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Reformed Brotherhood | Sound Doctrine, Systematic Theology, and Brotherly Love
In this thought-provoking episode, Tony and Jesse delve into Jesus's twin parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price from Matthew 13:44-46. They explore the profound economic metaphor Jesus uses to illustrate the incomparable value of the Kingdom of Heaven. Through careful examination of both parables, they discuss what it means to "count the cost" of following Christ while simultaneously recognizing that no earthly sacrifice can compare to the infinite worth of gaining Christ. The conversation moves between practical application—considering how believers assess value in their spiritual lives—and deeper theological reflections on Christ's perfect sacrifice that makes our entrance into the Kingdom possible in the first place. Key Takeaways The Kingdom of Heaven has such surpassing value that sacrificing everything to obtain it is considered a joyful exchange, not a loss. Both parables show different paths to discovering the Kingdom (unexpected finding vs. intentional seeking), but identical responses: selling everything to obtain the treasure. The parables are not primarily commanding material poverty, but rather illustrating the "sold-outness" required in pursuing the Kingdom of God. Counting the cost of discipleship is not only permissible but necessary to fully appreciate the value of what we gain in Christ. The ultimate treasure we receive in salvation is not merely benefits like eternal life, but God Himself—union with Christ and fellowship with the Trinity. Christ Himself is the one who ultimately fulfills these parables perfectly, giving everything to purchase us as His treasure. The irresistible draw of the Kingdom illustrates how God's grace works in the heart of believers, compelling joyful surrender. Exploring the Incomparable Value of the Kingdom The economic metaphor Jesus employs in these parables is striking—both the hidden treasure and the pearl are deemed so valuable that the discoverers "sell all they have" to obtain them. As Tony and Jesse point out, this transaction reveals something profound about how we should view the Kingdom of Heaven. It's not simply that the Kingdom is valuable; it's that its value so far exceeds anything else we possess that the comparison becomes almost absurd. As Tony notes, "For sure the worth of the kingdom of heaven surpasses anything we could imagine... there's no measure that is satisfying, there's no measure that can actually show us how worthwhile it is." This perspective transforms how we understand sacrifice in the Christian life. When opportunities or comforts are foregone because of our faith, we're not simply losing something—we're experiencing the reality that we've chosen something infinitely more valuable. The parables teach us to view these moments not with regret but with a clearer vision of the treasure we've received in Christ. The Ultimate Prize: God Himself Perhaps the most powerful insight from the discussion is the realization that the ultimate treasure of salvation is not the benefits we receive, but God Himself. As Tony eloquently states: "All of those things are attending gifts. But what we get in salvation ultimately is we get God... we get union with God, we get fellowship with Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. We get swept up into the life of the Trinity... We gain the relationship that the son has with the father by nature. We gain that by grace and nothing can compare to that." This perspective reshapes how we understand the value proposition of the gospel. It's not merely that we receive eternal life, freedom from suffering, or other benefits—though these are real. The pearl of great price is relationship with God Himself. This helps explain why both men in the parables respond with such dramatic, all-encompassing sacrifice. When we truly grasp what's being offered, nothing seems too great a price to pay. Memorable Quotes "What we get in salvation ultimately is we get God. We get union with God, we get fellowship with Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. We get swept up into the life of the Trinity... We gain the relationship that the son has with the father by nature. We gain that by grace and nothing can compare to that." — Tony Arsenal "I often say in my own line of work, that cost only matters in the absence of value... it's like at the end of days when we think about the worthiness of our God, that there's no one like him, that he's unequal, that he has no rival, that the gospel is the sweetest message that we're rescued literally from the pit. We'll just say no matter what the cost of us personally, great or small, totally worth it." — Jesse Schwamb Full Transcript [00:00:08] Tony Arsenal: All of those things are attending gifts. But what we get in salvation ultimately is we get God we get union with God, we get fellowship with Jesus Christ in the, the power of the Holy Spirit. We, we get swept up into the life of the, the God of the universe. Like the life of the Trinity indwells us. And we, we become a part of that. We get swept up into that. We gain the relationship that the son has with the father by nature. We gain that by grace and nothing can compare to that. [00:00:47] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 469 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. [00:00:54] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother. [00:00:59] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. Discussing the Value of the Kingdom of Heaven [00:01:00] Jesse Schwamb: Speaking of ears to hear, we're back at it again with a whole new, or let's say different parable from our Lord and Savior Jesus. And we've been talking about how really these parables give us this view of the face of heaven through these earthly glasses. And I am pretty interested in our conversation about what's coming up because sometimes we don't like to put too fine a points to our, our point of question to our faith. And in this case, we're gonna get to ask the question, what is it all worth, this kingdom of heaven, this rule and reign of Christ? What is it all about? Who are the beneficiaries of it? And what is it all actually worth? There's a little bit of economics in this, so we're gonna get there. And while we talk and do a little affirming or denying, you should just go ahead write to just skip, go. Do not collect $200 or maybe. Pass, go and collect $200. I dunno. But just go to Matthew chapter 13 and hang out there for just a second. Affirmations and Denials [00:01:58] Jesse Schwamb: But first, I'm always curious to know whenever we talk, are you gonna affirm with something or are you gonna die against something? We've been on a string of lots of affirmations, but I'd like to think that's just because we're fun, loving, optimistic people. But there was a day where we had to do both. And now that I only have to choose one, I do find myself gravitating almost naturally toward the affirming width. But I leave it to you, Tony, are you affirming with or denying against? [00:02:22] Tony Arsenal: I, unfortunately am denying tonight. Technical Issues with Apple Podcasts [00:02:25] Tony Arsenal: So you and I already talked about it a little bit, but uh, I'm denying Apple Podcast Connect. Oh yes. So, uh, I. Obviously, like if you're affected by this, you're not hearing the episode 'cause it's not updating for you. But, uh, if you happen to be using Apple to listen to the podcast and for some reason you're listening somewhere else, maybe you realize that the podcast has not been updating for several weeks. And so you went to a different podcast catcher. Um, apple just decided for some reason that none of our feeds were gonna update. No good reason. So I've got a ticket out to Apple and hopefully we'll get it fixed. Uh, if you do know someone who listens to the show and they use Apple, please tell them to subscribe to something else or to, uh, go to the website. You can get all of the, all of the episodes on our website. You could go to Spotify, you could do something like, uh, overcast or PocketCasts. Um, it really is just Apple. It's, it's the actual account that we use to, uh, to access. Apple's Directory is not pulling new episodes and it's not pulling new episodes on another show that I run as well. So, uh, it's not just this show, it's not our RSS feed. These things happen. It'll, you know, you'll get four or five episodes all at one time. When it, when it corrects itself, usually they're pretty quick. I put in a ticket like late on Friday afternoon, so I didn't expect them to get to it on, uh, Saturday or Sunday. So hopefully by the time you're hearing this, uh, it's resolved. I would hope so, because that means it would be about a week from today. Um, so hopefully they'll have a resolve. But yeah, it's just th thorns and thistles. This is our own, our own, uh, manifestation of the curse here in this little labor that we do. It's, it's thorns and thistles right now, but no big deal. Just, uh, catch up when you can. And, uh, yeah, so denying Apple Podcasts now, really, it's, it's a great service and this is a, a little glitch. It's, it's just a little frustrating. [00:04:20] Jesse Schwamb: The sweat of our brow. Yes. Here it is. We're just toiling over getting Apple to please release our episodes. Well, it'll be your happy day if you use Apple Podcasts and then get a bunch of them all at once. That's fantastic. It's like the gift that is over in abundance. Supporting The Reformed Brotherhood [00:04:36] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it is a good reminder that you just said, Tony, that everybody should go, just take some time. Head on over to our form brotherhood.com. You can find all the other 400 some odd episodes living over there. And while you're over there and you're perusing or searching by topic to see what we've talked about before, you're probably gonna think to yourself, this is so incredible. How is this compendium, this omnibus of all these episodes just hanging out here free of cost? And I'm so glad you're thinking about that because there are so many lovely brothers and sisters who have decided just to give a little bit to make sure that all that stuff gets hosted for free for you Yeah. And for us, so that anybody can go and explore it and find content that we hope will be edifying. So if that's something you're interested in, maybe you've been listening for a while and thought, you know what? I would like to give a little bit one time or reoccurring, we would love to, for you to join us in that mission. You can go to patreon.com/reform brotherhood, and there's all the information for you to give if that's something that you feel you would like to do, and we would be grateful for you to do it. [00:05:32] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. We, we have a group of people who support the show. They make it possible for your, uh, your ear holes to be filled with our voices. And, uh, but again, you know, the costs are going up all around and, and we would, uh, certainly love to have people partner with us. Um, we've committed to making show that the, making sure that the show is free and available. Um, it's never our intention to put anything behind a paywall or to, to barrier and in that way, but we can only do that if there's people who are supporting the show and making, making sure that we've got the funding that we need to, to keep going. So, thank you to everybody who gives, thank you to anyone who's considering it, uh, and thanking anybody who decides to, uh, jump on board with that. [00:06:11] Jesse Schwamb: Right on. We're appreciative who we really are. [00:06:13] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. So Jesse, what are you affirming or denying today? Exploring Open Webcam DB [00:06:16] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, this is what I've kind of done before, but I think I've found a new place for it. I just am continually impressed and fall in love with how great and big and lovely God's world is. So I love these types of sites that give you insight into this great big world, even if it's in unexpected places or maybe in strange places. So I'm affirming with a website called Open webcam db.com. Open webcam db.com. And it's exactly like what it sounds like. It's a database that has something like 2000 live cameras streaming daily from over 50 countries, all searchable by a category. So you can find natural landscapes, airports, construction sites, and one of my recent favorites, honestly, and this is. It's so strange, but kind of awesome is this warehouse, it's called Chinese Robotic Warehouse Buzz, and it's just robots moving pallets around or like stacks of all of these items. It's mesmerizing. But I would encourage you go to open webcam db.com, search for like your stage or your country. You'll find so many amazing things. So I've sat and just watched, you know, between tasks or when you know you just need a break or you're just curious about the world. Like I look, I watched the Krakow Maine Market Square quite a bit because it's. Beautiful and brilliant, and to think about the people moving to and fro and what they're doing, what their lives are like. There's some great scenes from San Francisco Bay. There is a bird feeder in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania that I often watch. So of course, like go out as we've said, and live and breathe and be in your own communities. And as well, if you're looking at scratch that itch of just seeing all these different places, all the different things that are happening in God's created world, I can firmly and unreservedly recommend open webcam db.com for that. [00:07:58] Tony Arsenal: Nice, nice, uh, little known fact at one point, Dartmouth Hitchcock, which is the hospital that I worked for, had to block a penguin cam, uh, because it was causing such a productivity drain combined with an actual measurable decrease in internet bandwidth at the hospital. 'cause so many people were watching this little penguin cam at some zoo in Boston. I think it probably was. Yeah, I, I love this kind of stuff. I think this kind of stuff is great. Uh, I use, uh, Dartmouth College has a, like a live one that I use all the time, especially when we're trying to figure out what the weather's gonna do. You can see it on the camera. Uh, we, we often will, you know, see, especially as we get closer to the season when we're talking about traveling to the beach and whatnot, uh, often look at the ocean grove. Oh, that's right. Uh, pier cam. So yeah, check it out. Uh, sounds like a fun time. Do not share it with too many of your friends at work. Or it may crash the network and Yeah. But [00:08:53] Jesse Schwamb: yeah, for [00:08:54] Tony Arsenal: sure. That was a funny email that they had to send out. I remember that [00:08:57] Jesse Schwamb: for sure. Use, use the penguin cam responsibly. I just did a quick search. There are four different penguin cams. Uh, three of them are in the United States, one is in New Zealand, and you better believe I'm gonna be checking those bad boys out. Yes. I didn't even think about. The penguin feature here and penguins are an amazing animal. Like we could stop right now and just shift our topic to penguins if you want to. [00:09:16] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. ' [00:09:16] Jesse Schwamb: cause there's so much there. And the spiritual truths are so broad and deep, but I just think penguins are kind of undervalued. Birds. Everybody should go check them out. [00:09:26] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. They're, they're pretty cool. [00:09:28] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Um, I'm like, I will watch any Penguin documentary and just be astounded by Penguin. Like, whether they're Emperor Penguins or South African Penguin, wherever. I just think they're phenomenal and hilarious and seem to be living the dream. And he doesn't want a little bit of that. [00:09:46] Tony Arsenal: You just gotta get Morgan Freeman to do the voiceover in any documentary or, or nature documentary is better with Morgan Freeman doing the voiceover. [00:09:55] Jesse Schwamb: Well, I all, this might be a deep cut real quick, but I just learned this, and I'm guessing some of our listening brothers and sisters probably already know this. Maybe you do too, Tony. So, Benedict Cumberbatch, do you know where I'm going with this? Yep, [00:10:06] Tony Arsenal: yep. Pen wing. [00:10:07] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I didn't. I cannot say that word or stumbles over its pronunciation. He did some kind of big documentary in which Penguins played at least some part. Yeah. And they were in an interview. They were giving him such a hard time because they played his reading of it like within the same kind of five minutes. And his, the word just kept degenerating in his mouth every time he said it. So it became like almost undistinguishable from the actual word. And it's like initial pronunciation. It was so hilarious. Apparently it's a big joke on the internet and I just didn't know it. [00:10:38] Tony Arsenal: Especially for someone like Bent Cumberbatch who just is, uh, like he's a world-class voice actor. [00:10:44] Jesse Schwamb: Right. [00:10:45] Tony Arsenal: And like a super smart ude guy and he just can't say the word penguin and penguin. Yeah. [00:10:51] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. He said, you got everybody go look it up. 'cause it is super hilarious. And now it's kind of gotten stuck in my head. But um, again, this suddenly became like the All Penguin episode all of a sudden. [00:11:01] Tony Arsenal: I mean like, he can pronounce his own last name just fine, but the word penguin escapes him. I like to call 'em blueberry crumble bottom or whatever. Crumble bunch. [00:11:11] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, see that's the good stuff right there. That's what everybody we know. This is what you all tune in for. This is what you're missing when Apple Podcast doesn't send everything out on time. Yeah. You're welcome. [00:11:22] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl [00:11:23] Tony Arsenal: Well, Jesse, why don't we, why don't we get into it? Because you know it, it's interesting. Let's [00:11:27] Jesse Schwamb: get into it. [00:11:28] Tony Arsenal: Well, it's interesting because when you, you know, you kind of, we, we sort of do the little lead to the episode and I, I suddenly realized that I think I've been interpreting this parable very differently than maybe you have or other people. Great. Do, uh, because I, I think I, I think I might have a different take on it. Let, let's do it. Yeah. So let's get into it. Uh, do you have the, the text in friend you wanna read? Uh, why don't we just do 44 all the way through 46? We'll do both parables in one reading. We'll come back and talk about it. [00:11:54] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Sorry, everybody. So here's a two for one for you. Beginning in where we're in verse 44 of Matthew chapter 13. This is Jesus speaking. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field again. The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Interpreting the Parables [00:12:22] Tony Arsenal: I think maybe this is the, like the beauty of parables, uh, when Christ doesn't give us a interpretation. I, I think we're, we're, we're not free to like make up whatever we want, but these kinds of teaching tools are useful because the fact that there can be multiple interpretations actually is, is probably intentional. [00:12:43] Jesse Schwamb: Right. [00:12:43] Tony Arsenal: So it's funny because I think when you intro the episode here, it sounds like you're going to the kingdom of Heaven being a treasure hidden in a field, being something that we should sell everything we have and go after. And when I read this, I read it as the kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden a field. And the man who is Jesus goes and sells all that. He has. He gives all that he has and buys the field. So, and I, I think this is one of those ones where like. Probably both of those things are in play. Sure. But it's interesting 'cause I've never, I've never really read this and thought about myself as the person who buys the field. [00:13:19] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Interesting. [00:13:20] Tony Arsenal: I've probably heard sermons or read devotionals where people have said that and it just never clicked. And it didn't register until just now. And you were, when you were, uh, introing the parable that maybe you are the, maybe your way of introing your, your interpretation. Maybe that's the dominant one. So I, I looked at a couple quick, um, commentaries while you were speaking and I didn't get a chance to do my commentary reading before the episode. It seems like I'm the weird one. So, but it's interesting, um, 'cause again, I think that's the, kind of the beauty of parables is that sometimes the, the, um. Ambiguity of what the possible meaning could be, probably plays into the, the, um, teaching technique itself. [00:13:58] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I, I think that's fair. I totally can take and understand what your perspective is on this. What I find interesting is that these, we've got these two abutting each other, like the cheek to cheek parallel approach here, and in doing so, there seems to be like kind of an interesting comparison between the two. Actors in this. And I think we should get into that. Like why in one case Jesus is talking about a person who finds this in a field, which by the way, I think the, the thing that jumps out to me first about that person is this person doesn't actually own the field at first. Right. That the treasure is in. So that is interesting. I'm totally with you. But then the second one, so in the first one there's kinda almost like this sense, and I don't wanna like push this too far, but that this person who finds this treasure does so very unexpectedly, perhaps like he's even the hired hand and of course not the one who owns the field. [00:14:48] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:14:49] Jesse Schwamb: And in the second case, we have somebody who almost is volitionally looking for this thing of great value, but finds the one thing above all the other things that they're used to looking for that clearly has the greatest and most. You know, essential worth and therefore the end is always the same in both of 'em. They give everything they have. They're willing for forsake all other things with great joy, recognizing the great value that's in front of them. I think there is a place to understand that as Christ acting in those ways. I think there's also interesting, again, this comparison between these two people. So I'm seeing this as we've got these varied beneficiaries of the kingdom. They both come to this place of the incomparable value of the kingdom, but then there's also like this expulsive power of the kingdom. All, all of that's, I think in there, and again, these are really, really, really brilliant, I think, because the more that you spend time meditating on these, the layers just kind of come and they fall away and you start to really consider, well, why again is Jesus using these two different characters? Why is he using this kinda different sense of things of, of worth what the people are actually after? I think all of it's in play. You're totally right. [00:15:54] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. The Cost and Value of the Kingdom of Heaven [00:15:55] Tony Arsenal: So I think, you know, when we think about the kingdom of heaven, when we think about these perils, we made this point last week, we shouldn't, um, we shouldn't restrict, we have to be careful not to restrict the comparison to just like the first noun that comes up, [00:16:08] Jesse Schwamb: right? [00:16:08] Tony Arsenal: So it's not just that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, it, it is like a treasure, but it's like a treasure that's hidden in a field. Yes. And it's not just like a treasure that's hidden in a field, it's a treasure that's hidden in a field which a man found and covered up. Right? So, so like we have to look at that whole sequence. And I think, I think, um, you know, obviously like the, the interpretation that we are the, we're the man who finds the kingdom of heaven and we, you know, we go and buy the field. Um, that, that obviously makes perfect sense now that I'm looking at a few different commentaries. It seems to be the predominant way that this gets interpreted. And we, we look at it and we say, what, well, what does this mean for like our Christian life? Like. What does it mean? Do we have to, do we have to give everything away? Do we have to sell everything we have? Is that the point of the parable? I think some people make that the point of the parable. Um, I'm not convinced that that actually is the point of the parable. Um, because it, you know, it, it, it just, there's lots in the scripture that, that, uh, doesn't seem to require that Christians automatically like, give away everything they have. Um, maybe that's your calling. Maybe it is something that God's calling you to do to sort of, um, divest yourself of your, your belongings, either to sort of fight materialism or greed or, or just because like you're gonna need to have that fluidity and liquidity to your assets 'cause you're gonna need to move around or whatever it is. But I don't think we look at this parable and have like a, like a, a command for a life of poverty or something like that. Right. Um, really this is more about the. Utter sold outness of the Christian to pursue and seek the kingdom of God. [00:17:48] Jesse Schwamb: Right? Right. [00:17:49] Tony Arsenal: And and I think that that's the same in both, even though the way that the person in the parables comes a, comes across the kingdom or they come across this, this thing of great value or thing of great price, that they find their response in both parables is the same. And to me, that that actually tells me that that's more the point of these parables. Um, or, or maybe we shouldn't even think of these as two parables, right? Some of the introductory language that we see in when we transition from one parable to another, we don't really see that here. Uh, and if, if we're gonna follow that, actually we would be going to the next parable would also kind of fall into this. But he says the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure. And then in 45 he says, again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. We're gonna run into something like this later on when we get to like the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of lost coins. Where there are these distinct parables, but they're kind of stacked on top of each other in order to make a specific point. All of the parables that are sort of in these parable stacks are making the same point. And so I think it's not so much about like, how do we find the Kingdom of Heaven or how do we come upon the kingdom of heaven? It's more about what do we do once we've come upon it? Once we've thrown it's, that's the point of the parable that we need to unpack. [00:19:03] Jesse Schwamb: That's right. And I would add to that, like who is it that is the beneficiary of this kingdom? We have two different, very different individuals, which I, again, I think, we'll, we'll talk a little bit about, but I'm totally with you. I, I think it's, it's easier, it's almost too narrow and too easy to say. Well, this is really just about like physical ma or about wealth. Like in some way the, what we're being taught here is that you have to get rid of everything of value in exchange for this. In some ways, that almost feels too transactional, doesn't it? As if like what, what we need to do is really buy the kingdom. We express our seriousness about this kingdom or the rule and reign of God by somehow just giving up everything that we own as if to prove that we're really worthy of receiving that kingdom that we prayed enough. Right. That we've done enough, even though that we're contrite enough. Yeah. And all that stands like in direct opposition to the mercy and grace, which God gives to us through his son by the power of the Holy Spirit to bring us into this kingdom. So we know it can't really be about that. And so that leads me back again to just like the lovely details here. And like you've already said in the first case, here's what really strikes me is. For probably most of us in the West, this idea of treasure is novel and maybe romantic. There's a adventure and an energy to it. Because we've all heard stories about this, whether it's like, I don't know, pirates of the Caribbean or the county Mount Cristo. Like there's something about treasure finding some kind of, or national treasure. Sorry, that just came to my mind. Like I couldn't go any further without mentioning Nick Cage. So you know, like there's something there that pulls us in that finding this thing almost unexpectedly in a hidden place of immense worth and value is, has a real draw to it. But I imagine that in Palestine being like a war torn region in Jesus' day, in the way people might store goods of great value in the fields they own. And then of course the owner may never be able to achieve for lots of reasons, including death. And then somebody might stumble upon it. And as I understand the, the laws there, of course, if you were to stumble upon something. I was in somebody else's property and and on earth that thing take it out of the ground. In this case, you would be by law required to bring that back to the person who owned the field. So there's something interesting here that this first person, probably the more meager and humble of the two with they at least respected, like their socioeconomic status is let's, we could presume maybe going about their normal work. They find this unexpectedly in the field and it's immediately recognized to be something of great value that it is to stop and to, again, there's like a measuring that happens behind the scenes. This person at least is measuring of all the things that I own, all things I could possibly own. The better thing for me to do is to consolidate all the rest of my wealth. And this case, again, it's not the message of the story to do this, it's the exemplification of what's happening here. This person is so sold out to ensure that they acquire this great treasure that they stumbled upon, that they will take literally everything else of value that they own to exchange it for this very thing. So I'm totally with you because I think the predominant message here is not like take all your wealth and make sure that you give it to the church or that it goes to ministry or to missions. That may all be well and good and it may all be the kind of calling that you receive. However, I think the principle message here is the kingdom of God is so valuable that losing everything on earth, but getting the kingdom is a happy trade off. Like that's actually a really, really good deal. And so having the omnipotent saving reign of Christ in our lives is so valuable that if, if we lose everything in order to have it, it would be a joyful sacrifice. [00:22:20] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And you know, I think, um, I think there is a level of. Encouragement in Sacrifice and Joy in the Kingdom [00:22:27] Tony Arsenal: Sacrifice that happens for every Christian and. I mean, I, I know there's a lot of people who they, uh, come to faith as young children and we've kind of talked about that as like, that's that testimony that, you know, I think everybody really wants is like they wish they never had a time that they didn't know Jesus and Right. I don't know any parent that I've ever spoken to, and I'm certainly not any different here that doesn't want that testimony for Jesus, but, or for, for their kids in their relationship with Jesus. But. I think most people who come to faith at some point in their life when they're able to remember it, like they, they have a conscious memory of their conversion experience. There is this sort of sense of sacrifice and e even a sort of a sense of loss. Um, I think there, there are times where, and, and you know, I think maybe, um, even people who've always been in the faith, um, they probably can resonate with this. I think there are times when we might look at how our lives could have been different or could be different if we weren't in the faith. Um, and, and sometimes there's a sort of wistfulness to that. Like being a Christian can sometimes be difficult right On, um, you know, maybe you miss a promotion opportunity because you're not willing to work on the Lord's day or because you're not willing to do something unethical. Like you, you miss out on some sort of advancement and you think, well, if I could just, you know, if I could have just gotten past that, like my life would be much different. And what this parable teaches us is. That's an understandable, like that's an understandable emotion or response. Um, and there is this weighing of the cost. And in the parable here, he, like you said, there's this calculation that goes on in the background. He finds this treasure, he makes the calculation that to have this treasure is worth. Everything it's worth everything he has. He sells everything he has, and he buys the field in order to get the treasure right. And, and there's some interesting textual dynamics going on through this chapter. We've talked about how the parables kind of like the imagery across the parables in chapter 13 here of Matthew, they kind of flip certain figures around and almost, it's almost intentional because he is getting the treasure and the treasure. The kingdom of heaven here is like the treasure, but he's also getting the field right. And the kingdom of heaven is, is the field in other parables. Um, but this, this calculation that happens, um. I don't know, maybe my heart is just sensitive to this right now. I, I, I, I feel like a lot of times we look at that sort of wis wistful second glance at what could have been if we were not Christians, and we automatically feel like that's gotta be a sinful impulse. Like, how could I ever even consider what life might have been? Like this parable implies that that's the thing we actually have to do. You have to know and consider what it is you've sacrificed or will be sacrificing in order to make this transaction happen. You can't just blanketly say like, oh, of course. You know, you've gotta, you've gotta count the cost, as it were, and then you have to actually make the purchase. So I think we should look at this as a source of encouragement. Um, like I said, I'm not sure why. I feel like maybe there's, maybe there's just a, a. I dunno, I'm feeling a little weird and charismatic right now. I feel like this is something that I definitely need to be saying, like, I feel like someone needs to hear this. Maybe it's just me that needs to hear this. And that's, I'm tricking myself by thinking of someone else. But we are able, as Christians, I think God permits us and in some sense, maybe even expects and commands us to recognize what we have given to be Christians in order that we might realize how much we have gained with that transaction. It's not just this like remorse or regret, um, for the sake of remorse or regret. It's to be able to see how good and how beautiful and how worth it is the kingdom of God, uh, to, to, to claim that. [00:26:23] Jesse Schwamb: I like that there is a great discipline and a great joy in remembering worth and worthiness. So there's gonna be times, like you said, when it's hard and if you look back, look back at the ministry of Jesus, I've often thought that he's like a poor evangelizer from like modern standards. Yeah. Because often people come to him and say things like. I, I wanna be part of the kingdom of God. Well, what do I need to do to enter the kingdom of God? And here you have like a seemingly a willing convert. And he always says things like this, like, you gotta go count the cost. Yeah. Like is, is this worth it to you? Like you have to deny yourself, you have to hate your own father and your mother, and your wife and children, and brothers and sisters, even your own life. Otherwise you cannot be my disciple. And in this kind of language, it's clear that Jesus is saying you fail often. And maybe this goes back like you're saying, Tony, it's like the parable of the soil that you fail to really take into account what it means to follow with full fidelity, to commit yourself in a fully unencumbered way. Are you willing to do that? Are you willing to consider that? And as human beings, we're just not good often at counting costs. We're not good at thinking about opportunity costs. And it's interesting here that we're called out to say, even if you've already purchased the field as so to speak, that as if you've been saved by Christ, to continue to remember how good it is to be in the kingdom of God. And that the joy. Of knowing as like the Heidelberg Catechism says in the first question that all things are subservient to our salvation. Yeah. That incredible worth of, that should be a source of encouragement in times of great trial and tribulation, no matter how big or small, so that this joy that this person has when they go and sells everything he has and he buys this field, you know those details, like you're saying, do press us. It really comes to us with this idea that we should be able to see plainly why having Christ is more valuable than all other things. If the omnipotence all wise, God is ruling, ruling over all things for our joy, then everything must be working for our good, no matter how painful and in the end, God is gonna triumph over all evil and all pain. So this kingdom is a real treasure. Like it is a, it is a real. A real quantity in our life and our wellbeing and in our spiritual consistency, that'll ought demand some reflection of how valuable it truly is. And then knowing that in our minds, that like influencing our behavior, our other thought patterns, and then our actual feelings about stuff. So that when, like you said, we're passed over, we're looked over, we're ridiculed for something, we go back and we count it all joy to be worthy of being part of God's kingdom, knowing that it was because of the entrance and acceptability and the identity in that kingdom that we experience. Those things, those hardships begin with. [00:29:05] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And, and I, um, I don't want us to miss out on the fact that even as the parable may be encouraging or forcing us to think about. The cost. It, it really is trying to emphasize the great value of the kingdom. Right? Right. We, like I said, we, we don't just count the cost. In order to count the cost for its own sake. We count the cost in order to understand the great blessing that is ours in Christ. Right. All I, I count all that I have as a loss compared to the greatness of Christ Jesus. And, um, I think we just don't often do that. I, I, I think as Christians, that's probably a thought that is in our head more as young Christians, especially if we come to the faith in, in a time in our life where we're aware of things like that. We think about things like that. Reflecting on the Cost of Faith [00:29:59] Tony Arsenal: You know, I was 15 when I first came to faith and, um, I, I don't think I was in a frame of mind as a 15-year-old boy to think about, like. The cost of what I was doing, right? It's not like I was a particularly popular kid. I didn't have a, you know, I didn't, I wasn't unpopular, but it wasn't like I lost a ton of friends when I became a Christian. I didn't really lose anything that was measurable. Um, but I do think that, as, you know, someone now in my forties, looking back at, you know, 15, 20, 25 years of, of Christian life, it's easy to see that things could have been different on a sort of temporal scale. Like my, my life could probably be more comfortable in terms of wealth or opportunities or other things that might, uh, aren't, aren't even bad things necessarily. There is a sense of sacrifice. But again, God has brought us into this kingdom and he's given us parables like this and given us the ability to recognize. That we do have a cost, that there is a cost to be counted in order that we might now look at it and praise him for how great and glorious and valuable the gift that he's given us is. Understanding the Parable of the Pearl [00:31:08] Tony Arsenal: And so I think, you know, I think that's the same basic meaning of this second, second half of the same parable. I guess the, the pearl of great price or the pearl of great value. But it's not exactly the same, right? It's not like Christ is just repeating the same ver, you know, parable with, with different words for variation. Um, every word is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching correction, reproof, and training and righteousness. And I had a, I had a prophet in, uh, in Bible college who would say like, difference means difference. And he was often talking about like minute things, like the difference, um, or why, why is this word used instead of that word? This word would've worked. And, and the author chose that one. There's a reason for that. Difference means difference, but. Christ here chooses to, to tell the parable a second time, um, in a slightly different way. Uh, and Matthew chooses to record these in the same sense next to each other in slightly different ways. So what, what do we, what do we wanna pull out of this second parable that's different and what do we think it's telling us that's a little bit different than the first version Y? [00:32:14] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's a great question. Diverse Approaches to the Kingdom of Heaven [00:32:16] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, I love this idea because not until really, I was thinking about it this week when I read through them, was I really, again, drawn to the differences between these two main characters. Interestingly, I think in both, and we can make the case that the, the treasure, the kingdom of heaven here represented in both this pearl or in this literal treasure is in a way hidden. Certainly the first man is not necessarily looking for, it's still revealed to him, but the second in a way. And on the other hand, he knew this guy knows treasure. He's been seeking it with diligence in vigor, or at least like this is what he does for a living in his vocational career. He's out there trading pearls, presumably, and he knows something about them and how to evaluate them effectively. And so it's his business and he's dedicated himself to finding them. And apparently he's seen plenty of them over the years. But then all of a sudden, and this is wild, the beautiful, all of a sudden, clearly the search comes to like an abrupt end because he finds this one of immeasurable value, so much beauty exceeding and value exceeding all the other ones. And he doesn't need to search anymore. He just finds the one pearl that he can retire on a pearl with more than everything else. Or anything else that he's ever possessed and he gets it again. He does. And this brings him into symbol two with the first man. He does the same thing, then liquidate everything else and go after this one. Great pearl. So to me, and I'm curious your perspective on this, I'm not necessarily promulgating that. Well, the first one is not a seeker and the second one is like a seeker of of God things. Right? There is though, like you said, a difference in their approach and what they're after. And so I think what we can take from this, at the very least, is that there is diversity in these beneficiaries of the kingdom of God that's covering everybody. And just by these two kind of bookended or polar examples, that's what Jesus draws us to. But I would turn the question back to you. What do you think about this second guy? What do you think about the fact that his business is searching after these things? What? What do we take away from that? [00:34:07] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. The Ultimate Value of the Kingdom [00:34:07] Tony Arsenal: And you know, the thing that drop that jumps out to me immediately in the first parable, the kingdom of heaven is, is like the treasure hidden in the field, [00:34:16] Jesse Schwamb: right? [00:34:16] Tony Arsenal: In the second one, the kingdom of heaven is the merchant who's searching, [00:34:20] Jesse Schwamb: right? [00:34:20] Tony Arsenal: Right. The kingdom of heaven is like the merchant in search of fine pearls who finds one. That's right. And so I think that they kind of are like, almost like mirror images of each other, right? One of them is about the treasure and what it takes to come upon it and then obtain it. The second is about the person who is coming upon the treasure and, and finding it. And then what it takes again to obtain that treasure. And I think, I think you're right, there is an element here that. Um, in this second parable, the person who is seeking for this treasure is one he's seeking for the treasure, right? Right. You get the image in this, in this first parable that the dude just kind of stumbles upon it. Um, I've heard this Todd as like, it's actually more like a guy who's just walking through a field rather than like a person working the field. And I'm not sure that matters that much, but there is this sense in the first parable that the guy kind of stumbles upon it. He wasn't looking, it wasn't what he was trying to do, but you're right in the second one, the kingdom of heaven, and this is where I, this is where I think I need to think more about it, is what does it mean for the kingdom of heaven to be like a merchant searching for fine pearls right [00:35:23] Jesse Schwamb: on. [00:35:23] Tony Arsenal: Rather than the pearls being the kingdom of heaven, which is what we see in the first bearable. Um, and I don't know the answer to that question. I think I need to, need to think about it and study it a little bit more. But I do like this distinction that in, in the first case, it's sort of a happy accident. And in the second case, this is, this is the life, this man's life work. He finds he's, he's in search of fine pearls. I'm not sure I know exactly what he's trying to do with the fine pearls. It seems like it implies that he's a pearl merchant or a pearl trader, but then he finds this pearl. He doesn't seek to sell it. He buys it. Right. [00:36:00] Jesse Schwamb: Right. [00:36:00] Tony Arsenal: And, and the, the, the fact that the parable stops with him buying it sort of implies that like. He actually is not going to sell it. He's just gonna keep this pearl. Now before the, the pearls, the, the source of the value of the pearls was kind of in the, the financial gain that selling or trading them could bring. But now he suddenly finds this pearl that is so valuable. It's so great, it's so beautiful. Everything he was working to obtain before all of the money he's gathered by finding and selling pearls in the previous like mode of living. He now gets rid of all of that just to purchase this one pearl and presumably to keep it. And I think that again, is kind of a, kind of a, um, statement on our Christian life is that we, we probably have all sorts of things that we've been doing our whole life and we are seeking to, to move forward in our life. And the kingdom of heaven is kind of the ultimate goal of all of that, for those who are in Christ, for those who are called according to his purpose. The purpose is not just to accumulate wealth. It's not even necessarily, uh, in and of itself to like grow in righteousness. It's to be transformed to the, uh, to the image of God's glory son, for the purpose of making him great, making his name renowned. Right. When we look at that passage in Romans that have kind alluded to, he's, he would transform into the image of Christ so that he might be the first born among many brothers. The Incomparable Worth of Salvation [00:37:24] Tony Arsenal: Ultimately, our, our sanctification and glorification is about making Jesus great and glorified, um, to give him glory, to have our glorification reflect his already intrinsic glory and the gift that he gives us, and I think that's kind of, kind of in play here, is that. Uh, we might have all sorts of goals in our life. We might have goals in our Christian life, um, that are good things that we should strive for, but at the end of the day, all of those things only serve to bring us to the kingdom of heaven, which is this pearl of great price that we, we purchase, we buy it and we just kind of hang onto it. It is its own treasure and it's, it's not about what this, this treasure can bring to us, right? Which is what the fine pearls were before they were about what the merchant can find and sell. It's, it's now about just obtaining the pearl and enjoying that pearl. Um, which I think is a little bit different than, than, um, what I would've thought of with the par before. [00:38:19] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I totally agree with you. I think, I think you're actually onto something with the distinction because I think of. So much of my career has been spent in financial services among people who are buyers and sellers of things. They're traders. And the way I read this was very similar to what you were saying to me. What resonated was if this gentleman or this person is. Trading, collecting these pearls. Presumably they have appreciation for the beauty of the pearl itself. So there is like something innate that draws them to this particular thing. And with that experience and with that knowledge and with that, that appreciation of that beauty. I think when they see this other pearl, it moves from, well, why would I ever sell that? I've seen everything. This is the most beautiful pearl I've ever laid my eyes on. And now I want to keep it for me. I want to have it in my possession. I want to cherish it and not just keep it in the inventory and then turn around and sell it for markup, presumably, because there is no nothing that would be of greater value to this person. 'cause they just sold everything else that they had. So they, it's appreciation for the pearl itself. It's going after that finding and seeking that great beauty. And then that led me right into Philippians chapter four, where Paul writes the church in Philippi, beginning of verse eight. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever's honorable, whatever's just whatever's pure, whatever's lovely, whatever's commendable. If there's any excellence, if there. Anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Practice these things and the god of peace will be with you. So this idea, like you and I, Tony, have talked about like the world has great wisdom, it has great knowledge, it has things that can lead us by way of common grace into certain amounts of peace. But the pearl of great price, the seeking after the going after all these great things is to find the gospel, to be given the gospel it revealed to you. And then say everything else I count as a loss. Everything else is worthless compared to this thing. And if you're a person that can appreciate even just by turn of mind or God's influence in your life, you know, knowledge and wisdom, and you're seeking after that, which is the ultimate expression and representation of those things, and then you find you come upon this pearl of great price, the gospel wisdom and the beauty of God represented in his son Jesus Christ. And you say, this is it. I, I know enough to know, again, by the regeneration that comes through the spirit, this is the real deal. Then I think the message still stands. We come through two different directions into the same final culminating point, which is there is a condition for having this kingdom of God, for having the king on your side as your friend, but the condition isn't like wealth or power or negotiating or intelligence or even good trading behavior or going out and finding the right thing. The condition is that we prize the kingdom more than anything else we own. The point of selling everything in these parables is to simply show where our hearts are at. And so I often say in my own line of work, that cost only matters in the absence of value. Actually, it's true for everything that we. We presumably spend our time or our money on cost only matters in the absence of value. And I think like you and I could do a fun little experiment where I don't know, you ever talking to somebody about something and you're paying a cost to have that service delivered to you and you're, and you're just like totally worth it, like I would do totally worth it. Like, yeah, that's kind of the vibe I'm getting here. It's like at the end of days when we think about the worthiness of our God, that there's no one like him, that he's unequal, that he has no rival, that the gospel is the sweetest message that we're rescued literally from the pit. We're just say no matter what the cost of us personally, great or small, totally worth it, that that's what we'll be saying for all of eternity as we worship him. [00:41:45] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and I think even more than saying, totally worth it. I think when we are given our new eyes to see, and we no longer see through a da a glass dimly, we're gonna recognize saying that it was worth, it is is like it's a pale, like it's a faulty answer to begin with because the, for sure the worth of the kingdom of heaven surpasses anything we could imagine. And in our, you know, locked in little meat brains that we have now, we're kind of com we're just comparing it to. You know, like what, what we could have had or what we, what we've given up. Um, it, it's gonna be an incomparable comparison. Like there's no, there's no measure that is satisfying, there's no measure that can actually show us how, how worthwhile it is. And, you know, we've, we've made a point of it, like the, the blessing of salvation and, and really like what it is that we're getting, uh, in, in the. You know, the Christian understanding of salvation, it's not, it's not an eternal destiny. It's not bigger mansions in heaven. It's not freedom from death. All of those things come with it. All of those things are attending gifts. That's right. But what we get in salvation ultimately is we get God we get union with God, we get fellowship with Jesus Christ in the, the power of the Holy Spirit. We, we get swept up into the life of the, the God of the universe. Like the life of the Trinity indwells us. And we, we become a part of that. Uh, not, not in the, you know, like. Eastern Orthodox deification sense, although I think there's a proper way we can talk about deification. Um, but we get swept up into that. We gain the relationship that the son has with the father by nature. We gain that by grace and nothing can compare to that. There's nothing that we could ever point to. Um, it's funny, my, my wife and I, um, this is a little corny, but, um, we'll often say to, to each other instead of saying, I love you more than anything, we'll say, I love you more than everything. Right. And, and it's, it's a way to say like. You could take all that there is in the world, everything that I have that I could possibly consider and sum up the value. And I love my wife more than that. I love my children more than that. So it's not that I love them more than any one thing, it's that I love them more than everything combined. And this is even greater than that, right? We, we will look back at our lives and if, if it's even in our mind, if we even can, can comprehend anymore. The idea of thinking about what it costs us to obtain this pearl of great value, which is the kingdom of heaven, which is just another way to say, is just fellowship with the God of the universe. Um, we'll look at it and say no matter what it was. No matter what it could have been, I would give everything I, I love God more than everything. Right. Right. There's nothing that could ever possibly be considered that even comes close to what we gain in, in Christ Jesus, in union with, with God. And I think that's the point of this, like I think the guy who, um. Christ's Perfect Sacrifice and Our Response [00:44:58] Tony Arsenal: I think about what it would take for me to even like to sell everything, like the concept of selling everything I own. I'm not even sure how I would do that, to be honest with you. Like, I don't even know the mechanism for that kind of thing. But the idea that there's anything that could be valuable enough that I would just sell every piece of human property that I have, there's probably nothing like that in this world. Like, there probably isn't. And to, to take that comparison and then basically say like, that's just what the kingdom of God is like. 'cause that's the other thing I think we miss about parables is you, you only make a comparison when you can't describe something, um, analytically, right? There's the difference between analogically and analytically Ana lot analytically means we're able to actually quantify and explain it kind of in strict terms, right? I can, I can say that, um, uh, a heavy object ways, X number of grams or it, you know, or, um. Pounds or whatever. I can, I can measure that and make an analytical statement, or I can make an analogy, an analogy that is comparative. Uh, but by definition, or almost by by nature of the thing, when you make that comparison, you're kind of saying like, not only is it like this, but it's actually it, like it's more like this than I can even describe. Right? So when we're talking about the kingdom of Heaven here, and we say it's, it's like, it's like a man who goes, he finds a treasure and then he sells everything. He has to get that treasure. It's infinitely more like that than it actually can be described. Does that make sense? I feel like I'm rambling on that a little bit. Maybe trying to describe something that can't be described is, is hard to do. [00:46:35] Jesse Schwamb: It's, that's, yeah. But yeah, that's, that's very difficult to do. I'm actually totally with you on this. I think I understand clearly what you mean, this idea that no matter how hard we actually try to value it, we'll be incapable of doing so. Yes. And at best, it almost seems like this is a strange command in a way because it's, it's asking us to do in some ways a thing that is impossible for us to do. However, I think what you're saying is it doesn't mean that we shouldn't turn our minds toward that. We're a bit like people who, I don't know if this show is still on PBS, but like, do you know that show, remember that show The Antiques Road Show? Yeah. Where people would like come, they'd ran ransack their homes or their garages with these old antique items and they bring them to this road show where there'd be experts who would value them. And inevitably we'll be like those people who come with what we think is like a. A thousand dollars clock that we got at a garage sale thinking, wouldn't it be great? I know this is valuable. It's probably a thousand dollars. It'll be, look at the return, tenfold return, I'll get on this item, and then instead finding that it's worth $10 million when it's appraised. Yeah, I assume it'll be just like that in the Beautific vision that even maybe for all of eternity will be growing in our appreciation for just how valuable this great salvation is. And yet at the same time, I think what this should encourage us to do is to pray things like God make us real in seeing and savoring Christ in his saving work above all the other things. Yeah. So that, as you said in your example, we would cherish him above everything, above all things that you have that right place in our hearts or that we be inclined to undertake that posture, which says, God, though I cannot understand it in full. Would you help me to see that? Encouragement in Our Spiritual Journey [00:48:08] Jesse Schwamb: And I wanna just say like, as a word of encouragement, maybe I'm speaking more to myself here so everybody else can disregard this if you like, but I think sometimes there can be a little bit of intimidation then when you hear these things and say like, ah, I'm just not, I just dunno if I love God enough, like I wanna love him, or I want to want to love him more. And I think even that posture is appropriate. Yeah. Sometimes there, oftentimes in my personal life, I'll pray something like, God, help me to know how much you love me and would you give me the strength to love you back? So that even that awareness, that energy, that volition, that vitality, that, that heat, all of that, that fire itself is kindled by the Holy Spirit. It's not like we need to like try to again manufacture here. Because the point of these, these stories is not again, that we just find the means to do a transactional exchange here, but that instead we really just sit in the full promises of God. And of course to that, I would say we always need to go back to, to something like Romans eight. I mean, I know that we should, like you said, Tony, the. The standard description we give for the Bible is the one that gives itself, which is that all of it, all of it's is carried along by the Holy Spirit. All of it is God breathe. All of it is useful for something. And yet, of course, I say somewhat tongue in cheek that, you know, if I have 10 minutes to live, I'm probably not gonna the s descriptions of reading a genealogy, I'm going straight from Roman and say, Romans say, I think it's just like the pinnacle of the scriptures. And so just a couple of verses at the end there, because I think this is, this is leading us into what is this great treasure? What is the kingdom of God? Why do we value it so much? What is the saving power? And uh, these verses, I mean, always just entirely get me ready to run through a wall. So this is the end of, of Romans eight beginning verse 35. Who shall separate us from the law of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword as it is written for your sake. We are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No. In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us for I'm sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from a love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. [00:50:22] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's a good word. And I, I, I like what you're saying too, is, is I think we, we can. There's this paradoxical thing that happens when the scriptures is trying to encourage us to do something, is we often like to get our, in our own way. And, and actually that becomes a source of discouragement for us. The Bible calls us to something and we know we can't live up to it. And that's actually like part and parcel of, of reform theology to recognize that this is law, like the, the, the, the, you know, maybe not in like the strict sense, like when we talk about dividing the scripture into law and gospel, um. It may not be that this particular passage would fall under that rubric of law normally, but this idea that we need to count the cost and that we need to be treasuring Christ more and more, and then when we feel like I'm just not getting it. I'm just not there. Like, I don't, I don't treasure Christ as much as I so should. Um, that Yeah, that's right. Nobody does. Nobody can, like, that's, that's kind of the point of this, and that's why it's law is it's, it shouldn't drive you in Christ. It should not drive you to despair. Right. It should not drive you to discouragement. It should drive you to gratitude that God saved you anyways. That, that this pearl of great value is still yours even though you can't possibly deserve it. Um, you know, we're, we're a little bit different than the, the merchant and the man who finds the treasure in the field in that we can't sell everything we have and obtain it like they have the ability to do that in the, in the parables. Right. Um, we, we don't, and we never will. And so rather than let that drive you to being discouraged that like you're just not getting. I recognize God is of infinite value and we are finite creatures. So we, we could, uh, value God perfectly. Like whatever that means, and I don't even know what that means, but we could value and cherish and love God perfectly as far as our capacities are concerned, and it still would not be enough to sufficiently merit God's favor for us. Like as much as we can, even in, even in eternity. As much as we can value and worship and love and praise Jesus, he is worth infinitely more than we could ever give, even when we do it perfectly. And this is, this is why you know Christ coming to die, to live on our behalf, to die in our place. Why that's necessary is because only this is a, maybe a different take on it. We, I think we talk a lot about how, um. Only God could, could carry, bear the wrath of God and not be destroyed. Right. Right. Only God could, um, could stand up under his own wrath, could stand up under the wrath of God and bear that punishment and not be destroyed. And so therefore, um, Christ had to be not just a man, but had to be God. But on the flip side. And God requires perfect perpetual obedience, which involves loving the Lord your God, perfectly with your whole heart at all times. Right? Only God can do that too. So it's not just that God. It's not just that G
King David once said that guilt makes you feel like your very bones are rotting. Guilt makes you feel weak . . . sick. Guilt can make it hard to focus on anything else . . . hard to function. And guilt is an inescapable fact of life. Everyone carries guilt about something. Worse, our efforts to deal with guilt—minimizing our mistakes, making excuses for our sin—don't help, but only make us feel worse. What alleviates the burden of guilt? Just one thing—God's gift of grace. Christ's love is undeserved and unconditional. He pardons every sin. This is the entire reason Jesus came to earth. This was his mission—to give the gift of grace! When we receive that gift, our guilt melts. Left in its place is the joy of our salvation.The Scripture readings for Support the showMessages from the King is produced by King of Kings Lutheran Church in Maitland, FL.To find out more about King of Kings... Please visit VisitKoK.com Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/visitkok) Email us @ info@visitkok.com Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!
God grants the status of “saint” (which means “holy one”) to every believer. It might appear that status is of little practical value. If you achieve the status “billionaire” or “celebrity” or “senator” your life is going to be vastly different than most other people, most likely better. But if God calls you a saint, just like everyone else, you will struggle with trials, temptations, and sin. Being a saint does not make life easier. In some ways it makes life more difficult as we struggle against a world that is hostile toward Christ. This might lead us to ask, “Is it really that big a deal that God calls us saints? ”For centuries, the Church has answered that question by celebrating the Festival of All Saints. This week we get a peek at the saints who have died and now live in the glory of Christ's light. Through eyes of faith, we see the saints enjoying glory in the place where “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:1-6). We realize what a precious gift this status of saint actually is. We understand that soon enough we shall join all the saints in that glorious heavenly city. And that gives us amazing stamina to face the challenges of this world with the strength Christ gives to all his saints.Support the showMessages from the King is produced by King of Kings Lutheran Church in Maitland, FL.To find out more about King of Kings... Please visit VisitKoK.com Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/visitkok) Email us @ info@visitkok.com Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!
Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today's message is from 2 Timothy, Faithful and Bold, Part 3
Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today's message is from 2 Timothy, Faithful and Bold, Part 3
Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today's message is from 2 Timothy, Faithful and Bold, Part 3
Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today's message is from 2 Timothy, Faithful and Bold, Part 3
Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today's message is from 2 Timothy, Faithful and Bold, Part 3
Join us for worship and praise of our Savior Jesus! Today's message is from 2 Timothy, Faithful and Bold, Part 3
Last month, VCY held its fall rally and the guest presenter was Chris Katulka from the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. He spoke on the issue: Why Israel Matters. Why does Israel still matter? Chris had this to say in his opening comments concerning the Bible: "From Genesis to Revelation, this book is Jewish, OK? Do you know that your Savior Jesus is Jewish? You know he never went to church, he went to synagogue. He never celebrated Christmas or Easter. That would be awkward, OK? Jesus celebrated Passover. He honored Yom Kippur. He kept the Feast of Tabernacles. He celebrated Hanukkah. Jesus is Jewish and we believe that if you have a passion for God's Word, then you should automatically have compassion for God's chosen people." That pretty much says it all, but we encourage you to listen to this larger portion of audio from the rally as Chris explains how the existence of a Palestinian state would really be a reward to Hamas. He breaks down Genesis 12:3 (the promise to Abraham) and how it extends throughout the entire Bible. Find out why the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Assyrians and numerous other people groups are gone, yet Israel is still in existence. Other points are examined as well, all to show that Israel still matters!
Last month, VCY held its fall rally and the guest presenter was Chris Katulka from the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. He spoke on the issue: Why Israel Matters. Why does Israel still matter? Chris had this to say in his opening comments concerning the Bible: "From Genesis to Revelation, this book is Jewish, OK? Do you know that your Savior Jesus is Jewish? You know he never went to church, he went to synagogue. He never celebrated Christmas or Easter. That would be awkward, OK? Jesus celebrated Passover. He honored Yom Kippur. He kept the Feast of Tabernacles. He celebrated Hanukkah. Jesus is Jewish and we believe that if you have a passion for God's Word, then you should automatically have compassion for God's chosen people." That pretty much says it all, but we encourage you to listen to this larger portion of audio from the rally as Chris explains how the existence of a Palestinian state would really be a reward to Hamas. He breaks down Genesis 12:3 (the promise to Abraham) and how it extends throughout the entire Bible. Find out why the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Assyrians and numerous other people groups are gone, yet Israel is still in existence. Other points are examined as well, all to show that Israel still matters!
Over 500 years ago, Lutheran Christians were under tremendous pressure. They were forced to defend themselves on battlefields both metaphorical and literal. But they took comfort that Christ himself was by their side upon the plain with his good gifts and Spirit.Just 175 years ago, the Lutheran Christians who founded WELS were also under tremendous pressure.The pressure continues today with opposition to the truths of the Word of God. But we take comfort that Christ is with us in Word and sacrament, and we move forward with the promise of his presence.Support the showMessages from the King is produced by King of Kings Lutheran Church in Maitland, FL.To find out more about King of Kings... Please visit VisitKoK.com Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/visitkok) Email us @ info@visitkok.com Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!
CD 1754 Under the InfluenceChanged:Hateful to Hopeful Coward to Courageous Loathing to LovingPersecutor to PreacherBro. Jason on the screen: *Luke 12:45 (KJV) But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; *Ephesus 5:18 (KJV) And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;In the natural if I drink enough alcohol for it to influence me it changes my personality. I'm very naturally an introvert and uncomfortable and social situations. But with the influence of alcohol in the natural those inhibitions are pushed to the back. So if that could happen in the natural under alcohol how much more spiritually by being under the influence of the holy Spirit can we be changed. We're going to be looking at Ephesians chapter 5 about being filled with the holy Spirit and not being drunk on wine but on the spirits. Then we're going to go to Acts chapter 2 and see how the whole crowd thought that God's people was drunk in the natural! But they were drunk spiritually.In the natural when you're under the influence of alcohol it changes you personally. In my life everything becomes funny, I will come happy when the natural my flesh is never happy. But when we get drunk in the spirit of living God it turns to joy joy unspeakable and full of glory!In the natural it makes me have more boldness to do and say things that I normally wouldn't say. But in the spiritual even more so can the Lord move upon us to remove our inhibitions so we can help other people with the truth of the power of God's Gospel. In 2nd Timothy 1:7 The word of God says that God is not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind or self-control! Don't you love that idea of God's spirit being in you bringing up the word of God which stirs up your faith. We know you have faith we know that we have faith better sin because of Romans 12:3 says that God is dealt to every person the measure of faith! Just like in the natural soon the effects of the alcohol will start to fade! And in the spiritual if you and I don't stay full of the spirit the effects of the holy Spirit working our lives will fade. That's why Paul by the holy Spirit said that we are to continually be being filled by the holy Ghost. How are they recognized as being filled on the day of Pentecost? They got so full that a heavenly language came out and it produced hope in people because there was conviction that there was something better! God has something better for this world than what this darkness is trying to give them! You and I according to the Lord Jesus are the light of the world because he's in us, let your light shine freely!We can look at the apostle Peter before the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ He was bold when Jesus was around. But when Jesus was took to the judgment hall he could not stand for Jesus! A spirit of fear was dominating him was intoxicating him and he denied Jesus Christ as Lord three times! Then fast forward to Acts chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost! When he was filled with the holy Ghost and spoke with other tongues then he stood up with the others and proclaimed the gospel message in boldness and 3,000 souls were saved. What a difference! What is influencing you now at this moment? What is the normal of your life, is it influenced by the Spirit of fear or by the holy Spirit of the living God?Support the show
CD 1756 The Lord Exalted and the Devil HaltedBrother Jason please place this verse on the screen:*Revelation 20:10*Text Psalms 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."*Text Phi 2:9-11 KJV 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.That is a wonderful aspiration. The Word of God has several scriptures concerning the Lord being exalted! The children of God are to exalt the Lord among the heathen and in all the earth by the relationship with Him!*Read: 2Co 10:3-6 KJV 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.The devil will whip us every time if we stay in the flesh realm! But by faith if we meet him in the spiritual realm we will win through our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Consider these two verses that the apostle Paul also pin by the Holy Spirit: *Eph 6:12 KJV For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.*1Ti 1:18-19 KJV 18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:The devil is coming after your faith, he knows that is your way to victory. As the apostle Paul was getting ready to be delivered up and give his life for the gospel notice what he said: *2Ti 4:7 KJV I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:I'll send it you and I are going to have to fight the fight of faith but we will finish our course in victory when we cash down vain imaginations and don't let anything but Jesus the word be exalted in our lives!Support the show
Please turn in your Bibles to Malachi chapter 2. Our sermon text is verses 1-9. That can be found on page 953 in the pew Bible. Last week, we learned that the people had been bringing polluted offerings to the temple. They were supposed to bring unblemished offerings for the sacrifices. Instead, they brought lame and sick and blind animals. By doing so, they were dishonoring the Lord. I usually don't spend a lot of time on sermon titles. But last week's title and this week's title are connected. Last week's title was The Polluted Offerings and the Pure Offering. This week, it's The Polluted Priests and the Perfect Priest. That is because last week's passage and this week's passage are connected. The problem was not only that the people were bringing impure offerings. The problem was also that the priests were allowing it. And not just allowing it, supporting it and failing to lead the people in God's way and will. Let's now come to God's Word Reading of Malachi 2:1-9 Prayer In 1794, a young man was ordained to pastoral ministry in Berlin. He was brilliant and eloquent. This man had studied theology and philosophy at a Protestant university named after the great Martin Luther. As a young pastor, he witnessed the younger generation in Germany walking away from the church. That greatly grieved him, as it should. But, to win them back, he developed a new kind of theology which he hoped would make Christianity more attractive to modern minds. He began to teach that the essence of faith was not trusting in God's revealed truth, but feeling God's presence within. The Bible, he said, was not divine revelation itself, but a record of human experiences with the divine. Repentance gave way to sentiment, and the cross of Christ became a symbol rather than a saving act. His name was Frederich Schliermacher. Sadly, his sermons and teaching spread across Germany. Even worse, after he became a professor at the University of Berlin, his influence spread to all of Europe and into America. In the last two centuries, Schleiermacher's beliefs have led thousands of churches and millions of Christians astray. Few men in modern history have done more to undermine the Gospel while claiming to defend it. I bring this up as an example of what Malachi 2:1-9 warns against. The priests were supposed to lead the people. They were the ones who were to direct the people to the Lord and were to faithfully teach his truth. But they failed. Look down at verse 7. I know we are jumping ahead. But this is an important verse about the role of priests. It says, “For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.” The priests were not only to oversee the temple and sacrificial system, but they were to faithfully teach God's truth. By the way, that is different from a prophet. A prophet was given new revelation from God. A priest was to teach what God had already reveled. Does that make sense? Well, as you know, we do not have priests today. No, the priestly function in the Old Testament has been fulfilled in Christ. That is why there are no priests in the New Testament. There are no more animal offerings, because, as a reminder from last week, Jesus offered himself for us as the ultimate offering for sin. However, there are some parallels between priests and pastors… or priests and teachers of God's Word. Both are to direct people to God, and both are to faithfully teach his Word and live out his ways. So, a big part of the application of these verses today is about preachers and teachers. And as you will see, the stakes are high. Now, you may be tempted at this point to check out. Maybe you are thinking, “I'm not called to teach the Bible, so this doesn't really apply to me.” Well, I want to say a couple things. · First, one of the passages we read earlier in the service was from 1 Peter 2. In 1 Peter 2:9, God's people are called a royal priesthood. Maybe you've heard the phrase, “priesthood of all believers.” In some ways, we are all to teach and model God's Word. You may not have a formal teaching role in the church, but you may be called to disciple others at some point in your life. Or if you are married, you have a responsibility to lead or participate in leading your family. · Second, this passage teaches us to know what to look for in a Godly leader in the church. In the Old Testament times, the priests were descendants of Levi, one of Jacob's 12 sons. However, in the New Testament, elders and pastors in the church are appointed by the church. So, we have a responsibility to seek Godly men to lead. I'm just saying that these verses apply to everyone in the church. Which brings us to Malachi 2. We're going to look at three things: #1. The Curse. #2. The Corruption. And #3. The Covenant. 1. The Curse So, number 1. The Curse. Briefly look at verse 1. It says, “And now, O priests, this command is for you.” It's referring to the command in chapter 1 to bring pure offerings. Last week, our focus was on the people bringing their offerings. But the bigger problem was that the priests were letting them. The priests were not rejecting the offerings that the people were bringing. They were not reminding the people of God's command to bring unblemished offerings. Furthermore, the priests were taking the people's polluted offering, and they were the ones sacrificing them on God's altar – polluting God's altar. Also from last week, we saw that the end of chapter 1 was all about honoring the Lord. The people were dishonoring him by bringing inappropriate offerings. But it was the priests who were leading the people to dishonor God. That is why, in chapter 2, verse 2, God warns them. He says, “If you will not listen, if you will not… give honor to my name… then I will send the curse upon you.” That word “curse” is used three times here. God is warning of their damnation if they do not repent. “IF you will not listen or… honor me, THEN I will send the curse upon you.” Well, what was the curse? Three things would happen. · Number 1 – God would curse their blessing. In fact, verse 2 says that he has already cursed their blessing. The priests blessing was their blessing on God's people. Quite often at the end of our worship, Coleman or I will use the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6. You probably know it well, “may the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” Aaron was the first High Priest – he was from the tribe of Levi. And he and the priests were to bless the people. Well, God had taken away their blessing. In fact, he had turned their blessing into a curse. Instead of blessing the people… through their words and actions, they were cursing the people. That's very sad. · Number 2 – The Lord also says that he would “rebuke their offspring” – their seed. This is about the Levitical line. You see, these priests were priests because their fathers were priests. Their fathers were priests because their father's fathers were priests. The priests in Malachi 2 were part of the priestly succession going all the way back to Levi. God was saying that their particular branch of the Levitical line would end with each of them. It was a devastating warning for them. · And Number 3 – this one was the worst… and most graphic. Middle of verse 3. “I will spread dung on your faces.” It's referring to the contents of the entrails of the offerings. When the people brought the offerings, the priests prepared the offering. They would remove the inner digestive system. You know, intestines and such. Those things were to be carried off and burned outside the temple area. It was all unclean. God was saying that the priest's acts were so shameful that God metaphorically would spread the unclean intestinal dung on their faces. They were to be carried off like the innards to be burned. It's a stinging warning they would be cursed like the dung. Add those three things together and it is a pretty condemning curse upon them. #2. The Corruption Which brings us to point #2, The Corruption. We're going to move down to the second half of our passage next. We'll come back to the middle section in a minute. We've already looked at verse 7 which is about their responsibility to teach. But now look at verse 8. It begins, “you have turned aside from the way.” The priests own lives did not display the godliness and wisdom of God. They were not living out God's commands. And that makes sense, doesn't it. It stands to reason that if they were not directing the people to fulfill God's commands then they themselves were not doing it. Not in every case, but often a pastor who begins to teach false doctrine or who does not direct his people in righteousness, has himself fallen from the way. And the result of turning aside is found in the second half of verse 8. “You have caused many to stumble by your instruction.” I want you to think of the gravity of what they were doing. The priests were leading people to destruction. That is why the curse, as we just considered, was so condemning! Their sin not only impacted them, it impacted many. A friend once said to me, “you know, all sin is the same before God.” He was trying to argue that his sexual sin was the same as telling a white lie. But that is not true. Yes, each and every sin deserves God's judgment. Our sin, no matter what it is, condemns us before our holy God. No matter our sin, we need Christ. That is all true. However, there are degrees of severity with sin. It is not the same to think of murdering someone in your heart as it is to actually murder someone. Some sin, like actual murder, is more heinous. Some sin is more grievous in God's eyes. All sin deserves God's judgment, but some sin is more severe. And one of the worst sins in all of Scripture is when the leaders of God's people abuse the sheep or lead them astray. Malachi 2 here is just one of several Old Testament judgements against godless and morally corrupt leaders. Ezekiel 34, Isaiah 56, Jeremiah 23, and Zechariah 10 all speak of God's condemnation of the “corrupt” and “worthless” so-called “shepherds” and “watchmen” of Israel. Think of Jesus anger against the Pharisees. Or in James chapter 3, verse 1, it says “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” Now, if you're a math or science or English teacher, the Lord is not necessarily talking about you. Rather, his greater judgment will be upon teachers in the church. That is why the hammer is so heavy here in Malachi 2. They, themselves, had fallen from the way and they were leading people astray. You need to fire me… the moment I begin to teach false doctrine. If I ever start teaching things contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ or in direct contradiction to the Word of God, I should no longer be allowed to be a minster. I think you know this, I'm talking about tier one things that are very clear in Scripture. Things that we share with the Bible-believing Protestant world. For example, that salvation is found in Christ alone. There is no other way. Jesus death on the cross satisfied the wrath of God, for those who believe in him. We receive Jesus' righteous when we come to him by faith and in repentance. And furthermore, that the Bible is the very Word of God. It testifies to its own authority. You should boot me out if I ever undermine essential doctrines like those. You also need to fire me… the moment I commit a sin that undermines my responsibilities… like abuse or infidelity or a pattern of ongoing sin that is not being delt with or of which I will not repent. Obviously, like any elder, I sin and need the grace of God. However, just like the priests of old, a leader in the church should model faith and repentance. 3. The Covenant Which brings us to that very point. #3 The Covenant In the middle verses here, verses 4-6, we are given the picture of what a priest should be like! By the way, you'll see the word “Covenant” used several times in these verse. When I first saw that, I thought it was referring to the Covenant of Grace. You know the covenant that God had established with his people. The Covenant of Grace includes the covenant with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. They all, in different ways, are part of the Covenant promises fulfilled in Christ. After all, verse 7 speaks of life and peace and reverent fear. Those are all benefits of God's Covenant with his people. However, I realized that the word Covenant here is actually referring to the specific responsibility that God had given to Levi and his descendants. Verses 4, 5, and 8, specifically refer to God's “covenant with Levi.” To be sure, the priestly order and responsibilities given to Levi directed God's people to the Messiah, so it's not unrelated. But it's different. By the way, there's not a single passage in the Old Testament which describes the covenant with Levi. However, we are given their priestly responsibilities in the book of Leviticus. That is why it is named Leviticus, of course. Also, we read from Deuteronomy 33 this morning which speaks of God's blessing upon Levi and his descendants. They were to keep the covenant; they were to observe and teach the word. The Levites were also to administer the offerings on the altar, and they were to protect the people from false teachers. And now look at the end of verse 5 into verse 6. “…he feared me.” As we talked about before, that's a reverent worship-filled fear of the Lord. “He stood in awe of my name. [verse 6] True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.” That description is the opposite of the priests of Malachi 2. It's the model. The priests were to give honor to God's name. They were to teach the truth of God's Word. Furthermore, walk with God in uprightness. And instead of leading people astray, they were to turn many people from sin. This is God's call for teachers and pastors in the church. I read a really good book last year. It's titled, Pastor as Leader. The author, John Currie, is a professor at Westminster Theological Seminary. He teaches and trains future pastors. The whole book is about the character and responsibilities of a pastor. The book is very rich and it's full of Scripture. Currie summarizes a pastor's role this way: “for the glory of God, a man of God, appointed by the Son of God and empowered by the Spirit of God, proclaims the word of God so that the people of God are equipped to move forward into the purposes of God together.” That's helpful, isn't it? Let me read that again… [repeat] That really captures the heart of Malachi 2:5-6. This is the kind of pastor that each and every church needs. A man who seeks God's glory and not his own. A man who leads his sheep in God's Word through his Spirit, and who cares for and loves them in Christ. I'll say, it's both sobering and inspiring to me. It's sobering because I know my own weaknesses and propensity for sin. I know I've failed at these responsibilities many times and perhaps even at times have hurt you without even knowing. I feel inadequate. But it's also inspiring because God doesn't call without equipping. He doesn't leave pastors to their own strength. No, God gives clear guidance to the role and responsibilities of a shepherd. His Word clearly reveals his salvation and clearly reveals his truth and his way. God furthermore gives his Holy Spirit to lead in righteousness and truth. And God provides earthly accountability in the process. And there's one more related thing. Look again at verse 6. “True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.” Who is this referring to? Is it referring to Levi? Well, Levi failed in many ways – he was vengeful and a murderer. What about Aaron, one of Levi's descendants? He was Moses's brother and the first High Priest. Is verse 6 referring to him? Well, don't forget that it was Aaron who led the people to melt their gold and create the idolatrous golden calf. He, at first, led many people astray. Verse 6 certainly doesn't describe Aaron's sons, who brought unauthorized fire and experienced God's immediate judgment. In Numbers 25 we are given the example of Aaron's grandson, Phinehas. He was identified as a faithful Levite who fought against unrighteousness. Perhaps verse 6 alludes to him. But in the end, there is only one who meets this description. He is the one in whom all the Levitical requirements are fulfilled. He is the perfect High Priest. Every single word he spoke was true instruction. Absolutely no wrong was found on his lips. He followed the way of God, keeping all the commandments of God. He not only walked in peace, as verse 6 describes, he bought and brought peace with God - peace beyond measure. And last, he turned many from iniquity. And the word “many” is a vast understatements. He had led billions in the way of truth and righteousness. Beloved, this is your Savior Jesus. In him is truth and righteousness, and through him is the only way to God. May each and every one of us as a priesthood of believers look to him for he is the way, the truth, and the life. And may every single pastor and teacher point to him as the great shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep… and may they point to his Word. And may we each follow his lead and model for he is the perfect priest.
Join us for worship of our Savior Jesus! Today we begin our series, "Faithful and Bold," from 2 Timothy.
Join us for worship of our Savior Jesus! Today we begin our series, "Faithful and Bold," from 2 Timothy.
Join us for worship of our Savior Jesus! Today we begin our series, "Faithful and Bold," from 2 Timothy.
Join us for worship of our Savior Jesus! Today we begin our series, "Faithful and Bold," from 2 Timothy.
Christ through us can only be understood properly if we first establish the concept of “Christ For Us” (Christus pro nobis in Latin). Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection were not for his own benefit but specifically for humanity's salvation. He lived a perfect life, fulfilling God's law on behalf of sinners, and his death was a substitutionary atonement for our sins. The phrase “for us” underscores the idea that salvation is entirely a gift, granted by God through Christ's actions, and is not earned by human effort or merit. “Christ For Us” is central to the Bible's explanation of justification, where believers are declared righteous before God solely on the basis of Christ's work, received through faith. Christ's vicarious suffering and resurrection assure Christians that God's wrath against sin has been fully satisfied, and through Christ, we are reconciled to God.Support the showMessages from the King is produced by King of Kings Lutheran Church in Maitland, FL.To find out more about King of Kings... Please visit VisitKoK.com Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/visitkok) Email us @ info@visitkok.com Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!
From one seminary in 1865, one world mission in 1893, and 800 congregations mostly in the Midwest as of 1965, we can now easily see how Christ has worked through his good news of salvation in Word and sacraments to move this body of believers to establish a Scripture-based ministerial education system, world missions in 45 countries, and more than 1,200 congregations across the United States. The “Christ Through Us” theme will also inform the work of WELS in a ten-year detailed plan to proclaim our Savior's love.Support the showMessages from the King is produced by King of Kings Lutheran Church in Maitland, FL.To find out more about King of Kings... Please visit VisitKoK.com Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/visitkok) Email us @ info@visitkok.com Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!
As someone rises through the ranks at work, there are typically benefits: higher salary, more authority,better benefits. However, there is often a corresponding increase in responsibility: longer hours, more meetings, raised expectations. So, if someone is offered a promotion, they might ask, “Is this worth it?”It is similar in God's kingdom. As our faith grows, there are obvious benefits: the comfort of knowing you are a redeemed and loved child of God, the peace of knowing your eternity is secure. However,increased faith also increases duty. There are ever more opportunities for service. This week, Jesus has sharp words for those who want the benefits of being Christian but would shirk those responsibilities.However, to lead us to take up those responsibilities, our Savior doesn't threaten or cajole. He helps us see that while increased faith increases duty, increased duty increases delight. The believer knows he serves the One who came to serve us first. Just as Christ's service brought him great joy, so does our service to others.Support the showMessages from the King is produced by King of Kings Lutheran Church in Maitland, FL.To find out more about King of Kings... Please visit VisitKoK.com Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/visitkok) Email us @ info@visitkok.com Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!
Join us for worship of our Savior Jesus! Today we begin our series, "Faithful and Bold," from 2 Timothy.
Join us for worship of our Savior Jesus! Today we begin our series, "Faithful and Bold," from 2 Timothy.
Given the recent craze on social media among wild-eyed Evangelicals, Judeo-Christians and even some Catholics replacing the name of Jesus with 'Yeshua,' we decided to find out if there's a basis for their claims.Episode hosted by Presbyter Darren Kelama and produced in association with the Journal of Pre-Nicene Christian Studies (ISSN: 3068-8469).Ἰησοῦς = JesusPronunciation: Approximately "ee-AY-soos" or "yay-SOOS," with the emphasis typically on the second syllable ("SOOS").Koine Greek alphabet:https://greekforall.com/learn-biblical-greek-grammar/biblical-greek-alphabet/Marcionite Church Inscription:Συναγωγή Μαρκιωνιστῶν κώμης Λεβάβων τοῦ κυρίου καὶσωτῆος Ἰησοῦ Χρηστοῦ, προνοίᾳ Παύλου πρεσβυτέρου, τοῦλχ' ἔτους ("Meeting house of the Marcionites of the village of Lebaba of the Lord and Savior Jesus the Good, under the oversight of Paul the elder.")Marcionite inscription episode:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L8TCspXmusOther Christian inscriptions:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_MT6xS2bBwThe Very First Bible (free ebook):https://www.theveryfirstbible.org/Presbyter Monnet (French Pontiate):https://www.youtube.com/@EgliseMarcioniteMarcionite Church:https://www.marcionitechurch.org/Journal of Pre-Nicene Christian Studies:https://journal.pre-nicene.org/
Join us for worship of our Savior Jesus! Today we will conclude our study in James. "Patience and Prayer."
Join us for worship of our Savior Jesus! Today we will conclude our study in James. "Patience and Prayer."
Join us for worship of our Savior Jesus! Today we will conclude our study in James. "Patience and Prayer."
Join us for worship of our Savior Jesus! Today we will conclude our study in James. "Patience and Prayer."
Join us for worship of our Savior Jesus! Today we will conclude our study in James. "Patience and Prayer."
Join us for worship of our Savior Jesus! Today we will conclude our study in James. "Patience and Prayer."
What do John D Rockefeller, King Solomon, Henry Ford, and Joseph Stalin all have in common? Two things. First, they are all in the list of the twenty wealthiest individuals who ever lived. Second, they are all rotting in the ground. The reality is that while money may help you achieve some objectives, it fails to prevent death. So Jesus speaks some sharp words this week, warning that those who live with hearts filled with love for money and void of love for God will receive the only eternity that money can buy— one void of God and filled with torment. Money seems helpful, but it fails in death. Conversely, what often seems of little help in this life will be our only source of help in death. The world scoffs at those who set aside plenteous time to listen to Jesus' words and eat his holy meal. “Of what practical good are such things?” Only this. Such things enable us, at death, to receive a reward that dwarfs even the best things money can buy.Support the showMessages from the King is produced by King of Kings Lutheran Church in Maitland, FL.To find out more about King of Kings... Please visit VisitKoK.com Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/visitkok) Email us @ info@visitkok.com Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!
There are more than 2,300 Bible passages that speak about money. Why? Money is a master Satan frequently tempts us to serve. In fact, out of all the masters competing for our service besides God, money is probably at the top of the list. Money provides us with a false comfort and sense of security. Money serves as a source of pride. This week, Jesus' sharp words identify the impossibility of serving more than one master. More, Jesus teaches that if we dedicate our lives in service to money, money will always let us down. In contrast, God has proven that he is a master worth serving. When we serve God, money is put in its proper place. Instead of it being a master to serve, it becomes a tool in our service of our true Master. Support the showMessages from the King is produced by King of Kings Lutheran Church in Maitland, FL.To find out more about King of Kings... Please visit VisitKoK.com Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/visitkok) Email us @ info@visitkok.com Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!
“He's lost.” We use that term not only to refer to someone who is bewildered about where they are but also to refer to someone who is in a helpless, hopeless state. Mankind's natural state is one of complete spiritual helplessness, a profound lostness. It manifests itself in countless ways. The one who simply wants God to leave him alone: lost. The one who feels she can handle life on her own: lost. The one who thinks he has the right to repent of his sins on his own timetable and terms: lost. The one who thinks God owes her in some way: lost. Wandering around physically lost can lead to winding up in bad places. Jesus' wounding words this week teach that wandering around spiritually lost puts you in the worst place of all. Fortunately, Jesus does not leave us in our lostness. He relentlessly seeks us. He involves the rest of the Christian community in seeking the lost and rejoicing over the found.Support the showMessages from the King is produced by King of Kings Lutheran Church in Maitland, FL.To find out more about King of Kings... Please visit VisitKoK.com Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/visitkok) Email us @ info@visitkok.com Remember your Savior Jesus loves you! May he bless you with his grace!
Julia Rose is a painter and poet for Jesus. Bringing faith to life through art, Julia's Kingdom mandate is to take back the arts from the kingdom of darkness and reclaim God's rainbow from the enemy. Julia experiences daily warfare as a servant and evangelist-artist for the King of Glory. She was radically saved in January 2021 after nearly 60 years of living in the new age deception. Today Julia is a Spirit filled disciple of Jesus. Painting the Son of God as a ministry, occupation, and evangelism tool. Using the gifts God blessed her with to share the gospel, Julia invites Holy Spirit to guide the her with the “skill to do all kinds of work” (Exodus 35:35) There is only one truth...and His name is Jesus. Julia's writes psalms to our Savior Jesus and her faith is displayed on canvas for the world to see. Active-Faith.org https://active-faith.org/taking-ground https://active-faith.org/active-faith-training https://active-faith.org/donate/
We all allow outside sources to impact our hearts, our minds, and our missions. This is why we must focus on our Savior Jesus and commune with him daily. Today, Jon shares part of his story on this. This devotion was originally posted as a blog post on jon-goodwin.com. As always, please feel free to chat with about this. Get the conversation started at jon@christianoutdoors.org. If you are in the Western NY area, Jon would love to see you some Sunday at Hartland Bible Church where he preaches every week!
September 15, 2025 | Daniel Harris discusses how we don't need to meet everyone's expectations or appear perfect. We are not the Savior—Jesus is. As Christians, our job is to point others to Jesus, not seek the approval or praise from those around us.
Friday, 8 August 2025 And in His name Gentiles will trust.” Matthew 12:21 “And in His name, Gentiles, they will hope” (CG). In the previous verse, the tender care of Jesus was noted, saying that He would not break a bruised reed, nor would He quench a smoking flax until He had ejected judgment into victory. Matthew's words were based upon the prophecy of Isaiah 42:4. Matthew next finishes the citation from that verse, saying, “And in His name, Gentiles, they will hope.” A new word is introduced into the New Testament, elpizó, to expect or confide. As such, it provides a sense of trust. When one is expecting something, he trusts it will come. When one confides in another, he is committing his trust in that person. The word is often translated as hope, but that thought must convey the sense of trusting that the hope will come to pass. For example, a person may be told to storm a machine gun nest. He might say, “I sure hope I make it.” There is no sense of trust in that. However, if he says, “You take the right flank. When I go forward, you provide cover. I hope your shots are as good as they were in basic training.” In such an instance, he is placing his trust in the caliber of his buddy's shooting, feeling assured it will be sufficient to get him safely to the nest so he can take out the commies who have them pinned down. Therefore, Matthew's intent is that in the name of the Messiah, whom we know to be Jesus, the Gentiles of the world will confidently trust. They will put their anticipation and assured expectation in Him. As for the original words of Isaiah, notice the difference, as there is a bit of deviation from the Hebrew, which says, “And to His law, coastlands – they will wait” Isaiah 42:4 (CG). One might say Matthew was misleading in the intent of his citation because the two don't closely match. However, the difference is not as disparate as one might originally think. First, Matthew is citing his words not from the Hebrew but from the Greek Old Testament, which says, “and in his name shall the Gentiles trust” (Brenton Septuagint). When the Jews translated the Hebrew, they decided that the name of the Messiah formed its own law. This was probably a result of Jeremiah's words concerning a New Covenant in Jeremiah 31. If there is a New Covenant, then the Messiah would, by default, introduce a new law. Therefore, the “name” of the Messiah stands for His law. Secondly, the term, iy, coastlands of the Hebrew, is a term used to indicate remoteness. The Topical Lexicon says the word “evokes the picture of islands and distant coastlands—territories bounded by the sea and, to an Israelite audience, situated at the very edge of the known world. The word carries geographical, cultural, and theological freight: it signals remoteness, the mystery of seafaring peoples, and the universal reach of the Lord's purposes.” Therefore, the idea of Gentile nations is, by default, bound up in the use of this word. The non-Jewish people of the world would place their confident trust in the One promised by the Lord through Isaiah. Life application: In this verse, there is no article before “Gentiles” in Matthew's words. Unfortunately, many translations insert one there, such as “And in his name shall the Gentiles trust” (KJV). This changes the intent to some degree, making it an all-encompassing statement. There are many Gentiles who do not trust in the name of Jesus. With the article purposefully omitted by Matthew, which is under the inspiration of the Lord, it gives a broad, but not all-encompassing, flavor to the words. It also more poignantly separates the unbelieving Jewish nation from the believing Gentiles. This can be seen when considering both together – And in His name, Gentiles (as opposed to Jews), they will hope. And in His name, the Gentiles (like the Jews), they will hope. The nation of Israel rejected Jesus. This age, the church age, is now a time of instruction for the Jewish people to learn from. Paul, referring to the Jewish nation, explains this – “I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!” Romans 11:11, 12 This provocation is intended to meet a specific purpose that will be realized at some point in redemptive history – “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.'” Romans 11:25-27 One can see how the inappropriate inclusion of a single definite article into the translation can change the whole tenor of what is being conveyed. The Jewish people, the nation of Israel, rejected their Messiah. He is not their confident hope and trust. However, He is the confident hope and trust of Gentiles around the world. Someday, this will change. Israel will discover what it has rejected for so long. Lord God, we pray for time so that we can engage in Your word, for illumination as we read it, for confidence as we look to its promises, and a daily heightened sense of anticipation as we draw nearer to the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus. Grant us these things, O God, according to Your wisdom and grace. Amen.
[1 Peter 1:1] Jesus Christ is the one true God and only savior of sinners like us. God is who Jesus is, and Savior is what he has done as Christ-the purpose for which he came into the world.
Hundreds of years before Jesus came into the world, the prophets spoke of him as one that would bring peace. They said things like that he would be the "Prince of Peace" and that "of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end." (Isaiah 9:6-7) Zechariah 9:10 said that "he shall speak peace to the nations." Micah 5:2 speaks of a ruler that would come forth from Bethlehem and it says that "he shall be their peace."In Ephesians 2:14, Paul says that Jesus is himself our peace. He is the one who reconciles all peoples both to God and to one another in his body, the church. This is especially relevant in our day as the world around us calls for peace and for unity amongst a very diverse humanity. The problem, however, is that the world fails to recognize that true peace can only be found in a person (Jesus Christ), as Ephesians 2:14 emphasizes. It is only as diverse people are united in one body (the Church) and to one Savior (Jesus) that true peace can be found. Thankfully, God has promised to bring people from every tribe and tongue and nation into this one body and under this one Savior! Indeed, he shall speak peace to the nations!This sermon was preached by Jackson Hankey at River City Church on Thursday, July 17th, 2025.
Jesus Followers Are Sinners Who Have a Savior Because “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners . . .”; Is Jesus Your Savior Too? MESSAGE SUMMARY: We are all sinners, but we now have a Savior – Jesus. As Paul tells us, in 1 Timothy 1:15-16, that the Gospel provides Salvation for all followers of Jesus, including the worst of sinners -- Paul: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.". Also, Paul, in 1 Timothy 2:3b-6, further points out that God wants all of us to be saved by His Grace through Jesus if we only, as sinners like Paul, reach out to bring Jesus into our lives: “God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”. It is only because of Jesus the Christ that we receive the healing that we need. “I am a sinner who now has a Savior – do you”? TODAY'S PRAYER: Abba Father, I open my clenched fists to surrender everything you have given to me. Reestablish my identity in you — not in my family, my work, my accomplishments, or what others think of me. Cleanse the things in me that are not conformed to your will. By faith I unite my will to yours so that the likeness of Jesus Christ may be formed in me. In his name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 85). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Hatred. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Love. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 1 Timothy 1:15-17; 1 Timothy 2:3b-6; 2 Timothy 1:8-12; Psalms 89a:1-13 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Sermons on the Amount - Part 2 "Owner - A Question: Who is Lord Over All?"”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Lesson Two: Jeremiah 20:9 = Jeremiah couldn't quit. God certainly inspired this message to motivate "missions." It certainly motivates me not to quit. Intro: The Old Testament prophets were missionaries to Israel and other nations. Jer. 1:10; 26:5; 44:4; Jonah 1:1-2. Jeremiah's life is a great motivation because he tried to quit serving God but couldn't. 1. He wanted to quit because he was discouraged. Jer. 20:7-8,10 • He accused God of deceiving him. Jer. 20:7a • Everyone mocked him for preaching. Jer. 20:7b-8 • His friends and family turned on him. Jer. 20:10 • He was put in a dungeon prison. Jer. 37:15-16 2. He wanted to quit the ministry but couldn't. Jer. 20:9 • Because the Word of God was in his heart. Ref. Jer. 20:9 Jeremiah was a testimony of Psalm 119:11. Note: his father was a priest. Jer.1:1 = a testimony of Prov. 22:6 • Because the word was like a fire in his bones. Ref. Jer. 20:9; Heb. 4:12 3. He knew he was called by God. Jer.1:4-9 • God spoke to him. Jer. 10:4 • God called him before he was born. Jer. 10:5 • God ordained him to be a prophet. Jer. 10:5b • God took away his excuses already. Jer. 10:6-8 • God gave him the words to say. Jer. 10:9 4. Thank God Jeremiah didn't quit. • He delivered the truth of the Lord to Israel. Jer. 29:10-11 • He prevented the nation of Israel's complete destruction. Jer. 42:15-16 • He preached about the coming Savior = Jesus. Jer. 23:5-7 • He prevented Israel from rejecting Jehovah God. Jer. 44:25; 51:5 • He became the weeping prophet. Jer. 23:9; Lam. 2:11; 3:48 Conclusion: Jeremiah gave us Lamentations 3:21-23 Praise the Lord!
July 14, 2025 Today's Reading: Leviticus (18:1-5) 19:9-18Daily Lectionary: Judges 14:1-20; Galatians 3:1-22“You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 19:10b)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. As you read these verses in Leviticus, perhaps you (like me) nod your head along with God's commands: “Yes - that is absolutely the right thing to do! Leave some for the poor. Tell the truth. Pay fair wages. Great rules, I concur!” These rules (The Commandments) are great on paper. They are absolutely the right way to engage with those around us. Well, until I am one of the poor, or the outsider, or the deaf, or the blind… then I would rather be in control, thank you. I can *handle* this. I don't need your or anyone's help; I. Am. Fine. Do you ever find yourself automatically assuming the role of the ‘doer?' You have, you don't need. You understand, you aren't confused. You give, needy ones receive. And yet, can you honestly say that you have never been the one in need? That you have never been the one ‘on the outside?' Why is it so hard for us to admit that we are dependent and poor and lost and in need? God is giving rules to His people to curb their sinfulness, yet He is also showing mercy. The Ten Commandments are indeed gifts; these are listed in Leviticus and show us the vocational roles and the boundaries that we have with one another. Also, though, they connect to Who God is: “I am the LORD your God.” We have this God! We have this merciful, loving, providing, forgiving God! Even when I won't admit my need, He fills it. Even when I think I am ‘in charge,' He shows me I am not. How do I know? In Baptism, God takes the dead man and breathes new life. On Good Friday, Jesus declared, “It is finished” as He died the sinners' death to redeem all of the world. Every Sunday, in the Divine Service, we hear, “I forgive you in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Sometimes, you might get to be the ‘doer' who serves their neighbor and gives of what you have; thanks be to God. And sometimes, you will be the poor and the outsider in need of relief, sustenance, love, and forgiveness, and others will care for you; also, thanks be to God. In both cases, though, you are covered by and made new through your Savior Jesus; you are connected to our merciful and gracious God. Thanks be to God.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Oh, how great is Your compassion, Faithful Father, God of grace, That with all our fallen race In our depth of degradation You had mercy So that we Might be saved eternally! (LSB 559: 1)- Deac. Sarah Longmire, Bible study editor for Higher Things.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.
Wednesday, 9 July 2025 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Matthew 11:21 “Woe, you, Chorazin! Woe, you, Bethsaida! For if in Tyre and Sidon, they occurred – the miracles, those done in you – if in sackcloth and ashes formerly they reconsidered” (CG). In the previous verse, Jesus began to rebuke the cities where He did His mighty works because they did not reconsider their ways. Now, to state His displeasure at them, and to reveal to them their fate, He begins with, “Woe, you, Chorazin!” The word ouai, woe, is introduced. It is a primary exclamation of grief. Also, the name Chorazin is first seen here. It is a city in Galilee. The origin of the name is uncertain. Studying Hebrew root words that may be connected to the Greek transliteration, Abarim defines it as possibly Smoking Furnace. The city is about two- and one-half miles north of a location known as Tel Hum. It remains a ruin to this day. Parts of the city are identifiable, such as the synagogue. This and its houses and buildings are built from locally obtained hard black basalt. Some of the walls that remain are up to six feet high. Next, Jesus says, “Woe, you Bethsaida!” The name is from Beith, house, and tsayad, a huntsman. Thus, it means Hunter's House. However, being by the Sea of Galilee, some think the hunting is referring to fish and call it Fisher's House. It is where Phillip, Andrew, and Peter came from as seen in John 1:44. The location is still known and visited today. Of these cities, Jesus says, “For if in Tyre and Sidon, they occurred – the miracles.” Turos, Tyre, and Sidón, Sidon, are both first mentioned here. The Hebrew name of Tyre is Tsor. This comes from tsor, flint, or tsur, rock. Thus, it is the fortified city, Rock. Sidon is from the Hebrew tsud, to lie alongside. Therefore, it signifies to hunt, chase, etc., due to the thought of lying in wait. As such, it is a place of fishing, and it is named after those who lie alongside as they fish. Thus, Fishery is its name. These are cities that were destroyed by the Lord's judgment. Ezekiel was told to prophesy against Tyre in Ezekiel 26. Ezekiel 27 records a lamentation over Tyre. Ezekiel 28 begins with a proclamation against the king of Tyre and then continues in lamentation over the city. That is followed by a proclamation against Sidon in Ezekiel 28:20-24. The Lord spent a great deal of time laying out His words against them. His descriptions and judgments put them on par with Sodom and Gomorrah as far as examples of wickedness resulting in punishment. Despite that, Jesus tells Chorazin and Bethsaida that if those terrible, wicked cities saw the miracles that Jesus did, “those done in you – if in sackcloth and ashes formerly they reconsidered.” The adverb palai, formerly, is introduced. It is believed to come from palin, again. As such, it gives the sense of retrocession. It can mean all this time, a long time ago, already, formerly, etc. Jesus is saying that in the past, when they were wickedly going about life, there would have been a change in them. The implication here is obvious. God used three chapters of Ezekiel, plus other references to Tyre and Sidon in His word (such as Isaiah 23), to reveal their wickedness. And yet, Jesus says that the hearts of these cities were humbler than those of Chorazin and Bethsaida. If Jesus had gone to them and done His miracles at their time of judgment, they would have done what Nineveh did, reconsidering their ways and demonstrating that change in heart by adorning themselves with sackcloth and ashes. Both of these words are also new. The first is sakkos, coming from the Hebrew saq, a mesh. It is the course material that would be only fitting in a time of mourning. This would be contrasted to the normal garments where life was going well. The other word, spodos, is a primary word signifying ashes. The point Jesus is making, and which He will continue to make, is that if God destroyed these cities for their wickedness, how much more do Chorazin and Bethsaida deserve to be destroyed? They have not reconsidered their ways, but God knew that the hearts of Tyre and Sidon would have. Life application: The meaning of the story of Jonah is a story that mirrors what Jesus is saying here. This is not the usual interpretation that is provided due to translational difficulties in Jonah 4, but when it is properly understood, it is clearly seen that God is contrasting the wickedness of Israel with the wickedness of Nineveh. Nineveh reconsidered its ways, and God relented from His judgment upon it. Israel, with much greater revelation than Nineveh, refused to reconsider and receive their Messiah. Jesus will use exactly this symbolism in Matthew 12 and Luke 11. Israel didn't pay heed, and they were destroyed and exiled. But the great covenant-keeping nature of God has spared them for another day. He has faithfully saved them, even through judgment, to bring them into the New Covenant. If He is this faithful to Israel through a covenant cut through the blood of bulls and goats, how much more do you think He will save you through the shed blood of Jesus Christ? We are often just as unfaithful as Israel in our hearts and actions, but if we are in Christ, He will carry us through to a good end. Be assured and reassured in this. Lord God, thank You for Your infinite love and grace as is revealed in our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen.
Prayer, Judgment, & Revival (1) (audio) David Eells 7/2/25 Many true dreams, visions, and prophecies given to the saints can be lessened or deleted through prayer because they are warnings. Amos was given two threats from God against Israel but he replied, “Jacob is small, how shall he stand?” Abraham Jewed God down for Sodom. Prophetic words in scripture cannot be changed. A Great Alien Deception Brandon Biggs/Last Days - 6/27/25 (David's notes in red) https://youtu.be/9epckXNXLN0 Summary: Brandon saw a large flying saucer in the sky with yellow glowing lights going around it. I saw something like lightning bolts shooting out from these lights. People on the ground were deceived by it thinking they were aliens from outer space and wanting to communicate with what they perceived them to be like the movie "E.T.". But they are not aliens but demons. The Lord was very serious wanting us to pray for them. This is a great deception. Other smaller flying saucers were seen in other parts of the world. (This is absolutely happening, and the Lord agrees; just ask him. The government has been dealing with the “Galactic Federation” of planets. I bound them and they lost contact with them. Also, I bound some working in their tech industry and they disappeared. Both of these cases were witnessed by leadership who thought they were aliens.) Transcript of more on this video: First the Cyber-attacks. I (Brandon) had received reports from several of my viewers that the FFA and Air Traffic Control is still using Windows 95 and it would take at least 4 years to update their software costing billions of dollars to renew their whole global system upgrade. (I thought, surely, they are not using 30-year-old software with floppy disks… but we researched this too and it seems to be so.) So what the Lord was showing me about the cyber-attacks is true. Using software from 1995 is a big deal when you are going into a new industrial revolution with AI technology, using quantum computers and the FFA has such outdated software, other countries would be able to tap into the AI and hack into the infrastructure easily. (Sometimes the greatest enemy is within, like the D.S.. Jesus said “all things whatsoever” so ask Him to update the software.) Soon after this, we see in the news, there was an aircraft on fire in the air and had to make an emergency landing. This confirms what the Lord warned me about and I previously shared with you when I saw the plane falling from the sky and all its instrument panels went black and it fell to the ground. I didn't know what caused it and I assumed it was a cyber-attack. I could see it was a flight that left somewhere in middle America and was heading Northeast and halfway to its destination, it went down. (The DS has already proven it can take over our planes and helicopters from the ground. Remember the helicopter that maneuvered itself in front of a plane and killed many. The short President Trump was on that copter but was taken off at the last minute.) (Let me add here where Brandon shares another YouTube post of a screenshot headline from CNN, The caption reads: “American Airlines operations returning to normal after widespread computer outage” American Airlines suffered a widespread outage with its flight information computer system, authorities with two affected airports told CNN.”) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBqj7_4xib9pKATW4394PmQ/community?lb=UgkxUbJMtOkmJo0obxxxbNg5RZDD_eA7cn5t (Everyone knows we were expecting a cyber-attack from Iran right after the bombing of nuclear facilities in Iran. Indications were, it would be a face saving attack from Iran, possibly involving the “American” name. This made us vulnerable to a false-flag cyber-attack from the D.S. in order to blame it on Iran and drag the US into WWlll, which they are desperate to do.) Continuing with Brandon's first revelation. I also saw cyber-attacks coming upon our electrical grid and that it was very vulnerable. (I read a report several months ago that the D.S. attempted to cyber-attack the grid and the Alliance stopped it.) I saw a major city, which was later made known to me as New York, and it was completely dark. They were trying to bring in generators to keep power on to keep people from looting and rioting because it was so dark. I saw big spotlights running trying to keep sections of the city lit up to help the police and law enforcements try to keep order when the power was off. I remember that it was hot outside. (like now) I even saw emergency power being used in hospitals to keep people alive there, but it was only dim lighting. I saw how they were using the big spotlights to shine on these buildings to create a mirror effect to help them see. This would allow more light reflected on the ground rather than shining them straight upwards. (Pray this down) A viewer sent an article from Fox News with the Caption: “Astronomers make a groundbreaking discovery about the largest comet ever observed flying through deep space.” A massive 85-mile-wide frozen giant comet observed near Neptune using powerful telescope in Chile. I don't know if it's coming this way or not Also, we need to pray over our water supply. (Brandon doesn't share anymore about the water supply in this video. However, I read Bill Gates or his organization plans to buy up water suppliers. Given his depopulation history this cannot be good.) He continues, I saw an article from Fox News saying that Trump and BB have agreed on a two-state solution. This is one of the things from the Abraham Accords and they were saying how they wanted to make a two-state solution, and they were agreeing upon it. (Bind this) I have spoken before that if they do this two-state solution, 3 days later the New Madrid fault line will go off and America will be divided in half. (I believe the NM will go off but it will be greatly diminished compared to the dreams and visions because of God's mercy.) When this happened, I saw great big Chinook helicopters flying from the west to the central part of America carrying supplies. It sounded like the earth was shaking, they had so many helicopters over the affected area. And this is where I said before where I saw the Lion's face carved into the side of a building and I had warned everyone that I saw tumbleweeds going down Wall Street. (In the Long Run we will lose Wall Street) The Lord told me to look at the Lion's face and I saw it was the building that was the New York Stock Exchange. The Lord was warning that if they divide Jerusalem, if they do a two-state solution, He is going to divide America. (I believe it will quake and crack but not with a big divide) I saw the nation split down the middle and all the bridges going down from West to East, completely destroyed on the Mississippi River. I saw from Texarkana, Texas, to Tulsa, Oklahoma where I saw over 1800 people die. I saw the massive building at ORU (Oral Roberts University) was split down the middle and on fire when this earthquake happens. Houses that were built on cinderblocks were completely leveled and destroyed. Houses built on a foundation did better. I saw thousands of people died when this event takes place. That is why I've always told people we must not divide Jerusalem, for when we do, 3 days after… Now I want you to hear me, that's how strong this Word was. I saw the Liberty Bell ringing and old cast iron bells ringing when this event happens. Three days after Jerusalem is divided and agreed upon (Possibly it will be agreed upon but not enforced), there will be 3 days and God will divide America. We must pray that this does not take place. This announcement has been shared on multiple news channels and including The Jerusalem Post. Pray. I told you before that I saw the enemy hovering over the judges' decision making regarding crypto and trying to delay the wealth transfers for the body of Christ. The Lord said, “You must stand in the gap and pray concerning this.” (Jesus said, what we bind on earth is bound in heaven.) The Lord showed me certain cryptos created in the future. We are going into a digital platform, digital currency; digital everything. RFK has been talking about everyone needs to get a tracking device in America (digital ID); some kind of digital tracking either in their body or on their wrist. (He references the end time mark of the beast system and many don't realize how close we are. However, this comes in mid-tribulation and cannot be stopped for “it is written” and divides the play church from the real church.) The Lord said that the American people will be so thankful that we have a strong leader over this country in the days ahead. (President Trump) (True!, but I do not believe he will be president by mid-trib.) The Lord has shown me in so many ways that there will be a great revival and harvest of souls and we're going to see it quickly. He keeps talking to me about it. He said, “A great shaking to awaken.” (The revival will begin with the New Madrid and anointing of the reformers.) And He said, “You are about to see such fearful sights that will bring you to your knees in prayer.” You will see many people praying in the days ahead. (Yes) A great shaking! We are seeing Biblical signs and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ! (in the reformers) It's time to get serious about the Father's business. (Yes) Don't get distracted and keep focused on the Lord and the Word. Watch the midterm elections in the fall of 2026 and the decisions that will be made. This was like when I saw Oklahoma divided and they were trying to make it ‘blue'. (democrat) The following are some of the things Brandon is seeing as he is praying in the Spirit: There is so much change coming… I saw the plague again… I see black rats and they have red eyes; very evil looking. They are the carriers of disease. I saw them being released and running on the ground. I see them running on old-looking cobblestone stones with old style villages and old towns. This was in Europe. (The Black Plague) The virus/plague will begin first in Europe, not America. I know this has to do with the plague. I see a glimpse of a factory with the sign “contamination” on it and “caution tape” across the doors. Factories will be shut down. The timing is when it is cold; I see people wearing big coats and coverings on their heads trying to keep warm but there's no one outside; just a few people here and there. This appears to be in a large major city like Chicago or New York. - It's the Big Apple. I see where the people don't want to touch the money. I hear people saying that they're bringing about a new global economy. (going digital) They can't keep the status quo and this is changing everything. Everything is changing to the beast system. These things are the beginning of a new industrial revolution of new technologies. This is the foundation being laid but many of you don't see it. They have to first get rid of the old system before they bring in the new and I saw paper money and it was blue. I don't know what kind of money or currency it was, but it was blue and it had some kind of blue design on it. People did not want to touch it because they were afraid of transferring this virus with the money. (His son shows him a picture of the Euro and he said, yes, that's it.) The Lord had previously told me in another prophecy to “watch the Euro”. He said the Euro would be the first of the dominos to fall. This will introduce the system faster as they don't want to touch the money. What's going on in the shadows? There are things going on in the shadows. I see submarines going to Cuba. I see a black submarine on the east coast of Cuba. It's a very big and long Russian submarine. It was coming from Europe down across the Atlantic. (I don't know yet what this is about.) I saw people who are so distracted; they're so busy with their day to day, Monday through Friday daily activities, they're distracted with just trying to make it and provide for their families. They're like the frog in the pot and the water is rising all around them and it's getting hot. These are the masses who have their eyes fixed on the ground and they don't see what's coming on the horizon. I heard the Lord say, “COVID was a trial run.” I remember the faces the Lord showed me as the virus spreads. It spreads like red and the faces of that country fade. Now I'm seeing it bleed into Africa. I see the Mediterranean and its spreading through Africa and going through Asia and India. Interesting, I think there's not many people in China. When it goes into China, they are spread out more. (Many are dying there now) Not like I see in India where they are very close, touching shoulders. They're wearing white outfits. It hits Australia very hard. It hits Queenland but it took a while to get there. I'm seeing America. I hear the Spirit of the Lord say, “Fear not! Fear not what you are seeing.” He said, “There's so many voices saying so many different things.” I see all flights are grounded. Only those used for emergencies and those aircraft have just a few people on board. I see one plane with only 5 people seated, spread out and they're covered in masks, like COVID. I hear the Lord say, “Pray! Pray! Pray! Pray to lesson the effect of this.” I'm seeing all this at once: earthquakes, asteroids, plagues, volcanoes, droughts, pestilence and the fish [dying] all happening as it pans out before me. I can see Italy and the Vatican and a shaking coming to the Vatican and the Catholic church. (guilty of sacrificing children for power from Satan) I see the DS planning and plotting and I see the Towers again. (A large false-flag.) Now, I just saw something very wild… I see what looks like aliens (demons). I see what looks like flying saucers. This is a big ship that is glowing like gold. It's hovering with an energy around it, and it was demonic. I saw it coming into the earth's atmosphere to deceive many. It had big yellow lights all around it. A big flying saucer coming down with electricity coming off of the yellow lights, like yellow lightning bolts. (The D.S. has planes outfitted to project this. They were stopped once by the Alliance.) Now, listen there's no such thing as aliens. This is demonic. There's going to be an uptick of these kinds of events in the days ahead. I hear the word, “uptick”. There will be an uptick in the events taking place in the skies. A great deception is coming! (strong delusion for those who do not love truth) I see one [flying saucer] over Europe around Italy, around the Vatican. It will be on the news and people will be tripping out. There's like an excitement, but also a fear in the air. I hear the word, “E.T.” (Extra Terrestrial) and I see people trying to communicate with this E.T by holding up poster boards. Many people are going to be deceived by this. It's demonic and it's trying to desensitize you for what is coming. The Lord said, “A great deception is coming. This is not funny. People will fall for this.” The Lord spoke that very sternly. They will show up in Mexico. This is to deceive the people in South America. It will be all over the news. This will be a very massive demonic thing. People need to be prepared to speak against this and tell people that this is demonic. This is NOT “E.T.” They are fallen angels, a great deception. This is how they'll explain away the rapture and where everybody goes. (“After the tribulation” the Lord gathers His elect) I see smaller ones in America and in Canada. It's like the mother ship and other little ones flying around trying to deceive many today. People need to pray. (Rebuke the demons from you but strong delusion will come to many) They're going to be manipulating the weather more. HAARP. You will hear more about manipulating the weather superstorms. Like flooding in China, abnormal rains and abnormal droughts. Weather warfare. A form of weather weapons. They will be trying to perfect it, but it will get out of control. In trying to control, they will lose control. Jet streams and superstorms. Superstorms with exceeding wind that you've never seen before. You've already seen the huge rainfall creating super floods, super rains, super winds and super hail. It will increase and become out of control to be used against the people. (more depopulation to steal minerals) I see record snowfall and record drought. I've talked before about how there will be changes in the seasons. The amount of daylight. These changes to dim the light. It will mess with the animals, their breeding patterns and birds' migration patterns. I see a controlling and manipulation of beef is coming. There will be a fear of eating beef. There will be something wrong with the cows, like madcow disease or something so that it becomes very expensive. They will be trying to manipulate the market. Organic and home-grown beef will be very expensive. This is a bigger deal than it was for the chickens and egg scare that they tried before. Then he explains the disgusting “bug burgers” using insects, worms, crickets, etc. when this happens. Pushing “protein burger bugs” as an alternative protein. (Mud bugs [crawfish] are good!) There's absolutely nothing wrong with the beef and dairy. It's all a form of control and manipulation. It will increase. This next revelation is also from Brandon. It's a YouTube short video he posted on January 20, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/I6-C1L8onj4 The Lord showed me literally thousands of North Korean men in train cars being taken from North Korea to Russia for the war. These men were not trained fighters. They looked expendable to me. Like they didn't have jobs in offices, etc. They looked like what we would call ‘lower income' people. They were excited to be able to see the world because they had been so oppressed and in bondage. I saw these men on these train cars, and they were celebrating leaving. I heard the Lord say, “But they're going to their death, and they don't even know it. You must pray for them.” A lot of these people have never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel and it grieves me. Because I saw the plan of the enemy to push these men upfront so that the other men didn't have to risk their lives. They were like, ‘We're going to let them fight who were not trained very well so we can let these other guys have a break.' (Kim has sold them out. It's happening on the Russian front) Also, the top 24 highest crime cities are all democratic ruled. Most of the crime in the country is there. Why? Birds of a feather flock together. Criminals know democrats have to be soft on crime because they themselves are criminals. Thank God they mostly destroy their own cities. Flee to Zion Dayna - 05/23/2010 I received these words and the vision on Wednesday the 5th. They are for the body. Word 1 Start seeking Me. Do not stall and do not think to do so later. My time is fast approaching and all must be ready and in place. Take care that you know My voice, for when I call My sheep, only a few will hear and come. Do not be deceived by the wolves that dress in wool. Know My Word, know My voice. Time is short. Word 2 Look! Do you see the people? Look at them flee, while none give chase. They run to the hills. But you ... you must run to the mountain, for mighty is a mountain. Mount up on your wings and reach the peak. To Zion! To Zion! (Isaiah 2:2) After these words came this vision: I saw the four horses tied to a hitching post. Their saddles are strapped on and all their “gear” is ready. As I had this vision, I was reminded of the vision/dream given to Michael Boldea Jr.: Four Horsemen to Ride Soon. (10/31/07) Then the Lord gave two single words: Urgency! Haste! Then: My horses are ready; they now await their riders! Blessings and love to my brothers and sisters. May the Lord shine bright in you. Four Horsemen to Ride Soon (David's notes in red) Below is a confirming dream that the four tribulation horse judgments are coming soon. The Four Horses Michael Boldea Jr. - 10/31/2007 I had a dream and if not for the specific instruction to share what I saw, I would have preferred to keep it to myself. I had gone to bed late, having waited for my wife to get home from work. After seeing that she had arrived home safely, and saying my prayers, I fell into a restful sleep. I dreamt that I was sleeping, when a hand touched my shoulder, and a voice I recognized said, 'wake up'. In my dream I opened my eyes, and my breath caught in my throat as I saw who had awakened me. It was the same messenger, the angel I had seen on previous occasions, dressed in full battle armor, standing by the side of my bed. 'Take my hand' he said, 'I have been sent to show you something'. I barely touched the hand that was extended toward me when my bed and my bedroom evaporated, and I found myself standing before a white, oblong building, that looked allot like a barn or a horse stable. Two large doors made up the front of the structure, and as I looked they began to swing open. I knew wherever I was, it was not of this earth, because everything shone, everything was white, pristine, immaculate. I also knew that whatever the reason for being shown this, was about to be revealed, so I stood in silence, holding the messenger's hand. As soon as the doors were fully open, I saw an angel that looked very much like the one standing beside me, except without the armor, leading a white horse by its reins. (The coming of Jesus in the man-child reformer body.) The horse was large and muscular, but he followed the angel obediently with its head bent low. The angel's countenance was somber as he led the horse away, and for some reason this registered with great clarity. I looked up to the messenger whose hand I was still holding, but he merely nodded toward the white building and the open doors, and said, 'witness'. Another angel soon appeared in the doorway, holding the reins of a red horse, following after the first. I began to realize what I was seeing, and in silence watched as two more angels appeared, each holding the reins of a horse, one black, one of no discernible color, just pale. All four angels were dressed alike, and had the same somber, sorrowful countenance. I stood and watched as all four horses were led out of my sight, and finally when they had disappeared from view, the messenger turned to me and said: 'Go and tell what you have seen. The riders prepare, the horses are ready, and soon they will descend, soon they will be loosed. Remember what you have witnessed, and do not hold back a single word. Soon they descend on wings of fury; soon turmoil will shake earth's very foundation. Prepare yourself, for many will fall and few will stand. Fulfillment is at hand, go and speak what you have seen, and what you have heard. The Kingdom awaits the righteous, the holy will soon see the Lord'. I only realized I was still holding his hand when he let go of mine, and suddenly I was back in my bed, sitting up, fully awake. I am still unsure whether or not it was a dream, or if 'dream' is the right word for it, but for simplicity's sake I will call it a dream. I tried to go back to sleep but could not, vividly remembering the sorrowful look on the faces of the angels who were leading the horses out of the stables. It seems the world is seeing, what the church is refusing to acknowledge, the fact that we are on the cusp of great upheaval not only in this nation, but also throughout the world. These are the days of which the prophets spoke, the days of which Christ warned, the time of distress, of sifting and of separation. My prayer is that we remember always, our hope is in the Lord, and He is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. If one word stands out from this entire dream, it is the word 'prepare' and we must do so with diligence. The children of God must steel themselves for what is coming, prepare their hearts and settle within their soul that the day in which we will have to stand for truth is soon approaching. UBM Angels Give Some Details of the Coming Great Revival Excerpts from Ministering Angels Through UBM #3 The Revelation of the Soldier Bride and Her Charge Angel Messengers - 8/19/22 (Davids notes in red) The angel Baruch gave this message for us on the 8th day anointing celebration, “Your enemy has been defeated THIS NIGHT and has been placed under your feet. The power of your praise and worship to our God and your Savior Jesus has gone down to the very foundations of hell and has shaken it to its core. And they have risen to the throne room of our Great God and were incorporated with the praises of your brethren, the saints of Heaven, around His throne. Do not go back to the old ways. (He was speaking of very highly praising the Lord for all of His goodness and proclaiming His promises. I.e. confessing our salvation from our enemies as in Psalm 149 and Luke 1.) Be very vigilant not to fall backwards and lose the ground you've taken back from the enemy tonight or he will penetrate your ranks once more. Continue to walk in the Way and the re-dedication of yourselves in faithfulness to Jesus, your Master and Savior. You have put the enemy to flight this night. Do NOT cease from pursuing him and overtaking him. Do not give him time to re-group by relenting in the fight. Our Great General and your Savior, Jesus, is ordering His soldier Bride to report for duty. The training for the greatest revival ever witnessed by man-kind is now beginning. Don't fail to show up.” (Eve said, i.e. don't go “AWOL” (absent without leave). We've been chosen or “drafted” to report for basic training at Ft. Revival. The Lord will be our strength and faithful to get us all in shape… (Eve: I understood that they are all using military terms and imagery in order to stress the revelation of a soldier Bride to us, so that we can begin viewing ourselves in this way because the battle comes before the wedding. So we need to view the Bride as a warrior at the Man-child's side, fighting with the angels and not so much as the dainty, demure, passive figure in her wedding garments.) The angel Shemuel then said, “I have really enjoyed praising, worshipping, and lifting up our God and His Son, our Great General and King of all Kings with you all tonight. Many of the angels have joined in celebrating this event with you. I concur with Baruch's report to you all. Do not fall back. You all have orders to press forward. Also, remember to never leave your fellow soldiers (brethren) behind, struggling to keep up or wounded on the battlefield... A platoon of soldiers is only as strong as its weakest member. Give of your time and gifts sacrificially in order to uphold one another in daily training and on the battlefield. Do not let any fall through the cracks. When the Holy Spirit of God places someone on your heart, get in touch with them as soon as possible. Don't hesitate to communicate with one another because the enemy lurks and hides where the communications have broken down. Don't forget to deploy me abroad to continue fighting the enemies of UBM and all God's elect “both foreign and domestic.” This is my charge concerning UBM and all that pertains to her.” David asked, “What can you tell us about the supernatural methods to get the gospel out and heal, deliver and save?” The angel Baruch said, “The methods of man will not be employed to reach the peoples of the earth. (In the days that are coming.) The methods are all of the spirit realm and will be administered by the angels who are going to distribute the gifts to the saints. (Meaning, the sanctified ones) These include gifts of translation from place to place, language, healing, laying on of hands to impart to others their needs and what they're lacking and to replicate the gifts by passing them on to others whom the angels will point out. Supernatural downloads of wisdom and knowledge will be received for specific situations.” David asked, “What about deliverances?” Baruch said, “The enemy will be on the run during this time. Deliverances will be instantaneous with no resistance on their part. (Many deliverances are this way now if there is cooperation on the part of the victim in repentance and faith.) They will no longer be able to hide in flesh because of the light of revival and the fire of truth that will sweep the elect of the globe.” (Eve said, “Meaning: Demons will be fleeing left and right out of people as the true fire of the Holy Spirit fills each one and searches the depths of each individual. There won't be any place left for them to hide in the elect of God.”) David asked, “Will there be mass healings and deliverances? Baruch said, “Yes. These will all take place on the largest scale in human history.” (Eve said, “Meaning: Masses of people will supernaturally be delivered and healed all at once for times sake because the need is so great and the darkness so pervasive.”) Then the angel Shemuel said, “A great move of God is coming upon the younger generations. (i.e. The millennials - Generation Z) There is a mildew and rottenness that has been cast upon this crop by satan; a perpetual darkness, so that the Son has not shown upon them. They languish and rot in the field and their fruit is poisoned. But the Son is coming to shine down upon them and he will burn up all the disease and mildew of their lives and the heat of His fire will burn through them and cleanse and restore them to the purpose they were created for. There has never been a revival like this that will sweep the whole earth. This will be entirely an act of God; supernatural and undeniable. He will not forsake the youth of this final generation.' Our Promised DNA Restoration David asked, “What does the coming restoration involve personally? 30 years younger?” The angel Jeruel answered, “Restoration on a DNA cellular level. Faith and power will be imputed to receive healing and restoration. It will be complete restoration not partial. The first fruits are first. They will be the trail blazers. There will also be a mighty supernatural outpouring of spiritual restoration of closeness to God through His Holy Spirit.” Then David asked, “When will the Lord restore our teeth?” The angel Baruch said, “When the DNA restoration takes place, teeth will be restored as well.” Destroying Your DNA or Restoring Your DNA As we have seen the confession of the curse brings destruction of the DNA. This is what men do every day as a norm as they see their natural face in the mirror instead of the Gospel face of Jesus as in 2Corinthians 3:18. As a narrow example of this very broad principle of the DNA curse, the medical establishment demonstrates this phenomena by pointing out specifically all of man's curses and making sure they fear them so that they can control the people. As Job said in Job 3:25 For the thing which I fear cometh upon me, And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me. Jesus confirmed this saying in Mat 8:13 ... as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. Fear is faith in the curse. The medical establishment confesses the curses and demands that we do so also but they always ultimately lose the patient to the curse. Their pharmakeia actually brings more curses as side effects. They made sure everyone who would listen feared C-19 enough to take the vaccine which people are dying of in a geometric progression. Before this man-made curse the Journal of the American Medical Association said, 450,000 people were dying a year in the US from Iatropic [healer related] causes. The Angels told us that the Lord would return in His Man-child body and completely restore the DNA of his Holy People who confess Him before men. The angel Baruch said, “There is much busyness happening in the Kingdom of our Lord; Much excitement is among the saints and the angels. Everything is prepared and ready for His return.” And then after a moment he said, “The Son is waiting for the Father's command.” David asked, “So the Man-child is coming?” Baruch said, “Surely.” David asked, “What does the coming restoration involve personally?” The angel Jeruel answered, “Restoration on a DNA cellular level. Faith and power will be imputed to receive healing and restoration. It will be complete restoration not partial. The first fruits are first. They will be the trail blazers. There will be a mighty supernatural outpouring of spiritual restoration of closeness to God through His Holy Spirit.” Science is pointing this out. It appears to me that the Lord, through the spoken Words of His Man-child, will bring the frequency needed to restore DNA, and all we need to supply is the Words of Faith in the promises of God which we have known is the cure for the curse. Jesus through His sacrifice took away the devil's power of death (Heb.2:14) for those who believe. He never had the authority of death. Authority is the right to use power. (1Sa.2:6) The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up. Death and life are in the hand of the Lord, not any other. But again, that does not negate our responsibility. (Pro.18:21) Death and life are in the power of the tongue… We need to be careful to agree with God's Word that we fall not under the curse (Rev.22:18-19). (Num.14:28)… As ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you. (Mat.12:37) For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. God reacts to the way we react to His Word. Everything is subject to the Word God has spoken, even His own will. (Psa.138:2)… thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. God puts the Word first, as a standard to trust even above His own name, which in Hebrew means “character and authority.” God wants us to know that He puts His Word above any desire or purpose that we might think He has. But His Word is His desire and purpose.
We, as Americans, tend to relish our history—and most countries do. Famous eras and the glory of battle and all that. Americans love the beautiful land that we've been blessed with, as well.The Bible tells us the true source of our blessings. It points us to the One who made all things possible.Psalm 115:1 tells us, “Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”We are incredibly blessed in America for a lot of reasons. From sufficient food to freedom to make our own choices—we just have so much. But do we always acknowledge the source of our blessings?Our forefathers did.George Washington's tomb at Mt. Vernon has Scripture etched into the stones. The Father of our country knew his Heavenly Father!The Bible tells us that we should glory first in our great God. He is the one we owe our lives to. Every breath we take. We owe our Savior Jesus our eternal lives.It is to Him that all honor and glory belongs. Not to us. As proud Americans, we stand on our faith. Of our almost limitless blessings, that is number one.To God be the glory!Let's pray.Lord, your mercies are available to us each day. As we get ready for a new day, help us to remember that You are our source, and You deserve the glory. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.
Scripture: Acts 2;22-41 Pastor continues our study of Pentecost with a look at part two of Peter's sermon as shared in Acts 2 on that first Pentecost. The Bible account of this story tells us that “Peter's words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” So let's dig into what Peter said that pierced their hearts, into what the Holy Spirit was doing and into their response. Then, let's see what we can learn. In part one of Peter's sermon in Acts 2, he shared the story of Jesus' incarnation - of God coming to earth in the person of Jesus Christ. As we pick up with the rest of this sermon, Peter is talking about how Jesus is the Promised One that fulfills God's promises made in the Old Testament. Then Peter tells them of Jesus' suffering and crucifixion and states that they are the ones who crucified Jesus. As we consider this accusation, we ask who did put Jesus on the cross? Was it the Roman rulers who ran the Jesus trial? The soldiers that beat, whipped and nail Him to the cross? Was it the religious zealots that wanted Jesus stopped? Who put Jesus on the cross. The Bible tells us that “everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.” Meaning we all need a Savior Jesus died for our sins. WHO put Him on the cross? WE put Him on the cross. Peter goes on with the good news of Jesus' resurrection from the grave and that death could not hold Him quoting King David, “‘…My body rests in hope. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave….'” Acts 2:26b-27. Peter shares that this prophetic word from David was about Jesus who is the Messiah they have been awaiting. Peter tells them that after Jesus' resurrection He ascended to God's right hand and that the Holy Spirit was released just as Jesus had promised and tells them that is what they are witnessing this very day. Then the high point of the message is reached in verse 36, “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” Jesus is the Chosen One, the Savior! In the next verse we see their response to hearing Peter's words. It is the verse we started with today, “Peter's words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Their response was their hearts are pierced, cut to the heart by what Peter said, heart-broken, filled with sorrow, convicted. Having their hearts pierced, led them to see Jesus' story as personal and made them want to change so they say, “What shall we do?” Accepting Jesus as our Lord, our Savior, our Messiah requires a response. What He's done for each of us is personal and it requires a personal response. Peter replied, “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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Peter's message is one of the most important ever taught. ⁃ Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophesied Messiah ⁃ Repentance is recognizing that, “I'm a sinner. I need a Savior.” It is a change of heart and a change of mind. ⁃ Baptism in Jesus' name for the forgiveness of sin. ⁃ Holy Spirit - Jesus desires to pour the Holy Spirit out into us today and everyday! Peter's sermon brought thousands of people to faith in who Jesus is, to repentance, and to baptism. If you have walked away from Jesus or if you have not come to faith in Jesus, our prayer is that Peter's message pierces your heart and brings you to faith in Jesus your Savior and Messiah! Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE. Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/40-10 Join us Sundays https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.
Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comActs 22 The apostle Paul addresses the crowd in Jerusalem after his arrest. He shares his testimony, detailing his background as a devout Jew, educated under Gamaliel, and his earlier zeal for persecuting Christians. Paul recounts his dramatic encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, where God blinded him and instructed him to wait for further guidance. In Damascus, Ananias, a devout servant of Christ, heals Paul's blindness. He then commands Paul to be baptized to wash away his sins and explains God's mission for him to become an apostle to the Gentiles. This story incites the predominantly Jewish listeners to demand his death! The Roman commander prepares to flog Paul but hesitates when he learns that he is a Roman citizen. He is then brought to stand before the Jewish Council. Paul's conversion story is recounted three times in the Book of Acts. On this occasion, Paul himself shares the story with the Jews who called for his arrest. In this hostile setting, he describes how God intervened to guide him toward true faith in Jesus. He emphasized how God worked in his life to redirect his passion toward righteous ministry. He spoke the truth, even though it provoked anger among the audience. This is the humility and courage we strive to cultivate in our lives. If God is working to redirect you for His purpose, submit to Him. If He is using your voice to bring Christ's hope to others, regardless of how they respond, keep proclaiming the name of Jesus. God of grace, we praise You for Your loving-kindness towards all people. Paul's conversion illustrates how You seek out good-hearted individuals, forgiving their sins and repurposing them for Your glory. Thank You for pursuing us and patiently guiding us to submit to Your will. Help us to be grateful and to share Your mercies with others. Please provide us opportunities to share with others how good You have been, regardless of how people choose to receive it. Protect us from the enemy, but also involve us in challenging and meaningful ministry work in the name of our Savior Jesus. Thought Questions: - Paul used a Hebrew dialect to better relate to the audience. Are there ways you can modify your words to be better received by others? - God's action in Paul's life led him to humble obedience. Has God's patient pursuit of your soul humbled you? How has that changed you? - Paul was willing to die, but he also avoided a beating in this text. How do you balance self-sacrifice and self-defense in your faith?
Most countries relish their histories…famous eras and the glory of battle and all that. Americans love this beautiful land, as well.But the Bible tells us the true source of our blessings. It points us to the One who made all things possible.Psalm 115:1 tells us, “Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”We are incredibly blessed in America for a lot of reasons. From sufficient food to freedom to make our own choices, we have so much. But do we always acknowledge the source of our blessings?Our forefathers did.George Washington's tomb at Mt. Vernon has Scripture etched into the stones. The Father of our country knew his heavenly Father!The Bible tells us that we should glory first in our great God. He is the one we owe our lives to. Every breath we take. We owe our Savior Jesus our eternal lives.It is to Him that all honor and glory belongs. As proud Americans, we stand on our faith. Of our almost limitless blessings, that is number one.To God be the glory!Let's pray. Lord, your mercies are available to us each day. As we get ready for a new day, help us to remember that You are our source. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.
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