Podcasts about wherewith

1 Many a time have they warred against me from my youth, let Israel now say: 2 Many a time have they warred against me from my youth: and yet they prevailed not against me. 3 The sinners wrought upon my back: they prolonged their iniquity. 4 The righteous Lord has cut asunder the necks of sinners.5 Let all that hate Sion be put to shame and turned back. 6 Let them be as the grass of the house-tops, which whithers before it is plucked up. 7 Wherewith the reaper fills not his hand, nor he that makes up the sheaves, his bosom. 8 Neither do they that go by say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we have blessed you in the name of the Lord.

1 Blessed are the blameless in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they that search out his testimonies: they will diligently seek him with the whole heart. 3 For they that work iniquity have not walked in his ways. 4 Thou hast commanded us diligently to keep thy precepts. 5 O that my ways were directed to keep thine ordinances. 6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect to all thy commandments. 7 I will give thee thanks with uprightness of heart, when I have learnt the judgments of thy righteousness. 8 I will keep thine ordinances: O forsake me not greatly. 9 Wherewith shall a young man direct his way? by keeping thy words.

Death Separates the Fleshly From the Spiritual (4) (Audio) David Eells - 6/9/21  Leprosy in White House/ Horse with no rider/ Death/ Great Awakening Timothy Dixon - 05/03/21 (David's notes in red) I had a dream about a man that had leprosy. (Leprosy has been recognized from early ages as a curse upon sinners. It is today recognized as spiritually representing a much larger disease incorporating the whole curse upon sinners. It is a spirit of infirmity representing a much larger curse of infirmity.) I was walking in downtown Washington D.C. and as I walked, I could hear a cry crying out in the Spirit all throughout the land that sounded like a person that had lost somebody. Someone had died and they were mourning their death… (As we will see the “man with leprosy” is an evil, fallen angel spirit sent forth by the Lord to bring death, judgment and curses on all those who refused to repent; turn from their wickedness and give their lives to Jesus Christ. The va/cc/ine destroys natural im/munity to all diseases. Diseases are racing through bodies unrestrained now in a geometric proportion and even the unvaccinated are catching it from the va/cc/inated. The Trump Administration is counting on the med-beds but the available cure is Jesus. https://www.ubm1.org/books/pdf/GV.pdf ) Many people, not just one, but many were crying. I could hear it ring all through the streets even in all the houses of the city of Washington DC and in all the businesses… There was a cry in the land that you could feel inside your heart; inside your spirit. It was like they'd lost something; like the death of everyone all through the businesses. (There will be judgment on the economy as well.)  I walked up to the Capitol building and I saw a man standing at the door covered with leprosy… He started walking all through the chambers; through the Senate chambers and all over the place. As he walked, I was following him and watching him and the sickness that he had was being spread throughout all the places where he walked. (As Father has told us for over 4 1/2 years that He would direct this plague to take down who He wills.) He was 'a sickness' that came in a form of an evil spirit and I could see it in the Spirit. It was a sickness that looked like leprosy in the Spirit but it took on many different forms outwardly. (Many diseases are eating away at the body like leprosy.) This... spirit of leprosy was walking through all of the White House also. He said, “If the righteous scarcely be saved, where will the sinner and the ungodly appear?” (1 Pe. 4:17-19, For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what'shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator.) I saw the people of the White House and sores began to come up on their bodies and it was eating them away. The sores were like boils. (Exo. 9:8-11, And Jehovah said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 And it shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. 10 And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast. 11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians. The factious who practice witchcraft against God's elect will be sorely judged.) Then I saw an angel with a vessel or vial in his hand, flying with great big cherubim wings. And, as he went, he started pouring it out all through the land. He was a great big angel and he flew across the whole world. He began to say, “Woe unto the inhabitants of the land that are not covered by the blood of Jesus!” (Exo. 12:23,29-30, 23 For Jehovah will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side-posts, Jehovah will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you... 29 And it came to pass at midnight, that Jehovah smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first-born of cattle. 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.) I then saw the man that was “leprosy” walk out of the White House and he said, “Sickness will fall on the ungodly men and women that have polluted the sanctuary of the Lord!” (As the Lord warned Babylon DS's plague will destroy apostate Christianity. Apostate means backslidden. Lev. 20:1-8, And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Moreover, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. (Molech was a false God that invaded God's people who desired that their children be burned in fire. All of those apostate Christians who raise their children in apostasy are offering their children to a false Jesus to be burned in the fire of hell. It is a curse in the last 4 verses of the Bible to add to or take from the Words of the Book.) 3 I also will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. 4 And if the people at the land do at all hide their eyes from that man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and put him not to death; 5 then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that play the harlot after him, to play the harlot with Molech, from among their people. 6 And the soul that turneth unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto the wizards, to play the harlot after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. 7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am Jehovah your God. 8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am Jehovah who sanctifieth you.) I knew that God's anger had hit the ungodly people that had come against the very name of Jesus and His Word. I saw, through this, that there was such a deception in the church world. So many people had thought we would never reach this place that we have reached in this world today. And because of this mentality there were so many people wondering what to do. They were wringing their hands not knowing the answer; not having an answer any more. (But I am here to tell you Jesus Christ is our answer today. He is the great I AM…) …I believe, oftentimes, that a lot of diseases are spirits of the devil; satanic spirits. In my dream I saw this satanic spirit and he had went before the Lord in heaven and told the Lord, “I'll go now to the land. I'll go to the earth. I'll be the leprosy. I'll be the sickness. I'll cause sickness to fall on the people; on the ungodly.” (This reminded me of the scriptures where the spirit came to the Lord and said, "I'll go and I'll be a lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets…”) (1 Ki. 22:19-23, And Micaiah said, Therefore hear thou the word of Jehovah: I saw Jehovah sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. 20 And Jehovah said, Who shall entice Ahab, (the apostate leadership of God's people.) that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner; and another said on that manner. 21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before Jehovah, and said, I will entice him. 22 And Jehovah said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. (All the false prophets of the backslidden religions will bring destruction from their enemies.)  And he said, Thou shalt entice him, and shalt prevail also: go forth, and do so. 23 Now therefore, behold, Jehovah hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets; and Jehovah hath spoken evil concerning thee.) Then I saw the spirits of Elijah and of Moses stand up in the land. I saw a power of God that was so unreal. I knew that no one had ever seen such a power; such a reaction; such a move of God, out of a spoken word, that we were witnessing right then and because of this many people were coming to the Lord… Joel 2:28-32, And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. 30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh. 32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Jehovah shall be delivered; for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those that escape, as Jehovah hath said, and among the remnant those whom Jehovah doth call.) I walked on through the streets and started up a staircase that led to the top of the Supreme Court. It's like I was walking up a ladder and I was standing on top of the roof of the Supreme Court building. (The prophets of the Lord will be the ones to pronounce God's justice and judgments in these last days, not the court rooms of men.)  And a voice spoke loud and audibly saying, “Son of man, prophesy to the winds! Change is coming! Prophesy David is the King of the land! and Saul's blood will run in the streets!” (This confirms the David/ Man-child/ Trump parallel that we've been shown since November of 2016. https://www.ubm1.org/?page=godthrough The Lord spoke to me many years ago saying, “I am removing the Sauls out of the way to make room for the Davids and you are one of my Davids.” Saul is a symbol of apostate leadership.) So I stood, in my dream, on top of the Supreme Court building and I had a little short staff in my hand. I started prophesying and said, “Change! Change is coming! David is the King! Saul's blood will run through the streets!” (1 Ch. 10:13-14, So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against Jehovah, because of the word of Jehovah, which he kept not; and also for that he asked counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire thereby, (he turned to witchcraft) 14 and inquired not of Jehovah: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.) Then the scene changed and I was off of the Supreme Court building and I saw a funeral. There was a horse. It was a single horse and no man was on the horse. It was saddled and there was a man leading the horse by its reins, but inside the saddle stirrups of the horse was a set of empty boots strapped inside. (This happened at JFK's funeral? The symbolism represents the loss of a president.) When I looked behind that horse, I knew that it was a president that had died. Then I looked and there was a motorcade further back but in front of it there was a carriage drawn by six white horses. There was a president on the carriage and I knew it was the one that they're calling president now. (Joe Biden) Then the scene changed from that and I was standing inside a large hallway and I saw President Trump was walking down the hallway with a security team. The security team was dressed in black they had black covid masks on but President Trump was not wearing one.  I watched him walk into this large room and then I heard Shofar horns blowing outside. I ran outside in the streets and when I ran outside there was no more funeral, but the streets were so full of people. There was a mass parade of people as the horns blew. (The return of Trump will bring such a celebration that it will overshadow the death of Biden who never had any followers anyway.) I could hear church bells ringing all over the land. Revival was here in America! You could hear America was praying. America was calling out to God for the revival and President Trump had returned to power. He was walking inside the White House. He was the sitting president again. Hallelujah! Glory! (We've had many revelations of Trump's return to power [some say by August of 2021 and some say before. I am praying for the later.] when the results of the election audits are revealed.) Then the scene changed again. As we walked through the streets, I went up through the heavens and was standing on a cloud and the Lord Jesus was standing on the cloud with me and said, “This is the last altar call. I'll soon come. Go and warn the people in all the world that the kingdom of heaven has come.” (According to the parallel we were shown the Lord will come in His Man-child body to lead His people. When Cyrus/Trump finally conquered Babylon DS Daniel/Man-child was promoted over the kingdom.) I then began to walk through the land and warn the people; but there was such revival; such a power of God that had swept across the land; yet there was sicknesses; there was devastation. But yet there was such a great great move of God that our minds and our ears ain't never heard; our eyes ain't never seen! I knew that sickness had hit the people that refused to give themselves to the Lord. I knew they (the judgment angels) had come and it shook up the world. It shook up the people but yet there was revival. God is going to stand up and stop the evil and stop the wickedness that's been in this country. God's justice is coming. (The revival will bring mass healings for those who will repent of their apostasies.) When God gets through with this corrupt bunch of politicians, we're gonna believe in a God that destroyed the Egyptians. We're gonna believe in a God that's got all kinds of compassion and love, but we're gonna understand a God that is also a God of judgment.  Link to YouTube video: https://youtu.be/QG7OlDRKiyc   UBM Protected by Special OPs Angels Eve Brast - 6/1/21 (David's notes in red) I dreamed that local UBM was encamped outdoors near the large, grey, stone wall that I've seen in previous dreams. (This wall represents sanctification which separates us from the world and their wicked practices. We are the stones that are fitted together tightly and they are grey representing our crucified life of death to self.)  Our camp was at peace and was lit by a light that came from overhead. (The righteous have a "covenant of peace” through the light from Heaven called the Word. Isa 54:10  For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my lovingkindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed, saith Jehovah that hath mercy on thee.  Num 25:12-13  Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:  13  and it shall be unto him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.  Eze 37:26  Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.)  We had the white pot blessing tables set up and our chairs for a meeting. (White tables represents feeding on the pure Word. The wicked faction hate the Word and the God who wrote it and the people who stand for it, for it convicts them of sin. Therefore in Isa 57:21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.)   Everyone was happy and in peaceful fellowship with each other. (Psalm 133:1-3, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, That ran down upon the beard, Even Aaron's beard; That came down upon the skirt of his garments; 3 Like the dew of Hermon, That cometh down upon the mountains of Zion: For there Jehovah commanded the blessing, Even life for evermore.) (“Peaceful fellowship" will be God's gift to Zion, the Bride. Isa 54:10  For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my lovingkindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed, saith Jehovah that hath mercy on thee. … 13  And all thy children shall be taught of Jehovah; and great shall be the peace of thy children. Isa 55:12  For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands. Isa 57:2  He entereth into peace; they rest in their beds, each one that walketh in his uprightness. … 21  There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.) The factious people, who had left us in bitterness and hatred because of their own sin, were camped about 100 yards or so North of our location. (100 here represents 100% complete separation from Zion, the Bride, whom they consider their enemies because of their demon possession. Remember the parallel of the faction against the true Church and the faction against the true government when you hear this revelation.) (The beast enemy attacks Zion from the “North". Jer.6:22-30, Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, a people cometh from the north country; and a great nation shall be stirred up from the uttermost parts of the earth. 23 They lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea, and they ride upon horses, every one set in array, as a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Zion. … 27 I have made thee a trier and a fortress among my people; that thou mayest know and try their way. 28 They are all grievous revolters, going about with slanders; they are brass and iron: they all of them deal corruptly. 29 The bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed of the fire: in vain do they go on refining; for the wicked are not plucked away. 30 Refuse silver shall men them, because Jehovah hath rejected them.  (The northern factious army who attacks Zion will be destroyed. Psa 101:5  Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I destroy…  Joel 2:15-17  Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; 16 gather the people, sanctify the assembly, assemble the old men, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.  17  Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Jehovah, and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? 18  Then was Jehovah jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. … 20  but I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its forepart into the eastern sea, and its hinder part into the western sea; and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things.) It was dark and shadowy over and around their factious camp and everything was chaotic and in disarray. I could hear shouting and gunfire with mini explosions and the whiz of bullets flying. (It reminded me of the night fire training courses that we practiced on in Basic Training when I joined the Army. Isa. 57:14 And he will say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people. (Remember in separating the wheat fro the tares God is removing “all those who cause stumbling”)  15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite. … 19  I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith Jehovah; and I will heal him. 20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it cannot rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.) In this dream, I was standing at the perimeter of the UBM camp, looking out, across the way, to the factious camp. It was like I was seeing in the Spirit because no one else in the UBM camp was aware (or seemed concerned) of what was happening. (It is very peaceful and rest to miss out on the whole battle in the flesh while the angels take out the enemy.) (Father gives us prophetic dreams and revelations to be able to warn our brethren so that we can do spiritual warfare against our enemies.) I was watching a bunch of tracer bullets flying towards our direction and orange basket balls, with bombs hidden inside them, being launched towards us as well. (The basketball bombs represent the juvenile mentality of the faction and their slander and games they like to play.)  But these weapons were all being supernaturally stopped. (Pro 26:2  As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying, So the curse that is causeless alighteth not.) They were either falling short of our camp or were being turned back upon the factious camp by 2 Special OPs soldiers that stood guarding the UBM camp. (The Lord said of those who curse us, “I will curse those who curse thee”. We are not to personally curse our enemies but to pray for them.  Rom 12:14  Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not. … 19  Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord.  20  But if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. Turning back a curse sent by an enemy is not the same as sending a curse from yourself. When a curse is sent from a righteous person they should know that God has to be the originator of it. God can speak prophetically through the righteous to judge the wicked as He has done all through scriptures. But He will only use those who are obedient to His Word. 2Co 10:6  and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full. The Spirit of God spoke through Paul to turn apostates over to Satan. 1Co 5:5  to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.  1Ti 1:20  of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme (Meaning to speak or rail against God or others). We should not do this to defend ourselves or to fight with others. We should be neutral in this regard. Also we do not need to turn one over to Satan when we can obviously see that they have already been turned over by God.  The Spirit of God spoke curses on blasphemers or railers through David and they are still true.  Psa 109:1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;  2  For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit have they opened against me: They have spoken unto me with a lying tongue.  3  They have compassed me about also with words of hatred, And fought against me without a cause.  4  For my love they are my adversaries: But I give myself unto prayer.  5  And they have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love.  6  Set thou a wicked man over him; And let an adversary (Satan) stand at his right hand. (turned over to Satan) 7  When he is judged, let him come forth guilty; And let his prayer be turned into sin.  8  Let his days be few; And let another take his office (Satan entered Judas who hung himself by his own works and was replaced). (To the cursers and railers, who send witchcraft, God spoke in) 17  Yea, he loved cursing, and it came unto him (Their curses returned upon their own heads as the angels were doing); And he delighted not in blessing, and it was far from him.  18  He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment, And it came into his inward parts like water, And like oil into his bones.  19  Let it be unto him as the raiment wherewith he covereth himself, And for the girdle wherewith he is girded continually.  20  This is the reward of mine adversaries from Jehovah, And of them that speak evil against my soul. … 28  Let them curse, but bless thou: When they arise, they shall be put to shame, But thy servant shall rejoice. 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.  [So the wicked who judge the righteous will be condemned] This is the heritage of the servants of Jehovah, and their righteousness which is of me, saith Jehovah. The 2 Special OPs soldiers had short military haircuts and were wearing the standard issue, camouflage, billed caps on their heads. and were dressed in grey, urban combat BDUs (Battle Dress Uniforms). They had matching backpacks with supplies and weapons to counter the attacks of our enemies. I knew immediately that they were angels because of their large, pure white wings that were spread out to each side underneath their backpacks. (A symbol that people recognize as angels)  Their wings were also part of the protection barrier that they provided for the UBM camp. (Psalm 91:4,  He will cover thee with his pinions, And under his wings shalt thou take refuge: His truth is a shield and a buckler.) Since their backs were to me, I couldn't see exactly what they were doing to repel the enemy fire or what weapons they were using upon the enemies camp; all I saw was their arm movements which indicated some type of invisible bow and arrow weaponry.  (Psalm 7:9-16,  O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the righteous: For the righteous God trieth the minds and hearts. 10 My shield is with God, Who saveth the upright in heart. 11 God is a righteous judge, Yea, a God that hath indignation every day. 12 If a man turn not, he will whet his sword; He hath bent his bow, and made it ready. 13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; He maketh his arrows fiery shafts . 14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity; Yea, he hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. 15 He hath made a pit, and digged it, And is fallen into the ditch which he made. 16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, And his violence shall come down upon his own pate.) I was noticing that every time the enemy launched a ‘basketball bomb' towards us, the angels would hold up their hands in a 'stop gesture' and the bombs would reverse course and fall back into the enemies camp and explode upon them causing much chaos and casualties. The 2 angels looked like traditional traffic cops but instead of directing traffic they were directing the bullets and the bombs. (Like Daniel in the lions den was kept safe while his enemies who plotted against him and their families were devoured. Psa 141:9-10  Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, And from the gins of the workers of iniquity.  10  Let the wicked fall into their own nets, Whilst that I withal escape.  Psa 140:9-11  As for the head of those that compass me about, Let the mischief of their own lips cover them.  10  Let burning coals fall upon them: Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, whence they shall not rise.  11  An evil speaker shall not be established in the earth: Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him. Psa 35:7-8  For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit; Without cause have they digged a pit for my soul.  8  Let destruction come upon him unawares; And let his net that he hath hid catch himself: With destruction let him fall therein.  Psa 37:14-15  The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay such as are upright in the way.  15  Their sword shall enter into their own heart, And their bows shall be broken.  Psa 7:15-16  He hath made a pit, and digged it, And is fallen into the ditch which he made. (Like Haman, whom God has likened to the factious many times, was hung on his own gallows.) 16  His mischief shall return upon his own head, And his violence shall come down upon his own pate.  Psa 57:6  They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down: They have digged a pit before me; They are fallen into the midst thereof themselves. Selah.  Pro 26:27  Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein; And he that rolleth a stone, it shall return upon him.  Pro 28:10  Whoso causeth the upright to go astray in an evil way, He shall fall himself into his own pit; But the perfect shall inherit good.  Mat 7:1-3  Judge not, that ye be not judged.  2  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you.  3  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (Just like in the government faction, the factious among the Church are doing what they falsely accuse others of doing and the witnesses prove it.) Most of what the factious throw at us is demons of faction, witchcraft, slander, etc. but whatever they throw it returns upon them because God said in Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.) After witnessing this, I walked over to David and was reporting to him everything that I was seeing. I don't remember what David replied but he seemed pleased that the angels were doing a good job of protecting us. Then I woke up.  Psalm 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.   Select LanguageAfrikaansAlbanianAmharicArabicArmenianAzerbaijaniBasqueBelarusianBengaliBosnianBulgarianCatalanCebuanoChichewaChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CorsicanCroatianCzechDanishDutchEsperantoEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchFrisianGalicianGeorgianGermanGreekGujaratiHaitian CreoleHausaHawaiianHebrewHindiHmongHungarianIcelandicIgboIndonesianIrishItalianJapaneseJavaneseKannadaKazakhKhmerKinyarwandaKoreanKurdish (Kurmanji)KyrgyzLaoLatinLatvianLithuanianLuxembourgishMacedonianMalagasyMalayMalayalamMalteseMaoriMarathiMongolianMyanmar (Burmese)NepaliNorwegianOdia (Oriya)PashtoPersianPolishPortuguesePunjabiRomanianRussianSamoanScots GaelicSerbianSesothoShonaSindhiSinhalaSlovakSlovenianSomaliSpanishSundaneseSwahiliSwedishTajikTamilTatarTeluguThaiTurkishTurkmenUkrainianUrduUyghurUzbekVietnameseWelshXhosaYiddishYorubaZulu Powered by Translate Printer-friendly version

John 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me. Psalms 119:21  Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, That do wander from thy commandments. Matthew 13:19  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the evil one, and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the way side. Matthew 13:20  And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it; Matthew 13:21  yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth. Matthew 13:22  And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. Matthew 13:23  And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Psalms 119:22  Take away from me reproach and contempt; For I have kept thy testimonies. Matthew 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. Psalms 25:3  Yea, none that wait for thee shall be put to shame: They shall be put to shame that deal treacherously without cause. Psalms 25:5  Guide me in thy truth, and teach me; For thou art the God of my salvation; For thee do I wait all the day. Psalms 119:23  Princes also sat and talked against me; But thy servant did meditate on thy statutes. Psalms 119:24  Thy testimonies also are my delight And my counsellors. Proverbs 11:14  Where no wise guidance is, the people falleth; But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. Proverbs 13:10  By pride cometh only contention; But with the well-advised is wisdom. 1 John 2:27  And as for you, the anointing which ye received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any one teach you; but as his anointing teacheth you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, ye abide in him. Psalms 119:25  DALETH. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: Quicken thou me according to thy word. Psalms 119:26  I declared my ways, and thou answeredst me: Teach me thy statutes. 1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Psalms 119:27  Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: So shall I meditate on thy wondrous works. Psalms 119:28  My soul melteth for heaviness: Strengthen thou me according unto thy word. 1 Chronicles 29:12  Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou rulest over all; and in thy hand is power and might; and in thy hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. James 4:2  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. John 16:24  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be made full. Psalms 119:29  Remove from me the way of falsehood; And grant me thy law graciously. Psalms 119:160  The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever. Psalms 119:30  I have chosen the way of faithfulness: Thine ordinances have I set before me. Matthew 6:33  But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Psalms 119:31  I cleave unto thy testimonies: O Jehovah, put me not to shame. Psalms 119:32  I will run the way of thy commandments, When thou shalt enlarge my heart. Psalms 65:4  Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, That he may dwell in thy courts: We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, Thy holy temple. Psalms 119:35  Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; For therein do I delight. Psalms 80:18  So shall we not go back from thee: Quicken thou us, and we will call upon thy name. Psalms 80:19  Turn us again, O Jehovah God of hosts; Cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. Psalms 119:33  HE. Teach me, O Jehovah, the way of thy statutes; And I shall keep it unto the end. Psalms 119:34  Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; Yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Hebrews 7:25  Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Psalms 119:35  Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; For therein do I delight. Romans 9:21  Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? 1 Thessalonians 5:17  pray without ceasing; Philippians 2:13  for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. Psalms 119:36  Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, And not to covetousness. 1 Timothy 6:8  but having food and covering we shall be therewith content. Psalms 119:37  Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, And quicken me in thy ways. Philippians 4:19  And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 6:10  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Psalms 119:38  Confirm unto thy servant thy word, Which is in order unto the fear of thee. Mark 16:20  And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen. Mark 11:23  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. Psalms 119:39  Turn away my reproach whereof I am afraid; For thine ordinances are good. Mark 11:24  Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received them, and ye shall have them. Psalms 119:40  Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: Quicken me in thy righteousness. Psalms 119:41  VAV. Let thy lovingkindnesses also come unto me, O Jehovah, Even thy salvation, according to thy word. Psalms 119:42  So shall I have an answer for him that reproacheth me; For I trust in thy word. Psalms 119:43  And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; For I have hoped in thine ordinances. Psalms 119:44  So shall I observe thy law continually For ever and ever. Psalms 119:45  And I shall walk at liberty; For I have sought thy precepts. John 10:9  I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture. Psalms 119:46  I will also speak of thy testimonies before kings, And shall not be put to shame. Psalms 119:47  And I will delight myself in thy commandments, Which I have loved. Psalms 119:48  I will lift up my hands also unto thy commandments, which I have loved; And I will meditate on thy statutes. Psalms 119:49  ZAYIN. Remember the word unto thy servant, Because thou hast made me to hope. Isaiah 62:6  I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that are Jehovah's remembrancers, take ye no rest, Psalms 119:50  This is my comfort in my affliction; For thy word hath quickened me. Philippians 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 2 Corinthians 10:5  casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; Psalms 119:51  The proud have had me greatly in derision: Yet have I not swerved from thy law. Romans 5:20  And the law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly: Matthew 6:34  Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Psalms 119:52  I have remembered thine ordinances of old, O Jehovah, And have comforted myself. John 14:26  But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you. 2 Timothy 2:15  Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth. Matthew 6:33  But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 7:5  Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. 2 Corinthians 12:9  And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Psalms 119:53  Hot indignation hath taken hold upon me, Because of the wicked that forsake thy law. John 2:17  His disciples remembered that it was written, Zeal for thy house shall eat me up. Ephesians 4:26  Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Mark 3:5  And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their heart, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and his hand was restored. Romans 2:1  Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost practise the same things. Matthew 23:33  Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell? Psalms 119:54  Thy statutes have been my songs In the house of my pilgrimage. Psalms 119:55  I have remembered thy name, O Jehovah, in the night, And have observed thy law. Psalms 119:56  This I have had, Because I have kept thy precepts. Psalms 119:57  HHETH. Jehovah is my portion: I have said that I would observe thy words. Psalms 16:5  Jehovah is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot. Psalms 2:8  Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Matthew 28:19  Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: Matthew 28:20  teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Psalms 119:58  I entreated thy favor with my whole heart: Be merciful unto me according to thy word. John 3:27  John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven. Psalms 119:59  I thought on my ways, And turned my feet unto thy testimonies. Matthew 22:14  For many are called, but few chosen. Psalms 119:60  I made haste, and delayed not, To observe thy commandments. Proverbs 9:10  The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Psalms 119:61  The cords of the wicked have wrapped me round; But I have not forgotten thy law. Psalms 119:92  Unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction. Psalms 119:93  I will never forget thy precepts; For with them thou hast quickened me. Psalms 34:19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous; But Jehovah delivereth him out of them all. Psalms 119:62  At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee Because of thy righteous ordinances. Psalms 119:63  I am a companion of all them that fear thee, And of them that observe thy precepts. 1 Peter 5:5  Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Proverbs 27:17  Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Psalms 119:64  The earth, O Jehovah, is full of thy lovingkindness: Teach me thy statutes. Psalms 119:1  ALEPH. Blessed are they that are perfect in the way, Who walk in the law of Jehovah. Romans 6:11  Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. 1 John 1:7  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. Proverbs 4:18  But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Romans 4:5  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. Psalms 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And light unto my path. Genesis 6:9  These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God. Genesis 6:8  But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah. Genesis 17:1  And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect. Deuteronomy 18:13  Thou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God. Ezekiel 2:1  And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak with thee. Ezekiel 2:2  And the Spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet; and I heard him that spake unto me. Philippians 4:13  I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me. 2 Samuel 22:31  As for God, his way is perfect: The word of Jehovah is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him. 2 Samuel 22:32  For who is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, save our God? 2 Samuel 22:33  God is my strong fortress; And he guideth the perfect in his way. 2 Chronicles 16:9  For the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly; for from henceforth thou shalt have wars. 2 Chronicles 16:10  Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in the prison-house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time. 2 Chronicles 16:12  And in the thirty and ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet; his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to Jehovah, but to the physicians. 2 Chronicles 16:13  And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign. Job 1:8  And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil. James 4:17  To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. 1 John 1:7  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. Proverbs 11:19  He that is stedfast in righteousness shall attain unto life; And he that pursueth evil doeth it to his own death. Proverbs 11:20  They that are perverse in heart are an abomination to Jehovah; But such as are perfect in their way are his delight. John 14:15  If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments. Psalms 119:2  Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, That seek him with the whole heart. Song of Solomon 6:13  Return, return, O Shulammite; Return, return, that we may look upon thee. Why will ye look upon the Shulammite, As upon the dance of Mahanaim? Psalms 119:3  Yea, they do no unrighteousness; They walk in his ways. James 4:17  To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. Isaiah 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. Psalms 119:4  Thou hast commanded us thy precepts, That we should observe them diligently. Colossians 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: Psalms 119:5  Oh that my ways were established To observe thy statutes! Luke 12:48  but he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more. Psalms 119:6  Then shall I not be put to shame, When I have respect unto all thy commandments. Hosea 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. Proverbs 13:22  A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children; And the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous. Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old he will not depart from it. John 7:17  If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself. Psalms 119:7  I will give thanks unto thee with uprightness of heart, When I learn thy righteous judgments. Romans 2:1  Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost practise the same things. 1 Corinthians 4:5  Wherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each man have his praise from God. Psalms 119:8  I will observe thy statutes: Oh forsake me not utterly. Psalms 119:9  BETH. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. 1 John 2:6  he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked. Psalms 119:10  With my whole heart have I sought thee: Oh let me not wander from thy commandments. 2 Peter 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: 1 Chronicles 29:10  Wherefore David blessed Jehovah before all the assembly; and David said, Blessed be thou, O Jehovah, the God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. 1 Chronicles 29:11  Thine, O Jehovah, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Jehovah, and thou art exalted as head above all. 1 Chronicles 29:12  Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou rulest over all; and in thy hand is power and might; and in thy hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. James 5:16  Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working. 1 Chronicles 29:13  Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. 1 Chronicles 29:14  But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. Philippians 2:13  for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. James 4:6  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore the scripture saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. 1 Chronicles 29:15  For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as all our fathers were: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is no abiding. 1 Chronicles 29:16  O Jehovah our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee a house for thy holy name cometh of thy hand, and is all thine own. Isaiah 64:8  But now, O Jehovah, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. Hebrews 3:6  but Christ as a son, over his house; whose house are we, if we hold fast our boldness and the glorying of our hope firm unto the end. 1 Chronicles 29:17  I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, that are present here, offer willingly unto thee. 1 Chronicles 29:18  O Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee; 1 Chronicles 29:19  and give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for which I have made provision. Psalms 119:11  Thy word have I laid up in my heart, That I might not sin against thee. Psalms 119:50  This is my comfort in my affliction; For thy word hath quickened me. Psalms 119:93  I will never forget thy precepts; For with them thou hast quickened me. Song of Solomon 1:4  Draw me; we will run after thee: The king hath brought me into his chambers; We will be glad and rejoice in thee; We will make mention of thy love more than of wine: Rightly do they love thee. Psalms 119:12  Blessed art thou, O Jehovah: Teach me thy statutes. 1 Kings 3:12  behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 1 Kings 4:34  And there came of all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom. Mark 11:24  Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received them, and ye shall have them. Psalms 65:4  Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, That he may dwell in thy courts: We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, Thy holy temple. Psalms 119:13  With my lips have I declared All the ordinances of thy mouth. Amos 3:3  Shall two walk together, except they have agreed? Romans 3:4  God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment. Psalms 119:14  I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, As much as in all riches. 1 John 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Psalms 119:15  I will meditate on thy precepts, And have respect unto thy ways. Psalms 119:16  I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. Psalms 119:17  GIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live; So will I observe thy word. Romans 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. Romans 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy. Romans 9:22  What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction: Romans 9:23  and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory, Psalms 119:18  Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold Wondrous things out of thy law. Proverbs 25:2  It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. Psalms 119:19  I am a sojourner in the earth: Hide not thy commandments from me. John 14:15  If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments. Psalms 119:20  My soul breaketh for the longing That it hath unto thine ordinances at all times. Matthew 13:21  yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth. Matthew 13:22  And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

A devotional on Micah 6:6, 7 6 Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? I Repent - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A99uO-LVNZM&t=2s

Today on The Literary Life Podcast, Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins and Thomas Banks discuss the importance of reading old books. They begin the conversation by addressing head on the idea that old books are irrelevant. They touch on the fact that when we use the phrase “old books” we mean not just any piece of literature from the past, but those which have stood the test of time. Don’t forget to check out our brand new podcast, which has its very own feed, The Well Read Poem. The House of Humane Letters spring classes are opening for registration, so head over there to check out what is coming up! Commonplace Quotes: So, when his Folly opens The unnecessary hells, A Servant when He Reigneth Throws the blame on some one else. Rudyard Kipling I am informed by philologists that the “rise to power” of these two words, “problem” and “solution” as the dominating terms of public debate, is an affair of the last two centuries, and especially of the nineteenth, having synchronised, so they say, with a parallel “rise to power” of the word “happiness”—for reasons which doubtless exist and would be interesting to discover. Like “happiness”, our two terms “problem” and “solution” are not to be found in the Bible—a point which gives to that wonderful literature a singular charm and cogency. . . . On the whole, the influence of these words is malign, and becomes increasingly so. They have deluded poor men with Messianic expectations . . . which are fatal to steadfast persistence in good workmanship and to well-doing in general. . . . Let the valiant citizen never be ashamed to confess that he has no “solution of the social problem” to offer to his fellow-men. Let him offer them rather the service of his skill, his vigilance, his fortitude and his probity. For the matter in question is not, primarily, a “problem”, nor the answer to it a “solution”. L. P. Jacks, Stevenson Lectures Most of all, perhaps, we need intimate knowledge of the past. Not that the past has any magic about it, but because we cannot study the future, and yet need something to set against the present, to remind us that the basic assumptions have been quite different in different periods and that much which seems certain to the uneducated is merely temporary fashion. A man who has lived in many places is not likely to be deceived by the local errors of his native village; the scholar has lived in many times and is therefore in some degree immune from the great cataract of nonsense that pours from the press and the microphone of his own age. C. S. Lewis To Walter de la Mare by T. S. Elliot The children who explored the brook and found A desert island with a sandy cove (A hiding place, but very dangerous ground, For here the water buffalo may rove, The kinkajou, the mungabey, abound In the dark jungle of a mango grove, And shadowy lemurs glide from tree to tree – The guardians of some long-lost treasure-trove) Recount their exploits at the nursery tea And when the lamps are lit and curtains drawn Demand some poetry, please. Whose shall it be, At not quite time for bed?… Or when the lawn Is pressed by unseen feet, and ghosts return Gently at twilight, gently go at dawn, The sad intangible who grieve and yearn; When the familiar is suddenly strange Or the well known is what we yet have to learn, And two worlds meet, and intersect, and change; When cats are maddened in the moonlight dance, Dogs cower, flitter bats, and owls range At witches’ sabbath of the maiden aunts; When the nocturnal traveller can arouse No sleeper by his call; or when by chance An empty face peers from an empty house; By whom, and by what means, was this designed? The whispered incantation which allows Free passage to the phantoms of the mind? By you; by those deceptive cadences Wherewith the common measure is refined; By conscious art practised with natural ease; By the delicate, invisible web you wove – The inexplicable mystery of sound. Book List: The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L. Sayers The Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis The Giver by Lois Lowry The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer Support The Literary Life: Become a patron of The Literary Life podcast as part of the “Friends and Fellows Community” on Patreon, and get some amazing bonus content! Thanks for your support! Connect with Us: You can find Angelina and Thomas at HouseofHumaneLetters.com, on Instagram @angelinastanford, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ANGStanford/ Find Cindy at https://cindyrollins.net, on Instagram @cindyordoamoris and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cindyrollins.net/. Check out Cindy’s own Patreon page also! Follow The Literary Life on Instagram, and jump into our private Facebook group, The Literary Life Discussion Group, and let’s get the book talk going! http://bit.ly/literarylifeFB

Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.3 The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.4 The Lord is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.6 Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:7 Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.8 Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we bless you in the name of the Lord.

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.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. Selah.5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.6 For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.8 O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?9 Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.10 Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.12 The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.13 Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.16 In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.17 For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.18 For the Lord is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.19 Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.20 I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:21 With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.22 The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.23 And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.24 But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.25 I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.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 my judgments;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 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.38 But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.39 Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.41 All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours.42 Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.43 Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle.44 Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.45 The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.46 How long, Lord? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?47 Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.49 Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people;51 Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O Lord; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.52 Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Amen, and Amen.

Andy Vaughan from an early age knew that he wanted to attain financial freedom as an adult. After working in the insurance industry for about 25 years, he knew he wanted to make some new changes in his life and decided to start investing in real estate. From his connections in the insurance industry, he noticed he had quite a few high net-worth clients that were interested in investing in real estate but had no desire to be a landlord. So he transitioned to helping those connections/clients to invest in multi-family units to generate passive income.    In this episode of Multifamily Real Estate Investments with Don and Eden, Andy discusses everything that happened since that decision to transition into real estate took place in 2016. Andy also shares his strategies behind the number of units he typically looks for to invest in. He will also go over his take on the Southeast real estate market, where he primarily invests and the outlook for the current market today.    Highlights:  Andy’s Beginnings in Real Estate  Southeast Current Market How He Helps Investors Create Passive Income Number Of Units He Typically Looks For In A Deal   Current Projects and Future Outlook   How to Connect with Andy Website: backnineinvestors.com  Email: Andy@backnineinvestors.com  Phone #: 318- 614-0681 -------------------------------------------------------------- Transcription  Hey guys. Today I'm going to host real estate investor and syndicator Andy Vaughan. Andy was working in the insurance industry, but wanted to make a few changes in his life and decided to start investing in real estate. Today we're going to discuss everything that has happened since that decision took place back in late 2016. What I like about this episode is that it is very inspirational in regards to the fact that Andy had no experience whatsoever in real estate, but his persistence and determination paid out. So stay tuned and let's get started.  Welcome to the Real Estate Investing Podcast With Don And Eden, where we cover all aspects of real estate investing with special attention to multifamily apartment buildings and off-market strategies.  Hello Andy and welcome to the show. Thanks. Glad to be here. All right, tell us about your day. What are you up to? Well, I'm in sunny Louisiana. Hot, humid Sunny Louisiana in August. So it's very uncomfortable outside, but yes it's at least clear here - you should see the weather in Florida. I mean we've had a lot of rain, but fortunately, there are no hurricanes at all. I'm not going to be surprised if there is one on the way. Yes, so tell us a little bit about your real estate background; how you got exposed to real estate in your story so the audience here can get to know you a little bit.  Well probably like many people I mean I just, through the years all going back to college were always interested in real estate interested in things that could produce. Some people call it passive income and some people call it residual income, but always intrigued with the business itself in general, and I can't dunk a basketball or write a song or sing a song, so I figured I needed to find another way to produce that. Also, the two things that made sense to me in college was insurance, real estate, and background golf. I played on the golf team in high school and college and then worked at golf courses. I would see these grown men there in the middle of the day at the golf course and being inquisitive I would always ask them, what kind of career did they have that allowed them to do that? So the vast majority of those guys were either in insurance, real estate, or sales of some sort. So that's what, being the deep soul that I am has wanted to play golf all day, when I'm in my 40s, so that's what got me interested in it. So it started going down the road, I guess back in 1993, I graduated from college, got in the insurance business, and then insured business now for 26 years. However, as far as real estate, I was one of those that back and forth for years, I would get interested and wanted to do it but didn't know how to do it.  I looked at like vacation rentals, condos at the beach one year, get excited about that and didn't do anything with that.  I thought I needed to get into long-term rental houses, and kind of felt that everybody had to start as a slumlord, and I didn't want to do that. I liked to play golf, I can’t imagine getting a call; I was on the back nine, and ‘hey man air conditioner went out’ whatever, so I would always talk myself out of it. So   I would say fast forward to 2016, so whatever that is. Twenty-three years after the insurance, having been in the insurance business, I was frustrated with the insurance business because in church companies changing rules, you get set up to where you're pretty successful and they change the rules on you at another agency where we did a lot of group health insurance through the Affordable Care Act coming down in 2010, then finally getting implemented in 2014. All those rules changed in sizing the groups and all those sorts of things changed, which affects the income. So I was looking, I mean I was looking for something else; I didn't know it would be real estate. However, started going down that road, I've been involved in several coachings, like just business coaching programs through the years and I was a part of one in 2015 in Atlanta. One of the guys in there was a syndicator, so it was the first time that he didn't call it a syndicator. He just said that he bought apartments and flipped them. He said he did. But that's the first time I looked at it. So then you start researching things and of course, I think everybody comes through a Bigger Pocket. I think to do things that everybody has in common, and this is either Bigger Pocket or ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ right? Yeah I read it   years ago when it first came out I guess early 2000s and all that made sense, but still I didn't know how to how to get involved, and   through the years I had a number of clients that invested in real estate; several different forms from single-family housing to flips to commercial warehouse space and kind of everything in between. I had this one particular client that he had a single-family house that he had torn down, and he was going to build duplexes, he's going to be late duplexes of 16 units had the plans all drawn up and everything ready to go. Then he decided to retire and move to the beach. So he was back in town one day and one of his grandkids ball games, who happens to play the same team as my daughter. We were just in the stands talking. I ask him where he was on it, and he said that he had decided not to do it; he's like ‘you oughta do it, buy the lot from me, I've got everything ready to go, plans are drawn you need to look at doing it’. So that got me interested again. That was the fall of 2016. That's what kind of started me down this road to use the general term real estate investing.  Still didn't know which direction I wanted to do, but multifamily duplex, all that sort of thing made sense to me.   The more units you have under one roof, it just, it made so much more sense. So by not having any experience in looking at all the cost and carrying costs of development. That scared me. So I spent four months evaluating that deal and come to the realization of how much it would cost, which was how long I have to carry that cost without having any tenants paying rent. Then I kind of got scared and didn't want to do that. But, through that process, one of the guys that I reached out to help me evaluate that he was aware of Bigger Pockets. So, of‌ ‌course, get on there and start looking around and listen to podcasts. This led me to another month or so down the road, and I heard a gentleman on podcasts one day mention the term real estate syndication and they just closed some apartments. So they got me interested in going down that path doing some research with syndication, was how it worked and all those sorts of things.  So that's what I landed on as far as a strategy. There are so many different strategies out there that you can focus on. No, I don't think it is necessarily better than the other one; it's just what's better for you. What kind of fits your skillset what you're looking to do. So for me, multifamily and in syndication the way I look at it is you have lots of different tools in the tool chest right? Syndication- I think, I'm not going to say it's the end all be all, I think it's one tool. So that's where I chose to get started in learning the business of real estate, long term real estate investing.  Yeah, I mean I remember the first time that I heard about syndication I was like my eyes lit up and I was thinking to myself, Aha. That was like that moment that I realized that you could buy apartment buildings without actually having the money, right? Yeah. Which is not surprising because it looks like in America you can do whatever you want. You could buy anything if you don't have anything. So I mean I think that's amazing that you started in  2016 when you first got back into the real estate investing. Kind of gave it a second chance if I'm getting it right. So now we're in the summer of 2019, and you're already in control of how many units?  Well I mean I'm on the general partnership side of, I don't even know. I would have to do the math honestly. Let's see, give us a ballpark. Six hundred and twenty-six units. We got one deal that set to close the next couple of weeks. We're supposed to close last week, but the seller had some issues with their current loan that they had in place or whatever, that we've got to get taken care of. So, after that closes, we'll be at six hundred and twenty-six units.  Okay, so when you say when you're saying we'll be. Who exactly are you talking about? I believe it's a different partnership. I don't I'm involved in four different deals. So full and all four of those deals have various partners, different partnership arrangements. So it's different on every project. The first project I got in it was it's myself and one other guy, that was a thirty-six unit. That's kind of where I got started and then from there as you go to more significant projects, you'd have more people get involved.  So when you got into your first deal of the thirty-six units, obviously you're not bringing any experience, just the desire, and motivation. So how did you how were you able to get on the GP side of that acquisition?  That particular one I'm trying to think back here. I had been to a couple of conferences and boot camps throughout 2017. In early 2018, I bought, probably three different tools to help kind of analyze the deal. Help with run all your numbers and things, you just shot, pretty much spent 2017 educating myself, through online courses boot camps things of that nature, reading books, obviously listening to podcasts. So coming out of a boot camp the first part of January last year, I decided that I needed to find a mentor or somebody that was actively pursuing deals and doing deals that I could learn from.  So that's what I did. I spent probably next month and a half looking and deciding whom I wanted that to be. So I found a guy that I liked what we're doing here. We had a Zoom call set up once every two weeks. It consisted of him, myself, two others, and we were just all learning the business. I mean how to analyze a deal how to know how to build relationships with brokers how to determine what markets you're looking at I mean everything that you have to do in this business. One of the students when I got involved though, already had a deal under contract and just 36 units out in Greensboro North Carolina. I got involved in that at the end of February and so fast forward to the first part of April, he got on the call that day and he and some friends or family or whatever that last-minute maybe decided to back out or not invest. So he said he was going to be a couple hundred thousand dollars short. I liked the Greensboro area already I mean that was one of the markets I was interested in. I asked if you would send the information to me about the deal and ask him if I want to pursue it if he'd be willing to partner on it. So we spent the next week or two going through that deal and looking at everything suddenly jump on board with him. So that's how the first deal with the 36 unit came about. It was the partner I mean that's I guess, that's the name of my story is, partnering. You don't have to do everything so  A to Z. I think if you find, for me anyway, you find good partners and learn from them as you go. I mean it just everybody wins right? So team together everybody.  So let me see if I'm getting this right. This guy that you were partnering up with, they got the deal, they did the underwriting. They found it through a broker relationship or whatever it is that they did over there in Greensboro, and then you partnered up by bringing the money on that specific first deal right?  Well, not all of the money. I mean he had already raised a good bit of the million together. We had raised, I mean what he thought was going to be a couple of thousand dollars short, he ended up being 400,000 dollars short altogether in that first deal he and I together raised right at eight hundred thousand.  Okay, so you helped him with raising the 400,000. He was short. So how did you go about that? Where did you have the connections?  Well, I had already I mean 26 years in the insurance business through the years. Number one I had lots of clients that were already quote-unquote real estate investors or landlords or whatever you want to call them. Then number two I had a lot of other clients, note high net worth and top income-producing clients, a lotta professional whether they be engineers, physicians, things of that nature; very interesting system in 26 years, you have lots of conversations and friendships. So yes, I knew that I had many people that were very interested in investing in real estate quote-unquote, but with no desire to be a landlord. So I knew that I could call you and talk and have conversations with them about, ‘hey guys I found a way that you could invest passively in real estate without having to deal with tenants and being a landlord’.  Yeah, also pretty safe. I would say it's safe to invest in apartments when you're on the LP side because you're getting a preferred return and that's going to come out anyway. So I mean you could always lose the money, whatever investment it is you're making but I would say that if I had like five-six million dollars that I was looking to invest. I think I would put everything on real estate syndication or had the majority of it on real estate syndication. So I could see the benefit for a passive investor. So I think it's beautiful that you seized the opportunity of everything you've gained so far in your life even though you were not in the real estate business, but you have realized that investors and people that have money and people that are interested in investing, so I love it. You seized the opportunity once again to an estate end, and you knew how you could use your experience and your skillset and tools to get what you want. Now you're in a better place, and I think I truly find that amazing. That's a beautiful story, so tell us more about that 36 unit, give us the details of that deal. So what was the value adds and what was the common?  This one is kind of you to know; it's that story that I guess we all kind of look for that says, it's an old tired property in a great area. It was in an area of Greensboro that you see as it sits next to a huge bank, it sits next to an assisted living facility. So then right down the road like maybe an eighth of a mile in, a Starbucks, a Chick-Fil-A, a Panera Bread, Harris Teeter grocery store, kind of a shopping center. It was a 1970 construction, so it was old in the interiors. Now next year the property looks great. I mean the owner that we bought from, I mean he'd redone all of the asphalt outside on the parking in the exteriors, it had two euro roofs, the exterior does look great. It's the interiors that were just the 1970 construction. So there they're compartmentalized apartments, real small, choppy kind of dark dingy and they just really haven't been putting money into the interior renovations. Yeah. We analyzed the market as far as our competitors in that area, and the market rents even though we were smaller. I don't know, a quarter of a mile down the road the other direction is an over 200 unit apartment complex. So we don’t have the same amenities as them. However, you get real comfortable as to what the market is, and what kind of rent they're getting, and ripper square foot and all those sorts of things. Then see how far under market this property was. That was the plan, to go in there and spend money on interior renovations and increased rent.  What's the premium you've got on the rent? Well, it's turned out to be a good chunk better than what we thought when we underwrote it. For instance, when we underwrote it, it consisted of twenty-four two bedrooms and twelve one-bedrooms. So at the time that we underwrote the property, we were planning on crossing the six hundred dollars a month for the one-bedrooms and seven hundred dollars a month for the two bedrooms in year three. It was kind of two bedrooms. Were they’re two-one or two-two? No, they're all two-one and one-one. Yep. That being said, let's say we closed at the end of June last year and started our renovations and leasing up the renovated units, and I mean we're already, even the ones that we're not renovating, like full-blown renovation, just going in there and freshening up we're achieving seven-twenty-five on the two-bedroom, and six-twenty-five one-bedrooms. Wow. So yeah we're already leasing up to above year three numbers on that. It is just a matter of our most significant learning curve is on a thirty-six-unit; you run into issues with property management. That's big, with it being at home, we don't live there, so you're relying on third-party management and finding the right property manager to manage that. So yeah.  So let's get back to the rent before we move on to the property management. I want to clarify the right. So you brought it to seven-twenty-five and six-twenty-five even though you forecast at six hundred and seven hundred, and that was after the renovations of a few units, or just the way it was? Yeah, I think today we've rented renovated so far probably six-seven units something like the players' thing.  You're saying okay that the owner and I hear about that a lot, the owner of the property did not raise the rents because they just didn't.  So sometimes they just don't know that they could right? Or they get in touch and get close with the tenants, so they complain honestly about this particular deal; what the issue was I'm going to say the owner so much as it was the property manager that he had, he just didn't believe that he could push the rents.  They were good at what I would say bringing a D class property up to a C class, but they were only used to dealing with C to C, C minus tenants if that makes sense. We planned to push it to with the location that it was in, we thought that we could renovate, at least some B tenants in there. Do it that way but so we had a difference of opinion on our demographic, our avatar if you will for our tenant.   So what was the rent when you guys got into the deal?  I mean we had, some of the one-bedrooms were renting for as little as four-fifty-five. Wow... And the two-bedroom, we had some two bedrooms that were five-twenty-five, five-fifty. The average rent across the thirty-six units we bought it about five-sixty. We've pushed the rents now. What we did was we know neither one of us having experience with Fannie or Freddie, which means we had no experience with a property manager. Then Fannie wanted to see that the property manager that was already in place, stay in place even though we had a difference of opinion on the business plan. So that was the big issue. We closed the end of June just call July 1, June 29th is what it was. So we finally got it, proof from Fannie to let them go, let the property manager go. And we changed property management firms in November. So from November to June of this year, we were with our second property management firm and there again to a small property management firm. It just, everything's bottlenecked in there. Sort of like every decision had to go through one person and nobody was given, so if they're out of the office or whatever nothing happens. So it just a lot of issues with, project management, issues on timing, budget, issues on the renovation. Just all sorts of issues with them. So long story short we changed to our third property manager June of this year and we just decided to bite the bullet with a larger firm, that I mean they manage over ten thousand units. Yeah obviously we're paying more for them, but we know what we're getting. This was the firm that we used during the due diligence as well it's just that we're probably the smallest apartment complex they manage. Yeah. So we're actively trying to find other deals there in Greensboro to add units to scale.  Yeah. So what is the average of the rents right now? You said it was five-sixty, so what do you think about the average right now? I'd have to pull that information and look.  I mean we're probably the six-fifty range, six-seventy range, and the cap rate that you bought it for was when you bought it for what the corporate calculation based on it was like, six-point six caps, six-point six. So essentially, let's say you sell it on or refinance that property on the same cap rate. I just want our audience to understand the value add and the amount of money that you guys added to the property's value. So you think it's safe to say that you've got ninety-nine dollars for each unit in value-add? Right. And that's thirty-six units? Right.  The way that we've got cash out if you want to go through the math, but I mean the way that we are projecting it is for the number one, they didn't have the prior management everybody was on a month to month. So there were no long term leases in place. So yeah that's what the new firm is not only out there leasing up and getting twelve-month leases in place but getting rents, getting the rents up to the market to where they're supposed to be. So, yeah I mean with all the value add and everything I mean we ran it probably a month or so ago and looked at it. We're hoping we'll get everything in place in another twelve months to eighteen months from now. We've got it projected that it should be worth two points three, so that would be about six hundred thousand dollar value.  Yeah. So from my calculation, I just got at five hundred and eighty-nine thousand and that's before you even reduce the expenses which I'm sure you could. And what's funny is that you're saying all the things that are really like, the jams that you're looking for when you're after properties between the 10 units and 50 units. Which is, by the way, it's what I'm after at the moment. What you're saying is that all the tenants they had a month to month leases. And that's already a flag that as an investor, somebody is trying to buy multi-families, and that if all the tenants are on a month to month basis then that property is not being managed correctly. So there's always a value-add and that's the key. That's why you're looking for and I think that is why I'm going over with you the deal and the numbers, because I know that when you're first starting to look into multi-families and especially if you're doing a transition from resident to residential real estate than it's very difficult to comprehend what it is that you're looking for. Right? Because when you're looking for, if you're looking for a property single family that you're trying to renovate or flip, or fix then you're looking for a distressed home, and then you just try to get a discount. When you're looking for an apartment building than what you're looking for is something that's not managed correctly, and that is exactly what you're talking about. I love that, we can see it as we break down the deal. I'm sure our audience would appreciate it, and that is why I'm doing this and you probably learned so much in your first deal right? Yeah. And then actually, I mean to that point is what you're looking for. I mean that's the big thing right? I mean being where you can communicate with a broker exactly what you're looking for, in the exact location, the size, the vintage, the unit mix the whole deal you want. You want to know what you're looking for.  And to that point is, I think today you hear, you just talk to some different people, and you hear I'm staying away from the larger properties, the three to five hundred units. Because of your competition with institutional investors and things of that nature, conventional money and yeah everybody. Well, I'm going to focus between one hundred and a hundred fifty units or whatever, but then you got tons of people like us running around in that space, and there's so much competition especially when you look at markets like Atlanta and Dallas. So it's coming, what you just said I mean, so we've kind of changed our thought process with that, and hey, we've got thirty-six units there in Greensboro. So, instead of looking for that hundred and fifty to two hundred units, why don't we find four more thirty-six units. Yeah. There's a lot less competition for thirty-six units; it makes sense obviously because all these property management headaches you have at that level. But if you put four of those types of properties together, now you're closer to one hundred and fifty of their units, and a lot more manageable. You get good property management and all that.  Definitely. And what else I think everybody is talking about in the podcast and on the shows. They're talking about how they've done the big deals, the ones over a hundred, and how it's the best thing to do. But sometimes you hear it like an episode on somebody's podcast and that episode is from two years ago or one year ago and the money's already changed. Now it's more difficult to find these things. So right. Yeah. So right now when, as investors when we look at the market we can never see what it's doing right now. We can only look back and see what it did, but we never know what it's doing. So that is my perspective too. I share this perspective. I'm looking for, I know you, we've already discussed in yours, you said that you're going after this. You have a deal that's about to close, it's more than a hundred units and I think that is great. But I'm very, I feel very confident about what you said before about finding properties that are in the range of the thirty units, forty units right now because there's less competition. You could find things directly from the owner and not necessarily through a broker, which is what I'm going after and that's my strategy for dealing with the situation. That there's so much competition for multifamily right now.  Right. Yeah I mean I believe that there is no right or wrong way necessarily to do it and there are so many different tools. I mean we're talking about syndication whatever but, I mean obviously, if somebody has them. Wherewith all or if you're able to work out a deal with an owner where he'll finance it for free. You mean there's many different to rules? It doesn't all have to be pigeonholed into this perfect hundred and twenty unit value, it adds to class C property and Class B area and we're going to syndicate it.  Yeah, it was simple.  Yeah, that's right. That's right. So and that's one of the things that I love about this business is as you expand and grow and partner in different deals, you get to meet people from all over the country and learn about different markets. You can even do some joint ventures rather than syndication. I mean obviously, syndication is expensive, you got all the attorney's fees and all those extra reporting to investors and all these types of headaches and stuff that you don't have to deal with. Yeah. If you have three or four guys that can take down forty units.  Yeah. But there's more reward obviously when we talk about a hundred units.  Sure, but there again, that's what I'm saying. I mean I just don't think there's a right or wrong, it's just what is your strategy right now. It's like you said we can always look back, and obviously, there's been lots of people that the syndication strategy has done very well of less than five to eight years.  Yeah, I think you just need to focus on your strategy and just stick to it. You need to come up with your idea and the way that you see things and just to continue doing it until you find something. If it's too hard or you find out that it's not something you can do, then yeah maybe it's a good idea to change the strategy but not to quit. Right. Right. But I do agree that you've got to have your way and do things the way that you see them. I'm not saying that it's impossible to find a deal of a hundred units or more, I'm just saying that that's not a strategy that I chose. I'm aware that there are deals out there that you could find, even two hundred units. I've heard about a person that bought two hundred units from a mom and pop. Believe it or not. You see it's not even a sophisticated seller. So how did he do that? It's a low chance but it happened. That's what I like about real estate everything is possible. Everybody has their way, and I think your way is remarkable because you were looking for the knowledge and you just did actions and you took stuff into your own hands. You went there. You went to a coach and you partnered up with people and you involved your connections, and so you made it happen. I think that's beautiful really. Well, thank you. Yeah. So what are the best ways to connect with you if anybody's trying to partner up or do things or even learn something?  Well, my web site is back nine investors spelled out, so backnineinvestors.com. You can reach me there. Email address is Andi@backnineinvestors.com. I'm giving up my phone number I don't care, my phone number 318- 614-0681. I’m on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook and all. I like that you give out your phone number so people talk to you because this is a business of people and networking. So if anybody listens to that and you guys want to connect with Andy it's a great opportunity to talk to an investor that's experienced and knows what they're doing. Yes, that's one of my favorite parts honestly. I was at a conference a couple of weeks ago in Dallas and we went out to dinner they were looking around the table, there was a guy from Oklahoma City, Columbus Ohio, Rochester New York, Boston and myself from west Louisiana. So now you get to meet all kinds of different neat people who build relationships and who knows, I mean help out in the very least, maybe partnering on some deals together with him, so yeah.  And sometimes your phone rings and you don't know. But that bet could be one hundred thousand ringings right there and I missed it. It happens in real estate though. So yes Andy thank you very much for participating in the show. I want to wish you the best of luck in your future ventures, and thank you. That was an amazing insight.  Thanks for listening to the real estate investing podcast with Don and Eden, stay tuned for more episodes. Till next time. 

Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk: 'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot, But being too happy in thine happiness,— That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees In some melodious plot Of beechen green, and shadows numberless, Singest of summer in full-throated ease. O, for a draught of vintage! that hath been Cool'd a long age in the deep-delved earth, Tasting of Flora and the country green, Dance, and Provençal song, and sunburnt mirth! O for a beaker full of the warm South, Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene, With beaded bubbles winking at the brim, And purple-stained mouth; That I might drink, and leave the world unseen, And with thee fade away into the forest dim: Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget What thou among the leaves hast never known, The weariness, the fever, and the fret Here, where men sit and hear each other groan; Where palsy shakes a few, sad, last gray hairs, Where youth grows pale, and spectre-thin, and dies; Where but to think is to be full of sorrow And leaden-eyed despairs, Where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes, Or new Love pine at them beyond to-morrow. Away! away! for I will fly to thee, Not charioted by Bacchus and his pards, But on the viewless wings of Poesy, Though the dull brain perplexes and retards: Already with thee! tender is the night, And haply the Queen-Moon is on her throne, Cluster'd around by all her starry Fays; But here there is no light, Save what from heaven is with the breezes blown Through verdurous glooms and winding mossy ways. I cannot see what flowers are at my feet, Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs, But, in embalmed darkness, guess each sweet Wherewith the seasonable month endows The grass, the thicket, and the fruit-tree wild; White hawthorn, and the pastoral eglantine; Fast fading violets cover'd up in leaves; And mid-May's eldest child, The coming musk-rose, full of dewy wine, The murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves. Darkling I listen; and, for many a time I have been half in love with easeful Death, Call'd him soft names in many a mused rhyme, To take into the air my quiet breath; Now more than ever seems it rich to die, To cease upon the midnight with no pain, While thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad In such an ecstasy! Still wouldst thou sing, and I have ears in vain— To thy high requiem become a sod. Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird! No hungry generations tread thee down; The voice I hear this passing night was heard In ancient days by emperor and clown: Perhaps the self-same song that found a path Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home, She stood in tears amid the alien corn; The same that oft-times hath Charm'd magic casements, opening on the foam Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn. Forlorn! the very word is like a bell To toll me back from thee to my sole self! Adieu! the fancy cannot cheat so well As she is fam'd to do, deceiving elf. Adieu! adieu! thy plaintive anthem fades Past the near meadows, over the still stream, Up the hill-side; and now 'tis buried deep In the next valley-glades: Was it a vision, or a waking dream? Fled is that music:—Do I wake or sleep?

The Two Crucial Years (1386.1) 126:0.1 OF ALL Jesus’ earth-life experiences, the fourteenth and fifteenth years were the most crucial. These two years, after he began to be self-conscious of divinity and destiny, and before he achieved a large measure of communication with his indwelling Adjuster, were the most trying of his eventful life on Urantia. It is this period of two years which should be called the great test, the real temptation. No human youth, in passing through the early confusions and adjustment problems of adolescence, ever experienced a more crucial testing than that which Jesus passed through during his transition from childhood to young manhood. (1386.2) 126:0.2 This important period in Jesus’ youthful development began with the conclusion of the Jerusalem visit and with his return to Nazareth. At first Mary was happy in the thought that she had her boy back once more, that Jesus had returned home to be a dutiful son — not that he was ever anything else — and that he would henceforth be more responsive to her plans for his future life. But she was not for long to bask in this sunshine of maternal delusion and unrecognized family pride; very soon she was to be more completely disillusioned. More and more the boy was in the company of his father; less and less did he come to her with his problems, while increasingly both his parents failed to comprehend his frequent alternation between the affairs of this world and the contemplation of his relation to his Father’s business. Frankly, they did not understand him, but they did truly love him. (1386.3) 126:0.3 As he grew older, Jesus’ pity and love for the Jewish people deepened, but with the passing years, there developed in his mind a growing righteous resentment of the presence in the Father’s temple of the politically appointed priests. Jesus had great respect for the sincere Pharisees and the honest scribes, but he held the hypocritical Pharisees and the dishonest theologians in great contempt; he looked with disdain upon all those religious leaders who were not sincere. When he scrutinized the leadership of Israel, he was sometimes tempted to look with favor on the possibility of his becoming the Messiah of Jewish expectation, but he never yielded to such a temptation. (1386.4) 126:0.4 The story of his exploits among the wise men of the temple in Jerusalem was gratifying to all Nazareth, especially to his former teachers in the synagogue school. For a time his praise was on everybody’s lips. All the village recounted his childhood wisdom and praiseworthy conduct and predicted that he was destined to become a great leader in Israel; at last a really great teacher was to come out of Nazareth in Galilee. And they all looked forward to the time when he would be fifteen years of age so that he might be permitted regularly to read the Scriptures in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. 1. His Fourteenth Year (A.D. 8) (1387.1) 126:1.1 This is the calendar year of his fourteenth birthday. He had become a good yoke maker and worked well with both canvas and leather. He was also rapidly developing into an expert carpenter and cabinetmaker. This summer he made frequent trips to the top of the hill to the northwest of Nazareth for prayer and meditation. He was gradually becoming more self-conscious of the nature of his bestowal on earth. (1387.2) 126:1.2 This hill, a little more than one hundred years previously, had been the “high place of Baal,” and now it was the site of the tomb of Simeon, a reputed holy man of Israel. From the summit of this hill of Simeon, Jesus looked out over Nazareth and the surrounding country. He would gaze upon Megiddo and recall the story of the Egyptian army winning its first great victory in Asia; and how, later on, another such army defeated the Judean king Josiah. Not far away he could look upon Taanach, where Deborah and Barak defeated Sisera. In the distance he could view the hills of Dothan, where he had been taught Joseph’s brethren sold him into Egyptian slavery. He then would shift his gaze over to Ebal and Gerizim and recount to himself the traditions of Abraham, Jacob, and Abimelech. And thus he recalled and turned over in his mind the historic and traditional events of his father Joseph’s people.* (1387.3) 126:1.3 He continued to carry on his advanced courses of reading under the synagogue teachers, and he also continued with the home education of his brothers and sisters as they grew up to suitable ages. (1387.4) 126:1.4 Early this year Joseph arranged to set aside the income from his Nazareth and Capernaum property to pay for Jesus’ long course of study at Jerusalem, it having been planned that he should go to Jerusalem in August of the following year when he would be fifteen years of age. (1387.5) 126:1.5 By the beginning of this year both Joseph and Mary entertained frequent doubts about the destiny of their first-born son. He was indeed a brilliant and lovable child, but he was so difficult to understand, so hard to fathom, and again, nothing extraordinary or miraculous ever happened. Scores of times had his proud mother stood in breathless anticipation, expecting to see her son engage in some superhuman or miraculous performance, but always were her hopes dashed down in cruel disappointment. And all this was discouraging, even disheartening. The devout people of those days truly believed that prophets and men of promise always demonstrated their calling and established their divine authority by performing miracles and working wonders. But Jesus did none of these things; wherefore was the confusion of his parents steadily increased as they contemplated his future.* (1387.6) 126:1.6 The improved economic condition of the Nazareth family was reflected in many ways about the home and especially in the increased number of smooth white boards which were used as writing slates, the writing being done with charcoal. Jesus was also permitted to resume his music lessons; he was very fond of playing the harp. (1387.7) 126:1.7 Throughout this year it can truly be said that Jesus “grew in favor with man and with God.” The prospects of the family seemed good; the future was bright. 2. The Death of Joseph (1388.1) 126:2.1 All did go well until that fateful day of Tuesday, September 25, when a runner from Sepphoris brought to this Nazareth home the tragic news that Joseph had been severely injured by the falling of a derrick while at work on the governor’s residence. The messenger from Sepphoris had stopped at the shop on the way to Joseph’s home, informing Jesus of his father’s accident, and they went together to the house to break the sad news to Mary. Jesus desired to go immediately to his father, but Mary would hear to nothing but that she must hasten to her husband’s side. She directed that James, then ten years of age, should accompany her to Sepphoris while Jesus remained home with the younger children until she should return, as she did not know how seriously Joseph had been injured. But Joseph died of his injuries before Mary arrived. They brought him to Nazareth, and on the following day he was laid to rest with his fathers. (1388.2) 126:2.2 Just at the time when prospects were good and the future looked bright, an apparently cruel hand struck down the head of this Nazareth household, the affairs of this home were disrupted, and every plan for Jesus and his future education was demolished. This carpenter lad, now just past fourteen years of age, awakened to the realization that he had not only to fulfill the commission of his heavenly Father to reveal the divine nature on earth and in the flesh, but that his young human nature must also shoulder the responsibility of caring for his widowed mother and seven brothers and sisters — and another yet to be born. This lad of Nazareth now became the sole support and comfort of this so suddenly bereaved family. Thus were permitted those occurrences of the natural order of events on Urantia which would force this young man of destiny so early to assume these heavy but highly educational and disciplinary responsibilities attendant upon becoming the head of a human family, of becoming father to his own brothers and sisters, of supporting and protecting his mother, of functioning as guardian of his father’s home, the only home he was to know while on this world. (1388.3) 126:2.3 Jesus cheerfully accepted the responsibilities so suddenly thrust upon him, and he carried them faithfully to the end. At least one great problem and anticipated difficulty in his life had been tragically solved — he would not now be expected to go to Jerusalem to study under the rabbis. It remained always true that Jesus “sat at no man’s feet.” He was ever willing to learn from even the humblest of little children, but he never derived authority to teach truth from human sources. (1388.4) 126:2.4 Still he knew nothing of the Gabriel visit to his mother before his birth; he only learned of this from John on the day of his baptism, at the beginning of his public ministry. (1388.5) 126:2.5 As the years passed, this young carpenter of Nazareth increasingly measured every institution of society and every usage of religion by the unvarying test: What does it do for the human soul? does it bring God to man? does it bring man to God? While this youth did not wholly neglect the recreational and social aspects of life, more and more he devoted his time and energies to just two purposes: the care of his family and the preparation to do his Father’s heavenly will on earth. (1389.1) 126:2.6 This year it became the custom for the neighbors to drop in during the winter evenings to hear Jesus play upon the harp, to listen to his stories (for the lad was a master storyteller), and to hear him read from the Greek scriptures. (1389.2) 126:2.7 The economic affairs of the family continued to run fairly smoothly as there was quite a sum of money on hand at the time of Joseph’s death. Jesus early demonstrated the possession of keen business judgment and financial sagacity. He was liberal but frugal; he was saving but generous. He proved to be a wise and efficient administrator of his father’s estate. (1389.3) 126:2.8 But in spite of all that Jesus and the Nazareth neighbors could do to bring cheer into the home, Mary, and even the children, were overcast with sadness. Joseph was gone. Joseph was an unusual husband and father, and they all missed him. And it seemed all the more tragic to think that he died ere they could speak to him or hear his farewell blessing. 3. The Fifteenth Year (A.D. 9) (1389.4) 126:3.1 By the middle of this fifteenth year — and we are reckoning time in accordance with the twentieth-century calendar, not by the Jewish year — Jesus had taken a firm grasp upon the management of his family. Before this year had passed, their savings had about disappeared, and they were face to face with the necessity of disposing of one of the Nazareth houses which Joseph and his neighbor Jacob owned in partnership. (1389.5) 126:3.2 On Wednesday evening, April 17, A.D. 9, Ruth, the baby of the family, was born, and to the best of his ability Jesus endeavored to take the place of his father in comforting and ministering to his mother during this trying and peculiarly sad ordeal. For almost a score of years (until he began his public ministry) no father could have loved and nurtured his daughter any more affectionately and faithfully than Jesus cared for little Ruth. And he was an equally good father to all the other members of his family. (1389.6) 126:3.3 During this year Jesus first formulated the prayer which he subsequently taught to his apostles, and which to many has become known as “The Lord’s Prayer.” In a way it was an evolution of the family altar; they had many forms of praise and several formal prayers. After his father’s death Jesus tried to teach the older children to express themselves individually in prayer — much as he so enjoyed doing — but they could not grasp his thought and would invariably fall back upon their memorized prayer forms. It was in this effort to stimulate his older brothers and sisters to say individual prayers that Jesus would endeavor to lead them along by suggestive phrases, and presently, without intention on his part, it developed that they were all using a form of prayer which was largely built up from these suggestive lines which Jesus had taught them. (1389.7) 126:3.4 At last Jesus gave up the idea of having each member of the family formulate spontaneous prayers, and one evening in October he sat down by the little squat lamp on the low stone table, and, on a piece of smooth cedar board about eighteen inches square, with a piece of charcoal he wrote out the prayer which became from that time on the standard family petition. (1389.8) 126:3.5 This year Jesus was much troubled with confused thinking. Family responsibility had quite effectively removed all thought of immediately carrying out any plan for responding to the Jerusalem visitation directing him to “be about his Father’s business.” Jesus rightly reasoned that the watchcare of his earthly father’s family must take precedence of all duties; that the support of his family must become his first obligation. (1390.1) 126:3.6 In the course of this year Jesus found a passage in the so-called Book of Enoch which influenced him in the later adoption of the term “Son of Man” as a designation for his bestowal mission on Urantia. He had thoroughly considered the idea of the Jewish Messiah and was firmly convinced that he was not to be that Messiah. He longed to help his father’s people, but he never expected to lead Jewish armies in overthrowing the foreign domination of Palestine. He knew he would never sit on the throne of David at Jerusalem. Neither did he believe that his mission was that of a spiritual deliverer or moral teacher solely to the Jewish people. In no sense, therefore, could his life mission be the fulfillment of the intense longings and supposed Messianic prophecies of the Hebrew scriptures; at least, not as the Jews understood these predictions of the prophets. Likewise he was certain he was never to appear as the Son of Man depicted by the Prophet Daniel. (1390.2) 126:3.7 But when the time came for him to go forth as a world teacher, what would he call himself? What claim should he make concerning his mission? By what name would he be called by the people who would become believers in his teachings? (1390.3) 126:3.8 While turning all these problems over in his mind, he found in the synagogue library at Nazareth, among the apocalyptic books which he had been studying, this manuscript called “The Book of Enoch”; and though he was certain that it had not been written by Enoch of old, it proved very intriguing to him, and he read and reread it many times. There was one passage which particularly impressed him, a passage in which this term “Son of Man” appeared. The writer of this so-called Book of Enoch went on to tell about this Son of Man, describing the work he would do on earth and explaining that this Son of Man, before coming down on this earth to bring salvation to mankind, had walked through the courts of heavenly glory with his Father, the Father of all; and that he had turned his back upon all this grandeur and glory to come down on earth to proclaim salvation to needy mortals. As Jesus would read these passages (well understanding that much of the Eastern mysticism which had become admixed with these teachings was erroneous), he responded in his heart and recognized in his mind that of all the Messianic predictions of the Hebrew scriptures and of all the theories about the Jewish deliverer, none was so near the truth as this story tucked away in this only partially accredited Book of Enoch; and he then and there decided to adopt as his inaugural title “the Son of Man.” And this he did when he subsequently began his public work. Jesus had an unerring ability for the recognition of truth, and truth he never hesitated to embrace, no matter from what source it appeared to emanate. (1390.4) 126:3.9 By this time he had quite thoroughly settled many things about his forthcoming work for the world, but he said nothing of these matters to his mother, who still held stoutly to the idea of his being the Jewish Messiah. (1390.5) 126:3.10 The great confusion of Jesus’ younger days now arose. Having settled something about the nature of his mission on earth, “to be about his Father’s business” — to show forth his Father’s loving nature to all mankind — he began to ponder anew the many statements in the Scriptures referring to the coming of a national deliverer, a Jewish teacher or king. To what event did these prophecies refer? Was not he a Jew? or was he? Was he or was he not of the house of David? His mother averred he was; his father had ruled that he was not. He decided he was not. But had the prophets confused the nature and mission of the Messiah? (1391.1) 126:3.11 After all, could it be possible that his mother was right? In most matters, when differences of opinion had arisen in the past, she had been right. If he were a new teacher and not the Messiah, then how should he recognize the Jewish Messiah if such a one should appear in Jerusalem during the time of his earth mission; and, further, what should be his relation to this Jewish Messiah? And what should be his relation, after embarking on his life mission, to his family? to the Jewish commonwealth and religion? to the Roman Empire? to the gentiles and their religions? Each of these momentous problems this young Galilean turned over in his mind and seriously pondered while he continued to work at the carpenter’s bench, laboriously making a living for himself, his mother, and eight other hungry mouths. (1391.2) 126:3.12 Before the end of this year Mary saw the family funds diminishing. She turned the sale of doves over to James. Presently they bought a second cow, and with the aid of Miriam they began the sale of milk to their Nazareth neighbors. (1391.3) 126:3.13 His profound periods of meditation, his frequent journeys to the hilltop for prayer, and the many strange ideas which Jesus advanced from time to time, thoroughly alarmed his mother. Sometimes she thought the lad was beside himself, and then she would steady her fears, remembering that he was, after all, a child of promise and in some manner different from other youths. (1391.4) 126:3.14 But Jesus was learning not to speak of all his thoughts, not to present all his ideas to the world, not even to his own mother. From this year on, Jesus’ disclosures about what was going on in his mind steadily diminished; that is, he talked less about those things which an average person could not grasp, and which would lead to his being regarded as peculiar or different from ordinary folks. To all appearances he became commonplace and conventional, though he did long for someone who could understand his problems. He craved a trustworthy and confidential friend, but his problems were too complex for his human associates to comprehend. The uniqueness of the unusual situation compelled him to bear his burdens alone. 4. First Sermon in the Synagogue (1391.5) 126:4.1 With the coming of his fifteenth birthday, Jesus could officially occupy the synagogue pulpit on the Sabbath day. Many times before, in the absence of speakers, Jesus had been asked to read the Scriptures, but now the day had come when, according to law, he could conduct the service. Therefore on the first Sabbath after his fifteenth birthday the chazan arranged for Jesus to conduct the morning service of the synagogue. And when all the faithful in Nazareth had assembled, the young man, having made his selection of Scriptures, stood up and began to read: (1391.6) 126:4.2 “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the meek, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to set the spiritual prisoners free; to proclaim the year of God’s favor and the day of our God’s reckoning; to comfort all mourners, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy in the place of mourning, a song of praise instead of the spirit of sorrow, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, wherewith he may be glorified. (1392.1) 126:4.3 “Seek good and not evil that you may live, and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you. Hate the evil and love the good; establish judgment in the gate. Perhaps the Lord God will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. (1392.2) 126:4.4 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil and learn to do good; seek justice, relieve the oppressed. Defend the fatherless and plead for the widow. (1392.3) 126:4.5 “Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, to bow myself before the Lord of all the earth? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, ten thousands of sheep, or with rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? No! for the Lord has showed us, O men, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to deal justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God? (1392.4) 126:4.6 “To whom, then, will you liken God who sits upon the circle of the earth? Lift up your eyes and behold who has created all these worlds, who brings forth their host by number and calls them all by their names. He does all these things by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power, not one fails. He gives power to the weak, and to those who are weary he increases strength. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness, for I am the Lord your God. And I will hold your right hand, saying to you, fear not, for I will help you. (1392.5) 126:4.7 “And you are my witness, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen that all may know and believe me and understand that I am the Eternal. I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no savior.” (1392.6) 126:4.8 And when he had thus read, he sat down, and the people went to their homes, pondering over the words which he had so graciously read to them. Never had his townspeople seen him so magnificently solemn; never had they heard his voice so earnest and so sincere; never had they observed him so manly and decisive, so authoritative. (1392.7) 126:4.9 This Sabbath afternoon Jesus climbed the Nazareth hill with James and, when they returned home, wrote out the Ten Commandments in Greek on two smooth boards in charcoal. Subsequently Martha colored and decorated these boards, and for long they hung on the wall over James’s small workbench. 5. The Financial Struggle (1392.8) 126:5.1 Gradually Jesus and his family returned to the simple life of their earlier years. Their clothes and even their food became simpler. They had plenty of milk, butter, and cheese. In season they enjoyed the produce of their garden, but each passing month necessitated the practice of greater frugality. Their breakfasts were very plain; they saved their best food for the evening meal. However, among these Jews lack of wealth did not imply social inferiority. (1392.9) 126:5.2 Already had this youth well-nigh encompassed the comprehension of how men lived in his day. And how well he understood life in the home, field, and workshop is shown by his subsequent teachings, which so repletely reveal his intimate contact with all phases of human experience. (1392.10) 126:5.3 The Nazareth chazan continued to cling to the belief that Jesus was to become a great teacher, probably the successor of the renowned Gamaliel at Jerusalem. (1393.1) 126:5.4 Apparently all Jesus’ plans for a career were thwarted. The future did not look bright as matters now developed. But he did not falter; he was not discouraged. He lived on, day by day, doing well the present duty and faithfully discharging the immediate responsibilities of his station in life. Jesus’ life is the everlasting comfort of all disappointed idealists. (1393.2) 126:5.5 The pay of a common day-laboring carpenter was slowly diminishing. By the end of this year Jesus could earn, by working early and late, only the equivalent of about twenty-five cents a day. By the next year they found it difficult to pay the civil taxes, not to mention the synagogue assessments and the temple tax of one-half shekel. During this year the tax collector tried to squeeze extra revenue out of Jesus, even threatening to take his harp. (1393.3) 126:5.6 Fearing that the copy of the Greek scriptures might be discovered and confiscated by the tax collectors, Jesus, on his fifteenth birthday, presented it to the Nazareth synagogue library as his maturity offering to the Lord. (1393.4) 126:5.7 The great shock of his fifteenth year came when Jesus went over to Sepphoris to receive the decision of Herod regarding the appeal taken to him in the dispute about the amount of money due Joseph at the time of his accidental death. Jesus and Mary had hoped for the receipt of a considerable sum of money when the treasurer at Sepphoris had offered them a paltry amount. Joseph’s brothers had taken an appeal to Herod himself, and now Jesus stood in the palace and heard Herod decree that his father had nothing due him at the time of his death. And for such an unjust decision Jesus never again trusted Herod Antipas. It is not surprising that he once alluded to Herod as “that fox.” (1393.5) 126:5.8 The close work at the carpenter’s bench during this and subsequent years deprived Jesus of the opportunity of mingling with the caravan passengers. The family supply shop had already been taken over by his uncle, and Jesus worked altogether in the home shop, where he was near to help Mary with the family. About this time he began sending James up to the camel lot to gather information about world events, and thus he sought to keep in touch with the news of the day. (1393.6) 126:5.9 As he grew up to manhood, he passed through all those conflicts and confusions which the average young persons of previous and subsequent ages have undergone. And the rigorous experience of supporting his family was a sure safeguard against his having overmuch time for idle meditation or the indulgence of mystic tendencies. (1393.7) 126:5.10 This was the year that Jesus rented a considerable piece of land just to the north of their home, which was divided up as a family garden plot. Each of the older children had an individual garden, and they entered into keen competition in their agricultural efforts. Their eldest brother spent some time with them in the garden each day during the season of vegetable cultivation. As Jesus worked with his younger brothers and sisters in the garden, he many times entertained the wish that they were all located on a farm out in the country where they could enjoy the liberty and freedom of an unhampered life. But they did not find themselves growing up in the country; and Jesus, being a thoroughly practical youth as well as an idealist, intelligently and vigorously attacked his problem just as he found it, and did everything within his power to adjust himself and his family to the realities of their situation and to adapt their condition to the highest possible satisfaction of their individual and collective longings. (1393.8) 126:5.11 At one time Jesus faintly hoped that he might be able to gather up sufficient means, provided they could collect the considerable sum of money due his father for work on Herod’s palace, to warrant undertaking the purchase of a small farm. He had really given serious thought to this plan of moving his family out into the country. But when Herod refused to pay them any of the funds due Joseph, they gave up the ambition of owning a home in the country. As it was, they contrived to enjoy much of the experience of farm life as they now had three cows, four sheep, a flock of chickens, a donkey, and a dog, in addition to the doves. Even the little tots had their regular duties to perform in the well-regulated scheme of management which characterized the home life of this Nazareth family. (1394.1) 126:5.12 With the close of this fifteenth year Jesus completed the traversal of that dangerous and difficult period in human existence, that time of transition between the more complacent years of childhood and the consciousness of approaching manhood with its increased responsibilities and opportunities for the acquirement of advanced experience in the development of a noble character. The growth period for mind and body had ended, and now began the real career of this young man of Nazareth.

"Ode To A Nightingale" John Keats My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk 'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot, But being too happy in thine happiness,-- That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees In some melodious plot Of beechen green, and shadows numberless, Singest of summer in full-throated ease. O, for a draught of vintage! that hath been Cool'd a long age in the deep-delved earth, Tasting of Flora and the country green, Dance, and Provencal song, and sunburnt mirth! O for a beaker full of the warm South, Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene, With beaded bubbles winking at the brim, And purple-stained mouth That I might drink, and leave the world unseen, And with thee fade away into the forest dim Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget What thou among the leaves hast never known, The weariness, the fever, and the fret Here, where men sit and hear each other groan; Where palsy shakes a few, sad, last gray hairs, Where youth grows pale, and spectre-thin, and dies; Where but to think is to be full of sorrow And leaden-eyed despairs, Where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes, Or new Love pine at them beyond to-morrow. Away! away! for I will fly to thee, Not charioted by Bacchus and his pards, But on the viewless wings of Poesy, Though the dull brain perplexes and retards Already with thee! tender is the night, And haply the Queen-Moon is on her throne, Cluster'd around by all her starry Fays; But here there is no light, Save what from heaven is with the breezes blown Through verdurous glooms and winding mossy ways. I cannot see what flowers are at my feet, Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs, But, in embalmed darkness, guess each sweet Wherewith the seasonable month endows The grass, the thicket, and the fruit-tree wild; White hawthorn, and the pastoral eglantine; Fast fading violets cover'd up in leaves; And mid-May's eldest child, The coming musk-rose, full of dewy wine, The murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves. Darkling I listen; and, for many a time I have been half in love with easeful Death, Call'd him soft names in many a mused rhyme, To take into the air my quiet breath; Now more than ever seems it rich to die, To cease upon the midnight with no pain, While thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad In such an ecstasy! Still wouldst thou sing, and I have ears in vain-- To thy high requiem become a sod. Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird! No hungry generations tread thee down; The voice I hear this passing night was heard In ancient days by emperor and clown: Perhaps the self-same song that found a path Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home, She stood in tears amid the alien corn; The same that oft-times hath Charm'd magic casements, opening on the foam Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn. Forlorn! the very word is like a bell To toll me back from thee to my sole self! Adieu! the fancy cannot cheat so well As she is fam'd to do, deceiving elf. Adieu! adieu! thy plaintive anthem fades Past the near meadows, over the still stream, Up the hill-side; and now 'tis buried deep In the next valley-glades: Was it a vision, or a waking dream? Fled is that music:--Do I wake or sleep?

“Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Therefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘Wherewith shall we be clothed?’ (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek.) For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Therefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘Wherewith shall we be clothed?’ (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek.) For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:25-34

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. 2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. 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. Selah. 5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. 6 For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? 7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. 8 O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee? 9 Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them. 10 Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm. 11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them. 12 The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name. 13 Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand. 14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. 15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. 16 In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. 17 For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted. 18 For the Lord is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king. 19 Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people. 20 I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: 21 With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him. 22 The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him. 23 And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him. 24 But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted. 25 I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. 26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. 27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. 28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. 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 my judgments; 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 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. 34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. 35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. 36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. 37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah. 38 But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed. 39 Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground. 40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin. 41 All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours. 42 Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice. 43 Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle. 44 Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground. 45 The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame. Selah. 46 How long, Lord? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire? 47 Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain? 48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah. 49 Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth? 50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people; 51 Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O Lord; wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed. 52 Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Amen, and Amen.

J Keats read by Classic Poetry Aloud: Giving voice to the poetry of the past. www.classicpoetryaloud.com -------------------------------------------- fromThe Eve of St. Agnes by John Keats (1795 – 1821) XXXIII Awakening up, he took her hollow lute,— Tumultuous,—and, in chords that tenderest be, He play’d an ancient ditty, long since mute, In Provence call’d, “La belle dame sans mercy:” Close to her ear touching the melody;— Wherewith disturb’d, she utter’d a soft moan: He ceased—she panted quick—and suddenly Her blue affrayed eyes wide open shone: Upon his knees he sank, pale as smooth-sculptured stone. XXXIV Her eyes were open, but she still beheld, Now wide awake, the vision of her sleep: There was a painful change, that nigh expell’d The blisses of her dream so pure and deep At which fair Madeline began to weep, And moan forth witless words with many a sigh; While still her gaze on Porphyro would keep; Who knelt, with joined hands and piteous eye, Fearing to move or speak, she look’d so dreamingly. XXXV “Ah, Porphyro!” said she, “but even now “Thy voice was at sweet tremble in mine ear, “Made tuneable with every sweetest vow; “And those sad eyes were spiritual and clear: “How chang’d thou art! how pallid, chill, and drear! “Give me that voice again, my Porphyro, “Those looks immortal, those complainings dear! “Oh leave me not in this eternal woe, “For if thou diest, my Love, I know not where to go.” XXXVI Beyond a mortal man impassion’d far At these voluptuous accents, he arose, Ethereal, flush’d, and like a throbbing star Seen mid the sapphire heaven’s deep repose; Into her dream he melted, as the rose Blendeth its odour with the violet,— Solution sweet: meantime the frost-wind blows Like Love’s alarum pattering the sharp sleet Against the window-panes; St. Agnes’ moon hath set. First aired: 20 February 2009 For hundreds more poetry readings, visit the Classic Poetry Aloud index. Reading © Classic Poetry Aloud 2009

J Keats read by Classic Poetry Aloud: Giving voice to the poetry of the past. www.classicpoetryaloud.com -------------------------------------------- Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats. (1795–1821) My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk: 'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot, But being too happy in thine happiness, That thou, light-wingèd Dryad of the trees, In some melodious plot Of beechen green, and shadows numberless, Singest of summer in full-throated ease. O for a draught of vintage! that hath been Cool'd a long age in the deep-delvèd earth, Tasting of Flora and the country-green, Dance, and Provençal song, and sunburnt mirth! O for a beaker full of the warm South! Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene, With beaded bubbles winking at the brim, And purple-stainèd mouth; That I might drink, and leave the world unseen, And with thee fade away into the forest dim: Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget What thou among the leaves hast never known, The weariness, the fever, and the fret Here, where men sit and hear each other groan; Where palsy shakes a few, sad, last grey hairs, Where youth grows pale, and spectre-thin, and dies; Where but to think is to be full of sorrow And leaden-eyed despairs; Where beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes, Or new Love pine at them beyond to-morrow. Away! away! for I will fly to thee, Not charioted by Bacchus and his pards, But on the viewless wings of Poesy, Though the dull brain perplexes and retards: Already with thee! tender is the night, And haply the Queen-Moon is on her throne, Cluster'd around by all her starry Fays But here there is no light, Save what from heaven is with the breezes blown Through verdurous glooms and winding mossy ways. I cannot see what flowers are at my feet, Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs, But, in embalmèd darkness, guess each sweet Wherewith the seasonable month endows The grass, the thicket, and the fruit-tree wild; White hawthorn, and the pastoral eglantine; Fast-fading violets cover'd up in leaves; And mid-May's eldest child, The coming musk-rose, full of dewy wine, The murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves. Darkling I listen; and, for many a time I have been half in love with easeful Death, Call'd him soft names in many a musèd rhyme, To take into the air my quiet breath; Now more than ever seems it rich to die, To cease upon the midnight with no pain, While thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad In such an ecstasy! Still wouldst thou sing, and I have ears in vain— To thy high requiem become a sod. Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird! No hungry generations tread thee down; The voice I hear this passing night was heard In ancient days by emperor and clown: Perhaps the self-same song that found a path Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home, She stood in tears amid the alien corn; The same that ofttimes hath Charm'd magic casements, opening on the foam Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn. Forlorn! the very word is like a bell To toll me back from thee to my sole self! Adieu! the fancy cannot cheat so well As she is famed to do, deceiving elf. Adieu! adieu! thy plaintive anthem fades Past the near meadows, over the still stream, Up the hill-side; and now 'tis buried deep In the next valley-glades: Was it a vision, or a waking dream? Fled is that music:—do I wake or sleep? First aired: 7 February 2009 For hundreds more poetry readings, visit the Classic Poetry Aloud index. Reading © Classic Poetry Aloud 2009