Podcasts about thy spirit

Write Thou on me Thy treasured name, Mingled with Thee—my blessed aim; Thy Spirit [seals] my every part, Thy word inscribes Thee on my heart. Make home in me, thus I in Thee! 'Til I am Thee and Thou art me! (Minoru Chen, Write Thou on Me, Dear Lord, Thy Name, Stanza 7) This week we continue the series titled, “Time with the Lord,” with a hymn from brother Minoru Chen on the Lord's name being written on the believers. This message was spoken during the 2016 Thanksgiving Day conference in San Jose, California. The original recording can be found at: https://livingtohim.com/2016/11/working-saints-fellowship-at-the-2016-thanksgiving-day-conference/

June 9, 2024 Preparation for Worship Time for Gathering Opening Hymn “Revive Us Again” We praise Thee O God for the Son of Thy love For Jesus who died and is now gone above Hallelujah Thine the glory Hallelujah amen Hallelujah Thine the glory revive us again We praise Thee O God for Thy Spirit of light Who has shown us our Savior and scattered our night Hallelujah Thine the glory Hallelujah amen Hallelujah Thine the glory revive us again All glory and praise to the Lamb that was slain Who has borne all our sins and has cleansed every stain Hallelujah Thine the glory Hallelujah amen Hallelujah Thine the glory revive us again Revive us again fill each heart with Thy love May each soul be rekindled with fire from above Hallelujah Thine the glory Hallelujah amen Hallelujah Thine the glory revive us again Prayer of Praise Song of Worship Prayers of the Church and the Lord's Prayer Offering and Doxology Scripture Lesson 1 Corinthians 12:1-12 Sermon The Secret Sauce Part III Closing Hymn “There is a Redeemer” There is a Redeemer Jesus God's own Son Precious Lamb of God Messiah Holy One Thank You O my Father for giving us Your Son And leaving Your Spirit till the work on earth is done Jesus my Redeemer Name above all names Precious Lamb of God Messiah O for sinners slain Thank You O my Father for giving us Your Son And leaving Your Spirit till the work on earth is done When I stand in glory I will see His face There I'll serve my King forever in that holy place Thank You O my Father for giving us Your Son And leaving Your Spirit till the work on earth is done Thank You O my Father for giving us Your Son And leaving Your Spirit till the work on earth is done Benediction Fellowship • Sunday Morning Study: The Christian & Mental Health (A Biblical View) | 9 AM in the Sunshine Room • Sunday Prayer | 9:30 AM in the Sunshine Room • Monday Bible Study | 12 & 6 PM in the Sanctuary and via Zoom • Wednesday Issues Hour | 11 AM in the Sunshine Room and via Zoom • F3 Ladies Luncheon: Tuesday, June 11th | 12 PM at Fish. Please sign up • Thank you to Cindy Lyster for providing the cookies today. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/naplescommunitychurch/message

LOVE is the root of renewal of heart, renewal in the Church, and renewal in the world. "Love" builds the Church. This is a topic we have wanted to take up for a LONG time. We share personal reflections or this passage and how God has been moving in our hearts and lives recently. _Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. _ Book Fred and/or Kara to speak by visiting the Draw Near "booking page (https://www.drawnear.me/booking)." Click here (https://www.drawnear.me/donate) to become a patron! Patrons are essentially "sponsors" and co-producers or Draw Near as it could not happen without them. "Like" and follow us on Facebook! (https://www.facebook.com/fredandkara). Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/drawnear.me/)! Who are "Fred and Kara?" Find out by visiting our home page. (https://www.drawnear.me/) Like our podcast? Hit that “subscribe” button AND the notification button/bell to know when new episodes are posted! Give us a rating! Leave a review! Tell your friends! Even more, pray for us! Draw Near Theme © Fred Shellabarger & Kara Kardell

While from the purpling east departs The star that led the dawn, Blithe Flora from her couch upstarts, For May is on the lawn. A quickening hope, a freshening glee, Foreran the expected Power, Whose first-drawn breath, from bush and tree, Shakes off that pearly shower. All Nature welcomes Her whose sway Tempers the year's extremes; Who scattereth lustres o'er noon-day, Like morning's dewy gleams; While mellow warble, sprightly trill, The tremulous heart excite; And hums the balmy air to still The balance of delight. Time was, blest Power! when youth and maids At peep of dawn would rise, And wander forth, in forest glades Thy birth to solemnize. Though mute the song---to grace the rite Untouched the hawthorn bough, Thy Spirit triumphs o'er the slight; Man changes, but not Thou! Thy feathered Lieges bill and wings In love's disport employ; Warmed by thy influence, creeping things Awake to silent joy: Queen art thou still for each gay plant Where the slim wild deer roves; And served in depths where fishes haunt Their own mysterious groves. Cloud-piercing peak, and trackless heath, Instinctive homage pay; Nor wants the dim-lit cave a wreath To honor thee, sweet May! Where cities fanned by thy brisk airs Behold a smokeless sky, Their puniest flower-pot-nursling dares To open a bright eye. And if, on this thy natal morn, The pole, from which thy name Hath not departed, stands forlorn Of song and dance and game; Still from the village-green a vow Aspires to thee addrest, Wherever peace is on the brow, Or love within the breast. Yes! where Love nestles thou canst teach The soul to love the more; Hearts also shall thy lessons reach That never loved before. Stript is the haughty one of pride, The bashful freed from fear, While rising, like the ocean-tide, In flow the joyous year. Hush, feeble lyre! weak words refuse The service to prolong! To yon exulting thrush the Muse Entrusts the imperfect song; His voice shall chant, in accents clear, Throughout the live-long day, Till the first silver star appear, The sovereignty of May.

Catholic Drive Time - 877-757-9424 Date – Wednesday, April 19th - 2023 – St. Leo IX St. Leo IX, born in 1002 and died in 1054, was a remarkable saint who came from a noble family and excelled in every ecclesiastical office he held. Known for his exceptional appearance, intelligence, and erudition, he was also a talented musician and composer of hymns. Despite his noble upbringing, he was known for his humility, patience, and charity towards the poor. He made yearly pilgrimages to Rome and was deeply loved by the upright souls of his flock. He faced difficulties with unwavering constancy and was considered a fighter in his pursuit of sanctity. He was elected as Pope, the highest position in the Church, and was appreciated by the wise men of his time. He shone like a lighted candle in a room that received its light, illuminating all of Christendom. St. Leo IX was a masterpiece of God's creation, showcasing His splendor in the saints and exemplifying the virtues of a grand seigneur. His sanctity was a triumph of the spiritual life, and he is remembered as a remarkable and admirable saint in the heavenly court, with Our Lady as the faithful mirror in which one can contemplate Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. St. Leo IX, Pray for us. INTRO – Happy Wednesday And – at 15 past the hour, Also – at 30 past the hour, Shawn and Tiffany Pham Veni Sancte Spiritus COME, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Oremus: O GOD, Who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that, by the gift of the same Spirit, we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Adrian Social Media IG: @ffonze Twitter: @AdrianFonze Facebook: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Catholic Conversations Tito Social Media Twitter: @TitoEdwards Visit our website to learn more about us, find a local GRN radio station, a schedule of our programming and so much more. http://grnonline.com/

Catholic Drive Time - 877-757-9424 Date – Tuesday, April 18th - 2023 – St. Galdinus of Milan St. Galdinus of Milan (c. 1096 – 1176) was born into a noble family and was educated for the ecclesiastical life. He became the chancellor of the Church in Milan and was later made cardinal by Pope Alexander III. He was known for his humility, sweetness, and vigor in defending the Church against heresies. In his last moments, despite being physically weak, he ascended the pulpit and delivered a vehement sermon against the heretics, showing his unwavering zeal for the faith. He died as the Mass ended, leaving behind an example of a counter-revolutionary knight who fought against the enemies of the Church with all his strength until his last breath. His death epitomizes the importance of resolute combat against heresy and revolution for the preservation of the faith. St. Galdinus of Milan, Pray for us. INTRO – Happy Tuesday And – at 15 past the hour, USPS violates religious freedom and trans teacher threatens to shoot students Also – at 30 past the hour, we will discuss the false right Shawn and Tiffany Pham Veni Sancte Spiritus COME, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Oremus: O GOD, Who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that, by the gift of the same Spirit, we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Adrian Social Media IG: @ffonze Twitter: @AdrianFonze Facebook: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Catholic Conversations Tito Social Media Twitter: @TitoEdwards Visit our website to learn more about us, find a local GRN radio station, a schedule of our programming and so much more. http://grnonline.com/

Catholic Drive Time - 877-757-9424 Date – Monday, April 17th - 2023 – St. Stephen Harding St. Stephen Harding was an English noble who consecrated himself to the monastic life in the Abbey of Sherbonne. He later joined the Abbey of Molesme in France under the direction of St. Robert and Blessed Alberic, but when the monastery declined, they left with St. Stephen and 18 other monks to establish a new abbey in Cîteaux, known as the Cistercians. St. Stephen became the abbot and wrote the statutes of the monastery, which were approved by Pope Paschal II. He fought to maintain strict observance and prayed for novices, and eventually St. Bernard and his companions arrived, leading to the establishment of the Abbey of Clairvaux. St. Stephen died in 1134, known for his humility and dedication to the monastic life. St. Stephen Harding, Pray for us. INTRO – Happy Monday And – at 15 past the hour, most popular kids show in the world supports trans ideas Also – at 30 past the hour, Joe Pojman comes on to give update on the abortion pill. Shawn and Tiffany Pham Veni Sancte Spiritus COME, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Oremus: O GOD, Who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that, by the gift of the same Spirit, we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Adrian Social Media IG: @ffonze Twitter: @AdrianFonze Facebook: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Catholic Conversations Tito Social Media Twitter: @TitoEdwards Visit our website to learn more about us, find a local GRN radio station, a schedule of our programming and so much more. http://grnonline.com/

Catholic Drive Time - 877-757-9424 Date – Friday, April 14th - 2023 – St. Benezet of Avignon St. Benezet of Avignon, also known as "Little Benezet" due to his short stature, received a mission from Heaven in 1177 to build a bridge over the Rhône River in Avignon, France. Despite having no resources or knowledge, he courageously went to the Bishop to inform him of his mission. The Bishop thought he was mad and sent him to the Governor, who also doubted his abilities. However, Benezet easily moved a large stone that 30 men could not, proving his mission was possible. With the Governor's support, donations poured in, and a confraternity of lay brothers was founded to help build the bridge. St. Benezet, known for his gift of miracles, directed and helped the builders. The Avignon Bridge was completed in 11 years, and other bridges were subsequently built by the Brotherhood of the Bridge Builders to facilitate travel for pilgrims, travelers, and the poor. St. Benezet's body was buried on the bridge and remained incorrupt for about 500 years until it was transferred to Avignon Cathedral in 1669. Through his remarkable achievements, St. Benezet demonstrated the power of Divine Providence and the greatness of soul that can be found in humble and seemingly insignificant individuals chosen by God for great works. St. Benezet of Avignon, Pray for us. INTRO – Happy Friday of the Octave of Easter And – at 15 past the hour, Female inmates reveal the reality of transgender inmates. Also – at 30 past the hour, new exhibit on the Shroud of Turin is opening at the National Museum of Funeral History (located in North Houston) on Apr 27. Truck - Shawn Pham and his soon to be wife Tiffany. Veni Sancte Spiritus COME, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Oremus: O GOD, Who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that, by the gift of the same Spirit, we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Adrian Social Media IG: @ffonze Twitter: @AdrianFonze Facebook: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Catholic Conversations Tito Social Media Twitter: @TitoEdwards Visit our website to learn more about us, find a local GRN radio station, a schedule of our programming and so much more. http://grnonline.com/

Catholic Drive Time - 877-757-9424 Date – Thursday, April 13th - 2023 – St. Hermenegild St. Hermenegild was a Visigoth prince in Spain during the dominance of Arianism in the year 550. He initially followed his father, King Leovigild, in professing Arianism and was appointed to the throne of Seville. However, he converted to Catholicism through the influence of his Catholic wife, Ingund. When King Leovigild demanded that Hermenegild return to Arianism, he refused and was besieged in Seville for almost two years before fleeing to Cordoba and then Osseto. Despite offers of reconciliation, Hermenegild remained steadfast in his Catholic faith and refused to renounce it, even refusing to receive the sacrilegious Paschal Communion from an Arian bishop. As a result, he was sentenced to death by his father and was beheaded on April 13, 586. King Leovigild later repented and asked for forgiveness on his deathbed, and the martyrdom of St. Hermenegild is considered the first step in the conversion of all of Spain to Catholicism. St. Hermenegild, Pray for us. INTRO – Happy Thursday of the Octave of Easter And – at 15 past the hour, were going to talk about one of the leading causes of Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria or how kids are becoming trans Also – at 30 past the hour, were going to talk Gun Safety and preparedness Veni Sancte Spiritus COME, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Oremus: O GOD, Who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that, by the gift of the same Spirit, we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Adrian Social Media IG: @ffonze Twitter: @AdrianFonze Facebook: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Catholic Conversations Tito Social Media Twitter: @TitoEdwards Visit our website to learn more about us, find a local GRN radio station, a schedule of our programming and so much more. http://grnonline.com/

Catholic Drive Time - 877-757-9424 Date – Wednesday, April 12th - 2023 – Pope St. Julius I Pope St. Julius I (337-352) fought against the Arians and acquired a reputation for sanctity. He convened the Council of Sardica in Illyria in 343, where he supported St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, in his battle against the Arian heresy. The Council confirmed St. Athanasius' innocence and deposed eight Arian bishops. The Fathers of the Council sent Pope Julius I a letter expressing their unity with him and denouncing the enemies of the Church. This letter is seen as a powerful anti-ecumenical document, emphasizing the Pope's role in supporting and defending the Catholic Faith against heresy. Pope St. Julius I's unwavering stance against the Arians and his support of orthodox doctrine earned him a reputation for holiness and courageous leadership in defense of the Faith. Pope St. Julius I, Pray for us. INTRO – Happy Wednesday of the Octave of Easter And – at 15 past the hour, John Henry Westen Kicked off of YouTube Also – at 30 past the hour, Is Covid Finally over? Veni Sancte Spiritus COME, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Oremus: O GOD, Who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that, by the gift of the same Spirit, we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Adrian Social Media IG: @ffonze Twitter: @AdrianFonze Facebook: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Catholic Conversations Tito Social Media Twitter: @TitoEdwards Visit our website to learn more about us, find a local GRN radio station, a schedule of our programming and so much more. http://grnonline.com/

Catholic Drive Time - 877-757-9424 Date – Monday, April 3rd - 2023 – St. Nicetas St. Nicetas was born in Bithynia in 761, and after the death of his father, he was sent to a monastery where he became a disciple of St. Nicephoros. After the abbot's death, Nicetas governed the monastery and was later imprisoned for refusing to accept the Iconoclast heresy. Under pressure from other prelates, he made a concession, but later repented and returned to Constantinople, where he denounced the heresy. He was exiled to Anatolia and made penance for the rest of his life for the concession he had made. St. Nicetas, Pray for us. INTRO – Good morning Happy Monday And – at 15 past the hour, Also – at 30 past the hour, Dr. Anthony Stine's son Aidan and Josh Patterson's son James The Virgo Pater COME, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Oremus: O GOD, Who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that, by the gift of the same Spirit, we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Adrian Social Media IG: @ffonze Twitter: @AdrianFonze Facebook: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Adrian Fonseca YouTube: Catholic Conversations Tito Social Media Twitter: @TitoEdwards Visit our website to learn more about us, find a local GRN radio station, a schedule of our programming and so much more. http://grnonline.com/

Lent Devotional - Day 5 - February 27, 2023 Read and pray over the Scripture from John 17. Then, spend some time in prayer, using the prayer from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as your guide. How do we need to seek unity as the people of New Hope? How might we become more unified with our Christian brothers and sisters from other cultures, races, and denominations? Ask God to show you those places deep within you that are resisting unity, peace, justice, and wholeness. John 17:20-21, I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one-as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. A Prayer from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. O God, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind; in whom to dwell is to find peace and security; toward whom to turn is to find life and life eternal, we humbly beseech Thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldst be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, Thy saving health unto all nations.  We also pray for Thy holy Church universal; that it may be so guided and governed by Thy Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to Thy Fatherly goodness all those who are in any way afflicted or distressed in mind or body. Give them patience under the suffering and power of endurance. This we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen. .  https://www.findnewhope.com  Our staff and leadership employ what's called the “S.O.A.P. Method”. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. Each day, we read one or two chapters of Scripture and focus on one particular verse. We make some observations about how that verse touches us, discern how it applies to our lives, and offer a prayer related to what we have read. - Rev. Dr. Vicki Harrison -- Donate via PayPal to support the podcasts and the Technical Arts Ministry of New Hope! https://goo.gl/o2a9oU Subscribe at: http://www.findnewhope.com/soap (813) 689-4161 keywords: devotional, bible study

Let a Double Portion of Thy Spirit Be Upon Me 2 Kings 2:9 19 February 2023 - Sunday Evening Dr. Brad Weniger, Pastor

February 20, 2023 Today's Reading: Ex. 24:8-18Daily Lectionary:Job 15:1-23, 30-35, John 6:60-71 “Moses went up into the mountain of God.” (Exodus 24:13) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When God gave the Law to the people at Mount Sinai, there were three distinctions for how close one got to the Lord: The blood-sprinkled people; Moses, with the priests and the 70 elders; Moses in the mountain of God. The people worshiped from afar; the elders ate and drank in the Lord's presence; and only Moses entered the cloud. The closer you got to God, the closer you were to the holiness, and the more risk to sinful humans. This was all meant to prepare us for what God would ultimately do. When the fulfillment of all of this came, it was not about man ascending to God, but holy God descending to sinners. He did not come in bright glory which made people tremble, but the fulness of deity was veiled in mortal human flesh (Colossians 2:9). An Infant weak and suckling grew into a Man seized by Moses' disciples, the elders, and crucified as a criminal. On the mount of Calvary, Jesus Christ did what the Law could not do—bring sinners to God. Now all of those divisions have been removed in Jesus Christ: His is the blood which sprinkles you (Hebrews 12:22-24). He is the great High Priest who intercedes for you (Heb. 6:19-20). He is the holy and true Son who can ascend the hill of the Lord (Psalm 24:3-5) The Lord has come down to you in order to raise you up into His presence. With a holiness which surpasses that of Moses, you are covered in Christ. You are a beloved child through God's Son. You have been given boldness and access that surpasses even the Levite high priest standing in the Holy of Holies (Ephesians 3:12). So what can we do with such access to God? We come to Him as Father, bringing the needs of the world and those of the people we know. We live as pilgrims in this world in the confidence which our Baptism gives, that we have an advocate whose blood speaks on our account and who has put His authoritative forgiveness on human lips (Matthew 18, John 20). We have peace when this world is raging and trembling in Him “who makes wars cease to the end of the earth” (Ps. 46:9). And when everything in creation has been shaken and crumbles away, He has promised us a new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.    Hope of the world, God's gift from highest heaven,  Bringing to hungry souls the bread of life,   Still let Thy Spirit unto us be given  To heal earth's wounds and end our bitter strife. Amen. (LSB 690:2)-Pastor Michael A. Miller is Pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Lebanon, OR.,Audio Reflections Speaker: Patrick Sturdivant, Development and Marketing Executive at Higher Things.Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.

PreludeWelcome & News of the ChurchCall to WorshipHymn of Praise - (#546) "We Are God's People"Message for Children and Youth, presented by Teri YuenPraise SongsConfess and Assurance, led by Rev. Sharon YagerlenerGloria PatriSpecial Music - "On Eagle's Wings" by Joncas & Kingsbury - Madeline Reynolds, soprano; Cornel Radulescu, organSermon - "Jesus Christ Disarmed the Rulers" (Colossians 2:6-15) - by Rev. Jason GrifficeHymn of Response - (#544) "The Bond of Love"OffertoryDoxologyPastoral Prayer, led by Rev. Sharon YagerlenerSending Hymn - (#400) "Have Thine Own Way, Lord!" (verses 1, 3, & 4)BenedictionPostludeIf you'd like to send tithes or offerings by mail, please usePresbyterian Church of the CovenantP.O. Box 2128Costa Mesa, CA 92628We Are God's PeopleWe are God's people, the chosen of the Lord, Born of His Spirit, established by His Word; Our cornerstone is Christ alone, And strong in Him we stand: O let us live transparently, And walk heart to heart and hand in hand. We are God's loved ones, the Bride of Christ our Lord, For we have known it, the love of God our poured; Now let us learn how to return The gift of love once given: O let us share each joy and care, And live with a zeal that pleases Heaven. We are the Body of which the Lord is Head, Called to obey Him, now risen from the dead; He wills us be a family Diverse yet truly one: O let us give our gifts to God, And so shall His work on earth be done. We are a Temple, the Spirit's dwelling place, Formed in great weakness, a cup to hold God's grace; We die alone, for on its own Each ember loses fire: Yet joined in one the flame burns on To give warmth and light, and to inspire. The Bond of LoveWe are one in the bond of love, We are one in the bond of love; We have joined our spirit with the Spirit of God, We are one in the bond of love. Let us sing now, everyone, Let us feel His love begin; Let us join our hands that the world will knowWe are one in the bond of love. Have Thine Own Way, Lord!Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Thou art the potter, I am the clay! Mold me and make me after Thy will, While I am waiting, yielded and still. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Search me and try me, Master, today! Whiter than snow, Lord, Wash me just now, As in Thy presence humbly I bow. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Wounded and weary, help me, I pray! Power—all power—surely is Thine! Touch me and heal me, Savior divine! Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Hold o'er my being absolute sway! Fill with Thy Spirit 'til all shall seeChrist only, always, living in me! Amen See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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GRACE BIBLE CHURCH GBIBLE.ORG ROBERT MCLAUGHLIN BIBLE MINISTRIES PASTOR ROBERT R. MCLAUGHLIN 04/24/2022 HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT GLORIFIES OUR LORD IN THE TEMPTATIONS OF THE DEVIL --- DOC OF KENOSIS, Part 10. We are still noting Point 4. The Manifestation of Kenosis in our Lord's Evidence Testing. We have been noting that Our Lord passed the first test which was to use the Word of God as His divine solution to the temptations of Satan. The three parts of His evidence testing challenged His relationship to: 1. The Holy Spirit; (MAT 4:1-4. 2. The Word of God; (MAT 4:5-7). 3. The plan of God; (MAT 4:8-10). So, Matthew 4 records the evidence testing of our Lord, which was the first event in His public ministry. He had spent thirty years in preparation for a three-year ministry. Now: At the outset of His public ministry, He was immediately taken into the desert alone to face evidence testing. For in MAT 4:1 we read Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Our Lord is alone because He is the only member of the human race who is involved in the temptations. Three persons were involved in the testing of Christ: the humanity of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the devil. The humanity of Christ was residing inside the PPOG. He was therefore filled with the Holy Spirit, as He had been ever since His virgin birth; ISA 9:6-7. ISA 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. ISA 9:7 There will be no end to the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. Now, what was this passage all about and how does it apply to the temptations of our Lord? First of all, Once the virgin birth took place, it's important to note that our Lord would have a kingdom that would reign forever. How do we know that? In LUK 1:26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee, called Nazareth, LUK 1:27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. LUK 1:28 And coming in, he said to her, "Hail, favored one! The Lord {is} with you." LUK 1:29 But she was greatly troubled at {this} statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be. LUK 1:30 And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. LUK 1:31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. LUK 1:32 "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; LUK 1:33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end." We also know that He would have this Kingdom as the God-man; HEB 1:8 But of the Son He says, "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. Notice back in MAT 4:1, that: Jesus was led by the same enabling power of the Spirit that leads the mature believer in the PPOG; MAT 4:1. MAT 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Now remember: Although the humanity of Christ was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit, the devil would be the one who would administer the testing. Therefore, in MAT 4:2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. Now, This does not mean that he was not hungry during those 40 days and nights because He had those feelings during that time. The humanity of Christ was hungry every day for all forty days He spent alone in the desert. And it's also important to realize that: The first part of our Lord's evidence testing attacked His relationship with God the Holy Spirit. So that in MAT 4:3, we read And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God [and you are], command that these stones become bread." Now, Three years after His evidence testing, Christ would win His third royal title, which would be awarded to Him upon His ascension and session at the right hand of the Father in heaven = King of kings, Lord of lords; REV 1:6. REV 1:6 and He has made us a kingdom of priests to His God and Father; Now then: We are His Kingdom; He is our King! We are His lords; He is Lord! We are new creatures or a new creation. He is the Head of the body and the New Creation. We are a new spiritual species - those who worship Him, worship in Spirit and doctrine. But, most of all: The term that seems to have taken over for the Church is that we are His Royal Family. Good morning “Royal family!” I don't know how it happened that this term seems to have surfaced to the top but; we are Royal family. We are His New Royal Family. I got all my sisters with me We are family Get up everybody and sing We are family However, as usual, Satan took his usual arrogant approach. I said this past week that: Satan is not only a liar and the father of deception but, he is also deceived himself and, of course, being deceived He doesn't even know it. His deception was based upon the fact that in MAT 4, he used the true doctrine of Christ's royalty as a weapon against our Lord. This was the very doctrine that threatened Satan's arrogant plans. In fact, In a subtle attempt to trip our Lord into defeat, Satan virtually granted Him the victory in advance, without really knowing what he was actually doing. How did Satan virtually grant Christ the victory? Because…. Little did the devil realize that he was also allowing our Lord to reveal to us, how to handle evidence testing. Evidence testing is Satan's cross examination of every witness presented by God in the historical trial of all fallen angels. There are two categories of evidence testing. 1. The relationship to the plan of God Test is illustrated by our Lord Jesus Christ in MAT 4:1-11. 2. The relationship to life test is illustrated by Job. Either category of evidence testing is administered only to the mature believer, for only he is a witness for the Prosecution. Apparently, the spiritual mature believer does not take both tests, and which one he receives is a matter of the sovereignty of God. Inside the PPOG for his life, the humanity of Christ advanced through all stages of spiritual growth, reaching spiritual maturity at an early age. And therefore the issue is this: If the humanity of Christ even sins once during this test, then He cannot go to the cross and die for the sins of the whole world. Therefore, In evidence testing and the angelic conflict, God the Holy Spirit is also the one who leads us to the test. The Holy Spirit will lead us to the test but He will not tempt us. That's why JAM 1:13 says…. JAM 1:13 "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone." The humanity of Christ was hungry every day for all forty days He spent alone in the desert. Now, the first part of our Lord's evidence testing attacked His relationship with God the Holy Spirit. The basis for Satan's first attack = his knowledge that the deity of Christ has the power to accomplish any miracle that He desires to as God. Satan knew that the deity of Christ was faithfully sustaining the universe at that very moment, COL 1:17; HEB 1:3. COL 1:17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. The act of turning stones into bread would have been a small matter for divine omnipotence. So, Satan tempted the Lord to operate independently of the Holy Spirit, who was the Father's provision in the PPOG for sustaining Christ's humanity during His first advent. His first advent always refers to when He came into the world for the first time and He said in HEB 10:5 “But a body Thou hast prepared for Me;” This means that He did not use His own divine attributes independently to benefit, sustain, or glorify Himself = The True Doctrine of Kenosis. The three parts of His evidence testing challenged His relationship to: 1. The Holy Spirit; (MAT 4:1-4. 2. The Word of God; (MAT 4:5-7). 3. The plan of God; (MAT 4:8-10). The first phase of Christ's evidence testing teaches that miracles are not a legitimate solution to evidence testing, just as miracles are never the solution to any category of suffering for blessing. One of the easiest things for God to do is to perform a miracle because it requires no cooperation from human volition. Miracles require only divine sovereignty, whereas evidence testing spotlights human positive volition in Jesus Christ during the first incarnation as He remained inside the PPOG. This means that it is easier for God to perform a miracle than it is for God to heal a marriage. Open the Red Sea = no difficulty at all for God. Solving problems in marriage or relationships = much more difficult for God because it requires human consent or volition. And God cannot violate the free will of man. He cannot interfere with man's decisions and make him choose. Therefore,…… He did not sin, though His temptations and His pressures were a million times greater than any we would ever face. Our Lord's temptations were real and far greater than anything we could ever face. Those who reside in the predesigned plan do not need miracles. Especially in light of the fact that MAT 24:24 says "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, Or in: 2TH 2:9 The false prophet is the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders. In REV 13:13 He [the false prophet] performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. Even demons know that their job is to deceive believers by using miracles signs and wonders; REV 6:14. REV 16:14 for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, Therefore, our Lord refused this temptation. Though it was not written as of yet in the human realm, the Bible is the mind of Christ and therefore it was available to the deity of Christ who knows all things. David described the omniscience of the Lord in a fantastic way in PSA 139, and our Lord knew this. Notice what He was thinking during His time of fasting. This is an amazing Psalm that we will deal with verse by verse as a principle of the Christian Soldier that will be coming up. However, for now, let's look at some of the thoughts our Lord could have had during His temptations. Now, I have decided to illustrate to you a Psalm of comfort that our Lord could have thought during the temptations in MAT 4. Again, you must make some application and compare scripture with scripture. For example, let me give you some thoughts concerning what I am about to read and what I am about to say. I'm going to give it to you in the order that follows: First of all: 1. The devil is trying to get our Lord to use His deity in MAT 4:1-10. 2. The Bible is the mind of Christ; 1CO 2:16. Therefore, 3. Our Lord is allowed to apply any passages He may seem fit that applies to the situation He is facing with God the Holy Spirit. Because of that: 4. We can have confidence that the Lord would use the PSD's, especially the faith-rest drill, as He relied on the ministry of God the Holy Spirit to handle the temptations of the devil; 1PE 2:21-25. 5. The application to us is that, like our Lord, these things have been written for our examples; ROM 15:4; 1CO 10:11. With those five principles I just gave you, I would like to illustrate how our Lord would apply Old Testament passages that fit into those principles. The one I have chosen is one that reveals the deity of Christ which He was being tempted to use by the devil. This is why I have been telling you that: Our Lord's temptations were unique because no other member of the human race would ever be tempted to use their deity, because no one possesses deity but our Lord. So, as we read this psalm, I want you to think of the temptations that the Lord had but refused to use at this time. PSA 139:1 (For the choir director. A Psalm of David.) O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known {me.} This refers to the omniscience of our Lord. PSA 139:2 Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; [omnipresence] Thou dost understand my thought from afar. [omniscience] PSA 139:3 Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, And art intimately acquainted with all my ways. This is why He is Just and Righteous. PSA 139:4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all. = omniscience again. PSA 139:5 Thou hast enclosed me behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me. [omnipotence] Divine protection is guaranteed because He is veracity which is truth and he is also immutable and will not change, and he promised us salvation. The point is that: What the devil is attacking is the essence of God, which is found in this passage that more than likely our Lord used at times during those 40 days of fasting. The real meaning of fasting is to take the normal time you would for logistics and replace it with studying and praying and meditating on the Word of God. PSA 139:6 {Such} knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is {too} high, I cannot attain to it. [omniscience] PSA 139:7 Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? [omnipresence] PSA 139:8 If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there. PSA 139:9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, PSA 139:10 Even there Thy hand will lead me, And Thy right hand will lay hold of me. [omnipotence] PSA 139:11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night," PSA 139:12 Even the darkness is not dark to Thee, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike {to Thee.} He is eternal in nature for as a part of the essence of God, He is eternal life. PSA 139:13 For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother's womb. PSA 139:14 I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Thy works, And my soul knows it very well. Why? Because in 1JO 4:8b God is love. PSA 139:15 My frame was not hidden from Thee, When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. PSA 139:16 Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Thy book they were all written, The days that were ordained {for me}, When as yet there was not one of them. This is the sovereignty of God willing and performing whatever He desires and knowing about us before were even created. And also: Being Just and Righteous, which makes up the holiness of God is also found in this passage. PSA 139:17 How precious also are Thy thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! This is the love of God again with the immutability of divine essence of who God is. PSA 139:18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with Thee. Notice that in all of those verses something was being mentioned concerning the essence of God that was being challenged by the devil to our Lord. This is what makes this psalm so fantastic. As that passage spoke of the song that David wrote, there were also many applications our Lord could make as the God-man from His humanity. And so, there are some principles in this passage that I must comment about because they do apply to our Doctrine of Kenosis. For example; God's knowledge is not based upon time. It is not related to or limited by time. We usually can go back and evaluate things that have happened in the past, see our failures and hopefully, learn from them. But none of us knows exactly what will happen tomorrow. As James said: JAM 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are {just} a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. To the rich man, who instead of investing in the things of God was building bigger houses, driving new vehicles every tear, and hoards his money: LUK 12:20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This {very} night your soul is required of you; and {now} who will own what you have prepared?' LUK 12:21 "So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." We are slaves to time! We are limited by time! However, God is not, and His knowledge is superimposed over time, including when He was being tempted by the devil in MAT 4. We continue to learn as long as we live on this earth. God has never had to learn a thing! Jesus was God, is God, and will be God, forever. And…… As God, He has always known everything including every thought, every motive, every event, and every action of every person who would ever live. And He knew this billions and billions of years before they existed. He knows the end from the beginning, according to ISA 46:6-11. ISA 46:8 "Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors. ISA 46:9 "Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; {I am} God, and there is no one like Me, ISA 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure' ISA 46:11 Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned {it, surely} I will do it. This is why when a believer who understands the omniscience of our Lord it is a very comforting attribute to understand! Very comforting when you think about our Lord possessing omniscience but refusing to use it when He was tempted by the devil. And why did He refuse it? Because in HEB 12:3, you and I were the joy that was set before Him, and He loved us, says the Doctrine of Kenosis. Because our Lord has omniscience, it means that there is nothing in your life that could ever happen that God didn't know about billions and billions of years ago. And…… Knowing about it, and being perfect, He provided a perfect provision and perfect solution for every problem we would ever face! Because He is omniscient, He knows what is best for those who trust Him! This means that….. Although there are times that we may not understand the adversities and the sufferings which come into our lives, yet in the end, we will discover that God knew exactly what we needed and what was best for us. As an example of this principle; TLJC said to Peter in JOH 13:7 "What I'm doing you do not realize now, but you shall understand later on" No one in the human race can ever really understand in depth the principle of omniscience, we can only touch the surface! Again, this is a LUK 6:40 principle: LUK 6:40 "A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. Through learning from Him about how to handle temptations from Satan and his kingdom of darkness, we can become just like him right not. As He is so are we in this present world says the apostle John in 1JO 3:1-2. 1JO 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and {such} we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 1JO 3:2 Beloved, now [positionally] we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears [Rapture], we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. That is, in His perfect resurrected form because as soon as we sin, we step out of the PPOG. Inside the predesigned plan of God is purity; Titus 1:15. As long as one remains inside the predesigned plan, the purity factor remains in status quo. But as I have mentioned, our Lord's temptations were unique and real and far greater than anything we could ever face. For example, After forty days of no food, He was tempted to turn stones into bread. When's the last time, someone tempted you to turn a stone into a piece of bread? Not in this life! Unless you may be in a “nut house” or if I were to be a little bit more gentle and politically correct, maybe you have been in a “mentally challenged facility” for the under privileged….. No matter what our Lord's temptations were unique and real and far greater than anything we could ever face; HEB 4:15. If our Lord used His deity, He would have had to act independently of the Father's plan. Those who reside in the predesigned plan do not need miracles. Therefore, He refused this temptation. The sinlessness of Adam before the Fall differs from the sinlessness of Christ during the First Advent. The first Adam was capable of being tempted and capable of yielding to temptation. But….. Our Lord, the last Adam, was able not to sin because He remained inside the PPOG and He was not able to sin because He is deity or God; HAB 1:13. HAB 1:13 Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot even look upon sin or wickedness. Because He as the last Adam and he went to the cross and died for our sins, we have a new creation, the only spiritual creation, 2CO 5:17, GAL 6:15. GAL 6:15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. It is created by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, who enters each one into union with Christ. In fact, The “Last Adam” and the “new creation” is a synonym for the Royal Family. So, Jesus Christ was born without an old sin nature. Therefore, He could not be tempted from the inside. All our Lord's temptations were real, but they came from Satan himself outwardly and not from within our Lord, as it does with us; ROM 7:17-18. ROM 7:17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me. ROM 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good {is} not. The human nature of Christ was temptable, but in the predesigned plan, His purity was always intact. For thirty-three years inside the predesigned plan of God for the humanity of Christ, our Lord manufactured the highest virtue ever to exist in a human being. Our Lord's temptations to His humanity not only came from outside, but He was tempted by Satan personally, MAT 4. The divine nature of Christ was not temptable because immutability demands impeccability. God cannot change. Even if we are faithless, He does not change; 2TI 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself. In Titus 1:2, we have the confidence of eternal life, from a God, who cannot lie. And here is the motivation that comes from having the God that we do. HEB 6:18 in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. So, the divine nature of Christ was not temptable because immutability demands impeccability. Also, our Lord as God is sovereign. Sovereignty cannot choose to sin. He cannot do anything that would violate His nature. The sovereignty of God cannot change His mind about sin. The perfect righteousness of God cannot be corrupted by sin. The justice of God is cannot be unfair. Therefore, the deity of Christ cannot even look upon sin; HAB 1:13. This is how the temptations of Christ and who He is, is brought out in MAT 4 and also applies to our Doctrine of Kenosis. There are so many principles that theologians have missed concerning kenosis. Why? Because it means such things as: The humanity of Christ was temptable and peccable, but He remained in the purity of the predesigned plan. He had human volition but used His volition within the love complex, an absolute place of virtue. JOH 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love. Now, things are not always what they appear to be and the fact that Jesus Christ is exceedingly hungry is not simply dieting. Dieting is not fasting. Fasting means to spend the time that ordinarily would be used for normal functions in life in contemplating doctrine and prayer. In other words, the Bible study and prayer is a part of the true concept of fasting. So, The humanity of Christ spent this time ordinarily devoted to eating and normal surviving living in prayer and meditating on the Word. He had periods of prayer and Bible study, minus food, with the factors found in the Word of God providing the real meaning of fasting. Now, in verses 3-11 we have five principles concerning the temptations. 1. The temptation dealt with the problem of relationship with the indwelling Holy Spirit. 2. The temptation dealt with the problem of Jesus being tempted to operate independently of the indwelling Holy Spirit. 3. The temptation was designed by Satan to force Christ to violate the Kenosis principle, i.e., to force Christ into relying upon His omnipotence rather than on the Holy Spirit. 4. The temptation was unique because it involved the power to convert stones into bread. 5. The principle of this temptation is one that the believer faces every day which is being tempted to rely upon his old sin nature rather than the power of the Holy Spirit. This is why we are tempted to substitute human good for divine good. That is the application and we now get ready for one of the most popular passages in the Bible. MAT 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'" And that's a good place to stop and even a better place to begin next time!

GRACE BIBLE CHURCH GBIBLE.ORG ROBERT MCLAUGHLIN BIBLE MINISTRIES PASTOR ROBERT R. MCLAUGHLIN 04/22/2022 Now, we have been noting the evidence testing of our Lord and how: He passed the first test which was to use the Word of God as His divine solution to the temptations of Satan. We begin with the fact that: The humanity of Jesus Christ underwent evidence testing at the beginning of His three-year earthly ministry. The three parts of His evidence testing challenged His relationship to: 1. The Holy Spirit; (MAT 4:1-4. 2. The Word of God; (MAT 4:5-7). 3. The plan of God; (MAT 4:8-10). So, To stay in context, let's look at the evidence testing of the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ at spiritual maturity. First of all: Inside the PPOG, the humanity of Christ advanced through all stages of spiritual growth, reaching maturity at an early age; LUK 2:40, LUK 2:52. Matthew 4 records the evidence testing of our Lord, which was the first event in His public ministry. He had spent thirty years in preparation for a three-year ministry. And…. An individual who lives a prepared life, is also prepared even to die at any time. The point is that: If one is told about an event beforehand, they can be adequately prepare even to die, if necessary. You can let things go or pass at certain times, but don't forget what they were, why they happened, and other consequences, that may be involved so that you don't repeat the same mistakes. Yes, it's true that we must forgive others, but many times we simply cannot forget. Our Lord was at the threshold of executing the plan of the Father which would climax in His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and session. The context in Matthew describes the shift of Christ's ministry from private to public. Now: At the outset of His public ministry, He was immediately taken into the desert, alone, to face evidence testing. For in MAT 4:1 we read Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. A lesson for the believer can be found in the first word of MAT 4:1. "Then" indicates that evidence testing was the first item on the agenda for Christ's public ministry. And this reveals to us that: The Christian life begins with growth, not with service. And……. The quality of Christian service improves as the believer accelerates his spiritual growth through each increment of suffering for blessing. Three persons were involved in the testing of Christ: the humanity of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the devil. The humanity of Christ was residing inside the PPOG. He was therefore filled with the Holy Spirit, as He had been ever since His virgin birth. Notice in MAT 4:1, that Jesus was led by the same enabling power of the Spirit that leads the mature believer in the PPOG. MAT 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Now remember: There are three parties involved in our Lord's temptations: Our Lord, God the Holy Spirit, and the devil. This means that the third-party present in this temptation was the defense attorney of the appeal trial, Satan himself. Although the humanity of Christ was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit, the devil would be the one who would administer the testing. Intense physical duress was part of the circumstances for Christ's evidence testing as He had been in the desert and went without food for forty days. Therefore, in MAT 4:2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. Now, This does not mean that he was not hungry during those 40 days and nights because He had those feelings during that time. The humanity of Christ was hungry every day for all forty days He spent alone in the desert. He was famished and probably already was suffering sharp, constant physical pain when evidence testing began. The first part of our Lord's evidence testing attacked His relationship with God the Holy Spirit. MAT 4:3 And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God [and you are], command that these stones become bread." Now, Satan knows the Bible! Satan knows theology. Although he lives to exalt himself and oppose God, Satan knows from observation a great deal of true doctrine; GEN 3:1; JAM 1:22. So….., He approached Jesus with a true point of doctrine only to suggest a false conclusion. Christ is the Son of God = that is accurate information. "Son of God" is our Lord's first royal title as divine royalty; His first royal family as a member of the Trinity. At the time Satan was speaking, Christ held two royal titles. His first royal title, “Son of God” is eternal in nature; He has always been God. His second title, "Son of David," was acquired at the moment of His virgin birth, His entrance into the human dynasty of King David. Now, Three years after His evidence testing, Christ would win His third royal title, which would be awarded to Him upon His ascension and session at the right hand of the Father in heaven = King of kings, Lord of lords; REV 1:6. REV 1:6 and He has made us a kingdom of priests to His God and Father; We are His Kingdom! We are His kings. We are His lords. We are His new Royal Family. However, as usual, Satan took his usual arrogant approach. Do you know that Satan is not only a liar and the father of deception but, he is also deceived himself and, of course, being deceived He doesn't even know it. He used the true doctrine of Christ's royalty as a weapon against our Lord. This was the very doctrine that threatened Satan's arrogant plans. In fact, Satan would be strategically and tactically defeated as part of the doctrine of Christ's royalty, especially how it relates to the humanity of Christ in hypostatic union. So…….. In a subtle attempt to trip our Lord into defeat, Satan virtually granted Him the victory in advance, without really knowing what he was actually doing. How did Satan virtually grant Christ the victory? Because…. Little did the devil realize that he was also allowing our Lord to reveal to us, how to handle evidence testing. Evidence testing is Satan's cross examination of every witness presented by God in the historical trial of all fallen angels. Inside the PPOG for his life, the humanity of Christ advanced through all stages of spiritual growth, reaching spiritual maturity at an early age. And therefore, He was immediately taken into the desert, alone, to face evidence testing. The issue is this: If the humanity of Christ even sins once during this test then He cannot go to the cross and die for the sins of the whole world. Therefore, He will not only be tempted like we are but He will be tempted far beyond anyone of us; HEB 4:15. Note that….. In evidence testing and the angelic conflict, God the Holy Spirit is also the one who leads us to the test. The Holy Spirit will lead us to the test but He will not tempt us. That's why JAM 1:13 "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone." The humanity of Christ was hungry every day for all forty days He spent alone in the desert. Now, the first part of our Lord's evidence testing attacked His relationship with God the Holy Spirit. So in MAT 4:3 And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God [and I know you are], command that these stones become bread." As I said, Satan knows the Bible! Satan knows theology. Christ is the Son of God, that's accurate information. So, Satan took his usual arrogant approach. He is such an arrogant pompous ass of a liar that he used the true doctrine of Christ's royalty as a weapon against our Lord. And this was the very doctrine that threatened Satan's arrogant plans. The basis for Satan's first attack = his knowledge that the deity of Christ has the power to accomplish any miracle that He desires to as God. Satan knew that the deity of Christ was faithfully sustaining the universe at that very moment, COL 1:17; HEB 1:3. COL 1:17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. HEB 1:3 “He upholds all things by the word of His power.” The act of turning stones into bread would have been a small matter for divine omnipotence. So, This first part of our Lord's evidence testing was an attempt by Satan to persuade Jesus Christ as the God-man to exercise His deity contrary to the Father's plan. Satan tempted the Lord to operate independently of the Holy Spirit, who was the Father's provision in the PPOG for sustaining Christ's humanity during His first advent. His first advent always refers to when He came into the world for the first time and He said in HEB 10:5 “But a body Thou hast prepared for Me;” To fulfill the mission that He voluntarily accepted from God the Father in eternity past, our Lord had to rely on the system of provisions that the Father provided for Him by means of the Holy Spirit. This means that He did not use His own divine attributes independently to benefit, sustain, or glorify Himself = The True Doctrine of Kenosis. All Satan wanted Jesus Christ to do was to use His deity independently of the Father's plan to show that in His humanity our Lord would not depend on the Father's provision but on His own ability to provide for Himself. Furthermore, Our Lord was preparing the way for the PPOG and the Church-age believer's dependence on the power of God. Turn stones into bread? Omnipotence could have turned the whole mountain into bread. However, This would have compromised the function of His humanity under the sustaining ministry of the Holy Spirit. The three parts of His evidence testing challenged His relationship to: 1. The Holy Spirit; (MAT 4:1-4. 2. The Word of God; (MAT 4:5-7). 3. The plan of God; (MAT 4:8-10). The first phase of Christ's evidence testing teaches that miracles are not a legitimate solution to evidence testing, just as miracles are never the solution to any category of suffering for blessing. One of the easiest things for God to do is to perform a miracle because it requires no cooperation from human volition. Dramatic displays of supernatural power do not fulfill the purpose of evidence testing. Miracles require only divine sovereignty, whereas evidence testing spotlights human positive volition in Jesus Christ during the first incarnation as He remained inside the PPOG. This means that it is easier for God to perform a miracle than it is for God to heal a marriage. Open the Red Sea = no difficulty at all for God. Solving problems in marriage or relationships = much more difficult for God because it requires human consent or volition. And God cannot violate the free will of man. He cannot interfere with man's decisions and make him choose. Therefore,…… He did not sin, though His temptations and His pressures were a million times greater than any we would ever face. Though He had no old sin nature inside to tempt Him, Satan himself tempted Him personally, something Satan did only with Adam and Eve. Our Lord's temptations were real and far greater than anything we could ever face. Those who reside in the predesigned plan do not need miracles. Especially in light of the fact that MAT 24:24 says "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, Or in: 2TH 2:9 The false prophet is the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders. In REV 13:13 He [the false prophet] performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. Even demons know that their job is to deceive believers by using miracles signs and wonders; REV 6:14. REV 16:14 for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, Therefore, our Lord refused this temptation. Though it was not written as of yet in the human realm, the Bible is the mind of Christ and therefore it was available to the deity of Christ who knows all things. David described the omniscience of the Lord in a fantastic way in PSA 139, and our Lord knew this. Notice what He was thinking during His time of fasting. This is an amazing Psalm that we will deal with verse by verse as a principle of the Christian Soldier that will be coming up. However, for now let's look at some of the thoughts our Lord had during His temptations. PSA 139:1 (For the choir director. A Psalm of David.) O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known {me.} PSA 139:2 Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. PSA 139:3 Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, And art intimately acquainted with all my ways. PSA 139:4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all. PSA 139:5 Thou hast enclosed me behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me. PSA 139:6 {Such} knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is {too} high, I cannot attain to it. PSA 139:7 Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? PSA 139:8 If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there. PSA 139:9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, PSA 139:10 Even there Thy hand will lead me, And Thy right hand will lay hold of me. PSA 139:11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night," PSA 139:12 Even the darkness is not dark to Thee, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike {to Thee.} PSA 139:13 For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother's womb. PSA 139:14 I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Thy works, And my soul knows it very well. PSA 139:15 My frame was not hidden from Thee, When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. PSA 139:16 Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Thy book they were all written, The days that were ordained {for me}, When as yet there was not one of them. PSA 139:17 How precious also are Thy thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! PSA 139:18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with Thee. Now As that passage spoke of the song that David wrote, there were also many applications our Lord could make as the God-man from His humanity. And there are some principles in this passage that I must comment about because they do apply to our Doctrine of Kenosis. For example; God's knowledge is not based upon time. It is not related to or limited by time. We usually can go back and evaluate things that have happened in the past, see our failures and hopefully, learn from them. We can even speculate about the future and even make some pretty accurate guesses. But none of us knows exactly what will happen tomorrow. As James said: JAM 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." JAM 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are {just} a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. JAM 4:15 Instead, {you ought} to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that." Do you remember what our Lord said in LUK 12:19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years {to come;} take your ease, eat, drink {and} be merry."' LUK 12:20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This {very} night your soul is required of you; and {now} who will own what you have prepared?' LUK 12:21 "So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." We are slaves to time! We are limited by time! However, God is not, and His knowledge is superimposed over time, including when He was being tempted by the devil in MAT 4. We continue to learn as long as we live on this earth. God has never had to learn a thing! And…. Jesus was God, and is God and will be God forever. And…… As God, He has always known everything including every thought, every motive, every event, and every action of every person who would ever live. And He knew this billions and billions of years before they existed. He knows the end from the beginning, according to ISA 46:6-11. ISA 46:8 "Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors. ISA 46:9 "Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; {I am} God, and there is no one like Me, ISA 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure' ISA 46:11 Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned {it, surely} I will do it. Notice verse 8 again, it says: Remember this and be assured, recall it to mind you transgressors, and be assured, or show yourselves men, which means to have assurance and confidence. This is why when a believer who understands the omniscience of our Lord it is a very comforting attribute to understand! Very comforting when you think about our Lord possessing omniscience but refusing to use it when He was tempted by the devil. And why did He refuse it? Because in HEB 12:3, you and I were the joy that was set before Him, and He loved us, says the Doctrine of Kenosis. Because our Lord has omniscience, it means that there is nothing in your life that could ever happen that God didn't know about billions and billions of years ago. And…… Knowing about it, and being perfect, He provided a perfect provision and perfect solution for every problem we would ever face! Our Lord shared this principle with His disciples when He said in MAT 10:29-30; MAT 10:29 "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And {yet} not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. MAT 10:30 "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And, yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father's knowledge,” verse 30 "but the very hairs of your head are numbered." Now, because He is omniscient, He knows what is best for those who trust Him! This means that….. Although there are times that we may not understand the adversities and the sufferings which come into our lives, yet in the end, we will discover that God knew exactly what we needed and what was best for us. As an example of this principle; TLJC said to Peter in JOH 13:7 "What I'm doing you do not realize now, but you shall understand later on" No one in the human race can ever really understand in depth the principle of omniscience, we can only touch the surface! As the Apostle Paul said in Rom 11:33; ROM 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable are His ways.” However, it is God's intention that every believer come to understand everything in the Bible, and that is "in time," right now. Anything which God did not intend for us to know was not included in the canon of scripture. As DEU 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and our children forever.” Certainly, you will not understand the doctrinal content of the Bible all at once, for knowledge is built on knowledge, but if you stay with it long enough it can be done! And it should be done! Every book in the Bible was written by a human author who understood what he was recording. Therefore, we can understand what we desire to know! It is true that the Holy Spirit is our teacher but that is only as much as we submit to His ministry. However, God gave us a system to understand the things of God through faith, but we must choose to believe it or not. Knowing this divine attribute of omniscience, should increases your personal love for God as all the divine attributes should all do. So, there are things written in the Bible such as REV 13:11 “And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.” REV 13:12 “And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.” REV 13:13 “And he performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.” REV 13:14 “And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.” Now….. Our Lord didn't study this passage, but we know now it was in His mind as the Son of God and available to Him if He choose, which is another reason why He didn't. The first Adam was temptable and peccable, i.e., capable of being tempted and capable of yielding to temptation. But our Lord, the last Adam, was able not to sin and as God He was not able to sin. All the way from the virgin birth to the cross, resurrection, ascension and session, the humanity of our Lord functioned in the original predesigned plan, the place of virtue, His very own palace. And…. You and I also can also have our very own palace or a mansion in this life called the PPOG or we can live in panic palace which is in the dungeon of the cosmic system. This is why our Lord said in JOH 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. Believe God and believe Me, our Lord was saying that in JOH 14:2 "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. JOH 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you [hopefully our very own], I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, {there} you may be also. That is with Him in heaven forever. JOH 14:4 "And you know the way where I am going." Again, this is a LUK 6:40 principle: LUK 6:40 "A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. Through learning from Him about how to handle temptations from Satan and his kingdom of darkness, we can become just like him right not. As He is so are we in this present world says the apostle John in 1JO 3:1-2. 1JO 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and {such} we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 1JO 3:2 Beloved, now [positionally] we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears [Rapture], we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. That is, in His perfect resurrected form because as soon as we sin, we step out of the PPOG. Inside the predesigned plan of God is purity; Titus 1:15. As long as one remains inside the predesigned plan, the purity factor remains in status quo. But as I have mentioned, our Lord's temptations were unique and real and far greater than anything we could ever face. For example, After forty days of no food, He was tempted to turn stones into bread. When's the last time, someone tempted you to turn a stone into a piece of bread? Not in this life! Unless you may be in a “nut house” or if I were to be a little bit more gentle and politically correct, maybe you have been in a “mentally challenged facility” for the under privileged….. No matter what our Lord's temptations were unique and real and far greater than anything we could ever face; HEB 4:15. If our Lord used His deity, He would have had to act independently of the Father's plan. Those who reside in the predesigned plan do not need miracles. Therefore, He refused this temptation. The sinlessness of Adam before the Fall differs from the sinlessness of Christ during the First Advent. The first Adam was temptable and peccable, i.e., capable of being tempted and capable of yielding to temptation. But….. Our Lord, the last Adam, was able not to sin because He remained inside the PPOG and He was not able to sin because He is deity or God; HAB 1:13. HAB 1:13 Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot even look upon sin or wickedness. Because He as the last Adam and he went to the cross and died for our sins, we have a new creation, the only spiritual creation, 2CO 5:17, GAL 6:15. GAL 6:15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. It is created by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, who enters each one into union with Christ. In fact, The “Last Adam” and the “new creation” is a synonym for the Royal Family. So, Jesus Christ was born without an old sin nature. Therefore, He could not be tempted from the inside. All our Lord's temptations were real, but they came from Satan himself outwardly and not from within our Lord, as it does with us; ROM 7:17-18. ROM 7:17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me. ROM 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good {is} not. The human nature of Christ was temptable, but in the predesigned plan, His purity was always intact. For thirty-three years inside the predesigned plan, our Lord manufactured the highest virtue ever to exist in a human being. Our Lord's temptations to His humanity not only came from outside, but He was tempted by Satan personally, MAT 4. The divine nature of Christ was not temptable because immutability demands impeccability. God cannot change. Even if we are faithless, He does not change; 2TI 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself. In Titus 1:2, we have the confidence of eternal life, from a God, who cannot lie. And here is the motivation that comes from having the God that we do. HEB 6:18 in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. So, the divine nature of Christ was not temptable because immutability demands impeccability. Also, our Lord as God is sovereign. Sovereignty cannot choose to sin. He cannot do anything that would violate His nature. The sovereignty of God cannot change His mind about sin. The perfect righteousness of God cannot be corrupted by sin. The justice of God is cannot be unfair. Therefore, the deity of Christ cannot even look upon sin; HAB 1:13. This is how the temptations of Christ and who He is, is brought out in MAT 4 and also applies to our Doctrine of Kenosis. There are so many principles that theologians have missed concerning kenosis. Why? Because it means such things as: The humanity of Christ was temptable and peccable, but He remained in the purity of the predesigned plan. He had human volition but used His volition within the love complex, an absolute place of virtue. JOH 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love. Now, things are not always what they appear to be and the fact that Jesus Christ is exceedingly hungry is not simply dieting. Dieting is not fasting. Fasting means to spend the time that ordinarily would be used for normal functions in life in contemplating doctrine and prayer. In other words, the Bible study and prayer is a part of the true concept of fasting.

3/30/22 - God is going to take Elijah into heaven, and Elisha desires a double portion of the Spirit of God that he might accomplish the work of God as Elijah had. During times of great darkness, deception, and wickedness God called and equipped two great prophets to service. By the power of God they wrought great miracles, including the first resurrections found in the Bible. They challenged the prophets of Baal, and boldly withstood the wicked kings and leaders of Israel. We pray the Lord will strengthen and encourage our hearts through the study of their lives. We pray that the Lord richly blesses you through His word. If you have any questions, comments, or would like to suggest a topic for Bible study email us at onlythewordpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks to everyone for listening.

367-2Season - Total Episodes-1327 Warriors Nation Prayers Availeth Much

In today's episode we speak about the Holy Spirit, and how He works silently and unnoticeably to vivify the Catholic Church, and to sanctify our souls. He is the unsung hero of our salvation. The Holy Spirit builds, animates and sanctifies the Church. So, as some ancient writers have said, the Holy Spirit is like the soul of the Catholic Church. Besides the Holy Spirit sanctifies the individual soul, first moving it to believe, to embrace the faith, and then, little by little, to grow in Faith, Hope and Love, leading it to bear fruits of holiness. The Holy Spirit is the master of prayer, because He teaches us to pray as we ought (Romans 8:26). Some Bible texts that we quote in this episode: The Mystery of the Annunciation (Lk 3:22). The Baptism of Jesus (Lk 3:22). The Holy Spirit similar to the force that makes the crop grow in the field (Mark 4:26-33). The wind blows where it wills (John 3:8). At the last Supper (John 14:16-17). How Jesus promised to send the H.S. (Jn 14:26). Baptize in the Name of the Trinity (Mt 28:19). The coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit teaches us how to pray and aids us in our weakness (Romans 8:26). Numbers from the Catechism: #731-747 Here is a great prayer to the Holy Spirit: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us pray: O God, who instructed the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us by that same Spirit, to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.” - Fr. Patrick Wainwright is a priest of Miles Christi, a Catholic Religious Order. - Visit the Miles Christi Religious Order website: https://www.mileschristi.org - This Podcast's Website: https://www.forcollegecatholics.org - To learn about the Spiritual Exercises (silent weekend retreat) preached by the Priests of Miles Christi, visit: https://www.mileschristi.org/spiritual-exercises/ - Recorded at our Family Center in South Lyon, Michigan. - Gear: Shure MV7 USB dynamic microphone - Intro music from pond5.com

In today's episode we speak about the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, and how it is thanks to Him that we can be saints! We discuss how He was revealed in the Scriptures, the Names by which He is referred to, the symbols used to express His different qualities, and finally we will briefly talk about how He works in the Church and in the individual soul. I will talk about the life of Bl. Carlo Acutis and St. Francis Xavier, as examples of how the Holy Spirit can work miracles of conversion in people that were just as human as you and me. Some of the texts we quote in this episode: How the Holy Spirit [H.S.] was present in the story of the Creation (Genesis 1:1). The Theophany of Mamre (Genesis 18:1-15). How the H.S. worked through king Saul (1 Sam 10:10). The Mystery of the Annunciation (Lk 3:22). The Baptism of Jesus (Lk 3:22). How Jesus promised to send the H.S. (Jn 14:26). The coming of the H.S. on Pentecost (Acts 1:8). The H.S. teaches us how to pray (Romans 8:26). Here is the prayer I shared during the episode: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us pray. O God, who instructed the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us by that same Spirit, to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.” References to the Catechism: #695, #699, #1556. You can also read all the section from #687 to #747 - Fr. Patrick Wainwright is a priest of Miles Christi, a Catholic Religious Order. - Visit the Miles Christi Religious Order website: https://www.mileschristi.org - This Podcast's Website: https://www.forcollegecatholics.org - To learn about the Spiritual Exercises (silent weekend retreat) preached by the Priests of Miles Christi, visit: https://www.mileschristi.org/spiritual-exercises/ - Recorded at our Family Center in South Lyon, Michigan. - Gear: Shure MV7 USB dynamic microphone - Intro music from pond5.com

We should be encouraging others in Christ to get closer to God. We need to be better than we've ever been. There is room for ME to get closer to God. We need to get up off of our seats Spiritually and admit that we should be getting better at getting closer to God. How many times do we pray for workers and yet we are unwilling to work? Should we not be the ones to go out and tell others the good news of the Savior? Commit yourselves to taking a step towards Christ. We often allow ourselves to squirm away from doing what we ought to be doing for God. Be encouraged that God hasn't given up on us. Does anybody care that the doors are open on the church house? Does anybody care that we have church services on Sunday nights and Wednesdays? If you are a church member then you've made a covenant between the members and more importantly between God and yourself that you would fail not to assemble yourself. God hasn't broken His covenant between you and Him and He continues to bless you no matter what. When you stand before the judge of glory what are you going to say? If your priorities are all about yourself, what are you going to say to Him when He asks you why? The only thing that you can present to God is the inner man, the soul that He purchased at the time of salvation. When He purchased the soul then He owns you and therefore your reasonable service is to yield yourself to your owner, God. There are things that we could be doing yet we don't. We don't do them because we don't want to. If you've got a problem with doing something for Him, take it up with Him and not the pastor.  Have you adjusted your life to the world? God, Himself has a completely different view of the world. Is there anything in your life that you feel you have to do every day? You might say you must go to work. You'll set your alarms and make sure that you're there and ready to go each day for your employer. Yet, when it comes to the worship of God in His church house you'll find any excuse to stay away from it. Page 375 in our hymnals, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord”. “Mold me and make me, after Thy will, while I am waiting, Yielded and still.” In the garden when Christ prayed He yielded to His father and because the clay for God to do what he wanted. God has a will or a purpose for your life and He wants to take you and mold you into something that Christ get's the glory. “Search me and try me, Master today! Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now, as in Thy presence humbly I bow.” Forgiveness for our sins. “Wounded and weary, help me I pray! Power, all power, surely is Thine! Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.” Healing during our very time of need. “Hold over my being absolute sway! Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see Christ only, always, living in me.” What sways you today? Whatever wind the enemy blows through over our ship it often blows us off course. We should be asking God to have control over our lives so that the enemy can't touch us.

Let's discuss the 4th Commandment of Self Love, Honor Thy Spirit. Spirit speaks to the metaphysical energy and consciousness of yourself outside of your basic sensory experience. In exploring spirit, we're discussing the intuitive connection that you have to yourself. There are different pathways in which this connection is established and nurtured, however, it's important as well speak about self-love, that we acknowledge how important spirit is. You can purchase The 5 Commandments of Self Love on Amazon to read along. You can follow me on ig @tiffinspires, or read more about me at www.livethebelife.com

Welcome to The Heal-Thy SPIRIT with Tia Podcast! Here's the trailer to give you a glimpse into what this podcast is all about!   I can't wait to connect with you. Please reach out any time with comments, questions, or suggestions. I want to hear from you!    Can't wait to chat!

Tom Illick is back to sing a bit in the band today and give us a solo as Special Music, and Rev. Jason's sermon series introduces Haman and his scheme to completely destroy the Israelites. PreludeWelcome & News of the ChurchCall to WorshipOpening Hymn - (#319) "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise"Confession, Assurance, and Gloria PatriPraise SongsSermon - "Is That the Bad Guy?" (Esther 3:5-11) - by Rev. Jason GrifficeHymn of Response - (#400) "Have Thine Own Way Lord"Offertory - "Were It Not for Grace" by Hamilton/McHugh - Tim Illick, tenor; Micah Wright, pianoDoxologyPastoral PrayerClosing Hymn - (#523) "God Be with You 'Til We Meet Again"BenedictionPostludeImmortal, Invisible, God Only WiseImmortal, invisible, God only wise, In light inaccessible hid from our eyes, Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise. Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light, Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might; Thy justice like mountains high soaring above Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love. To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small; In all life Thou livest, the true life of all; We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree, And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee. Great Father of glory, pure Father of light, Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight; All praise we would render: O help us to see 'Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee. AmenHave Thine Own Way LordHave Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Thou art the potter, I am the clay! Mold me and make me after Thy will, While I am waiting, yielded and still. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Hold o'er my being absolute sway! Fill with Thy Spirit 'til all shall seeChrist only, always, living in me! God Be with You 'Til We Meet AgainGod be with you 'til we meet again, By His counsels guide, uphold you, With His sheep securely fold you: God be with you 'til we meet again, God be with you 'til we meet again, 'Neath His wings protecting hide you, Daily manna still provide you: God be with you 'til we meet again, God be with you 'til we meet again, If life's trials should confound you, God will put His arms around you: God be with you 'til we meet again, God be with you 'til we meet again, Keep love's banner floating o'er you, Smite death's threat'ning wave before you: God be with you 'til we meet again, See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In our journey of self love, I believe its important to be able to be connected to mind, body and spirit. Mind and body get quite a bit of focus, but not necessarily spirit. In this episode, I read excerpts from my book, The 5 Commandments of Self Love reviewing the 4th commandment: Honor Thy Spirit. Of course, what would a discussion about shifts be without story time! Take a journey with me, as I share about a powerful spiritual experience I had while embarking on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. For more content, visit www.livethebelife.com, or follow me on instagram/twitter @the_be_life .

Today's Reading: Genesis 11:1-9 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 27:12-23; Luke 23:26-56 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. As we continue to celebrate Pentecost, we rejoice that the Gospel of Christ Jesus has gone all around the world to all tribes, nations, peoples, and in many languages. Everywhere it has gone, the Spirit has blessed the preaching of Christ so that many people have believed and been saved. One of the beautiful things about the Christian Church is that there are people from every culture, every age, every stage of life--joined together as one in Christ. Our lifestyles, cultures, and languages differ, but we are united together as one family in Christ. He has saved us all. He gives the same Baptism to us all. He gives the same forgiveness to us all. We all have the same hope, the same comfort, the same peace, the same love, the same grace, and the same Holy Bible that proclaims His victory over sin and death. And we will all rejoice together and praise His Name in the same heavenly kingdom. Our reading today tells of a dark day in history. At one time people all had one language. They were united, but their goal wasn't to follow God. Instead, they wanted to make a name for themselves. They started by building a tower into the heavens, but it would have devolved into a truly destructive, organized wickedness. So God confused their language and scattered them over the face of the earth to limit their ability to unite around evil. God didn't want us to be divided forever. He would come and unite us as one again, but not to serve the pursuit of power or the will of sinful man. We would be united by the One man who had never sinned--who came to serve and to give His life as a ransom. We would be united in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit brings the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in that man, Jesus. The Spirit has caused the Gospel to be preached to all the peoples who were scattered. In every land from every tribe, He has brought people to faith in Christ through that Gospel. That Gospel comes to you, too! You have been baptized into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. You share this new birth with believers all around the world and across time. With them you thank God and praise His Name. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Send us Thy Spirit, teach us truth; Thou Son, O set us free From fancied wisdom, self-sought ways, to make us one in Thee. ("In Adam We Have All Been One" LSB 569, st.5) Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Our hope for you is that you will know, love, and follow Jesus Christ -- leading to personal transformation, intimate community, and a life of radical mission. You are always welcome to join us for worship at West End Community Church. Visit the WECC website at www.westendcc.org

Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year to you and yours! On this 1st day of the year we have the gift of obtaining a plenary indulgence by publicly reciting the Veni Creator Spiritus! A plenary indulgence is the full remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the Catholic Church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution. Indulgences draw on the Treasury of Merit accumulated by Christ's superabundantly meritorious sacrifice on the cross and the virtues and penances of the saints. They are granted for specific good works and prayers. To be capable of gaining an indulgence for oneself, it is required that one be baptized, not excommunicated, in the state of grace at least at the completion of the prescribed works, and a subject of the one granting the indulgence. You can gain a Plenary Indulgence for yourself or for a deceased person. But not for another living person, they have to get it for themselves. THE USUAL CONDITIONS: Receive Holy Communion on the Feast Day. Go to Confession (within 8 Days of the Feast Day). Have no attachment to sin. Pray for the Intentions of the Pope one Our Father, and one Hail Mary.   Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest, and in our hearts take up Thy rest; come with Thy grace and heav'nly aid, To fill the hearts which Thou hast made. O Comforter, to Thee we cry, Thou heav'nly gift of God most high, Thou Fount of life, and Fire of love, and sweet anointing from above. O Finger of the hand divine, the sevenfold gifts of grace are thine; true promise of the Father thou, who dost the tongue with power endow. Thy light to every sense impart, and shed thy love in every heart; thine own unfailing might supply to strengthen our infirmity. Drive far away our ghostly foe, and thine abiding peace bestow; if thou be our preventing Guide, no evil can our steps betide. Praise we the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit with them One; and may the Son on us bestow the gifts that from the Spirit flow. Amen. V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created. R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us Pray: O God, Who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Ghost: give to us, in the same Spirit, to know what is right, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who with Thee livest and reignest in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God. World without end. Amen. ____________________________ Veni, creator Spiritus mentes tuorum visita, imple superna gratia, quae tu creasti pectora. Qui diceris Paraclitus, altissimi donum Dei, fons vivus, ignis, caritas et spiritalis unctio. Tu septiformis munere, digitus paternae dexterae tu rite promissum Patris sermone ditans guttura. Accende lumen sensibus, infunde amorem cordibus, infirma nostri corporis, virtute firmans perpeti. Hostem repellas longius pacemque dones protinus; ductore sic te praevio vitemus omne noxium. Per te sciamus da Patrem noscamus atque Filium, te utriusque Spiritum credamus omni tempore. Deo Patri sit gloria, et Filio qui a mortuis Surrexit, ac Paraclito, in saeculorum saecula. Amen. V. Emitte Spiritum tuum, et creabuntur: R. Et renovabis faciem terrae. Oremus: Deus qui corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti: da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere, et de eius semper consolatione gaudere. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate eiusdem Spiritus Sancti Deus. Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.  It would mean a lot to me if you could leave a review on iTunes; The podcast has been downloaded over 100,000 times and we now have listeners in over 100 Countries. Ratings helps others find this podcast and I would love you to not only help share it by rating it but also by recommending it to your families and friends and also by sharing it on social media. Follow me on twitter @dylandrego or on instagram @dylan.drego and do not hesitate to drop me a line. We are living in dark times (in and outside of the Church) which now more than ever requires you and me, ordinary men and women to fight with all our might for the salvation of souls and our own sanctity. Prayer is the foundation that grounds us as well as the wings that draw us close to God. It is the beginning. Pope St. Pius X's reach was limited by the technology of his day, but what about us? What if we could gather, inspire and call upon a 1,000,000 families to pray the rosary everyday? If you have any prayers you'd like to request, or comments and/or suggestions - please email me at dylandrego@me.com. Know that if you are listening to this, I am praying for you. Please continue to pray with me and for me and my family. May everything you do be Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. God Love You! Valete (Goodbye) https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-latin-prayer-podcast/id1202522527?mt=2 http://dylandrego.podbean.com    

Welcome to Honey In The Rock, your daily dose of inspiration and encouragement. In this episode, we shall be studying (Psalms 139). We shall also listen to a sermon by Reverend William Marrion Branham titled, 62-1013 - "The Influence Of Another". I hope you find it to be a blessing.

Welcome to Chapter and Verse, a chapter by chapter reflection on the Book of Mormon through poetry, as a way to strengthen your personal and family Gospel study with a focus on the Come, Follow Me curriculum. One chapter, one verse. Today we have a text based on Alma 21, “Thy Spirit“. Visit us at http://chapterandverse.poetry.blog

A Combined Choir from Stakes in Provo sings "Thy Spirit, Lord, Has Stirred Our Souls."

The formula to have a "double portion" of the Spirit is to die to self and keep your eyes on Jesus

The formula to have a "double portion" of the Spirit is to die to self and keep your eyes on Jesus

Listen to Part 1Listen to Part 2Listen to Part 3Listen to Part 4FamilyLife Today® Radio TranscriptReferences to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete. Out of the Depths Day 3 of 4 Guest:                        Ed Harrell From the Series:       Survival in the South Pacific ________________________________________________________________  Bob:                Sixty years ago this week, Ed Harrell was one of a few hundred men floating in the Pacific following the sinking of the USS Indianapolis.  In the four days that he was afloat, Ed saw some of his fellow sailors drift away from the group to be eaten by sharks.  Some who tried to swim toward an imaginary shore who never came back.  For Ed, the memories are vivid. Ed:                  I can see it today, and I think maybe I'd like to look at it and say that the Lord reminds me, even today, of those incidents, and as He reminds me of those, then they help to strengthen my faith and my resolve to live a life for Him today. Bob:                This is FamilyLife Today for Wednesday, August 3rd.  Our host is the president of FamilyLife, Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine.  Where did Ed Harrell's hope come from when it appeared all reason for hope was gone?  Stay with us.                         And welcome to FamilyLife Today, thanks for joining us.  You know, we've heard a story this week, Dennis, about a ship under attack.  And then we've heard about the ongoing horror and terror of living in the middle of the ocean, bundled up with your buddies, hooked with your lifejackets to one another as the sharks encircle you in the waters and wondering, "Does anyone even know we're out here or will we die at sea?"  No food, no fresh water except for a thundercloud that comes by and gives you a little bit of a rain shower.  You hear a story like this, and you wonder where does the will to survive in the midst of that come from?  I think of myself and think, "When would I just lay my head back and say, "Okay, I'm ready to die.  I'd rather do that than keep living like this." Dennis:          Yes, in fact, there's a story that Ed Harrell, who joins us again on FamilyLife Today.  Ed, welcome back to the broadcast. Ed:                  Thank you. Dennis:          There's a story you tell, Ed, of a Marine buddy who was ready to do the very thing Bob was talking about.  He was ready to quit, and you kind of – the picture I had from reading your book was you kind of grabbed him by the life jacket and looked him in the eyes, and you gave him a reason to believe. Ed:                  I pretty much gave him an ultimatum, really, in that he had tried to convince me that he was going to commit suicide.  He'd gone into the water head first and all of that oil in his eyes and then, you know, you can imagine – you take your hand, and you try to rub that oil out, but the more you rub your eye, you're rubbing salt in, and you're kind of taking that salt that's in the water, you're grinding your eyeballs with that.  And then the sun then, you know, beaming off of that water, then through the daytime.  By the second day, Spooner was determined that he was going to commit suicide, and he mentioned that two or three times.                         Anyway, I recall that I just got ahold of Spooner, and I turned him to me, and I kind of looked him squarely in the eye, and I said, "Spooner, there's only two of we Marines out here, and whenever a sailor is gone, there's still going to be two Marines, and you're going to be one of them with me," and I kind of turned him to me, and I fashioned – hooked his lifejacket then onto mine, and I swam with him then through that night, and then – it was sometime then the third morning that he wanted me to release him, and he made a vow to me that he would fight for life as long as there was breath in him because of him being able to survive as long as he had through that night, and I released him, then, the next day. Bob:                You and some 300 of your shipmates survived in the waters in the Pacific from the time that your boat was attacked just after midnight on the 30th of July in 1945 when the Indianapolis went under in about 15 minutes.  You survived for a period of, what was it, four days, five days? Ed:                  It was four-and-a-half days, yes. Bob:                And you survived that, as you've already shared with us this week, there was – was it just a single rain shower that passed over that gave you a little bit of water? Ed:                  Right, that's all the rain that we had the whole time I was out there, that's right. Bob:                So you're in salt water, you had a few tablespoons of fresh water in a four-and-a-half day period – any food? Ed:                  Well, let's come to the next day.  The third day, when there were 17 of us, and we had literally had a prayer meeting.  I mean, nearly everybody prayed. Bob:                You'd started with 80, and now you're down to 17. Ed:                  Right.   Dennis:          The sharks had picked off that many? Ed:                  That's right – well, sharks and – you mentioned somebody giving up – you know, I saw any number of boys that maybe at one minute you'd think, "Well, they're still alive," and just a little bit later you'd see that they just all of a sudden – seemingly, they just allowed their head to drop into the water, and they didn't have the energy to raise up, and they didn't care.  I recall that third day that we had had a prayer meeting, and everyone nearly was praying, and some would ask that you would pray for them, you know, they had – some had some children back home that they had never seen, and so on, and they were desperate to make it.  And, you know, "If you make it, and I don't make it, will you go by and see my family" and – "but don't tell them the gruesome things that are happening."                         Anyway, we'd had a prayer meeting, and we got through with a prayer meeting there on that third day, and then we came upon the swell, and we looked off to a distance, and we could see that there looked like a little makeshift of a raft that was coming into our group.  And after a period of time, we yelled at them, and they back at us, and it wasn't long until they made it into our group.  There were five sailors, and they had a makeshift of a raft consisting of, like, two 40-millimeter ammunition cans and three crates, like, a wooden slatted potato crate or an orange crate.  And as they came into our group, I recognized that there were lifejackets that they had taken off of boys that had already expired, and they had squeezed those out the best that they could, because a life – a kapok jacket will last, maybe, 48 hours, but we've already long passed that.                         So when they came in our group, they said that they were swimming to the Philippines; that if we could get close enough to the Philippines that maybe someone would see us.  And, at that time, we were nearly convinced that no word had gotten out, and yet 50 years later we found out that it did.  But, anyway, they wanted to know if anyone wanted to join them – swim to the Philippines, pushing that little raft. Bob:                That was hundreds of miles away, right? Ed:                  Probably 500 miles.  We didn't know that.  So I looked at my buddy, Spooner, and I said, "Spooner, I'm going to go.  I'm going to join them," and he said, "Harrell, if you go, I'm going to go," and so here are two Marines and five sailors began to say goodbye to our 15 other sailors, and we're going to swim to the Philippines, we thought.  So here we start. Dennis:          Was there anything said by the guys you left?  Did they say, "That's foolish to do that? Ed:                  They did.  They thought it was foolish.  They said the sharks will get you, and, well, you know, they've already gotten the bigger part of us, and there was really no – seemingly, no advantage to just stay and somewhat hope against hope and do what we can. Dennis:          So you swam out past the perimeter where those sharks had been circling that group of boys? Ed:                  We left our group and, after an hour or two, then, swimming, actually, I recall that after we had gone a distance we could see the sun setting in the west, and we thought, "Well, we'll be able to see the moon, we'll be able to see the Southern Cross, we'll be able to see the sun now as it sets, and we can tell that we're going to the Philippines, and the Philippines are big enough that we're bound to get in close enough that someone will see us."                         Well, after we had gone a good distance, we came upon a swell, and I could look off into at a distance, and I saw some debris out at the starboard side out maybe a couple of hundred yards or so, and a 100 yards ahead of us, and I called it to the attention of the others.  And at first we thought, "Well, it's one of our buddies out there," but then as we got closer, we could tell that it was debris of some kind, not one of ours, and so, you know, you pray for food.  What's the possibility, you know, could there be food out there, and so we prayed.  And I know I said, "I tell you what, if you'll keep going straight, I'm going to swim out and get that.  If it's just a crate, then we'll bring it in and fasten it onto our others here, but let's hope and pray that it could be food."                         Well, they thought I was foolish again, because the sharks maybe would get a straggler out there, but, really, I felt a real compelling force that says, "Go for it.  Go and see what it might be."  And I know, as I swam and got closer and closer to that crate, I'm praying for food, I'm praying for water, anything, you know, and as I got close enough that I could see those potatoes in that crate.  Kind of in desperation, I didn't pause to thank the Lord for what I'm about to eat but, in desperation, I'm making my way to those potatoes, and I reached in to get that first potato.  Kind of in the agony of defeat, all that rotten potato began to squeeze through my fingers, and as I kind of squeezed that in despair then, all of a sudden, it was solid potato on the inside.  You know, that was some food that I needed, some starch, and some water in that.                         Then I began to peel some of them, then, and fill my dungaree pockets full, and then I began to make my way back, then, to my buddies, with still a lot of potatoes in the crate.  We had a feast.  Oftentimes, I talk to young people, I say, you know, we had a picnic and no ants to bother us. Dennis:          You had sharks, though. Ed:                  We had sharks, we had sharks. Dennis:          You describe in your book that on more than one occasion, the sharks would be circling, and you would look up, and there would be a dorsal fin headed straight toward you. Ed:                  Right.  I know, many times, I had a fin coming straight toward me.  I knew that I was looking into eternity the next second, and yet as he got to me, he just went under, and I felt the dorsal fin as it hit me, and then him to go by.  And maybe then – momentarily then – another one would come through and take a buddy next to you, and yet the Lord, you know, spared me, and, you know, you have to be so mindful of all that the Lord does for you through your life and especially on occasions like that. Bob:                Did you ever lose hope?  Day 4 – the fourth night you've been through, did you ever think, "We're not going to make it.  We're going to die out here." Ed:                  Oh, I'm sure I thought that many times.  I wondered how much longer can a body really endure.  I lost about 27 pounds there in those four days, and, you know, how much more can you endure? Dennis:          Hold it – 27 pounds.  How do you lose 27 pounds in four days? Ed:                  I don't know.  There's others that say that they lost 30 or 40 pounds.  But, you know, dehydration does that to you and then, of course, you might think that we aren't swimming all the time, but basically we are swimming or fighting to be able to stay erect and to not allow the water to slosh over on us and get us strangled and cause us to drink the water.  So you're fighting the situation all the time and especially in the daytime, you know, the swells and all. Bob:                You're trying to stay on top of the swells, keep your head up above the water. Ed:                  That's right. Dennis:          Ed, I listened to your ordeal, and you describe in your book how, at this point, it was Wednesday evening.  You'd been in the water 66 hours.  You had to be near death, and your spirit had to be, as Bob was talking about, losing hope.  And yet, as you dawned on the fourth day, all this group of men that you started out with, you're down to one man, right? Ed:                  At the end of the fourth day, right. Dennis:          How did that happen?   Ed:                  Well, I think it would be fair if I back up just a little bit and say that the night before, when we had the raft, and there were five sailors, two Marines, as it got dark that night, we couldn't go; we couldn't see the Southern Cross, we couldn't see the moon, so along about midnight that night, I know we were just hanging onto the raft, didn't know which way to go, and then we hear voices.                           Now, there's times when I think there's some that heard voices, but we were actually hearing some boys, and we knew it had to be ours, and so we began to respond to them – holler out to them and they to us, and so sometime that night, then, there was a Navy lieutenant and I don't know how many as they came into our group, they kind of came in straggling one at a time, so to speak, and as they came in, I think there were maybe five boys, and Lieutenant McKissock, Charles McKissock from Texas, anyway, he convinced us that he was, likewise, swimming to the Philippines.  He said if we can get close enough then maybe someone will see us.  Then we tried to tell him that we were trying to go there with the raft, and at first he convinced us that the raft would be a deterrent, that it would slow us down, but we said, "Yeah, but we've got a spare tire," as we put it.  We've got spare life jackets on the top.                         And the next thing, maybe, that happened right immediately was that there was a certain Marine that had a pocketful of Irish potatoes that began to take the potatoes out of his pocket and share those with McKissock and the others, and then I don't know what happened after that.  I really don't know what happened before morning.  The only thing that I know is that next morning I'm not with Spooner, not with my buddy, Spooner.  I'm not with the raft; I'm not with the boys that I was with.  I'm with Navy Lieutenant McKissock and one other sailor. And now my life jacket will not hold my head out of the water, and I'm having to constantly swim, trying to keep my head above the water, and sometimes in that fourth day that's one of the times that I wondered if I wasn't gone, there, that fourth day, no doubt it got still.  I'm just exhausted and got still or something or the other and, all of a sudden, something hit me, and I just knew it was a shark.  I fell out of the kapok jacket, fell into the water, and, in desperation, the only hope that I had, I guess, was to get that life jacket back down under me, and I was struggling to get that back down under me, knowing that at any time that a shark is going to attack me.  Bu then, as I finally got back into that life jacket, I'm sitting in it.  Then there was just millions on little fish then, about 8 or 10 inches long, that began to come all around me and kind of nudge against me, and the moment I saw them, I knew that they were my friends.  I knew that if they were there, the sharks weren't around me, and I did try to catch a few with my hands to have one to eat, but I was not successful.  Anyway, that was the closer part of the end of that fourth day before rescue finally came that afternoon. Dennis:          Ed, as I've listened to you take us to one dramatic scene after another, I've stared into your face, and I've watched the emotion come and go, much like the swells in the ocean, and I'm amazed here, 60 years later, you're still very emotionally tethered to the experience that you had there.  You mentioned after you had been rescued that you couldn't talk about it for a long time?  Why was that? Ed:                  I don't know that I can answer why.  I found out that I relived it each time – if I try to get into any detail or anything – I can see it today.  I mean, there is no problem of seeing what all was happening, but I try to think above that and think of the positive rather than to look at it from the standpoint that hope was gone and nothing but despair.  And then to see my buddies go as they were going. But I recall that after I was home two years, Dad's closest friend, which was a friend of the family, and one Sunday afternoon he insisted, I guess, somewhat, he began to question me and, out of respect, I think, for him, as a friend, and I started telling it, and I talked maybe for a couple of hours.  And I know when I got through my dad broke down, and he said, "Well, he's been home for two years now, and this is the first I've really known of really what happened."                         But it was the best cathartic that I could have ever experienced, really, because there it kind of set in motion, not only through the years how I've wanted to give credit to the Lord for His providence and His mercy and grace to me in my life, but I wanted to tell others somewhat of the story.  So for the past several years, I've been in, like, 14 different states now, telling, and just kind of reliving. Dennis:          Well, you're in all 50 states right now.  You're telling a lot of people the story.  Psalm 139, verses 7 through 10, I think, have a special power about them because of the scene that you have set for us here.  "Where can I go from Thy Spirit, or where can I flee from Thy presence?  If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there.  If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there.  If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Thy hand will lead me, and Thy right hand will lay hold of me."                         It goes on to talk about darkness overwhelming me.  The thing that – or the person who leads us in the midst of the darkness, in the midst of our chaos, our challenges, our crisis that we face, He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the sovereign ruler of the universe who knows the number of hairs on our head, and He cares about us, and He loves us, and He loved you.  He loved you and brought you through one of the most amazing stories I've ever heard. Bob:                You know, I can't help but reflect again on the book that our friend, Chip Ingram, has written that looks at a number of the Psalms of David and reminds us that God is with us in the midst of any affliction, and the book is called "I Am With You Always."  It's a book that we've got in our FamilyLife Resource Center, and I don't know what kind of affliction our listeners are going through, but that reminder, again, that God is with us, that He is for us, that He has not abandoned us.  There are times in life when we have to be reminded of that, and Chip's book does a great job of doing that.                           Again, it's in our FamilyLife Resource Center along with the book that you've written, Ed, which tells the story of the sinking of the Indianapolis and of your survival – four days in the Pacific.  The book is called "Out of the Depths," and we have both books in our FamilyLife Resource Center.  In fact, this week when our listeners order both books together, we will send at no additional cost the two CDs that have our conversation this week with Ed Harrell and, in fact the CDs have more of the story than we've been able to include on the broadcast because of time constraints.  It's something that the whole family can listen to as you travel this summer, or you can use it for family devotions.                         Go to our website, FamilyLife.com.  When you get to the home page, down at the bottom of the screen there's a button that says "Go."  You click on that button, it will take you right to page where you get more information about the resources we've been talking about.  You can order online, if you'd like.  Again, the website is FamilyLife.com or call 1-800-FLTODAY.  We've got folks who are standing by who can help you with more information about any of these resources, or they can take your order over the phone and get the resources sent to you.  Again, the toll-free number is 1-800-F-as-in-family, L-as-in-life, and then the word TODAY.                           We also want to ask you when you get in touch with us, if you're able to help with a donation this month, you need to know that FamilyLife Today is a listener-supported program, and it's donations to the ministry that keep us on the air in this city and in cities all across the country.  You also need to know that we are committed to the idea that you ought to be giving to your local church as your first priority.  So we hope that if you do get in contact with us to make a donation, you're not, in any way, taking money away from your local church.                         But as you are able to help with the financial support of this ministry in the month of August, we want to send you a thank you gift.  Back, a couple of months ago, we sat down with Shaunti Feldhahn, who is the author of a book called "For Women Only."  We had a great conversation with her about things women need to know about their husbands that many women just aren't aware of.  Shaunti had done research on the subject, and many of you got in touch with us after those interviews and requested the CDs, and we thought during the month of August we would make those CDs available to anyone who wants to make a donation of any amount to the ministry of FamilyLife Today.                          You can donate online at FamilyLife.com or you can call 1-800-FLTODAY to make a donation.  You'll need to request the CDs when you make your donation.  If you're calling, just let our team know that you want the CDs for women, and they'll send those to you.  Or you can request the CDs online.  When you get to the keycode box as you're making your donation, just type in the two letters "CD," and we'll send out the interview to you.  And, again, it's our way of saying thanks for your ongoing support of FamilyLife Today.  We appreciate you standing with us financially.                         Well, tomorrow Ed Harrell is going to be back with us to finish the story.  We're going to hear how you were spotted in the water, and it's a remarkable story of God's amazing providence.  I hope our listeners can be with us for that.                         I want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, and our entire broadcast production team.  On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine.  We'll see you back tomorrow for another edition of FamilyLife Today.                          FamilyLife Today is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ.  ________________________________________________________________ We are so happy to provide these transcripts to you.  However, there is a cost to transcribe, create, and produce them for our website.  If you've benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would   you consider donating today to help defray the costs?         Copyright © FamilyLife.  All rights reserved.       www.FamilyLife.com     

Stranded in Shark Infested Waters - Part 1Stranded in Shark Infested Waters - Part 2Stranded in Shark Infested Waters - Part 3Stranded in Shark Infested Waters - Part 4FamilyLife Today® Radio TranscriptReferences to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete. Out of the Depths Day 3 of 4 Guest:                        Ed Harrell From the Series:       Survival in the South Pacific ________________________________________________________________  Bob:                Sixty years ago this week, Ed Harrell was one of a few hundred men floating in the Pacific following the sinking of the USS Indianapolis.  In the four days that he was afloat, Ed saw some of his fellow sailors drift away from the group to be eaten by sharks.  Some who tried to swim toward an imaginary shore who never came back.  For Ed, the memories are vivid. Ed:                  I can see it today, and I think maybe I'd like to look at it and say that the Lord reminds me, even today, of those incidents, and as He reminds me of those, then they help to strengthen my faith and my resolve to live a life for Him today. Bob:                This is FamilyLife Today for Wednesday, August 3rd.  Our host is the president of FamilyLife, Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine.  Where did Ed Harrell's hope come from when it appeared all reason for hope was gone?  Stay with us.                         And welcome to FamilyLife Today, thanks for joining us.  You know, we've heard a story this week, Dennis, about a ship under attack.  And then we've heard about the ongoing horror and terror of living in the middle of the ocean, bundled up with your buddies, hooked with your lifejackets to one another as the sharks encircle you in the waters and wondering, "Does anyone even know we're out here or will we die at sea?"  No food, no fresh water except for a thundercloud that comes by and gives you a little bit of a rain shower.  You hear a story like this, and you wonder where does the will to survive in the midst of that come from?  I think of myself and think, "When would I just lay my head back and say, "Okay, I'm ready to die.  I'd rather do that than keep living like this." Dennis:          Yes, in fact, there's a story that Ed Harrell, who joins us again on FamilyLife Today.  Ed, welcome back to the broadcast. Ed:                  Thank you. Dennis:          There's a story you tell, Ed, of a Marine buddy who was ready to do the very thing Bob was talking about.  He was ready to quit, and you kind of – the picture I had from reading your book was you kind of grabbed him by the life jacket and looked him in the eyes, and you gave him a reason to believe. Ed:                  I pretty much gave him an ultimatum, really, in that he had tried to convince me that he was going to commit suicide.  He'd gone into the water head first and all of that oil in his eyes and then, you know, you can imagine – you take your hand, and you try to rub that oil out, but the more you rub your eye, you're rubbing salt in, and you're kind of taking that salt that's in the water, you're grinding your eyeballs with that.  And then the sun then, you know, beaming off of that water, then through the daytime.  By the second day, Spooner was determined that he was going to commit suicide, and he mentioned that two or three times.                         Anyway, I recall that I just got ahold of Spooner, and I turned him to me, and I kind of looked him squarely in the eye, and I said, "Spooner, there's only two of we Marines out here, and whenever a sailor is gone, there's still going to be two Marines, and you're going to be one of them with me," and I kind of turned him to me, and I fashioned – hooked his lifejacket then onto mine, and I swam with him then through that night, and then – it was sometime then the third morning that he wanted me to release him, and he made a vow to me that he would fight for life as long as there was breath in him because of him being able to survive as long as he had through that night, and I released him, then, the next day. Bob:                You and some 300 of your shipmates survived in the waters in the Pacific from the time that your boat was attacked just after midnight on the 30th of July in 1945 when the Indianapolis went under in about 15 minutes.  You survived for a period of, what was it, four days, five days? Ed:                  It was four-and-a-half days, yes. Bob:                And you survived that, as you've already shared with us this week, there was – was it just a single rain shower that passed over that gave you a little bit of water? Ed:                  Right, that's all the rain that we had the whole time I was out there, that's right. Bob:                So you're in salt water, you had a few tablespoons of fresh water in a four-and-a-half day period – any food? Ed:                  Well, let's come to the next day.  The third day, when there were 17 of us, and we had literally had a prayer meeting.  I mean, nearly everybody prayed. Bob:                You'd started with 80, and now you're down to 17. Ed:                  Right.   Dennis:          The sharks had picked off that many? Ed:                  That's right – well, sharks and – you mentioned somebody giving up – you know, I saw any number of boys that maybe at one minute you'd think, "Well, they're still alive," and just a little bit later you'd see that they just all of a sudden – seemingly, they just allowed their head to drop into the water, and they didn't have the energy to raise up, and they didn't care.  I recall that third day that we had had a prayer meeting, and everyone nearly was praying, and some would ask that you would pray for them, you know, they had – some had some children back home that they had never seen, and so on, and they were desperate to make it.  And, you know, "If you make it, and I don't make it, will you go by and see my family" and – "but don't tell them the gruesome things that are happening."                         Anyway, we'd had a prayer meeting, and we got through with a prayer meeting there on that third day, and then we came upon the swell, and we looked off to a distance, and we could see that there looked like a little makeshift of a raft that was coming into our group.  And after a period of time, we yelled at them, and they back at us, and it wasn't long until they made it into our group.  There were five sailors, and they had a makeshift of a raft consisting of, like, two 40-millimeter ammunition cans and three crates, like, a wooden slatted potato crate or an orange crate.  And as they came into our group, I recognized that there were lifejackets that they had taken off of boys that had already expired, and they had squeezed those out the best that they could, because a life – a kapok jacket will last, maybe, 48 hours, but we've already long passed that.                         So when they came in our group, they said that they were swimming to the Philippines; that if we could get close enough to the Philippines that maybe someone would see us.  And, at that time, we were nearly convinced that no word had gotten out, and yet 50 years later we found out that it did.  But, anyway, they wanted to know if anyone wanted to join them – swim to the Philippines, pushing that little raft. Bob:                That was hundreds of miles away, right? Ed:                  Probably 500 miles.  We didn't know that.  So I looked at my buddy, Spooner, and I said, "Spooner, I'm going to go.  I'm going to join them," and he said, "Harrell, if you go, I'm going to go," and so here are two Marines and five sailors began to say goodbye to our 15 other sailors, and we're going to swim to the Philippines, we thought.  So here we start. Dennis:          Was there anything said by the guys you left?  Did they say, "That's foolish to do that? Ed:                  They did.  They thought it was foolish.  They said the sharks will get you, and, well, you know, they've already gotten the bigger part of us, and there was really no – seemingly, no advantage to just stay and somewhat hope against hope and do what we can. Dennis:          So you swam out past the perimeter where those sharks had been circling that group of boys? Ed:                  We left our group and, after an hour or two, then, swimming, actually, I recall that after we had gone a distance we could see the sun setting in the west, and we thought, "Well, we'll be able to see the moon, we'll be able to see the Southern Cross, we'll be able to see the sun now as it sets, and we can tell that we're going to the Philippines, and the Philippines are big enough that we're bound to get in close enough that someone will see us."                         Well, after we had gone a good distance, we came upon a swell, and I could look off into at a distance, and I saw some debris out at the starboard side out maybe a couple of hundred yards or so, and a 100 yards ahead of us, and I called it to the attention of the others.  And at first we thought, "Well, it's one of our buddies out there," but then as we got closer, we could tell that it was debris of some kind, not one of ours, and so, you know, you pray for food.  What's the possibility, you know, could there be food out there, and so we prayed.  And I know I said, "I tell you what, if you'll keep going straight, I'm going to swim out and get that.  If it's just a crate, then we'll bring it in and fasten it onto our others here, but let's hope and pray that it could be food."                         Well, they thought I was foolish again, because the sharks maybe would get a straggler out there, but, really, I felt a real compelling force that says, "Go for it.  Go and see what it might be."  And I know, as I swam and got closer and closer to that crate, I'm praying for food, I'm praying for water, anything, you know, and as I got close enough that I could see those potatoes in that crate.  Kind of in desperation, I didn't pause to thank the Lord for what I'm about to eat but, in desperation, I'm making my way to those potatoes, and I reached in to get that first potato.  Kind of in the agony of defeat, all that rotten potato began to squeeze through my fingers, and as I kind of squeezed that in despair then, all of a sudden, it was solid potato on the inside.  You know, that was some food that I needed, some starch, and some water in that.                         Then I began to peel some of them, then, and fill my dungaree pockets full, and then I began to make my way back, then, to my buddies, with still a lot of potatoes in the crate.  We had a feast.  Oftentimes, I talk to young people, I say, you know, we had a picnic and no ants to bother us. Dennis:          You had sharks, though. Ed:                  We had sharks, we had sharks. Dennis:          You describe in your book that on more than one occasion, the sharks would be circling, and you would look up, and there would be a dorsal fin headed straight toward you. Ed:                  Right.  I know, many times, I had a fin coming straight toward me.  I knew that I was looking into eternity the next second, and yet as he got to me, he just went under, and I felt the dorsal fin as it hit me, and then him to go by.  And maybe then – momentarily then – another one would come through and take a buddy next to you, and yet the Lord, you know, spared me, and, you know, you have to be so mindful of all that the Lord does for you through your life and especially on occasions like that. Bob:                Did you ever lose hope?  Day 4 – the fourth night you've been through, did you ever think, "We're not going to make it.  We're going to die out here." Ed:                  Oh, I'm sure I thought that many times.  I wondered how much longer can a body really endure.  I lost about 27 pounds there in those four days, and, you know, how much more can you endure? Dennis:          Hold it – 27 pounds.  How do you lose 27 pounds in four days? Ed:                  I don't know.  There's others that say that they lost 30 or 40 pounds.  But, you know, dehydration does that to you and then, of course, you might think that we aren't swimming all the time, but basically we are swimming or fighting to be able to stay erect and to not allow the water to slosh over on us and get us strangled and cause us to drink the water.  So you're fighting the situation all the time and especially in the daytime, you know, the swells and all. Bob:                You're trying to stay on top of the swells, keep your head up above the water. Ed:                  That's right. Dennis:          Ed, I listened to your ordeal, and you describe in your book how, at this point, it was Wednesday evening.  You'd been in the water 66 hours.  You had to be near death, and your spirit had to be, as Bob was talking about, losing hope.  And yet, as you dawned on the fourth day, all this group of men that you started out with, you're down to one man, right? Ed:                  At the end of the fourth day, right. Dennis:          How did that happen?   Ed:                  Well, I think it would be fair if I back up just a little bit and say that the night before, when we had the raft, and there were five sailors, two Marines, as it got dark that night, we couldn't go; we couldn't see the Southern Cross, we couldn't see the moon, so along about midnight that night, I know we were just hanging onto the raft, didn't know which way to go, and then we hear voices.                           Now, there's times when I think there's some that heard voices, but we were actually hearing some boys, and we knew it had to be ours, and so we began to respond to them – holler out to them and they to us, and so sometime that night, then, there was a Navy lieutenant and I don't know how many as they came into our group, they kind of came in straggling one at a time, so to speak, and as they came in, I think there were maybe five boys, and Lieutenant McKissock, Charles McKissock from Texas, anyway, he convinced us that he was, likewise, swimming to the Philippines.  He said if we can get close enough then maybe someone will see us.  Then we tried to tell him that we were trying to go there with the raft, and at first he convinced us that the raft would be a deterrent, that it would slow us down, but we said, "Yeah, but we've got a spare tire," as we put it.  We've got spare life jackets on the top.                         And the next thing, maybe, that happened right immediately was that there was a certain Marine that had a pocketful of Irish potatoes that began to take the potatoes out of his pocket and share those with McKissock and the others, and then I don't know what happened after that.  I really don't know what happened before morning.  The only thing that I know is that next morning I'm not with Spooner, not with my buddy, Spooner.  I'm not with the raft; I'm not with the boys that I was with.  I'm with Navy Lieutenant McKissock and one other sailor. And now my life jacket will not hold my head out of the water, and I'm having to constantly swim, trying to keep my head above the water, and sometimes in that fourth day that's one of the times that I wondered if I wasn't gone, there, that fourth day, no doubt it got still.  I'm just exhausted and got still or something or the other and, all of a sudden, something hit me, and I just knew it was a shark.  I fell out of the kapok jacket, fell into the water, and, in desperation, the only hope that I had, I guess, was to get that life jacket back down under me, and I was struggling to get that back down under me, knowing that at any time that a shark is going to attack me.  Bu then, as I finally got back into that life jacket, I'm sitting in it.  Then there was just millions on little fish then, about 8 or 10 inches long, that began to come all around me and kind of nudge against me, and the moment I saw them, I knew that they were my friends.  I knew that if they were there, the sharks weren't around me, and I did try to catch a few with my hands to have one to eat, but I was not successful.  Anyway, that was the closer part of the end of that fourth day before rescue finally came that afternoon. Dennis:          Ed, as I've listened to you take us to one dramatic scene after another, I've stared into your face, and I've watched the emotion come and go, much like the swells in the ocean, and I'm amazed here, 60 years later, you're still very emotionally tethered to the experience that you had there.  You mentioned after you had been rescued that you couldn't talk about it for a long time?  Why was that? Ed:                  I don't know that I can answer why.  I found out that I relived it each time – if I try to get into any detail or anything – I can see it today.  I mean, there is no problem of seeing what all was happening, but I try to think above that and think of the positive rather than to look at it from the standpoint that hope was gone and nothing but despair.  And then to see my buddies go as they were going. But I recall that after I was home two years, Dad's closest friend, which was a friend of the family, and one Sunday afternoon he insisted, I guess, somewhat, he began to question me and, out of respect, I think, for him, as a friend, and I started telling it, and I talked maybe for a couple of hours.  And I know when I got through my dad broke down, and he said, "Well, he's been home for two years now, and this is the first I've really known of really what happened."                         But it was the best cathartic that I could have ever experienced, really, because there it kind of set in motion, not only through the years how I've wanted to give credit to the Lord for His providence and His mercy and grace to me in my life, but I wanted to tell others somewhat of the story.  So for the past several years, I've been in, like, 14 different states now, telling, and just kind of reliving. Dennis:          Well, you're in all 50 states right now.  You're telling a lot of people the story.  Psalm 139, verses 7 through 10, I think, have a special power about them because of the scene that you have set for us here.  "Where can I go from Thy Spirit, or where can I flee from Thy presence?  If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there.  If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there.  If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Thy hand will lead me, and Thy right hand will lay hold of me."                         It goes on to talk about darkness overwhelming me.  The thing that – or the person who leads us in the midst of the darkness, in the midst of our chaos, our challenges, our crisis that we face, He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the sovereign ruler of the universe who knows the number of hairs on our head, and He cares about us, and He loves us, and He loved you.  He loved you and brought you through one of the most amazing stories I've ever heard. Bob:                You know, I can't help but reflect again on the book that our friend, Chip Ingram, has written that looks at a number of the Psalms of David and reminds us that God is with us in the midst of any affliction, and the book is called "I Am With You Always."  It's a book that we've got in our FamilyLife Resource Center, and I don't know what kind of affliction our listeners are going through, but that reminder, again, that God is with us, that He is for us, that He has not abandoned us.  There are times in life when we have to be reminded of that, and Chip's book does a great job of doing that.                           Again, it's in our FamilyLife Resource Center along with the book that you've written, Ed, which tells the story of the sinking of the Indianapolis and of your survival – four days in the Pacific.  The book is called "Out of the Depths," and we have both books in our FamilyLife Resource Center.  In fact, this week when our listeners order both books together, we will send at no additional cost the two CDs that have our conversation this week with Ed Harrell and, in fact the CDs have more of the story than we've been able to include on the broadcast because of time constraints.  It's something that the whole family can listen to as you travel this summer, or you can use it for family devotions.                         Go to our website, FamilyLife.com.  When you get to the home page, down at the bottom of the screen there's a button that says "Go."  You click on that button, it will take you right to page where you get more information about the resources we've been talking about.  You can order online, if you'd like.  Again, the website is FamilyLife.com or call 1-800-FLTODAY.  We've got folks who are standing by who can help you with more information about any of these resources, or they can take your order over the phone and get the resources sent to you.  Again, the toll-free number is 1-800-F-as-in-family, L-as-in-life, and then the word TODAY.                           We also want to ask you when you get in touch with us, if you're able to help with a donation this month, you need to know that FamilyLife Today is a listener-supported program, and it's donations to the ministry that keep us on the air in this city and in cities all across the country.  You also need to know that we are committed to the idea that you ought to be giving to your local church as your first priority.  So we hope that if you do get in contact with us to make a donation, you're not, in any way, taking money away from your local church.                         But as you are able to help with the financial support of this ministry in the month of August, we want to send you a thank you gift.  Back, a couple of months ago, we sat down with Shaunti Feldhahn, who is the author of a book called "For Women Only."  We had a great conversation with her about things women need to know about their husbands that many women just aren't aware of.  Shaunti had done research on the subject, and many of you got in touch with us after those interviews and requested the CDs, and we thought during the month of August we would make those CDs available to anyone who wants to make a donation of any amount to the ministry of FamilyLife Today.                          You can donate online at FamilyLife.com or you can call 1-800-FLTODAY to make a donation.  You'll need to request the CDs when you make your donation.  If you're calling, just let our team know that you want the CDs for women, and they'll send those to you.  Or you can request the CDs online.  When you get to the keycode box as you're making your donation, just type in the two letters "CD," and we'll send out the interview to you.  And, again, it's our way of saying thanks for your ongoing support of FamilyLife Today.  We appreciate you standing with us financially.                         Well, tomorrow Ed Harrell is going to be back with us to finish the story.  We're going to hear how you were spotted in the water, and it's a remarkable story of God's amazing providence.  I hope our listeners can be with us for that.                         I want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, and our entire broadcast production team.  On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine.  We'll see you back tomorrow for another edition of FamilyLife Today.                          FamilyLife Today is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ.  ________________________________________________________________ We are so happy to provide these transcripts to you.  However, there is a cost to transcribe, create, and produce them for our website.  If you've benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would   you consider donating today to help defray the costs?         Copyright © FamilyLife.  All rights reserved.       www.FamilyLife.com     

PART I 1 O dearest Jesus, what law hast Thou broken, That such sharp sentence should on Thee be spoken? Of what offences must Thou make confession, Of what transgression? 2 With thorns they crown Thee; yea, they smite, they scourge Thee, With cruel mockings to the cross they urge Thee; Gall do they give Thee, harshly they decry Thee, They crucify Thee. 3 Whence come these sorrows, whence this mortal anguish? For my transgression, Thou, O Lord, must languish. All Thou dost suffer, all Thou dost inherit, This do I merit. 4 God's Son, the righteous, here must die in sadness: Man, the transgressor, now may live in gladness. Man's life was forfeit, yet he is acquitted – God is committed. 5 O love so mighty, wondrous love unbounded, Thai brought Thee hither, thus by foes surrounded! I sought the pleasures, which the world doth offer; Thou, Lord, must suffer. PART II 6 O King most mighty, Lord of endless glory, How shall I publish Thy most wondrous story? No gifts are worthy; naught have I to proffer. What dare I offer? 7 Yet unrequited, Lord, I would not leave Thee; Shunning all evil that would wound and grieve Thee, I will most humbly and with prayers most lowly Quench fires unholy. 8 My own endeavour nevermore suffices That I may vanquish lust that still entices; Grant me Thy Spirit, who to good shall win me; Reign Thou within me. 9 Lord, I will ponder on Thy grace unceasing, Earth's empty treasures shall no more be pleasing; To do Thy bidding shall be my endeavour Now and for ever. 10 And when, Lord Jesus, at Thy throne in heaven The crown of glory shall to me be given, Where all the ransomed sweetest hymns will raise Thee, I, too, shall praise Thee.

1 Thou Light of Gentile nations, Thy people's joy and love, Drawn hither by Thy Spirit, We would Thy presence prove. We seek Thee in Thy temple, And wait with earnest mind, As faithful Simeon waited His Saviour God to find. 2 Thy servants still may meet Thee, O Lord, in every place Where Thy true Word hath promised That they should see Thy face. Today Thou still dost grant us, Who gather round Thee here, In arms of faith to bear Thee, As did that aged seer. 3 Let us, O Lord, be faithful Like Simeon to the end, That from our hearts exultant His joyful prayer ascend: O Lord, now let Thy servant Depart in peace, I pray, Since I have seen my Saviour, And here beheld His day. 4 My Saviour, I behold Thee With faith's enlightened eye; Of Thee no foe can rob me, His threats I can defy. Within Thy heart abiding, As Thou dost dwell in me, No pain, no death, has terrors To part my soul from Thee.

1 Immanuel, we sing Thy praise, Thou prince of life and fount of grace, Thou flower of heaven, and star of morn, Thou Lord of lords, Thou virgin-born. Hallelujah! 2 For Thee, since first the world was made, So many hearts have watched and prayed: The patriarchs' and prophets' throng For Thee have hoped and waited long. Hallelujah! 3 Now Thou art here, Thou ever-blest. In lowly manger dost Thou rest; An infant, yet supremely great: Poor, lowly, yet of high estate. Hallelujah! 4 From Thee above all gladness flows, Yet Thou must bear such bitter woes; The gentiles' light and hope Thou art, Yet findest none to soothe Thine heart. Hallelujah! 5 But I, Thy humblest servant, here Declare my love with heart sincere: I love Thee truly, but I would That I might love Thee as I should. Hallelujah! 6 Thou art my head, my Lord, divine, I am Thy member, wholly Thine, And in Thy Spirit's strength I still Would serve according to Thy will. Hallelujah! 7 Thus will I sing Thy praises here With joyful spirit year by year, And they shall sound for evermore When I in heaven Thy name adore. Hallelujah!

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Thou art the Potter, I am the clay. Mould me and make me after Thy will, While I am waiting, yielded and still. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Search me and try me, Master, today! Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now, As in Thy presence humbly I bow. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Wounded and weary, help me, I pray! Power, all power, surely is Thine! Touch me and heal me, Saviour divine. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Hold o'er my being absolute sway! Fill with Thy Spirit 'till all shall see Christ only, always, living in me.

2 Kings 2:9-13 - Donnie Swaggart - Daily Sonlife Radio Broadcast - Sonlife Broadcasting Network - 06/06/16. Please visit www.donnieswaggart.com for more information. Episode Length: 58:24

2 Kings 2:9-13 - Donnie Swaggart - Daily Sonlife Radio Broadcast - Sonlife Broadcasting Network - 06/06/16. Please visit www.donnieswaggart.com for more information. Episode Length: 58:24

Dr. Betty J. Swinney

INTRODUCTORY PRAYER Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle within them the fire of Thy love! V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us pray.O God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit dost instruct the hearts of th

E Bronte read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com/ Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------------------- Last Lines by Emily Bronte (1818 – 1848) No coward soul is mine, No trembler in the world’s storm-troubled sphere: I see Heaven’s glories shine, And faith shines equal, arming me from fear. O God within my breast, Almighty, ever-present Deity! Life—that in me has rest, As I—undying Life—have power in Thee! Vain are the thousand creeds That move men’s hearts: unutterably vain; Worthless as wither’d weeds, Or idlest froth amid the boundless main, To waken doubt in one Holding so fast by Thine infinity; So surely anchor’d on The steadfast rock of immortality. With wide-embracing love Thy Spirit animates eternal years, Pervades and broods above, Changes, sustains, dissolves, creates, and rears. Though earth and man were gone, And suns and universes cease to be, And Thou were left alone, Every existence would exist in Thee. There is not room for Death, Nor atom that his might could render void: Thou—Thou art Being and Breath, And what Thou art may never be destroyed. First aired: 12 November 2007 For hundreds more poetry readings, visit the Classic Poetry Aloud index. Reading © Classic Poetry Aloud 2008

Emily Bronte read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com/ Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------------------- Last Lines by Emily Bronte (1818 – 1848) No coward soul is mine, No trembler in the world’s storm-troubled sphere: I see Heaven’s glories shine, And faith shines equal, arming me from fear. O God within my breast, Almighty, ever-present Deity! Life—that in me has rest, As I—undying Life—have power in Thee! Vain are the thousand creeds That move men’s hearts: unutterably vain; Worthless as wither’d weeds, Or idlest froth amid the boundless main, To waken doubt in one Holding so fast by Thine infinity; So surely anchor’d on The steadfast rock of immortality. With wide-embracing love Thy Spirit animates eternal years, Pervades and broods above, Changes, sustains, dissolves, creates, and rears. Though earth and man were gone, And suns and universes cease to be, And Thou were left alone, Every existence would exist in Thee. There is not room for Death, Nor atom that his might could render void: Thou—Thou art Being and Breath, And what Thou art may never be destroyed.