encouragement, how you can support one another. Maybe one of you is behaving badly – under pressure, you're tired – the other one draws alongside and in love, steers things down the right path. And then the kids, instead of seeing their mother and father arguing and pulling in different directions, they see them trusting in God and supporting one another. What sort of lifelong imprint do we think that is going to leave on our children? Each of us have bad habits – sin, anger, selfishness, low self-esteem, pride, dishonesty, whatever it is, those things can be handed down – in fact, they will be handed down to our children. But when we choose to deal with them; when we sacrifice them to God; when we let Him into that space, to change us, the fruit will be to our children and to their children and to a thousand generations. When the simple daily habits of our lives are godly, Christ honouring, humble, this is a powerful blessing on our children. This is the most powerful thing that we can do to build a godly family, to be godly. Now I mentioned earlier on, Mark, my friend in the U.S., he kind of lives in Lincoln, Nebraska. I asked him to tell me what was one of the most important things that he knew about building godly family? Listen to what he says: Everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. (Luke chapter 6, verse 40) While not usually thought of as a verse on parenting, the implications are clear. “We cannot hope to produce that in our children which we ourselves, do not possess”, writes Mark. “Our children, after all of our teaching, creative or not, intentional or not, verbal or not, will be like us. So, watch your own heart for it is the wellspring of life and don't forget that the first things that must be dealt with, should be dealt with first, including keeping our marriage the priority in our family.” Um, them's wise words, don't you think? Faith Comes by Hearing This "building a godly" family thing, you know what I think? I think it is about realising that we all, each one of us, in our families, need to see things through a fresh set of eyes. Every time I look up at the stars and the moon, I'm gob-smacked. The whole Milky Way thing, it's almost like a cloud, like countless specks of stardust strewn across the sky, and then like clockwork every morning, this amazing ball of fire and light and warmth comes over the horizon – the sun, it never fails. Now I'm wondering, if you or I had never been taught anything about the earth and the solar system and the sun and the moon and the universe, if we knew nothing about any of that, what would we make of it? If we stood here on planet Earth and watched this whole heavenly light show go on, day by day, what would we make of it without the knowledge scientists have given us? Well, actually, we don't have to look too far. There were so many theories down through the ages: the earth is flat, the earth's at the centre – everything else revolves around it, the stars are little holes in the firmament – the skin that is stretched up where the sky is somewhere. See, what happens is we look at this incredible cosmic light show that rolls past every day from our miniscule perspective, not realising how small and how narrow our view is and we get a distorted picture. We think the earth is the centre of the universe; we think that we're the biggest most important thing in this cosmos and this whole light show revolves around us. You see what happens? And it's exactly what's happened down through the ages but once we got the facts we started looking at things completely differently – at least a trillion, trillion stars in the known universe and how the sun is just one of them. I mean, even our galaxy of billions of stars is such a small pinprick on the map of the universe – it's just so infinitesimally small even though it takes light, travelling at 5.88 trillion miles per year, over a hundred thousand years to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other. You see how radically the facts transform our understanding of reality? It's mind blowing stuff! Well, what, if anything, does this have to do with the subject that we have been talking about these last few weeks on the programme, ‘Building a Godly Family'? Well, as it turns – everything! I talked earlier about Mark, my friend. I shared that he has nine children and I shared with you what he had to say about setting a godly example because ultimately our children will end up being like us and so how we live our lives ends up being the most important sermon we'll ever preach. Well, here's the next thing he said, in his top three – his second tip for building a godly family. Have a listen: Faith, he says, comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. What do we mean by this? The written Word of God is absolutely central to everything we do in parenting and to birthing faith in the hearts of our children. My wife and I, we can talk, lecture, admonish, discipline, correct, nag ... whatever we want to do until we are blue in the face and it will be no good at all unless the Spirit of God takes His own Word and does a work in the hearts of our children. Therefore, we believe we must expose and challenge our kids with God's Word as often as possible. In our home, that has taken the form over the years, of bedtime stories, Scripture readings at the dinner table, family devotion times, Scripture memory, using real life experiences to show how God's Word speaks into every situation. To someone who hasn't grown up in this environment, well, that may seem a little odd, but it makes so much sense. See, we started out by talking about the different perspectives we can have on the cosmic light show, depending on whether or not we know the truth about how it works. If we know the truth we understand the earth is a tiny little speck of dust, if we don't we imagine that it's the centre of the universe. We only learn the difference when we hear the truth. And it's exactly the same for us as people. If we don't know the truth about God – who He is, what He did for us through Jesus, His Son, who we are when we believe in Jesus, how we can respond to His incredible love that God has lavished upon us – unless we know those things then we are going to live out our lives in complete ignorance; completely from the wrong perspective. It's when we teach our children the Word of God that they develop a godly perspective that bears so much fruit. It's exactly what God taught His people, Israel, just before they crossed into the Promised Land. If you have a Bible, open it up at Deuteronomy chapter 6, verses 4 to 9: Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, will all your soul, with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise up and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. So in other words, if you want to build a godly family, tell the kids about Jesus. Here's the amazing thing: I actually ask Mark's children for their comments. What do they like about being in their family? Do you know what they said, the kids? Reading the Bible together, the creative teaching, the family prayer time; these were some of the things the KIDS said they liked about their family. Well, go figure!! The Olive Trees Around the Table I want to share with you a story that blew me away, that Mark, my friend, shared with me. And my prayer is that it will blow you away too. It's all about fruit, in fact, it's about olives – the fruit of investing in and building a godly family. Now you and I both know that whenever we invest in anything, what the word "investment" really means is sacrifice now to reap a harvest later because investing is about putting something that we have in hand now; something that we could use or spend in another way. Investing is about taking that thing and planting it somewhere else to reap a reward down the track. If we save for our retirement, we take money that we could blow on things that we'd enjoy today, we set it aside in some form of investment plan, so that the seed grows into a tree that will feed us when we are retired. If we decide to lose weight and get fit, we sacrifice today's ‘eat whatever I want' plan – we sacrifice that in order to reap the reward of a healthier body. We give up time that we would rather spend watching television to exercise to reap the reward. As it turns out, exactly the same principle applies when we invest the time and the effort and the emotional energy that's required to build a godly family. This friend of mine, Mark, with nine children, which I still shake my head at – Mark's final take when I ask him the top three things; tips that he had on building a godly family, well, it comes from Psalm 128. Now grab your Bible, open it up – Psalm 128 is written to the father in the family – it's a message specifically to dads. Have a listen; it's actually a very short Psalm: Happy is everyone who fears the Lord and who walks in his ways. You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands; you shall be happy and it shall go well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around the table. Thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion. May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. May you see your children's children. Peace upon Israel. Now, I guess to our twenty first century ears maybe that take on family might seem a tad patriarchal. Remember it was written to a people who lived very much in a patriarchal society, so let's go with it. Verse 1: Happy is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways. We are blessed; "happy", blessed is everyone who fears the Lord. That's what we have been talking about over these last few weeks – putting God first in everything … every part of our lives, including the way we do family – that brings blessings. Verse 2 describes that blessing: You shall eat the fruit of your labour; you shall be happy and it will go well with you. You know, that's the natural consequence of when we honour God. But now, have a listen to verse 3: Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Yes, patriarchal, the wife is the fruitful vine but it comes back to the Old Testament view of what blessing is. Blessing in the Old Testament equalled lots of children and your own lands, pretty simple, so to the person reading that Psalm when it was written, that's what verse 3 means. The first part is about the wife having a lot of children but have a listen again to the second part of that verse: Your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Olive shoots ... they grow up into might olive trees that bear one of the staples of the Eastern diet, olives, from which comes the precious commodity of olive oil. Now have a listen to what my friend Mark wrote about this particular verse. Here it is word for word from this father of nine children and it just rocked my socks off. I hope you are blessed by what Mark wrote too. God impacted us with this idea out of our own family study of the Scriptures some time back. It comes out of Psalm 128, verse 3 which says: “The children will be like olive shoots around the table of the man who fears God.” When learning that olive plants take between sixteen and eighteen years of careful cultivation, pruning and watering and during that time, typically they bear very little fruit and that after the eighteenth year they bear abundant fruit for many, many years to come, it gave us a reason to persevere and not be weary in well doing. That is an incredible truth from Scripture that has kept us going through some really tough times with our kids. Don't you love how God packs so much into His Word, it's so full of truth. What an amazing picture of these olive shoots around the table and we invest in them – this fresh, young shoot – all that effort and investment that the farmer puts into the tree for years. It occupies a part of his orchard, takes investment and work and it bears almost no fruit and then ... then one day, just as God had always planned, all along, that tree produces olives. I love olives! There's a cafe just down the road from us, owned by a Greek man, Alex, and he makes these olives that are to die for and you get them with some Turkish bread, and bit of Greek dip and ... AH, fabulous! But imagine, Alex's olives come from one of those trees ... a tree somewhere, that some farmer has nurtured and cared for for sixteen to eighteen years until finally, it bears fruit. You see this wonderful picture? And just to top it off the Psalmist, at the end of the Psalm, helps us to realise that it doesn't end with just the olives of that first tree – there is so much more. Psalm 128, verse 6: “May you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel.” This investment in these little olive shoots, sitting around the table of the parents who fear God; who honour God; these parents who are prepared to invest tirelessly, day after day, is going to bear fruit in a little while - fruit that will last for generations. I look at my three: Simon almost thirty now, Michael in his late twenties and Melissa our baby who has just turned eighteen and Jacqui and I, we are so proud of whom they are. We are so delighted to see the fruit finally growing – to see them making their way in this world, rising up to be the people who God naturally made them to be. Now I have to tell you, really, doing the whole little kid thing, it's not my naturally gig ... it's just not. It was hard work for me. So for me, many days, it was such a tough road – being a dad, going through teaching the children over and over and over again, but the fruit ... the fruit that that investment is now bearing is so incredibly worth it, I have to tell you. I want to encourage you today that wherever your family is, whatever is going on, whatever dysfunction you perceive will absolutely prevent you from building a godly family, I want to encourage you that the Word of God is true. That when we begin to honour God and to fear God and we step out and we say, “I am believing God for a godly family,” I got to tell you, the Spirit of God will come in power. He will show us what to do. He will show us what to say. He will show us how to live and it might take a while, but I have to tell you, my God and your God – that God is about building a godly family.
——Your Daily Portion Sabbath School Lesson with LD “The Anomaly” Harris (L. David Harris)——Get the YDP Life Application Guide for the JUL., AUG., & SEPT. 2025's Lesson titled, “Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land.” https://amzn.to/3ZyOb8HBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-daily-portion-with-l-david-harris--2912188/support.
Happy Labor Day Weekend! I hope that this first set from the 2nd night of a 3 night Rex Benefit run at the Greek Theater is a great start to your holiday! This is a fine recording of the band during one of their more interesting periods. 'Cold Rain and Snow' is always a great opener and I loved the 'Row Jimmy';. I even found the Minglewood to be quite good... and the first set Victim is unusual and goes into a very nice 'Bird Song'. The second set which we'll hear next week is more improvisational, but I hope you enjoy this fine first set.. Grateful Dead Greek Theatre - University of California Berkeley, CA 8/18/1989 - Friday One Cold Rain And Snow [6:11] New Minglewood Blues [7:21] Row Jimmy [9:07] When I Paint My Masterpiece [5:02] Built To Last [4:39] Victim Or The Crime [6:01] Bird Song [11:23] The Promised Land [4:23] You can listen to this week's Deadpod here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/deadshow/deadpod082925.mp3 I hope you have a safe and fun holiday... thanks so much for your support!
Zibby chats with author Rachel Cockerell about her dazzling, eclectic, genre-bending new book, MELTING POINT: Family, Memory, and the Search for a Promised Land. Blending family memoir with forgotten chapters of Jewish history, Rachel uncovers the extraordinary life of her great-grandfather, the early debates within Zionism, and the little-known Galveston Plan to resettle Jewish immigrants in Texas. She explains her innovative method of weaving together primary sources to create a vivid, novel-like narrative, and reflects on themes of assimilation, identity, and historical memory.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4lAp4ubShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!JOIN ME! I'm hosting four events on September 19, 25th and 30th in NYC and on October 4th in Greenwich, CT. Get your tickets here! (Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
——Your Daily Portion Sabbath School Lesson with LD “The Anomaly” Harris (L. David Harris)——Get the YDP Life Application Guide for the JUL., AUG., & SEPT. 2025's Lesson titled, “Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land.” https://amzn.to/3ZyOb8HBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-daily-portion-with-l-david-harris--2912188/support.
In our hymn study this weekend we look at a famous hymn by Welsh hymn writer, William Williams. Williams was known as the "Watts of Wales" comparing him to Isaac Watts of England. In this hymn Williams uses the history of God's Old Testament people as an analogy for our earthly lives. He uses historical accounts of the Manna God provided from heaven for the Israelites, the pillar of cloud and fire, the water that God brought forth out of a rock, and finally the crossing of the Jordan river into the Promised Land of Canaan as illustrations of God's guiding and protecting hand in our lives today. Just as the Children of Israel were strangers in the wilderness, looking ahead to the Promised land of Canaan, so we are also strangers in this world of sin, looking ahead to the Promised Land of Heaven. Our prayer is that God would guide us, defend and protect us and feed and nurture us both physically and spiritually throughout our earthly lives, until He finally brings us across the river of physical death and delivers us into His eternal kingdom. May the LORD enrich our understanding of His word and cause us to appreciate His presence in our lives and His defeat of death in Christ, which gives us confidence in our eternal future!
What is the Valley of Dry Bones and Gog and Magog? In today's episode, Emma Dotter and faithful Watermark member Matt Moss discuss God's works of renewal observed in Ezekiel 35-38 and how He breathes life into the Israelites as they enter the Promised Land once again.Additional Scripture:John 15:5 – “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”1 Thessalonians 5:19 – “Do not quench the Spirit.”Additional Links:Have questions? Check out Watermark's Great Questions ministry!https://www.watermark.org/ministries/great-questionsYou can also check out the Join The Journey Jr. Podcast: Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/join-the-journey-junior/id1660089898Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6SG7aaE1ZjjFkgB34G8zp3?si=c960a63736904665Check out the Join The Journey Website for today's devotional and more resources!https://www.jointhejourney.com/Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Watermark-Community-Church/author/B0BRYP5MQK?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1755623322&sr=8-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=8aeeec3b-6c1c-416d-87ae-5dfbbb6981dfCheck out the study sheet for the book of Ezekiel: https://assets.ctfassets.net/t8fa2ob1jrlx/1nfYhjBL8GoghOiWIQ8idp/72e3e691a949f1ca64db8f43b2a07eda/26-Ezekiel-Study-Sheet.pdf
Joshua 1:6-8 NLT“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.For those who love God, for those who follow Christ, the way to reach the life goals that God created us to attain is only through Him—His way, His will, and His Word. To become everything He planned for us when He formed us in our mother's wombs.When God spoke to Joshua on behalf of the people of Israel about moving to the Promised Land, He twice said to “be strong and courageous,” and then to be very careful to follow His Word. Then they would prosper and succeed. The same is true for us today. Follow God's way, His will, and His Word, which in today's culture, will take being strong and courageous.Listen once again to this rephrasing of today's passage, this time for the Message Bible:Strength! Courage! Give it everything you have, heart and soul… Don't get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you're going. And don't for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed.” (from Joshua 1:6-8) It is clear in this passage how important it is to Study and Meditate on God's word to be successful. The path to success and achieving goals for the believer only comes through an uncompromising path through His Word.Let's pray: “Father God, please give me a hunger for Your Word, a desire to study Your Book, to meditate on it, and be careful to obey what You tell me. As above, so below.”
——Your Daily Portion Sabbath School Lesson with LD “The Anomaly” Harris (L. David Harris)——Get the YDP Life Application Guide for the JUL., AUG., & SEPT. 2025's Lesson titled, “Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land.” https://amzn.to/3ZyOb8HBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-daily-portion-with-l-david-harris--2912188/support.
Joshua was a man of courage and faith. Unlike those around him, he didn't see challenges as obstacles to fear, but as opportunities for God to display His power and faithfulness. Because of his obedience and trust, Joshua led the people of Israel into the Promised Land and witnessed the miraculous.In this Sunday sermon, we'll explore Joshua's bold example and discover how his story can encourage us to live with the same faith-filled courage today. When we trust God in the face of challenges, we too can experience His presence, promises, and power in our lives.
This message uncovers how Samuel—standing between God and a people who had rejected divine leadership—prefigured Christ's ultimate mediatorial role.The heart of intercession beats powerfully in Samuel's declaration: "God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you." This commitment to persistent prayer and teaching "the good and right way" reveals the eternal nature of Christ's intercession for believers.Through Isaiah's prophetic lens, we discover Jesus hidden in the symbolic names and imagery. Eliakim ("God raises") and the "nail fastened in a sure place" point to Christ's unique ministry and sacrifice. When God searched the earth for an intercessor and found none, "His own arm brought salvation"—He himself entered human history to accomplish what no mere human could.This message illuminates Christ's two-fold ministry: first coming in righteousness to save the unrighteous, then returning to execute judgment. Just as Israel was delivered from Egypt before taking the Promised Land, Christ established salvation before his eventual return to establish justice.Most powerfully, we see how God's covenant extends through generations—His Spirit and words remaining in the mouths of believers and their spiritual offspring. The promise is "for you and for your children and all that are afar off," creating an unbroken chain of faith through time.Discover how these interconnected prophecies reveal the magnificent continuity of God's redemptive plan—a plan that began before creation and continues to unfold through Christ's body today. "Message Our Father's Heart a Question or Response"Support the showThank you so much for listening and sharing with others! We would very much appreciate you continuing to FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE, and LIKE us through any of the following platforms:Substack: https://ourfathersheart.substack.com/Website: ourfathersheart.orgPodcast: https://ourfathersheart.buzzsprout.com/shareTwitter: https://twitter.com/@ofathersheart Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ofathersheartYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ourfathersheartMay God bless you and make you prosperous in Him as you listen and obey His voice!
——Your Daily Portion Sabbath School Lesson with LD “The Anomaly” Harris (L. David Harris)——Get the YDP Life Application Guide for the JUL., AUG., & SEPT. 2025's Lesson titled, “Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land.” https://amzn.to/3ZyOb8HBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-daily-portion-with-l-david-harris--2912188/support.
Man-Child and Bride Throne (audio) David Eells 8/27/25 Please be patient as I lay a little foundation for anyone who may be new to this. Jesus laid down His physical body, not only to take on glorified body, but also in order to take on a spiritual, corporate body through His Word abiding in the saints. The Man-child is a corporate body within the Church, which will be the firstfruits in whom the full Word is manifested. Like Mary, each believer has the seed of Jesus, the Word of God, growing in him as a baby in the womb of his heart. As in the parable of the Sower, when the seed of the Word is sown in good ground, it will bring forth the fruit of Christ, 30-, 60- and 100-fold. As the inner, spiritual man grows in the image of Jesus, the outer, carnal man is dying. (2Co.4:16) Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. The resurrection life of Christ is being manifested in us through death to self (Philippians 3:10-15). As we are united with Christ in His death, we, too, travail over our death to this world. Jesus tells us that this sorrow of travailing in death to self would give way to the joy of bringing forth the life of Jesus: (Joh.16:20) Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. (21) A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world. Jesus' disciples were likened to a woman in travail who brings forth the man-child in the image of Jesus in Revelation 12. Verse (22) And ye therefore now have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you. He will see us again first in the Revelation 12 Man-child body of reformers. Just as Christ was the firstfruits in His time, the end-time Man-child is the firstfruits of those who manifest Christ after a time of apostasy (falling away). Seeing this full manifestation of "Christ in you" as already accomplished at the cross brings power from God to manifest it in the natural, which we do by faith as it says in (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. Paul tells us that Jesus comes in our mortal flesh, not glorified bodies. (2Co.4:10) Always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. (11) For we who live are always delivered unto death (to self) for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (Gal.4:19) My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you. Through death to self, we no longer live, but Christ lives in us and does His work through us. (Gal.2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, [the faith] which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. God is raising up a corporate Man-child of spiritual Davids in these days, and they will lead the Bride; they will be the head of the Bride to bring them to maturity. We know that Jerusalem is the Bride, according to Revelation. The firstfruits of Christ coming to be manifested in His people is the David Man-child ministry. We read in (Luk.1:32) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. 33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. This is of course, Jesus but it is also Jesus in the Man-child as history repeats on a larger scale. What many do not know is that David's throne was the throne of God that Jesus, and now Jesus in the Man-child, is caught up to. (2Ch.9:8) Blessed be the Lord thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do justice and righteousness. Notice that the throne of God was for the purpose of ruling over His people on earth, just as David and Jesus did and will do again. This is not a carnal king or a carnal throne. This is not going to be anybody glorifying flesh here; this is going to be the Lord, once again, coming in humble flesh in order to do His work and to be the spiritual leader over His people. He is the one in whom the Son of God lives. That spiritual David will be sitting upon God's throne on earth. He said, He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I overcame, and sat down with my Father in His throne (Rev.3:21). Jesus overcame and He sat down on the throne of God, which, once again, is an earthly but spiritual place of authority. He is coming in us; He's coming in a firstfruits to rule and to reign, to lead God's people back to the ways of righteousness, to rebuild the tabernacle of David and the kingdom of David. John wrote of this Man-child and throne long after Jesus' ministry. (Rev 4:1)...Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter. So this was not about Jesus physically but about Him in the Man-child body. (Rev.12:5) And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. (6) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they (the Man-child company) may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days. The firstfruits Man-child company will be caught up to the throne of God to minister to the Church in the wilderness for 3 ½ years as Jesus did and history repeats. This throne represents Jesus exercising His authority on earth through the Man-child body filled with His Word and Spirit. He said to His disciples, "As the Father hath sent me so send I you" (Joh.20:21); and "What things soever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Mat.18:18); and "He that receiveth you receiveth Me" (Mat.10:40). Of course, no one will ever sit on the throne but "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col.1:27), for it is always He who rules in the heart and head of His Body that is to be the Word made flesh. The kingdom of David will be restored, as it was in Jesus' day and in our day. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations (Gentiles) shall be gathered unto it, to the Name of the Lord, to Jerusalem (Jer.3:17). Notice that Jerusalem represents the Name of the Lord. The word for "name" means the "nature, character and authority" of the Lord. So, we see a throne within a throne. We see David's throne in Jerusalem but we see all of Jerusalem as the throne and also the Bride. God is restoring the type of the kingdom of David. He's restoring the Bride and He's restoring the Bridegroom. Yet again ... the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride (Jer.33:10-11) will be heard in spiritual, heavenly Jerusalem. Now I have a few revelations to share that relate to those who will be chosen to this position of the throne of the Man-child and the Bride. Anointed Ministries Lead in Tribulation M.C. - 04/08/2011 (David's notes in red) The setting seemed to be dusk, but with enough lighting so I could see. (Dusk is that time between day and night, indicating here a transition into darkness.) On the road there were many troop trucks with no canopies filled with UBMers who were standing, waiting to be taken to a major event. (Having no canopies represents the Son shining in. UBM ministry with its people are getting ready, in the light of the Son, and in position for the spiritual battle with the beast, harlot, earthquakes, economic fall, tribulation, persecution, sickness, demons, etc.) I've tried very hard to remember the event, but I haven't been able to remember it yet. (You don't remember it because it will not be revealed beforehand. Nobody except God knows the specifics of what is coming, but everyone will be given specific personal direction when the time comes.) I wasn't yet, or at least I didn't feel, qualified to be in the trucks. (This is reflecting what probably most of us feel like in our present state -- not worthy and not quite ready yet to be marching on as peaceful warriors and anointed saints of God.) Everyone had been waiting for a long time. (We have been waiting for a long time because God is warning, and cleaning out the factious, and getting the elect ready as the time draws near.) All of a sudden, David said, "OK, it's time to go!" (David leading the troops represents the anointed Man-child ministry on a global level, leading the saints, including UBM, into the wilderness tribulation, like Moses and Jesus did.) So we all piled into his open-top army jeep, which was somewhere at the back of the convoy and we sped off past all the troop trucks. (The top open represents the Davids' unhindered communication with the Father. The jeep speeding past all the troops represents the David/Man-child ministries' leadership of the Church becoming stronger, as it was in Jesus' day. Those who were in the jeep but not driving could be the bride and witnesses who will receive the same anointing.) It was a very exciting moment. We roared past the first truck at the front of the convoy and headed into the dark tunnel ahead (which is the tribulation ahead). David waved his hand and called out jovially to the convoy, "The first shall be last and the last shall be first!" (We are seeing here the fulfillment of prophecies and the promises of God coming true. After having been last for so long, the David ministries shall now be first to lead the battle in tribulation). If I remember right, the tunnel was fairly short at the beginning of the trip. I suddenly realized that I was in his jeep but should have been in the last truck, if at all. (This represents all the believers who are "poor in spirit" and don't think highly of themselves and don't believe they deserve this privilege of being in the Man-child or Bride companies. Yet they shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and be in the firstfruits.) I was very embarrassed and turned around in my seat, trying to face the convoy, putting my hands together in a gesture, and asking for forgiveness for getting ahead of where I should have been in the lineup and yelled, "Please forgive me!" (Their natural humility shows they did not feel they earned this position. But we are accounted worthy through our faith that it is ours by grace.) Then I turned back around in my seat and just started to cry. (This could be weeping for joy and gratitude for such grace and anointing flowing to us freely from the Lord.) I think we were all very happy to be finally headed toward the destination. The darkness of the tunnel didn't seem to matter. (The first job of the anointed David ministries is to secure Jerusalem, the Bride, from the old man of the land, as it says in 1 Chr.11:3-5 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of Jehovah by Samuel. 4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (the same is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there. 5 And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come in hither. Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David.) The Bride's Throne Authority Amos Scaggs - 04/17/2010 (David's notes in red) In a dream, there was a young woman. (Representing the Bride, who will sit in the throne of authority with the King) A man looking up at her was questioning how she got to the control room (God's throne room), which was visible but not easily accessible. (The way is straight and narrow and is visible in the Word but one must be faithful and dedicated in order to access it.) She said there was really nothing to it because she worked outside of the control room and had been there many times. (The dedicated ones have been working under the authority of the throne room of God.) (And this was to permanently attain to be a pillar in the temple of the Philadelphia Bride and to go out no more as in Rev.3:12.) The young woman climbed up a tall and very dangerous set of scaffoldings where the steps and handholds had to be precise to get to the control room. The man (who represents the false, corporate leadership) was invited to follow her but the way appeared too shaky and unstable for him. (It is impossible for the apostate leadership to exercise God's true authority, for they are unstable and double-minded and without the renewed mind. They cannot walk in heavenly places any more than the Pharisees could.) The man went around to the back where he found a set of steps that wasn't as steep as the ladder the woman had climbed. (Joh.10:1 ... He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. They don't come through the door Who is Christ, the Word.) He climbed to the top but couldn't keep up with the woman and lost track of her. On the way he met friendly people working with old equipment (representing inefficient, traditional ways). All the man found were dead-end rooms and people causing him to lose direction and sight of the young woman. ("Babylon" means "confusion". Their authority rests on religious degrees and titles. Jesus, Who is the Word, is the WAY. Only "he that overcometh" will sit with Jesus in His throne.) The man never found the control room where the young woman went. (You will never find the throne room of God's authority using traditional methods. There is a Bride emerging who sees and lives more of God than the old, antiquated and apostate church.) Death and Resurrection to the Throne Eve Brast - 12/16-17/15 (David's notes in red) Dream snippet I dreamed I was high above the ground, looking at a city neighborhood. Suddenly, everything began to shake. (These quakes are foreshadowed by the ones at Jesus' death and resurrection, which bring the same results to the Man-child reformer ministries, and will shake much of the population.) After the shaking ended, it seemed like everyone (of us) was relieved of some sort of burden. (The quakes will bring the resurrection life and anointing to the Man-child with miracles and a time of grace, safety, and reward to the Bride. Then the Church will enter the wilderness tribulation and deliverance from the burdens that the Israelites bore, slaving for the Egyptians, representing their old man. This would include deliverance from the financial burdens since the Egyptians were plundered of their wealth.) Some time passed as I watched children swinging and everything being peaceful, then I heard in my spirit, "After three days". (When Jesus died as a type of the Man-child's spiritual death, "after three days" came the resurrection and the "great earthquake" which we believe is the New Madrid quakes.) Once this was said, chaos among the people broke out everywhere and they were stealing and killing people and running around in a panic to survive. (This literally happened when the Egyptians lost their DS army at the Red Sea. After the reality of the quakes and financial shaking sets in, like "after three days", there would be great fear and panic, with survival instinct bringing out the worst in the lost. Martial law would bring bondage for those whose faith is in the Beast instead of Jesus. There was a shaking when Jesus died and then after three days, there was another great shaking when He arose. Mat.27:54 Now the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake (at His death), and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. And in Mat.28:2 And behold, there was a great earthquake (three days later at His resurrection); for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. Then there would be an empty grave for the Man-child, as we then see in the dream. Then I saw men digging up an old grave site. They were digging in red dirt and when they reached the bottom of the grave, they were amazed that it was empty. There wasn't even a coffin. (Reminiscent of Jesus, the Man-child, not being in the grave when they went to see.) This was a huge revelation to them and they went to look for David. They had many questions about this. (The spiritual resurrection of the Man-child will be a huge revelation. Then the people would be looking for the David/Man-child ministers after their death and resurrection to the throne, anointing would have been completed. Their many questions could be answered then by Jesus manifested in the anointed Man-child ministry.) This is all I remember from this dream. Dream - 12/17/15 I dreamed that David had just raised a man from the dead. (Because the Man-child Jesus resurrected Lazarus, many were coming to the Lord, so the chief priests decided to kill Jesus and Lazarus.) Everyone at UBM was excited and we knew it was time for "the feast". (The feast shortly after Lazarus' resurrection was Passover, which represented that the Man-child was crucified and there would be a Passover of judgment on the believers.) We all gathered on the upper floor of David's house and were setting up a very long rectangular table with a white tablecloth. (This table was for the Last Supper, the Passover: Luk.22:11 And ye shall say unto the master of the house, The Teacher saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And three days after the Passover was the resurrection of Jesus and His catching up to the throne, as a type of the beginning of the ministry of the Man-child of Revelation 12.) (Then we see this Passover beginning.) My oldest son, Noah, was nine years old again in this dream and he was demonized, so I brought him to David and he cast the demons out of Noah, who was completely restored. I was so glad to have my son restored to me! And I was just praising the Lord. (The people of God who dwell in the ark of Christ have a Passover covenant right to deliverance of every sort. When Jesus started His ministry, He began to deliver the people of God, as He said in Mat.15:24 But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.) After the Passover feast, I was walking with my sons out to the parking lot. (A place of rest from man's works for vehicles of faith, which we are.) This was outside David's house because we were all going to the ocean. (This represents evangelism, the Great Commission, to the peoples, nations and tongues of those Christians under the Harlot: Rev.17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.) There was a long RV parked illegally in David's parking lot. (This is a dual prophecy. Those resting in the flesh, as an RV or recreational vehicle, during the harvest are not in the rest of God and should not be in the parking lot that is for vehicles at rest from their own works. Also, we are expecting an RV, a revaluation, which will put us to work in the harvest and should not be resting in the flesh.) As I walked by it, I saw a fierce tiger painted on the RV's side. (I'm reminded of the term "paper tigers.") (Another dual prophecy. The faction fighting against the Man-child is a paper tiger with no authority or power with God. Whereas the Man-child driver of this RV is described like a tiger in Isa 11:4 ...shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.) As I passed by the open door of the RV, a painter who was an enemy of David's was mixing up some paint. (The factious leadership misrepresents the Man-child reformers through character assassination and would like to paint over the tiger. They disregard the authority and power of the tiger to their own undoing.) He turned to me and complained that we (UBM members) were all parking in front of his "NO PARKING" signs that he had placed all over the parking lot. (They think they have the power to bind or forbid the righteous. Like the faction against Jesus where Judas was a thief, so is the faction against the Man-child Davids of our day. They are Judas thieves claiming what is not theirs. Joh.10:10 The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. And in Joh.12:6 Now this he said, not because he cared for the poor; but because he [Judas] was a thief, and having the bag took away what was put therein. I told him that he was the one illegally parked and that he had no right to be there. He said, "Well, there is my father over there; you need to talk to him!" Jesus told the Pharisees in Joh.8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. So I went over and started talking to his "father". He started to repeat what his son had told me. But I refuted him at every turn and he became nervous and quickly began to leave the property. (The Bride is therefore subject to God as in Jas.4:7 Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. The Bride has the real authority of the Lord due to holiness. Luk.10:19 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 next thing I remember, I was at the ocean with David and Michael and all the UBM members. We were swimming in the ocean and ministering to the people there. (Obeying the Great Commission by Evangelizing the lost sheep under the Harlot.) There was a dividing wall under the ocean water in the area that we were swimming in and David and Michael were near that underwater wall up to their necks. (The underwater wall represents the sanctification or division between the elect who will come to the Lord and the other side who will not.) I saw Lexi playing with and tossing a ball in the water with David. (Lexi means "protector of mankind.") Everyone was very joyous. (Because the revival had begun.) This is all I remember. Verse given on 12/17/15 and dreams Psa.18:3 I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies. Please read the whole chapter! It really goes with the dreams. :O) Verse 1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David (representing the David/Man-child company of Revelation 12) the servant of Jehovah, who spake unto Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul (The apostate leadership that died at the hands of their old man of the land as David became king): and he said, I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength. 2 Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. 3 I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies. (The Dragon of Revelation 12 will fail to devour the Man-child and Woman, by God's grace.) 4 The cords of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 5 The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me. 6 In my distress I called upon Jehovah, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry before him came into his ears. 7 Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations also of the mountains quaked And were shaken (Major earthquakes are coming when the Lord visits in the Man-child company.), because he was wroth. 8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it. 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down (the visitation of the Lord); And thick darkness was under his feet. 10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his hiding-place (a visitation of the Lord, hidden in the Man-child ministry), his pavilion round about him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire. (A judgment through Moses the Man-child to set God's people free from the beast of that day symbolizing our day.. Exo 9:24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.) 13 Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice, Hailstones and coals of fire. 14 And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them (As He has told us of the faction, like the Sennacherib scenario and Joel's northern army being scattered.); Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them. 15 Then the channels of waters appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare, At thy rebuke, O Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. (He is coming with the earthquakes when the evil foundations of the beast are becoming known as today.) 16 He sent from on high, he took me (David Man-child is taken to the throne); He drew me out of many waters. 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from them that hated me (The factions against the Man-child, as the Dragon, fails to devour him when he goes to the throne of David in Rev12:4-5. When Jesus went to the throne, He had complete dominion over the Sanhedrin faction and delivered them to the Roman Beast.); For they were too mighty for me. 18 They came upon me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay. 19 He brought me forth also into a large place (An hour ago I got by faith at random in 2Sa 22:18-20, which is this same Psalm text. What a confirmation! The large place here is freedom of the Man-child to do his works in the Promised Land); He delivered me, because he delighted in me. 20 Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not wickedly departed from my God. (The Davids who walk righteously, even in the trials of Saul's persecution, will rule. The Son of God who dwelt in the son of David, the Man-child, said in Mat.21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; This was from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes? 1Pe.2:7 For you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner. Throughout the history of the Bible, the faction has rejected God's ordained leadership, who was given authority to judge them.) 22 For all his ordinances were before me, And I put not away his statutes from me. 23 I was also perfect with him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity. 24 Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. 25 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; With the perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect; 26 With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward. 27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; But the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down. 28 For thou wilt light my lamp: Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness. (Jesus manifested in the David Man-child reformers will give him authority over all our enemies and supernatural ability, as we will see.) 29 For by thee I run upon a troop; And by my God do I leap over a wall. 30 As for God, his way is perfect: The word of Jehovah is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him. 31 For who is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, besides our God, 32 The God that girdeth me with strength, And maketh my way perfect? 33 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: And setteth me upon my high places. 34 He teacheth my hands to war; So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass. 35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; And thy right hand hath holden me up, And thy gentleness hath made me great. 36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped. 37 I will pursue mine enemies, and overtake them; Neither will I turn again till they are consumed. 38 I will smite them through, so that they shall not be able to rise: They shall fall under my feet. 39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. 40 Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me. 41 They cried, but there was none to save; Even unto Jehovah, but he answered them not. 42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets. 43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; Thou hast made me the head of the nations: A people whom I have not known shall serve me. 44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me; The foreigners shall submit themselves unto me. 45 The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places. 46 Jehovah liveth; And blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation, 47 Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, And subdueth peoples under me. 48 He rescueth me from mine enemies; Yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man. 49 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing praises unto thy name. 50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, for evermore. Man-child Given Throne Dominion to Minister Cathy D's Vision 1998 (David's notes in Red) Cathy came to us and she was new to our teachings on these things, and reported that she had seen in a vision that some people were being taken from the earth by beams of light that came down and gripped them by their heads and drew them up into Heaven. She said that the Lord spoke and said "that these people had the secret of planting corn, the pure seeds". She said that in her vision, she was standing in the shadow of a building when she saw this. This is about the man-child being caught up to the throne of God, as Revelation 12 says, to receive anointing and dominion to minister on earth what they know of the true seed of God's Word. These, as reformers, are going to replace the apostate ministry in the heart of the true Church like Jesus, Moses, Joseph, etc., did. The building Cathy saw was the traditional Church which she saw spiritually standing in the shadow of at the time. As Jesus was a man-child on the spiritual throne of David to feed the woman, Israel, in her wilderness for 3 ½ years before the great persecution, so the end-time Man-child company in whom Jesus lives will feed spiritual, New Testament Israel, the Church, for 3 ½ years before their persecution. Rev.12:5 And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days (3 ½ years).
We're all waiting for a breakthrough of some kind. And all too often, in that time-in-between, we forget who God is. We forget what He's like. But if we forget who God is, we’ll forget who we are. On the next Equipped, guest host Susie Larson will explore the Israelites' journey out of slavery and into the Promised Land. Together, we'll learn how to navigate the time between the promise and the Promised Land. Featured resource:Closer Than Your Next Breath: Where Is God When You Need Him Most? by Susie Larson August thank you gift:The Quiet Time Kickstart by Rachel Jones Equipped with Chris Brooks is made possible through your support. To donate now, click here.
This message is a preview of the book of Joshua, showing how its ancient story of leadership, promise, opposition, and obedience mirrors our spiritual journey today. Just as Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land, Jesus leads us into the abundant life God has promised. But walking in that promise requires faith, obedience, and trust in God's Word. This series will explore how we, like Israel, are called to step boldly into all that God has for us.
——Your Daily Portion Sabbath School Lesson with LD “The Anomaly” Harris (L. David Harris)——Get the YDP Life Application Guide for the JUL., AUG., & SEPT. 2025's Lesson titled, “Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land.” https://amzn.to/3ZyOb8HBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-daily-portion-with-l-david-harris--2912188/support.
There's a 7-Eleven store owner in Texas who won my respect some years ago. Never met the man, but I really respect his creativity. He had this particular problem every night in his parking lot. A bunch of teenagers would gather there and their rock music would blare from their cars and then they kind of took over their neighborhood with decibels. And when they left, they'd leave a trail of litter and broken bottles. Now, he could have gone out in the parking lot and yelled and screamed, and said, "You crazy kids, get out of here!" But he was much more creative and effective than that. He installed his own speakers on the roof of his store and started playing Mozart in the parking lot at night. His speakers were so big he was drowning out their speakers. I'll bet you could guess and guess correctly what happened! No more teenagers in the parking lot! They're not going to go near that Mozart stuff. His music cleared the parking lot. Now, that's a great way to win. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Drowning Out the Disturbing Music." Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Deuteronomy 6. It is addressed to parents who have just moved out of the wilderness. They're moving into the Promised Land of Canaan, but it's a pagan place. They've been raising their children around people who believe what they believe. Now, they're going to have to raise their children in a pagan culture, a pleasure-mad, godless environment. There's going to be a lot of temptation for their kids, and the children will be hearing the siren song of Canaan blasting through the neighborhood. How do parents deal with all these pagan influences? It sounds like the atmosphere in which we're raising our kids, doesn't it? Do you go out and yell and scream against all the sin? That might not be the best approach. Deuteronomy 6, beginning with verse 6: "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Seems like the strategy that God suggests here is to drown out the music of a godless earth with the music of a Christ-centered home. You can create in your family an island of sanity in an otherwise insane world. We hear all the appealing voices and temptations of a sinful culture, and oftentimes we act like we're afraid of that as if they really have something to offer. We cloister our kids; we try to pretend there is no other music. But God says in essence, "You can't stop the world from playing its alluring attractions for your children, but you can play the music of Jesus louder. How do you do that? Impress His teachings on your children. It doesn't just say tell them or teach them. It says to impress them. Now, if you want to make an impression on something physically, you've got to be right next to it, in touch with it. That's how you impress something. Well, see, this is close-up time! It's not just teaching Christian answers; it's spending lots of that close-up time with them. It's interweaving God talk and God values into their everyday activities. Wrapping them in your God stories. The best place to learn about Him, to see the reality of your faith is in the classroom of everyday life. It's debriefing your child daily from their venture into the world. The greater impression is when they see you loving Jesus, enjoying Jesus, meeting with Jesus yourself. Not so much pushing Jesus - enjoying Him; a spontaneous faith treats Jesus like the unseen member of our family; the decisive person in all the things that matter to you. The world can't play music like that, so don't waste a lot of time trying to fight the world's blaring music. Just play Jesus' song louder, with a living faith in your family.
As Israel gains ground in the Promised Land, the surrounding nations grow desperate. In Joshua 9, the Gibeonites use deception to secure a treaty with Israel—and God's people are caught off guard because they fail to seek God's direction. On this episode of the Bible Savvy Podcast, the team unpacks what this story reveals about … Continue reading "Bible Savvy Podcast | S5 Episode 49: Joshua 9"
——Your Daily Portion Sabbath School Lesson with LD “The Anomaly” Harris (L. David Harris)——Get the YDP Life Application Guide for the JUL., AUG., & SEPT. 2025's Lesson titled, “Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land.” https://amzn.to/3ZyOb8HBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-daily-portion-with-l-david-harris--2912188/support.
Are children guilty for the sins of their parents? This age-old question has challenged believers for centuries, and Ezekiel 18 provides a fascinating window into God's perspective on personal responsibility, generational consequences, and divine justice.The exiled Israelites had adopted a fatalistic proverb: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." They were essentially claiming their suffering in Babylon resulted from their ancestors' sins rather than their own disobedience. God directly confronts this excuse, systematically dismantling it through a series of powerful examples involving three generations.What makes this passage particularly intriguing is how it seems to contradict other biblical teachings about generational consequences and original sin. However, when we understand the proper context—that Ezekiel is specifically addressing Israel's physical presence in the Promised Land rather than eternal salvation—the apparent contradiction dissolves. The life and death mentioned throughout the chapter refer to prosperity in the land, not spiritual salvation.God's message through Ezekiel reveals His consistent character—He judges each person according to their own actions while maintaining His covenant promises. The chapter builds to a beautiful crescendo with God's heartfelt appeal: "I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies...therefore, repent and live." This invitation culminates in the promise of "a new heart and a new spirit," foreshadowing the new covenant that would later be fulfilled through Christ.Through our verse-by-verse analysis, we explore how this theological question impacts our understanding of divine justice, personal accountability, and God's redemptive plan. Whether you're wrestling with questions about generational patterns, divine fairness, or the path to restoration, this episode offers biblical clarity on one of scripture's most profound teachings about God's character and our relationship with Him.Support the showThank you for listening!! Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve
God often leads us through wilderness seasons not as punishment, but as preparation for what lies ahead. In these difficult times, God refines our desires, reveals our dependence on Him, and releases us to our calling. Just as He led the Israelites through the desert rather than directly to the Promised Land, God sometimes takes us on the scenic route to prepare our hearts. Jesus Himself experienced the wilderness before beginning His ministry, emerging with power and clarity of purpose. When facing our own wilderness experiences, we should not rush through them, but stay rooted in Scripture and watch expectantly for God's provision.
In this sermon, pastor Ron Jones gives us help and counsel for when we feel like we are stuck in the wilderness. Learn more in this sermon preached to Hillside Baptist Church in Eastman, GA on 8/24/25. www.hillsideeastman.com
Ever feel like your life is made up of random pieces that don't quite fit?In this episode, I read an excerpt from A Promised Land by Barack Obama that beautifully captures the feeling of not belonging. Of being everywhere and nowhere at once.I reflect on what it means to "tinker" with our lives, gather the pieces, and trust that even if we don't have all the answers now, they'll make sense in time.If you've ever wrestled with uncertainty about your purpose or your path, this one's for you.Got a favorite quote or book that's spoken to you deeply?Email me at thedrivenintrovert@shepact.com. I'd love to hear about it.Contact Us Ask a question or leave a comment, visit shepact.com/voicemail Follow me on Instagram at instagram.com/remiroy Email us: thedrivenintrovert@shepact.com Enjoying the podcast? Share the podcast with a friend: shepact.com/TDIPodcast Leave a review: We'd appreciate it if you could WRITE a review for us. Your support and feedback mean a lot to us. Thank you!
Exodus 33:1-34:35 // Nathan MillerThis sermon examines a pivotal moment after the golden calf incident, where Moses seeks assurance of God's presence with the Israelites as they journey to the promised land. We will explore the profound dialogue between God and Moses, the revelation of God's glory, and the act of rewriting the Ten Commandments, signifying the restoration of the covenantal relationship.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49479624PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2542/responses/new25.08.24
Exodus 33:1-34:35 // Brooks NesseThis sermon examines a pivotal moment after the golden calf incident, where Moses seeks assurance of God's presence with the Israelites as they journey to the promised land. We will explore the profound dialogue between God and Moses, the revelation of God's glory, and the act of rewriting the Ten Commandments, signifying the restoration of the covenantal relationship.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49479625PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2509/responses/new25.08.24
——Your Daily Portion Sabbath School Lesson with LD “The Anomaly” Harris (L. David Harris)——Get the YDP Life Application Guide for the JUL., AUG., & SEPT. 2025's Lesson titled, “Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land.” https://amzn.to/3ZyOb8HBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-daily-portion-with-l-david-harris--2912188/support.
In this powerful message, we're challenged to transform our lives by aligning our internal image with God's Word. The key scripture, Proverbs 23:7, reminds us that 'as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.' This profound truth unveils the importance of our self-perception and its impact on our faith journey. We're encouraged to break free from limiting beliefs and embrace the identity God has given us. The story of Caleb and Joshua facing giants in the Promised Land serves as a poignant metaphor for overcoming our own mental 'giants' - the fears and doubts that hold us back. By renewing our minds with Scripture and seeing ourselves as God sees us, we can accelerate our spiritual growth and step into the abundant life He has promised. This message invites us to examine our inner dialogue, replace negative self-talk with God's truths, and courageously pursue the dreams He has placed in our hearts. Welcome to Relevant Church Live, the online campus of Relevant Church located in Daytona Beach, Florida. We pray that through this service you find your place, reveal your purpose, and unlock your potential! We pray this message blesses you and gives you the strength you need to do and be all that God has called you to do and be! Leave a comment below letting us know how this message impacted you today, we'd love to chat with you! #RelevantChurch #Acceleration #NextLevel #Life #PastorChrisSarno #OnlineChurch #RelevantChurchDaytonaBeach #Church #ChurchOnline #RelevantChurchFlorida -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ways to Give: Text to Give: Text your amount to 386-968-1103 Online Giving: Visit our website http://www.relevantfl.org/giving to give via debit, credit, or ACH Mail It In: Send gift Via USPS to 920 Beville Rd. Daytona Beach, FL 32114 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stay Connected: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: @RelevantChurch Relevant Church Website: https://www.relevantfl.org/ Relevant Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relevant_fl/ Relevant Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RelevantFL Relevant Church TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relevant_fl Relevant Church App: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1615804850?fbclid=IwAR3aHqo_6kr8Tzd_JK6xihjfJkVk6j7-iqITDj1u1wFicDLn6g6C29gL3LY Rkidz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rkidzfl Relevant Youth Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relevantflyouth/ Relevant Church Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6nUtPIkecEehfstUWWPIVU?si=QBMEtu85SyuU3FxRM1X7lg&nd=1 Pastor Chris Sarno's Website: https://www.chrissarno.tv/ Chris Sarno App: http://www.chrissarno.tv/app -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scripture References: Proverbs 23:7 Genesis 1:26 Ephesians 1:18 Joshua 1:8 Colossians 3:10 Hebrews 11:1 Romans 4:17 Numbers 13:30-33 Matthew 18:12-14 Mark 5:25-34 Philippians 4:13 Romans 8:37 James 1:23-25 Genesis 11:1-9 2 Timothy 1:7 2 Corinthians 3:18 Romans 10:9-10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday, August 24th 2025 Pastor Chris Sarno Relevant Church Acceleration | Week 4 | Sunday, August 24th 2025 | Pastor Chris Sarno | Relevant Church
St. Paul remind us in 1 Corinthians 10 of the Israelites consistent idolatry while following God in the wilderness journey. God had released them from their bondage and delivered them to Himself. There in the wilderness He shepherded them providing all they need for the journey to the Promised Land. But their restless hearts kept wanting more, departing the Lord their God, and pursuing something other than God to find their contentment. How often we do the same. It is time that we learn to find our rest in Christ and Christ alone who has delivered us from our oppressor and provided us with everything we need for life and salvation in Himself.
Exodus 33:1-34:35 // Gabe CoyleThis sermon examines a pivotal moment after the golden calf incident, where Moses seeks assurance of God's presence with the Israelites as they journey to the promised land. We will explore the profound dialogue between God and Moses, the revelation of God's glory, and the act of rewriting the Ten Commandments, signifying the restoration of the covenantal relationship.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49479626PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2553/responses/new25.08.24
God is the hero of the story, and Ruth's story is an example.
Sermon by Pastor Daniel Coffey The post How to Live in the Promised Land (Kingdom of God) // Luke 12:22-34 first appeared on Applewood Community Church.
Exodus 33:1-34:35 // Taylor FairThis sermon examines a pivotal moment after the golden calf incident, where Moses seeks assurance of God's presence with the Israelites as they journey to the promised land. We will explore the profound dialogue between God and Moses, the revelation of God's glory, and the act of rewriting the Ten Commandments, signifying the restoration of the covenantal relationship.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49479627PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2546/responses/new25.08.24
Exodus 33:1-34:35 // Tom NelsonThis sermon examines a pivotal moment after the golden calf incident, where Moses seeks assurance of God's presence with the Israelites as they journey to the promised land. We will explore the profound dialogue between God and Moses, the revelation of God's glory, and the act of rewriting the Ten Commandments, signifying the restoration of the covenantal relationship.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49479623PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2574/responses/new25.08.24
We live in a volatile world that constantly shakes our stability. We can easily feel out of control, wondering what the future will hold. The people of Israel experienced a lot of the same issues, especially after being rescued from slavery in Egypt. There were a lot of unknowns and fear had derailed the plans to get into the Promised Land. Now, on the eve of going in and taking the land, they are reminded to be strong and courageous. But, the task of taking the land isn't based on fear, but on God's enduring faithfulness. Join us as we study the book of Joshua and see how we can trust God as He takes us from fear to faith. New service times are 9am and 11am. Join us and bring a friend!
You know something – that old saying that blood is thicker than water, it's true. There's a special bond between members of a family. Our family really does matter. And that – that's why it's time to start looking at what it means to build a godly family. Family Matters It's great! Here we are again, another week continuing our series called, "Building a Godly Family". And the reason we are doing that is because families really matter. We all imagine that out there somewhere there is a typical family – a mum, a dad, two point four well-adjusted children and that perfect family is living out a perfect life. In fact, not just one of them, lots of them, thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of them – all these perfect families. I mean, look at them! They all look so perfect but not me, not my family: blended or dysfunctional, arguments or strife; people who haven't talked to each other for years; parents who drive their children nuts: children who just don't get it, they go off and do their own thing and leave their parents shaking their heads. You get what I'm saying, right? It feels like sometimes it's just our family that's in a mess and everyone else's has got it together. You know why? It's those happy ads on TV: selling the four wheel drives with happy, smiling kids in the back seat; selling the breakfast cereal, the ad where the sun is shining in the kitchen window and mum's pouring orange juice while the kids are sitting there smiling and eating healthy cereal. I mean, come on! Life's not like that! It's just not you, it's just not me. We all have issues in our family – ninety nine point nine percent of the people do and those who don't are kidding themselves. It varies of course. I mean, not everyone's kids are doing drugs; not every husband is beating his wife but there is no such thing as the perfect family out there ... there just isn't. So let's stop carrying around this burden that we've plonked on our heads that somehow my family doesn't measure up to what everyone else's family is doing. It's not about measuring up. In my book it's about what can I do from this day forward to build a godly family? What seeds can I sow? What plants can I water so that the fruit of a godly family will grow for all to enjoy? That's what it's about because our families matter. Let me ask you this: how much does your family matter to you? Just stop and sit back and think about that for a moment – chew it over. How much does my family mean to me? I don't know what your family looks like but it doesn't matter who we are, where we're at, how we were brought up, somehow we are all part of a family. My hunch is that it's God's plan for it to be that way – it's more than a hunch. I mean, God is three persons in one – Father, Son and Holy Spirit living in perfect community. I'm not sure that I have ever even thought of it this way, but there we have it, the first family, God Himself. The first verse in the Bible says, “In the beginning, God ...” “In the beginning, Elohim ...” literally "God's" plural. And the very first person He creates, Adam, well, have a listen to what God says about Adam. It is not good that a man should be alone. I will make a helper as his partner. (Genesis chapter 2, verse 18) And right throughout the Old Testament, what you see is that God's blessing for His people, the Israelites, is all about having two things – their own land and lots of children. We know that family is meant to be a blessing. It's a God thing, I mean, right from the beginning, God isn't just one person; He's three. Family really matters! And I know that for some people, just hearing that is going to hurt ... hurt an awful lot. Almost half of all marriages in the wealthy West end in divorce. I have friends who have lost loved ones in the ravages of war. Every day twenty five/thirty thousand children die of poverty and starvation and disease and Aids and ... so thinking about family, depending on your particular circumstances, well, you know it can hurt but the reason it hurts so much; the reason divorce is such a scourge and losing someone we love tears our insides out, the reason is this: because family truly matters. We want our family to stay intact; we want our kids to grow up strong and healthy and have a listen to what the Psalmist writes in Psalm 37, beginning at verse 35. If you have a Bible, grab it, open it up here, Psalm 37, verse 25: I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken nor their children begging bread. They are ever giving liberally and lending and their children become a blessing. See, that's God's perfect plan for our families – for us to live a good life; a righteous life and for us to be a blessing to our children and for them, then to go on and become a blessing to others. It's a story ... well it's a story that's written in our DNA. It's a story that plays itself out in our hopes and our dreams but it's a plot that we so easily loose in the busyness of a consumer oriented, entertainment oriented, credit card oriented world in which we live. Let me ask you again – out of everything in your life, everything you have, every hope, every dream, every possession, every desire – out of everything, how much does your family matter? My hunch is for most of us, the answer is a lot. Family matters an awful lot, doesn't it? And if it does, if it really does, then surely ... surely we need to invest in this thing. We need to not just talk about having a godly family but get on a build a godly family. These relationships; these people who matter more to us than any other thing on this earth – that's what we are going to be talking about this week on the programme – making that investment - getting beyond talking, getting beyond thinking, getting beyond dreaming and actually getting on and building a godly family because there is so much blessing in that – so much. Setting the Course Now so many families are in a mess – tension, strife – but all it takes is one member of that family to turn back to God; to honour God and God can and will make some awesome and mighty changes. It might take time; it might take longer than you or I would prefer, but God is a God of grace; His heart is to bless our families to a thousand generations. All He is looking for is some godly men, women and children to take a stand and say, "Enough of this. It is time for me to build a godly family." First Corinthians chapter 4, verse 20 in the Message translation says this: God's way is not a matter of mere talk, it's an empowered life. You know what I've noticed? We can talk a lot about stuff but most times nothing changes unless we actually do something and yet because we come home tired and we need a rest and we just ignore things; we just let things run – the badly behaved children, for example. There is a great proverb, it's in Proverbs chapter 29, verse 17. It says: Discipline your children and they will give you rest; they will give delight to your heart. Now you've seen it down the local supermarket, so have I – the mother with the child. The child is just grinding her down; bad behaviour; throwing tantrums and mum, she's just tired ... she's too tired to do anything. She lets this kid run riot, it causes her grief, causing everyone else around the place grief too, I might add. Why does that happen? I'll tell you why: probably because dad is too tired to discipline the child when he comes home at night so this kid walks all over his mother; she's exhausted and the kid's only seven! Wait until this little terror becomes a teenager, I mean, just wait! There is fruit in building a godly family; tremendous fruit! And what Proverbs said is: “When you discipline your children they will give you rest; they will give delight to your heart.” Peace and a delighted heart – see, what you sow, you actually reap. The problem is that sowing ... well, it's such hard work sometimes and reaping seems to be such a long way off, doesn't it? Well, let me tell you something, we have been talking about building a godly family but it ain't going to happen unless we step out in faith and start making it happen. Yes, it's about God blessing our efforts but if He's got nothing to bless, then He's got nothing to bless. We behave ourselves in to a bad place. Bad habits in families happen because we just fail to do things and we do things that are wrong that we shouldn't be doing. It's what we say, what we do, what we fail to do. We behave ourselves into that bad place and yes, we should pray, but God expects us to start behaving ourselves out of that place. He's going to bless that but we have to do our part, so Christians, do you want a godly family? A family where each family member is living out a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ; where each one is living that out in their lives? Husband and wife have this warm and intimate relationship, children are by and large honouring their parents, each family member respects, honours, understands the other. There's real blessing; God's blessing that flows into our families and out through our families when we build a godly family, but we're going to have to decide that's what we want, plan it and start living it. We are going to have to decide that some changes have to be made. This easy, comfortable, lazy existence has to change. Discipline is painful; kids don't like it much; it takes hard work and strength and perseverance but it pays dividends. So let me ask you, how much do you want to have a godly family? And if the answer is: "Absolutely, yes! I do!" then some decisions have to be made. If your family is one with a husband and a wife then it is up to the both of you. Talk and dream and decide what's important. Set priorities. Figure out "how are we going to do this together? What steps do we need to take first?" Mum and dad, you are the leaders, don't expect the kids to figure this out. And I happen to believe, actually, that ultimately, the father is responsible for the spiritual growth and nourishment and development of his family; the buck stops with you, dad. This isn't a sexist thing! So many women would give their eye teeth for their husbands to step up to the plate and take on that leadership role. So many kids would love to have parents who were not only interested in them, who spend time with them and effort, setting boundaries, enforcing the boundaries, nurturing them within the boundaries. I have to tell you, as a person, humph, I'm a natural isolationist. You know something? I so much prefer my own company, often times, to the company of other people – it's just who I am. Now, I really enjoy retreating to my own space after a hard day at the office so for me, given whom I am, getting involved with the family and the kids and listening to what happened to them at school or at work, it's just not a natural gift. But we have to start somewhere. You can't build a godly family if there's no relationship, if there is no interaction – something my wife has taught me. We are going to talk about some of the "how" a little bit later in today's programme and again next week. In fact, one of the godliest families I know; friends who live in the U.S. with mum, dad and nine kids! They have given me some of their pointers – both the parents and the kids. So we are going to have a look at those next week on the programme but right now we have to decide, each one of us, do we actually want to have a godly family? Well, do we? And if we do, what are we going to do about it? Maybe that's something you can pray about and think about and talk about at home over this coming week and we can talk some more next week on the programme, this whole thing of building a godly family. Children and Honour You know, we were talking earlier about the fact that if we want to build a godly family we have to do more than talk about it, we have to act. And I just want to talk about our children right now because one of the biggest things that rob the peace out of our homes is children who haven't learned to honour their parents and one another. Now honour is something that today's generations don't talk too much about. "Aw, we want other people to honour us", but honour, as it turns out, is a two way street and without it we simply can't have a godly family. In fact, God thinks that it is so important that in the Ten Commandments, the first four are about God and us and the very next one, the fifth Commandment is about honour in the family. Pretty amazing this whole "Ten Commandments" thing, when you think about it! Let's have a quick look – the First Commandment is in Exodus chapter 20, verse 2 and 3: I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. The Second Commandment – Exodus chapter 20, verse 4: You shall not make for yourself an idol; you shall not bow down to worship them for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. Commandment number three begins in Exodus chapter 20, verse 7: You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God for your Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. The fourth Commandment, Exodus chapter 20:8, 9 and 10: Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work but the seventh day is a Sabbath day unto the Lord your God and you shall not do any work. So the first four Commandments are: don't make any idols, don't worship anything else other than God, don't use His name badly and have a day of rest which you give to Him. So those first four Commandments are all about – in a nutshell, executive summary – honouring God. Now I'm wondering if you or I were God what would we have put down as the very next Commandment? Well, if it were me, I think murder would have been number five – I mean, you shouldn't murder people – that's really important. What could be more important than that? Don't steal; don't commit adultery, what should have been number five? What does God choose as number five? Exodus chapter 20, verse 12: Honour your father and your mother so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Ahead of murder, ahead of adultery, stealing, lying and jealousy, "honour your mum and dad"! I don't think I would have put that in the top ten – maybe in the top twenty, but certainly not in the top ten – certainly not as the very next Commandment after those that are about honouring God. Yet, where does God put it? Number five! Not only that, it is the very first Commandment to which there is a blessing attached: So that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God has given you. You know, when you become a parent you start thinking what that means is that if the kids honour the parents, the parents won't kill ‘em. Yea, well, you know, those teenage years? But that's not what it means – what it means is that God will bless someone who honours their father and their mother! Figure that out? This is really important to God. See, Israel was going in to possess the Promised Land. They would have to take it by force one day and all the Nations they took it off would try and take it back again. All the other Nations around them would try to defeat them but the blessing attached to honouring your father and mother is this: that you will own your land and you will have peace. Isn't there a message in that for a few families? Now many families are in a mess because the children have never been taught to honour their parents. I know young adult children in their twenties who live with their parents, they don't pay any board. This particular woman I know, this child is a drain on the parents' finances in their old age. They leave a mess behind, they cause pain. Why? Because these children were not taught to honour their father and their mother. You know, as a teenager, the most natural thing in the world is to treat your parents like slaves – you expect your father to be a taxi driver, you expect your mother to wash your clothes and clean up after you but there comes a point in those teenage years when the children are old enough to be taught to do some of these things, not just for themselves, but actually to do some things back for their parents. To clean up messes that they don't create, to clean toilets that not just they use so that they learn to honour the other people.
This passage continues the promise of the outpouring of the wrath of God, if the Israelites will not obey Him. Even after He has taken most of them captive, they will still shake with fear when no one is pursuing them. They will hear a leaf fall and terror will strike their hearts. They will run away stumbling over one another in their haste to flee and they will flee to countries where they will be consumed. They will continue in their fathers' sins and God will continue to judge them even after they have been forced out of the Promised Land. But if they confess their sin, then God will bring them back to the land that He gave them. If they humble themselves, He will remember His covenant with their fathers and He will bring them back to the land after it has enjoyed its Sabbaths. God will not utterly abhor them. Never think that God will ignore sin.
We live in a volatile world that constantly shakes our stability. We can easily feel out of control, wondering what the future will hold. The people of Israel experienced a lot of the same issues, especially after being rescued from slavery in Egypt. There were a lot of unknowns and fear had derailed the plans to get into the Promised Land. Now, on the eve of going in and taking the land, they are reminded to be strong and courageous. But, the task of taking the land isn't based on fear, but on God's enduring faithfulness. Join us as we study the book of Joshua and see how we can trust God as He takes us from fear to faith. New service times are 9am and 11am. Join us and bring a friend!
We live in a volatile world that constantly shakes our stability. We can easily feel out of control, wondering what the future will hold. The people of Israel experienced a lot of the same issues, especially after being rescued from slavery in Egypt. There were a lot of unknowns and fear had derailed the plans to get into the Promised Land. Now, on the eve of going in and taking the land, they are reminded to be strong and courageous. But, the task of taking the land isn't based on fear, but on God's enduring faithfulness. Join us as we study the book of Joshua and see how we can trust God as He takes us from fear to faith. New service times are 9am and 11am. Join us and bring a friend!
——Your Daily Portion Sabbath School Lesson with LD “The Anomaly” Harris (L. David Harris)——Get the YDP Life Application Guide for the JUL., AUG., & SEPT. 2025's Lesson titled, “Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land.” https://amzn.to/3ZyOb8HBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-daily-portion-with-l-david-harris--2912188/support.
——Your Daily Portion Sabbath School Lesson with LD “The Anomaly” Harris (L. David Harris)——Get the YDP Life Application Guide for the JUL., AUG., & SEPT. 2025's Lesson titled, “Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land.” https://amzn.to/3ZyOb8HBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-daily-portion-with-l-david-harris--2912188/support.
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.... Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.God's rest. Considering the hectic, busy lives you and I live that sounds like a pretty good thing to have, doesn't it? But exactly what is that rest? And how do we enter it?The third and fourth chapters of Hebrews compare God's rest with the children of Israel taking possession of the Promised Land. That land was to be a place where their every need would be met, a place of freedom from their warring enemies, a place no one would ever drive them from again. All they had to do was go in and possess it. But something kept them from it: unbelief and disobedience.As believers, we too, have the opportunity to enter a promised land of abundance and peace. A land where we can rest from our struggles and enjoy the victory of God. To enter it we must do what the children of Israel failed to do. We must simply trust God and obey His voice.How do you come to that place of trust and obedience? By getting to know your Father. By spending time fellowshiping with Him in prayer and in the Word. That is the labor that will bring you into His rest! FAITHBUCKS.COM
——Your Daily Portion Sabbath School Lesson with LD “The Anomaly” Harris (L. David Harris)——Get the YDP Life Application Guide for the JUL., AUG., & SEPT. 2025's Lesson titled, “Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land.” https://amzn.to/3ZyOb8HBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/your-daily-portion-with-l-david-harris--2912188/support.
OOBT is back from a summer break, and what better way to return than with the 80th episode! Cue the confetti!
Megan J. Conner reminds us that even in our deepest trials, God is at work revealing Himself to us. Drawing from the story of Job, she explores how suffering—though painful and bewildering—can lead to a greater understanding of God’s majesty, faithfulness, and love. True blessing isn’t always the resolution we hope for, but the unveiling of God’s presence in our lives. ✨ Highlights How suffering can draw us closer to God and fortify our faith Job’s story as a model for lament, honesty, and perseverance in hardship The “unveiled blessing”: seeing God more fully through trials Biblical encouragement to trust God even when life seems unendurable Scriptures for reflection: Job 42:1-6, Rom. 5:3-5, Jer. 29:11
As Hosea preaches from his marriage to an adulterous woman, he speaks against the spiritual adultery Israel has committed against the LORD by their idolatry. Although the LORD was always the source of all Israel's good gifts, they failed to realize this and foolishly looked to Baal for blessing. In response, the LORD promises that He will take such blessings away and make the Promised Land a wilderness. Through the coming Assyrian conquest of Samaria, the LORD will show Israel the futility of trusting in idols with the goal of drawing Israel back to Himself. Rev. Ben Dose, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Algona, IA and St. John Lutheran Church in Burt, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hosea 2:1-13. To learn more about Trinity and St. John Lutheran, visit trinityalgona.org and stjohnsburt.org. “Majoring in the Minors” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the books of Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Micah, and Nahum. Although the books of these prophets are shorter, the Word of God they preached was important in the years leading up to the coming of the Christ, and that Word remains important for the Church today. Just as we still need to listen to their call to repentance over our idolatry, so we still need to heed their call to trust in the Savior, Jesus. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org
You are a work in progress, and to get where God wants you to be takes preparation. This week Charles Tapp shares what we can learn from the Israelite's journey to the Promised Land, as he continues with part 3 in this series "Back to the Bible," with his message "Out of Egypt."