Podcasts about yet god

The Romans expertly executed Jesus, ensuring He was truly dead. Yet God's power prevailed, resurrecting His Son in glorious triumph. In this message from John 20, Pastor Lutzer highlights Mary Magdalene, a woman prominent in Jesus' life. Consider the wonder of seeing your Savior alive again after witnessing His death! To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/172/29

The Romans expertly executed Jesus, ensuring He was truly dead. Yet God's power prevailed, resurrecting His Son in glorious triumph. In this message from John 20, Pastor Lutzer highlights Mary Magdalene, a woman prominent in Jesus' life. Consider the wonder of seeing your Savior alive again after witnessing His death! This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. 

The Romans expertly executed Jesus, ensuring He was truly dead. Yet God's power prevailed, resurrecting His Son in glorious triumph. In this message from John 20, Pastor Lutzer highlights Mary Magdalene, a woman prominent in Jesus' life. She was the last woman at the cross and the first woman at the tomb. This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://offerrtw.com or call us at 1-800-215-5001. 

God's original design for humanity was a life of close relationship with Him. When we chose to pursue life apart from God, we experienced what Scripture calls "the fall." Yet God's love never wavered. Through Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross, we see God's true nature—loving, self-giving, and transformative. Jesus didn't just demonstrate God's love; He dismantled the broken systems of this world and initiated a new creation. This rescue mission invites us back to our original purpose: living as beings created in God's image, entrusted with authority and purpose. At the heart of this relationship is authentic freedom—the ability to choose to trust God and live in His love. Our story begins and ends with God's desire for connection with us.

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 1 Samuel 15-16; 1 Chronicles 5; Matthew 1 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible podcast, where today we celebrate over one hundred days of journeying through the scriptures together. Join Hunter, your Bible reading coach, as he reflects on the transformative power of this habit, emphasizing that while the Bible itself doesn't save us, it points us to Jesus, the true source of salvation and the healer of our souls. Dive into today's readings from First Samuel, First Chronicles, and the beginning of Matthew's gospel, exploring stories of kings, prophets, and the lineage of the Messiah. Hunter shares insights on how God's anointing oil, unlike the world's oil, brings true peace, hope, and love. As we journey through scripture, let us continue to grow in understanding and devotion, keeping our hearts open to the work of the Spirit in our lives. TODAY'S DEVOTION: The world's oil is not what we truly crave. In our world today, oil is a symbol of power and influence. It establishes kingdoms and directs economies. People wage wars over it, lives are shaped and shattered by its value. But in reality, the world's oil cannot provide what we desperately need. It cannot bring us peace, offer us hope, or fill us with love. It does not have the power to transform the human heart. Yet God's oil is entirely different. It comes from a humble olive, representing His presence. This oil signifies the peace, hope, and love that only He can provide, transforming every heart it touches. In today's reading, the moment Samuel anointed David with oil, it was more than a physical act; it was a representation of God's divine presence and approval. David stands as a symbol of the anointed one, pointing us to Jesus – the ultimate expression of God's loving presence. Jesus, the true anointed one, was sent to offer the world an overflowing abundance of peace, hope, and love. According to the scriptures, He was born of a virgin, lived among us, was crucified, died, buried, and then rose from the dead. Now, He offers the oil of His spirit – His presence – to all of us. This anointing transforms us into lights in this dark world, filling us with His peace, hope, and love. Let us embrace the spirit's presence within us as we glow with His light and share His love with the world. Hallelujah. That's a prayer I hold close for my own soul, for my family, and for you too. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Welcometo Pastor's Chat! Today, we're diving into a powerful lesson from Jesus in Luke14:7-11, where He teaches us about humility through a parable told at a dinnertable. You can easily picture the scene in this passage. Jesus is at a dinner,watching guests scramble for the best seats, closest to the host, the spotsthat scream, “I'm important!” It's a familiar human impulse, isn't it? We wantto be noticed, valued, respected. Maybe it's not about seats at a table for us,but we chase status in other ways, through titles, likes on social media, orbeing seen with the “right” people.   Jesussees this and tells a parable that flips the script. He says, don't rush to thehead of the table, assuming you deserve it. Why? Because pride sets you up forembarrassment. If someone more honorable arrives, you'll be asked to move down,talk about a humbling moment! Instead, Jesus says, take the lowest seat. Becontent with less. Trust the host to notice and invite you higher if it'sfitting.   Thisisn't just about dinner etiquette, it's about the posture of our hearts. Jesusends with a principle that echoes through Scripture: “Whoever exalts himselfwill be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Humility is afundamental grace in the Christian life, and yet it is elusive; if you know youhave it, you have lost it! It has well been said that humility is not thinkingmeanly of ourselves; it is simply not thinking of ourselves at all.  Petermust have remembered this occasion because later he writes in his epistle  “…Yes, all of you be submissive to oneanother, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, Butgives grace to the humble." Therefore humble yourselves under the mightyhand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” (1 Peter 5:5-6). Proverbs13:10 teaches us that, “Only by pride comes contention…”. Pride is at the rootof all of our sins. Eve was tempted by Satan with pride, “You will be like godif you eat this fruit…” (Genesis 3:5). Jesusis the greatest example of humility, and we would do well to ask the HolySpirit to enable us to imitate Him (Phil. 2:1-16). He didn't grasp for glory,though He deserved it all. He washed feet, served sinners, and died on a cross.Yet God exalted Him above every name (Philippians 2:5-11). That's the kind ofhumility we're called to.   So,what does this look like today? Humility shows up in small choices: lettingsomeone else go first, listening instead of speaking, serving without expectingapplause. It's resisting the urge to promote yourself and trusting God to opendoors. It's recognizing that everyone at the table, whether they're “important”or not, because they matter to God.  Here'sthe challenge: This week, practice one act of humility each day. Maybe it'sgiving up your spot in line, let someone cut in front of you while driving withkindness and grace, complimenting someone without expecting anything back, ordoing a kind deed anonymously. Notice how it feels to step back and let Godtake the lead. We need God's grace to live a life of selflessness every day!And we should remember that, “God resist the proud, but gives grace to thehumble…” (James 4:6). Myfriends, by God's grace, let's go out and live this parable. Choose the lowseat. Serve someone quietly. Watch how God works through your humility.  Prayer:LordJesus, thank You for showing us the beauty of humility. Forgive us for thetimes we chase status or put ourselves first. Teach us to take the lowestplace, to trust You with our worth, and to serve others with love. Holy Spirit,guide us this week to live humbly, reflecting Your heart. In Jesus' name,Amen.   Godbless!

Send us a textFrom the depths of human disobedience to the heights of divine grace, Romans 5:19 unveils a profound spiritual reality: "For as by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." This powerful scripture launches us into an exploration of sin's origins and God's extraordinary response.Sin entered our world through a single act of disobedience in the Garden of Eden, lodging itself deep within humanity's heart. Like a foreign object unknowingly trapped in one's throat, sin caused damage without our understanding its source. Here's where God's mercy shines brilliantly—rather than abandoning us to our condition, He provided the law as a spiritual x-ray, revealing what was causing our suffering. This diagnosis wasn't punishment but grace, showing us what needed healing.Yet God's love didn't stop at diagnosis. In the ultimate act of redemption, Jesus Christ became sin for us, breaking death's hold through His sacrifice. What began with one man's disobedience found its remedy in one man's perfect obedience. This singular act of love offers us freedom from sin's chains and the opportunity to spend eternity with our Creator. Whether you're hearing this message for the first time or have walked with Jesus for years, the invitation remains: embrace this salvation for yourself and share it with others. The good news is too powerful to keep to ourselves—Jesus is alive, and He has rescued us from sin!Support the show

In this Bible Story, civil war breaks out between the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of the Israelites. Yet God is faithful and promises to restore Benjamin and the city of Gilead. This story is inspired by Judges 20-21. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Judges 21:6 from the King James Version.Episode 72: Disgusted and terrified at what had happened in Benjamin, the rest of Israel had decided to assemble and seek the will of God for what they should do. As one nation, the 11 other tribes rose against the tribe of Benjamin. Peaceful negotiations were fruitless and war ensued. Battle after battle, Israel lost to the tribe of Benjamin until God gave them victory. But no celebration followed this victory, instead, there was mourning as Israel had brought one of its brothers to the brink of extinction. Our vengeance, if even for a right cause often brings more harm than good.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Among its leadership lessons, the Old Testament book of Exodus reminds leaders today of the value of seeking God's strength in our weakness.  When God called him to leadership, Moses immediately began listing his shortcomings, from lack of credibility to poor speech. Yet God assures Moses that God will be with him.   “The Lord said to him, ... The post Leadership Lessons from Exodus: Seek God's Strength appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Share with us what you think about UncommonTEEN! I do read your fanmail, but can't message you back! Chat with me at UncommonTEEN.com!If nobody has told you lately…and even if they have, I want you to know that you are valuable. You are loved by God. He has a purpose and a plan for your life that are so much greater than you can even imagine. You are not here by mistake. You are not a mistake. Jesus loves you! He values your life so much that He was willing to give up His own life so that He could have a relationship with you!This week on the UncommonTEEN Podcast, we are going to talk about the importance of what Jesus did for us on the cross, how it shows His great love for you and how much He values you, and what His dying on the cross actually did for us and for others!1. Sin has a price tag. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages (or the payment) of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.2. Someone must pay the price for that sin, and it should have been us since we are the ones who mess up. However, someone else paid the price…His name is Jesus. Romans 5:8-But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 3.    Jesus paid the price so we could go free. Romans 3:23-24 says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 4.    And because of what Jesus did, you no longer have to pay the price for sin. Think about it this way, If you were at a restaurant with your family and your parents paid the bill for your food, would you still go up and try to pay the bill again before you leave? Of course not, the bill has already been paid.  Jesus has already paid it and all you need to do is receive Him!Ladies, we have some exciting news! The SOAR Community is now FREE!! All you have to do to see if SOAR is right for you is grab your parents, tell them why you are excited about SOAR, and while you still have them with you, go to uncommonteen.com/coaching and click on the application under SOAR and fill it out! **There are limited spots available. ***At this time, SOAR is only open to teen girls 13-17 in the United States. You are beautiful! You are valuable!Your beauty and your value don't change, Even if someone fails to seeHow incredible God made you!Don't forget to head on over to uncommonTEEN.com/coaching and fill our your SOAR Application today!The UncommonTEEN App is still in review on both the Apple Store and the Google Play Store! It looks like Google is going to take a bit longer, but the Apple App should be coming very soon!To ask questions for an upcoming podcast episode or if you need prayer, go to UncommonTEEN.com.For the Ask Me Anything Questions, click on the RED BUTTON at the top of the screen. These questions may used on a future episode of the UncommonTEEN Podcast!For any prayer requests or more personal questions, click on the YELLOW CHAT TAB at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. These will not be used on the podcast. Connect with Us!Website: UncommonTEEN.comInstagram: @uncommon.teen

Send us a textA dramatic power shift transforms Egypt from Israel's safe haven into their prison. After generations of peaceful coexistence following Joseph's administration, a new pharaoh emerges with a radically different vision for his kingdom. Viewing the prosperous Israelite community not as valuable contributors but as potential threats, he implements increasingly harsh measures to control their population and break their spirit.What makes this historical moment particularly striking is how dramatically it backfires. Exodus 1:12 reveals the divine irony: "The more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread." Rather than reassessing his approach when faced with clear evidence of failure, Pharaoh doubles down on cruelty—imposing unbearable labor conditions making "their lives bitter with hard bondage." This pattern of escalating oppression reveals much about how fear-based leadership operates, choosing to intensify failed strategies rather than change course.The Egyptians, who prided themselves on avoiding menial labor and looked down on shepherds, transformed their relationship with Israel from mutual benefit to exploitation. Despite having no evidence that Israel posed any actual threat or harbored revolutionary ambitions, the new administration systematically dismantled their freedoms and dignity over generations. Yet God's timeline operated on a scale beyond human imagination—allowing this situation to persist for 430 years before dramatic intervention.This pivotal moment in biblical history shows what happens when nations reject wisdom for power, when leaders choose fear over partnership, and when the desire for control outweighs justice. It also demonstrates that divine justice moves according to its own timeline, not ours. The seeds planted in these verses would eventually grow into one of history's most dramatic liberation stories. How might we recognize similar patterns of fear-based leadership in our world today?Support the show

Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link!The mystery of the Eucharist stands at the heart of Catholic faith and worship—yet how deeply do we truly understand it? Diving into the rich theology of Christ as the Bread of Life, we explore the profound reality that in receiving Holy Communion, we encounter Jesus Himself—body, blood, soul, and divinity.Starting with the Gospel account of the multiplication of loaves and fishes, we uncover how this miracle foreshadowed the even greater miracle of the Eucharist. When Jesus declared, "I am the living bread that has come down from heaven," He wasn't speaking metaphorically but revealing a truth that would become central to Christian worship for millennia. Through careful examination of both Scripture and Catechism teachings, we explore the three-fold reality of the Eucharist: making present the sacrifice of the Cross, imparting grace to nourish our souls, and pledging future glory.Throughout history, Eucharistic belief has faced challenges—from medieval disputes to Protestant Reformation denials of the Real Presence. Yet God consistently raised up defenders like Thomas Aquinas and inspired Eucharistic miracles to reaffirm this central truth. We consider practical ways to deepen our Eucharistic devotion during Lent, including spending time in thanksgiving after Mass and revisiting catechetical teachings. As St. John Vianney reminds us, "If we realize the value of Holy Communion, the three divine persons dwell in our soul. It is a miniature heaven." Join us in rediscovering the transformative power of recognizing Christ truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.Support the showSponsored by Recusant Cellars, an unapologetically Catholic and pro-life winery from Washington state. Use code BASED25 at checkout for 10% off! https://recusantcellars.com/Also sponsored by Quest Pipe Co. Get your St Isaac Jogues pipe here: https://questpipeco.com/discount/Amish?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fst-isaac-jogues-limited-edition********************************************************Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1https://www.avoidingbabylon.comMerchandise: https://shop.avoidingbabylon.comLocals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comRSS Feed for Podcast Apps: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rssSpiritusTV: https://spiritustv.com/@avoidingbabylonRumble: https://rumble.com/c/AvoidingBabylon

We're surrounded by bad advice everywhere we look. Yet God promises to give us wisdom if only we seek Him! When we follow His direction for our lives, He can use us to grow His Kingdom by reaching others.

March 21, 2025Today's Reading: Genesis 25:1-26Daily Lectionary: Genesis 24:32-52, 61-67; Genesis 25:1-26:35; Mark 8:1-21Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. (Genesis 25:26)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Jacob is well-named. Ya-akob means “heel-grabber,” and he is called Jacob because he was born clutching his twin brother's heel. Esau's birth was straightforward, but his twin Jacob was born arm-first, which immediately put his life and his mother's in danger. “In the very midst of life, we are in death,” sings an old song in the church. Yet God had promised Rebekah that she would be the mother of two nations, and that promise sustained her through a healthy delivery. But just as they struggled in the womb, these brothers continued to struggle with each other for years, thus fulfilling the Lord's prophecy concerning these twins.Jacob continued to live up to his name, though. More broadly, Jacob means “supplanter.” The manner of Jacob's birth suggests that he was struggling to be born first, to hold his brother back. Before he knew the rules of inheritance, he struggled for the birthright of the firstborn. Later, Jacob would accomplish what he started when he grabbed his brother's heel, bartered for Esau's birthright, and tricked his father into blessing the whole thing. “The older shall serve the younger,” said the Lord (Gen. 25:23).The heel business is an interestingly inverted sign. Jacob grabbed hold of the promise by striking at his brother's heel and risking a crushed head at his birth. But it's not the struggle of two brothers that fulfills God's first promise. “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15). The devil struck the heel of Jesus and even wounded His sacred head on the cross. But in striving to overcome the one and only Son of God, the devil suffered a bruise and more. “You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck” (Habakkuk 3:13). Jacob grabbed the heel to get at the promise, but Jesus used His heel to keep the promise. So let us grab hold of Jesus' heel, that is, His promise, and we will be born again.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Bruise for me the serpent's head That, set free from doubt and dread, I may cling to You in faith, Safely kept through life and death. (LSB 352:5)-Rev. Jacob Ehrhard, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, IL.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Visit the timeless rhythms of the Christian life with award-winning author Harold L. Senkbeil. As he addresses the concerns and pressures of the world today, you'll discover that even while the world is dying, Christ's death brings about life. True life. One that He offers to you. Order Now!

Disclaimer: This season is about trauma, and it might be difficult at times for some listeners. It's not graphic, but each episode does cover sensitive topics.⁠⁠>> Click HERE to get free visuals, handouts and discussion questions for Conversational Counseling sent straight to your email!

TAKE YOUR OIL AND GO!!! Two cannot walk together unless they're in agreement, and some associations have reached an expiration. Anointing a new King was not easy for the Prophet Samuel bc he had such an intimate rapport with Saul- considering him a spiritual son. Yet God is no respecter of persons, so when someone deviates from His will and ways- the best thing for us to do is depart!!! Trust that God has gone ahead of you and chosen someone better boo!!! DO NOT ACCEPT WHO GOD REJECTS!!! Stay blessed, not stressed. ❤️‍

Christian Disciple and Evangelism (Part 3) Right mouse click or tap here to save/download this as a MP3 file For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10v45 Jesus Christ was the man born to die – this is what we celebrate at Christmas – when God who is outside of both time and space, entered history in the form of a human baby. His purpose as explained in Mark 10v45 was “to give his life as a ransom for many.” The Apostle Paul also preached this, but what was his methods and his message in full? Paul’s Method Reasoned from the Scriptures Paul knew that Scripture had been revealed, inspired and illuminated by God Paul knew that Scripture equipped for service Paul knew that Scripture helped get to know God more Paul knew that Scripture revealed God’s programme Paul knew that getting to know Scripture was vital in order to be used in Evangelism. Meet where people are Synagogue (Acts 18v4, 6) Market place / work (Acts 18v3) Invited people to home (Acts 18v7) Forged relationships (Acts 18v2, 8, 17) Prepared to change strategy (Acts 18v6) Paul overcame his own fears and limitations of his own weaknesses and relied totally on God’s power when witnessing Why is the cross so central to the Gospel? Paul’s Gospel was “Jesus and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2v2). The Gospel is the cross! As important as the incarnation, resurrection and ascension are, without Jesus’ death on the cross there would be no Christianity, and subsequently no hope for the world! Therefore, the interpretation that we place on Jesus’ death is paramount! That He died is without doubt, but why did He have to die and what gain do we have as His Disciples? The Gospel Message! By His very nature, God is loving and compassionate, forgiving, faithful and slow to anger (Exodus 34v6-7). This is the part, if we are being honest all of us are most comfortable with!! Yet God is holy, righteous and just and must punish sin because of this very same nature. That is the part we as 21st century people are uncomfortable with! We love to think of God as being all love and gentleness, but don’t like to think of Him as a Judge who must punish disobedience But remember that God loves righteousness and hates wickedness (Psalm 45v7). Therefore sin & disobedience must be dealt with and it cannot simply be ignored. Sin is humanity’s problem. The Problem - Humanity's sin Sin is what separates humans from God and as a consequence leads to both a spiritual and physical death (Romans 6v23, Isaiah 59v2). Nobody escapes as all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3v23). In the Old Testament, sins were dealt with by blood sacrifices of atonement as coverings for sin (Leviticus 17v11), for without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sin (Hebrews 9v22). The Solution – God to the rescue! The solution lies not in continual animal sacrifice of the Old Testament because Hebrews 10v4 reminds us that the blood of animals cannot take away sin but was only a veneer or covering. That was why it was necessary to repeat time and time again! It is only through the death of Jesus, that sin is taken away (Hebrews 9:v11-15, 26-28), and that was only needed once! Therefore Jesus is our permanent sacrificial substitute! That is why the elements of bread and wine in Communion or Breaking of Bread are symbolic, and not somehow changed into actual flesh and blood, as some would have us believe. Substitution Jesus died for our sin, the just for the unjust (1 Peter 3v18). That is how God is both just and the Justifier of sinners and that is why Jesus needed to be both fully God and fully human! If he lacked either, it would not be the full substitutionary sacrifice that was necessary to bear the permanent consequences of sin! This substitution was the sacrifice, required in order that Jesus as the Lamb of God could take away the sins of the world (John 1v29). He was the propitiation for all sin! Propitiation Propitiation is the turning aside of God's anger by the offering of the sacrifice of Christ. Towards sin and sinful behaviour God necessarily has great fury, anger and wrath (Jeremiah 21v5). Hebrews 10v30-31 reminds us, “It is dreadful to fall into the hands of the living God.” Yet as Micah 7v18 “He is slow to anger and quick to forgive”. God's anger and judgment of sin falls on Christ, instead of us. We need to approach God to appease His anger, in order to accept it (Romans 3:25; Isaiah 53:5; John 2:2, 5:6). 1 John 4v10: This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice (or propitiation) to take away our sins. To some people, even some in the church, this is abhorrent! The very thought that God could willing send His son to be a blood sacrifice for sin is tantamount to child abuse! Richard Dawkins calls Jesus’ crucifixion an act of sado-masochism! Neither of these opinions is valid or true. God’s requirements are very clear as John 3v16 says it all in response to this “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”. If there were any other way, would not God have done it that way? Redemption (Ransom) Mark 10:45 Not only was it propitiation, but also an act of redemption! In the time of the New Testament, this word was used to refer to the buying back of a slave - the price paid to buy the slave’s freedom. God paid redemption so that humans can be freed from the slavery to sin (John 8:35 Romans 7:14). The price was paid (1 Peter 1:18-19) and so we are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). As Christian Disciples, we are bought at a price, and we have a new position before God! We are bought out of slavery to sin, into glorious freedom where we are now slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:19); slaves to Christ (Romans 6:22). We are also Jesus Christ’s personal possession (1 Corinthians 16:19). But it is our responsibility to choose that way! God does not coerce forcefully – He leaves it as a choice for humans to make as individuals. What is our response to this to be? Sacrifice, substitution, propitiation and redemption can be summed up in one word: love. For 1 John 3v16 states: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” Jesus told us to take up our cross if we are to follow Him as His Disciple (Luke 9v23). Are you as a Christian Disciple willing to take up your cross and do all you can do to love others? For more to think about please do read Acts 17 & 18, ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together. Q1. When I evangelise, what is the message I proclaim? Q2. What can I adapt from Paul’s methods in order to help my evangelise? Right mouse click or tap here to save/download this as a MP3 file

Has the baggage and hurt that you bring into your relationships ever become too heavy? It's no secret that relationships are difficult to navigate. And for many, marriage is one of the hardest relationships of all. Many relationships struggle because of the accumulated resentments that people carry with them and towards others. Yet God calls us to a different way from the world's -– He calls us to embody Christ to each other in our marriage. Learn how forgiveness and love are key to remaining harmony in our most important relationships. #rethinklifechurch #TheWinningFamily #tugoflove #relationships #healthyrelationships #howto #parttwo #godlyrelationships #godlymarriages #oppositesattract #marriageadvice #healthycouples #Bible #godsword #godisgood #lakenona #stcloud #orlando #2025sermon #onlinechurch #rodneygage #michellegage #Jesus #Church #Hope #HolySpirit #learnhow #pastor #sermon #inspiringmessages Thank you RTL Fam for your generosity! To support our growth and global impact click here: https://www.rethinklife.com/give ReThink Life is a church committed to helping people know God, grow stronger, discover purpose, and make an impact located in Orlando, Florida. Check out www.rethinklife.com for more information & to get connected. Follow us on social media at @rethinklifechurch

Unhealthy characteristics and dysfunctional relationships tend to be part of every life and every story. The family God chose to become ancestors for Jesus was far less than perfect—full of suspicion, deceit, poor communication, manipulation—it was a mess. Yet God worked through those imperfect people to accomplish his perfect plan. We want to discover how to trust God in our own imperfect realities while taking steps toward health and wholeness.Support the show

“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” (James 3:17­­–18 NLT) Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., famously said, “Some people are so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good.” He seems to be suggesting that “the wisdom from above” (as James refers to it) doesn’t always translate to daily life. James would beg to differ. In the passage above, he identifies several qualities of God’s wisdom that make a very real difference in people’s lives every day. First, the wisdom that comes from God is pure. It reveals God’s will. It shows us how His will impacts every area of our lives, from our relationship with our spouse or loved ones to the way we approach our work. It teaches us how to prioritize His will. And it shows us how our lives will be better, more impactful, and more fulfilling if we do His will. Period. There’s no hidden agenda or dark underbelly with God’s wisdom. People may try to twist it or hijack it for their own purposes, but the wisdom itself is beyond reproach. We can commit ourselves to it fully. We can build our relationships on it. We can put it at the center of everything we do. And we never have to worry about what the consequences will be. Second, the wisdom that comes from God is peace loving. Some people try to weaponize wisdom and use it to antagonize or “defeat” others who disagree with them. God’s wisdom doesn’t encourage those impulses. Instead, it encourages humility, compassion, and bridge-building. God’s wisdom doesn’t encourage us to take sides against other people; it encourages us to find common ground to build on. That’s why it’s so valuable to people in relationships. It unites us and strengthens our bond. It inspires us to work together when we face hurdles, instead of working against one another. Third, the wisdom that comes from God is gentle. Yes, it has the power to change lives and to make us see the error of our ways. And its truth can’t be denied because it comes from God, the Author of truth. And His wisdom is the highest moral authority. Yet God wants us to handle it thoughtfully and humbly. Not with an “I’m right and you’re wrong” attitude, but with a genuine compassion and concern for others. “We will speak the truth in love,” as Paul says in Ephesians 4:15 (NLT). Fourth, the wisdom that comes from God makes you willing to yield to others. Here’s that emphasis on humility again. God’s wisdom encourages us to recognize that we can learn from other people—especially if we are “quick to listen, slow to speak” (James 1:19 NLT). If you see other people—including your spouse, family members, and loved ones—as potential teachers, you will value them more. And your relationship with them will deepen. Reflection question: What have you learned from your spouse or someone else close to you? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all carry things we wish we could leave behind—past mistakes, failures, or choices that seem to define us. Yet God offers a powerful path to a new identity that isn't defined by our worst moments, but by his steadfast love.Sermon Outline:I. God Reinforces Our Identity.II. God Removes Our Shame.III. God Reminds Us of His FaithfulnessSermon Discussion Questions:1. How does remembering your baptism help strengthen your identity as God's child? What practices help you hold onto this identity when you're struggling with doubt or shame?2. The Israelites faced “reproach” or taunting from their enemies who claimed God couldn't save them. In what ways do you experience similar taunts or doubts today, either from others or from your own thoughts, about God's ability to save or help you? What can we do about it?3. God's faithful provision often comes wrapped in “simple brown paper”—through ordinary daily provisions rather than dramatic miracles. Give examples of how you have seen God's faithfulness demonstrated through ordinary means in your own life. How can we cultivate gratitude for these everyday provisions?4. In baptism and the Lord's Supper, God has given us signs of promise and salvation. How should these sacraments help reshape how you view yourself?

24_0125 -Ep.352 – Run With Horses Podcast – When You Feel Like Quitting Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Author pages with links to all books on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BCSDDVLB – James Norman Smith https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BMGW51FW – Susan Jane Smith When You Feel Like Quitting what do you do. Everyone gets beat down occasionally. When you do, how do you handle it? Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is both incredibly simple and potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to live intentionally and on His mission. It's very cool that we can do that together! Thank you for joining me today! “If you're new here, you can check out past episodes at runwithhorses.net. As always, I appreciate your feedback, questions, and reviews!” Dealing with Disappointment and Discouragement Biblically - Or, What to do when you fell like quitting! I. The Reality of Disappointment and Discouragement Opening Quote: “When you feel like quitting, remember why you started.” Key Idea: Everyone faces disappointment and discouragement at some point, whether in ministry, relationships, or personal struggles. However, God's Word gives us perspective on how to face these moments with faith and perseverance. II. Acknowledge the Reality of Disappointment Scripture Reference: Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” Disappointment is not something we should deny or try to avoid. It's a reality of life, but God is close to the brokenhearted. He doesn't leave us in our despair. No one's life goes like they expect or really want it to. Pain and suffering are a reality. Example: David – In many of his psalms, David expressed deep feelings of despair and discouragement, but he also demonstrated turning to God in those times (e.g., Psalm 42).     III. Recognizing the Call to Persevere Scripture Reference: Galatians 6:9 – “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” In the midst of discouragement, we must remind ourselves that God's promises are true. We may not see the fruit immediately, but the reward is coming if we remain faithful. Example: Paul – Despite constant opposition, Paul continued in his ministry, reminding others to press on despite the trials (2 Corinthians 4:6-10). IV. Recalling the Purpose Behind Our Journey Scripture Reference: Philippians 3:13-14 – “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The Apostle Paul, despite his challenges and struggles, kept his eyes on the prize—the call of God in Christ Jesus. Our purpose in Christ should be the motivation to keep going. Example: Moses – Leading the Israelites out of Egypt was a long and challenging journey, but Moses remained focused on the ultimate promise of the land of Canaan (Hebrews 11:24-26). V. God's Faithfulness in Our Struggles Scripture Reference: Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” God's faithfulness never wavers. Even in moments of discouragement, we are reminded that He is with us, strengthening and helping us through the journey. Example: Elijah – After his great victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah faced deep discouragement and wanted to quit. Yet God met him where he was and reassured him that He was still at work (1 Kings 19:1-18). VI. Trusting God's Timing and Plan Scripture Reference: Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” It's easy to feel discouraged when the timing doesn't seem right. But we can trust that God's timing is perfect, and He is working everything for our good in His sovereign plan. Example: Joseph – Joseph's journey was filled with disappointment and discouragement (betrayal, false accusations, imprisonment), yet God was with him, working through his circumstances for a greater purpose (Genesis 50:19-20). VII. Focusing on Our Relationship with Jesus Scripture Reference: Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” In our moments of discouragement, Jesus invites us to find rest in Him, knowing that He understands our struggles and that He is with us through them. Example: The Disciples in the Storm – When the disciples were in the storm, Jesus was with them, and He calmed the storm. Jesus is with us in our storms (Matthew 14:22-33). VIII. The Strength to Keep Going Comes from God's Presence Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” In our weaknesses, we are reminded that God's grace and power are enough. It is through our weakness that His strength is made evident. Example: Paul's Thorn in the Flesh – Paul dealt with a persistent difficulty (the thorn in his flesh), but he learned to rely on God's grace, which gave him strength to continue (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). IX. Encouraging One Another in Disappointment Scripture Reference: Hebrews 10:24-25 – “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Encouragement is a key part of walking through discouragement. God has placed us in community so that we can support one another and remind each other of the hope we have in Christ. Example: Barnabas and Paul – Barnabas, known as the “Son of Encouragement,” helped Paul when others were fearful of him, reminding him of God's calling and purpose in his life (Acts 9:26-27). X. Conclusion: Pressing On with Hope in Christ Scripture Reference: 2 Timothy 4:7-8 – “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” Paul's words serve as a powerful reminder that despite all the struggles, the end of the journey is worth it. There is a crown of righteousness for those who press on, keeping their eyes on Jesus.   – “Thank you for listening today! -If you enjoyed the show you can listen to all the past shows wherever you listen to podcasts. A good place to start is at runwithhorses.net. You can also write me at norman@runwithhorses.net or leave a comment on the Run With Horses Podcast facebook page. May we all be found faithful, ready, and living for eternity. Until next time, keep your eyes on Jesus and never stop running."

Acts 11:19 - 14:28 In these passages, we find the early Church living on mission in the midst of opposition. As the Church grew, they also experienced persecution. James was killed, and Peter was imprisoned. Yet God manifested himself by freeing Peter from prison and performing miracles. Despite the opposition, Christians continued to pray and witness. In fact, prayer birthed a new missionary movement around the world. Website: immanuelde.com Facebook: immanuelchurchwilmington YouTube: Immanuel Church Wilmington DE

LESSON 53Review of Lessons 11 - 15Today we will review the following:(11) My meaningless thoughts are showing me a meaningless world. Since the thoughts of which I am aware do not mean anything, the world that pictures them can have no meaning. What is producing this world is insane, and so is what it produces. Reality is not insane, and I have real thoughts as well as insane ones. I can therefore see a real world, if I look to my real thoughts as my guide for seeing.(12) I am upset because I see a meaningless world. Insane thoughts are upsetting. They produce a world in which there is no order anywhere. Only chaos rules a world that represents chaotic thinking, and chaos has no laws. I cannot live in peace in such a world. I am grateful that this world is not real, and that I need not see it at all unless I choose to value it. And I do not choose to value what is totally insane and has no meaning.(13) A meaningless world engenders fear. The totally insane engenders fear because it is completely undependable, and offers no grounds for trust. Nothing in madness is dependable. It holds out no safety and no hope. But such a world is not real. I have given it the illusion of reality, and have suffered from my belief in it. Now I choose to withdraw this belief, and place my trust in reality. In choosing this, I will escape all the effects of the world of fear, because I am acknowledging that it does not exist.(14) God did not create a meaningless world. How can a meaningless world exist if God did not create it? He is the Source of all meaning, and everything that is real is in His Mind. It is in my mind too, because He created it with me. Why should I continue to suffer from the effects of my own insane thoughts, when the perfection of creation is my home? Let me remember the power of my decision, and recognize where I really abide.(15) My thoughts are images that I have made. Whatever I see reflects my thoughts. It is my thoughts that tell me where I am and what I am. The fact that I see a world in which there is suffering and loss and death shows me that I am seeing only the representation of my insane thoughts, and am not allowing my real thoughts to cast their beneficent light on what I see. Yet God's way is sure. The images I have made cannot prevail against Him because it is not my will that they do so. My will is His, and I will place no other gods before Him.- Jesus Christ in ACIM

Happy Monday! Pastor Jeff is back, and this is week 6 of our Golden Rule Series. This week, we will learn about the incredible kindness Jesus Christ showed us. Romans 3:23-24 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.  

Believe In miracles but trust in Jesus #RTTBROS #Nightlight Trusting Without Seeing: When Faith Meets the Unseen Path "Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way." - John 4:50 In our walk with Christ, we often find ourselves standing at the edge of uncertainty, much like a free solo climber facing El Capitan's towering face. The next handhold isn't visible, the path ahead seems shrouded in mystery, and our natural instincts scream for security. Yet, it's in these moments that our faith is refined and strengthened. Consider the nobleman in John 4 who traveled twenty miles to find Jesus. His son lay dying, and his position of power meant nothing in the face of this crisis. How often do we find ourselves in similar situations – our worldly resources exhausted, our influence powerless, and our hearts desperate for divine intervention? It's in these moments of complete helplessness that we often find our purest faith. The beauty of this story lies not in the miracle itself, but in the nobleman's response to Jesus's word. When Christ simply said, "Go thy way; thy son liveth," the nobleman didn't demand proof or insist Jesus accompany him. He simply believed and went his way. Like modern-day believers facing their own El Capitan moments, he trusted without seeing the outcome. Just as H.G. Spafford penned "It Is Well with My Soul" in the midst of unimaginable loss, we too are called to trust God's heart when we cannot trace His hand. Our circumstances may scream for immediate resolution, like children begging for ice cream unaware of the greater adventure their parents have planned. Modern life has conditioned us to expect instant gratification. We have dishwashers instead of hand-washing, instant messages instead of letters, and GPS instead of paper maps. Yet God's timing often operates on a different schedule, teaching us that trust is more valuable than immediate results. The nobleman's journey home must have been filled with moments of doubt, yet he continued walking in faith. Similarly, our journey of faith often involves walking away from our preferred solutions, trusting instead in God's unseen plan. Like a pilot trusting an unseen control tower for guidance, we must learn to trust our heavenly Father's directions. Consider the three ways God answers prayer: "go," "no," and "slow." Each answer requires a different type of trust, but all require submission to God's wisdom. When we pray, we often try to instruct God on how to answer, much like trying to grab the wheel from Jesus when He seems to be going "off-road." True faith means letting go of our preferred methods and trusting His perfect will. The Galileans wanted signs and wonders, but Jesus sought true faith. Today, we too must guard against becoming so familiar with God's work that we lose our sense of awe. Like the hedonic treadmill that dulls our appreciation for blessings, we must actively fight against taking God's faithfulness for granted. Our relationship with Christ shouldn't be based on curiosity but conviction. It's not about seeing signs and wonders, but about trusting the One who performs them. When we face our own moments of crisis, may we remember that believing in miracles is good, but trusting in Jesus is better. Just as the nobleman discovered that his son was healed at the very hour Jesus spoke, we too will find that God's timing is perfect. Whether He answers with "go," "no," or "slow," our role remains the same – to trust His heart, believe His word, and walk in faith, even when the path ahead seems uncertain.

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:43-48; 1 John 4:7-13"I'm not going to Topher's birthday party," Declan told his mother as they walked down the grocery aisle. "Not if Walker's there." "That's not very nice," said Mom. "For Topher or Walker." "Yeah, well, they both deserve it! Walker's mean and makes fun of people, and Topher just wants to be friends with him so the other kids will think he's cool." They stopped in front of a display filled with bags of heart-shaped candy, and Declan's younger brother eagerly looked for something to pass out to his kindergarten class with his valentines. "Can I get this kind?" Ben asked, picking up a bag."Let's see," Mom said, reading the package. "We'll need two bags of these. There are only twenty pieces in each bag, and there are twenty-one kids in your class.""One's enough," said Ben. "I'm not giving one to Steven. He's mean, and he doesn't deserve candy.""Ben," said Mom, "Valentine's Day is all about love, remember? It's not very loving to bring treats for all but one person in your class. As Christians, we need to love others the way Jesus loves us--even those who aren't nice to us. Either we buy enough to share with Steven or we don't buy any at all."Ben scowled. "No! I'm not getting one for Steven," he said, crossing his arms. Mom placed the candy back on the shelf and started walking away. "Wait!" Ben exclaimed, tugging at her coat. "Okay, okay, I'll get one for Steven!"Declan smirked at Ben's sudden change in attitude. "You know," Mom said, eyeing him, "that goes for friendships as well as candy."Declan looked at her and grimaced. "You're talking about Topher's party, aren't you?"Mom nodded. "The truth is, we don't get to decide whether someone deserves to have us show them God's love, because none of us deserve it. Yet God showed His love for us all by sending Jesus to take the punishment for our sins on the cross. As His followers, He calls us to love others--even those we don't get along with.""Like Walker," Declan said. He sighed, then nodded. "I'll tell Topher that I'll go to his party. Maybe I can get some candy to share too." –LeAnn CampbellHow About You?Do you find it hard to love people who aren't nice to you? Some people aren't easy to love, but God wants us to love them anyway. He loves us so much that Jesus came to earth, suffered a painful death, and raised Himself back to life to save us from sin. We don't deserve His love, but He gives it to us freely, and He will help us love others--even those who aren't easy to love.Today's Key Verse:Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. (NKJV) (1 John 4:7 )Today's Key Thought:Show love to everyone

Forgiveness is mentioned dozens of times in the Bible. In Genesis 33, Esau forgives his brother's treachery in stealing his birthright. And the most famous example is the forgiveness Jesus chooses on the cross as His accusers and executioners mock Him. Think about how hard that was! It gives some perspective on our own situations in life.When you think about it, the entire theme of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is one of forgiveness. Man chose to bring sin into the world, and defy God's perfect plan. Yet God didn't leave us in that state. He made a way for our sins to be put away forever. Jesus Christ became the vessel through which forgiveness could be extended on an epic scale.One of the most difficult passages in all the Bible is found in the New Testament. Matthew 5:43–45 says, “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor' and you hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.”In the here and now, is there anything more difficult than forgiving a mocking enemy?There are people in the world who delight in making others miserable their whole lives. But Jesus is telling us forgiveness is possible. The key is when we take the long view. We must mentally and emotionally take ourselves out of the pain we're experiencing right now. Think of the future. Begin imagining the most wonderful healing that can take place between enemies.That's what God did for us. The Bible tells us He is holy, and cannot look on sin. Yet in Genesis Chapter 3, God began the process of grace. In the Gospels and in Paul's letters, we see Him continuing to be patient with us. And then in Revelation, the long view: God takes our acts of forgiveness and makes a powerful, redemptive new world. And we can look forward to that.Let's pray.Father, thank you for having mercy on us in every way. Sometimes we need to forgive someone, and sometimes the shoe is on the other foot. Help us to read your Word, and act on your commands to forgive. Especially when it hurts. In Jesus' name, amen.Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

Life throws us curveballs. Disappointments hit hard. Dreams seem to fade. Yet God says we must persevere! Today we delve into the powerful truth and difficult test of Galatians 6:9 - 'Do not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not faint.'  Join us as we provide tips to help build your resolve as you Wait on God, Trust Him during the trying of your faith, Believe that your Due Season will come, and whatever you do, Don't Quit!

There's only one kind of parents any child will ever have—imperfect ones. Yet God's command to “Honor your father and mother” is to be followed, regardless. The good news is: Though it's hard to obey, at times, this command comes with a blessed “promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth'” (Eph. 6:2-3). In this podcast, Scott Brown and Jason Dohm explain that honoring one's parents is in every child's best interest. Dishonor toward one's parents, on the other hand, is one of the most dangerous, debilitating things you can ever do. Their charge: Make it your occupation to honor your parents. Let others focus on their imperfections—like Shem and Japheth did when Noah got drunk—even as you rest in God's sovereignty.

I Am Changed (Identity Series)Romans 3:23-24 “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins.”We have all done things in the past that we are not proud of, and sometimes, we get stuck thinking about those things. We replay them over and over again in our minds and think about how different our lives would be if we had not done them. Some of us think that the things we did were so bad that there is no way God could ever forgive us or love us. Regret is a terrible thing. It sucks the life out of the present moment if you let it. Our minds are powerful, and we will believe what they tell us. We may know in our hearts that God will always forgive us if we truly repent. We know in our hearts that God will always love us no matter what we do and that we do not have to earn his love. However, sometimes, that little voice inside of us will listen to the enemy, and our brain will believe the lies that he tells us. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The evil one likes to take this phrase and use it to whisper things in our ears like, “See, no one is good enough,” or “No matter what you do, you will always fall short of God's standards.” He tells us that we shouldn't even bother because we are not enough. Do you ever feel that way, like you are not enough? What many of us may not know is what the very next verse, Romans 3:24, says, “Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins.” Yes, we all sin, but God's grace “makes us right in his sight.” Another way the enemy likes to get to us is to tell us that we will never change. That we are still the same person who did that thing we regret. If we strive to change, he tells us that we can't change. He reminds us of the things we have done in the past and whispers that we will do it again. There is a song I heard for the first time on the Big Life Devotional, and it is “Slave to Nothing” by Zach Williams. In this song he says:You can tell me what I did
You can show me who I was before
Where I fell short
Hang it over my head
But I'm not the same anymore
One thing's for sure
The shackles have fallen
So I'm showing shame to the door
Make no mistake
I'm a slave, to nothingIf you get a chance to listen to this song, I highly recommend it. click hereJust because you have acted a certain way in the past does not mean that you have to act that way forever. You can decide to repent and change your ways at any point in time, and God will be there to forgive you and welcome you in with open arms. Think about the many saints that have had beginnings that were not so great. One of the most illustrious saints, I think, is St. Augustine of Hippo. He was a man who was known for having not one but two mistresses. He ran around for years before having a change of heart and settling down at 31. St. Augustine went on to become a Doctor of the Church. Then there is also Saint Mary of Egypt, who ran away from home at 12 and spent a dozen years living on the street as a seductress. According to Craughwell in an article in Live Science, “Nothing made her happier than corrupting innocent young Christian men.” Saint Mary went to Jerusalem looking for young Christian boys to seduce. At the doors to the church, she felt a strange force repulsing her, and she immediately changed her ways. There was also Saint Camillus de Lellis, a priest from Italy that founded one of the first healthcare organizations for the needy. He started out as a cardsharp, con man, and mercenary. There are also lots of modern-day examples of people who had a rough start. Jennifer Aniston, who is one of the most famous actors because of her role in the sitcom Friends, had 4 failed sitcoms in a row before she landed the role on Friends. Tim Allen, who starred in Home Improvement, is now starring in Last Man Standing and was also the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story Movies. In 1979, he was caught with many illegal substances and went to jail for over 2 years. Then he got his life together and became the actor we know and love today. Oprah Winfrey grew up in poverty and did not have the best childhood. She was molested during her childhood and early teens and became pregnant at 14; her son was born too early and died in infancy. Can you imagine the things the enemy was trying to tell her? What was he trying to tell all of these people? What if these people would have believed the lies that they could not become anything different? If they believed that the version of themselves that was not enough or prone to sinning was all they could ever be? What if they stopped reaching for more because they believed they could never achieve more? What lies do you believe? How much more could you accomplish or become if you stopped believing the lies? You may have made mistakes in the past. You may wish that you could change certain things. Do not let those things hold you back from being who you are today. Do not believe the lies that you are not enough, lazy, selfish, greedy, etc. Just because you may have been those things in the past does not mean that you have to be those things in the future. You can be whoever you want to be because God has redeemed you with his grace!~ The blog this week was inspired by The Big Life Devotional by Pamela Crim. If you have time to listen to the original episode that inspired me, I highly recommend it. You can reach that episode by clicking here. The episode was called A Slave To Nothing.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, you are amazing, and we love you. We ask you to help us guard our minds and help us not to believe the enemy's lies. We ask that you help us believe we can change and that we are not who we once were. Change is possible. We ask all this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to meeting you here again on Monday. Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed weekend!Today's Word from the Lord was received in August 2024 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Be not afraid to go out and share my love, my light, my hope, my joy. All that I share with you, I keep saying, share it with the world so that they may know me and get to love me.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

  By Mary Lindow    I'm going to make a few statements about this podcast before I begin. I hope I am not required by Lord to make many podcasts like this one, but I will obey him if he does ask me to do so!  To even things out a little bit, my next few podcasts are going to be sharing about some magnificent and overwhelming experiences that I have had in meeting First Native Chiefs throughout the United States and Canada. All of these events were orchestrated by the Lord in order for us to meet. The things that I learned from these godly individuals who love Jesus, but understand the strongholds in our cities, our nations and upon our lands, has been absolutely Life-changing. I hope to share at least two podcasts telling you these stories and experiences that glorify Jesus, and show the power of his supernatural ability to get us to the places we need to go without ever having to push our way in or manipulate anything.   Now let's begin today's crucial podcast. We are in a time when many people are seeing much evil take place, not only in our nation, not only in large and small corporations, but in church organizations and organizations that claim to bear the name of Christ on their letterheads.   One of the greatest deceptions taking place is that people are being told to NOT “discuss”/not to tell the truth about the abuses that are taking place in some of these organizations. With the multitude of public exposures that is taking place right now all over social media regarding unconscionable and difficult happenings, I have been agonizingly yet strongly prompted by the Holy Spirit, to share my thoughts and the experiences that I have had in walking other people out of dark places, because of the harm done to them in some of these institutions.   I do this with a heavy heart, and yet I must take courage and be obedient in order to be an “Advocate of Hope” for those who feel that they cannot speak out for fear of being threatened or ridiculed, letting them know that there are others who will champion and stand with  them by calling “wolfish abuse” what it is, instead of sweeping it under any kind of Church Carpet, Corporate Carpet, or Institutional Carpet.   I am by far, not the perfect believer by any means! I've had some wonderful mentors and training from others in ministry as well as in the counseling arena who have been strong and good people of discernment. When something inside of you is alerted or feels really uncomfortable, or even just the thought of, “there's something not right about that” pops in, that's a built-in radar God gives us. Now, if someone's judging someone because they don't like that they're loud, or seem to be "too meek, obese, skinny, or speak a truth that they aren't comfortable with or don't have wisdom about", then that's where all the speculating and suspicion move in.   Being set free from critical behavior and suspicion takes a willingness to admit that we don't trust anybody, or, that we think we have an exclusive lead on how God speaks all the time.   I certainly need the accountability friends in my life who speak truth to me firmly and regularly!   The soul loves to put itself in its own place of authority and override discernment, humility,and often the need to prove that our opinion matters. Honestly, keeping a heart pure and clean before the Lord every day, (and that's truly not just an easy thing), but pursuing him with the right heart, keeps that place where we hear from him very sharpened and aware! Studying his word, digging into what it really means, provides a depth and place of resource to go to, to check whether our heart is in accordance with his word or if we're making up our own ideas about things. It's so easy to let other people think or speak for us, or their opinions, being strong, driving a message to us that says we should probably do what they say. This is where we get into trouble!   We are supposed to question or “test” things and not just take everything hook, line, and sinker!   In 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 it tells us, “Do not quench the Spirit.  Do not despise prophecies, BUT, test everything; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”   Friends! Evil can be deceptive and cunning! The word of God has an omnipotent power that cuts through all of the fog of self-deception and definitely pontificating! Many people quote the scripture and use it to their benefit when they want to self promote or appear to be somewhat spiritual. This is where discernment has to come in!!!   If something feels wrong, if something is spiritually off key, is not in alignment with what Jesus said or what the scriptures speak, then discernment has to come in to play.   The road gets narrower as you walk your Christian journey with Jesus, and you absolutely will be called many names because of the stance of wanting to be more like him, and more detached from the volumes of worldly knowledge. Wisdom isn't easily gained!  But, it's so worth it when you get a little nugget that lasts for eternity.   Suspicion vs. Discernment. I've seen this destroy and have been painfully more than a few times, a recipient of ugly and ruthless “suspicious” judgments. Suspicion destroys relationships. It destroys lives. It listens to hearsay rather than God's inward warnings. Suspicion can feed a self satisfaction (which is actually pride) when our choices to put others in a lesser and suspicious light, even sabotaging them, justifies our own agendas.   When we are constantly suspicious of the motives of others, we drive people away that could be a great blessings to us. (They may even walk with a bit of a limp due to the battles and hard fought victories they've fought throughout their lives.) Check your life today. Are you discerning, or merely suspicious? The problem is, sometimes we label suspicion with the pious name of “discernment” and think we're being super spiritual. It's so important to learn the difference between discernment and suspicion!     The difference is quite simple. Discernment comes from God and will recognize evil for what it is. Suspicion come from or soul and will imagine evil when there is none. If you see genuine compassion, kindness, mercy, accountability, humility and a forgiving nature in someone, you are seeing a surrendered soul.     Not many want to talk about how hard spiritual growth and dying to ourselves, our opinions our interpretations is. It's not a one time thing, it's every day. It's remaining quiet when we want to speak. It's trusting God's timing when we would, rather control. It's doing it God's way when it doesn't make sense to us. It's quietly walking away from what might “appear to be a lucrative or more publicly promoting opportunity” when you know there are political or spiritually abusive environments involved.   We don't get a lot of accolades or crowns here on earth for that kind of brave but necessary decision. But in heaven, when we do behold the face of the one who literally bled out for us, and he says, “Well done, so well done my good and faithful servant! Enter into my rest!” Oh my goodness, how absolutely all of the hardship and persecution will melt away in that moment, and the joy that is unspeakable and has yet to be fully understood, will be complete in our lives.   It is necessary in life to learn from those who have more wisdom and experience, because they can help us see things that we don't notice.   Even though modern culture tells us that we should “live our own truth and do whatever we think is best”, it's this type of thinking that leads us into trouble. This is why Scripture tells us not to be wise in our own eyes.   True wisdom comes from fearing God. This means we should have a high regard for God's Word and His instructions to us. He knows all things, including, what is best for us. We can also gain wisdom from other people. When we can learn from the mistakes and experiences of others, we're better equipped to not make the same mistakes. However, if you think you're the only one who knows best, you are bound to repeat the same errors.   There's a huge amount of exposure taking place in pulpits, Ministry organizations, Christian Media Corporations, Governments, Christian Universities and Bible Schools... ...Right now.   Of course, we all know the Lord is doing a lot of the exposing and dealing with painful and shocking events that have or, are currently occurring, or are being investigated.   Why is he doing this? Because he will not allow these kinds of charades, criminal acts or hiding of sexual misconductsto NOT be caught. Sadly many individuals who are sitting in church pulpits or are serving in ministry environments such as youth ministries, children's church, Young adult groups and more, are often made uncomfortable by things they see taking place with some of the staff members. The big question now is do you dare say anything?   If you see a male individual in a place of authority as a teacher, a pastor, any kind of youth worker anywhere, being over familiar with females, and by that I mean, resting their hand on their back too often with letting it linger, standing too closely to them in their personal space, spending time alone with them in their office etc. with doors shut and no visible way to see anything taking place. These are red flags! A little bit of investigating and watching and taking notes is appropriate. Always document things that you see that make you feel there is something wrong going on and always date it. But be honest, not suspicious and don't exaggerate or embellish. If necessary, take pictures. These are now used as evidence in court cases.   Another example! If you would happen to know that there was a youth minister who sexually approached or interfered with a child or a young adult, and it was hidden and “dealt with” in an internal investigation among elders or leaders of a church or youth organization, club or scouting group, but was never reported, and this individual was then packed up and sent off to another state to minister or workelsewhere, they have basically turned this person into a repeat offender. These things must be reported to the police!   Here's the hard thing. We sure hope that we could go to people like elders or other leaders in the church if we see something taking place and know that deception is involvedand that others are covering it up. If there has ever been a question that you have seen or a child has reported to you, that a young adult has reported to you or a teenager has reported to you that something inappropriate, whether it was conversation, whether it was physical touch, whether it was a threat that took place, you must go to the police.   Taking it to the pastor or taking it to the leadership "feels" like a good idea. But when there's a wolf in the crowd, when there are wolves in leadership positions, we don't take time to try to defend ourselves against wolves or predators.    If you know, for a fact that these things have taken place, you must document and you must protect the children. You must protect the young developing adults. And, you must protect the future generations that would be affected if this perpetrator is permitted to be allowed to continue to remain in any organization, and not have appropriate legal consequences take place.   There are many who are holding positions in churches that are hiding inappropriate events of their own, within their own staff, or within their own organization, who value their building, their notoriety and their income, more than they value protecting the sheep or telling the truth.   Some people do not believe this is true! They think that surely the Holy Spirit would be exposing these things if they were really happening! Well, my friends, the Holy Spirit uses practical human beings who are aware and have cultivated discernment and see that there is something very wrong and very out of order going on, and these human beings must be bold, courageous, and speak out like the prophet Nathan spoke to King David when he was having a long-term affair with Bathsheba and murdered his own military leader in order to cover his own manipulative and adulterous behavior. There were terrible, painful consequences that took place because of what David did. Yet God in his mercy when David repented, restored David's relationship back to himself. But if forever changed David, and there were things that he was no longer permitted to partake in because of his wickedness. But God did not shun him. God corrected him.   Here are a few basic recommendations I'd like to share as a Pastoral counselor (and as a minister myself), with those who are in some form of ministry. It's not wise for men to counsel Women alone, but if necessary they must have a glass window where another safe office or staff member can see into the room. I have seen too many people get enmeshed emotionally with intimate counseling and I have historical documents that sadly indicate where several ministers who fantasized or planned or, actually have run off with people they were counseling for marriage difficulties! They have devastated marriages, families and churches because they crossed a line and blew clear past healthy boundaries, and safety protocols for counseling.   I also strongly recommend that men are not often alone in an office setting or ministry facility with women, especially if single, because they're vulnerable women, because the table can turn two ways. The woman can become needy or manipulative and play on the affections or the emotions of a tender, kind hearted man, and then turn around and accuse them of some kind of inappropriate actions. Men in buildings alone with women who are married and it's late at night with a woman who is beautiful and lovely, or even sweet and precious, can create a sense of desire in a man whois tired of the grind of life, maybe hard work, might be having some strain at home, and in a few moments of weakness, begins to pursue an emotional affair, talking too openly, sharing too openly, and it can quickly lead to other kinds of affection, emotional bonding and inappropriate touching.   I know some of this sounds pretty heavy, and we as believers just don't want to have to hear about the horrible, dark things that could possibly take place! We so want to believe the best in everyone and we want to be merciful and forgiving! But, with the recent rash and exposure of well-known names, seemingly appearing holy and virtuous, many well protected individuals are now being exposed in multiple areas and in multiple environments, for hiding harm done to children, harm done to staff, and then using spiritual gifts or “spiritual pedigrees” to justify that they were just “tired or weak in the moment” and that they thought they'd handle it in house privately!   Well, to speak bluntly and boldly, this fakery and denial is just all hogwash when the gaslighting and lying starts!     We have to call it what it is! It's called spiritual abuse (SA) or clergy sexual abuse. (CSA) .   Returning to my original introduction regarding the need for discernment versus suspicion, we have to be very wise and make sure that our hearts are right as we begin to walk out these very difficult times of exposure as well as needing to be vocal.   There are victims among us who have not said anything for years about the things that took place in back rooms or offices or church buildings, camps or cars. For some reason, people run to suspicion and say, “Why are you now just beginning to talk about this? Why did you wait so long? What do you want out of this?”     In legal terms when someone speaks out immediately about sexual abuse or harm done,the term is called “Outcry”. They “cry out”, they “tell”.   When someone takes awhile to be able to process abuse, especially children (male, and female!) or young vulnerable teenagers or women who have been abused in the past, and have been threatened to remain silent or paid off to be quiet, and are easily preyed upon by those who are able to spot vulnerability, it takes them longer, and healthy unpacking and dialog frees them to tell. This must be tenderly and wisely handled with a skilled CHRISTIAN trauma counselor who works in these areas of sexual, church or cult abuse, or child abuse.   The term for this, when someone takes so long or doesn't remember everything that happened (because they've been threatened and they have shut it out), this is called “Delayed Outcry.”   With the proper counseling and the proper police reporting involved, then there becomes an investigation or a forensic investigation that listens to and  reviews documents, the stories or events, does the investigating, looks at any kind of proof which could be documents, notes, texts, emails, pictures, clothing, the location or rooms these things happened in. Then, they begin to question and cross examine those who are being accused.   Yes! There have been people who have lied and set others up for something they never did. Or, they lured people into getting them to be involved in nefarious behaviors, use of drugs, alcohol, inappropriate touching, looking at unsafe objects, videos or pictures, and then turn around and use it to project onto that individual in order to hide their own very Addictive sicknesses.   Here's the Honest Deal. When there are wolves operating the pulpits, we don't say, “well they were once a really nice sheep so we have to be nice to them!” A wolf is a wolf! A wolf puts on a mask like a sheep and can appear saintly and beautiful and tell sad, well oiled stories about themselves to make themselves look like they're repentant over something “small” that they may struggle over and then everyone feels like, “what a lovely, humble soul!” They can con, they can cry, they can preach, they can look compassionate. They can talk a good line, they can be very convincing. But, if they have been predators, touching children, often touching women, touching men, plagiarizing, mishandling funds for their own purposes and lavish living... …These are wolves.   We have to call them for what they are. They thrive on building their egos and are very convincing in order build their own empires, claiming that it was the Lord giving them all the blessings.     2 Corinthians 11:13-14 addresses this so strongly! “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light!”   Friends, Discernment is at an all-time low and the Lord is bringing it to the forefront.   The Spirit of God is saying to you and saying to me, “cultivate develop and train yourself to be discerning and to test everything!” This means school boards, politicians, those in the pulpit, those in other ministries and any other position of authority. Some of the slickest and most well promoted people are often those of who have charming, manipulative narcissistic traits and harm many in their wake.   The posture of power, inflated titles, fake tears, swiftly changing of trends and movements that claim it's “THE thing” God is doing, are lures to draw crowds, train people to trust the speakers to hear from God for them ( but not fully train the audience to discern and judge.)   Oh the wretched and unbelievably twisted things I have heard behind the doors of Pastoral counseling! Oh the ugly and extremely uncomfortable things I've witnessed in Green rooms before live “Christian” broadcasts. Oh the unbelievably huge complex and disgusting competition that goes on among ministries and Christian organizations, when monetary policies are used as a way to enrich those at the top.   If There's Anything I'd Scream From the Rooftops Today It Would Be, “Cultivate and Learn Discernment!”   Be sober! Be wise! Be accountable!”   Oh Lord Jesus! Mature your people. Teach them to hear your voice.    I would like to share a statement from a wonderful man of God who is a seasoned Husband, Father, Pastor, Speaker, and Author. His name is Tim Challies. He shares these very potent and deep words.   “With discernment comes division.   A person who seeks to be discerning must be willing to suffer the effects of this division. It will divide not only the believer from the unbeliever, but it may even divide a discerning believer from one who is undiscerning. It will separate the mature from the immature and the naïve from the prudent.”   SO well said!   In my closing out of this podcast today, I would like to share a few potent words from Dr. Diane Langberg who has worked in multicultural and many international settings were abuse and tragedy of every kind, (those imagined and those that you cannot imagine that have taken place). She works as a specialist among those who have been traumatized by Church abuse in its many forms. She is a wise Senior woman who I greatly admire and have learned much from. As I share her statements in closing, allow them to speak to the deeper part of you where the Lord is developing discernment and greater awareness.   Diane says, “Many of us have confused the church system with Jesus Christ; they are not the same. There are wolves among the sheep, tares among the wheat. Jesus called humans that looked good on the outside, white-washed tombs full of stink. My work has taught me that many poor sheep have followed a blind guide, a gifted wolf, and landed in a pit. No so-called Christian system is truly God's work unless it “fleshes out” his character. Toleration of sin, pretense, and crookedness do not reveal the character of God, even if they bear his name. Arrogance is never godly. Covering up sin is never godly. Abuse of power is never godly. Shepherds who feed on sheep are abusive. Leadership that preserves and protects the system, rather than the people, turns the house of God into a safe place for predators. Those who come to feed on God himself then find themselves being the main course instead.   We have failed to protect leaders from their own bondage to self-deception and sin. Exposure brings hope, for it brings the cancer to the light. To hide sin by cover-up or silent complicity is spiritual abuse. It is a failure to love the perpetrator. Demise of a system—even a spiritual system—is not the worst that can happen! We must acknowledge and tell the truth about these things. Great damage is being done to God's sheep, in his name. He weeps over such leaders and the sheep they harm. Be watchful. Recognize coercive and manipulative behavior. Call it by its right name when someone in power uses spiritual words and ideas to silence, control, and intimidate. Be discerning about those who hold power—including yourself. Do not be deceived.  May we, with Daniel, call out to God: “O Lord, hear! O Lord forgive. O Lord listen and act. For your own sake do not delay, because your church and your people are called by your name.”(Dan. 9:19). Source:  https://erlc.com/resource/when-the-sheep-are-preyed-upon/   Finally, I would like to say these words. Trauma can leave people feeling shattered and alone. But through our faith, we discover that God's love is unwavering and His healing touch can mend even the deepest wounds.   Let's remember that we are not defined by our pain, But by the Grace that lifts us up, and leads us toward restoration.   If you find yourself carrying the weight of trauma, know that you are not alone on this journey. For those of you who may be trembling with fear or who have experienced any kind of abuse. For those of you, how are trembling and fear, because you know you have done something and have hidden it from others or have protected others who you know have done harmful, evil things, the word of God says to confess your faults to one another to confess your sins so that you may be clean, freed, and that you may be forgiven. To those of you who have been abused, don't be afraid to find a safe, godly, skilled trauma counselor who will be able to help you be freed from the prisons of shame, control, and intimidation within, so that you can walk in the light of grace and freedom and know that your Father in heaven has rescued you from those that harm. To help you in your journey, I have included a link where you can quickly locate or begin to research a Christian counselor who is skilled and able to help you with whatever specific area that you may need to have help with. https://tinyurl.com/5h4zfc9u   Let's pray together before we end this time together. Heavenly Father, May everyone who knows your mercy keep putting their trust in you, for they can count on you for help no matter what. O Lord, you will never, no, never, neglect those who come to you." -Psalms 9:10 Heavenly Father, in the face of fear and uncertainty, I call upon your strength to fill those who are listening to, or who are reading this message, fill them with courage. When the wounds of traumatic experiences seem too deep to overcome, remind them that you are the ever-present help in times of trouble. Grant them the bravery to face their fears head-on, knowing that you go in front of them, leading them into a future, free from the shackles of the past. Thank you for being our fortress and our deliverer. With you by their side, They will not be afraid. Amen.   Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomed, as long as the complete message, Website, podcast link and information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You! "2025" "THE MESSENGER"  -  Mary Lindow www.marylindow.com www.marylindow.podbean.com   If you would be so kind to assist Mary by helping her to meet other administrative needs such as website, video messages and podcast costs, or desire to bless her service in ministry with Spirit-led offerings or regular support:   Please JOYFULLY send your gift in the form of:  ► Personal Checks ► Business Checks ► Money Orders ► Cashiers Checks To:  His Beloved Ministries Inc.  PO Box 1253 Denver, Colorado 80614 USA    Or feel free to use or send a tax-deductible gift with   Pay Pal   paypal.me/mlindow  Under the name of - Mary Lindow - His Beloved Ministries  ALL gifts are tax-deductible under His Beloved Ministries 5013c non-profit status. We are financially accountable and have been in full compliance since 1985 THANK YOU!   To Learn More About Steve and Mary  Click this Picture!

Web Description: Psalm 2 states, “The kings of the earth take their stand … against the Lord and against His Anointed.” So there should be no confusion about the conflict happening in the world. The Kingdom of God is coming, and many governments are standing against it. Yet God's Kingdom is the answer for the world, and our focus is not on the conflict but on the solution. Father, Your Kingdom come, and Your will be done on the earth.   Show Notes: When a country goes through a change of government, it can experience turmoil. This concept helps us understand what is happening on a global scale today. The entire world is experiencing a governmental changeover as the Kingdom of God comes into the earth. And the reaction of many nations to the Kingdom of God is to reject it. They reject the laws, the conditions, and the requirements of God's Kingdom. And so a battle ensues.   We need to understand the nature of this battle. There are many wars and rumors of wars in the world today, but the prophecies in Scripture are not about random nations fighting one another. The war against the Kingdom is the war of nations against the Jewish people. That is why we are seeing so many attacks against Israel and against Jews worldwide. It is because they are the representatives of God's Kingdom. Israel is where the Kingdom will come on the earth, and the Jews are the people from whom it manifests.   We must stay focused on what God is doing and stay free from the negativity generated by the hostility of nations against Him and His people. God's purpose is not to bring war but to fulfill the promised blessings of His Kingdom. We might see many negative events in the days ahead, but it is important that we remember how it all turns out. Many nations and people will go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, to learn His ways and never again learn war. That is the focus of the last days, not the negative. That is our faith and intercession for His Kingdom to come.   Key Verses:   •       Philippians 2:10–11. “Every knee will bow … and … every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” •       Psalm 2:1–3. “The kings of the earth take their stand … against the Lord and against His Anointed.” •       John 4:22. “Salvation is from the Jews.” •       Psalm 2:4–12. “I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance.” •       Matthew 24:6. “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars.” •       Isaiah 34:1–3. “The Lord's indignation is against all the nations.” •       Isaiah 2:1–4. “The law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”   Quotes:   •       “The nations are in an uproar. Why? Because the Kingdom of God is drawing nearer and nearer.” •       “I think we're at the time where the nations have chosen and taken their stand against the Lord and against His anointed.” •       “The wars will pass away. The rumors of wars will pass away. And as the Kingdom of God sets in, no longer will nation lift up its sword against another nation.”   Takeaways:   1.    What we are witnessing in the world is a governmental changeover, and that is the Kingdom of God coming into the earth. This is not an easy transition as many nations, governments, and peoples will resist submitting to His Lordship. 2.    The focus of resistance and opposition to the Kingdom of God is and always has been the Jewish people because the Kingdom manifests from them. That is why we see increasing attacks against them and against the Jewish homeland of Israel. 3.    If the nations were able to bring peace and justice and solutions to the world's problems, they would have done so by now. The Kingdom of God has the answers that mankind has been seeking, and we should excitedly await and strive to be a part of it. 4.    We must not let our hearts become fearful or let our spirits faint. Let us proclaim His Word to break the lies that come against God's people and against His land. Let us pray that the truth of His justice and His love be known and that His government prevails.  

There’s an old folktale about a woman who carried water home every day from a river using two buckets at either end of a long pole—one bucket new and solid, the other much older and cracked. When the woman got home, the new bucket was still full, but the old bucket almost empty. The old bucket felt badly and apologized. The woman turned and pointed back down the road and asked the old bucket, “Do you see all those flowers, growing on your side of the road? Every day you water them, and my walk to and from the river is always filled with beauty.” We live in a world that worships and rewards youth—the young and solid, unscarred and efficient. Yet God’s Word clearly tells us of a righteous beauty that comes from the older and weaker, maybe even cracked and leaky. “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,” said the old songwriter, “they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon” (Psalm 92:12). Granted, old is not always synonymous with wise, but the old contribute to our lives in ways the young can’t because they’ve lived a little longer, experienced a little more, and stand a little more rooted, flourishing in faith and trust in God. Such people “will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green” (v. 14). Older adults in our lives continue to bear beautiful fruit. Let’s take the time to care and see it.

Send us a textFrom Come Follow Me:        "It had been three years since God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith in the grove, and Joseph hadn't received any additional revelations since then. He began to wonder whether the Lord was displeased with him. Like all of us, he had made mistakes, and he felt condemned by them. Yet God still had a work for him to do. And the work Joseph was called to do is connected to what God asks of us. Joseph would bring forth the Book of Mormon; we are invited to share its message. Joseph would receive priesthood keys to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers; we can now receive ordinances for our ancestors in temples. Joseph was told of prophecies that would soon be fulfilled; we are called to help fulfill these prophecies. As we take part in God's work, we can expect to face opposition and even persecution, just as the Prophet did. But we can also have faith that the Lord will make us instruments in His hands, just as He did for Joseph."Support the Show!www.patreon.com/SaintsintheSouth(We are working on putting together some really cool stuff for those Patreon subscribers who are kind enough to support our mission of "gospel growth and good times"! There is a lot in the works; please consider supporting the show through Patreon!)(The thoughts, ideas, and beliefs we express on this channel do not officially represent The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  For additional information or official statements, please visit the website below.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng)#biblestudy #oldtestament #religion #churchofJesusChrist #ldspodcast #christianpodcast #missionary #lds #biblestories #christ #faith #faithinchrist #scriptures #bookofmormon #doctrineandcovenants #pearlofgreatprice #temples #houseofthelord #mormon #mormonbeliefs #christiansandmormons #god #endure #ironrod #faithineveryfootstep #generalconference #prophets #followtheprophet #commandments #love #service #charity #keepstriving #keeponstriving #gospelgrowthandgoodtimes #become #newtestamentCreate Harmony This is a podcast about setting an intentional rhythm, savoring life's blessings and...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

The Power Of His Presence #RTTBROS #Nightlight "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee." - Isaiah 60:1-2 In the depths of a Chilean mine in 2010, thirty-three miners faced what seemed like an eternal darkness. For sixty-nine days, they were trapped 2,300 feet underground in sweltering heat and suffocating humidity. Their story mirrors our own spiritual journey through darkness, waiting for the light of God's presence to pierce through our circumstances. The presence of God is not merely about prohibition, principles, or promises – it is about His divine companionship in our darkest hours. Unlike the capricious gods of ancient mythology who descended only to punish humanity, our God draws near to comfort, strengthen, and transform us. He is Emmanuel, God with us, who chooses to tent among His people just as He did in the tabernacle with the children of Israel. Consider Joseph, who found himself in the darkness of a prison cell through no fault of his own. The Lord did not immediately deliver him from his circumstances, but His presence remained steadfast. In that darkness, God was preparing Joseph for a greater purpose – one that would save nations and reconcile his family. The prison became a crucible where Joseph's character was refined in the presence of the Almighty. Similarly, Daniel spent a night in the lions' den, not because God couldn't deliver him, but because God's presence with him in that den would demonstrate a greater miracle. The same was true for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. The king saw not three men, but four walking in the midst of the flames – a testament to God's faithful presence in our trials. When we find ourselves asking "Why me, Lord?" in times of darkness, perhaps we should instead ask, "Lord, what are you doing in this situation?" The presence of God in our trials is not just for our comfort but for His glory. Anyone can praise God on a sunny Sunday morning when all is well, but it's in the darkness that our light truly shines for others to see His glory. The transformative power of God's presence is evident in Isaiah's encounter with the Lord in the temple. When Isaiah saw God's glory, he became acutely aware of his own unworthiness. Yet God, knowing our imperfections, still chooses to use us for His kingdom purposes. Our transformation in His presence is not about achieving perfection but about allowing His light to shine through our brokenness. The Christian journey is indeed a marathon, not a sprint. Like long-distance runners who hit "the wall" at mile twenty-two, we too face moments when we feel we cannot take another step. It is in these moments that God's presence becomes our strength, enabling us to "mount up with wings as eagles" and continue the race He has set before us. Just as a caterpillar undergoes its transformation in the darkness of a chrysalis, God often does His deepest work in our lives during seasons of darkness. What emerges is something entirely new – a testimony to His transformative power. One season in God's presence can change everything, turning the despised into the prized, the mourning into dancing. In our current cultural climate, where Christianity faces increasing marginalization, we must remember that God's promise of restoration remains unchanged. He can take us from being despised to being prized, not for our glory but for His. The darkness that seems to cover the earth cannot overcome the light of His presence in our lives. Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out. https://linktr.ee/rttbros

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 Delivered by God, Sustained by Prayer Please remain standing for the reading of our sermon text – 2 Corinthians 1:8-11. That is on page 1145 in the pew Bibles These verses continue the theme from last week. The apostle Paul was expressing the comfort of God to the Corinthians. He wanted them to be comforted by the comfort of Christ in their suffering and also share that comfort. These verses, 8-11, continue that theme. Paul now gives them an example - a life threating affliction that he experienced. Reading of 2 Corinthians 1:8-11. Prayer There is strong evidence that most of the apostles were killed for their faith… for their gospel ministry. We call that being martyred. For example, James, the brother of the apostle John, was executed by king Agrippa. We know that for sure from the book of Acts chapter 12. That is the only one recorded in the Bible, but we have other historical testimonies from the early church fathers. They wrote about how Peter was crucified upside down in Rome. How Thomas was killed in India. How Andrew was crucified in Greece on an X shaped cross. And how Paul was beheaded under the persecution of Nero. Other accounts exist as well. And while we can't absolutely verify the details, the evidence supports those accounts. Some of you will know this, but before the apostle Paul's radical conversion, he was the one persecuting and even killing Christians. Yet God transformed his life. He was confronted by Jesus himself on the road to Damascus. Even though he was temporarily blinded, God opened the eyes of his heart, he could now see the truth clearly. Instead of being a persecutor he became one of the persecuted. In fact, at the time of his conversion, God revealed to Paul, what he must suffer. God told a man named Annanias to find Paul. Annanias was hesitant because he knew Paul's history. But listen to these words spoken by the Lord to Annanias.  “Go, for he [that is, Paul] is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” And suffer, Paul would. In the book of Acts we have account after account of Paul's imprisonments, beatings, and other persecution. And we don't even know the half of it! Later in 2 Corinthians, chapter 11, Paul lists many more than we have recorded elsewhere. Five times he received what was known as 40 lashes minus 1. That is whips on his back. Three times he was beaten with rods. One time he was stoned. He had been left for dead. You see, Paul and the other apostles endured intense persecution because of their Gospel ministry. And eventually would be martyred, I'm telling you all this because when we read 2 Corinthians, it's important to understand and apply this book correctly. And we can do that on three levels. ·       First and foremost, Paul is defending his apostleship. The apostle's ministry was patterned after Christ's ministry of persecution unto death. The affliction and martyrdom that Paul and the others endured testified to God's special call for them. So, the first layer of application is to affirm their apostleship and this word from God and to therefore reject false teachers and false apostles. ·       Second, the call to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth still applies today. And while there are no more apostles, capital A, yet God still calls many to bring the love of God in Christ to places that have never received the good news of Jesus Christ. And it is a sacrifice. There are those, today, who give their lives for that great cause. Martyrs, who in their frontier mission work, testify in their life and death to the risen Christ and hope in him. That is the second level of application. Those being persecuted for their faith receive a special comfort from these verses. You with me, so far? The first level application, again, is the apostle's persecution and affliction which testifies to their apostleship. The second level of application is in the affliction and comfort of those who are afflicted because of their faith. Now, some people draw the line there. They say that those are the only two levels of application here. In other words, they say we should not extend the application to the other kind of suffering… like sickness, hardships, emotional or relational pain, or grief. But I disagree with that. ·       I want to make the case (like many others have)  for a third layer of application in 2 Corinthians. If you have your Bible open to 2 Corinthians 1, look at verse 3 from last week. God is to be worshiped because he is the God of “all” comfort. That is pretty broad... “all.” And if you look at verse 4, the word “all” is used again. Then Paul says that they want to comfort others who are in “any” affliction. Again, it's a very broad application of comfort in affliction… “any.” Here's what I am saying… the giving and receiving of comfort in suffering also applies beyond those in dangerous missions work. I mentioned last week that we are not talking about worldly comfort, but rather the comfort of assurance and peace and being encouraged and strengthened in Christ to endure. As the theme of suffering and comfort comes back around over and over, we'll apply it on those three levels. I wanted to say that up-front because it relates to today's verses… Ok, before we get into verses 8-11, I want to share one more thing. Amy told me this after last week's sermon. The verses from last week are very meaningful to her family. 30 years ago, Amy's brother died in a small plane accident. He was 23 years old at the time. A dear friend of the family shared these verses of comfort with Amy's dad. That friend who shared those verses had himself been comforted by those very words. Years earlier his daughter had died in an accident. He was sharing with Amy's family the comfort of Christ with which he himself had been comforted in his suffering. It's a beautiful picture of sharing Gospel comfort with one another. Now look at verse 8. It begins with the word “for.” It's a connecting word. “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia.” The apostle Paul directly connects this new paragraph to what he has just written to them. He is saying, let me now give you an example of our affliction through which you can be comforted. The big question, of course, is what exactly happened in Asia? That would be helpful information. And the answer is, we don't know exactly. However, I do want to give you a couple of possibilities. Look at how Paul describes the event in the second half of verse 8. “We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.” It was very difficult. Verse 9 makes the event even more intense. “Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.” Whatever the situation they found themselves in, they thought they were going to die. Earlier in the service, we read from Acts 19. One possibility is that Paul was referring to the riots in Ephesus. Ephesus was, after all, the capital of Asia at that time - Asia minor. You see, in Ephesus, Christianity had been spreading and transforming it in a good way. But it was bad for business. What I mean is that the church had been preaching against idols and idolatry. Well, that meant that all the merchants who were selling little “g” god idols were losing money. And so, Demetrius, the silversmith stirred up a riot. As you know, when a crowd gets stirred up, it can easily turn into an angry mob. When that happens, people lose any sense of peace or moderation… if they even had any to start with. Well, this mob in Ephesus dragged off two of the believers, Gaius and Aristarchus. They were, in fact, two of Paul's travelling companions. It's amazing that these men and others were not killed. God delivered them… he used the Roman authority to calm the crown down. You can see, it is possible that Paul was referring to this event – After all, they thought they had received the sentence of death, broadly speaking. The only thing is that Paul was not in the midst of it. He was not at the theater where the riot occurred. The other believers wouldn't let him go out of fear for his life. So, we do not know for sure if this was the event. Another possibility is in 1 Corinthians 15. There Paul mentioned that they fought with “wild beasts” in Ephesus. Those were the words he used. Now, to be sure, he was not talking about literal beasts, but rather men so evil it's as if they were wild beasts. So, there was a second event where they had been attacked. They could have felt the same sentence of death that he describes. Maybe it was some other event. We ultimately don't know. But whatever it was, Paul and the other with him were overwhelmed. They feared for their life, and despaired of what was going to happen. Paul described what they felt as “burdened beyond our strength.” Let me ask, have you been there? Have you experienced something so intense and so difficult that you could not see any path out of the burden? That is what they experienced. In the garden of Gethsemane the night before he was crucified, Jesus prayed, “Father, take this cup from me… yet not my will but yours be done.” I think it is safe to presume that Paul and those with him prayed a similar prayer. And what happened? God delivered them. So, while we don't know exactly what happened, we certainly know how it affected them and we know that God delivered them. And furthermore, we know two more things. ·       We know what God taught them. ·       And we also know how the church was to help them. So, let's turn our attention to those two things. Again, what did they learn and how can the church help. 1. What they Learned Number 1: what did they learn in their suffering? You know what? We don't have to guess. No, actually, Paul tells us right there in verse 9 – the second half. “But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” In the middle of our affliction, suffering, trials, God desires that we rely on him. And I want you to notice something very important here - the order of what happened. Paul first says that they learned to rely on God and not themselves… THEN in verse 10 he says that God delivered them. That's important. It was not after God delivered them that he taught them to rely on him. No, it was in the middle of feeling the sentence of death. That is when they learned to rely on him. That's hard to do, isn't it. Because in the moment, we often feel so overwhelmed. Yet it is in that very moment that we need to rely on God the most. And why we can rely on him and trust in him in those very moments? Well, it is for this reason: God raises the dead. That is what he did. God raised Jesus Christ from the grave. And that is what he will do. He will raise the dead. At the very height of the intense burden… feeling the sentence of death, what did God teach them? He taught them to not rely on their own strength but to turn their hearts to the one who raises the dead. It is the greatest promise that we can rely on in our affliction. Some of you may recognize the name Donald Barnhouse. He pastored 10th Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia back in the mid 20th century. Sadly, when his children were young, his wife passed away. As you can imagine, he struggled to have the words to comfort his children. Well, on the way to the funeral, one of his children asked, “Daddy, why did mommy have to die?” At that moment, God gave him words of comfort for his children. You see, right then, a large truck drove past them and cast its shadow over them. And he asked his children, “would you rather be run over by the truck or by its shadow? His youngest child responded first, “the shadow. It couldn't hurt anybody.” Barnhouse replied “Remember, children, Jesus let the truck of death strike him, so that it could never destroy us. Mother lives with Jesus now—only the shadow of death passed over her.” She lives. He was telling his kids… death is not the end. And while we grieve, we grieve knowing that God raises the dead. We each will experience the death of our bodies, yet we have that sure hope in our resurrection because of his. Those in Christ will be raised with him forever Let's go back to the apostle Paul and those with him. God did deliver them in that moment. God still had more work for them to accomplish in this life. More suffering to endure. More people to share the hope of Christ. More letters to write, like this one. More churches to plant. God delivered them. I want you to notice something in verse 10. The word deliver is used three times. The first use is past tense. “[God] delivered us from such a deadly peril.” Then twice, future tense. “God will deliver us.” That future deliverance involved first, hoping and praying that the Lord would deliver them again in their earthly circumstances. But second, the future deliverance meant that whatever happened, God would deliver them forever. Death in this life will only be a shadow because God raises the dead. Paul and those with him learned to rely on God who will deliver them. They “set their hope” on it (that is the phrase used)…. They “set their hope” that God would deliver them from the next sentence of death in this life. But they knew that their ultimate deliverance would be beyond the grave. And as I mentioned, at God's appointed time, Paul suffered a martyrs death. But he lives. Lets bring this together… what was God teaching them? He was teaching them… to rely on him. His strength, his purposes, his means, and not on themselves. God reminded them that he raises the dead. That is the most profound truth for those in Christ… especially in our suffering and affliction. God will deliver you. We pray for and set our hope on deliverance in this life from whatever affliction we are enduring… but ultimately, we rest on Christ and his eternal promise. We will be delivered because God raises the dead. 2. How they should help OK, that brings us to the other thing we learn in these verses. We learn the primary thing the church can and should do for those suffering. And that is, pray! Now, there are a lot of things that we can do to support one another as we go through affliction. Last week, we learned we can share the comfort of Christ with each other. Obviously, Paul had that in mind – he had just written that. And of course, we can come alongside each other in several other tangible ways. But the most important thing that we can do for anyone in any trial or affliction is pray. Pray with them and for them. Now, remember, Paul was not there with the church in Corinth. That is why he wrote to them. So, the church in Corinth could not help him and support him in the middle of this affliction. But they could pray. Look at verse 11. “You also must help us by prayer.” That is pretty strong. Paul petitioned them to pray. They needed prayers from the church in Corinth. As we think about how that applies to us today. Number one, we need to be praying for those on the front lines of mission work around the world. We do that. We know and support several that are on those front lines of Gospel ministry. And we need to continue that and maybe increase our prayers. Praying for their ministry… praying for protection… praying for them to rely on God who raises the dead. Praying that through their ministry, that God would change hearts and minds and increase his kingdom. All those things. We also need to be praying for the persecuted church. Last week, Open Doors published their annual report of persecution. They are a ministry which focuses on information and prayer for the persecuted church. They estimate that last year 380 million Christians across the world faced persecution… and about 4,500 Christians were killed for their faith. We need to pray. God will work through our prayers to bring deliverance or endurance just as he did for Paul. Let me ask this: What does Paul assume by telling them they must pray? Well, he believes prayer is powerful and effective. God hears our prayers. Look how he describes the importance of prayer in verse 11. He says, “many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.” You see that? The Apostles will be blessed because of the prayers of the church. Our prayers will build up those in Gospel ministry. Though our prayers, God will give them confidence and reliance on him. So, we need to press on in our prayers for those experiencing persecution. Let's take this down to that third layer of application. We need to pray for those in any kind of suffering…. Like what I mentioned earlier: sickness, hardships, emotional pain, or grief. To say it again, there are other ways we can and should support one another. But the most important is prayer. And we absolutely can pray for deliverance. If it's sickness, we can and should pray for healing. God heals. If it's emotional or spiritual, we can pray for the Holy Spirit to intercede. If it's relational we can pray for reconciliation. We can pray boldly for comfort and peace, and healing. The same confidence that the apostle Paul had in prayer should be the same confidence that we have in prayer. May we pray for these things. Conclusion So, God raises the dead. If your only hope in life and death is in the Lord Jesus Christ, then this great promise is one you can rely on in your affliction. God will ultimately deliver you forever. But God also can deliver you from affliction in this life. We trust in his providence, but we pray and hope that God will intercede. We boldly pray, knowing that our prayers for one another are powerful and effective. In our suffering, may God direct us to rely on him and the power of his resurrection. And may we pray for one another and especially those enduring affliction because of their faith in Christ.  

We all endure the season of no return, where our labor warrants no obvious harvest. Yet God wants you to know this is part of your process!!! If you're tempted to give up, listen up and get some motivation for your situation... YOU ARE CLOSER THAN YOU THINK!!! Stay blessed, not stressed.

Nagy and Hope grew up in the Middle East in families that followed Christ and encouraged them to serve God and be people of His Word. They were serving the Lord doing good work in their home country when they felt God's call to go to another county in the region: Libya. The transition was difficult and discouraging. They were forced to navigate a different community and expectations, and to learn a different Arabic dialect. With no fruit to be seen, Nagy and Hope were at times discouraged and disappointed. Yet God was working. After months of gospel work, one lady came to Hope asking questions about the gospel. Nagy and Hope were excited! They felt it was worth it to be in Libya if only one person came to Christ! Then their new friend was detained and interrogated. She cut off all contact with Hope. “It was hard,” Hope says, “but at the same time there was hope. Maybe the Lord would give us more opportunities.” The Lord did bring about more opportunities, but they didn't come without disappoints and hardship. Nagy and Hope will share more opportunities they had to disciple new believers and the obstacles they faced. When war broke out across Libya, the Lord still called them to stay, promising protection for their family and even their neighbors. God opened the hearts of many as they saw the Lord provide in their time of need. Listen as Nagy and Hope share when the Lord clearly told them their time in Libya was over and they had to leave. Please pray for Libya and for the continued ministry of gospel workers in that country. The first day of the new year marked the launch of a new, daily podcast from VOM. Extreme Devotion is available on , or wherever you listen to podcasts. for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your or device today.

Nagy and Hope grew up in the Middle East in families that followed Christ and encouraged them to serve God and be people of His Word. They were serving the Lord doing good work in their home country when they felt God's call to go to another county in the region: Libya. The transition was difficult and discouraging. They were forced to navigate a different community and expectations, and to learn a different Arabic dialect. With no fruit to be seen, Nagy and Hope were at times discouraged and disappointed. Yet God was working. After months of gospel work, one lady came to Hope asking questions about the gospel. Nagy and Hope were excited! They felt it was worth it to be in Libya if only one person came to Christ! Then their new friend was detained and interrogated. She cut off all contact with Hope. “It was hard,” Hope says, “but at the same time there was hope. Maybe the Lord would give us more opportunities.” The Lord did bring about more opportunities, but they didn't come without disappoints and hardship. Nagy and Hope will share more opportunities they had to disciple new believers and the obstacles they faced. When war broke out across Libya, the Lord still called them to stay, promising protection for their family and even their neighbors. God opened the hearts of many as they saw the Lord provide in their time of need. Listen as Nagy and Hope share when the Lord clearly told them their time in Libya was over and they had to leave. Please pray for Libya and for the continued ministry of gospel workers in that country. The first day of the new year marked the launch of a new, daily podcast from VOM. Extreme Devotion is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

Web Description: Christ came into this earth as the Word made flesh. We too, having received of His fullness, must grow by grace until we as members of His body are the fullness of Him who fills all things. We too must become in this age the Word made flesh. That is what will have the power and authority that we need to move in the greater works that He has promised.   Show Notes: How amazing it is that the Word of God is so available to us today! We simply have to pick it up and read it. And that is only possible because of the generations of Jewish and Christian scribes who preserved it by faithfully writing it down. When Moses first inscribed that Word in stone, it came with such glory that his face shone, and he had to hide his face with a veil. Today there is still a glory that manifests in the Bible, the written Word. Yet God is looking for something even greater.   He is looking for a greater glory and a greater manifestation of that Word to be more impactful and effective. God is wanting more than His Word engraved on tablets of stone—something outside of us that we know or study. He wants His Word engraved on the tablets of our hearts until we become, as Christ was, the Word made flesh.   That is what He was looking for when He brought Christ to dwell with us. Something had to express His Word to humanity in such a way that the Word could be implanted in us. And the Word implanted in our hearts is to grow until we are the mature expression of that Word as Christ was. And that is what we reach for. We want Him to write His Word on our hearts by the Spirit. We want the veil removed so that we can behold Him as He is and be transformed into His image.   Key Verses:   •       John 1:14–18. “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.” •       John 1:1–5. “He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him.” •       2 Corinthians 3:1–3. “You are a letter of Christ … on tablets of human hearts.” •       2 Corinthians 3:4–18. “We all, with unveiled face … are being transformed into the same image.” •       1 Peter 1:23. “You have been born again … through the living and enduring word of God.” •       Ephesians 4:11–13. “He gave some … to the building up of the body of Christ.” •       John 1:16. “Of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” •       Ephesians 1:18–23. “The church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”   Quotes:   •       “Even what Moses did—as tremendous as it was being the expression to write that Word, to speak that Word, to give that that Word to the children of Israel—the power was not there to release mankind into being likewise this expression of the Word of God.” •       “He is not looking for us to be teachers of the Word, to be scholars of the Word, to be believers in the Word, to be those who are witnesses by testimony of that Word; He's looking for us to be as Christ was.” •       “He was the Word made flesh; and we likewise are to attain to that knowledge of the Son of God, to that mature man, to that measure of stature which belonged to Him. We're to come into His fullness.”   Takeaways:   1.    God created the heavens and the earth by His Word. Then He gave His Word to Moses to speak to the sons of Israel. Since then God's Word has been recorded and preserved. So we have the Word of God. But something had to express the Word of God to humanity in such a way that the Word could be implanted in us. That is why God gave us His Son, who was the Word made flesh. 2.    When we understand this, we understand what Christ really was. And then we can begin to understand what it is God is looking to impart through Christ manifesting as that Word of God. He is looking for the Word implanted in us to grow until each of us likewise becomes the Word made flesh. 3.    The reason for the Church and the ministries God gave to the Church is to build up the Body of Christ until we grow into a mature man, to the measure of the stature that belongs to the fullness of Christ.  

Something New #RTTBROS #Nightlight Something New "Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert." - Isaiah 43:19 In the depths of life's most challenging moments, when the familiar landscapes of our comfort zones crumble beneath our feet, God's promise rings true - He is doing something new. Like the Israelites in exile, we often find ourselves clinging to the memories of what was, whether victories or defeats, unable to see the fresh work God is orchestrating in our present circumstances. Consider the profound imagery God uses through the prophet Isaiah when He declares, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee" (Isaiah 43:2). These words weren't mere poetry but a divine guarantee of His presence in every trial. Just as a skilled lifeguard maintains an unwavering grip on someone they're rescuing, God's hold on us never falters. The Lord doesn't promise a life free from waters or fires - those trials will come. Instead, He promises His unfailing presence through them. Like the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace who emerged without even the smell of smoke on their garments, God's protection doesn't always prevent the trial but ensures our preservation through it. Sometimes, we find ourselves like those ancient Israelites, staring at the ruins of what once was - a broken relationship, a failed business, a shattered dream. Yet God's message rings clear: "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old" (Isaiah 43:18). He's not calling us to develop spiritual amnesia but rather to shift our focus from the past to His present work. This divine paradox teaches us that while we should learn from our past, we mustn't live in it. Like a Formula One driver in a spin who must focus on the open track rather than the concrete wall, our spiritual success often depends on where we fix our gaze. The past can either be a teacher or a prison - the choice lies in how we handle it. God's pattern throughout scripture reveals He is both a Creator and a Re-creator. In the beginning, He spoke light into darkness, and He continues to bring forth new life from seemingly dead situations. Just as He made "a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert," He specializes in bringing forth springs of hope in the barren places of our lives. The key to embracing God's new thing lies in understanding our identity in Him. Throughout Isaiah 43, God repeatedly emphasizes, "thou art mine." This foundation of belonging provides the security needed to release our grip on the past and reach forward to what lies ahead. When we truly grasp that we belong to Him, we can trust His timing and purposes, even when they differ from our own expectations. Our response to life's challenges often reveals more about our character than our credentials ever could. Crisis has a way of stripping away everything that isn't essential, leaving us with the fundamental question: Is God enough? When we reach that place where Jesus is all we have, we discover that Jesus is all we need. The message of "something new" isn't just about God changing our circumstances; it's about Him transforming our perspective. Like a carrier pigeon delivering a life-saving message during wartime, God's promise of new beginnings comes to us when we're trapped behind enemy lines, offering hope and direction when we need it most. Finally, this promise of newness calls us to active participation. While God is the author of the new thing, we must be willing to let go of the old to embrace it. Just as a tree must release its autumn leaves to make way for spring's new growth. https://linktr.ee/rttbros

Divine Interruptions #RTTBROS #Nightlight Divine Interruptions: Finding God's Purpose in Life's Unexpected Moments "And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid." - Luke 2:9 Life often moves along its predictable path until God orchestrates a divine interruption. Like a mother snapping her fingers to quiet rowdy children during a phone call, God has His ways of getting our attention amidst life's chaos. These interruptions, though sometimes jarring, are always purposeful and part of His greater plan. Throughout Scripture, we see examples of God's divine interruptions - Moses encountering the burning bush, Abraham being called from Ur, Paul's dramatic encounter on the Damascus road, and even Jonah's unexpected whale transportation. The Christmas story itself is a tapestry of holy interruptions, from Mary and Joseph's angelic visitations to the shepherds' midnight celestial concert. These divine pauses often begin with fear - the shepherds were "sore afraid" when the angels appeared. Yet God consistently transforms our fear into wonder. The Bible teaches us that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," suggesting that proper reverence for God helps put all other fears into perspective. When we recognize God's hand in our interruptions, fear gives way to fascination with His purposes. Like learning to swim or ski, our initial response to God's interruptions might be hesitation or even panic. The first plunge into cold water or descent down a steep slope can be terrifying. But just as these skills become enjoyable with practice, learning to recognize and respond to God's interruptions becomes natural as we trust His guidance. God's interruptions often come disguised as ordinary circumstances - a marriage crisis, a health scare, or a rebellious child. These situations, though challenging, can be divine redirections steering us toward better paths. The key is recognizing God's hand even in uncomfortable circumstances. The name Jesus, derived from Joshua, means "Jehovah saves." This reminds us that God's interruptions are always redemptive in nature. Even when we don't understand the immediate purpose, He is working toward our salvation and growth. Like a survivor of a heart attack who makes necessary lifestyle changes, God's interruptions often lead to transformative change. Sometimes we become frustrated because God's timing and methods don't align with our preferences. Yet He sees the complete story while we only see our current page. His interruptions are like plot twists in a masterfully written narrative, leading to an ending far better than we could orchestrate ourselves. The shepherds' response to their divine interruption serves as our model - they moved from fear to action, seeking out the miracle they'd been told about. Their obedience led them to become some of the first witnesses of the incarnation, transforming simple shepherds into evangelists sharing the good news. God's interruptions require our response. Mary and Joseph could have dismissed their angelic visitors, and the shepherds could have remained in their fields. Instead, their obedience to these divine interruptions became part of the greatest story ever told - the story of God's salvation plan for humanity. Today, God continues to interrupt our lives with purpose. Whether through dramatic encounters or subtle circumstances, He seeks to redirect us toward His perfect will. The challenge is to recognize these interruptions as invitations to experience His transformative power, turning our focus from fear to fascination with His wonderful works. Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out. https://linktr.ee/rttbros

Have you ever felt overlooked or underestimated? If that's you, you're not alone. But that's why we find so much hope in the Christmas story. Mary was young, unmarried, and living in a culture where women weren't seen as significant. Yet God chose her to play a key role in the arrival of Jesus. Join us in this episode as we explore what the Christmas story reveals about how God sees you.  Thanks for joining us in the conversation! We're better because of you! Follow us on instagram for more ways you can get connected and plugged into our community.  @sojourn_ric  @sojourn.pc  7 Day Bible Reading Plan: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/53508-joy-for-all  Intro/Outro Music By: @iamclaudiusjur 

Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! (2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT) There are gifts that you may receive this year that soon will be out of date or out of fashion. Some gifts, however, only grow in value over time. Maybe it's a family heirloom that you received a long time ago, and it has become even more precious to you now. God has given us a gift, and it never goes out of style. It's the gift of all gifts: salvation. If you are a Christian, then you already carry this gift in your heart. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (NLT). While this gift brings with it the hope of Heaven and the hope of eternal life, there are aspects of it that we can enjoy now. One of them is justification. The Bible says, “Since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1 NLT). The word justify has a twofold meaning. First, it carries the idea of the forgiveness of all our sin. Maybe you've been mulling over your sin and you're troubled by it. If you have asked God to forgive you of that sin and have repented of it, then He has forgiven you. God has forgiven you of every sin that you have confessed and turned from. Accept that. Often we dig up those sins, go over them again and again, and beat ourselves up over them. Yet God says, “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins” (Hebrews 8:12 NLT). Here's what we need to know: We should not choose to remember what God has chosen to forget. God has forgiven our sins. That is part of the gift that God has given to each of us. But there is also the positive side of justification. When God justifies us, He places the righteousness of Christ in our account. That balances the moral and spiritual budget for us. We are declared righteous. This is not a gradual process; it's something that happens immediately when we put our faith in Jesus Christ. And there is even more. Not only has God justified us, not only has He forgiven our sins and placed the righteousness of Christ into our account, but He also has adopted us into His family. By adopting us, God is saying, “Don't merely stand in awe of Me. Come close to Me. I want you to be My child. You have access to Me anytime.” What a great joy to know that we have been adopted into God's family. If all there was as a Christian was this life we have now with Jesus, it still would be worth it to be a Christian. But that isn't all there is. It will get even better. The afterlife will be better than the “before life.” The best is yet to come. That is God's gift to you. Open it. Enjoy it. Love it. — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when faithfulness falters? Malachi confronts the people of Israel about their unfaithfulness to God and to one another. Their compromised worship and broken relationships reveal the deeper issue: hearts that have drifted from God's covenant. This message explores how we, too, can fall into patterns of half-hearted devotion and relational betrayal. Yet God's […]

Daily Dose of Hope December 15, 2024 Day 1 of Week 38   Scripture: Isaiah 64-66; 2 Corinthians 2 Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan.  We have two milestone moments today – we are finishing the book of Isaiah AND we are beginning our 38th week reading the Bible in a year.  If you have made it this far, you have come a long way! Let's start with Isaiah.  In chapter 64, we get a picture of how faithful and merciful God is to his people.  But they have turned from him.  In fact, the Scripture seems to indicate that they have made God their enemy.  And yet, God's love for his creation doesn't stop.  Many of us are familiar with Isaiah 64:8, Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.  The people were far from God.  They were outright rejecting him.  But that didn't mean that God wasn't their creator.  Just because someone says no to the Lord doesn't mean he isn't real and at work in the world.  We are but mere humans.  We truly don't know what we don't know.  Yet God knows all.  He can take a lump of clay and form it into anything.  He formed us and he loves us, even when we run away from that love. Isaiah 65 is beautiful in many ways.  It describes the world that way God intends it to be, the way it will eventually be when Jesus returns.  There will be no more suffering or injustice, but God's presence will ensure joy and abundance.  All things will be made new.  There will be a new heaven and a new earth.  All the destruction and sin of our current broken world will be a thing of the past. And then in chapter 66, there is this proper conclusion – God will ensure justice is done to his enemies and restore his people once and for all. I would love your thoughts on Isaiah.  I know it is a long, somewhat arduous book.  At the same time, there is incredible substance here if we are willing to wade through it.  Let me know what your big takeaways were from the book of Isaiah. Our New Testament reading was 2 Corinthians 2. Paul could not visit the Corinthians because he was forced to make an emergency trip to Ephesus. He sent his previous letter instead. This created discord within the church. Not only were they upset with the tone of the letter but they were upset that Timothy rather than Paul delivered it. As mentioned yesterday, certain individuals had risen up to challenge Paul because of this. Paul has an interesting response to their challenge. Rather than getting angry, as many of us might, he wants to assure them of his deep love for them and their dependence on one another. He isn't the kind of leader who lords authority over them. (Reread 1:23-24) Rather, they belong to each other. He is their coworker in the movement of the Gospel. Are you aware that as the body of Jesus Christ, we all belong to God but we also belong to each other? Our work in the Lord is dependent on one another. We need one another. We are not independent contractors for Jesus out there on our own trying to share the Good News. Rather, we are all in this together, helping and supporting each other, praying for one another, and encouraging each other in our work. Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

The Highway Of Holiness Isa. 26 #RTTBROS #Nightlight The Highway of Holiness: Finding Perfect Peace in Life's Desert Seasons "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." - Isaiah 26:3 Life often feels like navigating treacherous paths, much like a novice rider on an unpredictable horse. One wrong step, one moment of distraction, and we can find ourselves sliding dangerously off course. The prophet Isaiah paints a vivid picture of God's provision - a highway of holiness where even the simplest traveler can walk safely. In the Hebrew text, the phrase "perfect peace" is actually written as "shalom shalom," emphasizing the completeness of this divine peace. This isn't just the absence of conflict; it's a profound state of wholeness encompassing our physical, spiritual, and relational well-being. Like a tightrope walker who maintains balance by focusing on a distant point rather than their feet, we find stability by fixing our gaze on God rather than our circumstances. What makes this promise particularly remarkable is its context. Isaiah delivers this message of peace within what scholars call the "little apocalypse," a section describing end-time tribulations. If God can provide perfect peace during humanity's most challenging period, surely He can grant us that same peace in our present struggles. The transformation God promises is as dramatic as a desert bursting into bloom. Just as visitors to Israel marvel at wildflowers painting formerly barren landscapes in vibrant reds and purples, God can turn our spiritual wastelands into gardens of beauty. When we feel parched and depleted, He promises streams in the desert - sources of refreshment in unlikely places. These divine streams serve multiple purposes. First, they strengthen the weak - those who feel like life has knocked the wind out of them. Like a solar plexus blow that leaves one gasping, life's challenges can leave us feeling powerless. Yet God's Spirit acts as our "strengthener within," replenishing our depleted resources. For those paralyzed by fear of uncertain outcomes, God's streams provide courage. We may not know how situations will unfold, but His presence infuses us with the boldness to move forward. This isn't just about emotional fortitude; it's about trusting in His guidance even when the path ahead seems unclear. The healing properties of God's streams touch every aspect of our being. Like ancient remedies that prove their worth despite modern skepticism, God's healing power works in ways that often defy conventional wisdom. Whether the wound is physical, emotional, or spiritual, His restorative power flows freely to those who seek it. Just as the Book of Revelation describes the river of life flowing through heaven for the healing of nations, God's healing streams can reach the deepest hurts in our personal lives. Everyone carries some form of pain, particularly those who have walked life's path for many years. These wounds need more than mere bandaging; they require the deep healing that only God can provide. The highway of holiness isn't about perfect performance; it's about perfect trust. When we keep our minds focused on God, He transforms our desert experiences into opportunities for growth and renewal. Like spring flowers breaking through parched ground, new life emerges in places we least expect it. This divine pathway offers more than just safe passage through life; it promises transformation of our entire being. God isn't interested in merely getting us through difficult seasons; He wants to use those very seasons to reshape us into something beautiful. Through His perfect peace, steady guidance, and healing streams, we can navigate life's challenges with confidence, knowing we walk on His highway of holiness.

Sometimes our secrets feel too big to share. We carry them for years—maybe even decades—believing no one could ever understand. But God knows. He sees the pain we hide and longs to guide us toward healing and freedom. In this week's episode, my dear friend Patty Barry courageously opens up about her abortion story. For years, she didn't know how to talk about it, carrying the weight of shame and silence. Yet God, in His grace, pursued her heart and brought her into the light. This is a powerful testimony of healing, redemption, and the unwavering love of God.  To inquire about counseling, email Louise at Louise@louisesedgwick.com.

700 There Shall Be One Fold and One Shepherd, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:14-16 with the Recenter With Christ app  The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.  Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization. Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing.  If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:   Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate,  deflate. Scripture for Meditation John 10 NRSVCE 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.  ESV 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. Meditation on Scripture: I grew up in the desert. It was hot and dry. As an adventurer prone young man I spent a lot of time in the desert, hiking and doing other outside activities. From time to time we would encounter barb wire fences as well we would see cows out in the desert that would feed on the desert bushes and the very little dry grass. They usually were alone or with a very small number of other cows. I often remember wondering were those cows were from. Were they part of a herd? The conditions in the desert did not support dense cattle but they were part of a herd. They were just very spread out.  As I read this scripture I thought of a large spread out flock split up across miles and miles of rough ground with some grass here and there. Jesus pronounced that we are called to the his flock. I sometimes wonder if there was a herd of sleep large enough would all the sheep understand that they are in the same flock? The sheep are not who determine who is part of the flock. That is the shepherd. We are spread across better and more challenging terrain and we are separated in ways that seem very meaningful to us. Yet God is the one that calls us.  During this time of the year there are family gatherings and different social demands, or the longing for greatly missed social connections attempt to draw us away from His peace, ponder this, we are called to the same flock. As we set arbitrary distinctions between each other we ultimately are not the ones at the final judgement that determines who is part of the flock. That is God's role. I invite you to reach into the love that God has for you and share that with others. What greater thing is there to be grateful for than the knowledge that we can be unified with God due to His grace.  Meditation of Prayer: Pray as directed by the Spirit. Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him. Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm: I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials. Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life: This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?  FIND ME ON: Download my free app: Recenter with Christ Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com Voicemail - (602) 888-3795 Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast Twitter - @ChristianMedPod