Podcasts about Woe

To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus  (NOT a Morning Mindset resource)   ⇒ Join the MMM Prayer Team: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/PrayerTeam ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Matthew 23:16–22 - “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ [17] You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? [18] And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ [19] You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? [20] So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. [21] And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. [22] And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it. (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Underwrite one daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: Subscribe to the SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish Subscribe to the CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com   

To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus  (NOT a Morning Mindset resource)   ⇒ BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER: (not tax-deductible) You can find out how to become a monthly partner including how to receive your "thank you" gift - our bonus podcast called "Digging Deeper." Go to: https://mm-partners.supercast.com/  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Matthew 23:11–15 - The greatest among you shall be your servant. [12] Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. [13] “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. [15] Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Underwrite one daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: Subscribe to the SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish Subscribe to the CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com   

First, we read today of the climax to the life of Naomi and her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth, an example of how tragedy can turn out, in the end, to be a blessing and become one of the building blocks, as it were, as part of God's overall plan and purpose – and so Ruth became the great grandmother of David.  God oversees human life and, “for those who love God all things work together for good” [Romans 8 v.28];  essentially this is for the good of his purpose.In our Isaiah reading we see how the Almighty stresses he is the originator of all that exists – and has an ultimate purpose in view. “I am the LORD and there is no other.  I form the light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity.  I am the LORD who does all these things.” [45 v.6,7]  We also noted that he says, “it was my hands that stretched out the heavens” [v.12] and nearly all scientists are now agreed that everything spread out, apparently to infinity, from a big bang! But most think it was by ‘chance'!We noted in particular v.15, “Truly you are a God who hides yourself”  We have to apply our minds to realize there must be a Creator, an utterly incredible designer.  The efforts over the last 150 years to prove beyond doubt that Darwinian evolution is true – have ended in dismal failure – although not all are honest enough to admit this – but a surprising number are. The question in v.9 is so interesting, so appropriate for God to ask – “Woe to him (or her) who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots!  Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?' or ‘Your work has no handles'? “ We know that God's work has “handles” – we mentally grasp them the more diligently we read the Bible!  How good is your grasp?  We all need to work at getting a really firm grip on the true meaning of life – and then to feel inspired by our heart-felt awareness of what God is making – and the utterly awesome wonders to come when his work is complete, described to us, largely in symbolic language, as we read on in the book of Revelation. 

Who Does the Lord Know? (1) (audio) David Eells, 6/21/26 We received a question regarding Matthew 7:23 and how these people could say they know the Lord, and yet the Lord says, “I never knew you”. Also, Some people think that they are lost people, or that they were never really saved. And so I thought we could look at that today and identify who the Lord knows and those whom the Lord said He never knew. Let's look first in Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. The Bible talks about false prophets quite a bit in both the Old and New Testaments. Sometimes they don't appear to have been apostate, but in some cases, they definitely are. This is true in 2 Peter chapter 2; and the Christians he's talking about there. I believe the whole chapter really is about false prophets. 2Pe 2:15 forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing; Of course, the only one that can forsake the right way is somebody who's been there, and obviously, they are being an apostate or fallen away in this case. For instance in 2Pe 2:20-21 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. 21 For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. This and many other scriptures clearly refute the ”once saved always saved doctrine.  Another good example would be in Jude 11 Woe unto them! for they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. 12 These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; This includes those who fell into the error of trying to be “a profit” instead of a prophet. But I just wanted to make that point, because some people say that all false prophets are lost people, and that's just not the case. Of course, a lot of times, when we talk about Christians, we really should identify Christians the way the Bible identifies Christians, and not the way the worldly church identifies them. The way the worldly church identifies Christians now is those who have been born in spirit. Their spirit has been born from God, and they have a new spirit. But it is more than that. that's not the way the scriptures identify as Christians. Scriptures identify Christians as those who walk and talk the way Christ walked and talked. Also, there's a big difference between somebody who's just been born in spirit and those who walk the way Christ walked, because you can have Christ's spirit and not live His life as Paul exhorted Christians in Rom 8:13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. That's an exhortation given to those who have the spirit of Christ because he went on to exhort that those who have the spirit of Christ should go on to receive the Spirit of God. Everyone who is born of God receives the Spirit of Christ and today, that's called a born-again Christian. As we read the text, we'll see that “Christian” is identified scripturally as something completely different. So keep that in mind that I'm talking about Christians in the way that the church uses the term, those who have been born in spirit. Back to Mat 7:16 By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; (Again, now he's not just identifying prophets. Now he's broadening the scope. And in the next few verses, he uses the word “every” several times. So he's broadening the scope to talk about everybody, not just false prophets.) 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Now, this same verse is used in Matthew 3:10, where John the Baptist is rebuking the Covenant people of God; those religious leaders who made their stand on believing that Abraham was their father. Mat 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: 9 and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  I want you to notice here that He's talking about the Covenant people, thinking that because they were children of Abraham, they were entitled to God's blessings. And John told them that that's not the truth. The truth is, only bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance brings you into God's blessings. I think this is a good exhortation for Christians today, because Christians think, “Well, I'm a Christian, God's my Father so I can just go and do what I want to do now.” But this is not so. It says every tree that doesn't bring forth good fruit among us is hewn down and cast into the fire.  The scripture also says in Joh 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away:… Notice: Every branch in me… Now that can be no other than God's people, right? We're all responsible to bring forth fruit. The fruit is what identifies us as Christians, and the fruit here, as we see in the text, is the actions of your life. The fruit is love, the joy, the peace, the righteousness; all those things that Christ was and is. The actions of our life are the fruit of the inner life, that's what He's talking about; the fruit. Along the same line in several of Jesus's parables, He came looking for fruit on the fig tree. He wasn't looking for fruit on a tree that wasn't supposed to bring forth fruit. He was looking for fruit on a tree that was created to bring forth fruit. It is the fig tree that identifies God's people. Luk 13:6-9 And he spake this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none. 7 And he said unto the vinedresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why doth it also cumber the ground? 8 And he answering saith unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 and if it bear fruit thenceforth, well; but if not, thou shalt cut it down.  Notice: The Lord is the one who's going to cut it down. The Lord is long-suffering with us to bear fruit, but be that as it may, we've been given a certain amount of time to bear that fruit, and I think that's what He's talking about in Matthew 7, because as He goes on in Mat 7:20 Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. Now he's identifying fruit as doing the will of the Father. The fruit of the Spirit is doing the will of the Father. He goes on to say, 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? Let me make a point here. Do you suppose that it's possible that an apostate Christian could prophesy? I mean, prophesy from the Lord? We have examples in the scriptures of false prophets who prophesied in the name of the Lord. A good example is in 1 Samuel 19. This is talking about Saul after he had fallen away from the Lord; in fact, he had been rejected by the Lord. It says 1Sa 19:23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he also stripped off his clothes, and he also prophesied before Samuel, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets? Now, some people say, well, because he stripped off all his clothes, that doesn't seem like a godly thing to do, but I think what the Holy Spirit was showing to people around him was that he was walking naked before the Lord. He wasn't dressed up with Christ. He didn't have on his wedding garment, so on and so forth. He had fallen away in his works, because remember when we studied the garment, it symbolized your works, right? In Revelation 19, the righteous acts of the saints were the garment that the bride is wearing.  Now, I want you to notice this too; this same man had a demon that was sent from God to him. 1Sa 18:10 And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. And Saul had his spear in his hand; 11 and Saul cast the spear; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall. And David avoided out of his presence twice. 12 And Saul was afraid of David, because Jehovah was with him, and was departed from Saul. Now this is the same Saul whom the Lord had departed from, who later prophesied in the name of the Lord, because the Spirit came upon him. Here, he prophesied in verse 10 by an evil spirit. He had obviously become a false prophet. Was it always that way? No, it wasn't always that way. He was the anointed of the Lord. But yet he became a false prophet. He became what we would know today as an apostate Christian. He was rejected in 1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from being king. So he had been rejected by the Lord, received an evil spirit by which he prophesied, and later even prophesied in the name of the Lord when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Now, going back to what I consider to be probably apostate Christians in Mat 7: 22 …Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name,… And some people say, ‘Well, that wouldn't be possible if this person did not know the Lord at all to be able to prophesy by thy name.' And the point I want you to see here, too, is that it says by thy name and not in thy name; in the original, it says by thy name, meaning they could be prophesying true enough, but they weren't in the name. They weren't getting a reward because they weren't abiding in the name of the Lord. Another point, it says, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? Do you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 12, when they accused Him of casting out demons by the prince of demons, Beelzebub? Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub the prince of the demons. 25 And knowing their thoughts he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 and if Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? 27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 28 But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. You know, I think you'll find that Satan doesn't cast out Satan; that even the most apostate Christians, because of their Covenant relationship with the Lord, still have authority to do that and can do it. I've seen people that the Lord identified to me as false prophets and actually did prophesy wrongly, and I've seen them cast out demons too. They had the Covenant relationship because of the Jews. The seven sons of Sceva were Jews. You see, the Jews were casting out demons. This wasn't new to the Jews to cast out demons. They had been doing that. And because of Covenant relationship, the Jews got healing, and they got deliverance. Even today, people, because of Covenant relationship, before being completely rejected by God, they can still cast out demons.  I know of a false prophet in particular who has identified too many people who cast out demons; in fact, he cast them out with me. Let me say this: a person who is lost, who does not know the Lord, how do they cast out demons? Those who have no Covenant relationship with the Lord; how do they cast out demons? Their father manifestly is Beelzebub, so how do they cast out demons? Well, what happened to the seven sons of Sceva when they tried to use “by Jesus whom Paul preacheth” to cast out demons in Acts 19:13 and then got whipped? They did not know the one who was creating the New Covenant. I think the point is that you have to be in some kind of a Covenant relationship in order to be casting demons out, because Satan doesn't cast out Satan.  The One who lives in you now casts out demons. 1Jn 4:4 … greater is he that's in you than he that is in the world. Who's in the world? Satan. Does Satan cast out his own kingdom? Jesus said, No, he doesn't do that. Well, here's the point. Were they casting the demons out by the Spirit of God or were they casting them out by Satan? Jesus said they couldn't cast them out by Satan. The lost people's authority is Satan. The one that lives in them is Satan. The point I'm making about these people here, these false prophets, is that many of them are apostate Christians. Remember, an apostate is one who is falling away from the truth and the grace of God. And it's somebody who is obviously saying, Lord, Lord, (so they obviously believed in their heart that Jesus was their Lord) Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy and by thy name cast out demons and by thy name do many mighty works? Notice they were not “in” thy name but God permitted this “by” thy name as a witness of Jesus. Who is it today that we know that is doing this in the name of the Lord, if it's not somebody who is abiding in His name, which is far more powerful?  I was in a situation where a preacher and his girl friend were trying to cast many demons out of a man who chased them out of the building. Previously the demon possessed man chased  the preachers deacon through a plate glass door, shattering it, and sending him to the hospital. So, they sent for me and told me their story. They watched from the doorway as I approached this man who thought to do the same to me. By the grace of God he cowered and was delivered. Many today are in “by” mode, meaning they are using the name of the Lord and not doing it in the name. I agree that some people profess the Lord and don't know the Lord or haven't been sent by Him. And all false prophets are not apostate Christians or just lost deceivers. ; not all of them. And I'm convinced that there is some chicanery going on even in Christian circles. I don't know if any of you are familiar with it, but I've been among some of them where they see a demon behind every bush. They cast demons out daily from everybody's flesh. But a lot of that's not demons, it's just run away flesh.  Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Now here's the point: is there such a thing as a Christian who's been born in spirit that God spoke to and said, “I don't know you” or “I never knew you?” Yes, we have examples of that. But first, before we get away from this, I want to read on because He says, I never knew you depart from me you that work iniquity. What is it for the Lord to know you? I want to look at that and what that means. When he says depart from me ye that work iniquity verse 24 went right on Every one therefore; (Meaning: He's talking about the same thing as just before this verse.) Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: 25 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. 26 And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: Notice, He didn't say whether you had the spirit of Christ or not; it all has to do with obedience. The difference between a foolish man and a wise man is strictly just one word; obedience. The born again spirit filled with the Holy Spirit gives us power to obey through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus. Our text deals with the fruit, which has to do with whether you're obeying. So the main difference between the wise and the foolish is hearing the words and doing them. Notice that both men here in this text heard the words, but only one obeyed, and that was the wise man. 27 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. And this is the test that follows. I want to make that point before we go on because I want to look at the foolish virgins briefly, because God spoke to them, and He says, I don't know you. Mat 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were foolish, and five were wise. Again, what's the difference between the wise and the foolish? It's just one thing, being a hearer and a doer by the anointing of God. 3 For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them: 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. We know that in Pro 20:27 The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah, Searching all his innermost parts. The spirit of man is the lamp of the oil. And the oil being the life of God or the Holy Spirit is to be in that lamp. And there's a vessel that the wise virgins took with them that was also full of oil; that obviously the foolish did not bring. What do you think the vessel is that also has the oil? We've talked about the difference between the born again spirit and the born again soul, which is your mind, will, and emotions. This is the fruit of the Spirit being born in the soul.  The person who had just a born-again spirit, but brought forth no fruit in the soul through obedience will be rejected. They were not bearing the fruit of obedience so they could be born again in the soul. The vessel that they brought with their lamp is the vessel of their physical life because that's where you bear the fruit of the oil. That's where you bear the fruit of Christ to be seen by the world. Now, even the foolish virgins here had oil in their lamp or spirit. So you can't classify them as non-Christians? Or, what we've been calling Christians. You understand? Verse 5 Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 But at midnight there is a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come ye forth to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. This was another question someone had a while back about a word, so I went and looked it up. It's the Greek word, kosmeo. Kosmeo is the word we get cosmetics from. And it simply means ‘to arrange or to adorn'. It's not implying that their lamps were out and they lit them, you understand? It's just talking about adorning or arranging their lamps. They chose to translate it trim in this text; I don't think that's a very good word to use. To trim is to bring the wick up so the light shines best. Continuing in Mat 25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut. Notice that - the door was shut. That was ominous because that door being shut is mentioned in other places in the scripture, like in Luke 13:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour. He said, I know you not. Now these virgins did have oil in their lamps. So obviously what the Lord means by knowing you is more than just receiving a new spirit, a born-again spirit. There must be fruit born of that spirit life in order for the Lord to know you. And I want to look at that too. Before we go there, let's look at Luke too, because it has a very close parallel to this door being closed. Luk 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; … (Obviously the same text there.) and he shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence ye are; 26 then shall ye begin to say, We did eat and drink in thy presence, and thou didst teach in our streets; 27 and he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. See, so many people are relying on their relationship with the Lord by what they know, by who they're connected with, by the fact that they're a Christian, that they've accepted Jesus as their Savior, but they're using none of the criteria of the scriptures. The only basis that God rebuked any of these people was for their disobedience. And we know that the only way we can obey is by having faith in the Lord and being filled with His Spirit. If we have faith, we'll obey. We'll overcome the sins that we struggle against because we fight the good fight of faith. It's not by works. I'm not trying to magnify our works; I'm trying to magnify the Lord's works through us. The criteria by which the Lord is going to judge any of us is going to be works. And he says to them, because of their evil works, not because they weren't Christians, because it's obvious to me from Matthew 25, and what we just read here, that He's talking to His children. But He says, I know not whence ye are… What causes the Lord to know us? First of all, many people are going to be found in this situation. In Matthew 25, there were 10 virgins. It was talking about the time of the coming of the Lord, how that five were ready, and five were not. That's only half of the people mentioned; half were not ready to meet the Lord, and half were. The very next parable is the parable of the talents, and again, there's no paragraph indentation, so He just goes on in Mat 25:14 For it is as when a man, going into another country, (In other words, he's telling you, watch, I'm going to show you the same thing in another way.) There were three groups at that time who had each been given talents. And one-third of them were rejected because they didn't bring forth the fruit that God put in, right? Doesn't the Bible say a third of the stars of heaven will be cast down to the earth? How come it was half of the virgins and yet a third of those with the talents? Because the virgins are those who are living on the earth when the Lord returns, and these men with the talents are standing before the judgment after death, after resurrection, you see? We're talking about those who are living at the time the Lord returns in order to be caught up to be with the Lord. What about the people who die? There are obviously three groups. A third of the stars of heaven were cast to the earth in the Book of Revelation. That's a third of the people. The scriptures say that Abraham's seed are as the stars; also, Jacob. The stars are likened to God's people. In Jacob's dream of the stars, they're the children of the bride chamber; it's in many, many places. There's the star glory in 1 Corinthians 15; the star glory is a person who's manifested star glory with the Lord. And some go on to moon glory and sun glory. But a third of the stars of heaven are being cast to the earth, and it goes on in Rev 6:13 and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. That's not talking about angels, that's talking about God's people not coming to maturity. You see, this is what's happening to a third of the stars. And yet of the people who are alive and remain, half of those people do not enter to being with the Lord. During this end time many will fall in the great falling away. They were called, twice dead and plucked up by the roots. Do you suppose that if your lamp is going out, you would be called twice dead? I do and that's what he's talking about; there's a great falling away happening right there. I think during the tribulation period, probably a third of the Christians are going to take the mark and spiritually die, and out of the ones that are left, half of them are going to be rejected. This is what I feel from these two parables. In the parable of the sower in Mat 13, three out of four did not bear fruit and were rejected. But let's look now at the Lord and how He knows us. You know that the Lord foreknew a group of people in Rom 8:29 For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: Let's see who the Lord knew. Okay, it's really important that we know who He foreknew because He didn't foreknow every Christian. I can prove that to you Notice who he's talking about; who was foreknown. Now, that's not knowing what's going to happen before it happens. Foreknew is like Adam knew his wife. The word ‘know' implies an intimate relationship. Rom 8:29 For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: These people whom He foreknew here is not talking about He foreknew that they would overcome. He knew this person. He knew their nature before the world was created. Watch, it says, For whom He foreknew, He foreordained. (Everybody that He foreknew, He foreordained.) Notice to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Notice now, there's no way out of this verse. If you start in on one end of it, you've got to come out on the other end of it. The ones He foreknew, he foreordained, (He predestined) to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. So, everybody that God foreknew from the foundation of the world will be conformed to the image of His Son. That doesn't mean everyone that we call ‘Christians'. So, Jesus pointed out this group; He called them 30-60 and a 100-fold fruit. Fruit of what? The fruit of Christ. The 30-60 and a 100-fold are going to be conformed to the image of Christ. These are the ones He foreknew. What is it to know God? Did God know anybody who was not in Covenant relationship? No, He didn't. I'm going to make this point at the very beginning that God only knows one family in all the earth, and that family is born again spiritual Israel. Amo 3:2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities. Now keep that in your mind that the Lord has only known Israel from the foundation until now. Even though Israel was changed in the New Covenant, it's still Israel. He makes a point back in Rom 9:6 … For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel: In other words, ‘real Israel' is going to be picked out of the midst of mans ‘Israel'. You understand? Because remember, For many are called, but few chosen. Mat 22:14 That word chosen is eklektos, or elected. And Paul exhorts us to give diligence to make our calling and election sure. (2Pe.1:10) This group of people in Romans 8 was called and elect because in verse 33, he said who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? … So, he's specifically talking about the elect, not just the called. Now, everybody who's the elect has to be called because the word call means invited. You remember when Jesus came to the Jews, they were invited, but they all weren't elect, and the reason was that they didn't accept Jesus. So it's only Israel that He knows and specifically only those who are of faith in the Promises.  Let's look at Rom 11:1 I say then, Did God cast off his people? God forbid. He cast off all but the elect who are born from above for they are His people. There were some Israelites that He didn't cast off because Paul said, For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. So God didn't cast off the chosen or elect Israelites. But there were other Israelites that He did. 2 God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Notice that. Nobody that God foreknew did He cast off. You know why? Let's read on, and we'll see why. 2 God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Or know ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah? how he pleadeth with God against Israel: 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal. 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election (or chosen) of grace. Now the remnant is according to the election of grace. Notice that Israel did fall away, but not the elect, not the chosen, not the foreknown. Watch. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. In other words, by no more of your works, no more works of the law, are you going to be justified before God. 7 What then? That which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, … Notice, the elect or the chosen will obtain it. The foreknown will obtain it, and they will not be cast off. See, we're identifying something here. There were many people called out of Egypt who fell in the wilderness and did not make it to the Promised Land. The Bible says many are called, but few are chosen or ‘elect'. Who are the ones He foreknew? The many called or the few chosen? So, obviously, from this text you can see very clearly that the ones He foreknew were elect, meaning chosen, and they obtained it. Why did they obtain it? Let's see what it means to be known by God. Look at this verse very closely in Rom 11:19 Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. 20 Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 for if God spared not the natural branches (Israel), neither will he spare thee. 22 Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.  The point I wanted to make is in verse 26 And so all Israel shall be saved. So what about all those who were cut off? They were Israel. They were called, but they were not elect. Remember what we saw back at the beginning of the chapter: those who were called and fell away in the wilderness. Those who rebelled against God, the ones whose hearts He hardened, He said, But the elect obtained it, and the rest were hardened. (Rom.11:7) Who is Israel? Who is the Israel that God foreknew? It's the elect. It is the foreknown. What about the rest of them? He didn't foreknow them. You know why? Because they didn't endure to the end in faith and obedience.  I want you to notice that everybody who was not foreknown and who was not written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world is going to be deceived and fall away. Everybody. We're talking about those called who fell in the wilderness. That's talking about the world, the flesh, everybody who is not foreknown is going to be deceived by the Beast.  Look at Rev 13:8 And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, every one whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain. Notice, it's everyone who is not written or not foreknown. Many Christians are called, meaning invited, but will not come to prove to be the elect, or chosen. They won't obtain the promise because of unbelief and are broken off. You understand what I'm saying? Remember they do not obtain the promise because they do not endure in faith. You can't obtain the promise that way. Look at Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, they whose name hath not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he was, and is not, and shall come. So everybody whose name was not written there is going to be deceived, but everybody whose name that is written there will see through it. They are the elect; they will obtain. They are the foreknown; they will obtain. They will be the ‘Paul out of Israel', who God chose to go on and to bear fruit.  Today, we see Israel as a type of Christianity. Out of that, there are some who are going to go on and be obedient. Because obedience proves your faith. If you have no obedience, if you do not obey, if you are not a doer of the word, you have no proof for your faith. The way God is going to prove that you walk by faith is by your works. Everyone who walks by faith will overcome. If we walk by faith, we will overcome the trials in this life; the sin, the works of the devil; we will win.  There's another point I want you to see. Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, in Ephesians, where it also says God chose us; that's the word eklektos in Him, before the foundation of the world. Now, if Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, when was He manifestly slain? Not until 2,000 years ago. Now, if our names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world, when are they manifestly written in the Lamb's Book of Life? They're manifestly written in the Lamb's Book of Life when you're born again. Therefore, you were foreknown just as Christ was foreknown. You see that? It is really important that you follow this now. It's manifest when you're born into the Kingdom. In God's plan and His foreknowledge. Just like Jesus was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, but He wasn't killed then. When God set His plan into manifestation, Jesus was sacrificed. But it might as well have been because God calls the things to be not as though they were.  So, when you were born from above you were written in the Book of Life. I'm not talking about in God's plan that He foreknew. I'm talking about when manifestly your name was written in. Because everyone who's born of God is written in His Book. But remember, the ones that He foreknew from the beginning were those who endured to the end and came into the manifestation of Jesus. Psa 87:4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon as among them that know me: Behold, Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia: This one was born there. 5 Yea, of Zion it shall be said, This one and that one was born in her; And the Most High himself will establish her. 6 Jehovah will count, when he writeth up the peoples, This one was born there. Selah. The point is, when you're born into the Kingdom, that's when God writes your name. He said, Rejoice not that you have power over the demons, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. (Luk 10:20) So here's the point. Everybody that's born, including all of those that came out of Egypt, were written in that book. But some were blotted out. Who was it that was blotted out, before the full manifestation of Jesus? Remember, we're talking about those whom He foreknew before the foundation of the world who came into the image of His Son. But according to Rev 3:5, He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life,…. So you've got many names written in manifestly, and those who don't overcome are blotted out. Before what? Before the full manifestation, the ones who were foreknown. So all the Jews who came out of Egypt were written at that time. Also, every Christian who receives a new born-again spirit from God is written at that time. But only the ones who endure to bear fruit were foreknown. Therefore, of those who fall in the wilderness, He says, I know you not. I never knew you. Why? He didn't foreknow them. What was the main difference between those two groups of people, the wise and the foolish? The main difference was that they both heard the word, but only the wise became a doer of the word. In both Matthew 7 and Matthew 25, the difference between the wise and the foolish is the same. And yet, clearly, even the foolish had oil in their lamps. But their oil was going out. See, there's a great falling away coming because of tribulation, because of trials and people are going to fall away. Look at Psa 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, And not be written with the righteous. There will be those who will be written in Zion but the sinner in Zion will be destroyed out of it. Look in Isa 4:3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem; 4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning. God is doing a work of purging from the church those who are walking in wickedness, those who are guilty of blood, and walking in disobedience.  This scripture is very plain about being blotted out: Psa 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, And not be written with the righteous. There's another one where Moses was interceding for the people in Exo 32:32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 33 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. So those who are written among the living, those who have manifested fruit, those who came into the image of Christ through the Word. Those who are written at the end are going to be the ones that He foreknew. They're going to be the elect, the ones that He chose. He exhorts us in 2Pe 1:10 Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble: Look at 2Ti 2:19 Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his: and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. See, the Lord knows them that are His and that's going to be the ones who depart from unrighteousness, so he's exhorting everybody that names the name of the Lord to depart from unrighteousness, to depart from iniquity. See, we're finding out who the Lord knows. Do you know who He knows? He knows Jesus. He knows the name, which is the nature and character of Jesus. Can you imagine God having relationship with us as Adam did with Eve? (That's what the word ‘know' means.) Imagine God having a relationship with somebody who is contrary to His nature? Do you understand that? God cannot know someone who is contrary to His nature and Word. 1 John 3:9 Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God".   Just like He commands us Christians not to choose an unbelieving mate, right? Why did He tell us not to choose an unbelieving mate? Because we're not to know anybody with a contrary nature. What fellowship has light with darkness? So God knows and sows the Word who is Jesus. To the extent Jesus is in you, that's to the extent God knows you.  Who did Jesus say the Father would love? Every Christian? No, He didn't. Joh 14:23…If a man love me he will keep my word: and my Father will love him and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. What is the proof that you love God? Jesus said several times that the proof that you love God is that you obey his commandments. This is the one He knows. 1Co 8:3 but if any man loveth God, the same is known by him. In other words, we are proving our love for God by walking in faith and obeying His commandments. The ones that God knows or foreknew are the ones that love Him. Why? Because they not only hear the Word, they do the Word. The ones that God knows will come to know Him because of the foreknowledge part, like I said. It's in the mind of God. It's calling those things that be not as though they were. God spoke, and ever since He spoke this plan, it's been coming into existence. Don't miss it!  It was Jesus Who was foreknown to die for the world, but He wasn't manifest until Calvary. And you, who were foreknown to be in God, in Christ, before the foundation of the world, weren't manifest until you were born. Of those who are born and walk by faith and overcome and endure to the end, Jesus said, they shall be saved. Those who endure through the wilderness and enter into the Promised Land; they are the types of the elect. The very thing that causes you to go on is faith and if you don't understand that, then you can't overcome it anyway. Ever since Exodus chapter 3 the Lord revealed Himself to Moses. But you know Moses didn't know the Lord? He confessed it in Exodus chapter 33. He did not know the Lord. We are coming to know the Lord. The Lord is the nature of Jesus Christ.  And the more we come to know that nature of the real Jesus, the more we're coming to know the Lord. The one the Father knows, or even foreknew, was Jesus, because He was of like nature. God can only know that which is of like nature. Jesus said in Joh 14:9 If you have seen me you have seen the Father. He doesn't know the worldly person. He doesn't know the wicked person. He knows the righteous man that's inside of those who love Him. Exo 33:12 And Moses said unto Jehovah, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, See, the Lord had told Moses, I know thee by name. You know what the word ‘name' means? It's the same in the Hebrew as it is in the Greek. It's nature, character, and authority. The Lord told him, I know thee by name, and thou hast found favor in my sight. 13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found favor in thy sight, show me now thy ways, that I may know thee. The Bible talks about the Jews, how they knew the doings of the Lord, but Moses knew the ways of the Lord. There's a difference in knowing His doing and knowing His ways. If you know His ways, you can walk with Him. If you only know His doings, sometimes you're just going from judgment to judgment. …that I may know thee, to the end that I may find favor in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. 14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.  And in verse 17 And Jehovah said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found favor in my sight, and I know thee by name. 18 And he said, Show me, I pray thee, thy glory. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name of Jehovah before thee; Moses found out the name of the Lord in Exodus chapter 3. He told him the exact name. YHWH, I AM THAT I AM. So obviously, he's talking about a different name here. He's talking about the real name here.  Verse 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name (the Shem) of Jehovah before thee; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for man shall not see me and live. Moses represented the Law; you couldn't come into the likeness of Christ through the Law. So he didn't get to see the face of the Lord, but we have a promise in 1 Corinthians 13. Moses didn't see His face; he spoke to Him face to face, but he didn't see His face. There's a difference. We can speak to the Lord face to face, but not see Him. Now there's a difference. He spoke to God face to face, but he didn't see His face. For man shall not see me and live. In other words, as man, you can't know Him. And as man, you are not known by Him. 1Co 15:50 Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. It is your spirit man that can know Him and be known by Him. The Holy Spirit helps our infirmity that we can know Him and see Him.  But He goes on to say, 21 and Jehovah said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock: (The only place you can see God is standing upon the rock, right? That's Jesus, and you have to stand upon the Word of God.) 22 and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand until I have passed by: 23 and I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back; but my face shall not be seen. Now, when He revealed the name of the Lord, the Lord said He was going to proclaim His name. It wasn't YHWH because He told him that 30 chapters before. Look at Exo 34:5 And Jehovah descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of Jehovah. 6 And Jehovah passed by before him, and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah, (YHWH; it's YHWH, in the original, that's what He said.) a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth; 7 keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation. This is His Nature, Character, and Authority, Which is the meaning of Name. Now, He just proclaimed the name of the Lord. But what Moses didn't know, and he asked God to show him, ‘Show me thy ways, so I'll know the one who's going with us.' See, this is knowing God. Knowing this person whose name represents the I AM, that's knowing God. The opposite is also true. God knows the same nature. He knows Jesus Christ. He knows Jesus in us. And it is Christ in us by Word and Spirit that is the hope of glory. Remember in Romans 8, the ones He foreknew, and you go all the way to the end of the verse that says, He also glorified. Everyone He foreknew, He glorified. Now in 1Co.13: 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. So knowing fully is seeing God face to face. Moses said, ‘I don't know You; reveal Yourself to me.' Therefore, he could not see Him face to face. Coming to maturity, bearing fruit, or manifesting Christ's likeness is coming to know Him face to face. It is coming to know Him fully as I was fully known. Who is going to come to know Him fully? Only those who were fully known will come to know Him fully and will see Him face to face.  Moses himself said, ‘I don't know You yet.' By the Law, you can't know God face to face. That's why Moses didn't enter into the Promised Land as a type and a shadow because the Law could not make perfect. It's also why Moses couldn't see God's face; he could only see His shadow, His back parts. Did you see that? By the Law, all they could see was shadow, so God said I'll let you see My hinder parts but He wouldn't let you see His face because by the Law you can never come to know God. It's only by His grace that you can come to know God.  Now Moses was asking for this, ‘Let me know the One Who's going to go with us.' In the New Testament, our Moses is Jesus; He did know God face to face. And we're coming to know God face to face through His grace and through His sacrifice. But the ones that are going to fully know God are the ones that were fully known by God before the foundation of the world. All the rest of them are going to fall away, just like those people in the wilderness. They were written in, but blotted out before coming to the fullness of God, which was what? The Promised Land. Did you know that, as a child, we can speak to God face to face? And God can speak to us face to face as a child of God. And the reason we can speak to God as a child is because of our Covenant relationship. But coming to know the Lord is seeing Him face to face by faith. 2Co 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. That's coming into His nature, coming into His life, coming to know Him. Moses knew the literal name, Y-H-W-H, but he didn't know the One that name just represented. Remember we build on the foundation and we need to able to stand upon the rock when the wind blows and the rain beats against that house. Look, what is the firm foundation of God that stands? It's the name of the Lord. And that everybody who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. We can't stand on that rock in our own strength. I know I've shared this vision that my wife had years ago, how that I was standing on this rock wearing what was like metal leg braces.  The ones who are foreknown are going to stand on that rock of the Word and this shows us it won't be by their own strength, but by the strength of the Lord. So that's why it's our faith that counts. If it were by our works, it would be our strength that would cause us to stand but it's not. We can praise God for this, because it's not by our works. It's by grace, and the only way to get grace is faith in the promises. I thank God that Jesus freely gave us this salvation that we're talking about. We can accept it by faith without trying to work it up in ourselves. Everybody seems to go through that stage of trying to earn their salvation and failing miserably because it's got to be freely given by grace. It's got to be the strength that God supplies, and God supplies that strength by simply believing the word of God, not walking by sight, but believing the word of God. We believe that Jesus took away our sins. Initially we can't see that, but as we believe that He did it will happen. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We proclaim and confess the word; that's standing upon the rock and that's the only place you can see the Lord. Right now, maybe we speak to Him more face-to-face than see Him face to face. But we're going to know fully, if we walk by faith, even as we were fully known. Can you imagine that? You're going to know God fully as you were fully known. That's a tremendous promise! I mean, we want to know God, and gradually, the more we stand upon the rock, the more we're going to see His face. It's progressive, it's not an instantaneous thing.  When Moses stood upon the rock and the Lord proclaimed the Name, He proclaimed the nature of God there. This is the way God is, and yet, we're only learning the nature of God a little by little, line upon line, here a little and there a little. We're learning His nature. A lot of people are building things upon the foundation of God that have got to be torn back down, like in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. People build on it, the wood, hay, and the stubble of their own works, own doctrines, and religious establishment. All those dead things have to be burned back down by tribulation, and then start over. We build upon the foundation, which is Christ. There's no other foundation that can be laid that will work. That's what Paul was saying. Some people are on the shifting sand, yet some who are really on the right foundation, but they're building wrong things on the right foundation, the right foundation being that Jesus took away our sins.  But again, you can make the same mistake the Pharisees made in making of no effect the Word of God by their traditions. This is what the worldly church is famous for. This is what the Jews were famous for and Jesus rebuked them several times for that. If you make of no effect the word of God by your traditions, you're not standing upon the rock, and you're not going to see His face.  We have to come to know this Lord. We have to humble ourselves to His word. People have ulterior motives for believing what they believe, which is religion's way; they have different reasons for believing what they believe and they don't like to be wrong. They want to be seen as right. They live purely for the glory of men. And so they never change their mind even when you can show them all the verses in the word. They're building other things on the foundation and those things are going to be torn down by tribulations that are coming. Hopefully, many people will repent and rebuild the right things on the right foundation and bear fruit. That's why tribulation is coming. It's coming to tear down, to shake, the things that can be shaken, shake them right down to the ground so that God can rebuild the truth. There's going to be a great outpouring of truth in the tribulation period for those who love the truth. But sadly, for those who will believe a lie, there's great deception coming. That deception is going to blot a lot of names out of the Book of Life so that those who are foreknown will be there alone. Those that are left in Zion will be holy, you understand, because the spirit of fire has cleansed it, so the way is to walk by faith, to stand upon the Word of God continuously, and not be swayed by the traditions of men, by Babylon's wood, hay and stubble. Babylon really has been around since, as people say, the Tower of Babel, but really the nature of Babylon has been around since the very beginning. Religion is supplanting God's way. The problem is, all we like sheep have gone astray, each one after his own way, and that's why we've got so many religions. But we've got God's standard to go by. God's way, and you really can't accept anything else. Religion's ideas, how to organize the church, and how to do the works of God. Religion's ideas are Babylon. God's people, historically, the Jews were taken captive by Babylon, and will later be delivered from the bondage of Babylon to build Zion, and that's really the Christian walk. Every Christian starts out taken captive to Babylon. That's the false ideas of ways God wants things done, false ideas of the nature of God, the name of God, and their false image of Jesus. Everyone needs to be delivered from all that. Their false teachings, church doctrines, traditions of men, etc., and go to Zion where the truth is. The Lord Jesus is our Zion; the true Word is our Zion. It's seeing God the way God wants to be seen; it's knowing God the way God wants to be known, and without knowing God the way God wants to be known, He doesn't know you. Do you know who God knows? It's the inner man, the seed of Christ that's on the inside of us. God knows Him.  And the point is, if we're not like those virgins taking the vessel of oil along with the lamp with the oil, then we're not bearing fruit in the area of the soul. Their lamps went out because they didn't carry the oil in the vessel. In these days, people don't think it's necessary to obey. But bearing fruit in the area of the soul comes from obedience. Peter said that, and it's something we need to see. 1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently: 23 having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. In other words, we're still being born again; we're being born again in our soul. And our souls are being purified, and we're walking in holiness. Heb 12:14 Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord: 1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. 3 And every one that hath this hope set on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. And Jesus said in Joh 6:46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he that is from God, he hath seen the Father. Who is Christ in you. For a more complete teaching on those who are chosen and the elect, see our book Predestined Called and Elect on our Website.

It's Thursday, June 18th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark More countries persecute religious citizens More countries are seeing high levels of social hostilities involving religion. A new Pew Research report found 55 countries recorded high or very high levels of such religious hostilities in 2023.  That figure has risen three years in a row. Christians faced harassment in the largest number of countries compared to any other religion. Countries with very high levels of religious hostilities include Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Syria. Most of those countries also rank in the top 10 most oppressive countries for Christians according to Open Doors. Luke 6:22-23 says, “Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in Heaven.” Pro-family charter signed involving 20 of 54 African countries Lawmakers in Africa gathered for the Fourth African Parliamentary Conference on Family Sovereignty and Values this month in Ghana.  Attendees represented 20 out of 54 countries across the continent.  Lawmakers signed a pro-family charter at the conference, reports LifeSiteNews. The charter defends the traditional family and opposes abortion and sexually perverted lifestyles.  Britain to ban social media for kids The United Kingdom plans on banning social media for children under 16.  Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the ban on Monday which will take effect next year. The U.K. joins other countries putting restrictions on social media use for children. These countries include Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Indonesia. The U.K. ban will affect platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X. Bulgarian Christians now allowed to evangelize door-to-door The European Court of Human Rights ruled to protect door-to-door evangelism last week. The case began in Bulgaria where the government issued a broad ban on the practice.  Nicolas Bauer with the European Centre for Law and Justice told EWTN News, “Evangelizing is often viewed with suspicion in a secularized Europe. The European Court of Human Rights ruling reaffirms a basic requirement of religious freedom for believers: the right to the same freedom of expression as everyone else.” Alabama officials threaten mail-order abortion kill pill providers In the United States, the state of Alabama issued cease and desist letters to mail order abortion providers last week. The companies were illegally providing chemical abortion-inducing drugs to residents in the state.  Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said, “Alabama's law is clear, abortion is illegal in this state. These companies are not only breaking the law, they are deceiving Alabama consumers about the very real dangers of these drugs. That stops now. Anyone who tries to exploit Alabamians for profit while flouting our laws will be prosecuted to the fullest extent permitted by law.” Habakkuk 2:9 and 12 says, “Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house, That he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of disaster! … Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed, who establishes a city by iniquity!" Elon Musk became Earth's first trillionaire Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk became the world's first trillionaire last week. His company SpaceX went public on Friday in the biggest initial public offering of all time. His shares in the company at the time were over $766 billion. Combined with his Tesla shares of $280 billion, his net worth pushed past the trillion-dollar mark. This comes 14 years after Musk crossed the billionaire threshold.  Gallup: 65% of Americans say religiosity benefits society And finally, a new Gallup poll found that most Americans still believe religiosity would benefit the United States. Sixty-five percent of respondents said it would be positive for society if more Americans were religious. But that's down from 75% back in 2013. Americans are divided on whether the federal government should promote moral values. Forty-five percent say the government should be involved while 50 percent say it should not be involved.  Gallup noted, “The poll comes at a time when a Republican presidential administration has sought to elevate the role of religion in public life, including by establishing the White House Office of Faith, beginning government meetings with Christian prayers, and encouraging federal workers to express their faith in the workplace.”  Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, June 18th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Color: White Old Testament: Isaiah 6:1–7 Psalm: Psalm 29; antiphon: v. 2 Epistle: Romans 11:33–36 Gospel: John 3:1–17 Gospel: John 3:1–15 Introit: Psalm 8:1–2a, 3–5; antiphon: Liturgical Text Gradual: Liturgical Text Verse: Liturgical Text The Holy Trinity Reveals Himself to Sinners   When Isaiah beheld the glory of the Lord, he cried out “Woe is me!” For the sinner cannot stand in the presence of a holy God and live (Is. 6:1–7). But God the Father lifted up His Son Jesus for us on the cross, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. This eternal life of Christ is given us according to the Holy Spirit's good pleasure in Baptism. “Unless one is born [again] of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). To sinners in fear of death, the messengers of God place on our lips the living body and blood of Christ and speak His words of absolution, “Your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for” (Is. 6:7). Having received forgiveness and life from the Father through the Son by the Holy Spirit, we join with the angels in praising the blessed Trinity, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!” (Is. 6:3). “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:33–36). Lectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Forgiveness is Freedom David Eells – 3/27/26  (audio)    We need faith in order to receive God's benefits, faith to receive His healings, deliverances, provision, salvation and so on. There is something that's just as important as faith because unforgiveness can block you from receiving any of that.  Mat 6:15 ASV  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.   Unforgiveness brings the curse of the Bible listed in Deuteronomy 28. It is a very big problem and a major reason why people don't receive what they need from God.   How do we prove that we have forgiven and how do we show forgiveness? In other words, how is forgiveness manifested through us to others? And how do we show, or what do we show, to others to prove that we have forgiven them? I think we can see some pretty good signs from this verse: (Rom.12:14) Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not. When you're persecuted by someone, your doesn't really want to forgive them. But we really don't have any choice and it's the right thing to do, since the Lord has forgiven us such a great debt its only right to forgive everybody else their debt according to Jesus in Mat 18.  The penalty there is that Father turns the unforgiving over to tormenting demons in Mat 18:34-35. Forgiveness is extremely important if you want to bear fruit so the Lord can walk in you.  You will stumble without His grace. Forgiveness is every bit as important as the faith message because God does not give grace to people who don't forgive, or to people who judge, or to people who are bitter, or to people who are “just hurt” as they say. (Jas.2:1) My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons. Are you holding the faith of Jesus Christ our Lord with respect of persons? James goes on to give the example of having more respect for the rich man than the poor man.   Then he speaks of another form of respect of persons that's also quite common. (Jas.2:8) Howbeit if ye fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: (9) but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. If you're seeking to be justified by something that you are doing, but that somebody else isn't doing, be very, very careful because there are things that you are not doing and they are doing. And so James says not to be a respecter of persons. As it was with those under the Law, it also is with us. (Jas.2:11) For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou dost not commit adultery, but killest, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So if you've transgressed in anything, then you've transgressed. If you've sinned in anything, then you have sinned. And, of course, if you are not willing to give grace to someone else when they have sinned, just remember that God doesn't have to give you grace when you sin.   James warns us, (Jas.2:12) So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty. In other words, if you want to be judged by a law of liberty, be sure you judge other people by a law of liberty. Judging is the first thing you do when you don't forgive someone. You are judging this person unworthy of forgiveness when Christ already forgave you and Jesus warned us about that. (Mat.6:14) For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. The Father will turn you over to the tormenters until you pay your debt to God, since you didn't think your brother was worthy of having his debt to you cancelled by receiving forgiveness from you.  (Jas.2:12) So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty. What's the “law of liberty”? Well, he's using the Law here by way of an example. If you demand the Law be used on someone else, instead of giving them the same grace and “liberty” that the Lord offered to you, but you don't want to demand the Law be used to judge you, then you need to remember that the Lord will use the Law on you. (Jas.2:13) For judgment [is] without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment. What you sow, you reap, according to the universal law that the Lord has given us. (Gal.6:7) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. If you sow mercy and forgiveness, and refuse to judge unrighteously, as Romans 14 warns against doing, then God will show grace and mercy to you.   God is the judge. When Paul turned a sinner over to Satan in 1Co 5 it was God who judged and it must be that way today. This was governmental unforgiveness. Personal judgment and personal unforgiveness is owed by us. Governmental unforgiveness coming from God through elders is important to protect others. When this happens God will confirm the judgment. But in Pro 26:2  As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying, So the curse that is causeless alighteth not.  How dangerous it is, for we can actually sever our own grace and ruin our own future by not forgiving other people. (Jas.3:14) But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. Faction, of course, is seeking to separate people from others, especially to separate followers through selfish ambition. Judgment, jealousy, faction, criticism, gossip; these are all manifestations of unforgiveness, and many forms of it, because people are tempted to “lie against the truth” when they're attempting to cause division through jealousy or selfish ambition because they want something that God has not given to them.   But we should always wait and trust in the Lord to provide and ordain things for us, and not try to gain it ourselves. Jealousy causes people to try and obtain things through their own efforts. (Jas.3:15) This wisdom is not [a wisdom] that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. (16) For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed. The reason these people are turned over to vile deeds is because of unforgiveness the Father turns them over to tormentors as Jesus said. Mat 18:34-35  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due.  35  So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.    Many people have made themselves judges and think they have the right not to forgive other people but, if they are usurping this position, in other words, if they're seizing and holding this position, office, or power, etc., instead of God giving it to them, then they're going to bring a curse upon themselves. God guarantees it. (Jas.4:11) Speak not one against another, brethren. He that speaketh against a brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. (12) One [only] is the lawgiver and judge, [even] he who is able to save and to destroy: but who art thou that judgest thy neighbor? Do you see what I'm saying here? James is saying the exact same thing. Only One has the right to judge; only the Lord has the right and He chooses through whom He will judge and it will not be someone in sin.  2Co 10:6  and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full.  The apostle Paul said, (Rom.2:1) Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost practice the same things. If you judge others, then you judge yourself. We can't judge, be unforgiving, bitter, factious; or be attempting to bring judgment on other people. (Eph.4:29) Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth ... (Jas.3:8) But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] full of deadly poison. Of course, God can tame the tongue and sometimes we learn obedience through the things we suffer.   The Bible said that even about Jesus. (Heb.5:8) Though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered. When we suffer for speaking things we shouldn't, it motivates us to be very careful before the Lord. (Eph.4:29) Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying (or “building up”) as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear. It's always legal to edify, to build up, to give grace; it's not always legal to tear down and we have to be careful that it's only the Lord Who does that. He is the Judge. It is legal to give grace but it is not always legal to judge. (Eph.4:30) And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption. (31) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice. These are all manifestations of unforgiveness.  Paul is warning us here and he mentions railing in (1Co.5:11) But as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one, no not to eat. As a sin that is worthy of separating from people, he commands us to separate from any man who is called a brother, if he is reviling or railing. Reviling is from Loidoros, meaning abusive railing. The word for “railing” is blasphemia, which is the same word for “blaspheming,” and it means “to speak against.” Both reviling and railing are speaking against others. And as we just read in James, “Speak not one against another, brethren.” (Eph.4:31) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice. If you don't put this away, you will pay for it and usually pretty quickly. Generally, your body will start going downhill, circumstances will start going downhill, the grace of God will be gone from you, etc. (Eph.4:32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you. We see that so often in Scripture: if God forgave you, you have to forgive.   (Col.3:12) Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering. A person who judges other people illegally is a proud person. A person who is unforgiving is a proud person. This is a person who has put him or herself up on a pedestal and thinks they have the right to not forgive, that they have the right to judge instead of giving that right only to God. They are sitting in the place of God. He says that through lowliness, meekness and longsuffering, we suffer long with other people's errors and problems and weaknesses, etc. (Col.3:12) Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; (13) forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye.  Paul is talking about personal forgiveness here and we always have to give personal forgiveness every time. He's not talking about governmental unforgiveness because it would truly be a sin to forgive someone in a governmental situation. When it's the responsibility of an elder to judge and they don't do it, then they are sinning. For instance faction must be dealt with swiftly or it will spread and destroy many with “vile deeds”. However we always have to forgive any offense against us personally or we won't be forgiven, which is the foundation of our salvation. In Mat 18:15  And if thy brother sin (against thee [some ancient authorities omit this and it does not have a numeric pattern]), go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. The factious always disobey the command to go to the brother they are judging “alone” which makes them backbiters or back stabbers (Rom 1:30). They do this because their slander will be refuted by the witnesses. (Col.3:14) And above all these things [put on] love, which is the bond of perfectness. Of course, if you love your brother as yourself and you are not a respecter of persons, then you're going to want to afford every right and every privilege to him that you want for yourself.  This will bond you instead of divide you. If you want God to judge you according to grace and mercy, then remember you have to give that same grace and mercy to others. (Col.3:15) And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful. (16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. It's not possible to let the Word of Christ “dwell in you richly” unless you're going to be obedient to the golden rule. The Word will not be manifested in you if you have unforgiveness. Unforgiveness blocks so many things that God could give to you and opens up the door for so many more sins that will take over your life, so that the Word will not be manifested in you.   The Word is Jesus and He will not be manifested in you if you have unforgiveness. All of those other fruits of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, railing, and malice will be manifested instead of the Word. It doesn't matter what God has promised you; they won't come to pass because God's promises are conditional upon repentance and faith.   (Col.3:16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms [and] hymns [and] spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God. (17) And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. So whatever we do, we are to do it in Jesus' Name; in other words, as representing Him. The meaning for the Greek word for name is nature, character, and authority. To do everything in His name is to do it like He would; that's exactly the meaning of Colossians 3:17. If we would do what Jesus would do, then the Word would be manifested in us.   What is the nature of forgiveness? I believe what Jesus is doing is He is helping us to understand those circumstances in which we find ourselves most likely to fall into unforgiveness. Those circumstances aren't the big curses that we think they are. We need to understand that wicked people who come against us and tempt us to fall into unforgiveness or bitterness or judgment, are actually a blessing. They cleanse the body of leaven. We need to understand that the Lord is sovereign and no person can come into our life without God's grace. We need to understand what He says about them.  (Luk.6:22) Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you [from their company,] and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for Son of man's sake. Well, we certainly don't think that we're being blessed when people do such things, but from God's point of view, we are. We shouldn't be so near-sighted to see only the circumstance and not what God says about the circumstance behind the scenes because what is being worked in us is for eternity. (23) Rejoice in that day (We sure need to remind ourselves of this because the flesh just cries out, doesn't it?), and leap [for joy] for behold, your reward is great in heaven (Can you imagine? This obnoxious person who is accosting you is actually creating a reward for you in heaven!); for in the same manner did their fathers unto the prophets. (24) But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. (25) Woe unto you, ye that are full now! for ye shall hunger. Woe [unto you,] ye that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. (26) Woe [unto you,] when all men shall speak well of you! for in the same manner did their fathers to the false prophets. So we see that if these same wicked people speak well of us it is a woe to us.  Jesus said, “Woe ye that laugh now.” Yes, sometimes you weep, you mourn because of things that you go through at the hands of other people. But He said, “Woe ye that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep.” If we laugh at the judgment of others it is a woe to us. Things are going to be turned around. We are about to be treated badly by the world as a trial, but God says, “leap [for joy] for behold, your reward is great in heaven.” The reward that God is giving is not just a breath that He calls this life; the reward that God gives lasts forever and ever. If we could really understand what He's saying here and what is happening here, I believe we would leap for joy. God is true to His Word.   And now Jesus is going to tell you what it really is to be a forgiving person and what the fruit of being a forgiving person is. (Luk.6:27) But I say unto you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you. If you let bitterness or unforgiveness rise up in your heart, it's just not possible to obey this. (Luk.6:28) Bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you. (29) To him that smiteth thee on the [one] cheek offer also the other; and from him that taketh away thy cloak withhold not thy coat also. The only person who can do this is a forgiving person, a person who is not judging. They are being obedient to the Lord and they have His grace working in them. Of course, you don't have the grace to do these things if you're unforgiving because then God withholds His grace. He gives grace only to the humble. (Jas.4:6) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore [the scripture] saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. (Luk.6:30) Give to everyone that asketh thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.  Those with faction and witchcraft stole from us whenever there was an opportunity and we have never asked it back but God always repays it multiplied when we just give it. In other words, He doesn't want you to judge these people. He tells us, (1Co.5:12) For what have I to do with judging them that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within (meaning those within the Church)? In obedience to this, before the faction leave the Church in a rage we correct their slander, fornication, lies, lusting, etc. After they leave we have only judged them carefully when the Lord told us to. (13) But them that are without (outside of the Church or not in the Church) God judgeth. (Luk.6:31) And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.   Here again is that perfect law of liberty. Giving mercy when we want mercy, sowing the very seed that we need because each seed brings forth after its own kind. If you want mercy, you sow mercy; if you want forgiveness, you sow forgiveness, etc. God will bring it back to you. (Luk.6:32) And if ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? Oh, it's easy to love and forgive people who love and forgive you, but what about giving love and what He is telling us to do here. (Luk.6:32) And if ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? for even sinners love those that love them. There's no reward for us in loving those who are good to us. (33) And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what thank have ye? for even sinners do the same. True; even sinners do the same, so we have to be above that. We have to be able to do it even for the wicked and the unworthy, and God will give us grace to do this. It all comes by grace from God but we forsake our own grace if we are unforgiving.   (Luk.6:34) And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? even sinners lend to sinners, to receive again as much. (35) But love your enemies, and do [them] good, and lend, never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. I know that you want to be a son of God, not just a child of God. The manifestation of sons is what the whole world is waiting to see. (Rom.8:19) For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. He's telling you here how to be a son.   If you don't want to do these things or if you give little esteem to these things that Jesus is saying, you forsake grace. And if you're unforgiving, then, of course, you won't have grace to do these things. And not only won't you have grace to do them, you won't want to do them. It will not be possible for you to do them. If we want to be sons of God, we have to be like His Son. And what did Jesus say? (Luk.23:34) Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. (35) But love your enemies, and do [them] good, and lend, never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. (36) Be ye merciful, even as your Father is merciful. (37) And judge not, and ye shall not be judged: and condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned.   Be careful that if any judgment or any condemnation is coming through you, that it's coming from God and not from you. If you have any personal feelings, if you have personal bitterness or unforgiveness toward someone, then you're not neutral and God can't use you. He can't use you as a son, as He could use His Son, because His Son was truly forgiving. (Luk.6:37) And judge not, and ye shall not be judged: and condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: release, and ye shall be released. Jesus forgave the sinners but governmentally judged the judges. When you're holding people captive to their sins or, in other words, holding them accountable to their sins against you, it says to “release and ye shall be released.” (Luk.6:38) Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again. This is just so important for us to remember! However we give it out to others, however we sow it, that's what is going to come back to us.   We've seen how unforgiveness manifests itself in our thoughts and our actions. Forgiveness also manifests in our thoughts and our actions. Here's a good example: (Mat.5:38) Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: (39) but I say unto you, Resist not him that is evil ... According to the Law, you were able to demand an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. You had the right to execute vengeance under the Law. But the Law could make nothing perfect, and God decided that He needed a better Covenant with better promises, so He gave us the New Covenant.  Paul in 1Co 5 told the Church to throw the fornicator and reviler out to save the Church because a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Now this is definitely talking about not resisting humans because we're told in (Jas.4:7) Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. We are told to resist the devil and his demons but Matthew is talking about the person, the flesh and blood, with whom we are not supposed to fight. The elder must resist the wicked for the Church with governmental authority as we have seen. The angels go out to take down slander because it is an attempt to destroy souls and families with witchcraft.  Individually we fight against our real enemy, the principalities and the powers. (2Co.10:3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (4) (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds), (5) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  (Mat.5:39) But I say unto you, Resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. If you forgave a person immediately, as you should do, then you would be able to resist retaliation. If you overcome unforgiveness every time someone attacks you that's a good thing, and if you finally overcome it in your nature, you won't have any problem obeying what Jesus commanded here. The majority of the Church doesn't pay much attention to these Scriptures for they are self-crucifying. They would rather appease their flesh and retaliate in order to get out of this crucifixion to their flesh.   (Mat.5:40) And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. That really comes against the flesh; we are really swimming upstream here to be obedient to Jesus. Unforgiveness is common. It's thought of as a worthy thing in the world but the Lord speaks very harshly against it. (Mat.5:41) And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two. This also really goes against the flesh. The flesh is prideful and doesn't want to do this; and God hates pride. Unforgiving people are prideful people because they think that they have the right to judge.   (Mat.5:42) Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. This is humiliating to the old man. (43) Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: (44) but I say unto you, Love your enemies ... Of course, this is the total opposite of unforgiveness, judgment, bitterness, wrath and demanding your rights. (Mat.5:44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you; (45) that ye may be sons of your Father ... Look at how many times the Lord connects sonship with this kind of humility in our lives. He connects sonship with the kind of humility that doesn't judge, the kind of humility that forgives.   (45) That ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. We wonder why God doesn't judge certain people around us; we wonder because He is so longsuffering with the wicked and vessels of dishonor so the elect among them will be saved as in Romans 9.  But He needs and uses those vessels of dishonor to try us and crucify our flesh. (46) For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? …(48) Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.   Brethren, some of the worst of men can be saved, Paul and Peter were but Judas was not. Pray for your families that they forgive, repent, and be among the chosen. Here is something many leave out, God's will.  Rom 9:2-5 that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.  3  For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh: (He had great love and great faith but few were saved. Why?) 6  But it is not as though the word of God hath come to nought. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel: (The same is true of the recognized “Church”.) 7  neither, because they are Abraham's seed, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. (The chosen lineage among Abrahams children.) 8  That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed. (Only those who have faith in the promises.) 9  For this is a word of promise, According to this season will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. (A type of the promised seed of all nations. This was after God rejected Ishmael, a type of the rejected seed of all nations.) 10  And not only so; but Rebecca also having conceived by one, even by our father Isaac--  11  for the children being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election (choosing) might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, (Only “many are called but few are chosen”.) 12  it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.  13  Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.  (Two types of world-wide people.) Many will argue with this but God says in 14  What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.  15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.  16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, (The choice is not man's but Gods. Religion doesn't count.) but of God that hath mercy. 17  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth.  18  So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will be hardeneth.  19  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will?  20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus?  21  Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?  22  What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction:  23  and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory,  24  even us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?  25  As he saith also in Hosea, I will call that my people, which was not my people; And her beloved, that was not beloved.  26  And it shall be, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, There shall they be called sons of the living God.  27  And Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved:  28  for the Lord will execute his word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short.  29  And, as Isaiah hath said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We had become as Sodom, and had been made like unto Gomorrah. 

Daily Bitachon: The Power of Daily Contemplation Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We spoke in the previous class on the three approaches to strengthening our emuna (faith): Seeing God through Torah Seeing God through creation Seeing miracles like that of Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus from Egypt) Today, we're going to talk about the need to do this every single day. 1. Remembering Ma'amad Har Sinai (The Standing at Mount Sinai) When it comes to remembering Ma'amad Har Sinai , it says in Devarim 4:9 : רק השמר לך ושמר נפשך מאד "Beware," פן תשכח את הדברים אשר ראו עיניך "lest you forget the things you saw with your eyes," ופן יסורו מלבבך כל ימי חייך "and should never leave your heart all the days of your life," והודעתם לבניך ולבני בניך "and tell your children and grandchildren." What are we talking about? יום אשר עמדת לפני ה' אלקיך בחורב —The day you stood in front of Hashem at Har Chorev (which is Har Sinai) when He gave you the Ten Commandments. You see over here, the Ramban in his count of the mitzvot says you have to remember Har Sinai every single day. The Rambam in his Iggeret Teiman says the same thing: We have to remember Har Sinai every single day. 2. Finding God in Creation When it comes to finding God in creation, Devarim 4:39 states: וידעת היום והשבת אל לבבך כי ה' הוא האלהים בשמים ממעל ועל הארץ מתחת אין עוד "Know today and place on your heart that Hashem is God in the heavens above and the land below, there's no one but Him." As we quoted, Rabbeinu Yonah ( Sha'arei Teshuva , the third gate, letter 17) says this is the source that we must delve into the greatness of God and be maskil —to contemplate God in creation. Rabbeinu Bachya , commenting on this same pasuk in Devarim 4:39, also tells us it's a mitzvat asseh (positive commandment) from the Torah. What's the command? Lada'at oto (to know Him) ve-lachdor al achduto (and to delve into His oneness), ולא לסמוך על הקבלה בלבד —don't just rely on tradition. You have to look into His actions and His creations. Why does it say levavecha (your heart) with two beits ? As we know, the two beits refer to the yetzer tov (good inclination) and the yetzer hara (evil inclination). What does that mean? It means you have a yetzer hara inside of you that is going to pull you away and question your emuna . You have to engage in that internal battle and convince the darker side, so to say, that there is a God. Now, what's interesting is that Rabbeinu Yonah and Rabbeinu Bachya both count this as a mitzvah . What about the Rambam ? Rav Yeruchem Fishel Perla , in his commentary on the Rav Saadia Gaon (Mitzvah 3), says the Rambam holds like that as well. Of course this is a mitzvah ! He just doesn't count it from this specific pasuk because, as we mentioned, the Rambam considers that part of the general mitzvah of Ve-ahavta et Hashem Elokecha ("And you shall love Hashem your God"). I don't have to tell you to look into God in creation; I have to tell you to love Him, and looking into creation is the way to love Him. Included in the mitzvah to love God is obviously to contemplate creation and Torah in order to come to that love. On that pasuk , the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh says Ve-yadata hayom means she-be-chol yom —every single day. Every single day you have to contemplate God. 3. Remembering Yetziat Mitzrayim Yetziat Mitzrayim. Obviously, we know this is required every day because it says in Devarim 16:3 : למען תזכור את יום צאתך מארץ מצרים כל ימי חייך "Remember the day you got out of Egypt all the days of your life." So every single day you have to remember Har Sinai, every single day you have to find God in creation, and every single day you have to remember Yetziat Mitzrayim. These three pillars have to be done every single day. Keeping It Fresh: "Hot Off the Press" If we look at the pasuk of Ve-ahavta (Perek 6, Pasuk 5-6), it says: ואהבת את ה' אלקיך בכל לבבך... והיו הדברים האלה אשר אנכי מצוך היום על לבבך . "And you shall love Hashem your God with all your heart... And these words that I command you today should be on your heart." Rashi explains that through having the words of the Torah on your heart, you recognize God and connect to Him. And regarding the phrase "that I command you today," Rashi says it shouldn't be viewed like an old decree or an old letter that you don't care to look at. It should be brand new—like hot-off-the-press news that everyone runs to read, not yesterday's newspaper. Every single day when you read Kriyat Shema , it should be fresh and new. How do you do that? Well, if every single day you contemplate God in creation and contemplate Him in your Torah, you find a fresh, new excitement about Hashem. You say, "Wow, I didn't realize that wonder of creation before... I didn't realize that wonder in the Torah... I didn't fully appreciate Yetziat Mitzrayim until now." That is the daily aspect. The Warning of Yeshayahu Any time we talk about a daily obligation, this is God's concept of daily. How far does it go? Look at Yeshayahu (Perek 5, Pasuk 11-13) : "Woe to those who rise early in the morning to pursue liquor, who stay up late at night while wine inflames them. There are harp and lyre and drum and flute and wine at their drinking parties, but they would not contemplate the deed of Hashem and would not look at His handiwork. Therefore My people is being exiled because of ignorance, its honored ones dying of starvation, its multitude parched from thirst." Why is that? What kind of punishment is going into exile just because you get up late or party? Rashi asks: What does it mean that they didn't look into God's handiwork? Rashi explains: לא קלסו שחרית יוצר אור ולא ערבית המערב ערבים They did not say Birchot Kriyat Shema (the blessings of Shema) in the morning and at night. That is the daily contemplation that we need, and the lack of it brought the Churban (destruction). It's unbelievable. The Sefer Barak Hashachar (Habata- Reiya) comments that this is why the pasuk uses a double language: פועל השם לא יביטו ומעשה ידיו לא ראו ( "They look not at the deed of Hashem, nor see the work of His hands" ). One is for the morning, and one is for the evening. Yabbitu (look carefully): Relates to po'al Hashem (the deeds of Hashem), which means Hashem's Hashgacha (divine providence). That requires deeper contemplation. Ra'u (see): Relates to ma'aseh yadav (His handiwork). That is obvious; what He did in creation should be readily seen. The Secret to Human Nature: Finding the Right Thrill The Chatam Sofer points out that this is actually reflected in a pasuk we read right before the month of Elul ( Devarim 11:26-28 ): ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה "See, I am placing in front of you today a blessing and a curse." As we know, we pray to end the year and its curses, and begin the new year and its blessings. What does the blessing come for? It comes if you listen to the mitzvot אשר אנכי מצוה אתכם היום —the mitzvot that I command you today , meaning they are fresh and exciting to you. And what does the curse come from? If you don't listen to the mitzvot that I commanded you today , and you stray to follow other gods. The Chatam Sofer asks a powerful question: why? If I do everything right, but the words of Torah just aren't fresh in my eyes, I get cursed? And why does the pasuk immediately connect a lack of freshness to straying after strange gods? He answers based on human nature: We inherently crave things that are new and exciting. Torah is only exciting to you if it feels like the day you received it at Har Sinai; only then do you get excited by it and enjoy it. But if you don't enjoy the Chidushim (new insights) of Torah, or the Chidush in the Beriya (creation), or the Chidush of Yetziat Mitzrayim, then what's going to happen? You're going to look for other types of Chidushim —other types of new and exciting thrills. Everyone needs a thrill! If you don't get your thrill and excitement in the newness and freshness of Torah, you're going to look for it somewhere else. You're going to look for the next new religion, the new "ism," or whatever else it may be. Therefore, the ultimate key to our success is our dedicated, daily contemplation in all three of these areas: Torah, Creation, and Yetziat Mitzrayim.

Isaiah 6:1–8 Most people prefer a God who is a little holier than they are—manageable, predictable, and unlikely to make demands. But that is not the God of the Bible. When Isaiah saw the real God—high and lifted up, attended by seraphim—his only response was, “Woe is me!” Pastor Chuck Swindoll opens Isaiah 6:1–8 to reveal a God whose holiness is utterly beyond our comfort zones. Far from paralyzing Isaiah, this vision broke him, cleansed him, and sent him on mission. Discover what a true vision of God's holiness can do in your life.

Most people prefer a God who is a little holier than they are—manageable, predictable, and unlikely to make demands. But that is not the God of the Bible. When Isaiah saw the real God—high and lifted up, attended by seraphim—his only response was, “Woe is me!”Pastor Chuck Swindoll opens Isaiah 6:1–8 to reveal a God whose holiness is utterly beyond our comfort zones. Far from paralysing Isaiah, this vision broke him, cleansed him, and sent him on mission.Discover what a true vision of God's holiness can do in your life.

Most people prefer a God who is a little holier than they are—manageable, predictable, and unlikely to make demands. But that is not the God of the Bible. When Isaiah saw the real God—high and lifted up, attended by seraphim—his only response was, “Woe is me!”Pastor Chuck Swindoll opens Isaiah 6:1–8 to reveal a God whose holiness is utterly beyond our comfort zones. Far from paralyzing Isaiah, this vision broke him, cleansed him, and sent him on mission.Discover what a true vision of God's holiness can do in your life. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/82/29?v=20251111

We're so glad you are here! Thanks for checking out Sunday's message!-- SUNDAY'S NOTES --Proverbs 16:18 — "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”Genesis 3:1  Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?”Pride is the sinful elevation of self that seeks autonomy from God, confidence in self rather than dependence on God, and glory for self rather than glory for God."Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite." (Numbers 12:1)Verse 2 reveals the deeper problem: “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn't he also spoken through us?” Numbers 12:2Taking offense easily is one of the biggest indicators of pride you will see.Humility is the posture of the heart that recognizes God's greatness, submits to His authority, and depends completely upon Him.The Hebrew word anavah is what we translate as"humility," but the literal definition of anavah is to occupy your God-given space in the world-to not overestimate yourself or your abilities, but to not underestimate them either.Humility is not primarily thinking less of yourself—it's thinking rightly about yourself in light of GodAndrew Murray- “Humility is the place of entire dependence on God.”Micah 6:8 -He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly[a] with your God.Author John Bevere says it this way "A truly humble man fears God, and a man who fears God is truly humble."Proverbs 22:4- Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.The fear of the Lord is a heart posture of reverence, awe, and surrender that flows from rightly seeing who God is and recognizing our complete dependence upon Him.”Humility says, "I need God.” — The fear of the Lord says, "I obey God.”Isaiah 6:5 - “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”Humility is the natural response of a person who truly fears God.Number 12: 4-13—- (Sorry it's so long Jonah)4 At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out.5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, 6 he said, “Listen to my words:“When there is a prophet among you,    I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions,    I speak to them in dreams.7 But this is not true of my servant Moses;    he is faithful in all my house.8 With him I speak face to face,    clearly and not in riddles;    he sees the form of the Lord.Why then were you not afraid    to speak against my servant Moses?”9 The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them.10 When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam's skin was leprous[a]—it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease, 11 and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. 12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother's womb with its flesh half eaten away.”13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!”“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6The fear of the Lord is seeing God so rightly that we stop trusting in ourselves, stop exalting ourselves, and willingly surrender every part of our lives to God.-------------------------------------------------Download the 828 Church app!To view our latest e-newsletter, the Midweek Momentum, and subscribe to our weekly updates, go here! https://linktr.ee/828church

Life Lessons from Jeremiah Pt. 7: Real Spiritual Warfare By Louie Marsh, 6-14-2026   1) Ever felt like God has TRICKED you?   "7O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me.  8For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, "Violence and destruction!" For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long.  (Jeremiah 20:7–8, ESV)   "6know then that God has put me in the wrong and closed his net about me." (Job 19:6, ESV)   then know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me.  (Job 19:6, NIV) . 2) If I'm called by God, I must ANSWER that call.    9If I say, "I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name," there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.  (Jeremiah 20:9, ESV)   "16For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel." (1 Corinthians 9:16–18, ESV)   3) Doubt & fear work to DESTROY me.    10For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! "Denounce him! Let us denounce him!" say all my close friends, watching for my fall. "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him."  (Jeremiah 20:10, ESV)   4) But God will OVERCOME them.   11But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed. Their eternal dishonor will never be forgotten. 12O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause.  (Jeremiah 20:11-12, ESV)   5) I must WORSHIP Him for delivering me.    13Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.  (Jeremiah 20:13, ESV)   6) Be PREPARED for the struggle to continue.    14Cursed be the day on which I was born! The day when my mother bore me, let it not be blessed! 15Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father, "A son is born to you," making him very glad. 16Let that man be like the cities that the Lord overthrew without pity; let him hear a cry in the morning and an alarm at noon, 17because he did not kill me in the womb; so my mother would have been my grave, and her womb forever great. 18Why did I come out from the womb to see toil and sorrow, and spend my days in shame?" (Jeremiah 20:14–18, ESV)   "3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted." (Isaiah 53:3–4, ESV)  

Isaiah 6:1–8 Most people prefer a God who is a little holier than they are—manageable, predictable, and unlikely to make demands. But that is not the God of the Bible. When Isaiah saw the real God—high and lifted up, attended by seraphim—his only response was, “Woe is me!” Pastor Chuck Swindoll opens Isaiah 6:1–8 to reveal a God whose holiness is utterly beyond our comfort zones. Far from paralyzing Isaiah, this vision broke him, cleansed him, and sent him on mission. Discover what a true vision of God's holiness can do in your life.

Most people prefer a God who is a little holier than they are—manageable, predictable, and unlikely to make demands. But that is not the God of the Bible. When Isaiah saw the real God—high and lifted up, attended by seraphim—his only response was, “Woe is me!”Pastor Chuck Swindoll opens Isaiah 6:1–8 to reveal a God whose holiness is utterly beyond our comfort zones. Far from paralysing Isaiah, this vision broke him, cleansed him, and sent him on mission.Discover what a true vision of God's holiness can do in your life.

Most people prefer a God who is a little holier than they are—manageable, predictable, and unlikely to make demands. But that is not the God of the Bible. When Isaiah saw the real God—high and lifted up, attended by seraphim—his only response was, “Woe is me!”Pastor Chuck Swindoll opens Isaiah 6:1–8 to reveal a God whose holiness is utterly beyond our comfort zones. Far from paralyzing Isaiah, this vision broke him, cleansed him, and sent him on mission.Discover what a true vision of God's holiness can do in your life. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/82/29?v=20251111

In Week 2 of our Summer at Bethlehem series, Student Pastor Spencer Haynes opens up God's Word to share a passage that completely disrupted, challenged, and redirected his life. The power of the Bible is that it doesn't just inform us; it transforms us when we allow it to step out of the pages and into our real-world stories.   Preaching from the historic and heavy text of Isaiah 6:1-8, Spencer contrasts modern, emotional consumer Christianity with a true biblical encounter with God. "Send me" sounds exciting, powerful, and amazing in a worship service with great lighting and loud music—until holiness confronts our hidden sin and Jesus actually demands our comfort. This message is a direct challenge to step away from casual faith, stop hiding behind religion, and realize that real biblical calling always follows cleansing.  

Talk isn't enough to prove you're going to heaven, but it is enough to send you to hell. Both thoughts are true for the same reason: talking is so easy to do, in fact, it has never been easier. Nearly everything in our lives has made it faster and simpler to talk. We came up with the landline to share voices immediately. Then we made the cell phone so we could have this ability anywhere. Then we made the internet so we could permanently place our voices out there to talk for us even when we are not talking. Now with AI I can build things just by talking. Indeed, what hath man wrought? The way that this promise was presented to us was that all of this communication would be like sending torches into the darkness. Truth as it really was could be revealed for all to see in the flickering digital light. Injustices could be corrected, power could be held accountable, yes, even the gospel could be communicated faster and wider than ever. All of it was and is true. However, as James tells us, the darkness we bear those torches within is a bone-dry forest, branches and leaves everywhere ready to lap up the least spark. It is no wonder that James spends so much time on speech and the tongue, as this is quite a power to steward. The solution isn't to extinguish the torch. How can the Savior known as the Word have silent followers? Woe to us if we preach not the gospel, but woe to us if we do not tame our tongues. The solution that James gives to us is implicit rather than explicit, but the way he details the problem is a useful teaching tool in itself. When I began the process of learning how to drive my mother's day one lesson was this: I was driving a 3 thousand pound death machine to myself and others if I use it improperly. It was a sober start, but it was necessary. I had to come to grips with what I was doing. Today, James gives some us talking lessons with the sobering introduction to begin.

Joseph S. Moore, author of "How to Get Rich in American History: 300 Years of Financial Advice That Worked (& Didn't)," says that America is dealing with "Big Woe" (as in "Woe is me"), but that examining the past makes it clear that "The American Dream is alive and well." Moore points out that what people think is unique today has all been played out in the past, comparing cryptocurrency to the thousands of self-issued currencies that existed before the start of the Civil War, prediction markets to the "bucket shops" of the 1800s and more, but he also notes that the advice that people think "always works" has not actually proven that if you look throughout financial history. "The dynamic, changing economy we live in is evolving," he says, "so hopefully we can learn something from the past to better understand where we are in the present." Kelley Wright, editor at Investment Quality Trends — now celebrating its 60th year, making it one of the longest-running investment newsletters — brings his dividend-with-value focus to the Market Call. Plus, in the ETF of the Week, Todd Rosenbluth, head of research at VettaFi, examines a unique Treasury-focused fund as a way to ride out current rate swings while goosing yields in the ultra-safe portion of your portfolio.

June 1, 2026Today's Reading: Isaiah 6:1-7Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 9:1-17; John 9:24-41“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.It can be easy to read Isaiah chapter six and gloss over just how intense the vision of Isaiah would have been. As the Lord called Isaiah to speak His Word, there is a lot going on. There are the Seraphim with their wings and their flying. There is the shaking of the thresholds at the voice of the One calling. There is the angel with the smoke and the coals. But what might have been the most intense was the realization of those words, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”  We don't think of holiness all that much in our day and place. For us, God is sort of a spiritual therapist. He's there for when we might need something. He's sort of in the background, just sort of letting the movie play out as it does. In short, He's a buddy who's there when we need Him, but otherwise He just sort of lets us be.  I don't think that's how Isaiah felt standing in the presence of the angels and the company of heaven. I don't think that was the thought floating in his head when the angel brought the coal. In fact, I know it wasn't. How? Because of Isaiah's own words: “And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!'” Isaiah wasn't excited to see his buddy. He was nervous. Why? Because he knew of his sin. He knew of the sin of his people. He knew that this Lord of hosts, this Yahweh Sabaoth, was holy. He was not sin. He was perfection. He was the perfection that no imperfection can stand before. And so Isaiah was scared. He needed atonement.  But that's what the angel brought to Isaiah. He brought it from the altar of the Lord Himself. This thrice holy God is good and perfect. But He is loving. This Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, He is holy and hates sin. But He is loving and desires people to have the cleansing from sin that they would become the objects of His love. You, Christian, are the object of His love. He has sent Jesus to the cross to bear your unholiness. He has sent His Spirit into your heart through the Word, through the promise of Baptism, that you would know that you are His beloved. He has taken your unholiness and poured out His wrath against it on the cross, that He could give you His holiness that you could stand before Him in His heavenly temple forever. Thanks be to God.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Sabaoth. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Hosanna. Save us. Bless us with your holiness, that we would ever remain your beloved and holy children. AmenRev. Matthew Zickler, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.

Jesus said:“Blessed are you who weep now…”and“Woe to you who laugh now…”Was Jesus against joy?Not at all.In Luke 6, Jesus isn't talking about emotions on the surface—He's talking about the condition of your heart.Can you still feel what God feels?Can you still grieve over sin?Can you still be moved by suffering?Can you still hear the conviction of the Holy Spirit?In this message, we explore:• what Jesus meant by weeping and laughing• how hearts become hardened• the dangers of cultural drift• how King David lost sensitivity to God• and how God restores a broken heart

It's so easy to look at God and come to the conclusion, well I want that part of Him – but not that part. And definitely not that bit. It seems that all too often, we want Him on our terms rather than His. But God just doesn't work that way.   Take it Back Have you ever wanted something in life – I mean really, really, really wanted it and then when you finally get it, you just want to give it back? I think we have all experienced that at some point and you know, I think that for some people, it can be the case with God. I know people, lots of people, who hunger to be close to God. I know there are people listening today – maybe you are one of them – and all their lives they have wanted God – whatever that means. But can I tell you something? Even something really good – I mean really, really good like God, well, it can be a shock to the system and the reason is that we have these idealised, unrealistic notions of what that good thing will be like. Take the young woman who wants more than anything else, to be married and she meets her knight in shining armour, she marries him and a year later she is wondering, "What happened to all my ideas of romance 24/7?" Today on the programme we are going to take a look at some people who got God and couldn't wait to give Him back. Now over these last few weeks we have been working our way through the story of Hannah and Eli and his sons in the Book of First Samuel. And the crux of it is that Hannah honours God but Eli and his sons don't and the turning point of the whole story comes in the verse First Samuel – if you have a Bible, grab it, open it up here in First Samuel chapter 2, verse 30. God says: I will honour those who honour Me but those who despise Me, will be treated with contempt. And we have seen how the central reality of that verse has played itself out in the lives of Hannah, who was blessed when she couldn't have a son and she honoured God and God gave her a son Samuel and the opposite is Eli and his sons Hophni and Phinehas who didn't honour God and were greatly punished, in fact they lost their lives because of that. This story plays its self out in the storms of life. I mean Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, they were the priests; they should have been bringing God's people close to God yet they were living life of Riley, as we saw last week on the programme. And God had them killed. They're job was to bring people close to God and yet they were not honouring Him. Instead they had led Israel to a place of defeat. We saw last week in First Samuel chapter 4 where the Philistines attacked, Israel thinks "Oh well, God is always on our side – we will go to battle" and they had a huge defeat – thirty thousand of their soldiers were killed. The Ark of the Covenant, the presence of God itself, was captured by the Philistines. See the Ark of the Covenant was where God actually sat in the midst of His people. You see that in the journey through the Exodus – forty years in the Tent of the Meeting and later on in the temple. The Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies; it is the very presence of God. And strangely, you know, when the Philistines are close to capturing the Ark they kind of realise, with a sense of foreboding, what this is about. It says in First Samuel that: When they learned that the Ark of the Lord had entered the camp of the Israelites, the Philistines were afraid. "A god has come into their camp" they said "we are in trouble. Nothing like that has ever happened before. Woe to us. Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods?" And so it goes on … Well, it turns out that they should have followed their instincts. Today we are going to look and see what happens to the Philistines and to the Israelites when the presence of God comes close to them. Let's have a look at it. If you've got a Bible, open it up at First Samuel chapter 5, we are going to begin the story at verse 1. After the Philistines had captured the Ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then they carried the Ark into Dagon's temple and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, their god, who had fallen flat on his face on the ground before the Ark of the Lord. They took Dagon and put him back in his place. The following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the Ark of the Lord. His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold – only his body remained. That is why to this very day, neither the priests of Dagon or any of the others who enter Dagon's temple in Ashdod, step on the threshold. The Lord's hand was heavy upon the people of Ashdod and its vicinity. He brought devastation upon them and afflicted them with tumours. When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening they said "The Ark of the God of Israel mustn't stay here with us because His hand is heavy upon us and upon Dagon our god." So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and ask them "What are we going to do with this Ark of the God of Israel?" And they answered "Have the Ark of the God of Israel moved to Gath." So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel but after they had moved it, the Lord's hand was against that city, throwing it into great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumours so they sent the Ark of God on to Ekron. As the Ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out "They have brought that Ark of the God of Israel around to kill us and our people." So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said "Send that Ark of the God of Israel away. Let it go back to its own place or it will kill us and our people," for death had filled the city with panic and God's hand was very heavy upon it. Those who did not die were afflicted with tumours and the outcry of the city went up to heaven. Do you see? The Philistines looked like they had won and yet they take the presence of God; the Ark of the Covenant, they put it in their temple next to their god and Dagon falls down, face down in front of the God of Israel. And the second time his head and his hands are cut off and then wherever they took the Ark of the Covenant, the impact of God, as a captive in their midst, was devastating – they got tumours, we will see later, there were plagues of mice. They had captured God – in human terms, they had won but you know what they had forgotten, in fact they had never realised it in the first place? God is not subject to people – God is not someone you can capture and stick in your temple. He is not someone you can tame and subdue. Why are we talking about this stuff today? Because you and I, deep down, we try and tame and subdue God – we try and swing Him around to our way of thinking; to meet our needs. We put Him in the temple of our choice; we put Him in the town and the city of our choice. You know what happens when we try to do that? We discover exactly what the Philistines discovered – we discover that God is not someone you can push around. "Well, I'll just take this God and He'll bless me whenever I want Him to." Ok, we can't see Him! Our present circumstances perhaps, appear much more powerful than Him but if we want to have our feet on solid ground, amidst the storms of life, (that's what we have been talking about over these last few weeks) we look at this maelstrom of the storm; the battle between the Philistines and the Israelites – thirty thousand Israelites killed because they didn't honour their God. Who appeared to win? Who should have been, according to our simple human expectations, on solid ground? The Philistines – they won the war. They captured Israel's God but who they captured was the God who created the entire universe – not some idol; not some tin pot little god. They captured God and He wrought destruction upon them because they tried to subdue God. So much so they couldn't wait to get rid of Him. Do you get it? When we try to take God by force – force of argument, force of opinion, force of anything – anything that doesn't recognise Him for who He is – watch out! There are so many people playing "church". There are so many people playing at being Christians; playing at religion, putting God here, putting God there. That's not what it is about. As Dagon found out, the only way you honour God is when you bow down before Him because of who He is – the sovereign God, above every name and every power and every authority in heaven and earth. That's what Hannah discovered; that's what Eli discovered; that's what Israel discovered and that's what the Philistines discovered, the hard way. You can't have God on your own terms. You can only have Him on His terms.   We Don't Want Him Well, the Philistines finally came to their senses. They realised they couldn't have God on their terms. They had a choice – you either accept God on His terms or you get rid of Him. So they decided to send Him back from whence He came. Now, let's have a look at how they did that. We are going to pick this up in First Samuel – grab your Bible – First Samuel chapter 6, beginning at verse 1 – it's a great story. When the Ark of the Lord had been with the Philistines for seven months, they called for the priests and the diviners and they said "What are we going to do with this Ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it back to its place." They answered "If you return the Ark of the God of Israel, don't send it away empty, but by all means, send a guilt offering to Him then you will be healed and you will know why His hand has not been lifted from you." The Philistines ask "What guilt offering should we send Him?" and they replied "Five gold tumours and five gold rats, according to the number of Philistine rulers because the same plague has struck both you and your rulers. Make models of the tumours and of the rats that are destroying the country and pay honour to Israel's God. Perhaps He will lift His hand from you and your gods and your land. Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and the Pharaoh did when He treated them harshly, didn't they send the Israelites out so that they could go their way? Now then, get a new cart ready with two cows that have just calved and have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart but take their calves away and pen them up. Take the Ark of the Lord and put it on the cart and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending back to Him as a guilt offering. Send it on its way but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory towards Beth-shemesh then the Lord has brought this great disaster on us. But if it doesn't then we will know that it was not His hand that struck us but all this happened just by chance. So they did that – they took two such cows, hitched them to the cart, penned up their calves. They placed the Ark of the Lord on the cart, along with the chest containing the gold rats and the models of the tumours. Then the cows went straight up towards Beth-shemesh, keeping on the road, lowing all the way. They didn't turn to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh It is fascinating stuff! See, these people didn't know God – they got their own pagan spiritual leaders to advise them. Now their system of faith was not one God; that's called mono-theism. No, they believed in many gods; they were poly-theistic. And so they see the God of Israel as just another god on their list who may or may not have power. Now, He clearly does because He has brought all of this destruction on the Philistines. So they devise a test for this God. They get these two milk cows, with their calves. You see there is no way two cows that have just calved are going to leave their calves and these cows have never been yoked. So only God could cause them to go back to Israel, away from their young and that is exactly what ends up happening. They don't turn to the right or the left – they are lowing all the way. They don't want to go but they go and clearly this is an act of God. That's how the Philistines saw it. This is a story about so many people in this world who don't know God. See, they hear about God – it's amazing, God is still speaking. The number of times that I have had a letter or an email that says "You know something – I just happened to flick on the radio or turn to a channel and your programme was on and God spoke to me and changed my life." I'm going to share one of those at the end of this programme – an amazing story of a rebel fighter in Africa who laid down his arms. See, God is still speaking today, all over the place, and He reaches out to us and He ends up in our midst, one way or another, as He did with the Philistines. Remember back, how did the presence of God, the Ark of the Covenant, come to be in the midst of the Philistines? The Philistines fought Israel, Israel hadn't honoured their God – they got defeated by the Philistines big time. Eli the priest and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas were killed in that battle. They expected God to show up like He always did, but He didn't. And it was a sovereign act of the sovereign God to allow defeat to come upon Israel and to allow His presence, the Ark of the Covenant to be captured by the Philistines. God's own decision was to be in the midst of the Philistines those seven months. And they discover that you can't have Him on your own terms, so they give Him back – they send Him packing. That's what I did for many, many years of my life. Every now and then I encountered God. And you see I had my own agenda for my life; I had my own plans. God didn't fit so I would send Him packing. And it seemed like He would like to cause me grief and pain; want me to give up things I didn't want to give up. And time and time again I'd want to hang onto Him on my terms. Let me tell you something – it never, never, never worked so I sent Him packing. I rejected Him like the Philistines. I wonder if that has ever happened in your life. Come on, how much do we want God, but on our terms? Well, I believe this about abortion or I believe that about sexuality or I believe this about the different roles of men and women and when I discover what God has to say about those I say to myself "Well, I can't believe that! No, either I have God on my terms or not at all." Come on, there is a reason that God went to the trouble of recording this story about the Philistines and the Ark of the Covenant and then preserving it for a few thousand years and then broadcasting it on this radio station today. There is a reason! He is speaking to us through His story today. To all those people who would have God on their own terms, He is saying "No, you can't have Me on your terms. You can't capture Me and stick Me in your temple. You can only have Me on My terms." And as we are going to see soon, this problem was not reserved for the Philistines – it's not just for the people who didn't really know God but it was also for God's own people – God's own people who would push Him away. This series that we are going through is called "On Solid Ground". We need solid ground beneath our feet and we are going to discover next, exactly how to get it.   When Will We Learn? As I said earlier, the problem wasn't just restricted to the Philistines, sending God packing with those cows with the Ark of the Covenant in tow – it was also a problem that happened with the Israelites. Let's see what happened when the Ark of the Covenant arrives back with Israel - First Samuel chapter 6, beginning at verse 19. The Ark has just wandered down the road with the cows and this is what happened: God struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they had looked into the Ark of the Lord. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them and the men of Beth-shemesh asked "Who can stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God? To whom will the Ark go up from here?" Then they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath-jearim, saying "The Philistines have returned the Ark of the Lord, come down and take it up to your place." So the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the Ark of the Lord. They took it to Abinadab's house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar, the son to guard the Ark of the Lord. See, God is a sovereign God. We get Him on His terms and not ours. And the Israelites dealt casually with God's presence when He came back – they looked upon Him. Now God says "You can't look upon Me and live." How often do we treat the mighty sovereign casually? You and I – we take on God. Can I tell you who is going to win? Not us! Israel was God's people – they should have known better but they didn't. So what was their reaction? The same as the Philistines – "Who can stand in front of this sovereign God. Where are we going to send Him?" They sent God packing and it's a pattern repeated over and over and over again. So what is the answer? What these people needed was some solid ground beneath their feet. What you and I need is some solid ground beneath our feet. Well, that comes next in this story – it's exactly what happened. First Samuel chapter 7, verse 2: It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the Ark remained a Kiriath-jearim and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord and Samuel the prophet, said to the whole house of Israel "If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve Him alone and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines. So the Israelites put away their Baals and their Ashtoreths and they served the Lord alone. And then Samuel said "Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the Lord for you." When they had assembled at Mizpah they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and they confessed "We have sinned against the Lord." And Samuel was the leader of Israel at Mizpah. When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them and when the Israelites heard of it they were afraid because of the Philistines. They said to Samuel "Don't stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that He may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines." So Samuel took a suckling lamb, offering it up as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel's behalf and the Lord answered him. Whilst Samuel was still sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle but that day the Lord thundered with a loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before Israel. The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth-car. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and he named it Ebenezer, saying "Thus far the Lord has helped us." So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again. Throughout Samuel's lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. From the towns of Ekron to Gath – that the Philistines had captured from Israel - they were restored to Israel and Israel delivered the neighbouring territory from the power of the Philistines and there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. First Samuel chapter 2, verse 30 says this: I will honour those who honour Me but those who despise Me will be treated with contempt. See, that's the place of solid ground – Israel finally got it right here! See, before they had had priests who were sleeping around with prostitutes, priests who were dishonouring God, priests who were plundering the sacrifices of the people to God and God said, "You know something? If your leaders are going to be doing that I am not going to bless you." So Israel fights the Philistines and Israel loses. And so the Ark of the Covenant of God goes to the Philistines and there is devastation there because of the presence of God and they send it back to Israel. And there is devastation there because of the presence of God because everyone was trying to have God on their own terms. Here is the place of solid ground: If you want to return to the Lord with all your heart, put away all your foreign gods. And that is God's Word for you and me today. Put away all your foreign gods – all the other things that you put before God – all the other things that you and I worship – put them away and worship God alone. Come to God on His terms, not ours, because He is the sovereign God. He is the God of the whole universe. He is the God – not just one other god amongst many – He is THE God; the only God and He calls us to worship Him and Him alone. So the people did that and right at the moment they did that, the Philistines were going to attack them again, but this time, the moment they began to honour their God – this verse First Samuel chapter 2, verse 30 – came into their experience. I will honour those who honour Me, but those who despise Me will be treated with contempt. People – that is the place of solid ground. It is the only place of solid ground. God is a sovereign God. He is not my performing puppy and He is not your performing puppy. He is not there to do tricks on our command. He is above us and we are His people and God is calling us today to accept Him on His terms as the sovereign God – just the way Samuel told the people. Samuel said to them "You have got to accept God on His terms" – they did and immediately, when a storm arose, God blessed His people. And that blessing went on for many, many years and their feet were on solid ground.

The Tribulation: Hell on Earth   Our springboard text is Revelation 6:16-17: “And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”   These words, ripped from the throats of kings and great men, rich men and chief captains, mighty men and every bondman and every free man, echo across the shattered landscape of a world in collapse.    As the sixth seal bursts open, the sky rolls up like a scroll, mountains and islands are moved out of their places, and the sun turns black as sackcloth while the moon becomes as blood.  Men do not cry out for mercy; they scream for the rocks to crush them rather than face the wrath of the Lamb. This is the Tribulation—the seven-year period of divine judgment poured out upon a Christ-rejecting world. It is hell on earth, the time of Jacob's trouble, the great tribulation spoken of by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24:21 as unparalleled in human history.    The book of Revelation, the unveiling of Jesus Christ, lays it bare in vivid, terrifying detail. We will walk through it in the exact prophetic timeline John received, seal by seal, trumpet by trumpet, bowl by bowl, pausing at the parenthetical texts the Holy Spirit inserts to show us the behind-the-scenes reality of salvation and conflict amid the judgments. After the messages to the seven churches in Revelation 1–3, John is caught up through an open door in heaven in chapter 4.        There he sees the throne of God, the four living creatures crying “Holy, holy, holy,” and the twenty-four elders casting their crowns. In chapter 5 the Lamb as it had been slain takes the seven-sealed scroll from the right hand of Him who sits on the throne. Heaven explodes in worship: “Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” Then, in chapter 6, the Lamb begins to break the seals, and hell on earth is unleashed in perfect, ordered fury. The first seal: Revelation 6:1-2. “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”  A counterfeit Christ rides forth—the Antichrist—deceiving the nations with a false peace. No arrows yet, only a bow; he conquers through diplomacy and lies before the sword is unsheathed. The world cheers a man of peace who is in reality the man of sin. The second seal: Revelation 6:3-4. “And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.”    Global war erupts. The red horse rider turns the planet into a slaughterhouse. Brother against brother, nation against nation—blood flows in rivers as the false peace shatters. The third seal: Revelation 6:5-6. “And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.”  Famine stalks the earth. A day's wages buys only a quart of wheat or three quarts of barley—bare survival. The rich may still afford luxuries, but the masses starve while inflation and scarcity crush the poor. The fourth seal: Revelation 6:7-8. “And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”  One-quarter of the world's population—billions—die in a single stroke from war, famine, plague, and wild beasts turned savage. Death rides with hell at his heels, reaping a harvest so vast the imagination recoils. The fifth seal: Revelation 6:9-11. “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”      The martyrs cry from beneath the altar, their blood crying out for vengeance. More will join them—tribulation saints slaughtered for refusing the beast. Then comes the sixth seal, and the parenthetical pause is not yet. The cosmic cataclysm of Revelation 6:12-17: earthquake so violent every mountain and island moves, sun black, moon blood-red, stars falling like untimely figs, sky rolling up like a scroll. Men of every class hide in caves and beg the rocks to fall on them—“from the wrath of the Lamb.” This is only the beginning.   Now the first major parenthetical text breaks the chronological flow in Revelation 7. While the judgments continue on earth, heaven reveals two groups preserved and saved amid the horror.    First, the 144,000 Jewish evangelists: Revelation 7:4-8. “And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”      Twelve thousand from each tribe—Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin—sealed on their foreheads with the seal of the living God.    These are not the church; they are literal Jews, protected supernaturally so they cannot be harmed by the coming trumpet and bowl judgments. They become the greatest missionary force in history, preaching the everlasting gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people while the world burns.   Because of their fearless proclamation—and the ministry of the two witnesses yet to come—an innumerable multitude is saved. Revelation 7:9-17: “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands… These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”      Millions upon millions—Gentiles from every corner of the globe—turn to Christ during this hellish time. They endure hunger, thirst, scorching heat, and persecution, yet they stand before the throne, palms waving, singing of salvation. The 144,000 Jewish evangelists and the two witnesses are the instruments God uses to reap this vast harvest even as wrath falls. The seventh seal brings silence in heaven for half an hour—Revelation 8:1—then the seven trumpets. The first four are ecological and cosmic disasters affecting one-third of the earth. First trumpet: Revelation 8:7. “The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.” Burning hail and blood rain down; one-third of the planet's vegetation is incinerated.   Second trumpet: Revelation 8:8-9. A burning mountain—perhaps a meteor or volcano—plunges into the sea. One-third of the sea turns to blood, one-third of sea creatures die, one-third of ships are destroyed. Oceans become graveyards. Third trumpet: Revelation 8:10-11. A star named Wormwood falls on one-third of the rivers and springs. Waters turn bitter; “many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.”   Fourth trumpet: Revelation 8:12. One-third of the sun, moon, and stars are struck. The day and night lose one-third of their light. Darkness deepens over the planet.   Then an angel flies through heaven crying, “Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!” The three woes are announced.   The fifth trumpet—first woe—Revelation 9:1-12. A star falls, given the key to the bottomless pit. Smoke darkens the sun and air. Locusts pour out—demonic hordes with the power of scorpions. They do not touch grass or trees or those sealed by God, but only the unsealed men. “And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.”    Picture it: locusts shaped like battle horses, crowned like gold, faces of men, hair of women, teeth of lions, iron breastplates, wings roaring like chariots, tails with scorpion stings. For five long months men are stung again and again. The agony is unbearable—burning, electric torment that drives them mad. They claw at their flesh, beg for death, but death refuses to come. This is hell on earth, demonic torture let loose by divine permission. Their king is Abaddon—Apollyon—the destroyer. The sixth trumpet—second woe—Revelation 9:13-21. Four angels bound at the Euphrates are loosed for a precise hour, day, month, and year. An army of two hundred million horsemen is released. “And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed…” Fire, smoke, brimstone, and serpent-like tails with heads that wound. One-third of surviving mankind is slaughtered.  Yet the rest “repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood… Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” Even after billions dead, hearts remain stone.   Now the second major parenthetical section: Revelation 10 and 11.  A mighty angel with a rainbow crown and feet like pillars of fire stands on sea and land, holding a little open book. John eats it—sweet as honey in the mouth, bitter in the belly.    He is told he must prophesy again. Then the temple is measured; the outer court is given to the Gentiles for forty-two months. And the two witnesses appear: Revelation 11:3-12. “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies.”      They shut heaven so no rain falls, turn waters to blood, and smite the earth with plagues as often as they will. For 1,260 days they torment the beast's kingdom. Then the beast from the bottomless pit kills them. Their bodies lie in the street of the great city for three and a half days while the world rejoices and sends gifts. But suddenly breath enters them; they stand on their feet. A voice from heaven calls, “Come up hither,” and they ascend in a cloud while their enemies watch. A great earthquake follows, killing seven thousand. The two witnesses—likely Enoch and Elijah or Moses and Elijah—preach, perform miracles, and add to the harvest of souls alongside the 144,000.   The seventh trumpet sounds: Revelation 11:15. “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Heaven rejoices, but the third woe is still to come in full force.   Revelation 12–14 forms the third great parenthetical block, filling in the cosmic and earthly drama. A woman clothed with the sun gives birth to a man child who is caught up to God's throne.    The red dragon—Satan—is cast out of heaven with his angels. “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”    He persecutes the woman (Israel) who flees to the wilderness for 1,260 days. Then the beast rises from the sea—Revelation 13—the Antichrist, empowered by the dragon, with a healed deadly wound that causes the world to worship him. He blasphemes God for forty-two months and makes war on the saints.    The second beast—the false prophet—rises from the earth, performs miracles, makes fire come down from heaven, and forces the world to worship the image of the beast. He causes all to receive a mark in the right hand or forehead—the mark of the beast, 666—without which no one can buy or sell. Those who refuse it are beheaded.   Yet amid this, the 144,000 stand with the Lamb on Mount Zion in Revelation 14:1-5, singing a new song no one else can learn—virgins, firstfruits, without guile.    Three angels fly through heaven: one preaches the everlasting gospel, another announces Babylon's fall, the third warns with the most terrifying words in Scripture: “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark… The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever.”    Then the harvest of the earth—both the reaping of the saved and the grapes of wrath trodden outside the city until blood flows to the horse bridles for two hundred miles. Finally the seven bowls—the last plagues, in which the wrath of God is filled up—Revelation 15–16. These are poured out rapidly, one after another, more intense than anything before. First bowl: Revelation 16:2. Noisome and grievous sores break out on everyone who has the mark of the beast and worships his image.    Open, festering ulcers cover their bodies; they cannot sit, cannot lie down, cannot escape the burning pain.   Second bowl: Revelation 16:3. The sea becomes as the blood of a dead man; every living soul in the sea dies. The oceans are one vast, stinking cemetery of rotting flesh.   Third bowl: Revelation 16:4-7. Rivers and fountains turn to blood. The angel of the waters declares it just: “For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.” Fourth bowl: Revelation 16:8-9. The sun is given power to scorch men with fire. Men are burned with fierce heat. Instead of repenting, they blaspheme the name of God “and they repented not to give him glory.”   Fifth bowl: Revelation 16:10-11. The seat of the beast is plunged into darkness. Men gnaw their tongues for pain from the sores and the darkness, yet “they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.”     Sixth bowl: Revelation 16:12-16. The great river Euphrates is dried up, preparing the way for the kings of the east. Unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouths of the dragon, beast, and false prophet—demonic miracle-workers gathering the armies of the world to Armageddon for the battle of the great day of God Almighty.   Seventh bowl: Revelation 16:17-21. “It is done.” Voices, thunders, lightnings, the greatest earthquake in history. Every island flees, mountains disappear. The great city is divided into three parts; the cities of the nations fall.    Babylon is remembered before God to receive the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. And “there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent”—one hundred pounds of ice falling from the sky. Men blaspheme God because the plague of the hail is exceeding great.   Revelation 17–18 details the fall of Babylon the great—the religious and commercial system that intoxicated the nations with her fornication and persecuted the saints.      She is made desolate, naked, eaten, and burned with fire by the ten kings who once supported her. The merchants of the earth weep over her in one hour her riches are destroyed.   All of this is the Tribulation—hell on earth. One-quarter of mankind dead at the fourth seal, another third at the sixth trumpet, billions more from famine, plague, hail, scorching, demonic torment, and war.        Yet through it all, the 144,000 sealed Jewish evangelists and the two witnesses proclaim the gospel, and a great multitude no man can number is saved out of the great tribulation, washing their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. Most harden their hearts, refusing to repent even as they gnaw their tongues and scream under the hailstones. The wrath of the Lamb is poured out without mixture—pure, undiluted, terrifying justice.   The Tribulation ends with the return of the King in Revelation 19. Heaven opens; the white horse rider—Faithful and True—comes with the armies of heaven to tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. The beast and false prophet are cast alive into the lake of fire. Satan is bound. The thousand-year reign begins. But the question remains from our springboard text: “Who shall be able to stand?” Only those whose robes are washed in the blood of the Lamb. The Tribulation is coming. It is the time of God's wrath poured out on a world that has rejected His Son.    Yet even in the darkest hour, grace abounds for those who will call upon the name of the Lord. The 144,000 will preach, the two witnesses will testify, and multitudes will be saved. But for those who take the mark and worship the beast, there is only fire and brimstone forever.   This is the Tribulation. This is hell on earth. May we heed the warning and be found among those who stand before the throne, palms in hand, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb.

1 Peter 4:7-13 (Be good stewards of God's varied grace.)1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23 (Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!)

Our Enemies Were Defeated (1) (audio) David Eells – 5/27/26 Saints, our enemies are already defeated, and we enter into and appropriate this promise by faith. Fight every battle like the enemy is conquered. Luk.1:67-75 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; For he hath visited and wrought redemption for his people, 69 And hath raised up a horn (a strength or weapon against enemies) of salvation for us In the house of his servant David (This represents Jesus, and now Jesus in the Man-child David reformers.) 70 (As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old), 71 Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; (We have already been saved from the wicked enemies because Jesus was cursed for us. Believe and confess this, avoiding willful sin, until it manifests.) 72 To show mercy towards our fathers, And to remember his holy covenant; (It is His covenant to save us from enemies.) 73 The oath which he sware unto Abraham our father, 74 To grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies Should serve him without fear, (We were delivered from the hand of the wicked.) 75 In holiness and righteousness before him all our days. (We were given Jesus' holiness and righteousness, which the wicked refuse in their unforgiveness and judgment of Esau's seed.) I know of the natural fulfillment of this text, but the Lord was showing me a spiritual fulfillment too. Zec.12:1-9 The burden of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel. Thus saith Jehovah, who stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him: 2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem (The Bride) a cup of reeling unto all the peoples round about, and upon Judah also shall it be in the siege against Jerusalem. (The wicked stagger with hatred for the Bride. The Dragon, shown to be Satan in his world body in Revelation 12, has one consuming desire: to devour the Man-child so he can then devour the Woman. Those of his vessels who proclaim to be Christians besiege them, for they are of the Dragon. Just as their forefathers did to Jesus, the prophets, and the saints, they consider themselves to be doing God a favor. I have been amazed since we heard from God years ago of the parallel between the faction in the Church and the faction in the government. The God of the leftist, communist, anarchist, fornicators, etc., shows the same hatred and uses the same slander against the Trump administration. They are always assured by Satan that they will win because they cheat, but they ultimately will lose, for all the evidence of their perversion, theft, lies, etc., is against them, and all will be revealed. Rev.12:11-12 And they overcame him [the Dragon] because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time. (And remember we wrestle not against flesh and blood but principalities and powers.) Back to Zec.12:3 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it. (The wicked hate the Bride for she is a manifestation of all that sinners hate. She is a manifestation of Jesus who came unto His own and His own received Him not.) 4 In that day, saith Jehovah, I will smite every horse with terror, (The horse represents the strength of the beastly flesh that is harnessed to do man's and therefore Satan's will. They are in terror now because they fear that all of their evil is known and will be (and are being) prosecuted. The faction in both camps of the Dragon is launching one last desperate attempt to destroy their enemy, but God has foretold their end. The Red Sea, Sennacherib, Jehoshaphat, the Northern army, is their end.) I will smite… his rider with madness (Even the average lost man sees their insanity. They can't stop telling on themselves that they are communists, anarchists, racists, murderers, fornicators, etc.); and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the peoples with blindness. (They will not be able to find a way to defeat us or a way out of their predicament.) 5 And the chieftains of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in Jehovah of hosts their God. 6 In that day will I make the chieftains of Judah like a pan of fire among wood, and like a flaming torch among sheaves; and they shall devour all the peoples round about, (Just as David did) on the right hand and on the left; and they of Jerusalem shall yet again dwell in their own place, even in Jerusalem. (David conquered unregenerate Jerusalem, which was called Jebus. The Jebusites were the old man of the land, the wicked who had to be removed so it would become Jerusalem, the Bride. It is coming to pass by the grace of our God.) 7 Jehovah also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem be not magnified above Judah. 8 In that day shall Jehovah defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem (The Bride, according to John in Revelation.): and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of Jehovah before them. (What enemy can win when God is in His people by His Word and Spirit?) 9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (And so it shall be.) Psa.44:2-8 Thou didst drive out the nations with thy hand; But them thou didst plant: Thou didst afflict the peoples; But them thou didst spread abroad. 3 For they gat not the land in possession by their own sword, Neither did their own arm save them; But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, Because thou wast favorable unto them. 4 Thou art my King, O God: Command deliverance for Jacob. 5 Through thee will we push down our adversaries: Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. 6 For I will not trust in my bow, Neither shall my sword save me. 7 But thou hast saved us from our adversaries, And hast put them to shame that hate us. 8 In God have we made our boast all the day long, And we will give thanks unto thy name for ever. Selah. Rom.8:31-37 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth; 34 who is he that condemneth? (Satan, the Dragon, and his body) It is Christ Jesus that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (And who is mightier than the prayers of Jesus for us?) 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Even as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (As the flesh of sheep was sacrificed to bring atonement, so we ourselves must be sacrificed to make us pure before God. The power by which we do this is that of Jesus' sacrifice. He died that we may die to self.) 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. It was said to the Bride, a position that was once forsaken when God's people went into captivity for their sins, but now God is building her again. Isa.54:1-17 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith Jehovah. 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not: lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. 3 For thou shalt spread abroad on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall possess the nations, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. 4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth; and the reproach of thy widowhood shalt thou remember no more. 5 For thy Maker is thy husband; Jehovah of hosts is his name: and the Holy One of Israel is thy Redeemer; the God of the whole earth shall he be called. 6 For Jehovah hath called thee as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even a wife of youth, when she is cast off, saith thy God. 7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee (As it was with Jesus, Who said, “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me” but then resurrection life came into Him); but with great mercies will I gather thee. 8 In overflowing wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting lovingkindness will I have mercy on thee, saith Jehovah thy Redeemer. 9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me (The waters of the Word killed the wicked and saved Noah); for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. 10 For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my lovingkindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall my covenant of peace be removed, saith Jehovah that hath mercy on thee. 11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will set thy stones in fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. 12 And I will make thy pinnacles of rubies, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy border of precious stones. 13 And all thy children shall be taught of Jehovah; and great shall be the peace of thy children. 14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near thee. 15 Behold, they may gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall because of thee. 16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the fire of coals, and bringeth forth a weapon for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. 17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of Jehovah, and their righteousness which is of me, saith Jehovah. 1Co.15:57 but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not vain in the Lord. Deu.20:4 for Jehovah your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. 2Co.11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. 2Co.4:1-6 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not: 2 but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: 4 in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Even when the reprobates hear this text, they are unmoved. Rom.1:20-2:11 For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse: 21 because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves: 25 for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due. 28 And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful: 32 who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them. Rom.2:1 Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost practise the same things. … 5 but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 who will render to every man according to his works: 7 to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life: 8 but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation, 9 tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; 10 but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek: 11 for there is no respect of persons with God. Luk.10:17-20 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject unto us in thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. 20 Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. We must take care to fight the demonic enemies. The spiritual enemies that our human enemies have given their lives over to serve. Mar.16:17 And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons... Eph.6:10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. (Let the weak say, I am strong) 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. (If you will not stand now, what about the evil day?) 14 Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (We are the righteousness of Christ; we do not have to give in.) 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. (He sends many thoughts into our minds to conquer us, like wrestling with people (the flesh) instead of him. We should have faith in the truth to defend ourselves.) 17 And take the helmet of salvation (And quench the fiery thoughts), and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. (Be filled with the Holy Spirit so you can pray in the Spirit.) These spiritual powers are now under the feet of His Body. Eph.1:17-23 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; 18 having the eyes of your heart enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 and what the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might 20 which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22 and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Notice the Lord is the head of the body and He put the enemies under His feet, the lowest member of His body.) Col.2:12-15 having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses; 14 having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross; 15 having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (To triumph means to celebrate the victory.) Luk.10:1 Now after these things the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself was about to come. ... Luk.17 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject unto us in thy name. (They did not have the Holy Spirit at this time, but they were given the authority of the name of Jesus.) 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven. (They were casting down the dominion of Satan.) 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents (demons whose poison is in the head = deception) and scorpions (demons whose poison is in the tail = to make you powerless, respectively), and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. (Believe and confess this victory efore the enemy.) 20 Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. (These scorpion spirits come to rob you of justification by faith so that you lose the benefits of Jesus' sacrifice and have to start over to recognize the benefits of the crucifixion. Many are crucifying Jesus afresh.) If you have confessed any sins that you know of, which are the only ones that count, He is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7-9), then you are justified. Then reconciliation is made, and you are to see Jesus in the mirror by faith because, as Paul said, you don't live anymore; Christ lives in you. Gal.2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. 2Co.3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. Then you are to reject the condemnation of the devil. If you see yourself in the mirror after you have confessed all sin, you are beating up “Christ in you” just like the faction does. You are crucifying Him afresh. If you are condemning yourself after you confess your sins honestly, you do not believe Jesus, and you will get no grace to overcome. You are beating Him up in you. If you are in willful sin, confess and forsake it and see Jesus in the mirror. Confess His righteousness and holiness are yours, and you don't live anymore. There is no other way to have power from God to defeat self. When the disciples asked, “What must we do to do the works of God?” Jesus said, “Believe on him who He hath sent” … Eve Brast dreamed of wisdom to resist crucifying Jesus on 8-29-20: What I heard the Lord saying was: “Why do you, My people, crucify me afresh continually? For you are indeed crucifying me afresh.” (According to the dream, it is by helping the evil spirits to crucify Jesus.) I thought this dream was just a personal correction, but when I heard the Spirit say, “My people,” and Lexi's interpretation of M. L.'s tongue, He said, “Why are you, My children, forsaking Me for the world?” I knew this dream was a corporate correction to the body. (When we accept what demons say about us instead of what Christ says about us in His promises, we are giving up ground to the demons, we are crucifying Christ in us.) Here's the dream: I was walking through an old western town along the main dirt road with Jesus. He was to my right, and at first, I was happy to be walking next to him. But then I looked up and saw that the whole left side of His face and head had been severely beaten, and He was all bloody. (The wicked deface Christ to others. He is not like them. We should be a revelation of true Christianity.) He had blood stains on his garments, and He looked like He had been dragged through the dirt. I was horrified to see Him like this, and I felt immense pain for Him. And then I became very angry and indignant and asked Him, “Who did this to you?!” He turned and gestured with an open left hand and arm to a group of followers, who were supposed to be His disciples, about 10 to 20 paces behind us, and I looked back at them. They were clamoring at Him and shaking their fists in anger at Him and also at one another. There was much confusion amongst them. (Those from among God's people who fall away to become slanderers, railers, accusers, and haters of the righteous are these. These are the wicked who crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame, but we are exhorted to hold on to the faith and not help them to kill us. Heb.6:1-12 Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit. 4 For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. 7 For the land which hath drunk the rain that cometh oft upon it (The Word), and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God: 8 but if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is rejected and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned. 9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak: 10 for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love which ye showed toward his name, in that ye ministered unto the saints, and still do minister. 11 And we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence unto the fulness of hope even to the end: 12 that ye be not sluggish, but imitators of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Notice the wicked are facing Eve and the Lord. When they accuse you, they are accusing the Lord, as in Mat.25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me. (If you accept those spirits' words, you will crucify Christ in you again.) I looked back up at Jesus, and He looked at me with such love in His eyes, but it was mixed with hurt and a questioning look of, “Why did you take part in helping them?” Suddenly, I got the revelation that I had helped these people to drag Jesus through the dirt and crucify Him afresh. I was all at once horrified by this realization, and as I woke up and began to process what I had dreamed. (When do we help the wicked crucify Jesus again? When we accept what their scorpion spirits speak to us of condemnation, accusation, slander, faction, reminding us of our past, instead of believing we were crucified with Christ. Through witchcraft, they send these spirits against the righteous and even those who do not qualify as saints but favor the saints. As the witches are warring against the Trump administration with these lies now, and some are believing them and turning away from truth. Eve asked for prayer from Michael and me. We learned she was believing the condemnation of these spirits, which helps them to crucify Christ in her. So, we reminded her of the good news of grace, and she was cured. We were all forgiven, healed, and delivered from sin.) Luk.11:20-23 But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. 21 When the strong man fully armed guardeth his own court, his goods are in peace: (Satan's kingdom) 22 but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him (Jesus), he taketh from him his whole armor (Notice: Satan has lost; he has no defense against us.) armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. (to us) 23 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. (We must be plundering Satan's kingdom by faith, or we will flee from the scorpion demons. (Scattereth here is the Greek word “skorpizo” meaning, “to penetrate and put to flight” as a scorpion or a hornet does with its tail to make you run from it, just as the hornet drove the enemies from the Promised Land.) Examples of Scorpion scattering demons: fear, anxiety, rejection, guilt, shame, unbelief, self-pity, discouragement, depression, fear of man, unforgiveness -Mat.18:34-35, condemnation - 1Jo.3:21-22. Examples of the Hornet scattering: Deu.7:20, Jos.24:12, Rev.21:8). If we are running from the demons, they are taking back the ground behind us, crucifying Christ in us. Then we have to return to faith and start all over, taking back that ground Jesus gave us. Consider the nature of these spirits carefully and how, when you accept them, they conquer your faith and justification, and you cannot stand before the demons. You must war with the Sword of the Spirit and use your faith against these and others, or you will not bear fruit. Pray and ask the Lord to help you discern your thoughts. 2Co.10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh 4 (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds), 5 casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; Being subject to God gives us power over the enemy. Jas.4:7 Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. How can we be subject to God? 1Jn.1:7-9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Jas 5:16 confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working. Be not deceived, you must repent by faith in the promises, or you cannot enter the kingdom. 1Co.6:9 Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men,10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. We have absolute authority over the demons' lies. Luk.10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall in any wise hurt you. 20 Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. 21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes: yea, Father; for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight. Mar.16:17 And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Joh.14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Mat.18:19 Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. Mar.11:22-25 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. 24 Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 25 And whensoever ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any one; that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. (If you do not forgive, you have no benefits of the Kingdom of God but are under demons.) Mat.6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Mat.18:34-35 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due. 35 So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts. The faction demons refuse to obey this. Col.1:12-13 giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet (able) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; 13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; Mat.10:5-8 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them, saying, Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans: 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give. Mar.7:26-30 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. And she besought him that he would cast forth the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs. 28 But she answered and saith unto him, Yea, Lord; even the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. 29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the demon is gone out of thy daughter. 30 And she went away unto her house, and found the child laid upon the bed, and the demon gone out. Luk.13:11 And behold, a woman that had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years; and she was bowed together, and could in no wise lift herself up. …16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound, lo, these eighteen years, to have been loosed from this bond on the day of the sabbath? (2Co.7:1) Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Mat.28:19 Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: 20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.   Printer-friendly version

Today we will hear a portion of one of the greatest sermons ever spoken. This sermon speaks directly to those who follow Jesus. It is a call to live for the One you value. This living is a radical and different example than the world has ever seen. Join us today as we look at "A Longing for Values." Chapters (00:00:00) - A Longing for Values(00:04:37) - What Do You Value Most in Life? The Blessed Attitude(00:08:17) - Blessed Are the Poor(00:12:26) - And those who Weep(00:15:02) - Jesus Warns His Followers:(00:17:18) - What Do You Value?(00:18:33) - Woe unto You! The Woeful Reward(00:24:55) - Loving the Unlovable(00:29:25) - Pray for Your Enemies(00:36:32) - Clifford Baptist Church Worship

Jesus Followers Will Be Tempted, but God “will not let you be tempted beyond your ability . . . to endure” MESSAGE SUMMARY: You will be tempted again and again, but the temptation itself is not the sin. The sin resides in your grabbing onto the temptation; dwelling on the temptation; and following through on the temptation. Jesus was tempted, and He always faced temptation by quoting scripture to the temptation source. As Jesus tells you about Temptation and sin in Matthew 18:7-8: “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.". Also, Paul, in 1 Corinthians 10:13, confirms that God will not permit us to be tempted in a manner that we will be unable to resist: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.". You can follow Jesus' example by using scripture to deal with a temptation – there is scripture to deal with every temptation that you may face.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Most merciful God I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of your son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I might delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of Your Name. Amen.  TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, I will not be controlled by my Compulsions. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Patience. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22f). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 4:14-16; Psalms143:1-12. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “The Day of Pentecost – The Promise Fulfilled ”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Jude 5–16 (ESV)5  Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6  And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— 7  just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.8  Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. 9  But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” 10  But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. 11  Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion. 12  These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear,shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13  wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.14  It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15  to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16  These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++For more information about this group, please visit their website at reformationboise.com. Every weekday at 3:30 am and 7:30 am you can listen to The Gospel for Life on KSPD 94.5 FM and 790 AM Boise's Solid Talk in the Treasure Valley,  Idaho, USA.If you have a question, comment, or even a topic suggestion for the Pastors, you can email them.  If you enjoy The Gospel for Life, please give us a rating and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. That helps us a lot!Phone: (208) 991-3526E-mail: thegospelforlifeidaho@gmail.comPodcast website:  https://www.790kspd.com/gospel-for-life/to donate on line https://www.reformationboise.com/donate

What if the people we think are “winning” are actually losing?Jesus begins His most famous sermon by completely flipping the scoreboard upside down.“Blessed are the poor…”“Woe to the rich…”But Jesus is not teaching a poverty gospel.He's exposing where we place our security.Do we trust:• money?• success?• comfort?• influence?• ourselves?Or are we completely dependent on God?This message explores:• what “poor in spirit” really means• why self-reliance is spiritually dangerous• Abraham's radical dependence on God• Paul's shocking perspective on life and death• and why the Kingdom of God belongs to those who trust Jesus completely

We all hunger for something.Approval. Comfort. Success. Relationships. Pleasure. Escape.But Jesus says:“Blessed are you who are hungry now…”and“Woe to you who are full…”Why?Because hunger is not just about your stomach.It's about your soul.In this message from Luke 6, we explore:• what Jesus meant by spiritual hunger• why exhaustion makes us vulnerable• how Esau traded his destiny for temporary satisfaction• why instant gratification destroys purpose• and how only Jesus can truly satisfy the human soul

Thomas Merton said, "Only the man who has had to face despair is really convinced that he needs mercy." But who wants to face despair? Part of aging is moving away from roller coasters and bungee jumping to seek out serene vacations and the quiet confidence of financial independence. We mitigate against all such risks. But that is precisely Merton's point. The illusion of self-attained security deceives us on something profoundly human. We did not make ourselves. We are contingent. And losing sight of our ongoing neediness distorts how we understand all we have and do. In our passage this week, Amos is pressing that very point with God's people. They have lost sight of God, even as they 'worship' him. And nowhere is it clearer than in their apathy toward any who need mercy. What is so destructive about spiritual complacency? And how can we have a healthy despair that leads to real joy? Let's talk about "Woe to the Complacent!" (Amos 5:18-6:14).

“Walking with God in the Highs and Lows of Real Life”Psalm 1201 I call on the Lord in my distress,    and he answers me.2 Save me, Lord,    from lying lips    and from deceitful tongues.3 What will he do to you,    and what more besides,    you deceitful tongue?4 He will punish you with a warrior's sharp arrows,    with burning coals of the broom bush.5 Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek,    that I live among the tents of Kedar!6 Too long have I lived    among those who hate peace.7 I am for peace;    but when I speak, they are for war.CONNECT WITH USIf you have any questions or would like to get to know us further, head over to https://www.triumphlbc.org/connect and fill out our online connection card.ABOUT TRIUMPHTriumph wants to see the life and message of Jesus transform your heart, home, and city. To learn more visit https://www.triumphlbc.org/CONNECT WITH USIf you have any questions or would like to get to know us further, head over to https://www.triumphlbc.org/connect and fill out our online connection card.ABOUT TRIUMPHTriumph wants to see the life and message of Jesus transform your heart, home, and city. To learn more visit https://www.triumphlbc.org/

Doctrines, Part 6: Hope in the Character of God Description: In Part 6 of the Doctrines series, Pastor Eric brings together everything we've learned about God's character and answers a deeply personal question: If God is holy… where does our hope come from? Beginning in Isaiah 6, this message confronts us with the overwhelming holiness of God—a holiness so pure that it exposes our sin completely. Like Isaiah, the only honest response is: “Woe is me, for I am undone.” But that's not where the story ends. Turning to Lamentations 3, Pastor Eric shows how hope is born—not from minimizing sin, but from understanding God's mercy in light of His holiness. His mercies are not occasional—they are constant. Not limited—they are renewed every morning. This episode powerfully connects two truths we often separate: God's holiness reveals the seriousness of our sin God's mercy reveals the depth of His love Through repeated emphasis from Psalms 136—“For His mercy endures forever”—this message drives home a truth we need to hear again and again: God's mercy is not fragile. It is enduring. It is faithful. It is available. Pastor Eric also walks through the pattern of real transformation: A clear view of God's holiness A personal awareness of sin Genuine repentance Cleansing through God's provision A surrendered life of obedience This is not just theology—it's an invitation. Whether you're burdened by sin, discouraged by failure, or struggling to believe God still wants you, this message points you back to the unchanging truth: God's mercy has not run out on you. Key Themes: The holiness of God and the seriousness of sin Why mercy only makes sense in light of holiness God's enduring mercy and daily faithfulness The pattern of repentance and restoration Hope for the broken, the weary, and the failing “His mercy is not diminished by your failure—it endures forever.”      

Woe to unrepentant cities

“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” (Luke 6:26) It is no compliment to say about a Christian that he has no enemies, for that c... More...

Old Testament Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville Becoming “Good for Nothing” Jeremiah 13 Introduction: Illustrations are quite common in prophetical writings and especially in Jeremiah. When God gives these pictures it forces us to more plainly see our own present condition in his sight. Therefore, God gives us a photograph of how we appear to him when we do not live to glorify him. Chapter 13 gives us two vivid illustrations of how God sees Israel and therefore and warning to us. The Loincloth and Jars Filled with Wine, 13:1-14 The story: Jeremiah is commanded to purchase a loincloth, take it to the Euphrates (or Perath, NET, NIV, about three and a half miles from Anathoth), and bury it, then come back and get it. But when he retrieves it, it is ruined, “good for nothing.”  The “loin cloth”— “A short skirt bound tightly around the waist and reaching some way down the thighs.” Linen would the fabric used by the priests (Leviticus 16:4) and likely was worn as an undergarment based on the analogy God used.  The symbol of the loincloth is given in verse 11. Just as the loincloth would cling closely to a man's body so it was God's intention that his people cling closely to him and become “a people, a name, a praise, and a glory” to God. Is this the way you see your relationship with God?  Notice the word “cling.” This is the same as Genesis 2:24—“a man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife.” God is not a casual partnership, or something we do when it is convenient, or a part time effort. It should be evident in every moment of our lives that we are clinging to him. But they refused to listen and therefore they would become to God like the loin cloth, “good for nothing.” Well, what would you do with a pair of underwear that was all rotten with holes in it? Throw it away!  Look at yourself. You didn't just happen. You personally were created by God. But notice, not just created, but created to cling to God The question for us is quite obvious: Do we cling closely to the Lord or do we just “put him on” as an occasional “outer apparel?”  We should be reminded that everything God has done has been to create “a people, a name, a praise, and a glory.” When we do not dedicate ourselves to that purpose, we are literally good for nothing. No wonder God created Hell. It is like a trash can, a Gehenna garbage dump where what is unusable is cast. Therefore, God is giving us a choice, be a “vessel of honor” or decide to be trash. How did Judah become good for nothing? Pride! Here is where we can get confused. We think pride is simply thinking of ourselves too highly. No, pride has to do with our relationship with God. Verse 10 describes it as “stubbornly following their own heart.” We must read “heart” as our minds. In other words, we do what we want to do. We are like Solomon in Ecclesiastes, seeking and searching whatever our eyes see and desire.  Isn't it interesting that homosexuality is promoted by the word Pride? Without even realizing what they have done, we are called upon to be proud of sexual sins. Isaiah said, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.” Here's how pride works: Very early in our lives we set a fairly ridged daily life. We get accustomed to it and we like it. We seek and search out things to do that give us some temporary pleasure, things that distract us from our work and fill that empty spot inside of us that we don't like to think about. We begin to think our little worldly idols are the only way to fill emptiness. Our distractions may not always be things that are morally evil, they are just things we like to do. But God is not in the picture. Or maybe a little bit. “Church” can be a good façade to cover up the truth that I just want to live life my way. “Every jar shall be filled with wine” (12-14)  The people's response indicated that they thought Jeremiah was telling them something that was obvious. “Of course every jar will be filled with wine! That's what we have been telling you! We will continue to live in prosperity. Babylon can do nothing to us.”  But Jeremiah explains it is not the wine of joy they will be filled with, God will fill them with the wine of God's wrath. God will dash them against one another and he will show “no pity or spare or have compassion.” They will be destroyed. That is exactly what God later said the Babylonians would do to them (21:7).  Thus God gives us a strong reminder: mercy comes to those who obey God and keep his covenant. In fact, mercy and forgiveness are embedded in the covenant (Jeremiah 31:33-34). There is no mercy outside the covenant!  God's Pain Over Judah's Demise (15-17) Vs. 15-16 God pleads with them—“hear, give ear; be not proud.” God is not saying he will stop the coming judgment. No, it's coming. “Give glory to the Lord your God” are the same words Joshua said to Achan. His death was still certain, and so was Judah's. But they could still have an eternal hope if they would give up their ways. Consequences to our sins remain, but we can still find eternal hope. Vs. 17 God's tears. Ezekiel 33:11, “As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” In our weakness and foolishness we may think that our sins are not hurting anyone. Well, that's not true, sin harms everyone around us, but what is especially not considered is that our sin harms God and is painful to God, even to the point of tears. He weeps bitterly for us just as we would for our own children.  The Shocking Consequences of Stubborn Pride (18-27) The problem with those who are prideful is they believe they can escape the consequences. “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil (Ecclesiastes 8:11). “Yep! I'm not doing what I ought to do, but everything is going fine! I'm making good money. No worries!”  Then suddenly it happens… 18-19 The king and queen are dethroned. Even the cities of the wilderness are closed up and all Judah is taken into exile. What! That can't be! We were still offering sacrifices. 20-22 “What happened to your beautiful flock? Why are these special allies that you cultivated as friends destroying you?” It happened suddenly, like a woman in labor! But worse, why are we being violated like a woman in a siege? The answer is simple: it is the greatness of your iniquity! When judgment comes, that will always be the answer! 23-27 The inability to change. In spite of God's warning, they cannot change any more than an Ethiopian can change the color of his skin or a leopard his spots. God plainly warns us of the danger of procrastinating a change of lifestyle that is at best mediocre in serving God. The longer we stay in a lifestyle that does not give God our all, the more difficult it is to change.  The people of Judah are a perfect example. It became impossible for them to change! We think in our minds, “Oh that can't be so! I'm going to change at some point, I'm just not quite ready.”  What we don't realize is how deep in a pit our mind is already. We haven't just dug a little hole when we dabble a bit in sinful activities. Patterns and addictions develop in our brains as we practice sin. Sin detaches us from God. Every day we delay pushes us deeper until we do not know how to escape and no longer have the desire in our heart for God. It is what the Lord meant when he repeatedly accused Israel of having a hard heart and a heart of stone or when Paul referred to having a “calloused” mind (Ephesians 4:21). Wife: “I caught my husband watching porn. He was really sorry, but then I caught him again and again. I don't know what to do; he says he's sorry.”  Husband: “I found out my wife has had an affair. She is really ashamed and sorry, and she said it was only once. Should I just forgive her and let it go?”  I'm sure we would all say that if there is true repentance, it would be important to save the marriage. That being said, there is something most people do not think about. Those were not little sins that just happened and we should put it behind us. As Paul said, “…the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” These sins go deep and will be remembered and replayed for years to come.  Conclusion: Now listen again to the words: “This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing.” Pride says, “I can quit my sins; I'm not too deep. What I'm doing is not that bad.” God has an entirely different take! Berry Kercheville The post Jeremiah 13: Becoming Good For Nothing appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttiest thy bottle to him.

Part 7 of the series in the book of Isaiah. Woe upon various nations - Egypt, Edom, Arabia, Babylon and even Jerusalem itself - but also hope of a time when Egypt and Assyria will join Judah in worship of God.

Rich Embury’s R3TROGR4D3 returns to CRANK IT LOUD with a Mother’s Day Special

Reposted from Wax Episodic, which you can find at: https://podcastica.com/podcast/wax-episodic — Interesting how with just a simple change of scenery, all the weirdness of this show just kind of disappears. Just kidding, MDR's excursion to the wintery and bleakly beautiful Woe's Hollow was weird as fuck, and we wouldn't want it any other way. We're delighted to be joined this episode by Rachel, who's been granted provisional access to this audio experience. Please enjoy her insights equally.  Mentioned: Pluribus — Carol's Trip Bonus Scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYmiqh7-Fnw&t=24s   Next up on Severance: S2E5 “Trojan's Horse”. Let us know your thoughts! You can email or send a voice message to waffleparty@podcastica.com. Or join our Discord where you can leave comments and chat with hosts and other listeners: https://discord.gg/6WUMt3m3qe  Or check out our Podcastica Facebook group, where we put up comment posts for each episode, at facebook.com/groups/podcastica. Show support and get ad-free episodes and a bunch of other cool stuff: patreon.com/jasoncabassi  Or go to buymeacoffee.com/cabassi for a one-time donation. Come join our Discord and chat with hosts and other listeners:  Don't know what Discord is? It's kind of like a chat forum, our own little private Podcastica space to talk about Severance, Pluribus, Fallout, Welcome to Derry, Alien: Earth, and whatever else we want. It's free, and it's fun. Invitation link: https://discord.gg/6WUMt3m3qe  Other shows we cover on this podcast: We cover these other intelligent, engaging, oftentimes delightfully twisted shows: Fallout (Amazon): A crazy retro-futuristic post-apocalyptic melange of wholesomeness and depravity. One of the best looking shows on TV, funny as hell, violent AF (but in a cartoony way), and with a great cast, including Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets) and Walton Goggins (The White Lotus, The Righteous Gemstones). Not to be missed! Hosted by Jason, Kara, and Kasi. Pluribus (Apple TV): Everyone is transformed into a pleasant hive mind — except for Carol (Rhea Seehorn), the most miserable woman on the planet, who must save the world from happiness. It's sounds weird, and it is… in the best way. Created by the great Vince Gilligan, of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Hosted by Jason and Karen! IT: Welcome to Derry (HBO): A fun, scary, and surprisingly great prequel to the 2016 and 2019 IT movies, Pennywise stalks the children of 1962 Derry. A mix of heart, mystery, charm, and some shockingly disturbing Nightmare on Elme Street-esque horror. Cohosted by Shawn of Strange Indeed. Alien: Earth (FX): From the brilliant Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion), this one really scratches that sci-fi itch. A greedy corporate tech overlord transfers the consciousness of a group of terminally ill children into highly performant synth bodies. And the Xenomorph is in it, too. Also, Tim Olyphant! Hosted by Jason, Kara, and Randy. Check out other podcasts on our network at podcastica.com.  Digging our podcast? A quick, free, and easy way to show support and help bump us up in the charts is to give us a rating or a review: On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wax-episodic-alien-earth/id1824392797 On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7sA66ySwVRIsdzBBdriEGV?si=87f36cd30cc54dc5  Or just search for “Wax Episodic” wherever you get podcasts.  Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scripture: Ephesians 6:1–4+ From a Child-Centered Home to a Christ-Centered Home + From Outsourcing to Owning.   “All this that we here suffer is through you: you should have taught us the things of God, and did not; you should have restrained us from sin and corrected us, and you did not; you were the means of our original corruption and guiltiness, and yet you never showed any competent care that we might be delivered from it...Woe unto us that we had such carnal and careless parents, and woe unto you that had no more compassion and pity to prevent the everlasting misery of your own children” – Richard Mather, cited in Worldly Saints: The Puritans as They Really Were by Leland Ryken. + From Controlling to Cultivating  Proverbs 13:24 NIVProverbs 19:18 NIVPhilippians 2:13 NIV + From Moving Them Out to Sending Them Out. Psalm 127:3–5 NIV

Woe to Us All - Matthew 23 (May 3, 2026) by Michael B. Linton

Alan's Soap https://AlansSoaps.com/ToddHonor John's memory and the legacy he created for Ian and Alan with Alan's Artisan Soaps “John's Favorites” bundle.  Get one bar of each of his favorites for only $28.99. Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comBe confident in your portfolio with Bulwark! Schedule your free Know Your Risk Portfolio review. Go to KnowYourRiskPodcast.com today. Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/Todd Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/ToddGet the new limited release, The Sisterhood, created to honor the extraordinary women behind the heroes. Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE at:The Todd Herman Show - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe Todd Herman Show | Podcast on SpotifyWATCH and SUBSCRIBE at: Todd Herman - The Todd Herman Show - YouTubeWhat is the Whore of Babylon and Who Is Her Pimp? Rep. Tim Burchett Speaks Truth - Faith & FlagHOLY SMOKES: Rep. Tim Burchett just ripped the mask off Washington's insider-trading machine. He says D.C. isn't just a “swamp.”Revelation 18:1-13Lament Over Fallen Babylon18 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!'[a]    She has become a dwelling for demonsand a haunt for every impure spirit,    a haunt for every unclean bird,    a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.3 For all the nations have drunk    the maddening wine of her adulteries.The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,    and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”Warning to Escape Babylon's Judgment4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:“‘Come out of her, my people,'[b]    so that you will not share in her sins,    so that you will not receive any of her plagues;5 for her sins are piled up to heaven,    and God has remembered her crimes.6 Give back to her as she has given;    pay her back double for what she has done.    Pour her a double portion from her own cup.7 Give her as much torment and grief    as the glory and luxury she gave herself.In her heart she boasts,    ‘I sit enthroned as queen.I am not a widow;[c]    I will never mourn.'8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:    death, mourning and famine.She will be consumed by fire,    for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.Threefold Woe Over Babylon's Fall9 “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,    you mighty city of Babylon!In one hour your doom has come!'11 “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.WOW. The NYT Didn't Lie. Tucker Carlson Actually DID Suggest Trump is The Anti-Christ - Faith & FactsOMG, The NYT asked Trump Deranged psychopath Tucker Carlson why he called Trump thr Anti-christ. Tucker said he didn't say that. They show him the clip of him saying it, and his response is truly that of mental person! What is the End Times Timeline? GotQuestions.Org1. The rapture of the church. Christ comes in the clouds to “snatch away” all those who trust in Him (1 Corinthians 15:52). At this same time, the “dead in Christ” will be resurrected and taken to heaven, too. From our perspective today, this is the next event in the eschatological timeline. The rapture is imminent; no other biblical prophecy needs to be fulfilled before the rapture happens.According to the Book of Revelation and related New Testament eschatology, the appearance of the Antichrist (often referred to as "the Beast") is preceded by several specific prophetic events and societal shifts.  1. The Great Apostasy (Falling Away)  Before the "man of lawlessness" is revealed, there must be a significant "falling away" or rebellion against God. This Greek term, apostasia, suggests a global revolt or a mass abandonment of faith among professed believers.  2. Removal of the "Restrainer"Scripture indicates that a force or entity is currently "holding back" the Antichrist. Many scholars, such as those at GotQuestions.org, interpret this restrainer as the Holy Spirit working through the Church. Only when this influence is "taken out of the way"—often associated with the Rapture—can the Antichrist be fully revealed.  3. Rise of the Ten-Kingdom ConfederacyThe Antichrist is prophesied to emerge from a global political structure. In both Daniel and Revelation, this is symbolized by a beast with ten horns, representing ten kings or nations that consolidate their power, creating the vacuum for the Antichrist to seize control.  4. Societal and Global UpheavalAccording to Rick Renner Ministries, the world must reach a state of desperation that makes it "ready" for a charismatic leader promising peace. 

All Have Temptation, Which Is Not the Sin; But Jesus Followers Can Resist All Temptation Through Their Faith and Relationship with God MESSAGE SUMMARY: You will be tempted again and again, but the temptation itself is not the sin. The sin resides in your grabbing onto the temptation; dwelling on the temptation; and following through on the temptation. Jesus was tempted, and He {Jesus} always faced temptation by quoting scripture to the temptation source. As Jesus tells you about Temptation and sin in Matthew 18:7-8: “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.". From James 1:13, we know that God does not create the temptation we face: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.". Since all are tempted, it is great to know, from 1 Corinthians 10:13, that Jesus Followers will not be tempted beyond their capability to resist the temptation and act on it through sinning: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." You can follow Jesus' example by using scripture to deal with a temptation – there is scripture to deal with every temptation that you may face.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, I come this day inviting you to cut those deeply entrenched chains that keep me from being faithful to my true self in Christ. In doing so, may my life be a blessing to many. In Jesus' name, amen.      Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 44). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will entrust to Him my future. I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.  From 2 Timothy 1:12 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 4:14-16; Psalms143:1-12; James 1:13. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Marriage – A Current Assessment (Christ the King Anglican Church; Birmingham, AL)” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Matthew Week 133   Matthew 23:25-28 ESV   25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.   27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.       Hebrews 10:14 ESV   14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.       Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV   24 let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.       Hebrews 10:32-39 ESV   32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.       35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For,   "Yet a little while,   and the coming one will come and will not delay;   38 but my righteous one shall live by faith,   and if he shrinks back,   my soul has no pleasure in him."   39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.       1 Corinthians 9:26-27 NASB 95   26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.         Numbers 19:16 ESV   16 Whoever in the open field touches someone who was killed with a sword or who died naturally, or touches a human bone or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.       1 Samuel 16:6-7 NASB95   6 When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him." 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."       Isaiah 29:13 NASB95   Then the Lord said,   "Because this people draw near with their words   And honor Me with their lip service,   But they remove their hearts far from Me,   And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,       Isaiah 29:15 NASB95   Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the Lord,   And whose deeds are done in a dark place,   And they say, "Who sees us?" or "Who knows us?"       Psalm 51:6 NASB95   Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,   And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.       Psalm 51:10 NASB95   Create in me a clean heart, O God,   And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Full Text of Readings Friday of the Third Week of Easter Lectionary: 277 The Saint of the day is Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen's Story If a poor man needed some clothing, Fidelis would often give the man the clothes right off his back. Complete generosity to others characterized this saint's life. Born in 1577, Mark Rey became a lawyer who constantly upheld the causes of the poor and oppressed people. Nicknamed “the poor man's lawyer,” Rey soon grew disgusted with the corruption and injustice he saw among his colleagues. He left his law career to become a priest, joining his brother George as a member of the Capuchin Order. Fidelis was his religious name. His wealth was divided between needy seminarians and the poor. As a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi, Fidelis continued his devotion to the weak and needy. During a severe epidemic in a city where he was guardian of a friary, Fidelis cared for and cured many sick soldiers. Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen was appointed head of a group of Capuchins sent to preach against the Calvinists and Zwinglians in Switzerland. Almost certain violence threatened. Those who observed the mission felt that success was more attributable to the prayer of Fidelis during the night than to his sermons and instructions. He was accused of opposing the peasants' national aspirations for independence from Austria. While he was preaching at Seewis, to which he had gone against the advice of his friends, a gun was fired at him, but he escaped unharmed. A Protestant offered to shelter Fidelis, but he declined, saying his life was in God's hands. On the road back, he was set upon by a group of armed men and killed. Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen was canonized in 1746. Fifteen years later he was recognized as a martyr. Reflection Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen's constant prayer was that he be kept completely faithful to God and not give in to any lukewarmness or apathy. He was often heard to exclaim, “Woe to me if I should prove myself but a halfhearted soldier in the service of my thorn-crowned Captain.” His prayer against apathy, and his concern for the poor and weak make him a saint whose example is valuable today. The modern Church is calling us to follow the example of “the poor man's lawyer” by sharing ourselves and our talents with those less fortunate and by working for justice in the world.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

It's Wednesday, April 22nd, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark and Timothy Reed British Christians get more culture pushback now Christians in the United Kingdom report experiencing greater cultural pressures because of their faith. While 88 percent of Evangelicals feel they can freely live out their faith in the country, a new survey by the Evangelical Alliance United Kingdom found that 48 percent believe it has become harder to practice their faith in public within the past five years. And 35 percent report experiencing non-criminal hostility for their faith in Christ.  The survey noted, “For many evangelical Christians, the challenge is less about what the law says and more about how their conviction is perceived and received in an increasingly contested cultural landscape.” British Parliament passed pro-abortion amendments The Parliament of the United Kingdom passed pro-abortion amendments to the crime and policing bill last week. The measure removes criminal liability from women who end the lives of their unborn babies. The bill also gives automatic pardons for women who previously committed such “self-abortions.” Sir Edward Leigh, a conservative Member of Parliament, called this “a terrible indictment of our society that a human life can be taken when it is about to be born, at 39 weeks, and that there should be a free pardon in such a serious case.”  Church in Wales approved blessing sexually perverted couples The Church in Wales approved blessings for people living sexually perverted lifestyles last week. Welsh Anglican leaders voted overwhelmingly in favor of the measure. It allows clergy to provide services of blessing for homosexual couples. This follows the denomination's appointment last year of its first openly homosexual archbishop, Cherry Vann, who has a lesbian lover named Wendy Diamond, reported NBC News. Matthew Firth with the Free Church of England said that evangelical Anglicans in Wales will be “devastated today by this departure from the faith and will be looking for biblical alternative episcopal oversight.” Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness.” Should Catholic school staff be required to affirm biblical marriage & sexuality? In the United States, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will hear another religious freedom case involving two Catholic schools in Colorado.  The state excluded the schools from its preschool program for their religious beliefs. Specifically, the schools require staff to hold biblical views on marriage and sexuality. The schools have been challenging the decision since 2023. Nick Reaves, with The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, commented, “After three losses in religious freedom cases at the Supreme Court, Colorado should know better. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that states cannot exclude families from government benefits because of their faith.” Virginia Democrats asking voters to approve tortured congressional map Virginia is asking voters to approve an outlandish Congressional map. The state, which is narrowly controlled by the Democrat party, is seeking to redistrict Republicans out of five Congressional seats, giving the Democrat party ten seats, while the Republicans would retain only one.  Conservatives across the state have stepped up to fight the proposal, and Republican Representative Jen Kiggans stated, “We have a lot of momentum on our side. And as the funding has come in, we've been able to do more educating, more outreach to voters.” Polling shows the referendum as a tossup. Most popular Easter Bible verse on YouVersion The Bible app YouVersion reported its highest level of engagement ever on Resurrection Sunday earlier this month.  The most popular verse during Easter season was Matthew 28:6. It says, “He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.” Bobby Gruenewald, founder and CEO of YouVersion, said, “Over the last several months, worldwide interest in the Bible has continued to increase. … Seeing people around the world encounter Scripture, many for the first time, is exactly why we do this.” 18-year-old Chick-fil-A employee finds & turns in $9,833 cash And finally, a Chick-fil-A employee in North Carolina found and returned $9,833 in cash earlier this month.  Eighteen-year-old Jaydon Cintron discovered two envelopes in the men's restroom during his usual break on the Friday before Resurrection Sunday. Kinston Police Chief Keith Goyette said many people would have taken the money and run with it. But Jaydon turned in the envelopes of cash.  He credited his Christian faith for the responsible action. Listen to his interview with WITN. CINTRON: “I just picked it up and I brought it to Human Resources.” REPORTER: “The money was inside two envelopes when he found it. I asked him why he didn't just keep the money for himself.” CINTRON: “That's not what Jesus would have done. That's not what God would have wanted.” REPORTER: “Cintron said his faith guides his thought process.” CINTRON: “Money is useless without character.” Proverbs 11:3 says, "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity." Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, April 22nd, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Welcome to Day 2839 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2839 – "The Twelve" and Their Marching Orders – Luke 6:12-49 Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2839 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2839 of our trek. The purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Each Tuesday, I will share the messages I have delivered at Putnam Congregational Church this year. This is the sixteenth message in a year-long series covering the Good News as narrated by Luke. Today's message covers Luke six, verses twelve through forty-nine, and is titled “"The Twelve" and Their Marching Orders” . I pray it will be a conduit for learning and encouragement for you. Putnam Church Message – 03/15/2026 Luke's Account of the Good News - “The Twelve and Their Marching Orders”   Last week, we continued our study of the ministry of Jesus Christ with a message titled “The Defiant Messiah.”  We learned that He is not defiant against the Father. He is defiant against anything that misrepresents the Father. Today, we continue with the sixteenth message in Luke's narrative of the Good News of Jesus Christ in a message titled “The Twelve and Their Marching Orders.”  Our Core verses for this week are Luke 6:12-49, found on page 1600 of your Pew Bibles.  The Twelve Apostles 12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. Blessings and Woes 17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. 20 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. 24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets. Love for Enemies 27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Judging Others 37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. 41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. A Tree and Its Fruit 43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. The Wise and Foolish Builders 46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”     Opening Prayer Father, thank You for Your Word and for the Lord Jesus Christ, who not only saves us but teaches us how to live as citizens of His kingdom. Open our minds to understand, soften our hearts to receive, and strengthen our wills to obey. Teach us what real discipleship looks like. Guard us from being hearers only and make us doers of Your Word. In Jesus' name, amen. Introduction For a number of years, “discipleship” became a kind of Christian buzzword. Conferences were built around it. Books were written about it. Churches made programs for it. Seminar speakers diagrammed it on whiteboards and filled binders with methods for it. And some of that was very good. Many believers can look back and say, “Somebody poured into me. Somebody noticed me. Somebody taught me not just Bible facts, but how to walk with Christ.”  That is a beautiful thing. For me, that would be primarily my parents. But discipleship did not begin in the 1970s. It did not begin in a seminar notebook. It did not begin in a curriculum. It began in the heart of Jesus. And when we come to Luke 6:12–49, we see something crucial: Jesus did not merely gather crowds. / He made disciples. / And He did not merely make disciples in general. / He first chose twelve men, and then He began to shape them for mission. / One thing we don't want to miss as we focus today on the twelve is that there were many others who traveled with Jesus during His ministry, including several women, who assisted in funding the ministry. That matters, because crowds are impressed by miracles,...

Keith explores how long-running social and economic shifts are redefining the American Dream—especially for younger adults who are putting off milestones like moving out, starting families, and buying homes.  He connects these trends to today's housing scarcity, elongated renter stage, and what that means for long-term rental demand and real estate investors. Keith also zooms out to place the current moment in the sweep of American history, then welcomes Redfin Chief Economist Dr. Daryl Fairweather for a data-driven conversation on affordability, supply constraints, renting versus owning, and how demographic changes could shape the next wave of opportunities in both ownership and rental markets. Episode Page: GetRichEducation.com/601 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREinvestmentcoach.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  For predictable 10-12% quarterly returns, visit FreedomFamilyInvestments.com/GRE or text  FAMILY to 66866  Unlock truly passive real estate income—visit flockhomes.com/GRE today to see if your properties qualify for a 721 exchange with Flock Homes. Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search "how to leave an Apple Podcasts review"  For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— GREletter.com  Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript:   Keith Weinhold  0:01   welcome to GRE I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, learn just how far behind today's 30 year olds are then American history by decade as the nation approaches its 250th birthday. Finally, a conversation about what's next for the housing market with Redfin's chief economist Darrell fairweather today on get rich education.   Corey Coates  0:27   Since 2014 the powerful get rich education podcast has created more passive income for people than nearly any other show in the world. This show teaches you how to earn strong returns from passive real estate investing in the best markets without losing your time being a flipper or landlord. Show Host Keith Weinhold writes for both Forbes and Rich Dad advisors and delivers a new show every week since 2014 there's been millions of listener downloads of 188 world nations. He has a list show guests include top selling personal finance author Robert Kiyosaki, get rich education can be heard on every podcast platform, plus it has its own dedicated Apple and Android. Listener phone apps build wealth on the go with the get rich education podcast. Sign up now for the get rich education podcast, or visit get rich education.com   Keith Weinhold  1:10   the same place where I get my own mortgage loans is where you can get yours. Ridge lending group and MLS, 42056, they provided our listeners with more loans than anyone because they specialize in income properties. They help you build a long term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. Start your prequel and even chat with President chailey Ridge personally, while it's on your mind, start at Ridge lending group.com that's Ridge lending group.com   Speaker 1  1:44   You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is get rich education.   Keith Weinhold  1:54   Welcome to get rich Education. I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, the voice of real estate investing since 2014 almost nobody talks about a really important story going on in America today. And I find this really astonishing. I mean, you could almost never think of America the same way again, as you'll hear while you've got these other headlines out there, constantly sucking oxygen out of the room, like decisions from the White House and inflation and wars. One big story. It moves so slowly that it kind of creeps up on you. It is the jaw dropping change in American society over the last 40 years. And then we'll discuss its seismic changes for real estate. And this is sourced from a Census Bureau supplement. It's about how fewer us adults reach typical life milestones by age 30, and this is partly because more adults opt for college than in previous generations. Oh, well, college doesn't sound like such a bad thing. I'll get to that. And by the way, 30 is an age that has come and gone for me, so I've lived through it. We're looking at a period from 1985 to 2025 so 40 years first, it's those that live on their own. In 1985 it was 83% today it's just 67% so then the percentage that don't live on their own and probably live with their parents or roommates, that has doubled. You see even more drastic declines for other milestones since 1985 those that have ever married from 77% down to 45% those that live with a child and the responsibility that this entails that's fallen from 59% down to 36% and those that own a home 48 down to 29% and again, this is for all 30 year olds since 1985 this steady, sliding, relentless decline of those who live on their own, are married, have a child, or own a home, is pretty stunning, and this is inside the most powerful nation on Earth. And here's the thing, this pattern from about 40 years ago, it unabatedly crosses through booms and busts and bubbles and bailouts, sort of like it didn't even notice those things. Somewhat ironically, what's grown during this time is the percentage that have a bachelor's degree. It's gone from 25 up to 43% so therefore, here we. Are. We've got this generation that's better educated than ever, and yet more of them are stuck down on the launch pad. It's like we built better rockets yet we can't light the fuse. And before I help you make sense of this and tell you what I believe the main force behind it to be, you just got to consider what an unfathomable aberration this has all become. At age 25 James Madison was the key architect of the US Constitution. A lot of constitution signers were in their 20s and 30s. At age 21 Steve Jobs started Apple in a garage at 20 Bill Gates co founded Microsoft at 19 Mark Zuckerberg built Facebook in a dorm room. And sure, some of these are exceptional examples, but these people committed early, and then they figured it out on the fly.   Keith Weinhold  5:59   Well, what about women? The US birth rate has hit an all time record low, because today, nearly half of 30 year old women are still child free. Okay, so some of this is logical. You can connect a few dots here more time in school, yeah, all right, that means later marriages and later kids. Sure, student debt that equals financial Gravity Boots that keep you in place. Urban living means smaller spaces. But when you stack all this together, like I just laid out later, it's not just later anymore. It is really later. That is the huge change that really startles you when you put all of this together and again, remember, over this same time span, 1985 to today, I've mentioned before how the average age of the first time homebuyer has ballooned from 29 up to 40. I mean 40 that can really take some time to sink in. And again, that's just the average in high cost housing areas. This number could be 45 or higher. I mean, sheesh, the starter home is now like a midlife purchase, and it's made right around the time that your back starts to make decisions for you, consider where we are here now, the term home ownership that is increasingly linked to older people. Those things home ownership and older people are increasingly synonymous terms. Now, owning a home, it's like a luxury good for the already established. I mean, it is pretty jaw dropping. And one contributor to these friends is the lack of available housing supply, still a 60 to 70% collapse in some populous northeast states, but really something like that. That's just a small thing. When you amalgamate it all together, it's become cultural really. The bigger trend that underlies this decline in meeting life milestones at age 30 is that long term true inflation exceeds wage increases over the decades, but there are big social shifts too. And by the way, I left my parents home for good at age 23 and some surely do so younger than I did marriage and children, they are the classic triggers to buy a house, and the longer that these type of milestones get postponed, the more likely people are to favor then flexibility over committing to a mortgage, and this then means that there is an elongated renter stage of life. Renters are no longer just passing through they're no longer just graduated from college, renting a year or two and then buying a home. Instead, they are planting flags and really pounding in stakes. And there are countless surveys that show that renters value the ability of being able to relocate without the hassle of having to sell a house. And on top of all of these trends as America ages overall, something really interesting starts to happen. This is why single family rentals have really begun to shine over the past few years, and why you had this Advent and popularity of new build and build to rent rental properties coming onto the market because single families give people the feeling of home and space and privacy and a backyard for the dog, but yet at the same time, it's commitment light, a lighter version. Now apartments benefit too, of course, and for investors, this isn't just. The trend, this is a long term tailwind, fewer life transitions. It means more stable occupancy and longer renter life cycles that lead to fewer turnovers and vacancies and repairs, so less churn, more consistency and better predictability. So the bottom line here is that this delay of life milestones, it's not subtle. It is pretty seismic, and increasingly people say that the American dream no longer even includes home ownership. Demography is destiny, and they must rent from you. And here at GRE we invest like these trends are real, but I really want to emphasize that this elongated renter stage of life really is a long term, long tail phenomenon. And I want to emphasize that because, like I said last week, in the short term, we really aren't seeing any significant rent increases due to that affordability constraint. Now we're nearly five years after America had a big wave of consumer inflation, and that really hurt kind of people this age that I'm talking about, people in their 20s and 30s, that really hurt them the most because they don't own assets that compound with the concurrent asset price inflation, they only had to deal with the bad stuff, the consumer price inflation.    Keith Weinhold  11:30   And as America approaches its 250th birthday, let's think about how this era compares to other decades. And by the way, do you know what a 250th anniversary is called? I put a line about this in my newsletter that I sent you the other day. It is called a semiquincentennial, or, I guess, semi quincentennial. I don't think that anyone's going to be using that word after the fireworks. Semiquincentennial. That sounds like a word that an Economic Committee came up with during a recession to kind of mask a worse problem or something. I suppose that the etymology makes sense. If you break it down, quincentennial would be 500 and semi would be half of 500 in any case, as you try to compare this American era to others, listen to this from the parallel truth. This is about three minutes long, and then I'll come back to comment. It's America by decade, starting all the way back in the 1770s This is a decent summary here, although it can get unnecessarily gloomy at times.   Speaker 2  12:41   Imagine you could live in the United States one decade at a time, not the America you see in movies, not the America in textbooks, but the real America. Let's start with the 1770s the decade of independence. This is not a freedom story, yet. It's a war story. Most people are farmers, roads are mud, medicine is almost nothing. And if you're a young man, your future is simple, fight or starve. Then came the 1800s The decade of expansion. America is still small, but it's hungry, new land, new states, New promises, but there is also growing slavery. Native tribes are being pushed out, and the country is quietly building a conflict it can't avoid. Now it's the 1860s the decade America almost died. There is civil war, Brother versus brother. Cities are burning. If you lived here, you didn't watch history, you survived it. Next is the 1900s The decade of industrial America, factories, railroads, steel, oil. The country becomes a machine. Cities explode with workers, but life is brutal, long hours, dirty air, child labor, you might earn money, but you will pay with your health. It's the 1920s now, the decade of jazz and madness. This is America's first big party decade, cars, radio, Hollywood. Everyone thinks the future is unstoppable. Then came the 1930s the decade the party ended. The Great Depression happens, banks collapse and jobs disappear. People line up for bread. A man with a suit could be broke in one week. This decade teaches America one lesson, that money is not real until it's in your hand. It's the 1940s now the decade America became the world's boss. World War Two turns the US into the world's factory. While Europe is burning, America is building. And when the war ends, America comes out richer than anyone in history. It's the 1950s the decade of the American dream, suburbs, big houses, one salary supports a whole family, TV dinners, new cars, new highways. This is the decade America sells the world the idea of perfect life. Next came 1960s the decade of rebellion, civil rights, Vietnam assassinations, the country feels like it's splitting. You could be hopeful or terrified, sometimes both in the same week, 1970s was the decade the system started breaking, oil crisis, inflation, crime rate, and in 1971 America quietly changes money forever. The dollar stops being backed by gold. From this point onward, America runs on trust. It. The 1980s the decade of Wall Street, America, big business, big spending. The stock market becomes religion. America looks confident again, but the middle class starts weakening slowly. Then came the 1990s the decade America felt unstoppable. The Soviet Union has collapsed and the US feels untouchable. The internet is born. This is the decade where Americans truly believe that they have won. It's the 2000s now the decade of shock, 911, wars, fear, surveillance, then 2008 hits, banks crash, housing collapses, and America learns something painful. The people who caused the crisis don't pay for it. It's the 2000s and 10s, the decade of the digital trap. Social media becomes reality, politics becomes war. Everyone is online, but nobody feels connected. The economy recovers, but normal people don't. And finally, it's the 2020s. The decade, chaos became normal. Pandemic changes everything. Supply chains are collapsing, inflation returns, AI arrives and trust collapses. And by 2026 America is still rich, but it feels exhausted. People are working harder, owning less, and trusting nobody. And the strangest part is that America didn't collapse. It just slowly became a different country, not through invasion, not through revolution, but through decades of small changes that added up to a completely new reality. So the real question is, if you could choose one decade to live in? Which one would you pick?   Keith Weinhold  16:22    Yeah, which decade would you pick to live in? A lot of people say the 1950s where we had, like they touched on there the post war boom and how one salary could support an entire household. Some people say the 1990s because the Cold War ended, we had the start of Wide Internet use, and it's before you had these stark political divisions where people started to put party ahead of country. Now some people would probably say, Are you kidding me? I'd rather live in this decade right here. I can work from home more easily than I ever could have before. And I think you can make valid cases for all of those things. And speaking of this era, a quarter just ended, and we do this quarterly at most. It's our asset class rundown. Year over year, national home prices are only up about half of 1% per the nar 1% Case Shiller and totality, single family rent index shows just 1.3% rent growth. That's year over year. This quarter, the s, p5 100 was down 5% stocks of all types are down largely to the Iran war. The yield on the 10 year treasury note rose from 4.1 up to 4.3% due to higher inflation expectations. Why does that matter so much? That's what influences 30 year mortgage rates, which also rose from 6.2 up to 6.5% West Texas Intermediate oil prices soared from 59 bucks to over 100 last quarter. Gold hit an all time high of 5400 bucks in the quarter, and then fell to about 4600 by the end of the quarter. Other precious metals hit their all time peak. Bitcoin fell from 88k down to 68k That's the asset class rundown. I'll return with Redfin's chief economist, Dr Darrell fairweather and more. I'm Keith Weinhold. You're listening to get rich education.    Keith Weinhold  18:18   Let me throw out a simple idea. Sometimes doing nothing with your money is actually a decision. Leaving it parked might feel safe, but over time, purchasing power changes. So the conversation isn't about chasing returns, it's about intentionally placing money somewhere. Freedom, family investments works in real estate people use every day. Housing, senior communities, essential properties, things tied to living and not trends. Their freedom notes offering is built for accredited investors looking for structured income backed by real assets, not speculation. I am an investor with them myself. The Freedom team makes themselves available to walk through their approach, structure and operating philosophy so you can ask questions and determine alignment before moving forward. While past performance doesn't guarantee future results, their historical operating philosophy has yielded 100% investor payouts backed by over 20 years of experience. If you want clarity before making any moves, book a clarity call@freedomfamilyinvestments.com or text family to 66 866, text the word family to 66 866,    Keith Weinhold  19:41   flock homes helps you retire from real estate and landlording, whether it's one problem, property or your whole portfolio through a 721, exchange, deferring your capital gains tax and depreciation recapture, it's a strategy long used by the ultra wealthy. Now. Mom and Pop landlords can 721, the residential real estate request your initial valuation, see if your properties qualify@flockhomes.com slash GRE, that's F, l, O, C, K, homes.com/gre.   Robert Helms  20:16   Everybody. It's Robert Helms of the real estate guys radio program, so glad you found Keith Weinhold and get rich education, don't quit your Daydream.   Keith Weinhold  20:35   This week's guest is the chief economist of Redfin during the housing crisis. She worked at the Boston Fed, studying why homeowners enter foreclosure. Since 2023 she served at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. She holds her BS from MIT, and she really knows her way around campuses, because she received her Master's and PhD in Economics at the University of Chicago, where she specialized in behavioral economics, that's interesting. Welcome to GRE. Darrell fairweather,   Daryl Fairweather  21:06   thank you for having me.    Keith Weinhold  21:08   Hey, Daryl. I'd like to get to some of the statistics later in the things that Redfin does and compiles, but tell us about the behavioral side of the housing market that's often so interesting and evencounterintuitive   Daryl Fairweather  21:22   yeah, one of the most interesting things about the housing market is that people get really emotional when making this huge financial decision. It's something that people don't have a lot of practice with. Most people maybe buy a home once or twice in their whole life. There's so much social weight that's put on it. It's the American dream. There's a lot of family pressure, and there's a lot of hurting behavior that can happen. People get swept up in the moment. Maybe they overbid on a home, or maybe they miss out because other people are avoiding the housing market. So it's a really interesting place to both study psychology and economics.   Keith Weinhold  21:56   Sure, most homeowners are just inexperienced at this whole thing. Yeah, behavioral economics, it really has this strong gravity in real estate. Maybe something that you've said touches on what I call the Zestimate illusion. A lot of times, sellers anchor their price to not just the Zillow estimate, but sometimes even the peak sale price in the whole neighborhood, and that's what they think that they should get for their home?   Daryl Fairweather  22:21   Yeah, that does happen quite a bit. And I don't think a lot of people realize how much those estimates can move once a home is listed. The list price tends to move that estimate quite a lot. So it's not a fact. And those estimates don't really know many details about the home, like what upgrades might have happened, or what internally is happening within the home, like if people have gotten new appliances or gotten a new air conditioning system, it doesn't really take those things into account. So you shouldn't just anchor off of the Redfin estimate. You should definitely talk to an agent. Look at the comps. The comps can tell you a lot in terms of what homes have sold for recently, and then track your local market in terms of whether it is going up in value or down in value, because those comps might be a little bit stale, and you have to adjust for where the market is right now.   Keith Weinhold  23:06   There's some really good points there. And when I think of the behavioral side of economics in the real estate market, another nascent thing that comes to mind Darrell, is the rate shock paralysis that really set in in America in 2022 mortgage rates are still historically on the low side. But few people think about it that way. They're really swayed by the recency bias   Daryl Fairweather  23:31   yes. And one thing to take into account, though, is how much home prices have gone up since the last time rates were this high. So if you're looking at the monthly mortgage payment and how much that is compared to people's monthly incomes, it is quite expensive to buy a home. In most metros, you cannot afford to buy a home on the local median income. There's only maybe four metros that are in the middle of the country where it's still affordable to buy a home on a middle class salary. So combined the rate and the price those mortgage payments are still quite expensive, although they have gotten slightly more affordable since last year because rates are slightly lower than last year, they did come up a bit with, you know, oil prices coming up, but still, compared to last year, rates are a bit lower and a bit more affordable to get a home.   Keith Weinhold  24:13   And of course, all this is besides the point that those 2021, mortgage rates, they were born out of a collapsing economy, and I don't think that we really want that either. But yes, to your point about affordability, that's been such a buzzword in the housing market for quite a while, and for good reason. It wasn't very long ago that we reached a 40 year low in affordability. Can you tell us about what can improve affordability next? Darrell or what's most likely to happen? For example, it seems like insurance rate increases have really leveled off.   Daryl Fairweather  24:50   Yes, the reason why affordability is so bad, especially in coastal cities, the places that have the most opportunities, is because of a lack of supply. Existing homeowners, they are fine. They like when their home goes up in value, but it really is a problem for first time homebuyers, when prices just keep climbing and when new housing gets proposed, it's often the existing homeowners who are blocking that housing from getting built, and so supply is constrained. You can see this very clearly in a place like San Francisco, which had a huge economic boom in the 2010s yet housing did not keep up with all of the job opportunities that were coming to the area, and when you have all these people moving in with higher incomes, it drives up prices when there isn't adequate supply. You take Austin as another example. Austin had a huge boom during the pandemic, but supply responded. Builders built, there was a lot of development that happened, and as a result, prices came right back down. They're still above where they were pre pandemic, but nowhere near the heights that we saw back in 2021 so it just goes to show that when you allow supply to get built, it does help keep prices more moderate and keep things more affordable.   Keith Weinhold  25:59   Yes, and nimbyism is rampant, is consumer inflation or some of the other big forces out there, for sure, but yes, this national dearth of supply something that's existed even well before the pandemic, for example, it's bounced back somewhat, but still not quite enough, and it's really part of what, in my opinion, has helped support housing prices, even when mortgage rates tripled back in 2022 Can you tell us more what you believe about the future of housing supply with all the data that you do with there at Redfin Daryl,   Daryl Fairweather  26:37   housing supply improved a bit during the pandemic, but we're still far below What we need in order to make housing more accessible to middle class people. But there are new challenges that are coming. One that you mentioned is insurance. Insurance costs are going up. So even if you have a fixed rate mortgage and you've locked that in, you still have to worry about the rising cost of ownership because of insurance costs are going up. Property taxes are going up in many places, and maintenance costs are increasing. So that is going to make home ownership, and just the cost of ownership in general, whether you're an investor or an owner occupant, more expensive moving forward. And that's going to vary depending on where you are. There going to be some parts of the country where insurance goes up much faster, like in Florida, and other parts where insurance will probably be more stable like in the Midwest and Great Lakes region. So it's important now even more so to really research the neighborhood, research the home, and figure out how those expenses could increase in the future.   Keith Weinhold  27:32   Yeah, here we are in this housing market where, you know, Darrell, I think of it in a lot of ways, is, you know, maybe for three years now, we've largely been stuck in the mud, much of it due to lower supply, where we have a lower overall proportion of both buyers and sellers.   Daryl Fairweather  27:48   Yeah, what's happening right now is really an hangover from the pandemic, because so many people locked in 3% mortgage rates during the pandemic, and if those homeowners were to sell and buy again. Even if they bought the same priced home, they would end up paying more in their monthly mortgage payment because of how much higher mortgage rates are, and that's holding back supply quite significantly. It's the reason why prices have not come down despite rates going up, is because the higher rates are holding back both demand and supply at the same time, and contributing to the overall lack of inventory that's out there,   Keith Weinhold  28:24   this aberration where we have a big proportion of American homeowners living in homes where if they tried to repurchase that home at today's terms, they couldn't even do it. To your point about people not wanting to move, and that's a big reason why they almost can't. They might pay more in rent elsewhere for a like property if they were to sell what they own, if those still locked in terms and Darrell here, I think, you know, our audience is largely real estate investors, a lot of them investing in one to four unit properties. So with what you're seeing there at Redfin. And I think a lot of us know that, yeah, rent growth has been pretty slow as well. What do you see for rents in 2026 and perhaps 2027   Daryl Fairweather  29:08   originally, when we went to go do our predictions for 2026 we said that rents were going to increase this year. Now, I think that rents will continue to stay flat, and that's because there's still a lack of demand for for sale housing. People are staying in the rental market, but people are overall tightening their budgets because they're worried about the economy. They're worried about inflation. So if they can, you know, get roommates or live with family, they're going to choose to do that to keep their overall expenses lower, which will reduce demand for both for sale housing and for rental housing. And I think a lot of home sellers, they've tried to sell their homes. We saw many people try to sell their homes last year and then end up delisting their homes, and they're trying again. We saw more of those people come back in January, but I think those people are going to continue to kind of try to test the market, be a bit disappointed that there isn't enough demand, and then some of. Up for sale housing will end up as rental housing. Just driving around my neighborhood, I see so many rental signs on single family homes that I never saw before, almost more for rent signs, and I'm seeing for sale signs, so that added inventory from these accidental landlords who would like to move but don't want to give up their mortgage rate is going to increase the supply of single family rentals, and that will mean more competition for those investors that are trying to rent out the homes.   Keith Weinhold  30:27   Talk to us about rental occupancy. That's something that we're seeing at a historic low in apartment buildings, for one thing. But can you talk to us about what you see for future occupancy levels of both residential one to fours and apartments. Going forward,   Daryl Fairweather  30:43   a lot of new supply came online during the pandemic, especially in places that build a lot of condos. Many one bedroom or zero bedroom condos got built, and then those are really difficult to rent out, because, you know, they're just not that attractive. We really have more of a shortage of types of housing that's appropriate for families and those one bedroom units that are really targeted at like affluent young people. There aren't that many affluent people right now, so they're they're difficult to rent out. I think that trend is pretty much over. We're not seeing too many more condos being developed because the condos that were developed during the pandemic are still having trouble finding owners or finding renters in those apartment buildings. Now, I think we're going to start to see an uptick in single family rental vacancy, because I think a lot of those people who would like to sell their homes are having trouble selling their homes because of how mortgage rates are and how skittish people are about making a commitment to ownership right now, and they're going to alternatively try to rent out those and that will mean more availability of those rentals and not as much pressure on rents to go up in that segment of the market.   Keith Weinhold  31:51   Woe for the builder that targeted young, affluent types, they don't really exist so much anymore. That's really pretty interesting. Well, Darrell, do you have any last thoughts overall about the housing market? Maybe something I didn't think about asking you that's really important, whether that's for an investor or a prospective homeowner.    Daryl Fairweather  32:12   Yeah, I think if I was an investor right now, I would be paying attention to what economists and housing people call the silver tsunami that's older generations starting to sell their homes. We did a study recently that showed that people who are 70 years and above have as much wealth and housing as middle aged people, which is the first time that group has exceeded in terms of the wealth that they hold. And if you're 70 plus, there's definitely a clock ticking on how long you're going to stay in that home, which means that a lot of new inventory will become available in those homes. They probably need work. They probably need some renovations, and that could be a really great opportunity for an investor to buy a home that maybe has been neglected for a while because it's been a senior living in there who hasn't been really keeping it up to date. You can renovate it and perhaps sell it again to a younger buyer by doing some updates and make a nice profit there.    Speaker 3  33:03   Oh, well, Daryl, this has been a great update laced with plenty of practical things that someone can actually do. Do you have a resource you'd like to share in case our audience would like to connect?   Daryl Fairweather  33:16   Yes, you can find me basically on any social media channel. I'd recommend checking you out on YouTube to start. And then if you would like data on what's happening in your local housing market, you can check out the Redfin data center. Just Google Redfin data center, it'll bring you right there. And you can find lots of local data on your market,   Keith Weinhold  33:34   Daryl Fairweather. It's been great having you here on the show.   Daryl Fairweather  33:37    Thank you.   Keith Weinhold  33:44   Yeah, insightful material from Dr Darrell fairweather today, no end to the housing scarcity in sight. She says, rents continue to stay flat, partly due to this accidental landlord. They didn't plan to be a landlord, but they need to move and yet they don't want to sell the single family home that they got with a good owner occupied financing a few years ago. And the reason that's a headwind for single family investors, because it keeps more rental supply on the market. Last week, I touched on how you should not expect rent increases in the near term, I own a lot of single family rentals myself, and I am not getting rent increases. It's not so much that single family vacancies are high now, but apartment building vacancies are high. That fact alone that actually does hurt the single family rental market a little, because even though a renter might desire a single family, and maybe you think, Well, an apartment couldn't compete with that feeling. But yet, if an apartment is so much cheaper than the single family, and they often are now, well then that renter will go for the cheap apartment instead the one. You can think of Redfin is that they're part Zillow, part real estate agent, and part data company, and they can give you early signals on things like buyer demand and price direction and days on market, those types of indicators. So for the latest housing market research and news, you can do a search for the Redfin data center, and then for Daryl, start on YouTube. You can follow her on x at fairweather PhD, thanks to Dr Darrell fairweather today, until next week, I'm your host. Keith Weinhold, don't quit your Daydream.   Speaker 5  35:36   Nothing on this show should be considered specific, personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of get rich Education LLC, exclusively to   Keith Weinhold  35:56   the preceding program was brought to you by your home for wealth, building, get richeducation.com  

It's Wednesday, April 8th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark and Adam McManus Hindu nationalists attacked two pastors in India Hindu nationalists attacked two pastors in India last week ahead of Resurrection Sunday. The pastors were distributing Christian literature in a village in Karnataka State. The Hindu nationalists verbally abused the pastors before physically assaulting them and taking their literature.  One of the pastors, aged 60, required emergency medical care after the attack. He told International Christian Concern, “We would have been killed if police had not intervened in time. The police eventually arrived at the scene, rescued us, and took us to the hospital for treatment.” India's new census In other India-related news, the country began the world's largest census last week. The year-long census will collect information from the country's 1.4 billion citizens. India conducted its last census back in 2011. Since then, the country surpassed China as the world's most populated nation.  For the first time in decades, India's census will ask people what caste they belong to. The census already includes questions about religion. Religious freedom groups warn the government could use these data points to discriminate against religious minorities like Christians.  55% of Russians do not attend church The Russian research organization Levada Centre published a new survey on church attendance in the country.  A record 55% of respondents said they do not attend religious services. That's up 11 percentage points since last year.  The lack of church attendance was particularly common among men, young people, and students. Only 16% of respondents said they attend services at least once a month.  Trump announced 2-week suspension of Iran attack At 5:32pm ET on April 7th, President Donald Trump shared a major update on Truth Social about the war with Iran. He wrote, “Based on conversations with [Pakistani] Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and [Pakistani] Field Marshal Asim Munir and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. “This will be a double-sided CEASEFIRE!  The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive agreement concerning long-term PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East.” President Trump concluded with these words. “On behalf of the United States of America, as President, and also representing the countries of the Middle East, it is an honor to have this long-term problem close to resolution.” Vice President Vance: “Very shortly, this war is going to conclude” Vice President J.D. Vance, who was meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Hungary, said the war in Iran is coming to an end soon, reports Real Clear Politics. Listen. VANCE: “First of all, the United States has largely accomplished its military objectives. There are still some things that we'd like to do, for example, on Iranian ability to manufacture weapons that we'd like to do a little bit more work on militarily. But fundamentally, the military objectives of the United States have been completed. “So, that means, as the President has said, very shortly, this war is going to conclude. And I think the nature of the conclusion is ultimately up to the Iranians. “I think there really are two pathways. I'm oversimplifying this a little bit, but I think pathway one is where the Iranians decide they're going to be a normal country. They're not going to fund terrorism anymore. They're going to be part of the world system of commerce and exchange, and that's going to mean much better things for them economically. It's going to mean better things for the peace and safety of the world. That's option A. Okay? “Option B is that the Iranians don't come to [the] table and they stay committed to terrorism, to terrorizing their neighbors, not just Israel, but of course, their Arab neighbors too. Then, the economic situation in Iran is going to continue to be very, very bad, and frankly, it will probably get worse.” California dropped prosecution of undercover pro-life videographer In the United States, California finally dropped its prosecution of pro-lifer David Daleiden. The undercover journalist is the president and founder of The Center for Medical Progress. In 2015, the group exposed Planned Parenthood's illegal sale of baby body parts.  Daleiden faced years of legal battles since then. He posted a statement on X last week, saying, “As promised, the final charge has been DISMISSED and the case completely expunged.” Court: California must pay $4.5 million over gender confusion case In other Golden State news, California must pay $4.5 million in a case involving its promotion of gender confusion in public schools. The state passed a law in 2024 that prohibited schools from informing parents if their child identified with a sexually perverted lifestyle.  On Monday, a U.S. District Court ruled in favor of teachers and parents who challenged the law. Peter Breen with the Thomas More Society commented on the victory. He said, “California threw everything it had at this case. It lost at summary judgment, lost at the Supreme Court, and now Californians will foot the bill for their government officials' refusal to respect the fundamental rights of families.” Isaiah 10:1 says, “Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, who write misfortune, which they have prescribed.” 29% of Americans believe revival will happen within the year A new survey from the Barna Group found a growing share of Americans believe a spiritual revival is coming. Twenty-nine percent of U.S. adults believe a revival is likely to happen in the next 12 months. That number rose to 38 percent among Gen Z, those between the ages of 14 and 29.  Top reasons respondents gave for why a revival might happen included prayer, younger generations turning to God, and the search for meaning and purpose.  David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna, said, “The research doesn't predict a revival. … Yet, it reveals something worth paying attention to: a large number of Americans believe one is possible—and for younger adults especially, that belief is being forged in some of the most difficult circumstances of their lives.” Trump called Christ's resurrection “the most glorious miracle in all of time!” And finally, President Donald Trump delivered a message to Christians around the world over Easter weekend. In fact, he quoted John 3:16 in his message. TRUMP: “This Holy Week, I'm proud to join with Christians across the country, and around the world, to celebrate the most glorious miracle in all of time: the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. “In His life, Christ displayed true humility. In His death, He modeled true love. And in His resurrection from the tomb, He proved that even death itself will not silence those who place their trust in Almighty God. As it says in Gospel of John, ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son for whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, April 8th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.