Podcasts about Woe

Fr. Mike reveals yet another prophetic message that points towards the coming of Christ, explaining why the Book of Isaiah is often called the Book of Woe and the Book of Consolation. He also touches on the powerful prayer we hear as we end our journey with Tobit. Today's readings are Isaiah 11-13, Tobit 13-14, and Proverbs 10:13-16. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel - Matthew 11:20-24 - Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of His mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Saint Bonaventure, pray for us! Bishop Sheen quote of the day Steve Ray joins Terry for an in-depth look at the Assumption of Mary into heaven

Some years ago our family was vacationing on the eastern end of Long Island near a little village called Sag Harbor. It was amazing how much that village changed, though, over a period of just 24 hours. One day it was a sleepy little town of tourists kind of strolling from store to store. The next day it was a chaotic beehive with snarled traffic and anxious people rushing from store to store. Do you know what made the difference? A hurricane warning! Yes, a powerful storm was moving up the East Coast and it was expected to hit that part of Long Island. So people were rushing everywhere to get prepared. Batteries and candles suddenly appeared by every cash register in every store. And they quickly disappeared. People were suddenly living differently when there was a major storm. I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Year That Everything Changed." You might be living in a year like that right now; a year when a lot of things have changed. And times like these (hurricane times) can really change your perspective on what's important and how you should be living. In our word for today from the Word of God beginning with Isaiah 6:1, Isaiah says, "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord." Now, you're probably not all broken up over Uzziah dying, but he had been king for 52 years. So if you were 52 or under, King Uzziah was the only ruler you had ever known. And he had brought his nation to an unparalleled level of prosperity and power. And suddenly he was gone. It was one of those years when everything changed. So let's think of these words in this way, "In the year that everything changed." That's when Isaiah says, "I saw the Lord." That's when you usually do - when everything is changing - when the hurricane is blowing you around. Maybe God has shaken your world recently so you'll see Him as you've never seen Him before and so you'll live differently. Now there are three perspectives God wants you to live by in a season when everything is changing. First, Isaiah says, "I saw the Lord, seated on a throne, high and exalted." Isaiah describes powerful angelic beings he sees "calling to one another, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.'" Perspective #1 when everything is changing; "Lord, You are awesome." God wants you to enter His Throne Room as Isaiah did - by prayer. He wants you to see His majesty; to realize that, by praying, you are entering the Throne Room from which billions of galaxies are governed and bringing your life and your needs to the One who rules it all. When everything's changing, you need to dwell on the awesomeness of your God. Then Isaiah tells us he cried, "Woe to me! 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." Then he describes how one of the angels touches his lips with a live coal from the altar and says, "Your guilt is taken away." Perspective #2 - "Lord, I'm a mess." See, God wants all this change to be a wakeup call that shows you the sin that you haven't dealt with and to let Him touch it with His forgiveness and His cleansing. Then God asks, "Whom shall I send?" And Isaiah says, "Here am I. Send me!" God wants you to look at His awesomeness, then at your sinfulness, and then at the lostness of the people around you. Perspective #3 - "They are dying." You've seen the King; they never have. And God has sent the storm to refocus your attention on the mission of rescuing the dying people around you. With all that's changing in our world, the things that really matter haven't changed. In fact, the changes make the important things more important than ever. Make frequent visits to God's Throne Room, go off and to Jesus' cross to get clean, and go on frequent missions to take some people to heaven with you. With the storm intensifying, focus on the things that really matter so this can be the time when you really see the Lord.

Gospel  Matthew 11:20-24 Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld. For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” Reflection What Jesus was doing when he was performing miracles was not just displaying some power that he had, but rather trying to reveal clearly the mercy, the love of the father. Jesus came into this world to reveal who the father is. And when you look at the mighty deeds that he did, the healings, the transformations, they were the essence of who God the Father truly is. So what he longs for is for people to accept this new image. And yet so many refused. But he continued, always to long for them to change. Closing Prayer Father, you continue to awaken us to the beauty of who God the father truly is. Help us to believe in the miracles that you perform for us. Help us to be excited about the role that you continue to play in our lives, where you are the source of so many solutions that bring us peace. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jesus began to reproach the townswhere most of his mighty deeds had been done,since they had not repented."Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!For if the mighty deeds done in your midsthad been done in Tyre and Sidon,they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.But I tell you, it will be more tolerablefor Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.And as for you, Capernaum:Will you be exalted to heaven?You will go down to the netherworld.For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,it would have remained until this day.But I tell you, it will be more tolerablefor the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

Read Online“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.” Matthew 11:21–22Chorazin and Bethsaida were Jewish towns that Jesus visited frequently to preach and to perform many “mighty deeds.” They were located just north of His city of residence, Capernaum. Tyre and Sidon were pagan coastal cities northeast of Chorazin and Bethsaida, in modern-day Lebanon, and were towns known for their immoral living. Though Jesus did not spend much time in those cities, He did visit them at times. During Jesus' first recorded visit there, recall His encounter with the Syrophoenician woman who begged Him to heal her daughter (Matthew 15:21–28). The Gospel passage quoted above took place prior to Jesus making that journey.Why was Jesus so harsh toward the towns He spent so much of His time in. Why did He rebuke Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum? To answer this, it's important to remember that Jesus spent most of His time preaching to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” In other words, His primary mission during His public ministry was to share the Gospel with those who were descendants of Abraham and had been entrusted with the Law of Moses, the teachings of the prophets and the liturgical rites. For that reason, Jesus not only preached with perfection to these people, He also did miracle after miracle. And though there were many who did believe in Him and became His disciples, there were many others who were indifferent or who flatly refused to believe in Him. Today, Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum could be seen as symbols of those Catholics who were born and raised in the faith and were given good formation by their parents and others. Many parents whose children have gone astray from the faith wonder what they did wrong. But the truth is that even Jesus Himself was rejected, despite His perfect preaching, perfect charity and undeniable miracles. And the same happens today. There are many who, despite being raised within the holy faith given to us by Christ Himself, reject that faith and turn a blind eye to the Gospel and the Church.Jesus' rebuke of those towns should echo today in the minds of those who, despite being given so much in regard to a good upbringing, have rejected God. Of course, that rejection is not always absolute and total. More often, it is a rejection in degrees. First, the rejection comes in the form of missing Mass. Then moral compromises. Then a lack of faith. And eventually confusion, doubt and a complete loss of faith sets in.If you are one who has started down the road of becoming more and more lukewarm in your faith, then the rebuke of these towns by Jesus should be understood to also be directed at you in love. “Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required…” (Luke 12:48). Therefore, to those who have been taught the faith well, much is expected. And when we fail to live up to that which is demanded of us by God out of love, a holy rebuke is exactly what we need. Reflect, today, upon whether the rebuke Jesus issues toward these towns is also issued toward you. Have you been blessed with a good formation in the faith? If so, have you done all you can to help nourish that faith and grow in your love of God? Or have you allowed your faith to dim, to become lukewarm and to begin to wither and die? If you have been given much, have been raised in the faith and have been privileged with good examples in your life, then know God expects much of you. Answer that high calling that is given to you and respond to God with all your heart. My passionate Jesus, You poured out Your heart and soul through Your preaching to the people of Israel. Although many accepted You, many others rejected You. I thank You for the privilege I have been given to hear Your holy Word preached to me. Help me to respond to You with all my heart so that I will be counted among those who listen and believe. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Day of Judgement by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

President Donald Trump committed an unforced error when he should have had an easy grand-slam home run, why is he covering up the truth about Jeffrey Epstein?Years after his apparent suicide in a Manhattan federal lockup, the notorious sex offender and financial manipulator Jeffrey Epstein has returned from the dead to haunt Donald Trump and instigate a massive rupture in Trump's government and MAGA movement. The very bad handling of the Epstein files is totally an unforced error, the question is why did Trump do it? He is desperately trying to make it go away, but the harder he tries, the messier it gets. MAGA is mad, very mad, as they should be. That's the memo.“Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;” Nahum 3:1 (KJB)On this episode of the Prophecy News Podcast, for President Donald Trump, exposing the files on Jeffrey Epstein should have been a super-easy, no-brainer, foregone conclusion resulting in a “promises made, promises kept” victory lap around the Oval Office. This is why we voted for Trump, right? He will expose the Deep State when no one else will. As it turns out, Trump has no interest in doing anything like that, and is really mad that so many of his MAGA followers won't stop talking about it. Over on Truth Social, the president had this to say “We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and “selfish people” are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. For years, it's Epstein, over and over again. One year ago our Country was DEAD, now it's the “HOTTEST” Country anywhere in the World. Let's keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Yikes, spoken like someone who has something to hide, and on today's Podcast, we show you just how deep this strange and unnecessary rabbit hole goes.

Mt 11:20-24Jesus began to reproach the townswhere most of his mighty deeds had been done,since they had not repented."Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!For if the mighty deeds done in your midsthad been done in Tyre and Sidon,they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.But I tell you, it will be more tolerablefor Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.And as for you, Capernaum:Will you be exalted to heaven?You will go down to the netherworld.For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,it would have remained until this day.But I tell you, it will be more tolerablefor the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

Pastor Jonathan Laurie shares lessons from the story of Jonah, a reluctant evangelist who ran from God’s calling. Notes: Focus verse - Jonah 2 Matthew 23:25–27 (NKJV)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. “Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” Jonah 4:3 (NLT)“Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” #1 God Appoints Circumstances to Bring Us Back Sometimes we think God is punishing us. God paid Jesus back for our sin. Jonah was a historical, biblical character.2 Kings 14:25 Matthew 12:40 (NKJV)“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” God appoints circumstances and storms.Not to pay us back, but to bring us back. #2 God Still Sees in the DarkJonah 2:1 (NLT) Read: Jonah 2:1–9 (NLT) While Jonah sat in darkness inside the great fish, he prayed.God heard and delivered Jonah out of his fishy prison. Psalm 139:11–12 (NLT)I could ask the darkness to hide meand the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.To you the night shines as bright as day.Darkness and light are the same to you. Israel worshipped one God — the true Creator. Romans 12:1 (NKJV)I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Read: Jonah 2:10 –3:5 (NKJV) #3 Saved From and Saved For God rescued Jonah from darkness so Jonah could reach others in darkness. 2 Corinthians 5:18–20 (NLT) Mark 16:15–16 (NLT)And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Romans 10:14 (NLT)But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? Learn more about this year's Harvest Crusade! --- Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners. Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pastor Jonathan Laurie shares lessons from the story of Jonah, a reluctant evangelist who ran from God’s calling. Notes: Focus verse - Jonah 2 Matthew 23:25–27 (NKJV)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. “Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” Jonah 4:3 (NLT)“Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” #1 God Appoints Circumstances to Bring Us Back Sometimes we think God is punishing us. God paid Jesus back for our sin. Jonah was a historical, biblical character.2 Kings 14:25 Matthew 12:40 (NKJV)“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” God appoints circumstances and storms.Not to pay us back, but to bring us back. #2 God Still Sees in the DarkJonah 2:1 (NLT) Read: Jonah 2:1–9 (NLT) While Jonah sat in darkness inside the great fish, he prayed.God heard and delivered Jonah out of his fishy prison. Psalm 139:11–12 (NLT)I could ask the darkness to hide meand the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.To you the night shines as bright as day.Darkness and light are the same to you. Israel worshipped one God — the true Creator. Romans 12:1 (NKJV)I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Read: Jonah 2:10 –3:5 (NKJV) #3 Saved From and Saved For God rescued Jonah from darkness so Jonah could reach others in darkness. 2 Corinthians 5:18–20 (NLT) Mark 16:15–16 (NLT)And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Romans 10:14 (NLT)But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? Learn more about this year's Harvest Crusade! --- Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners. Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Week 100   Matthew 17:5 ESV   5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”       Matthew 17:6-8 ESV   6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.       Genesis 17:1-3 ESV   When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face…       Exodus 3:5-6 ESV   5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.       Joshua 5:14a ESV   14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped…       Ezekiel 1:28b ESV   Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.       Daniel 10:9-12 ESV   9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground. 10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.       Acts 9:3-4 ESV   3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”       Judges 6:22 ESV   22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” 23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.”       Isaiah 6:5 ESV   5 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!”       Matthew 17:6-7 ESV   6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.”       Matthew 17:9 ESV   9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”       Luke 9:36b ESV   And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.       2 Peter 1:16 ESV   16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  

https://www.maynardvillefellowship.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Matthew-23_14-Woe-to-the-Wolves-In-Shepherds-Clothing.mp3 Listen as Pastor Matt uncovers the horrifying irony of those who wore the robes of shepherds while devouring the most vulnerable sheep. Each of the synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, reveals the same chilling indictment: religious hypocrisy dressed in pious theater, preying on widows and the weak. Listen in as Jesus thunders judgment from Ezekiel and Zephaniah, declares covenantal divorce on a corrupt nation, and warns all who dare pose as Shepherds for personal gain: “You will receive greater condemnation.”May we all take refuge in the True Shepherd—the One who doesn't devour His sheep, but lays down His life for them.

Amos 5 (NASB) 1 Hear this word which I am taking up for you as a song of mourning, house of Israel:2 She has fallen, she will not rise again—The virgin Israel.She lies unnoticed on her land;There is no one to raise her up. 3 For this is what the Lord God says: “The city which goes forth a thousand strongWill have a hundred left,And the one which goes forth a hundred strongWill have ten left to the house of Israel.” 4 For this is what the Lord says to the house of Israel: “Seek Me so that you may live.5 But do not resort to BethelAnd do not come to Gilgal,Nor cross over to Beersheba;For Gilgal will certainly go into captivityAnd Bethel will come to nothing.6 Seek the Lord so that you may live,Or He will break through like a fire, house of Joseph,And it will consume with no one to extinguish it for Bethel,7 For those who turn justice into wormwood,And throw righteousness to the earth.” 8 He who made the Pleiades and Orion,And changes deep darkness into morning,Who also darkens day into night,Who calls for the waters of the seaAnd pours them out on the surface of the earth,The Lord is His name.9 It is He who makes destruction flash upon the strong,So that destruction comes upon the fortress. 10 They hate him who rebukes in the gate,And they despise him who speaks with integrity.11 Therefore because you impose heavy rent on the poorAnd take a tribute of grain from them,Though you have built houses of cut stone,Yet you will not live in them;You have planted beautiful vineyards, yet you will not drink their wine.12 For I know your offenses are many and your sins are great,You who are hostile to the righteous and accept bribes,And turn away the poor from justice at the gate.13 Therefore at such a time the prudent person keeps quiet, because it is an evil time. 14 Seek good and not evil, so that you may live;And so may the Lord God of armies be with you,Just as you have said!15 Hate evil, love good,And establish justice in the gate!Perhaps the Lord God of armiesWill be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. 16 Therefore this is what the Lord God of armies, the Lord says: “There is mourning in all the public squares,And in all the streets they say, ‘Oh no! Oh no!'They also call the farmer to mourningAnd professional mourners to mourning rites.17 And in all the vineyards there is mourning,Because I will pass through the midst of you,” says the Lord. 18 Woe to you who are longing for the day of the Lord,For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you?It will be darkness and not light;19 As when a man flees from a lionAnd a bear confronts him,Or he goes home, leans with his hand against the wall,And a snake bites him.20 Will the day of the Lord not be darkness instead of light,Even gloom with no brightness in it? 21 “I hate, I reject your festivals,Nor do I delight in your festive assemblies.22 Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,I will not accept them;And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fattened oxen.23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs;I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.24 But let justice roll out like waters,And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. 25 “Did you present Me with sacrifices and grain offerings in the wilderness for forty years, house of Israel? 26 You also carried along Sikkuth your king and Kiyyun, your images, the star of your gods which you made for yourselves. 27 Therefore I will make you go into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of armies.

~ This is the audio from the July 13, 2025 sermon, “Following Jesus: A Message of WOE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ. Text: Matthew 23   “See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what […]

Wednesday, 9 July 2025   “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Matthew 11:21   “Woe, you, Chorazin! Woe, you, Bethsaida! For if in Tyre and Sidon, they occurred – the miracles, those done in you – if in sackcloth and ashes formerly they reconsidered” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus began to rebuke the cities where He did His mighty works because they did not reconsider their ways. Now, to state His displeasure at them, and to reveal to them their fate, He begins with, “Woe, you, Chorazin!”   The word ouai, woe, is introduced. It is a primary exclamation of grief. Also, the name Chorazin is first seen here. It is a city in Galilee. The origin of the name is uncertain. Studying Hebrew root words that may be connected to the Greek transliteration, Abarim defines it as possibly Smoking Furnace.   The city is about two- and one-half miles north of a location known as Tel Hum. It remains a ruin to this day. Parts of the city are identifiable, such as the synagogue. This and its houses and buildings are built from locally obtained hard black basalt. Some of the walls that remain are up to six feet high. Next, Jesus says, “Woe, you Bethsaida!”   The name is from Beith, house, and tsayad, a huntsman. Thus, it means Hunter's House. However, being by the Sea of Galilee, some think the hunting is referring to fish and call it Fisher's House. It is where Phillip, Andrew, and Peter came from as seen in John 1:44. The location is still known and visited today. Of these cities, Jesus says, “For if in Tyre and Sidon, they occurred – the miracles.”   Turos, Tyre, and Sidón, Sidon, are both first mentioned here. The Hebrew name of Tyre is Tsor. This comes from tsor, flint, or tsur, rock. Thus, it is the fortified city, Rock. Sidon is from the Hebrew tsud, to lie alongside. Therefore, it signifies to hunt, chase, etc., due to the thought of lying in wait. As such, it is a place of fishing, and it is named after those who lie alongside as they fish. Thus, Fishery is its name.   These are cities that were destroyed by the Lord's judgment. Ezekiel was told to prophesy against Tyre in Ezekiel 26. Ezekiel 27 records a lamentation over Tyre. Ezekiel 28 begins with a proclamation against the king of Tyre and then continues in lamentation over the city. That is followed by a proclamation against Sidon in Ezekiel 28:20-24.   The Lord spent a great deal of time laying out His words against them. His descriptions and judgments put them on par with Sodom and Gomorrah as far as examples of wickedness resulting in punishment. Despite that, Jesus tells Chorazin and Bethsaida that if those terrible, wicked cities saw the miracles that Jesus did, “those done in you – if in sackcloth and ashes formerly they reconsidered.”   The adverb palai, formerly, is introduced. It is believed to come from palin, again. As such, it gives the sense of retrocession. It can mean all this time, a long time ago, already, formerly, etc. Jesus is saying that in the past, when they were wickedly going about life, there would have been a change in them.   The implication here is obvious. God used three chapters of Ezekiel, plus other references to Tyre and Sidon in His word (such as Isaiah 23), to reveal their wickedness. And yet, Jesus says that the hearts of these cities were humbler than those of Chorazin and Bethsaida.   If Jesus had gone to them and done His miracles at their time of judgment, they would have done what Nineveh did, reconsidering their ways and demonstrating that change in heart by adorning themselves with sackcloth and ashes.   Both of these words are also new. The first is sakkos, coming from the Hebrew saq, a mesh. It is the course material that would be only fitting in a time of mourning. This would be contrasted to the normal garments where life was going well. The other word, spodos, is a primary word signifying ashes.   The point Jesus is making, and which He will continue to make, is that if God destroyed these cities for their wickedness, how much more do Chorazin and Bethsaida deserve to be destroyed? They have not reconsidered their ways, but God knew that the hearts of Tyre and Sidon would have.   Life application: The meaning of the story of Jonah is a story that mirrors what Jesus is saying here. This is not the usual interpretation that is provided due to translational difficulties in Jonah 4, but when it is properly understood, it is clearly seen that God is contrasting the wickedness of Israel with the wickedness of Nineveh.   Nineveh reconsidered its ways, and God relented from His judgment upon it. Israel, with much greater revelation than Nineveh, refused to reconsider and receive their Messiah. Jesus will use exactly this symbolism in Matthew 12 and Luke 11. Israel didn't pay heed, and they were destroyed and exiled.   But the great covenant-keeping nature of God has spared them for another day. He has faithfully saved them, even through judgment, to bring them into the New Covenant. If He is this faithful to Israel through a covenant cut through the blood of bulls and goats, how much more do you think He will save you through the shed blood of Jesus Christ?   We are often just as unfaithful as Israel in our hearts and actions, but if we are in Christ, He will carry us through to a good end. Be assured and reassured in this.   Lord God, thank You for Your infinite love and grace as is revealed in our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen.  

The Phantom Phinders learn about heat conductivity in the best way possible. Make sure to rate and review us on iTunes and then reach out on Twitter or to our email to get an NPC named in Carrefour! Check out our new website: QMtabletop.com and the new Delta Green Podcast Directory https://twitter.com/QMoftheTableTop https://www.instagram.com/quartermastersofthetabletop/ https://www.tiktok.com/@qmottt https://youtube.com/@QuartermastersoftheTabletop https://linktr.ee/qmottt Chaos Springs Eternal Season One: City of Woe is set in Carrefour Louisiana and follows the members of the Phantom Phinders, a public access ghost hunting TV show as they explore the strange and weird happenings. We use the Delta Green TTRPG rules. Warning: The podcast does contain violent themes and explicit language as well as potential mental hazards. Nyarlathotep reigns. Imla ìbaz ehccema iam Lehpar. intro/outro music is: Cocytus by Pawns or Kings background music is from Hideous Hiss (https://www.youtube.com/@hideoushiss) Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual property known as Delta Green is a trademark and copyright owned by the Delta Green Partnership, who has licensed its use here. The contents of this podcast are ©Chaos Springs Eternal excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

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 Despair. Rather, I will walk in the Spirit's fruit of Joy. “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: “Stand in the Gap”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Luke 10:1-20  --  English Standard VersionJesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!' 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.Woe to Unrepentant Cities13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”The Return of the Seventy-Two17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Are You Living For The Opinion Of Many Or The Opinion Of One Luke 11:43 43“Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.

Watch Out: Sin Can Creep In When We Serve For The Wrong Reasons Luke 11:52 52“Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”

The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.Ezekiel 34:1-6Shepherd“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.John 10:1-6Strangers, Sheep, and Shepherds“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.John 10:1A shepherd in scriptures represents any spiritual leader who is called to lead, feed, and care for God's people.John 10 is Jesus' response to John 9 and the Man born Blind34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.John 9:34The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.Ezekiel 34:1-2, 4A stranger is anyone who operates in spiritual authority over another person without going through Jesus, with Jesus, and like JesusThe man who makes much of Christ is a pastor after God's own heart, whom God delights to honor. The minister who makes little of Christ is the one whom God regards as an imposter—as one who has climbed up to his holy office not by the door, but by “some other way”J.C. RyleConfidence in a  stranger leads to REJECTION.34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.John 9:34DO I EASILY FEEL REJECTED BY PEOPLE?He that enjoys the favor of the Son of God will not tremble at the frown of the Sanhedrim.Charles Spurgeon2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.” John 10:2-5A sheep is anyone who belongs to Jesus, listens to Jesus, and follows JesusConfidence in a sheep leads to PRIDE18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? 19 And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?20 “Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, 22 I will rescue[b] my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep.Ezekiel 34:18-22A true shepherd is anyone who feeds, leads, and cares for the sheepConfidence in Jesus leads to WORSHIP· Jesus is a man (John 9:11).· Jesus is a prophet (John 9:17).· Jesus is my master, I am His disciple (John 9:27).· Jesus is from God (John 9:33).· Jesus is the Son of God (John 9:35-38).· Jesus is who I trust (John 9:38).· Jesus is who I worship (John 9:38).24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” John 9:2438 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.John 9:38

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

Back To Basics // Week 9 // WorshipPastors JF and Ashley WilkersonExodus 20:3 NIV 3 “You shall have no other gods before me…”Colossians 3:16-17 NIV 14 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.1. Worship impacts Your CONTEXTEzekiel 46:9 NIV 9 “‘When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed festivals, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which they entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate.Matthew 6:31-33 NIV 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?' or ‘What shall we drink?' or ‘What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.1. Worship Impacts Your CONTEXT2. Worship Impacts Your CARES1 Peter 5:7 NLT 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.Psalm 150 NIV1 Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,4 praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe,5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.1 Peter 2:9 NIV9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.1. Worship Impacts Your CONTEXT2. Worship Impacts Your CARES3. Worship Impacts Your CLARITY2 Corinthians 3:12-18 NIV12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.Isaiah 6:1-8 NIV1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 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.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”1. Worship Impacts Your CONTEXT2. Worship Impacts Your CARES3. Worship Impacts Your CLARITY

In this episode, Pete talks with Dixon and Chris about their three game series they played against each other. Chris played Red Chapel and Seamus while Dixon played Woe with Pandora. They walk through some of their general thoughts on the matchup and mechanics. Of course Pete interjects with some random Arcanist thoughts here and there. Join the m4e beta at https://themostexcellentandawesomeforumever-wyrd.com/forum/576-fourth-edition-open-beta/ Support us on patreon.com/ragequitwire https://discord.gg/tZrjadfDb3 Giveusyourmoneypleasethankyou-wyrd.com/ragequitwire 

That question echoes straight out of Philippians 1:18, where Paul writes, “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.” In context, Paul was imprisoned, and some people were preaching Christ with selfish motives—maybe even to stir up trouble for him. But Paul's response is striking: what matters most is that the message of Christ is going out, regardless of the messenger's intent. That's a powerful lens for life—focusing not on ego, reputation, or control, but on purpose and impact. Zooming out, the Bible often reframes “what matters” in terms of eternity. In 2 Corinthians 4:18, Paul reminds us to fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, because “what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” And in Micah 6:8, the prophet boils it down to this: “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” So when you ask, “What does it matter?”—the biblical answer is: it matters if it reflects Christ, if it builds others up, and if it echoes eternity.  Your struggle may be to help someone else. Don't take it as "Woe is Me."  God is in it.  Give Him glory.   Thank you for checking it out.  Have a good week.   Shalom baby.   Kenn    If this is your first listen, welcome.  Faith Journey is a powerful ministry of encouragement led by Rev. Kenn Blanchard. Originally known as the Speak Life Podcast, it was rebranded to create a more concise and impactful experience for listeners. Rev. Blanchard, a seasoned podcaster since 2007, has used this platform to uplift and support hundreds facing crises. Though listener-supported, financial contributions are rarely requested—its true purpose lies in serving others. The podcast has helped those struggling with thoughts of suicide, saved marriages, and touched lives beyond the digital space, ministering to outdoor enthusiasts, bikers, and law enforcement personnel. Faith Journey stands online as a church without walls, bringing biblical hope, and wisdom wherever it's needed most.    

Habakkuk 2:1-20 I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. 2 And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. 3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. 4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. 5 “Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.” 6 Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say, “Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own— for how long?— and loads himself with pledges!” 7 Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be spoil for them. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them. 9 “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm! 910 You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life. 11 For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond. 12 “Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity! 13 Behold, is it not from the Lord of hosts that peoples labor merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing? 14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. 15 “Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink— you pour out your wrath and make them drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness! 16 You will have your fill of shame instead of glory. Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision! The cup in the Lord's right hand will come around to you, and utter shame will come upon your glory! 17 The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, as will the destruction of the beasts that terrified them, for the blood of man and violence to the earth, to cities and all who dwell in them. 18 “What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! 19 Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it. 20 But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.”

Because believers are adopted heirs, we may preserve family relations resting in our Father's love. Matthew 18:1–14 (ESV): 18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 “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! 8 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. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. 10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Anyone who believes in Jesus – is also meant to be an Ambassador of Christ. Now – that's not an easy role. Sometimes being Ambassador requires some tough talk. Other times it's about diplomacy – the question is, knowing when to call a spade a spade, and when to be more … circumspect.   It's Not a Shouting Match One of the most embarrassing things I've ever seen as a Christian – and I've seen it a few times – is some guy standing on a soapbox in a Mall or on a street corner, or as I shared a few weeks ago, at a Saturday morning market, screaming out the so called, "Good News" about Jesus Christ. Now, I'm a Christian and so I will sometimes stop and see if I can understand where they're coming from. And truly, most of the time, I just can't figure it out, but there they stand on their soapbox, with a Bible in their hands and surrounded by some pretty tacky placards normally, screaming the Gospel at people. Do I think God can use that? Sure – I mean, He seems to use the foolishness that I preach sometimes, in peoples' lives, so why not the guy on the soapbox on the street corner? Do I think, however, that it's the most effective way of dealing with the issue? Is it the best way to communicate the incredible love of God, the grace of Jesus Christ, the riches available to those who put their faith in Him? Is it the best way to share that Good News? Not by a long shot; not by a very long shot! And yet, it's easy ... it's so easy for us to imagine that telling people about Jesus is kind of like getting on that soapbox. That it's about two equal and opposite ideologies – God's and the world's – butting heads and locking horns. Over the last couple of weeks and again this week on the programme, we are having a chat about living our lives out as ambassadors of Christ; His emissaries, if you will. If I believe in Jesus; if you believe in Jesus, then one of the things that we have to do with our lives – one of the main things - is to communicate His love; to carry His love out into a lost and a hurting world. That's what the Apostle Paul said in writing to his dear friends at the church in Corinth – way back in the First Century. Second Corinthians chapter 5, verse 20: So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. Each one in our own way, of course but otherwise, how can we possibly claim to be His ambassadors? How can God make His appeal to this world to be reconciled with Him through someone who looks nothing like Him; who sounds nothing like Him? Now, that presents us with something of a dilemma! Does me, anyhow, because what I see is that sometimes Jesus stood up and berated people – not too often, but sometimes He did. He called the religious leaders of the day "hypocrites", "a brood of vipers" and a whole bunch of other things as well. And yet other times, He dealt with people with such tender love and compassion, it kind of moves you to tears when you read about those times. Like the woman caught in adultery – you can read her story in John's Gospel chapter 8. I mean He pretty much puts Himself between her and the angry mob that wanted to stone her to death. Go figure that out!! So how do we reconcile that? How do you or I, if we want to be like Jesus, learn to speak into this world the way that He did? When do we speak with tender love and when do we stand up to be counted and call a spade and spade, no matter who it's going to offend? I guess that's kind of where we are going this week on the programme – looking at how we speak into this world like Jesus. How do we connect His message of love and forgiveness and a new and abundant life to the needs ... the often desperate needs in the lives of the people around us? Do we call a spade a spade and get right into peoples' faces or do we speak with compassion and love? And if it's both of those, how do I know when to use one and when to use the other? Now these questions, as you can imagine, are questions that I have mulled over a lot and as I look at how Jesus communicated, He only got upset ... really upset with people on a handful of occasions. In other words it was the exception rather than the norm. He didn't see His role as God in the flesh, as being one half of a shouting match most of the time. And so far as I can see, He reserved His anger for the people who should have known better; for the people who said they believed in God – the religious leaders. Have a listen – Matthew chapter 23, beginning at verse 12: All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and then when others are going in, you stop them. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross the sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. Or when He went into the temple, John chapter 2, verse 15: Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. See, the only time Jesus really got stuck in was when He encountered hypocrisy amongst the religious leaders. When they held themselves out to be clean on the outside but actually, they were filthy on the inside – when they oppressed the people who were looking for God; when the powerful stood over the weak; when the rich exploited the widow and the poor; when the judges were dishonest to the detriment of the ordinary people. You know, when Christians, at least here in Australia where I live, sometimes stand up to politicians and publicly speak out against injustice and wrongs and decisions being made and laws being passed that just aren't in the interests of the common people, like you and me, the most common response of the politicians is that Christians and church leaders should keep their noses out of politics. I couldn't disagree more! When we see wrongs and injustices – and can I say, especially when we see those things in the church; especially when we see hypocrisy amongst God's own people – I believe it's time to stand up and to say so. This isn't a clash of ideologies; it's not a slanging match or a shouting match; it's not some irrelevant joker standing on a soapbox on a street corner - because you know something? The truth … the truth rings out, clear as a bell. Sure, people with vested interests aren't going to like it. Sure, there's going to be a cost, but God's heart ... God's heart is for justice for the poor and the oppressed. And sometimes we are called to speak out. Next, we are going to have a look at the flip side of that coin – the gentle speech of the diplomat; the ambassador.   The Diplomacy of an Ambassador Let's take a look at the flip side of the coin – the diplomacy of an ambassador because Jesus used that much more than that other really direct and angry approach. Most of us, you and I, we have blind spots. In fact, the reason they are called, "blind spots" is that we can't see them. And when it comes to our own blind spots in life, what's amazing is how defensive and touchy we are about them. It's almost that we hold them to be sacred. Let's say that our blind spot is anger – that's the one we are dealing with in our lives - and we are prone to flaring up quickly and someone comes along and points it out to us. Well, they'd better watch out! Or if it's low self-esteem and someone tries to help us with it, we can crawl even further inside our shells. So how do you help someone with their blind spots? Because my blind spots – if I don't deal with them, will end up hurting you and stunting me and you know, my friend, your blind spots, if you don't deal with yours, will end up hurting the rest of us and stunting you. That's what sin does! And before we get all judgemental: Sin! Sin! What century is this guy coming from? Let me read out to you a succinct list of the sorts of things that I'm talking about – just so there's no mistake. Now, I'm reading from the Message translation which is a really contemporary translation of the Bible, written by a guy called Eugene Peterson. It's coming from Galatians chapter 5, verses 19 to 21. Have a listen to what God calls sin: "It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on,” writes Paul. “This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit the kingdom of God." Now, you don't have to be a rocket scientist here to figure out that the sort of things that God calls "sin", which Paul is talking about here – they are exclusively the things that cause us and other people pain. And the thing that we want to do when someone's sin is causing us pain is we want to give them what for – we want to tell them exactly what we think about them and hold them to account and, if needs be, have a shouting match with them and get our own way – we do! Because what we are driven by is desire to stop our pain. What we are driven by is "wanting" to win. But here's the thing: if what we want to do is to live our lives as ambassadors of Christ then we need to handle these incredibly difficult issues, with His wisdom. And time and time again, when Jesus encountered people whose sin was ruining their lives, He dealt with them with such incredible compassion. Tax collectors back in Jesus day were a really grubby lot – they were dishonest, they rorted the system, they applied extortion and this behaviour was sanctioned by the Romans who occupied Israel – so long as the Emperor got his taxes! So, by the common Israelite, they were despised; they were considered to be the worst sinners of all; they were traitors and turncoats. Let me read you some of Jesus wisdom and how He handled them. Matthew chapter 9, verses 9 to 13 – if you have a Bible, grab it, open it up – Matthew chapter 9, verses 9 to 13: As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And so, he got up and followed Jesus. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why is it that your teacher eats with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, Jesus said, “Those who are well don't need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but the sinners." See, you and I, when we see people whose sin offends us or hurts us; when we are on the receiving end of their sin, the thing we want to do, naturally – it's a natural human response – is to cut them off; to cut them out of our lives. That way we are protected; that way we don't have to deal with them; that way we don't have to deal with the pain that they cause in our lives. But what Jesus is saying here is that it was precisely for these people; these sinners; these rejects, that He came and so He went and ate a meal in that house. Here He was, this veritably rock star – huge crowds were following Him - He comes into town, He decides to go and eat with what – the Mayor, the Governor, the church leaders, the synagogue leaders, the bishops? No, no – the tax collectors! Do you see this huge ... huge symbolic act that was going on here? He knew that it would do two things. That He would draw vocal criticism from the religious leaders and He'd also confer honour upon the sinners. And by conferring honour on them, He was building a relationship with them. He was accepting them just as they were; without a word of condemnation or judgement. And my hunch is that that completely changed their attitude towards Him. You know something? They had their blind spots – they were rationalising away their extortion and dishonesty and if Jesus had come and berated them or condemned them or ignored them, nothing would have changed in their lives. Instead He came and ate with them and drank with them and listened to them and took the criticism that everyone else heaped upon Him for doing that – and He built a bridge by honouring them. And so powerful was this that one of them, Matthew, became one of His disciples. He wrote the first Book of the New Testament. You want to be an ambassador of Christ – then we need to learn the language of an ambassador? Being an ambassador, as we saw on last weeks programme, about building relationships and bridges, so that when there are difficult issues that have to be dealt with, there is already a connection of relationship and trust in place, through which to deal with the problem. Think about it – who are the people in your life to whom you give a licence to talk to you about your blind spots? I know who they are in my life – it's the people who have honoured me and stuck with me and who've proven themselves to be wise and trustworthy. They're the ones with that licence! And as I look back, it was through those people – people just like that; people who had eaten with this sinner; loved this sinner; coped with my sins – it was through those very people that I encountered the transforming love of Jesus Christ. They were His ambassadors in my life. They treated me the way He treated those tax collectors and friend, without them I wouldn't be with you here right now. It makes you think.   Preaching with our Ears Today and over these last few weeks on the programme we have been chatting about what it means to be an ambassador of Christ; to live our lives - if we believe in Jesus - as one of His ambassadors. Remember, the Apostle Paul – Second Corinthians chapter 5, verse 20 writes: So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God. Now, one of the things that strikes me is how strong differences are across cultures. We've had a man recently join our team here at Christianityworks – his name is Gregory. Now you may or may not have known this but we Australians are fairly direct in the way we speak. Americans on the other hand, are less so – we often joke about that. Gregory will ask where the bathroom is, whereas I'll ask where the toilet is. So we Australians are much more direct. But even more than that, Gregory grew up; spent many of his childhood years in Japan, and so he has a lot of Japanese culture on the inside too – a culture that's very much about politeness and face. And even though we have known each other for a very long time, working together now every day has been a real learning experience for both of us. When I ask him what he thinks, I want him to actually tell me what he thinks. If he thinks I'm off with the pixies on some issue, I actually want him to tell me so. Forget hierarchies – I just want his direct, honest input because that's how we will get the right results. He, on the other hand, can find that just a bit confronting because that's not the cultural background that he's come from. It's just one simple example but it's a good one. Imagine if I, as direct as I am, were sent as Australia's ambassador to the U.S. or even more so, to Japan. I'd have to learn a lot about their cultures before I could communicate effectively on a diplomatic level with those countries. I'd have to find different ways of saying things I want to say. I'd have to listen carefully to what their diplomats were saying to make sure I actually hear what they mean to say. You know something? Sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with the people around us is no different to that. After fifteen years of walking with Jesus, I have a whole different perspective on what success is, what joy is, what happiness is, what sin is, what pain is – and all sorts of things, from someone who has never met Jesus – from someone who doesn't have that relationship with Jesus. Why would I ever imagine I could talk to them as though they have the same perspective as me? You know, for a long, long time in my life, I just wasn't ready for anyone to tell me about this Jesus. I mean, get lost! I couldn't stand those God botherers. I had a totally different perspective to theirs. I just knew that life was about making lots of money and being recognised in my field and being successful. I knew I'd find my pot of gold at the end of that rainbow. I had, back then, a whole bunch of misconceptions about life and where I wanted to be headed and what would make me happy. And I didn't need anyone to preach at me - least of all those God botherers telling me about Jesus. What I needed was someone to listen to me – what I needed was someone to understand me and help me to understand myself. I needed someone to preach to me with their ears – if that makes sense. An ambassador from one country who is about to be sent to another country has to learn about the culture and the language and the issues and the aspirations and the concerns of the country to which he or she is being sent. Someone who lives in one country and is going to be a missionary in another country, well, they have to do exactly the same. I believe the most important asset an ambassador can have are his ears and his eyes – to observe, to perceive, to listen, to see, to understand. Jesus grew up in the Hebrew culture of First Century Israel. He attended school in that culture. He knew how to speak and He had a lot of time listening. He spent time eating and drinking with tax collectors; with sinners. He spent time living with His disciples. He spent time getting to know the issues in peoples' lives. I remember when I was working in a retail buying group – quite some years ago. The chairman of our board was a man called Stan Brown – he owned a menswear store in Sydney. I remember him saying that a shop attendant who walks up to a customer and opens up with, "Can I help you?" well, he'd say it's like asking someone to marry you on the first date. First he said, you need to find out who they are, why are they here, why did they come into your store, what's their taste, what are they looking for? First you have to find a point of connection, he said, then ... then they'll be open to receive any help. As I look at people who God brought to me; the ambassadors whom He sent in my direction when I needed to meet Him, what I realise, is that they, for the most part, preached with their ears – they listened, they understood, they laughed, they cried with me and once they understood – once I really knew they understood – then I relaxed. Then I let them into my thoughts and into my heart – then they were allowed to influence me because they got me. Then they had the opportunity to show me who this Jesus really, really is. The stock-in-trade of an ambassador is diplomacy. It's about trust and communication and understanding and if you and I ... if you and I are going to be ambassadors of Jesus Christ, then that's something I believe we are going to have to learn. When I take the time to get to know you and understand you – whether or not I agree, I have just built a bridge into your life that honours you. When you feel understood, you feel secure and you experience trust and it's exactly the same back in the other direction. Friend, Jesus was an amazing communicator – He was prepared to confront the difficult issues when they needed to be confronted and He was prepared to show compassion because that's what flowed out of His heart to people in need. And it was that bridge of compassion that we can build with people. That's the bridge that, one day, Jesus will walk across. Trust me, that's the bridge and it all comes from preaching with our ears. Go figure!

Study 27-Luke 22:1-46 Joys and Sorrows In this chapter Jesus is a source of great strength and joy to his disciples as they gather to eat the Passover together. At the same time betrayal, misunderstanding and desertion surround him. Read Luke 22:1–6. Question 1: If ‘Satan entered Judas’ how responsible was Judas for what he did? When is it permissible for us to say ‘Satan entered somebody? To answer the second part of the question first:it is very doubtful whether we should ever say this. Judas was fully responsible as he eventually recognised; Matt 27:3, 4 says ‘When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. I have sinned, he said, for I have betrayed innocent blood. What is that to us? They replied. That's your responsibility. There is an interesting and important parallel in Isaiah 10 where we read:“Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my (the Lord’s) anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath! I send him against a godless nation (that is Israel), I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets.” But this is not what he (Assyria) intends, this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations. When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, I will punish the king of Assyria for the wilful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. For he says:'By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding.’ So we see in that passage it is true both that the Lord in his sovereign power used Assyria to punish Israel and the Assyrians were completely responsible for what they did. Here Judas was completely responsible for what he did even if in so doing he fulfilled the greater purposes of the Lord. That may not agree with our logic but that kind of both God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility at the same time is the common teaching of the word of God. As with the arrangements for the triumphal entry it seems likely that Jesus had pre-arranged the hire or loan of the room. We read Luke 22:7–23. Question 2: Luke is not interested in the detailed arrangements for the meal, which must have included things like the sacrifice of a lamb in the temple. What is he interested in? Can you think of any reason for that? He is only interested in the human aspects of the story, the depth of fellowship it showed and the inauguration of the Lord’s Supper. He draws attention to the way this celebration was repeated in the very early church in his account in Acts. He expected the church to follow the main points of what Jesus did down through the centuries. Question 3: What is the intended symbolism of the bread and the cup? What are the intended symbolisms in the way the elements must have been handled? How many of these symbolisms are lost the way your fellowship do it? Bread was the common essential of life in those days. It was nothing special that Jesus used. The loaf had to be forcibly broken, as was the body of Jesus to be. The cup was poured out but none was spilt as the blood of Jesus was. It represented blood and therefore (life-giving) death. In addition this was a Passover meal so it also carried the symbolisms of Exodus 12, particularly perhaps the redemption under the covering blood and the sense of a meal to be eaten in haste, prepared to go on a great journey of faith. It is up to you to think through how that relates to what your fellowship do when they celebrate this meal. Question 4: Sadly the communion service/breaking of bread/eucharist/ mass has become the chief symbol of division in Christendom when it should have been the great symbol of unity. Why do you think this has happened? Unfortunately men have sort power by claiming they, by reason of some office they hold, and they alone, have the right to dispense the elements and control the procedure. Very sad. There is surely no justification for any church or group of churches preventing Christians who are not of their fellowship from participating at the Lord’s Table. Jesus called it the feast of the ‘new covenant’. Gen 17:3–8 is the original covenant with Abraham. Deut 5:1–4 records the covenant with Moses and the Israelites at Siana. Jer 31:31–34 promises a new covenant which this is. Many churches never really talk about covenants, new or old. They lose by not doing so. Read Luke 22:24–38. The dispute of v24 must have filled Jesus with dismay as it contradicted all that he had tried so hard to teach his disciples. Question 5: In what ways are we most likely to contradict all that the communion service is meant to achieve in us even before we leave it? What should we learn from the words of Jesus responding to that dispute (v25–30)? The tendency of men and women to want to feel superior to other people is always present where people gather together. Jesus reiterates his teaching that we are not to seek that superiority for ourselves remembering that such things will be reversed in the Kingdom anyway. Question 6: The instruction to buy a sword (v 36) is very strange. There is no evidence that the early church ever did this. Should they have? How can we understand these verses? Read Luke 22:39–46. Luke’s account of Jesus praying on the Mount of Olives (v 39–46) is considerably shorter than Matthew’s (26:36–46) and Mark’s (14:32–42) accounts. What does Doctor Luke tell us to emphasise the importance of the event? What can we learn about prayer from this account? And so the scene is set for the final hours of Jesus and the beginning of new possibilities in human life. That will be in our next study. Right mouse click or tap here to save/download this as a MP3 audio file

Woe unto those that desire the day of the Lord's judgments !! by Shawn Ozbun

Daily Dose of Hope June 26, 2025   Scripture – Matthew 18:1-20   Prayer: Lord Jesus, We rejoice in you.  We praise your name.  You are the Alpha and the Omega, the one who was, and is, and is to come.  We cannot possibly express our gratitude in words.  You have offered us mercy but you have also given us freedom.  Thank you for that.  Help us live like free people.  Help us demonstrate your love and grace to others who cross our path.  Help us see people through your eyes.  We love you, Lord.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Happy Thursday!  I want you to mark your calendars for the New Hope worship night, which is tomorrow at 7:30pm in the sanctuary.  This will be time of amazing praise and worship, as well as prayer and commissioning of the Ireland young adult mission team.  Hope to see you there!   Today, we are diving into Matthew 18, the first twenty verses.  The text starts with the disciples asking who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Jesus totally redirects this!  He gets the focus off the disciples and their own need for honor and puts it on the most vulnerable in their community.  Children at that time had no status, little value, and zero control over their lives.  Something like half of all children died before reaching adulthood.  Knowing all of that, Jesus tells his disciples that the one who becomes humble and “weak” like this child will be the greatest in the Kingdom.  In fact, unless they become like vulnerable little children, they won't even be able to enter the Kingdom. This is the total opposite of the honor and status that the disciples were wanting.   What is Jesus doing here?  He is placing the most powerless members of their society at the center.  Welcoming vulnerable children means welcoming Jesus.  And Jesus says that there are few fates worse than harming them or causing them to sin.   Then, Jesus says that there are many things in this world that can cause others to stumble.  Human beings take advantage of one another.  The powerful abuse the powerless.  But Jesus' warning here is pretty strong. Woe to the person who harms those who are weak and powerless, such as children.  His language then echoes the Sermon on the Mount.  It's better to gouge out an eye or cut off a limb than to allow those things to cause you to sin and harm a powerless one.   As I reread this, I couldn't help but think about all the children that are harmed.  Around the globe, something like three million children are trafficked each year, forced into forced labor, sexual exploitation, or child marriage.  In the United States, for which it is easier to get data, roughly 20,000 children are trafficked each year.  Almost 600,000 children in the U.S. experience abuse and/or neglect every year.  While the situation is certainly complicated, children aren't being protected.  And then there are other groups who are highly vulnerable, such as the elderly, the desperately poor, and the homeless.   This is pretty strong teaching here and it gives us practical examples of how to live in Christian community, solidly grounded in Jesus.  We are to set aside power, protect the vulnerable and those the rest of society neglects, and search for the lost sheep (as we read in the next portion of Scripture).  Jesus is all about protecting those who can't protect themselves and seeking out those who are lost.  The question is – are we?   I worry that we often focus on things that just aren't that important.  We worry about ourselves.  We worry about inward-focused things in the church.  We don't lay aside power.  We aren't humble.  What would it take for us to become like little children?  What would it take for us to really live in the way of Jesus?   The last portion of Scripture we are covering today is what we might call Jesus' conflict mediation model.  If someone sins against you, you go directly to that person and try to resolve it.  You don't immediately pick up your phone and share your frustration with your closest friends.  You don't post something rude on social media.  You don't decide to quit the church.  You actually go to that person and have the hard conversation.  Most of the time that works. But if that doesn't work, Jesus has more wisdom to share.  Go find some other trusted believers and bring them in to help resolve the dispute.  That should certainly take care of things but just in case it doesn't, take it to the church.  Do keep in mind that these were pretty small house churches so taking a dispute to the church would have looked differently than it does today.  Today, it probably would mean bringing it to the pastor or some church leaders, but ONLY after you have done the other steps.  We use this model in our own leadership teams here at New Hope.  While it may not always be someone sinning against us, it could be a miscommunication or a disagreement.  That's why if someone brings me a problem that involves another church member, I always ask, “Have you talked to that person already?”  Conflict is inevitable in the church because we are all humans.  However, we need to be very intentional and respectful about how we handle conflict.  But we do need to handle it.  Avoidance, denial, gossip, and/or projection onto others never turns out well and isn't how Jesus intended his people to behave. More tomorrow, friends. Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Back To Basics // Week 8 // Forgiveness Pastors JF and Ashley Wilkerson Matthew 18:6-9 NIV 6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.” Matthew 18:15 NIV 15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.” Matthew 18:16-20 NIV 16 “But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. 18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:21 NIV 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Aphiēmi – “To send away, release, let go” 1. FORGIVING OTHERS ISN'T FORGETTING…IT'S RELEASING. Colossians 3:12-13 NIV 12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 1. FORGIVING OTHERS ISN'T FORGETTING…IT'S RELEASING. 2. FORGIVING OTHERS ISN'T IMMEDIATE…IT HAS TO BE REPEATED. Matthew 18:21-22 NIV 22 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” 1. FORGIVING OTHERS ISN'T FORGETTING…IT'S RELEASING. 2. FORGIVING OTHERS ISN'T IMMEDIATE…IT HAS TO BE REPEATED. 3. FORGIVENESS ISN'T FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS…IT'S FOR US. Matthew 18:28-30 NIV 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 29 His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.' 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.” Matthew 18:31-35 NIV 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,' he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” Matthew 18:34b NIV 34b…his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. Matthew 18:35 NIV 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” “Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” - Nelson Mandela Ephesians 4:31-32 ESV 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. 1. FORGIVING OTHERS ISN'T FORGETTING…IT'S RELEASING. 2. FORGIVING OTHERS ISN'T IMMEDIATE…IT HAS TO BE REPEATED. 3. FORGIVENESS ISN'T FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS…IT'S FOR US

Digital Drama 6-24-2025 …Jake is Sick of the “Woe is Me” Online Posts …Can't stand the Heatwave? You're a Wuss

The Totally Other. #RTTBROS #Nightlight The Totally Other: Why the Almighty Isn't Your Cosmic ButlerWe live in an age that has domesticated God. We've shrunk the Creator of galaxies down to the size of our personal problems, transformed the Judge of all nations into our heavenly yes-man, and reduced the Holy One of Israel to a divine vending machine that dispenses blessings when we insert the right prayers.But Scripture paints a radically different picture. When Isaiah caught a glimpse of God's throne room, he didn't see a kindly grandfather or a cosmic buddy. He witnessed something that shattered his very sense of self: "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6:1-3).Notice that even the seraphim—those burning ones who dwell in God's presence, cover their faces. They cannot look directly upon His holiness. Isaiah's response? "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (Isaiah 6:5).This is not the reaction of someone meeting their buddy in the sky. This is the response of a creature encountering the absolutely Other, the One who is so far above us in holiness, power, and majesty that human language fails to capture His essence.God's otherness isn't just about His power, though He "doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Daniel 4:35). It's about His perfect holiness that cannot tolerate sin, His perfect justice that demands righteousness, and His perfect nature that exists completely independent of our approval or understanding.When we approach God as if He owes us something, when we demand He explain Himself to us, when we reshape Him in the image of our preferences, we reveal how little we understand who He actually is. The God of the Bible is not running for office seeking our vote. He is not a service provider competing for our business. He is the sovereign King whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).This should humble us, but it should also fill us with wonder. The same God who is so holy that mountains melt at His presence chose to make a way for unholy people to approach Him through Christ. The same God who needs nothing from us chose to love us. The same God who could crush us with a word instead calls us His children.Let us never forget: our God is not safe, but He is good. He is not manageable, but He is merciful. He is not our equal, but in Christ, He is our Father. Approach Him today not as a peer, but as a subject before the King of kings, with reverence, with awe, and with gratitude that such a holy God would welcome you into His presence at all.Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out.https://linktr.ee/rttbros

Sam Stewart of Flagman returns to discuss Filipino Ray, an acrobatic bass jaunt that comprises the penultimate track of Of Whales and Woe. The bass lines go hard, but there is a lot of open space as well, which can be tricky for many musicians. Sam helps us with those intricacies, and regales with his own tales of whales and woe around procuting and hearing this record for the first time. We also share what we know about Ray Wing, the lyrical subject of the song, who Les played with in the Tommy Crank Band in the 1980s. Plus, can we borrow your old iPod cable? Thanks. Find Sam @salmonsamstew and @flagmanband on Insagram.Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

Isaiah 1: 2-202 Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth!    For the Lord has spoken:“I reared children and brought them up,    but they have rebelled against me.3 The ox knows its master,    the donkey its owner's manger,but Israel does not know,    my people do not understand.”4 Woe to the sinful nation,    a people whose guilt is great,a brood of evildoers,    children given to corruption!They have forsaken the Lord;    they have spurned the Holy One of Israel    and turned their backs on him.5 Why should you be beaten anymore?    Why do you persist in rebellion?Your whole head is injured,    your whole heart afflicted.6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head    there is no soundness—only wounds and welts    and open sores,not cleansed or bandaged    or soothed with olive oil.7 Your country is desolate,    your cities burned with fire;your fields are being stripped by foreigners    right before you,    laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.8 Daughter Zion is left    like a shelter in a vineyard,like a hut in a cucumber field,    like a city under siege.9 Unless the Lord Almighty    had left us some survivors,we would have become like Sodom,    we would have been like Gomorrah.10 Hear the word of the Lord,    you rulers of Sodom;listen to the instruction of our God,    you people of Gomorrah!11 “The multitude of your sacrifices—    what are they to me?” says the Lord.“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,    of rams and the fat of fattened animals;I have no pleasure    in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.12 When you come to appear before me,    who has asked this of you,    this trampling of my courts?13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!    Your incense is detestable to me.New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—    I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals    I hate with all my being.They have become a burden to me;    I am weary of bearing them.15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,    I hide my eyes from you;even when you offer many prayers,    I am not listening.Your hands are full of blood!16 Wash and make yourselves clean.    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;    stop doing wrong.17 Learn to do right; seek justice.    Defend the oppressed.[a]Take up the cause of the fatherless;    plead the case of the widow.18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”    says the Lord.“Though your sins are like scarlet,    they shall be as white as snow;though they are red as crimson,    they shall be like wool.19 If you are willing and obedient,    you will eat the good things of the land;20 but if you resist and rebel,    you will be devoured by the sword.”For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.IntroductionThe Judgement of GodHolinessWrathThe Mercy of GodPatienceRedemptionThe Reasoning of GodHis DesireHis WillHis GloryOur ResponseFearGratitudeObedience

Today,we're continuing to look at Luke 22. We are now in the upper room on Thursdayevening with our Lord Jesus Christ and His twelve disciples. In verses 14–16, theyhave sat down at the table to eat the Passover meal with Jesus the night beforeHe will be crucified. According to John's Gospel (John 13), Jesus had risenfrom the table and washed all the disciple's feet which would have includedJudas before they went through the eating of the Jewish Passover. It is afterthis that Jesus reveals the disciple who has already betrayed Him and made adeal with the chief priest (Matthew 26:14).  Ona number of occasions Jesus had already hinted to His disciples that one oftheir number was not truly with Him (John 6:66-71), but now He openly spokeabout a traitor in their midst. However, He did not do this just for the sakeof the disciples, but more for the sake of Judas. Jesus had kissed Judas andwashed his feet, and now He was giving Judas another opportunity to repent. Itis most significant that Jesus did not openly identify Judas as the traitor butin a sense had protected him until the very end. Aquestion we all ask is that if Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him, why didHe choose him in the first place? And, if somebody had to betray the Lord, whycondemn Judas? After all, he simply did God's will and fulfilled the OldTestament prophecy in Psalms 41:9; 55:12-14; 69:25; 109:8; Acts 1:15-20. Youmight remember that before Jesus chose His 12 Apostles, He spent a whole nightin prayer (Luke 6:12-16), so we must believe that it was the Father's will thatJudas be among them (John 8:29). But the selection of Judas did not seal hisfate; rather, it gave him opportunity to watch the Lord Jesus closely, believe,and be saved. God in His sovereignty had determined that His Son would bebetrayed by a friend, but divine foreknowledge does not destroy humanresponsibility or accountability. Judas made each decision freely and would bejudged accordingly, even though he still fulfilled the decree of God (Acts2:23). Thefact that the disciples were puzzled by this strange announcement reveals thatthey did not know Judas' true character, their own hearts, or the prophecies inthe Psalms. It appears that they all ask the question after Jesus made thisannouncement, “Is it I?” (Matthew 26:22-25). Nor did they remember the Lord'sstatements that He would be betrayed into the hands of the enemy (Matthew17:22; 20:18). If Peter had fully understood what was happening, he might haveused his sword on Judas! Thereis much about Judas that remains a mystery to us, and we must not speculate toomuch. Judas is certainly a witness to the sinlessness of Jesus Christ, for ifanybody could have given witness against Him, it was Judas. However, theauthorities had to find false witnesses in order to build their case againstJesus. Remember when Judas went back to the chief priest and gave them back theirmoney admitted that he had "betrayed innocent blood" (Matthew27:4). Itis at this point that Judas left the Upper Room to go to the religious leadersand get ready for the arrest of Jesus in the Garden. Judas went out "andit was night" (John 13:30), for he was obeying the prince of darkness(Luke 22:53). Jesus had said, “Woe to that man by whom He is betrayed”.  That man was Judas, and for him it was night,and is still night, and always will be night! Wemust also remember that Satan can still appear as an angel of light, and like Judas,sit in our church, stand in the pulpit, serve on the leadership team, and deceiveeveryone as he destroys the church. Paul warned the church about these peoplein 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.  Oneday Jesus will expose these people for who they really are! In the meantime, weshould be aware!  Godbless!

9:00 HOUR: Heather with the News, Stoney graces us with Woe, Canada

Dive into Revelation Chapter 8, where the Lamb opens the seventh seal, ushering in a profound silence in heaven and the beginning of the seven trumpet judgments. Join me as I explore the eerie calm before the storm of God's divine judgment, drawing parallels to the plagues of Egypt and the undoing of creation itself. From hail and fire mixed with blood scorching a third of the earth to a blazing mountain turning the seas to blood, and the bitter star Wormwood poisoning the waters, these vivid images paint a sobering picture of devastation. We'll unpack the symbolism of the seven archangels, the golden censer, and the prayers of the saints rising like incense, while reflecting on what this silence and these judgments mean for humanity today. As an eagle cries, “Woe, woe, woe,” signaling worse to come, this episode challenges listeners to confront the reality of sin and turn to the hope and salvation found in Jesus Christ. Don't miss this powerful study of Revelation's call to repentance and faith!Intro music - Toby MacOutro music - Toby Mac/ Zach WilliamsSend us a textSupport the show

God's Great Plan (1) (audio) David Eells 6/18/25 Many prophetic words are not understood in the day they are given. Just as the scriptures show, they come ahead so that warnings are taken and spiritual warfare done. Also, many more people can partake of them this way.   Now Is the Time of My Great Plan Glynda Lomax - 10/01/2012 Now is the time of My Great Plan for the people of the earth. For thousands of years, I have planned the victory of My people in great detail. Now it is time for My people to rise up and walk as I have called you to walk, talk as I have called you to talk, for I have much to accomplish through you, My people. Cast your burdens to Me and walk forth as I have called you to do. Those I have called to ministry will now be positioned to move forward as never before. A great and glorious destiny awaits you, My people, such as you cannot imagine. Great shall be the reward of all My people who serve Me in this time. Yes, there shall be many trials and much tribulation also, but My glory through My people will outshine the darkness in the final days. Look up, My people, your redemption draws near! Glynda gives these verses: Heb.12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 1Pe.5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1Pe.4:12-13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. Rev.22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Deu.4:29-31 But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; 31 (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. Isa.60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. Luk.21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.   Strategic Couplings Glynda Lomax - 09/26/2012 My children, the heat is being turned up in your lives and in your world. I will soon begin to place My devoted ones into position for battle as I have called them to stand. Some of you I will place in pairs - strategic couplings for the battles ahead. I have chosen mates for you that complement your weaknesses. They will be your rear guards on the earth as you march forth into all I have called you to do. Many of you I will pair with unlikely counterparts, of which the world around you will not approve, nor understand. Those near you cannot always see My mighty hand in all I am doing in your lives. Be careful, My children, of judging with your eyes or your hearts - judge only by My Spirit, for you walk in danger of calling My plans evil when you do this, and I do not consider lightly those who call My good evil, just as those who call evil good. Refrain your lips from speaking evil and seek Me only. Judge not what does not concern your own lives, for you shall see much around you in these end times you will not understand. The times approaching are perilous indeed, and I have a plan for each of your lives. You will not always understand what I am doing or the many ways I shall bless you through it. Many plans of the Evil One are being hatched behind the scenes, the horrors of which many are unaware. My children who have been watching and praying for My Son's soon return shall not be caught unawares. Rest now while you can, My children, for a fierce battle looms on the horizon of your lives and will soon be at your doors. Glynda gives these verses: Isa.58:8-10 (NIV) 8 and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness[a] will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. Isa.55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isa.5:20-21 20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! 2Ti.3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. Mat.7:1-5 1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Rom.14:12-13 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.   The Master's Plan Is Given G. W. - 11/21/2010 (David's notes in red) Part 1: I went to pray on Saturday night for full reconciliation for someone who was falling away. I could not pray. As I tried, my prayer returned to me. The word came to me, “I'm moving him out of the way to make room for another from the West”. Part 2: I had a dream Sunday night. It took place in the future. David had just received this email from me, which I wrote above as Part 1. David responded to the email by handing me a master plan. (Note: The email was sent to me on Monday, 11/22/10. I responded by sharing this interpretation of the parable of the master plan. This is the David's/Man-child's mission to receive and give revelation from the throne of God's plan on earth. Moses went up the mount to receive this and came down with his face glowing. Jesus also received this master plan and gave it to the disciples.) G. W. - I knew this master plan was the work that needed to be done by the people in the ministry. The master plan appeared to me in a hologram in the shape of a square. As I looked at the square before me, I knew it to be the uncomely parts of the body. (Note: There are many, many uncomely parts now but they will change through the Word from heaven. Remember this started with a falling away in Part 1 and now we see a raising up in Part 2. Luk.2:34 ... Behold, this [child] is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel; and for a sign which is spoken against... This is the master plan.) G. W.- The hologram began to change, like a slot machine changes its images as it goes around. Different numbers began flashing, and in my mind I knew them to be the different workings in the ministry. (Note: The falling of the old order and raising up of the new five-fold ministers, the deacons [ministries] and the gifts in the ministry.) G. W. - I also realized that the positions were growing into greater honor in the body and they started to become chess pieces. (Note: Those who are growing in the image of Christ.) G. W. - I was waiting for the hologram flashes to go up to the highest honors in God. But as I was watching it go up, it came to the Rook piece and I was taken out of the dream. That was the last thing I recall from this dream. (Note: The revelation didn't go up to the king, who is normally the highest honor, because in this dream, the King gives the highest honors to those “in God”, as the dream says. The game is centered around the King and He is never taken. The highest honor didn't go as high as the queen because the Man-child is the head of the Queen on earth, just as David was the head of Jerusalem, which is the Bride, according to Revelation 21:9,10. The Rook is the second most powerful piece on the chess board and has the highest honor, the revelation went to, and represents the Man-child. G. W. - Excerpt from Chess Rules for Movement of the Rook: The rook, shaped like a castle, is one of the more powerful pieces on the board. (Note: The rook is represented by the lookout portion of a castle. Where the “watchman” would stand and fight to protect the castle. A Man-child has power to defend the Castle of Zion.) G. W. - The rooks, grouped with the queen, are often thought of as the “major pieces”. (Note: A Man-child can be seen with the queen and has a major advantage against a foe.) G. W. - Rooks are worth a bishop or a knight plus two pawns. (Note: Man-childs are greater than bishops or overseers and knights or warriors.) G. W. - The rook can move any number of squares in a straight line along any column or row. (Note: Man-childs only move on a straight path that is not impeded.) G. W. - They CANNOT move diagonally. (Note: Never a crooked path.) G. W. - The rook can move or capture only on this straight line. (Note: One can only take leadership by walking on the straight path.) G. W. - The simplicity of the rook's movement is indeed what makes it powerful. (Note: Man-childs, like Jesus, have a simple life and walk with power.) G. W. - It can cover a significant area of the board, and there are no areas which an opponent's piece -- moving one square at a time -- can slip through. (Note: Man-childs can move supernaturally to far places. The enemy cannot deceive them or outmaneuver them.) G. W. - The rook may also make a move in conjunction with the king. (Note: Like Jesus said, “I do always those things I see of my Father”.)   Bride Prepares for Man-child Deborah Horton - 09/20/2010 (David's notes in red) As David has said, something wonderful is going to happen. :) (Looking forward to it.) In a dream, I was inside a large building, on the bottom floor, with people everywhere. They were all waiting for a Jewish man and while they were waiting, they were very busy all through the building. I have no idea what they were busy with -- can't remember. (The coming Jewish man is Jesus, Who will inhabit the Man-child as “Christ in you the hope of glory”. The building is the House of God, His people, which is being prepared for His coming habitation. I was just saying to several brethren that I hope we can prepare it ahead of time.) Then, as I looked around, I saw the Jewish man come in, along with a young woman/girl, who was his assistant somehow. I think she was setting up some audio equipment (speakers, etc.) (The Bride is making ready for the Man-child to reach many people.) Even though I saw him, no one else seemed able to do so. (He is coming in the heart of the true  House.) It wasn't that he was invisible; they could look at him and see him, but at the same time they didn't see him (this is hard to explain and doesn't make a whole lot of sense), and they kept on with whatever it was that they were doing. (We can see the body He will inhabit but many don't recognize Him to the extent He is in it now.) The next thing I can remember is that I walked over to him and he asked me to sing with him, but I told him that I couldn't because I didn't “know the language” or “speak Hebrew” (can't remember exactly how I worded it). (Singing with Him means to be in harmony with Him.) I think he was a little disappointed by that. (Reminds me of Miriam's song about Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea into the wilderness tribulation and the destruction of the old man, or, as you say, the song only the 144,000 first-fruits could sing.) His assistant was still working on getting everything set up. As I looked at him, I absolutely had to give him a great big hug, which I did. I squeezed him like there was no tomorrow -- poor guy! And then I let go, although I didn't want to let go of him. He was completely ordinary-looking, about two inches taller than me, I think he was wearing a work shirt and jeans -- very informal. He was so ordinary that there was nothing you could say about him to describe him. (As Isaiah 53 says, the first individual body Jesus came in was unremarkable, so the corporate first-fruits body will be plain folks.) He had dark hair; I can't remember if he had a beard, but I don't think he did. He reminded me of a teddy bear and there was no way I could ever be afraid of him. He wasn't skinny or fat, just had a tiny bit of extra weight on his belly, so you could tell that he wasn't a very physical person. He radiated such confidence, such peace and such love! (The anointing of the latter rain is coming to manifest the attributes of Jesus in His first-fruits body, like Hosea 6:1-3 says.) The last scene I remember is that somehow pigeons were all around us and they kept landing on him. They didn't want to get off. He was petting them and let me pet them, too, and then he'd put them down where they would walk about and coo. There were three specific pigeons with beautiful markings, as gorgeous as any pigeon is ever going to get without being a specialty-breed show pigeon. He handed me one that had some dark black markings on its back and it felt like velour; it was so soft. (Maybe these are the overcomers, 30-, 60- and 100-fold. According to Romans 8, the whole creation is awaiting the manifestation of sonship or Christ in you because it too will be delivered.)   White Horse Prepared for Rider Linda L. Gray - 09/29/2016 (David's notes in red) I had this dream where I was inside my home when I noticed an unusual white cloud formation through one of my windows. To get a better look at the cloud formation, I went outside. It was a clear blue sky with no clouds elsewhere but this particular large formation in front of my house. (Nothing else will be more significant concerning changes in the world for God's people.) Within the formation of clouds, I saw a white horse. (The Bride who lives above this evil world in heavenly places by abiding IN Christ. Eph.2:4 but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved), 6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus: 7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. The Bride as a cloud will water the earth with the Word of God. The rest of the Church has not arrived at this place and not chosen to be in the Bride.) There was no rider on the horse that I could see as the clouds kept going around the horse, making it difficult to get a clearer view. Psa.48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. (The white horse is the Bride or Zion, as John was told in Revelation. All of the horses in the seals of Revelation 6 are white (representing holiness conquering the Beast), red (war), black (famine and economic collapse) and pale (death and Hades). The hoses represent the flesh of men who serve the spirit and leadership that rides them and rules over them. All of these horses are people who bring these judgments to the world. When they are empowered, they will have riders upon them. The first rider is the Lord in His first-fruits Man-child body who will ride/rule the Bride white horse and through them the Church. At the time of this dream, this first rider is not anointed or set on the horse. When Jesus was anointed to lead the first of the disciples to recognize Him, John said, “He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom”. But that rider is coming, according to this next verse Linda received.) Rev.1:7 Behold, he cometh with the clouds (notice, the white horse); and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen. This verse has a more literal interpretation at the end of the tribulation, but it accurately describes in the spirit what will happen when the white horse rider, Jesus in the Man-child body, leads the other horse judgments in the earth, which is exactly what Moses the Man-child did. He brought the other judgments. “He cometh with clouds”. The Gematria for “clouds” here is 144 x 10. 144 is the number of the Man-child and 10 is the number of the Word or law he obeys and teaches. “Were purchased from among men to be first-fruits” is verse 14:4. Notice the verse number 144. Rev.14:1 And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads. 4 These are they that were not defiled with women (sects or denominations); for they are virgins (not having received the seed or word of man). These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, to be the firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb. Both Jesus and Jesus in the Man-child as a repeat of history fit this. Psa.118:22 The stone which the builders rejected Is become the head of the corner. Circling the outer perimeter of the cloud formation was a large plane, which apparently had seen this formation (surveillance) and was trying to get a better view. (Haman attempted to bring down the Bride before Mordecai came to leadership; before the Man-child was anointed to rule in the Book of Esther. The white horse rider is typed by Mordecai, Moses, Joseph, David, Jesus and many more. This was a judgment on Egypt, as a type of the world. Each of these men and many like them led the Bride, and through them the Church, to freedom and power. Each of these also brought judgment on the Beast body, as a type of the world Beast body of seven heads and 10 horns.) I was very excited and wanted a photo of the beautiful white horse, so I went inside my house to retrieve my cell phone. When I came back outside, the airspace was filled with war planes covering the entire field of vision, flying in a grid formation heading from south to north. It looked like a tic-tac-toe-type grid with the planes in perfect formation. Rev.12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; 8 And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. 10 And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death. And the Dragon or Satan was cast down to rule over his world body of seven heads and 10 horns, which is beaten by He who “came with the clouds”, the Man-child, and saints in whom the Lord lives. Jesus in the Man-child reformers will conquer the world beast. Dan.7:13 I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. ... 22 until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. The dream then ended. (Whatever was in the clouds, the powers that be didn't like, and they were ready to wage war against it.) (Yes, the powers that be are the head of the Dragon body on earth. They are Satanists whom we are casting down.) This preparation for the Bride to receive her head fits well with this next dream of the Wedding Feast.   Wedding and Temple Cakes M.L.- 09/22/2016 (David's notes in red) I woke up from a dream, and was taken back by it, but in a good way. I was in a huge room with many very sturdy tables. They were all square with white tablecloths. Each table had an extremely large wedding cake on it. (Time for the Wedding Feast to begin, the tribulation seven days before the bride is escorted by the virgins to the Groom's home in Heaven.) These cakes seemed to be about four feet tall and many inches round, coming to about two inches to the edge of the table all the way around. They were multi-tiered and in various designs and were all decorated white-on-white. Nothing stood out that would distract the eyes from one cake to another. Flowers in white in all sizes, small pillars of white, miniature fountains, white ribbon, white doves. Looking at all this, it was magnificent, all made according to their Creator's desire. After taking all this in, I looked to the right and saw the most magnificent of all cakes: a replica of the Temple. (The temple of God's presence is in the Jerusalem Bride, who is born from above.) It resembled light gray marble stone and was very smooth without a flaw in the icing! It stood about five feet high (representing grace), with the outside perimeters a square. And it was all cake. It was displayed on a very sturdy table with a white tablecloth draped to the floor. It had ornate gold trim work on top of the roof line. It reminded me of the points on a “king's crown”. (The Bride is a crown in Isa.62:1 For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth. 2 And the nations shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory, and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah shall name. 3 Thou shalt also be a crown of beauty in the hand of Jehovah, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. At the base of these points was a wide piece that looked like “crown molding”, the color of the building itself. In the same width of the molding above was a decorative, gold ornate area going around the top. On the two front corners were pillars, and a pillar on each side of the door. On top of each pillar were gold embellishments. Then I woke up. The wedding cakes are made ready. (For the Marriage Feast.) I didn't see any tables that were “set”. (Yet). The Bride has made herself ready. She is in fine linen, pure and white. Eph.5:27 that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. These are the righteous acts of the saints. Obedience: Jas.1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves. 4:17 To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. Faith: Heb.11:6 And without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him. Fruit: Mat.7:20 Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Love: 1Jn.4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is begotten of God, and knoweth God. The temple cake: The temple is where God dwells. We are also God's temple, for He dwells in us. 1Co.3:16 Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; 17 ... for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye ... 19) For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He that taketh the wise in their craftiness...   It's Not What They Thought Sandy Shaw - 09/21/2016 (David's notes in red) In a dream, I landed on my feet in a big city (Babylon/US), for I was translated there. Immediately, I felt the earth quake and I could tell by the surroundings that there had been others. (The time is the great earthquakes just before the tribulation; some will help others through translation, as happened to me.) I can see a road buckled, and the top half of a skyscraper had fallen to the ground. People were running and screaming, and I saw two little girls to the right. The five-year-old (five is grace) had long blond curly hair (1 Corinthians 11: submission to the sun/Son) and deep dimples and wore a blue dress (dressed up with heavenly works). The other little girl was black (representing walking in darkness) and seven years old. She wore a red dress and had dark pigtails with red ribbons (the color of the red Dragon body). I walked to them and asked them where their fathers were. (Fathers represent heads of churches.) They didn't know. The black-haired girl said that they were there for Daily Vacation Bible School. I asked, “Where are your mothers?” The seven-year-old black girl said, “She died a few months ago”. (The apostate Church mother is dead.) And the five-year-old very excitedly said, “Oh, my mom has already been with Jesus”. (Her mother is the early Church because she abides in Christ. 1Jn.2:24 As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise which he promised us, even the life eternal.) The ground started to shake some more and I knew that they were not safe. (At the time of the great earthquakes many will be helped to escape by the righteous.) So I grabbed the two little girl's wrists and started to fly over the city. (Although I have only done this instantaneously, I believe translation can happen slowly like flying. It is in the Spirit, though, and unseen by the world. It is without wings or propulsion, so it is not literally flying. Flying also represents overcoming the world and its law of sin and death, represented by gravity, to ascend into heavenly places in Christ by abiding in Jesus Who is the Word. Eph.2:4 but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved), 6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus. The woman in the wilderness tribulation was given the overcoming wings of the eagle by the Man-child to escape the Dragon/serpent and his works. Rev.12:14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time [by the Man-child body], from the face of the serpent.) The seven-year-old said, “I don't understand”. Then she asked, “What is this ...the tribulation?” We landed on a suspension bridge stretched out over the water. All of a sudden, the bridge became a slide (falling into the water) and before we got to the bottom, we started to fly again. (The way of escape is cut off as in Jer.25:35 And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape. But the righteous always have a way of escape, even if by flight. 1Co.10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it.) We flew over the city and into the country, where there was a huge red barn, and we landed. Cars were coming up on both sides of the barn. People were coming up to it because they knew it was a refuge and a safe place and all the people around were in a state of confusion. These people were Christians and yet confused. The seven-year-old said, “Hey, that looks like my church barn!” And she let go of my hand and started running. (Many of the Church are confused by their doctrines but if they have walked with the Lord in a righteous life, they will escape. Even those who are chosen to come to understanding and holiness later will escape like the seven-year-old who walks in darkness.) The blond girl said, “There's my daddy!” He was sitting down on a folding chair inside the barn, elbows on his knees and head in his hands, and he said, “I don't understand. I don't understand”. The five-year-old shook his arm and said, “Daddy! I'm here! I'm here!” He mumbled, “Yeah, yeah”. She said, “No, Daddy, she brought me here (pointing to me)! We flew! We were flying! And we were on a big slide (toward death)”. The dad reached out and touched my hand and said, “Thank you. Thank you for bringing her here”. Then he said, in a daze, “Lord, I thought my heart was right with You”. I said, “If you were waiting for the rapture, it's not going to happen now or in the way that you think”. (At the time of the great quakes, tsunamis, volcanic activity, economic collapse, chaos, many will see that they have not escaped tribulation and will repent of this deception.) I heard the seven-year-old say, “Daddy! Daddy!” And he hugged her. She asked, “This is tribulation?” She waited for him to respond and said, “Jesus didn't come yet”. He fell to his knees crying and asking the Lord, “I thought I was in right standing with You. I thought my heart was right with You. I have been preaching for 35 years”. I grabbed his hand and said, “This isn't the rapture you're waiting for. That's not happening”. I said, “You come with me”. And we walked over to the other preacher who was sitting down. (The great earthquakes are at the beginning of the tribulation, as in Rev.8:5 And the angel taketh the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth (meteors striking the earth): and there followed thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake. Notice that this came just before the first trumpet of the tribulation. 6 And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.) I told the two little girls to stay in the barn. Then I took them to the corner of the barn. I reached to the floor, pulled open the door to a root cellar, and grabbed two bottles of water. There was food there also. Then I took the preacher's hands and we went up and through the roof of the barn! (Meaning not physical flight.) And we flew to Tennessee. David and Michael were standing outside. They saw that we had landed. The preachers were confused about what had just happened. Then I said, “Now these two men can answer any questions you have about the rapture or anything else you think you're going through”. Michael asked, “Sandy, where have you been? Where were you?” I said, “I don't know. I was translated.” Michael said, “I should have known that.” Then I went back and got the girls and brought them to Tennessee. Then I woke up. By faith at random I received Isa.49:1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye peoples, from far: JEHOVAH hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name: 2 and he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me: and he hath made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he kept me close: 3 and he said unto me, Thou art my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified. 4 But I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with JEHOVAH, and my recompense with my God. The rest of this chapter tells the magnificent story of His people being used to restore those of God's people who have been in captivity to the nations. 5 And now saith Jehovah that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel be gathered unto him (for I am honorable in the eyes of Jehovah, and my God is become my strength); 6 yea, he saith, It is too light a thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. 7 Thus saith Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall worship; because of Jehovah that is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee. 8 Thus saith Jehovah, In an acceptable time have I answered thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages: 9 saying to them that are bound, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and on all bare heights shall be their pasture. 10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them will lead them, even by springs of water will he guide them. 11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. 12 Lo, these shall come from far; and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. 13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for Jehovah hath comforted his people, and will have compassion upon his afflicted. 14 But Zion said, Jehovah hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me. 15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, these may forget, yet will not I forget thee. 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. 17 Thy children make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth from thee. 18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith Jehovah, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all as with an ornament, and gird thyself with them, like a bride. 19 For, as for thy waste and thy desolate places, and thy land that hath been destroyed, surely now shalt thou be too strait for the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. 20 The children of thy bereavement shall yet say in thine ears, The place is too strait for me; give place to me that I may dwell. 21 Then shalt thou say in thy heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have been bereaved of my children, and am solitary, an exile, and wandering to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where were they? (Converts coming from all over the World!) 22 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and set up my ensign to the peoples; and they shall bring thy sons in their bosom, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. 23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah; and they that wait for me shall not be put to shame. 24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives be delivered? 25 But thus saith Jehovah, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. 26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I, Jehovah, am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

The Phantom Phinders locate the missing caravan and uncover the reason behind its delay. Make sure to rate and review us on iTunes and then reach out on Twitter or to our email to get an NPC named in Carrefour! Check out our new website: QMtabletop.com and the new Delta Green Podcast Directory https://twitter.com/QMoftheTableTop https://www.instagram.com/quartermastersofthetabletop/ https://www.tiktok.com/@qmottt https://youtube.com/@QuartermastersoftheTabletop https://linktr.ee/qmottt Chaos Springs Eternal Season One: City of Woe is set in Carrefour Louisiana and follows the members of the Phantom Phinders, a public access ghost hunting TV show as they explore the strange and weird happenings. We use the Delta Green TTRPG rules. Warning: The podcast does contain violent themes and explicit language as well as potential mental hazards. Nyarlathotep reigns. Imla ìbaz ehccema iam Lehpar. intro/outro music is: Cocytus by Pawns or Kings background music is from Hideous Hiss (https://www.youtube.com/@hideoushiss) Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual property known as Delta Green is a trademark and copyright owned by the Delta Green Partnership, who has licensed its use here. The contents of this podcast are ©Chaos Springs Eternal excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

A lot of what goes into winning a football game is behind the scenes. Oh, we see all the plays and all the action, and all the heroics on the field. But a lot goes on we never see. Let's take our local high school football team that I worked with for example. Each week someone from the coaching staff was out scouting the other team during the season. And sometimes I'd show up at the locker room and I'd ask, "Well, what are we up against this week? Tell me about the team we're playing this coming weekend." Almost always I'd get a rundown on what that team was good at, who their high scorer was, and what we would have to do to contain them, where their weaknesses were, and what we needed to go after. See, those scouting reports helped our coaches know how to best play that other team. Now, unfortunately, a lot of us are playing as if we haven't heard the scouting report on the other team. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How Satan Plans to Stop You." Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Revelation 12. I'll begin at verse 12: "Woe to the earth! The Devil has gone down to you. He is filled with fury because he knows the time is short." Verse 17 says, "The dragon (that's the Devil) went off to make war." Now, the book of Revelation talks about the Devil seeing time run out on the game clock. I call it panic in hell. He says, "Wow! There's not much time left." He accelerates his attacks, and I believe he's doing that now because I don't think he has much time left. You're probably on the receiving end of one of these attacks. If you're going to understand what's going on in your life; if you're going to respond in a winning way, you need to hear the scouting report. Here's attack number one: the Devil is trying to distract unbelievers so they won't look at Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4:4 talks about "the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ." See, if you don't know Jesus, the Devil does this to keep you in his grasp; he does this blinding thing. He's got you too busy impressing other people, or busy building a career, or a family, or studying, or having a good time; believing almost anything spiritual other than being rescued through Jesus. But the longer you wait, the harder it will be for you to ever know Christ. Your heart's getting harder. The Devil wants to distract you so you will never really see Jesus. Attack number two is to dissuade young believers so they won't live for Jesus. That's talked about in Mark 4:15, "As soon as they hear the Word, Satan comes and takes away the Word that was sown in them." See, if you're a young believer, the Devil's attack as he's feeling his panic in hell, is to get your eyes off of this new Savior before you become a threat; to put in front of you whatever could detour you: a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a job, a temptation, popularity. Do you see what the Devil's trying to do? Don't fall for this! Don't let him draw you away from the person you've spent your whole life looking for, your Jesus. And then his third attack is to discourage God's warriors so they won't lead for Jesus. These are the people who are making a difference. Maybe you're one of those. 1 Peter 5:7 addressed to spiritual leaders says, "Cast all your care on Him, because He cares for you. The Devil goes about like a lion seeking whom he may devour." See, I think he tries to devour them with discouragement. Maybe he's trying to neutralize you because you're one of the few people who's really in the battle. He's using people; he's using circumstances to destroy your motivation and your effectiveness. Listen to Galatians 6:9, "Don't be weary in well doing, for in due time you will reap if you do not faint." See, the Devil is luring you, he's desperately doing whatever it takes to pull you away from Jesus; to get your focus somewhere else because he can't beat Him. But if you fight back in Jesus' name, you'll be causing even more panic in hell.

Nahum 2:1-3:19 The scatterer has come up against you. Man the ramparts; watch the road; dress for battle; collect all your strength. 2 For the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob as the majesty of Israel, for plunderers have plundered them and ruined their branches. 3 The shield of his mighty men is red; his soldiers are clothed in scarlet. The chariots come with flashing metal on the day he musters them; the cypress spears are brandished. 4 The chariots race madly through the streets; they rush to and fro through the squares; they gleam like torches; they dart like lightning. 5 He remembers his officers; they stumble as they go, they hasten to the wall; the siege tower is set up. 6 The river gates are opened; the palace melts away; 7 its mistress is stripped; she is carried off, her slave girls lamenting, moaning like doves and beating their breasts. 8 Nineveh is like a pool whose waters run away. “Halt! Halt!” they cry, but none turns back. 9 Plunder the silver, plunder the gold! There is no end of the treasure or of the wealth of all precious things. 10 Desolate! Desolation and ruin! Hearts melt and knees tremble; anguish is in all loins; all faces grow pale! 11 Where is the lions' den, the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion and lioness went, where his cubs were, with none to dis- turb? 12 The lion tore enough for his cubs and strangled prey for his lionesses; he filled his caves with prey and his dens with torn flesh. 13 Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will burn your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall devour your young lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no longer be heard. 3:1 Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder— no end to the prey! 2 The crack of the whip, and rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot! 3 Horsemen charging, flashing sword and glittering spear, hosts of slain, heaps of corpses, dead bodies without end— they stumble over the bodies! 114 And all for the countless whorings of the prostitute, graceful and of deadly charms, who betrays nations with her whorings, and peoples with her charms. 5 Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts, and will lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at your na- kedness and kingdoms at your shame. 6 I will throw filth at you and treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. 7 And all who look at you will shrink from you and say, “Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her?” Where shall I seek comforters for you? 8 Are you better than Thebes that sat by the Nile, with water around her, her rampart a sea, and water her wall? 9 Cush was her strength; Egypt too, and that without limit; Put and the Libyans were her helpers. 10 Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity; her infants were dashed in pieces at the head of every street; for her honored men lots were cast, and all her great men were bound in chains. 11 You also will be drunken; you will go into hiding; you will seek a refuge from the enemy. 12 All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe figs— if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater. 13 Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars. 14 Draw water for the siege; strengthen your forts; go into the clay; tread the mortar; take hold of the brick mold! 15 There will the fire devour you; the sword will cut you off. It will devour you like the locust. Multiply yourselves like the locust; multiply like the grasshopper! 16 You increased your merchants more than the stars of the heavens. The locust spreads its wings and flies away. 17 Your princes are like grasshoppers, your scribes like clouds of locusts settling on the fences in a day of cold— when the sun rises, they fly away; no one knows where they are. 18 Your shepherds are asleep, O king of Assyria; your nobles slumber. Your people are scattered on the moun- tains with none to gather them. 19 There is no easing your hurt; your wound is grievous. All who hear the news about you clap their hands over you. For upon whom has not come your unceasing evil?

Jesus said “Woe to those who are rich" but what does that mean? Is it okay for Christians to have money, travel, and have material goods? The answer may surprise you!!

Jesus said “Woe to those who are rich" but what does that mean? Is it okay for Christians to have money, travel, and have material goods? The answer may surprise you!!

Chuck Edwards - "Downtown Soulville" - 45 Music behind DJ: Pete Marino Band - "Mashin" - 45 [0:02:39] Jeanette (Baby) Washington - "Move On" - 45 [0:05:20] Benny Curtis - "Lovin' Back Guarantee" - 45 [0:06:53] Wynona Carr - "Please Mr. Jailer" - 45 [0:09:03] The Escorts - "Itchy Coo" - 45 [0:13:59] Music behind DJ: The Dippers - "Goin' Ape" - 45 [0:14:59] Billy Daniels - "Woe, Woe, Woe" - 45 [0:16:36] Vernon Harrell - "Slick Chick" - 45 [0:18:51] Joe Johnson - "Gold-Digging Man" - 45 [0:20:15] Jimmy Moore - "Bye Bye My Love" - 45 [0:22:16] Music behind DJ: Smokey Johnson - "I Can't Help It (Pt. 1)" - 45 [0:24:30] Gil Bernal - "The Dogs" - 45 [0:26:53] The Space Singers - "Wait On Jesus" - 45 [0:28:57] Jim & James - "What I Want I Can't Get" - 45 [0:31:39] Guitar Slim - "That's What It's All About" - 45 [0:34:07] Barbara Carr - "My Mama Told Me" - 45 [0:36:32] Music behind DJ: The Rumblers - "Soulful Jerk" - 45 [0:39:20] Alice Rozier & Little Joe - "I'm Gonna Hold On to You" - 45 [0:41:11] Tommy Rodgers - "I'll Tell It to the Wind" - 45 [0:44:20] The Magnetics - "I Have a Girl" - 45 [0:47:14] Dee Dee Gartrell - "If You Got What It Takes" - 45 [0:49:58] Alice Rozier & Little Joe - "I Love You" - 45 [0:52:34] Richard Marks - "Did You Ever Lose Something" - 45 [0:55:10] Music behind DJ: Tommy & the Derbys - "Socking It Back" - 45 [0:57:58] https://freeform.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/153065

Chuck Edwards - "Downtown Soulville" - 45 Music behind DJ: Pete Marino Band - "Mashin" - 45 [0:02:39] Jeanette (Baby) Washington - "Move On" - 45 [0:05:20] Benny Curtis - "Lovin' Back Guarantee" - 45 [0:06:53] Wynona Carr - "Please Mr. Jailer" - 45 [0:09:03] The Escorts - "Itchy Coo" - 45 [0:13:59] Music behind DJ: The Dippers - "Goin' Ape" - 45 [0:14:59] Billy Daniels - "Woe, Woe, Woe" - 45 [0:16:36] Vernon Harrell - "Slick Chick" - 45 [0:18:51] Joe Johnson - "Gold-Digging Man" - 45 [0:20:15] Jimmy Moore - "Bye Bye My Love" - 45 [0:22:16] Music behind DJ: Smokey Johnson - "I Can't Help It (Pt. 1)" - 45 [0:24:30] Gil Bernal - "The Dogs" - 45 [0:26:53] The Space Singers - "Wait On Jesus" - 45 [0:28:57] Jim & James - "What I Want I Can't Get" - 45 [0:31:39] Guitar Slim - "That's What It's All About" - 45 [0:34:07] Barbara Carr - "My Mama Told Me" - 45 [0:36:32] Music behind DJ: The Rumblers - "Soulful Jerk" - 45 [0:39:20] Alice Rozier & Little Joe - "I'm Gonna Hold On to You" - 45 [0:41:11] Tommy Rodgers - "I'll Tell It to the Wind" - 45 [0:44:20] The Magnetics - "I Have a Girl" - 45 [0:47:14] Dee Dee Gartrell - "If You Got What It Takes" - 45 [0:49:58] Alice Rozier & Little Joe - "I Love You" - 45 [0:52:34] Richard Marks - "Did You Ever Lose Something" - 45 [0:55:10] Music behind DJ: Tommy & the Derbys - "Socking It Back" - 45 [0:57:58] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/153065

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 not be ashamed of the Gospel. I will not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (including me). From Romans 1:16 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: “The Day of Pentecost – The Promise Fulfilled (All Saints Anglican Church; Peachtree City, GA ” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

WELCOME BACK, REFINER! WE'RE ABOUT TO REACH THE HOLLOW!!Last we left our snowbound innies, they'd just met up with a disgusting dead seal. Irv wanted to eat it, no one else was so inclined.Now, the innies are about to reach their objective: Woe's Hollow. Here they will enjoy copious 'luxury meats' (?) along with unlimited toasted marshmallows and 4-ply tissue in the 'loo in case anything doesn't agree with them. Ah, if only it were all so simple and direct. Instead of roasting up some 'mallows, Ms. Huang is forced to toss them all in the fire. The innies get a bit too irreverent when discussing Dieter's strange proclivities AND Mark makes a visit to Helena's tent. He thinks he's visiting Helly R.'s tent. Helena does nothing to set him straight. It may be tender and loving, but it's still sexual assault because Mark does NOT know he's in bed with Helena Eagan!!The end is near, Refiners. The end of the ORTBO, that is. Also, the end of Irving B's innie career. It's huge, it's wild, it's PART TWO of the 'Woe's Hollow' odyssey. PROGRAMMING NOTE: There will be NO NEW episodes of "Severed" on 6/19 or 6/26. 'Severed' will return with Part One of "Trojan's Horse' on July 3rd. Stay subscribed and you'll stay in the loop.***A BIG 'thank you' to new Research Volunteer Refiner Vinny P. Vinny has been providing outstanding research and information during the Season Two Rewatch Episodes.Huge thanks to Adam Scott, star of 'Severance' and host of the Severance Podcast for recording a custom intro for "Severed." Make sure to check out 'The Severance Podcast w/Ben Stiller & Adam Scott" wherever you found this one!A big 'thank you' to friend of the pod Kier Eagan, er I mean Marc Geller! Marc both sat for an interview (make sure to check it out) AND recorded some great bumpers as Kier himself. Follow Marc on Instagram @geller_marc.Support the show on Patreon! (Click here)APPLE PODCAST LISTENERS: If you are enjoying "Severed: The Ultimate 'Severance' Podcast" please make sure to leave a 5-star rating (and, if you want, a review telling others to give it a try). Higher rated podcasts get better placement in suggestion lists. It helps more "Severance" fans find the show. Thanks!!! (Unfortunately, I can't respond to any questions or comments made in Apple Podcast Reviews. Send those to: SeveredPod@gmail.com)Season 2 of "Severance" kicked off 1/17/2025 and ran through 3/20/2025. The Second Season of the "Severed" Podcast Rewatch Episodes kicked off on April 24th, 2025. To support the Severed Podcast: (www.patreon.com/SeveredPod) Join the fun on our Facebook page @SeveredPod. I always try to keep page followers  updated on news about the show. Also, let's talk!! Comments? Theories? Corrections? I LOVE 'EM!! Send to: SeveredPod@gmail.comPLEASE MAKE SURE TO SHARE THE PODCAST WITH YOUR FRIENDS WHO ARE 'SEVERANCE' FANS. THE SHOW GROWS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH!!Needing your own copies of the Lexington Letter and Orientation Booklet? I've got you covered with downloadable PDFs of both documents:LETTER: LEXINGTONLETTER-TheLetter.pdf HANDBOOK: LEXINGTONLETTER-MDROrientationHandbook.pdfYou haven't completely watched 'Severance' until you've listened to 'Severed'.

WELCOME BACK, REFINER! YOU'RE JUST IN TIME FOR THE ORTBO!!Not sure about an 'ORTBO'? Oh, that's not a problem. We've got marshmallows for the fire and seal meat a'plenty! (Is seal a 'luxury meat'?) It's one of the most unique and oddly compelling episodes of the entire series. This week, Refiner, we're headed to "Woe's Hollow"!! Our adventure begins at the A/V cart. We'll get directions from 'Seth-Headroom' (details to follow). Then, it's off to Scissor Cave and a glimpse into the weirdness that is the Fourth Appendix.This episode was just too big to jam into a single podcast. This is PART ONE of the 'Woe's Hollow' odyssey. Make sure you're subscribed so you'll be ready to keep the party going in PART TWO.***A BIG 'thank you' to new Research Volunteer Refiner Vinny P. Vinny has been providing outstanding research and information during the Season Two Rewatch Episodes.Huge thanks to Adam Scott, star of 'Severance' and host of the Severance Podcast for recording a custom intro for "Severed." Make sure to check out 'The Severance Podcast w/Ben Stiller & Adam Scott" wherever you found this one!A big 'thank you' to friend of the pod Kier Eagan, er I mean Marc Geller! Marc both sat for an interview (make sure to check it out) AND recorded some great bumpers as Kier himself. Follow Marc on Instagram @geller_marc.Support the show on Patreon! (Click here)APPLE PODCAST LISTENERS: If you are enjoying "Severed: The Ultimate 'Severance' Podcast" please make sure to leave a 5-star rating (and, if you want, a review telling others to give it a try). Higher rated podcasts get better placement in suggestion lists. It helps more "Severance" fans find the show. Thanks!!! (Unfortunately, I can't respond to any questions or comments made in Apple Podcast Reviews. Send those to: SeveredPod@gmail.com)Season 2 of "Severance" kicked off 1/17/2025 and ran through 3/20/2025. The Second Season of the "Severed" Podcast Rewatch Episodes kicked off on April 24th, 2025. To support the Severed Podcast: (www.patreon.com/SeveredPod) Join the fun on our Facebook page @SeveredPod. I always try to keep page followers  updated on news about the show. Also, let's talk!! Comments? Theories? Corrections? I LOVE 'EM!! Send to: SeveredPod@gmail.comPLEASE MAKE SURE TO SHARE THE PODCAST WITH YOUR FRIENDS WHO ARE 'SEVERANCE' FANS. THE SHOW GROWS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH!!Needing your own copies of the Lexington Letter and Orientation Booklet? I've got you covered with downloadable PDFs of both documents:LETTER: LEXINGTONLETTER-TheLetter.pdf HANDBOOK: LEXINGTONLETTER-MDROrientationHandbook.pdfYou haven't completely watched 'Severance' until you've listened to 'Severed'.