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In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal walks through Jonah 1–2, focusing on the remarkable prayer Jonah offers from the belly of the great fish. Far from a simple morality tale, the Book of Jonah presents a complex, deeply theological portrait of a disobedient prophet who nonetheless clings to the Lord in his darkest moment. Tony explores the Hebrew literary features that shape how we read Jonah's prayer, the doctrine of divine sovereignty as it operates through human agency, and the rich typological connections between Jonah and the death and resurrection of Christ. Most importantly, the episode grounds Jonah's experience in the Westminster Confession's teaching on sanctification — offering genuine hope to believers who feel buried under besetting sin, assuring them that salvation, from beginning to end, belongs entirely to the Lord. Key Takeaways Jonah is not the hero of his own story — he functions more as an anti-hero whose failures actually make him a more useful and relatable example for ordinary believers. Divine sovereignty operates through, not apart from, human agency — the sailors freely threw Jonah overboard, and yet Jonah rightly says God cast him into the deep; both are simultaneously true. The sequence debate in Jonah 2 matters theologically — whether Jonah prayed before or after being swallowed affects how we read the book; reading it as a strict cause-and-effect sequence risks turning the gospel into a quid pro quo transaction with God. Jonah's "yet I will see your holy temple" is a confession of eschatological faith — in the midst of near-certain death, Jonah expresses confidence not merely in earthly rescue, but in his ultimate destiny as one of God's people. The deep is a Genesis image — Jonah's descent into the primordial waters deliberately echoes the formless void of Genesis 1 and the undoing of creation in the flood, placing his experience within the grand arc of biblical cosmology. Jonah is a prophetic type of Christ's death and resurrection — his three days in the belly of the fish, his descent into the pit, and his emergence onto dry land anticipate and foreshadow the resurrection, as Jesus himself confirms in Matthew 12. Sanctification is real but imperfect — drawing from Westminster Confession Chapter 13, Tony argues that the up-and-down nature of Jonah's spiritual life is not an aberration but a description of the normal Christian life, in which the flesh and spirit remain in perpetual war until glory. Key Concepts Eschatological Faith in the Pit One of the most striking moments in Jonah's prayer is his declaration in 2:4 — "Yet I shall again look upon your holy temple." Tony argues that this is not merely a hope of physical rescue and a return to Jerusalem. Jonah believed he was dying. The waters had closed in to take his life; he was being dragged into underwater trenches that the ancient Semitic mind associated with the very gates of Sheol. In this context, Jonah's declaration is better understood as eschatological faith — a confession that even if God takes his life in judgment, he will still see the Lord face to face in the heavenly temple. It mirrors Job's cry, "Yet in my flesh I shall see God," and anticipates the kind of faith that says, with the father in Mark 9, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." Sovereignty and Human Agency Working Together Tony uses Jonah's descent as a teaching moment on the Reformed doctrine of concurrence — the truth that God's sovereign decree and human free will are not in competition but operate simultaneously on different levels. The sailors made a free, agonized decision to throw Jonah overboard; and yet Jonah rightly attributes his casting into the sea to God himself. Tony draws the parallel to Joseph's words to his brothers in Genesis 50: "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." This is not a philosophical sleight of hand. It is the consistent testimony of Scripture that God governs all things — including the underwater currents that dragged Jonah to the ocean floor — without reducing human beings to puppets or eliminating their moral responsibility. Sanctification Is Real, Imperfect, and Guaranteed Perhaps the most pastorally significant thread of the episode is Tony's application of Westminster Confession Chapter 13 to Jonah's experience. Jonah makes genuine progress in faith — his prayer is theologically rich and demonstrates real trust in God — and yet he almost immediately slips back behind the curve, making vows the sailors had already made before him, and later in chapter 4, sulking over a dead plant. Tony refuses to read this as a failure of the text. Instead, it is the text faithfully portraying the reality of sanctification: real throughout the whole person, yet imperfect in this life, with an irreconcilable war between flesh and spirit. The hope is not that we will finally overcome that war on our own, but that through the continual supply of the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part will overcome. Salvation — including sanctification — belongs entirely to the Lord. Memorable Quotes Jonah is constantly behind the curve, but for this little moment, for this glimpse in the very center of the book, the pinnacle of the book is Jonah finally catching up to the sailors. All outside visible indicators said he was going to die and he was going to hell. Yet he trusted in the Lord that he would see his holy temple again. God redeems our life from the pit. From the very depths of hell itself, he snatched us like brands from the fire. Full Transcript [00:00:08] Tony Arsenal: Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it. For their evil has come up before me." But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.  [00:01:24] Storm and Sailors [00:01:24] Tony Arsenal: But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came to him and said, "What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god. Perhaps the god will give us a thought that we may not perish." And they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, "Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation, and where do you come from? What is your country, and of what people are you?" And he said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, "What is this that you have done?" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you that the sea may quiet down for us?" For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. [00:02:36] Cast Into Sea [00:02:36] Tony Arsenal: He said to them, "Pick me up and hurl me into the sea. Then the sea will quiet down for you. For I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you." Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to the dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the Lord, "O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood. For you, O Lord, has done as it pleased you." So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea. And the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. [00:03:15] Fish and Prayer [00:03:15] Tony Arsenal: And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, "I called out to the Lord out of my distress, and he answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. For you cast me into the dep-- into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me. All your waves and billows passed over me." Then he said, "I am driven away from your sight. Yet I shall look again upon your holy temple. The waters closed in over me to take my life. The deep surrounded me. Weeds were wrapped around my head." At the root of the mountain I went to the land, whose bars closed upon me forever. Yet you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God. When I-- when my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I, with a voice of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord.  [00:04:23] Jonah Not the Hero [00:04:23] Tony Arsenal: And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land Jonah is an interesting book because, as I commented a year ago, Jonah is not necessarily the hero of the story. Uh, if anything, he is kind of the villain in, in some senses. But nevertheless, I think as we'll see today, Jonah still gives us a good example to follow in a sense, and that I think is really the centerpiece of this prayer, is that even as Jonah's going through all of this, his prayer is still remarkably filled with faithful sayings and trust in the Lord. We learned early on in Jonah that Jonah was a prophet during the time of the kings. Uh, he, uh, he seemed to have been a sort of a court temple. He was in the presence of the kings in Jerusalem itself, and he received a calling from the word of the Lord, and this phrase, "the word of the Lord," seems to imply a pre-incarnate, uh, visible manifestation of the second person of the Trinity. So we're not just talking about a, a disembodied voice. We're not just talking about some sort of sense or impression, but the word of the Lord itself, himself, came to give Jonah this mission, to give Jonah this task, to commission him as a prophet to Nineveh. And Jonah gets up and says, "No, thank you," and he goes the opposite direction. We see in that first section there the repeated phrase, "He goes to Tarshish. He boards a ship in Tarshish." The author here, who we, we think is Jonah, is hammering that he did not go where he was supposed to. He went the opposite direction. He went to Tarshish instead of Nineveh, which is 180 degrees the other direction from, uh, from Nineveh on the map. And he boards the, he boards the ship in order to flee the presence of the Lord. He pays, probably buys out the entire ship itself. He pays the fare for the whole ship, and the Lord hurls a great wave, uses the language of weapons. He hurls this storm like a spear. He weaponizes nature itself to correct and chastise and judge Jonah for his disobedience We get to verses seven through 17, and everyone on the boat is crying out to their chosen deity except Jonah. Jonah is asleep in the hold of the ship, oblivious to everything, totally dead to the world and dead to his Lord. The sailors begin to seek divine li- divine wisdom after they wake Jonah. He comes to the deck of the ship, and they cast lots to identify by divine, uh, revelation, sort of a strange practice in the Old Testament or the old, uh, world. Divine revelation that shows them Jonah is the source of this wickedness that is being wrought upon them, at least their impression of it. So they ask Jonah, "Who are you? Tell us who it is that has caused this great calamity." And he says emphatically, "A Hebrew am I." He identifies himself with God's people, and he says, "The Lord is my God, and he made the heaven and the earth and the sea." There's no small amount of irony, and it explains why the sailors are so afraid when he says that God created the heavens where the storm was. He created the sea where they were about to die, and he created the dry land where they were trying to get to. And so this one phrase that Jonah uses almost casually demonstrates that the Lord has total and utter sovereignty over what is going on, which is a theme that we'll see come back again and again through the book The sailors say, "Well, what do we do about this?" And Jonah says, "Throw me into the ocean, because I know that if you do so, then the storm will calm down and you will be saved." Whether he knew this because he's a prophet and it had been revealed to him, or whether he just was surmising that this was the case, we don't know. But the, uh, sailors are hesitant to do so, and we talked about how it was a little bit strange that these, uh, pagan sailors from cultures that d- had no qualms about human sacrifice were suddenly, uh, unwilling to throw Jonah over the sea a- as a, an appeasement offering to this Lord. And we came to the conclusion that they had been regenerated. They had come to faith in this God who created the heavens and the sea and the dry ground. And so they knew intrinsically that this was wrong, that there was a moral imperative not to do this. So they tried to row back to the land. They jettisoned all of their, uh, all of their goods, all of their cargo. They were making for land as best they could, and when it finally became clear that they couldn't do this, they sought the Lord's mercy in saying, essentially, "We don't understand how this is, but please don't put this man's blood on us, because you, Lord, have done as you please," right? The sovereignty of the Lord again comes to the forefront. They finally cast Jonah into the sea, and this is, this is important. They cast Jonah into the sea, and then they worship, they vow vows, and they vow to sacrifice. They offer sacrifices. They seek the Lord, they acknowledge his s- his sovereignty, and they worship him with what they have left. And then rounding out the chapter, the Lord appoints a great fish to come and swallow up Jonah. And we talked about how this, this swallowing of Jonah, although our popular children's books and VeggieTales and other stories we might read to our kids paints the fish often as the vehicle of judgment, it's actually a vehicle of deliverance for Jonah. There's this interesting grammatical feature that happens where in 1:17 the fish is masculine. The, the, the gender of the word is masculine, and then when we get to 2:1 it switches over to the feminine, almost as if to indicate that the whale was pregnant with Jonah, that Jonah was in the whale and was about to be reborn into the world in a new way And that brings us to our passage here today.  [00:10:21] Sequence Debate [00:10:21] Tony Arsenal: I'm gonna read, uh, 1:17 even though that's a little bit outside of our scope. I'm gonna read it along with 2:1 to, to make the point here. It says, "The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the whale, of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish." When you look at the Hebrew text, 1:17 is actually verse 2:1 and 2:1 is then 2:2 and so on and so forth. In the original Hebrew mindset of how this book goes together, these two things were linked together, him being swallowed by the whale and being in the belly of the fish and then him praying was linked together in this sequence. There's a feature in the Hebrew that's called a vav consecutive. You don't need to remember that. Nobody is gonna care about that. But it's, it's a little grammatical feature where it adds this little character to the front of the verb and it indicates a sequence. It's the narrative storytelling. When you look at Genesis 1 it's, "And then God said, 'Let there be light,' and then there was light." It tells you the sequence of events. Sometimes it indicates that it is a strict sequence of events. This happened and then that finished and then the next thing happened and then that finished. And many of the commentators use this passage to justify a perspective of Jonah where Jonah is this rebellious, stubborn prophet who holds out his stubbornness until the very last minute. He's swallowed by the whale, he's getting digested by stomach acid and he sort of finally relents to the Lord and cries out for deliverance and the Lord acquiesces in response to his prayer. That's certainly a possible interpretation. There's lots of good reasons in the, the text here to think Jonah was kind of a chucklehead and was not paying too much attention to what the Lord had for him The other option is to see this as a way for the author of the text to situate this prayer in contrast to other prayers that are not necessarily talked about directly in this text. And I'm gonna take that later view here, and I think it's important. This makes good sense of the text, and we'll explain exactly why that is when we get to the next little section here. But it also protects us theologically if we understand it this way. Jonah is already a book, uh, as I've alluded to, that tends towards a sort of crass moralism or fabulism. We tend to read it as sort of an allegory of if you do the wrong thing, God punishes you, and when you finally do the right thing, He blesses you. And there's a certain level of common grace wisdom to that approach, right? The whole book of Proverbs is-- are these proverbial sayings that if you do this, then the God-- then God will do this. If you raise up your children in the way they will go, they will not depart when they are older. But we also learn in the Book of Job and the Book of Ecclesiastes that those proverbial sayings, although generally true, it's not a magic formula. And so we have this tendency to read Old Testament literature as though it was this sort of like equation, that God punishes us when we're bad. He, uh, He relents from His punishment when we say we're sorry, and we have to be careful about that. If we understand what I'm about to teach from the next section here, that this is not a strict sequence of events, that Jonah began praying before he was swallowed by the whale, and this is simply recording the prayer that was actually within the whale. It helps protect us from seeing Jonah in this sort of quid pro quo, this for that kind of thing. I think we should simply understand this as saying Jonah was in the water, he got swallowed by the whale, and then when he was in the whale, he prayed. It doesn't say anything about whether he was overly stubborn or whether his stubbornness held out. It simply tells us that he was in the pray-- in the whale when this prayer occurred [00:14:23] Sheol and Descent [00:14:23] Tony Arsenal: He says in verse two, he calls out to the Lord out of his distress. He, and God answers him. Out of the belly of Sheol, Jonah cries, and God hears his voice This here tells us that he began praying, right? He was in the water, he was in the deep. All of this descriptive language we're gonna see later on about how deep he was, how quickly the current took him. He was wrapped up in seaweed, his life was fading from him. It was in the midst of all of that that he cries out in his distress. It's a pretty distressing situation. And Jonah, like all of us would, like even most atheists would, cries out to the Lord, even just out of instinct. I think it's kind of crazy for us to think that this man who's now been cast overboard and is being swept to the bottom of the ocean is sure he's gonna die. Somehow, he overrides all of his instinct and his entire life teaching and refuses to pray to the Lord. It just doesn't make sense, and it doesn't make sense of what the text presents here Jonah was in the belly of Sheol. He was in the very, the very womb of Sheol. And there is this interesting contrast that he goes from the belly of Sheol into the belly of the whale. This phrase, the belly of Sheol, is probably roughly equivalent to our phrase about being at death's door, right? It, it may or may not come from some sort of Mesopotamian, um, mythology. It may be a phrase of sort of co-opted into Hebrew, kinda like our phrase at death's door is actually co-opted in from Greek mythology, where there were actually literal doors to the underworld, and people would go there and when they were about to die. Jonah's point is that this was not a small thing. When we watch VeggieTales, he gets thrown in the water, and, like, 13 seconds later, the, the whale comes up and takes him. Jonah was swept down into the water almost supernaturally quick. He was drawn down to the very bottom of the ocean. We talk about the miracle of him surviving in the whale, and it was miraculous for sure, but the miracle of him being swept to the bottom of the ocean and not being crushed by the weight of the water, by the pressure, is equally miraculous. It's no more difficult for God to do that than it is for Him to preserve him in the whale or to raise Jesus from the dead or to create everything from nothing He finally starts to catch up with the pagan sailors. A theme in Jonah is that everyone around Jonah who shouldn't know any better somehow gets to the right conclusion before he does, right? The sailors begin to worship the Lord. They recognize this is divine wrath while Jonah is still asleep in the hold. Later, we'll see that, uh, the, the Ninevites recognize God's mercy and grace and thank Him for it, and Jonah is still mad because the plant he was sitting on d- uh, dies, right? Jonah is constantly behind the curve, but for this little moment, for this glimpse in the very center of the book, the pinnacle of the book is Jonah finally catching up to the sailors. [00:17:34] Sovereignty Explained [00:17:34] Tony Arsenal: He recognizes that it was God who cast him into the depths. This teaches us something about the doctrine of sovereignty and how it relates to human freedom, right? We, we often ask the question, what, what causes rain? Well, you can answer that by saying tiny particles of dust collect water in the air, and once they have enough weight, they fall out of the sky 'cause the air can't hold them up anymore. That's true, and it's good, and that's what nature teaches us. It's also equally true that God causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike, and those two things are not contradictory. So when Jonah says, "You cast me into the sea," he's recognizing, like Joseph does in the Book of Genesis, that what the sailors in this case meant for good but what the brothers meant for evil, God purposed and caused for good. What the sailors did by their own volition, their own free will, they exercised their own, uh, autonomy in the, the horizontal sense to cast Jonah into the sea, God also cast him into the sea As I said, the text here uses language that we may not catch in our English translations to indicate that it's not just the sea here that's the problem. God's sovereignty continues to affect and act on Jonah. The word that we read here as the, the water or the flood, other places refers to the current of a river. The, um, the Euphrates itself is sometimes referred to this, the large- sort of the largest river apart from the Nile that the Egyptian or the, um, Israelite mind would have is the Euphrates, right? This underwater river, this underwater current, the undertow sucks him to the bottom of the ocean. It's like if you're swimming at the beach at the ocean and you get caught in the undercurrent. There's not a lot you can do about it. Y- sometimes even the strongest swimmers can't overcome this, and Jonah in all of his Middle Eastern robes, all of this stuff, probably with all of his baggage, his, his own equipment, things he had on him, is caught in this undercurrent that sucks him to the bottom of the ocean. And it's not just below the surface of the water. He's dropped down into the heart of the sea, the very core. We're seeing this language of him being pulled to the depths. In, in chapter one he goes down, down, down, and now he's being drawn into the belly of the ocean, into the pit of Sheol, into the heart of the waters The picture here is that Jonah doesn't just get thrown in the water and sink. He is actively pulled down to the bottom. This is not just a judgment where perhaps he can swim to the top. Just as the mariners hopelessly tried to reach land, Jonah would've been hopelessly trying to swim against this. We don't actually have any indication he tried, but had he tried, there would've been no chance He goes on to say that the God's breakers and his waves roll him. This is the picture we see if you ever watch surfing competitions on the ocean, where a surfer will get hit by the wave and he just gets rolled over and rolled over and rolled over, and it can be incredibly dangerous. That's why they have like the little lifeguards on the jet skis that zip out there to get them. Because when you get caught in that breaker, you just get rolled over and rolled over and rolled over, and soon you lose track of which direction is up, and even if you did, you couldn't get out This process is not just the forces of nature doing what they do. This is, again, the Lord weaponizing the forces of nature to execute judgment on Jonah This tumultuous and supernatural rapid descent showed Jonah that this is not only the moment in which God wanted to take his life, but was actively casting him away from the g- from the presence of the Lord [00:21:47] Yet I Will See [00:21:47] Tony Arsenal: It says here, um, in verse four, Jonah says, "I am driven away from your sight If you do a word study on this, you start to see that Jonah is pulling language from the creation account. He's pulling language from the fall. He's pulling a lot of language from Genesis itself. He's also pulling from the Psalms, which are pulling from the Genesis account. This word driven away could also be tran- translated as banished. He's cast out of the presence of the Lord. Just as in Genesis 3, we read, "God drove the man out at the east of the Garden of Eden. He placed cherubim and flaming swords." He drove the man out. Genesis 4:14, Cain says, "You have driven me away from the ground." And in Jonah 1:3, we see that Jonah was trying to get away from the presence of the Lord. And I wonder if there was this moment where he goes, "Ooh, I guess I got what I was looking for." Now, the second half of Jonah f- 2:4 here does something a little bit weird, and it's hard to translate. I think we should be honest at times. Hebrew is a language that in some senses is mysterious to us at times. There are still parts of the Hebrew Bible that we're not always 100% sure of. This verse here could be translated... In, in Hebrew it's just a statement. It's, "I, um, I shall again see the holy temple, or your holy temple." How that fits into the text itself is tricky. Some read it as, uh, as a question. "How shall I see your holy temple?" It's actually a statement kind of reaffirming the doubt and the fear and the idea that God was banishing him Most translations translate it as sort of a contrast. He says, "I was driven away from your sight, yet I shall again look on your holy temple." The force of this is even though you're driving me away, even though you're casting me out of your presence, I have faith, I have confidence that I will again see your holy temple The question here, and this is where I think Jonah becomes our example It's certainly possible that Jonah was asserting his belief that he would be rescued from this calamity and he would make his way back to Jerusalem and he would return to the holy temple. I think that what he says in the rest of this, he's recounting what he was praying. What he was praying in this context is not that he would return to the temple. He was confident God was taking his life. He says in verse five, "The waters closed in over me to take my life. The deep surrounded me. Weeds were wrapped around my head." The other way that the phrase holy temple is used in the Old Testament is to refer to the place that God lives in heaven. Jonah was asserting faith that even though he was being cast out of the presence of the Lord in this life, even though he was being justly punished for his sin, even though he was about to enter the belly of Sheol and to enter the pit, the very abyss, that he would see God again in His holy temple. This is a statement of Jonah's belief in his own destiny as one of God's people, destined to be saved by faith in God. In this moment, Jonah trusts the Lord despite all of the appearances that God was out to get him It's not all that different than when we read in Mark chapter 9, where this father brings his, uh, demon-possessed child to Jesus, and Jesus says, "I can heal him." And he says, "If you can do anything, Lord," I'm paraphrasing here. He says, "If you can do it, please, Lord." And he says, "If? All things are possible for me." And the father desperately cries out, "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief." It's this raw, unfiltered statement of just the human condition on this side of glory, right? I believe in the Lord, but there's always that little part in the back of my head that isn't sure, because we're never going to be perfect. Now, I've said before, and, and this is becoming my new catchphrase, I think, I'm not here to rob you of your assurance of faith. Our, our confession, the Bible, this church, our Reform, broader Reform tradition, the assurance of faith of the Christian is the rightful possession inheritance of every person in this room who trusts the Lord. But it is a reality that at times that assurance is shaken. And if there's ever a time for your assurance to be shaken, it's when you're being dragged to the bottom of the ocean, right? One of the words in here, I don't have it-- I don't actually have it in my notes for some reason, but one of the note, words here, uh, s- about the roots of the mountain, I believe, in the next verse. It's not just that he was dragged to the bottom of the ocean. This word root of the mountain is like the word that's used to cut. He's not just being dragged to the bottom of the sea, he's being dragged to the bottom of a deep sea crevasse. He's literally being pulled into the pit, right? Many, uh, in the ancient Semitic world would have seen these underwater pits. They would have theorized or thought about these underwater crevasses as the actual entry into Sheol. And Jonah sees himself being drawn down into these things. Yet, he believes he will see the good presence of the Lord We read a similar statement, I won't, uh, I won't make us go there for time. We read a similar statement in Job. Job goes through this long speech about all the things that God has done to him, and at the very end of it, he says, "Yet I will see the Lord with my eyes, and he will stand up next to me on, on the earth." Right? Even though Job was going through this unimaginable grief, and we know that Job didn't deserve it in the strict sense, he still was saying, "I'm gonna be destroyed. God is shooting arrows at me," right? "His sword is in my side. He's targeting me. He's sending hornets after me." All of these terrible, vibrant images that he's using to show what God is doing to him, and yet he still trusts. I would say that he trusts that he would see the Lord in the flesh. This is not only Jonah's faith, it's a-- or Job's faith, it's a prophecy of Christ This is alien to our modern mindset. We've been talking about this in the Psalms. Weston's been leading us through the, the lament Psalms We often think that suffering and trials and difficulties are the opposite of blessing and favor. And we might recognize that in some sort of way that in God's economy, one thing leads to another. And again, there's an element of truth to that. James says, "Count it all joy when you face trials of every kind." He's not saying that the trials you're facing are in themselves joyful. You don't have to love when you get sick. You don't have to, you don't have to man up and put a smile on or s- pull yourself up by your bootstraps or whatever analogy you wanna use. It's okay to be sad when bad things happen. It's actually good, right? If we're to weep with those who weep, there's an element of sadness that must come with that, not to mention the one who's weeping is not chastised. But the idea that that only leads to this, that that's just one step in the chain, that's not really the mindset the Bible has. All across the Psalms, in the lament Psalms, all across the prophetic literature, the Book of Lamentations, Habakkuk has this long prayer at the end that's very similar, the entire Book of Job, suffering and sanctification, trials and joy and restoration, they're all sandwiched right there, and there is usually this statement in the middle of it that God will do what is right This is Jonah's example for us, and what an example it is. We'll talk in a little bit about all the ways that this whole scenario is typological of Christ. We'll, we'll get to that. But just for a minute in the middle of this book, Jonah is not such a bad guy. And it's because he still has all his faults that he can be this example for us [00:30:26] Genesis Deep Imagery [00:30:26] Tony Arsenal: As though it wasn't clear enough, Jonah in verse five says that the purpose of the waters closing over him was explicitly to take his life. He's now in the belly of the sea. He's being dragged down to the very roots of the mountain, to the very core of the earth in his mind. He, he thinks he's going to hell in the, the Hebrew mind. There's both this idea that God is dragging him to hell in a very real sense. The Hebrew mind, Sheol was a physical place that people went to, and we learn more about it and that becomes clarified as revelation is progressive, not contradictory, but as, as it's clarified But he uses this word deep, and this is where he's drawing again from Genesis. Genesis 1:2, he says, "The earth was without form and void. The darkness was over the face of the deep." The deep is this sort of like unformed chaotic water. It's what exists before God makes everything orderly and good. And in the fall, and especially in the flood in chapter seven, uh, chapter seven verse 11, the f- the flood itself is a sort of undoing of the order. God opens the floods from beneath, from the bottom of the earth, from the wellspring of the deep, as well as the chaotic waters from outside the firmament, and it all pours back in together and the entire world becomes again this deep, primordial, chaotic water And just as in Genesis God separates the land, in, in Genesis 7 or in Genesis 8, he separates out the land by drying it up, drying up the water. We also see that Jonah has this trust that he will return to the dry land. Again, he's the God of heaven and sea and dry earth. We could even read this phrase, depending on the context, as the abyss, which is this, a- again, is some borrowed language from Greek here that the Hebrews use. But it's this deep, watery, murky place th- full of shadows and darkness. Sounds familiar, I think, right? Christ says that those who are apart from him who refuse to obey will be cast into the outer darkness. This is the imagery that Jonah is seeing. All outside visible indicators was that he was gonna die and he was going to hell. Yet he trusted in the Lord that he would see his holy temple again Apart from God's gracious intervention, Jonah was right. So although God is the one that's bringing him to the depth, bringing him to the pit, dragging him down, using the very currents of the sea, weaponizing these underwater currents that only thousands of years later do we understand, and even then only this much, he also graciously rescues him from this by miraculously appointing a whale or a great fish who comes and swallows Jonah, takes him whole, and keeps him there in his own belly, keeps him there in her own womb when we get to chapter 2. In chapter six, or in verse six, Jonah makes this pivot. Again, he says he's brought to the very bottom of the sea, to the roots of the mountain, which is these deep underwater trenches. He conceptualizes himself now in this locked city behind bars. Again, this jail imagery, this pit imagery, it's all meant to evoke this idea of the final punishment of the wicked. This place of murky, gross water, this place of darkness and, uh, limitations of freedom, he's being taken there. This is the section here where people would actually argue that Jonah dies. He actually dies and is resurrected when he's swallowed by the whale. This comes from language where it says God does not prevent him from going to the pit. God actually draws him to the pit and then raises his life up from the pit. Now, I'm not convinced, um, that we should think that Jonah actually died. I don't, I don't think that the text fully supports that. But it certainly is using this imagery [00:34:45] Christ Typology [00:34:45] Tony Arsenal: This is where we get to some typology about Christ. This is where Jonah really shines as a prophet. Sometimes people wonder why the Book of Jonah is considered a prophetic book, and this along with it is part of that. Jonah, although the sign of Jonah in Matthew and in the other Gospels refers to the belly of the whale, that just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights, so also Christ will be in the heart of the earth, the pit, for three days and three nights. When we're talking about typology, we can't get too tripped up on the details. We're not talking about strict allegory where this figure is that person and this signpost represents that thing. This isn't Pilgrim's Progress or Chronicles of Narnia, which is not allegory, but it's similar. Topology functions often on sort of these big picture concepts, right? Although there are some typological references that are super detailed, there are also some that are just sort of evocative The idea that Jonah died and was raised to life and sort of incubated in the earth, in- incubated in the whale and sort of reborn into the world, that certainly sounds a lot like a picture of the resurrection And I think we should see it that way. When Christ says that the sign of Jonah is roughly His resurrection, He is tying it to the three days and three nights, but He's not limiting to that Jonah comes to this pivot, and now he starts to reflect on the context of his deliverance. This whole s- this whole prayer should be seen sort of in the light of the thanksgiving psalms. There's a situation in which Jonah is in, and then God rescues him, and he begins to praise him for it. There's elements of lament, but it's really a thanksgiving psalm that he's drawing on here or that he's, he's writing In 2:7, Jonah is either dead or he's actively dying. I don't know about you, but if you've ever, uh, dove into a pool and got a little deeper than you thought you were, and you-- there's that, like, two seconds before you get to the top where you're sure the lights are going out and you've really only been underwater for, like, 45 seconds, but everything in you tells you if you don't get there, you're gonna die. Every instinct you have is to scramble for the surface. Think about how long it took Jonah to be dragged to the bottom of the ocean. Even at this accelerated pace, we're talking about a long time. And we have no reason to believe, and lots of reasons to think otherwise, Jonah was not preserved from the pain and the terror and the difficulty of feeling like you're drowning because he was drowning. He was without oxygen. His life was fading away. And it is in this context of him being on the brink of death, at death's door, in the belly of Sheol, being drawn into the very pit itself, that his prayer reaches the Lord in His holy temple. Right? This gives further evidence to the thought that Jonah is not talking about the temple in Jerusalem. There was, there was theology, and I, I think it's fine theology, that God lived in the temple in a special way. This is the reason that Daniel faces Jerusalem when he prays. There is a sense in the Old Testament that God's special place of presence is the temple in Jerusalem, and that the prayers of the people physically go to that place to be received by God. But Jonah doesn't know which direction the temple is. He's underwater. He's been tossed around by breakers. He has no sense of geography at this point He knows that his prayers are reaching the Lord in his heavenly temple. And they reach him in his heavenly temple just as his life is being lost in the pit. And it is from this moment that God raises him to life, or preserves his life, depending how you read it, and appoints the well to come reach him And some read this next verse as a little bit of a step back for Jonah, and it may be.  [00:39:02] Vows and Idols [00:39:02] Tony Arsenal: He reads, "Those who pay vain regard to i- regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I, with the voice of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. And what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord." Jonah didn't see the sailors on the ship vow their vows and offer their sacrifices. That happened after they threw him into the pit and the current sucked him under So we may read this with a little bit of a, "Thank God I'm not like that tax collector," kind of a lens. And there's probably some wisdom for us in that, to recognize that Jonah still hasn't quite gotten there. But it's also very common in the Old Testament to recognize that God treats His people differently because they are different. God brings people to a place of sanctification, and through that process of sanctification, they cease to worship vain idols. And it is absolutely true that those who worship vain idols forfeit their hope of steadfast love from the Lord. That's straight out of the Ten Commandments, right? He visits the iniquity of, specifically of idolatry. He visits the iniquity unto the children to the third and fourth generation. But for those who love the Lord, He loves them with a steadfast love unto thousands We can recognize in Jonah that although he had made great progress in faith, that he still wasn't there yet. And we can recognize that in him because we can recognize that in ourselves. Jonah is the example in this because he is not perfect, because he has not arrived, 'cause he doesn't do a 180 about-face and get everything right going forward We can read this in light of Jonah in chapter four, where he takes big steps back Or we can read this as the regular up and down progress of sanctification in the life of all believers everywhere It is also ironic again, we're back now to Jonah being a little bit behind the curve. He was sent to Nineveh to evangelize the heathens, some of the worst enemies that Israel was going to face, and he ignores that call. And he, instead of going to Nineveh, he goes to Tarshish. He goes the opposite direction, and he does something that would be unthinkable to most Israelites. He goes out on the open ocean. That's just insanity to someone living in the ancient world He should have recognized that the sailors were fearing the Lord when they refused to throw him overboard. I think we all have a sort of innate sense when someone's behavior suddenly changes, and I think most of us, and not in some sort of strange, kooky, charismatic sense, but I think most of us can sort of go, "I think I know why that is." Right, when you, when you see someone at work that suddenly stops lying about everything and stops backbiting and stops taking credit for other people's work, and then you find out a little while linger- longer that they've come to faith in Christ, if we're being honest, we're not all that surprised. But Jonah doesn't get it. Jonah here promises the same things that the sailors already did, so now we're again back behind the curve [00:42:37] Sanctification Confession [00:42:37] Tony Arsenal: To wrap this out, I, I wanna, um, I wanna ground this in something that I think is really vital for us to understand. As I said, Jonah is an example to us because he demonstrates the limited nature of sanctification, but he also demonstrates in a certain sense the fact that sanctification is real and has real effects. So this is a little out of the ordinary, but grab your Trinity Hymnal from the pew in front of you. If you happen to have a copy of the Confession, you could use that if you'd prefer. But open with me to page 927 I have, um, I've been, uh, broadly Reformed most of my Christian life and didn't realize it until I got to seminary. And since I discovered the Westminster Confession of Faith a decade ago, it's not new, uh, not new to me, um, I realized how valuable this resource was. This is essentially a search engine without the internet. And so I wanna just read a little bit out of chapter 13 here, which is our Confessions chapter on sanctification. I'm not gonna read the whole thing, but the, the first, uh, the first section here essentially says that sanctification is real, and it happens throughout the whole person. We talk about total depravity, and there is a sense in which the Christian remains totally depraved after regeneration, in that there still is, there still is corruption within our entire being, uh, that is depraved. There's also an equal sense in which we can say we are totally sanctified in Christ because sanctification is throughout the whole man in which we are renewed after the image of God. So that's section one. And then section two says, "This sanctification is throughout," again, throughout the whole man, "in the whole man, yet imperfect in this life. There abiding still some remnant of corruption in every part, whence ariseth a continual and irre- irreconcilable war, the flesh left lusting after the spirit, and the spirit lusting after the flesh." Now, that may feel like just a crushing burden if you stop reading there, but it lines up with our experience, right? This is Paul in Romans 7, "The good things I wanna do, I do not, and the bad things that I, I kn- I do not want to do, I somehow do. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." We shouldn't read that as though somehow our spirits are purified entirely and our bodies are what's really causing us to sin. This is a picture of the spirit being, uh, our, our spiritual part of us. The part of us that's regenerated is willing, but the part of us that remains corrupt is our flesh And our confession goes on to say, "In which war, although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail, yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctification- sanctifying spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome." And so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. This is revolutionary in our broader evangelical world. The storybook Bible, Jonah did a bad thing and he gets punished, and he did a good thing and so he gets better, cannot understand this concept. This is why I think we have to be so careful when we choose what books to give to our little ones, right? I, I make jokes about VeggieTales. I loved VeggieTales when I was in VeggieTales age range. I probably would sit down and watch VeggieTales with Augie when he gets old enough. But we have to be so careful not to let those messages come to our children, or to ourselves for that matter, uninterpreted by the scriptures first and foremost, and our Reformed tradition that we all believe. Amen.  [00:46:49] Assurance in the Pit [00:46:49] Tony Arsenal: This is vital for us When all is said and done, salvation, whether we're talking about justification, sanctification, glorification, resurrection, all of the different stages and phases of our salvation, it is entirely of the Lord. And it's for this reason that Jonah says, "I, with a voice of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will pay." Salvation belongs to the Lord So this is the application of the sermon, loved ones. No matter how close to or actually into the pit itself we have fallen The, the chapter on assurance of faith, I won't go there, but the chapter in our confession on assurance of faith is very honest with us that our assurance will be shaken, and at times we may not feel as though we have any assurance at all But even when we have fallen that deep into the pit of despair, even when we feel as though we are in the very depths of hell No matter how much our spiritual or physical life is fainting away as we starve for spiritual breath, as we feel that impulse in us that recognizes we're moments away from losing the faith entirely. No matter how much the remnants of corruption in every part swirl around our heads like seaweed, how often do we feel wrapped up in sin? Whatever it is, I don't need to get specific 'cause I'm sure all of you are thinking of something in your head right now that has been swirling around you for years. Maybe it's months, maybe it's years. Maybe you've never felt, since coming to Christ, you've never felt like it wasn't wrapped up around you like seaweed. Besetting sin is something that we need to be serious about, and it's a good cause for us to think hard and deep about our status as Christians, and to go to our pastor and seek the elders' assistance in this. But besetting sin is not, is not a mark that excludes you from, from Christianity. Right? We're justified by faith alone, in Christ alone, by His grace alone. Not because we've overcome our besetting sin alone, right? That's not one of the five solas God redeems our life from the pit. From the very depths of hell itself, he snatched us like brands from the fire And though it is the case that we often are shaken, and at times God, just as he let Jonah, he let Jonah go to Tarshish. God had every ability to stop him from doing a stupid thing, and sometimes he does that, right? I'm sure there's plenty of times we can think about in our lives where we were heading towards sin and God just pulled a U-turn on us, and we are thankful for that. But there are times that he does not, and he lets us, he lets us do that. He lets us suffer the consequences, and he does that to chastise us and bring us back to him And even in the context of that, it is through this continual supply of the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, right?  [00:50:19] God Beautifies His Bride [00:50:19] Tony Arsenal: Christ was anointed by the Holy Spirit from the womb beyond measure. That's in the Book of John. There was never a time where Christ did not have the totality of the infinite sanctifying Spirit of the God, of God. We do not have the totality of the sanctifying Spirit of God. Now, we can get into a discussion after the service about divine simplicity and all the complexity of that, but the reality is that God sanctifies us more and more and more, and He does it by giving us the Spirit more and more. Might be more accurate to say He gives more of us to the Spirit. He gives us to the Spirit more and more. He gives us to Jesus more and more. We are Christ's inheritance. We are His bride. And just as the bride, as they're approaching the wedding, is made more and more beautiful, they start their, their beauty treatments weeks and months ahead of time, right? They're already making their hair appointments. They're already doing what they need to do to feel as beautiful as they can and to be as beautiful as they can on their wedding day. If that's the way we treat human weddings; guys do it too, just not as much. If that's the way we treat human weddings, how much more does God treat the heavenly wedding of His Son to His beloved bride? He's beautifying us, Church. Doesn't always feel like it. Doesn't always look like it, but He is. 

JUN. 16, 2026Understanding the kingdom of God."The kingdom of God is within you." Lk 17:21 NKJVIn one sense, the kingdom of God is future, eternal, and heavenly. When Christ returns to set up His kingdom on earth, the prophecy will be fulfilled: "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Rev 11:15 NKJV). What a glorious day that will be for all of God's redeemed children. But until then, Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is within you." That means as a born-again believer living in this world, you're called to demonstrate what it means to live under the rule of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Winston Churchill famously quipped: "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried." All human governments are flawed and ultimately destined to fail because they are made up of flawed human beings. So as citizens of the kingdom of God, we are called to be "light" that illuminates darkness and dispels ignorance, and "salt" that flavors, cleanses, heals, and enriches the lives of those we come in contact with (see Mt 5:13-14). We are called to practice the principles of God's kingdom in the marketplace of life.Whether you work in education, transportation, medicine, politics, agriculture, IT, sales, manufacturing, etc., you are called to demonstrate the benefits of living under the rule of Christ and by the guidance of His indwelling Holy Spirit. "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord." When Christ returns, that promise will be totally fulfilled. Until then, Jesus said, "Occupy till I come" (Lk 19:13 KJV).Understanding the kingdom of God "Occupy till I come."Share This DevotionalSend us Fan MailSupport the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

As we continue our summer corporate gatherings, Michael reminds us that God's desire has always been the same: a people who belong fully to Him. Throughout Scripture, God calls His people a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people set apart for His purposes. Worship is one of the primary ways we respond to that calling.   This message challenges us to see worship as more than singing songs or participating in a gathering. Worship is the exaltation of Jesus in the place of our affection, loyalty, attention, and desire. Every person is a worshiper. The question is not whether we worship, but what or who has captured the highest place in our hearts.   This message calls us to examine what has been competing for our devotion and to lift Jesus back to the highest place. When Christ is exalted, everything else finds its proper place. This is an invitation to become a truly priestly people whose lives declare the greatness of God both inside and outside the gathering.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode. Pastor Dom teaches about Godly living. Colossians 3:1-111 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.Matthew 6:1919 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.Deuteronomy 8:1818 But you are to remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth,…2 Corinthians 5:1717 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.Romans 7:1515 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. Romans 6:1414 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.Matthew 12:3434 …For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.Romans 12:22 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.2 Corinthians 5:2121 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Pastor Mike Jurek teaches that finances are not simply a practical matter but a spiritual one. God invites us to trust Him fully, including with our resources, and to allow our money to become a tool for His purposes rather than a source of anxiety or control. Healthy stewardship begins with obedience and grows through faith.This encouraging message highlights how generosity strengthens both individuals and the church community. By placing God first and giving as He leads, believers can develop greater trust, overcome a scarcity mindset, and participate in the work of God's kingdom. When Christ is at the center of our finances, we discover lasting freedom and purpose.#GoodHopeChurch #PastorMikeJurek #DealingWithMoney #BiblicalStewardship #FaithInAction #Generosity #KingdomLiving #ChristianFaith #SpiritLedGiving #TrustGodSermon Notes: https://link.goodhope.ag/dealing-with-money-mjGiving Information: https://goodhope.ag/givingSTAY CONNECTEDYoutube: https://youtube.com/GoodHopeChurchInstagram: http://instagram.com/goodhopemnFacebook: http://fb.com/goodhopemn 

What does it mean to find joy when everything around us seems to be falling apart? This powerful exploration of Philippians 1:12-26 challenges us to reconsider how we view our hardships and restrictions. We discover that Paul, writing from prison and chained to a Roman guard, doesn't see his circumstances as obstacles but as opportunities for the gospel to advance. His singular focus—that Christ be preached—transforms his perspective entirely. The very chains meant to silence him become the means by which the entire imperial guard hears about Jesus. His imprisonment doesn't discourage other believers; instead, it emboldens them to proclaim the gospel without fear. Even when rivals preach Christ from impure motives to stir up trouble for Paul, he rejoices because the message is still being spread. We're invited to examine our own restricted situations—whether at work, school, home, or in difficult relationships—and ask: What if God placed us here intentionally? What if our hardships aren't accidents but divine appointments? The passage culminates in one of Scripture's most profound declarations: 'For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.' This isn't mere religious rhetoric but a revolutionary way of understanding existence itself. When Christ becomes our life, death loses its sting and becomes entrance into something even better. Yet Paul chooses to remain for the sake of others, prioritizing their spiritual growth over his own comfort. This challenges us to complete the sentence for ourselves: 'For me to live is...' Whatever fills that blank reveals what we truly worship and what we would lose if we died.

Death, Resurrection Power and Revival (1) (audio) David Eells, 6/14/26 Coming Baptism of Death Unto Life Pearl Harbor James Kehrli (David's notes in red) In December of 1984, about a week after I purchased an old 1940 Cadillac sedan, I was driving around thinking about times gone by, particularly the time before and during World War II. Suddenly I heard the Lord say to me, very softly, “It's 1940 and Pearl Harbor is coming up for the Church”. I thought about betrayal, warfare, death and awakening! I prayed to the Lord about it and He began to reveal to me more about Pearl Harbor. He reminded me of a scene from the film Tora Tora Tora in which one of the Japanese military leaders remarked, after their attack on Pearl Harbor, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve”. I thought about the Church finally waking up to her true condition. I thought about the terrible price our country paid in the 1940's to wake up to the realities of the world political situation. The price was human life, suffering, and destruction. But we did wake up. I thought about December 8, 1941, when we declared war against the Axis powers. Before that time, we were sending arms, supplies and money to our allies, but we were not sending men to help fight. We watched China, the Pacific Islands, France and much of Europe fall to Germany, Italy, and Japan, but we were not personally affected so we did not enter the warfare. It took a catastrophic event to wake us up. (His reference to waking up a sleeping giant reminds me of Tommy Hicks' End Time Vision and it becomes millions of people all over the world.) I prayed about and meditated on what I had heard until May of 1985, when I again heard from God during a baptismal service in our Church. The person to be baptized was an older lady who was quite concerned, even a little frightened, about being fully immersed. But she, after fifty years of disobedience and rebellion against God, desired to be baptized for the first time. Right before I was going to enter the water with her, a message in tongues came forth from my wife. The Lord gave me the interpretation by means of the following vision. This vision describes a future time of great hardship and great blessing for the Body of Christ. He showed me a deep harbor with blue-green water that was clear and calm. There was a Person in the water. This Person was not swimming or standing, but just floating in an upright position. He was motionless, like a sailing ship listing in a windless sea. Many Japanese Zero aircraft came in from the east and proceeded to dive-bomb and strafe the body in the water and the body began to slowly sink. Eventually, the body was entirely under the water. As he went down, I could see that there were many little people on this Body. As this Body sank deeper into the water, many of these small people jumped off just before they were about to enter the water. There were thousands of people jumping off and swimming away from this slow but steadily sinking Body. Some of these people jumped onto beds, which the Lord made clear to me were beds of adultery, and floated away, off to the left. Others jumped onto whiskey bottles and paddled away; still others jumped on books, while others swam off on their own strength. All of the people were floating, swimming or paddling in the same direction. I looked over in that direction, which was to my left, and I saw an extremely beautiful, gigantic woman, with skin and clothing of a deep reddish purple hue, standing solidly on the harbor floor. She stretched out her arms toward the sinking Body and got the attention of many as she very sweetly, seductively, and sincerely called out, “Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you WHAT YOU WANT!” (As we know, God separates His people, and the tares and goats go to the left, as in this vision. This is the Great Harlot of Rev 17:1-5 And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven bowls, and spake with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters; 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and they that dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her fornication. 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication, 5 and upon her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.) The people who were jumping off were in a panic, like rats leaving a sinking ship. Some scurried to higher ground on the Body, going from the shoulders to the ears and finally jumping off the top of the head right before it went under. It was clear that THEY DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE THIS BODY, but it was equally clear that they were not going down under the water with it either. The Body was now completely under the water, sinking steadily toward the bottom. Some of the little people hung on as it sank, but after a few seconds of holding their breath, they gave up, swam for the top, gulped a mouthful of air, and swam off toward the woman. The apparently lifeless Body sank deeper and deeper into the clear blue-green water. As it sank, I could see at the bottom of the harbor a beautiful, large, perfect Pearl - obviously of great value. It was supernaturally large and beautiful, lustrous, pure and round. As I watched, I could see the Body change shape from that of a single being, with little people desperately hanging on it, to many little individual people swimming deep enough to get to this beautiful Pearl. As they went deeper, many chose to quit and swim to the surface for air and life and then go over to the beautiful woman. All who quit diving eventually swam over to the beautiful woman. (The water puts to death the old man. They don't want to give up their fleshy life and die to self and follow Jesus.) Finally, I saw a number of these small people swim to the Pearl and touch it, and embrace it. But to do this, everyone who dove down reached a point when they realized that their own natural ability to hold their breath and dive deeper would not be enough. Those who dove down and touched this Pearl all came to understand that they would have to expend all of their natural strength before they touched and embraced the Pearl of Great Price. This did not keep them from diving down though, because the closer they got to the Pearl, the more of His beauty they saw. I saw many touch and embrace the Pearl and then immediately shoot straight up. As each of these little people shot up from the floor of the Harbor, each had the Pearl. As this group of individuals rose higher and higher, they all became one Body again. By the time these Pearl-laden people reached the surface they burst forth from the waters as one Body, the Body of Christ. These people were manifestly His own possession and they, in turn possessed the Pearl of Great Price, Jesus Christ Himself. (Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: …) As the Lord was showing me this beautiful picture, He spoke to me and said, “Even as Jesus came out of the waters of baptism, so My Body will come out of Pearl Harbor with a new and powerful anointing of My Holy Spirit, and a new and deadly power to fight the enemy”. He said that there indeed would come upon the Church of Jesus Christ a Pearl Harbor experience like the United States experienced on December 7, 1941. He said that when the Body of Christ begins to sink under the water, because of a soon-coming, devastating attack of the enemy, MANY will choose to desert our Lord Jesus Christ because they do not esteem the Pearl of Great Price (Jesus Himself) worth the price - death to their own selfish desires. They will not make the selfless effort of love to dive deeply enough to embrace Him because they do not love Him more than their own lives. Many will choose not to identify with what they assume is a defeated individual or group. They look upon themselves as winners and will not identify with a Jesus Who is apparently being defeated. They will choose to identify with the beautiful woman of the harbor who gives them what they want. As the vision revealed, many who leapt off the sinking Body because the woman of the harbor promised them success. Because of this, they went to her. Many others did not feel that it was necessary to pay such a high price to apprehend Jesus, and they felt that the beautiful woman would give them Jesus on their own terms. (This is the great falling away and like the parable of the seed and the sower; only one of the four held fast to the Word and bore fruit, 30-60 and 100-fold.) As the Body of Christ came out of the waters of death, the Lord said that His Body was now fully alive and would now fight the enemy with purpose and real anointing. (the coming Latter Rain anointing. Hos 6:3  And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.) Also, His Body would now use only supernatural weaponry. He spoke so clearly to me about the weapons. He said, “Even as the United States entered the Second World War using conventional weapons to fight the enemy, and ended the war with the atomic bomb, a weapon beyond their comprehension; so My people will begin this spiritual war with conventional weapons in the Spirit, but by the end of this war to end all wars, they will be using atomic bombs of the Spirit”. The Lord made it clear that we will come out of the water equipped with God-given anointing to REALLY heal the sick, work miracles, and deliver those in demonic bondage. He also made it clear that before the warfare ends, we will be moving in a dimension of spiritual warfare that is unimaginable to us now. We will do greater works than Jesus did and we will see the demon hordes routed like never before. After this message in tongues and interpretation was given, my attention turned back to the woman who was to be baptized. Then the Lord said that the Pearl Harbor experience for His Church would be similar to this woman's baptism. I closely watched this baptism to see what the Lord meant. The woman was very nervous and quite afraid of going under the water. I assured her that she would be all right. After several moments of prayer and a short teaching on what baptism represented, she was plunged underneath the water. She came out of the water with her hands lifted up, praising God. I had not told anyone what the Lord told me about this woman's baptism, because I did not know exactly what was going to happen. When she recovered her composure, she began to testify about what had just happened to her. She said that she was extremely fearful at first, but that when she got under the water, a Beautiful Peace swept through her, and all her fear was gone. This beautiful peace became joy as she came out of the water, and she praised God for His great comfort, love and mercy. I believe that God was showing us that we need not fear what He will put us through. His purpose is to bring us peace, joy, cleansing and power. He was also showing us that His Church will go through a baptism. It is a baptism of the Body of Christ. It is a death and a resurrection. We must trust Him to bring us out of this watery tomb of death and into the glorious resurrection power of His Son. We must understand that a harbor is a place of SAFETY and REFUGE. (As we have been shown. Those who reject death to self will not find this place.) God's people who are involved in these events will need to be safe and protected. The Harbor of the Pearl of Great Price is the only harbor that will provide refuge and safety, and ALL who believe will be more than willing to pay the price of dying to their own desires. Pearl Harbor is the death and resurrection of the Body of Christ, being prepared to do His work in His way, with His heart. It is the final separation of David from Saul - the David Church being purified and separated from the Saul Church. It is the final AWAKENING blast of the trumpet of God to rouse His people for battle. It is the judgment that begins with the house of the Lord. It is the refining fire that separates the gold from the dross. It will be preceded by the Lord dealing with His true people to both survive and desire this final preparation for battle. It is the promise of unmatched power and purity: power over sin, power over the enemy, power to live a much more virtuous life, and power to glorify our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Even now, God is dealing with those in the David Church, even as God dealt with David. Whenever David would start to fall asleep to God's purity and purpose, the Lord would abruptly DEAL with David to AWAKEN him. God did not waste this kind of effort on Saul because Saul CHOSE to be asleep to God and His desires. Pearl Harbor is a warning of betrayal and disaster. The Church in the past has gone through many Pearl Harbors of betrayal and disaster. Jesus was betrayed, killed, and rose again. English Puritans experienced Pearl Harbor in the early 17th century and survived because they could not obey the law that the Church of England tried to force them to obey. They fled England and eventually sailed to the New World, where they laid the spiritual foundation for what eventually became one of the greatest revivals in the history of the world. John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim's Progress at the bottom of the harbor as he was betrayed by his own country and thrown in jail for not attending the services of the Church of England and for preaching in a way that did not conform to this church's liturgy. Had he given in and done that which they asked, he could have been a free man. But for conscience sake he chose not to do so. Because of this uncompromising obedience to the Scriptures and to God Himself, he was able to rise to the highest place in the history of Christian literature. Today, he still blesses us with the fruit of that resurrection power. To those who are not awake and prepared, Pearl Harbor will come suddenly and tragically, as a thief in the night, and they will be swept away to Great Deception. (As we are seeing.) To those who are more open to the will of God than they are to pleasing religious men, it will be an expected ordeal, a call to arms, and a prelude to great victory. The initial stages will be the harbinger of the greatest move of God in history: the Greatest Revival and the greatest manifestation of Christian Unity that the world has ever known.   The Pearls of Great Price Marie Kelton - 1/6/23 (David's notes in red) In this dream, I was in Chicago, and I was walking away from my old house on the sidewalk. (Leaving the house of our mother Church is a sign of growing in spiritual maturity.) I met Thaddeus (God's gift) and Greg (watchful or vigilant), two people I went to school with. (God gives us helpers along the way, like the fruits of the Spirit and wisdom; we must listen to them.) Thaddeus was to my left and Greg was to my right. As we were walking, I asked Thaddeus what had happened to him because I saw that he had a cut on his finger. Thaddeus said that he had a paper cut. I said to him, “Those are the worst.” (Our gifts can suffer when we go contrary to the Word which is written on paper and is a sharp two-edged sword.) We were going across the street and there was a tan van waiting for us to cross so that it could turn right. A red truck was behind the van, waiting also. As we were crossing, I felt an evil spirit grab the back of my shirt to keep me from continuing to cross the street. Thaddeus and Greg continued walking across the street. (We shouldn't get separated from our spiritual gifts by any demon or fleshly influence.) The person in the tan van was getting impatient and turned and hit me with their car. (The demons will try to hold us back so that we fall under judgment.) In the dream I told the Judge (representing the Father) about the car that hit me. The license plate on the front of the van had 333 in it. (Jer.33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and will show thee great things, and difficult, which thou knowest not.) (This is on the front or before the van hits, so to stop this, we must seek the Lord for His direction and wisdom!) The scene changed and I was in a car. I don't know if I was driving or not. I realized I was wearing an old necklace, and I heard a voice say, “Pearls.” (If our treasures have become tarnished from age or the curse we must sanctify them with repentance and faith and drawing near to Jesus.) In the dream I thought of the parable of the pearl of great price. While in the car, the Lord was supernaturally changing the radio stations to speak to me through the songs. Every time He would change the song, one of the old pearls from the necklace I wore would burst and break and a new pearl would be in its place. (As we seek His face and ask for wisdom, He will give us new born again beauty and values.) I was so excited and asked the Lord to keep speaking to me through songs on the radio. (The Lord's Words are melodious, pleasing Words to our spirit man.)  Mat.13:45-46, Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls: and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it. An Experience of Power G. W. - 10/17/22 (David's notes in red) I was going through a time of what seemed like reflection. I kind of felt like my life had no purpose, kind of meaningless. I've been waiting so many years, and it seems like nothing is happening. I didn't feel sad or condemned by it, but rather just wondering what God's mind was on everything. (The Word had the answers but he couldn't stay under it for long and would seek a simple message that did not demand death to self.) So, I was just questioning what God's purposes were for me in my life and if I was missing something. I was really earnestly seeking God and wondering what am I doing? Is there something I'm supposed to be doing that I'm missing? I don't want to waste any talents even though I don't see myself as having any great talents or anything, but I know the Lord has given us all some. I want to be able to use them. Before I went to bed, my wife and I prayed to the Lord about these questions. I woke up in the middle of the night and went to lie down on the couch. As I was lying down on the couch, I don't know if I fell asleep or if I was awake, to be honest. I'm assuming I fell asleep for just a few minutes. It seemed like a dream but I could feel everything happening in my body like it was real. I could hear myself say to myself, “You are such a loser” (I felt like it meant that I was not good for anything, meaningless life, etc.). (“We can do nothing without Him” but “We can do all things through Him”. His power is made perfect through our weakness. This revelation comes before the experience below.) Immediately, after that was said, this incredible Force picked up my entire body. Not even the strongest human on Earth would be able to resist this Force. My body was powerless, as I had no control over my motor functions. However, my consciousness was still there, and I was completely aware of everything that was going on from an observing point of view. This Force was moving me across the ground, as if I were a floating object. I then noticed something that the Force was moving towards. As I got closer, I knew that it was a shadow in the shape of a man. As the Force brought me directly over the shadow, I shot up in the air like a rocket! The Force moved me with such extreme velocity and an incredible amount of G-Force. It felt like my body was shaking like an earthquake (The Lord was showing him that He comes in those who will, through death to self, give themselves over to His Word and power.), as I was going straight up into the air. It seemed like the shadowy figure was what made the Force shoot me directly up in the air. I was shaking so excessively that it seemed to be contorting my face, as if soaring up through the air. I then seemed to come either out of the dream or into an earthly reality. I started to think normally, and I thought, is something wrong with me? What is happening to me? The Force started to wind my body down, and it began to become less intense. It shook me so hard that I could still feel it in my physical body, as I either woke up or came into complete consciousness. I started meditating on what had just happened. I thought about the shadowy figure. The only thing that kept coming to me was Trump. I have no idea why I felt this way. It might have looked like him, I'm not for sure. I don't think about Trump a lot, so it was very unusual for me to think that. (He is typed by Cyrus, who conquers DS Babylon, just when the Man-child is anointed over the Kingdom by the King. Cyrus is a shadow of Trump. Cyrus makes it possible for the Latter Rain Man-child to come and release the captives, as in Isaiah 61. So the shadow person could represent both of these entities ruling under God as the verse he received. The refuge here will be formed and our new provisions to reach the world will come.) I have a Bible App that I check every morning and it sends me a verse of the day. I opened the App and looked at the verse, it said “whoever dwells in the shelter of the most high will rest in the shadow of the almighty”. I was amazed that it had the word “shadow” in the random daily verse!   Resurrected Back to Life D. L. - 05/24/2016 (David's notes in red) In a dream, I was observing a group of about 12 people standing somewhat together. All of them had grey hair that was tending more toward the white. (This could be the 12 Man-children from UBM we have had many dreams about and who have been spiritually resurrected.) Then in walked a tall man who walked directly to the group and to a woman in the middle, whom I understood to be his wife. But he had died some time ago and had been buried at that time. (This is a repeat of history called the “out resurrection” by Paul in Phl.3:11 If somehow I may attain unto the out-resurrection from the dead. This is in the most accurate Numeric English New Testament. Here it is in history. Mat.27:50 And Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake; and the rocks were rent; 52 and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised (Many of these were just dust by the time of this out-resurrection. All of these have a purpose in God's work); 53 and coming forth out of the tombs after his resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared unto many. 54 Now the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. What a witness of the resurrection to these people! This partial resurrection will be worldwide. As a witness G.C. was resurrected after being dead and buried for 8 ½ months. He came walking into his kitchen to greet his wife. Six people were resurrected that day in a moment.) D.L.- Now, she was no longer a widow, but no one showed any emotion. (These men would have also been resurrected, so it's no surprise to them.) He just walked over to where she was and started talking to her. In the next scene, they were in a room off to my right, standing there talking. Then I woke up and it was almost 4:30 am. As I was waking up, I was still in the dream state and heard a knock at the back door, which is near the bedroom, and I opened the door. It was light outside and there stood my brother Darl, who had been dead since October of 2009 and was cremated. (Cremation is the fast oxidation of the body. The normal rotting of the body is slow oxidation. Both are just dust but God can bring them back.) He had brown hair but the last time I saw him it was white. He said he was on his way to Charlotte, NC to see his daughter and just stopped by to let me know he was around. He said he had a car and plenty of money to do what he had to do. Then he walked away and when he got about 20 feet away, I asked him if he was going to see our five children. And he said yes and that it was in his schedule. End of dream. (They have a God-given schedule for the revival. Could this be a secondary meaning to Paul's words? Php.3:10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death; 11 if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead [Numeric pattern is in “the out -resurrection from the dead”]. 12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. Paul and others of his caliber will be among them.)   What's the Motivation of Your Heart? Sandy Shaw - April 2016 (David's notes in red) In this dream, the first thing I see is a white brick fence. People are walking on the fence. Some jump on the left side, and then they jump back on the fence. Some jump on the right side, and then they go back to the fence. And this is going on continually with people walking the fence. Then I realized the left side is the way of the world and the right side is the way of the Lord. When I realized that, I heard, “I will spew you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). (Which God spoke to the lukewarm.) Then I noticed a man was standing next to me. I didn't know who he was until he spoke and He asked, “How does this edify Me?” I immediately felt conviction and asked the Lord for forgiveness for having my own agenda. Then I saw a little girl in a house. (A little girl represents immaturity.) She was looking out the window as she saw her friends outside. She was sooo anxious to go with them. She ran to a closed door in the house and knocked on it. And on the other side of the door was her mom. She said, “Honey, I'll be out in a minute”. At this point, the little girl turned and looks out the window and turned around and knocked on the door again. And her mom said, “Wait for me. I'll be out in a minute”. The little girl ran to the big window and saw that her friends are in the next yard. She ran to the table and saw paper and a pencil. She wrote, “I'll be back in a little while. I'm going to play with my friends”. So Mom comes out and called for the little girl and saw that she is not there but she saw the note. Time has passed, and the little girl comes back and she says, “Hi, Mom!” And Mom says, “Honey, come and sit down”. The little girl says, “Mom, did I do something wrong? I left a note; didn't you see it?” “Yes, I did. But I asked you to wait.” “But my friends had gone to the next yard”. Mom said, “Now I know I need to give you punishment. First, because you didn't wait and your plans are not my plans for today. Therefore, you did not listen”. Next, I saw a big tree. I was sitting under it with the same man next to me. He said, “Examine the motives of your heart. Are your desires My desires? Are your desires lined up with My Word? Examine the desires of your heart. Is the agenda of your heart yours or Mine? Your motives, your heart, your agenda -- are they lined up with the Word? Am I your All-in-All?” Pro.16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; But the LORD weigheth the spirits. 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life. Mar.12:30 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. Psa.27:14 Wait for the LORD: Be strong, and let thy heart take courage; yea, wait thou for the lord. Isa.55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith The LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.   Surrendering Brings Swift Victory T.F. - 1/14/23 (David's notes in red) Suddenly, I felt the Lord's presence so strong in the spiritual realm. I then saw at that very moment, that in an instant, God could remove all the filth in my flesh and soul 100%, quicker than I could think, and He could manifest His presence 100% in my body and soul. I saw that it had already been done, and the manifestation could be done instantaneously. (The manifestation is progressive but it can be finished quickly. Php.1:6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. Psa.81:13 Oh that my people would hearken unto me, That Israel would walk in my ways! 14 I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn my hand against their adversaries. 15 The haters of Jehovah should submit themselves unto him: But their time should endure for ever.) I know many other brethren pray for God to manifest Himself in us fully (Eph.3:19 to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God.) We all want to be 100% dead to self, and my soul desires it so much for all of us. We know that, by faith, it has already happened and we will see it manifest in the physical realm. But, in that moment, when I saw He could do it all right then, my flesh got so terrified because it couldn't handle the presence of God that strong and that intensity so quickly. I desire it, and I know it will happen. But there is so much that I still have to let go of that isn't Christ, that God hasn't even revealed to me yet; so many hidden things. But God will reveal those things in His perfect timing, and I desire to let go of EVERYTHING that isn't Holy. I have thought that the complete removal of self in an instance would hurt because it is all I have ever known and His holiness replacing it would hurt if it happened without me being fully prepared. I felt that it had to be a gradual thing. I must let go of things bit by bit, and then the Lord can come and fill those spots, until there is nothing left but Jesus. I must keep letting go of my own carnal thinking, reasoning, and understanding and filling it with the Word and His Holy Spirit. (This is why God told the Israelites that every place that they set their foot in the Promised Land, He would give them. Because if He had wiped out their enemies all at once the land would have been overrun with wild beasts. So, He ordained that they conquer it a little at a time. Exo.23:28 And I will send the hornet before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. 29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the beasts of the field multiply against thee. 30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.) I have felt and experienced what I would describe as my flesh surrendering bit by bit to the Spirit and the Word, but some parts still haven't surrendered completely and if it happened instantaneously, possibly my mind and body couldn't handle it. God's timing is perfect and we need to be prepared every day for an increase of Him in each of us in our soul and physical body. When we surrender to His Spirit willingly and surrender our whole heart to Him, it is so much easier for our body to submit. (1Co.9:27 but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.) Yes, I want the complete manifestation and deliverance from all evil in my soul and body, but I realized that it is a progressive thing, so that my physical body can handle it. God doesn't give us more than we can handle. God wants His Son to completely manifest in each of us. I can see Jesus growing and increasing in the brethren more and more, and it is so beautiful to witness. After experiencing this, I have felt so much closer to God and that every day we are getting closer and closer to Him manifesting in us fully. Every day, whether we see it or not, we are dying to self in some areas and He is coming into us more and more than the previous day. (Joh.3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.) Everything is His grace and can only be done by His grace. It is all because of Jesus. ALL Glory and praise to Our Father and Lord Jesus forever and ever! Lord, let us all willingly surrender to Your Spirit in all areas of our existence. Allow us to love You more and to rest in You, accepting Your grace and allowing You to flow through us. Thank You Lord, that Your grace is beyond anything we can comprehend. Thank You that we can do nothing without You, but we can do everything through You. Thank You that it's not us living, but Christ living in us. Thank You that we are dead to self and alive unto You, God in Christ Jesus. Thank You that Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death! Thank You, God that it is all You for all eternity! (My husband prayed and saw a young fruit tree - ambitious to bear hundreds of fruits, but not yet mature to do so. As the branches grew, buds formed all over and flowered. In time the tree was able to bear the amount it could handle.) Empty Me, (for Jesus) Debbie Fensky – 10/24/19 On Wednesday morning, October 23, I was awakened at 4:13 a.m. by a loud voice. I had fallen asleep on our sofa, and Denny was in the bedroom. My first thought was that he was yelling to me to get up. But when I looked at the clock, I saw it was too early to get up to get ready for the morning meeting. My mind cleared enough to realize that it was not Denny's voice. It was the voice of God or the voice of an angel of the Lord. And what He spoke was not in words I recognized. And it was really loud! It sounded to me like two words were spoken. I asked Father to let me know what He was saying through these words. I immediately heard, “Empty,” and He continued speaking. “This is the word for you, My people. Empty! The time is now to be empty! I am still uncovering hearts. Will you spend time with Me? For your hearts, your very life, is the temple in which I dwell. Do you know that you represent My authority? Do you truly know? Know this, that I know your name, for you hold My Name. I am going to bring back much truth to remembrance and reveal spiritual to spiritual. (The disciples related that this happened after Jesus died and was resurrected.) You are My spiritual people, and I want to continue working a spiritual work and a deep work in you and among you. And My authority will be upon you as you allow the spiritual light and truth to pour forth into your heart, and your mouth will speak deep things of My Spirit; things I have taught you. And people will know these things are true. But, My people, there is still some emptying out that needs to take place. For yea, I am cleaning you up. I am making you clean. Only be empty. Empty your hearts and yourselves of all your belongings, longings, and your trifles. Yes, even your own nothingness. What you think of yourself is not important. Glory only in that you are in Me, and that I am everything in you. I have a job to do through you. I have chosen you to be My humble, My emptied out, and cleaned up vessels. But I am letting you know the time is short. And I still need room for total residence.” I was moved by what Father said. And I was intrigued and wanted to know how “empty” was pronounced in the Hebrew. And I wondered if it was two words. So I tried something - I looked things up, asking God to lead me. In Hebrew, “empty” is “tohu bohu.” That was about the length of the words that I heard spoken to me so loudly. Some “empty” definitions: decant, lay bare, empty, raze, spill Strongs Hebrew 7386 adj; rake, empty, vain. Much that we give ourselves to is nothing; only vain. Strongs Hebrew 8414; formless, confusion, unreality, emptiness, desolation, empty space It said, properly spelled, it is, “tohuw bohuw.” And somewhere in all of this belongs, “tohu wa-bohu.” And this meaning (Heb), wasteness, that which is laid waste, desert, emptiness, vanity. But, “tohu bohu” is parallel to Isaiah 34:11, confusion, emptiness. Speaking about God's wrath against the nations, which we want to have no part of. So God is still telling us to get things of Egypt out of us. Isa.34:11 “But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, and owl and raven will dwell in it; and He will stretch over it the line of desolation and the plumbline of emptiness.” Father, may we desire to become completely empty of ourselves and our personal correctness, all that is vain, so that Your plumb line finds us measuring up to the fullness of Your likeness in us, so that we do not fall behind and even become as one of the nations. God, we need You to help us give it all up. Thank You for Your grace to do what You are being so long suffering in telling us to do. We do want You fully and totally residing in us. Lord, in Jesus name, help us to keep the end in view! Amen. Eph.4:12-13 “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” 1Th.5:6 “so then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us be alert and sober.” Get Ready for God's Great Reset! The One Word Order - Kolyah - September 14, 2021 Rhema Word … 9.13.21 … entrusted to Kolyah … released just prior to Yom Kippur “Little ones, are you ready for My hard reset of your world? It is best that you prepare now, for in an instant, of My choosing, the brakes on this runaway world will suddenly be applied down to the floor … to the foundations; bringing this global wickedness to an abrupt halt. When that happens, there will be a hard tossing about, with slamming, banging, and pain for those who are not braced, awake, and aware. (This reminds me of Eve's Dream of the US/China Train coming to a sudden halt.) Do you remember the report of the loud shrieks of horror and mourning that arose in Egypt's night, at the death of their firstborn? Truly, I say to you, it shall happen again on a worldwide scale, as I bring forth the disclosure of the truth that will shatter hearts, minds, idols, and strongholds by the power of truth that will not be held back, modified, or contained behind closed doors. The cries of anguish and despair will finally bring the level of breaking necessary for the people to realize how wickedly they have been deceived, and how eagerly they have ingested the poisons promoted by the deceivers. (On both sides. This could be the EBS that Trump and the Alliance have been planning, revealing the DS satanic crimes and the false Christian leadership.) They will think that ALL IS LOST, as they see the price that they have paid for their blindness, stubbornness, pride, and fear. As no household was untouched by the grief arising throughout Egypt at the time of the first Passover, so shall it soon be in your day. Only the households that heeded my warning and those, who obeyed My voice, will be spared the depths of the pain. The righteous will mourn and grieve for those around them. They will weep for those across the world, who will be writhing in unspeakable agony of soul in the realization of the pit into which they have fallen. I will allow the righteous to feel the pain of seeing the losses among those whom they love, but I will not allow them to go into the deepest depths of soul pain; only into the depths of intercession that will lessen the pain in others. My compassion will undertake. Have I not said that those who did not LOVE the truth would fall into deception? Too few believed My word regarding that matter. As I am the first Truth, whom they are to love, those who have had a shallow, fickle affection for Me will find out the grave consequences of being casual about truth and without true love … and the results of accepting, as fact, only those things that fit into their own grid … into their prideful grid of comfort and human knowledge. They will feel horrifically betrayed, and well they should. Their own souls have betrayed them, because their love of My truth, and of My reality was only partial. In the pain of their consequences, they will have the opportunity to exchange an appreciation of truth for a committed LOVE of the truth. Not only am I Truth and Love, but I am also Justice and Commitment. Human justice and convenient human commitment will be humiliated through what is to be revealed soon. The deep falsehoods in the human premises will be shattered as My truth comes down like a hammer. Truth will not come down as a soft rain, for rain requires years to erode rock and to move mountains from their place. There is no time for that now. A rock smasher and a mountain crusher are needed to awaken the sleepers and to expose the truth before all is lost. The Enemy has been working his plans with wicked brilliance. I have allowed it to unfold in order to entrap him, and all those who are in league with him. The lies, which have provided the glue to secure their wicked plans and mandates of unholy power, are about to be changed into a slime. That slime will be powerless to hold their deceptions together. The road, which has been cemented into place through their deceit, will begin to sink and separate. Where then, will they walk in their prideful power? Who will join them on that slimy road, once the truth is exposed? All this will come … but first the howls and the tears must come to soften the hardened hearts, and to bring them to the melting point in the laser light of hot Truth. My way is righteous and wise. You must trust Me. The fear of Me has been replaced with the fear of man. The awe of Me has been replaced with the awe of inventions and technology. The awareness of human vulnerability has been replaced with an awe of intellectual prowess and confidence. All of these strongholds of wicked false worship, and of arrogant disregard of Me … all the strategies designed to supplant and to replace Me … will be brought down into dust. (What? No Med-beds? The use of AI, CGI, and high-tech devices.) It is good to be down on your knees in this hour, as the final round of increased shaking takes place. On your knees, you will be properly positioned before Me. Those on their knees will not be knocked down as the world rocks. Their personal kingdoms will not fall down upon their heads. The posture of submitted humility will be the place of safety for those who seek Me, and who abide in Me. But be advised: what is about to take place will greatly disquiet your souls. Do not allow the pain you see manifesting in the multitudes, nor the shrieks of those you love, cause you to mistrust or to despise Me. Trust Me that the process I bring forth will set My Great Harvest into place. Go to your knees soon, and remain in a spiritual posture of humility before Me as these days unfold. The Enemy of your souls will put up an even greater fight to retain power, and to seize even more. I have already declared the boundary set against this advance and have put that boundary into place. It will not be moved by him, nor by any of his associates. It will stand firm, for I have decreed it. (The boundary is the Bride. As in my vision of 2007, the boundaries of the catastrophes were the refuge.) Get out of the way of what I am about to allow and do. Move into a place of safety as I direct you. Do not fear and do not depend upon your own survival strategies. Simply abide in Me and be well. I will not allow more than you can handle. Have I not entrusted the words of truth in Psalm 91 to be a holocaust blanket, and a sure safety to surround you? Declare those words and find safety in the shelter of those promises. Know that the wailing of the masses will seek to disquiet you; to take you into fear and doubt. Don't go there, but rather profess your faith and stay in the Spirit at all times. Lock down in Me and hold. Gather in those who are standing, but who are weakening. Be a support of faith for each other. Share the treasure and the provision which I have given to you for this hour. What I provide will be more than enough. Entrust your troubled heart to Me. I will hold it securely and will fill it with all the love and hope you will need. Know this: I am fully in control. There is NOTHING out of My hand, plan, or notice. There will be many who have been on the fringes of faith, who will declare that My way is NOT GOOD. They will feel the horror of the unveiling, and then cry out that I am cruel for allowing such things. I AM MORE compassionate and patient … more loving and kinder than any of you can fathom. My path is a hard one, because the rebellion is very deep and widespread, consuming a great portion of humankind. (Stripes that wound cleanse away evil.) Unless there is a clearly visual manifestation, revealing where the influences of rebellion and deceit have taken your world, the changes in hearts will be only temporary and shallow. There are lessons to be learned. There are people to be reborn. There are powers of great evil embedded into every facet of human life that must be disclosed and stripped. As a result, these painful measures are necessary. I will allow only the smallest level of suffering required to bring the vital changes. The length and depth of human suffering will be determined by the speed at which the hearts and minds submit to the purpose of the shakings. See to it that you lovingly, clearly, tell the ignorant and the arrogant the truth about what is happening, and about what will yet happen. If you do not speak the truth to them, the hollow spaces formed within their human souls because of the shaking will be quickly filled with more lies, bringing more rebellion and more defiance against me. Cooperate with My plan to bring a Great Awakening, and see the Glory come to your world as a result. Hold on tightly to Me. The most violent shaking is about to come. (Spiritual and physical! In the warfare that is coming, there will be violent earthquakes which they are very capable of making; to say nothing of the nukes going off.)HOLD! Rest in Me, and do not withhold the truth from the terrified and perishing. The deceptions that have held them are about to crack. The trauma and terror of it will bring forth good fruit as we work together. All will be well. Trust, stand, obey, and believe. I am with you, and I am in charge. In the final analysis, you will bless Me for what I am about to allow, as well as that which I am about to bring forth from My own hand. Hold, and thank Me in advance for the glory which is soon to come to your world to change everything.” At the time we received this last revelation in 2021, a year after COVID-19 and the DS death jab. We prayed for people who took the shots and saw healings. We prayed for those who were infected by those who got the jab and saw healings. We know worse plagues than the DS's vax are coming. We have prayed for lost friends and seen healings. Some people who got the shots got placebos and showed no infection. Some only got the first shot and show less trouble. Cry out for mercy and God answers. The revival of the Man-child ministries will heal many when they believe. Mark 11:24 is still true. Mar.11:24 Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Like Esther, intercede for your family and the people of God that they repent and accept God's word and turn this thing around for them. Many times God changes a decree when touched by faith. Pray for your loved ones and cover them. All things are possible to him that believeth. Like the woman who, in rebellion, finally decided to get baptized, and shared her experience of the extreme fear she felt before she was submerged in the water, which was replaced by a beautiful peace and joy. That's what's coming for those who obey and surrender to the Word of God. The power of the Holy Spirit will fill those who repent and obey.   Prepare, I Come Quickly Eve Brast – 8/20/18  Yesterday, as I was working, around 11 am, the Lord spoke to me very clearly, “I come quickly... Go, My daughter, and write the things I speak and warn My people.” So I grabbed my notebook, and He said, “In a very little while you shall see Me. I come quickly. Tell My people to enter into the secret places of their hearts and cry unto Me for purity and holiness; to press into the voice of My Holy Spirit. Listen to My voice in the quiet place. Soften your hearts to My corrections. Cleanse yourselves of all defilement of flesh and spirit. If your hearts are pure and willing, I will fill you with My power to overcome. Separate yourselves from distractions and the useless things of this world and this life. There is so little time left. So little time!! Seek Me with all your mind, will, and strength and I will be found of you. Don't faint in the day of adversity! Many judgments and terrible things are coming. Do not get weary of seeking Me daily. Do not grow weary of sanctification. Be diligent to be found in Me. When I return and judgments fall, will you be found in Me? Your adversary is increasing his activities, especially against My holy ones, seeking to deceive and destroy as many as will listen to his lies. All idolaters will fall. Wherever idols are found, the enemy will gain access to your souls. The idol of self is the biggest deception. You sit on the throne of your own hearts and are deceived by your own mind, will, and emotions!! Put on My whole armor and fight! Do not let down your guard even for a minute. Understand your enemy's tactics! He will use your friends, even your brethren, your family members, and your phones and electronic devices to keep you from obeying this word I speak to you. Resist the distractions and the cunning deceptions and lies. Do not listen to lies! Cast down every vain thing, every vain thought, or these will take root in your heart and mind and exalt themselves above Me and My Word. Then shall the scales cover your eyes and your ears will be stopped, and the deceptions will overtake you! You will not even recognize it. Go forth in intercession, void of distractions. Don't be slothful! Pray without ceasing and I will lead you to victory. You will be found in Me and the devil will have nothing in you. In this way you will live in the light of My truth. I will lead you forth in victory, conquering all your enemies. I have provided everything you need, but you must use it!” I asked Father for a text for this word by faith at random and my finger was on the phrase, “there is no respect of persons” in Colossians 3:25 (in context 1-25) Col.3:1 If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. 3 For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory. 5 Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; 6 for which things' sake cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience: 7 wherein ye also once walked, when ye lived in these things; 8 but now do ye also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking out of your mouth: 9 lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings, 10 and have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11 where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; 13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: 14 and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God. 17 And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 18 Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in the Lord. 21 Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged. 22 Servants, obey in all things them that are your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord: 23 whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men; 24 knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ. 25 For he that doeth wrong shall receive again for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. Deborah Fensky - 8/29/18 God started speaking this to me last week in a couple of the morning meetings and last Friday night's meeting. Since last Friday, after I was done receiving this word, several things were shared here and there that matched up with or seemed to me to confirm things in this word. I had been questioning God about Him being bitter. But then He reminded me that He hates, and how in so many places in the word, God expressed what and who His soul hates. He let me know that He can be bitter too. Then on the last conference call Michael asked everyone, “Can God hate?” Along with other things this week that have been said, I felt God was confirming this word to me. But I did ask Him today to confirm with 2 heads if I should share this now, or wait. I know other words have been spoken that we need to remember. Yet, today I tossed and immediately got 2 heads. “I am bitter toward My people. I am bitter with anger. Listen, My holy ones. Have I not said that I come quickly? I come quickly, with a strong vengeance. For My people disregard Me. They disregard My ways. They refuse to seek Me out, but stubbornly adhere to their own likes and desires. Yet, though I am bitter with anger towards My people, My mercy will cause Me to hear their cries of repentance. Hear My cry, My holy people. I need you. I need you to pray and fight for My lost and stubborn children. And I need you in this day to continually draw close to Me. Live in love and faith, and in the wisdom of My Word and by My Spirit. For though living in an evil day already, as I have warned, dark evil is soon to descend upon all the earth; a darkness so gross that the light of My Glory to shine forth, penetrating that darkness, drawing My lost people out of the world to the light. I am the Light. My holy ones, you are the Light. You in Me and I in you. The dark and evil day is upon you. Thrust all your faith in Me and Me alone. There can nothing be of yourself. Yes, the day you are about to enter is a day of deep darkness, but a day of My power. It is the day My Glory will be fully revealed in My holy ones. Have I not said, I come quickly? I need you to trust Me. I need you to make yourself ready. Make yourself ready!”

X2M.251 Lisibilité — The Mystery Made Readable Series: CR20 Place De La Concorde Psalm 2 opens with noise: nations raging, rulers plotting, systems conspiring against the Lord and His Anointed. Yet heaven does not panic. Heaven laughs. The Father answers rebellion by installing His King on Zion.¹ This is **Lisibilité**: the restoration of readability. The signal becomes clear again. The mind untangles. The heart remembers the Father. The vessel becomes legible to heaven. The decree is sonship: “You are My Son.” “Today I have become Your Father.” The crisis of the nations is answered by intimacy with the Father. The enemy's strategy is disconnection — to wrap seaweed around the mind until the soul believes it has been cut off from the temple of the Lord. Jonah becomes the inner parable. He runs, descends, is swallowed, and finally remembers: “Salvation belongs to the Lord.” When the mind becomes clear, the fish releases him.² Seaweed is the unreadable mind: confusion, accusation, idolatry, self-protection, false narratives, and the belief that something other than God will save. Colossians 2 becomes the apostolic lens. Paul struggles for the church so their hearts may be knit together in love and brought into the knowledge of the mystery of God — Christ Himself. The mystery hidden for ages is now revealed: **Christ in you, the hope of glory.**³ This is not secret knowledge for an elite class. Not Gnostic ascent through hidden codes. Not self-made narrative. Not religious performance. Not angelic spectacle. Not legalistic control. Christ is the open mystery. Gnosticism says knowledge saves. Christ says union saves. Gnosticism elevates the self. Christ fills the body with the fullness of God. “For in Him all the fullness of deity dwells bodily, and in Him you have been filled.” That is the correction. The body is not trash to escape. It is a temple to be inhabited. The mind is not a theater for counterfeit stories. It is a place to be renewed. The heart is not an idol-factory. It is Zion, the holy hill where the King is installed. Paul warns against anything that pulls the believer out of union: reasonable-sounding arguments, human tradition, elemental spirits, false humility, religious regulations, body-hatred, and fascination with lesser powers.⁴ These things may appear wise, but they create noise. They make the soul unreadable. Lisibilité is the reversal. When Christ is central, the mind settles. Sin-consciousness loses its throne. Social-consciousness loses its grip. Fear loses its script. The Father's voice becomes clear. Love becomes readable again. In **Place De La Concorde** architecture, X2M.251 is the readability event: the old head of confusion is removed, and the true Head restores order in the public square of the heart. The remnant becomes clear. The signal becomes clean. The vessel becomes legible. The King is installed on Zion within. Glorification | The Final Frontier Going boldly where the last man has gone before! Decrease time over target: PayPal or Venmo @clastronaut Cash App $clastronaut X2M.251 Lisibilité is not about secret knowledge. It is about seeing Christ clearly — the Father's decree made readable in the Son, the seaweed removed from the mind, the body filled with glory, and the heart restored to holy agreement. **Footnotes** ¹ Psalm 2: rebellion answered by the installed King. ² Jonah's seaweed images a mind tangled in disconnection. ³ Colossians: Christ in you, the hope of glory. ⁴ Paul warns against systems that sound wise but pull believers out of union. ⁵ Lisibilité means readability: clear perception restored in Christ.

Manifesting Sonship (1) (Audio) David Eells, 6/7/26 Parable of the Persecuted Man-child David Eells - 01/18/2012 This came to me in the middle of the night of 1/18/12 and I hurried to write it down before I forgot it. Joseph took care of his father's flocks with his brothers before he was anointed to reign. His brothers became jealous of him and hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. The Father's favor was on Joseph, Who gave him a coat of many colors, symbolizing the attributes of light, since a prism breaks down light into the seven main colors. This represents the seven attributes of Jesus in 2 Peter 1:4-8, called divine nature. Joseph had dreams from God of being anointed to be over his brothers. His brothers hated his dreams and slandered them and God Who gave them. The brothers also hated and slandered Joseph. They agreed to throw him in a pit with plans to kill him. As traitors and Judases, they sold him into bondage for personal gain. They also wanted to inherit the flock as their own. They treated him as their own possession, as though God did not see their evil deeds. However, He saw and considered it as evil against His Son: (Mat.25:40) Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, [even] these least, ye did it unto ME. They took Joseph's coat of many colors and tore it between them and put the blood of a goat on it. This symbolizes their slandering his integrity and imputing to him an evil nature. (This was as the Pharisees treated Jesus. These apostate brothers did not know Jesus either, and their beast parted his garments, too.) These leaders of the harlot church proclaimed an evil beast had done this and in this, they were right. In this captivity, Joseph was then slandered by the harlot of Potiphar, the chief executioner, and thrown into a spiritual prison. Joseph was not deterred. His interpretations of dreams fulfilled prophecy as men's fates were decided. As with the butler and baker, some were resurrected from their prisons, and others were eternally destroyed. Because of his gift of understanding dreams and the future, Joseph was promoted and anointed to reign. He taught the people how to store up their treasures in the kingdom so they might be provided for from there. The seven years of plenty came to an end and seven years of famine came, and there was famine all over the world. The Father then sent Joseph's brothers to him so that they might not starve with all the flocks. They did not recognize him because he looked like any worldly Egyptian on the outside. Although all the people came to Joseph for spiritual sustenance, these leaders still did not know the one on the inside. Because of this, they reaped what they had sown and were tried by Joseph's words and falsely accused as they had done to Joseph. (Isa.54:17) No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness which is of me, saith Jehovah. In the fullness of time, Joseph revealed himself to them, and they were greatly saddened for their failures, which had caused them and their families much grief. Joseph comforted them, telling them that they meant evil against him, but God used it for good to save many people alive. All of the types of the Man-child were slandered before and after the anointing came. The Psalms are full of this in David's experience, which was a type of Jesus' experience, which was a type of Jesus in the end-time Man-child ministry's experience. This parable above is in the process of being fulfilled. It is easy to see ‘who is who' in this parable of God just before the seven years of famine begin. Repent while there is still time. Joseph is not in prison alone. Some will end up like the butler and some like the baker, by His Word.   Death of the Davids Eve Brast - 11/25/2012 (David's notes in red) In the dream, David Eells (representing the David/Man-childs) and I (Eve, representing the bride of the last Adam) were in an Army barracks on a base on the second floor. I walked into the room where David was sitting. He was sitting at the doorway, teaching a rebellious man who was sitting at his feet, about not fighting in the flesh because he really wanted to teach his son to rise up and fight the government with guns and weapons. At first, my eyes were focused on the rebellious man, but then I looked up at David and saw the condition of his outward man. He was feeble and old but the voice coming from his inner man was very strong and youthful. (2Co.4:16) Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. (17) For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; (18) while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.) I was shocked when I saw him. He was wearing a long-sleeved white dress shirt, and it was soaked with bloody sweat, just like Christ in the garden just before His crucifixion. He had been laboring in great travail and prayer while teaching this rebellious man who had been sitting at his feet. (I have discovered that teaching the rebellious man is a wonderful way to be crucified of self at his hand.) When I looked at him, he motioned to me with his finger by pointing to his mouth and then pointing to me and indicating to me to read his lips because his old man could not speak anymore. (The tongue is a good indication of whether the old man is dead. (Jas.3:2) For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. A perfect man is one who is dead to self.) When I read his lips, he said without a sound, “It's time.” And then he pointed at R. S., who was his personal secretary/nurse in an office to his right. He wanted me to alert her. I didn't understand what was happening and I became concerned because he looked like he was going to die! (Please read our book, How Shall We Die, to know the way of death to self.) Then he pulled his blood-and sweat-soaked shirt open (like Superman does) and I saw a bright red scar running down his sternum. Then I understood that he had recently had a heart transplant and now it was time for him (the old man) to pass away. (A heart transplant is in effect the death of the old heart and resurrection of the new.) I ran and got R.S., who was a white woman in this dream. She jumped up and ran to catch his body as it slumped in his chair and passed away. She said, “We've been waiting and preparing for this to happen for quite a while now”. She reached David just in time to catch his body and lower it down to the floor. I was sorrowful that he had left us, as the brethren took his body away. I felt the way the disciples felt after their Shepherd, Jesus, had been crucified. (The Davids are going through a crucifixion and death of the old man.) I then went back to another barracks where I also taught the revelations the Father had given David to others, and where we all slept. (The Bride will pass on the Man-child's teachings in the tribulation.) It was dark outside, and on the way back, I heard a radio broadcast in my right ear. The disc jockey was criticizing me and slandering the good news teaching that I had been sharing with others. I didn't realize that anyone knew about me or that I taught the good news to others. I then smiled and said to myself, “I don't care if they don't like me because I know what I've taught is the truth of the Word”. (Persecution will come on the bride, as it did on the Man-child, so the bride too can walk in death to self and share the same gift with the world.) A confirmation: This is a small portion of a dream I had on the morning of 11/26/12, confirming the “death of David.” In one part of the dream, David's voice is heard teaching out of a very large stone fireplace with a blazing fire burning, which was inside a white homeschool convention center. (I have had several dreams with fireplaces, but this is the first one that actually had a fire going in it.) David was sharing a dream from a UBM brother with us then afterward, he was going to share a dream I was given. (Fire represents tribulation, which burns up flesh. The Davids are in the fire, which will purify their Word and make it effectual for many more people, implied by the “white homeschool convention center.”) At another point in the dream, I was out in the foyer of the convention center, in front of the two huge, carved double doors of the entry into the center, when my son, Elijah, who was 10, ran up to me and asked, “Do you think I can have David's ministry when he's dead?” (I am sure that when the Davids manifest death, many will inherit from them their mantle and ministry, especially all of the witnesses, typed by Elijah.) I said, “I don't know. You will have to ask him, but I'm sure it's okay”. I then looked way up high above the double entry doors and saw very large, red music notes, edged in gold, mounted on the wall. I thought, “Enter into His courts with praise!” (The color red represents the “sacrifice of praise.”) (The Davids should complain about the fire less and praise the Lord more, in great appreciation for this unmerited and gifted ministry to come!)   Sonship or Persecutor? Golda Meyer - 05/14/2006 (David's notes in red) Children, carry forth this message, for truly, the time is no more. Hours in the day are crunched. Mercy time is crunched because of My chosen ones. For long you have walked in the wilderness, hoping for more, groaning for more, and crying for more. I have seen your tears, and I know of the cries in your hearts. Children, the time is here. Like Mary accepted the seed of the Holy Spirit in her womb, so did you. But travail came in a terrible way in her young life, but she rejoiced in the Birth of the Sign - Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Sign, but even the Sign had to be fulfilled in the Promise. And this is happening. Children, it is happening still, for the Promise is fulfilled with many sons of God coming into Sonship. Children, this is that time now. It is Sonship time. Now you will see the true Sonship. Men and Women of God on this earth truly walking like Jesus did. By this, you can see who the sons are and who are not. Discernment will be so easy, and the works wrought by their hands in perfection are driven by Love. And this Love is from God; for no man, it does not matter how long and hard they try, can muster this Love up from their own will. These sons are sent by God, and cannot by their own will achieve anything. They have died and given over fully their wills to God. Deep in the river do they abide, knowing only the Love and Strength and Life of their God. You will see them appear - all of them. From the quiet and the secret places are they coming forth, and in great strength, for all in them is from Me. And they shall rule in the way I want them to rule. No tolerance for evil or flesh will they be able to show, for the mere idea stinks with rot to them. For I AM in them, fully employed and in Power. They will not tolerate any mediocrity either, and harsh will be their words sometimes, but it is for healing only, motivated by Love. You shall see their strength and their beauty in the LORD. Only those who abide in the LORD can follow this road. Abiding in the Vine, the Vine of all Life-giving. Only those can move to Sonship, for in the fellowship and intimacy of God, only herein could they grow into maturity. That time of maturity is here. And they will mature simultaneously, in great numbers, to impact this world. This world will know of the Glory of the Lord, for it will be shown in great and splendid public display. How shall this be? Oh, you shall see, for ALL will be healed in the Presence of God, in Mine Glory and ALL shall be delivered in the Presence of God, of those that will accept the LORD Jesus Christ as their Savior. The Healing and Deliverance is for ALL who will receive Me. For ALL. They will walk, talk, and do like Jesus, and even more so. For much splendor will I bestow on this earth, and great is the Glory of God, for My Presence will fill this earth, and even the sinners will know that I AM God. So children, have eyes wide open, for those that will see, shall see, and those that will hear, shall hear. The others shall be veiled, unless My intercessors intercede and stand in the gap for those who are lost. Children, hear your Father's Heart. I will not, that anyone go astray, so stand in for those that you know are not with Me. For I long to feel them in My Heart, for I have created them in Love. Don't let them die, children, but pray for them to Live, and have Life abundantly. You are greatly blessed with the Light; now shine that Light unto others, so they may live. (Joh.6:39 And this is the will of him that sent me, that of all that which he hath given me I should lose nothing, …) Dearest children, this, your Father asks of you today, to be merciful unto others as I AM merciful to you. Pray earnestly for those, and I shall save them, for the prayers of the righteous avail much. Love Me first and love others as you love yourself, and truly, your rewards are great in Christ Jesus. Now then, My beloved, pray for unity, for I want My Church together in great strength, for in unity there can be no division, and if no division, then comes forth great Strength in Christ. Accept them, each other, and do not cuddle dominion loyalty, but be loyal to your God and to each other. As I AM, so you shall be. Now see My sons, for you shall truly say: How long have I been in your midst? See then Me, in My sons, for this is who I AM. ALL in ALL. Dearest ones, be faithful to My commands and be blessed in Christ Jesus, for truly, great is the time upon you. Great is the Grace upon you, and great is the Glory of God upon this earth. So it shall be. AMEN. Rom 8:16 Rom The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: 17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. Rom 8:29 For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: 30 and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Let's look at some scriptures concerning our persecution and the reasons, and if we endure, the rewards. (Mat.5:4) Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.   Obviously, we mourn. The world is full of laughter and enjoying everything that's going on around them, but like Lot (2 Peter 2:7-8), we're grieved in our hearts. When we put the Word of God in our heart, the Jesus Who is in us is grieved at the things that go on around us, is grieved at the advantage that the wicked take of us, is grieved at the persecution that they bring against us. Losing your life can be painful, of course, but if we obey Jesus' commands, He will make it as quick as possible. Thank You, Lord! Needless to say, there is a place of mourning because of the persecutions and the tribulations that come upon us through the wicked people around us. Jesus told us in (Luk.6:21) Blessed [are] ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed [are] ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. (22) Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you [from their company,] and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. We don't see that as a blessing, but it's listed here as one of God's blessings because when we're hated of the world, that means we're loved of God. If we weep because of what we're giving up in the natural, because of persecutions that we're suffering and enduring for Christ's sake, persecutions that we endure because of the crucified life, this is good.  The Lord is going to bless us for this. (Mat.5:10) Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Another Scripture tells us, (2Ti.3:12) Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. If you're going to live Godly, as Jesus walked, you are going to suffer persecution, and it's for the purpose of crucifying that old man. But notice He said, “Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake” because if we suffer for doing evil, we don't receive glory or gain any advantage for that (1 Peter 2:20, 3:17). And many of us do suffer God's chastening for doing things that are contrary to His Will, but that's because He loves us and wants us to turn and go the other way. (Mat.5:11) Blessed are ye when [men] shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. We don't like to suffer persecution, or people speaking lies against us, and so on, but God said, “Blessed are you.” This is more of God's humbling process, that we should accept what's being spoken against us. Jesus told His apostles, (Joh.15:20) Remember the word that I said unto you, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. If they did it to our Lord, they'll do it to us, and so we should be rejoicing in our persecution. In fact, look at what the very next verse says in Matthew. (Mat.5:12) Rejoice, and be exceeding glad (Notice that's our command from the Lord.): for great is your reward in heaven… We're going to receive a reward because of all the things that the wicked do; things the wicked Christians and wicked worldly people say against us. We're going to get a reward for that, and so He tells us to rejoice and give thanks to God. I don't believe when we're on the other side of our trial, looking back, brethren, that we're going to think, “Boy, I'm sorry I went through that!” It says in (Heb.12:11) All chastening seemeth for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exercised thereby, even the fruit of righteousness. Obviously, we're going to see the results of God's blessings and the things that He's provided for us because we have gone through that, and because of the peaceable fruit that God is working in our hearts by our going through this. No, I believe we're going to thank God and we will be rejoicing! (Deu.28:7) The Lord will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thee: they shall come out against thee one way, and shall flee before thee seven ways. In the midst of the trial, “hearken” unto the Word. Accept the good report, and the devil won't know what to do with you, and neither will your physical enemies (Numbers 13:30). Our physical enemies come against us as persecutions and a matter of crucifixion, so the best thing to do is lay down your life. Stop trying to save yourself by man's methods. Put your trust in the Lord and “hearken diligently” unto His Word.   Will You Eat with Chickens or Fly with Eagles? G. W. - 10/06/2008 (David's notes in red) I had a dream that was very clear. I found myself in a school classroom full of students and everybody was there learning. David Eells was teaching about this great event that was going to happen, almost like it had to do with dinosaurs. (Many think the Biblical events of the disciples walking as sons of God to be extinct, but they are coming again now to repeat history.) I was so excited about this event, and I watched and studied everything David did and said. It was as if the rest of the class took it lightly and didn't really pay close attention as much to the things he was saying. I then watched him as he and some students were outside, and one of the students lit a firecracker that went into a tree and exploded. In my mind, I realized that David had the authority to stop this, but he let the student do it anyway. (The tree is America, and some will rebel and fight against her in the flesh, which will separate them from the true disciples. This is a test, like many other things.) Then David and I were in front of the class, and he said, “It's time.” Nobody in the room knew what he was talking about but me, and even I didn't really understand, but I was filled with excitement. In front of the class, he then pulled out this ring that was about the size of a car tire and put it over my head. I then disappeared in front of the class and found myself going up to heaven. (The ring over the head represents the authority of the King manifested through the renewed mind.) I thought to myself the whole time I was floating up to heaven, “Wow, David was right, and I'm so glad that I listened”. (This is the authority to walk above the laws of the earthbound in the kingdom of heaven on earth.) I then realized that I was still on earth and now I had the power to fly. I then began flying around all over the place and around people, but they could not see me. But then I began to think in my mind that flying wasn't as fun as I thought it would be, and I thought there would be more to it. (Overcoming the gravitational draw of the world is not fun or painless for the flesh.) I then flew around a public swimming pool with people in it and the swimming pool pulled me into the water with the people. (The water of the worldly bound represents their carnal teaching. “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers”. “Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals”. “A little leaven leavens the whole lump”.) I tried to fly again, but I could not fly; it felt like the water was kryptonite, and I was powerless to fly. I only had the ability to do what everyone else was doing in the pool. (Their worthless teaching and sometimes faction makes one powerless to overcome the world, and instead, they will walk after the mind and works of the flesh, thinking it to be the normal Christian life.) Then everyone could see me, but they never knew that I could fly before. (Their teaching takes away the power to live like Superman, and the manifestation of Sonship cannot be revealed to them through you because you are just like them.) I then went back to the school to find David. He was there grading papers and talking to a student whose paper he had just graded. I wanted to talk with David, but he was busy grading other papers, and I wondered why he was back there and not in heaven. My whole view of him changed from that which I had in the beginning; it was like now he was just a normal schoolteacher. (When one walks and thinks in the flesh, they are not able to see and associate with those who walk in heavenly places while on earth. The Pharisees didn't recognize Jesus or His disciples as sons of God.) I wanted to speak with David very badly and waited for him to acknowledge me. Then a sixth-grade student, whom I taught when I was an Elementary schoolteacher in real life, said to me with fear, “Everyone saw you disappear in class, and now you're back”. I realized everyone was filled with fear about this, but I was sad that I was back and didn't understand why I returned. (If we fall, we have to start school all over again to learn to be an overcomer by being obedient to the Word. This should put the fear in others not to make this mistake and lose fruit and time to bear it. This is a warning to the body to not mix the worldly teachings and spirits of the apostate church into our life, or we will have no strength to walk in the Spirit as sons of God, as the Man-child and Bride. Sadly this happened and he never flew again.) The Darkness is Closing In So Walk in Jesus' Steps Marie Kelton - 3/27/21 (David's notes in red) I had an open vision a couple of days ago while standing on my front porch. The sky had a reddish-orange color to it. (Representing warning or danger) I was looking in the direction of the stepping stones in the grass. (These stepping stones represent the steps already laid by Jesus, Who is the Word.) 1Jn.2:3-6 And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him: 6 he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked. These stones help us navigate the straight and narrow path, over our flesh nature, that leads to the manifestation of eternal life in Christ.) I was wearing a long, white skirt with a white top and a white head covering. (This is the Leukos or white garment of those invited to the marriage supper. Rev 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they that are bidden (invited) to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are true words of God…14  And the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white (leukos) and pure.)  There was a thick darkness (representing demons) coming towards the stairs up to the left of me and a thick darkness (also representing demons) coming to the right of me. Isa.60:1-3 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples; but Jehovah will arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3 And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. So, seek to walk in the light saints and escape the darkness. Then, while standing there, I saw Jesus Who was walking on the stone pathway, but it was no longer a stone pathway but a white light. Psa.119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And light unto my path. He stopped and held out His hand for me to take it. I was standing on the white pathway on my porch. I knew Jesus wanted me to walk with Him on the pathway of light in the midst of the darkness. (Here is an exhortation to those who aspire to be in the bride. Isa.52:1-12 Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. 2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit on thy throne, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bonds of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. 3 For thus saith Jehovah, Ye were sold for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money. 4 For thus saith the Lord Jehovah, My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there: and the Assyrian hath oppressed them without cause. 5 Now therefore, what do I here, saith Jehovah, seeing that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them do howl, saith Jehovah, and my name continually all the day is blasphemed. 6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak; behold, it is I. 7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 8 The voice of thy watchmen! they lift up the voice, together do they sing; for they shall see eye to eye, when Jehovah returneth to Zion. 9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for Jehovah hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. 10 Jehovah hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; cleanse yourselves, ye that bear the vessels of Jehovah. 12 For ye shall not go out in haste, neither shall ye go by flight: for Jehovah will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rearward.   Your Way Is Marked Sandy Warner - 10/17/2005 I have heard your anxious worries over walking to the tune of My Spirit and walking with others of like minds. I know who and what has been missing in your life, dear one. I understand the pain. You have been sent like a pioneer into non-charted territory and few have walked this way. They have not recognized this great drive that is within you to see what is beyond the next valley. Come walk with Me. Your way is greatly protected and sheltered. I have given you My Word, which you have hidden in your heart. I have covered you and shaded you. Resist carrying too much weight, dear one, for such encumbers your way. Instead, travel light and easy and become so sensitive to My leading that I can lead you with My eye. Look up, change your focus, for it is faith that causes you to rise above all that encumbers you. You belong to Me, My love. I belong to you. Fear not, for your prepared way has an impenetrable fence against the dogs or wolves who devour and bite. I am taking you cross-country and bringing you along the path of laurels, the overcoming ones. Also, you need not fear deception from the wolves, for I have paved the trail before you. Your path is well marked with signs of My Word liberally sprinkled to your right and to your left. I have also sent others before you who have given much in order to leave a trail of breadcrumbs and seeds for you, My precious hungry birds. And even as you have followed the signs and been faithful with what I have given you, you shall be promoted. I will send you into the marketplace to release My Words to those who are starving and, yes, they will listen. In the past, they did not heed My Word and grew hungry while they walked in circles. You are My chosen generation who walked ahead of them. You shall walk out of the wilderness pioneering, leaning upon your Beloved. A great company travels with you, and you shall never be alone again. (SoS.8:5-7 NKJV) Who is this coming up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree. There your mother brought you forth; There she who bore you brought you forth. Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised.   The Mark, Persecution and Refuge I. P. - 03/22/2009 (David's notes in red) I had a dream that the world turned on the Christians. They did not necessarily turn on them because they were Christians, but because they did not receive the mark (of the beast). The war on terror never seemed to cease, and the focus seemed to be on those who did not take the mark. Anyone who refused the mark was considered a terrorist. The whole world had received the mark and even though I did not see it, I knew that everyone had it. Those of us who did not take it had a camp in the woods, hidden away from those in the world. I went into the city one day with my Bible to preach the Word to all those who would listen. After I entered the city, I stepped inside a mall and was taken aback by the strange sight. Everyone in the mall was severely mentally retarded. (The mall represents Babylon's buying and selling with those who have the mark. The mark retards spirituality.) Some of the store owners were outside their storefronts, beckoning people to come into their shop. (Those who seek to sell you their goods or worldly ideas.) Everyone was mentally handicapped, from the shoppers to the owners. (This is the reprobation the Bible promised to those who receive the mark.) Everyone in the mall had severe hatred for me, so I continued walking around until I came to a storefront where normal people were. It was the only shop where the people were not mentally handicapped. I walked to the front counter and they asked, “May I help you?” I said, “No, I am just here to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.” I was surprised because they were happy to see me. I said, “Wow, I thought I would be kicked out of here by now; everyone hates me.” She said, “No, we don't hate you.” They listened to what I had to say. Earlier in the dream, I had sown a blessing to another, and it made sense now that these women gave me more than I had sown before. The Lord met my needs. (These women represent those groups of Christians who do not buy and sell with the world because they are not marked. They also offer in Babylon their truths for those who will receive. Public buying and selling will not last long after the mark is forced. I suggest giving and receiving for which there is a reward.) So I walked back out of the city into the woods where our camp was. My fiancée (who's now my wife) welcomed me there. I walked to a lake that was inside our camp, and I saw David Eells and another man lying in lawn chairs, basking in the sun. (This represents the David/Man-child ministries resting from their own works abiding in the Son.) They were rubbing suntan lotion on and enjoying the day. (Resting in the anointing.) The man who was with David had a mustache that curled upwards; he was also a minister and seemed to be in the same position of authority as David. They were like elders of the community. The other elder was a bit sterner and more old-fashioned, but still in the same spirit as David. (The Man-child ministers will not be carbon-copies but will all walk in the Spirit of the Son.) They asked me about my day, and I proceeded to tell them all that had happened to me.    Christ Manifest in Us  David Let's examine some verses about how Jesus is coming in this matured body of sons. Christ will manifest His life and ministry in these. (2Th.1:10-12) when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day. (We are still coming out of the dark ages but God will reveal the greater works in our day.) (11) To which end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfil every desire of goodness and [every] work of faith, with power; (12) that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. (Col.3:4) When Christ, [who is] our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory. (Gal.4:19) My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you. (Col.1:27) to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (28) whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ; (2Co.4:10) always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. (11) For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (Eph.3:14-19) For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father, (15) from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, (16) that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; (17) that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18) may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, (19) and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God. (Eph.4:11-15) And he gave some [to be] apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (12) for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: (13) till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (14) that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; (15) but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, [even] Christ; Maturity is having Christ manifest in you. It says in 1Jn2:28 And now my little children, abide in him; that if he shall be manifested (the three most ancient manuscripts of the New Testament, the Nestles text, the A.S.V., the R.V., and the Numeric New Testament agree to this translation) if he shall be manifested we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. This means that “If he shall be manifested” in us, we won't be ashamed when we see him. 1Jn.3:2 “Beloved now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, (Again this means manifested in us 2 Cor 4:10,11) (the three most ancient manuscripts of the New Testament, the Nestles text, the Received Text, the A.S.V., the R.V., and the Numeric New Testament agree on this translation) we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is”. Notice that we must see the real Jesus to be like Him. The apostate's ‘Jesus' is nothing like Him and so they do not walk as He walked. 2Co.3:18 ASV But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. This shows us that if we “see him as he is” in the mirror (by faith) then we will manifest His glory. According to quantum physics or mechanics, we must see what we want and believe we have received it to have it. Christ exchanged His life for ours at the cross. (Col.1:22) yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him: (23) if so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye heard, which was preached in all creation under heaven;) That's why we must see him in the mirror by faith in order to manifest Him. (Gal.2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, [the faith] which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. This kind of faith is accounted as righteousness until righteousness is manifested in bearing fruit. He who sees his “natural face in the mirror” will be a hearer but not a doer because they will not have power to obey (James 1:23). (Col.3:4) When Christ, [who is] our life, shall be manifested (in us-same as above), then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory. Now notice the life of Christ is His glory and it is manifested in our “mortal flesh” (2Co.4:11) For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. Notice: mortal flesh on the earth, not glorified bodies. The false prophet has told us that we have to settle for being forgiven sinners in this life instead of overcoming sons of God. For many deceivers are gone forth into the world, [even] they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. (This means in the true believer's flesh.(2Jn.7). Note: “is come” or “has come in the flesh” has no foundation in the ancient manuscripts, the Received Text, or the Nestles Text or Numerics. Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:18,19 that they “may be strong to apprehend (not comprehend- The ancient manuscripts, Received Text and Nestles Text and Numerics agree) ...the breadth and length and height and depth ...of Christ ...and be filled unto all the fullness of God”. I.e., Apprehend all of Christ. The power to do this is faith in Him. According to Paul in Eph.4:11-15, the five-fold ministry is “for the perfecting of the saints...unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Through faith in the promises we “cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2Co.7:1). Be diligent in this faith beloved, till He comes, and you will bear the fruit of His works and have great reward. Most of you know this, but I want to briefly explain that ‘Manifest' in these texts means to appear in the physical realm. When we come to Christ, we accept all of His benefits by faith (faith is the substance of the thing hoped for while the evidence is unseen. Heb.11:1) until the sacrifice is manifest in our lives as fruit. According to the parable of the sower, the seed is sown in the heart, but only one out of the four is good ground and brings forth fruit 30, 60, 100 fold. The fruit here is Christ, not gaining other souls. The fruit of the Spirit. He is the “seed” of the word and each seed brings forth after its own kind; not another Jesus. (Rom.8:24,25) For in hope (Greek = a firm expectation) were we saved. But hope that is seen is not hope: for who hopeth for that which he seeth? (25) But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. In other words, we wait for the full manifestation of our salvation. When we come to Christ, we receive a new spirit, but our soul, our mind, will, and emotions need transforming. (Rom.12:2) And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. By faith we say with Paul (Gal.2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. As we make this confession of our faith, it will be continually manifested in us, for we are justified by faith. The Holy Spirit gives power to those who believe. If we don't repent and believe the word, we cannot have what it says. As long as we are walking by faith in the word, we are acceptable to God for “faith is accounted as righteousness” until it is manifested. Jesus told his disciples in (Luk.6:40) The disciple is not above his teacher but every one when he is perfected shall be as his teacher. Christ wants to live and be seen or manifested in us. As we repent, when we see the word we permit this to happen. We give good ground to the seed and bear His fruit. (Luk.9:23,24) And he said unto all, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (24) For whosoever would save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (2Pe.1:19) And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts. This is the manifested glory. (2Pe.1:9-11) For he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. (10) Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things ye shall never stumble: (11) For thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (Jas.1:23) For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror. If we don't see Jesus in the mirror, then that is not faith and we will not be a doer of the word. A doer of the word is manifesting Christ. I received this objection to my letter “Christ In You” from a brother. I am using the word perfection as the Greek word implies, to be mature, or full-grown. Here is an objection to what the Word clearly says: Dave, are you suggesting that the Word teaches that perfection can be attained in this life? Your quote: “perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor 7:1). would seem to indicate strongly that it is an ongoing process (known in Scripture as Sanctification) not accomplished in this life. (Notice here you have added to the Word, which brings the curse of the last four verses of Revelation. This also takes from the Word for you can never arrive at the manifestation with this unbelief.) Paul said, “...not as if I had already attained ...” - Paul continues that he is still pursuing that higher life which is found in Christ, who is “in us”. (Paul believed he could by grace manifest what he already said he believed.) 1 John says that if we say we sin not, we lie. We must be careful to differentiate between the goal we strive for (as close to the life of Jesus as possible) and claiming sinless perfection. Try as you may and believe as much as you wish does not erase the “old man” we must constantly fight against. That fight is by faith, of course, in Christ. Here is my answer: I hope you will read this carefully because, as you can see, it is the Word of God. We can't reject any scripture and still say we have the truth. We cannot pick the verses we like in order to justify our religion. “The sum of thy words is truth”. The whole verse says this: Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2Cor.7:1) All we have to do is believe what it says without invoking the curse for adding to the word. We are commanded here to use the word of God to separate from worldly thinking and actions. Look at what the following scriptures say: (1Th.4:3-8) For this is the will of God, [even] your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication; (4) that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, (5) not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who know not God; (6) that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in the matter: because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as also we forewarned you and testified. (7) For God called us not for uncleanness, but in sanctification. (8) Therefore he that rejecteth, rejecteth not man, but God, who giveth his Holy Spirit unto you. How can sanctification not be attainable in this life when scriptures say, (Heb.12:14,15) Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord: (15) looking carefully lest [there be] any man that falleth short of the grace of God. Holiness and sanctification are the same Greek word. A person who does not believe it is attainable cannot receive it because we receive it by faith. (2Co.4:11) For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (Eph.3:18-20) ....may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, (in other words all of Christ ) (19) and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fullness of God. (20) Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Notice, its not our power but His that accomplishes this by faith. Are you saying He can't do this? (Eph.4:12) for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: (13) till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (14) that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; (15) but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, [even] Christ; (Col.1:22,23) yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and unreproveable before him: (23) if so be that ye continue in the faith, grounded and stedfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye heard, (1Co.15:1,2) Now I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand, (2) by which also ye are saved, if ye hold fast the word which I preached unto you, except ye believed in vain. We are justified by faith in the sanctification given us at the cross and that faith continually brings us into manifest sanctification. Faith is accounted as righteousness until righteousness is manifested in us. In this way a person can continue under the grace of God as he bears fruit. Faith is the “victory that overcomes the world” (1Jn.5:4). Faith is “calling the things that are not as though they were” (Rom.4:17), until they come to pass. We must be “seeing that His divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness... whereby He hath granted unto us His precious and exceeding great promises that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust” (2Pe.1:34). Christ made you “free from sin” (Romans 6:18,22) so why should you “live any longer therein?” (verse 22) for you were “delivered out of the power of darkness” (Colossians 1:13) so “reckon yourselves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God” and “let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body that you should obey the lusts thereof “(Rom.6:11,12). “If you live after the flesh, you must die: but if by the Spirit (God's power) you put to death the deeds of the body, you shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God” (Rom.8:13,14). Believe God's promises and escape the lusts of the flesh. “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2Cor. 7:1). (1Jo.2:1-6) My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (2) and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. (3) And hereby we know that we know him. If we keep his commandments. (4) He that saith. I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar. and the truth is not in him: (5) but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him: (6) he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked. The religions of this day have turned the grace of God into lasciviousness, which is a license to do what you want to do. As we can see from the verses above, grace delivers from sin, not just covers it up. The blood covers our ignorance until we see the light. (Jas.4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (Heb.10:26) For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. Some sins are done in ignorance and are therefore not willful. These are covered by the Blood through faith. For the other sins, we will obviously get chastening until we hopefully repent. (Rom.5:13) ... for until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. You may have sinned a sin of ignorance (not knowing the law) but under Grace, God does not reckon it as sin. That is why we cannot say, “we have no sin” (1Jo.1:8). We are ignorant of many things that are against His perfect will. When we get light, then we are responsible. When does the Blood not just cover, but wash away the very nature of sin? (1Jo.1:5-7) And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (6) if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: (7) but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. This is why the Gospel is the Good News. Now we don't have to be content with forgiveness because Jesus is “the Lamb of God that taketh away, not just covers up the sins of the world”. Many of God's people are still living with Old Testament benefits because they don't believe the Gospel. I hope this answer will benefit you in your walk with Christ.   Chosen to Show God's Glory Mary Clark - 04/26/2007 unthinkable = unimaginable, impossible, fantastic, unbelievable, incredible, improbable, extraordinary Word: I want to talk to you about the unthinkable. What I am going to do is unthinkable. No man on the face of the earth could ever think up, ever even imagine, what I am about to bring forth. No man on the face of the earth could ever think up the wonders that I am about to present. It is utterly impossible, absolutely impossible! Keep this in mind when My mighty forces present the coming scenario. Keep this in mind when you see mind-boggling events. Keep this in mind when you see mankind standing agog, looking as if they have seen a ghost or something equivalent. Yes, keep it in mind that I told you that I was going to do the unthinkable. Keep it in mind that I told you that I was going to surprise you with the most extraordinary. Keep it in mind when you see the most incredible sights you have ever seen, much less experienced. Yes, I want you to remember My words when this fantastic display occurs in your vicinity and remember that I told you in advance. Yes, I always let My beloved children know in advance, and this is the season, beloved, for the unthinkable. It is approaching with great rapidity. It is coming by My hand. Stand back and watch as I present My last day scenario and know deep within your heart that all is coming forth for a reason. All is coming forth for a very good purpose. You will see that purpose arise solidly in lives all across the face of the earth, and you will vow that your God does all things well. Yes, you will vow that it is GOOD, mighty GOOD. In fact, you will say that it is unthinkable, and too good for words, too good to be true, but true, yes, true it will be. Yes, true it will be, and you will know that your Beloved has shown forth His mercy in this final hour to bring forth His glory-filled presence for all to see and to know that He is alive and He lives mightily in His chosen. Yes, I live mightily in those called by My name. My very own chosen are arising with purpose to show forth My glory, and what the world will see will be unthinkable, but it will be true, true to My word, a true to life display of the wonders of the living God, shining forth in vast array for all to see and to know that the eternal King has a purpose and has carried it through. Unthinkable? I think not, beloved. I think not. Did I not think? Did I not bring it into existence? Not so unthinkable. No, not so unthinkable at all. Not for Me, anyway!!!

"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."Following Jesus is more than attending church or agreeing with Christian beliefs. Discipleship is a daily decision to align our lives with Christ—allowing His teaching to shape our thinking, decisions, relationships, and purpose.Jesus consistently challenged people to count the cost of following Him. Discipleship requires commitment, surrender, and obedience, but it also leads to transformation, freedom, and a deeper relationship with God.Dietrich Bonhoeffer, author of The Cost of Discipleship, famously wrote:"When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die."Jesus invites us into a new life, a new identity, and a new purpose.1. DENY YOURSELF (Luke 9:23)Self-denial is not about self-hatred; it is about surrendering control of our lives to Christ. Instead of allowing our desires, emotions, or personal ambitions to lead us, we choose to follow God's will.Galatians 5:17 reminds us that there is a constant struggle between the flesh and the Spirit.Paul identifies the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19–21, including jealousy, anger, selfish ambition, division, and impurity. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit produces:Galatians 5:22–23 "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."True freedom is found when we surrender our lives to Christ. Self-denial is not losing something valuable—it is gaining something far greater.2. TAKE UP YOUR CROSS DAILY (Luke 9:23)In Jesus' day, the cross was not a symbol of hope but of death and complete surrender. To take up our cross means choosing God's way above our own every day.Discipleship requires action, not simply agreement. It may involve:• Reading and applying Scripture consistently • Dealing with unhealthy habits and attitudes • Forgiving others and addressing conflict • Sharing our faith boldly • Taking responsibility for God's calling on our livesThe word "daily" is significant. Following Jesus is not a one-time decision but a lifelong commitment.Matthew 16:25"Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it."When we die to self, we discover the life God intended for us.3. FOLLOW JESUS (Luke 9:23)Jesus did not simply say, "Follow my teachings." He said, "Follow Me."Following Jesus means making Him the centre of every area of life—our relationships, work, finances, decisions, and priorities.John 10:27 "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."John 8:12 "Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."Matthew 4:19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people."Following Jesus means:• Trusting Him completely • Obeying His Word • Walking in His footsteps • Living for His gloryAs we keep our eyes on Christ, He leads us into purpose, growth, and spiritual maturity.Hebrews 12:1–2 "Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus."THE COST AND REWARD OF DISCIPLESHIPJesus is not asking us to simply improve our lives—He is inviting us to surrender them completely.Discipleship requires self-denial, daily surrender, and wholehearted obedience. Yet Jesus never asks us to give something up without offering something greater in return.John 10:10 "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."The challenge for every believer is simple: Are you willing to follow Him?Jesus is not looking for admirers or spectators. He is calling disciples who will trust Him, follow Him, and discover the fullness of life found in Him.

Centering on Hebrews 12:1-2, Elder Gary Massengill delivers a Christ-centered message titled “What Are You Looking For?” This sermon challenges listeners to examine the focus of their lives and directs their attention to the One who is worthy of it all: Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Drawing from the powerful exhortation to run the Christian race with patience while “looking unto Jesus,” Elder Massengill reminds us that salvation is not based on human effort, religious works, or personal merit. Our hope rests entirely in the finished work of Christ on the cross of Calvary. Before the foundation of the world, when no one in heaven, earth, or beneath the earth could be found worthy, God provided the perfect Lamb. Jesus willingly left the glory of heaven, took on human flesh, and became the sacrifice for the sins of mankind. The message reflects on the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, especially during the Easter season. Jesus endured the cross, suffered shame, and shed His precious blood so that every sinner could be saved by the grace of God. His cry of “It is finished” declared that the plan of redemption was complete forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken away. Elder Massengill beautifully illustrates salvation through the Old Testament tabernacle. The single door into the tabernacle points to Christ as the only way to the Father. The laver speaks of cleansing, the candlestick represents light, and the showbread reminds us that Jesus is the Bread of Life who sustains His people. When Christ died, the veil was torn from top to bottom, opening direct access to God through our great High Priest, Jesus Christ. Throughout the sermon, listeners are asked a simple but searching question: What are you looking for? Are you looking for fulfillment in the world, or are you looking unto Jesus? The world cannot satisfy the deepest needs of the soul. True peace, joy, forgiveness, and eternal life are found only in Him. The message also highlights the incredible love of Christ. While we were still sinners, He came to where we were, reaching into the depths of our brokenness to offer salvation. Through the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, He continues to call hearts to repentance and faith today. Elder Massengill reminds us that Jesus was looking for something as well. As He hung upon the cross, He was looking ahead to those who would believe, trust Him, and receive the gift of salvation. Even now, He is still drawing souls, making intercession for His people, and preparing a place for those who belong to Him. The sermon concludes with a glorious vision of heaven. A place where there are no more tears, no more death, no more sorrow, and no more pain. A place where believers will be reunited with loved ones, gather at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and most importantly, see Jesus face to face. Whether you’re searching for hope, purpose, peace, or salvation, this message points to the answer found in Christ alone. The question remains: What are you looking for?

In this follow-up to their discussion of the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Jesse and Tony make a critical discovery about Matthew 25:13 that fundamentally changes how we should read Christ's eschatological parables. The command to "watch therefore" isn't primarily about staying awake—it's about preparedness for Christ's return. This episode explores the grammatical and theological connections between the Parable of the Ten Virgins and the Parable of the Talents, revealing how Matthew 25:13 functions as a hinge verse that binds these parables into a unified teaching on eschatological readiness. The hosts demonstrate how modern chapter divisions and translation choices can sometimes obscure the organic flow of Christ's teaching, and why understanding these connections matters for Christian living today. Key Takeaways Matthew 25:13 is a hinge verse, not an endpoint. The Greek grammatical structure (using post-positive connectors "therefore" and "for") links verses 1-13 forward to the Parable of the Talents, not just backward to the Ten Virgins. Sleep wasn't the problem in the parable. Both the wise and foolish virgins fell asleep. The issue was preparedness—having oil ready before the bridegroom's arrival, not staying physically awake. "Watch" means preparedness, not wakefulness. The better translation of the Greek word emphasizes alert readiness and preparation rather than literal sleeplessness. The Parable of the Talents explains what preparedness looks like. Christ intentionally connected these parables to show that watchfulness manifests in faithful stewardship and fruitful living. Christ himself made these connections. This isn't just Matthew's editorial arrangement—Jesus deliberately taught these parables together as a unified discourse on eschatological readiness. Sanctifying grace is non-transferable. The wise virgins couldn't share their oil because saving grace and the Spirit's indwelling cannot be borrowed or transferred between people. Eschatological ignorance is divinely ordained. Not knowing the day or hour prevents us from delaying obedience until the last moment, which was precisely the foolish virgins' error. Key Concepts The Grammatical Evidence for Connection The discovery that transformed this discussion centers on how Greek post-positive particles function. Both "therefore" (οὖν) in verse 13 and "for" (γάρ) in verse 14 cannot grammatically stand as the first word in a Greek sentence—they must connect to what precedes them. This means verse 13 isn't simply concluding the parable of the virgins; it's simultaneously introducing the parable of the talents. English translations that insert paragraph breaks between these verses may inadvertently suggest a harder separation than exists in the original text. When Christ says "watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour, for it will be like a man going on a journey," He's creating a seamless logical progression: the reason for watchfulness is eschatological uncertainty, and the nature of that watchfulness is illustrated by what follows in the talents parable. Preparedness vs. Wakefulness in Translation Some English translations render Matthew 25:13 as "stay awake" or "keep alert," emphasizing the sleep imagery from the preceding parable. However, this creates a logical problem: if falling asleep was the sin, then both groups of virgins sinned, since the text explicitly states "they all became drowsy and slept" (v. 5). The better understanding recognizes that the Greek word (γρηγορέω) encompasses a broader semantic range including vigilance, preparedness, and readiness—not just physical wakefulness. The wise virgins weren't praised for staying awake; they were praised for having secured oil before the bridegroom's arrival. This preparedness enabled them to respond appropriately when the moment came, regardless of whether they had been sleeping. Translating with an emphasis on sleep therefore misses Christ's point and artificially seals verse 13 off from the explanation that follows. The Perseverance of the Saints in Action This parable sequence reveals an often-overlooked dimension of the doctrine of perseverance: believers must actually do the persevering. While the Holy Spirit enables, empowers, and ordains our perseverance, He doesn't persevere instead of us—He causes us to persevere. The wise virgins' preparedness wasn't passive; they actively obtained oil before it was needed. They prepared for both the bridegroom's arrival and the potential delay. This illustrates that Christian preparedness isn't anxious vigilance or frantic last-minute effort, but the steady, Spirit-enabled work of sanctification, growing in grace, abiding in Christ, and maintaining readiness over the long haul. The Parable of the Talents then unpacks what this looks like practically: faithful stewardship, productive kingdom work, and diligent use of what God has entrusted to us during the time of waiting. Memorable Quotes The difference between foolishness and wisdom in the first parable is not whether or not the virgins fell asleep. It's whether or not they were prepared for the eventual coming of the bridegroom. - Tony Arsenal When God's people take to see and request his eminent and transcendent power in the lives of somebody else through intercessory prayer, a special bond is created that is very real. - Jesse Schwamb Christ himself has strung these different parables together... Christ was the one who decided that the parable of the talents was a proper explainer for the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. - Tony Arsenal Full Transcript [00:00:08] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 495 of the Reformed to Brotherhood. I'm Jesse.  [00:00:14] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother.  [00:00:18] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. So sometimes the episodes just seem to write themselves, and I say that of course, tongue in cheek from my full providential register. But in the last episode, we went over with great detail, the parable of the 10 virgins, or the 10 bridesmaids found in Matthew 25. And I think we did all the things that we were supposed to do, like contractually. We made really good oil puns. We talked about Petras song, midnight Oil. We talked about 10 bridesmaids, five Ys, five foolish. They're all waiting for the bridegroom who is late because he operates on divine timing. The foolish five run out of oil and begged the five whys to share theirs. The five whys decline, because sanctifying grace is non-transferrable. This is not a potluck. We went through all of that stuff and then what happened is we turned off the microphones and somehow you and I started a, a new conversation about this thing still. And we thought there's more to say and we didn't even expect it. And incidentally, it all hinges on a single word. Yeah. So we're gonna come back to that on this episode because we couldn't help ourselves. And I say that because we couldn't help ourselves. We literally kept talking about this long after the episode had ended. So we wanted to bring it back and it's something new. I think that you and I were really pondering that's gonna be really, really, really good. Yeah. But the other thing that's really good is either affirming with something or denying against something that's the part of the conversation where we either affirm with something that we think is underrated, really exceptional, that we wanna recommend or we deny against something that's just not that great. So Tony, what have you got for us today?  [00:02:04] Tony Arsenal: I'm gonna phrase this in a very particular way, of course, and then I'll explain why I'm phrasing it that way. I'm starting. Great. Um, I am affirming adult baptism upon a profession of faith, and I say it in that particular way. Sure, of course. Um, because I often hear, and I've heard, I mean, I've heard Presbyterian pastors say this, um, I've heard, heard it said that Presbyterians do cradle baptism too. And, uh, and sort of like, sometimes it's kind of in like a, I'm trying to like build a bridge with a, a cradle Baptist. Sure. Um, I actually object to that because the, the basis on which an adult is baptized in a Westminster covenant theology framework is different than the basis, uh, on which a believer is baptized under a traditional Baptist credo, Baptist position. Right. So I'm affirming adult. Profession of faith, baptism or adult baptism upon a profession of faith. Um, and the reason I'm saying that is because my wife and I had this opportunity this morning to go to another church to visit, uh, a friend of ours. It's actually a friend of our son's, which is crazy to say. He's four years old. A friend of our son's from school, his mother, um, who is a Christian, um, but had never been baptized, was being baptized at her church today. And so we got an opportunity to go to their church. It's a church we've been to before. It was not like a brand new church or any, like, super far away. It's a church we've been to before. Um, so we got to go to church and then we went over to the local sort of like swimming hole. Uh, like there's this little, uh, like recreational area called stores pond, I'm sure. Just I know you're familiar with it. Oh,  [00:03:38] Jesse Schwamb: yeah.  [00:03:39] Tony Arsenal: Um, and they did sort of like a testimony ceremony and, uh, all of the baptizes, I don't know if that's the right word, but all of those being baptized. Uh, I would normally call them catechumens, but I don't think that actually that applies here. But all of those being baptized, uh, got up and gave their testimony. There was eight people being baptized, which was fun to see. Um, of course all adults. This is a Baptist, um, a Baptist church that we were visiting. And then we walked over to the, over to the lake and they dunked him in there. And, uh, it was really great to see. And the reason that I'm affirming adult baptism upon a profession of faith, um, uh, is because it's really quite beautiful, right? I think we've, we just recently talked about this, um, and I'm sure we'll talk about it again at some point in the future, but we just recently talked about a baby baptism at my church that, uh, is beautiful in its own right for its own reasons, and it's got its own theological, uh, underpinnings and theological elegance to it. But there's also something just very beautiful about an adult who either has come to faith, um, and I don't, I don't know, um, this woman very well, like I, she's another mom at, um, at Agie school. And so our kids go to school together and so we interact with her periodically at like drop off and other times and they've been over to the house. I don't know her, well, I heard enough of her testimony today to know that she was kind of a nominal Christian. Uh, and they actually started going to church because in order to bring their son to the school that, um, they wanted to go to, which is, uh, the school that my son goes to, the school that your father teaches at, um. You have to have at least one parent needs to be a Christian, needs to be a regular attender, a regular member of a church. And so they, they joined a church, um, to be able to fulfill that requirement. And either, and, and again, I wasn't, I was watching the kids, um, including her son while she was doing this. So I was only kind of hearing with one ear. So either she was a nominal Christian and was kind of like renewing her faith or she was coming to faith for the first time. I'm not sure. But in either case, she had not been baptized previously that I know of. I didn't, I mean, I guess maybe she was baptized as a baby or something, I don't know. But, um, she was being baptized today upon a sort of a new profession of faith or renewal of faith, and it's just very sweet to see. The emotional investment that occurs when someone is recognizing that God's promise is being sealed on them. Right. And I don't know that, I don't know that a lot of traditional Baptist, and this is a pretty like plain Jane Evangelical church. I'm not sure that a lot of evangelicals would really recognize or use that language. But I also think there's an intuitiveness to it that like this is a sign that God gives us. It's gotta be a sign of something. Right. Um, it's not, this was a church that brought sort of broadly Calvinistic part, the baptism of house was actually adopted or adapted from, uh, a modification of question, one of the Heidelberg catechism. So I warned my Presbyterian heart, um. So they're in a context where like covenantal language is not foreign to them, even if it's not the primary structure that they're using. But it was just very sweet and kind and a, a really encouraging, uh, opportunity for the body of Christ to gather. Uh, it was a little bit chilly. It was raining actually, and people, anybody, like everybody was out there and, and in the rain, most people didn't have umbrellas. And you know, people's hair is wet and their clothes are getting wet and nobody cares. Nobody is bothered by it because there is some baptism going on. There's some, uh, some new birth in a roundabout sense and some yes, uh, some, some signification of that new birth in a very direct sense. So that's what I'm affirming today. Adult baptism upon a profession of faith, uh, with an asterisk in a covenantal mode. That's, that's my very specific, very technical affirmation today.  [00:07:19] Jesse Schwamb: There's also something about that's just special. Again, it's not prescriptive, but there's something special about those open water baptisms too. Oh  [00:07:27] Tony Arsenal: yeah.  [00:07:28] Jesse Schwamb: I mean,  [00:07:29] Tony Arsenal: yeah, it was like super picturesque. It was like, I felt like I was on the Jordan with Town of Baptist, like the, like, it was like a, that classic like Baptist minister standing in the water, like it was very right. Very, uh, it looked staged, but I don't think it was, I think it just was actually this, that genuine scenario. [00:07:44] Jesse Schwamb: Right. So, yeah. Yeah. And that's like a beautiful thing. Like we're saying, oh, we're not trying to get into the particulars. It's just to appreciate, I think all of those details. I myself was baptized by my father in a pond and it was glorious. That was, that was special. And there was something about the occasion and the environment as well that was special to me in that. But you're right, like in that Baptist mode, I, I think when it's like properly administered, when it's really appreciated and the theology is rich and richly exemplified in what's happening there to, it's hard not to be moved, I think in the Christian heart, not to be warned by seeing somebody go down into the water to come up into this representation of new life in Christ. I think regardless of your convictions on this, it's hard not to be moved by the power of the spirits.  [00:08:25] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:08:26] Jesse Schwamb: And the sign and seal being delivered to God's people. In a profound way. So whether you're a Pado or Cradle Baptist, I think it really is difficult not to be moved. And especially in an environment like that, you love to see it, right? I mean, this idea of of, um, being able to come to the Lord because he's called you and whatever season of life that is, and then to follow an obedience into baptism is a glorious thing that we should all celebrate. So I love this idea of people on a chilly day in New Hampshire standing in the rain saying, give us the baptism. Like let, let us see the Holy Spirits working through the lives of the people in our midst. Let, we wanna be a part of that. We wanna celebrate that we're here for that.  [00:09:07] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. It was just a, it was just a very, very sweet, like, I, like I said with, when we were talking about the, the baby baptism at my church, it's, there's just a, there's a sweetness to it. It's, yes. It's almost like, um, I've never been present for the birth of someone's child other than my own. Um, I've been at the hospital, uh, so meeting the family and the, the baby like very shortly after birth, but I've never been actually there. But there's something reminiscent to that, whether it's a baby being baptized or an adult being baptized where it's, it's just this sort of sweet moment of introduction to yes, this person with, um. To varying degrees depending on the theology, underlying baptism. But this person with a very real new identity that they have been given, yes, it's, it's, the old has gone, the new has come new creation in Christ. Um, whether, you know, I, I don't affirm baptism or regeneration, right? That's not a reformed position. But whether you have a, a position of some form of baptismal regeneration or baptismal efficacy, which is where kind of the, the reform tradition tends to fall, or even just, uh, I say just, I don't mean just in a peor sense, but like, even if, if what's going on is, is entirely a symbol that you know, is being applied to a person, there is a new sense of identity. There's a, there's a, a mark, a, a physical mark that it isn't persistent like circumcision, but it's a physical mark being applied, a visible mark being applied to, to the person claiming them as God's child. Um, and, and there's something very sweet and genuine. And, and to see, like, just to see, like I said, the, just the emotionality. And not a crass like emotionalism, but a genuine, heartfelt, emotional moment that someone is going through like a real, genuine emotion, um, is also not something we actually see that much in the world anymore, which is, it was nice to see. Anyway, I could, I could blather on about baptism and, and adult baptism and baby baptism and how great it is. Uh, God knew what he was doing and he, he gave us this beautiful symbol. So next time you have an opportunity to experience a adult baptism upon a profession of faith in a covenantal mode, uh, than you make sure you take advantage of that.  [00:11:14] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. You know what it's like for me and certainly I, baptism is way more profound, uh, than this example I'm about to give. But there's something within me that feels similarly or appreciates in a similar way when you're participating or just viewing a wedding. Yeah. Isn't there? There's that new identity. There's the vows and the covenants being made and promises being given and that that's just like a really meaningful, profound thing. And then like, you know, a thousand times, a million times, that is to participate or to witness again, baptism. And in my own church, which is Cradle Baptist, the one I attend, baptism, I'll say it this way in like this most trite way again, is like a super big deal. And one of the things I really appreciate is when that person, after they've given their testimony and they've gone down into the water and they come back up, our congregation goes like wild. Like just wild in celebration. Yeah. And at first I was like, wow, this. This seems like too much. Guys, can we take, can we take it down now? Just the Lord's day after all. And then I was with you in the sense of like, really, it's like we, you and I have talked so much about like the, the way in which you're trying to sometimes manufacture or theologians try to bring in some sense of emotionalism to kind of convey some kind of like, really, so I can demonstrate that I have a heartfelt and genuine commitment and love for God and Christ and you know, we can leave that as it is right now. Here is a place where I think that celebration is like just wholly and totally appropriate.  [00:12:36] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:12:36] Jesse Schwamb: And so I love that there's genuine enthusiasm and excitement over those things. And you're genuinely gonna get that more in the kind of traditional Baptist mode of this thing. I'm just saying celebrate where you celebrate, you know, get in where you fit in. Yeah. And so I think that your admonishment to us and affirmation there is really good. Um, totally about that. And all the better if you can do it in a, on a rainy day in a pond in New Hampshire. That sounds like a glorious spot.  [00:13:02] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, it's, it was interesting. It was good. It was a good time. Jesse, what do you got for us tonight? [00:13:07] Jesse Schwamb: I'm also gonna go affirmation, and I think we can file this one for me, under seeing the power of God in his, that power demonstrated in his transcendence and in his eminence. All our timing is gonna be off on this, but there's a certain compulsion I have to report back to everybody. And that reporting is really on my wife who did undergo some surgery this week. And I'm about to say a bunch of things medically so you can, I mean, there's nothing in here like grotesque, but I say that because somebody might be like, wow, you're seeing a lot of personal things. I have her permission to share all this. But of course some of you may remember, she spoke on the podcast, I dunno, like a half dozen episodes ago. Go back and listen to that. She talks about her medical journey, but she just had this big surgery. And here's the reason why I want to report back. I sense that when God's people take to see and request his eminent and transcendent power in the lives of somebody else through intercessory prayer, that like a special bond is created that is very real. So I think when somebody comes to their brothers and sisters and says. Would you pray for us? Would you pray for me? That's not just an act. I think of vulnerability. It's one of of truly seeking after what God desires for his people to help and to intercede for one another. And there's something special about that. And then equally special, and I think binding is when people say, yes, I will pray. And they make themselves committed to doing that. When that relationship is established, what I think is like mutual accountability, mutual yielding to one another, mutual submission. The lovely thing about that is I think there ought to be a reporting back. I really feel highly convicted about that because so many people, including those in the from Brotherhood hanging out in the Telegram, TT Me Reform Brotherhood, they have prayed for us. My church has prayed, my parents have prayed. You have prayed. So many people have prayed. And so my wife did go undergo an 11 hour surgery just two days ago. And uh, I can say that that surgery, the doctors, the three surgeons who are working as part of this interdisciplinary team, this multifactorial, multidisciplinary team, were able to accomplish everything that they wanted to do, which was a wild accomplishment. And it was more intense than they thought it was going to be. But I can say to you very, very clearly, very cogently that, uh, God was in the midst of all of these things in a mighty and powerful way. Now, I know people are prone to say that kind of thing. I'm saying it because it was all exceptionally real. Not only as I sat there waiting for the next updates in the waiting room, did I really sense a peace of God that I haven't felt before, even in all of my wife's previous surgeries, when this was the most uncertain, this was the biggest, the highest risk that was all real. But at the very end, and I'll, I'll spare a lot of the details, uh, but at the very, very end when the surgeon reported back to me all the things that they did, which included having to take out a portion of her bowel and stitch it back together again, because she had some endometriosis that had embedded itself in there and that was unknown to them. You can't see that stuff in an MRI and yet God ordained that the right surgeon, the right preparation would be in the room and ready to go if something like that occurred and it did. That she had a full hysterectomy, which we were praying that it would be lack laparoscopic because they were concerned they would not be able to do it that way. And God answered that prayer that she needed to have her ureter, the thing that connects your kidney to your bladder, that also was filled with endometriosis. It had to be resectioned and repaired. And it was that the end of all of this, what the main doctor kept saying to me was, we wanted to put your wife in a position where her anatomy would determine the outcome and that you would have all of the skilled persons in the room to provide the best care, the best expertise possible. And what he said to me at the end is, it's strange things just kept breaking her way. And I said, well, I can tell you why that is. That's because God was answering the prayers of so many people who are praying for her. And so I'm so thankful for everybody who's prayed. She's in a critical time of healing right now. Our prayers now are turning to just that God would solidify the work that he has already accomplished, that there'd be no complications, that all the things that they did, and they did a lot of things. The surgeon in fact said to me at the end, it's gonna feel like she got hit by a truck. And that's actually not a bad description of what we did to her. And so the next days are the ones where we're really pleading for God to do this kind of miraculous healing that he started by providing all the things that he's, he's already done. I, as a husband, cannot be more thankful, more grateful, without words for everybody who has prayed. Uh, for my parents, for you guys, Tony, for all of our friends who reached out for so many people, I've realized I have a part-time job now just answering text messages, uh, on behalf of my wife for those who desperately are loving her through prayer. And again, I think I'd affirmed before. I'll say this very quickly, about the elders praying over her. About what a sweet time that was. Not only did that happen, but uh, unbeknownst to me until a little bit later on in that day did I learn that a bunch of women in the church had taken it upon themselves to schedule an 11 hour block where there was gonna be somebody praying every hour for my wife. And, um. Man, if, if, if this is not what the family of God does for one another, I don't know what they do.  [00:18:35] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:18:35] Jesse Schwamb: So I'm so grateful. Thank you for everybody who has prayed. I also don't want to testify. That's the power of God and his eminence. And his transcendence is just unreal loved ones. It's unreal, it's otherworldly and he comes in power when his people pray. He does good work and it's very James one. There's a lot that even as I'm worried now about the outcome of this surgery and how it will play out, that I can still somehow truly count it all joy, because it is God who does these things in our lives to test and to prove out our faith and our love towards him, because he's in fact good. And I'm just testifying to that goodness in the midst of this difficulty. So wherever you are at. For whatever it's worth. And I think it's worth a lot. God is faithful. He will do the work that he began, and he will meet us when we need him, where we are at in his loving kindness because of his great mercy. So be encouraged by that. And again, my sincere gratitude.  [00:19:36] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I don't, I don't have much that I can add to that. I mean, I, I, I think, um, prayer is an undervalued commodity in the church.  [00:19:48] Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  [00:19:49] Tony Arsenal: And. As good and right as it is for us, uh, to pray when there's some big, um, big need like this. Um, and, and there's no, there's no, uh, dishonor or shame in asking for prayer in the big situations. I think sometimes too, like we forget that prayer is just as vital and just as important and just as powerful and just as meaningful and just as everything in the small things. Amen. Um, and, and I also think, you know, sometimes we, maybe this is just me, but like sometimes we go into, we go into a, a scenario like what you and your wife are going in and we sort of like prepare ourselves for. The hard providence to come. Like, I don't know if, if that's where you've been at, but I know when I'm facing things like this, um, I'm, I'm kind of like asking people to pray, expecting God to bring the hard providence.  [00:20:43] Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  [00:20:44] Tony Arsenal: Um, and maybe that's just a coping mechanism to sort of like get out in front of it in case he does. Um, but like that God, God doesn't, uh, how do I wanna say this? I don't think that God takes any particular joy in bringing the par, the hard providences. Mm-hmm. And I actually think he does take a particular joy in answering the prayers of his people unto good effect. Um, I think there's a particular joy that God brings when he, God has in his own divine accommodated, anthropo, pathic way, um, when he can make sure that everything just breaks the right way for his children. Right. In a really difficult, complex, long surgery. Um, and all of the butterfly effect elements of, of how all of those different things are gonna, you know, spread out. Right. I don't know if this surgeon's gonna come to faith because you attributed his success in this surgery to, you know, to, to God. I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. Um, but, but either way, there are a thousand, a million imperceptible little ways that God's providence flows out of these kinds of situations that we will never know. Um, and he, he takes great joy in answering the prayers of his people and. Yes, it's true that when God, when we ask God for bread, he does not give us a stone even when he gives us the hard providences, right? The hard providences are not a stone, but he likes to give us really good bread.  [00:22:10] Jesse Schwamb: Amen.  [00:22:10] Tony Arsenal: And I think at times, um, we, we sort of almost doubt that he is able and willing and joyful to do so. So that's more, I think, more a reminder for me than it is for anyone else. 'cause I, I have a tendency to prep myself for the hard providences, um, before they come and, and pray to that effect that God would comfort me in the midst of whatever trials is coming. Um, maybe I need to show a little bit more faith in a good God who gives good gifts, um, to pray and thank him in advance for the good providence is the, the easier the soft providence is that he has in store for his people as well.  [00:22:46] Jesse Schwamb: Well, I think we all need that reminder from time to time and I, again, I like where you've taken that. It is a good reminder to pray for the people that you love around you all the time, or just ask. What's something that you would like some prayer for, especially maybe something that you can't pray for yourselves through this time? I can't tell you how many times somebody has asked to pray with me or for me, and they pray in ways that just astound me. I dunno if that makes sense. Yeah. Like just, I get off the phone and I think, well, that was spirit filled because I didn't know that I needed to hear those words. I didn't know exactly like what needed to be stitched together in terms of the requests that would really minister to my heart and provide me encouragement. But course the Lord knows, and even in prayer as you're saying, he's giving that good gift to each other.  [00:23:35] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:23:35] Jesse Schwamb: When we pray with one another, when we pray for one another, it's just a remarkable thing that I fail to understand and I definitely fail to appreciate. So in this season of being able to see it very clearly as if like the clouds. Parted and I could see some of this power of prayer and what God does in prayer, what God does to us in the prayer of others. I can't help but testify again. I feel it is my duty to do so, actually. So be encouraged, loved ones that this is a powerful weapon that God gives us. I think you and I have said before, Tony, maybe we can also partly this into like another reform. A brotherhood bumper sticker. I said another, like, we have bumper stickers. We don't, we definitely should. At some point  [00:24:17] Tony Arsenal: we do have at least one cross stitch pillow floating around out there  [00:24:20] Jesse Schwamb: somewhere. That's true. Yes. We need to get our hands on that. And maybe here's something else we could add to it, which is of course, when, when we work, we work, but when we pray, God works. And so I've just been reminded of that over and over and over again. The situation, like you said in the big times and the small times, what a blessing, what God is like this, who cares. Who again, is what I've been thinking about is how high and lifted and transcendent God is, so that like he's not moved in, uh, in a dis, like a passionate way by this nonsense of our world. He's steady and steadfast. You know, Isaiah 26, like our God is an everlasting rock, and yet he's eminent in sending his son to identify with the kind of pain even my wife is in right now. In her time of trial and struggle. He is there and yet separated and so powerful that he orchestrates all the details himself. I mean, what God is like this.  [00:25:11] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:25:11] Jesse Schwamb: So this is the one to whom we get to bend his ear, as it were, and we'll avail ourselves of that opportunity. Always. You're gonna have to stop it, Tony. Otherwise, I'm, this whole episode is just gonna be me talking about, which would not be bad, I suppose, but me talking about how good our God is, I suppose we can talk about that actually in the context of Matthew 25. [00:25:30] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. You better watch yourself before you wreck yourself. Is that how it goes? But I did that, that took a month off of podcasting. I forgot how to do transitions. Not that we were ever great at transitions. It's just slamming into gear  [00:25:43] Jesse Schwamb: now. That loved one's a segue that you, you don't even know about yet. You didn't even get it. So let me help you try to get it. 'cause I, I wanna do this quickly, but of course it's always the best part of our conversations where we can get to the scripture. Let me read just the first, uh, 13 verses Matthew 25, and I'm gonna read them from the version that I read on the last episode because part of the fun of this conversation that Tony I had had subsequently was, do you remember what you said to me, Tony, about, about the, this, I don't wanna say the word yet, but this word. [00:26:10] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. I, what I remember is, um, feeling confused because I, I said, I thought this was like a Mandela effect kind of thing. Yes. We might have to, I'll explain briefly what that is in that I could have swore this word was in the, in the Bible. Like I was, it was so ingrained in my head that this was there. And then I'm trying to find it in my, my version that I'm bringing in. It's not there. And the obvious answer is it actually was there in the version that Jesse was reading and is there in many translations. Um, so we'll, we'll read the translation, uh, Jesse read, and then we'll talk about why not only why this is, uh, important in the light of our last conversation, but actually how it's important in light of what will likely now be the beginning of our conversation on the next parable, and in the next week or maybe two of, of the discussion of the parable of the talents here, or one of the parable and talents. [00:26:57] Jesse Schwamb: So this is Matthew 25, beginning in verse one. Then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the body groom. Now five of them were foolish and five are prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now, while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout. Behold the bridegroom come out to meet him. Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the prudent, give us some of your oil for our lamps are going out. But the prudent answered saying, no, there will not be enough for us. And you go to and instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves. And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast and the door was shut. And later the other virgins also came saying, Lord, Lord, open for us. But he answered and said, truly, I say to you, I do not know you. Therefore, stay awake for you. Do not know the day nor the hour.  [00:28:02] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. So the part of this, uh, passage that I was having, like a brain cramp on and couldn't figure out is actually verse 13 and, um. The reason this is important and ties in, and this is part of why Jesse and I after we sort of had like a second, the beginning of a second episode, following the last episode, um, wanted to come back, is that this, this verse in verse 13 actually makes, um, in effect it makes the second parable that we're gonna talk about the parable of the talent here. It actually makes that parable like an extension of the first one or maybe an explanation of the first one, or further clarification. I'm not sure. It, it links the two together in a way that's really significant. So we need to make sure we really understand. Verse 13, and I'm gonna read verse 13 in my translation to demonstrate kind of where I think the, the question starts and says, watch therefore for, you know, neither the day nor the hour. And what Jesse and I kind of like marveled at is, um, the word for watch, uh, it's actually the same word we get the name Gregory, for, uh, from, um, the, the idea of being wakeful or alert or not falling asleep. That's that's there in the word. Um, and, and I don't think it's a bad translation. I don't. I always, um, wanna be really hesitant to sort of like make an argument that you wanna like build an entire theological point on a translation or a mistranslation. I think those are really shaky arguments, and even more than that, I don't ever wanna make an argument that makes it so people feel like they can't trust their English bibles. So the, the difference between the version that Jesse read with, you know, statements of being awake or stay awake or be alert versus watch, or more generalized alertness language, which is I think probably a better, not, not that the other one's bad, but this is probably a better translation. And it's a translation decision that's trying to connect that verb back to something that was said about the virgins. Right, right. The, the virgins, um, and this is, this is where our conversation went, is actually the, the sort of like real time epiphany that Jesse and I had, maybe I just had Jesse new, the, the sort of like real time epiphany that both, both groups of virgins fell asleep. Right. And so being asleep is not the necessary, it's not the thing that makes the virgins foolish.  [00:30:35] Jesse Schwamb: Exactly.  [00:30:36] Tony Arsenal: The, the translation, I think, I mean, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, not like a mind reader and I haven't read anything from the translation committees that explain that this is why they did it. But I'm, I'm, I think it's reasonable to think they translated in light of that wakefulness element of being alert because of the fact that the virgins fell asleep and they were sort of caught off guard when the bridegroom came. But the reason I think that's an over translation is exactly the dynamic we pointed out last week, falling asleep was not the problem,  [00:31:04] Jesse Schwamb: right?  [00:31:05] Tony Arsenal: What was, what was the problem was not being prepared. And so this concept of watch, therefore is more, I think is more about preparedness because of the fact that the parable is about preparedness, not about wakefulness. So when we wanna think about translations, yes, verse 13 comes after verses one through 12, but there's this little word therefore that connects this one with the next one, right? And so it's watch therefore for, you know, neither the day nor the hour. If that was the end of, end of the book of Matthew, right, right there, then that therefore would be like, because of what I just said, watch for, you neither know the day nor the hour, you know, neither the day nor the hour. But then in verse 14, it starts with four. It will be like a man going on a journey who called his servant and entrusted them through his property. That word for, that's another connecting logic word. So it's watch therefore, so like, because of what I just said, be alert, watch, be wakeful, be mindful, be prepared for, you know, neither the day or the hour. Four, because it will be like a man going on a journey, right? The reason you have to watch is partially, or the reason you have to watch is that you will neither know the day nor the hour. And the reason you will neither know the day nor the hour is because it will be like a man who's going on a journey called his servants and entrusted them to his property, right? So these two parables are connected and we have to sort of like understand what that watch word means and how it relates to the previous parable to understand now what it is that the next parable is trying to say and how the two relate to each other.  [00:32:45] Jesse Schwamb: I think that's right. It's like you said before, we talked about last time, it's not that sleep was the problem. That's not where the condemn nation comes in. It's merely that sleep revealed the lack of preparedness. Right. Like I suppose if you wanted to change it up, you could be like, and then they all played Uno for a while and the lambs were going strong and then suddenly the bride coon came out and it was like, okay, well it was the fact that all the lamps were still burning. Yeah. But as they were still burning and that time was passing and the bridegroom delayed, providentially, then it was only those imbued with that grace who already I prepared for that moment in time. Not that they were all playing Uno itself. So, which, which I know this is like my own translation, which is horrible, but. It is important if somebody thinks like we're overworking this.  [00:33:26] Tony Arsenal: Right?  [00:33:26] Jesse Schwamb: It's important, I think, because it, it's gonna set up the next stuff, which we're gonna get to, uh, I presume in the next episode. But this verse is, is like a, is like kind of like the keystone. It's, it constitutes like the entire moral conclusion of both this parable, but the other two that are just like it, that come before it in different ways. And of course it's like structurally parallel to a bunch of like mark and stuff that we may or may not get to. And then it echoes like the broader, all that discourse as well. So I was just looking up quickly, mark 13, in other words like where do we hear this same type of language? Where does it almost rhyme in our minds? And so if you go over just to mark 1333, and this is the parable of the fig tree. So we won't get into that there, but you'll see kind of like the same conclusion, the same, I kind of high and lifted point at the end. And this is where Jesus says, see to it, keep on the alert. For you do not know when the appointed time will come. So instead, really what we're getting at is there's all this language about watchfulness, like the, the present imperative in Greek. Keep on watching, be continuously a work, uh, alert, but it's not like watchfulness in this like anxious, vigilant, kind of nervous energy uncertainty, but it's the prepared readiness of one who has oil in the vessel and knows that the bridegroom is coming regardless of whether you fall asleep. [00:34:46] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And again, you know, the, the way that, um, the way that English translations are broken up into paragraphs and into, with headings and editorial content and chapter divisions and verse divisions, um, those things are all helpful and they're all really useful and I'm glad they're there. Uh, they're not inspired though, right? They're not the word of God. The, the, for the little, the little super script 14 before the word four and the little super script 13 before the word watch. Is not, it's not inspired and neither is the little, at least in the version I'm looking at on logs Bible start, neither is the little paragraph break that separates these two. So we, we can equally read and again, like I haven't done a full Greek exo treatment of this and maybe I should to, to know whether there is actually some real specific grammatical reasons why we would break these. There probably is, but we could equally read it saying, but he answered truly I say to you, I do not know you watch therefore for, you know, neither the hour or the day nor the hour. For it will be like a man going on a journey who called his sermon or we could read it, watch therefore for, you know, neither the day nor the hour for it will be like a man going on a journey. Right, right. We can, we can, the way that we read it, we can, we can clump verse 13 with what comes before it and sort of imply a full break or we can clump it with what comes after it and imply a full break before it. In reality, we shouldn't do either of those. Right. This is in, this is linked together in the, the Bible specifically to take these two parables. And pull them together. Right. Thematically, they're the same. They match, they, they have kind of this rhyming nature that like, there's, there's this theme of like, these people who have a specific task and they accomplish it to greater or lesser degree. And the ones who do it, right, the ones who do it well are rewarded in some sense because of their preparedness and their diligence. And again, I, I don't, um, I know that we can't overemphasize this because this is God's word, right? Right. The, the difference between foolishness and wisdom in the first parable is not whether or not the virgins fell asleep. It's, it's whether or not they were prepared for the eventual coming of the bridegroom, meaning that they had everything they need, not only to, um, and this is a, a real time realization I'm having here, not only to be ready when the bridegroom came, but to be prepared for the long haul until he came. Right. I think that's actually probably another big part of this pearl that we didn't even really talk about is that there's a, there's a, um. There's an implied statement here about the, the, um, perseverance of the saints in the fact that the saints have to persevere. Right? That's a corollary of the doctrine, of the perseverance of the saints, is that we actually have to do the persevering, right? Empowered by the spirit. Enabled by the spirit. Ordained by the spirit, of course, but that doesn't mean the spirit is the one who's persevering, right? Right. The spirit is not persevering for us. The spirit is causing us to persevere, but it's still us that he's causing to persevere. That's a major part of that. This next parable and, and we'll read, we'll read the parable here and then we'll get into some of the beginning part. I think this next parable here is really about like what does that perseverance look like? What does that diligence until the master comes, looks like. It's kind of like taking this, this period of time where the bride groom is delaying and the virgins all are becoming drowsy and sleeping. Well, what does that actually look like? What does it look like for the virgins who have gotten the oil ahead of time versus the virgins who waited and then had to go buy it? Well, the parable of the talents in this next passage shows us what it means to be prepared. And part of what it means to be prepared is to be diligently working to advance the kingdom of God diligently working to pursue and excel in righteousness, insofar as it depends on us, and insofar as we're empowered by the Holy Spirit. So these two, these two parables are linked together and um. Maybe we're falling into this trap a little bit, although I think because of the way we're kind of doing these, these passages in sort of organic fashion, rather than really insisting on sort of hermetically sealing off each parable, we have a tendency, I think to say like, this parable is this right? This parable is that. And we don't really ever talk about them unless you're in like a parables of Christ Seminary class or like you're reading a book on the parables of Christ. Um, if you're just sort of looking at popular teaching on parables or you're. Like a sermon series through the parables. I don't think you're gonna run into a lot that's gonna show these connections and relationships between the parables in the way that I think we're, I'm stumbling upon is maybe not right. But that's what it feels like. We're sort of like discovering in real time together that these parables are so organically linked to each other that we really can't seal them off from each other or we do some violence to the text.  [00:39:36] Jesse Schwamb: Right on. Yeah. And speaking of that whole life, whole preparedness, whole watchfulness, John Owen writes, in the mortification of sin, the whole of Christian living may be described as a preparation for eternity, mortifying sin, growing in grace, abiding in Christ, waiting for his appearing, which really strikes me as maybe a summary of like an umbrella of all of these parables of ones that we've just seen most recently and the ones that we're about to go into because. The ground for the watchfulness here is that like legitimate eschatological ignorance. This is like a deliberate, divinely ordained uncertainty. So of course, like knowing the precise moment would just tempt the flesh to delay until the last possible moment, which is precisely the error of the foolish virgins who assume that there was enough time to obtain the oil after that midnight cry. So all of this is happening right now. Like I, I do think this verse is just so critical now. It's like really a weird linchpin. It is like the capstone in a strange way of like the three parable sequence in the olive discourse, which we already talked about, the 10 virgins, the talents, and the sheep and the goats. Because it strikes me as you were speaking, Tony, what was coming to my mind is like each is almost escalating from, as it were, like a watchfulness to like a fruitfulness, to like a final judgment. And each of those are kind of building on each other. In other words, like there is a logical consistency and chronology to those things that Christ is leading us through. And the verse therefore doesn't stand alone. It's like this hinge between the eschatological warning of the virgin narrative and the productive stewardship demanded in the parable of the talents. And I think unless you see that here, it's like saying, listen, the watchful person does this. You know, why should you be watchful because of this example I've just given to you. So within that Oliver discourse, there's the exhortation to watchfulness, which occurs with that striking force. Stay awake, be ready, watch. And of course, I think we're just joining in all the reform exe and the pros who had this instinct of reading those with a unity. Yeah. The whole discourse is like the L, the Lord's own like pastoral Herman Hermeneutic, I guess on like Daniel nine or whatever. So like it is important, and I think it is maybe a bridge that, at least in my mind, I often didn't build or didn't seem necessarily because you're like, well this, this ends one. And the warning is to be watchful. And now here's something else. That's something interesting you should consider. Yeah. But really this is all one and the same, all, all. Maybe one like well like parable to rule all parables, like it's a single parable told in many sequential pieces.  [00:42:06] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Which is something we saw before, right? Yes. And maybe, maybe not to belabor the point and, and again taking, take this in the context of me saying I never want to try to make an argument that you must be able to read Greek in order to profit from the scriptures. [00:42:20] Jesse Schwamb: Sure.  [00:42:20] Tony Arsenal: All of that said, it's very helpful to understand a little bit about how Greek works, even if you don't actually learn Greek. So for example, and here's, I promise you that this is not just me being nerdy about Greek. I'm looking at the ESV and verse 13 says, watch therefore for, you know, neither the day nor the hour. Right? So the, the command comes, uh, before the logical connector that sort of like, is explaining why, right? Because of, because of something. Right? When it's the thing that comes before, maybe it's the thing that comes after, usually it's probably before, but because of this thing, watch therefore for, you know, neither they or the hour, right? And then in verse 14 it says four. It will be like a man going on a journey. This is where I think understanding how Greek works a little bit is important. Both the word therefore and the word for. In Greek, which it's, it's therefore it's un OUN or omega upsilon new un and gar for four. Both of those are what's called post positive, and what that means is that it cannot be the first word in a sentence. So, um, verse 13 is translated very word order, literal watch. Therefore that ma matches the Greek very closely. Verse 14 is not right, right. Verse 14, if you translated it very literally would be like, uh, let's see. Would be. Just as for a man, and I get like, you can hear there, right there, why we don't translate it that way is 'cause it's really awkward, but it's just as for a man, uh, a man went on a journey or a man, um, going on a journey who called his servants. Right. The, the point of what I'm trying to say here though is that that subtle variation in the verb, the command coming first versus this post positive, logical connector coming first, that that sort of like gears your brain towards a certain conclusion. Right? Right. Watch, therefore we, we have a tendency to think like watch connects to the previous one. Right? This verb must connect us to the previous one, where the next one we see four being the beginning of a word, beginning of a sentence. We feel like that's the beginning of a new thought, right? This logical connector at the be very beginning of a sentence is like starting a new thought. The problem with that is, one, it doesn't actually match the Greek word order in both cases. Neither of these is the first word of the sentence, but let's just think of it in as a post positive and say that it should have been the first word of the sentence, but the Greek grammar won't allow it to be.  [00:45:00] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:45:01] Tony Arsenal: That connector in both cases is linking us to the previous sentence, and that means both of these sentences are linking us to the previous sentence, meaning both segments of thought are linked to other together. Verse 14 is linked to verse 13, and verse 13 is linked to verse 12. There's no good grammatical reason that I can see with the 30 seconds of looking at it and the five semesters of Greek, right? Keep that in mind. I'm not an expert, but there's no good reason I see immediately from the Greek text, right? There are certain phrases and indicators in Greek that tell you like, this is a new segment of thought. I don't see those here. What I see is a very strong, strong, logical sequence of connection between 13 and 14, right? Therefore, watch for, you know, neither the day nor the hour. Well. Going back to our discussion about translating that in terms of sort of general watchfulness or preparedness or translating it in light of sleep. These are the things that are important for us to think about when we're reading English translations. 'cause this keys us off to what the, what the translators thought in terms of what belongs with what translators. Even though there's a paragraph break here in the ESV, the translation that says be awake or be, you know, uh, do not sleep like this language that's specifically connected to this, like not falling asleep aspect of watchfulness, they're signaling to you that this sentence belongs with the parable above it. Right. Almost exclusively. Right. Because there's nothing in the next parable that has anything to do with being awake or sleeping.  [00:46:35] Jesse Schwamb: Right?  [00:46:36] Tony Arsenal: Right. So, so by translating it as sleep language or do not sleep language, they're sealing it off from the parable that follows and they're kind of like making it this firm break in the text. That's not there in the Greek. That language is not there in the Greek. And it's, um, again, I think the sleep language, that's certainly a part of this word and it's, it's fine for us to interpret this word in light of the parable that came before it, as long as we're not letting that interpretation of it in light of the word that came before it seal it off from the next parable. And I, I worry that if we, if we think about it in terms of the sleepiness aspect of it, which again, there's already some contextual reasons why that doesn't make a lot of sense. Why would, why would Christ command to the people that are listening to him be about not falling asleep when falling asleep was not the problem in the, in the bearable He's told. Right, right. But the problem was, was be prepared. And it actually may be, this is also maybe an overt translation. A better translation might be, be prepared, therefore, right. Be alert, be wakeful, be be mindful, be uh, be on top of things. Right. Be ready for anything. Might be a good way to look at this. Be ready for anything for you. Neither know the day nor the hour. Four. It will be like a man going on a journey and called his servants and entrusted them to his property. So he tells the parable of the virgins, which is, is all about being prepared for the sudden, unexpected coming of the Lord after a delay, after he tarries. And then he says, for it will be like a man going on a journey. Well, what will be like a man going on a journey? The coming of the Lord, the coming of the bridegroom, the coming of the one, the promised one from the previous parable, the bride groom. For that will be like a man going on a journey for the day on the hour, which you do not know. That will be like a man going on a journey, I think. Um, and this will be the last thing I say before I, I let you jump in and, and we're getting close to ending anyways here. I think that, um, these parables are so often, uh, this parable about the talents and the parallels. I mean, there's several different par uh, parables that have to do with this theory. This sort of like scenario of like a master is giving some, some funds to his servants, or a man going on a journey. He's giving some funds to his servants and he expects them to make a return. Right? That's a, there's multiple parables that tell that same basic principle. This one here. Is an eschatological one, but I think it gets clumped in with the others in sort of this idea. And it doesn't hurt that the word talents has a meaning in English, right? It gets clumped in with these sort of like way of teaching this that's like Christ has given you some special abilities and some gifts, you better use it for his glory. Or you're all done. That's not really at all what this is talking about, at least this version of it. You might be able to make an argument for some of the others that that is about kingdom fruitfulness and, and to much is given, much is expected, right? That's the output of those parables. This one is really, it's explicitly about being prepared for this sudden arrival of the bridegroom, uh, after he delays, after he tarries. So that's all I'll say for now on that. I just, this is. This is why we had to do another episode, right? Like, because we couldn't do all of this Last week we started and we were like, we gotta push pause, save something for next week. This is one of those like realtime discoveries, realtime uh, epiphanies that I'm just like, I cannot believe I didn't see this in the text before, but I'm so glad that we're doing this deep dive. This sort of like long running slow burns through these parables because these are the kinds of things we're able to see when we really slow down and take our time.  [00:50:17] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it's that good old like crockpot theology. I'm with you. There is like in the next par we'll see a kind of manifest fruitfulness that comes from a preparedness and if, if we divorce that we're gonna get to the end of the next parable. And I think what we'd find is that, wow, the master seems super harsh here. Why is he so ticked off that the people with whom he entrusted all of these resources didn't do anything with them? It just seems like he's overzealous in saying, well, you just wasted a lot of things until you see like that full emphasis that comes all the way through these other parables in terms of the reason why. Then I think it starts to make more sense. So I did have to look it up like you're right, that the NIV has therefore keep watch. The King James version also is using watch, therefore. So if that's the emphasis, in other words, if the thrust is you ought to be watchful and prepared in all of your life for all the things preparing for Christ, doing the things in the work of Christ. Now it makes sense that to go away again and to have this time of not knowing when the perusia happens and being unprepared and unfruitful because you were not watchful, because you did not do the things you ought to have done and be making yourself again aware and vigilant in that awareness, then there's a problem. And that's like gonna be, I think, the full thrust of what's gonna happen that we're gonna see next when we look into this parable. I think it's important to remember that this parable is not as it sometimes is presented like an allegorize timeless moral maxim that's divorced from its eschatological referring. Yeah, the 10 virgins are figures of those awaiting Christ perusia. The oil is not some kind like vague symbol of like good works in a ian sense, but I think it's best understood as the reality of saving grace and the spirits in dwelling, which cannot be borrowed or transferred. If all of that is true. Then how does that manifest in daily living? What does that look like? And then what does that lead to on the day of judgment? All of that is to come for us, but it actually starts in this verse here in verse 13, just with the simple, very direct, but e expressly articulated phrase, be watchful or be prepared. Maybe like a better incidentally, like contemporary treatment would be like, don't sleep on this. Like, I like the word sleep in that context. Yeah. Which of course, when somebody says that to you, they're not actually meaning like, don't fall asleep now. But make sure that you're paying attention to this thing. Get after this thing, go and grab this thing, get a hold of this very thing. Make it your priority. And I think really that is what is Christ is after here as he moves us from one example into another. That's almost, again, to me like the manifestation or the outworking 'cause because one might ask, and maybe this is like a good question, he was anticipating, you hear that story and we're just used to like things moving, or like you said, like discreet chunks of text, which we appropriate for ourselves. We take out, it's almost as they have little boxes on the shelf and we remove that box. We look at it, we study it, we turn over, we put it back, and it's a little compartment place. And instead you can imagine, uh, as I could, I think if you were hearing this in the context of conversation, of teaching in this way, that you might say like, so what? Like be prepared for what, how do we get prepared? What does preparedness look like? And so that's what's coming for us next.  [00:53:34] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And you know, the other thing I think that's, um, important for this parable, um, there are some places in the scripture in the, uh, in the gospels where Christ's teaching and nothing specific comes to mind. So this is. Hypothetical, but I know there are actual places. I just can't think of anything right off the top of my head. There are some places where sort of like discrete chunks of Christ's teaching are juxtaposed next to other discreet chunks. Sure. That's an editorial decision by the gospel author. Right. Matthew makes a decision to put this story next to this story, and we might see in Luke actually, it's slightly different. A good, a good example would be like in the temptation narratives, um, the order of the Temptations is different I think between Matthew and Luke. Right. And there's, there's an editorial decision that's made there and there's a theological reason. I don't know off the top of my head what it is. I'm sure I studied it in, you know, like gospels class in seminary. Um, that's not what's happening here, right? These are not two discreet chunks of text. That Matthew has decided to put together, right? Right. Christ is the one that says, watch therefore for you. Neither know the day nor the hour for it will be like a man going on a journey. Christ is the one who has decided, and this is one chunk of teaching. There's, um, like the Sermo

Matthew 8:16-17 tells us that Jesus healed all that were sick, to fulfil that which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet saying, ‘Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.' So even at the time of the actual ministry of Jesus, the Bible says that Christ's atonement for our sin is also His atonement for sickness and disease, that the cross He carried was our healing. Why not carry that cross of healing (1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53)? Sin and sickness are not from God, both come from the devil. The purpose of the first coming of Jesus was to make a way of escape from the evil which Satan and ultimately man, by his disobedience, brought into the world: ‘For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, to destroy the works of the devil!' (1 John 3:8). However, this is only in part today, none of us is perfect in ourselves, we live in a world of sin and sickness and are surrounded by them. When Christ returns we shall be taken out of this world into the Kingdom of Heaven, then there will be no more sin, sickness or death. Until then, walking by faith, we must overcome sin – and temptation – and sickness. Q. Is my sickness God's punishment for my sin? Perhaps He is teaching me something? A. If you think like that, you will not be healed. No, just as God forgives sin, instantly, He wants to heal you, NOW!

https://square.link/u/UHRU92rp - Donate HereToday's reading brings us back to 1 Peter 3, where Peter calls suffering believers to honor Christ the Lord as holy in their hearts. In a world filled with pressure, fear, persecution, and opposition, the answer is not to hide our faith, but to enthrone Jesus above every fear and every enemy.Peter reminds us to always be ready to give a reason for the hope within us—with gentleness and respect. When Christ is Lord of our lives, the enemy may try to discourage or distract us, but he cannot defeat us. So today, read 1 Peter 3 and prepare your heart, your testimony, and your life to clearly say: Jesus is real, Jesus is alive, and Jesus is the reason for my hope.

When Christ was about to be crucified, He prayed for the Church. He prayed that we might know Him. He prayed that we would have life in Him. He prayed that knowing Him as Father, Son and Holy Spirit would mean eternal life. The Church has protected that truth ever since.

What happens when the church falls out of sync with Jesus?In Acts 6, growth, cultural differences, and overlooked needs begin creating tension inside the early church. But instead of allowing division to win, the apostles respond with wisdom, humility, and servant leadership.This message explores calling, unity, and what it truly means to stay in step with Jesus. When Christ becomes the rhythm of our lives, unity follows and the Gospel moves forward.

May 24 2026 Sunday Who Jesus Made You To Be / Week 27 / T. Stacy Hayes #findoutwhoyouare My Vision My vision is to teach the world Who They Are In Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior! To Teach them what the Bible says about them and who they have been made to be in the promises of God's Word. This changed my life years ago and completely transformed me from a person full of doubt, fear and unbelief to a strong confident Christian that knows I can do anything through Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. And I'm determined to teach the world what God has taught and commissioned me to teach and that is His Word.  That commission takes me to jails and detention centers weekly along with other open doors at many churches and ministries that are wanting to teach these important truths to the world. My podcast goes out 6 days a week to help the people I am ministering to grow in the truths that God has taught me for many years now. This podcast is free to all that want to listen and grow strong in who God has made them to be in Christ Jesus their Lord and Savior. Isaiah 53:5  Healing… Matthew 18:19  Agree with God's Word… Mark 10:29-30  100 Fold Return… Acts 10:34  God is no respecter of persons "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." Colossians 3:1 KJV "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand." Colossians 3:1 NLT "IF THEN you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [Ps. 110:1.]" Colossians 3:1 AMPC "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:3-4 KJV "For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory." Colossians 3:3-4 NLT "For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendor of His] glory." Colossians 3:3-4 AMPC "It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:"  2 Timothy 2:11-12 KJV "This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us." 2 Timothy 2:11-12 NLT "The saying is sure and worthy of confidence: If we have died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny and disown and reject Him, He will also deny and disown and reject us." 2 Timothy 2:11-12 AMPC "As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me." John 6:57 KJV "I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me." John 6:57 NLT "Just as the living Father sent Me and I live by (through, because of) the Father, even so whoever continues to feed on Me [whoever takes Me for his food and is nourished by Me] shall [in his turn] live through and because of Me." John 6:57 AMPC "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6 KJV "Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." John 14:6 NLT "Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me." John 14:6 AMPC Romans 10:9-10  Salvation… Romans 10:17  Faith in God comes from hearing His Word… Matthew 11:28-30  Jesus'Yoke is Easy… John 3:16  God gave Jesus to pay for our Salvation… God Loves The abortion dr As Much As He Loves The Babies They Are Killing… Philippians 12:2  Work out your own Salvation… Romans 8:1  No condemnation in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior…  Luke Chapter 15 The Story Of The Prodigal Son… Philippians 4:19  God will supply all your needs let Him… Romans 4:20  Don't Stagger at What God Is Saying In His Word… John 15:5 We can't do anything aside from Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… 2 Corinthians 5:17  We are new creatures in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… 2 Corinthians 5:21  We are The Righteousness of God In Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… Mark 10:29-30  100 Fold Return… Ephesians 2:8  We are Saved by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… Believe God's Word Above All Opinions God Loves The abortion dr's As Much As He Loves The Babies They Are Killing… Mark 10:29-30  100 Fold Return… Share This Podcast On Your Social Media… Website https://the-prodigalson.com Email tstacyhayes@gmail.com  YouVersion Bible App https://my.bible.comi iOS App https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/prodigal-son/id1450529518?mt=8 …  Android App https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.prodical  Social Media https://www.facebook.com/The-Prodigal-SON-209069136315959/ https://www.facebook.com/noreligion1511/ https://twitter.com/noreligion1511 https://www.instagram.com/noreligion1511/ https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCPx4s1CLkSYef6mp4dSuU4w/featured

Full Title Name: Seminary Super Chats: monetizing questions? Should Catholics celebrate Old Testament Passover with Seder: "You can be Jewish and Catholic if you want to"! Was Emperor Constantine the true founder of the Catholic Church? Was Judas Iscariot predestined to be a demon? if New Mass might be valid, then shouldn't I go to receive Communion? When Christ raised the dead to life, where were their souls? This episode was recorded on 5/19/2026. Our Links: http://linkwcb.com/ Please consider making a monetary donation to What Catholics Believe. Father Jenkins remembers all of our benefactors in general during his daily Mass, and he also offers one Mass on the first Sunday of every month specially for all supporters of What Catholics Believe. May God bless you for your generosity! https://www.wcbohio.com/donate Subscribe to our other YouTube channels: ‪@WCBHighlights‬ ‪@WCBHolyMassLivestream‬ May God bless you all!

This recording is a condensed version of the sermon preached at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mankato, Minnesota on May 14, 2026, Ascension Day. You can watch the full recording on our YouTube Channel.   Sermon Text: Colossians 3:1-4 (NKJV) If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Theme: Your Life Is Hidden with Christ

Being heavenly minded isn't a weakness—it's essential for earthly effectiveness. When you become a believer, you receive a new life that requires a completely new mindset focused on Christ rather than worldly things. True repentance means a daily change of mind, aggressively putting sin to death rather than tolerating it. You cannot fight sin alone; authentic community and accountability are vital for spiritual growth. The new self is renewed through deeper knowledge of Jesus, and while perfection won't happen overnight, daily transformation occurs as you seek to know Christ more intimately through His Word. --------------- ' If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. ' Colossians 3:1-11

Matthew Week 136 Mark 13:1 ESV   And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!"       Luke 21:5a ESV   5 And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings…       Colossians 3:1-4 NASB95   Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.       Romans 12:1-2 NASB95   Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.     Matthew 24:3 ESV   3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"             Matthew 24:4-14 ESV   4 And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. 9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.       Matthew 24:15-22 ESV   15 "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.       Luke 21:20-22 ESV   20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.                    

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:1 Chronicles 25–27, 1 Thessalonians 4 Click HERE to give! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! On this 15th day of May, join Hunter as we journey through day 135 of our Bible reading plan. Today's episode features passages from 1 Chronicles 25–27, highlighting the roles of musicians, gatekeepers, and leaders in David's kingdom, as well as the appointed responsibilities within Israel's tribes. We'll also reflect on Paul's words from 1 Thessalonians 4 about living lives that please God and the hope of resurrection. Stay tuned as Hunter offers encouraging insights into the meaning of being "caught up" with Christ, and leads us in prayer as we start this new day with faith, hope, and love. TODAY'S DEVOTION: There is a word tucked into today's reading from Thessalonians, a word that pulses with hope for all who are longing for God's return — apantēsis. Paul uses it to describe that moment when those who remain will be "caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air." It's a word that paints a picture richer than a mere meeting; it's the eager procession we see in Scripture and in life — going out to welcome one we have been waiting for, to accompany them in to celebration, to a place of honor. Paul longs to comfort a grieving church, unsure about their beloved who have died. He tells them resurrection is at the center of our hope. Those who have passed on aren't left behind — they join together with those still living in the great procession, the apantēsis, as Christ takes his place as king not just in heaven, but on earth too. This hope is not just for the Thessalonians but for us as well. Because Christ was raised, so too are we raised — to fullness of life, to the joy of his return. I remember a time in India when this word came to life for me — people streamed out to meet us, singing, dancing, showering our necks with flowers as they accompanied us into their home. It was breathtaking, and it's only a shadow of the joy awaiting us all. When Christ returns, there will be no reversal, no anticlimax. He will be processed in, and we will join him, caught up together, not in fear or confusion, but in celebration and belonging. Resurrection means we never grieve without hope. The King is coming, and he's bringing all his own with him, drawing us into his joy. Let these words root deep in your soul today: you are destined for resurrection. Your future is hope — not as wishful thinking, but as sure as Christ's own victory over death. Encourage each other with this. Live every day in the joy and assurance that you will be with the Lord forever. That's my prayer for myself, for my family, for all of us today — may we rejoice in the hope of resurrection, and go forward in the strength of knowing that the best is still to come. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

This devotional challenges Christians to move beyond treating faith as just one part of life and instead recognize Christ as life itself. Rooted in Colossians 3 and Psalm 73, it encourages readers to anchor their identity, direction, and contentment in Jesus alone. When disappointment, loneliness, or confusion arise, believers are reminded that God is the one constant who never fails and whose presence brings lasting joy and strength. Highlights Peter’s response to Jesus reveals complete dependence on Christ alone. Disappointment often exposes misplaced priorities and false sources of security. Faith is meant to shape every part of life, not remain compartmentalized. Colossians 3 calls believers to focus on eternal priorities and values. Jesus is not simply part of life—He is our life. God is the only one who will never ultimately disappoint us. Lasting peace, purpose, and joy are found in Christ’s presence. Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: When You Have Nowhere Else to Go By Cindi McMenamin Bible Reading:“So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘You do not want to leave also, do you?’ Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life’” (John 6:67-68 NASB). After Jesus had said some difficult words for His followers to understand, many of them got up and left. Some probably realized He wasn’t the conquering Messiah-king they had hoped for. Others perhaps got frustrated with not being able to understand Jesus’ words. After many of them left, Jesus asked His remaining twelve disciples if they, too, wanted to leave. That’s when Peter spoke up and boldly proclaimed, “To whom shall we go?” In other words, “We have nowhere else to go.” Have you ever felt like that? I remember the day I felt I had nowhere else to go but to Him. My parents had just split up, and there was no security in my home, in my plans, or in my heart. Today, I look back on that day as the moment in which I took ownership of my faith. The moment in which my bond with Him was sealed, and I realized I had nowhere else to go but to Him. When we grow up learning about Jesus from the time we’re young, or if we’ve walked with Him a while, we can get complacent and put our lives in cruise control and fail to acknowledge His presence, direction, wisdom, guidance, and love every moment of our day. Faith becomes a compartment that is added to the many elements of our life, instead of becoming our whole life. That’s when disappointment can rock us. The apostle Paul opened his letter to the Colossians with instructions for followers if they are truly His: Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory (verses 1-4). If you have been raised with Christ. It appears to be an if/then situation. If we are His and have been transformed by His death and resurrection, we are to keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is. That means we are to keep our minds on our eternal home, have eternal priorities and values, live as if we are here temporarily, and we will soon be in our real home with the Lover of our souls. The verse goes on to say we have died and our lives are hidden with Christ in God. (Our rights, our sense of entitlement, our preferences have died with Christ, and we are hidden, and He (and His character) is evident and on display for the world. Then the next line simply assumes that Christ is not just a part of our life, but is our whole life. Intersecting Faith & Life: When we consider Christ—not a partner or spouse, child, or even a job—as our whole life, we safeguard ourselves from misplaced priorities and frequent disappointment. God is the Only One who will never disappoint us. And I realize that you may believe that in your heart of hearts, but life still hurts. Being vulnerable enough to tell a loved one what you need from them and then coming up empty because they have no idea how to respond can leave us feeling sore to the core. So where do you and I go with that? Our answer must be the same as Peter’s: “Lord, there is no one else that we can go to!” (CEV). I have learned to echo Peter’s words by making Psalm 73:25-26 my life’s motto, as well as the cry of my heart. In the Contemporary English Version, that passage reads: “In heaven I have only you, and on this earth you are all I want. My body and mind may fail, but you are my strength and my choice forever.” In other words, Christ, who is my life. Where do you go when others disappoint? Be already depending on Him, and the disappointments will come less often. What do you do when you begin to lack contentment? Remember who is your life and that in His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). Where do you turn when you feel directionless or lacking in purpose? To the One who is your life, your compass, your purpose. Lord, may You be the object of my heart, my focus, my direction, my life. You gave up Your life on this earth so I could belong to You forever. I give You my life and desires and realize I have nowhere else to go—but to You. Further Reading:Psalm 84 For help prioritizing your day with Jesus, see Cindi McMenamin’s book, The New Loneliness Devotional: 50 Days to a Closer Connection with God. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The Earth's magnetic field makes compasses work so that Boy Scouts don't get lost in the woods and ships arrive at the correct port. It actually moves over time. This means that navigators periodically need updated information on the position of the pole for their charts.Many people have the idea that the Earth's magnetic field moves very slowly. The Earth's magnetic field actually offers some of the clearest evidences that the Earth is young. Geophysicists recently reported that the north magnetic pole has moved 800 kilometers northwest of where it was in 1904. That's a much faster rate of movement than many people imagined. Its speed and direction of movement are about what was expected by geophysicists, however. They also report that the magnetic pole has moved as much as 80 kilometers in one day.Measurements taken over the last 150 years show that the Earth's magnetic field is decaying. When Christ walked the hills of Palestine, the magnetic field was twice as powerful as it is today.The Earth is much more dynamic and changeable than most people, including many scientists, think. These rapid changes in the position of the magnetic pole and the rapid decay of the magnetic field offer evidence that the Earth is much younger than many people think. One of the world's best known experts has shown that the decaying magnetic field means that the Earth could not be much older than the Bible's genealogies indicate.Job 26:7" He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.”Prayer: Lord, the blessings of modern travel rely on Your gift of to us of the Earth's magnetic field. I also thank You for the beauty of the northern and southern lights that is created by the magnetic field. Amen.REF.: "News of Magnetic Poles." Science News, Vol. 128. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1232/29?v=20251111

Christ is my identity, ______ is my ambassador role.1 Peter 2:13-25, Romans 6:17-18, 1 Peter 2:12, 2 Corinthians 5:20(e.g., Pastor, Teacher, VP of Sales, Doctor, Coach, Student, Husband, Wife, Single, Mom, Dad…) When Christ is our identity, our ambassador roles become a platform for His righteousness and glory.1 Peter 2:16,24, John 8:28-29, 2 Corinthians 5:9 --------DAILY DEVOTIONAL WITH RON MOOREGet Ron's Daily Devotional to your inbox each morning; visit biblechapel.org/devo.CAREGIVINGDo you have a need we can pray for? Do you need someone to walk alongside you? Do you know of another person who needs care? Let us know at caregiving@biblechapel.org.GROWTH TRACKWe all have a next step - what's yours? To learn more about our Growth Track and to take your next step, biblechapel.org/connect.

In 1905 a scruffy young man holed up in his apartment in Bern, Switzerland, engaging in complex thought experiments regarding the nature of the universe. With frenzied focus, the physicist worked and reworked his calculations. Four mind-crunching months later, this man had rewritten much of what was known about how the world works. The man was Albert Einstein. He was twenty-six. The year 1905 is now famously called “the miracle year,” the moment Einstein peered into God’s design of the universe. Yet despite possessing a great scientific mind, Einstein said, “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.” The Bible frequently points to the majesty of God reflected in His creation: “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1), and Job predated Einstein’s words: “Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens” (Job 11:7–8). But God’s creation glory is even greater than the expanse of universes: “In the beginning was the Word. . . .The Word became flesh” (John 1:1, 14). There are no mathematical calculations that can explain God’s extraordinary act of entering humanity in the person of Jesus Christ. God is not just “out there” in a universe we cannot begin to know, but He’s here alongside us, the Word among us, the light of life (1:4) whom we can know personally and intimately. When Christ was born in Bethlehem, that was the true “miracle year.”

Preacher: Jeremiah Fyffe Romans 8:18-25 Romans 8:18-25 | What We've All Been Waiting For from CrossPointe Coast on Vimeo. THERE IS NO COMPARISON CREATION WAITING CREATION GROANING SAVED IN HOPE 2 Corinthians 4:17 (ESV) For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV) … let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Colossians 3:1–4 (ESV) If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Philippians 3:20–21 (ESV) But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. 2 Timothy 4:8 (ESV) Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. John Murray Not till then will the children of God be made manifest to themselves and others in the plenitude of their status and privilege as sons, and not until they are all glorified together with Christ will the body of Christ be manifested in its integrity and unity. Isaiah 55:12 (ESV) For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Revelation 22:20 (ESV) He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 2 Corinthians 5:6 (ESV) So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 2 Corinthians 5:8 (ESV) Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

A sermon on Acts chapter 3 verse 26. Christ doesn't just save you from sin, but He transforms you and turns you away from your sin. When Christ truly blesses a life— He doesn't leave it the same, He turns it.

John 14:19 After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. I don't know if we can imagine the impact of these words on the disciples. He's told them He's leaving so that He can return to live in them so they might live forever with Him. Let's remember why Jesus told them these things. He was telling them what was to happen in the future so that they might believe that He is the Son of God and the life of the Father. John 13:19 “From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.” Within days, Jesus died on the cross, three days later was raised, and then they saw Him—alive—in the upper room again fulfilling this promise—“you will see Me.” If we have life, it is because Jesus, who is the life, died, was raised, was glorified, and lives. He has given us life. The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians in 3:4. “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” for “Christ in you, [is] the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). We are not of this world. We have been loved by God and filled with His life so we can love with Him. We live because He lives, and we love because He is love. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

In marriage, we often look at our spouse and think, “They're the only one for us.” Yet we know that many marriages today still end in divorce. Why is that? Pastor Bill explains that there can be many reasons, but one of the most dangerous is wandering eyes. When Christ isn't at the center of a marriage, it becomes easier for our attention to drift toward other things or other people. So today, Pastor Bill encourages you to keep Christ at the center of your marriage and guard your heart from distractions. 

A healthy home doesn't need a perfect structure. It's decided by the relationships that fill it. When Christ holds authority over every relationship under our roof, power becomes service, obedience becomes love, and faith becomes something we live rather than just teach. That same posture reshapes how we treat anyone we lead or follow, from our kitchen table to our workplace. Listen now and be inspired to let Christ shape how you show up at home this week.

Friends of the Rosary,As we read today, on the feast day of 5th-century Saint and Father of the Church St. Cyril of Alexandria, while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum, Jesus said to unbelieving Jews (John 6:52-59) that “He is the bread that came down from heaven” and “Whoever eats this bread will live forever.”“Amen, amen, I say to you,unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood,you do not have life within you.Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Bloodhas eternal life,and I will raise him on the last day.For my Flesh is true food,and my Blood is true drink.Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Bloodremains in me and I in him."When Christ spoke of giving his flesh to eat, He revealed a profound mystery that we must understand: the life-giving flesh of Christ nourishes the whole human race through divine power. Alleluia! Christ is Risen!Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠April 24, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

When Christ rules our hearts, His character reshapes our relationships, our worship, and our everyday lives.

When Christ redeemed us from our sinful past, our lives now belong to him.

Safely Hidden in Christ (1) (audio) David Eells, 4/12/26   Exhortation to Abide, from Abba Father  8/12/25, Sarah Jo-Jo  A servant is not greater than his Lord. (John 13 and John 15) My Word tells you not to fear, be anxious for nothing. (Deuteronomy 31, Joshua 1, Isaiah 41, Luke 12…) Fear not, for I am with you. Do not murmur in the wilderness (Phil 2, 1 Cor 10) but wait patiently for Me as you endure the perfecting of your faith. Believe in Me, and I told those who wait for Me that I will complete the good work that I began in them. I alone am Faithful and True (Revelation 19) I AM, there is no other. There is no other Saviour… so choose this day, this breath, whom you will trust and believe and follow. My Word is Truth and will never pass away. (1 Peter, Isaiah 40) Men are as grass and will pass away. Your own understanding and walking by sight is included in that which will pass away. Again, I tell you, choose whom you will trust and follow in this moment. I said murmur not, endure and trust Me, that I AM TRUTH. I do not lie. I will deliver you, so submit to My pruning as I train you in My righteousness. If you choose to fear and worry by what you see and hear in the flesh, then you are disobeying Me. I said do not fear. Do not worry. Choose this day whom you will obey and trust. Your choice is shown in fear of the Lord God Almighty, shown in your obedience to My Words, not passing My Word off as mere suggestions. I said DO NOT worry. DO NOT walk by sight but by My Spirit. And only by obeying and abiding in Me will you walk by My Spirit. If you choose your own way, how can you say that you are Mine? Harden not your heart at My Word. To whom will you go if you depart from My Truth, which is the only thing that will endure forever, My Word? Seek My Kingdom and righteousness first. Turn from your wicked ways. Embrace My ways of self-denial and Love. My servants are no greater than their Lord and His Example, Who gave His life for His friends. Love Me first…Read Deuteronomy 6, Matthew 22, Mark 12 Abide in Me, talk to Me as David did, and My Son, your Lord Jesus Christ; He went away into the secret places to abide with Me, to seek Me with all of His heart, to sup with Me… come to the secret places of the Most High and abide under the shadow of My wings…so that your flesh is denied and so that My Spirit will be in you, in order that my will is done through My servants on the earth. Apart from My Spirit abiding in you, apart from Me, you can do nothing. So seek Me, let Me prune away your lust of the flesh and to promote yourself. Let Me humble you that I may use you. Read Isaiah 66 1-2, 5-7 My Word says Jesus is your Lord, and also your Example. Hear Him, My Son in Whom I am well pleased. Hear with spiritual ears, hearts that deny self, flesh, your own understanding… walk not by sight (or hearing or the worlds carnal thinking). Every Word of God is your daily bread, Manna. I AM The Bread of Life. So walk by faith in these days, My children. I said DO NOT worry about provision… am I your Provider? Or are you your provider, as Egypt, or men? Do not murmur when your flesh suffers… Am I asleep? No, I neither slumber nor sleep, and I already know what you need before you ask. I know more about what your needs are and what your lack is more than you do (like the churches in Revelation did not see what I do), for I AM The Way, The Truth, The Life. Choose: Believe that My Ways are higher, and that every Word of Mine is Truth, despite what your friends choose. Despite the Achans in Joshua 7 who think that I don't see their unbelief… their double minded hearts… wanting to be Mine, claiming to those around them that they are Mine and yet not believing that I will give to each what I know they need… not as the world gives… not as the world commands to lust after and fleshly lust obeys, not what self wants, what walking by sight promotes. Achan didn't believe that trusting My Word was enough. He became his own provider. 1 John 2 I tell you to seek Me, and ask ME! I know what you need. Trust Me, even in your lack and sorrow. I am doing My work. Was not David young and small? Did he gain My Strength by what his eyes saw? Did he bow to the cajoles of others? In 1 Samuel 17 He trusted in Me, THE LIVING GOD…there is no other. Did David defeat the giant, the bear, and the lion, and survive Saul's persecution by his own understanding and cunning? No, look at David's heart cries toward Me in the Psalms. Who was David's strength, and in Whom did he tell his downcast soul to hope in? Matthew 16: Jesus, your Lord is the Son of The Living God. I Am the same. I am Living and active and My Word will perform that which I send it to do, and My Word is Truth that sanctifies those who desire My righteousness and reject self, and the world and embrace My entire Word as Truth, understand when My Spirit is in them, when they obey My commands to deny self, walk in love that is kind, not rude, does not promote self, thinks no evil. When sin is rejected, and you humble yourself before Me and ask ME, The Potter, to make you My vessel of honor for My glory. You come to Me and turn from wickedness, and I will form you and cleanse you. In this spiritual war, I AM your helmet, the God of your salvation. I AM TRUTH. I give you faith, and I AM your SHIELD. I AM YOUR ARMOR AS I WAS FOR DAVID. Abide in Me. Come away from all else and seek Me in the secret place. Be diligent in prayer and abide in Me…I, the Prince of Peace, will perfect My peace and love and faith in you… And I give not as the world gives. The world does not have the Living Water that is to fill you and flow out of you. Obey Me and walk by My Holy Spirit, that is shown in fruit such as LOVE… the self-denying kind that seeks others' profit above self (1 Corinthians 10) I have said that cursed are those who trust in man (Jeremiah 17) …and don't rely on Egypt… do not turn back and long for the world's ways as those in the wilderness did, as Lot's wife did, and as Job's wife became bitter because of her loss. Do not rely on your own self or lean on your own understanding. Commit your way to Me. I will lead you in My way. This is your choice. I AM the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Declare My wonderful works after My fire has refined you… walk according to My Spirit and Love. Those who are Mine will only defeat giants by My Spirit abiding in them, My Word on hearts and minds and mouths… Let new songs to Me be upon their lips, songs of praise to their God. Submit to Me… Those who do My Will are my family (Matthew 12). 2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing [or wishing] that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.   Hidden in the Secret Place J.K. - 02/14/2011 (David's notes in red) I saw David standing in front of me with blueprints held out. He was given blueprints showing a narrow tunnel guide. There seemed to be many people who could see these plans, but only a smaller number of people began shoveling the underground tunnel right away. Some people just stood around and wondered what we were doing. Others kind of helped out in their curiosity, half-heartedly digging, wondering about the underground tunnel plans. But others in the front were just digging as fast as they could and not looking back or worrying much about what was ahead or behind. (After being shown the Biblical plan of being hidden in Christ, those in front were making a way for the rest of the underground Church to abide in the “secret place of the Most High”. 1Co.2:7 but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, [even] the [wisdom] that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory. Col.2:3 in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden. Rev.2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna.) The odd thing was the tunnel stopped being built underground after a short ways and then somehow we were building the tunnel up and above the ground. We were still building the tunnel, but it was invisible, and we were building it with invisible material. There were even narrow steps inside the tunnel that we built and climbed. The tunnel was never very wide; we actually had to stay on our knees while building and working our way through it. (This path that is hidden from the beast will increasingly be hidden in plain sight as they minister to the world. Constant contact with God in prayer will be needed to stay in this hidden way.) Even though the tunnel was tight and a lot of work to build, we never got tired, and we had plenty of air to breathe, but we could look down and see the people who never entered the underground tunnel. We could hear them talking and reasoning why they didn't enter the tunnel. (Those who live only in the natural cannot understand the spiritual way of faith and power. It is a secret place even to them. The breath of air represents the Spirit of God who makes this way possible since breath and Spirit are the same word in scripture.) Some said they didn't want to get dirty. Others said that it wasn't a big deal; there was nothing to be concerned about, and that we were all crazy. They said, who knew where we were going and if it was even safe to enter. Others said they would stay up to fight, and God would give them the victory in war if they fought. Everyone basically agreed with the other person's reasoning and encouraged them not to enter the underground tunnel, shaking their heads at us, who had already gone in as fools in their eyes. (Those who are natural will fight with flesh and blood instead of principalities and powers, and they will lose the battle. The tunnel is for those who are hidden in Christ's security and protection. Because they are walking in Christ they are hidden. Col 3:3  For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4  When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory.  1Co.2:14 Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged.) The group that entered the tunnel was much smaller than the group that didn't enter the tunnel, and the group that went ahead building the tunnel was even smaller. (In the Church today, those who walk in the natural are many more than those who walk in the Spirit, and the leaders from among these are even fewer.) No one complained about having to build the tunnel ahead for everyone else. They actually enjoyed the labor and became energetic by doing the work. No one talked about how much work they did or how much work others didn't do. They were just overjoyed for the most part to have had the chance to dig. David never handed out tools or told anyone what they had to do; he just pointed out the plans, and everyone somehow knew where to begin, and we somehow all had different tools to dig with. There were never any orders flying around; everyone just talked very agreeably as we worked very hard alongside one another. (The Spiritual Church doesn't have to have bit and bridle; it is in their renewed mind and heart to hear and obey God's Word and voice.) We would stop and look down and could see a war break out right under us. (Overcoming the world to see things from a heavenly perspective and have dominion over it.) Even though no one could see us, we could see them, and we watched as the people who said they didn't want to enter the tunnel got mowed down with swords by a line of angry men in red robes and oversized frowns. (Red robes represent Esau, who was red, the father of Edom, meaning, red. They were judged for hating their chosen brethren with frowns. Rev.13:10 If any man [is] for captivity, into captivity he goeth: if any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed.) They seemed to be killing with a very personal grudge and had no mercy at the crying. (This could represent two parables: spiritual and physical. The apostate enemies in our midst who make war with their brethren, like Judas, who walked in sin, which is represented as red. Isa.1:18 ... though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. “Edom” means “red” and was the name given to Esau when he sold his birthright as a son of Abraham. Gen.25:30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red [pottage]. For I am faint. Therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me first thy birthright. The spiritual seed of Esau are Edomites who have sold their birthright as Christians by walking after the flesh and persecuting their brothers. Heb.12:15 looking carefully lest [there be] any man that falleth short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you], and thereby the many be defiled; 16 lest [there be] any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat (flesh) sold his own birthright. These false Christians are enemies of the cross and are members of the beast army, by nature. The larger beast army is the second, more physical, meaning.) I discerned that even though the natural men in red robes couldn't see us, there were evil spirits in them that knew us and could see us, and would fire what looked like black arrows at us with no success and as they saw they couldn't penetrate us at all and their arrows would fall down before even touching us, which fueled their anger against those they could touch. (The lies of demons will have no effect on the people of faith. Eph.6:16 withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil [one].) It was a lopsided victory for the army in red. Stray bullets and shrapnel came our way, but the invisibility tunnel in the air that we were viewing everything from took all the impact and never got damaged. (No accidents or collateral damage can happen to those in the Secret Place. Psa.91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, And ten thousand at thy right hand; [But] it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, And see the reward of the wicked. 9 For thou, O Jehovah, art my refuge! Thou hast made the Most High thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent. 11 For he will give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.) We were not very high up, just above everyone's head, just beyond their reach, and no one was afraid of getting hurt. We were just amazed at the number of people who never entered the tunnel after seeing the plans that were made for them to escape. (Their Babylonish training destroyed them from being able to see and hear the truth.) By the end of the battle, I turned around, thinking I would see a bunch of people in the tunnel, but the tunnel opened up and became very roomy, and I stood up and walked, but I saw there were only two women and a little baby. (At the beginning this represents a remnant of the Church with the Man-child that will be all who abide in the Word and Jesus, who were in the Secret Place.) That was so odd it actually shook me awake. I remembered the dream so clearly because of being awakened from it in this way.   Hidden and Taught in Christ Sandy Shaw - 07/20/2015 (David's notes in red) Dream #1 I found myself inside of what looked like an old apartment building. (The Church is many houses built together into a temple for the Lord.) I remember in the dream of being very tired (like the building and the old order Church). As I looked out in front of me, I saw five steps. (Steps of faith to grace, which is represented by the number 5.) And just as I began to step down onto the first step, I said, “Okay, Lord. The second part”. When I did step down onto the first step, I no longer felt tired. (Partial grace received to run the race.) I proceeded up the remainder of the steps, and the first door I needed to take was on the right. (Steps of faith bring us to a higher place in God and fullness of grace to go through the door, who is Christ; i.e., they left the sheepfold, as in John 10, following Christ. The Bride comes out of the mother church but according to Song of Soloman they seek to bring their beloved there. John, seeing the disciples following Jesus, said, “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom”.) The door was old, and there was evidence of a sign on the door, but the sign was no longer there, just the shadowy outline of where the sign had once been. (Jesus gave the sign that He was and is the door, but He is no longer here in person; His spirit and Word are manifest in those who go through the door.) I opened the door and the room was very dark. (The old order mother church is very much in darkness. The Bride has not been in this place for many years.) I turned on the light, and the light itself reminded me of one of the old-fashioned types of light fixtures that they would have had years ago, that you turned on by hand. (We turn on the power and light by faith for the mother church. the old-fashioned light is the original light of those who were in mother. We must start out where they are and slowly bring them higher and out.)  1Jn.2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him: 6 he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked... (He who loves his brother turns on the light so they can walk in the steps of Christ.) 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him... (We are called to be weak to the weak that we may gain some as Paul said.) 24 As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.) When I turned it on, I noticed that the walls were painted navy blue, and I did not see any windows. (No windows shows their lack of discernment. Navy blue is heavenly, but in a time of darkness.) On the right side of the room was a door. I went up to the door and opened it, and discovered it was a closet with three babies inside. These babies looked to be four or five months old. (All those in the mother churches are babies. Many innocent spiritual babies will be entrusted to the Bride, such as it was with Esther and the people of God.) The babies were dressed in heavy snowsuits of a grayish color. (These babies are coming in out of the cold of persecution and tribulation to be sheltered by the Bride for instruction and to be delivered of their beastly or grayish works.) I took the babies out of the closet, and there was a braided rug of variegated brown colors in the middle of the floor, so I laid the babies down onto this rug. (These babies may be resting in a time of brown-shirt Nazism -- those traitors who turn on their own people to deliver them to the beast.) I noticed that there were boxes all over the place. It looked like someone was moving in or moving out. (Some Christians start out in moms church but soon leave to get spiritual food.) I thought in this dream that it was summertime because I was dressed in a sundress. (A time of new life and blessing to the Bride.) I thought to myself, “Why are these babies dressed in snowsuits when I'm dressed in a sundress?” (They are dressed for the winter because tribulation comes. After the light is turned on the testing comes when the Woman goes into the wilderness tribulation following the Man-child. The first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation, they are relatively protected while in training, as it was under Jesus' ministry. Just as Jesus first raised up the Bride and sent them into the harvest, so it will be with the Man-child and Bride in our day. The old order woman is part of the harvest for they have not come completely into the Kingdom. Rev.12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days... 14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.) On the kitchen table was a shiny silver box with a white cotton bow. (A free gift.) I untied the bow and opened the box and discovered three white baby t-shirts and three pairs of white shorts. I took these clothes and put them on the babies. (The immature will be clothed in the pure works for the season. The innocent are covered and are expected to learn slowly.) After dressing the babies, I began feeling the walls because I felt something wasn't right about this room, and that's when I discovered a window that had been boarded up. (It is time for them to be given spiritual discernment for the light has been turned on. Pray for the old order church to be prepared for the wilderness.) I took out the screws that were on the left side of the boards that were covering up the window. You could not see out of this window very well, as it had a lattice blocking the view from the other side. (Lattice is easier to see out of; from the inside but it is harder to see in from the outside. The old order are hiding out in suspended animation but now the light is on.) However, as I was looking through the lattice, I could see falling ash. (Could this be volcanic ash that falls after the time of the earthquakes? We are expecting revival at that time.) As I was looking at the ash, I heard a conversation going on in the hallway. This is what I heard: “Man, you see that snow? It's really snowing hard! It's really coming down”. I closed the window back up and screwed the boards back into place. (Many are still in a state of denial, not seeing the evil time for what it is.) I still could hear voices and what sounded like a commotion out in the hall. I looked over to the right side of the room, and there was a blanket lying on the floor. I reached down and picked up the blanket, and I covered the babies who were lying on the rug. (The Bride will cover those “on the right,” the sheep, when the right wing and Christianity are being persecuted, having lost all rights under dictatorship and martial law.) I then began walking toward the door, and as I was walking, I began to pray. I asked the Lord for His protection and to please make it so I didn't have to lie. The room changed from a dark navy blue color to a light bright blue color, and the door opened before I could get there. (Those whose darkness has turned to light will be under the protection of the Lord.) Just then, a Chinese man walked into the room, wearing a heavy black coat. (These martial law people are in the winter of tribulation.) He had a very heavy accent, and his English was very broken. He said to me, “What you do? What you do?” I said to him, “I have done nothing”. (Truly, the Bride has done nothing wrong, except in the eyes of the government.) Then he said back to me, “We know you don't”. Just then, a Chinese soldier walked into the room, and these two Chinese men began talking to each other. Then, the first man turned around, and he asked, “How many children did you have?” I said, “I only have one son, and he is grown with a family of his own and does not live with me”. (A time of martial law when Christians are not in favor with the Beast, but those who are holy have favor with their Father who rules over the Beast.) The soldier then turned toward the hallway, and he spoke to someone outside of the room whom I could not see. He asked the man in the hallway, “Who gave you this information?” The man in the hallway, whom I could not see, said, “Sam and Joe”. Then the soldier said, “Bring them to me”, meaning Sam and Joe. They all left at this time and slammed the door as they left. They never at any time saw the babies. (Sam and Joe are factious traitors against the Christ in us, represented by the Bride and babies. Judas led the Beast to Jesus, but then he died by his own hands. The factious who have not repented will go into captivity. They are out of favor with the Father who rules the Beast. Anyone found lying to the martial law authorities may be killed.) I sat down in an Indian-type position on the floor with the babies, and I helped them hold their bottles, which were filled with clear water. (The milk of the water of the Word.) I said to myself in this dream, “I need to ask M. L. how to feed multiple babies”. I took one of the babies in my arms, and I said, “You don't have to worry. The Lord is our refuge, and He will provide for us. He is our deliverer”. (That's how to feed them with faith.) End of dream. Dream #2 I dreamed I was on a road that looked like a four-lane highway, which is close to me in real life. The outside lanes were filled with people walking, running, and riding bikes. I was in my wheelchair going with them. (The Bride will not go into captivity on the broad road with everyone else.) I went off the road through some trees and discovered a brook-type body of water. I wanted to put my foot down into this water. I was excited, and I thought the water was going to be cold, but it wasn't; it was just refreshing. (This represents the living waters of the Word from the throne of God through Jesus in the Man-child ministry.) I stood up out of my chair, and when I did, I had both of my feet! (A healing awaited for it has come through the living waters, as it will for many. Many will walk in the Word, too.) I started walking in this water. When I got to where the water was chest high, I stopped. I stopped because I thought I was going to swim in this water, but I needed to submerge myself and swim over to the other side. (These are the deep waters of the Word to swim in, as in the Ezekiel 47 revelation, where the living waters flowed from the house of God and brought healing wherever it went.) Then I heard three toddlers, and they were speaking on the side of the road, but I could not understand what they were saying. (In parallel to the first dream where the three babies were hidden safely in Christ.) I got out of the water and walked toward the road and the babies, and no one was paying any attention to them. (Because they are hidden, even beside the broad road.) I said to them, “Shh”, and picked them up and went back into the water. I waded in the water with the babies, and on the right side of this brook was a lady, and behind her was a cave. (She brought them to a hidden place of discipleship in the wilderness, the underground Church.) She was a beautiful older lady with long white hair past her hips. She was wearing a white flowing dress made out of scarf-like material. (Those of the Bride with wisdom and maturity to teach the babies.) The bottom of the dress appeared to have points like a scarf, and the dress had long, flowing sleeves. This woman looked at me and said, “You found them! Bring them to me. Now go and get the others”. (Some of the Bride will be evangelists to bring in the wayward, and some will be wise teachers to raise up the babies.) So, I went back into the water, and I waded a little way, and I saw B. off to the right of the brook, standing on the bank, and she had 12 women with her. (The Bride bringing in the elect of God, represented by the number 12. Only the chosen will escape captivity at this time. Later, others, after suffering under the crucifixion of the Beast, will be chosen to escape captivity, too. Rev.13:10 If any man is for captivity, into captivity he goeth: if any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.) B. A. asked, “Are you ready to take us?” Rev.12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days. Then B. A. and the 12 women got into the water with me, and we walked in the water together until it was chest deep. I knew in this dream that we were headed for the cave. (Our heart must be bathed in the living waters, even before our mind is.) Why do we need to obey God's Word and be faithful servants? Several reasons: God has called us to do something very important for many Christians in these days, but first we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him and His Word. If we do not obey the Lord, we will miss His will for ourselves and a multitude of other people, including our children, spiritual and physical. Hos.4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children. We have to believe and obey or there is no promise for our children to be saved. 1Co.7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. Pro.11:21 [Though] hand [join] in hand, the evil man shall not be unpunished; But the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. Psa.102:28 The children of thy servants shall continue, And their seed shall be established before thee. Pro.20:7 A righteous man that walketh in his integrity, Blessed are his children after him. Psa.112:2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: The generation of the upright shall be blessed. Gen.6:18 But with you will I establish my covenant; and you shall come into the ark, you, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons' wives with you. Gen.7:1 And the LORD said to Noah, Come you and all your house into the ark; for you have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Gen.13:15 For all the land which you see, to you will I give it, and to your seed for ever. Gen.19:12 And the men said to Lot, Have you here any besides? son in law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whatever you have in the city, bring them out of this place... 15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters that are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. 16 But he lingered; and the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters, Jehovah being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. Deu.4:37 And because he loved your fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought you out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt; 2Ki.8:19 Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give him always a light, and to his children. Psa.37:26 He is ever merciful, and lends; and his seed is blessed. 112:2 His seed shall be mighty on earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. The seed, spiritual and physical, of the David/Man-child will be blessed. Psa.89:3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant: 4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, And build up thy throne to all generations... 29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, And his throne as the days of heaven. 30 If his children forsake my law, And walk not in mine ordinances; 31 If they break my statutes, And keep not my commandments; 32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, And their iniquity with stripes. 33 But my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. See our free PDF book Saving Our Families By Faith   Man-child, Bride, Two Witnesses: Hidden in Christ Amos Scaggs - 02/13/2008 (David's notes in red) In a dream, I saw myself escorting a beautiful young woman to different places. She had been seen with me on many occasions. (I represent the first-fruits ministry. The young woman is the new Bride-to-be.) (“Amos” in Hebrew means “carried by God” and “Eagle”, which symbolizes the overcomer man-child. John the Baptist said of Jesus as the man-child who led the Bride of His day, “He that hath the bride is the Bridegroom”.) While doing so, I met my previous romance, which was over and done with many years ago. The older romance person commented on how beautiful the young woman was, but in a sarcastic manner, and went on her way, not wanting to stay around. (This is the apostate church as we know it today. She was very old and jealous and will say all kinds of harsh things about the new young bride emerging from her.) (Amos outgrew the fellowship of the apostate church years ago. She is old because the curse of 2000 years is heavy upon her.) I saw the older romance person later on, lined up in a slave labor group. She looked very old and ridiculed me for escorting the young woman around and being with her so much. She said it didn't look right, and other words were muttered. (The apostate church will go into bondage to the beast system and try to do whatever it takes to survive in the upcoming tribulation.) Next, I was also in the company of two friends who were taking me to a secret location. I hadn't really considered them close friends at first, but now they were closer to me than I thought they were. (These are the Two Witness company that will also assist in God's harvest.) (The Man-child company will raise up the Two Witness company in the first 3 !/2 years of the tribulation, as it was foreshadowed by Jesus and His corporate Two Witnesses. Then they will solo.) We found ourselves riding beside a number of railroad tracks, which were on the edge of a very large cliff, of which you couldn't see the bottom. It was terrifying to look over the edge. (These many railroad tracks represent multitudes on a traditional way that never changes paths and are in great danger of falling into the pit.) We were on the way over a hill to the secret location. (Those on the broad road are not able to go to the secret place of the Most High, which is abiding in Jesus Christ.) All of a sudden, the truck we were riding in left the tracks and took a backward turn down a hidden, narrow road leading to the secret location. I couldn't have made that turn in my truck even if I had known where it was. (You can't do this on your own accord or ability.) (This is the narrow road; the highway of holiness, the road to Zion, on which no unclean or beast can go. Isa.35:1 The wilderness (tribulation) and the dry land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose... 8 And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but is shall be for [the redeemed]: the wayfaring men (Hebrew meaning: Traveler on a well-traveled road; i.e., the broad road of the tracks), yea fools, shall not err [therein]. 9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up thereon; they shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk [there]: 10 and the ransomed of Jehovah shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. This secret place was hidden in a cliff in the mountain. There was only one way to enter the secret road that could not be seen until you arrived at its entrance. Then only the ones being escorted by the Witnesses could enter in, otherwise it could not be seen. (The Witnesses will cause many to leave the broad path to become disciples. The one narrow way to escape death is Jesus, the door, the life. Joh.14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me. Mat.7:14 For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it. This gate to the secret way cannot be seen by the worldly church and the beast who live in the way of darkness. Pro.4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: They know not at what they stumble. Job 38:19 Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And as for darkness, where is the place thereof.) After arriving at the location, we busied ourselves repairing things to prepare for our own and others' transportation and living quarters. (The Man-child, Two Witnesses and Bride are companies of people who will each, in turn, prepare to preserve the rest of the Church in the coming tribulation.) There were people arriving at the location who were bringing along things that couldn't survive in this place. One was a white pig with a pink ribbon tied around its neck, trying to eat off a bare concrete floor. There were some other animals that also could not survive the environment. (The pig and ribbon represent people arriving at the secret location with unclean habits that they cherish. Those habits cannot live in God's environment. A pig is an unclean animal like the fleshly; in society, it is dressed up so it can be accepted and justified in the sight of men, but all this will die in the wilderness tribulation.)   Protection from the Beast Eve Brast, 9/7/19 (David's notes in red) I dreamed that I was in a very large house with many rooms. (Representing the church worldwide?) There were many other people in the house. Suddenly, there was an awareness of an evil danger in the house. People started to panic and say things like, “It's coming!” And “We need to find a place to hide!” They began running past me, looking for places to hide. But the places they were choosing weren't adequate enough, but it was all they could find, and they trembled in the hiding places in despair, knowing they would, more than likely, be found and killed. I wasn't afraid, but I did feel an urgency to find a place of safety from this evil. I went into one of the bedrooms and saw a queen-sized bed with a white down comforter and a blonde colored wooden headboard and footboard that looked like the slats of a crib. (Just like Queen Esther found safety and comfort in the house of the King from the “beast” Haman, so the corporate Bride and Man-child will find safety from the Beast of our day.) I crawled underneath the bed, which enlarged itself for me, and began praying. Suddenly, a bunch of children who were somehow mine ran into the room and crawled under the bed with me. There was plenty of room under the bed for all of us. (The rest in the promises of God will hide us from the Beast. Psa 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust. 3 For he will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, And from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover thee with his pinions, And under his wings shalt thou take refuge: His truth is a shield and a buckler.) The door of the room was standing open, and I heard something roaring and coming down the hall. It stopped in the doorway of the room we were in and looked at me under the bed and let out a roar that sounded like a cross between a lion's roar (Satan is the roaring lion) and a dinosaur's roar (The T-Rex or dragon beast). It was a chimera creature. It was a blue lion, a red dragon, and a brownish-black wolf. (The wolf is the religious predator and deceivers among the children of God, like Judas, the son of perdition. As we have seen, the faction are members of the dragon body to try to devour the Man-child, and they kill many but fail to kill the Man-child and his true chuldren.) It had four legs and two arms like a centaur. The part that was the red dragon was the chest, neck, arms, and head with many sharp teeth. The part that was the blue lion was the four legs and most of the body, plus the head of the dragon, which had the lion's blue mane. The rear or rump was the brownish-black wolf, but with the lion's blue tail. (Satan uses the dragon and wolves among the sheep to attempt their destruction.) It narrowed its eyes at me with pure hatred and stomped into the room, lowering its head to look under the bed at my children and me. But the bed let down wooden railings with the same type of slats that the headboard and footboard had, all around the underneath of it, to protect us from the beast, and it knew it couldn't kill us because we were protected. So it screamed in anger and turned to go out of the room in search for the other people who were hiding in all the inadequate hiding places and had no protection. Rev.12:13-17, 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man child. 14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus. I knew in the dream that some of the people escaped the beast, even though they were in poor hiding places, because God had mercy on them. (Pray for mercy for these people) After the danger had passed, I went into a connecting room to the one my children and I had been hiding in. It was connected by two white double doors, and it had a king-sized bed with a white down comforter on it. I heard a couple of small parrots, a male and a female, talking to each other in the double doorway between the rooms. I looked at them in the doorway, and they were pastel colors: blue, green, yellow, and pink. (The same colors as the pastel plaid shirt that my dad wears in my dreams.) (Those who “parrot” the Word of the Father will find rest.) They flew over onto the king-sized bed, and then many more pairs of animals, male and female, came through the doors and got up onto the bed. (The animals of the ark, seeking an escape from the flood of destruction, find escape in the rest. Peter saw the animals that came down from heaven as the Gentile church.) I thought, “Wow! This is like Noah's Ark!” Luk.17:26-30, 26 And as it came to pass in the days of Noah, even so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise even as it came to pass in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all: 30 after the same manner shall it be in the day that the Son of man is revealed. End.   The Ark Leads to the Safety of Holiness Suani Guzman - 11/30/2008 (David's notes in red) In a dream, I was going to be part of a Christian cheerleading team that was going to do its routine in a pool. We all had to take a shower before we got in the pool. I went to a car and got a clean change of clothes and a bottle of baby shampoo. Later, I saw the car running on its own and went and put it in park and took the keys out of the ignition. The car was parked close to a corner. When I came back, the car was gone. It had left on its own. It turned right at the corner and went down the street. I ran down there with someone else and saw that it had gone through an opening on the ground into the basement of the building. We stood there looking at it, and that's when it came to me: “The ground in the basement was made holy by God, and the Ark of the Covenant that was in the car needed to be on holy ground.” That is when I woke up. This dream is saying that the Ark of God's presence will supernaturally lead His holy people underground, as a type of the safety of the secret place of the Most High, and they will not be steered there by man. The Ark led the children of Israel, not the other way around. Rom.8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. According to type, the Ark of the Covenant went underground when God's people were in danger of invasion and captivity by the Babylonian beast army. The Apocrypha says that Jeremiah hid the Ark in a cave in Mt. Nebo before the invasion, and that its location would not be revealed until God was ready. Ron Wyatt says he found the Ark in Jeremiah's Grotto, but that God told him it was not yet time to reveal it. In the Second Temple, the Ark of the Covenant was missing from the Holy of Holies for its entire 500 years. When the Roman General, Pompey, conquered Jerusalem around 63 B.C., he entered the Holy of Holies but came out saying that he could not understand what all the interest was about since it was only an empty room. His army was able to conquer Israel because God's presence was not in their Holy of Holies. Many Rabbis believe that the Ark was hidden in a cave under the Temple Mount in the heart of Israel during the time of King Josiah because of the prophesied coming Babylonian invasion. Jesus left their temple desolate, too, because God had chosen Him and His body as the new Temple. In fulfillment of this type, the Church is definitely threatened with a prophesied invasion and captivity by the Babylonian U.S. Great Eagle and going underground is next for the Ark. It is clear from scripture that God's people are the Temple and its court, and that individuals have different positions in the Temple, according to their maturity in the Lord and closeness to the Lord. Rev.11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and one said, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 2 And the court which is without the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. Notice there are those in the Temple and those who worship in the altar area, due to their sacrificial life, who will be safe. But those in the outer court will be left out of the safe place and trampled under the foot of men as a crucifixion because, as Jesus said, they have lost their saltiness. That leaves us with the Ark of the Covenant in the safe place of the Holy of Holies. Who is it that is a container as the Ark for God's presence, the Manna of the Word, the tables of testimony, and Aaron's rod that budded as a sign of authority? In Jesus' day, He was God in a vessel of a Son of David Who had these qualities inside; He was the Ark of the Covenant who led the Bride through the wilderness. In these days, the Man-child is God manifested in a vessel of the spiritual sons of David with these qualities: He will be the Ark of the Covenant that will lead the Bride through the wilderness. The Man-child is the first-fruits to manifest “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Suani's car represents the body of the Bride that will be guided by the Ark to the foundation of the building, which is holiness. The basement is the foundation of the Temple that God is about to lay again through the corporate man-child ministry. Hag.2:23 In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith Jehovah, and will make thee as a signet; for I have chosen thee, saith Jehovah of hosts. Notice Zerubbabel, meaning “born from Babylon”, will be a signet, which is a seal of authority, such as kings have. The first-fruits Man-child company will come with the authority of God to bring God's people out of bondage to the world and through the wilderness tribulation. The foundation of the Lord's house, not made with man's hands, will be laid again after a great falling away since the time of the Apostles. Hag.2:18 Consider, I pray you, from this day and backward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth [month], since the day that the foundation of Jehovah's temple was laid, consider it. It is through the shaking of the nations in the tribulation that God's “desired” people come out of them to become the temple of peace. Hag.2:7 and I will shake all nations; and the precious things (Hebrew: desired) of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory, saith Jehovah of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith Jehovah of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, saith Jehovah of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith Jehovah of hosts. In the former rain, Jesus, the Man-child, was the foundation of the former glory house. 1Co.3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. So also in the latter rain, Jesus in Zerubbabel as a type of the Man-child and Ark of the Covenant will lay the foundation of the latter, greater glory house. Zec.4:9 The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto you.” Notice this verse is saying that it is the Lord who is coming in Zerubbabel to build the house of God. It will be founded on holiness, which is separation from the World and conformity to the Word. Back to Suani: I would like to say that God has been helping me a lot to walk in holiness. Things I used to brush off are not OK anymore. Isa.35:8 And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but is shall be for [the redeemed]: the wayfaring men, yea fools, shall not err [therein]. This is a new level of holiness. I have been corrected very quickly lately. Heb.12:5-6 My son, regard not lightly the chastening of the Lord, Nor faint when thou art reproved of him; 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened [us] as seemed good to them; but he for [our] profit, that [we] may be partakers of his holiness. Now thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions must be holy. I know this is impossible in the flesh, and I rely on the Holy Spirit continuously for help. He is interested in not only outward obedience but in inward surrender and trust. I think He is doing this to save us from judgments that are soon to come. 1Co.11:31 But if we discerned ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. Delayed obedience, as well as doing anything against my conscience, are also things He has brought to my attention. Rom.14:23 But he that doubteth is condemned if he eat, because [he eateth] not of faith; and whatsoever is not of faith is sin.   God's Hand Protects the First Fruits C. P. - 6/28/21 (David's notes in red) I dreamed my husband and I, together with some others whom I did not recognize, were standing on the white deck of a boat. (This represents the remnant first fruits who are in God's Ark of safety floating above the waters of the curse.) I saw a hand come out of heaven, and I heard the words from our Father say, “My hand covers my people.” (Psa.91:1-12 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust. 3 For he will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, And from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover thee with his pinions, And under his wings shalt thou take refuge: His truth is a shield and a buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, Nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, And ten thousand at thy right hand; But it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, And see the reward of the wicked. 9 For thou, O Jehovah, art my refuge! Thou hast made the Most High thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent. 11 For he will give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.) There was a tremor, or a push or jolt from somewhere. (Representing the tribulation shakings that are coming upon the world to get the attention of God's elect.) We fell overboard into the water below. (This represents being plunged into the tribulation in order to overcome the curses of this world.) God's hand literally came into the water with us and became a glass sheet between us and a giant sea creature. It was black and white like an Orca whale and had really sharp teeth. (This black and white sea creature represents the beast in the sea of this world's people. The beast is always looking to devour God's people like the dragon of Revelation 12. The black and white means it has also been dictating to this world what is true and false, and what is right and wrong.) Rev.12:13-17 And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man-child. 14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. (The woman here is the Church, but within this larger body is the chosen bride.) 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus.) Our skin was glossy or shiny. (Representing the Bride's lampros garments, which are the righteous acts of the saints according to Rev.19.) It was like God's hand had emitted some sort of repellent onto us so the sea creature could not devour us. There was no fear or confusion, and we breathed easily underwater. (Meaning, the waters of the curse cannot hinder their breath or spirit.) We were so small compared to this sea creature; we looked like shrimp. God's hand was over us the whole time. (Isa.43:1-5 But now thus saith Jehovah that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. 2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 3 For I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour; I have given Egypt as thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in thy stead. 4 Since thou hast been precious in my sight, and honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men in thy stead, and peoples instead of thy life. 5 Fear not; for I am with thee…) I asked the Lord for a word by faith at random and received Eze.18:19 Yet say ye, Wherefore doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live. (They are not under the genetic curse of the Adamic nature passed down through their parents.) I asked Him for another Word, specifically about His hand, and received Hebrews 3:7, with my finger on Holy Spirit. (In context 7-9) 7 Wherefore, even as the Holy Spirit saith, To-day if ye shall hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, Like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness (tribulation), 9 Where your fathers tried me by proving me, And saw my works forty years (the number of tribulation).

Reading 1Acts 10:34a, 37-43Peter proceeded to speak and said:“You know what has happened all over Judea,beginning in Galilee after the baptismthat John preached,how God anointed Jesus of Nazarethwith the Holy Spirit and power.He went about doing goodand healing all those oppressed by the devil,for God was with him.We are witnesses of all that he didboth in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible,not to all the people, but to us,the witnesses chosen by God in advance,who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.He commissioned us to preach to the peopleand testify that he is the one appointed by Godas judge of the living and the dead.To him all the prophets bear witness,that everyone who believes in himwill receive forgiveness of sins through his name.”Reading 2Colossians 3:1-4Brothers and sisters:If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.When Christ your life appears,then you too will appear with him in glory.Sequence - Victimæ paschali laudesChristians, to the Paschal VictimOffer your thankful praises!A Lamb the sheep redeems;Christ, who only is sinless,Reconciles sinners to the Father.Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous:The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.Speak, Mary, declaringWhat you saw, wayfaring.“The tomb of Christ, who is living,The glory of Jesus' resurrection;bright angels attesting,The shroud and napkin resting.Yes, Christ my hope is arisen;to Galilee he goes before you.”Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining.Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!Amen. Alleluia.GospelJohn 20:1-9On the first day of the week,Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,while it was still dark,and saw the stone removed from the tomb.So she ran and went to Simon Peterand to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,and we don't know where they put him.”So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peterand arrived at the tomb first;he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.When Simon Peter arrived after him,he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,and the cloth that had covered his head,not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.Then the other disciple also went in,the one who had arrived at the tomb first,and he saw and believed.For they did not yet understand the Scripturethat he had to rise from the dead.

When Christ died and rose again, Satan was defeated. Jesus struck the decisive blow at Calvary.

If you feel weary, discouraged, or defeated by sin, Scripture doesn't offer a shortcut—it offers a doorway: prayer. In today's episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef reminds us that there is no lasting power over temptation and no consistent victory over sin without spending time with God in prayer. Dr. Youssef challenges the common habit of treating prayer like a last-ditch effort. Instead, prayer should be your first option—in trouble, in joy, and in every in-between moment. He points to the testimonies of Scripture where God moved mightily as His people prayed: Moses, Joshua, Hannah, David, Elijah, Daniel—and most powerfully, Jesus Himself. When Christ prayed in Gethsemane, the forces of darkness trembled, revealing that heaven's strength is unleashed when we align our will with God's perfect plan. Whether your relationships feel strained, your heart feels heavy, or your soul feels dry, this devotional calls you back to the simplest, strongest step of faith: pray—trusting God is not intimidated by your circumstances, and believing His promise that when you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you. Prayer: Lord, in Your mercy, restore my soul and prepare me for the life You have planned for me. I want to live for You and trust You to finish Your work in me. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. “Come near to God and he will come near to you. . . . Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:8, 10). Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef's sermon Pray or Faint: LISTEN NOW The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today's devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don't have to walk through it alone.

When Christ was raised from the dead, we were raised with Him. (Col. 3:3) Living from a resurrected pespective means viewing our lives from God's priorities. Love and gentleness supercede pride and personal rights. Let God's Word breathe life into you today and see from a new perspective.Daylight Meditations is a daily podcast from CFO North America. Please visit CFONorthAmerica.org to learn more about our retreats, and online courses. If you are encouraged by this podcast, please consider supporting us. Contributors: Michelle DeChant, Adam Maddock, and Phil Reaser

Why are you looking among the dead for someone who's alive? In “Contagious Resurrection", it's Resurrection Sunday at CONVO Church, and Pastor Craig teaches that resurrection power is contagious! When Christ truly transforms someone, others notice and are drawn to the gospel as well. If you want to contribute to support the ministry of CONVO Church, you can give securely online at http://convochurch.com/give​​​​​Scripture References | NLTRevelation 19, verses 11-16Luke 24, verses 1-121 Corinthians 15, verses 12-22Colossians 2, verse 12Romans 8, verses 9-11CONVO Church is led by Pastors Craig & Cara Dyson. We exist to lead people in becoming passionate Jesus followers bringing the love, grace, and truth of God into everyday convos, influencing every sphere of life. We are here to Inspire Purpose, Encourage Life, and Build Faith in you.

Philippians 4:4-9; John 12:1-18 Palm Sunday reveals both our love for Christ and our temptation to abandon Him when He does not meet our expectations. This homily invites us to see ourselves in the Gospel, to embrace the deeper work of transformation, and to follow the King who leads us not to comfort, but to life through the Cross. --- Palm Sunday Homily 2026 For the Jews two thousand years ago, today was the culmination of their long waiting: the Messiah had come to save them. "Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!" It is a great day for us as well—the end of Great Lent, the celebration of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We take up the first fruits of spring—palm leaves and pussy willows—not just as decoration, but as a sign of renewal. The winter of waiting is over. Christ has come among His people. As the Church sings in the Triodion: "Today the grace of the Holy Spirit has gathered us together, and we all take up Thy Cross and say: Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord." And more than that: He has come into our lives. This feast is not only about what happened in Jerusalem long ago. It is about the moment when Christ entered into our own story—when we first recognized Him as Lord, when we opened our hearts to Him, when we felt the relief of His presence. For many of us, that moment was marked by healing: the easing of despair, the forgiveness of sins, the restoration of hope. And so we cried out: "Hosanna in the Highest—the King has come to save!" Not just Israel. Me. But here is where the Gospel becomes dangerous for us. Because the people who cried "Hosanna" were not wrong to rejoice. They were wrong about what that joy meant. They loved Christ because He met their expectations. He healed the sick. He raised the dead. He gave them hope that their visible, worldly problems would be solved. Of course they loved Him. And we do the same. We love Christ when He meets our expectations:   when He brings peace   when He answers prayers the way we want   when He restores what we think should be restored We love the Church for the same reason:   when it comforts us   when it feels like home   when it confirms what we already believe We cry "Hosanna" when Christ—and His Body, the Church—fit into the life we already want. But then something happens. Christ moves beyond our expectations. He refuses to remain what we first loved Him for. And here the Church gives us words that both celebrate and correct us. In the hymns of this feast, we sing: "Seated in heaven upon Thy throne and on earth upon a colt, O Christ God, Thou hast accepted the praise of the angels and the song of the children who cried unto Thee: Blessed art Thou who hast come to call back Adam." He comes as King—but not the kind of king we expect. He comes not to confirm our plans—but to restore Adam. And this is why Lent has prepared us. All through the season, in the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, we have been taught how to read Scripture: "I alone have sinned against Thee." "I am the one who has fallen." We are not spectators in the Gospel. We are participants. So when the crowd turns from "Hosanna" to rejection— we do not say, "they did this." We say: "I am capable of this." We are the ones who welcome Christ when He fits our expectations —and are tempted to abandon Him when He does not. And this is not just about Christ in abstraction.   It is about Christ in His Body—the Church. We love the Church when it gives us what we expect:      beauty      stability      meaning But when the Church calls us to something harder—      to repentance      to forgiveness      to self-denial —we can become disappointed. Even resistant. Even tempted to step back. But that later moment—the moment of disappointment— is often more important than the moment of joy. Because that is the moment when Christ is no longer fitting into our life— He is transforming it. And this transformation is not accidental. As Maximus the Confessor teaches, the spiritual life is the purification and reordering of our desires. We begin by loving God for what He gives us—but we are called to love Him for Himself. What begins as expectation must be healed into communion. We see this even in the Liturgy. In the Great Entrance, Christ comes among us. He is received with honor and reverence. But then a turn is made; the stairs up the amvon to the altar     are the mountain of Golgotha. And His throne is revealed—not as a seat of earthly glory— but as an altar of sacrifice. And the hymns of this Great Feast prepare us even for this. We sing: "Today the Master of creation and the Lord of glory enters Jerusalem seated on a colt. He hastens to His Passion, to fulfill the Law and the Prophets." The One we welcomed in joy— is already going to the Cross. This is the truth the crowd did not expect. And it is the truth we struggle with. Christ does not come simply to solve our problems. He comes to transform us. Not to meet our expectations— but to purify them. Not to give us the life we imagined— but to give us His life. So today we are given a choice. When Christ meets our expectations, we rejoice. But when He overturns them—when He exceeds them—when He leads us through the Cross—      what will we do then?      Will we turn away?      Or will we follow Him still? Some saw this day as the end—the fulfillment of everything they had hoped for. But it was not the end. It was the beginning. The beginning of a path that leads through suffering, through death— and into resurrection. So do not make your heart a place that welcomes Christ only on your terms. Do not turn your heart into a tomb for the King. Let it be His throne. Receive Him not only in triumph—but in sacrifice. Not only in consolation—but in transformation. Because He will not remain what we expect. And thanks be to God— He will become something far greater. "Let us also, like the children, bear the symbols of victory, and cry out to the Conqueror of death: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord."

Opening Prayer and Why We’re in Leviticus on Easter Lord God, thank you for this morning. Thank you for an opportunity to celebrate your resurrection. Lord, it is such a sweet truth that so often throughout our lives we forget or put on the back burner. I’m grateful that we live in a society where, even though most people do it wrong, they at least set aside a day to remember that you have risen. As we come to your Word this morning, as we open up the book of Leviticus, help us remember and be in awe of what it means to be in your presence and of how significant an act it was for you to go to the cross. In your name, amen. Well, he is risen. All right. This is not a church that does that very well, so I figured we’d try. This morning I’m doing one of our NGM lessons. It covers five lessons the kids are going over over the next several weeks, because we don’t have NGM today and we don’t have NGM on the 25-year anniversary service. So this is our Leviticus overview. The last time we touched the kids’ curriculum, we were in Exodus back in February. I don’t expect anyone to remember it, so let me lay the groundwork for what we’re talking about today. In Exodus, God’s presence returned to his people, but there was still a significant distance. So God gives them sacrifices, priests, the Day of Atonement, and then says, “Now live like people who belong to me.” That is the arc of what we’re going to be talking about today. The main point of our story this morning is that God built an entire system to teach his people that earning their way into his presence is impossible. However, we sit on this side of Calvary, so we must remind ourselves daily of this distance that the cross had to cross. It happens to be Easter. It wasn’t planned this way, but as I reviewed what I was supposed to teach, I thought, man, this is a perfect preview to Resurrection Sunday. From Sinai to Separation Let’s open up our Bibles, and we’re actually going to start in the book of Exodus. When we read together, we’ll be reading in Exodus 33. But let me give you some background. In our February NGM lesson, we walked through three chapters in Exodus. God brought Israel to the base of Mount Sinai. He had carried them out of Egypt, parted the Red Sea, fed them manna, and when they arrived at the mountain, he spoke to the entire nation. God himself, out of the fire and the smoke and a shaking mountain, directly spoke to his people, giving them the Ten Commandments with his own voice. They were terrified. They begged God to stop talking. They told Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen, but don’t let God speak to us or we’ll die.” So Moses stepped in as a go-between. He went up into the thick darkness where God was, and the people stayed at the base of the mountain. This was the first time in the story where the need for a mediator was obvious. Then God gave Moses seven chapters of a construction plan for a tent: measurements, materials, furniture, fabrics, detail that feels endless in a reading plan. And he did it because he wanted to live with them. The people had just begged God to stop talking to them, and his response was, “No. Make me a tent. Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.” The tabernacle was his answer to the distance that sin had created. He is both holy enough to kill anyone who touches that mountain and willing to live in a tent in the middle of their camp. That’s the tension the gospel shows us. While Moses was up on that mountain receiving those plans, Israel was at the base making a golden calf. Aaron, the guy who was the voice for Moses, who had walked through the Red Sea on dry ground, asked for every piece of gold and melted it down and said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you from the land of Egypt.” He assigned the credit for what Yahweh had done to a piece of metal that had barely even existed in that form. Then he put God’s name on it: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to Yahweh.” So he made this graven image and then named it God. This wasn’t just rejecting God. It was redefining him. God told Moses he was ready to destroy them. He said, “Let’s start over.” Moses argued with God, not on the basis of Israel’s character, but on God’s. He appealed to God’s ownership of the people, God’s glory, God’s promises to Abraham. So God relented, but 3,000 men still died on that day. The sons of Levi went through the camp with swords. These were everybody’s friends and brothers, and Israel felt the weight that their sin had caused. Then Moses went back up to God and said, “If you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out from your book which you have written.” Moses said, “Take me instead.” And God said, “No.” He said, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot him out of my book.” Moses couldn’t ransom them. He could not be the mediator. He could not be the true payment for their guilt. That’s where we ended two months ago. We ended at Exodus 32. We knew that God is just, because God killed 3,000 men for their sin. And we knew that God is merciful, because he carried forward a people that didn’t deserve to be carried. After the golden calf, God tells Moses he’ll still give Israel the land. He’ll still send an angel to drive out their enemies. But he says this in Exodus 33:3: “Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey, for I will not go up in your midst because you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way.” They still get what they were promised. They’re going up to the land. But they don’t get the most important part: God. And the text is very clear about the reason. God didn’t withdraw his presence as punishment. He did it to protect them: “lest I consume you on the way.” His holiness is so pure that his presence among a stiff-necked people would destroy them. That word stiff-necked is an agricultural term. An ox that stiffens its neck against the yoke refuses to be led. You can pull all you want; you’re not moving that ox. He’s stiff-necked. He won’t be led. That is what God was calling Israel: a people that would not be led. He speaks to them and they build a calf. He commands and they do what is right in their own eyes. The text doesn’t hold Israel up as an example of repentance. They mourn when they hear this news. They strip off their jewelry as a sign of grief. But this is the same people who will grumble for 40 years in the wilderness. They didn’t really understand what they did. They just didn’t like the punishment. God didn’t just refuse to dwell in their midst. He physically separated himself from them. Moses takes the tent of meeting and pitches it outside the camp. Exodus 33:7 says he put it a good distance from the camp. So if you want to seek Yahweh, he’s not in your midst anymore. You have to leave the camp. You have to go a good distance. You have to see a physical picture of the reality that God is not existing among you anymore, because God’s glory and human sin cannot coexist. Then Moses goes into that tent and prays. He doesn’t point to anything in Israel. He reaches for God’s own character. Moses says, “You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.'” His intercession rests on God’s initiative, not Israel’s improvement. That word favor is the same Hebrew word that shows up throughout the Old Testament for grace. It’s unmerited. It’s already in motion before Moses opened his mouth. This is the picture of New Testament grace. Paul says in Ephesians, “By grace you have been saved through faith, not of yourselves. It’s a gift from God.” The pattern is the same with Moses. God moved first. The entire sacrificial system in Leviticus exists because God chose to be gracious. Israel didn’t design it. God did. So when we read Leviticus, we should read it thinking, this is a gracious gift from our Lord. Every word in this book is a way God made so that he could be among his people. The next morning Moses climbed Sinai alone, and God descended in the cloud and stood there with him, and he called upon the name of Yahweh. In Exodus 34:6–7, God speaks about himself: “Then Yahweh passed by in front of him, Moses. And Yahweh called out, ‘Yahweh, Yahweh, God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and truth, who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.'” In these verses, God is defining himself. He calls himself compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin—three different words for sin, and God forgives it all. Then, in the same breath, God says he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. He forgives sin and he punishes sin. If you don’t feel the tension in that sentence, you’re not paying close enough attention. How does a God who abounds in lovingkindness and will by no means leave the guilty unpunished deal with a stiff-necked people that he’s chosen to love? This isn’t resolved in Exodus. Frankly, it’s not resolved in Leviticus. Every sacrifice, every priest, every Day of Atonement is God saying, “I’m holding both of these truths at once, and I’m giving you a system to live under while you wait for the real answer.” The Question Leviticus Exists to Answer After Moses’s intercession, after God proclaims his name on the mountain, and after the tabernacle is finally completed, the people built it exactly as God commanded. So God keeps his promise. Turn a couple of pages to Exodus 40. “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of Yahweh filled the tabernacle, and Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had dwelt on it, and the glory of Yahweh filled the tabernacle.” God is near. God came back. God chose to dwell in the middle of his people. And even Moses—the man who just saw God’s back on the mountain, the man who has spoken to God face to face—can’t even walk in. The glory fills the place so completely that no human can enter. That’s the question Leviticus exists to answer. The same God who told Moses, “No man can see me and live,” is now dwelling in the center of a camp full of sinful people. How can they survive? How can anyone get near him? The answer isn’t something the Israelites figured out on their own. God himself built a system. He designed every sacrifice. He appointed every priest. He established every ritual because the gap between his holiness and their sin was too wide for them to cross. So he said, “Let me build a bridge.” That’s the story that leads us to the book of Leviticus. That’s where we stand when we open it and ask, “Why all of these rules?” The next lessons in the curriculum for the kids go through that answer. Over the next couple of months, they’re going through Leviticus, and this is an opportunity for us to show them how important this book is for every Christian. God’s glory fills the tabernacle. He’s now in the middle of his people. The first thing he does from that tabernacle is speak, and he gives Moses instructions for the sacrifices. In these, God establishes the cost of being near him. The Cost of Nearness: Blood, Atonement, and the Offerings Leviticus gives us five different types of offering: the sin offering and the guilt offering, which dealt with the problem of sin; the burnt offering, which expressed total dedication to God; the grain offering, which honored God’s provision; and the fellowship offering, sometimes called the peace offering, which celebrated the restored relationship between God and his people. Five offerings, each doing something different. But the system has a logic to it, and this logic matters more than the mechanics of it. When the offerings were brought, the order was fixed. Leviticus 9 shows this order of offering: sin offering first, then burnt, then fellowship. You can’t skip to peace with God. Sin has to be dealt with. You can’t dedicate yourself to him before you can be dedicated to him. And you have to be dedicated to him before you can enjoy fellowship with him. Sin, burnt, fellowship. The order isn’t arbitrary. The order is the gospel. You don’t start with fellowship. You start with the blood. In the last lesson, we talked about the bronze altar, the largest piece of furniture in the entire tabernacle complex, and the first thing inside that gate. You couldn’t skip it. You couldn’t go around it. Two lambs every day, one in the morning, one at night, plus whatever individual offerings were brought throughout the day. The four horns of this altar were smeared dark with blood. It was probably never fully clean. The next day, it would start again. This wasn’t necessarily a spectacular event. The person bringing the offering did most of the work himself. Look at Leviticus 1:3–5: “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall bring it near, a male without blemish. He shall bring it near to the doorway of the tent of meeting that he may be accepted before Yahweh. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf. Then he shall slaughter the young bull before Yahweh.” The person bringing this offering brings the animal himself. He lays his hand on its head, and then he kills it. I’m not a hunter. I’ve never field-dressed an animal, because that sounds like a terrible thing to do. I have no desire to do that. But this process is doing that before the animal ever dies. He draws the blade across the animal’s throat while his hand is still on its head. The animal bleeds out while the man’s hand is still pressing down on its skull. Blood pours onto the ground at his feet. The animal’s legs buckle. Its body convulses. And the man stands there with blood on his hands because God designed this system so that the cost of sin would be something you felt. They held the animal down while it struggled. Then the person who brought this offering kept working. He skinned the animal himself. He cut it into pieces, removed the internal organs, and the priest arranged the pieces on the altar. Then the priest offered up all of it in smoke, a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to Yahweh. The whole area smelled of blood and burning flesh. This is the aroma of worship under the old covenant. This is what it costs to come near to a holy God. I think we sanitize this. We’ll read, “He shall slaughter the young bull before Yahweh,” and our minds skip right to the theology. But God designed this process to be experienced and felt, with blood running down your arms, soaking your feet in the dirt, and the smell of an open carcass—which, I’ll tell you what, is awful. Back in the day, I did a Tyson chicken and International Beef Packers tour project, and walking into that space when it was not cooled will punch you in the face. I was proud. I was the only one that did not puke. Standing there in that moment must be atrocious. The cost of sin must feel like so much weight. It’s not just a hymn. This was not theological abstraction. This was life draining out of an animal while the offerer holds a blade in his hand. And God wanted his people to feel that every single time. This should have been you. You should be the one bleeding. You should be the one dying. The cost of your sin is life. Have you ever dealt with blood? Not like the paper cut I got yesterday moving cardboard. Real blood. Significant blood. That’s why I don’t want to do anything in the medical industry either. Blood is not cool. I’m good without it. I have to tell myself it’s just Hershey’s chocolate. They dye it red. This was flowing with blood. It stains everything. And God chose to use blood as a means of atonement, not water, not oil. Leviticus 17:11 says: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls. For it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” Blood equals life. God designed it that way so that when blood was shed, we could see the cost of sin. The cost of sin is not effort. It’s not good intentions. It’s not a scale where your better acts outweigh your bad acts. Something has to die so someone else can live. The blood on the altar is visible, physical, unavoidable proof that sin is a life-and-death situation. And God is the one who provided the solution. The priest splashed blood around the altar, blood on the altar, blood at the doorway. There’s no way to approach God in this system without passing through blood. The author of Hebrews says, “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin.” This isn’t just theology. It is the architecture of the system God built. There’s a grain offering too. It’s not about atonement. It’s a gift. Leviticus 2:1 describes fine flour mixed with oil and frankincense, offered to honor God’s provision. But even here he says there is no yeast. Throughout Scripture, yeast represents sin. You can’t bring an offering to God while clinging to the thing that separates you from him. Even the non-atoning offering teaches holiness. The guilt offering dealt with sins that caused specific harm to another person or to God’s holy things. Leviticus 6:5 describes someone who swore falsely or defrauded their neighbor. You didn’t just sacrifice a ram. You made full restitution, giving 20 percent more, and you gave it back on the day you brought your guilt offering. You had to make it right. There’s a phrase that repeats throughout these chapters: “The priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven.” Over and over. Atonement, forgiven. This is the system God created, and the worshiper walks away forgiven. But he’s going to sin again, and he’s going to need another animal. The priest will need to do this again—over and over and over, next week, next month, next year. The repetition is the point. If this had been sufficient, he would have only needed to do this once. Hebrews 10:1 says: “For the law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.” The author of Hebrews is making an argument about the whole system. It is a shadow. It shows you the shape of something real, but the shadow itself can’t do what the object does. That’s what the law is. That’s what the sacrifices are. God genuinely accepted them, but they could never make the worshiper permanently right with God. They could never change the heart that kept producing the sin. The people living under the shadow were being trained year after year, sacrifice after sacrifice: recognize what the real sacrifice will be. Every animal that died on that altar was God teaching Israel the same lesson: you need this, and this isn’t enough. The system didn’t fail. It did what it was designed to do. It created a desire for something better. The Priesthood and the Danger of Casual Access What they needed was a mediator, and that’s the priesthood. God’s presence fills the tabernacle. The sacrificial system is now in place. Someone has to stand between God and the people and carry the blood past the curtain on behalf of a nation. So God chose the last person we probably would have expected: the guy who just made a calf. He chose Aaron and his sons, sinful men, to stand in his presence on behalf of the nation. God gave them what they needed to wear to be set apart. He put a plate on Aaron’s forehead to show that he doesn’t belong to himself; he’s in God’s service. He had a robe with bells on, just in case he died. If you don’t hear bells, you know the sacrifice didn’t work. He had a breastplate with 12 stones, one for each of the tribes of Israel. When he walked into God’s presence, he carried the entire nation with him. He goes in so they don’t have to. That is what a mediator does. He stands where the people cannot stand, and he carries them with him. We don’t have time to work through all of the details this morning, but they are worth reading and understanding. After all of this preparation, the priest still has to offer a sin offering for himself before he can offer anything else for the people. The man standing between God and Israel is a sinner, and he needs grace before he can even administer the sacrifice for the people. So every time he serves, the preparation begins over again. The priesthood is God’s provision for the gap, but it’s also a reminder of how wide this gap is. If the mediator himself needs atonement, what does that tell you about the distance between a holy God and the people he’s mediating for? God tells them what this is for. In Leviticus 9:6: “This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded you to do, so that the glory of Yahweh may appear to you.” The sacrifices weren’t just a list. They were a condition of seeing God’s glory. Obey the system he built and he will show up. Then, jumping down to verses 23–24: “And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, then came out and blessed the people, and the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the people. Then fire came out from before Yahweh and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar. And all the people saw it, shouted, and fell on their faces.” Fire from the presence of God consuming the offering is God accepting the offering. God saw the blood, accepted the substitute, and demonstrated that the way was open. In that moment, the system was functioning exactly as God designed it. But it didn’t take long for us to screw it up. Leviticus 10, starting in verse 1: “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective fire pans and put fire in them. Then they placed incense on it and offered strange fire before Yahweh, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of Yahweh and consumed them, and they died before Yahweh. Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘It is what Yahweh spoke, saying, “By those who come near me, I will be treated as holy, and before all the people, I will be glorified.”' So Aaron kept silent.” The same fire in chapter 9—the fire from God’s presence—consumed the offering and the people shouted for joy. Then in chapter 10, the fire from God’s presence consumed the priests and everyone went silent. Same God, same holiness, same fire. The only difference was how God was approached. One chapter earlier, the entire nation was on its face in worship because God had accepted their offering. Now two of Aaron’s sons are dead, burned up in the tabernacle, because they decided the details of God’s instructions were flexible. The exact nature of their violation is debated. The text may hint they were drunk, because immediately after their death God gives Aaron a direct command about not drinking wine or strong drink when entering the tent of meeting. The specific violation matters less than the principle: “By those who come near me I will be treated as holy.” God defines the terms of nearness, and Aaron’s sons decided those terms were optional. The fire that had just accepted the sacrifice turned on the men who thought they could improvise. Aaron kept silent. His two oldest sons are dead on the ground, and he doesn’t say a word. He was grieving, but he knew Moses was right. God’s holiness is not negotiable, not even for a father’s grief. The silence is heavier than any words Aaron could have said at that moment. He stood there in his priestly garments, the blood of his ordination still probably on his ear and his thumb and his toe, and he had nothing to say. Because what do you say when you know God is just and your sons were wrong? You stand there in silence. We approach God every day, every week. We pray, we sing, we take communion. Christ secured that access for us. Nadab and Abihu are permanent reminders that access and casualness aren’t the same thing. The God we approach through Christ is the same God whose fire consumed unauthorized worship. His holiness has not changed. What changed is the sacrifice. A better priest offered a better sacrifice, and our access is permanent. But the God on the other side of that access is still the God whose fire fell in Leviticus 10. We come boldly, as Hebrews tells us, but we must come on his terms. We must come honoring his holiness. The Day of Atonement and the Two Goats The next lesson for the kids is on the atonement. The atonement sacrifice happens once a year, every year. These daily sacrifices are in the individual lesson: one person, one offering, one act of forgiveness. I’ve often wondered how long the line is for that. If it’s like Disneyland, you’re waiting for an hour. There’s no FastPass. But sin doesn’t just affect the sinner. It defiles the priests who handle it. It contaminates the tabernacle where God dwells. So the Day of Atonement addressed what the daily sacrifices couldn’t. Once a year, the high priest entered the room no one else could enter, carrying blood into the immediate presence of God. In Leviticus 16:2, Yahweh says to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil before the mercy seat which is on the ark, so that he will not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.” This first instruction is a warning: don’t come in whenever you want. You will die. The Holy of Holies is not an empty room. This is where God’s presence is. It’s unmediated by blood, and it will kill you. On this day, the high priest enters alone, burning incense so the smoke covers the mercy seat before he can even look in that direction. Without this incense, he will die. He brings blood first from a bull for himself, because the high priest still has to be atoned for before he can atone for anyone else. Then he slaughters a goat for the people and brings its blood inside the veil. Inside the ark sit the stone tablets, the law that every person in the camp has broken. Above the ark is the mercy seat, where God appears. The law underneath, God’s presence above, and the high priest sprinkles blood on the mercy seat and in front of it. Leviticus 16:14 tells us he sprinkles this blood seven times. That blood is the only thing standing between a nation of sinners and the holy judgment their sin deserves. It satisfies God’s judgment so that his mercy can reach his people. There are two goats brought for the people’s sin offering. The first goat is killed. Its blood goes inside the veil: payment for sin. But the second goat isn’t killed. In Leviticus 16:21–22: “Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins. And he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it out into the wilderness by the hand of a man ready to do this. And the goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an isolated land. And he shall send out the goat in the wilderness.” This is both hands, a full confession, a full transfer. The text uses, once again, the three different words for sin that we saw earlier: iniquities, transgressions, and sins. All of it laid on this goat and sent into the wilderness. The first goat dies as a payment, and the second goat signifies a removal. These truths are what God does with sin. He pays for it, and he carries it away. Eric read from Isaiah 53 on Friday, and it uses this same language. Isaiah 53:4–6 says: “Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried away. Yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way. But Yahweh has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him.” Both of those goats point to Christ. The goat that died is Christ paying the penalty for our sins. The goat sent away is Christ removing our sins as far as the east is from the west. Two goats on the Day of Atonement, because it takes two pictures to show what one Savior accomplished in a single act. And once every year, that’s what Leviticus 16:34 says: “This is a perpetual statute.” If this had solved the problem, once would have been enough. But every year the high priest goes back behind the curtain. Every year the blood is sprinkled. Every year God is teaching Israel, “This isn’t the final answer.” In those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year, for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Hebrews 10:11 tells us, “And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But he, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God… For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Every priest stands. You stand when your work is not complete. Christ sat down at the right hand of the Father. He offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, and he sat down. The distance between those two realities is the distance Christ crossed, and we cannot fathom that distance. Scott talked Friday night about Matthew 27. In verse 51, when Jesus died, the veil of the sanctuary was torn from top to bottom. The veil existed for one reason: to keep people out. Not even the high priest could pass except once a year, covered in blood, hidden behind incense, and scared to death. For 1,500 years this curtain was saying, “You can’t come in here.” No animal sacrifice could remove it. The veil stayed because the sacrifice that could tear it had not yet been offered. When Christ died, God tore it from top to bottom. The sin that required the separation was dealt with permanently. Again in Hebrews 10:19: “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is through his flesh, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from every evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” We are not trembling high priests. We’re not sitting in clouds of incense when we walk in here on a Sunday or when we sit in our quiet time. The blood of Jesus did what the blood of bulls and goats could never do. So draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Our nearness to God cost the Son everything. And now he sits. The job is complete. Be Holy: What the System Was Pointing Toward There’s one last lesson in the curriculum, and it’s in Leviticus 19. After everything we’ve walked through this morning—after the presence, after the sacrifices, after the priesthood, after the Day of Atonement—God says one more thing to his people. Leviticus 19:2: “Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I, Yahweh your God, am holy.'” The reason for holiness isn’t self-improvement. It’s to reflect God. God’s people look like God, not like the surrounding nations, not like whatever feels comfortable. “You shall be holy because I, Yahweh your God, am holy.” When we walked through holiness in the attribute series a few weeks ago, we looked at how Charnock described it. He called holiness the beauty of the Godhead. Power is God’s hands. Omniscience his eyes. Mercy his heart. Holiness is his beauty. Every other attribute is glorious, but holiness is what makes every other attribute beautiful. Power without holiness is tyranny. Sovereignty is oppression. Even love without holiness is sentimentality. Holiness is the purity that makes everything else about God trustworthy. And God says, “Be like that.” The commands in Leviticus 19 touch everything: honor your parents, no idols, leave grain in your field for the poor and the foreigner, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t take advantage of the deaf, don’t put a stumbling block before the blind, don’t pervert justice for anyone, rich or poor, don’t hate your brother in your heart. Holiness is more than don’t steal or cheat on your wife. The commands in this chapter push into territory that most people would consider optional. Leave part of your harvest in the field for people who can’t afford food. Keep your body clear of markings for the sake of being set apart as God’s holy people. Pay your workers on time. Don’t hold a grudge. Holiness touches your wallet, your body, your calendar, the conversations you have when the other person isn’t even in the room. Holiness is comprehensive. It’s relentless. It leaves no corner of your life untouched. And God says, “Be holy.” Leviticus 19:18 says, “You shall not take vengeance nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh.” Jesus called this the second-greatest commandment, and this is the first time you see it. Some of these commandments carry into the New Testament, and some were fulfilled in Christ or belong specifically to Israel’s identity as a nation set apart from its neighbors. But the principle beneath every single one of these commands carries across every page of Scripture. God’s people are different, not because we’re better, but because God’s people belong to a holy God. And belonging to him changes what you do with every part of your life. Here’s where this section serves our main point this morning: nobody kept it. Nobody looks at Leviticus 19 and goes, “I did every single one of those perfectly.” Not fully, not consistently, certainly not for long. The call to holiness reveals the same thing the sacrifices revealed, the same thing the annual Day of Atonement revealed: there’s a distance. Even after God provides the presence, the sacrifices, the priests, and the atonement, the people still can’t close this gap on their own. God gave them the command, “Be holy.” He gave them detailed instructions for what holiness looks like, and they couldn’t do it. The law is perfect. We’re not. And the system teaches that we need him. That’s the whole point. Leviticus 19 is the last piece of evidence in the case that God has been building for us this morning. His presence is real, and still the people can’t be what God calls them to be. We need more than a system. We need the one the system was pointing to. And on this side of Calvary, what God commanded from the outside he now accomplishes from the inside. As Ezekiel 36:27 says, “I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes.” Christian, God gives you the power to be holy. It is a new power that you have when you commit your life to Christ. So that’s what these five lessons talk about. They talk about God’s presence. They talk about sacrifice. They talk about the need for a mediator and an atonement and holiness. Five layers of the same truth. God drew near to a sinful people, and he built an entire system so that they could survive his nearness. Every piece of that system worked, and every piece of that system was insufficient. The sacrifices had to be repeated. The priests needed their own atonement before they could offer. The call to holiness exposed what everybody already knew: we couldn’t do it. And the system did exactly what it was designed to do. It taught a people, and it teaches us, what we need. Then Christ came. The presence that filled the tabernacle became flesh and dwelt among us. The sacrifice that had to be repeated was offered once for all time. The priest who needed his own atonement was replaced by one who knew no sin. The Day of Atonement that came back every year was fulfilled in a single afternoon. The holiness that no one could keep was credited to everyone who belongs to him. The depth of our gratitude for what Christ accomplished is directly tied to how well we understand what he replaced. That’s why we spend time in Leviticus. That’s why we have Leviticus, so we can truly understand what Christ’s death replaced. Closing Prayer Lord God, many of us have heard the truth that you went to the cross to die for our sins our entire lives. We grew up either in the church or in a society that just assumes that. And yet we grew up 1,500 years or 3,500 years removed from these words on the page. This sacrificial system that was so significant and so difficult and so vivid—what it means to see a life taken for our sins—are words on a page. Lord, help these words on the page to penetrate our hearts, and help us to be lost in, to be consumed by, the truth of what your death on the cross meant. So this morning, as we celebrate your resurrection—because your resurrection shows that not only did you defeat sin, but you defeated death, that the work was finished—Lord, as we celebrate that, help this day not to be about family, but to be about you. Lord, we love you. Amen. The post Equipping Hour: Presence, Priesthood, and Atonement appeared first on Grace Bible Church.

Easter Sunday The First Lesson Acts 10:34-43 Peter began to speak to Cornelius and the other Gentiles: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ--he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." The Psalm Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 Confitemini Domino 1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; * his mercy endures for ever. 2 Let Israel now proclaim, * "His mercy endures for ever." 14 The Lord is my strength and my song, * and he has become my salvation. 15 There is a sound of exultation and victory * in the tents of the righteous: 16 "The right hand of the Lord has triumphed! *the right hand of the Lord is exalted! the right hand of the Lord has triumphed!" 17 I shall not die, but live, * and declare the works of the Lord. 18 The Lord has punished me sorely, * but he did not hand me over to death. 19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; * I will enter them; I will offer thanks to the Lord. 20 "This is the gate of the Lord; * he who is righteous may enter." 21 I will give thanks to you, for you answered me * and have become my salvation. 22 The same stone which the builders rejected * has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord's doing, * and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 On this day the Lord has acted; * we will rejoice and be glad in it. The Epistle Colossians 3:1-4 If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. The Gospel Matthew 28:1-10 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

When Christ's disciples tried to protect Him from being falsely arrested, why did He stop them? Why did He knowingly and willingly submit? Listen to Truth For Life as Alistair Begg examines Jesus' response—and considers what it means for believers today. ----------------------------------------- • Click here and look for "FROM THE SERMON" to stream or read the full message. • This program is part of a special sermon‘Shall I Not Drink the Cup?' • Learn more about our current resource, request your copy with a donation of any amount. • FREE 5-DAY READING PLAN: BREAKING FREE FROM JEALOUSY If you've ever been caught in the grip of jealousy, you know how destructive it can be. So how can you overcome it? Gain biblical wisdom on how to break free from this sinful affliction.Subscribe FREE now. Helpful Resources - Learn about God's salvation plan - Read our most recent articles - Subscribe to our daily devotional Follow Us YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter This listener-funded program features the clear, relevant Bible teaching of Alistair Begg. Today's program and nearly 3,000 messages can be streamed and shared for free at tfl.org thanks to the generous giving from monthly donors called Truthpartners. Learn more about this Gospel-sharing team or become one today. Thanks for listening to Truth For Life!

QUOTES FOR REFLECTIONQuestion 31: Why is he called “Christ,” meaning “anointed”?Answer: Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our chief prophet and teacher who fully reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our deliverance; our only high priest who has delivered us by the one sacrifice of his body, and who continually pleads our cause with the Father; and our eternal king who governs us by his Word and Spirit, and who guards us and keeps us in the freedom he has won for us. Question 37: What do you understand by the word “suffered”?Answer: That during his whole life on earth, but especially at the end, Christ sustained in body and soul the wrath of God against the sin of the whole human race. This he did in order that, by his suffering as the only atoning sacrifice, he might deliver us, body and soul, from eternal condemnation, and gain for us God's grace, righteousness, and eternal life.~Heidelberg Catechism (1563) “When Christ entered into Jerusalem the people spread garments in the way: when He enters into our hearts, we pull off our own righteousness, and not only lay it under Christ's feet but even trample upon it ourselves.”~Augustus Montague Toplady (1740-1778), English clergyman and hymn writer “God, of your goodness, give me yourself; you are enough for me, and anything less that I could ask for would not do you full honor. And if I ask anything that is less, I shall always lack something, but in you alone I have everything.”~Julian of Norwich (c.1343-c.1416), medieval anchoress and author “By thus riding through the streets in state, Jesus Christ claimed to be a king. That claim had been to a great extent kept in the background until now; but ere he goes to his Father, when his enemies rage has reached its utmost fury, and when his own hour of deepest humiliation has just arrived, he makes an open claim before the eyes of all men to be called and acknowledged a king.”~Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), famed London preacher “Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.”~John Stott (1921-2011), English clergyman and theologian SERMON PASSAGELuke 19:28-40 (ESV) 28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.'” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

(Titus 1:5) God is a God of order. He uses His Word and His messengers to help us know the order He desires in our lives and His church. When Christ saves a man He reorders his life! Join our study through Scripture this year. Find resources for every book of the Bible at enjoyingthejourney.org/journey-through-scripture/ Whether you're a new believer or have walked with the Lord for years, you'll find thousands of free devotionals, Bible studies, audio series, and Scripture tools designed to strengthen your faith, deepen your understanding of the Bible, and help you stay rooted in the Word of God. Explore now at EnjoyingTheJourney.org. Extend the Work Enjoying the Journey provides every resource for free worldwide. If you would like to help extend this Bible teaching, you may give at enjoyingthejourney.org/donations/

The gap between what was promised and what is experienced is a real part of the Christian life. Many believe, have seen God move, and still ask, “Did anything actually happen to me?” That question grows when outward life does not reflect inward hope. This gap is not failure but the space between what God has done and what has not yet appeared. The reality of a dying body explains why struggle continues even after salvation. “Though the body is dead because of sin” (Romans 8:10, NASB 2020) points to a condition rooted in the fall, not personal weakness. Every person lives under this sentence, and no amount of effort removes it in this life. The reality of a living spirit reveals what changed at salvation. When Christ comes in, the Spirit brings life where there was death. “Something that was dead woke up… not a feeling… a resurrection on the inside” describes a real and decisive transformation that cannot be seen externally. The tension of two realities defines the present experience. “What's over you is still dying. What's in you is already alive” explains why a person can be alive in Christ while still feeling the effects of sin and decay. The answer to the gap is that something real already happened. “Yes, it worked. More happened to you than you know” affirms that the work of God is deeper than current experience. The question is not whether life is present but whether it is recognized. As you reflect on this message this week, consider the following: The gap between what was promised and what is experienced is not failure but tension that requires faith. Reflect on where you feel that gap most strongly right now. Are you interpreting that space as something went wrong, or as evidence that something deeper has already begun? What's over you is still dying, but what's in you is already alive. Consider how much of your attention is focused on your external circumstances versus the life of the Spirit within you. What would it look like this week to intentionally pay attention to what God has already done on the inside? More happened to you than you know. Think about areas where you feel unchanged or stuck. Instead of asking why nothing is happening, how might your perspective shift if you believed that something decisive has already taken place and your experience is catching up? The post Life Inside a Dying Body appeared first on Revival Life Church Boca Raton, FL.

By Kevin Call - How many have heard the words "Paid in full"? Did we feel relieved? We must endure until the end. When Christ returns, we will be transformed and that's what "Paid In Full" means.

Today my husband Bill and I are celebrating 25 years of marriage, and this episode of the Strong. Confident. His. Podcast reflects on what God has taught us about faith, love, and supporting each other through every season of life. Years ago, Bill and I recorded this conversation together where we shared how we met, Bill's journey of faith, and the early seasons of building a life together. Before fitness competitions… before cover shoots… before writing books and building a Christian fitness ministry… Bill and I were simply two people learning how to build a life together and put Christ at the center of it. There were seasons where my dreams probably sounded a little crazy — like when I decided to start training and eventually become a fitness competitor. But Bill supported me, loved me, and believed in me through every season, and I've been honored to walk beside him through every season too. Marriage has taken us through many seasons, and through every one of them God has been faithful. When Christ is at the center, He carries you through the joyful moments, the stretching moments, and the ones where your faith grows the most. So today, in honor of our 25th anniversary, I'm replaying this conversation with Bill. Whether you're single, married, healing, or praying for the relationship God has for you, I hope this episode reminds you that God's timing and His plans are always greater than we can imagine. IN THIS EPISODE • How Bill and I met • Bill's journey of faith and how his heart changed for God • Lessons from 25 years of Christian marriage • Supporting each other through life seasons • The early days of my fitness competition journey • Why putting Christ at the center of your life and marriage changes everything FIT GOD'S WAY 30-DAY TRANSFORMATION INVITATION Are you ready to go all in with God in your health journey? Could you use a step-by-step plan that puts Jesus at the center of how you care for your body? I'm currently offering live Thursday coaching calls where you can receive accountability, prayer, encouragement, and direct guidance so you can stay rooted, consistent, and spiritually strong. Join us inside the Fit God's Way 30-Day Transformation ➞ https://kimdolanleto.com/fit-gods-way-course SHARE THE PODCAST If this episode spoke to your heart today, please share it with a friend who needs that same encouragement. You can also help me reach more women by leaving a five-star review on Apple or Spotify. Every review helps someone else find hope, healing, and strength in Jesus. Remember, You are Strong. Confident. His. Kim Dolan Leto LISTEN OR WATCH STRONG. CONFIDENT. HIS. Apple ➞ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strong-confident-his-christian-fitness-health-and/id1504962677 Spotify ➞ https://open.spotify.com/show/3Ymer79UOqIbItrwPJErxC YouTube ➞ https://www.youtube.com/kimdolanletofit All Episodes ➞ https://kimdolanleto.com/podcast CONNECT WITH ME Newsletter ➞ https://kimdolanleto.com/get-on-the-list Website ➞ https://kimdolanleto.com Instagram ➞ https://instagram.com/kimdolanleto Facebook ➞ https://facebook.com/kimdolanleto YouTube ➞ https://youtube.com/kimdolanletofit Podcast ➞ https://kimdolanleto.com/strong-confident-his-podcast Shop ➞ https://kimdolanleto.com/shop  

When Christ gave himself for our sake, what did he accomplish? His redeeming work breaks the power of sin and purifies us so that we belong to him.