Podcasts about Pharisees

Luke 14:1, 7-11 - One Sabbath, when He [Jesus] went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching Him carefully. … Now He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Daily Dose of Hope August 28, 2025   Scripture – Luke 12:35-59   Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are the hope of the world but you are also our hope.  I pray for all those who need hope today.  May they seek you.  I pray for all those who need healing.  May they run to you. I pray for all those who need forgiveness.  May they come to you.  Lord, we all need you.  Before we run to the things of the world, may we rest in you.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we finish Luke 12.   In today's reading, the servants (the disciples in this case) are told to be ready for the return of the master, Jesus, from a wedding banquet.  In the Old Testament, wedding banquets often represent the eschatological hope of God's people.  When we say eschatology, we are referring to the last judgement or the last things, the ultimate destiny of God's people and world.  In the New Testament, the wedding banquet imagery would be centered around Jesus and the hope he brings.  He is the one who came to redeem the world and he is the one who will ultimately come to judge the world.  The disciples are called to be ready and actively waiting for Jesus' return.  And so are we.    The return of Jesus is certain.  When he will return is not.  Are you ready?   The next portion of our reading is difficult.  If I were to ask you why Jesus came to earth, how many of you would say “to bring conflict?”  Hmmm...probably not many.  And yet, Jesus says here that he has come to bring fire on the earth.  He has come to bring division.  How do we reconcile this with Jesus being a Prince of Peace?    I think it's important we look at the context.  Jesus is speaking of the conflict and division his coming will cause.  There was and is division in families because some believe and others don't.  Jesus is saying to expect this rather than be surprised by this.  Following Jesus well is a revolutionary thing.  Maybe following Jesus as a cultural Christian doesn't bring much discord, but truly following the ways of Jesus (as described in the Gospels) puts us at odds with our culture and the greater society.   In the final portion of our reading today, interpreting the times, we find Jesus again referring to the Pharisees as hypocrites.  Afterall, he says, they can interpret the weather, understanding when it's going to rain, but they can't interpret the meaning of Jesus' presence.  They have no idea how significant it is that Jesus is there, nor do they understand his teachings or purpose.  They truly have no idea that the God of the universe has come down among them.    How often do we fail to recognize God in our midst?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Thursday, 28 August 2025   The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. Matthew 12:41   “Men, Nineveh, they will arise in the judgment with this generation and they will sentence it, for they reconsidered at the proclamation of Jonah. And you behold! Jonah's greater is here!” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus noted that just as Jonah was in the belly of the great lunker three days and three nights, He would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. Next, He continues His address to the scribes and Pharisees, saying, “Men, Nineveh, they will arise in the judgment with this generation.”   The location Nineveh is introduced here. The name Nineveh may be a word of foreign origin, but if connected to Hebrew, its meaning is Offspring's Habitation. As the Bible is written from a Hebrew perspective, the Hebrew name is what is to be considered.   Nineveh is a city that was built at the earliest times of man after the flood. It was noted as being built by Nimrod in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10:11. It is noted in 2 Kings, Isaiah, Jonah, Nahum, and Zephaniah, but the main biblical accounts of Nineveh are recorded in Jonah and Nahum.   Jesus is referring to the account in Jonah, saying that the inhabitants of Nineveh will arise to judge the generation of Israel in which He came. And more, He next says, “and they will sentence it.”   The verb katakrinó, to judge against, is introduced. In judging against, it means an unfavorable verdict is rendered, leading to condemnation. Condemning or condemnation in the Bible is often associated with eternal punishment. This is not always the case when the word is used.   To condemn means expressing disapproval, censuring, sentencing, etc. The context will derive the meaning. In this case, Nineveh will be a part of the judgment and sentencing of Israel's people at Jesus' time. The reason is, “for they reconsidered at the proclamation of Jonah.”   Another new noun is stated, kérugma. It signifies a proclamation. Preaching is a type of proclamation. Jonah was sent to NinevehJonah to speak a word of the Lord against Nineveh. This was his kérugma, his proclamation –   “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.'” Jonah 1:1, 2   “And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!'” Jonah 3:4   As noted in the Matthew 12:39 commentary, Jonah's time in the belly of the lunker is not the sign of Jonah. The sign of Jonah is something Nineveh was aware of. They had no idea that Jonah was in the lunker's belly. The sign of Jonah is the kérugma, the proclamation, of Jonah.   But more, it is specifically what the proclamation stated, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” As noted in the Matthew 12:38 commentary, a sign is something that stands for something else. It may be a miracle or a wonder, but a sign points to another thing, such as “this indicates this.”   Jesus clearly states in Luke 11:30-32 that the preaching of Jonah is the sign, just as Jesus' preaching to the people of Israel is the sign. Jonah preached and promised destruction in forty days. Jesus preached and promised destruction as well.   The sign of Jonah is the preaching, which, if rejected, would lead to destruction after forty days. Jesus' time in Sheol, followed by the resurrection, simply bears witness to the truth of Jesus' preaching, which was to an already unbelieving people.   His words of the kingdom and reconsideration to “this generation” are the ultimate sign to them. Other prophets spoke in the name of the Lord, but Jesus spoke in His own name and under His own authority as the Son, and so He next says, “And you behold! Jonah's greater is here!”   The warning to reconsider or be overthrown turned out to be a day for a year, just as it was in the Old Testament. When Israel disobeyed in the wilderness, they were given a day for a year punishment for every day that the spies were gone. It was forty days, and thus forty years of punishment.   In Ezekiel chapter 4, he was told to lie on his right side for forty days, signifying a day for a year of punishment for Judah. He was told to do the same for his left side, but for three hundred and ninety days. It was a day for a year for the house of Israel. Together, they formed the basis of the prophecy concerning the return of Israel in 1948.   Forty years after Jesus' words, a day for a year, Israel's temple was destroyed, and the people were carried away in exile. The Romans came in and did what Nineveh was spared of. God's judgment fell heavily upon them for failing to reconsider, receive their long-awaited Messiah, and conform to the will of God, which is found in the finished work of Jesus Christ.   Life application: The sign of Jonah is the preaching of Jonah. The word of God, spoken to Israel in fulfillment of Scripture, and under the full authority of the Messiah who had been promised since the very beginning of man's time on the planet, was the sign. The resurrection simply proved it.   It is the word that conveys this to us. Thus, the word is its own sign to the people of the world. In essence, “I have used My people, Israel, to be a sign to the world as a proof that My word is true and that it is to be understood and accepted as such.”   The sign of Israel is a sign that is not yet fully fulfilled. To assume that the church has replaced Israel reflects a fundamental flaw in Christian understanding. It fails to match the reality of what is coming upon the world in the tribulation and millennium.   Be sure to have your theology concerning Israel properly aligned with what God is doing in the world. Otherwise, events that lie ahead will leave you surprised and confounded.   “Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” Matthew 23:34-36   Lord God, thank You for being with us as we engage with Your word. On our own, it is often hard to see what is being conveyed. Add on top of that, innumerable incorrect analyses of what is being said have been loaded upon us. Help us cut to the heart of what You are telling us by reminding us to stay in and study Your word all our days. Amen.

Reading Luke 18:9-14 where Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, to those who trusted in themselves and had contempt for others. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Today's Topics: 1) Gospel - Matthew 23:27-32 - Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets' blood.' Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; now fill up what your ancestors measured out!" Memorial of Saint Monica Saint Monica, pray for us! Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2, 3, 4) Terry and Jesse discuss today's Minneapolis shooting tragedy by a so-called "transgeder" woman, killing two children at Mass and wounding many others

Today's Topics: 1) Gospel - Matthew 23:23-26 - Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.” Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2, 3, 4) Damning exposé of Bugnini in so-called liturgist's rediscovered memoirs https://www.complicitclergy.com  /2025/08/15/damning-expose-of-bugnini-in-prominent-liturgists-rediscovered-memoirs/

Today's Topics: 1) Gospel - Matthew 23:13-22  - Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves. “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.' Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.' You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; one who swears by the temple swears by it and by Him Who dwells in it; one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by Him Who is seated on it.” Memorial of Saint Louis of France Memorial of Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest Saints Louis and Joseph, pray for us! Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2) Pope Leo recommends the moral teachings/theology of the great pre-Vatican II moralist and Saint, Alphonsus Ligouri https://southernorderspage.blogspot.com/2025/08/pope-leo-recommends-moral.html 3) Birthright citizenship is much more complex than media wants you to believe https://www.returntoorder.org/2025/08/birthright-citizenship-is-much-more-complex-than-the-media-wants-you-to-believe/ 4) United States: Conversions to Catholicism at highest level in 20 years https://fsspx.news/en/news/united-states-conversions-catholicism-highest-level-20-years-54011

Gospel Matthew 23:27-32 Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets' blood.' Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; now fill up what your ancestors measured out!” Reflection When evil is involved, things don't stay the same, they get worse. The lies get bigger. The hypocrisy grows. And when that happens, there's such a terrifying end to it all. When we look at these men who Jesus has complained about being not good ministers of the temple. Now he actually says what their evil has led to. They, the ministry of the temple, is willing to kill the greatest prophet, the Son of God. Closing Prayer Father, help us to be aware of evil in our lives. Hypocrisy. Little lies that we think are not that bad, but then they grow. So help us always to pay attention to who we are and where we have weakness, give us strength to change and to grow, and to enter the light. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jesus said,"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of filth.Even so, on the outside you appear righteous,but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing."Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You build the tombs of the prophetsand adorn the memorials of the righteous,and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets' blood.'Thus you bear witness against yourselvesthat you are the children of those who murdered the prophets;now fill up what your ancestors measured out!"

Daily Dose of Hope August 27, 2025   Scripture – Luke 12:1-34   Prayer:  Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, That my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, That my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, That I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, To defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, That I always may be holy.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a devotional and podcast that complements the Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we start Luke 12.   We start with Jesus warning his disciples against hypocrisy.  That is the yeast of the Pharisees, saying one thing and doing another.  Another way to put it is to be outwardly religious and inwardly self-serving.  Jesus also warns his disciples to proclaim the Gospel boldly.  Walk the walk.  Those who acknowledge Jesus openly will be acknowledged by God.  Those who are ashamed or fearful to acknowledge Jesus openly will not be acknowledged by God.  There is a real emphasis on not worrying about the fate of the physical body, but focusing on how God will care for us, he will remember us.    This is hard teaching.  We get quite consumed with worrying about our earthly bodies and our earthly livelihoods.  Don't we?  I mean, Jesus is saying to put him first at all costs and he will ensure we are okay. But being okay doesn't mean he will save us in an earthly sense, although he may.  It definitely means he will save us in an eternal sense.  Jesus is saying that is enough.  The big question is --- is that enough for you?  Do you, do I, trust Jesus enough to know that he will not forget me and he will care for me eternally.  This physical world is just a temporary dwelling place.    Our reading goes from here to the parable of the rich fool.  This is a great parable for talking about God's design for wealth.  Yes, we are to save for retirement and ensure we have an emergency fund.  That isn't what Jesus is speaking of!  The man in the parable had abundance, way more than he needed for himself.  But he didn't share it with those in need, nor did he ask God for wisdom in how to use his money.  He built bigger barns.  He liked the idea of having plenty for the future.  In fact, we get the impression that he felt a bit smug because his own future was secure.  But in hoarding his wealth, he failed to consider how God would want him to use his money.  Nor did he consider his eternal future.  He wasn't prepared, as he did nothing to prepare his soul.    What really matters?  How does God call us to use our abundance?   Finally, we move to the portion of the reading dealing with worry.  What is it about us and worry? I have struggled with worry and anxiety for most of my life! I finally had to admit to myself that worrying is lack of trust in God. After all, God loves me and God has promised to care for me. He cares for the birds of the fields; certainly, he cares for me! This doesn't mean things will always go my way. Nor does it absolve me of responsibility in life. I still need to work hard and get things done. But I can know that I know that God is with me and God wants to take care of my needs.   For me, I've found the antidote to worry is prayer. Pray often, pray fervently, pray sincerely. I go through a visual exercise of giving my worry to Jesus. Sometimes I hand it right to Jesus. Other times, I lay it at the foot of the cross. Then, I have to make the decision to not pick it back up. It takes discipline to give our worry to Jesus; I've had to practice this many times. Butit's life changing. When I give my worry to Jesus, I know it's in good hands. And worry no longer steals my joy and monopolizes my thinking. I am free, knowing the God's got this.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Wednesday, 27 August 2025   For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:40   “For just as Jonah, he was in the lunker's belly three days and three nights, thus He will be, the Son of Man, in the earth's heart three days and three nights” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that a “Generation – evil and adulteress – it seeks a sign, and not it will be given it, if not the sign of Jonah the prophet.” He continues with that now, saying, “For just as Jonah, he was in the lunker's belly.”   Two new words are seen. The first is found only here in Scripture, kétos, a huge fish. It is believed to possibly be from chasma, a chasm. That comes from an obsolete word, chao, to gape or yawn. Thus, the idea is that of the gaping mouth of such a fish. The type of fish is not stated here. Some translations say “whale.” That could be correct, even though whales aren't fish.   Some say sea monster, great fish, huge fish, etc. As it is unknown whether it is a fish, whale, or other sea monster, a single word that gets the idea across is lunker, which signifies “an exceptionally large specimen of something, in particular (among anglers) a fish” (Online Dictionary).   The next new word is koilia, the belly or womb. It is derived from koilos, hollow. Thus, it signifies a cavity. The context of the sentence will then provide the appropriate sense of what is being referred to. Jesus next says that Jonah was in this lunker's belly “three days and three nights.”   The duration is specific, but its meaning, like many such things in Scripture, must be derived from the surrounding context. That will be considered momentarily. For now, Jesus says, “thus He will be, the Son of Man, in the earth's heart.”   It is a term not found in exactly this manner elsewhere, and so the meaning must be derived from the story of Jonah in relation to the events coming upon Jesus. Any other view will force something not intended into the narrative.   Special note: To understand the amazing details of Jonah's life, it would be unconscionable not to read or watch the Jonah sermons from the Superior Word library. There, the incredible story is opened up and explained in a manner not found anywhere else.   Having said that, when Jonah was cast into the sea, a picture of Christ's death. He was swallowed by the dagah, fish, in Hebrew, or the kétos, fish, in the Greek Septuagint. From there, it says in Jonah 2:3 –   “From womb Sheol, I cried, You heard my voice, And you caused to cast me – depth, In heart seas.” Jonah 2:3 (CG)   In Greek, the word translated as heart is kardias, the same as that used by Jesus here in Matthew. Likewise, the word translated as womb in the Hebrew text is the same as what Jesus uses here, koilia.   In other words, Jonah is speaking in parallelism, a literary device found elsewhere in the book and throughout the Bible. He is equating Sheol (Greek: Hades) and equating it directly to the belly of the fish. That is then set in parallelism to the heart. This is done while citing the essential contents of Jonah 2:3.   Jesus is taking the story of Jonah and equating the heart of the seas to His own coming death. As such, He has replaced “heart of the seas,” something the Jews were perfectly familiar with from the story, and equates His coming descent into Hades as the “heart of the earth.” This is the parallelism (Sheol = heart seas/heart earth) from which the intent must be derived. Understanding this, He next says this will be for “three days and three nights.”   This is a phrase that, unfortunately, leads to all kinds of misinterpretations and misanalyses of what Jesus went through. The timeline of Jesus' passion, crucifixion, and resurrection is painfully clear when properly laid out. Jesus was crucified on a Friday, He was in the tomb throughout Saturday, and He arose on Sunday.   To confirm this timeline, a complete analysis of it will be attached at the end of the verses referring to Jesus' words in this account, meaning after Matthew 12:42. Because of Jesus' words here, however, some dogmatically claim that Jesus had to be in the grave a full three days and three nights. Some go so far as to demand a literal 72 hours.   This then leads to unscripturally backing up the crucifixion to Thursday or even Wednesday. But this then leads to many other unjustifiable claims, such as a “second Passover meal,” etc. These things are unscriptural, but must be made up to justify the unjustifiable.   The term “three days and three nights” simply speaks of any part of a day and a night. This is seen, for example, in 1 Samuel 30:12. However, it is explicitly noted with the same terminology as Jesus in Esther 4:16, where it says, “neither eat nor drink for three days, night and day.” In Esther 5:1, it reads, “Now it happened on the third day...” Thus, the time frame in Esther, which Jesus uses in Matthew, means three days, up to the third day.   Life application: Care needs to be taken to ensure that what is said in one place aligns with what is said in another place. The only source of understanding Jesus' words in Matthew 12:40 is to be found in the reference that Jesus is using. In the case of the heart of the earth, the reference is explicitly stated in Jonah, where Sheol (Hades) is set in parallel to the heart of the seas. This is an explanation of the belly of the great sea creature.   The “three days and three nights” of Jonah 1:17, which Jesus also cites, is to be interpreted from other Old Testament passages, if available. As it is, explicitly so in Esther 4:16 and then interpreted in Esther 5:1, there is a full and justifiable explanation for the meaning of Jesus' words in Matthew, without fudging or making anything up.   Think about our own use of such terminology. If someone leaves late Monday afternoon and comes back early Wednesday morning, he may comfort his wife by saying, “Don't worry, I'll be back in three days.” This is a true statement, even from a biblical sense (as seen in Esther), and yet, he will only be gone for as little as maybe 48 hours, or less.   Jesus died at approximately 3 pm (Luke 23:44) on Friday afternoon. This would be about three or four hours before the beginning of the Sabbath. That would last until the next evening. From there, it says He rose “very early in the morning” (Luke 24:1), it may have been at 5 am or earlier. This could be a time in the heart of the earth as little as 45 hours. And yet, He is said (again and again in Scripture) to have risen “on the third day.”   Be ready to challenge what you believe. Accept what Scripture says regardless of biases or presuppositions. In the end, you will find an answer to every seeming contradiction that you have been taught exists. None do, because this is the word of God!   Lord God, thank You for the surety and reliability of Your wonderful word. It is a precious treasure and a delight to consider. Amen.  

Man-Child and Bride Throne (audio) David Eells 8/27/25 Please be patient as I lay a little foundation for anyone who may be new to this. Jesus laid down His physical body, not only to take on glorified body, but also in order to take on a spiritual, corporate body through His Word abiding in the saints. The Man-child is a corporate body within the Church, which will be the firstfruits in whom the full Word is manifested. Like Mary, each believer has the seed of Jesus, the Word of God, growing in him as a baby in the womb of his heart. As in the parable of the Sower, when the seed of the Word is sown in good ground, it will bring forth the fruit of Christ, 30-, 60- and 100-fold. As the inner, spiritual man grows in the image of Jesus, the outer, carnal man is dying. (2Co.4:16) Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. The resurrection life of Christ is being manifested in us through death to self (Philippians 3:10-15). As we are united with Christ in His death, we, too, travail over our death to this world. Jesus tells us that this sorrow of travailing in death to self would give way to the joy of bringing forth the life of Jesus: (Joh.16:20) Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. (21) A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world. Jesus' disciples were likened to a woman in travail who brings forth the man-child in the image of Jesus in Revelation 12. Verse (22) And ye therefore now have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you. He will see us again first in the Revelation 12 Man-child body of reformers. Just as Christ was the firstfruits in His time, the end-time Man-child is the firstfruits of those who manifest Christ after a time of apostasy (falling away). Seeing this full manifestation of "Christ in you" as already accomplished at the cross brings power from God to manifest it in the natural, which we do by faith as it says in (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. Paul tells us that Jesus comes in our mortal flesh, not glorified bodies. (2Co.4:10) Always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. (11) For we who live are always delivered unto death (to self) for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (Gal.4:19) My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you. Through death to self, we no longer live, but Christ lives in us and does His work through us. (Gal.2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, [the faith] which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. God is raising up a corporate Man-child of spiritual Davids in these days, and they will lead the Bride; they will be the head of the Bride to bring them to maturity. We know that Jerusalem is the Bride, according to Revelation. The firstfruits of Christ coming to be manifested in His people is the David Man-child ministry. We read in (Luk.1:32) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. 33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. This is of course, Jesus but it is also Jesus in the Man-child as history repeats on a larger scale. What many do not know is that David's throne was the throne of God that Jesus, and now Jesus in the Man-child, is caught up to. (2Ch.9:8) Blessed be the Lord thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do justice and righteousness. Notice that the throne of God was for the purpose of ruling over His people on earth, just as David and Jesus did and will do again. This is not a carnal king or a carnal throne. This is not going to be anybody glorifying flesh here; this is going to be the Lord, once again, coming in humble flesh in order to do His work and to be the spiritual leader over His people. He is the one in whom the Son of God lives. That spiritual David will be sitting upon God's throne on earth. He said, He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I overcame, and sat down with my Father in His throne (Rev.3:21). Jesus overcame and He sat down on the throne of God, which, once again, is an earthly but spiritual place of authority. He is coming in us; He's coming in a firstfruits to rule and to reign, to lead God's people back to the ways of righteousness, to rebuild the tabernacle of David and the kingdom of David. John wrote of this Man-child and throne long after Jesus' ministry. (Rev 4:1)...Come up hither, and I will show thee the things which must come to pass hereafter. So this was not about Jesus physically but about Him in the Man-child body. (Rev.12:5) And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. (6) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they (the Man-child company) may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days. The firstfruits Man-child company will be caught up to the throne of God to minister to the Church in the wilderness for 3 ½ years as Jesus did and history repeats. This throne represents Jesus exercising His authority on earth through the Man-child body filled with His Word and Spirit. He said to His disciples, "As the Father hath sent me so send I you" (Joh.20:21); and "What things soever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Mat.18:18); and "He that receiveth you receiveth Me" (Mat.10:40). Of course, no one will ever sit on the throne but "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col.1:27), for it is always He who rules in the heart and head of His Body that is to be the Word made flesh. The kingdom of David will be restored, as it was in Jesus' day and in our day. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations (Gentiles) shall be gathered unto it, to the Name of the Lord, to Jerusalem (Jer.3:17). Notice that Jerusalem represents the Name of the Lord. The word for "name" means the "nature, character and authority" of the Lord. So, we see a throne within a throne. We see David's throne in Jerusalem but we see all of Jerusalem as the throne and also the Bride. God is restoring the type of the kingdom of David. He's restoring the Bride and He's restoring the Bridegroom. Yet again ... the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride (Jer.33:10-11) will be heard in spiritual, heavenly Jerusalem. Now I have a few revelations to share that relate to those who will be chosen to this position of the throne of the Man-child and the Bride.   Anointed Ministries Lead in Tribulation M.C. - 04/08/2011 (David's notes in red) The setting seemed to be dusk, but with enough lighting so I could see. (Dusk is that time between day and night, indicating here a transition into darkness.) On the road there were many troop trucks with no canopies filled with UBMers who were standing, waiting to be taken to a major event. (Having no canopies represents the Son shining in. UBM ministry with its people are getting ready, in the light of the Son, and in position for the spiritual battle with the beast, harlot, earthquakes, economic fall, tribulation, persecution, sickness, demons, etc.) I've tried very hard to remember the event, but I haven't been able to remember it yet. (You don't remember it because it will not be revealed beforehand. Nobody except God knows the specifics of what is coming, but everyone will be given specific personal direction when the time comes.) I wasn't yet, or at least I didn't feel, qualified to be in the trucks. (This is reflecting what probably most of us feel like in our present state -- not worthy and not quite ready yet to be marching on as peaceful warriors and anointed saints of God.) Everyone had been waiting for a long time. (We have been waiting for a long time because God is warning, and cleaning out the factious, and getting the elect ready as the time draws near.) All of a sudden, David said, "OK, it's time to go!" (David leading the troops represents the anointed Man-child ministry on a global level, leading the saints, including UBM, into the wilderness tribulation, like Moses and Jesus did.) So we all piled into his open-top army jeep, which was somewhere at the back of the convoy and we sped off past all the troop trucks. (The top open represents the Davids' unhindered communication with the Father. The jeep speeding past all the troops represents the David/Man-child ministries' leadership of the Church becoming stronger, as it was in Jesus' day. Those who were in the jeep but not driving could be the bride and witnesses who will receive the same anointing.) It was a very exciting moment. We roared past the first truck at the front of the convoy and headed into the dark tunnel ahead (which is the tribulation ahead). David waved his hand and called out jovially to the convoy, "The first shall be last and the last shall be first!" (We are seeing here the fulfillment of prophecies and the promises of God coming true. After having been last for so long, the David ministries shall now be first to lead the battle in tribulation). If I remember right, the tunnel was fairly short at the beginning of the trip. I suddenly realized that I was in his jeep but should have been in the last truck, if at all. (This represents all the believers who are "poor in spirit" and don't think highly of themselves and don't believe they deserve this privilege of being in the Man-child or Bride companies. Yet they shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and be in the firstfruits.) I was very embarrassed and turned around in my seat, trying to face the convoy, putting my hands together in a gesture, and asking for forgiveness for getting ahead of where I should have been in the lineup and yelled, "Please forgive me!" (Their natural humility shows they did not feel they earned this position. But we are accounted worthy through our faith that it is ours by grace.) Then I turned back around in my seat and just started to cry. (This could be weeping for joy and gratitude for such grace and anointing flowing to us freely from the Lord.) I think we were all very happy to be finally headed toward the destination. The darkness of the tunnel didn't seem to matter. (The first job of the anointed David ministries is to secure Jerusalem, the Bride, from the old man of the land, as it says in 1 Chr.11:3-5 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of Jehovah by Samuel. 4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (the same is Jebus); and the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, were there. 5 And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come in hither. Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David.)   The Bride's Throne Authority Amos Scaggs - 04/17/2010 (David's notes in red) In a dream, there was a young woman. (Representing the Bride, who will sit in the throne of authority with the King) A man looking up at her was questioning how she got to the control room (God's throne room), which was visible but not easily accessible. (The way is straight and narrow and is visible in the Word but one must be faithful and dedicated in order to access it.) She said there was really nothing to it because she worked outside of the control room and had been there many times. (The dedicated ones have been working under the authority of the throne room of God.) (And this was to permanently attain to be a pillar in the temple of the Philadelphia Bride and to go out no more as in Rev.3:12.) The young woman climbed up a tall and very dangerous set of scaffoldings where the steps and handholds had to be precise to get to the control room. The man (who represents the false, corporate leadership) was invited to follow her but the way appeared too shaky and unstable for him. (It is impossible for the apostate leadership to exercise God's true authority, for they are unstable and double-minded and without the renewed mind. They cannot walk in heavenly places any more than the Pharisees could.) The man went around to the back where he found a set of steps that wasn't as steep as the ladder the woman had climbed. (Joh.10:1 ... He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. They don't come through the door Who is Christ, the Word.) He climbed to the top but couldn't keep up with the woman and lost track of her. On the way he met friendly people working with old equipment (representing inefficient, traditional ways). All the man found were dead-end rooms and people causing him to lose direction and sight of the young woman. ("Babylon" means "confusion". Their authority rests on religious degrees and titles. Jesus, Who is the Word, is the WAY. Only "he that overcometh" will sit with Jesus in His throne.) The man never found the control room where the young woman went. (You will never find the throne room of God's authority using traditional methods. There is a Bride emerging who sees and lives more of God than the old, antiquated and apostate church.)   Death and Resurrection to the Throne Eve Brast - 12/16-17/15 (David's notes in red) Dream snippet I dreamed I was high above the ground, looking at a city neighborhood. Suddenly, everything began to shake. (These quakes are foreshadowed by the ones at Jesus' death and resurrection, which bring the same results to the Man-child reformer ministries, and will shake much of the population.) After the shaking ended, it seemed like everyone (of us) was relieved of some sort of burden. (The quakes will bring the resurrection life and anointing to the Man-child with miracles and a time of grace, safety, and reward to the Bride. Then the Church will enter the wilderness tribulation and deliverance from the burdens that the Israelites bore, slaving for the Egyptians, representing their old man. This would include deliverance from the financial burdens since the Egyptians were plundered of their wealth.) Some time passed as I watched children swinging and everything being peaceful, then I heard in my spirit, "After three days". (When Jesus died as a type of the Man-child's spiritual death, "after three days" came the resurrection and the "great earthquake" which we believe is the New Madrid quakes.) Once this was said, chaos among the people broke out everywhere and they were stealing and killing people and running around in a panic to survive. (This literally happened when the Egyptians lost their DS army at the Red Sea. After the reality of the quakes and financial shaking sets in, like "after three days", there would be great fear and panic, with survival instinct bringing out the worst in the lost. Martial law would bring bondage for those whose faith is in the Beast instead of Jesus. There was a shaking when Jesus died and then after three days, there was another great shaking when He arose. Mat.27:54 Now the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake (at His death), and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. And in Mat.28:2 And behold, there was a great earthquake (three days later at His resurrection); for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. Then there would be an empty grave for the Man-child, as we then see in the dream. Then I saw men digging up an old grave site. They were digging in red dirt and when they reached the bottom of the grave, they were amazed that it was empty. There wasn't even a coffin. (Reminiscent of Jesus, the Man-child, not being in the grave when they went to see.) This was a huge revelation to them and they went to look for David. They had many questions about this. (The spiritual resurrection of the Man-child will be a huge revelation. Then the people would be looking for the David/Man-child ministers after their death and resurrection to the throne, anointing would have been completed. Their many questions could be answered then by Jesus manifested in the anointed Man-child ministry.) This is all I remember from this dream. Dream - 12/17/15 I dreamed that David had just raised a man from the dead. (Because the Man-child Jesus resurrected Lazarus, many were coming to the Lord, so the chief priests decided to kill Jesus and Lazarus.) Everyone at UBM was excited and we knew it was time for "the feast". (The feast shortly after Lazarus' resurrection was Passover, which represented that the Man-child was crucified and there would be a Passover of judgment on the believers.) We all gathered on the upper floor of David's house and were setting up a very long rectangular table with a white tablecloth. (This table was for the Last Supper, the Passover: Luk.22:11 And ye shall say unto the master of the house, The Teacher saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And three days after the Passover was the resurrection of Jesus and His catching up to the throne, as a type of the beginning of the ministry of the Man-child of Revelation 12.) (Then we see this Passover beginning.) My oldest son, Noah, was nine years old again in this dream and he was demonized, so I brought him to David and he cast the demons out of Noah, who was completely restored. I was so glad to have my son restored to me! And I was just praising the Lord. (The people of God who dwell in the ark of Christ have a Passover covenant right to deliverance of every sort. When Jesus started His ministry, He began to deliver the people of God, as He said in Mat.15:24 But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.) After the Passover feast, I was walking with my sons out to the parking lot. (A place of rest from man's works for vehicles of faith, which we are.) This was outside David's house because we were all going to the ocean. (This represents evangelism, the Great Commission, to the peoples, nations and tongues of those Christians under the Harlot: Rev.17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.) There was a long RV parked illegally in David's parking lot. (This is a dual prophecy. Those resting in the flesh, as an RV or recreational vehicle, during the harvest are not in the rest of God and should not be in the parking lot that is for vehicles at rest from their own works. Also, we are expecting an RV, a revaluation, which will put us to work in the harvest and should not be resting in the flesh.) As I walked by it, I saw a fierce tiger painted on the RV's side. (I'm reminded of the term "paper tigers.") (Another dual prophecy. The faction fighting against the Man-child is a paper tiger with no authority or power with God. Whereas the Man-child driver of this RV is described like a tiger in Isa 11:4 ...shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.) As I passed by the open door of the RV, a painter who was an enemy of David's was mixing up some paint. (The factious leadership misrepresents the Man-child reformers through character assassination and would like to paint over the tiger. They disregard the authority and power of the tiger to their own undoing.) He turned to me and complained that we (UBM members) were all parking in front of his "NO PARKING" signs that he had placed all over the parking lot. (They think they have the power to bind or forbid the righteous. Like the faction against Jesus where Judas was a thief, so is the faction against the Man-child Davids of our day. They are Judas thieves claiming what is not theirs. Joh.10:10 The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. And in Joh.12:6 Now this he said, not because he cared for the poor; but because he [Judas] was a thief, and having the bag took away what was put therein. I told him that he was the one illegally parked and that he had no right to be there. He said, "Well, there is my father over there; you need to talk to him!" Jesus told the Pharisees in Joh.8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. So I went over and started talking to his "father". He started to repeat what his son had told me. But I refuted him at every turn and he became nervous and quickly began to leave the property. (The Bride is therefore subject to God as in Jas.4:7 Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. The Bride has the real authority of the Lord due to holiness. Luk.10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you.) The next thing I remember, I was at the ocean with David and Michael and all the UBM members. We were swimming in the ocean and ministering to the people there. (Obeying the Great Commission by Evangelizing the lost sheep under the Harlot.) There was a dividing wall under the ocean water in the area that we were swimming in and David and Michael were near that underwater wall up to their necks. (The underwater wall represents the sanctification or division between the elect who will come to the Lord and the other side who will not.) I saw Lexi playing with and tossing a ball in the water with David. (Lexi means "protector of mankind.") Everyone was very joyous. (Because the revival had begun.) This is all I remember. Verse given on 12/17/15 and dreams Psa.18:3 I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies. Please read the whole chapter! It really goes with the dreams. :O) Verse 1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David (representing the David/Man-child company of Revelation 12) the servant of Jehovah, who spake unto Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul (The apostate leadership that died at the hands of their old man of the land as David became king): and he said, I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength. 2 Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. 3 I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies. (The Dragon of Revelation 12 will fail to devour the Man-child and Woman, by God's grace.) 4 The cords of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 5 The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me. 6 In my distress I called upon Jehovah, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry before him came into his ears. 7 Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations also of the mountains quaked And were shaken (Major earthquakes are coming when the Lord visits in the Man-child company.), because he was wroth. 8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it. 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down (the visitation of the Lord); And thick darkness was under his feet. 10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his hiding-place (a visitation of the Lord, hidden in the Man-child ministry), his pavilion round about him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire. (A judgment through Moses the Man-child to set God's people free from the beast of that day symbolizing our day.. Exo 9:24  So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25  And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.)  13 Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice, Hailstones and coals of fire. 14 And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them (As He has told us of the faction, like the Sennacherib scenario and Joel's northern army being scattered.); Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them. 15 Then the channels of waters appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare, At thy rebuke, O Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. (He is coming with the earthquakes when the evil foundations of the beast are becoming known as today.) 16 He sent from on high, he took me (David Man-child is taken to the throne); He drew me out of many waters. 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from them that hated me (The factions against the Man-child, as the Dragon, fails to devour him when he goes to the throne of David in Rev12:4-5. When Jesus went to the throne, He had complete dominion over the Sanhedrin faction and delivered them to the Roman Beast.); For they were too mighty for me. 18 They came upon me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay. 19 He brought me forth also into a large place (An hour ago I got by faith at random in 2Sa 22:18-20, which is this same Psalm text. What a confirmation! The large place here is freedom of the Man-child to do his works in the Promised Land); He delivered me, because he delighted in me. 20 Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not wickedly departed from my God. (The Davids who walk righteously, even in the trials of Saul's persecution, will rule. The Son of God who dwelt in the son of David, the Man-child, said in Mat.21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; This was from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes? 1Pe.2:7 For you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner. Throughout the history of the Bible, the faction has rejected God's ordained leadership, who was given authority to judge them.) 22 For all his ordinances were before me, And I put not away his statutes from me. 23  I was also perfect with him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity. 24 Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. 25 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; With the perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect; 26 With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward. 27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; But the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down. 28 For thou wilt light my lamp: Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness. (Jesus manifested in the David Man-child reformers will give him authority over all our enemies and supernatural ability, as we will see.) 29 For by thee I run upon a troop; And by my God do I leap over a wall. 30 As for God, his way is perfect: The word of Jehovah is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him. 31 For who is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, besides our God, 32 The God that girdeth me with strength, And maketh my way perfect? 33 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: And setteth me upon my high places. 34 He teacheth my hands to war; So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass. 35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; And thy right hand hath holden me up, And thy gentleness hath made me great. 36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped. 37 I will pursue mine enemies, and overtake them; Neither will I turn again till they are consumed. 38 I will smite them through, so that they shall not be able to rise: They shall fall under my feet. 39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. 40 Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me. 41 They cried, but there was none to save; Even unto Jehovah, but he answered them not. 42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets. 43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; Thou hast made me the head of the nations: A people whom I have not known shall serve me. 44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me; The foreigners shall submit themselves unto me. 45 The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places. 46 Jehovah liveth; And blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation, 47 Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, And subdueth peoples under me. 48 He rescueth me from mine enemies; Yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man. 49 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing praises unto thy name. 50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, for evermore.   Man-child Given Throne Dominion to Minister Cathy D's Vision 1998 (David's notes in Red) Cathy came to us and she was new to our teachings on these things, and reported that she had seen in a vision that some people were being taken from the earth by beams of light that came down and gripped them by their heads and drew them up into Heaven. She said that the Lord spoke and said "that these people had the secret of planting corn, the pure seeds". She said that in her vision, she was standing in the shadow of a building when she saw this. This is about the man-child being caught up to the throne of God, as Revelation 12 says, to receive anointing and dominion to minister on earth what they know of the true seed of God's Word. These, as reformers, are going to replace the apostate ministry in the heart of the true Church like Jesus, Moses, Joseph, etc., did. The building Cathy saw was the traditional Church which she saw spiritually standing in the shadow of at the time. As Jesus was a man-child on the spiritual throne of David to feed the woman, Israel, in her wilderness for 3 ½ years before the great persecution, so the end-time Man-child company in whom Jesus lives will feed spiritual, New Testament Israel, the Church, for 3 ½ years before their persecution. Rev.12:5 And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days (3 ½ years).

Gospel  Matthew 23:23-26 Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.” Reflection If religion loses its focus, if those who are in charge of a religious community lose a sense of what's really essential, it's often that they replace what is essential, what is most basic, with things to do. Ways to act without any reflection on transformation. So in this passage, we see so clearly Jesus saying, in place of the law, which are the Ten Commandments, you have simply turned all of that into a long list of how to wash dishes, how to clean a room, how to fix anything. It was turning from the essence of the law to simply things that gave you a sense that when you did them, you were pleasing God. Closing Prayer Practices in religion are important, but their goal is always to put us in touch with you, God. In a personal relationship where we feel your presence, know you are with us and engage with you so much so that we are able to share your gifts with others. Bless us with that kind of integrity and keep us away from busy work, that gives us the illusion that we are holy. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jesus said:“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin,and have neglected the weightier things of the law:judgment and mercy and fidelity.But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,so that the outside also may be clean.”

When He spoke to the issue of hardened religionists, Jesus had a very impactful message for multiple parties at the same time in Matthew 23. But what's really interesting is how highly applicable that is in the Christianity of today! Be prepared to be challenged as we take a penetrating look at the willful blindness of hardened religionists! // Download this episode's Application & Action questions and PDF transcript at whitestone.org.

Hosts Pastor Vincent Fernandez and Guest Pastor Johnny Zacchio Question Timestamps: Anonymous, email (2:10) - How should I handle a situation where I'm dating a man 20 years older than me, and my parents are against the relationship? Nick, NY (4:44) - Why did the Israelites have to conquer the land of Canaan when it was given to Abraham? Why didn't Abraham have enough faith to remain in the land instead of going to Egypt? Thomas, NJ (7:48) - Should all believers speak in tongues? Reginald, AL (12:02) - Are you dispensationalists? How many dispensations are there? Where does the law end and the church age of grace come in? Robert, GA (19:57) - Can I get some prayer for my upcoming activities? Bridgefest Live Audience (23:31) - Are your finances cursed if you don't tithe? Are we still under the tithing law? Email (28:17) - Where did the Pharisees come from? When were they established? Jason, SC (33:30) - Are all angels male? Why does it say that sin entered into the world when Adam ate the fruit, when Eve ate the fruit first? Vladimir, NE (38:28) - I feel alone, now that I'm a new believer. Do you have any advice? Alice, GA (45:40) - Why did Satan keep chasing the woman that gave birth in Revelation 12 even after her child was taken up to heaven? What does it mean? Bob, NY (53:02) - What exactly is manna? Is there something similar that we can buy in the store? Santino, NJ (54:29) - Why do you have to close your eyes, bow your head, and fold your hands when you pray? Is it in the Bible? Ask Your Question: 888-712-7434 Answers@bbtlive.org

Daily Dose of Hope August 26, 2025   Scripture – Luke 11:14-54   Prayer:  Dear Heavenly Father, I come before you today with humility.  You are holy, you are perfect, and I am painfully flawed.  Forgive me, Lord, for the way I fall short over and over again.  Forgive me for not being loving, patient, and kind.  Jesus, I want to follow your example.  I want to have a clean and pure heart.  How I need you.  Create in me a pure heart, Lord, and renew a right spirit within me.  I love you.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan.  We are currently doing a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we finish up Luke 11.   Today's reading starts with Jesus healing a man possessed by a demon who makes him mute.  The healing leads the Pharisees to make some pretty serious misjudgments.  They were talking amongst themselves but Jesus knows their thoughts.  The Pharisees say that Jesus is healing through the power of Beelzebub, the Prince of Demons.  Jesus tells them that Satan won't drive himself out.  A divided Kingdom will not stand.    Why their resistance to belief?  Why are they so fiercely against Jesus?  Most likely because Jesus doesn't look, talk, or behave as they think a Messiah should.  He challenges their fundamental beliefs.  If we are honest, Jesus challenges some of our fundamental beliefs too.  The question is always:  Will we choose to believe or will we reject like the Pharisees?  Jesus says that whoever is not with him is against him.  There is no half-way with Jesus.    One other interesting tidbit about this part of the passage is at the end, when a woman from the crowd calls out, “Blessed is the mother who gave birth to you and nursed you.”  As a mom, I think this is kind of sweet, but Jesus clearly redirects her.  Blessedness doesn't come from biological connectedness.  Blessedness, according to Jesus, comes from obedience.  Mary was blessed but it was because she was obedient to God, not because her womb was somehow holy.   The people, including the religious leaders, continue to want signs and miracles.  Jesus calls them a wicked generation.  He knows that more miracles will not make them believe.  Afterall, he has already done incredibly ministry with all kinds of miracles of healing and abundance.  Jesus has already performed the miracles that the Old Testament spoke about – the blind see, the deaf hear, the oppressed are set free.  What kind of sign would it take for them to really believe?   He tells them that the only sign they would get would be the sign of Jonah.  Remember that Jonah avoided Ninevah by jumping on a ship and trying to hide from God.  He ended up being swallowed by a large fish and he stayed in the belly of that fish for three days before God allowed him to be spit up and see the light of day.  Thus, the sign of Jonah, for an unbelieving people, is a reference to Jesus' impending death, followed three days later by resurrection.  Will that make them believe?    Next, Jesus talks about the eyes being a lamp which lights the entire body.  The eyes are like the doorway to our souls.  When Jesus referred to “good” eyes, he meant eyes that not only see well but also perceive well. It is not only what we see, but how we perceive what we see that makes the difference between godliness and ungodliness, between light and darkness. Bad eyes lead to bad perception, but if our eyes are good, our whole person will be illuminated. If we are in a lighted room, we see things clearly. We can move around obstacles and locate whatever we're looking for. But walking in darkness results in stumbling and falling.   Our reading today closes with the woes to the Pharisees.  The Pharisees notice that Jesus doesn't do the ceremonial handwashing before the meal and they are surprised.  Jesus responds with some pretty harsh words.  Basically, who cares if the outside of your cup is clean if the inside is filled with filth?  The Pharisees and teachers of the law looked so good on the outside, doing all the right things, but their hearts were filled with greed, arrogance, and evil.  Then, Jesus begins a series of woes:   Verse 42 - Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God.  They loved their religion more than they loved God and neighbor.  The Pharisees had a lot of religious busyness, a lot of stuff they did for God.  They were so careful to tithe 10% of their herb garden but they treated people poorly, they neglected the poor, they didn't care for their neighbor.  They didn't really love God.  They loved the idea of God.   Verse 43 - Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.  The most respected teachers and elders sat at the front of the synagogue facing the congregation. In fact, if you visit some old churches, they may have chairs on the platform for the elders, pastor, and other leaders of the church to sit. But is sitting up front wrong? No, it's sitting up front to be seen by others. The issue is their pride. The Pharisees loved receiving special honorary greetings in the marketplace too.   You see, if we are doing what we are doing for the wrong reason, if you are serving where you are serving for the wrong reason, then we are totally missing the point and woe to us.    Verse 44 - “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.” In Israel tombs were white-washed (they still are) and this wasn't just so they looked pretty.  Not at all.  This actually was done to prevent people from accidentally stepping on them and contracting ritual uncleanliness. Numbers 19 says if you touch a bone or grave, then you would be unclean for a week until you underwent a cleansing process. Jesus turns this upside down.  He says, you guys are totally missing it.  In fact, you are missing it so much that when people come in contact with the you, Pharisees, they get infected and unclean.  That's how dirty your hearts are.  Ouch!    Verse 45 - One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”  I picture Jesus kind of looking at him and thinking, duh?  But this is what he says, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.  These experts in the law would study the Old Testament Scriptures and develop guidelines for the people to follow.  Many of the rules that these experts would impose on the people were really burdensome.  The average poor Jew, someone who maybe worked in the fields, could not possibly carry out the Jewish law the way the experts in the law would say they should.    But the woes keep coming.  Verses 47-48, “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. 48 So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. Jesus is saying to the teachers of the law, “Your ancestors killed the prophets. And you think that if you had been there, you wouldn't have done that.  So you build these tombs to the prophets to make up for that.  And yet, the prophet of all prophets is right here before you and you have rejected him.”  And of course, he is referring to himself.  This is where we have to be so careful about judgement.  We have this tendency to think “Well, if I had been there, I wouldn't have done that.  I wouldn't have killed that prophet.  I wouldn't have persecuted that person.”  Friends, be careful.  That's kind of like saying, “We would never have called out Crucify Him.”  But we are weak people.  Recognizing the weakness and frailties of our heart is the first step.  We have to recognize that we are vulnerable and we are sinful.  We need the power and strength of Jesus in us to even have a chance to get our hearts right.  Let's finish the Scripture with verses 52-54, “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.” When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, 54 waiting to catch him in something he might say. Jesus tells them, “You aren't helping people understand God's Word.  You are making it harder, more convoluted.”  I think this is a really fair warning to all of us who are teachers and preachers and leaders in the church – are we making the Bible easier to understand or harder?  This isn't just in what we say but also in what we do.   One thing I think God has taught me through this passage is that I need to humble myself and make sure my whole heart is right with God.  Think about it.  The Pharisees thought they were doing it all right.  They thought that what they were doing was what made them acceptable to God.  They thought they were being righteous gatekeepers.  And Jesus said, YOU ARE TOTALLY MISSING THE POINT!  Jesus saved his harshest words for the religious people and last time I checked, that's us. Y'all, it is so very easy to be religious, it is a lot harder to be loving.  It is so very easy to “do the stuff that appears to make us look like good Christians.”  It's a lot harder to do the stuff that actually makes us good Christians, to really, really love God and to really, really love others and to acknowledge that those two things can't be separated.    Jesus could care less about the outside.  He doesn't care about steeples.  He doesn't care about stain-glass windows.  He doesn't care about the façade we present to the world.  He doesn't care if I wear a nice dress and heels.  None of that matters to him.  He cares about our hearts.  He can see our hearts.  He knows us through and through.  He knows what we value.  He knows what we think about others.  He knows.  He doesn't just see the outside of us.  He sees us.  The Pharisees believed the lie that God sees as man sees.  They were wrong.  God sees with ex-ray vision the true nature of our soul.    And that sends me to the foot of the cross.  More tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

Tuesday, 26 August 2025   But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. Matthew 12:39   “And having answered, He said to them, ‘Generation – evil and adulteress – it seeks a sign, and not it will be given it, if not the sign of Jonah the prophet'” (CG).   In the previous verse, some scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus, saying that they wanted to see a sign from Him. In response, Matthew next records, “And having answered, He said to them, ‘Generation – evil and adulteress – it seeks a sign.'”   The noun moichalis, an adulteress, is introduced. Almost all translations say adulterous, the adjective form of the word. This is incorrect. It is a feminine noun referring to a female who is unfaithful.   As throughout the Old Testament, Jesus equates the relationship of the Lord with His people as a covenant of marriage. A wife was to be respectful, obedient, and faithful to her husband. But Israel had been none of these things. That had not changed in the generation He came to.   As for His words, He sees their asking for a sign as an indication of evil, something that an adulteress would seek. The reason for this is that in seeking a sign, there is no faith behind their request. A person of faith does not need a sign. Instead, he will believe based on the surrounding evidence and the surety of the hope he possesses.    That surety should come from past history. They had the Scriptures, which detailed all of Israel's history as well as prophesying of its coming Messiah. All they had to do was go there to find the fulfillment of innumerable signs given in prophecy.   From that springboard, they were to accept what their eyes beheld when they looked to Him. Jesus found this lack of faithful understanding highly displeasing, and so He next says, “and not it will be given it.”   The response holds the same weight and tone as what He says in John 5 –   “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” John 5:39, 40   Without directly saying it, Jesus essentially conveys the same thought now. “If you want a sign, go back and search the Scriptures. Compare My ministry to what you see. After that, have faith.” Because of this, He next says to them, “if not the sign of Jonah the prophet.”   Here, Jesus tells them just where to go to find a sign confirming He is the Messiah, meaning Scripture. “Go to Jonah and see the sign He gave. Jonah's words speak of what will come to pass. When they are fulfilled, you will have received your sign.”   But what is the sign of Jonah? Spoiler alert: it is not what Jesus will say in the next verse. The coming statement was a confirmation of Jonah's inescapable call upon him as a prophet. It was a surety that his words were to be spoken as the Lord instructed and that they would come to pass.   Life application: Jesus says that no sign but that of the prophet Jonah would be given. As noted in the previous commentary, Mark 8 says that no sign will be given, period. But that was based on the people seeking a “sign from heaven.” The thought is not unlike what Paul says in Romans 10 –   “But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?”' (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, ‘“Who will descend into the abyss?”' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we preach).” Romans 10:6-8   The Jews in Mark 8 wanted to bring a sign down from heaven. The Jews in Matthew 12 are looking for something already available. Jesus expects people to use what is available, and which points to Him, to make their decision about Him, meaning Scripture.   We do not need a sign from heaven to confirm what we can deduce from the word and accept by faith. What we need to do is evaluate the word, see if it matches what we know about the world around us and our relationship with God, and then accept, by faith, that Jesus is the solution to our dilemma.   Don't be a person looking for a sign every time you need direction in life. Be confident that the Lord has you where He wants you, that He has a good plan and a purpose for you, and that by knowing and adhering to His word, He will direct your steps according to His wisdom.   “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:21-24   Lord God, forgive us when our faith fails. Help us to be confident that, because of Jesus, we are where we should be as we live out our lives. No matter what our station in life is, You are with us. Someday, we shall be in Your presence and have what we must now only hope for. May this hope be sufficient to carry us through each day. Amen.  

(3:28) Bible Study: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 8b-10 What is the oldest Christian document we have? Matthew 23:13-22 What is it Jesus is saying is being barred by the scribes and Pharisees? (22:49) Break 1 (24:52) Letters: Father talks about the dangers of psychics, the shortage of priests in the Church and how it is more of a congregation shortage. Father answers these and other questions, send him a letter at simon@relevantradio.com (35:43) Break 2 (36:21) Word of the Day Hypocrite and anger (40:58) Phones: Michael - How many years was Jesus' ministry? Cindy - I lost my dog and St. Francis has been showing up in a few ways since his passing. I want Fr. Simon's opinion on this. Natalia - You said the schism was based on a 'misunderstanding'. can you elaborate on what that was?

Gospel Matthew 23:13-22 Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves. “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.' Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.' You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it.” Reflection As a minister of the church today it's really hard to listen to these woes, these criticisms of the Pharisees and the scribes, and the fact that they were playing at being what they were supposed to be. And there's always that temptation when you have a role that exalts you and puts you above others, it's hard to be humble. It's hard to accept your faults or even talk about them. So the problem with these men were that they were so caught up in a system that gave them automatic authority without earning it, and this was the disaster that happened to the temple. Not only did the Pharisees not lead people to God, but they themselves wouldn't even go near God as he truly is, leaving the impossibility that those who teach could ever find God. Closing Prayer Father, help us to understand that we need to face very clearly anything in us that inflates us, that makes us feel better than we are. Integrity, authenticity is what was missing in the scribes and Pharisees. Help that not to happen to us. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Regnum Christi Daily Meditation. Sign up to receive the text in your email daily at RegnumChristi.com

Jesus is at the Pharisees house where he tells them a parable about the seats of honor at a wedding banquet. Lars Olson and Dr. Chris Croghan teaches us how nearly everyone will hear Jesus' words as the law in order to avoid being implicated as a sinner. This is not a prescription on etiquette. It's a depiction of what's going on in your heart. CARE OF SOULS - ADDICTIONIn Care of Souls, a special mini-series podcast from Luther House of Study, Lutheran pastors and theologians come together to explore the deeply personal and pastoral task of preaching to and caring for those struggling with life's challenging situations: addiction, death, family disharmony, and more. Rooted in the theology of the cross and the Lutheran tradition of radical grace, this series offers both theological depth and practical guidance for pastors, church workers, and lay leaders.With conversations, real-life stories, and reflections from the front lines of ministry, Care of Souls equips listeners to enter the broken places of addiction not with easy answers, but with the crucified and risen Christ.Because in the end, it's not about fixing people—it's about preaching the Gospel.Listen to Care of Souls wherever you listen to podcasts or on the Luther House website: Care of Souls - AddictionSING TO THE LORD Martin Luther said, "Next to the word of God, the art of music is the greatest treasure in the world." To understand the importance of hymnody in the Lutheran church, Lars Olson and Mason Van Essen sit down with Zachary Brockhoff to discuss the lectionary's hymns, their meaning and history, and how the music preaches the Gospel. 

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.You do not enter yourselves,nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You traverse sea and land to make one convert,and when that happens you make him a child of Gehennatwice as much as yourselves.“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.'Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,or the temple that made the gold sacred?And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.'You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,or the altar that makes the gift sacred?One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;one who swears by the temple swears by itand by him who dwells in it;one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of Godand by him who is seated on it.”

A meditation preached in the woods by Fr. Eric Nicolai at camp Caribou near Barry's Bay, Ontario.Matt 23: 13-22: Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who shut up the kingdom of heaven in men's faces, neither going in yourselves nor allowing others to go in who want to.And the one most demanding statement from our Lord, the most uncompromising , harsh, forceful, consequential, indomitable, is the truth is about hypocrisy. It must be counteracted by unity of life.Thumbnail: Screen grab from the movie, The Godfather.Music: Michael Lee of Toronto.

Daily Dose of Hope August 25, 2025   Scripture – Luke 11:1-13   Prayer:  Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us.  Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.  Amen.    Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we dive into the first portion of Luke 11.   Today, we have some very important teaching on prayer.  On one hand, prayer is simple–its talking to God. It is basic, it's central to who we are as Christ-followers. For Christians, prayer is as necessary as breathing. You can't maintain a relationship with anyone without communication, the same is true with God.   On the other hand, prayer is complicated.  What exactly should we pray for and what should we not pray for?  Do we always pray for healing?  Do we pray to get that new job?  Do we pray for our favorite team to win?  That seems a bit self-serving.  And while prayer is simply talking to God, are there certain ways we should go about it?  In the Sermon on the Mount, we know Jesus says not to pray like the Pharisees who stand in public and pray loud, flowery prayers, to receive attention and admiration from others.  Prayer is never about impressing others.  It's always about sincerely connecting with God.    So, for what are we supposed to pray? How does God want us to pray?    There is so much we don't understand about prayer. But the disciples were in the same boat. In our scripture today, the disciples saw Jesus praying and asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray.  And Jesus gives them a beautiful template for how to pray intentionally and for what to include in that prayer.  Of course, we call this the Lord's Prayer.   This is how Jesus breaks it down:   ·      Our Father in heaven – Jesus teaches us to start the  prayer with some kind of words about who God is to us.  He is my father in heaven. We tend to think of heaven as far off place, but in Greek, the word heaven was equivalent to the sky and all that is in it.  By saying my father in heaven means that God is close to me.   ·      Hallowed be your name – Here we are saying that God is holy, he is worthy, and we give thanks for all he has done for us.   ·      Your kingdom come – We've talked a lot about God's Kingdom so you know the Kingdom was the way God always intended his world to be, it is the place where Jesus is ruler and his values are in practice – love, justice, mercy, righteousness, and so forth.  In saying this, we are asking to be part of making God's Kingdom a reality right here, right now.   ·      Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven - What I find interesting is that we haven't asked God for anything yet! We are half-way through this prayer template and we haven't even gotten to a list of stuff we want or need. We've just been affirming who God is, thanking him, and praying that we can be part of making his will a reality here on earth.   ·      Give us today our daily bread – Now we are getting to the asking. But notice, we aren't asking for filet mignon, it's simply our daily bread. It's asking God to provide for us what we need for today. This is where we struggle in western culture at times, asking for what we need and what is good for us, not everything we want.  I certainly ask God for what I want (probably too often really) but when I do, I have to recognize that he is going to do what is best for me.  There is a much bigger picture that I can't see.   ·      And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors - Unconfessed sin drives a wedge in our relationship with God.  Unforgiveness does the same.  It breeds bitterness; it's like a poison that can move throughout the body.    ·      And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one - Although God doesn't tempt us, we recognize that we are easily tempted, and we need God to help direct our paths.    This is a wonderful template that allows us to be sincere and intentional in our prayers.  It includes important elements that encourage us to acknowledge who God is to us, making his Kingdom a reality on earth, not allowing our asking to get too extravagant, being sure to address forgiveness, and even thinking about temptations.  I want us to be careful, though, about not getting legalistic about it.  Jesus isn't saying that every single prayer must follow this format.  His disciples have asked for help in praying and he is offering them some guidance.  But we can look at Jesus' prayers to the Father and see that he doesn't always pray exactly like this.  Sometimes, we simply need to pray what's on our heart.   What else do we learn from today's reading about prayer?  Well, Jesus continues with some parables.  He tells a story about a man who needs some bread for a friend who is visiting.  He goes to the neighbor's house and asks for bread but the neighbor doesn't want to be bothered.  It was late and the kids were in bed.  But the man keeps banging on the door until the neighbor gets up and gives him the bread he needed.    Pray persistently.  Keep on praying, don't just pray one time and stop. If you truly need something, if God has laid it on your heart, then don't stop praying. How often have we prayed and prayed for something and then stopped?  It seems God isn't listening or isn't willing to give us this desire.  But Jesus is clear – don't get disappointed and don't stop praying.  Be the annoying neighbor who keeps banging on God's door.   We also learn to pray expectantly.  Ask, seek, knock.  Pray expecting that God will answer your prayer. I can remember a woman in Cuba who prayed for help with her business.  She pleaded with the Lord to offer her assistance so she could earn money and care for her family.  She just knew that God would do this for her.  And then we arrived not long after and gave her some assistance to get started.    And yet, this is difficult scripture. Some of you might be thinking, “Well, I prayed for my mother, or my son, or my husband to be healed and I prayed both persistently and expectantly, and it didn't work. Things didn't turn out, the relationship is still broken, or they still succumbed to their illness.  My own dad was convinced that God would heal him from ALS.  He told everyone who would listen that God was going to heal him.  But he did die an earthly death, just two years after his diagnosis. I believe he did receive a healing; it just wasn't the earthly healing we all desired.   What are we to make of this?  I think part of it is understanding the context. Just as Jesus often used parables in his teaching, he also used hyperbole.  Hyperbole, as many of you know, is an overstatement or an exaggeration, and this was a common way of explaining things at that time, in that particular culture.  We, on the other hand, are products of twenty-first century modern life. In our culture, we tend to read everything very literally. And this isn't a bad thing–we just need to consider that Jesus was trying to make a point.   The reality is that this world would be even more chaotic if Jesus' words on prayer were meant to be taken literally. For instance, if we could just pray to have money and it appeared, well, then why work? If we could just pray to have an A on a test without studying for it, then everyone would have A's and grades wouldn't really have much meaning. That doesn't mean we don't pray, and it doesn't mean we don't pray boldly, because God intends for us to do so, but it means we know that prayer isn't a get rich quick scheme or a way to get all our dreams to come true.  It is a way to communicate with and get closer to God, a way for God to sustain us, a way to know that God is always with us. Pray expectantly because prayer does change things, but not always the way we want them to be changed. Pray expectantly because God always answers prayers, sometimes just not the way we want them to be answered.    There are certainly examples of unanswered prayer in the New Testament.  The most obvious one is the apostle Paul, the greatest Christian missionary of all time. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul speaks of having a thorn in his flesh and pleading with God to take it away.  We don't know what this thorn was, but we do know it was extremely painful.  Paul says this, beginning in verse 8, “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”   Paul, although he prayed hard for this thorn to be removed, eventually came to the place in which he knew God would not remove this malady because it would help him grow into the person God wanted him to be. He also rested in the assurance that although he had to deal with this weakness, God would walk with him every step of the way.   Then, there is the incredible example of Jesus in his last hours in Luke 22, praying for God to remove the cup from him, to take away the terrible suffering and death he would experience the next day – trial, torture, and then the cross. But we know God did not take that cup from him...rather, it was used to redeem the world.   Really, I think the bottom line is that prayer is an act of surrender. In our on-going relationship with God, it's an act of trust.  There is really no other way to put it.  We are declaring, “You are my God, I am your child. I need you.”  Tim Keller, a brilliant pastor and writer, wrote this, “To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be, wholly dependent on God for everything.”   That's probably more than enough for today.  Let's chat again tomorrow.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Monday, 25 August 2025   Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” Matthew 12:38   “Then, they answered, some of the scribes and Pharisees, saying, ‘Teacher, we desire to see a sign from You'” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus noted that from one's words he will be justified and from one's words he will be condemned. Now, the direction changes based on the following. Matthew records, “Then, they answered, some of the scribes and Pharisees, saying, ‘Teacher, we desire to see a sign from You.'”   The words are similar in content in Matthew 16:4, Mark 8:11, 12, and Luke 11:29-32. Each varies a little, but what seems likely is that this request for a sign is something that was asked of Him more than once.   In Mark, it seems contradictory to the other accounts because it says, “Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.” In Matthew and Luke, a sign is promised, but none is in Mark. However, in Mark, the request is for a sign “from heaven,” something not requested in Matthew or Luke. Therefore, it is probable that Jesus was addressing that specifically in Mark.   Putting the three accounts side by side and analyzing them, no contradiction arises. There is just different information being conveyed with each account. As for the words here in Matthew, it is some of the scribes and Pharisees who petition Him.   In MarkMatthew, only the Pharisees are noted. In Luke, there is no one mentioned first. Rather, Jesus directly addresses the crowds. Whether His address was in response to a petition, as in Matthew and Mark, is unknown.   Concerning their petition, they desire to see “a sign.” It is a new word, sémeion, a sign which is normally miraculous in nature. It is derived from the verb, sémainó, to indicate or signify. Unlike a miracle, wonder, etc., a sign is something that stands for something else. It may be a miracle or a wonder, but a sign points to another thing, such as “this indicates this.”   On the other hand, a miracle or wonder is its own thing. The purpose of a miracle is determined by why it was given in the first place, such as exalting the Lord, bringing glory to God, etc. In John, specific signs are noted, each having the intended purpose of establishing Jesus as the Messiah.   Some translations, such as the KJV, inconsistently translate the word “sign” as “miracle,” “wonder,” etc. They may be these things, but the intent is that it is a sign pointing to something else. This is the same with the word oth, sign, in the Old Testament. For example –   “Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs [oth] and seasons, and for days and years.'” Genesis 1:14   From there, the Bible will give signs in the heavens to indicate that other things will happen. Thus, the sign points to the event. For example, the star of Bethlehem, though not called a sign, is exactly that. It was a celestial event that pointed to the coming of the Messiah.   Life application: The Bible itself is a sign. It is something that is given to point to other things: there is a Creator, there is a problem that exists between God and man, God will send a Redeemer into the world to fix the relationship, God loves His creation, etc. Each of these things is found in the Bible.   It is a witness and a testimony to what He has done, is doing, and promises to do. The Bible may be miraculous in how it was received and in the contents it contains, such as future prophecy, but it is a miraculous sign.   When you pick it up and read it, consider it as such. God is pointing you to truths about Himself and what He is doing. Someday, Jesus will come again for His church. The Bible testifies to this, and it will be a sign to the people of the world who are left behind that what He did was anticipated by those who trust in Him.   Be sure to read your Bible and consider the marvel and wonder that it contains. It is God's wonderful gift to us, a sign of His love for us.   Lord God, help each of us to remember that when we read Your word, we are reading YOUR word. It isn't just something about You, but it is from You. Therefore, it reflects Your very heart and intent for us as we live before You. May we treat it with respect and carefully consider its sacred contents. Amen.  

What remains when we remove Christ from Christianity? A powerful exploration of how modern Christianity often betrays its namesake by replacing love with judgment, inclusion with exclusion, and grace with condemnation.Through vulnerable personal stories and penetrating cultural analysis, we confront the uncomfortable reality that Gandhi articulated: "I like your Christ, but not your Christianity." From turning away from homeless people while claiming religious devotion, to Christians leading opposition against refugees and immigrants despite clear biblical mandates to welcome strangers, we see a faith that has lost its center.The heart of this spiritual crisis lies in our desperate search for validation and worth. We collect "medals" of achievement, relationship status, and financial success, wearing them proudly until they're inevitably stripped away. But Jesus offers a different medal—the unchangeable identity of being God's beloved child—that never leaves our neck regardless of circumstances or performance.Putting Christ back into Christianity requires two transformational moves: accepting Christ's unconditional love rather than frantically trying to earn it, and extending that same love to others—especially those who seem least deserving of it. The families of Emanuel AME Church shooting victims demonstrated this radical love when they looked at their loved ones' killer and said, "I forgive you."What would happen if we were given the microphone to address those who have wounded us most deeply? Could we find the courage to bless rather than curse? When we choose forgiveness over vengeance and love over hatred, Christ returns to the center of our faith, transforming it from hollow religion into living relationship.Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, consider subscribing to Madison Church on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback means the world to us, so please take a moment to leave a review and share the podcast with your friends and family.For inquiries, suggestions, or collaboration opportunities, please reach out to us at help@madisonchurch.com. For the latest updates and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on social media: Facebook Instagram YouTube New episodes are released every Monday, so mark your calendars and join us weekly! If you'd like to support the show, you can make a donation here. Your generosity helps us continue to bring you meaningful content. This podcast is intended for general informational purposes only. The views expressed by the hosts or guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Madison Church. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. For detailed information regarding our terms of use and privacy policy, please visit our website.Thank you for being part of the Madison Church community! We appreciate your support.

Do you ever feel like you're on a spiritual treadmill with God? Running faster, praying more, serving more—yet somehow not moving forward in your relationship with him? You're not alone.Pastor Stephen Feith tackles this universal struggle head-on, revealing how our performance-driven culture shapes our approach to faith. When we treat God like a boss to impress or a coach deciding if we'll make the team, we transform what should be a loving relationship into an exhausting quest for approval we can never quite catch.Through the powerful story of Jesus calling Matthew—a despised tax collector—and then dining with "sinners," we discover how Jesus redefined holiness. While the Pharisees built walls to keep "unclean" people out, Jesus built tables and invited everyone in. His revolutionary message, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice," challenges everything about performance-based religion.This message speaks directly to anyone caught in the cycle of religious striving. Whether you're feeling spiritually inadequate, struggling with perfectionism, or simply exhausted from trying to earn God's favor, Jesus offers a liberating alternative: "Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do." The greatest spiritual sickness is thinking we don't need help.Discover how mercy changes everything—how we approach God when we feel unworthy, how we relate to difficult people, and how we function as a church community. As C.S. Lewis wrote, "The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because he loves us."Ready to unplug from the spiritual treadmill? Join us as we learn to receive God's mercy and let it transform us from the inside out. The Pharisee in us says "prove yourself," but the Savior before us says "receive my mercy." Which voice will you follow?Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode, consider subscribing to Madison Church on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback means the world to us, so please take a moment to leave a review and share the podcast with your friends and family.For inquiries, suggestions, or collaboration opportunities, please reach out to us at help@madisonchurch.com. For the latest updates and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on social media: Facebook Instagram YouTube New episodes are released every Monday, so mark your calendars and join us weekly! If you'd like to support the show, you can make a donation here. Your generosity helps us continue to bring you meaningful content. This podcast is intended for general informational purposes only. The views expressed by the hosts or guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Madison Church. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk. For detailed information regarding our terms of use and privacy policy, please visit our website.Thank you for being part of the Madison Church community! We appreciate your support.

Do you have traditions? I hope so! There are definitely traditions God wants us to follow. But, Jesus had significant conflict with the Pharisees because of their tradition. Why was that?Join me for Today's Daily Word & Prayer to discover the answer and how it relates to us today.Scripture Used in Today's MessageMatthew 15:1-20If you've not read my book, Takin' it to Their Turf. request a copy on my website, www.CampusAmerica.com.You'll be inspired, encouraged, and learn plenty about evangelism and spiritual warfare through the 70+ stories I share of my campus evangelism experiences.We send a copy to anyone who donates to our ministry, but if you can't do so, simply request a copy by sending us an email. Who do you know that needs to hear today's message? Go ahead and forward this to them, along with a prayer that God will use it in their life.To find Tom on Instagram, Facebook, TiKTok, and elsewhere, go to linktr.ee/tomthepreacher To support Tom Short Campus Ministries, click herehttps://www.tomthepreacher.com/support************ Do you want to have all your sins forgiven and know God personally? *********Check out my video "The Bridge Diagram" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0Kjwrlind8&t=1sCheck out my website, www.CampusAmerica.com, to learn more about my ministry and sign up for my daily email. And make sure to request a copy of my book, Takin' it to Their Turf, when you visit my website.Check out my videos on this channel to learn how to answer tough questions challenging our faith.

Preston Potter teaching on Luke 18:9-14.

John 14:12 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.Matthew 14:22-33 22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It's a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.”28 “Lord, if it's you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”29 “Come,” he said.Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”Luke 9:1-6 9 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.Luke 5:1-11 5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”5 Simon answered, “Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don't be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.John 3:1-21 3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]”4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!”5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”[d]9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.10 “You are Israel's teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[e] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[f] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[g]16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.Isaiah 54:2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.

John 7:25-52,Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,' and, ‘Where I am you cannot come'?”37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”It's a busy time of year! It marks the ending of one season and the beginning of another — and so there's a lot of excitement in the air! People are grateful for how God has provided in the past; they're hopeful for how God will provide in the future. And that of course is what the Feast of Booths is all about — that's what's going on here in Jerusalem in John Chapter 7.We saw the mention of “The Feast of Booths” last week in verse 2, but I want to circle back to it this week because it's vital context for our passage today.The Feast of Booths was one of the great festivals that God commanded for Israel in the Book of Leviticus. The people would build booths (temporary shelters) and live in them for a week to remember how God provided for them way back after the exodus, and how he continued to provide for them (see Lev. 23:33–43; Deut. 16:13–15).This feast would come at the end of the agricultural year — the seventh month — which is roughly September on our calendar. So for your imagination: the events of our passage today happened around this time of year.So picture this: Jerusalem is packed with people who've come from all-over for this festival; all the kids got on their new back-to-school clothes; and they're having a week-long party — except this year was different because the whole city is abuzz with talk about this man named Jesus. And we can catch the commotion here just by a simple reading — we heard about Jesus's brothers at the start of this chapter, and then we hear about “the Jews,” “the people,” “the crowds,” “some of the people of Jerusalem,” “the Pharisees,” “the chief priests,” “the officers,” “the authorities,” and finally “Nicodemus.”Now there's overlap in some of these groups, but John uses each of these different words to describe what's going on, and the impression he gives us is that there's a whole bunch of different people talking about Jesus. They all want to know who he is, and everybody's got their own opinion. So Chapter 7 is a cacophony of questions about Jesus, and he's right in the middle of it … and we are too.This is the brilliance of God's word. As the readers of this story, we know things that the characters in this story don't know. We call this dramatic irony — and John, who wrote this Gospel, is a master of it! John lets us overhear everyone's questions about Jesus, all while he's already told us the truth about Jesus — we have the fuller perspective, and John means to involve us! He draws us into this story as readers and he gives us a part — there are ways he expects us to respond. I wanna tell you three.For the sermon, I want to tell you three ways we should respond to the buzz about Jesus in Chapter 7. And here's what's at stake: if you do these three things, it will change your life. 1. Give Jesus a hearing. We're going to actually start with the ending. Everybody find verse 45. This is the last debate of the chapter, between the chief priests, the Pharisees, and the officers. We see that word “officers” a few times. Other translations call these officers the “temple guard” or even “temple police.” We should imagine them as basically temple mall cops. Their job was to keep things in order around the temple, but they didn't carry guns.And well, back in verse 32, the chief priests and Pharisees told these temple mall cops to go arrest Jesus. The Pharisees kept hearing the crowds talk about Jesus and they had enough, so they said, Go get him and bring him in. Now everybody look at verse 45: The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”The chief priests and Pharisees did not like this answer. The mall cops came back without Jesus, and their defense for why they didn't arrest him was: This man is different! We don't know the full details here, but apparently these guys got close enough to Jesus to take him, but they were enamored by his words (which is a good first step toward faith) — but the Pharisees weren't having it. They attacked these guys. Look at verse 47: The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”The Irony of NicodemusNow this is important — I need everybody to track with me here. In verse 47, I want you to see that the Pharisees are suggesting a contrast between themselves and the crowd — and we have to see the contrast in order to see the deep irony going on here.When the Pharisees ask if the authorities or Pharisees believed in Jesus, that's a rhetorical question (the implied answer is Of course not!).They're saying: The crowd might believe in Jesus because they don't know any better — they're a bunch of dummies! But we're smart! (That's my paraphrase.) Let me read you another paraphrase of these verses, to help us really see what's going on here. Verse 46: The police answered, “Have you heard the way he talks? We've never heard anyone speak like this man.” The Pharisees said, “Are you carried away like the rest of the rabble? You don't see any of the leaders believing in him, do you? Or any from the Pharisees? It's only this crowd, ignorant of God's Law, that is taken in by him—and damned.” (Verses 46-49, The Message)See what they're saying?That is all meant to set up verse 50. Everybody find verse 50.Okay, somebody tell me the first word in verse 50 … Nicodemus!Interesting! We know who he is! We met Nicodemus back in Chapter 3. John tells us in John 3:1,“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.” Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler, which were different. There's historical evidence that confirms that Nicodemus belonged to an extremely prominent Jewish family in the First Century. They had incredible wealth and aristocratic influence — in almost every worldly metric you could imagine. Nicodemus was a big deal.And in Chapter 3, he came to Jesus one night, in private, with a bunch of questions. And Jesus told him that you have to be born again by the Holy Spirit, and he told him that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus said that to Nicodemus, but then Nicodemus disappears from the story. We don't know how he responded … he doesn't show back up until now, in Chapter 7, verse 50. So catch this:The Pharisees say: Look, knuckleheads! You don't see any of us Pharisees believing in Jesus do you?The next verse starts, “Nicodemus …” Verse 50,Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”This is the most reasonable sentence spoken by any of the characters in this chapter. Nicodemus says, Give him a hearing. It's that simple. Before you dig in your heels on who you think Jesus is, hear him out. See what he's about.Nicodemus is basically saying, Do what I did. The Pharisees think none of their own have believed in Jesus, but they don't know what we know! Actually, one of their best and brightest had believed, and in verse 50 he's telling them how he took that step: Give Jesus a hearing. Said for Us!And I want us to understand that Nicodemus says this for us. The Pharisees don't budge. They're that hardened. They even take a dig at Nicodemus in verse 52 by saying he's from Galilee — they know where Nicodemus was from. They're insulting him. So the Pharisees don't hear Jesus; the question is: will we?Will we hear Jesus out?We have to. You've heard me say this before about the late Tim Keller — a pastor in New York for decades. I agree with him when he said the magnitude of Jesus's claims and the magnitude of his historical impact demands every thoughtful person to hear him out. Because of what Jesus said and what he did, you can't just doubt him from a distance, you have to look closer. Keller gives the illustration: he says imagine you get a letter in the mail from one of the biggest law firms in the country and it says, “Dear [your name], Please call us as soon as possible. You are a long-lost heir of the British throne. These assets and mansions belong to you.” You might think that's ridiculous, but you're going to look into it, right? You're gonna at least make a phone call? The magnitude of the claim is too great not to hear it out.And so it is with Jesus. We must at least hear him out. That's what Nicodemus says. Give Jesus a hearing.This is the second way we should respond to this story …2. Give Jesus your thirst.Jump back to verse 37. Verses 37–39 are the high point of this chapter. It's the concluding words of Jesus in this scene, and I want you to notice something in verse 37 — Jesus didn't just reply and give an answer this time, but he stood up and “cried out” — and that same word for “cry out” in verse 37 is translated “proclaim” in verse 28. It's the exact same verb in verses 28 and 37 and it means to say something with a loud voice.So if we were to track the speaking moments of Jesus in this chapter, from the start of the chapter to its end, it goes like this … it starts in verse 6. Verse 6: “Jesus said to them”Verse 16: “Jesus answered them”Verse 21: “Jesus answered them”Verse 28: “Jesus proclaimed”Verse 37: “Jesus stood up and proclaimed”There's an escalation happening. Jesus literally gets louder until in verse 37 he stands up and gets loud. So this is the high point! All eyes are on him!And the setting, again, is important. Verse 37 starts by telling us this happened “On the last day of the feast, the great day” — What feast? What is John talking about?This is the Feast of Booths — remember verse 2? The “Feasts of Booth was at hand” — and now in verse 37 John is making a connection between that feast and what Jesus says here. So what is that? What's the connection?Pointing to HimWell, remember the Feast of Booths was about recognizing God's provision for Israel after the exodus. Israel wandered through the desert for forty years and God met their needs, and one of those big needs, we know, was water. The people were thirsty and God gave them water to drink — and part of this feast highlighted that provision! So we know that on this last day of the feast, people were thinking about water. The people were remembering and celebrating God's provision of water in the wilderness, and so with water literally on their minds, Jesus stands up in the middle of that and he cries out:“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink! Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'”Jesus is saying he's the one this feast has been pointing to this whole time. It's always been about him. He is God's true and ultimate provision for our ultimate thirst!It's amazing that Jesus did this. He caused this scene and said these words to make clear that the people's thirst is not just a thing of history, but they still thirst. He knows it. They know it. There is no modesty here. No riddles to solve. No hard sayings. Jesus is yelling. He's loud:If you're thirsty — and I know you thirst — that's why I've come!And I can almost hear the earnestness in his voice — hoarse with sincerity … heavy with seriousness … hopeful to save. He's speaking both invitation and fact. And everyone hears him, but do we hear him? Do we learn what he does?Mining Our Own ThirstImagine your own life for a minute. Something true about all of us, as human beings, is that we are glory-chasers and pleasure-seekers. This means we all want to matter and we all want to be happy. I know that about you. We all have this desire, this void, this thirst, and we can't help but try to fill it. That's what we're all doing, all the time, but the problem is that left to ourselves, we try to satisfy that thirst with everything but God. And this is not only misguided, it's evil. That's the way the Bible talks about it. The prophet Jeremiah says, Jeremiah 2:12, Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord, 13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2:12–13)Do you see? In our sin, we reject God, we abandon him, but then we go looking everywhere else for the satisfaction only he can provide. And we don't just do this one time, but over and over again. Every time we sin we are looking for the God we've forsaken. It's been said that when the young man rings the doorbell at a brothel he's actually looking for God. So what doorbells are you ringing? Where are you letting your thirst take you?I ask this for Christians and non-Christians. How badly do you want the approval of man? Do you crave relationships at all costs? Do you compromise conviction for thrills?Think about this, and I want you to imagine that in the middle of all of it, in the middle of everywhere you might be searching, Jesus is there and he stands up.In the noise of the crowd and the silence of your room, in the pressure of your work and the ache of your heart, in the high places of success and the low places of failure — Jesus stands up in that and he says over all those things, “If you thirst come to me. Come to me and drink.”Let's hear him. And then give him your thirst … right now. If you've never put your faith in Jesus, you can do that now. Just tell him.I don't wanna thirst anymore. I'm done with this search. Jesus, I believe in you. I rest in you. That is the invitation of our passage today. Give Jesus a hearing; give Jesus your thirst; and here is #3 — give Jesus to others. 3. Give Jesus to others. This is the verse 38. Jesus says that whoever believes in him, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”And right away, we should just name it. This is not what we would maybe want Jesus to say. We might think something else would fit better, something like:Believe in me and live happily ever after! — wouldn't that be nice?!Believe in me and your house won't burn, your wife won't get cancer, your children won't be sick … Believe in me and you won't be condemned — and that's true, Jesus has said that — but here he says if you believe in him, it's not about what you get but what you can give. You will have living water flowing out of your heart! And John adds in verse 39 a little clue for us: Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit. Everyone who believes in Jesus will receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus will say a lot more about the Spirit in Chapter 14, but I'll go ahead and tell you one thing he says: he says the Holy Spirit is God the Father and God the Son making their home in you (John 14:13). The Holy Spirit is the love of the triune God poured into your heart — and how do you think that looks?Stagnant Pond or Flowing River?This summer my family spent a few days at my parents' house in North Carolina. They live in the country: fields, woods, paths, and ponds. And there's this big pond tucked way down out of sight. You go down this path, past an old house, deep into the woods, and then suddenly there's an opening and there it is. It's a big pond (probably called a lake in Minnesota). It's named after my great-grandfather. And it used to be the place to go. It had a sandy beach and they built a tall diving board — 50 years ago my mom and her friends would hang out there. But you'd never know that now. It's been inactive for years, and it shows. The edges of the pond is covered in green algae, the surface is spooky still, mosquitoes rule the place. The water looks dead and you've seen water like that before — now is that your heart? Is your heart more like a stagnant pond or is it like a river? …The Holy Spirit makes one kind of heart. Saved to GiveJesus says that the one who believes in him, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water! So he satisfies you and then he pours out through you into the lives of others. Now what does that mean? How does that look?How does the Spirit in us affect the way we relate to others? We know it must mean the fruit of the Spirit! The Spirit makes us people of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness , faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Spirit produces all of those things in our hearts in our relationships with others, but really, ultimately, the Spirit in us means that we give Jesus to people. That's what we're trying to do.Jesus has given us himself to be shared. He has poured his Spirit into our lives to flow through us into the lives of others. We get more of him so that others get him through us! Don't you want to live that way?! We're just a conduit of God's grace for others!Look, God doesn't save you for yourself — he saves you for his glory and your good — and your good is realized not in your getting, but in your giving!And church, some of you need to hear that because you think you don't have anything to give. You've been fooled or discouraged into thinking your heart is a stagnant pond, but it's not. Not according to Jesus. Christian, you have the Holy Spirit. Let today be the day God stirs anew the living water in your heart. Hey, it's a busy time of year. It's the end of one season and beginning of another — and there's a lot of excitement in the air. We start school tomorrow. And church, for this new season, let's ask God for a fresh filling of his Spirit! That's what we need! For his glory and our good! Here's how we respond to the buzz about Jesus in Chapter 7: Give Jesus a hearing.Give Jesus your thirst.And by his Spirit flowing in us, give Jesus to others. And we come to this Table in that hope.The TableThis Table is about receiving — we receive Jesus and his fellowship, and remember all that he's done for us in his life, death, and resurrected life. But we don't receive him to stop here. We receive him and then overflow!

Nathan Raynor

Mark 2:13-17 13 Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. 15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" 17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Lesson Notes/Discussion Questions 1 There are over 30,000 students and 10,000 staff who go to school and work on the University of Kentucky's campus. Who were some classmates/peers or professors that had a profound impact on you while you were in school? Why? 2 In a culture that hated Levi, Jesus gave him a fresh start. As you examine your current season of life, are there any areas where you are longing for a fresh start? If so, where? 3 Each one of us is looking for two things: our people and our place. Belonging is one of the deep needs of the human soul. Over the course of your life, when have you experienced a time where you didn't belong in a certain place/with a certain people? What about a time when you found exactly your place and exactly your people? What was the difference in these environments and interactions? 4 Jesus created a space for us to belong with Him and with others. What rhythms of your life have allowed for you to experience both of these opportunities? Where have you struggled to see this truth become a reality? 5 Just as Jesus created an environment of belonging for those around Him, we are to do the same for those around us. What do you think this looks like in your current season of life? What are some current challenges or perceived challenges you may face within this?

https://www.maynardvillefellowship.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Cooke-8-24-25.mp3 From the outside looking in, the scribes and Pharisees  performed all the external shows of righteousness imaginable; with lengthened tassels, broadened phylacteries, scholarly robes, prominent seats, & respectful greetings in the marketplace. But they neglected the internal holiness that God requires; justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Listen as Pastor Matt warns against cleaning only the externals (the only part men can see), while neglecting the heart, which God sees perfectly and will surely judge.

Meals at tables are a place of conversation, of community, of connection. At these meals barriers come down and relationships deepen. At Christ's table, you're invited to experience forgiveness, connection, and belonging. Today we continue with Jesus' meal with the Pharisee and learn from Jesus how we should be inviting others to that party God wants everyone to come to…The Marriage of the Lamb.  #fsbcsermon #fsbccoalinga Contact us at TheWordInfusion@gmail.com with your comments, questions or praises.  Let us know how our podcast has blessed, encouraged or helped you.  Join us on our Facebook pages at http://www.facebook.com/fsbccoalinga & http://www.facebook.com/..  Help us to grow a community that infuses the Word of God into their lives each day.  Follow us on Twitter @TheWordInfusion or @fsbccoalinga .  To support this ministry click on: https://giving.myamplify.io//app/giving/fsbccoalinga or copy and paste it into your web browser.

Send us a textActs 23:7-11And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in RomeSupport the show

Saturday, 23 August 2025   But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. Matthew 12:36   “And I say to you that every inactive utterance that if they will speak, men, they will render a word about it in judgment day” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus referred to the things people bring out of what is stored in their hearts, good or bad. Now, He explains a truth concerning that to which His audience was expected to consider and heed, saying, “And I say to you that every inactive utterance that if they will speak, men.”   A new word is introduced, argos, inactive. When one is inactive, he idles around doing nothing. As such, he will be unemployed, useless, lazy, etc. The word closely corresponds to the Hebrew word mibta, found only in Numbers 30:6 & 30:8, where a woman makes a rash vow. That word signifies hasty or thoughtless. That is derived from bata, to babble.    Jesus is saying that people speak carelessly, not thinking through the ramifications of their words. However, God hears everything man says, even if it is an idle utterance. But more, not only does He hear them, but He is also accounting our idle utterances to who we are in relation to the totality of our personhood.   The thought is general in nature and certainly applies to all humanity at all times, but in this case, Jesus is making a point about the utterances of the Pharisees who spoke carelessly about Jesus without thinking through the logical explanation that He then provided.   He could not be casting out Beelzebul by the prince of demons. His explanation thoroughly refuted the notion. Even if they didn't fully grasp the ramifications of their idle accusation, the Lord heard and was there to render a judgment based on their words, as He next says, “they will render a word about it in judgment day.”   The meaning is that they must give an account for what they spoke, meaning even their idle utterances. Understanding this, Jesus will give an overall summary of this thought in the next verse.   Life application: For now, even before getting to Jesus' summary of the overarching thought presented in this discourse between the Pharisees and Him, we should heed the truth stated by Jesus in this verse.   It is true that those in Christ are in a different economy than those under the law. Despite this, God doesn't change. His ears didn't suddenly turn off when the dispensation of grace came. In other words, everything we say is still known by God and will be set before us by Him when we are brought before Him.   Therefore, we should consider our words carefully. In North Korea, children are executed or sent to grueling penal colonies (which may be worse than death) for speaking like South Korean children, repeating lines from their movies, and so forth.   Such treatment of citizens has occurred throughout human history. An idle word or thoughtless action has led many to the gallows or firing squad. If this is how we may be treated for carelessly speaking before human leaders, how much more severe will it be for those who carelessly and casually malign the Creator?   And yet, it happens innumerable times a day all over the world. People, without thinking through the logic of who God is and what He has done, flippantly ignore the evidence and arrogantly make false proclamations and accusations about Him and His nature. People challenge His word, claiming error or contradiction without considering what it may actually be saying.   In doing these things, we diminish His glory in the eyes of others and place ourselves above Him or what He has done. If humanity understood the consequences of its unholy attitudes, we would be more careful and circumspect in what we say and do. But we fail to consider these things, bringing judgment on ourselves.   For Christians, our condemnation has been decided at the cross of Christ, but what lies ahead still requires judgment for our words and actions now. Let us consider this and pay heed.   Lord God, how often do we say things without thinking through the full scope of what we have uttered? We offend others, we demean those in authority, and we bring dishonor to Your name, even if it was not intentional. Help us to think more clearly and to be careful as we speak, knowing that our words have meaning and may result in unhappy consequences. Amen.  

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Frank Pavone joins Terry to discuss the latest news in the pro-life movement Gospel - Matthew 22:34-40  - When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested Him by asking, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments." Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary O Queen of Heaven, pray for us! Bishop Sheen quote of the day

Gospel Matthew 22:34-40 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested him by asking, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” Reflection It's so important that Jesus puts these two commandments in a particular order. What he's really saying is, there is no way for us to be who we are called to be loving, caring for our neighbor without first understanding the love that God has for us. In our openness to God what we have to get past is that need that we think we have been told to do, and that's to earn his love. We don't earn it, we just have to allow it to enter into us, and only then are we able to follow the second commandment. The two are most essential, but the first is the most important. Closing Prayer Father, we need to spend time with you. We need a time to just be still and open our hearts and minds to this love that you have for us. We know that you long to awaken us. A sense of it, a feeling about it. So bless us in our time of reflection and meditation. We will truly see you, feel you, know you. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus said those words in Matthew chapter five to His disciples and to a great multitude who had gathered there to hear His teaching. But what exactly does this particular teaching mean? How are we to exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees? Answers come your way next, as Ron moves ahead in his teaching series, “Kingdom Come: Lessons from the Sermon on the Mount.”  

As the Pharisees interrogate the man healed of blindness, their hostility stands in contrast to his transformative encounter with Jesus. Their aggressive questioning doesn't intimidate him—it emboldens him. With every challenge, his faith grows stronger until he openly identifies as a disciple. In this sermon, we'll explore what this confrontation reveals about mankind's resistance to Christ—and what the blind man's boldness teaches us about faith in the face of opposition and our past.

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,they gathered together, and one of them,a scholar of the law, tested him by asking,"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"He said to him,"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart,with all your soul, and with all your mind.This is the greatest and the first commandment.The second is like it:You shall love your neighbor as yourself.The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Friday, 22 August 2025   A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. Matthew 12:35   “The good man, from the good treasure of the heart, he ejects good, and the evil man, from the evil treasure, he ejects evil” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus called the Pharisees vipers' offspring, telling them that from the surplus of the heart, the mouth speaks. He next explains the result of that, saying, “The good man, from the good treasure of the heart, he ejects good.”   The word ekballo, to cast out or eject, is used. It is more forceful than “bring out,” such as in the NKJV. The meaning then is that the goodness of a good man wells up inside him until the point where goodness simply exudes from him, being ejected under its own pressure.   The words here show us that Jesus' words in Matthew 9:17 are a comparative statement intended to make a point. In responding to being called “Good Teacher,” Jesus said –   “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”   Jesus was making a comparison of goodness in relation to God. Likewise, Jesus is here making a comparison between people. One is good in relation to others. Because he is, good things will be ejected from him.   This is certainly a comparative statement, because even a good person can get frustrated or fed up, and something not so good will come out of his mouth. However, his character in general is one that demonstrates an inherent goodness in relation to others. Likewise, Jesus says, “and the evil man, from the evil treasure, he ejects evil.”   This is a person who is comparatively evil. The things that come out of such people, welling up and being ejected into their regular conversation, will be evil. But even such “evil” people can say something nice. Jesus is referring to their general character.   To get the sense of such a person, all one needs to do is turn on the TV and watch people arguing from a political standpoint. Those on the left will spew forth invectives, call out for illegal activities to be condoned, rage against goodness while embracing those who do truly wicked things, etc.   To them, morality is defined by theft and murder, not hard work and self-sufficiency. Those who pray to God are an offense who must be silenced. Because of their character, evil proceeds from them like a well under pressure. In opening their mouths to speak, the evil gushes forth.   Life application: In Luke 6:45, the same words are spoken by Jesus in His sermon to the people, but there are differences –   Matthew - “The good man, from the good treasure of the heart, he ejects [ekballo] good, and the evil man, from the evil treasure, he ejects [ekballo] evil.”   Luke - “The good man, from the good treasure of his heart, he hauls [propheró] good, and the evil, from the evil hauls [propheró] the evil. For from the heart's surplus, it speaks – his mouth.”   In Matthew, different words concerning the motion of what is in the heart are used. One says to eject while the other uses a word meaning to bear forward. A good single word to get the intent would be to haul. Also, in Matthew, the thought about the heart's abundance came in the preceding verse, whereas Luke places it afterwards.   Other slight variations in the Greek exist as well. So the question may be asked, “Which is the original and which one has an error?” Or the statement may be made, “See, there is a contradiction in the two accounts.”   When you are faced with such a question or statement, how will you respond? A suitable explanation is that both can be correct. This could be for various reasons. The first is that it is assumed that Jesus was originally speaking in Aramaic. Different people will write what they heard in Greek in different ways.   Likewise, the change in order of what is said may be a part of that translation process. Therefore, such changes would be expected. But what if the person says, “But even the context of what is said is different! One is to the Pharisees and one during a sermon!”   Is this a contradiction? Not at all! How many times have you repeated a point that is true in your life? Jesus was preaching and proclaiming. He probably stated the same truth innumerable times that are not recorded, along with those that are.   He may have changed the structure of His words, chosen different words, and spoken these things in a multitude of contexts. If the narratives were identical, those who want to tear apart the Bible would (and do!) say that the accounts were simply copies and the events belong to one source. Thus, there are not three different testimonies to Jesus' work.   If they have any differences, the accusation that there are contradictions immediately arises. Don't let such things bother you. Be prepared to show these people the folly of their thinking. From there, drop the argument. Some people wouldn't be content if God spoke the word of Scripture personally.   Wait... He did!   “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17   Lord God, we trust that You have given us a word that carries Your intent for us to know and understand what You desire for us. Help us to be diligent in reading it and contemplating it all the days of our lives. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Today we start reading Paul's letters to the Corinthians. The believers there had been converted from the foolish philosophies of the Greeks who believed in a spirit after-life; also in many gods of their imagination – of whom they erected idols. We have had a parallel experience in going into Indian temples in recent years..Paul says, “The Jews demand signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and folly to the Gentiles.”  We can understand their reaction to a message built around a man who was crucified!   But that was the ‘bare bones' of the picture!What a wonderful meaning to life and of hope in the future sprang from the terrible event at Calvary that we have just read in Mark's Gospel.  The next words of Paul are, “but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” [ch.1 v.22-25]Paul then asks them to “consider your calling, brothers; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” [v.28,29]   The scribes and the Pharisees were brought to nothing!The worldly wise indulge in another kind of boasting today – that, in the ‘wisdom' they have acquired through present human ‘scientific' deductions,  they have come to the ‘knowledge' that there is NO God!   In contrast, our wisdom is to recognise what turned the thinking in the world of the First Century upside down – as to the meaning of life; “It was not a wisdom of this age” [2 v.6] says Paul, then he stresses that, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God, that we might understand the things freely given to us by God.  And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom, but taught by the Spirit… [v.12,13]And God's Spirit caused Paul and the other apostles to write things down so that we can feed our minds on this spirit inspired word.  Remember how Jesus told his disciples, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” [John 6 v.63]  Let us make sure our minds carefully and prayerfully feed on God given food every day.

Read Online“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37–39We are very familiar with this passage above. It is Jesus' answer to the Pharisees who came to test Jesus. Prior to this, a group of Sadducees tried to trap Jesus and failed. So now it was the Pharisees who gave it their best shot to trap our Lord. Of course, Jesus' answer was perfect. And upon the conclusion of this answer, Jesus returned the favor by asking the Pharisees some questions that they could not answer, and they dared not ask Him any further questions at that time.Sometimes, being challenged by another in matters of faith helps us, in that it allows us to clarify what we actually believe. Though Jesus did not need clarity for His own sake, He did offer this clarity in the face of trickery so as to help both the Pharisees as well as His followers who were listening attentively.Have you ever been challenged by another about matters of faith? If so, what was your response? Were you able to respond by the inspiration and clarity given by the Holy Spirit? Or did you walk away confused and unable to respond? Having our faith challenged by another will either result in our own confusion or in our deeper understanding.By answering this question in the way that Jesus did, He presented the entire Law given by Moses in the Ten Commandments in a new and summarized way. The first three of the Ten Commandments have to do with love of God, and the last seven have to do with love of neighbor. The second commandment Jesus gives, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” is a consequence of the first commandment. How do you “love yourself?” You do so by fulfilling the first commandment Jesus gave: “love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” When God is loved above all, then loving your neighbor simply means that you love God Who dwells within your neighbor in accord with the way God loves them.It is also helpful to note that it is possible to “love” our neighbor in such a way that is contrary to the love of God. For example, if our love of neighbor is expressed in such a way that is contrary to the Love of God, then this is not true love. Let's say that your neighbor has chosen a gravely immoral lifestyle. How do you love them with the love of God? You don't say to them “I support you in your immoral living.” Doing so is not love of God; it's a selfish form of love that cares more about how the person will respond back to you than caring for their eternal soul. The right form of love for one who has gone astray in an objectively immoral way is to let them know you love them but do not support the choices they are making. And though they may respond negatively to this, caring for their eternal salvation must supersede every desire to simply get along with them.Love of neighbor, at times, especially when the “neighbor” is a family member who has turned from God, can be challenging. But when it is, think about the way that the Sadducees and Pharisees tried to constantly trap Jesus. He always gave the perfect response of love and never allowed their misguided conversation to leave confusion. So with us, we must rely upon the wisdom and love of God when loving another is difficult. God must guide our every conversation in that case so that the other knows they are loved and so that our love does not deviate from the pure love of God. Reflect, today, upon the high calling you have been given to love God above all and to love your neighbor with that same love that you have for God. If you find loving someone is difficult, pray for the wisdom you need to remain faithful to them in God's love alone. And if you find your love challenged, rely upon our Lord to lead you and to give you the words you need when you need them the most. My loving Lord, You love all people with a perfect love, and You call us all to love You with our whole heart, soul and mind. And You call us to love others with the love You have for them. Fill my heart with love of You and all people, especially those who are most difficult to love. Give me wisdom, dear Lord, to know how to love others in You so that they will experience Your perfect love in their lives. Jesus, I trust in You!Image: The Messiah gives the New Law by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

In light of the parable that Jesus offers to the Pharisees and elders of the people, we are invited to come before the Lord with an open and generous heart. (Lectionary #422) August 21, 2025 - Cathedral Rectory - Superior, WI Fr. Andrew Ricci - www.studyprayserve.com  

Are you worshiping God—or just going through the motions? In this dangerous conversation, Kirk and his son James expose the difference between true worship and empty performance. From Jesus' words about the Pharisees to the Sermon on the Mount, we dive deep into what it means to worship in spirit and in truth. If worship has become about emotions, routine, or impressing others, it may be worthless. Join us as we challenge ourselves—and the church—to keep worship pure and centered on God alone. To learn more about the sponsor of today's show and what our family currently uses for our healthcare check out Christian Healthcare Ministries by visiting https://hubs.ly/Q02vWQGy0 Editing and production services provided by thepodcastupload.com #TheKirkCameronShow #DangerousConversations #TrueWorship #ChristianPodcast #WorshipGod #FaithAndTruth #BibleTeaching #ChristianLiving #EmptyReligion #DangerousConversation #BiblicalTruth #ChristianTalkShow #FaithOverPerformance #WorshipInSpirit #ChurchTruth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn about the period of history in between the Old and New TestamentsSupport us on Patreon for Member access to our special podcast series on the Gospel of John (season 1) and Exodus (season 2) when it releases in July 2025.Apply for Saint Paul's House of FormationEmail usMusic by Richard Proulx and the Cathedral Singers from Sublime Chant. Copyright GIA Publications Word & Table Episode Index

In today's Gospel Spice lesson, Stephanie Rousselle takes us on a historical journey to frame the Old and the New Testaments, the 400 years between Malachi's time until the arrival of John the Baptist. This period, often referred to as the "intertestamental period," spans remarkable historical developments that are essential to understanding the world Jesus was born into. Imagine living in our day and age, but having no idea of what happened to our country, world, and culture in the last 400 years. Imagine that the latest “news” you have date back from the 1620's or so. Would this affect our understanding of our day? In the same way, we cannot cut 400 years of Jewish history, and assume we lose nothing. Malachi delivered his message around 420BC; John the Baptist. Malachi's successor called to “make a highway in the wilderness” to proclaim the arrival of Messiah, came onto the Judean scene in the 20's AD. But Scripture is silent about this span of time. These "400 years of silence," as they are often called, were not so silent politically, religiously, and socially. By studying the events during this time, we gain insight into how the world was meticulously prepared for Jesus's arrival. While these events are not recorded in the Bible, they hold much significance to know Christ more. Beginning with Alexander the Great's conquest in 333 BC, the world saw Greek culture and language take hold, influencing many aspects of life, including the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, known as the Septuagint. This was pivotal, as it allowed for greater access to the Scriptures and laid the foundation for the New Testament to reference these texts. The era is ripe with hostile dynamics between the Hellenistic influences from Greece and the resistance that arose from the Jews, who sought to preserve their traditions. This tension is encapsulated in the Maccabean Revolt led by Judas Maccabeus, a significant event that ultimately led to the celebration of Hanukkah. Another important theme from this period is the rise of different Jewish sects, such as the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. These groups played crucial roles in the religious landscape of Israel and were directly involved in the societal structure during Jesus's time. These historical layers formed a backdrop against which God chose to reveal His Son. The development of Greek as a universal language and Roman infrastructure, like roads facilitating trade and communication, enabled the rapid spread of the Gospel. Our historical exploration ties to biblical prophecy, specifically how this time fits into Daniel's prophecy of seventy weeks. This provides an eschatological perspective to the discussion. Understanding these details, as part of grasping the broader biblical narrative, challenges the modern tendency to focus solely on personal applicability of Scripture without considering its historical and theological context. Our lesson is an invitation to (re)discover this rich tapestry of history. We encourage you to use the Gospel Spice workbook and additional resources provided to further explore this period's influence on Jesus's earthly ministry and its legacy in the New Testament church. DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries. In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God. In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus. PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family. PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with! PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people! Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking. Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog (*ListenNotes ranking, 2023) You are invited to join us on the Gospel Spice Prayer Bible Study, titled "The heart behind prayer" starting September 20, 2025! Details and registration here: https://www.gospelspice.com/prayer  There are a few things in our Christian life that we know we should do more, or at least better – and prayer just might top the list. Prayer is a mystery. Why would a conversation with a human have any influence on God's eternal, sovereign plan? It defies logic, and beckons love. How can God, the Almighty Lord of Hosts, be this close, this personal? It defies understanding, and beckons involvement. But, lack of time, inspiration, and discipline, combined with the ruthless tyranny of our busy lives, push prayer to the periphery, to the “one day I'll get to it” pile. And yet, we can excel at what we endeavor to undertake. So, why isn't prayer more of a spiritual priority? Could we develop a mindset around prayer that made it attractive, inspiring, even maybe delightful? What if we attuned our spiritual ears to listen to God, and our spiritual eyes to see His provision? As an unassuming student, I'm going to humbly offer to share the little I have learned from others about the joy of prayer. I will give us theology, practical tips, and useful resources, sharing what works for me as we, together, learn to pray. If you find prayer intimidating, or if your lack of prayer makes you feel guilty or “less than,” then this is the place for you! If you have been a student of prayer for many years, this is the place for you too! If you have breath in your lungs, then prayer can become one of the deepest joys of your day. Don't miss out! A PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PRAYER To pray is to believe that God not only hears, but that He responds. It is to stand in the gap for a broken world, wielding the authority of Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and trusting in the goodness of the Father. The question is not whether prayer works, but whether we are willing to pray the kinds of prayers that invite God's Kingdom into the darkest places of the earth—and of our own hearts. We may never fully understand the mechanics of prayer, or how it intersects with God's sovereignty, but we are not called to understand everything. We are called to be faithful. And faithfulness means showing up—in prayer, in persistence, in expectation. So today, let us pray not only for the comfort of our hearts, but for the transformation of the world. Let us take our place as image-bearers, co-laborers, and co-heirs. Let us believe that God is still listening—and still acting. Because He is. There's only one way to find out what might happen when we truly pray like this. Let's begin. THE MINDSET BEHIND THIS COURSE Before we begin, let me tell you the obvious: I don't really know how to pray. I'm a humble student and absolute beginner at the holy endeavor that is prayer. So, this course isn't really about what I've learned, or any wisdom I might have gathered. But, I've sat at the feet of many prayer warriors over the decades, through books and teachings. So, I'll share what I learned from them. Humility is going to be our primary heart posture! With each lesson, I will offer a few thoughts, practices, and ideas – with much humility, and not taking myself too seriously. I will also share her favorite books and resources about prayer. FInally, I will introduce you to some of the most influential prayer warriors of our history as the Body of Christ. Most importantly, I will invite YOU to pray! Learning to pray comes from praying. Our humble ambition is to inspire you to pray, and to give you a few tips on how to do that. Then, it's up to you! Prayer is a lifelong endeavor. Let's make it delightful together! So, let's get started. Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!