Podcasts about Thessalonians

Daily Word God has given you a vision for a business, ministry, or nonprofit. However, cash is running low and the vision currently cannot pay your bills. What do you do? Well, don't quit the vision. Instead, look for an additional source of income. __________ 1 Timothy 5:18 KJV, 1 Corinthians 9:14 KJV, Ecclesiastes 3:13 KJV, Luke 8:3 NLT, Matthew 17:27 KJV, 1 Thessalonians 2:9 NLT, 2 Thessalonians 3:8 ASV, Acts 20:34 ASV, Acts 18:1–3 KJV, 2 Corinthians 11:8 NLT __________ Partner with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/partner Connect with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com Leave a Comment: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/comments __________    

On this episode, Paul White talks about preparing for God's judgment. Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.

Every Christian needs two people in their lives. We need someone we are learn from and someone we are discipling. We need someone in our lives that is helping us grow spiritually, and someone we are helping grow.Main Points:1. There is much emphasis today on our “personal relationship with Christ.” But sometimes because it's personal, we forget our responsibility to share it with others. 2. The Scripture informs us that the older women should teach the younger women. The older men should teach the younger men. This may not always refer to age because we know that just because a person is older it does not mean they are mature in the faith. I believe Paul is instructing us to find someone who is new in the faith so we can teach them how to follow Christ. This is discipleship.3. In discipleship, we model and teach toward a deeper love for and obedience to Christ. The goal of all discipleship is that we would be like Christ in our actions and character.Today's Scripture Verses:Matthew 28:19-20 - “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you…”1 Thessalonians 5:11 - “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”Hebrews 10:24 - “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

Psalm 16 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Prayer Requests to psp@sqpn.com

Join us for a continued discussion on the hope and freedom we have in Jesus.We welcome Joseph Gonzalez to UpTime. Joseph is a Bible‑focused evangelist connected with *The Cloud Church*, where he teaches on faith, endurance, and the believer's daily walk with Christ. He is known for clear, Scripture‑driven messages and a passion for helping people understand salvation through Jesus. His ministry reflects a commitment to family, discipleship, and sharing the Gospel in simple, direct terms.We will also have a roundtable discussion on the Bible, world events that may pertain to bible prophecy and the glorious appearing of our Lord and Savior, Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah.And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.-1 Thessalonians 1:10UpTime Community is a webcast that covers teachings and unique perspectives on end time events.Sign-up for updates and extra content that won't be posted on this channel: https://forms.gle/vQTPMs3kCt5X5Za88Unsure about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ? Go HERE: https://www.gotquestions.org/eternal-life.html

Best of Daily Devotions: 1 Thessalonians 3 Pt 3 Daily Devotions by Pastor Tim Dodson of Believers City Church in Menomonie, WI. Tim Dodson is the lead-pastor of Believers City Church in Menomonie, WI. These devotionals are designed to take the listener through the Bible verse-by-verse. [maxbutton id=”1″]

     Praise the Lord (Psalm 150:1). Once, I took a two-week class with the late Dallas Willard. He began with two instructions. Each of us was to sleep 10 hours a night and we were to find a lonely place and shout Psalms 145-150 to the Lord. He explained that fatigue was one of the greatest problems in the North American church today, especially among church leaders. Fatigue hinders our ability to pay proper attention to things, especially to our own hearts and to the quiet movements of God's Spirit. Willard also explained that praising God is difficult. We resist. It helps if our bodies lead the way. Further, the ending of the book of Psalms is raucous. It demands energy. Sitting quietly at the kitchen table whispering these psalms just won't do. At the end of the Psalter, we are given a glimpse of what is happening everywhere, all the time: the worship of God. Psalm 150 is probably the most challenging of all the psalms: it's not about you, it's not about me, it's about God; all about God! Why do Christians gather for worship services? Not primarily for our own sake, but because God is worthy of our worship. This psalm gives us the basics of worship. First, where is God to be praised? In his sanctuary, in his mighty heavens, of course. This is God's throne room from where he rules the universe. Remembering where he is causes us to look up to him and away from ourselves. Second, why should we worship him? "Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness." This is a summation of his powerful rule and provision. We are allowed to fill in some details from our own lives. Third, the 'how of worship' gets a bit chaotic. "Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals." As I said, its raucous. All the stops are pulled out. Finally, the psalm asks 'Who? Who should praise the Lord?" And the answer is: everything. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." A lot has been said about God in all these psalms; we know the reasons to praise God. Just do it. Our praise of God is more than music, more than worship services. We believe that everything Christians do ought to be worship. 'We are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices" (Romans 12:2). Everything is to be done to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). Such living is normally fuelled by communal worship services. What keeps you from 'just doing it.' Find ways to pay more attention to God and to yourself. And praise the Lord! Just do it! As you journey on, go with the blessing of God: "May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Uncle Si insists his kids are proof there's a God and that grace can transform even the most unlikely dad. He, Jase, and Al agree the greatest treasure isn't gold at all, and while Si claims he's discovered the fountain of youth, he's still planning his own eulogy just in case. The guys dive into a deeper discussion about “special knowledge” in 1 John, what truly changes a man, and the difference between knowing about Jesus and actually knowing Him.  In this episode: Proverbs 21, verses 30–31; Hebrews 11, verse 6; 1 John 3, verses 16 and 24; Romans 5, verse 10; 1 John 3, verses 1–10; 1 Corinthians 15, verse 17; 2 Thessalonians 1, verses 7–8; John 10, verse 18; Acts 2, verses 22–24 “Unashamed” Episode 1276 is sponsored by: https://chministries.org/unashamed — See why Christians are ditching health insurance for good. Get a simpler alternative at half the cost! http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-home-with-phil-robertson/id1835224621 Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. Chapters: 00:00 Cranked Off & The Greatest Treasure on Earth 05:02 Uncle Si Says His Daughter Is Proof There's a God 10:45 King Cake Chaos & What Real Servant Leadership Looks Like 14:05 PTSD, Horse Therapy & God's Design for Healing 22:10 What Makes Moms Special 27:15 What Actually Changes a Man? 33:18 Special Knowledge in 1 John 44:05 Insane but Unashamed — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, I'm sharing another special moment from the live podcast back in October, where I'm reading through 1 Thessalonians 5, and letting Scripture bring us back to what we forget most easily: who we are in Christ.This passage is such a steady reminder that we are children of light. We're not called to live in fear, anxiety, or spiritual numbness, but to stay awake, anchored, and strengthened in the Lord. As I read, I share what this could look like in real life: choosing patience with one another, leaning into community, praying with and for each other, and learning how to give thanks in all things… even when it's not easy.This special episode is for anyone who's felt discouraged in their growth, frustrated with the process of patience, or tempted to forget the miracle of what God already did on the cross.If sanctification feels slow and obedience feels heavy, I pray this reminds you: God is faithful, He is keeping you, and your identity has already been secured.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode, Paul White talks about when faith leads to fruit. Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:8-9.

What if your greatest spiritual battle isn't happening around you — but within you?In this message, we explore how Scripture and neuroscience agree: your thought life shapes your peace, identity, and spiritual strength. God has given you weapons to fight the internal war.If you've struggled with anxiety, shame, fear, comparison, or mental exhaustion, this teaching will help you recognize the battle, identify strongholds, and renew your mind through truth.In This Sermon, You'll Discover:• Why negative thoughts feel louder than positive ones• How repeated thoughts build mental strongholds• The danger of rumination and thought loops• Why replacing thoughts works better than suppressing them• How gratitude literally reshapes your brain• The connection between stress, rest, and anxiety• Why identity drives behavior• How speaking truth regulates emotions• Why hope is spiritual AND neurological• How to actively take thoughts captive

Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing. Jesus said, I AM the Main Thing! MESSAGE SUMMARY: Today, we delve into the profound mystery of the Holy Spirit and its vital role in our Christian walk. We're reminded that it's not just about having the Holy Spirit, but allowing the Spirit to have us - to lead and guide our lives. The message emphasizes three key sins against the Holy Spirit: grieving, quenching, and blaspheming. When we choose bitterness over love, or hold onto unforgiveness, we grieve the Spirit. Every time we sin, we quench the Spirit's flow in our lives. Yet, there's hope in confession, which reopens the floodgates of the Spirit's presence. This teaching challenges us to examine our hearts: Are we truly yielding to the Spirit's guidance? Are we living holy lives that honor God? It's a call to deeper surrender and a reminder of our constant need for the Spirit's empowering presence in our faith journey.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, I now take a deep breath and stop. So often I miss your hand and gifts in my life because I am preoccupied and anxious. Grant me the power to pause each day and each week to simply rest in your arms of love. In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 132). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Compulsions. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Patience. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): 1 Thessalonians 5:19; John 14:19; John 8:51; John 11:25; Exodus 3:14; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 Peter 3:20 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Essentials Part 5 – The Holy Spirit”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Best of Daily Devotions: 1 Thessalonians 3 Pt 2 Daily Devotions by Pastor Tim Dodson of Believers City Church in Menomonie, WI. Tim Dodson is the lead-pastor of Believers City Church in Menomonie, WI. These devotionals are designed to take the listener through the Bible verse-by-verse. [maxbutton id=”1″]

On this episode, Paul White talks about divisions within the Church. Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7.

*Disclaimer* This episode contains adult content and is not recommended for young listeners.   284. DON'T MISS THIS! Controversial Sex Questions, Answered with Dr. Juli Slattery   1 Samuel 24:19b NIV “May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today.”   *Transcription Below*   Bio: Instagram Facebook Authentic Intimacy Website Java with Juli Podcast   Thank you to Our Sponsor: Leman Property Management Company   Questions and Topics We Cover: As Christ followers, should we use a friend's preferred names and pronouns? If one part of Scripture talks about turning the other cheek, is that the same as saying God expects you to stay in an abusive marriage? Is it reasonable to assume that once they have a smartphone, 100% of kids will be exposed to pornography?   Previous Episodes on Sexual Intimacy on The Savvy Sauce, Including Past Episodes with Dr. Juli Slattery: Fostering a Fun, Healthy Sex Life with your Spouse with Dr. Jennifer Konzen  Ways to Deepen Your Intimacy in Marriage with Dr. Douglas Rosenau  Ten Common Questions About Sex, Shared Through a Biblical Worldview with Dr. Michael Sytsma Hope For Treating Pelvic Pain with Tracey LeGrand Treatment for Sexual Issues with Certified Sex Therapist, Emma Schmidt Talking With Your Kids About Sex with Brian and Alison Sutter Natural Aphrodisiacs with Christian Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Douglas Rosenau Healthy Sexuality, Emotional Intelligence, and Parenting Children with Autism with Counselor, Lauren Dack Pain and Joy in Sexual Intimacy with Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Identifying and Fighting Human Trafficking with Dr. Jeff Waibel Bridging the Gap Between Military and Civilian Families with Licensed Professional Counselor, Cuthor, Podcaster, and 2015 Military Spouse of the Year, Corie Weathers Enjoying a God-Honoring, Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse with Certified Sex Therapist and Ordained Minister, Dr. Michael Sytsma Enjoying Parenting and Managing Conversations About Sex with Certified Sex Therapist and Author, Dr. Jennifer Konzen Conflict Resolution, Infidelity, and Infertility with Licensed Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Dr. Jessica McCleese Hormones and Body Image with Certified Sex Therapist, Vickie George Passion Pursuit with Dr. Juli Slattery Female Orgasm with Sue Goldstein Erectile Dysfunction, Premature Ejaculation, and Treatments Available with Dr. Irwin Goldstein Turn Ons, Turn Offs, and Savoring Sex in Marriage with Dr. Jennifer Konzen Desire Discrepancy in Marriage with Dr. Michael Sytsma Answering Listener's Questions About Sex with Kelli Willard Anatomy of an Affair with Dave Carder Supernatural Restoration Story with Bob and Audrey Meisner Healthy Minds, Marriages, and Sex Lives with Drs. Scott and Melissa Symington Female Pornography Addiction and Meaningful Recovery with Crystal Renaud Day Building Lasting Relationships with Clarence and Brenda Shuler Healthy Ways for Females to Increase Sexual Enjoyment with Tracey LeGrand Pornography Healing for Spouses with Geremy Keeton Sexual Sin Recovery for You and Your Spouse (Part Two) Personal Development and Sexual Wholeness with Dr. Sibylle Georgianna  Our Brain's Role in Sexual Intimacy with Angie Landry Discovering God's Design for Romance with Sharon Jaynes Sex in Marriage and Its Positive Effects with Francie Winslow, Part 1 Science and Art of Sexual Intimacy in Marriage, Part 2 Making Love in Marriage with Debra Fileta Mutually Pleasing Sex in Marriage with Gary Thomas Sex Series: God's Design and Warnings for Sex: An Interview with Mike Novotny Sex Series: Enhancing Female Pleasure and Enjoyment of Sex: An Interview with Dr. Jennifer Degler Sex Series Orgasmic Potential, Pleasure, and Friendship: An Interview with Bonny Burns  Sex Series: Sex Series: Healthy Self, Healthy Sex: An Interview with Gaye Christmus Sex Series: Higher Sexual Desire Wife: An Interview with J Parker Sex Series: Six Pillars of Intimacy with Tony and Alisa DiLorenzo 215 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part One with Dr. Kris Christiansen 216 Enriching Women's Sexual Function, Part Two with Dr. Kris Christiansen 217 Tween/Teen Females: How to Navigate Changes during Puberty with Dr. Jennifer Degler 218 Secrets of Sex and Marriage: Interview with Dr. Michael Sytsma 222 Pornography: Protecting Children and Personal Healing, Victory, and Recovery in Christ with Sam Black Special Patreon Release: Holy Sex: An Interview with Dr. Juli Slattery Special Patreon Release: His Desires and Her Desires in the Bedroom with Dr. Jennifer Konzen 224 Surprising Discoveries of Sex in Marriage: An Interview with Shaunti Feldhahn 252 Maximizing Sexual Connections as Newlyweds to Long Term Marriages and Recovering from a Sexless Marriage with Dr. Cliff & Joyce Penner 260 Sex After Cancer with Dr. Kris Christiansen 277 Breaking Through Addiction in Marriage with Matthew and Joanna Raabsmith   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:11 – 0:11)   Laura Dugger: (0:11 – 2:21) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   Today's message is not intended for little ears. We'll be discussing some adult themes, and I want you to be aware before you listen to this message.   Leman Property Management Company has the apartment you will be able to call home, with over 1,700 apartment units available in Central Illinois. Visit them today at lemanproperties.com or connect with them on Facebook.   My returning guest for today is Dr. Juli Slattery.   She has authored another book entitled Surrendered Sexuality: How Knowing Jesus Changes Everything, and we're going to cover a few themes from this book, but I think what you're going to find most helpful are her candid responses to some really tricky questions related to dating and pornography, technology, thought life, shows that we watch as believers, divorce, and just intimacy in general as married couples.   So, I think this is an episode that you're going to want to learn from yourself, but you'll also want to share with others because Dr. Juli has offered us such a gift as she directs us back to the heart issues and wisely guides us into sexual integrity in our own lives.   Here's our chat.   Welcome back to The Savvy Sauce, Dr. Juli.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (2:21 – 2:21) Thanks so much for having me back. It's always a joy.   Laura Dugger: (2:21 – 2:22) Well, I love that you've been a repeat guest many times. So, we get to just dive right in today because I'm going to link all of your previous episodes in the show notes. But to dive in, I'm just curious, as believers, where does your heart break as you see us compromising on God's design for sex?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (2:22 – 3:31) Hmm. That's such a good question. You know, I think my heart breaks the most in that when we compromise God's design for sexuality, or even when we don't understand it or understand His goodness, it means that there is a breach in our relationship with God.   And so, I am so passionate about what I do, not necessarily because I love talking about sexuality, but because for a lot of people, sexuality represents a wall between them and God, like an issue they can't resolve, or a place of shame that they just can't quite shake free from, or battle with sin that they feel like they're enslaved to. And so, those things mean that there's a limit to how much they invite God into their lives.   And so, for me, that's where my heart breaks the most is, you know, ultimately, we were created for the greatest fellowship with God and anything that gets in the way of that is something that God cares about and something that I care about.   Laura Dugger: (3:32 – 4:03) You say that well, and you've written many books, but in this most recent one, you plainly state one issue when you write, “You will not be able to obey God with your sexual thoughts, while binging shows and music that continually display the exact opposite.”   And I love how practical that is. So, Juli, why do you think this has become so normalized? And I would say, especially in Christian marriages.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (4:05 – 5:58) Yeah, you know, I think a lot of it is that the church has been historically really quiet about sexuality, you know, like we might talk about save sex for marriage, and don't cheat on your husband and that sort of thing. But the gray areas about how we think about our sexuality and kind of what we have the liberty and freedom to engage in, there's kind of silence, or maybe there's legalism.   And I think in that space, what ends up happening is the culture is so forthright with a message about sexuality, like woven throughout every single show that you could stream on any platform, you know, your music on Spotify, even the news you consume, the Instagram feeds, whatever, it's consistently showing you a way to understand sexuality that is contrary to God's design, and the messaging can be so subtle, or so repetitive that we don't even realize we're ingesting it.   And so, it's normal to talk about with your friends, like the latest season of The Bachelor, or, you know, the latest thing that you're streaming that if you really look at it, there's probably 100 references to sexuality that are outside of God's design. And so, we end up just having our mind conformed to this world.   And the scripture says really clearly in Romans 12, that we can't offer ourselves to God while we're still thinking like the world thinks that it requires an act of transformation of our thinking. And I don't know that there's anywhere more than we need this than in the topic of understanding our sexuality.   Laura Dugger: (6:00 – 6:59) Okay, so for I'm thinking of married couples, because I was recently at a wedding shower. And I love a friend from church. Her name is Dawn Karius. And she was giving the devotional and just sharing. You know, it's very easy to get married and fall into this trap. She was talking about what you watch specifically.   And she said, so many couples will watch something together, watch a show before bed, but be really intentional. If that is what you choose to do, then the shows that you're watching, even though you're with your spouse, is that drawing both of you closer to Christ? Because if it's pulling you further away from Christ, it's also pulling you away from one another.   And so, with all of that, and with what you've studied and written about, if a couple's hearing that and or some single person just hearing this, what would be your practical advice or encouragement for them?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (7:00 – 9:29) Yeah, some of it is, we can't live in a bubble. You know, it's, I think that there are some couples will have the conviction that, you know, we're just going to get rid of all of our devices, we're going to get rid of every streaming service. And there's nothing wrong with that decision, you might feel convicted to do that.   But for most couples, I would say, they're like, okay, we live in this world, we need to understand even the world we live in. And so, it's not like we're going to completely be cut off. But are we being discerning about what we consume?   And what are the standards that we might hit where we might just say, “You know what, we don't need to be watching this.” You know, like I can think of one show in particularly that my husband and I were watching. And it was a well-written show. It was exciting. But there was just so much profanity and just gross kind of sexual content that after two or three episodes, we're both just like, “You know what, as good as the show is, we just, this isn't, we're not watching this. Like we need to stop.”   And I think you need to have those discussions and you might have a different level of conviction than your spouse does. And that's okay, but at least have those conversations and you need to follow your conviction.   But then the other thing I would say that is equally important, if not more important, what are you consuming that helps you get God's perspective of sexuality? And what I've found is that a whole lot of Christian married couples know very little about what it looks like to build a healthy sex life in their marriage. And they're not consuming anything that helps them know how to love each other better, how to overcome differences, even how their bodies work, how to focus on one another and enjoy sex in a holy erotic way.   And so, even if you're watching and consuming very little content from the world, but you're not actively pursuing anything that gives you a biblical perspective, you're still going to end up defaulting to what the world says. And so, I think that again, it's equally as important or not, if not more important to be pursuing what's true and what's right and what's good.   Laura Dugger: (9:31 – 9:53) I love that, how you flipped it. And that discernment piece is huge because we don't want to be desensitized to then that we're consuming and we also want to feed on the good. So, I think it even leads to a broader question, again, as Christ followers, how can we recognize if our conscience is being pricked?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (9:54 – 12:05) Yeah, we can start by asking the Lord. You know, I mean, I think it's in, is it Psalm 139, where, you know, David is basically saying, “Search me, oh God, and know my thoughts, you know, show me if there's any offensive way within me.”   I think that's a beautiful prayer as an individual and as a couple, like God, we want to honor you with what we consume in media, with what we think about, would you guide us and would you show us? And then I think we all have that experience of watching something or listening to something or reading something where we're like, “Uh, I don't know, like, this is sort of a gray area. Like, I'm uncomfortable here. I probably shouldn't be watching this.” Or “Wow, that's really, that's really in your face. Like that's really graphic.”   And it's heeding the Holy Spirit when you get those prompts, instead of just pushing through and being like, “Ah, it's not that big of a deal. It's not going to affect me.” Like when you feel that sense of prompting, you respond to it and you say, “All right, I'm going to put this down. I'm going to shut this off.”   And, um, you know, the scripture says that we can become callous to those promptings of the Holy Spirit if we are in a habit of just running right through that. But we become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit when we yield and when we obey.   Um, and so, I think even just keeping track, you know, every day or every week, like where were the times regarding this or anything else that I really felt convicted by the Holy Spirit about maybe something I said about a friend, uh, or about a little white lie I told, you know, where were the times where I really felt the Holy Spirit nudging me and what did I do? Um, where do I need to confess that I didn't respond well? And where do I need to celebrate that? Yes, I listened, I obeyed, I yielded. Um, and so, I think that's a practice we get into of either ignoring that conviction or really yielding to it.   Laura Dugger: (12:06 – 12:28) Hmm. And that gets after the heart issue, which Jesus is so concerned about our heart. And that's a very softened heart approach. Yes. I hope we can have. And as it relates to sexual integrity, then what are some other ways that we need to be on guard so that we're careful not to be misled?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (12:29 – 13:37) Yeah, boy, I think there's just so much conversation. Um, again, even in Christian circles, sometimes around having a negative attitude towards sex, um, kind of accepting some forms of pornography as normal and even good, you know, husband bashing, wife bashing, you know, like complaining, kind of letting the thought feed in your mind of maybe I should have married somebody else.   Maybe that my life would be easier if I, I weren't married to this person. I wish they were this or that. So, sort of that discontent that is natural to feel in marriage. But the question is, what do you do with it? Do you give it space to grow and to nurture, or do you bring that before the Lord?   Um, so, I think those are some of the ways that we want to look at, like, how am I giving the enemy space in my life and in my marriage versus how am I inviting God to really reclaim what's broken here?   Laura Dugger: (13:38 – 14:01) Well, and then even thinking of the other side to guard ourselves from having a critical and judgmental spirit toward others or just having self-righteous pride. Can you educate us on some common reasons why some people may be predisposed to struggle with some certain sexual sins?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (14:02 – 17:20) Yeah, absolutely. I think that's so important, um, because the research really shows that some of us are more, I don't know if I'd say it that way, but we are going to be more predetermined maybe to struggle with things like pornography or same-sex attraction, or even hooking up.   And it's never like a one plus one equals two exactly. But there are what we might say indicators or risk factors that make you more vulnerable to those kinds of sexual struggles. And some of them might be unhealthy family dynamics growing up, you know, none of us had a perfect family, but let's say you grew up in a family where one of your parents was like overtly critical towards you all the time.   Maybe you went through a divorce with your parents where, um, you know, at a certain age, you just, your family fell apart and you're kind of looking for that stability and love. People who have experienced sexual trauma in childhood or the teen years are going to be more pre-dispositioned to want to understand that or act that out.   People who might struggle with anxiety. And, you know, some of it is we got to understand that sex, because it elicits dopamine in our brain and oxytocin and endorphins, which are all really feel good kind of experiences and hormones and neurotransmitters. When we had a sexual experience at a young age, our brain can learn, “Oh, this is how I deal with stress. This is how I deal with depression. This is how I deal with loneliness.”   So, a lot of times when you talk to somebody who has an ongoing struggle with a sexual temptation or sin, it's because they've learned as a pattern from maybe the time they were 10 years old or 12 years old or 15 years old, that this is how I dealt with the stress in my family. This is how I dealt with when my father died. This is how I dealt with when I was sexually abused. Like this was the way that I found to self-regulate and to self-medicate and to find comfort.   And that can be masturbation. It can be pornography or again, you know, acting out sexually. And so, for people who have that kind of story, and this might be your spouse, or this might be against somebody that you're looking at and judging to just say, “You need to stop that behavior,” is often not going to be enough. They need to do the work of really looking at what am I using sex for? What are the wounds that I'm using sex to cover up?   And how do I actually get the healing I need and find healthier and safer ways for me to cope with negative emotions? And that's why groups are really important for people who have sexual struggles. Counseling is really important. And again, that long journey of healing and freedom, not just a one-time decision that I'm going to try to never do this again.   Laura Dugger: (17:21 – 20:19) Love that word freedom, even because that hope is available. And just pointing out how you said this is not deterministic. That's not what we're saying is if you experience something, you will act out sexually. But I agree with you that it is fascinating and helpful to hear the correlation of certain things that happen, especially in childhood, and how that plays out long-term.   And I am blanking on which guest it was on The Savvy Sauce, but somebody was enlightening me. I think it was for females that if they were sexually abused, typically before a certain age, then they were more likely to struggle in marriage with wanting to completely avoid sex. But then if it was after a certain age, that it was completely opposite where they maybe used sex to medicate, or they were very aggressive and even would act out, let's say in single years, that they would sleep around with a bunch of partners if they had been wounded.   And so, I just think it just, it helps us to not be judgmental of one another. We don't know the full story.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (20:20 – 21:09) Yes. Yeah. There's always more there than we usually realize at first. And, you know, this plays out a lot in marriage because there are a lot of women who are married to guys who are addicted to pornography. And that's a deeply painful dynamic. That's really hard.   But to understand that your husband didn't want to have this struggle, often doesn't know how to get out of it, you know, gives you compassion. It doesn't mean that you look the other way, you need to get help, and you need to insist on getting help. But it does give you empathy and compassion that there's something underlying this and feeding it. It's not just, “Oh, I think I'm going to, you know, look at porn and hurt my wife again,” that there's always a deeper dynamic at work.   Laura Dugger: (21:10 – 21:50) Absolutely. And even an example from your book, I'll just read a quote where you said, “I spoke with a man who runs a sexual addiction program. He told me he had never met someone with sexual addiction, who did not also have significant sexual or psychological trauma in their past.”   And I think it goes along with what we're saying. But if we also then flip it and look at more of the positive side, how can we rightly prioritize connection and intimacy in marriage as God intended?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (21:53 – 24:24) I think first of all, we need to be convinced that this is worth it. You know, when we look at everything there is to do in life, there's so many worthy demands on our time. You know, from I want my house to look nice, and we need to make friends and we need to be an outreach to our community. And our kids are taking a lot of time and they should, and they've got all their activities and our church needs our help. Like when do you have time to do all this? And then, oh yeah, prioritize your marriage.   And I think we have to become convinced that if we're not working on our marriage, and specifically if we're not working on the sexual connection in marriage, then all those other things have the potential to fall apart. That the way I've learned it over time is that sex is never going to be a neutral issue in your marriage. It's either going to be something that is bonding you together and causing you to work on the deeper levels of intimacy, even as you talk through sexual difficulties, or it's going to be something not immediately, but over time, that becomes a wedge between you.   It might start as a wedge of resentment of my needs aren't getting met, or I feel like you're objectifying me or you're putting pressure on me. Or it might be a deeper wedge of a pornography addiction or something that's not being addressed. Or I don't trust my husband because of my trauma. And those things don't just stay dormant. The wedge becomes bigger and bigger and bigger until you get to the place where now you're not comfortable being in the same room anymore and you feel like roommates. And then now one of you is attracted to somebody else and the story plays on.   And there are very wonderful godly men and women who have gotten married with every purpose to stay together. But a wedge like this has grown over time to the point where they're now thinking about divorce or one of them has cheated on the other. And so, we have to be convinced that honoring God in our lives means prioritizing our marriage, and it means working on this intimate aspect of our marriage so that we can be a stable foundation for our families and our churches and our communities.   Laura Dugger: (24:26 – 24:39) And so, if we're getting as practical as possible, what are the best practices that you've seen in married couples who are happily married? How have you experienced that?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (24:40 – 28:04) Yeah. I'll put it in kind of like a cliche sort of way because I think sometimes that's catchy. Number one, I would say they're couples who will resist the drift, who will repair the rift, and who will adjust to the shift.   So, I can kind of break that down a little bit. But you know, the first thing is resisting the drift of you can go weeks without meaningfully connecting with your spouse. And I don't just mean sexually, but I mean like eye to eye, you know, just loving touch, just connecting to their hearts. And so, couples who know how to resist that drift, like they have regular times built into their calendar where this is where we connect every day. Like even for 10 minutes, this is where we hold each other's hands, we look at each other in the eye, we really connect with what's in your heart, how are you? And they have regular rhythms of once a week or once every other week, we're going to go out and do something fun together, just the two of us. We've worked through what sex looks like in this season. Like how many times do we want to have sex? Are we scheduling that? How are we making sure that's a priority? And so, that's the resisting the drift.   And the second one is repairing the rift. And at every marriage, there are going to be things that tear you apart. And sometimes those things might be sexual in nature, like a temptation, an emotional affair, pornography use, sometimes it's going to be something else where you have a deep disagreement that you can't resolve on your own. And you need to be courageous enough to reach out for help and say, like, if we don't get help, if we don't address this issue, like it's going to become something that tears us apart. Any couple that you meet who is happily married for like 30 years or more, they can tell you a story of when they had a rift, and the kind of help that really address that.   And then I think the third thing is adjusting to the shift. And in even the normal stages of marriage, there are shifts that happen. Like, you know, I'm in the stage right now where me and the people my age are going through biological changes with menopause and with aging. And, you know, some people are going through becoming grandparents and retirement. And there's all these shifts that are happening even naturally. There's other couples that are younger who are going through the shift of pregnancy and battling infertility. And some people are going through cancer. And there are things that happen that require you to shift your expectations. And to not just wish that it is like it used to be. But this is the marriage we have now. Here are the circumstances we have now. Here are the bodies we have now. How do we learn to love each other and embrace this season, given the changes that we're experiencing?   And so, I think that's a framework that I've seen healthy couples navigate over time that really fosters intimacy.   Laura Dugger: (28:05 – 29:29) That is incredible. I love how you put that. And I've shared with you before that my background is in Christian sex therapy. So, sex is a topic that does come up a lot and people feel comfortable sharing or asking questions. So, just in regular conversation, I want to recap two conversations that kind of show stances on both ends of the spectrum. And I'd love to hear your wisdom on how to respond to each one.   So, first, there was a Christian married woman with children, and she was teaching younger women to say yes to every single sexual advance from their husband. And she said, “If your husband has the higher drive, and he wants to have sex twice a day, then consider yourself lucky. And don't ever say no, because your body is not your own.” Yeah, it's hard to recap. So, this is not my perspective. So, sharing both ends.   So, that was one person. And then on the other end, I've heard a woman tell me, “You know, I just didn't feel like having sex for about a year and a half after we had our baby. So, I just told my husband, you're going to have to wait.”   So, loaded question, but Dr. Juli, how would you respond to each of those?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (29:29 – 32:31) Well, Laura, I feel like you probably would have just as good of response as I would to those. Yeah, I like that you're presenting those as two extremes, because they are two extremes. And I think both extremes kind of miss the heart. We want to be able to say yes to sex and intimacy. And being able to say yes means also being able to say no.   In that first situation, essentially, what is going to end up happening is that that wife is going to start feeling like my husband wants me for sex. And I don't have the capacity to enjoy it twice a day. I'm starting to feel like an object or used. And the husband is never going to learn that covenant love requires self-denial. And at every level, you know, what did, what did Paul say to husbands in Ephesians 5, like love your wife as you love your own body and be willing to lay down your, your life for your wife. And that means being sensitive to the fact that she doesn't have the same sexual appetite as you do. She doesn't have the same biology you do, that it actually can be physically painful, emotionally traumatic for a wife to have sex when she's not physically ready. Really, that couple is not working on intimacy. They're, they're kind of reinforcing a pattern that sex is about the husband getting his needs and desires met only through the wife without considering her. And that might work for short term, but that's not building intimacy in the long term. And it's not teaching either of them. And that wife needs to learn her own sexual desires and patterns and be able to communicate those to her husband. So, that's what I would say in that first one.   And the second one, essentially, you have a wife kind of having that more selfish perspective of, I only have sex when I want it and on my terms, instead of considering the husband. And, you know, how do I focus on him? How do I work on experiencing sexual desire? How do I foster that? Because it's important for my husband, it's important for our marriage. And I don't want to be selfish.   And so, I think both of those situations are kind of approaching sex where one person gets to be selfish, and the other person has to sacrifice. That's ministry, that's not intimacy. And so, we really want to be at a place where both of us, the higher desire one and the lower desire one, are learning what does it look like to really love well, to love sacrificially and to communicate the ways that I feel loved. I don't know, what would you add to that or change?   Laura Dugger: (32:31 – 33:11) That's why I asked you, you said that beautifully, better than I could have responded. And again, you're getting back to the heart of it and pointing us back to Jesus with each answer. And, you know, commonly people do struggle with having a safe place where they can ask candid questions about sex.   So, I am going to throw some more at you. And some of these are ones that you wrote about. But just to give us a little taste, even of the book, or if somebody has a burning question like this, I'd love your healthy response.   So, how do you respond when people ask, “How far is too far to go in a dating relationship?”   Dr. Juli Slattery: (33:14 – 36:32) Yeah, I think people are looking for a line, you know, like, as long as I don't cross this line, are we good? And of course, I think their traditional line would be as long as you're not having intercourse. But I think that misses the larger context of the purpose of sex. I've had to be convicted of this in my own life. And we talked very early in our conversation about how we've just sort of ingested messages from the culture. And the culture says that healthy sexuality is an expression of how I feel, right? So, so if I feel safe with you, if I feel romantically connected to you, if I feel sexually attracted to you, then it would be healthy for me to engage sexually with you. And then Christians would come and say, yes, but as long as you don't cross this line. So, that's sort of the narrative that I think a lot of us have heard in the church.   But if we look at, from a biblical perspective, God did not design sex to be an expression of how I feel. Okay, let that sink in for a minute. God did not design sex to be an expression of how I feel. He designed it to be a seal and a celebration of covenant, of the choice that a man and a woman make to covenant their lives to one another. And for them to say, just like I give you my whole life, I promise faithfulness to you. I promise that we are becoming one as a family. We have now a physical way to symbolize that in becoming one with our bodies. And so, even if I feel romantically attached to somebody I'm not married to, I don't act on that. Or even if I don't feel romantically attached to my husband, we work on our sex life because we're in covenant.   And so, when you begin to understand sex from that standpoint, you answer that question differently of how far can I go? Why are you sharing your body with another person when you haven't shared your life with them? And, you know, I think that the standard is not legalistic, but the heart of the question is a lot, that's a harder question. You know, like it says, and I think 2 Thessalonians or 1 Thessalonians, you know, Paul says, the will of God is that you do not engage in sexual immorality. Don't take advantage of a brother or sister.   And how many times in dating relationships do you look back and you're like, “Wow, I gave too much of myself to that person or I took too much of myself from that person. Like we engaged in things that now we're broken apart. Like I wish I could take back.” And so, what does it look like to honor each other? What does it look like to honor the Lord? So, I think those kinds of questions help you get to the heart of how do we steward dating relationships a lot better than looking for a line we're not supposed to cross.   Laura Dugger: (36:33 – 37:31) When was the first time you listened to an episode of The Savvy Sauce? How did you hear about our podcast? Did a friend share it with you? Will you be willing to be that friend now and text five other friends or post on your socials anything about The Savvy Sauce that you love? If you share your favorite episodes, that is how we continue to expand our reach and get the good news of Jesus Christ in more ears across the world.   So, we need your help.   Another way to help us grow is to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Each of these suggestions will cost you less than a minute, but it will be a great benefit to us. Thank you so much for being willing to be generous with your time and share. We appreciate you.   As Christ followers, should we use a friend's preferred names and pronouns? So, how would you respond to that?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (37:32 – 39:20) Boy, this is a hot topic. There are people who have really strong opinions on this. You're saying, do I use a friend's preferred names and pronouns?   And I think the fact that you have a friendship means that you can have a deeper conversation about the meaning of the names and pronouns. And I think that deeper conversation needs to happen. Because, you know, ultimately we don't like, we don't want to just say, “Oh yeah, whatever you want to call yourself is fine with me. Truth doesn't matter.” But on the other hand, we really want to get to the spiritual issue underneath this. And there's a, there's a big difference between somebody who doesn't know the Lord, doesn't know where you stand on any of this, and somebody that you can engage in a conversation with and seek wisdom on.   I think there, there's probably more latitude to use somebody's preferred name than pronouns. And I think in friendships, sometimes you can work that through and just say, you know, “Hey, I love you. I understand where you're coming from. I'm going to try my best to use the name that you're asking. But the pronoun is something that I'm not comfortable with. And here's why. And just like I'm, I want to understand where you are. I hope that you would have grace and understand where I am.” So, in a friendship, you're able to have those kinds of conversations. Whereas if it's a coworker or it's a stranger or a neighbor, sometimes we can't have that level of conversation. And so, I, we might choose to handle the situation a little differently.   Laura Dugger: (39:21 – 39:36) That's good. A hundred percent truth, a hundred percent love or kindness. And what if somebody asks, how much attention should we be giving these secondary issues as believers?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (39:39 – 41:03) Boy, I, I think first of all, the secondary issues come out of the primary issues. So, the primary issue, and you know, the issue I wrote Surrendered Sexuality is about is if my life belongs to the Lord, then my whole life needs to belong to Him, including how I think about cultural issues, including how I treat my neighbor.   And so, I don't see them as secondary issues. I see them as an outgrowth of the primary issue. I think when they become secondary issues are when we argue with other believers about it and it becomes the most important thing. Like I put you in a category based on, will you use preferred names and pronouns? And then I think we're missing what God calls us to.   The primary issue is that we want to honor God and we want to love each other. And so, let's keep going back to that primary issue. How do I love my neighbor well? How do I honor God's truth well? How do I pursue unity within the body of Christ well, as we're navigating some of these secondary issues? So, you know, like if we're going back to the primary issue, it means that we have to talk about the secondary issues, but we talk about them in light of what's primary.   Laura Dugger: (41:04 – 41:17) I like that. And I just have three more of these kind of tricky questions. So, another one, does pornography addiction qualify as reasons for a biblical divorce?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (41:20 – 42:50) I would say, first of all, technically, if we look at the word for sexual immorality in the scripture, which is porneia, we would say, yeah, you know, pornography does qualify for that.   But for the person who's asking this, maybe the woman who's asking this, I would say, why do you want to get out of the marriage? And what Jesus said is Moses permitted divorce because of the hardness of your heart. And I think a more important question is where's your heart and where's your husband's heart? Because I've seen people with pornography addictions who have really open hearts towards healing, and they're willing to get the help that they need. They're repentant. They're willing to do the work. They're willing to go through even a time of separation to show that they're serious about that work.   And then there are people who have very hard hearts of, “This is who I am. I might go through the motions, but I'm really not interested in change.” And so, I think the pornography addiction is less the issue than the posture of the person's heart and their willingness to work. And if your spouse is willing to work, then I think it's on us to have soft hearts too, and to be open to the work that God can do.   Laura Dugger: (42:51 – 43:34) That's good because saying you have to zoom out and see more of the story in that stance, because that's very different. Somebody who's working on it and hates the struggle and is wanting to break free versus being married to a narcissist who is abusing you and treating you in a certain way and addicted to pornography. So, you point out well that all of these questions have more to them.   Okay. So, two more, if a spouse has had an emotional affair in the past with a coworker, but they still work with this person, what is the wise thing to do and how should they handle it if their spouse is uncomfortable with them still working there?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (43:36 – 44:33) Yeah, boy, that's something that I would want to seek counseling on. You and your spouse really need to get with a counselor and talk that through. The generic advice in that situation would be to get a different job, to not have that relationship still a temptation or available.   But there are sometimes very extenuating circumstances where that's not a possibility, or at least for now, that's not a possibility. And so, I would really encourage you to meet with a third party to sort through the details of your particular situation. Because it could be that your spouse isn't willing to take that hard step of cutting off that relationship, or it could be that they're willing, but again, there's extenuating circumstances. And I would really want a wise person who is engaging with you to help you navigate that.   Laura Dugger: (44:34 – 44:44) But I love that, how you highlight that something to look for though, is that you would hope your spouse would be willing to make that right, especially if they were the offending.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (44:46 – 44:46) Okay.   Laura Dugger: (44:47 – 45:00) And then also, Juli, because scripture does talk about turning the other cheek, does that mean it's the same as saying God expects you to stay in an abusive marriage?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (45:02 – 47:41) Absolutely not. If you were in an abusive marriage, you are not doing your spouse any good. You are allowing your spouse to be in a place where they're destroying their own life and they're destroying the people that they love.   Now you say, okay, where biblically do we see this? We see that Jesus, he says in John, he says, “I laid down my life for my sheep. I lay it down willingly. No one has the authority to take it from me. I have the authority to lay it down and I have the authority to take it up again.” And we see Him living that out with religious leaders who were after Him all the time, who wanted to stone Him, who were accusing Him of things. It says over and over again that Jesus escaped from them. He just got out of there until it was time that the Father said, now is the time for you to give yourself for the world.   So, we take that principle and we say, Jesus was not abused. Jesus did not let Himself be abused. He gave Himself as a lamb to the slaughter as a sacrifice for the Father and for the world. But that's very different. Up until that time, we see Him have great boundaries. We see Him not get, it even says He didn't entrust Himself to man because He knew what was in their hearts. I mean, He had boundaries with people that could have hurt Him.   And I also love when we see this in the story of King David and Saul, when Saul is chasing David, Saul is abusive, right? He wants to kill David. And so, David escapes. And there's a situation where David has the power or the opportunity to kill Saul and he doesn't do it. And then Saul just is struck by his conscience, and he comes back to David. He goes, “You're a better man than I am. I'm so sorry. You know, come back with me and I'll treat you well.” And even though David doesn't take revenge, he doesn't go back with Saul. He's still, he's like, “You go your way. I'll go my way. I'm going to let the Lord judge between us.”   And I think that's a great model. If you're in any kind of abusive relationship, you don't take revenge, but you also don't stay in that situation. You go your way, let them go their way, and you let God judge between you. And I think we see that over and over again in scripture.   Laura Dugger: (47:42 – 48:19) I think that is so well said. And it reminds me of a somewhat recent conversation in 2025 with Stacey Womack who's saying with domestic violence, really the way God would see it is child abuse. And that kind of helps our paradigm because we are His child.   And she elaborates on that. So, I said that that was the last one, but I actually thought of one more as it relates to our children.   So, is it reasonable to assume that once a child has a smartphone, 100% of them will be exposed to pornography?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (48:21 – 49:15) Yeah, it is. And I would say not just once they have a smartphone, because I know with one of my kids, we delayed the smartphone decision, but he had a learning disability that required him to have an iPad for school. And somehow, even though we locked down all the apps, somehow he's able to access it through that. Or it can be a gaming system, or it can be a friend's phone. And so, having a smartphone or device like that certainly makes it more probable.   But you know, like our kids are surrounded by screens and technology, not just what's in our home, but in other people's homes and at school. And so, I think it's safe to assume, unfortunately, that yes, 100% of our kids are going to be exposed to pornography, probably by the time they're 13 or 14.   Laura Dugger: (49:16 – 49:31) And sadly, some much younger than that. But even if there's parental controls, or filters put on, it is just something on my heart that we have to be so vigilant against.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (49:32 – 50:12) Yeah, no, I felt like when, you know, I have three boys, and when they were all three kind of in those teen years, I felt like I was trying to plug holes in a boat, and there'd be new ones popping up all the time. Whether it's like apps, or you know, things that you think are completely safe. Somehow, pornography can get through.   And our kids are smart, like they know the workarounds to the parental things. And that's why we just need to have conversation after conversation, just discipling them, not just protecting them from pornography, but discipling them through what they're inevitably going to be exposed to.   Laura Dugger: (50:13 – 51:05) That's a great point that not just being reactive, but proactive. I think why I have such a heart for this is because practicing and doing therapy and having so many people come in those wounds, that if that addiction gets a stronghold, and that pornography use, it just can wreak havoc in people long term. And so, if we can do that hard work of discipling early on, it is such a blessing to our children, to the generation.   So, I'm just so grateful for your candid responses. And I think it's also a helpful reminder just to never take on a burden that was never meant for us to carry. So, are there any ways that God has taught you to not try and do His business?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (51:07 – 52:16) Yeah. Boy, that's such a great question. I've had to come to the conclusion that I can't convince anyone of right and wrong. You know, like, I can't convince anyone that pornography is wrong, or gay marriage is wrong, or you know, like, that's not my job. My job is to walk with the Lord with integrity and faithfulness and to testify as to who He is.   And so much of this work, whether we're talking about marriage or our friends or our children, so much of this work has to be the Lord's work. And you reach a stage with your kids when they hit those teen years, where you realize the things my kids most need, I can't give them. I can't give them a relationship with God. I can't give them the desire to follow and seek the Lord. Like, I can model that for them. I can encourage them. But that is between them and the Lord. And if I try to control that, I'm just getting in the way of the work that God wants to do in their lives.   Laura Dugger: (52:18 – 52:33) Goodness, I will need to write that down and reflect on that. That is so good, Juli. And there's still so much more that you could share with us.   So, where is your preferred place that we can go online and continue learning from you?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (52:34 – 52:48) Yeah, I would say two places. Number one, our website is authenticintimacy.com. And the second one is the podcast that I do called Java with Juli. It goes along with The Savvy Sauce, you know, like they kind of go together.   Laura Dugger: (52:49 – 53:11) Yes, absolutely. We will certainly link to all of that in the show notes for today's episode.   And you're familiar, I've asked you many times before, because we are called savvy, because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge or discernment. So, as my final question for you today, Dr. Juli, what is your savvy sauce?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (53:13 – 53:58) Oh, I don't even remember how I answered this the last few times. I think I may have said this before, but I think reading the dead old guys is one of my savvy sauce, like reading people who didn't live in this generation who loved the Lord.   And learning from them is just, that's probably taught me more discernment than anything, because they just cut right through the cultural noise that I think sometimes can blind us. And they really help me see my heart for what it is and help me really want to pursue God at a deeper level.   Laura Dugger: (53:59 – 54:03) Wow. Any specific recommendations that have been personal favorites there?   Dr. Juli Slattery: (54:04 – 54:22) Yeah, I love A.W. Tozer. I love many of Andrew Murray's books, particularly Humility and Absolute Surrender. And C.S. Lewis is another great one, Mere Christianity. So, those are some that I would recommend you start with.   Laura Dugger: (54:23 – 54:44) That is wonderful. Thank you for sharing that.   And Juli, it's just always such a delight to get to share an hour of conversation with you. And you are just this beautiful mixture of bold and gentle and humble, all combined into one. So, thank you for being my returning guest today.   Dr. Juli Slattery: (54:44 – 54:49) Oh, thank you. And it's such a pleasure to be with you. Thanks for your great questions.   Laura Dugger: (54:51 – 58:33) One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.   Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.   First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.   You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

In Revelation 8–9 we see trumpet blasts, plagues, demonic locusts, and global shaking—and yet Scripture ends that section with a chilling line: “The rest of mankind… still did not repent” (Revelation 9:20–21). If righteous judgment doesn't lead the world to repentance, what will?This sermon, “The Hope of the Nations,” walks through Revelation 8–9 (and connects into Revelation 10–11) to show:- God is acting in judgment throughout this present age (Revelation 8:6–13; 9:1–6, 13–19)  - God is *restraining* His judgment in mercy, symbolized by the repeated “third” (Revelation 8:7–12; 9:15, 18), giving space and time for repentance (2 Peter 3:9; Romans 2:4)  - Humanity tragically refuses to repent, doubling down on idolatry and sin even under judgment (Revelation 9:20–21; Romans 1:18–25)  - God advances His purposes through the faithful *witness* of the church, so that judgment + witness leads to repentance (Revelation 10–11, especially 11:3–13; Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8)Drawing on the Exodus plagues as a background (Exodus 7–12), this message shows that God's judgments are not random outbursts of anger but targeted spiritual warfare against false gods and the demonic powers behind them (Exodus 12:12; Colossians 2:15; Ephesians 6:12). The “mutant locusts” of Revelation 9 are symbolic of spiritual forces that torment those who cling to idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood (Revelation 9:20), but are restrained from ultimately destroying humanity.We explore how:- Biblical justice begins with God, not human sociology (Psalm 89:14; Micah 6:8; Romans 3:10–26)  - The deepest problem in the world is the human heart without Christ (Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:20–23; Ephesians 2:1–5)  - Every sin must be answered for—either at the cross or in final judgment (Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27–28; 2 Corinthians 5:21)  - The cross is the only true refuge from God's just judgment and the ultimate expression of His mercy (Romans 5:6–11; 1 Peter 3:18; John 3:16–18)  We also confront two common but unbiblical assumptions:1. “If things get bad enough, people will turn to God.”     Revelation 9 shows the opposite—judgment alone does not produce repentance. People often *worship the very powers that harm them* (Revelation 9:20; cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12).2. “If I get forceful or angry enough, I can make people change.”     If God's perfect judgment does not convert by itself, our outrage won't either (James 1:19–20; 2 Timothy 2:24–26). The church's calling is not to coerce but to bear faithful witness.The turning point comes in Revelation 11: after the church bears costly, faithful witness in the power of the Spirit (Revelation 11:3–7), judgment falls and “the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven” (Revelation 11:13). The same phrase “the rest” used in Revelation 9:20 is now connected to repentance and worship. The difference? The *witness* of the church.In this message, we consider:- The seal of God on the foreheads of His people (Revelation 7:1–4; 9:4) and what true spiritual protection means (John 10:27–29; Romans 8:31–39)  - How idols promise life but pay out death “on a payment plan” (Romans 1:24–32; Galatians 6:7–8)  - Why God restrains judgment so that His mercy might triumph (James 2:13; Ezekiel 18:23, 32)  - How ordinary obedience, forgiveness, truth-telling, and endurance are actually acts of cosmic warfare (Romans 12:17–21; Revelation 12:11; Ephesians 6:10–18)Key Scriptures referenced throughout the sermon include:- Revelation 8–9; 10–11  - Exodus 7–12  - Romans 1–3; 6; 12–13  - 2 Peter 3:9

From “In the Beginning” to Amen // Strategies of the Enemy (Exodus) There are Five Strategies I Want to Look at: (I'm sure there are others too) 1. DiscouragementDiscouraged by CircumstancesExodus 6:9 (NLT)“So Moses told the people of Israel what the LORD had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.” Discouraged by the EnemyExodus 13:17-18 (NLT)“When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” Discouraged by One AnotherNumbers 32:7-9 (NIV)“Why do you discourage the Israelites from crossing over into the land the Lord has given them? This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to look over the land. After they went up to the Valley of Eshkol and viewed the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the Lord had given them.” Antidote: Encourage and Build UpHebrews 3:13 (ESV)"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today,' so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.” Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)"...Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together... but encouraging one another.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”       2. DistractionAntidote: Stay FocusedHebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” 3. Disruption/DivisionAntidote: Walk in Unity1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV)“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” Philippians 2:2 (NIV)“Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” Colossians 3:13-14 (NV)“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” 4. DeceptionAntidote: Hold Fast to TruthJohn 8:32 (NIV)“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 17:17 (NIV)“Jesus said, ‘Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth'.” Psalm 51:6 (ESV)“Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” 5. DestructionAntidote: Choose LifeProverbs 14:2 (NIV)“There is a way that seems right to man, but the end of it is destruction.” Acts 2:21 (NLT)“But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 2 Samuel 22:2 (ESV)“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer."

2 Thessalonians 1:3-12

We sit down with Nate Miller from Stow Fire(OH). We have a fantastic discussion on multiple subjects, but mostly his love for the job!A big thank you for our sponsors, Elkhart Brass, Key Hose, and Vanguard Safety Wear. Bio - Nathan Miller began his fire service journey in 2011, spending 12 years on the backstep before promoting to Lieutenant in 2022. He currently serves on an engine company with a mid-sized suburban department in Northeast Ohio, where he's grateful to work for an organization that believes in its mission, its members, and purposeful leadership.Driven by a relentless pursuit to master the craft, Nathan has traveled across the country attending classes and conferences, sharpening his understanding of engine company operations and the fundamentals of firemanship. In 2022, he was honored to join Brothers in Battle LLC, working alongside a dedicated group of instructors committed to spreading firemanship and buying back the mission of the American fire service.He teaches engine work through his department's in-house academy and provides ongoing instruction throughout Ohio with a group self-named “The Shopping Cart Gang.” As the leader of the Ohio Fire Nuggets affiliate, Nathan has helped deliver high-impact, no-excuses training to hundreds of firefighters—strengthening departments that serve millions of Ohioans. He is unapologetically Mission First.Outside of the firehouse, Nathan is married to his wife Shelby, whose support makes everything possible, and he is a proud father of two children who have redefined his “why.” He's a shameless Cleveland Browns fan who understands adversity and loyalty, and he finds peace in the natural resources of Northeast Ohio and Northern Ontario—spending time on the water fishing, boating, and enjoying God's creation with family and friends.Nathan's life and leadership are rooted in faith, anchored in the belief that Christ is King. He lives by the principle of Faith, Family, and Firemanship, drawing inspiration from 2 Thessalonians 3:10:“The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

Send us a messageIn a commentary written for “BornAgainChristians.org.” and entitled: “The Beast System Rising: Digital ID's and Global Control In Light of Bible Prophecy,” they offer critical insight to the highly charged prophetic hour in which we are living where they write:“We are living in the last days where Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2:7: “The mystery of lawlessness is already at work.” This evil force, driven by Satan and his demonic forces, promotes rebellion against God's moral order that is influencing society through things like subtle pushes for systems that centralize power, monitor citizens, and erode God-given freedoms.Paul's words show this lawlessness was active even in the first century, and continues today. Yet, the Holy Spirit,, working through His true Church, is restraining its full power until the Rapture.One the Rapture takes place the Tribulation will begin, therefore, Salvation's cry has gone forth with “Love's Last Call” beckoning those who ears to hear – to hear – and to come while there is still time to do.  Support the showVisit our website: https://agapelightministries.com/

“Heaven is the future, but the world is your present. Don't retreat or wage war on culture.  Be a faithful presence no matter what.” Pastor Austin continues his sermon series on Thessalonians digging into Chapter 4. 

Holiness isn't isolation. It's transformation in community. In 1 Thessalonians 4, we're reminded that God's will isn't vague or mysterious: it is our sanctification. Kingdom people are called to abstain from sexual sin, abound in brotherly love, and aspire to quiet, faithful lives that honor Christ. Our bodies belong to God. Our brothers and sisters belong to God. And our best life is found within the King's boundaries. Invest in the mission and vision of Westside: https://westsidebaptist.org/give FOLLOW Westside Baptist Church: ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/westsidegainesville ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/westsidegainesville ► Website | https://www.westsidebaptist.org

26 Ezekiel 33-34; 19 Psalms 117-118; 2 Thessalonians 1-3

Best of Daily Devotions: 1 Thessalonians 2 Pt 5 Daily Devotions by Pastor Tim Dodson of Believers City Church in Menomonie, WI. Tim Dodson is the lead-pastor of Believers City Church in Menomonie, WI. These devotionals are designed to take the listener through the Bible verse-by-verse. [maxbutton id=”1″]

What kind of faith gets Heaven’s attention? In Luke 7, Jesus was amazed by a Roman centurion’s faith—not a religious leader, but a soldier who understood authority and believed Jesus could heal his servant with just a word... Notes The Roman soldier’s amazing faith got Heaven’s attention. Weak or strong, everyone has a form of faith. Read Luke 7:1–10 Luke 7:9When Jesus heard this, He was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following Him, He said, "I tell you, I haven't seen faith like this in all Israel!" Everything about Jesus was amazing. Matthew 8:27They were amazed and said, "What kind of Man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!" Luke 7:9When Jesus heard this, He was amazed. Roman centurions were significant people. This centurion somehow knew Jesus could heal his beloved servant. Sometimes non-believers have more faith than believers. The two disciples on the Emmaus Road summed it up, “We had hoped He was the One.” The non-believers remembered what Jesus said would happen after He died. Matthew 27:63We remember that while He was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' Where does sickness come from? Sickness and death were not part of God’s original plan for us. Romans 5:12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. Satan brought the afflictions in Job's life. God will, on occasion, allow sickness in our lives to keep us humble, to teach us lessons, and to prepare us for the future. #1 Natural healing is what God built into the human body. #2 There is supernatural healing too. There is a promise of healing in the book of Isaiah.(Isaiah 53:4–5) 1 Peter 2:24"He himself bore our sins" in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by His wounds you have been healed." Lay hold of this promise when you need His healing touch. Why are some of us still sick?One reason is simply a lack of asking.(James. 4:2) Mark 6:5–6And because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. The people who knew Jesus best couldn’t see Him for who He really was. Hebrews 11:1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The safest place to put your faith is in God. Faith is belief plus action. Faith does things. Amazing faith is to be used, applied, and put through its paces. The Christian life is lived by and through faith. Faith can make the difference between something happening and not happening. God is the One who works.But He chooses to work through humans living by faith. Even death is not the end. Jesus said, “I am the living One. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever!I hold the keys of death and the grave.” The powerful centurion had rank, influence, and resources.The widow had nothing. The centurion reached out to Jesus.But Jesus reached out to the woman. Read Luke 7:11–17 Luke 7:13When the Lord saw her, His heart overflowed with compassion. "Don't cry!" He said. Jesus was deeply moved by the widow’s plight. Jonah knew the nature of God was to forgive. Jesus feels sorrow and compassion for those who have lost loved ones. We will see our loved ones who died in faith again. Paul uses the word “harpazō”, translated as “caught up.”(1 Thessalonians 4:16–17) The centurion demonstrated amazing faith. For the people of Nazareth, their familiarity bred contempt. The church is a dangerous place. Every time you hear the gospel and do not respond, your heart gets harder. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What kind of faith gets Heaven’s attention? In Luke 7, Jesus was amazed by a Roman centurion’s faith—not a religious leader, but a soldier who understood authority and believed Jesus could heal his servant with just a word... Notes The Roman soldier’s amazing faith got Heaven’s attention. Weak or strong, everyone has a form of faith. Read Luke 7:1–10 Luke 7:9When Jesus heard this, He was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following Him, He said, "I tell you, I haven't seen faith like this in all Israel!" Everything about Jesus was amazing. Matthew 8:27They were amazed and said, "What kind of Man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!" Luke 7:9When Jesus heard this, He was amazed. Roman centurions were significant people. This centurion somehow knew Jesus could heal his beloved servant. Sometimes non-believers have more faith than believers. The two disciples on the Emmaus Road summed it up, “We had hoped He was the One.” The non-believers remembered what Jesus said would happen after He died. Matthew 27:63We remember that while He was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' Where does sickness come from? Sickness and death were not part of God’s original plan for us. Romans 5:12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. Satan brought the afflictions in Job's life. God will, on occasion, allow sickness in our lives to keep us humble, to teach us lessons, and to prepare us for the future. #1 Natural healing is what God built into the human body. #2 There is supernatural healing too. There is a promise of healing in the book of Isaiah.(Isaiah 53:4–5) 1 Peter 2:24"He himself bore our sins" in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by His wounds you have been healed." Lay hold of this promise when you need His healing touch. Why are some of us still sick?One reason is simply a lack of asking.(James. 4:2) Mark 6:5–6And because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. The people who knew Jesus best couldn’t see Him for who He really was. Hebrews 11:1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The safest place to put your faith is in God. Faith is belief plus action. Faith does things. Amazing faith is to be used, applied, and put through its paces. The Christian life is lived by and through faith. Faith can make the difference between something happening and not happening. God is the One who works.But He chooses to work through humans living by faith. Even death is not the end. Jesus said, “I am the living One. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever!I hold the keys of death and the grave.” The powerful centurion had rank, influence, and resources.The widow had nothing. The centurion reached out to Jesus.But Jesus reached out to the woman. Read Luke 7:11–17 Luke 7:13When the Lord saw her, His heart overflowed with compassion. "Don't cry!" He said. Jesus was deeply moved by the widow’s plight. Jonah knew the nature of God was to forgive. Jesus feels sorrow and compassion for those who have lost loved ones. We will see our loved ones who died in faith again. Paul uses the word “harpazō”, translated as “caught up.”(1 Thessalonians 4:16–17) The centurion demonstrated amazing faith. For the people of Nazareth, their familiarity bred contempt. The church is a dangerous place. Every time you hear the gospel and do not respond, your heart gets harder. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode, Paul White talks about the significance of the Apostle Paul's usage of "brothers and sisters" to address the Thessalonian church .Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5.

Psalm 86 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 Prayer Requests to psp@sqpn.com

Topics: The Simplicity of God's Will, Not Everything That Happens is God's Will, The Paralysis of Analysis in Decision Making, God's Will Concerning the Process of Grief, Revelation 21:4, Why You Can't Drop Out of God's Will, Every Sin Requires Death but Jesus Paid Once for All Hebrews, 10:10-14, The Lie of Waiting on God While Ignoring Help, Reading Your Bible Does Not Unlock God's Will, Why Your Will is the Same as God's Will, You Cannot Frustrate the Omniscient One, Romans 5:1, Our New Heart, Ezekiel 36:26, Debunking the Perfect versus Permissive Will Dartboard, The Myth of Sufferings and the Cross to Bear, We Have Been Crucified and Reborn with Christ, Galatians 2:20, Decisions and Bad Choices Cannot Override the Creator, Finding Rest and Freedom in a Good Father's Arms, God's Will is that We Give Thanks in all Things, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Being Reborn into the Family of Grace, The Renewal of the Mind and Wisdom in Christ, Romans 12:2, Working through Us to Fulfill His Good Purposes, Philippians 2:13, The Glory of Oneness with the Father and Son, John 17:22-23, Why Anxiety is Not Coming from God, Righteousness is Not Lost Based on Unrighteous Choices, Proverbs 12:5, Spiritual Healing through the Finished Work of Christ, The Sufficiency of Grace in all Circumstances, Top Ten Lies About God's Will, Trusting the Spirit of Jesus within You, Why You Haven't Missed the Boat on God's Calling, Your Identity as a Child of God in Christ Support the showSign up for Matt's free daily devotional! https://mattmcmillen.com/newsletter

February 22 |Exodus 2:23-3:22, Matthew 17:22-27, Psalm 22:25-26, Proverbs 10:10 // Join us for this final week of our February Fast! Download your Prayer Journal at the following link to experience the fullness of a life that is dedicated to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). newsongnashville.com/   

Pastor Lance's study through 1 Thessalonians highlights our part in Christian growth, sharing some of the evidence that should be seen in a changed person's life. He emphasizes the fact that the Bible is the inspired truth of God, and points out different aspects of true salvation.

1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

In this short teaching, we examine 2 Thessalonians 2:8 to show why the man of lawlessness (Antichrist) must be future. Paul says Jesus will destroy the lawless one at His parousia (Second Coming)—meaning the Antichrist is active on earth when Christ returns. The post Preterism Problem – AD 70, the Parousia, and the Man of Lawlessness appeared first on Bible Prophecy Answers with Alan Kurschner.

Tom teaches that God notices and honors a grateful heart, using the healing of the ten lepers in Luke 17 to show how obedience and thankfulness reveal true faith. It encourages believers not to despise “small” or “insignificant” seasons—just as Jesus came from Nazareth—because God often does His best work in humble places. Finally, it calls Christians to live out 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 by rejoicing, praying continually, and giving thanks in everything as the Holy Spirit transforms their lives.

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Speaker: John Dellorto Date: February 22, 2026

All sin separates us from God. Some sins—pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, lust, gluttony—can destroy us. Jesus gives us virtues that overcome these vices.This 8-week series examines the Seven Deadly Sins not to shame, but to reveal our need for grace. Each week shows how these sins infiltrate life, harm relationships, and distance us from God—and how Jesus provides the way out. The final week focuses on virtue and victorious life in Christ.Today we continue our this series with a focus on "sloth" or what today we call "laziness." God made us for work, but He also made us to ENJOY our work! In a culture that worships leisure, its no wonder our population struggles with increasing physical and mental health problems. Learn how a disciplined life and a strong work ethic can be produced through living the Gospel. Let's listen in…LINKS + RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:• Recommended reading for this series• Acedia (Sloth)• Zootopia film, Dorothy Sayers, Lou Holtz, Evagrius of Ponctus, Henry Ford • Download the free study guide, complete transcript, and show notes here.• Scripture References: Proverbs 21, verses 25-26,; chapter 12, verse 27; ch. 19, verse 24; ch. 26, verse 13 & 16; ch. 20, verse 4; ch. 19, verse 15; ch. 6, verses 10-11; Ephesians 5, verse 1; 2 Thessalonians 3, verse 10; Colossians 3, verse 23; Ecclesiates; Psalm 27, verse 14• Find out more about Covenant Church at ⁠covenantexperience.com

In this sermon from 1 Thessalonians 5:6-11, we're reminded that as children of light, we are called to live awake, sober-minded, and ready for Christ's return. Clothed in faith, love, and the hope of salvation, we stand assured that we are not destined for wrath, but for life with Him. From our Sunday service at Grace Bible Church of Bend.

Ephesians 4:10-13 God speaks thru prophets and apostles. Jesus loves you so much that he gave the church gifts. “The One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ's followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ's body, the church, until we're all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.” – Ephesians 4:10-13  The Message by Eugene Peterson “And he (Jesus) himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God's Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ's fullness.” – Ephesians 4:11-13  CSB 1. Prophets God speaks. Prophecy – speak on behalf of God before others Prophet – one who speaks inspired utterances on behalf of God “The name ‘prophets' (in Eph. 4:11) is given to those who, having received the Spirit of God, spoke beforehand of Christ and his advent. These were the prophets who “were until Christ.” But after he arrived, was there no reason for any further prophecy? What prophets does Paul speak of here? It is obviously those who being full of the Spirit spoke of God after his coming, continuing to expound the divine teaching.” – Marius Victorinus 280-363 Old Testament prophets spoke the message God gave them, and many pointed to Jesus Christ. “Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet.” – Matthew 1:22  CSB Some New Testament prophets: John the Baptist, Anna in Luke 2:36, Agabus in Acts 11:29, 21:10,  Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen in Acts 13:1-2, Silas & Judas Barsabbas in Acts 15:32, 4 daughters of Phillip in Acts 21:8-9,  John in Revelation “the spirit of prophecy” – Revelation 19:10 “This means that prophecy at its very heart is designed to unfold the beauty and loveliness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” – John Walvoord Training, Discernment, and Accountability:  “Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should evaluate. But if something has been revealed to another person sitting there, the first prophet should be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that everyone may learn and everyone may be encouraged. And the prophets' spirits are subject to the prophets, 33 since God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” – 1 Corinthians 14:29–33   CSB  “many false prophets will appear and fool many people,” – Matthew 24:11    Elijah school of the prophets in 1 Kings 19:18, training people in understanding the Scripture, discerning God's voice, and speaking it. In 2 Kings 2 we see groups of prophets interacting with Elijah and Elisha. Paul & Barnabas – described as “prophets and teachers” then commissioned, sent in apostolic ministry “Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.” – Acts 13:1-3  CSB 2. Apostle – an envoy of Jesus, a representative messenger sent, a “special” messenger (having been commissioned by Jesus Christ for a particular task or role, invested with the authority to speak on his behalf)   …borrowing and changing a Greek term for, emissaries, one who is to carry a message and is commissioned to extend the kingdom (military or naval) a commander of a naval expedition (generally restricted to the immediate followers of Jesus Christ, but also extended, as in the case of Paul, to other early Christians active in proclaiming the message of the gospel) – Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). In Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament “Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.” – Romans 1:1  (possible reference to a Jewish embassy in Rome that required travel by sea) Denotes God-given spiritual authority, mission and message, to be recognized by others (including leaders) Influence in more than one local church Alignment > Heirarchy  God speaks. God had spoken. God is speaking. God will speak. “This is a house set up and ordered by Jesus.… He does not do this in a casual manner. It is with the utmost discrimination and discretion: One is assigned to the rank of an apostle, one to the place of a prophet, others to look after the flock of Christ and to work at the divine instruction of others for those saints who are prepared to learn.” – Didymus the Blind a Biblical scholar 313-398 What are prophets & apostles? Gifts from Jesus to his church. Representatives and messengers. They speak when God has given them something to say. The church leaders recognize it and the church receives it. Each of the 4 Gifts function when recognized and received. What are prophets & apostles NOT? Free to do what they want, however they want. Not dictators. Not celebrities. Not gurus. What is the purpose of our interactions with the 4 Gifts? Sent to equip the church for ministry. Sent to build up the church. Sent to help the church learn about Jesus and become more like Jesus. Sent to help the church grow stronger spiritually, able to refute wrong thinking. Equipping – making, preparing, training, perfecting, making fully qualified for service, (in classical language the word was used to describe setting a bone during surgery – The Great Physician is now making all the necessary adjustments so the church will not be “out of joint”) What should we do? 1.       Read Ephesians 3:14-21 and 4:1-16. 2.       Pray, asking God for guidance. 3.       Think about what we are reading. 4.       Write down elements of God's purpose for us. 5.       Write down ways in which we should interact with the 4 Gifts. Extra notes: “the spirit of prophecy” – Revelation 19:10 Worship God, because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” – Revelation 19:10  CSB The word “testimony,” or witness, references someone who has seen or experienced something to be the case. John and his brothers are therefore witnesses and the bearers of testimony to the plan and purpose of God for redemption in Jesus. Consequently, God is the only appropriate object of worship. This is explained by the somewhat enigmatic statement, “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Here the word “prophecy” (proph?teia), which arises from a combination of “speak” (ph?mi) and “before” (pro), an important use of the word essentially meaning “speak for God before.” Before what? is an appropriate question. One sense of the preposition (pro) would be to speak about an event before it happens. Another sense would be to speak before listeners of the purpose and acts of God. Likely in this case both of these senses are paramount. In any event, the meaning is actually reasonably clear: The spirit of both the proclamation and the telling of the future is bound up in the testimony of Jesus. Jesus the Lamb—and not just a chronology of last things—is the theme of the Revelation. As Walvoord succinctly declares, “This means that prophecy at its very heart is designed to unfold the beauty and loveliness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” – Patterson, P. (2012). Revelation (E. R. Clendenen, Ed.; Vol. 39, pp. 345–346). B&H. Evangelist – one who announces the Good News of Jesus (in particular a function rather than an office) …such as Philip in Acts 8:4, 12, 35, 40, 21:8 and Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5  1 Thessalonians 3:2  Philippians 2:22  and two women in Philippians 4:3  Titus in 2 Corinthians 8:18  Epaphras in Colossians 1:7  NT Evangelists – Paul/Phillip NT Church – 1 Tim 3:15, 5:1-2  1 Cor. 12:16-17 Note: not all evangelists were apostles, but all apostles were evangelists “Then he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.'” – Jesus in Mark 16:15-16  CSB All disciples – “Make disciples,” – Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20  “How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” – Romans 10:14-15  CSB Preachers: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors/Teachers will preach. Greek definition of the word “preach” ·       To publicly proclaim or announce news. ·       To proclaim as a herald.  Matthew 4:17; 10:7; 24:14; Acts 8:5; Acts 28:31  A person who had particular responsibilities. Someone sent to say something specific. ·       To announce good tidings or good news.  Luke 3:18; Luke 4:43; Luke 9:6; Acts 8:4; Rev 14:6  Euaggelizo – good news of the gospel ·       To teach or instruct.  Matthew 4:23; 13:36; John 6:59; I Cor 4:17; 1 Tim 2:12; Rom 2:20; Acts 13:1; Rom 12:7; 1 Cor 12:28; Mt 28:19;  Mk 16:15; Eph 4:1 ·       To cause people to learn.  Mt 11:29; 28:19; Acts 14:21  ·       To place beside, as in clear presentation.  Mt 13:24; Mk 8:6 ; Acts 16:34; 1 Cor 10:27; 2 Tim 4:3; Heb 5:12-14  Paratithemi – to place beside so you can pick up again ·       To interpret and make clear and simple.  Lk 24:27; 1 Cor 12;30; 14:5,13,27 ·       To bring out the hidden meanings.  Acts 11:4; 18:26; 28:23  Scripture has obvious and non-obvious meaning. Matthew 10:7              And as you go preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 24:14            And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, Colossians 1:28         Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4:5         For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 2 Timothy 2:15            Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Romans 10:14             How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

Today we start a new series called “Got Joy?”, with Pastor Kuulei teaching on Paul's letter to the Philippians. At a time of imprisonment and possible death, Paul was able to address the church of Philippi with JOY, LOVE, and ENCOURAGEMENT.  He knew not only where His JOY came from, but he chose the POSTURE OF JOY, in spite of his circumstances.Key Scriptures:2 Peter 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:8, Philippians 1:1-11, Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 16:11, Galatians 5:22-23, James 1:2-4, John 15:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Romans 15:13

Sunday Morning Service Series - Questions -A Series covering the Notable Questions Jesus Asked: Today we cover Mark 4:40, With Question #6 Why are You Afraid? Have you Still no Faith! We are in a series called Questions.... We will be looking at 10 Very Pertinent Questions Jesus asked throughout His ministry... But keep in mind... Jesus asked a total of approximately 305 to 307 questions throughout the Gospels in the new testament. We have decided to tackle 10 of them....Starting with... WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM? If you are interested in attending our LIVE teachings (Wednesdays @ 7:00 pm & Sundays @ 10:00 am), you are invited to visit us at 4218 Boston Ave. Lubbock, Texas. To connect with us, you can call us at (806) 799-2227, email us at calvarylubbock@hotmail.com, or checkout our website at CalvaryChapelLubbock.church. You can also watch us on Facebook and contact us through Facebook Messenger. Please feel free to let us know about your walk with Jesus, as we would love to hear it and pray with you. If you'd like to partner with us to help us take the Gospel to the world, just click on the DONATE button on our website, let us know through Facebook Messenger, or in person. We pray that the rest of your week be blessed and that you share the love of Jesus with everyone that you encounter.

SERMON: READY OR NOTSCRIPTURE: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 SERIES:  1 THESSALONIANS | LIVING READY FOR HIS RETURN 

Deceiving Demon Aliens (1) (audio) David Eells – 2/22/26 From Donald J Trump's X account on Thursday, 2/19/26: Donald J. Trump has now instructed the Secretary of War, (Pete Hegseth) and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters. GOD BLESS AMERICA! There are many people convinced of “aliens” or “guides” that they feel are friendly to humanity, which is a strong delusion because all of the aliens are demons, as the Scripture says. Have you noticed that many of the Planet X / Nibiru researchers have fallen for what they read the ancients said about aliens showing up when Planet X did? They were deceived by demons as a type for our day and they worshipped them. We should not be deceived; they are again being released by God to deceive. Jud.5 Now I desire to put you in remembrance, though ye know all things once for all, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6 And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. It is possible they will play the good alien / bad alien game to drive the multitudes into the camp of the so-called “good aliens,” but they are all demons. All angels good or bad can manifest as men according to scripture and in dreams and experiences of many. Fallen angels, as aliens, love to claim they planted us on this earth to destroy thoughts that God did this. Satanists are always liars, thieves, fornicators, adulterers, and pedophiles. They also sacrifice women and children. They are perverts because their father demands it. A group of 14 of these graduated from factions “every vile deeds” to satanists who persecuted us and lusted after our women. They took their women through rape and witchcraft. On a Sunday night the Lord spoke to me clearly that on Monday at 7:00 they planed on having an orgy and He was going to kill them all. I spoke to one who knew them who confirmed this plan of theirs. Their were 14 witnesses that these all fell dead at 7:00 am. Then one by one they disappeared in front of the witnesses. An angel told me that they had placed them near their homes around the country so it wouldn't look like a massacre, although there was not a wound on any of them. Others also from the faction died over time.  There are many witnesses that the demons of these people appeared as them in front of us, in a normal setting, to get us to accept them. But the Lord told us to rebuke or ignore them and not to give them permission to continue. They appeared perfectly as their victims whom we knew were dead. The human victims did not come back from the dead because they did not touch their money, wives, or vehicles and we did not give them permission. The satanist leaders demon came down our brother's dead end road with another in his truck to visit a factious couple at the end of the road and these two went in the couples house. Our brother saw them and he had a video camera on his own house pointed down the road they came in on. He found it working, as usual showing every vehicle coming down this dead end road, but the demons and their vehicle did not show up on the video. The brother called me and told me while this was happening, so I called across town to ask if that satanist's truck was where he left it when he died, and it was, so they were in a demon created vehicle just like it. I then asked a sister who had the gift Jesus had when he saw Nathaniel under the fig tree before meeting him. I asked her to look in the factious couple's house and she did and said no one was there. Our brother saw them go in the house but later when he looked the truck was gone and once again they were not on the video and this was the only way out, it was a dead end road. Some would think these were ghosts but they were not. We had another instance like this. Father was teaching us about impersonating demons or familiar spirits. So, we can see that demons can masquerade as people or aliens and their UFO vehicles. Some Christians have found themselves face to face with aliens and rebuked them in Jesus name and they disappeared. A Christian friend of mine, Col. S.C. worked in the military around the underground aliens and he told me, “David, those aliens are demons who can pass through walls effortlessly.” Concerning fake aliens: Inter-stellar space travel is not possible according to the laws of physics. These are interdimensional beings, demons from the second heaven, not Interplanetary travelers. So, let me share some revelations from some brethren, who have received warnings and dreams relating to this alien, aka demon deceptions.   Aliens Are Demons Manifested in Flesh G.C. - 06/15/10 (David's notes in red) In my dream, I was outside in a populated area, maybe in a park or something. It was nighttime and it seemed like any other summer night. All of a sudden, a lot of strange lights started appearing in the sky. First, it seemed like hundreds of shooting stars falling to Earth; then, as the light became more illuminated, the objects took the shape of spacecraft. The night sky was lit up like the Fourth of July! Everyone was shocked and amazed; from east to west, the sky filled with this armada of craft entering Earth's atmosphere. (What the ancients believed were aliens, who showed up during the time of Planet X, according to their writings, were in fact demons who are fallen angels and can take on the appearance of physical bodies, just like God's angels do in scripture. But the fallen angels do it for the purpose of deception. The Tribulation covenant could be made under the cover of catastrophes. Just as the Woman is going into the wilderness, there is a war in heaven and Satan and his fallen angels are cast to earth to deceive the whole world.  Rev.12:9 And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. We also received a dream of a bright star falling from heaven and the confirming scripture Isaiah 14, where Satan is falling from heaven. Isa 14:12-13 How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations! 13 And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit.)  Satan deceives men into thinking he is God, and he is pleased with unregenerate, falsely called “good men,” which is the doctrine of the New Agers. 2Co.11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. The Alliance is bringing about many good moral changes, but it appears they are complicit in this deception of the nations. Rev.18:23 and the light of a lamp shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the princes of the earth; for with thy sorcery were all the nations deceived. Back to the dream, I was very skeptical, even while seeing this with my own two eyes. I confidently told everyone, “Don't be fooled; it's a hologram!” (Which is one of the theories.) I thought these sights were just a crafty trick (which is true but not as a false vision) but then the ships started to get closer to the ground and they ultimately landed. By this time, I was starting to get bewildered; I didn't know what to think. I was really caught off guard. I thought for sure it was all some sort of illusion by the evil rulers of the world. (Is the Alliance in on the plan of “strong delusion”, which is according to God's will to separate the wheat from the tares? 2Th.2:8 And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; 9 even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (Can fallen angels perform lying wonders? Did we get to vote on joining the Galactic Federation?) 10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. It appears in this dream the fallen angels' deception is so strong that God's people will be tested to see who really believes. Mar.13:22 for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show signs and wonders, that they may lead astray, if possible, the elect.) Once the craft landed, the door opened and some humanoid beings walked out. Everyone was amazed and startled at the same time. I couldn't believe my eyes. Still believing this was a hologram, I ran over to the ship to touch it and realized it was real. (Satan and his angels are very technological, if they have to be, and have the ability to manifest and interact with the physical realm. They gave men atomic bombs and anti-gravity flying saucers.) I swallowed hard, realizing I was wrong, and I ran back to the crowd.  The humanoid beings dressed in Star Trek-type apparel were being led out by a blond-haired woman. (There is a woman who has introduced many to speaking and hearing from aliens. This is no different than a seance, which is speaking to aliens called familiar spirits.) I, being overwhelmed and slightly intimidated, ran up to her and began to rebuke her in my tongue language. (I often do this in dreams when I feel physically or mentally helpless against an enemy; it often gets me results.)  I thought for sure she would shrivel up in a puddle of goop, like something out of The Wizard of Oz. But, to my astonishment, she just kind of pushed me out of the way, without even acknowledging me. I was perplexed. (The answer to this is, when God sends a delusion to deceive the evil world, we cannot cast it down, nor should we try to. 2Th.2:11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. As you can see, we only have authority to help the believers.) I watched the group of beings disperse into the crowd. It seemed like they had specific orders and didn't even stop to talk to anyone; they just went about whatever it was they were sent here for. I remember being surrounded by hundreds of people like me -- everyone just totally in awe of what they saw. After some time, I started to see the beings again, but now they did not look like humans. They had glass faces, like ice. It was like they were wearing a mask, but they weren't -- I could see through their heads and nothing was inside. (fallen spirits) They had hideous, clown-like faces with big smiles, like jack-o-lanterns. (Thinking these beings to be mere humanoids while in fact they are demon-possessed is more common than we think. But the whole world outside of Christ will be deceived and possessed.) They were now corralling people like cattle in different areas (FEMA camps). The adults were forced to separate from the children and were taken to a designated area. The children were all taken to another area and placed in long lines, all of which led into a large circus-like tent. (This alien disclosure will bring much confusion and distraction as well as cause some people to give up their faith in the One True God.) None of the children quite knew what was happening; they were all a little less concerned than the adults. I remember leaving the adult group and running over to see what was happening to the children. After seeing what was taking place, I immediately woke up.   I Met Satan :o) G.C. - 4/19/11 I would like to share a dream I had that confirms we should not fear Satan or evil. Evil is not as powerful as our minds sometimes imagine, and Satan is no different.  I dreamed that I was with an unknown person in this dream who I believe was an angel. I could tell he knew a lot more of what was going on than I did. I accompanied him everywhere he went. I was like an observer. Toward the end of the dream, we entered an elevator. This elevator took us deep inside the Earth. I was told we were going to Hell to see Satan. The ride took a long time and my mind was wondering about how Satan would really appear. I was thinking, “Would he be intimidating? Would he be scary? How would I react to seeing him?” Once we arrived at the very bottom, the door opened. I looked around and we were inside a very large, dark cave. Hell was just like I'd imagined it: Big, dark and cavernous. I looked out of the area we were in and looked out into the larger opening. I saw armies and very sophisticated weapons. There was violence taking place and fire was everywhere; it was almost like a war itself. One of the weapons spotted us as we came out of the elevator and fired a missile at us, but it missed and exploded against the wall. My companion, the angel, was never frightened; it was like he knew nothing could hurt him.  As he walked, I followed; he knew right where he was walking. He came to a door off in a dark corner of the cave. I realized this was Satan's office. Behind the door was the evil one himself. My heart was racing, not from fear but from the suspense. The angel I was with opened the door and there sat Satan in a chair behind a desk. But to my amazement, Satan was not a seven-foot giant with goat horns. He was a clown. Yes, a clown. And a cartoon clown at that. I was shocked and a little disappointed. I was expecting something more terrifying. Clearly the Lord is saying that Satan and his demons are putting on a false face but are not to be feared. Luk.10:17 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject unto us in thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. The angel then revealed to me that Satan is planning something big for Earth. During our trip back up in the elevator, I saw all these green vines shooting up through the elevator shaft from Hell and they were headed straight to Earth. There were a lot of them, like something from Jack and the Beanstalk. But instead of reaching from Earth to the heavens, they were going from Hell to the earth above. Then I woke up. (According to the follow up dream that Father gave him recently, the vines represent the alien deception that satan is sending to earth from the pit of hell.) G.C. said, “Below is a continuation from the dream above from 2011 called. “I Met Satan”. It has the “green vines connection” where green vines were growing up from hell, and the angel told me, “Satan is planning something big for Earth.” Well, it seems the green vines finally made it to Earth and the plan is revealed....    Satan is Planning Something Big for Earth G.C. - 5/13/22 G.C. said, “For a little context, many years ago I worked for mortgage companies securing and repairing vacant foreclosures.”  I dreamed that my dad and I had been given a work order to secure and inspect a foreclosed home in Los Angeles, California. (Los Angeles means, “The angels.”) It was a big house in a nice neighborhood. It was owned by a black husband and wife in their 50's or 60's. (UFOs and aliens were big in the 50's and 60's. The black couple owning the house could represent that this is a house of sinners submitted to darkness.) (I gathered this information by looking at their family photos still left at the property.) I thought these folks looked very successful from the photos. It didn't make sense to me how they could lose their house to foreclosure. (Foreclosure means that they can't pay their debt so the house is taken back. The debt for our house has been paid by faith in Jesus. If it's not paid because there is no faith, then it belongs to the devil.) I thought maybe one or both of them died. But I wasn't sure. I just knew something was amiss. (When one loses one's house to the devil, their soul is his too.) We proceeded through the large house, taking photos with a camera I had rented at a local camera shop. These photos were to be provided to the bank. Then we walked into the basement and to our utter amazement, we saw a small alien infant tangled up in green vines that appeared to be growing from the floor of the basement. (And according to the previous dream, they came straight out of hell. This represents the alien deception.) The vines were attached to the wall and the infant was wrapped up in them. He had a large brown head with 2 large eyes. When we saw him and approached him he became aggressive and hissed at us. (The aliens/demons hate Christians.) I remember taking the rented camera and snapping pictures of him. Even though I was astonished at this, I was not overly distracted by it. I proceeded with my work at the property. My dad and I decided not to show the photos to anyone as it would become a distraction to the public. (Could this represent the Father hiding things from the wise and prudent and revealing them unto babes?) I knew people would not be ready to see this. I downloaded the photos, removed them from the camera and told my dad to return the camera to the shop.  Later, I sent my report and inspection photos to the bank. The next day, I was out and about and realized the whole world was aware of the alien we had found! They had our photos! They were in every publication and on every news station. I had no idea how this had leaked. (True Christians will recognize this Demon/Alien deception, while the rest of the world will swallow the lie, like the waters out of the mouth of the Dragon.) I assumed it was because we returned the camera and the camera shop found the photos on the device and released them. I knew we had discovered it, but no one would ever know our identity. I was ok with that, but I was a little disturbed by how and why they were released. The world was in a frenzy, to say the least. A few days had passed and I was sent back to the same home by the bank to remove the small area of vines growing in the basement. When I got back to the house, the alien child was gone, but the basement dining room was now absolutely full of green vines. (This will be a worldwide deception that will be ‘fed' to all the people.) The walls and ceiling were now covered. I was supposed to remove them, and it was a daunting task. Then, my dad showed up, and we were talking about the alien. The next thing I knew, I stumbled across the rented camera in the basement. I got so upset at my dad because he returned the case but not the camera. (Honestly, I was worried about the late fees. Lol) He said he forgot to look inside the case when he returned it. I realized something strange had happened. How did the world know of the alien if we never took the camera back? Who released the photos? Then I woke up. (2Th 2:8-12 And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; 9 even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.)   Visions of the Fake The Rapture Posted on 25 August, 2006 by Susan-Defenders Of The Faith  “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 I have personally experienced what I believe John experienced in Rev.4:1-2 on many occasions, with my spirit being with The LORD and how my flesh, as well as John's, did not leave earth. Shortly thereafter, this is what I heard and what was seen during my vision. All television stations, radio news reports, and local churches were telephoning their parishioners, they were trumpeting locations throughout all major cities, instructing the followers of Christ where to go to be “raptured up to be with The Lord”. The TV showed the drama on every channel with people screaming, “It IS the Rapture, Praise God! Let us go to where God IS waiting for us so we will not be left behind in this unbearable tribulation! Quickly now, run!” Not only was this chant being heard from the media, but it was in the air everywhere, near and far.  Thousands upon thousands who previously had not come out of their homes for many days, due to fear of being outside from the foreign military stationed everywhere, in a frenzy, flocked to the appointed places where circular aircraft were positioned in the sky between the tallest buildings. (The demons have these space crafts and have given them to governments as crashed so they could reverse engineer them.) The military stood by, unusually silent and still as they let the masses pass, pressing onward to their predetermined destinations. It did not seem unusual to anyone to see such aircraft, and people were not in the least frightened by their being there. Mostly those confessing to be Christian and even those who did not confess to be a Christian believed it to be the army of The LORD our God, i.e., the Rapture. I could see myself making my way quickly to one of the closest locations to warn people, but my screams of “NO! – Don't Go! It Is NOT The LORD!” were lost as people disappeared under the faint laser type light beamed down from the whirling circular crafts while the sounds of “Here I am Lord, save me!” permeated above all else. (This represents people becoming captive to the Demon/Alien deception.) My heart was heavy with an overwhelming sadness, and my eyes streamed down tears as I grievously watched the great deception. As I looked up, I could somehow hear the horrific screams of those that had been deceptively “beamed up”, (Into the false light) but no one else appeared to hear them or their muffled cries of, “Forgive Me, Lord”, over the turmoil below. During this vision, the following Scripture came forth into my mind and is now seared forever upon my mind and heart. “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” Matthew 24:23-26 I share this information with you because it bears witness with everything I have received from the Lord Jesus Christ over the last ten years. UFOs are real. They are both man-made technology as well as demonic entities. The Lord has also confirmed to me by the testimony of others that some UFOs are living biological entities which are known to some in the UFO community as critters. It is my testimony that these are what the scriptures refer to as “lying signs and wonders”, as well as “wonders in the heavens.” Source: Republished from the eBook ‘UFO Dreams & Visions of Our Future' (PDF eBook)    Fully Vaccinated Easily Traced by UFO's  2/7/2023, Sister Gladys  Greetings, brothers and sisters,  I had a few dreams regarding these end times that I would like to share with you.    UFO Invasion of Earth I was in my kitchen, and it appeared that the roof was open because I looked up and saw the moon and sun were red. I went outside and saw UFOs, spaceships in different forms descending towards the earth. There were so many of them and they spread all over the earth. I suddenly heard something like the sound of a motorcycle and my two nieces disappeared. I knew in my spirit that those demonic UFOs had taken them. I fell asleep again, and I dreamed the second part of the first dream:   We went outside the house with my brothers, and we looked up to the sky, we saw UFO spaceships, one was a light green color, it was in the shape of a square, and it was descending towards our direction, it had some antennas, and it was taking pictures of us, I turned my back towards it so it would not see my face; that spaceship was seeking to take pictures of my face, I felt frustrated, in my spirit. I knew that they could easily trace the people and my brothers who were fully vaccinated with the Covid-19 shots; they could not trace me because I was and am not vaccinated. (A demonic imposed MRNA shot that changes your DNA and removes your resistance to disease.) We must watch and pray so we will not be deceived. Do not take the vaccines, and if you did, you must repent and ask the LORD JESUS to cleanse your blood and your DNA before it is too late. Do not take the final part of the mark of the beast from Revelation 13.  Watch & Pray so that you don't fall into temptation.    Spawns of Satan and Their Inevitable Destruction   10/3/2023, Olasubomi Williams Psalm 21:8-13, Psalm 24:7-10, Bel and the dragon 1:23-28, Daniel 12, 2 Timothy 3:1-17 Children, do not believe everything you see on your news, media, and entertainment. For these things are meant to bring fear and chaos into your life. Satan is a chaos bringer. He likes to cause chaos for my children for as much and as long as possible. Soon, the chaos in this world will cause Satan to reign and dominate your landscape, and you will see hell in all its glory. There will be no peace. Do not be deceived. Peace will be taken from the earth until I come. Anyone promising you peace is lying to you and does not wish well for your soul but rather destruction. Your souls are precious to me. You do not know how precious your soul is to me. When I breathe life into you, I made you mine. I placed my signature in you. My very essence is in you. Even after you fell, I still retained my essence in you.  However, Satan wants you to forget that and focus on his own agenda, which will cause you chaos and panic. If you have faith in me, and you are truly my own, you will see my blessings poured out in you like a well of water poured upon a man, so shall my love, joy, peace, patience, long suffering, gentleness, meekness, kindness, self-control, and temperance be poured upon you. My words shall be your fruits. The fruits are your behaviors and characters that reflect who you are as a person. This is why I say, by their fruit, you shall know them. If you eat and consume my fruits, you will have my attributes and see the way I see. This is why my servant David said, “I have tasted of the Lord and behold he is good”. I am good. Come to me and taste of me and see for yourself.  However, these spawns of Satan, in whom I will thoroughly wipe out from the face of the earth, have no fruits. They are barren entities and have no souls. They are soulless, heartless creatures who reflect their father satan whom in all senses is a deceiver. Satan is a master manipulator. He likes to manipulate the minds of men to rebel. He stirs up the heart of men to rebel against me and my followers. This is his common tactic. However, he has taken it up a notch now. He has now created agents with different mixings and different demonic races to create brand new species that are completely abominable to me. You call them aliens; I call them fallen ones and demons. These are demonic creatures with flesh, strange flesh. (They, like all angels, can appear in any form, including aliens.) They are not of me, and in the time of the end, many of these entities will come out and deceive mankind. (We have seen them taking on dead human forms to deceive. They also take on humanoid forms as aliens.) Do you think that everyone you see around you are humans? Think again. For without my Spirit, you will lie with strange flesh, and your human pattern will change. If you have lain with these beings in the past, it is time to come to me in prayer and fasting, for you have entered into a covenant with demons and fallen entities, and the only possible way to come out of it is by prayer and fasting. (We know a man who has done this and looks like he is dying. If you sleep with satanists their demons enter you.) But in the time of the end, there will be given no such grace, because you will know fully well who these beings are, and if you choose to sleep with them afterwards, then your salvation warranty will be null and void. (Jas 4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.) There will be many of these demonic entities walking around the earth, bringing new technologies, breakthroughs, and devices to deceive mankind into a false enlightenment; an enlightenment of darkness and hell. Those who choose to accept these deceptive beings and welcome them into your abode will have a part to take in the lake of fire. You should not under any circumstances take in these fallen and soulless creatures. When I was with you, abiding by you, you did not welcome me, I who gave you life and gave my life for you, and I am with you at all times. But you want to welcome a stranger, a wicked entity whom you know nothing about, into your homes. You are quick to adopt and use technologies given to you by the fallen ones, but you will not study my words. I pity your very souls. Repent, and come out of mystery Babylon. Come out of Babylon and the teachings of Babylon. Out of the whore who has defiled herself with her abominations.  In the end, I will cast satan into the abyss, and I will destroy and wipe out every one of these strange flesh. They will be destroyed and cast into the lake of fire that burns for all eternity. Any man or woman who partakes in the abominations of strange flesh will also join them, and there will be no repentance for them. Come and taste of me and see that I, Yahushua ha Mashiach am good. Your King, your God and your very High priest. That is all, vessel.    The Mothership / Aliens 7/6/2021 Linda Hasche Luke 21:26-28 “People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because the celestial powers will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near!” DREAM Part 1: A huge “mother ship” appeared in the sky. I saw a massive number of people stunned and staring. I glanced at the mother ship, then looked away at the people. I saw ALL who stared at this ship have their eyes changed while going into some type of trans-like state. (demon possession)  The people were drawn to the ship to get onto it. I absolutely knew this was demonic and evil. I left and went inside a building to hide. I saw my brother James with his dog Cody. James also knew this wasn't good and didn't want to have anything to do with it. I then saw entities that were in the shape of a human coming after me. I then woke up. After getting up for a bit, I went back to sleep and back into the dream. DREAM Part 2: After all the people had gotten on the mother ship, I thought I was safe from the evil, but that was not the case. The entities were looking for ALL humans to capture them.  I was then in a house similar to what I grew up in, located in the city of St. Louis. My brother James was again in this part of the dream with his dog Cody. The entities were coming into the house with people who had been mind-controlled. I saw the eyes of these people had symbols in them rather than human eyes; they were totally mind-controlled.  My brother James chose to go with them because he was so ill and knew he couldn't make it on his own.  These mind-controlled people and the entities with them were trying to convince me that I needed to go with them too. I started SHOUTING, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!!!” Then I started speaking in tongues LOUDLY. Using the name of Jesus immobilized them. They all stopped as if frozen. I then started SHOUTING, “Father, send Your angels!!! Father, send Your angels!!!”  Then suddenly an angel of the LORD appeared in the doorway. All of the mind-controlled humans and the entities had to leave. Both the angel and I went outside. I saw small groups of people who had also hidden from the entities when the mother ship appeared. (Saved from the alien deception) They were ALL Christians, and they were all saved from the evil. I woke up. Interpretation/understanding: My brother James and his dog, Cody, both passed away last year (May 2020). My brother was very ill, but was strong in the LORD Jesus and ready to go be with Him. Many will pass away, and many have passed away in 2020 and 2021 who were also strong in the LORD, but the Heavenly Father chose (and will choose) to take people home to keep them from the evil to come (Isaiah 57:1-2). (Many have died from taking the VAX) The people who all stared at the mother ship and became “mind-controlled” are ALL of those who took the CV-19 death “jabs”; they will not be able to resist the frequencies that come from the skies, that will turn on the nano-particles that were injected into them. These people will become zombie-like. They will ALL want everybody to take the CV-19 death “jabs” and will be helping the entities (fallen angels/demons) try to convince non-jabbed people to take the death jabs.  The AMAZING part of this dream, when it looked like I was going to be captured: the name of JESUS caused the entities and mind-controlled people to stop and freeze. Also, the Heavenly Father sent an angel to protect me from planned harm.  ALL Christians who did not take the CV-19 death jabs were spared from the mind-control that was going to happen. Why the mother ship? Because fallen angels are behind ALL of these CV-19 death “jabs”. The “mother of all lies,” as the saying goes. These CV-19 death “jabs” are to ultimately turn all who survive the depopulation agenda to become satan's army to fight against Jesus, and these will WILLINGLY take “the mark of the beast”, which you will be able to see on the right hand or forehead  Are these CV-19 death “jabs” the “mark of the beast”? NO!! NO!! NO!!!  What are they then? They are “markers for slaughter” and for mind-control minions to take “the mark of the beast”, to ultimately become satan's human zombie army to fight the LORD Jesus. What are the “prized” mind-controlled people by Satan? Professing Christians who willingly took the CV-19 death jabs, who WILL also willingly take “the mark of the beast” unless they REPENT!!  What if you took the CV-19 death jabs? REPENT, REPENT and REPENT!!! Again, I say “REPENT!!!” Ask the Heavenly Father to forgive you for putting this fallen angel death juice into you, into “the temple of the Holy Spirit.” Ask Him to cleanse away ALL that was injected, to heal you and to protect you from ALL harm, in Jesus' name and by the blood of Jesus. Amen and AMEN!!! (Those who believe the Bible that we were healed by Jesus would not take the jab. 1Pe 2:24  who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. Exo 15:26…I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am Jehovah that healeth thee.  What about people you know who took the CV-19 death jabs? Pray for mercy upon their soul. That they will experience the ramifications of the death jab, as the Heavenly Father allows, so they can see the evil of the jabs, repent and turn to Jesus. ONLY WHEN folks truly see how evil these jabs are, when it impacts them personally, can they turn to repentance. Most won't, but some will.    Alien Infiltrated 8/6/2023 - Alcidez A Torrez Shalom everyone, I want to share this dream. I know that there is much talk about the great deception of aliens that are nothing more than fallen angels, demons, and reptilians. This dream was in May 2023.  In my dream, I was in a small building and two agents, like government or FBI agents, were talking. One of them approached me and asked me something, but I don't know what he said. I was wondering why? I didn't pay attention because I was astonished to see his real face. It was really horrible; he had big black eyes all over, and his skin was kind of pale and gray. Then he understood that I could see his real face, and he approached the other FBI agent, but this one was human. He just worked with them and whispered in the agent's ear, but God, at that moment, allowed me to hear what he said. The non-human agent told him, “He can see me,” and the other agent just answered, “How?” Then he told him again, “He can see my face.” At that moment, I looked around, and there were more human people there, but none of them could see the real face of that agent, who was not human, and I felt a little frustrated, but I could see his face clearly; it was very ugly, similar to the aliens that appear in the movies. (We have seen peoples faces turn into the demon that possessed them. It is a form of discernment of spirits.) At that moment, I understood that somehow they use a mechanism to appear like human beings (All angels can appear human. We sometimes “entertain angels unawares.”), but God allowed me to see their true face, and they are really ugly. Then, at that moment, I woke up from my dream.   Spaceships/Aliens vs Fallen Angels!   A Dream & A Few Thoughts! 12/20/24 Elizabeth Marie  A few people have been asking me if I have heard ‘anything' from the LORD concerning what we are now witnessing in the skies….so I thought I would share this dream, and interpretation that I had on 7/20/24…. This dream was a bit bizarre to me (UFOs have never been anything that I studied or followed), so I did not post it. However, in the light of what is happening right now, in the skies, it does not seem so strange!  In this dream, I was outside with lots of people milling about. Apparently, there was some sort of school that was having classes outside. I was one of the teachers and was to start my class soon.  As I was getting ready, I noticed that the students were young adults who were gathering in front of me, ready for class. As I started teaching, I noticed something in the far distant sky…. some lights coming right towards me.  Before I knew it, the students had fled, and, instead, right above me, about 20 feet high, were some drones hovering in front. I remember thinking that they seemed too BIG to actually be drones, for they were the size of a small house. I then noticed that they were in a ‘V' formation, with one in the front (which I knew to be the leader), then two in the next row, then three in the next row, and so on. I don't remember how many there were… but at least 10. The body of these drones were RED and BLACK, half and half, and they looked very sinister. The front ‘leader' DRONE flew up right above my head. As I looked straight up, I saw a TRAP-TYPE DOOR OPEN! At this time, I realized that this wasn't actually a ‘DRONE,' but an ‘ALIEN SHIP!'  Suddenly I felt this tremendous SUCKING POWER coming upon me, much like a VACUUM that was trying to suck me up into the aircraft. I was able to stand up against its FORCE by jumping to the side, away from the SUCTION BEAM, and GRAVITATIONAL PULL. As I escaped, I then woke up!  INTERPRETATION:  I believe that this dream points to an ALIEN DECEPTION that is coming! We will be seeing out-of-this-world alien entities, ships, and strange occurrences in the skies, as well as ORB-TYPE phenomenon.  The ‘drones' in my dream were half black and half red. The LORD has shown me, from previous dreams, that this combination represents Satan's Kingdom and his demons. (Red and black colors are powerful symbols within anarchism) It is important to NOTE that no matter how ‘weird,' or ‘strange' it may get, any ALIEN-TYPE BEINGS that come are not from the LORD. They are from the FATHER OF LIES, Satan, who is a deceiver, and a master of manipulations, and deceptions. This means that it will be hard to discern if we are actually witnessing real ALIEN-TYPE encounters, or FAKE ones that come from human technology. Either way, we must remember that these are sent by Satan, and we must be very careful not to be DRAWN IN by their deceiving ways, and powers…. much like the sucking gravitational pull in my dream! We are to FLEE all evil, and any appearance of EVIL!!!  “…reject every kind of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21  INSTEAD, we have been given ALL THE POWER of the NAME OF JESUS to REBUKE any such entities, or principalities of wickedness! Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” One question that can be asked is about the ALIENS vs. FALLEN ANGELS. In other words, are the ALIENS that are coming, actually FALLEN ANGELS…. or just some sort of wicked principalities? If we look at Revelation 12, it mentions a GREAT WAR in heaven where Satan and his angels battle against Michael and the HOLY ANGELS. Satan loses that war and is then cast down to the earth, along with his angels… (which are demons)  (Antichrist is a spirit and there are many “antichrists,” as John says in 1Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour. 1Jn 4:3 and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the [spirit] of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already.) Are the ANGELS that fall down with Satan, a type of FALLEN ANGELS, much like in the days of Genesis? (Yes) Are they what we call the ALIENS that come to invade Earth? (They can take on the appearance of aliens to deceive. They all deny the creation saying they planted man on the earth.) Or will they be cloaked in such deception that they will just ‘blend' in with humanity, and cause much destruction secretly? (Yes, that too) Only time will tell, as we see these prophecies unfold. I do not have any of those answers, but only a ‘glimpse' of what the LORD has shown me! However, I do believe that what we are experiencing in the skies could be a precursor to what is coming sometime in the future. Revelation 12:7-9 “And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”   A Warning to the Prophets  7/25/2024 Alison Pound  This word was first spoken to me on Tuesday, 16 October 2018. All are impatient. All are looking for My appearing. I say soon – and you look now! But time is in My hands and it is not quite time for My appearance.  There is much yet to be done before I can come for you, My beloved.  There is much to be put right with the remnant who will remain. My prophets will have a pure voice before I come. Those (prophets) who do not become pure in voice will be removed. Yes, I will take them home! These are tough times! No compromise!  Eyes must be opened to deception. Anything remaining of the world in My prophets is going to make them weak. Those who do not know what My earth looks like and what My Word says about creation will be awakened to the truth soon. (The creation story has a perfect numeric pattern in it like the rest of the 66 books and no other book has. Aliens are liars who hate the creation story.) If they will not believe, I will remove them. Be assured, I am at work in many. Those who have theology in their heads and not My Word will be dealt with. Those who think I am coming to take them home before the great tribulation will be removed! I can no longer abide those who do not spend time before Me, studying and coming to the truth. There is not multiple truths, there is but one. It is not okay for one to say in My Name that I am coming before the tribulation and for another to say that I am coming after the tribulation. They must be of one mind – My Mind.  It is not okay for those ‘seeing' planets appearing in the skies and aliens coming to attack, to believe what NASA and scientists tell them about space. They are seeing these things in their dreams. I will tell you now, they are not from Me! They are not from Me! The enemy is creeping in. He has long had a foothold with My people because of this great delusion. But I am going to break this lie wide open. I am going to humiliate these godless scientists who are no scientists at all but paid liars.  The whole world is the playground for the enemy. It is his domain. And he has been deceiving the whole world from the beginning, when I kicked him out of heaven. Be assured that everything you read, watch on a screen, and hear from the governments and agencies of this world is lies, half-truths, and straight deception. Because the world is not of Me. I warned you to come out of the world, but you did not. I urged you to come up higher, to be delivered of your demons, to wash yourselves in repentance in the blood of the Lamb daily. But you did not!  And so you have believed all the things that were taught to you in school without question. You took them into adulthood and they became your belief system. When you were born again, you added Me into your belief system. But, My dear ones, the two do not mix. Because I Am not of the world. I Am Holy and the things of this world are profane.  If you will repent and be delivered of the lying spirits that you have unwittingly allowed in your lives, then I will tell you the truth. I will point out these truths to you in Scripture. They will become highlighted as you have never seen them before – because you will be able to see and to hear like never before.  It is not My desire that you be removed from this earth. Because you are My prophets. I need My mouthpiece. Yet I will remove you if you do not repent of speaking this mixture to the people.  PLEASE NOTE: If you believe wrong, then you will see and perceive wrong. Your dreams are corrupted because your belief system is corrupted. If you prefer to go on believing what agencies like NASA tell you, rather than what the Word of God says about what is above us, and continue to prophecy about those things; If you do not repent, then God will remove you. This is a very strong warning from the Lord God. I have had it sitting in my journal since 2018 when the Lord spoke it to me. It is time to publish. The Lord decides these things. I do not. A time of grace has been given to the prophets in order to put right what is not right.  That time is almost at an end. Every type of manifestation and deception is going to be unleashed. Strange spiritual wickedness in high places will manifest here in our skies and upon the earth. We are coming into that time Apostle Luke spoke of: 21:26 “Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”   Dream: "Then Those Called Aliens Will Capitalize on the War"  10/3/2017 - Christopher Harris Dear brothers and sisters, I wanted to share a dream I had on Monday, the 2nd of October 2017. I woke up at 7 am and wrote this dream down as I believe it was from the Lord. In this dream, I was in a waiting room adjoining an office for auditions for a movie or acting role. There were movie producers with their door open, and they were speaking loudly. I overheard them talking and they were acting in a disgusting and vile manner. I heard them apply new age spiritual practices to their behavior, (In order to have a rosy picture of the future they have thrown out the book of Revelation, which also has that perfect numeric pattern in it.) supposedly to stop racism and predatory behavior, but they mocked at this and were only using it to justify their evil thoughts and deeds. They seemed to know this full well and were laughing about it and pretending to speak in a new age spiritual manner.  I saw Asian people from different nations in the waiting room, and the producers came out and were abusing them and threatening them under the guise of these new-age teachings. I don't know how to describe what they were saying, but it was very deceptive. They filmed themselves as they approached one of the young men seated to audition for an acting role. They put a coat hanger around his neck and started strangling him and threatening to kill him. He was hoping to be hired, so he was trying to laugh it off, but they were hurting him. They filmed this and laughed about using the footage for a project. The man's mother elbowed the producer away lightly but firmly and refused. Another young Asian man was having a seizure on the floor in the waiting room. The producers had ignored him for a long time. The woman was tending to him, and I went over and put my hands on him. He became still and opened his eyes. I tried to stop him from sitting up and hitting his head on a sharp corner. Then a young blond girl in a red dress, about 7 years old, came through the double wooden doors. She looked at me, and I smiled at her. She asked me, “Why did you smile?” I said, “You are very pretty.” She said, “Wow, oh really?” Then she walked past, and I was looking at something on the door. She had come there to audition for an acting role alone; her parents weren't there. She came up to my side and said, “Did you do this?”  She held out a Post-it note saying, “To Lana” and with writing about how they were going to explicitly sexually abuse her. She said, “This is my name!” She was distressed and worried, so I said, “These men are vile and disgusting”. (Those in Hollywood and the entertainment business, among other professions, are pedophiles and sexual perverts who use and abuse children, sacrificing them to satan.) She sighed as if she had been through a lot in her life and took my left hand and put her hand on my palm. I said, “What are you doing?” She didn't answer, but moved her thumbs on the palm of my hand, trying to read my palm. I took my hand away and said, “No, I can't let you do that. That is of the demons. Pray to God for the answer”. She closed her eyes and stood still with her hands together in prayer. Then the three producers from the office approached her from behind and were snickering to each other, playing off everything they did in a joking manner to justify it. One reached his hand out to touch her. I elbowed his hand away and said sternly, staring at them, “She is busy”.  They backed away and she opened her eyes and parted her hands, and the double wooden doors before us opened. At the end of the hall was an office with Teresa May (Prime Minister of Britain) standing there. It was her office. Lana told me to follow her and go to the left, and she would go to the right so we would not be seen. As I entered the room, I noticed on the right, there was a stand with news articles reporting events that hadn't happened yet. One spoke of war that would break out, and I felt it was very serious. Other people were in the office, busy on computers and laptops with headsets. I followed Lana, and she went ahead, seemingly invisible to them. I waited for a gap and went inside, crouching down to avoid their gaze. She motioned me to follow further, and I came to a congested area with multiple people, but I turned my head from their gaze, and they were unable to see me. Finally, I came into Teresa May's office, but she could not see me. Lana had crouched down by a bookshelf in the office, and she was weeping. I crouched down with her, and she whispered to me, crying and upset, “I have a secret, do you want to know?”  I looked at her and nodded. As she spoke, a book appeared before my eyes with the words she spoke written on the page, “They will kill all the children, they will kill all the men and women, all who prophesy or speak the law of God”. Then she said, distraught with tears in her eyes, “Are you one of these people?” I looked at her with love and said, “Yes, always, and forever!”  Then I wept about what will come, the murdering of those who prophesy or speak the law of God. My vision went black, but then the brightness and energy of the Lord filled my gaze, and I felt His love and peace as my sorrow was gone. Then my vision went black again, and I saw a vision of a town with war breaking out. I saw tanks, bombs, and troops destroying towns and people.  Then I heard a voice say, “Then those called aliens will capitalize on the war.”  Then I saw flying saucers flying over the partially destroyed town, firing weapons that looked like laser beams, seeking to further destroy and conquer, as if they had waited for the right time to attack. Then the dream ended. Interpretation: I believe the producers represent men in powerful positions abusing children and other innocent victims from other nations. They were using their positions and the deception of new-age spiritual concepts to disguise their actions, but they were vile and wicked. I believe they represented the new age spiritism/religion that will be used to justify and promote evil. The young girl dressed in red was innocent. Those wicked men were seeking to destroy her along with many other innocent children. I knew this was happening all over the world.  When she tried to read my palm, she quickly accepted my suggestion to pray to God, as if she knew instinctively how. To me, this shows the young generation will quickly grow in God if they are given the right influences.  When the double wooden doors opened, I believe the Lord was revealing what was going on in positions of power in the world. News was being written before it happened because the governments planned them in advance. Their plans were to destroy and kill Christians, all who prophesy and speak the law of God. This was written in the book that appeared before my eyes. When Lana asked whether I was one of those who prophesy and speak the law of God, I replied, “Yes, always, and forever!” My response took me by surprise because the courage of the Lord was with me as I boldly declared I was one of those they were seeking to kill. I cried for those who were going to suffer in what was coming. The love and energy of the Lord was with me, comforting me, even as my vision faded into black. I believe the Lord will be with all who are martyred for His name's sake, and they will be with the Lord in joy and peace forevermore. I believe my vision of the town with war breaking out revealed wide-scale war, which was the fulfillment of the news reports written in advance. The war that was planned and written before it even started.  Flying saucers further destroyed the towns. I believe these were not extraterrestrial aliens, but fallen angels, demons, appearing in the guise of aliens to deceive people. I believe these beings will be coming upon the earth because I have had many other dreams about them, including a week ago, when I saw many flying saucers in the sky and demons roaming the streets. I believe widespread Christian persecution is coming, and that we should prepare ourselves to stand firm in the Lord Jesus Christ unto death, refusing to deny His name and also refusing to accept the mark of the beast. I would appreciate your thoughts. May God bless you my brothers and sisters. Your brother in Christ, Christopher Scripture References:  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12)  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. (Matthew 24:9) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. (Revelation 12:11)  Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. (Revelation 9:1) 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. (Revelation 9:14-15)  So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:8)

If a great deceiver is coming, how are the Thessalonians to know whether or not they have been deceived? As Paul corrects the false teaching among the Thessalonians, he paints a picture of two types of people: those who will be deceived and those who will stand firm.  It is in this exhortation that Paul reminds the Thessalonians church of who they are and what they have in Christ. 

Chad Ellefson, one of our Uflourish Church Elders, continues the series through Thessalonians as Paul turns his attention to the Thessalonians' concern about what will become of those who have died before Christ's return. Navigating the complexities of what happens when we die, and what we can know about Christ's return, Chad calls the church to live in hopeful anticipation of our coming Savior - an anticipation that transforms our everyday approach to how we use our time, money, and energy.

Paul continues from last week's message by reminding the Thessalonians of his conduct and attitude while he was among them. As we listen to Paul's self-testimony, we see how radically different not only the gospel is, but also the people shaped by it. Paul describes himself as childlike in purity of motive, a nursing mother in love and care, and a father in example, encouragement, and instruction. His life reflects more than personal character; it reveals a distinct culture — the culture of the kingdom of God. This culture is not man-made. It is established by the King Himself — the righteous and joyful King of Psalm 45 — who calls with power, His people to share in His Kingdom and Glory.

26 Ezekiel 32; 19 Psalms 115-116; 1 Thessalonians 4-5

On this episode, Paul White talks about when others remember us before God. Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3.

February 22 |Exodus 2:23-3:22, Matthew 17:22-27, Psalm 22:25-26, Proverbs 10:10 // Join us for this final week of our February Fast! Download your Prayer Journal at the following link to experience the fullness of a life that is dedicated to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). newsongnashville.com/   

In 2023, Kenyan police intervened to end to what’s being called the “Shakahola Massacre”—in which hundreds died after following a cult leader’s directions to starve themselves to meet Jesus. The leader had allegedly promised he too would leave earth in this way after his followers did. After his arrest, he denied ever teaching this. The tragedy is a troubling example of how dangerous it is to blindly trust those claiming to be spiritual leaders. Cult members were so deceived that they resisted those who came to save them from starvation. One survivor described getting “addicted” to the leader’s teachings. Christ is the true leader of those who trust in Him. He loved us so much He was willing to die for us to have life (1 Thessalonians 5:10). He calls us to live for Him, “awake and sober” (v. 6) and to test any teaching of others against His teaching (vv. 20-22). We respond to Christ’s love not by harming ourselves or others but by “encourag[ing] . . . and build[ing] each other up” (v. 11). By living “in peace with each other” (v. 13) and striving “to do what is good for each other and for everyone else” (v. 15). Through daily reliance on and trust in Christ’s Spirit (v. 19), we can live a life of love as we eagerly await Christ’s coming (v. 23).

On this episode, Paul White talks about the first verse in 1 Thessalonians.  Accompanying scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:1.