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The Spirit of God is not for sale. It is not a commodity that can be bought or sold. The power of God can only be received. It is to be used only for kingdom purposes. God, who knows our hearts, will never give us His anointing and power if He knows we have improper motives.Main Points:1. It's not wrong to want to be used by God. In fact, it's a wonderful desire. It's a holy desire. But an important question is: “Why do you want to be used by God? Why do you want His power in your life?” 2. If our ambition is to build our own kingdom, set up our own platform, and receive our own recognition, we will never be given the power of God.3. I believe today God freely gives His Holy Spirit to those with pure hearts and those who sincerely desire for God to use their lives for His glory.Today's Scripture Verses:Acts 8:20-24 - “But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God's gift can be bought! You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin. “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you've said won't happen to me!”Jeremiah 17:10 - “I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”Psalm 115:1 - “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory…”Revelation 4:11 - “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group
Reading Acts 2:37-38 where the Apostle Peter tells his hearers at Pentecost to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!
From “In the Beginning” to Amen // Job Part 2 Job 38:1-3 (NLT)“Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind: Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.” Job 38:16 (NLT)“Have you explored the springs from which the seas come? Have you explored their depths?” Job 39:1-2 (NLT)“Do you know when the wild goats give birth? Have you watched as deer are born in the wild? Do you know how many months they carry their young? Are you aware of the time of their delivery?” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NASB)“He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Chris's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 1. Recognize God's Supremacy and bow before him2. Recognize God's Sovereignty and let it be your comfort (He is Good)3. Pursue a right view of God and a right view of self (Humility)4. Repent of pride and arrogance5. Take a posture of surrender
Ancient Israel was thrown into despair and hopelessness in 722 BC when Assyria conquered much of its land in the north (Zebulun and Naphtali). Yet the prophet Isaiah could foresee a time when gloom would turn to joy because “a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder, and of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.” In many societies today we find ourselves in such darkness that gloom, fear, and despondency cover our lands. The Good News is that the Son and His invitation have been given: Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Today Fr. Philip reflects on the account of Christ and Zacchaeus. You can find his blog with this reflection and more in written form at https://easternchristianinsights.blogspot.com
Feeling rotten about your sin is not the same as repenting from it. But it can lead there.
Did Bethel Church actually repent over the Shawn Bolz scandal? In this episode of The Remnant Radio, we carefully examine the public statements and actions of Bethel Church leadership—including Bill Johnson, Kris Vallotton, and Danny Silk—to determine whether their response represents genuine biblical repentance or merely institutional damage control. From questions of prophetic accountability and false prophecy to the broader credibility of charismatic theology, this conversation aims to help believers think clearly, biblically, and sober-mindedly about what true repentance looks like in church leadership.We walk step-by-step through what Bethel leaders said, what they admitted, what they failed to address, and how their response compares to the biblical standard for repentance, confession, and restoration. We also interact with the wider conversation sparked by Mike Winger and others, exploring how prophecy abuse and leadership silence can damage trust in the church and distort the witness of the gospel. As continuationists who affirm the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, we believe accountability is not an attack on the charismatic movement—it is essential to its integrity.Critical Questions Discussed:-Is Bethel's apology genuine or just PR spin?-What does biblical restoration require beyond saying "I'm sorry"?-Why did it take Mike Winger's exposé for leadership to act?-What about Kenneth Copeland, The Passion Translation, and other concerning endorsements?-How can churches protect victims while reconciling fallen leaders to the body of Christ?Our goal is not to tear down, but to tell the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), to test everything and hold fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21), and to call the Church to holiness, transparency, and faithfulness to Christ. If you care about sound theology, responsible use of spiritual gifts, and protecting God's people from spiritual harm, this conversation is for you.Special thanks to the Bethel alumni who held their leaders accountable—your faithfulness in speaking truth in love catalyzed this moment of repentance. This could be a watershed moment for the charismatic movement if genuine fruit follows these words.0:00 – Introduction2:04 – Context and Prior Bethel Concerns13:23 – Bethel's Response 23:23 – Kris Vallotton's Personal Disclosure30:28 – The Jezebel Passage Misinterpretation33:34 – Bethel's New Core Values 38:10 – Bethel Issues That Remain Unaddressed49:03 – Bill Johnson's Repentance Message1:00:40 – Bill Johnson's TBN Interview Mistake1:17:43 – Danny Silk's Email 1:34:05 – Final Thoughts Subscribe to The Remnant Radio newsletter and receive our FREE introduction to spiritual gifts eBook. Plus, get access to: discounts, news about upcoming shows, courses and conferences - and more. Subscribe now at TheRemnantRadio.com.Support the showABOUT THE REMNANT RADIO:
This Mental Man Monday takes place on a Tuesday, and Izzy opens by acknowledging the shift with humor before diving into a focused and fast-paced episode built around three cultural moments: the viral rise of calorie-loaded “snack hacks,” Kanye West's open letter about his mental health, and the wave of TikTok creators claiming censorship around ICE-related content.Izzy begins by announcing that Season 9 officially closed with Episode 5 featuring AmRock, and until the new season arrives, Mental Man Monday will continue as a livestream series centered on current events that directly impact men. The first topic is a viral TikTok involving Biscoff cheesecake egg rolls, which sparks a deeper conversation about food culture, weight loss, and the sin of gluttony. Izzy examines how TikTok's dessert trends have quietly redefined what “snacking” means, turning simple treats into full meals with 1,200 calories or more. He breaks down the mental health component through the lens of emotional eating, body transformation, fasting culture in January, and the tension between treat culture and self-discipline. Izzy connects this to the Christian principle of stewardship over the body, joking that “WWJD” (What Would Jesus Do) in this context is calling out gluttony, while “WWID” (What Would I Do) focuses on portion control, algorithm manipulation, and leveraging January fasting traditions as a spiritual reset.The second segment shifts to Kanye West, who published a full-page open letter in the Wall Street Journal claiming that an undiagnosed brain injury from 2002 contributed to years of public instability. Izzy reflects on bipolar disorder, grief, artistry, and how culture treats Black genius when mental illness is involved. He affirms that two things can be true at once: Kanye's admission may be sincere, and the entertainment industry may have also attempted to control the narrative. Izzy explores public apologies, the ethics of restoration, and the responsibility men have to apologize when they're wrong—while also noting that public dishonor should receive public correction. The discussion lands on a practical mental health takeaway: treatment, therapy, lifestyle change, and accountability matter, but apologies only carry weight when rooted in sincerity, not pressure. In the final segment, Izzy addresses growing claims from celebrities that TikTok is censoring ICE-related content after a Minneapolis man was killed during an ICE operation. Rather than joining the digital outrage cycle, Izzy takes a critical thinking approach, refusing to follow groupthink or reactionary activism without research. He explains that ICE may have been founded with one intention, but that individual agents often abuse their power, and that the real crisis lies in unnecessary violence and the trauma of family separation. Izzy then examines what Jesus would do—drawing a distinction between honoring governing authorities and refusing to endorse immoral actions—and challenges men to seek truth beyond political binaries. He reminds listeners that refusing to hate a political figure does not translate into supporting them, and that Christians should avoid reactionary rage while still confronting injustice.The episode closes with a brief reflection on discernment, discipline, and preparation for the year ahead. Izzy hints at future guests, a new talk show concept, and ongoing cultural analysis. He signs off with a consistent reminder to keep your head up, know who you are, and make decisions that align with purpose rather than pressure.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/p-s-a-the-mental-health-podcast--5520511/support.TrustBuilder Package
In this lecture, Ian, one of the pastors, explores the themes of repentance and transformation as presented in Matthew's Gospel, specifically focusing on the figures of John the Baptist and Jesus. The session begins with a reading from Matthew 3:1-6 and 4:17, which sets the groundwork for the discussion on the importance of turning away from sin and towards God, encapsulating the central message of repentance that both John and Jesus proclaim.Ian reflects on the historical context of the time, recalling a turbulent period in 1858 Manhattan. He illustrates the inner turmoil of a man who, while contemplating dark actions, finds himself in a prayer meeting led by Jeremiah Lamphere, where the genuine confessions and prayers of other attendees move him toward repentance. This powerful personal narrative emphasizes how collective spiritual encounters can lead to profound life changes, underscoring the impact of community in the act of repentance and the transformation that often follows.Shifting focus to the text from Matthew's Gospel, Ian outlines how John the Baptist, dressed in a manner that evokes the prophetic tradition, preaches the urgent message: “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” He draws attention to the stark contrast between the religious elite of Jerusalem and the common people who heed John's call. The wilderness becomes a symbol of purification and preparation, framing repentance not merely as a change of mind but as a holistic transformation involving heart, mind, and behavior.Ian emphasizes how the concept of repentance is deeply relational, rooted in the acknowledgment of one's sin against God. He explains that true repentance involves a turning towards God, which requires both an internal and external orientation. This is exemplified through the analogy of his own travels, illustrating that recognizing one's faulty direction leads to deliberate change. As he delves into various historical revivals, he highlights how each transformative movement is characterized by collective repentance, reminding listeners that throughout history, turning back to God has drawn His presence into communities.Furthermore, the lecture discusses the significance of baptism as a symbolic act of repentance and a transition into a renewed relationship with God, paralleling the Exodus narrative where God's people experienced transformation through physical crossings. In doing so, Ian contemplates the urgency behind John's ministry, calling God's people to undergo a similar spiritual Exodus—leaving behind ingrained practices that stray from God's ways.As Ian transitions toward a conclusion, he encourages attendees to evaluate their relationship with God and the state of their hearts, inviting them to engage in personal acts of repentance. He offers an affirmation that true repentance is liberative and brings about healing within both individual lives and the broader community. The session highlights that repentance is not a one-time act but an ongoing, essential practice for a vibrant relationship with God, inviting listeners to embrace this transformative journey.In the closing remarks, listeners are encouraged to take personal steps toward restoration, be it through direct repentance or intercession on behalf of others. Ian underscores that the kindness of God leads to repentance, unlocking the potential for renewal both personally and collectively, as they seek to inhabit a community characterized by grace and support, fostering an environment where turning toward God becomes a natural response.
Matthew 4:12-23 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,he withdrew to Galilee.He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,that what had been said through Isaiah the prophetmight be fulfilled:Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,Galilee of the Gentiles,the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by deathlight has arisen.From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.He said to them,“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”At once they left their nets and followed him.He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their fatherand followed him.He went around all of Galilee,teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,and curing every disease and illness among the people.
Matthew 4:12-23 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,he withdrew to Galilee.He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,that what had been said through Isaiah the prophetmight be fulfilled:Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,Galilee of the Gentiles,the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by deathlight has arisen.From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.He said to them,“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”At once they left their nets and followed him.He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their fatherand followed him.He went around all of Galilee,teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,and curing every disease and illness among the people.
Matthew 4:12-23 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,he withdrew to Galilee.He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,that what had been said through Isaiah the prophetmight be fulfilled:Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,Galilee of the Gentiles,the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by deathlight has arisen.From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.He said to them,“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”At once they left their nets and followed him.He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their fatherand followed him.He went around all of Galilee,teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,and curing every disease and illness among the people.
Reading 1Isaiah 8:23—9:3First the Lord degraded the land of Zebulunand the land of Naphtali;but in the end he has glorified the seaward road,the land west of the Jordan,the District of the Gentiles.Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness:for there is no gloom where but now there was distress.The people who walked in darknesshave seen a great light;upon those who dwelt in the land of glooma light has shone.You have brought them abundant joyand great rejoicing,as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,as people make merry when dividing spoils.For the yoke that burdened them,the pole on their shoulder,and the rod of their taskmasteryou have smashed, as on the day of Midian.Reading 21 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,that all of you agree in what you say,and that there be no divisions among you,but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters,by Chloe's people, that there are rivalries among you.I mean that each of you is saying,“I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,”or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.”Is Christ divided?Was Paul crucified for you?Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel,and not with the wisdom of human eloquence,so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.GospelMatthew 4:12-23When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,he withdrew to Galilee.He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea,in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,that what had been said through Isaiah the prophetmight be fulfilled:Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,Galilee of the Gentiles,the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light,on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by deathlight has arisen.From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.He said to them,“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”At once they left their nets and followed him.He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their fatherand followed him.He went around all of Galilee,teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,and curing every disease and illness among the people.
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260127dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17 Turn to the Light Driving at night on winding, unfamiliar roads, we rely heavily on our GPS to get us where we need to be. On a recent drive, navigating the roads as they twisted and turned, I diligently scanned for deer and watched for broken tree limbs that might have come down on that windy night. I realized that the GPS guiding me was extremely important, but there was something else I was relying on. Without it, I would never have made it home. Even a perfect map would have done me no good if I did not have headlights to show me where the turns were, where the dangers were. Light is a good thing—it exposes the dangers around us that we need to avoid. It shows us where we are headed. The light of Jesus is very good. In Jesus, God himself came into the world and promised: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Believing in Jesus is the way to the kingdom of heaven. He is the one who endured sin’s curse for us, removing it forever. And he is the one who rose from the darkness of his own tomb, bringing to light the way to everlasting life. But until we reach heaven, many dangers still lurk in the darkness. Often, it feels like we’re driving at night with the lights turned off. So, Jesus preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” By calling sinners to repent, Jesus is urgently pleading with us: “Turn to me in faith! Turn on the Light of the world! I will expose the dangers around you. I will guide you on the way of peace and bring you safely to the kingdom of heaven.” When you are uncertain of where your life is heading, turn on the Light of the world. Turn to Jesus and trust his promise: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Prayer: Gracious God, thank you that your kingdom has come among us through Jesus. Turn my heart toward you in repentance and faith. Let your mercy and forgiveness guide my life today. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Turn Away From Sin, Follow Jesus, Go Fishing In this episode of Anchored in the Lord, we reflect on the Gospel for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (January 25, 2026) and Jesus' first public words of ministry: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." These words reveal that the Christian life is not static or one-dimensional, but a movement—a journey with direction, purpose, and mission. The homily highlights three essential movements of the Christian life, all present in today's Gospel. The first is repentance. To repent does not simply mean to feel bad or avoid wrongdoing; it literally means to turn around, to change direction, and to let go of whatever draws our hearts away from God. Repentance is where the life of faith begins—but it is not where it ends. If we only turn away from sin, we risk standing still, facing nothing in particular. That leads to the second movement: following Jesus. Christ does not merely say, "Stop sinning." He says, "Follow me." He invites us into a new way of living—the life of the Kingdom of Heaven. This invitation is often subtle, appearing in daily nudges: a thought to reach out to someone, an impulse to act with generosity, or a quiet call to trust God more deeply. Yet, as the homily acknowledges honestly, we often hesitate. We delay. We tell ourselves we'll respond later—after more prayer, more preparation, or when life feels less busy. In contrast, the disciples in today's Gospel respond immediately. But the Gospel doesn't stop there. The third movement completes the Christian life: mission. Jesus calls His followers not only to turn away from sin and to follow Him personally, but to "go fishing"—to draw others into the life of faith. Discipleship is never meant to be private or self-contained. A faith that does not become mission remains incomplete. This episode invites listeners to examine where they may be stuck—repenting without following, following without sharing—and to hear again Christ's call to live the Gospel fully: turn back to God, walk closely with Jesus, and bring others along.
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260127dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17 Turn to the Light Driving at night on winding, unfamiliar roads, we rely heavily on our GPS to get us where we need to be. On a recent drive, navigating the roads as they twisted and turned, I diligently scanned for deer and watched for broken tree limbs that might have come down on that windy night. I realized that the GPS guiding me was extremely important, but there was something else I was relying on. Without it, I would never have made it home. Even a perfect map would have done me no good if I did not have headlights to show me where the turns were, where the dangers were. Light is a good thing—it exposes the dangers around us that we need to avoid. It shows us where we are headed. The light of Jesus is very good. In Jesus, God himself came into the world and promised: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Believing in Jesus is the way to the kingdom of heaven. He is the one who endured sin’s curse for us, removing it forever. And he is the one who rose from the darkness of his own tomb, bringing to light the way to everlasting life. But until we reach heaven, many dangers still lurk in the darkness. Often, it feels like we’re driving at night with the lights turned off. So, Jesus preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” By calling sinners to repent, Jesus is urgently pleading with us: “Turn to me in faith! Turn on the Light of the world! I will expose the dangers around you. I will guide you on the way of peace and bring you safely to the kingdom of heaven.” When you are uncertain of where your life is heading, turn on the Light of the world. Turn to Jesus and trust his promise: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Prayer: Gracious God, thank you that your kingdom has come among us through Jesus. Turn my heart toward you in repentance and faith. Let your mercy and forgiveness guide my life today. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
January 25, 2026. Fr. Tyler's homily for the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time. Enjoy! Gospel Matthew 4:12-23 or 4:12-17 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen. From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.
Mark 1:14-1514 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Gospel Matthew 4:12-23 or 4:12-17 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen. From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him. He went around all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people.
Matthew 4:12-23 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.
When the Holy Spirit came, Peter rose to explain what was happening, and how people should respond.
January 25th, 2026: God's Severe Mercy to St Paul; Repent for the Kingdom of God is at Hand; Make Jesus Your Center & Reason for Living; The Path to Heaven
Pastor Matthew Shores preached from Psalm 51
Matthew 4:12-23 Nina Balmaceda provided the sermon for this morning's service which was held via Zoom due to the inclement weather. Jesus was not from the center of power. He began his ministry near Mount Tabor. Not a majestic mountain, but more of a hill, far away from Jerusalem's power. It was close to everyday, ordinary people of mixed ancestry. He began his ministry in a place that religious leaders considered marginal, mixed and overlooked. Jesus is on the side of the oppressed. Christ's first proclamation, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near," is not a threat. It's not a scream creating shame, but a voice of consolation for those who have suffered deeply. God's kingdom takes root in places that feel far from the center. God's light still rises in unexpected places.
Warnings of Earthquake Judgments (1) (Audio) David Eells, 1/25/26 I'm going to talk to you today about many warnings about earthquakes that have been prophesied to come to America. Some of these are old, and some are recent, which confirms them because God is still speaking through His prophets. God warns ahead so that many get the warning. If it was immediately fulfilled it wouldn't be a warning. He has been patient and very merciful towards people. A recent earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 struck off the coast of Oregon at 7:25 p.m. PT on January 15, 2026, according to preliminary data. The quake occurred offshore at a shallow depth of about 7 km, which is why it was widely felt across western Oregon and coastal communities. No tsunami warnings were issued by the National Tsunami Warning Center, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Early reports indicate the epicenter was well offshore, but shallow quakes travel far — and fast. If you felt shaking, swaying, or a sudden jolt, you're not alone. The offshore area near the Oregon–California border is part of a seismically active region where earthquakes occur regularly due to the interaction between tectonic plates along the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Most earthquakes in this area occur offshore and are often not felt on land, though larger events have the potential to be widely felt along the Pacific Northwest coast. (This 6.0 quake, which happened very near a fault line, is a precursor to a much larger earthquake.) https://x.com/JosetteCaruso_/status/2012012701334024207?s=20 https://x.com/KristyTallman/status/2012057788932112687?s=20 It seems the Lord is blessing America to undo the damage done by liberals, who also have pushed the Land for Peace upon Israel, for which God said He would judge the US with earthquakes. It seems He is judging the liberals' rebellion against law and government. I believe the Lord told me that we are seeing spiritual earthquakes happening. We are certainly seeing spiritual shifts and separations of the earth here, a polarization of left from right. A clear separation of radical left from what is right. The Lord has shown us that He can fulfill prophetic dreams, visions, and prophecies in a physical or spiritual way (and sometimes both), depending on the actions of His people. Considering His mercy and grace being shown toward America, are we still going to see great physical quakes judging America? We are seeing tremendous precursors of earthquakes come and miraculously go as if by God's hand. He is still telling us He is going to judge apostate Christianity in America, bringing them into Babylonish captivity. Are these precursors being put down to show God's mercy once more, or are they a warning to pray against coming quakes? We saw massive riots and demonstrations on the East Coast in DC and the West Coast in Portland during and then following the inauguration. In the last several months, we've seen protests and riots against ICE, the National Guard, and other law enforcement in Los Angeles, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, New York City, Minneapolis, and other cities. These could be symptoms of the spiritual earthquakes. Are the physical quakes still coming, or will both be true? This event has been considered in the past as a potential warning of a POSSIBLE pending large earthquake on the west coast. Now, let me share with you some revelations the Lord has given concerning these earthquakes. More Shaking and Tsunami to Come for Russia and Japan and then for California 8/3/25 Alison Pound (David's notes in red) The Lord says: The ring of fire is erupting. One side has gone off. The other side, where California is, will react to the Russian side. Do you remember, I will shake the earth like a cottage. (A cottage has a flat floor, walls and a roof) Think of how big the Earth is. Then think of Me shaking it. One side goes down, the other side goes up. Then it is the turn of the first side to go up, whilst the other side goes down. There was no breakage, no land fell off into the sea on the Russian side. But when the Californian side reacts to the Russian side shaking, the land will break up, and a chunk will fall into the sea. Everyone will be able to see this chunk sticking up at the cracked edge and submerged under the sea at the outer sea edge. Keep watch. The shaking on the Russian side has not ended. There will be more before the other side reacts. On the Japan and Russia coastlines, there will be another tsunami. This will be most devastating. It will happen first, and then the shaking will begin on the US coastline. Alaska will not be devastated at this time. But the Japan tsunami and the Russia shaking will set off the other side of the ring of fire. No, this is not a tribulation quake. These are the birth pangs. They lead up to the tribulation. The tribulation begins in America after WWIII, when she is bombed. Then, in a series of events, the World Order will be brought down hard upon the whole earth. (The present day prosperity of NESARA/GESARA under Trump's administration will be reversed as we can clearly see in Revelation chapters 12 and 13.) A moment of triumph for satan. A moment is all I will grant him. To wear out the saints. The earthquakes will not stop when the tribulation begins. It will not be like that. Volcanic eruptions will continue. Weather events, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, famines, plagues. But in all of this, I Am with you! TO HIS CHOSEN: You are Mine! Psalm 91. It will not come near to you. I will not allow it. I will preserve My beloved. All of My precious ones. Only those who have not prepared themselves by drawing near to the throne of Grace will be taken out of the way in those days. Sleep (death) will be a merciful act of God in those days. Isaiah 24:19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. 20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. To Whom it was Given to Hurt the Earth and Sea 01/04/26 Alison Pound Revelation 7:2 Thursday 1st January 2026 I Am about to visit Japan. And then California also. Everything I told you I would do, I will do to them. I Am about to do it. I told you. My true prophets will know because I will tell them. Just before I do it, I will tell them. I will say to them, it is time. I will tell them to brace for impact. Because you, and they, will feel the impact of what I Am going to do. The shaking and the destruction of the earth and the people in those places will be immense. Shocking. It will be all that the survivors around the earth can talk about for a long time. That is, when they start talking. Because when this happens, at first, they will not talk. The shock will hit them. Some will then shake their fists in the air and will no longer follow Me. These ones did not know Me at all well before. But others will turn to Me in a big way. Prepare for this. Many will want to talk about Me suddenly. They will have questions. They will want to get right with Me. And My hand of mercy will be outstretched to these. Be ready to speak. Donald Trump is going. He will go shortly after California goes. And California is about to go. The seabed is in turmoil. Out of California, the underwater volcanoes are coming to life. Angels have been sent to command them to erupt. Angels are My messengers. They put My judgments into action. Remember the scrolls and the decrees? (The Book of Revelation, see below) Keep watching and waiting. When you see that Japan has had a magnitude 8 earthquake, a tsunami will follow. Then you will know California is next. The shaking will shift tectonic plates. I will shake the earth like a cottage. I have not told you this before, but this earthquake, the one that takes out California, will be felt further away than any earthquake before it. Other volcanoes in the vicinity will also erupt. Remember, I told you to keep an eye on the ring of fire? This is the time. This is the time when shipping will be interrupted and new paths will be found for the ships in order to bypass the volcanic activity. [In 2012 the Lord spoke about this, but I just did not understand at the time. He said: Way below the earth's crust, there will be a disturbance far greater than any before. Out upon the waters of the Pacific, there is going to be a disturbance that comes from far below. Shipping will be lost at this time. There will become an area that must now be avoided.] The Earth will never be the same again after this. Many, many sea creatures will die and will be washing up on far shores. This will go on for months. Dear one, this will be a terrible time for the people of the earth. Very trying. But incredibly, the wicked will continue to be wicked. It will be like they think time is short and they must get a whole lot more wickedness in before they go. Their hearts will harden, if that were at all possible. And although I Am in judgment mode and I Am very angry, I will be very controlled and perfect in all My judgments. You will have access to Me at all times. I will not be like the angry father here on earth who does not want to talk to anyone when he is in his angry mode. I do not want you to keep away from Me. But draw near and remain. This is the only way. Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, California! This is What is Going to Happen 6/23/22 McKana Isaiah 24:20-21(KJV) 20. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. 21. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. Considering the impending grave danger and catastrophe coming shortly, there is not enough warning to alarm and prepare the people in the regions. The imminent danger is not localized to a specific place or region. From what the Lord revealed to many of us, the nature and intensity might vary but the East, the West, the North, the South and the Center are in the same prophesied calamities of the judgment hands of Almighty God. The Lord has shown me in dreams and visions, over eight times, what is coming to California. The revelations given were: 1. Swarms of earthquakes in the ring of fire, two times. 2. A big earthquake in the region of California, many times. 3. Buildings in Los Angeles rattle, give off and crumble to the ground like dust. 4. Buildings all the way down the mountain range of the west coast rattle and crumble like the side of a mountain crumbling and falling off to the ground. 5. The land under the Pacific Ocean moves to the East, Northeast, and towards the East Coast. 6. The land from the floor of the Pacific Ocean moves, climbs over the coastline, and crumbles, bringing total destruction. 7. The land moving from the floor of the ocean, over the coastline, cracks the land along the fault line and breaks off the land to throw it down to the ocean. I have seen this in a vision which looked like “real action.” From these visions, dreams, and revelations, this is what is going to happen to California. There will be wide, big swarms of earthquakes along the ring of fire, under the ocean, on the coastline of North and South America, East of Australia, East of the small islands in the Pacific, East of the Philippines, East of China, Japan, Russia, and South of the land and coast of Alaska. This earthquake will bring about the movements of the floor of the ocean. The land of the floor of the Pacific Ocean, east [she means west] of California and Oregon, will move towards the East Coast. One part of the floor of the Pacific Ocean moves to the East and then to the northeast to be submerged under the land on the floor, subducted. The next part of the land from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, South and adjacent to the first one, will move towards the East Coast. It will climb over the East (West) Coast of California. It will crumble and fall back to the floor and will ultimately break off the East (West) Coast of California along the San Andria fault line. This land movement and the shaking, so big, will bring a big tsunami to go further East and inundate the inland. All, what I have seen. One of the visions below will give a short glimpse of what is befalling California. California Earthquake-Last Warning (Vision of October 15, 2017. 1:30 AM and 4:00 AM) I see chairs and tables being pushed. A few, finely dressed people are pushing a whole set of tables and chairs as they are together, quarter of a football size, all at once, row after row. They are pushing them first to the East, then to the North and push them all to store them in a house, big auditorium-like setting. One group is pushing the set of tables and chairs to the North-East and storing them in the same way. They pushed it over a high cliff like stairs. After they are done, the whole stairs made of stone collapsed and sank to the ground, crumbling. I turned to the right, and a row of high-rise buildings was crumbling like the side of a mountain, falling to the ground with the dust cloud and debris falling to the ground. I looked far to the North. There is a range of mountain buildings. The buildings look resting on a small but very long range of hills. They started crumbling from the North down South. I started screaming loud “Sound the alarm, warn them, tell them!” to the station on the left, but it is too late. No alarm, no warning, no escape. The whole row after row of the buildings along the mountain range collapsed and fell to the ground with so many people in them. No warning, no time to escape, all gone. I held my head and started crying, screaming and shouting, then I woke up. Then at 4:00 AM, I saw another dream, the same region, first a standing metallic pole, a wave from the pole to the West and from the pole to the North. It is an Earthquake with the poll, Epicenter, close to and in the middle of the range of the mountain building I saw above, the fault lines. It is an Earthquake like we have never seen before, a California Earthquake. I have to think, inquire, and ask what it is. It is the land moving like a table Cascadia Subduction zone and the San Andreas fault line. I saw the California Earthquake few years ago. This one is a warning that time has run out and is imminent. Sudden without warning. Lord have mercy. California Summary of Visions and Dreams from 2016 1. Thou city who claims to be the City of the Angels, who has exalted yourself into heaven and sent all the dirty, filthy things of fashions and things, till even the foreign countries come here to pick up our filth and send it away, with your fine churches and steeples, and so forth, the way you do, remember, one day you'll be lying in the bottom of this sea The world is falling apart, fifteen hundred mile chunk of it, three to four hundred miles wide, will sink maybe forty miles down into that great fault out yonder. William Branham, 1933. 2. The earthquakes began in the west, around Idaho and Wyoming, and then quickly spread in every direction. I saw a huge earthquake hit Utah and then California. There were earthquakes all over California, but they were especially devastating in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. San Francisco appeared to turn upside down. Sarah Menet-1979 3. The United States is going to experience in the not-too-distant future the most tragic earthquakes in its history. One day soon this nation will be reeling under the impact of the biggest news story of modern times. It will be coverage of the biggest, most disastrous earthquake in history. It will cause widespread panic and fear. Without a doubt, it will become one of the most completely reported earthquakes ever. Television networks will suspend all programming and carry all day coverage. David Wilkerson Prophecy 1994 4. The shape of the United States is going to change if we do not cry out to God. Whenever man turns away from God it will start to decay. The Earth will not yield itself to you. Earthquakes are not going to strike only the coastal areas of the United States but also the Midwest of the United States. JOHN PAUL JACKSON, 2007 5. A massive Earthquake that seemed to crack off the coast of California. It reminded me of a saltine cracker that just cracks in two. The great cities of the West Coast fall into the ocean all the way from Mexico to Alaska and a giant wave flooded inside, and much of the West Coast was not there. It has disappeared into the Pacific Ocean. Maurice Sklar, March 14, 2014 6. The landscape of America is about to change. There will be many signs I perform as a warning for your nation. The Lord says, the oceans will come as far as the Rockies in some areas on the West Coast. The Grand Canyon will begin to fill with water. Dr Patricia Green, 7/7/2015 7. There is a massive earthquake coming to America, says the Lord. There is a massive earthquake that is about to take place; we have never heard of this kind. Everything will shake, says the Lord. My people are not listening says the Lord. This earthquake will wake up everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Times are changing, and that means our earth is changing. Be ready for change these days. Everything will happen quickly, says the Lord. When the world is saying peace, peace, then comes a sudden destruction. Dawn Obrien 6/21/2016 8. I saw a very devastating Earthquake in the West Coast of the US, with collapsed buildings and the earth split, from South to North along a fault line, and people scrambling to save the victims. McKana, 5/23/2013 “Redmond #9 – Unforgettable” Julie Teig - 5/5/2011 (David's notes in red) (First, I want to give a little background: I used to be a volunteer member with a group that helped with wine competitions for charity events, which is why God gave me this dream the way He did. Briefly, wines would be tasted and judged by professional wine makers, writers for wine magazines, and wine distributors, etc.) On or about May 5, 2011, I had the following dream: I was at work and someone had given me a very large bottle of red wine as a gift. I no longer drink much wine, so I decided to re-gift it to my boss, Bill, because I know he and his wife like to entertain and enjoy wine. My boss said, “Wow, this is great! Call Lindsey (his wife) and tell her you are coming over to dinner with this wine.” I felt a little uncomfortable about calling her and inviting myself to dinner, and I didn't really want to go because they had recently moved into a new high-rise condo downtown, and I had visited them previously, but I don't like heights too much. (They are on the 37th floor). The bottle of wine, like I said, was very large and, in my mind, I was thinking “magnum”, but the bottle appeared to be much larger than that. I told my boss, “Let's see what, if any, award the judges gave this wine in the competition!” The label on the wine bottle said, “Redmond #9” so I'm reading over the spreadsheet listing all the wines, searching for it, and I found it listed just as the label reads, “Redmond #9.” I noticed that it did not receive a medal, but in the comments made by the judges, it only said, “Unforgettable”. End of the dream, and I woke up. After playing it over in my mind several times, I knew I was to remember “Redmond #9, Unforgettable” So I started asking the Lord what that meant, and is it “unforgettable good” or unforgettable bad”…? I received a revelation then the following Saturday, May 7, when I was watching a video posted by Glynda Lomax where she was talking about the very strong feelings she was having about a large earthquake coming to America, and she kept saying “8+, 8+ earthquake,” and then I remembered my dream and the wine bottle, “Redmond #9, Unforgettable.” (meaning 8+ 'magnitude' earthquake) http://wingsofprophecy.blogspot.com/p/videos.html So I started searching on Google maps for “cities in the US named Redmond,” and I found in the first few hits Redmond, WA, and Redmond, OR. The two cities are approximately 6 hours and 330 miles apart. This area or location seemed relevant to someone's dream that was recently shared about a possible tsunami hitting the Western part of the US from an earthquake (upper US area). Then, even more recently, the supposed next BIG earthquake to hit at the 188-day interval shows it as the upper Northwest US. (I remember this but we've looked and cannot find it, it's lost from the site now) In addition, since the wine bottle in my dream appeared to be much larger than a magnum, which holds the equivalent of 2 bottles of wine, I searched for wine bottle sizes. I found this chart very interesting! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_bottle Volume (litres) Ratio Name Notes 0.1875 0.25 Piccolo "Small" in Italian. Also known as a quarter bottle, pony, snipe or split. 0.25 0.33 Chopine Traditional French unit of volume 0.375 0.5 Demi "Half" in French. Also known as a half bottle or split. 0.378 0.505 Tenth One-tenth of a U.S. gallon* 0.5 0.67 Jennie "White Spirit" in Welsh. Also known as a 50 cl bottle. Used for Tokaj, Sauternes, Jerez, as well as several other types of sweet wines. 0.620 0.83 Clavelin Primarily used for vin jaune. 0.750 1 Standard 0.757 1.01 Fifth One-fifth of a U.S. gallon* 1.5 2 Magnum 2.25 3 Marie Jeanne Also known as a Tregnum or Tappit Hen in the port wine trade. 3.0 4 Jeroboam (a.k.a. Double Magnum) Biblical, First king of Northern Kingdom. "Jeroboam" has different meanings for different regions in France.[5] 4.5 6 4.5 6 Rehoboam Biblical, First king of separate Judea 6.0 8 Imperial 6.0 8 Methuselah Biblical, Oldest Man 9.0 12 Mordechai Biblical, Cousin of Esther Queen of Persia 9.0 12 Salmanazar Biblical, Assyrian King 12.0 16 Balthazar Early Christian folklore, one of the Wise Men 15.0 20 Nebuchadnezzar Biblical, King of Babylon 18.0 24 Melchior Early Christian folklore, one of the Wise Men 20.0 26.66 Solomon Biblical, King of Israel, Son of David 25.0 33.33 Sovereign 27.0 36 Primat 30.0 40 Melchizedek Biblical and other Middle East religions Then about a week later, a woman who used to work in our office in San Diego, CA, sent an update email telling us she was working in our Seattle, WA office now and that she and her family had finally arrived safely and had found a nice place to live in “Redmond, WA” which reminded me of my dream and prompted me to get this written down and send it to you. Please Check Out of Hotel California Soon Brian Lake – 3/7/2022 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginning of sorrows.” Mark 13:8 The Lord Jesus gave me a dream during the early morning hours of March 1, 2022. I found myself swimming in the Pacific Ocean somewhere off the coast of Southern California. The water started to churn, and all of the swimmers were being tossed around. After realizing that this was a tsunami, I started shouting for people to get to higher ground. The strength of the swirling waters made it very difficult for them to get back to shore. As I was starting to drown, I woke up. Christian prophetic warnings have gone out to California for nearly 100 years. Because the great earthquake has not yet happened, most Californians now ignore any and all earthquake warnings. Joseph Brandt was shown the great California earthquake in his 1937 dream/vision. He was also shown the collapse of the Boulder (Hoover) Dam. https://444prophecynews.com/dream-earthquake-sink-los-angeles-much-of-california-and-japan-joe-brandt/ Millions have hardened their hearts and refuse to leave the state. They love the good weather and numerous attractions that California provides. They love Hollywood, the Music Center, and their professional sports teams. They love swimming in the ocean and skiing in the mountains. (idolatry) Many of my family and friends do not understand or comprehend the magnitude and extent of this prophesied great earthquake. They remember the Northridge quake (1-17-1994) and the Whittier Narrows quake (10-1-1987). They reason that the next quake could not possibly be any larger than either of those two. Unfortunately, this quake will affect a wide area: from north of San Francisco to Cabo San Lucas. All of the beloved Pastors, Rabbis, and Priests in California have been warned, in one way or another, about this great earthquake. Most of them have chosen not to warn their congregations. As a result, the blood of their sheep will be on their own hands. (Ezekiel 33) All glory to the Lamb and the One who sits on the throne! In Messiah, Brian Lake West Coast Evacuation Not as an Escape Clause 8/5/25 LaTonya Canada-Christ August 1, 2025 “LaTonya, take a message: “It is My will that My people love Me, truly love Me – not as an escape clause or insurance policy. I desire for them to actually enjoy My ways, right living, and honoring one another in the beauty of holiness. It is not inconceivable to think that I would want My people to want to be with Me, not as a chore or task, but in genuine fondness, service, and requited love. Why is this such a foreign idea? I want love and closeness as much as the next. But I will not accept scraps like a begging dog. For I am a GREAT KING! The offer is still open, but for some, it will be too late. That is all.” Jesus Christ, the Great King of kings. Evacuate the West Coast 8/5/2025 - LaTonya Canada-Christ Saints, Last week, upon hearing of the earthquakes in Russia, I began to pray for my loved ones and friends. 16 years ago, we were called to warn WA churches and the West Coast state authorities of earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis. So, I asked the Lord whether I should warn my family and friends who have refused the warnings previously to evacuate. And the following was His response. “LaTonya, I know you want to warn them, but they have been warned. They don't want Me, so what does it matter to warn them to move? Where can you go from Me? Pray that they discern a need for My salvation of their souls and return to Me.” For those who are not hardened, warn them to evacuate their sin and the West Coast, seeking the Lord's direction. The key is salvation first. When COVID happened, the Lord asked me a question. “Why do the people have to wait to lose everything before they heed My warnings to move?” He said, “When the disasters happen, then people figure out how to move, if they live to do so.” We are praying for all concerned. Jesus gave us free-will. Note: The 5 state authorities warned were Hawaii, CA, OR, WA, and Alaska. Psalms 2:8, Nehemiah 4:14, Deuteronomy 7:9, Ezekiel 36:24-33, Acts 17:30-31 I Will Not Stop It! Earthquake Warning 4/15/2019- Ken Dewey A MESSAGE FROM THE LORD I move at His command now: I AM that I AM and I move now to warn you again of the soon coming storm of Earthquakes coming upon many people. I speak first now of Japan, for I see that in the ground [plates of the Earth below Japan], alignment that is ready for another even greater Earthquake. I move to warn you that you, who have ears to hear, must hear, prepare your hearts and lives for this day is coming, that will be a most terrible time. If you are trusting in Me, I will move My mighty hand to help you, but I CANNOT STOP THE PLATES FROM MOVING because there is so much false worship of Idols in Japan, and men turning to stones to worship, I cannot hold My judgment upon such evil worship. In Japan, so many today are worshipers of themselves, and see themselves in the Light that are led to do all that is both false and evil, saying it is all good. SHAKING WILL COME. I SEE IT COMING. 1,2,3 IT WILL BE, shaking will start… The Shaking will be like a trigger on a gun, that when it happens, it pulls the shaking in the coast of North America. California is in direct hit of the coming shaking. For those who are watching, know that the plates are lining up for the shaking. All know that it is coming, and coming soon. Prepare your hearts for it, for I will NOT STOP IT. The sin is too great, and the door has been opened too wide for the enemy to destroy you. You have chosen him over Me, and walk deliberately away. I speak not just to Japan and California, for the shaking coming which I wrote in my Word will happen, and SHAKE MANY PLACES across America, and the World. But watch Japan, knowing that it triggers even more….. Know it is coming, prepare your hearts because the Shaking will come, even now it is in the ground, working. Thus saith the Lord, open your hearts now to Me and repent and receive My only way to escape. Run to the finished work and see your Savior, for HE HAS DONE ALL TO SAVE YOU. Do not put it off, do not be so deceived to think you will yet have time, because TIME IS SHORT. I have many people whom I love and will help them in their many trials and troubles. I WILL NOT FAIL YOU WHO TRUST ME. I have written this Word as I have heard it in Spirit Speaking. Lord, open your people's eyes to see and hearts to know and be ready for such a time coming. Help, O Lord, remember mercy. Desert Prophet Eve Brast, in a dream, saw 7 large earthquakes that went around the world, disrupting the crust. These first 3 revelations resemble this in magnitude and scope. Bill Weather was shown 8 signs by the Lord for a Mega Japan Quake and tsunami to ruin the U.S. West coastline as a sign of, weeks later, the coming of the California Mega Quake. (Dates are always subject to change due to the Lord's people praying and judgments being delayed, etc. A delay is not necessarily a delete. See: Prophecies, Dreams & Visions: Date setting and delays? How to judge the false.) Below are prophecies by Joe Brandt and William Branham from the 1930's that confirm what the Lord is showing Bill Weather: In 1937, Joe Brandt saw an Earthquake sink Los Angeles, much of California, and Japan. (Many times God lessens the severity of a judgment through prayers of faith.) The Coming Earthquake Introduction by Jessica Madigan (Mei Ling) On Christmas Eve, in 1965, my husband, my closest friend, Fran Brandt, and her husband, Joe, were celebrating with sandwiches, and coffee, and fruit cake...For some reason, Joe—Fran's husband—ventured to speak of the coming California earthquake. ... Joe was saying that he had an accident—a fall from a horse when he was 17, and for days he had a concussion. During this period, a continuous dream came again and again—as if he were viewing a tremendous earthquake and inundation in California and other parts of the world. I listened—politely—made some comment, and turned to talk to Fran about a new movie—or some equally world-shaking event. I was vaguely aware that Joe had brought in a sheaf of papers—and he said he would put it in my downstairs desk [in 1965] until I had time to read the "dream". That time did not arrive until, by accident, I came across them this last week [in 1967]—pages upon pages—written in a boy's handwriting, about the coming California earthquake. It would take weeks to research all this material—but I phoned my former geology professor and read portions to him. COULD THIS HAPPEN? COULD CALIFORNIA GO DOWN IN JUST THIS WAY? WOULD OTHER AREAS BE AFFECTED IN A MATTER OF HOURS? He answered in the affirmative. Joe had written (sleeping and dreaming—and in drowsy awakening—about positions of various FAULTS, strata of rock, earth movements, so much material that a geologist of many years would scarcely attempt such a work [this geological data was omitted from Jessica's book]. Yet—here it was—waiting for me to find it for two years. ... Consciously, he knew nothing of geology or of the possibility of a coming earthquake. The notes are 30 years old—yellowed with age—and yet there is a clarity and an unbelievable reality in them. Some of the highlights must be given—because, I am certain now, as I was not certain on Christmas Eve of 1965, that the California earthquake WILL come . . . and its coming is close at hand. Since Joe covered the AREAS AROUND THE WORLD WHICH WOULD BE AFFECTED, not all of these can be given, ... but for those of us in THIS LAND . . . especially CALIFORNIA, these are the highlights of that vision. Dream of an Earthquake Sinking Los Angeles, Much of California and Japan Joe Brandt - 1937 (Link) I woke up in the hospital room with a terrific headache—as if the whole world was revolving inside my brain. I remember, vaguely, the fall from my horse—Blackie. As I lay there, pictures began to form in my mind—pictures that stood still. I seemed to be in another world. Whether it was the future or it was some ancient land, I could not say. Then slowly, like the silver screen of the "talkies," but with color and smell and sound, I seemed to find myself in Los Angeles—but I swear it was much bigger, and buses and odd-shaped cars crowded the city streets. I thought about Hollywood Boulevard, and I found myself there. Whether this is true, I do not know, but there were a lot of guys my age with beards and wearing, some of them, earrings. All the girls, some of them keen-o, wore real short skirts. . . and they slouched along—moving like a dance. Yet they seemed familiar. I wondered if I could talk to them, and I said, "Hello," but they didn't see or hear me. I decided I would look as funny to them as they looked to me. I guess it is something you have to learn. I couldn't do it. I noticed there was a quietness about the air, a kind of stillness. Something else was missing, something that should be there. At first, I couldn't figure it out, I didn't know what it was—then I did. There were no birds. I listened. I walked two blocks north of the Boulevard—all houses—no birds. I wondered what had happened to them. Had they gone away? Again, I could hear the stillness. Then I knew something was going to happen. I wondered what year it was. It certainly was not 1937. I saw a newspaper on the corner with a picture of the President. It surely wasn't Mr. Roosevelt. He was bigger, heavier, big ears. If it wasn't 1937, I wondered what year it was. . . My eyes weren't working right. Someone was coming—someone in 1937—it was that darned, fat nurse ready to take my temperature. I woke up. Crazy dream. The next day: Gosh, my headache is worse. It is a wonder I didn't get killed on that horse. I've had another crazy dream, back in Hollywood. Those people. Why do they dress like that, I wonder? Funny glow about them. It is a shine around their heads—something shining. I remember it now. I found myself back on the Boulevard. I was waiting for something to happen and I was going to be there. I looked up at the clock down by that big theater. It was ten minutes to four. Something big was going to happen. I wondered if I went into a movie (since nobody could see me) if I'd like it. Some cardboard blond was draped over the marquee with her leg six feet long. I started to go in, but it wasn't inside. I was waiting for something to happen outside. I walked down the street. In the concrete they have names of stars. I just recognized a few of them. The other names I had never heard. I was getting bored, I wanted to get back to the hospital in Fresno, and I wanted to stay there on the Boulevard, even if nobody could see me. Those crazy kids. Why are they dressed like that? Maybe it is some big Halloween doings, but it don't seem like Halloween. More like early spring. There was that sound again, that lack of sound. Stillness, stillness, stillness. The quiet is getting bigger and bigger. I know it is going to happen. Something is going to happen. It is happening now! It sure did. She woke me up, grinning and smiling, that fat one again. "It's time for your milk, kiddo," she says. Gosh, old women of thirty acting like the cat's pajamas. Next time maybe she'll bring hot chocolate. Where have I been? Where haven't I been? I've been to the ends of the earth and back. I've been to the end of the world—there isn't anything left. Not even Fresno, even though I'm lying here right this minute. If only my eyes would get a little clearer so I can write all this down. Nobody will believe me, anyway. I'm going back to that last moment on the Boulevard. Some sweet kid went past, dragging little boys (twins, I guess) by each hand. Her skirt was up—well, pretty high—and she had a tired look. I thought for a minute I could ask her about the birds, what had happened to them, and then I remembered she hadn't seen me. Her hair was all frowzy, way out all over her head. A lot of them looked like that, but she looked so tired and like she was sorry about something. I guess she was sorry before it happened—because it surely did happen. There was a funny smell. I don't know where it came from. I didn't like it. A smell like Sulphur, sulfuric acid, a smell like death. For a minute I thought I was back in chem. [Chemistry class]. When I looked around for the girl, she was gone. I wanted to find her for some reason. It was as if I knew something was going to happen and I could stay with her, help her. She was gone, and I walked half a block, then I saw the clock again. My eyes seemed glued to that clock. I couldn't move. I just waited. It was five minutes to four on a sunny afternoon. I thought I would stand there looking at that clock forever waiting for something to come. Then, when it came, it was nothing. It was just nothing. It wasn't nearly as hard as the earthquake we had two years ago. The ground shook, just an instant. People looked at each other, surprised. Then they laughed. I laughed, too. So this was what I had been waiting for. This funny little shake. It meant nothing. I was relieved and I was disappointed. What had I been waiting for? I started back up the Boulevard, moving my legs like those kids. How do they do it? I never found out. I felt as if the ground wasn't solid under me, knew I was dreaming, and yet I wasn't dreaming. There was that smell again, coming up from the ocean. I was getting to the 5 and 10 store and I saw the look on the kids' faces. Two of them were right in front of me, coming my way. "Let's get out of this place. Let's go back East." He seemed scared. It wasn't as if the sidewalks were trembling—but you couldn't seem to see them. Not with your eyes you couldn't. An old lady had a dog, a little white dog, and she stopped and looked scared, and grabbed him in her arms and said: "Let's go home, Frou, Frou. Mama is going to take you home." That poor lady, hanging on to her dog. I got scared. Really scared. I remembered the girl. She was way down the block, probably. I ran and ran, and the ground kept trembling. I couldn't see it. I couldn't see it. But I knew it was trembling. Everybody looked scared. They looked terrible. One young lady just sat down on the sidewalk all doubled up. She kept saying, "earthquake, it's the earthquake," over and over. But I couldn't see that anything was different. Then, when it came, how it came. Like nothing in God's world. Like nothing. It was like the scream of a siren, long and low, or the scream of a woman I heard having a baby when I was a kid. It was awful. It was as if something—some monster—was pushing up the sidewalks. You felt it long before you saw it, as if the sidewalks wouldn't hold you anymore. I looked out at the cars. They were honking, but not scared. They just kept moving. They didn't seem to know yet that anything was happening. Then, that white car, that baby-sized one, came sprawling from the inside lane right against the curb. The girl who was driving just sat there. She sat there with her eyes staring, as if she couldn't move, but I could hear her. She made funny noises. I watched her, thinking of the other girl. I said that it was a dream and I would wake up. But I didn't wake up. The shaking had started again, but this time was different. It was a nice shaking, like a cradle being rocked for a minute, and then I saw the middle of the Boulevard seem to be breaking in two. The concrete looked as if it were being pushed straight up by some giant shovel. It was breaking in two. That is why the girl's car went out of control. And then a loud sound again, like I've never heard before—then hundreds of sounds—all kinds of sounds; children, and women, and those crazy guys with earrings. They were all moving, some of them above the sidewalk. I can't describe it. They were lifted up. And the waters kept oozing—oozing. The cries. God, it was awful. I woke up. I never want to have that dream again. It came again. Like the first time, which was a preview and all I could remember was that it was the end of the world. I was right back there—all that crying. Right in the middle of it. My eardrums felt as if they were going to burst. Noise everywhere. People are falling down, some of them are hurt badly. Pieces of buildings, chips, flying in the air. One hit me hard on the side of the face, but I didn't seem to feel it. I wanted to wake up, to get away from this place. It had been fun in the beginning, the first dream, when I kind of knew I was going to dream the end of the world or something. This was terrible. There were older people in cars. Most of the kids were on the street. But those old guys were yelling bloody murder, as if anybody could help them. Nobody could help anybody. It was then I felt myself lifted up. Maybe I had died. I don't know. But I was over the city. It was tilting toward the ocean—like a picnic table. The buildings were holding, better than you could believe. They were holding. They were holding. They were holding. The people saw they were holding and they tried to cling to them or get inside. It was fantastic. Like a building had a will of its own. Everything else breaking around them, and they were holding, holding. I was up over them—looking down. I started to root for them. "Hold that line," I said. "Hold that line. Hold that line. Hold that line." I wanted to cheer, to shout, to scream. If the buildings held, those buildings on the Boulevard, maybe the girl—the girl with the two kids—maybe she could get inside. It looked that way for a long time, maybe three minutes, and three minutes was like forever. You knew they were going to hold, even if the waters kept coming up. Only they didn't. I've never imagined what it would be like for a building to die. A building dies just like a person. It gives way, some of the bigger ones did just that. They began to crumble, like an old man with palsy, who couldn't take it anymore. They crumbled right down to nothing. And the little ones screamed like mad—over and above the roar of the people. They were mad about dying. But buildings die. I couldn't look anymore at the people. I kept wanting to get higher. Then I seemed to be out of it all, but I could see. I seemed to be up on Big Bear near San Bernardino, but the funny thing was that I could see everywhere. I knew what was happening. The earth seemed to start to tremble again. I could feel it even though I was high up. This time it lasted maybe twelve seconds, and it was gentle. You couldn't believe anything so gentle could cause so much damage. But then I saw the streets of Los Angeles—and everything between the San Bernardino mountains and Los Angeles. It was still tilting towards the ocean, houses, everything that was left. I could see the big lanes—dozens of big lanes still loaded with cars sliding the same way. Now the ocean was coming in, moving like a huge snake across the land. I wondered how long it was, and I could see the clock, even though I wasn't there on the Boulevard. It was 4:29. It had been half an hour. I was glad I couldn't hear the crying anymore. But I could see everything. I could see everything. Then, like looking at a huge map of the world, I could see what was happening on the land and with the people. San Francisco was feeling it, but she was not in any way like Hollywood or Los Angeles. It was moving just like that earthquake movie with Jeanette McDonald and Gable. I could see all those mountains coming together. . . I knew it was going to happen to San Francisco—it was going to turn over—it would turn upside down. It went quickly, because of the twisting, I guess. It seemed much faster than Hollywood, but then I wasn't exactly there. I was a long way off. I was a long, long way off. I shut my eyes for a long time—I guess ten minutes—and when I opened them I saw the Grand Canyon. When I looked at the Grand Canyon, that great big gap was closing in, and Boulder Dam was being pushed, from underneath. And then, Nevada, and on up to Reno. Way down south, way down. Baja, California. Mexico too. It looked like some volcano down there was erupting, along with everything else. I saw the map of South America, especially Colombia. Another volcano—eruption—shaking violently. I seemed to be seeing a movie of three months before—before the Hollywood earthquake. Venezuela seemed to be having some kind of volcanic activity. Away off in the distance, I could see Japan, on a fault, too. It was so far off—not easy to see because I was still on Big Bear Mountain, but it started to go into the sea. I couldn't hear screaming, but I could see the surprised look on their faces. They looked so surprised. Japanese girls are made well, supple, easy, muscles that move well. Pretty, too. But they were all like dolls. It was so far away I could hardly see it. In a minute or two, it seemed over. Everybody was gone. There was nobody left. [Brother Branham said: "Japan . . . she's ready to rock to pieces right now. And there's no way you can stop it, because they have neglected to do exactly what God told them to do. Instead of preach Gospel, they have built buildings, and had fine scholarships, and educations" (Uncertain Sound, #61-0415E)]. I didn't know time now. I couldn't see a clock. I tried to see the island of Hawaii. I could see huge tidal waves beating against it. The people on the streets were getting wet, and they were scared. But I didn't see anybody go into the sea. I seemed way around the globe. More flooding. Is the world going to be drenched? Constantinople. Black Sea rising. Suez Canal, for some reason seemed to be drying up. Sicily—she doesn't hold. I could see a map. Mt. Etna. Mt. Etna is shaking. A lot of area seemed to go, but it seemed to be earlier or later. I wasn't sure of time, now. England—huge floods—but no tidal waves. Water, water everywhere, but no one was going into the sea. People were frightened and crying. Some places they fell to the streets on their knees and started to pray for the world. I didn't know the English were emotional. Ireland, Scotland—all kinds of churches were crowded—it seemed night and day. People were carrying candles and everybody was crying for California, Nevada, parts of Colorado—maybe even all of it, even Utah. Everybody was crying—most of them didn't even know anybody in California, Nevada, Utah, but they were crying as if they were blood kin. Like one family. Like it happened to them. New York was coming into view—she was still there, nothing had happened, yet the water level was way up. Here, things were different. People were running in the streets yelling, "end of the world." Kids ran into restaurants and ate everything in sight. I saw a shoe store with all the shoes gone in about five minutes. 5th Avenue—everybody running. Some radio blasting—bigger—a loudspeaker—that in a few minutes, power might be shut off. They must control themselves. Five girls were running like mad toward the YMCA, that place on Lexington or somewhere. But nothing was happening in New York. I saw an old lady with garbage cans, filling them with water. Everybody seemed scared to death. Some people looked dazed. The streets seemed filled with loudspeakers. It wasn't daylight. It was night. I saw, like the next day, and everything was topsy-turvy. Loudspeakers again about fuel tanks broken in areas—shortage of oil. People seemed to be looting markets. I saw a lot of places that seemed safe, and people were not so scared. Especially the rural areas. Here, everything was almost as if nothing had happened. People seemed headed to these places, some on foot, some in cars that still had fuel. I heard—or somehow I knew—that somewhere in the Atlantic land had come up. A lot of land. I was getting awfully tired. I wanted to wake up. I wanted to go back to the girl—to know where she was—and those two kids. I found myself back in Hollywood—and it was still 4:29. I wasn't up on Big Bear at all, I was perched over Hollywood. I was just there. It seemed perfectly natural in my dream. I could hear now. I could hear, someplace, a radio station blasting out—telling people not to panic. They were dying in the streets. There were picture stations with movies—some right in Hollywood—these were carrying on with all the shaking. One fellow in the picture station was a little short guy who should have been scared to death. But he wasn't. He kept shouting and reading instructions. Something about helicopters or planes would go over—some kind of planes—but I knew they couldn't. Things were happening in the atmosphere. The waves were rushing up now. Waves. Such waves. Nightmare waves. Then, I saw again. Boulder Dam, going down—pushing together, pushing together breaking apart—no, Grand Canyon was pushing together, and Boulder Dam was breaking apart. It was still daylight. All these radio stations went off at the same time—Boulder Dam had broken. I wondered how everybody would know about it—people back East. That was when I saw the "ham radio operators." I saw them in the darndest places, as if I were right there with them. Like the little guy with glasses, they kept sounding the alarm. One kept saying: "This is California. We are going into the sea. This is California. We are going into the sea. Get to high places. Get to the mountains. All states west—this is California. We are going into the. . . we are going into the. . ." I thought he was going to say "sea," but I could see him. He was inland, but the waters had come in. His hand was still clinging to the table; he was trying to get up, so that once again he could say: "This is California. We are going into the sea. This is California. We are going into the sea." I seemed to hear this, over and over, for what seemed hours—just those words—they kept it up until the last minute—all of them calling out, "Get to the mountains—this is California. We are going into the sea." I woke up. It didn't seem as if I had been dreaming. I have never been so tired. For a minute or two, I thought it had happened. I wondered about two things. I hadn't seen what happened to Fresno and I hadn't found out what happened to that girl. I've been thinking about it all morning. I'm going home tomorrow. It was just a dream. It was nothing more. Nobody in the future on Hollywood Boulevard is going to be wearing earrings—and those beards. Nothing like that is ever going to happen. That girl was so real to me—that girl with those kids. It won't ever happen—but if it did, how could I tell her (maybe she isn't even born yet) to move away from California when she has her twins—and she can't be on the Boulevard that day. She was so gosh-darned real. The other thing—those ham operators—hanging on like that—over and over—saying the same thing: "This is California. We are going into the sea. This is California. We are going into the sea. Get to the mountains. Get to the hilltops. California, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Utah. This is California. We are going into the sea." I guess I'll hear that for days. Confirming Prophecies of William Branham A prophecy that I made about 1935 or something like that, said: "The time would come that the sea would weep its way into the desert." Look what'll take place. If those thousands of square miles fall down into the lava of the earth and slide in, there'll be millions who die at one time. And that'll cause such a tidal wave. . . Remember, plumb up into the Salton Sea is a hundred or two hundred feet lower than the sea level. That water will probably come almost to Tucson with that tidal wave coming across there. And the sea shall weep its way into the desert (William Branham, Trying to do God a Service without being in the Will of God, p. 6:25). [The Spirit of the Lord came upon the Prophet as he was preaching in Los Angeles]: "We don't know what time. And you don't know what time that this city one day is going to be lying out here in the bottom of this ocean." "O, Capernaum," said Jesus, "Thou who exalted into heaven will be brought down into hell, for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom and Gomorrah, it'd have been standing till this day." And Sodom and Gomorrah lays at the bottom of the Dead Sea, and Capernaum's in the bottom of the sea. Thou city, who claims to be the city of the Angels, who's exalted yourself into heaven and sent all the dirty filthy things of fashions and things, till even the foreign countries come here to pick up our filth and send it away, with your fine churches and steeples, and so forth the way you do; remember, one day you'll be laying in the bottom of this sea. There's a great cavernous honeycomb under you right now. The wrath of God is belching right beneath you. How much longer will He hold together this sandbar hanging over that? That ocean out yonder, a mile deep, will slide plumb back to the Salton Sea. It'll be worse than the last day of Pompeii. Repent, Los Angeles. Repent the rest of you and turn to God. The hour of His wrath is upon the earth. Flee while there's time to flee and come into Christ." Let us pray." (Choosing a Bride, p. 35:3-5). [And again]: "The last meeting I had in California, while speaking, and didn't know nothing happened till I got on the street, It told California, I said, "Capernaum, Capernaum, the city that's called by the name of the angels (that's Los Angeles), you've exalted yourself into heaven, but you'll be brought down into hell. For if the mighty works had been done in Sodom that's been done in you, it would've been standing till this day." "Now, the last few days, the great roaring and popping. Then, here come out a paper of science that said, "It's all honeycombed; it's got to go under." They just know it." "And you watch, the water will come plumb back into the Salton Sea. Los Angeles is doomed for judgment. I tell you before it happened, that you might know when it does happen. I never spoke that by myself. And I've never had Him to tell me one thing but what happened. And you can bear record of that. That's right. When? I don't know." "I went out, and they told me what I said. And I listened, went back and searched the Scripture. You know, Jesus said, almost in the same words about Capernaum; and Sodom and Gomorrah was in the bottom of the Dead Sea, I suppose was then. And later, about a hundred years later, Capernaum slid into the sea, and it's in the sea. The same God that put Sodom in the sea for its sins, the same God that put Capernaum in the sea for its sins, the same God will put Los Angeles in the sea for its sins, that city of corruption." (Works is Faith Expressed, p. 8:61-64).
Repent....Come after Me! and let's reflect on what a catholic school is all about!
Matthew 4:12-32Now, when Jesus heard that John had been arrested he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled: “Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan – Galilee of the Gentiles. Those who sat in darkness have seen a great light; those in the region and the shadow of death, on theme light has shined.”From that time, Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”As he walked along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the lake – for they were fishermen. He said to them, “Follow me and I'll make you fish for people.” Immediately, they left their nets and followed him. As he walked along a little further, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in the boat with their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately, they left the boat and their father, and followed him.And Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. I have those walking monks from Texas on the brain lately. They are inspiring a piece of what we hope to do together during Lent in a few weeks, which you'll hear about soon enough. But I they came to mind as I read this morning's Gospel story about Jesus, making his way around Galilee.Surely, you've heard about the Buddhist monks from Fort Worth, Texas. They've been “walking for peace” since October, with plans to make their way to Washington, D.C., sometime in February. 2,300 miles, I believe. Just walking. Stopping every once in a while to give talks about what they're up to – which is nothing more and nothing less than walking as an invitation to and witness about being mindful of peace and compassion. They've been compelled and inspired, of course, by a world – and our nation, in particular – that displays the opposite of those things, too much of the time; peace and compassion, I mean.So, they're just walking. And passing out prayer cords and flowers along the way. Shining a light on the call to be generous and deliberate about loving-kindness.Just walking. With their rescue dog Aloka, who walks faithfully along with them, and who has almost 700,000 followers on Facebook.Just walking. Even though at least one of them was injured along the way, after being hit by a car, and having his leg amputated.Just walking. Receiving the grace and generosity of strangers in the form of food and water and blessings of support and encouragement.Just walking. And gathering crowds as they go – in fits and starts – in various places; in all kinds of weather; sometimes a dozen or so; sometimes it looks like hundreds or thousands walking along with them.And all of it made me wonder about what we just heard about the beginning of Jesus' ministry – and if it started out just as simply and profoundly – with him just walking.When Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been arrested – which we know happened because John had spoken out against King Herod's unlawful behavior – Jesus likely felt like things had taken a turn in his world … that things had taken a turn, perhaps, in the world at large … to the point that he may not have felt safe or settled anymore in his hometown of Nazareth … maybe that he just couldn't sit still any longer …In fact, while Matthew's Gospel says that Jesus “left” Nazareth, we know from Luke's Gospel that there was more to it than that. Jesus actually got run out of town. He was kicked out of Nazareth. His hometown friends, family, and neighbors threatened to hurl him off a cliff, remember – because Jesus had the nerve to proclaim good news for the poor and recovery of sight for the blind; because he promised release for captives and freedom for the oppressed; because he reminded people about God's prophets doing ministry with – caring for – loving – and tending to – the outsiders, the outcasts, and the foreigners in Minneapolis … I mean the outsiders, the outcasts, and the foreigners in their midst.But when he was threatened with that cliff after standing up for foreigners, outsiders and outcasts, the Gospel says Jesus “passed through the midst of them and went on his way.”He just walked.And in today's Gospel, Jesus is just getting started. I imagine him walking alone when he meets Simon and Andrew – that first set of brothers who leave their nets and tag along, with the simple curiosity of what it might mean to “fish for people,” instead of, say, small mouth bass, for a change. And then Jesus gathers up James and John, who leave their boat and their dad behind, to go wherever Jesus was headed next. And maybe all of that is why some followed and some didn't. Maybe Zebedee was just too old for all of that walking. Maybe Zebedee wanted his boys to get out of the house, off the payroll, and about their own business for a change. Or, maybe Zebedee – like all those people in Jesus' hometown – wasn't on board with everything Jesus was preaching and teaching and calling them toward: release for the captive, freedom for the oppressed, care for the widow and the orphan, concern for the outcast, the immigrant, and the resident aliens in their midst.All of this is to say that this way Jesus was walking – and calling his followers to follow – was a hard one. It was counter-cultural and anti-establishment. It was dangerous and lonely, at times. It was not for the faint of heart. It was open-hearted and gracious to a fault. It was not popular or powerful – it was worthless and weak by the world's standards.But it was full of hope … hope that in spite of the brokenness of the world … that precisely because of the world's brokenness … the kingdom of heaven had come near, in Jesus. Hope … that just like before … those who sat in darkness had seen a great light. Hope … that just like before … those who sat in the region and the shadow of death … would have the light of God shine upon them, again.We could surely use some light to shine in our darkness right about now. We could surely use some hope in the face of the bad news, the violence, the lies, the unnecessary and unwarranted death and despair that seem to be winning the day for so many.And I heard someone say recently that “hope is not something you HAVE, it's something you DO.”“Hope is not something you HAVE, it's something you DO.”And that's what I see in those walking monks … and it's what I imagine Jesus was up to as he walked, too: holding out hope – for himself as he worried about John the Baptist's arrest; manifesting hope – as he grieved the loss of his hometown and their threats against him; holding out hope - as he saw the struggle and suffering of the hurting world around him; manifesting hope – for those who dared to walk with him for all of the above, and for all of us, just the same.I know it's not enough all of the time – just walking certainly doesn't feel like enough for many of us these days. And I know there won't be a lot of walking in the storm and snow that has covered so much of our country this weekend. But let's follow Jesus when and however we're able – with actions that hold out and that manifest hope – in the face of what can be so disheartening so much of the time.When things seem so frustrating, so fearful, so hopeless, imagine that HOPE isn't something you HAVE or something you can LOSE, even. Imagine, instead, that HOPE is something we can DO.So let us worship, learn and serve. Let us pray and be generous and kind. Let us walk and march for peace whenever the opportunity presents itself. And let us repent, too, that thing today's Gospel says Jesus couldn't shut up about once he started making his way around Galilee. “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”Repent for the things we've said and left unsaid.Repent for the things we've done and left undone.Repent for the actions we've taken and for the apathy we've shown.Repent for the ways we've ignored Jesus' invitation to follow him with faith, courage, justice, and love for all people.Let's repent because it means to change; because it means to turn around; because it means to do better now that we know better. Repent, because it means to exercise the Christ-like qualities of sacrifice, surrender, and humility.Let us repent, as a supreme act of faith, not because we HAVE to, but because we GET to. Repent, not full of shame or full of guilt or despair. But, let us repent and be filled with HOPE for the grace, mercy, forgiveness, and CHANGE that will come when we let the love of God, in Jesus, have its way with us, with our neighbor, with our enemies, and with the world God so loves.Amen.
Third Sunday after the Epiphany Old Testament: Isaiah 9:1-4 1But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. 3You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. 4For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 5-13 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear? * the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid? 5 One thing have I asked of the Lord; one thing I seek; * that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; 6 To behold the fair beauty of the Lord * and to seek him in his temple. 7 For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe in his shelter; * he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling and set me high upon a rock. 8 Even now he lifts up my head * above my enemies round about me. 9 Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation with sounds of great gladness; * I will sing and make music to the Lord. 10 Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; * have mercy on me and answer me. 11 You speak in my heart and say, "Seek my face." * Your face, Lord, will I seek. 12 Hide not your face from me, * nor turn away your servant in displeasure. 13 You have been my helper; cast me not away; * do not forsake me, O God of my salvation. Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 10Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. 11For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters. 12What I mean is that each of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to Christ." 13Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16(I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power. 18For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23 12Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15"Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned."17From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 18As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 19And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." 20Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. 23Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.
12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15 "Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the gentiles— 16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned." 17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishers. 19 And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people." 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. 23 Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.
Read OnlineWhen Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee… From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:12, 17When John the Baptist was arrested, his followers were likely overcome with fear and grief. The man they revered as a prophet, who fearlessly proclaimed the coming of the Messiah and called for repentance through baptism, had been imprisoned. John was arrested by Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, infamous for ordering the massacre of infants in Bethlehem. Like his father, Herod Antipas was ambitious and morally corrupt. As tetrarch of Galilee and Perea under Roman authority, Herod's political survival depended on maintaining Roman favor. He often used religion to secure legitimacy among the Jewish people, though his actions routinely violated Jewish law.Though nominally Jewish, the Herodian dynasty was of Idumean descent, tracing its lineage to Esau rather than Jacob. The Idumeans were forcibly converted to Judaism between 135–104 BC. While this history granted the Herods a claim to Jewish identity, their foreign lineage and collaboration with Rome made them unpopular with many Jews. Herod Antipas, like his father, prioritized political cunning and personal ambition over genuine adherence to Jewish law.When John the Baptist emerged on the scene, he proclaimed his message with fearless conviction. His central call was one of repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins, urging the people to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. Yet John did not shy away from addressing the moral and spiritual corruption of his time. He famously denounced the Pharisees and Sadducees as a “brood of vipers,” rebuking their hypocrisy and lack of genuine repentance. John also boldly condemned Herod Antipas for violating Jewish law by divorcing his wife and marrying Herodias, the wife of his half-brother, Philip. This marriage not only violated Mosaic Law but also reflected Herod's ambitions to consolidate power and status. John's fearless denunciation of sin, even among the powerful, ultimately led to his arrest and eventual martyrdom.This historical context surrounding John's arrest is crucial because it helps us understand God's providence—how He permits certain evils to occur in order to bring about a greater good. Jesus Himself later affirmed John's greatness, saying, “Among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11). If the Son of God declared John's greatness shortly after John's arrest, why didn't God miraculously free him from persecution? The answer lies in John's mission. He had fulfilled his primary role: preparing the way for the Lord, the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Once John's mission was complete, God permitted him to seal his testimony with his own blood, offering his life as a martyr for the Lord and for the Truth that sets all people free.Reflect today on John's arrest and consider how you might have reacted if you had been one of his disciples. From an earthly perspective, martyrdom is difficult to comprehend or accept, especially in our own lives or in the lives of those we love. Though John's arrest and subsequent martyrdom likely brought fear and grief to his disciples, shaking their sense of security, from an eternal perspective, John's martyrdom was his greatest act of witness. It fulfilled his mission by pointing his disciples—and all of us—toward the true Prophet and Messiah, Jesus Christ. John is forever glorified in Heaven, and in the end, that is all that truly matters. As we honor John's unwavering faith, seek to embrace God's permissive will in your own life. Even in the face of suffering or evil, trust that God, in His providence, can bring about a greater good if we surrender ourselves fully to Him.My provident and loving God, You permit evil to touch the lives of Your faithful followers, knowing that in Your perfect Wisdom, You can bring forth a greater good. Grant me the heart of a martyr, filled with courage and trust, whenever I face injustice in my life. Help me to unite my every trial to Yours, in imitation of Saint John the Baptist and Your own Passion and Death. Jesus, I trust in You.ImageSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.
January 18, 2026 Acts 2:36-47“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
We're going to do it again. We'll walk slowly through the story and see what happens. Jesus leaves Nazareth. He leaves home. Why would he leave his home and his family? Well, Matthew tells us at the beginning. He heard that John was in prison. John was a peaceful protestor out in the wilderness calling people to repent, to rethink their allegiance to the authoritarian powers of the state and of religion. And now he's in prison. Golly Gee, I don't know how these ancient stories could possibly be relevant to today. So Jesus leaves home and starts preaching about the kingdom of God being near. But he doesn't stop there, he then calls some people to "Come, follow me." So who are we following? We all follow someone or something or some ideology. Our world tells us to follow ourselves - "Live your own truth - speak your own truth - you be you, man." But none of us really does that. We're all following. We got our beliefs, our values, the ways in which we live our everyday lives from someone. It was handed down to us. There's nothing new under the sun. Who are we following? It's an important question for self-reflection. There are characteristics and actions that DON'T look like Jesus, but we see them everywhere. And if it doesn't look like Jesus, we should stop following. So it's not too late. We can still repent and receive forgiveness, because that's what God does (this is John's message, who then points to Jesus). Then we can repent - rethink - change our thinking about some things - and then follow Jesus who shows us how to live in the kingdom. And what does Jesus immediately start doing with his new followers? Oh, he goes around Galilee and heals people of all their diseases. That's our work: bring healing into the lives of others wherever we are whenever we are there. Speaker: Aaron Vis Scripture: Matthew 4:12-23 http://bible.com/events/49552986
Have you been serving, staying doctrinally sound, and doing all the “right” Christian things—but feel your love for Jesus growing cold? In Revelation 2, Jesus praises the church in Ephesus for their diligence, discernment, and perseverance, but then gives a sobering rebuke: “You have left your first love.”This episode is sponsored by The Master's University. To learn more about how you can invest in a college education devoted to Christ & Scripture, visit: https://www.masters.eduIn this episode, we unpack what it means to leave your first love (not in sequence, but in prominence) and why a cold, apathetic heart is spiritually dangerous—even if your life looks strong on the surface. Using the Challenger space shuttle tragedy as an illustration of a “missing critical piece,” we look at Christ's clear prescription for spiritual apathy:Remember where you've fallen (preach the gospel to yourself)Repent (this is a heart issue, not just burnout)Return to “the deeds you did at first”We also discuss what those “first deeds” can look like: renewed hunger for God's Word, fervent prayer, love for God's people, evangelistic zeal, and honest confession—not just going through the motions.If you've been asking:“Why don't I love Jesus like I used to?”“How do I overcome spiritual dryness?”“What does Revelation 2 teach the church today?” …this conversation is for you.Scripture: Revelation 2:1–7
Today on the Daily Nugget, Mike shares the first two verses for this study from Matthew 4 and John 4: Repent and be born again. We are called to change our allegiance and do a complete 180—and the only way we can do that is through the Spirit of God coming in and transforming us as we are born again.
Jesus calls his first disciples, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Dr. Chris Croghan and Lars Olson explain how Matthew's version is unique compared to Mark's version and Luke's version as well as the importance of realizing when Jesus says, “Repent!” and “Follow me!” they're imperatives, they're not optional. Jesus is not waiting for you to answer the call. He's claiming you as His own. CARE OF SOULS - ADDICTIONIn Care of Souls, a special mini-series podcast from Luther House of Study, Lutheran pastors and theologians come together to explore the deeply personal and pastoral task of preaching to and caring for those struggling with life's challenging situations: addiction, death, family disharmony, and more. With conversations, real-life stories, and reflections from the front lines of ministry, Care of Souls equips listeners to enter the broken places of addiction not with easy answers, but with the crucified and risen Christ.Because in the end, it's not about fixing people—it's about preaching the Gospel.Listen to Care of Souls: Care of Souls - AddictionCOURSES Do you like what you learn in the conversations on Scripture First? Luther House of Study has numerous interactive courses available for free on subjects ranging from the Lutheran Catechism to core Christian beliefs. Visit lutherhouseofstudy.org to see their available courses, create an account to track your progress, and dive deeper into your learning. SING TO THE LORD Martin Luther said, "Next to the word of God, the art of music is the greatest treasure in the world." To understand the importance of hymnody in the Lutheran church, Lars Olson and Mason Van Essen sit down with Zachary Brockhoff to discuss the lectionary's hymns, their meaning and history, and how the music preaches the Gospel.
Revelation 2:1-7 | George Wright
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John's Baptism “Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “The voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!'” Now John himself had a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan;and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance; and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father'; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire. “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:1-12 NASB Jesus' Baptism “Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him.But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have the need to be baptized by You, and yet You are coming to me?” But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and settling on Him, and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:13-17 NASB Why Did Jesus Get Baptized? He was reliving Israel's history 2. He was repenting for us 3. He was consecrating Himself for ministry Believers' Baptism “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 NASB Believers' baptism is sacred 2. Believers' baptism is symbolic 3. Believers' baptism is singular
Behold Your GodRepentBrian Peterson01/18/26Matthew 3:1-12
Read Online“See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” Mark 1:44Miracles amaze and inspire us. For that reason, it is common for people of faith to pray for them. They are acts of God's great mercy, but the miracles we pray for are not always part of God's plan. In today's Gospel, Jesus heals a leper who comes to Him, kneels down, and says, “If you wish, you can make me clean” (Mark 1:40). After that, Jesus' Sacred Heart is moved with compassion, so He says to the leper, “I do will it. Be made clean” (Mark 1:41). Once healed, Jesus does something that might surprise us: He tells the man not to tell anyone about the healing. Why the secrecy?This pattern of a divine manifestation of Jesus' power, followed by His command not to publicize the experience, is often referred to as Jesus' “Messianic Secret.” We see this invitation to secrecy especially throughout the Synoptic Gospels. For example, after Peter's confession of Jesus as the Christ, Jesus “warned them not to tell anyone about him.” (Mark 8:30). Similarly, following the Transfiguration, He commands Peter, James, and John, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead” (Matthew 17:9). Even when Jesus silences demons who proclaim His identity, such as when they cry out, “You are the Son of God,” He “rebuked them and did not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Messiah” (Luke 4:41).This pattern of secrecy highlights an important truth: Jesus' identity as the Messiah could not be fully understood apart from the Cross and the Resurrection. At this early stage in His ministry, publicizing His miracles risked distorting His mission, as many people expected a political or earthly Messiah. The fact that Jesus manifested His divine power at times led many to seek Him out for that power rather than for the real purpose of His mission. We must learn from this pattern and seek out Jesus for the right reasons.The Messianic Secret reminds us that while miracles reveal God's mercy and power, they are not ends in themselves. Rather, they point to the deeper truth of Christ's mission. He came to reconcile humanity to the Father through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. This truth calls us to embrace God's will over our own preferences, humbly recognizing that God's plan unfolds according to His ways and timing, not ours.Do you desire miracles in your life? It's understandable that when we encounter some heavy burden we might ask God to intervene and resolve the situation. God sometimes does so, but only when, in His wisdom, He sees that the answered prayer will bear the most important fruit He desires to bestow: the sanctification of our souls, leading to our salvation.If we want to be followers of Christ, it's important that we follow Him on His terms. The heart of the Gospel message is not, “Ask me for favors and I will grant them.” Rather, it is, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” Freedom from sin is more important than physical healings or resolutions to earthly issues. In fact, God often uses physical ailments and other crosses to deepen our trust in Him because they give us an opportunity to unite ourselves to His Passion. This leads to greater holiness and eternal blessings, rather than earthly and passing rewards. Reflect today on the miracles you might be hoping for in your own life. Are you willing to trust in God's wisdom and timing, even if His answer is not what you want? Rather than focusing solely on temporal favors, resolve to deepen your faith in Christ's mission. Commit to embrace His will, especially in moments of suffering or uncertainty, knowing that God's greatest desire is your salvation. Seek first His Kingdom, confident that His plan—whether through miracles, crosses, or quiet moments of grace—will always lead you to a deeper union with Him. All-powerful Lord, You can do all things. At times, You intervene and bring resolution to crosses. At other times, You call me to embrace those crosses with hope and trust, knowing that Your wisdom is far above my own. Please give me the grace I need to seek Your will above my own, trusting that You will work all things for good when I love You with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Georg Pencz, CC0, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.
Today is day 13 and we are continuing the section on Salvation with question 13. 13. How can you repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ? With God's help, I can acknowledge and turn from my sins, receive the gift of God's grace in Jesus Christ, and embrace the new life he freely gives me. [One way to do this is by sincerely praying in the way described in the “Turning to Christ” section on page 20.] (Psalm 86:1–7; Joel 2:32; Acts 16:30–34; Romans 10:11–13; Hebrews 12:1–2) Our prayer today is the Collect for the Second Sunday of Lent found on page 605 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to buy or download To Be a Christian, head to anglicanchurch.net/catechism. Produced by Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Madison, MS. Original music from Matthew Clark. Daily collects and Psalms are taken from Book of Common Prayer (2019), created by the Anglican Church in North America and published by the Anglican Liturgical Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Catechism readings are taken from To Be a Christian - An Anglican Catechism Approved Edition, copyright © 2020 by The Anglican Church in North America by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Topics: Father Raymond of the Blessed Sacrament joins Terry 1) Gospel – Mark 1:14-20 – After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” As He passed by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they left their nets and followed Him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then He called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed Him. Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2, 3, 4) Terry and Father Raymond discuss the necessity of prayer in one’s life to attain sanctity
Pastoral Reflections Finding God In Ourselves by Msgr. Don Fischer
Gospel Mark 1:14-20 After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they left their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him. Reflection This is a moment of transition. Jesus picks up the work of John the Baptist by saying the same thing that John the Baptist said over and over again. Repent and believe in the gospel. The interesting thing about the Kingdom of God is that people are called to be engaged in this work of establishing a kingdom of peace and understanding individually, for very particular reasons. It's so important for us to listen for a call. Everyone is called. Everyone has a role in making the kingdom of God happen. It's difficult at times, but it's also an enormous pleasure to know you are working to save the world. Closing Prayer Father, there's a feeling inside of us. So often we wonder where it comes from that we maybe should not be doing what we're doing. We should be doing something else. Open us to those moments, and let us say yes and leave what is old and enter into what is new. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Friends of the Rosary,With His Divine Power, and by becoming incarnate, Jesus Christified the human nature.Sent by the Father for the salvation of mankind, Jesus of Nazareth, the Anointed One, the Messiah to Israel, showed the Word fulfilled.We saw this fulfillment yesterday at the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, aTheophany event in which God appeared in three persons, showing the Trinitarian nature of the Divinity.Jesus was proclaimed the "Beloved Son" of the Father, signifying that at our Baptism we become the adopted sons of God.By taking His body and blood in the Eucharist, we reaffirm that we want to be part of His mystical body, his shared divinity, without any sin and with total surrender. We say loudly that every one us belong to Him. That's how we want to conduct our free will.We abide by the proclamation of Christ, as we read in the Gospel today (Mark 1:14-20):“This is the time of fulfillment.The Kingdom of God is at hand.Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• January 12, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET
Read OnlineJesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Mark 1:15–17Today, as we enter into Ordinary Time, we hear Jesus' first proclamation of the Gospel as recorded by Mark: “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” Those words rang true as Jesus began His public ministry, and they ring true for us today.Imagine the scene. The Eternal Son of God took on flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He grew up in Nazareth with His parents and learned the trade of carpentry from Joseph. At the age of thirty, He was baptized by John in the Jordan River and spent forty days in the desert—fasting, praying, and overcoming the devil's temptations. Afterward, He traveled to the Sea of Galilee and began His public ministry.Though every moment of Jesus' life was sacred, the first words of His public ministry stand out. The long-awaited “time of fulfillment” had arrived, and He began to proclaim, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” All that had been planned from the foundation of the world and all that was revealed in the Old Testament pointed to that moment. All of God's promises were about to be fulfilled.It would be fascinating to go back in time to that moment, knowing everything we know now about Jesus' life and mission, and observe the humble beginnings of the most important activity ever to take place. The ordinary people whom He called and prepared for such an extraordinary task are exceptionally inspiring. The many people who walked by Jesus, not knowing Who He was, magnify Jesus' humility. He hid His glory, relying on the power of His preaching and the workings of grace in the hearts of His disciples—and He continues to do so today.Though we cannot travel back to that historical moment, we should understand that it is a moment that transcends time. Just as Jesus spoke those words long ago at the Sea of Galilee, He speaks them anew today. He says to you, “Today is the time of fulfillment for you!” “Today” is the present moment every day of our lives.We often miss Jesus' proclamation to us because we fail to recognize the extraordinary significance of the Word of God and the immediacy of God's call to repentance. We must respond to that call in the same way that the first Apostles did. Jesus first encounters Peter and Andrew as they are fishing and says, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men,” and they follow. He then calls James and John, who also follow. They do not hesitate. Though Jesus had performed no miracles yet, He had no followers, and was unknown, these men knew they had to follow Jesus. They did so, leaving everything else behind.Reflect today on the very beginning of Jesus' ministry. Like the Apostles, do you make an immediate and complete response to Jesus every time He calls within every moment of your day? What “nets” in your life hold you back from following Him completely? Are there attachments, comforts, or distractions that hinder your response? Do you spend time with the Word of God and in prayer, listening for His proclamation to you to repent and believe in the Gospel? Just as He spoke to Peter, Andrew, James, and John, Jesus speaks to you today: “Come after me.” Do not hesitate to follow where He leads. Do not let this moment pass by—for He is calling you now.My divine Lord, as You began Your public ministry, the full radiance of Your glory was hidden from the eyes of the people of Galilee. Yet as You spoke, Your words resonated in the minds and hearts of those who listened with faith. Draw me now, and in every moment of my life, into this ongoing time of fulfillment. As You call me to repentance and faith, give me the strength to respond fully and without hesitation. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.Image: Image via Adobe StockSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.
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God wants to do something great in your life. He wants to bless you; He wants to prosper you. But if that is going to occur, He needs something from you. Chip shows us what it is that unleashes God's supernatural power in our lives.The pathway to breakthrough involves:The SOVEREIGN work of God in the world. -Job 42:2The SOVEREIGN work of God in His people.The SOVEREIGN work of God through His people.Your personal pathway to breakthroughAction step: Repent and believe in the “Good News”. -Mark 1:15Action step: Make room in your life to receive God's breakthrough! -James 4:7-10Question: How do we repent and “make room” for God's supernatural power and blessing?Answer:SUBMIT therefore to God. -James 4:7aRESIST and the devil will FLEE. -James 4:7bDRAW NEAR to God and He will DRAW NEAR to you. -James 4:8aWASH your hands and PURIFY your heart. -James 4:8bGRIEVE MOURN WAIL change…. -James 4:9HUMBLE yourself, and He will EXALT you. -James 4:10Assignment:Soak in God's goodness: Prayerfully read through Psalm 23 each day this week.Make room for a breakthroughBroadcast ResourceDownload MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource MentionsI Choose Love BookDaily Discipleship - Psalms of HopeConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003
God wants to do something great in your life. He wants to bless you; He wants to prosper you. But if that is going to occur, He needs something from you. Chip shows us what it is that unleashes God's supernatural power in our lives.The pathway to breakthrough involves:The SOVEREIGN work of God in the world. -Job 42:2The SOVEREIGN work of God in His people.The SOVEREIGN work of God through His people.Your personal pathway to breakthroughAction step: Repent and believe in the “Good News”. -Mark 1:15Action step: Make room in your life to receive God's breakthrough! -James 4:7-10Question: How do we repent and “make room” for God's supernatural power and blessing?Answer:SUBMIT therefore to God. -James 4:7aRESIST and the devil will FLEE. -James 4:7bDRAW NEAR to God and He will DRAW NEAR to you. -James 4:8aWASH your hands and PURIFY your heart. -James 4:8bGRIEVE MOURN WAIL change…. -James 4:9HUMBLE yourself, and He will EXALT you. -James 4:10Assignment:Soak in God's goodness: Prayerfully read through Psalm 23 each day this week.Make room for a breakthroughBroadcast ResourceDownload MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource MentionsI Choose Love BookDaily Discipleship - Psalms of HopeConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003
Do you believe that what you're experiencing today is not all there is? Chip shares how God is orchestrating events, circumstances, people, and relationships to bring about a breakthrough - a shift in the status quo - a fresh awakening of your heart to His Spirit. And He wants you to get in on the action. The question is will you be ready?The pathway to breakthrough involves:The SOVEREIGN work of God in the world. -Job 42:2The SOVEREIGN work of God in His people.The SOVEREIGN work of God through His people.Your personal pathway to breakthroughAction step: Repent and believe in the “Good News”. -Mark 1:15Action step: Make room in your life to receive God's breakthrough! -James 4:7-10Question: How do we repent and “make room” for God's supernatural power and blessing?Answer:SUBMIT therefore to God. -James 4:7aRESIST and the devil will FLEE. -James 4:7bDRAW NEAR to God and He will DRAW NEAR to you. -James 4:8aWASH your hands and PURIFY your heart. -James 4:8bGRIEVE MOURN WAIL change…. -James 4:9HUMBLE yourself, and He will EXALT you. -James 4:10Assignment:Soak in God's goodness: Prayerfully read through Psalm 23 each day this week.Make room for a breakthroughBroadcast ResourceDownload MP3Message NotesAdditional Resource MentionsI Choose Love BookDaily Discipleship - Psalms of HopeConnect888-333-6003WebsiteChip Ingram AppInstagramFacebookTwitterPartner With UsDonate Online888-333-6003