Podcasts about theholyspirit

Delivered by Josephine Mercy Ho from the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. 2 Peter 1: 1-7; Rs psalm 91: 1-2.14-15ab.15c-16; Mark 12: 1-12.BETWEEN GOOD AND BAD FRUIT Our meditation today has the theme: Between bearinggood and bad fruit. The Gospel of St. Mark that we have just heard describes aparable of the workers or tenants, which refers to the religious leaders ofJesus' day. The point is to warn them to accept Jesus as the Son of God and notto accuse and slander with various negative perceptions. Jesus himself experienced firsthand how they resistedthe love that He taught and did. They were so hostile, then persecuted, andeven killed all of God's messengers, including Jesus himself. They felt theyhad done good by upholding their Judaism law.  That was in the days of Jesus Christ. What's happeningnow? We do not have the same attitude as the brutal tenants toward the LordJesus. Instead, we accept and acknowledge Him as a real God. We do not let ourhearts betray Him, because if were to deny Him, in vain we persevere every dayto hear and meditate on His words. One thing so important is this, that after we havebeen poured out by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Jesus wants toremind us that under the guidance and teaching of the Holy Spirit we should beable to bear fruit and that the fruits are expected to be good, not the otherway around. If the Holy Spirit lives with us, our fruits must indeed be goodand useful both for ourselves and for others.  The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit must be the targetof what kind of fruits we are. May we strive to bear good fruit in wisdom,understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, piety, and the fear of God. If weneglect one or two of these gifts, we may become as brutal and wicked as thosevineyard tenants.  For example, if you don't have good wisdom,understanding and knowledge, it's very likely that you'll replace it withanger, win yourself and act blindly towards others. If a person may appear tobe pious, but has no fear of God, he may become a vengeful who will secretlyexplode and be very dangerous.  So the gift of the Holy Spirit, at least one of theindications that if we want to bear good fruit, we have to submit and bediligent in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Letus pray. In the name of the Father... O almighty God, thank you for this newday that gives us the opportunity for one more day to pursue this life in theguidance of Your Spirit. May our minds and hearts always be open to welcomethrough the words conveyed to us. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to theHoly Spirit ... In the name of the Father ...

Acts 2:1-8, 12-14, 22-24, 43-47; OPENING MEDITATION From the Constitution of the UCCPreambleThe United Church of Christ acknowledges as its sole head, Jesus Christ, Son of Godand Savior. It acknowledges as kindred in Christ all who share in this confession. Itlooks to the Word of God in the Scriptures, and to the presence and power of theHoly Spirit, to prosper its creative and redemptive work in the world. It claims as itsown the faith of the historic Church expressed in the ancient creeds and reclaimedin the basic insights of the Protestant Reformers. It affirms the responsibility of theChurch in each generation to make this faith its own in reality of worship, in honestyof thought and expression, and in purity of heart before God.Article III. Covenantal RelationshipsWithin the United Church of Christ, the various expressions of the church relate toeach other in a covenantal manner. Each expression of the church hasresponsibilities and rights in relation to the others, to the end that the whole churchwill seek God's will and be faithful to God's mission. Decisions are made inconsultation and collaboration among the various parts of the structure. As membersof the Body of Christ, each expression of the church is called to honor and respectthe work and ministry of each other part. Each expression of the church listens, hears,and carefully considers the advice, counsel, and requests of others. In this covenant,the various expressions of the United Church of Christ seek to walk together in allGod's ways.

Delivered by Vici from the Parish of St. John the Baptist in the Archdiocese of Jakarta, Indonesia. 1 Peter 1: 18-25; Rs psalm 147: 12-13.14-15.19-20; Mark 10: 32-45.WE HAVE BEEN REDEEMED WITH PRECIOUS BLOOD The theme for our meditation today is: We Have BeenRedeemed with Precious Blood.  SaintPeter, as the leader of the apostles and head of the early Church, gave thepeople a strong conviction that the salvation of man is not something cheap orordinary. In his letter, he affirms that we have been redeemed not with gold orsilver, but with the precious blood of Christ. Jesus showed the most perfectlove when he willingly accepted suffering, punishment, and died on the cross tosave mankind from sin. The cross is not a sign of defeat, but a sign of God'sgreat love for the world. Peter himself witnessed firsthand how Jesus enduredHis suffering. He saw the holy Master insulted, flogged, and finally crucified.That experience changed Peter's life completely. He who had once feared anddenied Jesus, eventually became a courageous preacher. He understood thatChrist's love was not just words, but real sacrifice. Therefore, Peter wantedevery Christian to live with the conviction that they are precious in God'seyes. Such a great love of Christ should move our hearts tolive in love as well. Jesus not only taught love, but He Himself carried it outcompletely. The apostles and disciples followed that example. They facedthreats, rejection, imprisonment, and even death in order to maintain theirfaith in Christ. Many of them eventually died as martyrs. They believed theybelonged to God who had redeemed them with His own blood. The realization that we are redeemed at a high priceshould shape our attitude to life every day. We are not meaningless people. Weare loved and saved by Christ Himself. Therefore, our lives should not be usedfor sin, hatred, or indifference to others. Every act of love, forgiveness,patience, and small sacrifice we make is an answer to the great love that Godhas given us. The right Christian attitude is to keep the heart fromdisappointing Jesus. We try to keep His commandments not because we fearpunishment, but because we love Him. A person who is aware that he has beenredeemed by the blood of Christ will strive to live faithfully, honestly, andlovingly. When he falls into sin, he will rise again and ask for God's mercy,for he knows that Christ gave His precious life for his salvation. Let us look at the cross of Christ with a gratefulheart. There we see the true self-esteem of man. God Himself is willing to giveHis life so that man can have life. So let us not waste such great love.  Letus pray. In the name of the Father ... O God, we thank Your most glorious andgreat love to save us through the self-sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Maywe always live the same love. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to theHoly Spirit ... In the name of the Father ...

Delivered by Samuel Ivan Gunarta from the Parish of Mary of All the Nations in the Diocese of Bogor, Indonesia. Acts of the Apostles 20: 17-27; Rs psalm 68: 10-11.20-21; John 17: 1-11a.EMBRACING THEGLORY OF GOD The theme forour meditation today is: Embracing the Glory of God. There was a young man whosaid that he maintained a relationship with his girlfriend through LDR (longdistance relationship). Her girlfriend lived in her home close to the church,so she often shared photos of praying rosary in basic ecclesial community,church services and Holy Mass celebrations. This was different from the youngman who lived in a remote area far from the church. The visit of the ParishPriest to the village was almost impossible. The spiritual life of the peoplethere was very dry.  Whenever he gotpictures of his girlfriend's spiritual activities, he would pick up the crucifixof the Lord Jesus and draw close to his body or hug it. He often also held therosary tightly and kissed it. He made the crucifix of the Lord Jesus a sign ofrelationship and closeness to God. For him it was an expression of embracingthe glory of God. If we embracethe cross, we embrace the glory of God. Saint Paul experienced how thesuffering of the cross became his daily food. The Holy Spirit helps him and allof us to be able to embrace and bear the cross in our lives. There are peoplewho are ready for it like Saint Paul, but there are many who are not ready. So,the Lord Jesus prayed for those who were not ready for their crosses, so thatthey would not have to worry or be afraid. He always helps them to take up theircrosses. Jesus' prayer isrealized through the Holy Spirit who helps us to carry our own crosses. TheHoly Spirit helps us to love the cross, embrace it, and bear it. We must holdfirst before carrying it. That means we are willing and confident to accept it.If we hold or hug something or someone, we love it, and we are careful not tofall to the ground. We love the cross we carry and keep it from falling ormoving to someone else. The cross is ourvictory and glory. Through the cross comes the conquest of sin and salvation isachieved as righteousness for us. What does embracing God's glory mean? First,because Jesus Himself reveals that glory to us, especially when He prays for us.Second, Jesus offered an infinite abundance of life and this illustrates aglory of God. The glory of God means the abundance of His mercy and goodness. Third, we thusknow God personally. A person can be known personally and deeply through thesuffering of his life. We know the Lord Jesus personally and deeply through Hissuffering and cross. Fourth, we also experience the glory of God throughservice to those who suffer. The cross signifies Jesus Christ being united withsinful and suffering people. So we embrace the glory of God basically meansthat we experience God very clearly in our lives. Let us pray. In thename of the Father... O good God, help us to always put Your glory first in allour efforts and duties. Hail Mary, full of grace... In the name of the Father...

Delivered by Valeria from the Parish of Saint Paul in the Diocese of Bandung, Indonesia. Acts of the Apostles 16: 1-10; Rs psalm 100: 1-2.3.5; John 15: 18-21.BETWEEN THE HOLY SPIRIT AND EVIL SPIRIT Our meditation today has the theme: Between the HolySpirit and Evil Spirit. This reflection wants to bring our attention to twopoints of view about the spirit of life that all of us have. From the positionof the Lord Jesus Christ and all those belong to Him, the spirit that is inconstant opposition with Him is no other than the evil spirits with Satan asthe commander. Whereas, from the position of the evil spirits, theSpirit of God is their greatest enemy. The Holy Spirit sent to the world hasthe duty to animate all of us and the Church with His divine gifts. Byreceiving the sacraments and do spiritual activities, we are graced with theHoly Spirit. But this is only one side of the reality. The Satan, as indicatedin the scriptures, after not being able to conquer Jesus who fasted for 40 daysin the wilderness, he always waited for the appropriate time to tempt and conquerJesus and all those belong to Him. None of us is free from the Satan'stemptation. So, there are two opposing spirits that we alwaysencounter in this life. We never live neutral or in empty space and time. As weare alive, we certainly belong to one of them to the moment of our death. Whichspirit wins in the end depends very much on who the human person chooses toside with according to his or her free will. But there is a situation which wemay call a peaceful moment. When there is no conflict of interests, it happensthat the two spiritual powers are present and close to us. For example, when you are alone in a quiet moment inthe room. You have no evil thought and intention, and no sinful act. At thesame moment and place there is close to you the evil spirit who is ready totempt you. He is waiting for a proper time when you are out of control or youare unaware of yourself. Every single moment is so precious opportunity forSatan when we do not use it well. When that crucial moment of conflict happens,you must choose truth or evil, good or bad, right or wrong.                                                             A very important point here is that as followers ofChrist, we must be able to reject the spirit that is not in line with JesusChrist. Christ has prepared us to be able to distinguish the Holy Spirit fromthe evil spirits. He always commands us to obey to the Word of God. He says,"I chose you from this world". We belong to Jesus, so we have theability to avoid the evil spirits. This was also the experience of theapostles, Paul and Barnabas, when they did their extraordinary mission ofpreaching the Gospel. The saints are our role models for choosing the HolySpirit rather than the evil spirits. Someone who gives you advice or reminder that you mustchoose the Holy Spirit and reject the evil spirits, let it be clear to you thathe or she must be a messenger from God. As we approach the Feast of thePentecost, we should open ourselves sincerely so that the Holy Spirit is theOne who fills us with His divine gifts, and not any other spirits. Let'spray. In the name of the Father ... Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us alwayswith Your blessings so that we will be able to fight the influences of thisworld that are contrary to You. Send Your Spirit to fill us and all the face ofthe earth. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In thename of the Father ...

Nowwe are going to continue in Philippians 2, and today we are talking about theright marks of spiritual unity. Yesterday we talked about the right motive forspiritual unity in the first verse which lead to these marks. “Therefore ifthere is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowshipof the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by beinglike-minded.” Then he goes on to say, “having the same love,being of one accord, of one mind.” Today, we want to look atthese four things: being like-minded, having the same love, being of oneaccord, and of one mind. These are the four marks of spiritual unity. Thesame mind means thinking the same way. Now this does not meanuniformity in every opinion. It means that our thinking is being shaped by themind of Christ. It has nothing to do with our preferences or opinions about howthings ought to be done in the church, or the music that should be sung—whetherit be contemporary or traditional. No, it means when it comes to the gospel ofJesus Christ and the very essentials of what our faith is about, we have unity,and we have the mind of Christ. First Corinthians 2:16 says, “we have themind of Christ.” The way we have this is that “we are not conformed tothis world, but we are transformed by the renewing of our minds” in theHoly Spirit and in the Word of God” (Romans 12:2). Second,we see the mark of the same love. Now this is not emotional preference,but deliberate, sacrificial love that seeks the good of others. Jesus said inJohn 13:34–35, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as Ihave loved you. By this all will know that you are My disciples if you havelove for one another.” In First John 3:16, “By this we know love,because He laid down His life for us.” What love is that? The love of Godin Christ Jesus through His death on the cross. We experience that love, and weare to have that same love for one another. Thenone accord, which literally means “one-souled”—hearts knit together indeep spiritual connection. Acts 4:32 tells us of the early church: “Now themultitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul.” So we havethat as a mark of spiritual unity. Lastly,of one mind. This is having a single purpose—the glory of Jesus Christand the advancement of the gospel. Remember Paul said earlier in Philippians1:27 that we are “to stand fast in one spirit, with one mind strivingtogether for the faith of the gospel”. Sothis is not shallow unity. This is deep. It is Spirit-produced harmony. Infact, it reflects something very profound—it is the unity of the Trinityitself. Jesus prayed about this in John 17, that His followers would be one asHe and the Father are one. This is internal—and eternal too, for that matter.Paul is not focusing on rules or structure. He is focusing on our hearts, ourminds, and our attitudes. Whenthe Spirit produces this kind of unity, the church becomes something powerful,something attractive. It's like iron filings drawn to a magnet. Even whenpressures try to pull them apart, something stronger pulls them back together. Haveyou ever been a part of a church like that—one that is warm, loving, and has asense of belonging that is unmistakable? Oh, my friend, that is what we need inour country today: churches like that. Thisis what Paul calls for. You will notice it all begins when the truth of verse 1shapes the attitudes here of verse 2 in our hearts. God help us as we let Himdo that in us each and every day. God bless and may youhave a wonderful, wonderful day!

Today we are looking at Philippians 2:1-2a and we are talkingabout the right motive for spiritual unity. Let us read these verses. “Thereforeif there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if anyfellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by beinglike-minded…” TheApostle Paul here gives us four “if” statements. In theoriginal language, they carry the idea of certainty. They could just as wellhave been translated “since”: since there is consolation inChrist, since there is comfort of love, since there is fellowship of theSpirit, and since there are affection and mercy. As you read these statements,Paul is not questioning these realities by saying “if.” He is actually buildingon them. He is essentially saying this: “Since these things are true in yourlife, live like it.” Wheredid your consolation come from? In Christ. Where did your comfort of love comefrom? From Christ. In the context of the church and the fellowship ofbelievers, we know that this consolation in Christ is that encouragement ofcoming alongside. It is not just the sense that the Holy Spirit and Christ havecome alongside me, but that others in Christ have come alongside me—fellowbelievers praying, encouraging, and helping. That encouragement comes throughChrist in others. It is the same root word used for the Holy Spirit as ourComforter. Christ Himself strengthens and encourages us. He does it throughHimself, of course, and through the Holy Spirit, but He also does it throughothers. Second,that comfort of love is that deep, soothing assurance of God's love that ispoured into our hearts. That brings to mind Romans chapter 5:3-5. Paul says, “Andnot only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulationproduces perseverance.” Remember, in previous verses he is talking aboutthe gift of suffering and suffering in Christ—suffering for Christ. He goes onto say, “and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does notdisappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by theHoly Spirit who has been given to us.” There is that comfort of love thatcomes through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Fellowshipof the Spirit is the shared life we have in the Holy Spirit. Every believer isconnected not just to God, but to each other. It is mystical in a sense. Youmay meet someone and feel as though you have known that person all your life.You love that person. Where did that come from? The Holy Spirit. He connects usas we are in Christ. Fourth, this affection and mercy is the tender compassionthat flows from the heart of God. It is also that affection and mercy that comefrom fellow believers because of Christ and the unity we share with them. Paulis essentially asking: Has Christ, and have others, encouraged you? Has Christ,and have others, comforted you? Do you share in the Holy Spirit with others?Have you received God's mercy? The answer is: “yes, of course!” So then, whatdoes this produce? It produces unity in the body of Christ. Thatis why Paul adds, “fulfill my joy by being like-minded.” Paul alreadyhad joy in Christ and joy in his sufferings, despite his circumstances. But itadded to his joy to know that the believers were getting along with one anotherand were unified in Christ. Unity brings joy. We see it in our families, in ourchurch, and even in our country. It brings joy to spiritual leaders, it bringsjoy to the church, and most importantly, it brings joy to the heart of JesusChrist. Disunity,on the other hand, is more serious than we often think. It is not just apersonality clash. In a sense, it is ingratitude—it is receiving all that Godhas given us yet refusing to reflect His heart toward others. My friend, let usremember today the overwhelming grace that God has given us, as we love oneanother and maintain the right motive for spiritual unity. 

Delivered by Vici from the Parish of Saint John the Baptist in the Archdiocese of Jakarta, Indonesia. Acts of the Apostles 2: 14.22-32; Rs psalm 16: 1-2a.5.7-8.9-10.11; Matthew 28: 8-15.PREACHING ON THE FIRST TESTIMONY OF THE RESURRECTION Our meditation today has the theme: Preaching on theFirst Testimony of the Resurrection. The testimony of the apostles anddisciples of Jesus who on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ aresomething different from the task to preach the message or news about theresurrection. These two types of experience can be combined as one simultaneousact, but can be also separated and one is cut from the other. A person could bean eye witness who had direct contact with the events of Jesus Christ, but ifhe didn't want to share his own experience about what he had known, it could betrue in that manner. But in fact, this did not happen to the apostles anddisciples of Jesus. According to the Acts of the Apostles, the apostlesand disciples of Jesus preached what they witnessed. For this proclamation tobe channeled by one and valid authority, it must be first institutional,official and delivered by the person in authority or the one responsible. Thatis what we call in the Church, the preaching on the first testimony of theresurrection. This preaching was officially delivered by the leader of theearly Church, namely the first apostle, St. Peter. The preaching of Peter basically goes like this:"Jesus Christ who was appointed by God to fulfill all the promises of thepast is the true Messiah. He was sentenced to death based on untrue and unfaircharges. He died and was buried, but now God has witnesses him. This preachingwas not just empty words, but the evidences and the experience of eyewitnesses arevery significant elements to be considered. The evidences and experiences were then confirmed bythe proclamation of the Gospel of Matthew (28, 8-15), which is about some womenwent to the tomb of Jesus on the first day of the week. The risen Jesusappeared and greeted them: "Peace to you". Then Jesus also told them:"Don't be afraid. Go and tell my brothers, that they go to Galilee, andthere they will see Me ”. This proof is also confirmed by the physical realityof the empty tomb. Until now, none of the Jews knows where Jesus' body to befound after He was taken by the power of God from that tomb.  The testimonies both on the part of physical emptytomb and on the experience of the appearances of the risen Lord, eventuallybecome the contents of the scriptures and teachings of faith that we have up tonow. We who live today inherit the spiritual wealth of those evidences andexperiences. But more than the evidences from Peter, other apostles anddisciples, we actually have faith in the risen Lord Jesus through these truths,because through them Jesus Christ enters into each of our lives and gives us thespirit of His resurrection. Let'spray. In the name of the Father ... O almighty God, fill us with the power ofresurrection of our Lord Jesus. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to theHoly Spirit ... In the name  of theFather ...

Delivered by Maria Delie and Delon from the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. THE CROSS OF GLORY Our meditation today is entitled: The Cross of Glory.The crossbar or commonly called the cross, before becoming the crucifix ofJesus was a sign of extraordinary humiliation. The human person condemned onthe cross was the most useless criminal. But when it began with Jesus Christbeing severely punished until His death on the cross, the meaning of the crosschanges. For followers of Christ, the cross is a sign of glory. In addition, intheir spiritual understanding, the cross is a sign of death for sin, evil andweakness. The cross as a pillar of glory for Jesus Christ hasthe meaning of salvation. In the days of Moses and the Israelites wandering inthe wilderness, the cross was unknown to them. The crossbar or wood of crossonly became popular when the Roman colonists made it a means to punish great criminals. Butas a pillar planted in the ground and has purpose of bringing salvation wasalready known to Moses and the chosen people. According to the book of Numberschapter 21, the bronze snake placed on a pole was the object of view for peoplewho were bitten by wild snakes, and they became healed. They did not die orperish because of the poisonous snakes, but recovered and saved. As Jesus carried the cross on His shoulders in Hispassion story and especially when He was nailed until he died on the same cross,salvation that is signified with cross is perfected to glory. The simple crossmade of wood had become the crucifix of the Lord Jesus. Salvation is a momentof liberation from the torments of pain, suffering and death. From salvation, aperson is raised to a high place where Jesus Christ is with the Father and theHoly Spirit. On that crucifix the body of Jesus dead and hung mercilessly on itbut His Spirit is alive and gloriously united with the Father, as He Himselfsays in the Gospel today: "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realizethat I AM." We are heading for the agony of Jesus Christ beginningfrom the garden of Gethsemane to the Calvary. This reminds us of theexperiences of each of us or many people around us. Jesus suffered terriblywith the fact that He died on the cross, which reminds us of the severity andcruelty of sufferings that we also might have experienced. Our spirits and soulsdo not have to be bound by a body that is nailed on the cross of suffering. Ourbodies will eventually die and destroyed, but our spirits and souls will cometo a new life by achieving salvation and embracing glory. Following JesusChrist means we must go through the sufferings of our bodies, because we havebeen promised by Him the best result that will follow after our death.Let'spray. In the name of the Father ... O glorious Jesus, may we always be happyand joyful with the cross that each of us bears every moment of life. Hail Mary,full of grace... In the name of the Father ...

Delivered by Johana from the Parish of Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Isaiah 65: 17-21; Rs psalm 30: 2.4.5-6.11-12a.13b; John 4: 43-54.GET THE ANSWER Our meditation today isentitled: Get the Answer. We are always satisfied, calm and at peace when ourquestion or search gets its answer. We certainly do not feel peaceful andsatisfied if we do not get the answer. Agreement is the answer to thediscussion on the different perceptions. Concept is the answer to theinterconnection of various arguments. System is the result of the integrationof different elements. Method is the fruit of the experiment process andanalysis of different variables. As followers ofChrist, we know that faith is the answer to the process of knowing andfulfilling God's call to every human person. By achieving and having faith, aperson is gifted with rights and obligations as a true follower of Christ. Theentrance to this faith is baptism that characterizes a person believing inJesus Christ as the Son of God who lives with the Father in communion with theHoly Spirit. The most importantright of a believer is his or her participation in Jesus Christ with the dignitybeing a brother or sister of Christ, or having special adoption as a son ordaughter of the Almighty Father. This basic right brings about awareness andestablishment of a Christian identity which is formed along with the calling ofeach individual to be the follower of Christ. The sons and daughters of God arecalled to become professionals such as teachers, public servants, technicians,business people, farmers, or politicians. Others are called to the service ofGod's people as priests, religious men and women, and married spouses.  The obligation as afollower of Christ is to be the sign of Christ's presence, light, and truth inthe world. Through baptism we are made witnesses of Christ, that through ourwords and deeds we become salt and light for the world. Our dignity as sons anddaughters of God and our Christian vocations will be fruitful and perfect if weresponsibly fulfill our obligation. And so, faith is thefoundation or beginning for the growth and work of our Christian life, thatexpresses the love of Christ and the hope to achieve a new heaven and earth,which is the kingdom of heaven, said the book of the prophet Isaiah in thefirst reading today. The royal official found the answer of faith, followingthe miracle happened in his family. That faith brought his whole family to God.They consecrated themselves to be part of Jesus Christ, and they had rights andobligations as the followers of Jesus according to the religious standard andcondition of that time. Let's pray. In the name of the Father... O Jesus Christ, thank you for the gift of your call to each one of us, andmay we always renew our faith in you. Hail Mary, full of grace... In the nameof the Father ...

Delivered by Vici from the Parish of Saint John the Baptist in the Archdiocese of Jakarta, Indonesia. Deuteronomy 4: 1.5-9; Rs psalm 147: 12-13.15-16.19-20; Matthew 5: 17-19.DO WHAT IS TAUGHT The title for our meditation today is: Do What IsTaught. Two aspects from our human nature, according to God the Creator, thatmake us superior to other living creatures are reason and freedom. God entrustsus to use freely and effectively these two natural qualities. In reality thereare always two choices on the how to use our reason and freedom. One is when wechoose to follow our own will which can lead us to sin and sufferings, andanother is when we choose to follow God's teachings and laws which certainly bringus to happines. For the second choice, our reason and freedomrecognize their limits when they must stand in the same position andcollaborate with God's will. No matter how smart a person is, he finallyrealizes that God's intelligence exceeds him. Likewise he can exercise hisfreedom for any posibility or any purpose, but finally he will recognize thatGod is more powerful than him. To this extent, it is actually faith that hasthe ability to explain on the greatness and omnipotence of God, which is to beaccepted by our reason and freedom. Today, we learn about how with reason and freedom, wedo what God teaches us to do. The normal way to do is that our naturalabilities can collaborate with God's grace. The first reading from the book ofDeuteronomy describes the teaching about the divine commandments orregulations. Moses asked God's people to always obey and be faithful to whatwas already determined by God. This is what we usually call the commandments ofGod. This obedience and discipline do not reduce the roleof our reason and freedom, instead our reason and freedom assume a plus point,namely the Divine wisdom. The function of the mind for this sense is toremember, to understand, and to express in a correct manner what God teaches us. The function of freedom is tospread the truth so that it can enlighten and direct our life in the way of theLord until we arrive in perfection.  A faithful and obedient person of faith has animportant and demanding task to do what God intructs to do. One's baptismalpromises and membership in the Church bear a specific mission, which is theresponsibility to teach religious instructions to others, it could be relativesor friends, and even unknown people. This responsibility is primarily taken upby individuals because it is basically attached to each one's calling. But aresponsible and dedicated follower of Christ is also demanded to be a social anda public servant who is sent by the Lord Jesus and constantly assisted by theHoly Spirit to teach others about God and His works of salvation. The biblicalexpression for this type of responsibility is commonly known as the salt andthe light of the world. Our real vocation in this world is indeed to becomesalts and lights of the world. Then life as Christians is actually manifestedin the action of teaching and learning from one another. Let'spray. In the name of the Father ... O Father of all wisdom, fill us always withYour teachings and precepts that help us to become wise like You. Hail Mary,full of grace ... In the name of the Father ...

On this episode of the Alex McFarland Show, Alex is honored to have Dr. O.S. Hawkins on the show. Dr. Hawkins is a great leader, an author of over 50 books, speaker and pastor. Listen as they discuss his new book, The Spirit Code. Dr. Hawkins also shares his testimony of how God touched his heart and life, and the impact that he is making to further the kingdom of God through the ministry, Mission Dignity. Scriptures:Joshua 1:8Acts 19:2Mark 14:50Romans 8:11Acts 4:20Ephesians 4:30Links:Alex McFarlandAsk AlexMy Relationship with God Free e-bookBook: 100 Bible Questions and Answers on Prophecy and the End TimesThe Cove - July 17-19 & 27-31Equip Retreat Camps United in Prayer DevotionalsSpeaking CalendarBook AlexGive OnlineAlex McFarland MinistriesP.O. Box 485Pleasant Garden, NC 273131-877-937-4631 (1-877-YES-GOD1)Guest Info:Dr. O.S. Hawkins WebsiteBook: The Spirit CodeGuidestone Financial ResourcesMission DignityKeywords/Hashtags:#podcast #pfcaudiovideo #thealexmcfarlandshow #alexmcfarland #podcastcommunity #Bible #author #apologist #speaker #christians #wordofGod #apologetics #religion #prayer #truth #scriptures #alexmcfarlandministries #Jesuslovesyou #youareneveralone #encouragement #purpose #christianity #truth #evangelism #DrOSHawkins #thespiritcode #theHolySpirit #missiondignity #Guidstonefinancialresources #testimonySend a text

Yesterdaywe looked at “the sword”. Today, we want to think about “the sword ofthe Spirit”. Paul calls this sword, “the sword of the Spirit”.Someone has said that the best understanding of this is that the sword is fromthe Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the author of Scripture. We must alwaysremember that the Word of God that we have, the 66 books of the Bible fromGenesis to Revelation, are inspired by God's Holy Spirit, were breathed throughGod's Holy Spirit. 2Peter 1:20-21 tells us, "Knowing this that no prophecy of the Scriptureis of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in the old time bythe will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the HolySpirit." We're reminded in 2 Timothy 3:16, “all Scripture”,from Genesis 1:1 to the last verse in Revelation, “is given by inspirationof God”. The word inspiration means that it is God breathed. So, we mustremember that the Word of God, which is “the sword of the Spirit”,is not merely a human writing. It is divine truth. That means that every wordthat those 40 plus men put into the 66 books of the Bible, they were inspiredby God's Holy Spirit to put those words down. TheBible is a living book. It's the divine truth. And because the Spirit wrote it,the Holy Spirit can use it. We find these great truths in John 14, where Jesus beganby saying, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it beafraid." He then gives several reasons why Christians and believers,as we face the challenges of the world, we should not have troubled hearts. Weshould not fear. We should not be afraid. InJohn 14:16-18, Jesus told the disciples, "I'll pray the Father, and Hewill give you another helper that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit oftruth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knowsHim, but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be with you. I will notleave you orphans. I will come to you." Jesus Christ comes to us inthe person of the Holy Spirit. He goes on to say in verse 26, "But thehelper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teachyou all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I've said toyou." RememberJohn the Baptist had prophesied, when He was preaching as the forerunner ofChrist, in John 1:33, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”. In Luke3:16, Luke recorded that John actually said it this way, “He will baptizeyou with the Holy Spirit and with fire”. Then we read that Jesus told Hisdisciples in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit hascome upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judeaand Samaria, and to the end of the earth." For the next 10 days thedisciples prayed in the upper room. And on the Day of Pentecost, in Acts 2:1-4,the Holy Spirit came down upon them like tongues of fire. TheHoly Spirit, who inspired the Word of God, is the sword, is the sword of Godthat pierces the hearts of sinners and brings conviction. That's what Jesuspromised in John 16:8-11, “When He has come, He will convict the world ofsin, of righteousness and of judgment. Of sin because they do not believe onMe. Of righteousness because I go to My Father and you see Me no more. Ofjudgment because the ruler of this world is judged.”  Jesus went on to say in John 16:13-14, “However,when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; forHe will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak;and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take ofwhat is Mine and declare it to you”. Myfriend, when we take the sword of the Spirit, after we have put on the helmetof salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, we have apowerful weapon in our hands. We'll talk more about this powerful weapon thenext couple days.  MayGod help us to realize today that we have access to this sword of theSpirit to do mighty works for God.

Delivered by Valeria from the Parish of Saint Paul in the Diocese of Bandung, Indonesia. 1 Kings 11: 29-32; 12: 19; Rs psalm 81: 10-11ab.12-13.14-15; Mark 7: 31-37.GETTING STRONGERFOR UNITY Our meditation today is entitled: Getting Stronger ForUnity. According to our conviction and faith, unity is the beginning of allthings. The first verses of scripture, especially Genesis and the Gospel ofJohn, make it clear that unity or fellowship is the essence of the Lord God.The unity existed before the first human's fall into sin which caused thedivision and separation between good and evil, grace and sin. In this world, wherever there is a growing strength ofseparation and tension that threatens the unity of life, God also appears to bestronger in His power to rebuild it. He does that in himself and in the work ofJesus Christ. What Jesus Christ does to make the unity stronger is to renew theorder or pattern of faith that is already weak. He opens up all possibilitiesfor those who do not know God to become believers. When he healed the deaf and mute person, he certainlyshowed that faith is highly dependent on man's ability to hear and speak. Jesusonce preached in his city of Capernaum and he said that faith occurs whenpeople listen to the word of God preached. Hearing is the entrance to faith,because through it people open themselves to accept and obey. From hearing, thenext ability required is to speak and give gratitude, celebrate that faith, andproclaim it. If we realize or consider that our faith is weak, inthe first place to do is to test our ability to listen the word and will ofGod. We can also test whether we become good news for others or not. If the factshows that we are lazy and have never heard well, or not speaking the truth aboutthe word of God, then our faith is in serious crisis. The worse is when thereare persons who hate and refuse to hear and talk about God. So Jesus also takesa serious act to do something, namely to separate the person concerned from thecrowd and then removing the barriers that prevent him from hearing and talkingabout our faith. God continues to open the way and all possibilitiesfor those who want to know and believe in Him. This work is done through theChurch, especially through us believers. Let us use the two abilities that wehave, hearing and speaking. May we do the best in hearing and speaking, that wecan help other people to hear God who speaks to them personally, and they canspeak about God in their real lives. These are the ways to strengthen unityamong us believers.Let us pray. In the name of the Father... O God Almighty, maywe always be a true and useful channel for our brothers and sisters who want toknow You more closely and dearly. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to theHoly Spirit... In the name of the Father ...

This is the time of year when we often say, “Merry Christmas”and “Happy New Year.” Christmas has already passed, and now we are preparing tobegin a new year. I'm not so sure that “Happy New Year” is always the bestexpression, because happiness, for the most part, is based on happenings. Ifeverything goes well—if things turn out the way I want them to—then I'm happy.If something happens that I don't like, then I'm unhappy. What we really oughtto say is, “Have a blessed New Year.” Jesustells us what it means to be blessed in Matthew 5. “Blessed are the poor inspirit. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are thepeacemakers.” He gives us about eight “blesseds.” What He is teaching us isthis: when you are blessed by God—when you do what you ought to do in the powerof the Holy Spirit—you will experience true happiness. You will have joy inyour heart. Why? Because you are trusting the Lord with every area of yourlife. To be truly blessed is to have God's smile on your life and even in thetough and difficult times you know the God has your back and that all thingswill work together for good (Romans 8:28).  Thatkind of life happens as we discipline ourselves as disciples of Jesus Christ todo the right things. That is why we are talking about 1 Timothy 4:7, where Paulwrites to Timothy and says, “Have nothing to do with worldly fables fit onlyfor old women.” In other words, don't waste your time with worldly stories,distractions, or ideas that have no lasting value—and often aren't even true.We can get so distracted by what's going on socially, economically, orpolitically. Paul says, Don't give your time and attention to those things. “Onthe other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. For bodilydiscipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for allthings.”We want to talk about what it means to be disciplined for the purpose ofgodliness. As we said yesterday, discipline means that you go to the spiritualgym, so to speak. You put yourself in the pathway of God's grace. You do thethings that build spiritual growth in your life. You establish a foundation forliving each day by doing what you ought to do, rather than simply what you feellike doing. My friend, that takes discipline to be in the Word of God. TheApostle Paul, in 2 Timothy 2:3-6, told Timothy to be a good soldier of JesusChrist. That speaks of the discipline of a soldier. Then he goes on to talkabout an athlete—how an athlete trains and disciplines himself in order to winthe prize. He also speaks of the discipline of a farmer—a hardworking farmerwho gets up early, sows at the right time of year, and does what he may notalways want to do, but must do if he is going to reap a harvest in the fall.  Myfriend, that is description of the Christian life that pleases the Lord. Wedon't do this in our own strength. We do it in the strength and power of theHoly Spirit and by the energy He supplies as we set our hearts on pleasing Himand doing what is right every day. Yes,physical exercise profits a little. It is good to eat right and to exerciseproperly. But my friend, it is far more profitable to pursue godliness.Godliness affects our relationship with God. It shapes our character. Itinfluences our relationships with others. It impacts our peace, our wisdom, andour joy—and ultimately, even our eternity.  Noticethat Paul says godliness holds “promise for the present life and also forthe life to come.” It matters now, and it matters forever. When youdiscipline yourself for this purpose, you are not only living to please theLord today—you are living with eternity in view. Your sights are set on heaven,on the day when you will stand before the Lord and hear, “Well done, thougood and faithful servant.” 

Delivered by Angeline from the Church of Saint Catherine in the Archdiocese of Seattle, USA. Acts of the Apostle 6: 8-10; 7: 54-59; Rs psalm 31: 3cd-4.6.8ab.16bc.17; Matthew 10: 17-22.WAY OF THE CROSSAFTER CHRISTMAS The title for ourmeditation today is: Way of the Cross After Christmas. Today we celebrate thefeast of St. Stephen, a distinguished disciple of Jesus and the first martyr ofthe Church. He was one of the deacons chosen to serve the corporeal affairs ofthe Early Church community, while the apostles focused on the service of theword and prayer, as narrated in the Acts of the Apostles. With this feast ofmartyrdom on the second day of Christmas, the inspiration that is appropriateto us is the life in the Holy Spirit. The mystery of incarnation that wereflect upon, then understand and believe in, it's because of the help of theHoly Spirit. Jesus Christ who was lying as a baby in a manger knew clearly Hisdestiny that eventually brought him to the top of Golgotha. The calm, peacefuland joyful Bethlehem is closely connected with the ​​hill of Golgotha, and thisconnection is actually the path to be walked on by Jesus, the Savior. So the connectionbetween these two places in the Palestinian land actually reveals the mainreason why the Son of God, the eternal Word, became human in order to redeemhumanity from the bondage of sin and death. The outcome of this is a new lifegiven to all followers of Jesus Christ who are sons and daughters of theFather. From the beginning of his life Jesus taught the lesson of theScriptures, and he confirmed it through his way of life, that the way to theFather is the way of the cross. He shows us the example of his own path ofpassion and death. Saint Stephen is thefirst person in the Church who was in Jerusalem at that time facing and bearingthe cross. If we all choose to share in the glory of Jesus Christ, then we mustcarry our crosses daily and follow Christ through the path that He had walkedon. To give encouragement and strength, Jesus frankly tells the apostles,disciples and all of His followers about the risks of following Him. Thisbecomes possible only if we submit ourselves under the guidance of the HolySpirit. The Christmas messageactually contains risks to be faced by the followers of Christ. Jesus from thebeginning of His birth had those risks. Every baptized person is made clearabout this, that the risks and ultimate goal of taking part in Jesus Christ willonly be achieved through the cross. Glory and happiness in Christ must be paidfirst with a very high price, which is self-sacrifice and death, including theway experienced by Saint Stephen. Jesus' message to usis that He had given us sufficient grace so that everyone of us is able to takeup the cross and can endure sacrifices in life for the sake of glory andhappiness being with Him. So there will be no bad, cruel or empty cross,sacrifice, and suffering in Christ.Let's pray. In the name of the Father... O Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us always with Your grace so that we canaccept and carry our crosses with joy and hope. Glory to the Father and to theSon and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father ...

Presented by Ariel from the Parish of Saint Albert the Great from the Parish of Saint Albert the Great in the Archdiocese of Makassar, Indonesia. Isaiah 52: 7-10; Rs psalm 98: 1.2-3ab.3cd-4.5-6; Hebrews 1: 1-6; John 1: 1-18.INCARNATION,THE ETERNAL WORD BECOMES HUMAN Ourreflection on this Christmas day is themed: Incarnation, The Eternal WordBecomes Human. The word "incarnation" aptly describes the mystery ofthe Son of God, who is the eternal Word in heaven, transforming Himself to havea human body. Thus, He adopts human ways by being born through a woman in theworld. Meanwhile, the word "reincarnation", also familiar in ourconversations, has no connection to "incarnation". Today'sGospel reading focuses on the Word of God becoming human. The question to openour reflection is: Why did the Word of God need to become human? It's likeasking a village child: Why work so hard to study far away in the city? Orasking a father: Why work so hard  dayand night with many sacrifices? Allthese questions have one common answer: because of a desire or will beingcarried out. Thus, the eternal God became human because of a desire, will, orplan of God. Compared to our human desires, which are many, overlapping, andoften unfocused, God's will is singular for humanity. Inheaven and in the divine life of the Holy Trinity, there are no desires becausethey are already full and eternal. God has desires because He is involved withhumanity. And that one desire is to save humanity from sin, which has resultedin a broken relationship between God and humans. Theeternal Word of God becoming human is the Redeemer humanity needs. Incarnationbrings this together in a harmonious union, all because of the power of theHoly Spirit. It's like a man wanting to express love to his beloved, and shealso needs the love of her chosen one. Incarnationmarries heaven and earth, symbolizing the union between God the Creator and Hiscreation, humanity. Incarnation is the door for God to enter our human historyand take full part in human life. This event remains a mystery, the act of theeternal Word becoming human, but it's a reality over 2000 years ago. Lastnight, we celebrated His birth as a baby Jesus lying in a manger. Today, wecelebrate His presence surrounded by God's chosen ones who made thisincarnation happen. They are all witnesses, so this great mystery is told,shared, and celebrated to this day. Besides believing and celebrating thismystery of faith, we should live the Word in our real lives. Let us pray. In thename of the Father... O Lord Jesus Christ, bless us to live always with thespirit of Your Word in every moment of our lives. Hail Mary, full of grace... Inthe name of the Father...

Philippians 4:8Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things arelovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and ifthere be any praise, think on these things. Todaywe are looking at Ephesians 4:20–24. In these verses, Paul is speaking aboutputting off the old man and putting on the new man. He encourages us not towalk as the Gentiles—or the lost world—walks around us, but to live a new life,a different life, a life that reflects the glory of God in our speech, ourattitudes, and in everything we say and do. These verses are so important thatI feel we need to pause here for another day, especially verse 23, where Paultells us how we can live this kind of life daily, moment by moment. That versesays we are to “be renewed in the spirit of our mind”. We talked aboutthis yesterday, but today I want to make it more practical. AsI considered this verse, my thoughts went to Philippians 4. Paul says in verse4, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” Then he adds,“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” He goeson to say that we are not to worry, fret, or be anxious about anything.Instead, “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving letyour requests be made known unto God.” Paul then gives this promise: “Andthe peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts andminds through Christ Jesus.” Thatpassage takes me back to Isaiah 26:3, which says, “Thou wilt keep him inperfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.”Then verse 4 says, “Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in YAH, the LORD iseverlasting strength.”  When yourmind is stayed on the Lord, it means that you remember who Yahweh Jehovahis—the personal God who loves you, cares for you, and keeps His promises. Whenyou know that, you have His everlasting strength to face whatever comes yourway in life. Nowlet's return to Philippians 4:8 where Paul continues by saying, "think on these things.” He then adds in verse 9, “Thosethings, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me,do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” Thatis exactly what we need in our lives today. Instead of worry, fretting, fear,and dwelling on things we should not be thinking about, we are to think on theright things so that we will live the right way. Let me say it this way: whenyou are thinking what you should be thinking, you cannot be thinking what youshould not be thinking. That is why Paul says, “Think on these things.”Thinking is a choice we make every day. Remember this simple principle: garbagein, garbage out. What are you spending time taking into your mind? What are youwatching on TV, social media, YouTube? What are you reading on Facebook, innovels? What are you listening to on the radio or from friends? Are youattending church faithfully? Are you spending time in the Word of God? Weare about to finish one year and begin another, and I want to encourage you tocommit yourself by God's grace to daily Bible reading. Make time to read theScriptures. Consider reading through the entire Bible at least once in 2026.Meditate on what you read. Think about it. Perhaps memorize one verse eachweek. By the end of the year, you will have fifty-two verses hidden in yourheart. Listento godly music. Listen to biblical teaching as you travel, rather than allowingyour mind to wander toward everything that is wrong, discouraging, or painful,or toward people who have hurt you in the past. Paul tells us to think on thesethings—the truths of God's Word and the person of Jesus Christ. When we yieldourselves in obedience to the Word of God, and we are filled and guided by theHoly Spirit, He helps us think rightly and live faithfully. And you will be “renewedin the spirit of your mind”. (Read Romans 8:1-16).

Delivered by Evelyn from the Parish of Holy Spirit in the Archdiocese of Singapore. 1 Corinthians 9: 22-23; Rs psalm 117: 1.2; Mark 16: 15-20.WEDON'T BUY HEAVEN  Ourmeditation today is entitled: We Don't Buy Heaven. Many countries in Asia arevery special in the heart of Saint Francis Xavier, and vice versa, SaintFrancis Xavier is so special to them. However, there are few Catholics in Asiacompared to other religions. The reason for this, apart from only few infantbaptisms in the Church, is the difficulty to have new catechumens from youthand adults. Secularism is strong enough to shape the view that embracing areligion is not an important choice in this present world. However,we cannot deny the historical evidences in the Church about the existence andgrowth of the Catholic Church in Asia because of Catholic missionaries who camefrom the West, especially Europe. This is the fruit of the work of the HolySpirit. Therefore, we know today that the Catholic Church is present and activein all parts of the continents of this earth. Saint Francis Xavier, a Jesuitpriest from Europe in the 15th century, became the pioneer of theChurch's Mission in the Eastern region of the earth. He evangelized India,China, Japan, Southeast Asia including Indonesia. He who was filled with theHoly Spirit, made people from other nations also filled with the same Spirit ofGod. Thestruggle and hard work of missionaries like that of Saint Francis Xavier reallysignifies God's will to bring salvation to all people and this world and toenter the kingdom of heaven. But this is not something that automatic to happento everybody. Original sin and all worldly weaknesses prevent us fromautomatically achieving what we desire, which is salvation and perfection. Thatis the basic reason why we need all preparations to enter heaven. Oneof the strong indications that we do not buy heaven is that the Kingdom ofHeaven must stand on this world, namely Jesus Christ and His missionary workthat sanctify and bring us to heaven. The task of God's kingdom is to heal thesick, restore the suffering, uphold the dignity of truth and justice, andconvert sinners. It is clear that there is no element of buying with any goodsor materials. Instead, we are defended, benefited, given privilege, andprepared so that when we enter heaven, we will be worthy and in good condition. Everytime we attend the Holy Mass, the moment before receiving Holy Communion, weall make a way of preparation, namely our expression of joy and gratitude thatsays: O Lord, I am not worthy to receive under my roof, but only say a word andI will be healed. This short exclamation confirms that we do not buy heaven. Weneed sincere and great faith in God's providence. We show it by willinglyaccepting the presence of God's kingdom which always renews us. Everytime before the holy communion you say these words, remember and also mentionall the difficulties, weaknesses, sufferings and troubles in yourself and yourfamily. Let the kingdom of God restore all. Let'spray. In the name of the Father... O Lord, may your kingdom come and restoreevery weakness of our life. Our Father who art in heaven ... In the name of theFather ...

Delivered by Vici from the Parish of Saint John the Baptist in the Archdiocese of Jakarta, Indonesia. Isaiah 11: 1-10; Rs psalm 72: 2.7-8.12-13.17; Luke 10: 21-24.THEHOLY SPIRIT IS IN YOU Ourmeditation today is entitled: The Holy Spirit is in You. There was a celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation in a remote parish. The bishop came to that parish one day before the celebration. Candidates for theSacrament of Confirmation weremore than 300 people. Most of them come from various villages which are locatedfar apart from one another. Theyare young people, the majority of whom are teenagers. They walked along pathsup the mountain and down the valley. They were willing to get caught in the rain andstruggle to tread slippery and muddy roads. Their new and clean clothes were wrapped in such a way so as not to getwet and dirty. They walked along the waybarefoot. Duringthe homily at Holy Mass, the Bishop encouraged all the young recipients of theSacrament of Confirmation, saying: “You have the Holy Spirit within you. ThisHoly Spirit does not stay silent or hide, but He really works and controlsyou.” All the young people who came from faraway villages agreed with what theshepherd said. The Spirit of God really burned their spirits from the momentthey departed from their respective villages until the time they received thesign of the anointing of the power of the Holy Spirit by the Bishop. TheHoly Spirit has power to fill the person who receives it and makes him amissionary. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is expressed by the first readingof the book of the prophet Isaiah today, which says that the Spirit of God gives him the Spirit of wisdom andunderstanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and piety, and the Spirit of fear of God. Those hundreds of young recipients of theSacrament of Confirmation and all of us who have been gifted with the HolySpirit on theoccasions of Sacrament of Confirmation in the past, are missionaries. We have received the HolySpirit who fills us, and we are sent to our respective places to be witnessesfor Christ. The world around us, especially those around us, have the right toreceive God's blessings through our good deeds that are full of love from the testimony of ourlives. Today'sreadings mention two basic legitimacy for someone who is sent. A messenger inthe ministry of word, sacrament, love and pastoral not in his own name, but inthe name of Jesus Christ and is filled with the Holy Spirit. To carry out thistask, he incarnates or unites with the local context and people where he livesand works. Thus his missionary spirit is real and true. Let's pray. In the name of theFather... O Lord Jesus, may we be more diligent in carrying out Your mission inour respective duties and works. Glory to theFather and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father...

Todaywill continue to look at Ephesians 4:4-6 where we talk about the ground of ourunity. Remember in verses 1-3, Paul was talking about the grace of our unity.We have longsuffering, gentleness, and humility. We bear with one another inlove. That's the grace of our unity and now we need the basis of our unity.What gives us unity? Oneness in Jesus Christ. Oneness in our church. Unitywhere there's diversity and yet we have a unity of love and kindness and gracewith each other.  Theworld should see this love and oneness that Jesus prayed about in John 17 becausewe are one with Christ and in Christ. Because we are one with God we can loveone another despite our differences. Oh, my friend, how the church needs thatunity today. The local body of Jesus Christ caring for one another, praying forone another, working together as we serve the one Lord and God of our Father ofour Lord Jesus Christ.  SoPaul writes about the seven spiritual realities that we in verses 4-6. Thefirst five being: one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith. Now, thelast two of these spiritual realities are one baptism and one God and Father inverses five and six.  “Onebaptism”.I believe the baptism here that the Apostle Paul is writing about is thebaptism that takes place at the moment of our salvation. In 1 Corinthians 12:13Paul wrote, "For by one Spirit we are baptized into one body."For sure there is a difference of opinions when it comes to the teaching of thebaptism of the Spirit in the New Testament. I personally believe that there wasan initial, unique, one time in history experience, that took place when the120 disciples in the upper room praying in one accord (Acts 2:1-3).  Thishappened on the day of Pentecost, (that's 50 days after Passover), when theHoly Spirit came down on these disciples with tongues of fire and they werebaptized into the body of Christ and the church was birthed. Jesus had toldthem to: "Tarry in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father, theHoly Spirit", in Acts 1. For 10 days they had waited and prayedtogether. Then on that tenth day, a one-time historical event took place as the120 were baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. Laterthat day, when Peter preached, 3,000 souls were saved. At the moment of eachsalvation of those 3,000 people, each one individually was baptized into thebody of Christ. If you want to read details about this, read Acts 1-2. Anotherpassage that speaks of this spiritual experience that takes place in the lifeof each believer when they get saved, is 1 Corinthians 12. Paul speaks of the diversityof gifts but “the same Spirit”. There are differences of ministry orservice but “the same Lord”. In verse 6, he says there's diversities ofactivities, but “the same God” who works all in all.  Youwill see this theme throughout this chapter, one spirit, same God, one God, oneLord Jesus Christ. And remember Paul is writing to the church at Corinth that'shaving tremendous divisions amongst themselves. He's reminding them when onebody, one spirit, one God, one Father. And now he is doing the same with thechurch at Ephesus.  Sotoday, we need to remember this baptism he is speaking of in Ephesians 4:5 isnot a second experience, third, fourth, fifth, sixth experience of baptism.This baptism only takes place at the moment of your salvation. You're baptizedat that moment into the body of Christ. Read Romans 6:3, where Paul speaks ofwhat takes place at this baptism of the Spirit. "Don't you know that asmany of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, we were baptized into Hisdeath?"  Again, this takes placeat our salvation.  So,there is only “one baptism”, and you don't need to look for asecond, third, or fourth, or fifth baptism. It's already taken place. Surely, aswe dwell on these things and think about what God has done for us in Christ, wecan have true unity one with another. Godbless!

Todaywe're specifically looking at Ephesians 3:16. Two things we're going to talkabout and that's, “the riches of His glory” and “in the inner man”.As we look at this passage of scripture, we realize that the power of the HolySpirit is given to us “according to the riches of His glory”. Christreturned to glory. But remember He said, "If I don't go away, I can'tsend the Holy Spirit. But if I go away, I will send the Comforter, the HolySpirit." (John 14; John 16:7). Christ returned to glory and sent theHoly Spirit from heaven to indwell and to empower His people.  So,it's not necessary for us to work something up. The power of God has been sentdown. Jesus said, "Tarry at Jerusalem till the power of the Holy Spiritis come upon you." (Acts 1:4-8). They did tarry and the HolySpirit, 10 days later, on the day of Pentecost, came down upon them. The HolySpirit was sent down. The Holy Spirit is the “gift of God” according tothose first passages of Scripture in the book of Acts (Acts 2:38; 8:20; 10:45;11:17). Now the Holy Spirit dwells in us and empowers us.  Goddoesn't give us the Holy Spirit's power out of His riches, but “according toHis riches” and that is a far greater thing. If I'm a billionaire and Igive you $10, I've given you out of my riches. But if I give you a milliondollars, I have given you according to my riches. The first is a portion, butmy friend, the second is a proportion. Oh, God has His riches in heaven thatare immeasurable, unfathomable, endless, eternal. He gives you not out of Hisriches but “according to the riches of His glory”. Nowvery interesting this power is available for “the inner man”.This means the spiritual part of man where God dwells and God lives in us. Weread in Romans 8:16; “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit thatwe are the children of God”. The inner man of the lost sinner is dead (Ephesians2:1), but that inner spirit becomes alive when the Holy Spirit of Christ,Christ Himself comes to indwell us. We find that the inner mancan see in Psalm 119:18, "Open mine eyes that I may see wondrous thingsout of your law." The inner man can hear Matthew13:9, Jesus said, "He who has ears, let him hear."  “Theinner man”has taste in Psalm 34:8; “Taste and see that the Lord is good”. We findwe can feel with the inner man (Acts 17:27). According to 1 Timothy 4:7-8,we find that bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness exercises greatprofit for those who trust and believe in Him. The outward man is perishing.But the inner man, the inner man can be renewed day by day in spite of thephysical outward decay that takes place. I love that passage in 2 Corinthians4:16-18: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man isperishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our lightaffliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceedingand eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen,but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen aretemporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal”.  Whatdoes it mean to have the Holy Spirit empower “the inner man”? Itmeans that our spiritual faculties are controlled by God, and we are exercisingthem and growing in the Word (Hebrews 5:12-14). It is only when we yield to theSpirit and let Him control the inner man that we succeed in living to the gloryof God. This means we are feeding the inner man the Word of God, praying andworshiping, keeping clean, and exercising the senses by loving obedience. MayGod help us to trust Him today to have that strength that only He can give forHis glory and for His ministry of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ withthe world around us.  Godbless!

Delivered by Celine from the Parish of Santo Marinus Yohanes in the Diocese of Surabaya, Indonesia. Wisdom 18: 14-16; 19: 6-9; Rs psalm 105: 2-3.36-37.42-43; Luke 18: 1-8.GOD ACTS QUICKLY ANDRIGHTLY The title for ourmeditation today is: God Acts Quickly and Rightly. A 6-year-old girl often accompaniedher mother to shop at the market. She notices that her mother always requestsfor discount to the things being bought. What a surprise! She asks for discountmore than half of the price. When the seller objects the discounted price, themother always says: "Sorry, we have nothing, we are very poor." On one occasion thegirl used her small savings to buy something at the shop nearby. She alsowanted to ask for dicount imitating what her mother usually does. Before sayingwhat she wanted to buy, she first said to the shop owner, "Sorry, we havenothing, we are very poor." Then she showed the item she was about to buy.The shop owner took the item and gave it to the little girl for free. In this life we seemeetings between the small and big ones, poor and rich, master and servants,powerful and powerless. The screams and cries of the poor or little ones alwaysattract attention. They shout either directly to certain people who immediatelygive attentions, or openly to the public and it's up to anyone who would payattention to them. Their screams and cries can only stop after their requestsare answered or attended. God has compassionfor these people. God acts quickly and becomes their savior at the right time.They are the people who do not have supporters, defenders and protectors. Theparable of the widow and her case to be solved by the lawyer in today's gospelpassage is an example of how the divine assistance comes at the very time manreally needs. In the scriptures there are many similar examples that show God'shelps come quickly and rightly. Many of us have everexpereinced God's helps comes quickly and rightly. Some people admit that theirprayers have not been answered. Therefore, they tend to view God is not yet intheir side. Some are patient enough to wait for an answer at the right time.Some have given up because they already waited for a long time, then theybecome passive and apathetic. Some even are emotionally driven by anger orhostile towards God because they are frustrated knowing no sign of the Lord'sfavor for them. It maybe true thatthe time is not yet right. Why? Because God is using our neighbors to be thehelpers. For sure, our immediate helps should come from there. The helpsactually come from God himself, who uses neighbors who are near to us. Let's pray. In the name of the Father... O Lord, we pray and we hope for the security and worthiness of our brothersand sisters who are so helpless and distress; may they find your favor andaccept all helps with gratitude. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to theHoly Spirit ... In the name of the Father ...

Todayin Ephesians 3, we're talking about the mystery of the church. The word mysteryis used at least six times in the New Testament to refer to the church that wasborn on the day of Pentecost. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would comeupon people and anoint them to do special deeds, great works such as Samsondid. But in the New Testament, something new takes place. Something that washidden in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit would not only come down upon thepeople and upon the church (Acts 2:1-4), but He would enter the hearts of thebelievers and dwell there and never leave.  TheHoly Spirit might be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), and He might be quenched (1Thessalonians 5:19), but the Holy Spirit will still be there. Our body is thetemple of the Holy Spirit, the temple of God. 1 Corinthians 6:19:20. My friend,we need to believe and understand this truth, this truth of the mystery of thechurch, being born on the day of Pentecost, is now God's agency, God'sinstitution that He is using to spread the Good News, the Gospel to let theworld know that by faith you can have a relationship with God through JesusChrist. The church is “according to theeternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord”.  Thisgreat mystery and truth was important to Paul (vv. 1-5). It was important tothe Gentiles that now they could be one with the Jews and be one in Christtogether (vv. 6-8). It was important to the angels (vv. 9-10).  And as we've been seeing through this chapter,it is also very important to the believers that today we should understand thisgreat truth. When God saved Paul, He deposited with him the precious treasuresof the Gospel truth (1 Timothy 1:11). Paul in turn committed these truths to othersand exhorted them to commit the truths to faithful men who would guard and sharethem (2 Timothy 2:2).  And in those apostolicdays, the truth of the church was being made manifest in such a way thateverywhere everyone went and they knew as they became a part of that local bodyof believers, the body of Christ, that they were a part of something specialand they had a plan and program. They had a mission to be on with God, and theyturned the world upside down for Jesus Christ (Acts 17:6). And in a very wicked,evil, cruel world, things changed because of the church.  Today,I believe that the same thing is happening again. I really believe in theselast days before Jesus Christ comes again. This great truth, the mystery of thechurch should be important to us today as we study through the Scriptures. Weknow that this “mystery” is the key to what God promised in the Old Testament.What Christ did in the gospels, what the early church did in the book of Acts, whatPaul and the other writers teach in the epistles, and what God will do asrecorded in the book of Revelation. God's program today is not the headship ofIsrael, Deuteronomy 28:1-13, but the headship of Christ over the church. Wetoday are under a different leadership, dispensation, if you want to call itthat, from that of Moses and the prophets. We must be careful not to confusewhat God has clarified.  Thereason so many churches are weak and ineffective because they do not understandwhat we have and what they have in Jesus Christ. This great truth concerning the church is not a divine afterthought. Itis part of God's eternal purpose in Christ (Ephesians 3:11). When we know this truth, we will have boldness and access with great confidenceinto the Holy of Holies, into the presence of God, and to go forward againstthe gates of hell with the message of Jesus Christ.  Oh,my friend, today, like Paul, we ask that you don't lose heart over what ourspiritual leaders and the people of God might suffer on behalf of sharing thisgood news with the others in the world. This passage of scripture shouldencourage us today to give our all to Christ, live for Him, and let His Gospelbe known to the world around us.

Delivered by Vanessa Anggono from Saint Mary's Catholic Church - Cadogan Street London, in the Archdiocese of Westminster, United Kingdom. Wisdom 7: 22 - 8: 1; Rs psalm 119: 89.90.130.135.175; Luke 17: 20-25.THE KINGDOM OF GOD ISIN YOUR MIDST Our meditation today isentitled: The Kingdom of God is in Your Midst. Jesus Christ said this to thePharisees. Although there are no more Pharisees today, the pharisaic spirit isalive. A mother always corrects her children in this manner: "Don't becomehypocritical like the Pharisees." A life that is not sincere and full oflies is a life of the pharisaic spirit. So, following the reminder of themother, the children always remember that the pharisaic attitude isactually  bad and sinfull. The Pharisees wereasking for a sign of the coming of the Kingdom of God. They wanted a kingdomcomplete with its location dan political system. They were looking for thepower of the world. But Jesus is against this way of thinking. Today we shouldsay that the pharisaic attitude can be seen in those who look for miracles.They actually do not know that even from waking up in the morning until themoment to go to sleep at night is already a significant miracle. Today many peopletend to use the hyperbole style, a way of exaggeration. The quantity of peopleor things can be exaggerated according to one's own interest. The quality ofsomeone or something can also be given exaggeration. For instance someone washeard teling his friend in this way "I can read all your thoughts andfeelings before you express them yourself." People of today prefer moneyto be the first standard to engage work, service and cooperation. If withoutmoney, people don't want to work,  to sacrifice,to serve, even to associate and  to pray.We can mention many more things like this. All of them have onecommon characteristic, namely blindness and deafess both physically andmentally about the presence of God in our midst and within us. The God who ispresent now and here, actually speaks from each one's conscience. The Lord'ssilent presence is a wisdom that affects a person's life from within. Thatpresence is primarily in the form of His powerful words, cannot be held andseen, but as the spirit that comforts, encourages and strengthens us. The Lord Jesusreplaces His own presence with the Holy Spirit who is wise and holy, easy tomove, clear, immaculate, bright, sharp and generous, as said in the book ofWisdom of the today's first reading. In other words, that presence is actuallythe power of our God manifested in commandments, inspiration, values, wisdom,morality and virtues. All is united in the making up of a truly spiritual unityof the Kingdom of God. This Kingdom governs all with the power of God. We are taught byJesus His own prayer for the coming of the kingdom. This kingdom is useful andmeaningful to us only when it takes control all our lives in the world, that wemay not be let to be driven away by all other powers of the world. With regardsto our future, the Kingdom of God is the representation of eternal life that isachieved by everyone of us after our death. There will be the resurrection forall the righteous. We need to celebrate the presence of this Kingdom every day. Let's pray. In the name of the Father... O Lord, make us always open to the presence and coming of Your kingdom, andwe are content to welcome Him. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to theHoly Spirit  ... In the name of theFather ...

How Can You Have Joy In A Troubled World?Grace Christian FellowshipJohn 16:16-33Introduction:Today we will continue and hopefully finish John 16 from where Darien left offlast week. If you recall, we are nearing the end of what we call the farewelldiscourse. It is a long section of Scripture taking place in the upper room withJesus and his disciples just prior to his arrest, mock trial, conviction, and eventualcrucifixion. It is in these last moments that Jesus pours into his disciples his finalthoughts, his final instructions for what is to come.I loved the way Darien framed this last week as he talked about a coach who hadtrained his team, but all of the sudden before the big game he was gone. In fact Iremember in 2017 when Alabama was playing Clemson for the NationalChampionship game and Nick Saban fired the offensive coordinator just daysbefore the game because of distractions around Lane's newly acquired job atFlorida Atlantic. Here was Lane who was the play caller and the mastermindbehind the offense and in the biggest game of their lives he was gone. Alabamawould go on to lose that game. To a much greater degree this must be how thedisciple feel as Jesus tells them he is going away and that he is going to be killed.But Jesus is so full of compassion in these verses. He has every right to be focusedon his own task. After all he is the one who is about to go through this agonizingdeath, but his focus is on his disciples. He doesn't want them to worry. He wantsthem to have greater faith. He wants them to have true joy that is bigger than theircircumstances. So let's pick up in verse 16 as we answer the question, How canyou have joy in a trouble world.In verses 16-21 I want us to see that (I) the sorrow is temporary216 "A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and youwill see me."All through the Bible we get the concept of messianic timing. It was the Godordained time in which things were to occur. We see Jesus say things like “mytime has not yet come”. Jesus is trying to communicate to the disciples that thetime is near for his death. It is but “a little while away”.I think it is difficult for us to really put ourselves in the place of the disciplesometimes. These were just common men. Fishermen or tax collectors or whateverthey were. And all they have known to this point is to follow Jesus. They justfollowed him. Tried to learn from him. They had no idea what is would be likewhen he was gone.In fact even that they haven't really accepted. Their minds our clouded bypreconceptions of Judiasm. They don't always follow what Jesus is teaching. Andthey probably deep down hope that Jesus is going to establish some sort of earthlyrule that will provide them some security. We will see this in the garden whenPeter is ready to wage war to prevent Jesus from being taken.But Jesus also says “in a little while” you will see me (again). Jesus want's hisdisciples to realize that the sorrow is only temporary. One of the things that mywife, Brooke, always says is I can do anything as long as I know there is an end insight. Right, we just need some assurance that the difficult thing won't lastforever. We need hope.[Jhn 16:17 ESV] 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, "What is this thathe says to us, 'A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, andyou will see me'; and, 'because I am going to the Father'?"Now stop right here do you see something in verse 17 that was not in verse 16. Wenow have this phrase “because I am going to the father”.3You see there is some debate around what the little while is. Is Jesus talking abouthe is going to die, but the he is going to be resurrected in 3 days? Is that the littlewhile? Or is he talking about something else. I think the key to understanding is inthat phrase that we get from the disciples “because I am going to the father”. Lookback at verse 6.[Jhn 16:7 ESV] 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I goaway, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I willsend him to you.So I believe the “little while and you will see me” is referring to the coming of theHoly Spirit. That is the context of this entire chapter, the coming of what Paulcalls in Romans as “the Spirit of Christ”. So because I go away to the Father “nothis death, but his ascension”, the Holy Spirit will come like we see in Acts 2 atPentecost. Which really fits with the rest of the entire chapter.Jesus wants them to know that the sorrow they will have is only temporary18 So they were saying, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We do not knowwhat he is talking about." 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said tothem, "Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, 'A littlewhile and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'?Now I'm right on the line of being Gen X and Millennial, and sometimes when Ithink back to my childhood I realize just how different we were built. I neverforget on teacher I had in shop class. Much of it was not about shop by the way.Have you ever heard that there is no such thing as a dumb question? Well hedidn't subscribe to that. I'll never forget one day in class this guy in the back ofthe room raised his hand and asked a question. I don't remember what the questionwas but it must have been a dumb one, because what I do remember is how thatshop teacher responded. He said real calmly, little man, did you know peoplemight think you're a dummy, but they don't really know for sure. But the moment4you open your mouth and ask a question like that, everybody knows you're adummy.Proverbs 17:28: "Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when hecloses his lips, he is deemed intelligent".Now our disciple didn't have Mr. McCreless but maybe they did read Proverbsbecause nobody wants to ask the question. But Jesus is determined to show themthe temporary nature of their sorrow so he gives them an illustration.[Jhn 16:20 ESV] 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but theworld will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.Jesus knows that these disciples are headed for sorrow. The road will not be easy.But ultimately they will have joy. And you as a believer has this very samepromise.[Rom 5:2-5 ESV] 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into thisgrace in which we stand, and we rejoice (definition find deep and abiding joy) inhope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings,knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character,and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God'slove has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been givento us.God is not allowing us to go through difficult seasons for no reason. He issovereign and in control of all things. And while we may not know His exactpurpose we can be assured that He is doing something in and through our trials.Our sorrow is temporary but our joy is everlasting. Jesus further explains it thisway.5[Jhn 16:21 ESV] 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because herhour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers theanguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.Jesus compares the suffering and the joy to a woman who is giving birth. Now, Ican tell you I have several children and I am somewhat of an expert you could sayin observing this phenomenon. I can tell you that the process appears from myvantage point to be very, very difficult. But I will never forget the moment whenthe first time in my life I heard the doctor say, I can see her head. It was as if inthat moment for the first time I really understood that I was about to be a Dad. Iwas completely and totally responsible for another human being. I was filled withan overwhelming amount of joy. And I remember when they handed my daughterto my wife and she held her and she just smiled and cried these tears of joy. Asgreat as the pain and the suffering was, it was in that moment completely gone andit was replaced with joy. And that joy of being a parent never goes away. Surethere are difficult times, but it is lasting.That brings me to my second point, (II)True Joy is Eternal[Jhn 16:22 ESV] 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, andyour hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.This reunioun with Christ or the Spirit of Christ creates in us a joy that cannot betaken from us by anyone.Now this Jesus points to 2 characteristics of this Joy. There is joy in having directaccess to God in Prayer.[Jhn 16:23-24 ESV] 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I sayto you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Untilnow you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joymay be full.6I will admit that I got hung up a little bit here. What does Jesus mean ask nothingof me? Is he saying don't pray to Jesus? No, that's not it at all. You have to thinkabout this in the context of the disciples. Up until this point in their lives all theyhave known about following Jesus has been to follow him. And if they were inneed they would ask him. Jesus would talk to the Father for them, and then thingswould happen. In fact all of John 17 is going to be exactly that, Jesus praying onbehalf of the disciples to the Father.So Jesus now because I am going away, things are going to be different, you nowhave direct access to the Father. And he gives a promise, ask it in my name andyou will receive it. And then we get a “so that”. Why does the Father answer theseprayers? So that your “JOY” may be made full!Now, what does it mean to pray in Jesus name?First of all, it is our identity. We recognize and declare that we are in Christ. Butmore importantly is aligns our motives. That is to say that if I pray for somethingin the name of Jesus I am saying, Father I am asking this because I believe it is thething that Jesus would also pray. Not out of selfishness or ambition, but I trulybelieve it is a desire of Christ for this thing to happen.So not only is access to God in prayer a characteristic of joy, but also true SpiritualDiscernment. (25)[Jhn 16:25 ESV] 25 "I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The houris coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell youplainly about the Father.I think one of the most profound parts of Scripture is in comparing the disciplesthat are presented in the gospels. Often they appear confused, without direction,they don't understand, they have no vision of the Kingdom. They are beingrepremanded for being out of line. But then Acts 2 happens.And all of the sudden, these disciples are presented in a completely different light.Teaching with authority. Some are writing Scripture in connection with the Holy7Spirit. Preaching deep theological Kingdom truths. All of this after Jesus hasascended!Remember what Darien said last week in John 16:13[Jhn 16:12-13 ESV] 12 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bearthem now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth,for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak,and he will declare to you the things that are to come.Not only is the Holy Spirit called the Spirit of Christ as we saw in Romans, but heis called by John in this chapter as the “Spirit of Truth”. And knowing the truth isa great source of our Joy.So why does the Father want to answer our prayers, and why does he want us toknow the truth through discernment? Because he loves us. Verse 27.[Jhn 16:27 ESV] 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved meand have believed that I came from God.If you want to please the Father, or better yet if you want to be loved by theFather, then he asks us to love His Son. How do you do you love the Son?[Jhn 14:15 ESV] 15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.I want to be careful here, because I believe that you are saved by grace throughfaith. Not of works lest any man should boast. There is no amount of good deedsthat can get you to heaven or earn one ounce of favor with God. But I do want tomake a connection between faith and obedience in light of John 14:15.[2Co 13:5 ESV] 5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Testyourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is inyou?--unless indeed you fail to meet the test!8How do you know if you love Christ? How do you know if you are in the Faith?What is the test. If you love Christ, you will desire to know his Word, and you willdesire to keep his commandments. You will not do it perfectly, you will fail, justas I fail, but in you will be a desire to love God and to love people. There will be adesire to flee from Sin. And when you fall into sin you will be broken untorepentance. You are not saved by obedience, but obedience is an outpouring of alife that is in Christ.Some of you this morning may not know if you belong to Christ. Scripture calls usto examine ourselves. It doesn't ever say did you pray a prayer. Did you gothrough confirmation, were you baptized? None of that. It always lands right here,is your life bearing the fruit of the Spirit. And if it isn't then you have cause forgreat concern. If this is you then scripture is clear, believe on Jesus Christ today,and repent and place your faith in him.[Jhn 16:28-30 ESV] 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, andnow I am leaving the world and going to the Father." 29 His disciples said, "Ah,now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now we knowthat you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why webelieve that you came from God."In these verses we can see ourselves. We see the first elements of faith in that theyhave an intellectual understanding of what Jesus is saying, but their faith is veryweak. Just like us.We can read the truth of God, we can write in our journal. We can even pray aboutsome Scripture that we have read and think. That's awesome God thank you forshowing my that truth. It can be a delightful experience to have with the Lord, andI don't want to take away from that. BUT, when do you really understand apassage like this?[Jhn 15:19 ESV] 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as itsown; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world,therefore the world hates you.9It's not really when you read it. On a deeper level you understand it when youexperience it. When do you really understand a passage like “Even though I walkthrough the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me”.It's not when you read it, when you understand it, it's really when you live it.I think Jesus' tone in verse 31, is dripping with irony.[Jhn 16:31 ESV] 31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?In fact if I were paraphrasing this verse into modern language it might gosomething like, “oh do you now?”. They do understand to a degree, but the trialsthat lie ahead of them are about to take this small faith and grow it into somethingthat is unshakable.Peter who not long after this very moment will go on to deny Jesus 3 times. I don'tknow that man, I never heard of him. Who will hear the rooster crow and realizethat he has failed in his own power. The failed Peter who Jesus would return toand ask the question, Peter do you love me? Peter do you love me? Peter do youlove me? I can almost here Jesus say after all that? Now Peter, now do you believeme? And Peter would have said, Oh Lord, now because I have gone through all ofthis, now I really believe!It is that Peter, not failed Peter, but tested Peter, the redeemed Peter who goes onto write this:[1Pe 1:6-7 ESV] 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary,you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of yourfaith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may befound to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.The test is coming vs 32.10[Jhn 16:32 ESV] 32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when youwill be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am notalone, for the Father is with me.They will fail. It doesn't mean they aren't believers. The test is for a purpose, tostrengthen, to grow.Why am I telling you all this, Jesus says?[Jhn 16:33 ESV] 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may havepeace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome theworld."Listen Church, Jesus doesn't just speak these words to the disciples in the upperroom. I believe he has in mind, all of you, and me. And any disciple that would becalled to him. To believe in Jesus is to be at odds with the world. And there is apromise here that in this world. In this evil system that you find yourself a part of.you will have tribulation. You will have trouble. You will have sorrow.Jesus says take heart, I have overcome the world. This is the victory. Only Jesuscan say this. Only he has the power. If I say cheer up, buck up, hang it there it ismeaningless, because I don't have the power to do anything. Not the case withJesus. The creator, God himself, says, I know your trouble, but rest in me, becauseI am the One that holds it all. We have nothing to worry about because of that. Lord's Supper Invitationo Are you going through a trial? Pray this morning that God would growyour faith.o Maybe this morning you know another believer who is going thoughtrials and God is showing you an opportunity to encourage them andsupport them in the midst of it.o Maybe this morning you have examined yourself and you haveconcerns that your faith is not real.

Josh Monday Christian and Conspiracy Podcast Ep. 310How to Support the ministry: $5.99 a monthpatreon.com/JoshMondayChristianandConspiracyPodcastJoin the Patreon here: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Joshmonday_podcastIf you want to donate to the Ministry CashAPP:https://cash.app/$JoshmondaymusicNew affiliate: https://wsteif.com/ Paul and Crystals links: https://thetinfoilhatfactory.com/Flat Earth Books by Sakal Publishing Affiliate Link: https://booksonline.club/booksonlinecYoutube: ⁠@joshmondaymusicandpodcast ⁠ Tips for the show to Support our Ministry: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/joshmondayCoffee Mug Is Available email me your mailing address Joshmonday⁠@rocketmail.com ⁠ Please subscribe to our Spotify and You Tube Channel Joshmondaymusic and Podcast and help us grow so we can keep on spreading the good news.To all of our current and future subscribers thank you for your time, we appreciate you. Please do us a favor subscribe to our You Tube Channel, hit that bell, share, like and comment below on our You tube. Please leave us a 5-Star review on Apple and Spotify.Check out my new show Sunday Service and Wednesday Brought to you by Cult of Conspiracy Podcast. On Cult of Conspiracy Spotify, Patreon and Apple Podcast Channel.Join the study as I go deep into the Bible. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/josh-monday-christian-and-conspiracy-podcast--6611118/support.

Todaywe're continuing in Ephesians 1:15-18. Paul desired the Ephesian Christians tounderstand what great wealth they had in Christ. Paul knew of their faith andlove, and in this he rejoiced. The Christian life has two dimensions: faithtoward God and love toward men, and you cannot separate the two. Now theChristian life always begins with faith. Salvation is experienced by faith inthe Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 10:8-13; Ephesians 2:8-9). But then the realproof of our faith is our love toward other believers and toward the people inthe world around us. We are to love them as Christ loved them. He loved them somuch that while they were yet sinners, He died for them on a cross. We are tolove others even as we want others to love us. TheScripture teaches us that when we walk with God, live in His Word, when we arefill with His Word, that we will be like a tree planted by the rivers ofwaters, bringing forth fruit in its season. Our leaves will not wither, andwhatsoever we do will prosper (Psalms 1:2-3). Now, when you have the Word ofGod, abiding in your heart, living by the river of waters, the water of God's Word,and filling your life with it, your root of your faith will go down deep intothe heart of God. Then my friend, you will be like a tree that is glorious, alife that reflects and shines forth the fruit of the love of God.  Yes,faith is the root and love is the fruit. Don't ever forget that faith is theroot of our Christian life and love is the fruit of our Christian life, andalso the outward evidence that we truly have been born again. But Paul knewthat faith and love were just the beginning. The Ephesians needed to know muchmore. This is why he prayed for them, and for us. Inthe four prison prayers of Paul found in Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-21; Philippians1:9-11; and Colossians 1:9-12, we discover the blessings he wanted his convertsto enjoy. In none of these prayers does Paul request material things. Hisemphasis is on spiritual perception and real Christian character. He does notask God to give them what they do not have, but rather prays that God willreveal to them what they already have. Beforewe study Paul's four requests in this "prayer for enlightenment"in Ephesians 1, we must notice two facts. First, enlightenment comes from theHoly Spirit. He is the "Spirit of wisdom and revelation" (Isaiah11:2; John 14:25-26; 16:12-14). With his natural mind, man cannot understandthe things of God. He needs the Spirit to enlighten him (1 Corinthians 2:9-16).The Holy Spirit reveals truth to us from the Word, and then gives us the wisdomto understand and apply it. He also gives us the power—the enablement—topractice the truth (Ephesians 3:14-21). Second,this enlightenment comes to the heart of the believer (Ephesians 1:18).Literally this verse reads, "The eyes of your heart beingenlightened." We think of the heart as the emotional part of man, butin the Bible, the heart means the inner man, and includes the emotions, themind, and the will. The inner man, the heart, has spiritual faculties thatparallel the physical senses. Theinner man can see (Ps. 119:18; John 3:3).Theinner man can hear (Matt. 13:9; Heb. 5:11).Theinner man can taste (Ps. 34:8; 1 Peter 2:3).Theinner man can smell (Phil. 4:18; 2 Cor. 2:14)Andthe inner man can touch (Acts 17:27). Thisis what Jesus meant when He said of the people: "They seeing see not, andhearing they hear not" (Matt. 13:13). The inability to see and understandspiritual things is not the fault of the intelligence but of the heart. Theeyes of the heart must be opened by the Spirit of God. Thisis why Paul prayed this prayer for the believers at Ephesus. This is a wonderfulprayer that we can also pray for family and friends on regular basis! May God'sHoly Spirit open the eyes of our heart today! Godbless!

Herein verses 13 and 14, Paul tells us that we were sealed by the Holy Spirit.Already we've talked about what God the Father has given us. We talked aboutJesus Christ and what He has given us. Now we're talking about the Holy Spiritand what He gives us even today. He says we also, who have believed and trustedin Christ, were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. He seals us. That wasour lesson yesterday. Today,in verse 14, we learn about the guarantee we have by the Holy Spirit. Anotherword used for guarantee in the old King James is the word “earnest”. It reads, “Whichis the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchasedpossession, unto the praise of his glory”.  This word earnest is a very fascinatingword. In Paul's day, it meant the down payment to guarantee the final purchaseof some commodity or a piece of property. Even today, when you buy a piece ofproperty or you might hear the real estate agent mention the word earnest, thedown payment, the guarantee that you're going to pay the final price on thisproperty when you go to settlement in the lawyer's office. TheHoly Spirit is God's first installment to guarantee to you and me, Hischildren, that He will finish the work He begun in us and that He will eventuallybring us to glory. This “earnest” is for “the redemption of the purchasedpossession”. This refers to the redemption of the body at the return ofChrist for His Church. Romans 8:18-23 and 1 John 3:1-3 both speak of thisexperience! Redemption,as we know it in Scripture, is experienced in three different stages: Wehave been redeemed through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7).Weare being redeemed as the Spirit works in our lives to make us more like Christ(Romans 8:1-4). Weshall be redeemed one day when Christ returns, and we become His for eternity.  Butthe word “earnest” can also means “engagement ring”. Matter offact, in Greece today, you might find this word still being used that way.Isn't that what an engagement ring is? It's an assurance. It's a guarantee thatthe promise that you make to each other to be wed one day will be kept. Myfriend, our relationship to Jesus Christ and to God is not a commercial one. It'sa personal one. It's a personal experience of love. He is the bridegroom. Thechurch is His bride. Jesus is making the guarantee with the presence of theHoly Spirit in your life that one day He will come for His bride. He is goingto keep His promise. Maybe that is why He is called the Holy Spirit of promise. Whatgreater assurance do we need to have? I'm often asked, “Can I lose mysalvation? They say, “I don't feel saved. I don't have the assurance that Ikeep my salvation because I still sin. I still do things I shouldn't do”. ReadRomans 6 and 8. These two chapters should give you great assurance of your positionin Christ, and reminds you that you will never be separated from the love ofGod that's in Christ Jesus. Absolutely nothing can separate you. Why? The “Earnest”,the Guarantee has been given. You have the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit isthere right now in your life, never to be taken away. Yes,can grieve the Holy Spirit, and you can quench Him, but you will never loseHim. Why? Because Jesus said, "He that comes to Me, I will by no meanscast out” (John 6:37). And Jesus promised in John 14:16, “And I will praythe Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with youforever”. My friend, “forever” means “forever”! Mayyou be especially blessed today as you relish the guarantee that you are His,and He is yours, and you're forever experiencing and enjoying His love.  Godbless!

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we're continuing to look at the ministry and work ofthe Holy Spirit as we are reading about Him in Ephesians 1:13-14. Jesuspromised in John 14 that He would give and send the Holy Spirit. John 14 beginswith Jesus assuring His disciples with these words and making several promisesto them: “Let not your heart be troubled…”. We live in a world full oftroubled and fearful hearts. Even believers today face tremendous fearconcerning so many different things in their lives, in their families, theirpersonal lives, and in a world today that is so confused, mixed up, and filledwith violence. But Jesus says, "Let not your heart be troubled. Youbelieve in God, believe also in Me."  Thenin verses 16-20, Jesus promises them: “And I will pray the Father, and Hewill give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--theSpirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Himnor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will bein you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. "Alittle while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me.Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I amin My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”   Howwill He come to them? He will come in the person and ministry and work of theHoly Spirit. Paul would later write, “Christ in you, the hope of glory”.“At that day…”, is speaking of what happened on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2,when the Holy Spirit came down on them as promised. Today the baptism andindwelling for the Holy Spirit begins the moment we trust Christ as ourpersonal Savior. At that very moment, the Holy Spirit, according to Romans 6:3,“baptizes us into the body of Christ”. Also in 1 Corinthians 12:13 weread: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews orGreeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into oneSpirit.” Ephesians1:13 also tell us that we are also sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. Whatis the significance of this sealing of the Holy Spirit? For one thing, it speaksof a finished transaction. Even today, when important legaldocuments are processed, they are stamped with the official seal to signify thecompletion of the transaction.  Thissealing also implies ownership: God has put his seal on us because Hehas purchased us to be His own. Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Or do you notknow that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom youhave from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price;therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.” Thissealing also means security and protection. The Roman seal on the tombof Jesus carried this meaning (Matt. 27:62-66). So, the believer belongs toGod, and is safe and protected because he is a part of a finished transaction. Andaccording to John 14:16-17, the Holy Spirit abides with the believer forever.It is possible for us to grieve the Spirit and thereby lose the blessings ofHis ministry (Eph. 4:30). But He doesn't leave us. Anotheruse for the seal is as a mark of authenticity. Just as a signature on aletter attests to the genuineness of the document, so the presence of theSpirit proves the believer is genuine. "If any man have not the Spiritof Christ, he is none of His" (Romans. 8:9). It is not simply our lipprofession, our religious activity, or our good works, but the witness of theSpirit that makes our profession authentic.  ThankGod for the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives today. Indeed,what a rich blessing from God the Holy Spirit. Godbless!

Itis always a great feeling to be back home and in my office for our pastor'schat. We want to give you an update on Brandy Manning that we asked you to prayfor who had brain surgery on a cancerous tumor Wednesday morning at DukeUniversity. Your prayers have been answered in a wonderful way. The surgerywent very well. Yesterday afternoon she was sent to a local hotel there inDurham where she will be a couple days as she recovers. It looks like they gotmost of the tumor and they will deal with what is there still there later. Wow,what a miracle. Thank you for your prayers. AlsoI received a good report from my cardiologist. He told me to come back in ayear and have another echo stress test and see him again. So as far as I'mconcerned, I'm doing fine and was told be careful and continue to take my medications.Thank you for your prayers.  Weare continuing to look at Ephesians 1:13-14. Today we are talking about theHoly Spirit of promise. First notice what Paul says back in verse 12, that “wewho first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory”. In otherwords, those who have already been born again, who have been saved, who've beenwashed in the blood, who've been redeemed, who've been forgiven, Paul says, “weshould be to the praise of His glory”. Now in verse 13, he points out that thisis who the Ephesian believers also trusted. And after you heard the word oftruth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also having believed, you weresealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.  “TheHoly Spirit of promise”. Oh, my friend, Jesus promised that the HolySpirit would come. He would come into the believers. He would abide in us. Jesusgave this promise in John 14 and also John 16, in His last message to Hisdisciples in the upper room. John 16:13 says: "However, when He theSpirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speakon His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak and He will tell youthings to come." Then verse 14 He goes on to say: “He will glorifyMe for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you”. In Acts 1:4 justbefore Jesus ascended into heaven we read: “And being assembled togetherwith them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for thePromise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me”.The Holy Spirit is the “promise” of both Jesus and the Father! NowEphesians 1:14 goes on to say, not only are we sealed with the Holy Spirit ofpromise, it says He is the Holy Spirit “who is the guarantee of ourinheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession”. Then youread this phrase again, “to the praise of His glory”. I love puttingthis together with what Jesus said. He says the Holy Spirit of promise is goingto come. He's going to abide with you forever. Now He says you'll be sealedwith this Holy Spirit of promise. And all of this is “to the praise of Hisglory”.  Paul'ssaying it's to the praise of the glory of Jesus Christ. Remember back in John 16:14,Jesus said, “He (the Holy Spirit) will glorify me”. My friend, when theHoly Spirit is at work in your life, when the Holy Spirit has taken control ofyou, you will be filled with Him. As a result, He will control your mouth.He'll control your actions, He will control your attitudes as you yield to Hisauthority. He will reveal Jesus to you and preform His work in your life. Theministry of the Holy Spirit cannot be underestimated.  Tomorrowwe are going to talk about what it means to be sealed with the Holy Spirit andhow that is so awesomely powerful in our lives. But today, let's remember He is“the Holy Spirit of promise” of Jesus and the Father. God always keepsHis promises. If you've been born again, you have the Holy Spirit, and this is allfor, “to the praise of His glory”.  Today,is your life glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ in everything you say and do? Itrust that it is. Godbless!

Todaywe are talking about the riches that we have in Christ Jesus. Sometimeswe think of the wealthiest people on earth such as Elon Musk being worth over$430 billion and Jeff Bezos, the owner and founder of Amazon, over 200-plusbillion dollars, and other wealthy people. The top five billionaires in theworld altogether—their wealth is over a trillion dollars—and we go, wow,wouldn't we like to have that? Well, my friend, I am telling you, you havesomething better than that. You have eternal riches.  Thefact that Paul is writing about wealth would be significant to his readers,because Ephesus was considered the bank of Asia. One of the seven wonders ofthe world, the great temple of Diana, was in Ephesus, and was not only a centerfor idolatrous worship, but also a depository for wealth. Some of the greatestart treasures of the ancient world were housed in this magnificent building. Inthis letter, Paul will compare the church of Jesus Christ to a temple and willexplain the great wealth that Christ has in His church. Paul is saying to us, "BE RICH!" Thatis what Paul says in verse three: “Blessed be the God and Father of our LordJesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlyplaces in Christ.” Our riches are not in a passing world, a temporaryworld, the temporary wealth of this world. Our riches are found in the eternalperson of Jesus Christ Himself. We have His riches. We are co-inheritors withHim of all the riches of God. Our Father in heaven owns it all.  TheHoly Spirit is mentioned many times in this letter, because He is the one whochannels our riches to us from the Father, through the Son. Not to know anddepend on the Holy Spirit's provision is to live a life of spiritual poverty.No wonder Paul began his Ephesian ministry asking some professed Christians ifthey really knew the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-7). We might ask professedChristians today, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Ifthe answer is no, then you are not saved." "Now if any man havenot the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Romans 8:9). Unless youhave the witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:15-16), you cannot draw on the wealthof the Spirit. Inthese first verses of this chapter one of the guarantees that we're going tosee of our salvation and our eternal inheritance in Christ is based on the factthat we have been given the Holy Spirit (vv.11-14). In the Old Testament,promises were made to Israel that they would be blessed with prosperity, withwealth, with land, with material things. But my friend, the blessings that arepromised to the believer are eternal blessings. We're not called to be blessedwith riches physically. The prosperity gospel preachers are deceitfullymisleading many today to believe that God has promised us material wealth now.Actually Jesus promised us poverty and suffering now if we truly follow Him.  Ourriches In Christ are not in the sweet by and by. We are rich and blessed inChrist spiritually speaking right now! In Philippians 3, Paul said, "Icount all things but loss for the glory and the riches that I have in ChristJesus… that I might know Him and the power of His resurrection." Ourriches are found in the fact that we have the promise that “our God willsupply all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians4:19). “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians4:13).  Myfriend, today we have the power, the ability, and the desire to please God forheavenly riches, heavenly things, and heavenly results. You can't take yourmoney to heaven with you, but you can take people to heaven with you that youinfluence and impact with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Today,you are rich in Christ. You've been born into tremendous wealth in Christ. Youare seated with Him in the heavenlies even right now. GodBless!

On this episode of the Alex McFarland Show, Alex is honored to have Dr. O.S. Hawkins on the show. Dr. Hawkins is a great leader, an author of over 50 books, speaker and pastor. Listen as they discuss his new book, The Spirit Code. Dr. Hawkins also shares his testimony of how God touched his heart and life, and the impact that he is making to further the kingdom of God through the ministry, Mission Dignity. Scriptures:Joshua 1:8Acts 19:2Mark 14:50Romans 8:11Acts 4:20Ephesians 4:30Alex McFarland WebsiteAsk AlexConversations that Matter - Charlie KirkMy Relationship with God Free e-bookApologetics Core Truths e-book: Free DownloadBook: The Assault on America31 Days of Prayer for AmericaEquip Retreat CampsThe Cove - July 28th-Aug 1st, 2025Speaking EventsBook AlexGive OnlineAlex McFarland MinistriesP.O. Box 485Pleasant Garden, NC 273131-877-937-4631 (1-877-YES-GOD1)Guest Info:Dr. O.S. Hawkins WebsiteBook: The Spirit CodeGuidstone Financial ResourcesMission DignityKeywords/Hashtags:#podcast #pfcaudiovideo #thealexmcfarlandshow #alexmcfarland #podcastcommunity #Bible #author #apologist #speaker #christians #wordofGod #apologetics #religion #prayer #truth #scriptures #alexmcfarlandministries #Jesuslovesyou #youareneveralone #encouragement #purpose #christianity #truth #evangelism #DrOSHawkins #thespiritcode #theHolySpirit #missiondignity #Guidstonefinancialresources #testimonySend us a text

Todaywe're looking at Luke 24:25-35. Luke is the only gospel that tells us the storyabout these two men on the road to Emmaus. While they're walking, they'reconfused, troubled, sad, discouraged, and disappointed. Jesus did not fulfillthe expectations they had about setting up the kingdom and running out theRomans authorities. They had heard that Jesus had resurrected, but they did notbelieve. My friends, when we don't believe in the resurrection like we should,even as believers, we're going to be disappointed, discouraged, and sad. Sowhat is the answer to that?  Wefind it here in this passage. Jesus talked to them about the Scriptures, Moses,the prophets, and all the things in them concerning Himself. Then He acted asif He would go further when they got to the village of Emmaus. But theyconstrained Him and said, "No, it's getting evening. Stay with us."So He did, and what happened next, Luke say it best: “As He sat at the tablewith them, He took bread, blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. Thentheir eyes were opened, and they knew Him, and He vanished from their sight.They said to one another, "Did not our hearts burn within us while He talkedwith us on the road and while He opened the scriptures to us?" So theyrose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven and thosewho were with them gathered together, saying, "The Lord is risen indeedand has appeared to Simon." They told about the things that had happenedon the road and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.” Whata powerful message for you and me today. It was as they heard the scriptures,as Jesus talked and conversed with them and fellowshipped with them, theirhearts began to burn. Even though they didn't see Him exactly as He really is,the Son of God, the risen Savior, their hearts still burned from the Scriptures.Then as they sat at bread with Him and He broke it, their eyes were opened.  Myfriend, the answer to sad, discouraged, disappointed hearts is when you spendtime with Jesus. Spend time with Jesus in His Word, meditate upon Him, thinkabout Him, and listen to Him. Your heart will begin to burn, and that's when Heopens your eyes, makes Himself known to you in the scripture, and you have thatreal fellowship with the Lord. This is what we need, “Just a closer walkwith Jesus”, as the old hymn says. Spend that time with Him.  That'swhat you and I should desire more than anything else as we open up the Scripturein the morning, not just to read our devotional Scriptures, but to spend timewith Jesus in His Word. As they ran back the eight miles to Jerusalem to theUpper Room so excited that they couldn't wait to tell the other disciples whatthey had experienced. I'll guarantee you if every church member spent time withJesus during the week in the word of God, when they came together on Sundaymorning, they would not have a dead service.  Whenthey got back to the service, the other eleven and many of the other followersof Jesus were all excited about what had happened. They exclaimed that Simonhad also seen Jesus. They were all saying, "Jesus indeed is risen. He hasappeared." What a great service they had back then, rejoicing in the risenSavior. Would to God that would happen in all our churches each Sunday. I havea feeling that he crowds would come like they did on the day of Pentecost.  Haveyour experienced a “burning heart” recently? When was the last time that theHoly Spirit opened your eyes to see Jesus in the Word?  Godbless!

Josh Monday Christian and Conspiracy Podcast Ep. 271If you want to support the ministry: $5.99 a monthpatreon.com/JoshMondayChristianandConspiracyPodcastJoin the Patreon here: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Joshmonday_podcastIf you want to donate to the Ministry or Buy the Mug Here is our CashAPP:https://cash.app/$JoshmondaymusicNew affiliate: https://wsteif.com/ Sign up for Gold and Silver 7Kmetals: https://www.cocsilver.com/Flat Earth Books by Sakal Publishing Affiliate Link: https://booksonline.club/booksonlinecYoutube: ⁠ @joshmondaymusicandpodcast ⁠ Tips for the show to Support our Ministry: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/joshmondayCoffee Mug Is Available email me your mailing address Joshmonday⁠@rocketmail.com ⁠ Please subscribe to our Spotify and You Tube Channel Joshmondaymusic and Podcast and help us grow so we can keep on spreading the good news.To all of our current and future subscribers thank you for your time, we appreciate you. Please do us a favor subscribe to our You Tube Channel, hit that bell, share, like and comment below on our You tube. Please leave us a 5-Star review on Apple and Spotify.Check out my new show Sunday Service and Wednesday Brought to you by Cult of Conspiracy Podcast. On Cult of Conspiracy Spotify, Patreon and Apple Podcast Channel.Join the study as I go deep into the Bible. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/josh-monday-christian-and-conspiracy-podcast--6611118/support.

Longview Campus | Pastor Nick continues our series on the Holy Spirit by sharing on living a life submitted to the Lordship of the Spirit.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in ourlikeness…”You can't fill a SPIRITUAL hole with an EARTHLY thing.There is NOTHING this world can give you that will ULTIMATELY fill you.“I think everyone should get rich and famous and do everything they everdreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer.”—Jim CarreyMatthew 16:26 What good would it be for someone to gain the whole WORLD,yet forfeit their SOUL?The “4 MORES” we think will lead to happiness1. More SUCCESS2. More STUFF3. More SEX (pleasure)4. More SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESSA. ADMIT you have a PROBLEM.Romans 3:23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's gloriousstandard.James 2:10 For the person who keeps all the laws except one is as guilty as theperson who has broken all of God's laws.B. BELIEVE that Jesus is the ONLY ANSWER.John 3:16 For God so loved ________ (the world) that he gave his one and onlySon, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.C. COMMIT your life to Jesus by REPENTING and FOLLOWING.Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name ofJesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of theHoly Spirit.“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, themost probable explanation is that we were made for a different world.”—C.S.LewisYou can't fill a SPIRITUAL void with an EARTHLY thing.

Picturea woman in a dimly lit Palestinian home, realizing one of her ten silver coinsis missing. These coins were more than money, they formed a headband worn by abride, a symbol of her marriage, like a wedding ring. Losing one was a crisis.So, she lights a lamp, grabs a broom, and searches every corner, sweeping awaydust and peering into shadows. When she finally finds that glinting coin, herjoy overflows.  Inthe first parable of Luke 15, the shepherd seeking the lost sheep shows usJesus, the Good Shepherd, pursuing a foolish lost sinner far from God. Thissecond parable, the lost coin, offers another layer. The coin, still in thehouse but hidden in the dirt, can picture a believer who has lost theirusefulness to God, perhaps through sin, neglect, distraction, or carelessness.  Thewoman represents the Holy Spirit, who brings the light of God's Word to exposehidden sin, sweeps the heart clean through conviction, and restores thebeliever to fellowship with the Lord. Every person, sinner or saint, bearsGod's image, like a coin stamped with a king's likeness. Even when sin marsthat image, God sees their worth and pursues them. Jesussays heaven rejoices when one sinner repents, but this parable also hints atthe joy when a believer is restored. Angels celebrate when a lost soul comes toChrist or when a wayward Christian returns to God's purpose. This challenges usto see everyone, unbelievers and struggling believers alike, as precious toGod, worth seeking and restoring. Thisparable reveals God's heart for both the lost sinner and the believer who'sdrifted. If you feel far from God today, maybe as a believer who's lost yourspiritual fire, know that the Holy Spirit is searching for you, ready torestore you with the light of His Word. If you're walking closely with God,you're called to join this mission.  Peoplearound you, friends, coworkers, or even fellow Christians, may be like thatlost coin, in God's house but not shining for Him. You can help by sharing thetruth of Scripture, praying for their restoration, or encouraging them toreturn to fellowship. (Read Galatians 6:1-5). Thisalso challenges our attitudes. The religious leaders grumbled when Jesuswelcomed sinners. Jesus was saying that God actually searches for lost sinners!No wonder the scribes and Pharisees were offended, for there was no place intheir legalistic theology for a God like that. They had forgotten that God hadsought out Adam and Eve when they had sinned and hidden from God (Gen. 3:8-9).In spite of their supposed knowledge of Scripture, the scribes and Phariseesforgot that God was like a father who pitied his wayward children (Ps.103:8-14).  Dowe ever judge those who've wandered, whether unbelievers or believers caught insin? God pursues both with equal love, and we must too. Let's be vessels of theHoly Spirit, bringing light and hope to those who need it. James ended hisepistle with these words: “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from thetruth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner fromthe error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins”(James 5:19-20). Challenge: Bea light this week and identify one person who seems far from God, either anunbeliever or a believer who's drifted. Pray for them daily, asking the HolySpirit to shine His light and restore them. Look for one chance to showkindness, share a Scripture, or invite them to reconnect with God, maybethrough a conversation or a church invitation. Then, watch for God to work andbe ready to rejoice when He does. Prayer:Lord,thank You for pursuing us when we're lost, whether as sinners or believerswho've wandered. Fill us with Your Spirit to shine Your Word and restore othersto You. Give us boldness this week to pray, love, and reach out. May we joinheaven's joy over every restored soul. In Jesus' name, Amen.

In Luke 11:1-13, the Lord is not only teaching Hisdisciples about prayer, but He is also giving us some powerful incentives tolearn to pray. I'mconvinced that the best way to learn to be good at anything in life is to workat it, to be disciplined to practice the same thing over and over again. I'm saying allthis to say, the best way to learn to pray is to pray! To pray daily andcontinuously. This is what the above verses in Luke 11:9-13 are about. First, the Lord gives us the pattern of prayer (vv.1-4). Secondly, He gives the persistence of prayer (vv. 5-8). Now Jesusis giving us the promise of prayer (vv. 9-13). After Jesus tells thestory or parable of the friend who is asking his neighbor friend at midnightfor three loaves of bread for his tired and weary friend who has showed up athis house unexpectedly, you might get the idea that our heavenly Father isreluctant to answer our prayers, and we have pester Him to get His attention.But with what the Lord says in these next verses, should put that wrongconclusion to rest. Our Father is heaven is not a reluctant Giver, He is aready Giver. I love verse 9, "So I say to you, ask, and it willbe given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”The tenses of the verbs are important here: "Keep on asking... keep onseeking... keep on knocking." In other words, don't come to God only inthe midnight emergencies, but keep in constant communion with your Father.Jesus called this "abiding" (John 15:1-18), and Paul exhorted,"Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). As we pray, God willeither answer or show us why He cannot answer. Then it is up to us to dowhatever is necessary in our lives so that the Father can trust us with theanswer. The main thing about prayer is not getting what we want or need,but true prayer is first and foremost about communion with our holy heavenly Father!Spending time in His presence! God's delays are not always His denials. Maybe Hehas noticed that the only time we spend time praying is when we desperatelyneed something, and He enjoys our asking so much, and our attitude ofdependence upon Him, that He waits to answer so we will learn to spend moretime with Him! We can't help but notice that this lesson on prayer closesagain with the emphasis on God as Father (vv. 11-13). Because He knows us andloves us, we never need to be afraid of the answers that He gives. Again, Jesusargued from the lesser to the greater: if an earthly father gives what is bestto his children, surely the Father in heaven will do even more. Here we arealso impressed with the “simplicity of prayer”. We come to our heavenly Fatherin childlike faith. When a baby or a child cries, the mother instinctively interpretsthat cry and knows the need of the child. The child is hungry and needs milk,or needs a diaper change, or just needs assurance of love and wants to bepicked up!  Our Father in heaven knowshow to interpret our cries in prayer and knows what our need is even before weask! If our human father knows how to give us good things whenwe ask, “how much more” does our heavenly Father know how to give us goodthings. In these verses we are reminded of our heavenly Father's goodness, Hisgenerosity, and His greatness! The greatest gift first given to the earlydisciples was called, “the Promise of the Father which you heard from Me”(Acts 1:4). We are also heirs of this same “Promise” which is the “gift of theHoly Spirit”.  According to Matthew 7:11, I believe this means that I am continuouslyasking and receiving from my heavenly Father “all the good things” that comewith the Holy Spirit who now lives inside of me as a believer! (Ephesians3:14-19).  Have you ever received the “Promise Gift of the Holy Spirit”? God bless!

2/9/25 Sermon:"The Kingdom Drift" (Kingdom Culture, Pt. 2)Matthew 7:21-24 & Matthew 24:14Last Sunday we looked at the importance of having a Kingdom of God Culture and Worldview. We stressed the importance of the Kingdom to Jesus. As a matter of fact, Jesus talks about the Kingdom 20 out of 28 chapters in Matthew. This Sunday we will look at the beliefs and assumptions of the Kingdom of God. 1. The Kingdom of God is present, at hand, now.2. It has already begun yet has not been fully consummated.3. The Kingdom of God comes with the Presence and Power of theHoly Spirit.4. The Kingdom of God is our alternate frame of reference, i.e.context (As opposed to the kingdom of this world).5. The Kingdom is the rule and reign of Jesus; the Holy and AnointedOne; an eternal Kingdom that will never end.6. The Kingdom will be fully consummated at the return of JesusChrist. Quite often the problem churches encounter is called Kingdom Drift, where secular thinking and practices have crept into the life and fabric of the church and the resulting outcome has been churches who are acting and thinking more like the world than the Kingdom of God as revealed in the scriptures. Sunday, I will address three secular and unspiritual trends often found in today's church, which work to undermine the vitality of Kingdom work and effectiveness:Disrespect for authority, a consumer mentality, and an entitlement mentality. The sermon highlights that these behaviors lead to Kingdom Drift, where church practices stray from biblical teachings, causing churches to operate more like the world than as communities guided by God's Kingdom. By looking at scriptural guidance, I will emphasize the importance of respecting church leadership, prioritizing God's will over personal preferences and fostering a spirit of humility and service. Ultimately, the sermon calls for a return to Kingdom Culture through repentance and a commitment to align church practices with biblical principles to achieve spiritual vitality and effectiveness.  Grace and Peace,Stephen

The Path of a Worshipper: Part 2 by Selloane Asiamah

GOD Provides / JESUS SavesPatreon https://bit.ly/3jcLDuZServant MilitoBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gunfighter-life-survival-guns--4187306/support.

How did a Baptist boy end up filled with the spirit? Tonight, Rick Renner discusses radical prophetic words, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, intense push-back, and more. This is going to bless you! Join our premium membership here: https://encountertoday.com/exclusive-... 

Dear friends,This podcast was truly God-ordained. It was guided, like recording a miracle in the making.  We are honored to have Angelica Diaz, a female pastor, preacher, author, speaker, emotional maturity, and faith restoration coach.In this episode, we discuss:•⁠ ⁠The power of being a child of God•⁠ ⁠The trifecta of well-being•⁠ ⁠The spiritual food that can save us•⁠ ⁠The importance of not playing God•⁠ ⁠God as your and my ally•⁠ ⁠Scriptures: John 14:27 and Philippians 4:4•⁠ ⁠Comparing and discussing Bodhisattva vows, Buddhist precepts, and Christianity•⁠ ⁠What it means to be the chosen one•⁠ ⁠And so much moreDon't miss this special podcast where you can feel the presence of theHoly Spirit and the Holy Instant in a truly powerful way. Listen on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, or your preferred platform.Watch and follow us on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UNSw0EM3Lt4To learn more about Angelica, follow her on social media or visit her Linktree:https://www.instagram.com/angelica_deer https://www.facebook.com/Angel7777diaz https://linktr.ee/angelicadeer Podcast produced by Brilliant Futures Productions.Sponsored by Delaflor Teachings Int.

The genesis of sin and the fall left an imprint on humanity for generations. We are still dying to this day. Although we bear the consequence of Adam's sin, we are not doomed. Genesis 3-Romans 5. VF-2214 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com   Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to leave a message for Pastor Scott. You may make reservations to attend a live service, leave a prayer request or make a commitment. Pastor Scott appreciates messages and reads them often during live broadcasts. Follow @Pastor_Scott on Twitter and visit her official Facebook page @Pastor.M.Scott. Download Pastor Scott's "Understand the Bible" app for iPhone, iPad and iPod at the Apple App Store and for Android devices in the Google Store. Pastor Scott can also be seen 24x7 on Roku and Amazon Fire on the "Understand the Bible?" channel.    ©2024 Pastor Melissa Scott, Ph.D., All Rights Reserved

As an introduction to the subject of heaven and hell, we must be careful about what we “think” we know. Some common misconceptions are addressed, and the question is answered, “What exactly does God require of us to make it in?” Luke 16:19-31 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to leave a message for Pastor Scott. You may make reservations to attend a live service, leave a prayer request or make a commitment. Pastor Scott appreciates messages and reads them often during live broadcasts. Follow @Pastor_Scott on Twitter and visit her official Facebook page @Pastor.M.Scott. Download Pastor Scott's "Understand the Bible" app for iPhone, iPad and iPod at the Apple App Store and for Android devices in the Google Store. Pastor Scott can also be seen 24x7 on Roku and Amazon Fire on the "Understand the Bible?" channel. ©2024 Pastor Melissa Scott, All Rights Reserved

Matthew's gospel was written primarily to a Jewish audience, so he is careful in how he uses the name of God. He focuses on the kingdom of heaven, emphasizing who the king is, what His kingdom is about, and who will enter the kingdom. We are told to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first. He must be our priority above all else, and if we trust in Him, He will take care of our needs. Matthew 6:24-34  VF-2222 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to leave a message for Pastor Scott. You may make reservations to attend a live service, leave a prayer request or make a commitment. Pastor Scott appreciates messages and reads them often during live broadcasts. Follow @Pastor_Scott on Twitter and visit her official Facebook page @Pastor.M.Scott. Download Pastor Scott's "Understand the Bible" app for iPhone, iPad and iPod at the Apple App Store and for Android devices in the Google Store. Pastor Scott can also be seen 24x7 on Roku and Amazon Fire on the "Understand the Bible?" channel. © Pastor Melissa Scott, All Rights Reserved

Take the challenge to read and listen to Bible teaching, examining whether or not the things that Jesus foretold of Himself were manipulated or true before throwing away the hope of life eternal.  John 11:23-26 1 Corinthians 15:3-4  VF-1970 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to leave a message for Pastor Scott. You may make reservations to attend a live service, leave a prayer request or make a commitment. Pastor Scott appreciates messages and reads them often during live broadcasts. Follow @Pastor_Scott on Twitter and visit her official Facebook page @Pastor.M.Scott. Download Pastor Scott's "Understand the Bible" app for iPhone, iPad and iPod at the Apple App Store and for Android devices in the Google Store. Pastor Scott can also be seen 24x7 on Roku and Amazon Fire on the "Understand the Bible?" channel. © Pastor Melissa Scott, All Rights Reserved

Woodland Campus | Pastor Jonathan shares on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Woodland Campus | Pastor Jonathan shares on The Holy Spirit our helper.