Podcasts about whether jesus

One of the aspects of Jesus' life we can easily miss because we know how often he was in large crowds was how He went away to be alone and to pray. He not only got away from people in general, but also even His small circle of friends and disciples.Listen to Mark 1:35 …Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.This is one of those verses where you don't need to study the original language to be able to interpret the real meaning. Because it's literal. … He got up early before everyone else. He went away from everyone else. To pray. He sought solitude, sanctuary, and solace.Let's look at another verse that gets even more interesting … After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.I know of a mom who would need a moment to re-group herself when her kids were little. She would say, Mommy is going in the closet and shutting the door. I need you to be really quiet and I'll be right back in just a few minutes. Every time, after about three minutes of quiet and prayer, she would open the door and there will be every child, sitting right outside the door, waiting quietly for her.Whether Jesus was literally hidden as in invisible or He just had to take a moment like that mom, the principle is the same. Jesus had to get away and be alone so we do too. Self-care in silence and solitude in moment of sanctuary is critical to our well-being.When was the last time you actually sought after solitude - not with your phone or book… but in complete solitude? Just you and silence. What might we be missing if we don't follow Christ's example in this?Let's pray together: “Heavenly Father, help me to make a practice of finding that alone time, just like You did. Help me to find silence, solace, and sanctuary in You. As above, so below.”

Dave Brisbin 4.13.25 Very few of us live in the real world. Like avatars in a gamescape, we live in a world created by our own thought patterns, which are in turn created by our core beliefs—deeply held, fundamental assumptions about ourselves, others, and the world. Hiding in our unconscious, core beliefs are as unquestioned as the air we breathe, acting as filters through which everything in life is perceived, without our knowing they even exist. Initial reactions to earliest experiences, core beliefs remain in place, shaping not just how we interpret life, but how we behave. When positive, core beliefs can be advantageous, but when negative, they stoke fears that create dysfunctional behavior that creates consequences that reinforce the core beliefs themselves—I am unlovable, worthless; people can't be trusted, will always let me down; the world is dangerous, I will never be happy—self-fulfilling prophecies in an endless feedback loop. Jesus said the eye is the lamp of the body, so if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. In his metaphoric way, Jesus is giving us the purpose of his entire teaching. In his language, eye/aina expands to include everything we believe and the way we see reality. If our way of seeing, our filter, is clear and true, our whole being will be full of order and clarity (light/nuhra) as opposed to chaos and dysfunction (darkness/heshuka). Jesus riding into Jerusalem is an object lesson in only seeing what we are programmed to see. Four distinct groups all see Jesus filtered through the desires and attachments of their core beliefs. The Jewish people and Jesus' followers see him as a savior coming to fix their problems. To the Jewish and Roman authorities, he's a threat to their powerbases. Whether Jesus is savior or threat depends on our core beliefs. We say Jesus is savior, but he's not here to fix our problems. That's our job. He's here to clear our eyes. That's how he saves. Our way of seeing, our core beliefs, are our powerbases. Until we let Jesus threaten our powerbases, he will never be our savior.

Dave Brisbin 4.13.25 Very few of us live in the real world. Like avatars in a gamescape, we live in a world created by our own thought patterns, which are in turn created by our core beliefs—deeply held, fundamental assumptions about ourselves, others, and the world. Hiding in our unconscious, core beliefs are as unquestioned as the air we breathe, acting as filters through which everything in life is perceived, without our knowing they even exist. Initial reactions to earliest experiences, core beliefs remain in place, shaping not just how we interpret life, but how we behave. When positive, core beliefs can be advantageous, but when negative, they stoke fears that create dysfunctional behavior that creates consequences that reinforce the core beliefs themselves—I am unlovable, worthless; people can't be trusted, will always let me down; the world is dangerous, I will never be happy—self-fulfilling prophecies in an endless feedback loop. Jesus said the eye is the lamp of the body, so if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. In his metaphoric way, Jesus is giving us the purpose of his entire teaching. In his language, eye/aina expands to include everything we believe and the way we see reality. If our way of seeing, our filter, is clear and true, our whole being will be full of order and clarity (light/nuhra) as opposed to chaos and dysfunction (darkness/heshuka). Jesus riding into Jerusalem is an object lesson in only seeing what we are programmed to see. Four distinct groups all see Jesus filtered through the desires and attachments of their core beliefs. The Jewish people and Jesus' followers see him as a savior coming to fix their problems. To the Jewish and Roman authorities, he's a threat to their powerbases. Whether Jesus is savior or threat depends on our core beliefs. We say Jesus is savior, but he's not here to fix our problems. That's our job. He's here to clear our eyes. That's how he saves. Our way of seeing, our core beliefs, are our powerbases. Until we let Jesus threaten our powerbases, he will never be our savior.

Whether Jesus comes back tomorrow or in a thousand years, we have a mission to accomplish for Him. We are to be His witnesses. Jesus's mission is under His sovereign rule to expand His kingdom among all nations. Jesus wants us to be less concerned with His coming and more concerned with our going. 

Friday, 6 December 2024   “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' Matthew 5:31   “And it was said that whoever, if he shall dismiss his wife, he gives to her a divorcement” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus spoke of what to do when the right hand causes one to sin. He now turns to an issue all too common in the world and which He will show that God's standard is one that holds the marriage covenant as something binding. That begins in this verse with the words, “And it was said that whoever, if he shall dismiss his wife.”   The subject of divorce is addressed by Moses in Deuteronomy 24. A portion of that teaching says –   “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house.” Deuteronomy 24:1, 2   Whether Jesus is citing Deuteronomy directly, or a teaching based on Deuteronomy, He is clarifying the matter as it is regarded in God's eyes. Moses notes finding “some uncleanness in her.” The words in Hebrew signify a “word of nudity.” Thus, they point to some type of shame that has caused the husband to no longer want her.   If this is the case, then “he gives to her a divorcement.” The noun apostasion is used. It signifies a bill of divorce. A single word to convey the meaning is divorcement, a word first found in a translation of the Bible in the early 1500s to meet the translational need for such a word.   This is what was allowed by the Lord through Moses. However, we will see this stated by Jesus in Mark 10 –   “The Pharisees came and asked Him, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?' testing Him. 3 And He answered and said to them, ‘What did Moses command you?' 4 They said, ‘Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.' 5 And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 6 But from the beginning of the creation, God “made them male and female.” 7 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh”; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.' 10 In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. 11 So He said to them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.'” Mark 10:2-12   Jesus is not setting aside the law. He is showing that, in this case, the law accommodated the human heart, but that a standard was given prior to the law that was how things were originally intended in the covenant of marriage.   Life application: One can see that marriage was considered a decision uniting two as one. When one commits adultery, the two are no longer one. Likewise, when a divorce is made, it is also taking the one and dividing them again. The standard is that when two are united as one, they are to stay as one.   Although this is Jesus speaking to Israel under the law, the precept predates the law. And more, Paul refers to marriage in 1 Corinthians 7 and clearly states that what Jesus says here is binding.   The reason for this is because these things recorded in the Old Testament are given as types of what God in Christ is also doing –   “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Ephesians 5:25-33   God has covenanted in Christ with those who have come to Him through the New Covenant. The church is the body of believers who have been so joined to Him. God will never break the bond that exists because He is faithful. We have the hope of eternal security because of this. Thank God for what He has done.   Lord God, we are not always faithful in our relationships. Our hearts are drawn away, we lose direction, and we act unfaithfully. But we know it is not so with You. You are ever faithful in Your dealings with Your people. Thank You for the reassurance and security we possess because of this. Amen.  

Advent is a season that is counter cultural. We can get busier and busier as we approach Christmas. Yet when we gather together for worship we talk and sing about slowing down and waiting. We sing those Advent hymns in minor keys, that some people don't like. We don't even sing a Hymn of Praise and instead we sing only a Kyrie. The ceremony of the candle lighting is added in every Sunday service as well in our Christmas Eve services. This year we are using something new that I suggested. It is entitled – “God is Near”. This may be the message that we need to hear this Advent season. In order to hear that God is near, we may have to stop and wait, to be alert and pray. No matter whether you think something good will come out of the craziness in our country or not, it can become loud. Hearing God may become more difficult. The people that Luke was writing to were probably becoming confused as to what he was talking about also. Jesus said there will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the seas and waves. The Son of Man will be coming in a cloud. Now when these things take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. I'm sure if we saw this we would raise our heads, and our mouths would be open. Whether Jesus comes this way or not, the point is he will return. This is our future hope. He also said that heaven and earth may pass away, but his words will not pass away. Another word of hope. Jesus talks about the fig tree and the growing cycle. Things come and go. Sometimes things will be crazy and not make sense to us, but God in Jesus Christ isn't going anywhere. God always promises to be near. Thankfully this is one part of history that does repeat itself. Thus, we know that this will not change and so we are challenged to be in the moment. Even for the people that Luke was writing to, Jesus had told them to be alert and pray for the strength to make it through their craziness. It is no different for us. Advent is about paying attention so as not to get caught up in the craziness. Be alert, wait and pray for the strength to stay focused on Jesus. Our culture for the most part does not observe Advent. I believe at least if not before Halloween, we can begin to start finding Christmas things in stores. Advent pulls in the reigns and reminds us that Jesus will return. Too often there are Christians who like to use the second coming to scare people to be a Christian their way. This is not what advent, and the second coming are about. It is to remind us that Jesus has come and on one hand is still here and also will return physically again. Jesus may have confronted people when he was here, but his goal was never to scare them. He tried to teach what God expected, but people always had a choice. Just as we do. Jesus was always teaching about how to live in community. During advent we might reflect on how we interact in the community with our neighbors. There are many scared and anxious people in our world today. What message do we hear and have that we can share with them? How do we get ready to do this? While we wait our Psalmist today prays show me your ways, O God; teach me your paths! I wrote about this in my Pastor's Corner. Do we trust God enough to hear the answer and act on it? We will not know what God wants us to do until we ask. In my experience, God loves each one of us as individuals, but then asks us to share that love in community, in different ways. I would dare say that the answer to our petition will have something to do with how we treat our neighbor. Even the ones we don't agree with. After the Psalmist has asked God to show them the way and teach God's path, they ask God to remember how merciful God is and God's steadfast love is for all people. They ask God not to remember their prior sins, but to remember them according to God's goodness. Could it be that Psalmist is thinking even though they are asking to know God's will, that they will probably have trouble with the answer? Thus, they are asking God to remember that they are not perfect, and that God has promised to love them and have mercy on them. Maybe we can relate? Here is the key, I believe, the Psalmist prays, you lead the humble in what is right. It is only when our I bends enough that we are able to hear God's answer in our waiting. This is when we are ready to be taught. The Psalmist finally comes to the conclusion that all of God's paths are steadfast love and faithfulness. We are able to see this as we keep our baptismal promise with God in Jesus Christ. In our waiting, it is only when we are able to release ourselves to God that we are able to hear and be taught how to love our neighbor. Advent may be a penitential kind of season, but it doesn't lack hope for today and tomorrow. Hope for tomorrow is that even though things continue to turn and turn around, Jesus will return. Our hope for today is that God's word will never pass away which means God is near. As we experience the craziness in life we are challenged not to get caught up in it, but to remain focused on Jesus. Be alert, wait and pray for wisdom with the Psalmist. This is what we are called to practice during this Advent season. This is counter cultural. Even though we are challenged to be alert, to wait and pray to hear God's word, we are assured that we can wait in hope and that God is near. Waiting is not so bad when we know that we are not waiting in vain. We can have hope that God is near. Let us pray, God of hope, we long for your word of hope in our lives. The craziness of our world and season get in the way of being able to hear your word of hope. We ask that your Spirit help us to be alert, to wait and pray that we may be able to hear your word of hope, that you are near. In Jesus name, Amen

Holy God so often we feel cut off from you and one another. Help us find our way to healing and hope, so that we can become new again. Amen.   Strikingly beautiful, Maria had deep dark eyes and long black hair. Superficially she seemed jaded, a kind of rebel. But if you took the time to really know her, she had great intelligence, sensitivity and heart. During my junior year of high school we were close friends. She used to talk about what it felt like getting painfully lost in the shuffle after her parents split up, about her resentful mother being left with almost nothing.   In those days divorce was suddenly becoming far more widespread and our society was not prepared. We did not know how to cope with divorce in a humane and grace-filled way. Divorce deeply affects all of us. Perhaps you have gone through a divorce yourself, or maybe it was your parents, your children, a close friend or work colleague. In our society really poor people, the ones who are barely making it, are far more likely to get divorced than wealthy people.   Being truly part of the human family means understanding how hard it can be to sustain a relationship and how much pain we can suffer when it breaks down. Many of us also have an experience of new life and joy on the other side of this suffering.   What does Jesus offer as we try to understand this feature of the human condition? Many preachers shy away from this complex topic and I worry a little about putting words into Jesus' mouth and a lot about saying something that inadvertently harms you. But I believe that Jesus offers practical and real good news. But like all communication his words need to be interpreted and this requires difficult work. It is worth it because this teaching will lead us to wholeness and new life.   The context matters. Jesus has been teaching his disciples about becoming “servants of all.” [1] In fact he says that the world completely misunderstands servanthood. In Imperial Rome but also today we tend to think of servants as lower, lesser, outsiders compelled to work for those who are greater than they are. We easily slip into thinking that the great ones are those who coerce and control others. But Jesus turns this idea on its head. He tells his friends that serving others, especially vulnerable people, is the key to a meaningful life. He says that the greatest one will be servant of all.   Some Pharisees come to Jesus. The name Pharisee in Aramaic means “the ones who are set apart.” [2] They care intensely about determining what and who is pure. They are right to fear Jesus because he undermines this whole project. For Jesus there is one human family and no one is impure or left out. The Pharisees ask Jesus, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” The narrator calls this question a trap. Whether Jesus says yes or no the Pharisees have a plan to condemn him.   Jesus understands that there is no right answer. He also knows what happened after King Herod and his former sister-in-law each divorced their spouses and married each other. John the Baptist criticized their marriage. And this led to his execution by Herod. Rather than trying to set a policy or law on divorce Jesus changes the question. Rather than asking if it is legal to divorce he asks us to consider what God wants for us.   During those times there were ethical disagreements concerning divorce. Some believed that the only justification for divorce was sexual infidelity. Others thought that a husband should be able to divorce his wife for pretty much any reason. According to the Book of Deuteronomy a man can write a certificate of divorce if his wife, “does not please him” or, “because he finds something objectionable about her” (Deut. 24:1-4).   This biblical passage puts all the power in the hands of the husband. It makes divorce the rule rather than an exception to be employed only after all other courses of action have failed. Most important this law endangers the most vulnerable people in society – women and children who could not own property and who depend for their well-being on the generosity of their husband and father. This actually describes the situation of my friend Maria.   Jesus hates just this kind of human suffering. You can almost hear him raise his voice as he says that the reason for a commandment permitting divorce is our “hardness of heart.” But note this. Jesus does not say Moses was wrong. Jesus does not say that the commandment permitting divorce should cease to be a law. Jesus is not forbidding divorce.   Instead he uses hyperbole to make a point. In our reading a few weeks ago Jesus said that, “if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out” (Mk. 9:47). Just as this is not a call for us to pluck out our eyes, Jesus describing remarriage as a kind of adultery does not mean that no one should ever get divorced. In every way Jesus says we are children of God and our actions have lasting effects on other children of God many of whom are far more vulnerable than we are.   Jesus is the same person who teaches us that the law was made for human beings not human beings for the law. Jesus' point is not to shame people who have already suffered all the effects of a broken relationship. He is not trying to make people stay in a relationship that is abusive or in one that has clearly died. He is not trying to preserve relationships that continue to do damage to the people who are in them.   Instead Jesus is moving our attention from what the law permits to God's dream for how our relationships could be. Describing this higher picture of marriage Jesus rejects the Pharisees' approach which only sees the relationship from the perspective of the divorcing husband. In his words here Jesus treats women and men the same (he talks in equal terms about a man and a woman divorcing a spouse).   Jesus paints a picture of what love can become. He quotes the book of Genesis and talks about people leaving their families in order to be joined together. So often in my own life I think about the deep and miraculous truth that “the two shall become one flesh.” Adding to this Jesus says that, “what God has joined together, let no one separate.”   Let that sink in for a bit. Imagine two beings so united in purpose and affection that they become like one single entity. Imagine God as the source of our deepest relationships and actively at work in helping them to thrive. I understand that marriage is not for everyone. Anyone entering into marriage needs to know that even in the best circumstances it can be hard work. Marriage involves renewing the relationship over and over again. Marriage requires wisdom, communication, perseverance, patience, courage, forgiveness and an openness to what is new and what cannot be controlled. It demands not just a commitment to the other person but to the relationship itself. To be strong a marriage requires a community of support like the one gathered here this morning.   Jesus wants us to know that there is more to life than feeling justified by the law and superior to another person. Jesus wants us to strive for goodness, to find the way that we are called to serve. But there are relationships that have become so broken that no matter how hard we try, they cannot be saved. Jesus speaks about this not because we have broken some rule and deserve to be punished, but because it is God's nature to be present to help us when we are suffering. [3]   I began by sharing my fear of speaking about divorce with you today. I guess I really did not want to be misunderstood on this point. Jesus does not condemn people for being divorced. Fifty years ago Diane, my mother-in-law and one of the women I most admire, went through a divorce with my father-in-law. Because of this the church she grew up in utterly rejected her. For decades she never felt comfortable in a church and I did not talk to her about it. Some of you might remember that magical midnight Christmas mass ten years ago when she joined us.   Delayed by her flight, Diane hesitantly made her way down the center aisle to her pew. In all those years as family we had never worshiped together. In the middle of my sermon, preaching from this pulpit I immediately recognized her. I almost started crying tears of joy because she had come home – loved by God and by you the people who welcomed her.   Our reading today ends as Jesus' disciples try to keep children from bothering him. Mark writes that Jesus feels “indignant” about this. He says, “Let the children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” Mark writes, “And [Jesus] took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.”   This week I keep thinking of my high school friend Maria and Jesus taking her into his arms and blessing her. I imagine Jesus holding Diane with that smile from Christmas on her face and blessing her. And in my mind's eye I see all the people who have suffered the effects of difficult marriages and divorce and he is reaching out to embrace and bless us. [1] Matt Boulton, “One Flesh: Salt's Commentary for the Twentieth Week after Pentecost, SALT, 1 October 2024. https://www.saltproject.org/progressive-christian-blog/2018/10/3/one-flesh-salts-lectionary-commentary-for-twentieth-week-after-pentecost [2] “The appellation “Pharisee” is probably derived from the Aramaic word perishayya which means “the separated one.” Very likely the addresses of Mark's story would not know that. But from previous narrative they have already learned that the Pharisees maintain a pollution system that separates the world into two realms of the clean and the unclean.” Herman Waetjen, A Reordering of Power: A Socio-Political Reading of Mark's Gospel (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1989) 165. [3] Canon Edie Weller writes about this in a sermon. She says, “Jesus was a realist. He knew that there are times when we can't reach or maintain the kind of relationship that God might dream for us. There are times and circumstances which lead to broken relationships, from which – as hard as we might work at it – we cannot recover. Jesus speaks about this not because the death of a marriage is more sinful or worse in some way than other experiences of human brokenness. Rather he speaks about this because he cares about us. God's grief in the face of our irreconcilable differences stems not from our having broken the rules or failed a divine test, but from God's response to our experience of such pain. Edie B. Weller, “Sermon for Sunday October 7, 2018 Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B (Proper 22), St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Seattle, Washington. https://saintmarks.org/staff/the-rev-edie-weller/

47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." 49 And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?"   Throughout his Gospel, Luke is reminding us of the full humanity of Jesus Christ and at the same time His deity. Here he recounts a few days of the childhood of Jesus when He was twelve years old. After Jesus and His parents had observed the Passover in Jerusalem, they had gone a day's journey from Jerusalem when they discovered that Jesus was missing. It took a day to return to the city and two more days for them to find Him. During those three days, Joseph and Mary had been very anxious” (v. 48). This word is also translated “sorrowing” or “distressed”. It is worth noting that Luke's phrase "Joseph and His mother" (Luke 2:43) suggests the Virgin Birth, while the phrase "Your father and I" (Luke 2:48) indicates that Joseph was accepted as the legal father of Jesus (see Luke 3:23).   Whether Jesus had spent the entire time in the temple, we don't know. It certainly would have been safe there and the Heavenly Father was watching over Him. We do know that when Joseph and Mary found Him, He was in the midst of the teachers, asking them questions and listening to their answers; and the teachers were amazed at both His questions and His answers.   Mary's loving rebuke brought a respectful but astonished reply from Jesus: "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" (v. 49). It can also be translated "in the things of My Father", but the idea is the same. Jesus was affirming His divine sonship and His mission to do the will of the Father. What was His “Father's business?” John says it clearly in John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  The Father's business is the redemption of mankind! His business is the salvation of sinners by the perfect and sinless life of Jesus, His death as our substitute, His blood sprinkled on the altar in heaven, and His resurrection!   The word “must” was often on our Lord's lips: "I must preach" (Luke 4:43); "The Son of man must suffer" (Luke 9:22); the Son of man "must be lifted up" (John 3:14). Even at the age of twelve, Jesus was moved by a divine compulsion to do the Father's will. Since Jesus "increased in wisdom" (Luke 2:52), we wonder how much He understood God's divine plan at that time. We must not assume that at the age of twelve He was omniscient. Certainly He grew in His comprehension of those mysteries as He communed with His Father and was taught by the Spirit.   Jesus is a wonderful example for all young people to follow. He grew in a balanced way (Luke 2:52) without neglecting any part of life, and His priority was to do the will of His Father (see Matt. 6:33). He knew how to listen (Luke 2:46) and how to ask the right questions. He learned how to work, and He was obedient to His parents. The Boy Jesus grew up in a large family, in a despised city, nurtured by parents who were probably poor. The Jewish religion was at an all-time low, the Roman government was in control, and society was in a state of fear and change. Yet when Jesus emerged from Nazareth, eighteen years later, the Father was able to say of Him, "Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased" (Luke 3:22).   May the Father be able to say that about us, and like Jesus, we should always be about our Father's business of bringing lost sinners to salvation!   God bless!

In my husband's psychology practice, many had the diagnosis of Mental Retardation, now known as Intellectual Disability. Most of them were high functioning to the point, that one asked my husband, I hear people saying that I am mentally retarded, “What does that mean?” My husband told him that is was a level of functioning, but in reality, he told him that all of have disabilities. I believe that this is true. In a sense our weaknesses are disabilities. This is when we really need to ask for help. We will never be able to do everything well, even though sometimes we think we can. The older we get the more we realize that we can't do everything also. God did not create us to do everything well. It took a lot of strength for this Gentile woman in our Gospel lesson to come before a Jewish man who was known for speaking out and healing to ask for help. The woman knew her daughter needed help, and she couldn't take care of her. She did believe that Jesus could heal her daughter. Our text does not state that her daughter was even present, but the woman bowed down before Jesus and begged him to heal her daughter and cast out the demon that was in her. I would like to define begging as asking from deep in her heart. A better word may be entreating. I'm not sure that she was expecting Jesus' answer. Jesus basically told her that the Jewish people were first. She reminded him that children held no position of authority. C. Clifton Back says it this way, “Sir, even house-dogs under the table scarf down the kids' bitty scraps. She reminded Jesus of his teaching that there were no distinctions between Jews and Gentiles in God's eyes. Then Jesus granted her request. The woman went home and found her daughter lying on the bed and the demon was gone. The woman was persistent and as a mother she was willing to do almost anything for her daughter. Whether Jesus was testing the woman or needed to be reminded, we don't know, but his focus changed in the next part of the Gospel lesson for today. Jesus continued to travel and heal. People brought him a deaf man who had a speech impediment. Thus, we have a person with two recognized disabilities. This is a very common pairing. When we can't hear, it is hard to produce sounds until one learns how. The people entreated Jesus to lay his hands on him and heal him. Jesus chose to take him aside, away from the crowd. Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears, and he spit on his tongue. Jesus looked up to heaven and said “Ephphatha”, that is “Be Opened”. Immediately his ears were open, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one, which was common in the Gospel of Mark. Now, if anyone did this today, what would we really think? How would we react? Has anyone ever seen this done? Let alone, the person being healed. Don't you think it would be kind of weird? Maybe that is why Jesus took the man away from the crowd. The crowd was probably looking for some show, to see if Jesus really was this man sent from God. I tend to visualize things, and this is quite different. How many of us want to run out and tell people about this story? We are told the whole story. The crowds may not have seen the actual act, but only the healed man. Even though Jesus told them not to tell anyone, they did any way. The more he told them to stop the more people they told. Jesus often told his disciples not to tell others also because he did not think they would fully understand until after his death and resurrection. The people were astounded beyond measure and were saying he did it and did it well. He gives hearing to the deaf and speech to the speechless. The crowds were excited about what Jesus had done. In both healing stories, Jesus was recognized as the healer. The women and the people entreated Jesus to heal. They recognized that they could not take care of these issues. Recognition is always step one. They realized that it was out of their control. There is that word control. We all desire control over things and others, but in reality we don't have it. People with disabilities realize what they don't have control over in their own lives and make adaptations. Their first step in moving forward is recognizing it and not letting it have control over them. When we apply this to us and if we believe that each one of us has at least one disability, then our first step is to recognize it. God did not make us capable of doing everything or why would we need each other let alone God. There is a great deal that we can learn from people with recognizable disabilities, such as blindness, deafness or an issue with mobility. In order for them to function in life, it first takes recognition that their disability does not have control their life. It also takes persistence such as the woman in our gospel lesson today. As followers of Jesus, when we are struggling with something, do we entreat Jesus to help us? Do we believe that Jesus can help us? But here is the thing, if we entreat and believe, are we willing to receive his answer. How easy is it for us to entreat Jesus to open our hearts and minds to his will? Whenever we do this, there will be changes. The woman and the people expected changes. The daughter's and the man's life were definitely changed. The woman and the crowds' lives were also changed. Mark tells us the crowds couldn't contain their excitement and they kept sharing with others Jesus' work. Jesus in Mark challenges us to be persistent in asking Jesus to help us in our weaknesses, in the things that plague our minds. Are we willing to have our hearts and minds opened to see and hear new things? Jesus always stands ready to do this. There is a great deal of miscommunication in our world today. It is difficult to see and hear what God in Jesus Christ wants us to.  Every one of us sitting in this room has weaknesses or disabilities. Do we know what they are? Are we willing to come and entreat Jesus to help us as the woman and the people did who brought the man for healing. In these cases, they were physically healed. Healing does not always come in this form. Sometimes healing comes in the form of being able to rest in Jesus and let go of the old in order to see and hear the new that God in Jesus Christ has in store for us as individuals and as a community of faith. Thus, our challenge is to first recognize what we need Jesus' help with and then entreat Jesus to show us what changes that he is asking us to make. I would define this as a healing. Let us pray: Healing Jesus, we get so easily caught up in trying to have control of things and other people. We are taught by our culture that we can do everything by ourselves. We know this is not true. We entreat you to open our hearts and minds to be able to see where we need you. May your Spirit humble us to rest in you and receive your help and be healed. In Jesus name, Amen.

One of the aspects of Jesus' life we can easily miss because we know how often he was in large crowds was how He went away to be alone and to pray. He not only got away from people in general, but also even His small circle of friends and disciples. Listen to Mark 1:35 … Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. This is one of those verses where you don't need to study the original language to be able to interpret the real meaning. Because it's literal. … He got up early before everyone else. He went away from everyone else. To pray. He sought solitude, sanctuary, and solace. Let's look at another verse that gets even more interesting … After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them. I know of a mom who would need a moment to re-group herself when her kids were little. She would say, Mommy is going in the closet and shutting the door. I need you to be really quiet and I'll be right back in just a few minutes. Every time, after about three minutes of quiet and prayer, she would open the door and there will be every child, sitting right outside the door, waiting quietly for her. Whether Jesus was literally hidden as in invisible or He just had to take a moment like that mom, the principle is the same. Jesus had to get away and be alone so we do too. Self-care in silence and solitude in moment of sanctuary is critical to our well-being. When was the last time you actually sought after solitude - not with your phone or book… but in complete solitude? Just you and silence. What might we be missing if we don't follow Christ's example in this? Let's pray together: “Heavenly Father, help me to make a practice of finding that alone time, just like You did. Help me to find silence, solace, and sanctuary in You. As above, so below.”

John 14:25 "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 "You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I. 29 "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. 30 "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. 31 "But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.  V26 His peace is rooted in His Word, v27 Sourced by His Person (My peace I give to you), different from that the world gives, have peace in spite of trouble, v27 Experienced by faith (Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.) Same as He started the Chapter don't have to let it if you trust Him. Ends the chapter with the same thing. Jesus started out this passage saying let not your heart be troubled and then begins to tell them what all is going to happen.  He then tells them that he is leaving and they need not be worried because He will take care of them and He will still be with them in another way. Then He finishes the section by telling them the way He will be with them is by sending the Holy Spirit who will teach them and bring to remembrance all things He said to them.  But as they are worrying about all of this still He says my peace I leave you not as the world gives peace and again don't let your heart be troubled.  He says He is their peace and that they need not worry and neither should we.  He says they should rejoice in the fact that He is leaving and going back to heaven.  Plus, He says all of this in advance so that they will know that He knew it was going to happen.  Lastly, He lets them know again for the umpteenth time that He does all of this because He is doing the Father's will.  Will we trust God no matter how hard it gets and rejoice in what He is doing in our lives through the hard times or let them stress us out?  25  "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Lu 24:49; Joh 2:22; 12:16; 14:16; 15:26; 16:7, 13; 1Jo 2:20, 27 What Jesus said in the days of His earthly ministry was only partially understood. Three things were needed for the apostles to understand Jesus' person and mission: (1) His death had to occur. (2) He had to rise again to vindicate His claim and demonstrate His victory. (3) The Spirit had to come (He would be sent by the Father … in My name, i.e., in Jesus' place and for Him) and interpret the meanings of Jesus' words and deeds. The Spirit, Jesus said, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. This verse is addressed to the apostles. The context limits the “all things” to the interpretation and significance of His person and work. The Spirit worked in their minds, reminding them of His teaching and giving them insight into its meaning (cf. 2:22; 7:39; 20:9).[i] Again, the promise of the Holy Spirit being sent is given to comfort the disciples. See note on 15:26, 27. The first emphasis was on His life-giving power (7:37–39). The next featured His indwelling presence (14:16, 17). The next marked His teaching ministry (14:26). His ministry of empowering for witness is marked in 15:26.[ii] Lu 24:1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.  5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 "He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,  7 "saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'" 8 And they remembered His words. John 12:12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: "Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' The King of Israel!" 14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: 15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey's colt."16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. On this rests the credibility and ultimate divine authority of the Gospel history.[iii] Verbal Plenary Inspiration – Every word is given to us by God the inspiration of Scriptures extends to all sixty-six books of the Bible. Secondly, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit extends to every single word of the original manuscripts, not to just concepts or thoughts but to every single word. This is very important material to master. Quoted Text below is from one of my Bible classes; the quotes are read from time to time, to remind us of the SIGNIFICANCE of this Beautiful Bible we are so privileged to have. If not quoted, it's paraphrased. I believe my pastor was quoting from other theological sources, but when you think over the meaning of the words, you see how apt they are, just the same. "Verbal Plenary Inspiration" means "God the Holy Spirit so supernaturally directed the human writers of Scripture that, without waiving their intelligence, their individuality, their personal feelings, their literary style, or any other human factor of expression, His Complete and Coherent Message to mankind was recorded with perfect accuracy in the original languages of Scripture: the very words bearing the Authority of Divine Authorship." So "Verbal" means, "the Bible in its original languages, from first to last (Autograph), is an exact record of the Mind and Will of God as He intended it to be." So "Plenary" means, "the entire text of the Bible is equally from God, but not necessarily equally-important." So "Inspiration" means, 2Tim3:16's "God-breathed" (theopneustos): just as God breathed into Adam's nostrils AFTER MAKING HIS BODY and that made Adam EXHALE and thus become a living soul, so also God's breathing of the Word into the Scripture writers produced an 'exhale' of Canon, without waiving any of their own personal attributes. Mt 5:18 "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Lu 21:33 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 1Peter 1:20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. When Jesus leaves they (the disciples) will have total recall of everything He said while He was on earth. 1Jo 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.  27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:1; Php 4:6-7; Col 3:15 The word "peace" reflects the Heb. "Shalom," which became a greeting to His disciples after the resurrection (20:19–26). At the individual level this peace, unknown to the unsaved, secures composure in difficult trouble (cf. v. 1), dissolves fear (Phil. 4:7), and rules in the hearts of God's people to maintain harmony (Col. 3:15). The greatest reality of this peace will be in the messianic kingdom I read that 2/3rds of all women are on anti-depressants Num. 6:26; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Ps 29:11 The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace. Isa 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. Isa 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!" Isa 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children. Isa 57:19 "I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near," Says the LORD, "And I will heal him." Eze 37:26 "Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. Hag 2:9 'The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts. 'And in this place I will give peace,' says the LORD of hosts." Ac 10:36 "The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ--He is Lord of all— Ro 1:7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Ro 5:1 ¶ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Ro 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  28 ¶ "You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I. John 5:18; 10:30; 14:3, 8, 12; 16:16; 20:17; Php 2:6 If the disciples had been more mature in their love for Jesus, they would have been glad for His departure. But their love was still selfish at this point. Jesus was in His humiliation on earth, but by going back to the Father He would be exalted in glory (cf. 13:31-32) and He will come back (cf. 14:3).[1] Cults or false teachers argue from the statement, The Father is greater than I, that Jesus is a lesser god. But this would make Jesus a created being or would lead to polytheism, both of which are clearly unbiblical. The Father and the Son share the same essence (cf. 1:1-2; 14:9; 20:28). The Father and the Son are “One” in purpose and essence (10:30). Thus the Father is greater in office or glory than the Son was in His humiliation.  29 "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. John 13:19; 16:4 Isaiah 46:8–10 (ESV) 8 “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, 9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,' Jesus had predicted His death and resurrection many times (e.g., Mark 8:31-32; 9:31). When this came to pass, after their initial shock, it would greatly help their faith. 30 "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. John 12:31; 16:11 The Heb. idiom means that Satan had nothing on Jesus, could make no claim on Him, nor charge Him with any sin. Therefore, Satan could not hold Him in death. Christ would triumph and destroy Satan His teaching time was now limited because Satan, the prince of this world (cf. John 12:31; 16:11), was moving his forces against Jesus through Judas (cf. 13:2, 27). And yet Satan had no hold on Jesus. Sin leads to death (Rom. 5:12, 21a; 6:16), and sin and death give Satan a hold over people (cf. Heb. 2:14-15; Rev. 12:10). But since Jesus is sinless, Satan cannot claim Him for his kingdom of darkness. Satan thought Jesus' death was a victory for him, but actually it was Jesus' victory over Satan (John 16:11; Col. 2:15). Romans 5:12 Death in Adam, Life in Christ 12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men5 because wall sinned— Colossians 2:15 (ESV) 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Hebrews 2:14–15 (ESV) 14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 31 "But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here. John 10:18; Php 2:8; Heb 5:8 (NKJV) His death was no sign that Satan won, but that God's will was being done. Heb 5:8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. Philippians 2:8 (ESV) 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Whether Jesus' words in John 15-17 were spoken in the room or on the way to the garden is uncertain, but probably they were given in the room.[2] John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.  hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/110230052184687338/charity/145555  “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32  The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions.  

When it comes to Jesus' return and the end of the age, we must be prepared for both suddenly and to persevere (Matthew 25:1-13). With the current Israeli war in Gaza, many people are wondering and asking: is this the end? Jesus was asked the same question by His disciples. He warms them strongly to be sure that no one leads them astray, and that no one knows the day or the hour except our Heavenly Father. Jesus then, using the Parable of the Ten Virgins, teaches about end times and His return. Because the precise timing of His return is known only by God, the appropriate question is not: is this the end? The right question is: are we ready? Whether Jesus returns today or beyond our lifetime, are we prepared either way? Regardless, we are called to contend in prayer against the demonic spirit of the day that desires to destroy the Jewish people (Psalm 122:6-8). The promise of Scripture is that God has not forsaken the Jewish people, and that a day is coming when they collectively embrace Jesus as their Messiah. When that happens, the world will experience an outpouring of even greater spiritual riches (Romans 11:11-12). Sermon from November 19, 2023 To watch this sermon or other sermons, subscribe to our YouTube Channel: "⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Beltway Park Church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"

Welcome back to Eternal Life, the podcast exploring the life of Christ through seven questions that hard-core Christians and anyone who may find it difficult to believe in the miracles of God should ask. Today we delve into question number two: Was Jesus a real person? This is a simple question but a very important one for Christians to explore because ultimately, if there was no Jesus, then there could be no Christianity. Before we question if Jesus was the son of God, if He did truly have powers of healing, or if Heaven exists, we need to figure out if He was actually a real person. There are three different types of corroboration that prove Jesus' existence: historical documentation, archeology, and prophetic predictions. Whether Jesus was the son of God comes down to a decision of faith but after this exploration of evidence, it is clear, that the question of his existence has been corroborated a million times over! What historical documents corroborate the existence of Christ and why we can believe that they are true. Archeological facts suggesting that the Bible is historically accurate and therefore a trustworthy source of fact. Who wrote the gospels and how they help us accept the Bible as a source of truth. How the minor discrepancies in the Bible make it easier to trust, believe it or not!Links Mentioned in Today's Episode:Free Resources The Case for ChristThe Annals of Imperial RomeJosephus: The Essential WritingsThe IliadThe Antiquities of the JewsThe Verdict of HistoryRory Vaden Rory Vaden on X

Revealed: the Miracles of Jesus Part One: Water into Wine, John 2:1-11 By Louie Marsh, 8-13-2023   Last slide Jesus hand over jar.   1) A miracle is: something NATURALLY impossible.   Miracle   human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause. – Dictionary.com   dunamis (δύναμις, 1411), “power, inherent ability,” is used of works of a supernatural origin and character, such as could not be produced by natural agents and means. It is translated “miracles” - W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 412.   2. semeion (σημει̂ον, 4592), “a sign, mark, token” (akin to semaino, “to give a sign”; sema, “a sign”), is used of “miracles” and wonders as signs of divine authority - W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 412.   2) God moves when I LEAST expect it.   “1On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. (John 2:1–2, ESV)   In the New Testament era Jewish weddings were a very big deal. They didn't just have a ceremony but a wedding feast. These feasts would go on for as long as the family could afford, sometimes even lasting a whole week!   Needless to say you stocked up well in advance for the event and there was one thing you absolutely could not run short of and that was wine. Unfortunately that's exactly what happened at a wedding feast that Mary, Jesus and His disciples were attending.   3) Can you change God's PLAN?    3When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”  (John 2:3-5, ESV)   Mary springs into action in a way that tells us a lot not only about her personality but about how women functioned in the real world of the first century as well.    Women were to be unobserved in public. The veil was one symbol that reflected this status in society. The veil was a requirement for every married woman. In addition to being a symbol of modesty and virtue, the veil also indicated a woman's married status and subordination to her husband. In keeping with the idea that women were to be unobserved in public, men were not supposed to look at married women, converse with women in public, or even give a woman a greeting when they passed on the street. The oral law stated, “Let no one talk with a woman in the street, no, not with his own wife.” It was unusual for a Jewish teacher to converse with a woman in a public place. The rabbis taught that women were not to be saluted or spoken to in the streets, and not to be instructed in the law. Jewish women were not as restricted in public appearance as Greek women but did not have the freedom of first century Roman women.   Yet here is Mary taking charge. She's a ball of fire and in spite of what her Divine Son says is absolutely sure he's going to do something and so she orders the servants to stand by and do everything Jesus says! Clearly, within their own households and probably extended families, women wielded a great deal of influence, as they have done throughout human history.   4) Skip the fight – GET the point!    6Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it.  (John 2:6-8, ESV)   ·       Jesus ignores TRADITION   Jesus had the servants fill the ceremonial washing jars, which were used for washing the outside of the body according to the law and refilled them with something inside the body. That might not sound like a big deal to you, but to the pious Jews in attendance at the Feast it would have been. This demonstration is just the beginning of his countercultural teaching. Over and over he would come to challenge the ways of the religious leaders, and the thinking of the people.   ·       Jesus does the impossible – QUIETLY.   9When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”  (John 2:9–10, ESV)   There was no dramatic pose or clever catch phrase like we would do today. No flashing lights, no earth shaking, no thunder or lightning. There was no nothing, and no time for anything either. The jars are filled, and Jesus says, take some and have it taste tested!   And just like that Jesus demonstrated both his authority and his power.   ·       Jesus shows his authority extends to the MOLECULAR LEVEL.   “3He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Hebrews 1:3, ESV)   “17And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17, ESV)   In changing the water into wine, Jesus demonstrated his authority over all things down to the molecular level. Whether Jesus made wine or grape juice remember this: it takes a miracle for either transformation to occur. Water doesn't change its molecular makeup without the authority of the Creator.   Dr. Cliff Lewis explained it this way: At a molecular level, the water, basically hydrogen and oxygen, was changed into wine that contains sugars, yeast, and water, which contain carbon and nitrogen along with oxygen and hydrogen. Thus, by changing water into wine Jesus demonstrated his authority over even the atomic structure of atoms by commanding oxygen and hydrogen atoms to disassemble and reform into other atoms of different configurations.    The amount of energy it would take to perform this atomic deconstruction and reconstruction is staggering. This intermolecular energy being released is the source of the explosive energy from an atomic bomb. However, since Jesus caused the wine atoms to come back together, he would have to put this astronomical amount of energy into the atoms in order to have them reconstruct. To do so without any visible energy transformation of the liquid (John does not say anything about people noticing the transformation) indicates a mastery of natural law far beyond our current comprehension. And he accomplished it with no physical exertion.   Jesus didn't have dehydrated wine! [picture].   5) This is a sign not an excuse to ARGUE.   And what happened? Well according to the Master of the Feast it was the best wine ever! If you translate the Greek literally here he basically said, “Most people wait till people are to drunk to know the difference and then bring out the bad wine. But you've saved the best for last!” The wedding feast is saved, everyone is happy, especially I'm sure, His Momma Mary!   There is some controversy around this miracle however. The question is was there alcohol in the wine or not? Debate can rage back and forth on this one. Occasionally people get pretty worked up over this. So let me say this as a complete teetotaler who's never been buzzed much less drunk. I don't know and neither do you or anyone else alive today. The only ones who know for sure are the people who were there that day and they aren't talking!   “23Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,” (2 Timothy 2:23–24, ESV)   6) The purpose was to help the disciples BELIEVE.    11This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” (John 2:11, ESV)   ·       Am I a disciple of Jesus?   “30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30–31, ESV)  

Pray for Your Enemies? Love Your Enemies? Are You Kidding? Luke 6:27-38Lucy says in a Peanuts cartoon, “I love humankind; it's people I can't stand.” Love your enemy? Pray for our enemies? These days? Possible perhaps, but not likely. In fact, we would prefer not to. But now we pick up our Bibles and are confronted by the words of Jesus: "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27-28). Nuts! Truth is, we would rather have permission to bomb the enemy back to the Stone Age, or at least some punishment that would fit the crime, not this. Love your enemies? What does Jesus mean?It should be noted that, both in Jesus' time and in our own, there are some folks who seem to think that it is almost a sacred duty to hate anyone who is not "one of us" — forget this love stuff. The Essenes of the Qumran community, the people who preserved the Dead Sea scrolls, were like that. They believed that they were to "love all the children of light and hate all the children of darkness.” You biblical scholars know that this reference in Luke's gospel is not the only place we find this instruction in the New Testament — it is also in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 where Jesus is reported to have said, "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:43-44).Whether Jesus was thinking of the Essenes when he brought this subject up we have no way of knowing, but the point is that people (religious or not) do think and act in terms of hatred for their enemies, and Jesus says, "This ought not to be." E. Stanley Jones once asked Mahatma Gandhi why he refused to become a Christian when he so regularly quoted the words of Christ. Gandhi replied, “I don't reject your Christ, I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ. When will we who call ourselves Christian, become what we call ourselves? Love your enemies? Are you kidding, Lord? No. Jesus says, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27-28).As William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, said, "The only way a Christian has of getting rid of his enemies is to love them into being his friends." There are days when that might seem preposterous, ill-timed, and unrealistic. But, you know, it just might work. On top of that, this is the word of the Lord.Thanks be to God!Stephen

The debate over whether the Trinity exists is one of the biggest disagreements in Christianity. Few other issues are as controversial as this one. However, is this whole debate overhyped? Is the existence of the trinity really important? Let's find out if this centuries-old dispute even still matters. Attribution: By Andrey Mironov - Own work http://artmiro.ru/photo/religija_zhanrovaja_kartina/esli_khochesh_byt_sovershennym_kh_m_2010/4-0-728, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33820221 Attribution: By Good News Productions International: https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/gnpi-027-matthew/ Attribution: By Jim Padgett - https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/jesus-rejected-nazareth/ Attribution: By Jim Padgett - https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/samuel-listens/ More information: Our Book: https://www.amazon.ca/Gods-Unfolding-Government-ATTESTING-INAUGURATION-ebook/dp/B086T4XYVQ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=god%27s+unfolding+government&qid=1586357200&sr=8-1 Our Website: https://ewaenruwa.wixsite.com/itpaystofeargod Our Channels: Bible Verse Breakdown: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8BjlYEA4GX1voD6coDLQqQ Poems of Zion: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa7EQUMV3ycbeVaYWy7901Q Smart Spiritual Solutions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJDJNlNqhDLe0EQpCf2pE9A It Pays to Fear God: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0WKONmKoTFwezN0a3kkVNg Bible Q/A: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtfHqkOv2O6zWAr7X7hEHZw Questions about God? Email them to (itpaystofeargod2@gmail.com). Want to share your opinion? Use this link: https://anchor.fm/bibleqanda1/message --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bibleqanda1/message

Our Gospel is the famous story of the road to Emmaus. Two of Jesus' followers are returning home after the tumultuous events of Holy Week only to encounter the Risen Lord Himself. We'll look to an early Church historian to uncover the identity of the two disciples. Comparing our story to the Feeding of the Five Thousand we'll note several parallels between the two and we'll also spend some time exploring the objectively vulnerable nature of faith in Christ. Lastly, we'll compare the Emmaus encounter with Adam and Eve's sin in Genesis 3 and we'll note key differences between the outcomes of the two stories. In this episode discover: - Who Eusebius, an early Church historian, identifies as the two disciples in our narrative (spoiler: they may have been relatives of Jesus) - A detail in our Gospel that would have fulfilled the Jewish requirement for credibility of legal witnesses - An interesting observation one Biblical scholar makes about Luke's chronology and how it relates to the keeping of our modern-day liturgical calendar - Whether Jesus purposely prevented the disciples from recognizing Him or if something else was at play - How Josephus, a first century Jewish historian, describes Jesus and the similarities that description has with Cleopas' - How the story of the road to Emmaus mirrors the twofold pattern of every Mass

One of the aspects of Jesus' life we can easily miss because we know how often he was in large crowds was how He went away to be alone and to pray. He not only got away from people in general, but also even His small circle of friends and disciples. Listen to Mark 1:35 … Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. This is one of those verses where you don't need to study the original language to be able to interpret the real meaning. Because it's literal. … He got up early before everyone else. He went away from everyone else. To pray. He sought solitude, sanctuary, and solace. Let's look at another verse that gets even more interesting … After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them. I know of a mom who would need a moment to re-group herself when her kids were little. She would say, Mommy is going in the closet and shutting the door. I need you to be really quiet and I'll be right back in just a few minutes. Every time, after about three minutes of quiet and prayer, she would open the door and there will be every child, sitting right outside the door, waiting quietly for her. Whether Jesus was literally hidden as in invisible or He just had to take a moment like that mom, the principle is the same. Jesus had to get away and be alone so we do too. Self-care in silence and solitude in moment of sanctuary is critical to our well-being. When was the last time you actually sought after solitude - not with your phone or book… but in complete solitude? Just you and silence. What might we be missing if we don't follow Christ's example in this? Let's pray together: “Heavenly Father, help me to make a practice of finding that alone time, just like You did. Help me to find silence, solace, and sanctuary in You. As above, so below.”

This week we continued our series in Mark looking at what Jesus said and what He did. As we looked at Mark 6:45-56, we saw how Jesus went away to be with God. Whether Jesus had experienced a season of success, a season of desperation, or even a season when the people were trying to force him into their expected role of him as their king, Jesus pursued time with His father. Jesus was seeking alignment with the heart of God. He wanted to be who the Father wanted him to be, to do what the Father wanted him to do. That required heart alignment which can only come with time spent with the Father.Pastor Dale invited us to spend time with the Father and seek his heart.Questions you can ask:Father, what are my expectations of you? Is there something I'm holding onto that you want me to let go to you? Is there a storm I'm facing that you're waiting for me to invite you into? Is there an invitation you have for me to take a next step, to take action for you? Will you reveal it to me? As you hear His response, we encourage you to write down what you hear and invite you to continue praying through it this week.

About this series: In this 10-part series we look to show how counter-cultural Jesus is, and to give confidence that he will help those who follow him to do likewise. Jesus was God-in-flesh. He was (and is) the purest, most loving and truth-filled human being the world has ever known. And yet what he taught, how he lived and the kingdom he inaugurated directly confronted the human culture in which he spent his years on earth. He was truly counter-cultural. And he is no less counter-cultural in every part of the world today. To follow Jesus is to embark on a lifelong journey of counter-cultural transformation in which we can expect that being a disciple will lead us towards challenge, temptation and costly decisions at every turn. It's to this that he calls every single person who follows him.  It's a lifestyle: - That requires obedience to him above all else. - That will lead us into conflict with the world, the flesh and the devil. - That witnesses to the world of his greatness. The goal of the first series this year - Just Jesus - was to spend time specifically focussed on the person and work of Jesus. And the goal this time is again to look at Jesus - how he was (and is) counter-cultural. So we'll be speaking about Jesus - showing how his teaching and actions were counter-cultural in his day and then applying it to our day. We'll be asking how we submit to his words and live like him in a world where his values are so dramatically opposed to the values of our culture. About this talk: Matthew 6:19-24 Jesus spoke frequently about the place of money, wealth and treasure. He applauded the faith of a widow who gave her last resources into the offering in the temple; he called the rich ruler to “sell all that you have and distribute to the poor”; he said we should pay our taxes (even to the oppressive Roman regime!); he warned people that it's foolish to store up treasure for ourselves, while not being rich towards God. And at the end of this passage Jesus puts it very clearly: “You cannot serve both God and Money.” Why? Simply because, “no one can serve two masters.” Our wholehearted allegiance to one will mean we cannot possibly have the same allegiance to the other. There's no question that Jesus' teaching on money, possessions and comfort is hugely challenging to the selfish instincts in every person. But Jesus gives good reason for serving God rather than Money - in contrast to the temporary, insecure nature of “treasures on earth,” Jesus commends the pursuit of “treasures in heaven” because they are eternal and secure. At the core, the question of who we will serve - God or Money - is a heart issue: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Jesus is never simply challenging people to modify their behaviour so as to become more moral; rather he wants hearts that are God-first, focussed on eternal, rather than earthly, treasure. In Jesus' day: Whether Jesus has in mind the religious hypocrites he's just been talking about (vs 1-18) or the secular, pagan people who he will soon refer to (v 32) is not clear. In Jewish thinking, the blessed life was believed to be the one that was healthy and wealthy, very much like it is in our day. The obedient life was surely evidenced by God's physical and material blessing (see the Old Testament promises). And in the rest of pagan society, the natural desire for comfort and to trust in one's resources could equally be in view. Either way, Jesus warned people not to calculate things materially. Moths, vermin and thieves were very real problems in Jesus' day! In our day: Money, possessions and material comfort have undoubtedly become an idol in our day. While many do still live in poverty, it is true that the higher living standards generally become, the more we desire and feel we are entitled to. We're all chasing that bit more. This idol, just like any other, leads us to trust in and find joy and meaning in the measure of our material assets rather than in God. Our challenges may come less from moths, vermin and thieves, but other ‘enemies' equally mean that our earthly resources are insecure - inflation, scams, our own greed.  What is “treasure in heaven?” Certainly not any sort of good works by which we accumulate heavenly merit. Stott argues that Jesus likely means, ‘anything on earth whose effects last for eternity,' such as growth in Christlike character, introducing others to Jesus, growing in love for God and others. What Jesus is certainly commending is an eternal perspective rather than a temporal one. God's people are counter-cultural because they've made their choice to set their hearts and minds on the things of God, “where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

No one enjoys being confused. We want to make sense of things. But God's understanding is much bigger than our own, and even though we can never grasp it all, we can trust in the God who does.

No one enjoys being confused. We want to make sense of things. But God's understanding is much bigger than our own, and even though we can never grasp it all, we can trust in the God who does. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1518/29

Whether you're an atheist or a seminary professor, everyone has doubts about God. So how can we have faith if we still have unanswered questions?

Whether you're an atheist or a seminary professor, everyone has doubts about God. So how can we have faith if we still have unanswered questions? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1518/29

John 13:36-37 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later. Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You." In Luke's gospel account of the last supper, he recorded something John left out. Luke 22:22-24 “For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing. And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest.” It is plausible that the spirit of that discussion has influenced Simon Peter. Deep within the recesses of his soul is the pride of life that thinks he is better than everyone else. With his “I'm great” filter on, he hears Jesus say he's going someplace others can't go, and he's thinking from an earthly perspective. “I'll follow Him anywhere at any cost.” The disciples had had this discussion only days earlier when they were trying to decide whether they were going to go with Jesus to Jerusalem upon hearing of Lazarus' death. In John 11:16 we read, “Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.” So I conclude Peter and the rest of the disciples had already considered what they might have to go through if they followed Jesus to Bethany and then on to Jerusalem. Maybe Peter decided in his heart earlier that he was able to endure whatever befell them. Perhaps at this moment, Peter wanted to show how he was indeed the greatest of the disciples, so he began to see if this was the opportunity to prove himself. However, I think Jesus' response was puzzling to Peter. Basically Jesus told him, “You're not ready now to follow me where I'm going.” Whether Jesus was thinking of going to the cross or thinking of going to heaven; in both cases, Peter wasn't ready, but Peter thought he was. Why wasn't Peter ready for either place? I think it is because Peter thinks he is great without the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, apart from the life of Jesus, Peter could do nothing. Nor can we. Is there any pride of life in us that thinks we can live our lives today without being filled with the Holy Spirit? Can we really lay down our lives for the glory of God if it is not the Spirit of the Son working in us? Without Jesus, we are nothing. With Him, we are ready to go anywhere He goes. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

1 Peter 4.7-8 NLT 'The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other.' The idea of the world coming to an end is a challenging thought, but Peter wasn't in any sense threatening his readers. The New Testament writers all spoke of this as the climax and fulfilment of God's purposes. The end of the world was something which everyone should look forward to with great excitement. The last days began with the coming of Jesus into the world and will come to an end with his return, which will be a matter of great joy. Whether Jesus returns to this earth within the next week or in a thousand years the time is limited, and Peter was concerned that this should focus his readers' minds. There was no time to lose. The challenge that he posed in the first Century applies equally to us today as we anticipate the return of Christ. His challenge is that believers should be both earnest and disciplined in their prayers. I'm sure we all know how incredibly easy it is to wander in our prayers and become undisciplined. There are many ways in which we can help ourselves in this. Some people find it helpful to write down their prayers, or to follow a definite routine of prayers. I don't think it matters how we pray, but it is vital that we ensure our prayers have a well-guarded place in our lives and that they keep us on our spiritual toes. The second challenge Peter issues is to show deep love for each other. In our prayers we draw close to God who is love, and so the inevitable result of spending time in his presence is that we will want to love others more. We will be looking for practical ways of showing his love. One of the ways that the early church did this was through hospitality. Peter encouraged them to open their homes to one another day by day so as to give practical support and help to one another. And, in days before church buildings, he was looking to them to open their homes so that they could worship together. The fact that Christ might return at any moment should be a constant encouragement to us all to be both more prayerful and loving. Question: How do you respond to the fact that the end of the world is coming soon? Prayer: Lord God, help me to use my limited time here on earth wisely and well. Amen

One of the aspects of Jesus' life we can easily miss because we know how often he was in large crowds was how He went away to be alone and to pray. He not only got away from people in general, but also even His small circle of friends and disciples. Listen to Mark 1:35 … Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. This is one of those verses where you don't need to study the original language to be able to interpret the real meaning. Because it's literal. … He got up early before everyone else. He went away from everyone else. To pray. He sought solitude, sanctuary, and solace. Let's look at another verse that gets even more interesting … After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them. I know of a mom who would need a moment to re-group herself when her kids were little. She would say, Mommy is going in the closet and shutting the door. I need you to be really quiet and I'll be right back in just a few minutes. Every time, after about three minutes of quiet and prayer, she would open the door and there will be every child, sitting right outside the door, waiting quietly for her. Whether Jesus was literally hidden as in invisible or He just had to take a moment like that mom, the principle is the same. Jesus had to get away and be alone so we do too. Self-care in silence and solitude in moment of sanctuary is critical to our well-being. When was the last time you actually sought after solitude - not with your phone or book… but in complete solitude? Just you and silence. What might we be missing if we don't follow Christ's example in this? Let's pray together: “Heavenly Father, help me to make a practice of finding that alone time, just like You did. Help me to find silence, solace, and sanctuary in You. As above, so below.”

When we stop to think about it, we realize Jesus was a public servant. Even though he did not serve in government, Jesus is considered one of the most famous servant-leaders in history who devoted and gave his life to better people's lives.  And Christ was a living example of integrity. He modeled unity, support, and honor. Jesus treasured justice, discernment, and forethought. He acted with humility, charity, and accountability. Operating from honesty made Christ a great leader and an enduring inspiration. In this episode, I ask us to consider: Why a person of the highest integrity, like Jesus was, isn't valued in today's political climate; Why so many who claim to love him have thrown out the importance of truthfulness, empathy, responsibility, unity, and cooperation in those we elect to positions of leadership; Whether it would be important to Jesus that we are conscientiously active in our governmental process by deeply caring that leaders of integrity represent us; and Whether Jesus might tell us to do our own fact-based research to ensure that they do.

Matthew 24:1-8There are all kinds of ideas about the meaning of Matthew 24 in general. However, Andrew and Edwin dig into an important principle found in Jesus's dissertation no matter what you think the major prophecy is about. Whether Jesus is talking about judgment on Jerusalem, on Rome, on America, on everyone at the end of time, we must all make sure we don't let anyone lead us astray from Jesus.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=8849The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/  

On today's episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, “Why is there so much Old Testament violence?” What You'll Hear on this Episode What the violent incidents in the Bible means. Whether Jesus addresses Old Testament violence. Whether God is more angry or violent in the Old Testament than in the New Testament. The relationship between God's wrath and God's love. Subscribing, sharing, and your feedback You can subscribe to the Servants of Grace Podcast via iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, or your favorite podcast catcher. If you like what you've heard, please consider leaving a rating and share it with your friends (it takes only takes a second and will go a long way to helping other people find the show). You can also connect with me on Twitter at @davejjenkins, on Facebook,  or via email to share your feedback. Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Servants of Grace theology segment!

On today's episode, a listener writes in and asks Dave, "Why is there so much Old Testament violence?"What You'll Hear on this Episode• What the violent incidents in the Bible means.• Whether Jesus addresses Old Testament violence.• Whether God is more angry or violent in the Old Testament than in the New Testament.• The relationship between God's wrath and God's love.Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Servants of Grace theology segment!

When we think of Jesus’ earthly ministry, we tend to think of headline moments such as miracles and confrontations with the Pharisees. But mostly He invested in a close circle of followers, especially the twelve disciples. As A. B. Bruce wrote in The Training of the Twelve: They “entered on a regular apprenticeship for the great office of apostleship, in the course of which they were to learn, in the privacy of an intimate daily fellowship with their Master, what they should be, do, believe, and teach, as His witnesses and ambassadors to the world.” In this sense, the four Gospels are in large measure accounts of Jesus’ life-on-life training program. Today’s reading is just one episode among many. The occasion here was a shameful quarrel about which of them was the greatest. Jesus taught them that in His kingdom “greatness” consists not of power or position but of service. Jesus Himself was among them as a servant (v. 27). The selfish ways in which authority is used on earth contrast entirely with the way authority works in God’s kingdom (vv. 25–26). One day, they would sit on thrones, “judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (v. 30), but God is the sovereign King over all (v. 29). God had plans for these men to be leaders of the early church. Jesus had personally chosen them as His special students. He cared for their spiritual growth and well being (vv. 31–32). Whether Jesus taught in an expository manner as in this case, or through parables or miracles or object lessons (such as washing their feet), He often reversed the expectations of both the crowds and His close followers. It’s uncertain how much the Twelve understood at the time, but later the Spirit reminded them of Jesus’ words and illuminated their meaning to them. >> How can you apply this lesson today? Can you turn the tables and serve someone who ordinarily cares for your needs? Give all the glory to Jesus who set the example for us to follow.

Brandon and Brandon are startled by some deep shifts of meaning and scandal in Jesus' teaching:What Jesus was getting at concerning divorce;Whether Jesus' aside about eunuchs might be his deepest cut against patriarchy;eternal life vs age-long life;the renewal vs the reset...Brandon's Translation “According to Matthew" (Google Doc) (PDF)Join the community and get comment access...Opportunity Walks by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Dr. Kluane Spake https://kluane.com This is the first episode of the Finished Work. This concept of the Finished Work is pivotal to understand and embrace at this hour. Most think they know about it – but they really can't apply it. Please join me as we examine this imperative Bible Truth that will change the way you pray and the way you believe. Jesus learned this trade from his father. They were probably stone workers rather than carpenters. The Greek word is tek-ton, meaning a builder. Whether Jesus was a carpenter or a stonemason has nothing to do with being the Savior of the world – but it does show us a different glimpses of His preparation. And Jesus is still building us. “For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building” (1 Cor. 3:9). He continues to shape HIs followers today, fitting us together into the spiritual temple that is built to bring glory to God. AND HE KNOWS HOW TO FINISH HIS WORK. For the Lord “will perfect that which concerns us” (Ps. 138:8). Let's get started... Dr. Kluane Leading Reform, Equipping Reformers   FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE MINISTRY OF DR. KLUANE: WEBSITE: Https://kluane.com WEBSITE FOR CHARISMA PODCASTS the Apostolic Mentor: http://Apostolic-Mentor.com BOOKSTORE: www.Rightly-Dividing.com FACEBOOK GROUP: APOSTOLIC MENTOR Course: https://SchoolOfTheApostles.com You can purchase my book “Finding Wisdom” here: https://www.rightly-dividing.com/collections/all-products/products/finding-wisdomor on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Wisdom-Dr-Kluane-Spake/dp/153519958X Zelle: dr.kluane@kluane.com CASH APP: $DrKluane PAYPAL: https://paypal.me/drKluane BIO Dr. Kluane Spake https://kluane.com is your Apostolic Voice of 21st Century Reform. She has worked with thousands of churches and ministries worldwide. She is a Revelator who is considered one of the Apostolic pioneers in the arena of teaching about "the Finished Work of redemption," Present Truth, Apostolic Church Government, and Gender and Racial Equality. #FinshedWork, #PresentTruth She is an international Apostle, speaker, author of over 30 plus books, mentor, consultant, and friend to the Body of Christ. The passion and mandate of this ministry is to: Bring restructuring and progressive reformational concepts to the Church. To provide accurate Biblical understanding that will cause believers to shed preconceived religious notions.

Scripture For Today:Matthew 5:44“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Merry Christmas!Today, I simply want to talk to you a few minutes about the importance of this day.   Whether Jesus was born on December 25th really does not matter. Whether He was born in the winter of the fall or the spring, really does not matter. Whether the celebration of Christmas has taken on a totally secular meaning for the world does not matter. Because of the celebration of believers everywhere, Christians coming together and celebrating the birth of the Savior into this fallen world – it does not matter what religion anybody is claiming to be (or none at all).  Because even the most devout atheist, Muslim or Hindu must admit that today, December 25th, the rest of the world is celebrating the BIRTH OF JESUS. Whether or not they believe in Him does not matter to you. Whether or not they want to recognize today as the celebration of His birth into this world does not matter to you. Whether they die in their sins and go straight to hell for all eternity, as tragic and as heartless as this sounds – does not matter to you. You see, THEY have made their decision.  You can be a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ in the celebration of His birth. It really does not matter what day of the year, what season of the year or whatever you want to dispute. It really does not matter… All that really matters is the fact that TODAY, December 25th – the believers in this world ARE CELEBRATING. That is all that truly matters. I believe Jesus is happy that we are celebrating today. Whether or not it is truly the day He was born is irrelevant to Him. He has been since the beginning. One day a year – whatever day – really does not matter.  As long as we are recognizing HIM as the Christ… THE MESSIAH… THE SAVIOR of the world!  That is all He cares about!  Amen! So go sing your Christmas carols. Go sing your Christmas songs. Go and open your presents and gifts. Go eat your huge banquet dinner. Go and watch your football or whatever it is you are going to do… But, as you go, please do ONE THING… Stop a moment, pray and just THANK JESUS for creating this day where the whole entire world, regardless if they believe in Him and His Salvation or not – the entire world, must recognize that TODAY – belongs to Jesus! Amen! Let's Pray! Until next time, this is Pastor Bob Thibodeau reminding you from 1 Thessalonians 5:17 in the Living Bible to “Always Keep on Praying!”  AND MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!! Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com/ (https://podcastersforchrist.com). And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today. You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2 (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2)

Here we continue with our series on God's Nature, exploring the scriptures to understand what God is like, what is His divine structure or essence. Is God a person? Is God a unity or trinity? Was Jesus God, man, or both? Is this understanding important or even essential? Join us as we explore these important quesitons!!! In this episode, we discuss the following: ***The scriptural view on Jesus' humanity ***Whether scripture teaches Jesus as deity ***Whether Jesus was a dual nature, a God-man

 Audio recordingSermon manuscript:Probably none of you have seen someone resurrected from the dead. Sometimes you hear unusual stories about people's hearts stopping for a period of time, and then they are revived. I've never heard of someone being revived after they are placed into the morgue or in a coffin. That's what happened one day, though, on the outskirts of a town called Nain. A sad scene was unfolding there. A young man had died. He was his mother's only child. She was a widow. A lonely future was in store for her. But Jesus saw her miserable plight and had compassion on her. He was going to help her in an unheard of way. Just as we are unfamiliar with any resuscitation of someone long dead, so it was then too. Jesus used the authority that he had as God's Son. He restarted the young man's heart so that it began to pump life-giving blood again. He healed all those cells and tissues that had been damaged or destroyed by natural processes of death and decomposition. The gray sunken cheeks of the dead turned pink and lively. The boy sat up in the coffin and began to speak. Jesus gave him back to his mother. Luke does not tell us anything about the mother's reaction. That had to be quite something. The death of a child is so painful. We can hardly bear it. It would be cruel to prolong that pain by hoping for a resurrection in this life. Only a tiny handful of people have been resurrected in this life such as we hear about in this case and a few others from the Bible. So she had to have been beyond surprised. I'm kind of amazed that she didn't have a heart attack and die. It must have been so shocking. We like shocking and unusual things. They are able to hold our interest. Many people at Jesus's time liked to see the unusual things he did. The people at Nain enjoyed seeing the man raised to life. The people who were fed with the five loaves and two fishes followed him around, waiting for him to do another miracle. The Pharisees were always wanting Jesus to do signs to confirm his teachings, which they found strange. Herod was glad to see Jesus on the day Jesus died because he was hoping to see him do something unusual. But people are fickle. If they are not constantly entertained with new and interesting things they go in search of other things to do. This is what seems to have happened also with Jesus. After Jesus ascended into heaven, but before Pentecost, the believers gathered together. It says in Acts that there were about 120 of them. 120! Where were the 5,000 from the feeding of the 5,000? Where were the 4,000 from the feeding of the 4,000? Where were the people from Nain? Where were the crowds who were singing Hosanna not too many weeks before that on Palm Sunday? People are fickle. So it is to this day. Grander things than what took place at Nain happen in the midst of this congregation, but few believe it. Few appreciate it. The young man who was raised from the dead was resurrected physically and temporarily. He went back to being the young man that he was before. In that way it is similar to those Emergency Room resuscitations. He was returned to the life that he had been living. I say that there are grander things that take place among us. The cure that Jesus works among us is deeper and gets down to the very foundations. There is a death and a resurrection that already happens in our midst with Baptism. Paul says, “Do you not know that when you were baptized, you were baptized into the death of Christ?” He flatly states in another place: “You have died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” This death, however, is not just any ordinary death. It is the saving, atoning death of Jesus—that is the death that we have died in with our baptism. Jesus's death is the death that brought an end to death. And, again, as Paul says, if we have been united with him in his death, then we are certainly united with him for the resurrection. Here with baptism we are not just dealing with superficial, physical dying and rising. We are dealing with the soul and spirit. The cure reaches deeper. We are not just brought back to life so that we can continue to enjoy the created things of this world. We are brought back to life in order to enjoy life with the Creator himself. That's what God's Word says. Let me finish one of the quotations I started just a moment ago. Paul says, “You have died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Paul is talking about the new heavens and the new earth. The glory that he speaks of is God's own glory—the glory that the Bible says no man may see and live. This is something far more profound and long-lasting and unexpected than what happens at Nain. The resurrection of Baptism allows someone who is otherwise a sinner to see God, and enjoy seeing God. But people are fickle. Suppose we did an experiment. On the one hand we could offer the spectacle of Baptism. We would baptize someone and that person would be killed and resurrected spiritually and made a partaker of everlasting life. That's the one option we could offer. What if, on the other hand, we offered to raise somebody from the dead physically? We would make a cold, stiff corpse sit up and begin to speak. For which of these shows do you think we could sell more tickets? You already know the answer. Baptisms are a dime a dozen. They don't even cost any money. Bringing back somebody from the dead, however, is rare. It must be much more valuable. We could apply this same reasoning to many things that take place within the Christian Church. I've met a Pentecostal or two who have told me that if I really wanted to be effective I should try speaking in tongues. Perhaps you've seen some preachers on TV who lay hands on the sick and they shake convulsively and roll around on the ground. These kinds of things are unusual. Thus they can hold the interest of fickle people—at least for a while. But can these things hold a candle to God's Work in Baptism or in the Lord's Supper? These are the deep and everlasting cures for sinners. Allow me to make one more application along these lines. It's a little more subtle, so bear with me. We know that when we have died and been raised with Christ we have been set free from the devil and the lusts of our flesh. We are to make progress in crucifying our old Adam and doing the good works that God has prepared for us to walk in. But all too often we find that Christians don't live up to that. Sinners in the Christian Church are a dime a dozen. Saints, on the other hand, are rare. And so it is only natural for our reason to go after these rare saints. They must be really something. They are rare. We want to be rare and unusual. So which would you rather be: The successful Christian who has smacked down one sin after another and shown the world who's boss, or the frustrated Christian who's always needing to be forgiven? Martin Luther was very fond of saying that our reason is totally blind when it comes to spiritual matters. He was totally right! What we think is not what God thinks. What we think will work is not what God does. What God actually does we think is not that good of an idea. Haven't you thought, at one time or another, that we could do things better for growing the church than baptism or the Lord's Supper? Haven't you occasionally thought (and be honest!) that some things that the Bible teaches are really off-putting, and we shouldn't talk about them if we hope to have the church grow? But think of Jesus. What more could possibly have done to grow the church? He did all kinds of unusual, interesting things. He cast out demons. He healed the sick. He performed one miracle after another. But after his ascension into heaven and before Pentecost ten days later there were only about 120 who were congregated to hear Peter preach. Where were the 5,000? Where were the 4,000? Where were the people from the town of Nain? This shows that faith is not a matter of impressing people's reason. It's not a matter of putting on a show or winning debates. Faith is created by the Holy Spirit when and where he chooses among those who hear the Gospel. It is not a matter of our striving, of our figuring out the right methods. It is a matter of God's choosing. God chooses those whom he will save. To those whom he has chosen he will preach the Gospel. He baptizes. He distributes Holy Communion. Those whom God has chosen will believe it. Those who have been blinded by the god of this world will follow their preferences for something else. So do not be led astray into believing that what is common and offered to all is ineffectual because we get bored by things that are common. There's nothing more common in the Christian Church than baptism. We've all been baptized. There's nothing more common than the Lord's Supper. We have it almost every week. But what matters is not what we might think about these things, but rather what God does through them. He kills our old Adam and resurrects us with Jesus in Baptism. He gives us the salutary, that is, beneficial, gift of Christ's body and blood that forgives our sins and increases our faith towards him and our fervent love towards one another. Whether Jesus should do these things many times or only a few times doesn't change what is actually going on. What's actually going on is up to him, regardless of how we might feel about it. Consider the way that Jesus raises this young man from the dead. Everybody was astounded by it because it was so unusual. What if the people didn't have that reaction? What if they were totally bored? Would that in any way change what Jesus did by raising the dead man? If Jesus wants to raise the dead man, then the dead man is going to be raised. Whether a person is impressed by that or not doesn't change what he does. The same thing is true with what we have been talking about today. I've told you that something deeper and more fundamental takes place in our midst than what took place at Nain. I've not said this because I've been trying to impress you. I've said this to you simply because it is the truth. It is what Jesus and his apostles teach. Whether you are impressed or excited is beside the point. What matters is that Jesus does what Jesus does. If he wants to heal you through baptism so that you can happily live together with God in his glory, then that is just what he will do. How you feel about that doesn't undo what Jesus does. Jesus does what he wants. But the devil most certainly does not want us to believe in Jesus, in the Gospel, or in the Holy Sacraments. He wants us to believe in things that won't work—things that can't deliver salvation. And if he can make us believe in churchy kinds of things, then that's all the better for him, because it puts a veneer of piety on those things that cannot save sinners. Don't be fooled by him into believing in things that don't work. God has told you what works. Believe in those things. The fact that they are a dime a dozen shouldn't deter you. If anything, the way that they are so common, points to the fact that they are genuine. After all, isn't God's grace such that he gives it out unbelievably liberally? Doesn't he cause the rain to fall on both the just and the unjust? Doesn't he open his hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing? It is no surprise, therefore, that we should find our God busily ruling in his spiritual kingdom, bringing about resurrection and everlasting life here, there, and everywhere, by forgiving sinners for Jesus's sake.

Pastor Daniel Simmons preaches from Luke 11:33-53. Jesus Exposes Hypocrisy Luke 11:37-53 Exegetical Main Point: Jesus denounces and exposes the Pharisees and Lawyers for their hypocrisy and predicts the great judgment coming on them. Main Point of the Sermon: Jesus lovingly exposes what's in our hearts. Introduction One thing that scares me and keeps me humble before the Lord is the potential for blind spots. You know, you live your life with a particular set of rules, or a certain view that you are very convictional about, but all along you have it wrong. You have the wrong rule book. I've had a few moments in my life where God mercifully showed me a blind spot. For example, for a good part of my Christian life I actually believed that it was bad to confess my sin to others because a) it might tempt them to sin b) it might hurt their respect for me and hinder my ability to minister to them in the future. What?! Man, that couldn't be more wrong. It's always shocking when you realize how oblivious you were, and we say to ourselves “How could I be so blind?” Jesus is kind to not leave us in our error, isn't he? He's kind to expose our darkness. Last week we saw Jesus challenge the crowds for their unbelief. He even called them an evil generation because of how they were responding to him and his Word. Ultimately, he exposed the hardness of their hearts. And what we'll see in today's text is that Jesus exposes more hearts. And it's not just those who are clearly far from God, but we'll see him expose the blind and hypocritical thinking and behavior of the Church going people, the religious leaders. I think many of us will be challenged by what Jesus says in this text, so let's go to prayer one more time and invite God to speak to us and change us. Pray The first section starts in verse 33, where Jesus uses a word picture and a series of proverbs to highlight the importance of the health of our inner being, or our hearts. Let's see. 33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. Like he often does in his teaching, Jesus uses something common – a lamp – to teach a spiritual truth. Jesus is actually comparing himself and his preaching to a lamp shining light for all to see. Jesus just talked about himself as a greater Solomon, so it makes sense that he is still referring to himself when talking about the light. Jesus and his Word are light and that light has not been hidden. He has openly and widely proclaimed the Good News of the way into the Kingdom. But verse 34 shows us that people “see Jesus's light” or receive his Word in different ways. Jesus said, 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.” This can be hard to follow, but Jesus is talking about spiritual sight and the way that our spiritual sight relates to our whole person, spirit and body. Jesus is trying to show that when you see Jesus and his Word with spiritually or morally healthy eyes, you are full of light. But when you have spiritually bad, or literally “evil” eyes, you are full of darkness. So again, Jesus is warning the people to be aware of their inner spiritual health. He says, “Be careful”. It's possible for you to have blind spots. Pay attention. The “light” or message that directs your life may really be darkness if it causes you to reject me. To put it simply, your perception of Jesus reveals the health of your heart. To have a healthy eye is to have a heart that sees Jesus rightly and therefore responds in repentance and faith. Many rejected Jesus thinking they were seeing rightly. But the “light” in them was really darkness. Some, however, believed in Jesus. These, Jesus said, not only will follow him, but will themselves begin to shine Christ to others by their good works (c.f. Mt. 5:15-16). Again, Jesus is ultimately exposing the health of their hearts, and he is teaching them how to identify whether their heart is good or evil, light or dark. Jesus points out two things that expose our hearts: 1) Your response to Jesus and his Word exposes your heart 2) the works that your life produces exposes your heart. The rest of our text will largely press into number 2, the works your life produces. Look at verse 37: 37 While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. Who again are the Pharisees? These were religious elites, teachers of the Law. They were the most influential of the three major Jewish sects (the others – Sadducees and Essenes) in Israel. We're told that one Pharisee asked Jesus to eat with him, and Jesus went. If you remember, the Pharisees have not been the friends of Jesus, but his greatest critics. They've threatened him and accused him of being a law-breaker. Nonetheless, Jesus went – which should teach us something about interacting with our enemies. Luke describes the event. Jesus went in and reclined at the table. Verse 38, 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. He was “astonished” that Jesus didn't wash. This was a big deal to the Pharisees because they held to an oral tradition (in addition to the written Law of God) intended to keep them from ingesting anything ritually unclean. This was not a requirement of Old Testament Law, but rather an addition that the elders had kept for some time. Whether Jesus failed to wash intentionally or unintentionally, I don't know, but either way, this was an important teaching moment. Listen to Jesus's reply: 39 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you. 42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.” What is Jesus saying? He's calling their hypocrisy and the deadness of their hearts. He points out the fact that while these religious leaders are so concerned about their traditions to prevent uncleanness, their hearts are totally unclean, full of “greed and wickedness.” On the outside they look very religious. They are following the rule book “perfectly”, and others would be very impressed by their ‘spotless' behavior. But Jesus exposes the fact that deep down these leaders were more interested in selfish gain through their position than they were in worshipping God out of love for him. In other words, they excelled when others were watching but were loveless towards God and others in private. Luke describes the Pharisees elsewhere, as “lovers of money” (16:14). They tithed, but cared nothing for the poor or for God. They received great honor from all people, yet little did anyone know, they were totally dead inside. Matthew's account calls them “whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness” (Mt. 23:27). This Jesus says is total foolishness. “You fools!” (v. 40). Don't you know that God made both outside and inside? In other words, he knows your heart. He knows your motives, your deep inner thoughts and ambitions. This is a perfect example of what Jesus talked about earlier. The light they thought they had was truly darkness within. Before I go on, I want to speak to Jesus's tone here. Maybe some of you are caught up on the fact that Jesus just uttered such cutting words. Many people picture Jesus as a man without a backbone. Friends, that's not the Jesus of the Bible. Yes, Jesus was full of gentleness and kindness, but is and has always been a strong leader, a prophet, bold and courageous like the heroic prophets we read about in Scripture, but greater. He's not afraid to speak the truth. Further, it may seem like Jesus is angry and this might be hard for you to swallow. Church, he is angry! He is angry and disturbed by the hardness of these people's hearts, and he wisely and lovingly rebukes the hypocrisy that is leading them and their followers to hell. When you find that Scripture or people in the Christian community challenge your sinful behavior, please understand the heart of love behind the rebuke. Oftentimes, they are doing and saying exactly what Jesus would say to you if he were here. A little bit of painful correction might just be the means by which your soul is saved from an eternally painful punishment. Look at verse 41: 41 But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you. Jesus is identifying true worship. True worship comes from the heart. When that's happening in a person, Jesus says, “everything is clean”. In other words, even things that sometimes break your rule book are perceived by God as holy and clean. Rituals in themselves aren't bad, but when they aren't driven by a deep inner love for God and generosity towards others, they mean nothing. Church, you could be the most faithful church attender and giver in this building, but if you have little thought for God or little care about his people when you're here or throughout the week, what does it even mean? Nothing. Jesus said to them, “Woe to you.” What's with those words in verse 42, “Woe to you.” What an interesting phrase. We don't use these words much anymore, so let me try to explain what they mean. “Woe” is “an interjection denoting pain or displeasure” (BDAG). It is basically an emotionally strong way to denounce and express the miserable condition of another. This is not Jesus cursing someone in the way that we might see in a verbal fight in a movie, but rather a statement of deep pain and grief, even more, a deep disapproval of the individual and their particular behavior. It essentially says, “You are miserable and your future will be miserable because of the state of your hearts!” I would assume that this is like many of our responses to people who boast in their sinful behavior openly. It grieves our hearts and moves us to pity, saying, “they just don't understand what they are doing and the misery they are headed for!” I'm not talking about an angry or demeaning heart, but a sorrowful one. That's good and, yes, God grieves over the godless who reject him, but look how strongly he speaks to church going people like you and me, even to the “spiritually elite” who pretend to honor God while their hearts are dark and cold like a corpse. Now do you understand why Jesus uses such a strong word and is so emotional? Jesus is lovingly, passionately correcting the Pharisees lest they perish in their sin. Luke continues with the narrative in verse 45, when someone responds to Jesus: 45 One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” The “Lawyers” were experts of God's Law. These were also known as the scribes. The Pharisees were basically students of the Scribes, so naturally they recognized that Jesus's accusations were directed towards them also. Let's see how Jesus responds. Verse 46: 46 And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Jesus goes even harder at these guys. He's not intimidated by their position or even apologetic for “insulting them also,” but keeps speaking the bold, but life-giving truth. Jesus is here pointing out the fact that with their endless laws and traditions, they were making following God impossible for the average person (c.f. Acts 15:10). It's like they are demanding them to win a race but all the while they're saying “don't run like that”, “don't breathe like that”, “don't wear those shoes”. Though the people could not bear the burden, the scribes did nothing to help the common person keep the laws. They cared more about their procedures than the spiritual and physical health of the people. But the darkness and evil of their hearts is even worse than that. Jesus continues, 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48 So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. Wow! What's going on here? Let's unpack this. Jesus says woe to you for building the prophet's tombs because the Scribes ironically “build the tombs” or set up monuments for the prophets to honor them, while they dishonor their word. In fact, through that dishonor, they are actually witnesses and give consent to their father's actions. How did they consent to their father's murdering of the prophets? The prophets were ultimately killed for speaking unfavorable messages. Their fathers rejected them and in hatred killed them. Like their fathers, the scribes rejected the message of the prophets of the past and the modern day prophets like Jesus and John the Baptist. Their rejection of Jesus, whom the prophets foretold, and all the other ways they were twisting the prophet's words, was a rejection of all the prophets they claimed to follow. They are just like their fathers, ultimately, and in this way they “consent” to the killings. Even more, they would be like them in killing those prophets and apostles whom God sent in their generation. Where am I getting this? Look at verse 49: 49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,' This is complicated, but I think the best interpretation of this text is to see the “Wisdom of God” as referring to Jesus – who is referred to as God's wisdom elsewhere (1 Cor 1:24,30). Further proof is Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus is recorded saying that he will send prophets who will be persecuted, flogged, and killed (Mt. 23:34). So, this is Jesus prophesying and speaking of what was to come – namely, the prophets and apostles whom God would send would be persecuted and killed by these very men (think Stephen, the Apostle James, Jesus's brother James, and others who would have been known by Luke's readers). Not only do they consent to the killing of the past prophets, they would become like their fathers in rejecting and killing modern prophets. Jesus adds these haunting words: “so that the blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. That's frightening judgment language. He's in essence saying to them “at the judgment you will be responsible for ALL of this blood”. Jesus says “this generation” will have to give an account for every drop. Why does Jesus add in this tricky generation language again? If you remember from last week, in verse 29 Jesus speaks to the crowds, saying “This generation is an evil generation.” I think Jesus is pointing out the fact that it is not just the scribes and Pharisees – the leaders – who rejected and killed the prophets, or who would reject and kill Jesus, but also their followers. Verse 52 shows that clearly. 52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.” In this final “Woe”, Jesus says that these leaders have “taken away the key of knowledge.” In their twisting of Scripture and rejection of Jesus, who is true wisdom, they have taken away people's access to the Kingdom of God. Not only do they fail to enter the Kingdom, they are keeping others from entering also by causing them to oppose Jesus and his message. This generation, who blindly reject Jesus and mislead many to stand against him, will receive this condemnation. We're told in verse 53 that 53 As [Jesus] went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, 54 lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say. This phrase “lying in wait for him” is not about a simple debate with Jesus, but shows their hostility and murderous hatred towards him. They were looking for something to condemn him to death in a trial. YOU Church, when I read this story, it evokes a few different emotions. One, it causes me to grieve over the hardness and darkness of these hearts that would be led to oppose and kill our Savior and his followers. Two, I feel a deep sadness and fear for those who reject Jesus and his message. I feel those words “Woe to you” rising up in my heart for their miserable condition! The Lord Jesus doesn't waste his words. He doesn't waste his emotions. If he is so moved to utter these words of warning to this generation, shouldn't we pay attention to them for our generation? Jesus spoke about judgment and hell more than anyone else in the Bible. How is it then, that we so easily dismiss it and convince ourselves that those without Christ, those living in opposition to his message will somehow be ok. Death and hell can't be that bad for them can it? Friends, “woe to us” if we fail to preach this Good News that has the power to rescue our family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors near and far from the judgment coming on them. And “woe to you” if you reject Jesus and try to pretend that you are standing on neutral ground. If you are not with him, you are against him. There is no middle ground. If you are not all in, surrendered, following the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, then you are in no better shape than these who would kill the King Jesus. Three, I feel grieved and fearful at the ways my own heart is prone to such hypocrisy and darkness, and for the ways that you are prone to hypocrisy. Woe to me if I take away the key of knowledge from you with false teaching or with a faulty rule book that distracts you from what matters most. And Woe to you and me if we treat Jesus's commands as suggestions. Woe to you and me if our rulebooks are more important to us than God's Word. Woe to you and me if I'm willing to give a little money to the church but am unwilling to make myself personally available socially, emotionally, and materially to those who are in need of my help. Woe to you and me if we present ourselves at church all pretty on the outside so that everyone thinks we are good and happy Christians, but inside we are full of greed, lust, and pride, with a serious distaste, distrust, and dislike of God's people. Woe to you and me if we go through the motions but we have no real love for God. And woe to us all if we oppose Christ and those who lovingly challenge our hypocrisy. Jesus lovingly exposes our hypocrisy. If we knew what we were being saved from we would rejoice and endlessly thank him. I'm convinced that if we could see over the hill to the joy and freedom we would experience in Christ as we let go of that sin and let others help us fight for victory, that we would not despise our brother or sister who corrects us, but we would thank them and invite them to help us all the more. May it be so in this church family! Remember the famous words of the Apostle John. 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. Jesus came to warn those who were headed for destruction so that they might find life in him. I'm here, we're here, to do the same! This may feel unloving, but I promise that Jesus's words here are only full of love. His zeal and jealousy for his people is what led him to leave his place of glory, to become a man, and die in our place for our sins. We ALL have blood on our hands, we are all condemned, and what Jesus did on the cross was to take all that wrath and judgment stored up for us so that we could have the life and happiness that was stored up for him. He rose from death affirming his victory so that all who believe in him might enter his eternal kingdom. If you are here and not yet following Jesus, now is the time, run from the great wrath coming on you by running into the arms of Jesus, your Savior. He welcomes you now. Church, I want to call you to examine your hearts tonight. Be careful lest the light you think you have within is actually darkness. I'm praying that we will all receive the light of Christ and that his light would expose our hypocrisy, our blind spots, and that through us many who are in darkness would be brought to the light.

READ: Acts 1.9-11 NLT Jesus was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” The Ascension of Jesus brought his ministry on earth to an end in an amazing way. It is not surprising that the disciples looked intently into the sky to see where he had gone. I am sure we would have all done the same. As they stood there they were informed that the day will come when Jesus will return in the same way as he left. The Second Coming of Jesus should be our confident expectation. It should be constantly in our minds, not as a threat but as the most wonderful promise. When I was a small boy I must confess that I thought of it entirely as a threat and whenever I couldn’t find my mother in the house, I always assumed that Jesus had returned and I’d been left behind. But the fact that Jesus will return is presented to us in the New Testament as a cause for encouragement. The fact that Jesus will return one day is a reminder that history is in God’s hands and, at the time that he chooses, the curtain will be brought down. The knowledge that Jesus will return one day also encourages us to ensure that we keep our minds focused on serving the Lord. Jesus told a number of parables to stress the importance of keeping alert all the time because we don’t know precisely when he will return. The parable of the ten bridesmaids (Matthew 25.1-13) is a warning that we need to be fully prepared so that we don’t miss the moment, and the parable of the servants (Matthew 25.14-30) reminds us that we need to work really hard with whatever resources we’ve been given. Whether Jesus returns during our lifetime or not is not the point. What matters is that we are always ready. QUESTIONS: In what way is your life affected by the fact that Jesus might return today? PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ we pray that we will always live in readiness for your return. Amen

One of the aspects of Jesus’ life we can easily miss because we know how often he was in large crowds was how He went away to be alone and to pray. He not only got away from people in general, but also even His small circle of friends and disciples. Listen to Mark 1:35 … Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. This is one of those verses where you don’t need to study the original language to be able to interpret the real meaning. Because it’s literal. … He got up early before everyone else. He went away from everyone else. To pray. He sought solitude, sanctuary, and solace. Let’s look at another verse that gets even more interesting … After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them. I know of a mom who would need a moment to re-group herself when her kids were little. She would say, Mommy is going in the closet and shutting the door. I need you to be really quiet and I’ll be right back in just a few minutes. Every time, after about three minutes of quiet and prayer, she would open the door and there will be every child, sitting right outside the door, waiting quietly for her. Whether Jesus was literally hidden as in invisible or He just had to take a moment like that mom, the principle is the same. Jesus had to get away and be alone so we do too. Self-care in silence and solitude in moment of sanctuary is critical to our well-being. When was the last time you actually sought after solitude - not with your phone or book… but in complete solitude? Just you and silence. What might we be missing if we don’t follow Christ's example in this? Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, help me to make a practice of finding that alone time, just like You did. Help me to find silence, solace, and sanctuary in You. As above, so below.”

In this episode of Pausing for Prayer, I interviewed best-selling author Terry Hershey. His new book, This is the Life, is a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to be more present to God. We spoke of how Terry starts his day, the "spiritual necessity of coffee" and the nuanced power of gardening.

Christ in Galilee – John Meacham pt 2We are continuing our conversation about the “Soon Return of Jesus” today with our good friend, John Meacham. John has been sharing some unique insight as he has been telling us about his visions, his calling and his efforts to prepare the Church (and the world, for that matter) about the timing for Jesus soon return. If you missed any of the prior interviews, you need to go back and listen to them in the archives. They have a lot of information. So much, we don’t have time to go over it today…because we have MORE information to share with you. Praise God! Help me welcome back to the program, our good friend, John Meacham. John, thank you for coming back on today! Today, we are going to be discussing some things from your book, “Is Your Church Heavenly.” I think, specifically, we are going to be talking about your trip to Galilee. Correct? And when was that trip? What did you want to share with us about that trip? This is the final interview of your book and the information on your website. Let’s talk about Jesus coming back to Galilee and the preparations you are making. In Part One: John shares about a special visit he had with another pastor who was impressed with what he has been sharing with us over these last several episodes. We conclude our interview in Part Two with a discussion of John planning a return trip to Galilee in September 2022. Whether Jesus is “returning” at that time or not does not matter, John knows that is where HE is supposed to be. This has been an interesting series of interviews with John Meacham. I hope you have gained a lot out of this series. I encourage you to go back and listen to all of them – maybe do a “binge session” (just one interview after another over a few days). I believe you will gain a lot of insight into everything John has been sharing with us. The most important part I want to leave you with is this: Whether you believe John Meacham has the spirit of John the Apostle on him or not does not really matter. All that matters is your relationship with Jesus the Christ. John Meacham knows what his calling is. He knows the relationship he has with Jesus. He knows what he is supposed to be doing until Jesus returns. He knows where he is supposed to be in obedience to the Lord’s command on his life. The question I have for you is this: DO YOU? You have seen all of the events unfolding on the news. Panic is everywhere… This is NOTHING as compared to what the “days of tribulation” will be like. As Jesus described, these are only the “birth pangs.” Believe me, if you are not a believer, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!” Take a moment and ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins. Ask Him to become the Lord and Savior of your life. Ask Him to give you a NEW SPIRIT – one that makes you a “Child of God Himself!” THAT is the only thing that matters in Eternity. If you received anything from this series of interviews with John Meacham – I pray it was THAT! For John Meacham and myself, this is Pastor Bob Thibodeau reminding you to BE BLESSED IN ALL THAT YOU DO! CONTACT INFORMATION:Website:  john@dazzlinglight.org (mailto:john@dazzlinglight.org) Get in touch with John for a free copy of his book (limited quantities available). Email John and tell him you heard his interview on this podcast! LIST OF ALL THE INTERVIEWS WITH JOHN “The Apostle” Meacham: Episode 643 (https://kcrpodcast.com/episodes/the-dazzling-light-john-meacham-pt-2/) Episode 650 (https://kcrpodcast.com/episodes/jesus-sings-at-amity-church-john-meacham-pt-1/) Episode 651 (https://kcrpodcast.com/episodes/jesus-sings-at-amity-church-john-meacham-pt-2/) Episode 664 (https://kcrpodcast.com/episodes/three-dreams-of-jesus-john-meacham-pt-1/) Episode 665 (https://kcrpodcast.com/episodes/three-dreams-of-jesus-john-meacham-pt-2/) Episode 631   ...

Going to church can be an amazing experience! You leave feeling so charged and changed for the better. And then, Monday happens. You head home on a Monday evening after work to unwind from a long day. Where’s that inspirational message? Where does Jesus fit in among the “real life” stuff that goes on? Is Jesus just for Sunday’s? Is Worship just a slow song at church? My name is Christal Luster and I’m the host of living room worship! This podcast was born out of a need to find an intersection between real life and real relationship with Christ. The living room is often the room that sees us in raw form. We laugh, we cry, we argue, we eat, we Netflix and chill in the living room. What would it look like if we invited Christ to be involved in our real lives outside of the church walls? Join me on Mondays at 5pm to discuss different facets of life and where Jesus fits in with it all. Whether Jesus is your homeboy or someone you used to know, we’re gonna take it back to the basics on an approachable and non-religious way and figure out what Worship looks like after Sunday service. Season 2 has some special guests coming to bring their thoughts on entrepreneurship, dating, politics and more and how we prioritize faith in the midst of it. Grab your spot on the couch and let’s talk about it! See you soon.

January 12, 2020. Our interim resident pastor, Stephanie Doeschot, is ending her time with us very soon. Today, in one of her last sermons for us, she again reminds us that we are all beloved children of God. *** Transcript ***Grace to you and peace from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.Just to put your minds at ease, if you were here last week and either witnessed or heard about my little episode with overheating and dehydration, I'm going to take a large drink of water right now. [Takes a drink.] There, that's done. It is fitting anyway to talk about water today, since we are looking at the baptism of Jesus -- and baptism always requires water. Here in this church it requires very little, but water is essential. You may have heard this analogy before, but some have likened the practice of baptism to some of the branches of the military. Some Christian churches are like the Navy: they love a lot of water. They would be like the Baptists, who require full immersion for a legitimate baptism. Others are like the Army, who deal only with small amounts of water such as we have here in the baptismal font. A sprinkling of water will do, and that suits us just fine. Other churches are like the Marines. They operate on either land or sea, so they will do immersions or sprinkling. It's all the same to them. Regardless of the mode, all in the church see water as a means to communicate that we are washed in the forgiveness of Christ, and we emerge from either a lot or a little bit of water as people with a particular identity. In the rite of baptism, we are reminded of the great love that God has for us in Christ, and are called the beloved children of God.I wonder, though, if that is the first thing we think about when we are asked to define ourselves. Think about it. Most often when we think about who we are, and someone asks us, we answer with some version of "I am what I do." I work in an office. I paint houses. I sell real estate. I teach children. I perform surgeries. I write music. I clean homes. I go to school. Those are all fine, important things to do. But what we do doesn't define us. It tells something about how we spend some of our time, but it's still not truly who we are at the core. And that's a good thing, because what happens when a job gets outsourced, or we become disabled? Then, seeing ourselves as what we do becomes very, very inadequate.Another way we may describe who we are might be well, "Here is what people say about me." And we could list the accolades and awards we've received and feel really, really good about ourselves. It's a powerful thing to have people speak well of us. But then what happens to our sense of ourselves when negative things are said about us? If our identities are tied to what is said about us, we'll be on a very, very narrow balance beam, because no one hears only positive things about themselves. And studies have shown that a person can get ten compliments in a week, but if there's that one insult or criticism or negative comment that strikes at their heart about their character or something they've done, that is likely what they'll remember the most.Another way we can view ourselves is to think, "I am what I have." I have things that make my life enjoyable: good health, good friends, and family. That too is all well and good until losses come, and they do come in every life. What if I lose some of what I have that most defines me? When our identities come from what we do, what people say about us, or what we have, we are set up for living a roller coaster life. Because all these things vary throughout life, and they will at some points fail us, because they are a poor substitute for understanding where our true identity lies.Henri Nouwen, in his book The Life Of The Beloved, reminds us that Jesus was tempted to define himself in every one of those three categories, in what we call the Temptations of Jesus in the Wilderness. The first temptation that Jesus faced was to define himself by what he did. If you'll remember, the tempter whispered, "Turn these stones into bread, and then you'll really be somebody." Jesus refused. The second temptation Jesus faced was for him to uphold his reputation as Son of God and test God by jumping from the top of the temple. Again, Jesus refused. The third temptation came when he was shown all the kingdoms of the world. If only Jesus would bow down and worship Satan, he was promised, then Jesus could have it all. Jesus once again refused. Jesus responded to each of these lies of the false narratives of his true identity in each case. At his core he knew he was not what he did. He was not about keeping up a reputation based on a distorted self-image. And he could not be defined by what he had or did not have.The story of his baptism precedes these temptations for a very good reason. It was in the context of our baptism story today that Jesus could say no to the wrong ways of identifying himself, and say yes to his true identity throughout his earthly life. It was through his baptism that he heard these sweet and all-powerful words that told him most clearly who he was: "You are my beloved and with you I am well pleased." That message guided Jesus' three-year Ministry that followed. Whether he was able to see a person receive wholeness or wellness that he had to offer, or when he was met with stubborn resistance to God's love, he kept hearing the voice that told him he was God's beloved. Whether Jesus faced warm welcomes or was met by angry crowds, he kept hearing the voice that told him he was God's beloved. When he had a sumptuous meal at the home of friends, or when he said he had no place to lay his head, he kept on hearing the voice that told him he was God's beloved. That is the same message that you and I need to hear about ourselves, because it is the truth that we affirm in our baptisms. It is the truth about the way God views each and every one of us. We are God's beloved.Now, in a few weeks my time of serving as your interim resident pastor will conclude. As I move forward from our time together, I will take with me so very many good memories of conversations and interactions with you as a congregation. You have enriched my life through your faith and witness to the gospel of grace, that has clearly formed you as the beloved people of God. Honestly, you are just some of the best people I've ever been privileged to know. And I've been alive for a very long time and I've known a lot of people, so I do not say that lightly. You do demonstrate well what it means to be the beloved children of God.One of the many conversations that will stick with me long after I depart occurred in my office with the Mudd family, as we talked about the baptism of Rick in early December. Not only were parents Philip and Sarah well-prepared to bring their son to receive baptism, they had also prepared his big sister Katie well for the occasion. Two-year-old Katie confidently answered her parents when they asked her to tell me what was going to happen to Rick soon. "He's going to be baptized," she answered. And then this: "And Katie, what will we call Rick then?" "A child of God." Well, we did not need to talk any longer about the theological implications of baptism after that. I did not have any more questions for the parents, because they were clearly telling their two-year-old Katie about her own identity in Christ, and also how her brother was to be identified. Both were told that they were the children of God, God's own beloved ones. Rick (eight months old at his baptism) may not have heard the words telling him that day that he is God's beloved, but I can well imagine that his parents and sister, all of you, will continue to tell him, and then tell him again as he grows up, that he is a child of God. Every time he sees others baptized he can remember that just as that person is proclaimed a child of God, all of these people and more, that also describes his fundamental identity.We all need persistent reminders that the truth about us from God's perspective -- the perspective that matters the most -- is that we are God's beloved. We are cherished. We are safe, and ultimately well and tethered to the source of life and love. We are made in God's image. And just as God proclaimed when creating all things, God delights in us and calls us created beings very, very good. Imagine for yourself that you hear these words from God: you are my beloved child in whom I am well pleased. There are additional words that have been addressed to us from God throughout the Bible. Here are just a few: I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have written your name on the palms of my hands. I have knitted you together in your mother's womb. Precious. That's what you and I and all people are to God. Beloved. God's own children in whom God delights.Can we carry that message with us as the dominant way we see ourselves, day in and day out, year in and year out, in the good times and not-so-good times? God gives us that message because it frees us from the baggage of ill-fitting and destructive identities. It is most truly who we are, independent of other voices and circumstances. Embracing the identity of "beloved child of God" is the only way we can love God and love others who are also beloved children of God. It is from a place of deep security that we are cherished, that we can live the full life that God wants us to have. But granted, it's a lifelong journey to claim that identity and live into it.In closing I share with you a poem written by Jan Richardson. It's entitled "Beloved is Where We Begin."If you would enterinto the wilderness,do not beginwithout a blessing.Do not leavewithout hearingwho you are:Beloved,named by the Onewho has traveled this pathbefore you.Do not gowithout letting it echoin your ears,and if you findit is hardto let it into your heart,do not despair.That is whatthis journey is for.I cannot promisethis blessing will free youfrom danger,from fear,from hungeror thirst,from the scorchingof sunor the fallof the night.But I can tell youthat on this paththere will be help.I can tell youthat on this waythere will be rest.I can tell youthat you will knowthe strange gracesthat come to our aidonly on a roadsuch as this,that fly to meet usbearing comfortand strength,that come alongside usfor no other causethan to lean themselvestoward our earand with theircurious insistencewhisper our name:Beloved.Beloved.Beloved.As you come forward later for communion, you may want to dip your fingers in the water to remind yourself that you truly are the beloved of God. I encourage you to do whatever it takes to repeat that mantra to yourself, so that that becomes truly the way you see yourself, because it gives great honor also to God.Please rise now to sing our hymn of the day, and thanks to God.*** Keywords ***2020, Christ Lutheran Church, Webster Groves, sermon, podcast, transcript, Pastor Stephanie Doeschot, Matthew 3:13-17, Circle of Grace

No one enjoys being confused. We want to make sense of things. But God’s understanding is much bigger than our own, and even though we can never grasp it all, we can trust in the God who does.

Whether you’re an atheist or a seminary professor, everyone has doubts about God. So how can we have faith if we still have unanswered questions?

A huge thanks to Joseph McDade for his generous permission to use his music: https://josephmcdade.com/ Thanks to Palmtoptiger17 for the beautiful logo: https://www.instagram.com/palmtoptiger17/ Discord Discussion Board: https://disboard.org/server/474580298630430751  The 80% (My Book): https://www.amazon.com/80-Conservative-Evangelicals-Prove-Relativists-ebook/dp/B07RDPW2NZ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=j.g.+elliot&qid=1573560697&sr=8-1 Various reflections related to consequentialism: https://www.dckreider.com/blog-theological-musings/category/pragmatism-and-consequentialism Political Centrists (the And Campaign): This is a good podcast which talks about the polarization of political parties and how we can't compromise truth or love. While I may have some issues with the idea that you can promote a tool which embraces evil, I like that Christians are recognizing the need to push back against their parties. https://www.prestonsprinkle.com/theology-in-the-raw/2019/10/14/761-politics-white-evangelicalism-and-race-relations-in-the-church-justin-giboney Protecting Family Against Intruder 1: https://thefourthway.transistor.fm/episodes/rebuttal-would-you-really-allow-an-intruder-to-harm-your-family Protecting Family Against Intruder 2: https://thefourthway.transistor.fm/episodes/episode-19-rebuttal-would-you-really-allow-an-intruder-to-harm-your-family-part-2-the-practical Why Christians Should Consider Abstention from Voting: https://www.dckreider.com/blog-theological-musings/why-christians-should-consider-abstention-from-voting Abstention and Countering Political Idolatry: Will be released 2/15/2020 - https://www.dckreider.com/blog-theological-musings John Howard Yoder Quote:  One way to characterize thinking about social ethics in our time is to say that Christians in our age are obsessed with the meaning and direction of history. Social ethical concern is moved by a deep desire to make things move in the right direction. Whether a given action is right or not seems to be inseparable from the question of what effects it will cause. Thus part if not all of social concern has to do with looking for the right handle by which one can “get a hold of” the course of history and move it in the right direction.   Whichever the favored “handle” may be, the structure of this approach is logically the same. One seeks to lift up one focal point in the midst of the course of human relations, one thread of meaning and causality which is more important than the individual persons, their lives and well-being, because it in itself determines wherein their well-being consists. Therefore it is justified to sacrifice to this one “cause” other subordinate values, including the life and welfare of one's self, one's neighbor, and (of course!) the enemy. We pull this one strategic thread in order to save the whole fabric. We can see this kind of reasoning with Constantine saving the Roman Empire, with Luther saving the Reformation by making an alliance with the princes, or with Krushchev and his successors saving Marxism by making it somewhat more capitalistic, or with the United States saving democracy by alliances with military dictatorships and by the threatened use of the bomb. Whether Jesus be the Christ or not, whether Jesus the Christ be Lord or not, whether this kind of religious language be meaningful or not, most types of ethical approach will keep on functioning just the same…The cross is not a recipe for resurrection. Suffering is not a tool to make people come around, nor a good in itself. But the kind of faithfulness that is willing to accept evident defeat rather than complicity with evil is, by virtue of its conformity with what happens to God when he works among us, aligned with the ultimate triumph of the Lamb. The vision of ultimate good being determined by faithfulness and not by results is the point where we moderns get off. We confuse the kind of 'triumph of the good,' whose sole guarantee is the resurrection and the promise of the eternal glory of the Lamb, with an immediately accessible triumph which can be manipulated, just past the next social action campaign, by getting hold of society as a whole at the top. What in the Middle Ages was done by Roman Christianity or Islam is now being attempted by Marxism and by democratic nationalism. In spite of all the difference in language, and in the detailed vision of just what a good society would look like (and as a matter of fact even the visions are not that different), the real uniqueness of each of these positions is only that it identifies differently the particular moral elite which it holds to be worthy of guiding its society from the top. We may well prefer a democratically controlled oligarchy to some other kind. We may well have a choice between Marxist and Islamic and other statements of the vision of the good society. But what our contemporaries find themselves practically incapable of challenging is that the social problem can be solved by determining which aristocrats are morally justified, by virtue of their better ideology, to use the power of society from the top so as to lead the whole system in their direction.  Once a desirable course of history has been labeled, once we know what the right cause is, then it is further assumed that we should be willing to sacrifice for it; sacrifice not only to our own values but also those of the neighbor and especially the enemy. In other words, the achievement of the good cause, the implementation in history of the changes we have determined to be desirable, creates a new autonomous ethical value, 'relevance' itself a good in the name of which evil may be done...  Christ renounced the claim to govern history...what Jesus renounced was thus not simply the metaphysical status of sonship but rather the untrammeled sovereign exercise of power in the affairs of that humanity amid which he came to dwell. His emptying of himself, his accepting the form of servanthood and obedience unto death, is precisely his renunciation of lordship, his apparent abandonment of any obligation to be effective in making history move down the right track... the universal testimony of scripture is that Christians are those who follow Christ at just this point.  ..."The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power!" John is here saying, not as an inscrutable paradox but as a meaningful affirmation, that the cross is not the sword, suffering and not brute power determines the meaning of history. The key to the obedience of God's people is not their effectiveness but their patience (Rev. 13:10). The triumph of the right is assured not by the might that comes to the aid of the right, which is of course the justification of the use of violence and other kinds of power in every human conflict. The triumph of the right, although it is assured, is sure because of the power of the resurrection and not because of any calculation of causes and effects, nor because of the inherently greater strength of the good guys. The relationship between the obedience of god's people and the triumph of God's cause is not a relationship of cause and effect but one of cross and resurrection... we find the most desperate encounter of the church's weakness (John was probably in exile, Paul in prison) with the power of the evil rulers of the present age. But this position is nothing more than a logical unfolding of the meaning of the work of Jesus Christ himself, whose choice of suffering servanthood rather than violent lordship, of love to the point of death rather than righteousness backed by power, was itself the fundamental direction of his life. Jesus was so faithful to the enemy love of god that it cost him all his effectiveness; he gave up every handle on history. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Be it a questionable call in a football game, a famous person getting into trouble with the law, or just hearing two random strangers arguing at the grocery store, people love controversy.We’re drawn to it like a moth to a flame, and often with the same result.But in addition to all of the meaningless little controversies that occupy our lives, there are also some very important controversies in life that, sooner or later, every person must weigh in on.Who forgot to put the milk in the refrigerator? It may be a controversy, but it’s not a big deal.But try some of these on for size--When does life really begin?Who gets to say what is right and what is wrong?When is it right to break the law?Questions like these, how we answer them, and how we live with people who answer them differently than we do are some of the great defining factors of our lives.And the very greatest controversy of all, in my humble opinion, is this one--Who. is. Jesus??This question has, in my opinion, created more controversy in the the world than any other. All over the world for two millennia people have debated and often battled over their answers to this question.AND even when Jesus was in the midst of His life and ministry, the controversy was already happening.The Book of John, Chapter 9 in the Bible tells the story of one of those controversies.The big picture is that as Jesus was out and about he had found this guy begging for money on the side of the road. The man was born blind, and never in his life had he been able to see.And Jesus, being Jesus, performs a miracle and heals him.Oddly enough, at that point is when the controversy really started.A group of people who didn’t like Jesus heard about the miracle, and so they actually hauled the guy who got healed—AND his parent even—into court.Then, and as a part of that fiasco, they tell the healed man that they believe that Jesus is an awful evil sinful person, and they demand that this man, who had just experienced a life-changing miracle from Jesus, agree with them about that.You have to read this story for yourself today in the Book of John, Chapter 9, but in verse 25 the man responds in the most amazing way to Jesus' enemies who are threatening him and his family.Instead of picking a side and jumping into the fight about if Jesus is a good guy or a bad buy, he simply says--“Whether [Jesus] is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”The controversy continued on that day, and 2,000 years later, the controversy about Jesus continues still. Some people say He is the Savior of the world and that anybody can put their faith in Him and find real life forever. Other people say that He is a phony. And still other people say that whatever He was then, it does not matter today.As for me, I believe that Jesus was for real, I believe that He still is, and I believe that every person's decision to trust Jesus or not is the most important decision that they will ever make.So what do you believe? Who do you say that Jesus is? And what difference is your answer making in your life today?I don't know what your answer is to those questions. But I know this. In a very real sense, I once was blind, but now I see.And my hope for you today is that God will do for you what He has done for me.

Be it a questionable call in a football game, a famous person getting into trouble with the law, or just hearing two random strangers arguing at the grocery store, people love controversy.We’re drawn to it like a moth to a flame, and often with the same result.But in addition to all of the meaningless little controversies that occupy our lives, there are also some very important controversies in life that, sooner or later, every person must weigh in on.Who forgot to put the milk in the refrigerator? It may be a controversy, but it’s not a big deal.But try some of these on for size--When does life really begin?Who gets to say what is right and what is wrong?When is it right to break the law?Questions like these, how we answer them, and how we live with people who answer them differently than we do are some of the great defining factors of our lives.And the very greatest controversy of all, in my humble opinion, is this one--Who. is. Jesus??This question has, in my opinion, created more controversy in the the world than any other. All over the world for two millennia people have debated and often battled over their answers to this question.AND even when Jesus was in the midst of His life and ministry, the controversy was already happening.The Book of John, Chapter 9 in the Bible tells the story of one of those controversies.The big picture is that as Jesus was out and about he had found this guy begging for money on the side of the road. The man was born blind, and never in his life had he been able to see.And Jesus, being Jesus, performs a miracle and heals him.Oddly enough, at that point is when the controversy really started.A group of people who didn’t like Jesus heard about the miracle, and so they actually hauled the guy who got healed—AND his parent even—into court.Then, and as a part of that fiasco, they tell the healed man that they believe that Jesus is an awful evil sinful person, and they demand that this man, who had just experienced a life-changing miracle from Jesus, agree with them about that.You have to read this story for yourself today in the Book of John, Chapter 9, but in verse 25 the man responds in the most amazing way to Jesus' enemies who are threatening him and his family.Instead of picking a side and jumping into the fight about if Jesus is a good guy or a bad buy, he simply says--“Whether [Jesus] is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”The controversy continued on that day, and 2,000 years later, the controversy about Jesus continues still. Some people say He is the Savior of the world and that anybody can put their faith in Him and find real life forever. Other people say that He is a phony. And still other people say that whatever He was then, it does not matter today.As for me, I believe that Jesus was for real, I believe that He still is, and I believe that every person's decision to trust Jesus or not is the most important decision that they will ever make.So what do you believe? Who do you say that Jesus is? And what difference is your answer making in your life today?I don't know what your answer is to those questions. But I know this. In a very real sense, I once was blind, but now I see.And my hope for you today is that God will do for you what He has done for me.

06/05/18 - The 1030 // Doctrine- Why does it matter whether Jesus is alive? //Rev.John Leach by St Swithin's Lincoln

Why we cook meat: revisited. What does the Bible tell us about singing vs. instrumental music? What do we know from other sources about first-century worship?   Any thoughts about the proof-text method of arguing and teaching, and its place in church history?   Is it wrong to believe that even with Roman roads, communication between churches would have been slow and spotty and thus uniformity of practice and creeds would be doubtful? Will the Catholic church ever stop protecting the institution and actually take action to end the child-abuse and remove the abusers?   Would you mind reviewing the evolution of the god-concept?  How did he go from a genocidal humanoid to a loving, vaporous bystander? Are there any of god's actions that may be considered unequivocally good -- that is, not made possible by, or intended to fix, a problem that he himself created; and not for any secondary gain, such as increasing the number of his followers, the status of his followers, or his own personal standing among other gods or people? Whether Jesus said he would â??lift upâ?? or â??cut offâ?? vine branches that produced no fruit: revisited. Does the minority view of Jesus as the final sacrifice that now permits Gentiles to become genuine members of the family of God have a historical, albeit much different, mundane basis, that grew into something bigger, requiring a God-Man to save all humanity in order to compete with the ubiquitous similar stories in the surrounding regions?

The Twelve Apostles 139:0.1 (1548.1) IT IS an eloquent testimony to the charm and righteousness of Jesus’ earth life that, although he repeatedly dashed to pieces the hopes of his apostles and tore to shreds their every ambition for personal exaltation, only one deserted him. 139:0.2 (1548.2) The apostles learned from Jesus about the kingdom of heaven, and Jesus learned much from them about the kingdom of men, human nature as it lives on Urantia and on the other evolutionary worlds of time and space. These twelve men represented many different types of human temperament, and they had not been made alike by schooling. Many of these Galilean fishermen carried heavy strains of gentile blood as a result of the forcible conversion of the gentile population of Galilee one hundred years previously. 139:0.3 (1548.3) Do not make the mistake of regarding the apostles as being altogether ignorant and unlearned. All of them, except the Alpheus twins, were graduates of the synagogue schools, having been thoroughly trained in the Hebrew scriptures and in much of the current knowledge of that day. Seven were graduates of the Capernaum synagogue schools, and there were no better Jewish schools in all Galilee. 139:0.4 (1548.4) When your records refer to these messengers of the kingdom as being “ignorant and unlearned,” it was intended to convey the idea that they were laymen, unlearned in the lore of the rabbis and untrained in the methods of rabbinical interpretation of the Scriptures. They were lacking in so-called higher education. In modern times they would certainly be considered uneducated, and in some circles of society even uncultured. One thing is certain: They had not all been put through the same rigid and stereotyped educational curriculum. From adolescence on they had enjoyed separate experiences of learning how to live. 1. Andrew, the First Chosen 139:1.1 (1548.5) Andrew, chairman of the apostolic corps of the kingdom, was born in Capernaum. He was the oldest child in a family of five — himself, his brother Simon, and three sisters. His father, now dead, had been a partner of Zebedee in the fish-drying business at Bethsaida, the fishing harbor of Capernaum. When he became an apostle, Andrew was unmarried but made his home with his married brother, Simon Peter. Both were fishermen and partners of James and John the sons of Zebedee. 139:1.2 (1548.6) In A.D. 26, the year he was chosen as an apostle, Andrew was 33, a full year older than Jesus and the oldest of the apostles. He sprang from an excellent line of ancestors and was the ablest man of the twelve. Excepting oratory, he was the peer of his associates in almost every imaginable ability. Jesus never gave Andrew a nickname, a fraternal designation. But even as the apostles soon began to call Jesus Master, so they also designated Andrew by a term the equivalent of Chief. 139:1.3 (1549.1) Andrew was a good organizer but a better administrator. He was one of the inner circle of four apostles, but his appointment by Jesus as the head of the apostolic group made it necessary for him to remain on duty with his brethren while the other three enjoyed very close communion with the Master. To the very end Andrew remained dean of the apostolic corps. 139:1.4 (1549.2) Although Andrew was never an effective preacher, he was an efficient personal worker, being the pioneer missionary of the kingdom in that, as the first chosen apostle, he immediately brought to Jesus his brother, Simon, who subsequently became one of the greatest preachers of the kingdom. Andrew was the chief supporter of Jesus’ policy of utilizing the program of personal work as a means of training the twelve as messengers of the kingdom. 139:1.5 (1549.3) Whether Jesus privately taught the apostles or preached to the multitude, Andrew was usually conversant with what was going on; he was an understanding executive and an efficient administrator. He rendered a prompt decision on every matter brought to his notice unless he deemed the problem one beyond the domain of his authority, in which event he would take it straight to Jesus. 139:1.6 (1549.4) Andrew and Peter were very unlike in character and temperament, but it must be recorded everlastingly to their credit that they got along together splendidly. Andrew was never jealous of Peter’s oratorical ability. Not often will an older man of Andrew’s type be observed exerting such a profound influence over a younger and talented brother. Andrew and Peter never seemed to be in the least jealous of each other’s abilities or achievements. Late on the evening of the day of Pentecost, when, largely through the energetic and inspiring preaching of Peter, two thousand souls were added to the kingdom, Andrew said to his brother: “I could not do that, but I am glad I have a brother who could.” To which Peter replied: “And but for your bringing me to the Master and by your steadfastness keeping me with him, I should not have been here to do this.” Andrew and Peter were the exceptions to the rule, proving that even brothers can live together peaceably and work together effectively. 139:1.7 (1549.5) After Pentecost Peter was famous, but it never irritated the older Andrew to spend the rest of his life being introduced as “Simon Peter’s brother.” 139:1.8 (1549.6) Of all the apostles, Andrew was the best judge of men. He knew that trouble was brewing in the heart of Judas Iscariot even when none of the others suspected that anything was wrong with their treasurer; but he told none of them his fears. Andrew’s great service to the kingdom was in advising Peter, James, and John concerning the choice of the first missionaries who were sent out to proclaim the gospel, and also in counseling these early leaders about the organization of the administrative affairs of the kingdom. Andrew had a great gift for discovering the hidden resources and latent talents of young people. 139:1.9 (1549.7) Very soon after Jesus’ ascension on high, Andrew began the writing of a personal record of many of the sayings and doings of his departed Master. After Andrew’s death other copies of this private record were made and circulated freely among the early teachers of the Christian church. These informal notes of Andrew’s were subsequently edited, amended, altered, and added to until they made up a fairly consecutive narrative of the Master’s life on earth. The last of these few altered and amended copies was destroyed by fire at Alexandria about one hundred years after the original was written by the first chosen of the twelve apostles. 139:1.10 (1550.1) Andrew was a man of clear insight, logical thought, and firm decision, whose great strength of character consisted in his superb stability. His temperamental handicap was his lack of enthusiasm; he many times failed to encourage his associates by judicious commendation. And this reticence to praise the worthy accomplishments of his friends grew out of his abhorrence of flattery and insincerity. Andrew was one of those all-round, even-tempered, self-made, and successful men of modest affairs. 139:1.11 (1550.2) Every one of the apostles loved Jesus, but it remains true that each of the twelve was drawn toward him because of some certain trait of personality which made a special appeal to the individual apostle. Andrew admired Jesus because of his consistent sincerity, his unaffected dignity. When men once knew Jesus, they were possessed with the urge to share him with their friends; they really wanted all the world to know him. 139:1.12 (1550.3) When the later persecutions finally scattered the apostles from Jerusalem, Andrew journeyed through Armenia, Asia Minor, and Macedonia and, after bringing many thousands into the kingdom, was finally apprehended and crucified in Patrae in Achaia. It was two full days before this robust man expired on the cross, and throughout these tragic hours he continued effectively to proclaim the glad tidings of the salvation of the kingdom of heaven. 2. Simon Peter 139:2.1 (1550.4) When Simon joined the apostles, he was thirty years of age. He was married, had three children, and lived at Bethsaida, near Capernaum. His brother, Andrew, and his wife’s mother lived with him. Both Peter and Andrew were fisher partners of the sons of Zebedee. 139:2.2 (1550.5) The Master had known Simon for some time before Andrew presented him as the second of the apostles. When Jesus gave Simon the name Peter, he did it with a smile; it was to be a sort of nickname. Simon was well known to all his friends as an erratic and impulsive fellow. True, later on, Jesus did attach a new and significant import to this lightly bestowed nickname. 139:2.3 (1550.6) Simon Peter was a man of impulse, an optimist. He had grown up permitting himself freely to indulge strong feelings; he was constantly getting into difficulties because he persisted in speaking without thinking. This sort of thoughtlessness also made incessant trouble for all of his friends and associates and was the cause of his receiving many mild rebukes from his Master. The only reason Peter did not get into more trouble because of his thoughtless speaking was that he very early learned to talk over many of his plans and schemes with his brother, Andrew, before he ventured to make public proposals. 139:2.4 (1550.7) Peter was a fluent speaker, eloquent and dramatic. He was also a natural and inspirational leader of men, a quick thinker but not a deep reasoner. He asked many questions, more than all the apostles put together, and while the majority of these questions were good and relevant, many of them were thoughtless and foolish. Peter did not have a deep mind, but he knew his mind fairly well. He was therefore a man of quick decision and sudden action. While others talked in their astonishment at seeing Jesus on the beach, Peter jumped in and swam ashore to meet the Master. 139:2.5 (1551.1) The one trait which Peter most admired in Jesus was his supernal tenderness. Peter never grew weary of contemplating Jesus’ forbearance. He never forgot the lesson about forgiving the wrongdoer, not only seven times but seventy times and seven. He thought much about these impressions of the Master’s forgiving character during those dark and dismal days immediately following his thoughtless and unintended denial of Jesus in the high priest’s courtyard. 139:2.6 (1551.2) Simon Peter was distressingly vacillating; he would suddenly swing from one extreme to the other. First he refused to let Jesus wash his feet and then, on hearing the Master’s reply, begged to be washed all over. But, after all, Jesus knew that Peter’s faults were of the head and not of the heart. He was one of the most inexplicable combinations of courage and cowardice that ever lived on earth. His great strength of character was loyalty, friendship. Peter really and truly loved Jesus. And yet despite this towering strength of devotion he was so unstable and inconstant that he permitted a servant girl to tease him into denying his Lord and Master. Peter could withstand persecution and any other form of direct assault, but he withered and shrank before ridicule. He was a brave soldier when facing a frontal attack, but he was a fear-cringing coward when surprised with an assault from the rear. 139:2.7 (1551.3) Peter was the first of Jesus’ apostles to come forward to defend the work of Philip among the Samaritans and Paul among the gentiles; yet later on at Antioch he reversed himself when confronted by ridiculing Judaizers, temporarily withdrawing from the gentiles only to bring down upon his head the fearless denunciation of Paul. 139:2.8 (1551.4) He was the first one of the apostles to make wholehearted confession of Jesus’ combined humanity and divinity and the first — save Judas — to deny him. Peter was not so much of a dreamer, but he disliked to descend from the clouds of ecstasy and the enthusiasm of dramatic indulgence to the plain and matter-of-fact world of reality. 139:2.9 (1551.5) In following Jesus, literally and figuratively, he was either leading the procession or else trailing behind — “following afar off.” But he was the outstanding preacher of the twelve; he did more than any other one man, aside from Paul, to establish the kingdom and send its messengers to the four corners of the earth in one generation. 139:2.10 (1551.6) After his rash denials of the Master he found himself, and with Andrew’s sympathetic and understanding guidance he again led the way back to the fish nets while the apostles tarried to find out what was to happen after the crucifixion. When he was fully assured that Jesus had forgiven him and knew he had been received back into the Master’s fold, the fires of the kingdom burned so brightly within his soul that he became a great and saving light to thousands who sat in darkness. 139:2.11 (1551.7) After leaving Jerusalem and before Paul became the leading spirit among the gentile Christian churches, Peter traveled extensively, visiting all the churches from Babylon to Corinth. He even visited and ministered to many of the churches which had been raised up by Paul. Although Peter and Paul differed much in temperament and education, even in theology, they worked together harmoniously for the upbuilding of the churches during their later years. 139:2.12 (1552.1) Something of Peter’s style and teaching is shown in the sermons partially recorded by Luke and in the Gospel of Mark. His vigorous style was better shown in his letter known as the First Epistle of Peter; at least this was true before it was subsequently altered by a disciple of Paul. 139:2.13 (1552.2) But Peter persisted in making the mistake of trying to convince the Jews that Jesus was, after all, really and truly the Jewish Messiah. Right up to the day of his death, Simon Peter continued to suffer confusion in his mind between the concepts of Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, Christ as the world’s redeemer, and the Son of Man as the revelation of God, the loving Father of all mankind. 139:2.14 (1552.3) Peter’s wife was a very able woman. For years she labored acceptably as a member of the women’s corps, and when Peter was driven out of Jerusalem, she accompanied him upon all his journeys to the churches as well as on all his missionary excursions. And the day her illustrious husband yielded up his life, she was thrown to the wild beasts in the arena at Rome. 139:2.15 (1552.4) And so this man Peter, an intimate of Jesus, one of the inner circle, went forth from Jerusalem proclaiming the glad tidings of the kingdom with power and glory until the fullness of his ministry had been accomplished; and he regarded himself as the recipient of high honors when his captors informed him that he must die as his Master had died — on the cross. And thus was Simon Peter crucified in Rome. 3. James Zebedee 139:3.1 (1552.5) James, the older of the two apostle sons of Zebedee, whom Jesus nicknamed “sons of thunder,” was thirty years old when he became an apostle. He was married, had four children, and lived near his parents in the outskirts of Capernaum, Bethsaida. He was a fisherman, plying his calling in company with his younger brother John and in association with Andrew and Simon. James and his brother John enjoyed the advantage of having known Jesus longer than any of the other apostles. 139:3.2 (1552.6) This able apostle was a temperamental contradiction; he seemed really to possess two natures, both of which were actuated by strong feelings. He was particularly vehement when his indignation was once fully aroused. He had a fiery temper when once it was adequately provoked, and when the storm was over, he was always wont to justify and excuse his anger under the pretense that it was wholly a manifestation of righteous indignation. Except for these periodic upheavals of wrath, James’s personality was much like that of Andrew. He did not have Andrew’s discretion or insight into human nature, but he was a much better public speaker. Next to Peter, unless it was Matthew, James was the best public orator among the twelve. 139:3.3 (1552.7) Though James was in no sense moody, he could be quiet and taciturn one day and a very good talker and storyteller the next. He usually talked freely with Jesus, but among the twelve, for days at a time he was the silent man. His one great weakness was these spells of unaccountable silence. 139:3.4 (1552.8) The outstanding feature of James’s personality was his ability to see all sides of a proposition. Of all the twelve, he came the nearest to grasping the real import and significance of Jesus’ teaching. He, too, was slow at first to comprehend the Master’s meaning, but ere they had finished their training, he had acquired a superior concept of Jesus’ message. James was able to understand a wide range of human nature; he got along well with the versatile Andrew, the impetuous Peter, and his self-contained brother John. 139:3.5 (1553.1) Though James and John had their troubles trying to work together, it was inspiring to observe how well they got along. They did not succeed quite so well as Andrew and Peter, but they did much better than would ordinarily be expected of two brothers, especially such headstrong and determined brothers. But, strange as it may seem, these two sons of Zebedee were much more tolerant of each other than they were of strangers. They had great affection for one another; they had always been happy playmates. It was these “sons of thunder” who wanted to call fire down from heaven to destroy the Samaritans who presumed to show disrespect for their Master. But the untimely death of James greatly modified the vehement temperament of his younger brother John. 139:3.6 (1553.2) That characteristic of Jesus which James most admired was the Master’s sympathetic affection. Jesus’ understanding interest in the small and the great, the rich and the poor, made a great appeal to him. 139:3.7 (1553.3) James Zebedee was a well-balanced thinker and planner. Along with Andrew, he was one of the more level-headed of the apostolic group. He was a vigorous individual but was never in a hurry. He was an excellent balance wheel for Peter. 139:3.8 (1553.4) He was modest and undramatic, a daily server, an unpretentious worker, seeking no special reward when he once grasped something of the real meaning of the kingdom. And even in the story about the mother of James and John, who asked that her sons be granted places on the right hand and the left hand of Jesus, it should be remembered that it was the mother who made this request. And when they signified that they were ready to assume such responsibilities, it should be recognized that they were cognizant of the dangers accompanying the Master’s supposed revolt against the Roman power, and that they were also willing to pay the price. When Jesus asked if they were ready to drink the cup, they replied that they were. And as concerns James, it was literally true — he did drink the cup with the Master, seeing that he was the first of the apostles to experience martyrdom, being early put to death with the sword by Herod Agrippa. James was thus the first of the twelve to sacrifice his life upon the new battle line of the kingdom. Herod Agrippa feared James above all the other apostles. He was indeed often quiet and silent, but he was brave and determined when his convictions were aroused and challenged. 139:3.9 (1553.5) James lived his life to the full, and when the end came, he bore himself with such grace and fortitude that even his accuser and informer, who attended his trial and execution, was so touched that he rushed away from the scene of James’s death to join himself to the disciples of Jesus. 4. John Zebedee 139:4.1 (1553.6) When he became an apostle, John was twenty-four years old and was the youngest of the twelve. He was unmarried and lived with his parents at Bethsaida; he was a fisherman and worked with his brother James in partnership with Andrew and Peter. Both before and after becoming an apostle, John functioned as the personal agent of Jesus in dealing with the Master’s family, and he continued to bear this responsibility as long as Mary the mother of Jesus lived. 139:4.2 (1553.7) Since John was the youngest of the twelve and so closely associated with Jesus in his family affairs, he was very dear to the Master, but it cannot be truthfully said that he was “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” You would hardly suspect such a magnanimous personality as Jesus to be guilty of showing favoritism, of loving one of his apostles more than the others. The fact that John was one of the three personal aides of Jesus lent further color to this mistaken idea, not to mention that John, along with his brother James, had known Jesus longer than the others. 139:4.3 (1554.1) Peter, James, and John were assigned as personal aides to Jesus soon after they became apostles. Shortly after the selection of the twelve and at the time Jesus appointed Andrew to act as director of the group, he said to him: “And now I desire that you assign two or three of your associates to be with me and to remain by my side, to comfort me and to minister to my daily needs.” And Andrew thought best to select for this special duty the next three first-chosen apostles. He would have liked to volunteer for such a blessed service himself, but the Master had already given him his commission; so he immediately directed that Peter, James, and John attach themselves to Jesus. 139:4.4 (1554.2) John Zebedee had many lovely traits of character, but one which was not so lovely was his inordinate but usually well-concealed conceit. His long association with Jesus made many and great changes in his character. This conceit was greatly lessened, but after growing old and becoming more or less childish, this self-esteem reappeared to a certain extent, so that, when engaged in directing Nathan in the writing of the Gospel which now bears his name, the aged apostle did not hesitate repeatedly to refer to himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” In view of the fact that John came nearer to being the chum of Jesus than any other earth mortal, that he was his chosen personal representative in so many matters, it is not strange that he should have come to regard himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved” since he most certainly knew he was the disciple whom Jesus so frequently trusted. 139:4.5 (1554.3) The strongest trait in John’s character was his dependability; he was prompt and courageous, faithful and devoted. His greatest weakness was this characteristic conceit. He was the youngest member of his father’s family and the youngest of the apostolic group. Perhaps he was just a bit spoiled; maybe he had been humored slightly too much. But the John of after years was a very different type of person than the self-admiring and arbitrary young man who joined the ranks of Jesus’ apostles when he was twenty-four. 139:4.6 (1554.4) Those characteristics of Jesus which John most appreciated were the Master’s love and unselfishness; these traits made such an impression on him that his whole subsequent life became dominated by the sentiment of love and brotherly devotion. He talked about love and wrote about love. This “son of thunder” became the “apostle of love”; and at Ephesus, when the aged bishop was no longer able to stand in the pulpit and preach but had to be carried to church in a chair, and when at the close of the service he was asked to say a few words to the believers, for years his only utterance was, “My little children, love one another.” 139:4.7 (1554.5) John was a man of few words except when his temper was aroused. He thought much but said little. As he grew older, his temper became more subdued, better controlled, but he never overcame his disinclination to talk; he never fully mastered this reticence. But he was gifted with a remarkable and creative imagination. 139:4.8 (1555.1) There was another side to John that one would not expect to find in this quiet and introspective type. He was somewhat bigoted and inordinately intolerant. In this respect he and James were much alike — they both wanted to call down fire from heaven on the heads of the disrespectful Samaritans. When John encountered some strangers teaching in Jesus’ name, he promptly forbade them. But he was not the only one of the twelve who was tainted with this kind of self-esteem and superiority consciousness. 139:4.9 (1555.2) John’s life was tremendously influenced by the sight of Jesus’ going about without a home as he knew how faithfully he had made provision for the care of his mother and family. John also deeply sympathized with Jesus because of his family’s failure to understand him, being aware that they were gradually withdrawing from him. This entire situation, together with Jesus’ ever deferring his slightest wish to the will of the Father in heaven and his daily life of implicit trust, made such a profound impression on John that it produced marked and permanent changes in his character, changes which manifested themselves throughout his entire subsequent life. 139:4.10 (1555.3) John had a cool and daring courage which few of the other apostles possessed. He was the one apostle who followed right along with Jesus the night of his arrest and dared to accompany his Master into the very jaws of death. He was present and near at hand right up to the last earthly hour and was found faithfully carrying out his trust with regard to Jesus’ mother and ready to receive such additional instructions as might be given during the last moments of the Master’s mortal existence. One thing is certain, John was thoroughly dependable. John usually sat on Jesus’ right hand when the twelve were at meat. He was the first of the twelve really and fully to believe in the resurrection, and he was the first to recognize the Master when he came to them on the seashore after his resurrection. 139:4.11 (1555.4) This son of Zebedee was very closely associated with Peter in the early activities of the Christian movement, becoming one of the chief supporters of the Jerusalem church. He was the right-hand support of Peter on the day of Pentecost. 139:4.12 (1555.5) Several years after the martyrdom of James, John married his brother’s widow. The last twenty years of his life he was cared for by a loving granddaughter. 139:4.13 (1555.6) John was in prison several times and was banished to the Isle of Patmos for a period of four years until another emperor came to power in Rome. Had not John been tactful and sagacious, he would undoubtedly have been killed as was his more outspoken brother James. As the years passed, John, together with James the Lord’s brother, learned to practice wise conciliation when they appeared before the civil magistrates. They found that a “soft answer turns away wrath.” They also learned to represent the church as a “spiritual brotherhood devoted to the social service of mankind” rather than as “the kingdom of heaven.” They taught loving service rather than ruling power — kingdom and king. 139:4.14 (1555.7) When in temporary exile on Patmos, John wrote the Book of Revelation, which you now have in greatly abridged and distorted form. This Book of Revelation contains the surviving fragments of a great revelation, large portions of which were lost, other portions of which were removed, subsequent to John’s writing. It is preserved in only fragmentary and adulterated form. 139:4.15 (1555.8) John traveled much, labored incessantly, and after becoming bishop of the Asia churches, settled down at Ephesus. He directed his associate, Nathan, in the writing of the so-called “Gospel according to John,” at Ephesus, when he was ninety-nine years old. Of all the twelve apostles, John Zebedee eventually became the outstanding theologian. He died a natural death at Ephesus in A.D. 103 when he was one hundred and one years of age. 5. Philip the Curious 139:5.1 (1556.1) Philip was the fifth apostle to be chosen, being called when Jesus and his first four apostles were on their way from John’s rendezvous on the Jordan to Cana of Galilee. Since he lived at Bethsaida, Philip had for some time known of Jesus, but it had not occurred to him that Jesus was a really great man until that day in the Jordan valley when he said, “Follow me.” Philip was also somewhat influenced by the fact that Andrew, Peter, James, and John had accepted Jesus as the Deliverer. 139:5.2 (1556.2) Philip was twenty-seven years of age when he joined the apostles; he had recently been married, but he had no children at this time. The nickname which the apostles gave him signified “curiosity.” Philip was always wanting to be shown. He never seemed to see very far into any proposition. He was not necessarily dull, but he lacked imagination. This lack of imagination was the great weakness of his character. He was a commonplace and matter-of-fact individual. 139:5.3 (1556.3) When the apostles were organized for service, Philip was made steward; it was his duty to see that they were at all times supplied with provisions. And he was a good steward. His strongest characteristic was his methodical thoroughness; he was both mathematical and systematic. 139:5.4 (1556.4) Philip came from a family of seven, three boys and four girls. He was next to the oldest, and after the resurrection he baptized his entire family into the kingdom. Philip’s people were fisherfolk. His father was a very able man, a deep thinker, but his mother was of a very mediocre family. Philip was not a man who could be expected to do big things, but he was a man who could do little things in a big way, do them well and acceptably. Only a few times in four years did he fail to have food on hand to satisfy the needs of all. Even the many emergency demands attendant upon the life they lived seldom found him unprepared. The commissary department of the apostolic family was intelligently and efficiently managed. 139:5.5 (1556.5) The strong point about Philip was his methodical reliability; the weak point in his make-up was his utter lack of imagination, the absence of the ability to put two and two together to obtain four. He was mathematical in the abstract but not constructive in his imagination. He was almost entirely lacking in certain types of imagination. He was the typical everyday and commonplace average man. There were a great many such men and women among the multitudes who came to hear Jesus teach and preach, and they derived great comfort from observing one like themselves elevated to an honored position in the councils of the Master; they derived courage from the fact that one like themselves had already found a high place in the affairs of the kingdom. And Jesus learned much about the way some human minds function as he so patiently listened to Philip’s foolish questions and so many times complied with his steward’s request to “be shown.” 139:5.6 (1556.6) The one quality about Jesus which Philip so continuously admired was the Master’s unfailing generosity. Never could Philip find anything in Jesus which was small, niggardly, or stingy, and he worshiped this ever-present and unfailing liberality. 139:5.7 (1557.1) There was little about Philip’s personality that was impressive. He was often spoken of as “Philip of Bethsaida, the town where Andrew and Peter live.” He was almost without discerning vision; he was unable to grasp the dramatic possibilities of a given situation. He was not pessimistic; he was simply prosaic. He was also greatly lacking in spiritual insight. He would not hesitate to interrupt Jesus in the midst of one of the Master’s most profound discourses to ask an apparently foolish question. But Jesus never reprimanded him for such thoughtlessness; he was patient with him and considerate of his inability to grasp the deeper meanings of the teaching. Jesus well knew that, if he once rebuked Philip for asking these annoying questions, he would not only wound this honest soul, but such a reprimand would so hurt Philip that he would never again feel free to ask questions. Jesus knew that on his worlds of space there were untold billions of similar slow-thinking mortals, and he wanted to encourage them all to look to him and always to feel free to come to him with their questions and problems. After all, Jesus was really more interested in Philip’s foolish questions than in the sermon he might be preaching. Jesus was supremely interested in men, all kinds of men. 139:5.8 (1557.2) The apostolic steward was not a good public speaker, but he was a very persuasive and

Whether Jesus should have washed the feet of Judas?The Secret of Forgiveness

It's absolutely no secret that I, of late, have taken a deep dive into what many would consider to be "woo-woo" forms of healing and enhancing the human body and brain, including the use of modalities such as acupuncture, biofeedback, yoga, homeopathic medicine, chiropractic medicine, energy medicine, acupuncture, ayurvedic "energy points" and traditional Chinese medicine... ...along with a developed growing interest in the concept of chi, Prana, chakra and life force. Before the 1960s, most of these practices such as sound healing, yoga, chiropractic, acupuncture, Reiki, therapeutic touch, meditation, martial arts, homeopathy, alternative anticancer diets, etc. were dismissed as medically and religiously questionable. But now that these once-suspect health practices have gained approval and been re-categorized as somewhat non-religious and instead falling under the auspices of healthcare, fitness, or scientific modalities, they seem to have gained a great deal of cultural legitimacy because people interpret them as science instead of religion. Therapies such as acupuncture, biofeedback, and “Therapeutic Touch” (the laying on of hands to channel “Universal Life Energy” to the patient) are increasingly accepted and utilized by physicians, hospitals, and clinics across the country. The use of meditation and visualization are commonly prescribed to reduce stress. Chiropractic, long considered anathema by orthodox medicine, has recently acquired a new respectability, and spinal adjustments are not infrequently combined with more exotic forms of “energy balancing.” And yet I've certainly been called out many times about the fact that I am a professing Christian who - despite having a strong belief in the power of prayer and the ability of God to spontaneously work miracles and heal - also embraces many of these so-called unconventional therapies that stem from non-Christian traditions.  Recently, I was listening to a sermon by pastor Toby Sumpter, in which Toby describes the link between spiritual health and physical ailments. It was a really great message, especially considering that while listening, I was attending a medical conference where there was a lot of chat among some of the world's top physicians about energy medicine and it's growing relevance and efficacy. So in an attempt to frame for myself (and you) how energy medicine and alternative healing modalities can best be presented from a Christian standpoint, I invited Toby onto the podcast. Toby is the Pastor of Preaching at Trin ormed Church in Moscow, Idaho. He has an M.A. in Theological Studies from Erskine Theological Seminary and a B.A. in Liberal Arts and Culture from New St. Andrews College. He's the author of and and the host of the "" show. He and his wife Jenny have four kids. During our discussion, you'll discover: -How Christians have been appropriating other religious traditions for centuries (such as Easter, which used to be a fertility ritual; you have bunny rabbits and eggs so that you'll get more babies) and the difference between yoga and Christmas...[11:45] -What Scripture has to say about things like aromatherapy and essential oils...[29:05] -If denial of energy medicine is a form of  "flat earth" Christianity...[35:30] -The two most important questions you must ask yourself about any alternative health practice before you dive into them...[42:40] -Whether transcendental meditation (and other forms of meditation) is a form of idol worship or a practice Christians shouldn't do...[44:05] -Whether Jesus and the apostles were using some form of energy healing...[52:10] -The amazing effects that prayer and positive emotions can have upon molecules and matter...[55:50] -Why we need a case-by-case analysis of each therapy, rather than a blanket rejection, before accepting or rejecting them...[58:50] -The idea that these forms of energy involved the breath of life that God breathed into man, and whether this vital energy needs to be manipulated in our bodies to promote health as the basis of energetic medicine is essentially a pantheistic view and cannot be conformed to biblical theology...[66:00] -Whether invisible energy forces are the common denominator of creation is not scripturally heretical and it’s only offensive to our traditionally accepted world view...[67:20] -If Christians these days spend an unhealthy amount of time focusing on health and engaging in "health idolatry"...[68:40] -And much more... Resources from this episode: - - - - - -Podcast: -Podcast:  - - - Show Sponsors: -TradeStation - Active military and veterans, as well as First Responders get to trade commission free. TradeStation is dedicated to helping everyone who has invested so much into this country. Learn more and sign up today at . -Organifi - Go to and use discount code REDBEN for 20% off your Red Juice order. -Molekule - Go to and enter promo code BEN for $75 off your order! -Quip - Go to to get your first refill pack FREE with purchasing a Quip electric toothbrush. Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Toby or me? Leave your comments at and one of us will reply!

Whether Jesus is the answer to disarming the violent, largely political divisions in our society?   Dan Carlin Common Sense   Key Teachings of Jesus

Church of the Atonement is a member of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

Whether Jesus accomplished a micro-personal goal or macro-theological purpose through his crucifixion?  

Whether Jesus denounced the use of a homophobic slang term in one of his sermons?  thomsense

The title says a lot. :) This program, recorded on Easter, 2015, is for those who might say they are believers in the Christian religion (whichever kind of Christian they might be), for those who are uncertain of Jesus's position as a messiah, and those who deny any supernatural aspect to the universe. In the production, we explore a debate in which many people (religious, Christian, non-religious, etc) have engaged: Whether Jesus, the historical figure, was pro-state, or, if it's possible to make the claim that he was an anarchist. Provocative and fascinating. We hope you like the program! In it, we feature great music by Big Dipper, "Easter Eve", and "Ron Klaus Wrecked His House"! Notes! If you would like to get a copy of Darryl Perry's book, "The Anarcho Teachings of Yeshua", here's the link! http://www.amazon.com/Anarcho-Teachings-Yeshua-Darryl-Perry/dp/0984203729/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429504027&sr=8-1&keywords=the+anarcho+teachings+of+yeshua Be Seeing You!

Whether Jesus was speaking to large crowds or small groups, He made sure everyone was clear on what it meant to follow Him. Jesus is not looking for fans…He’s looking for followers. Followers who understand that there is no forgiveness without repentance, there is no salvation without surrender, there is no life without death, and there is no believing without following. Today we begin our six week journey from fan’s of Jesus to followers of Jesus. (~Not a Fan Pastor’s Kit)