Podcasts about Your God

This week we will spend time in simple, quiet worship. Let's simply focus on God and His goodness. Breathe deep and allow your spirit to connect to His Holy Spirit. Psalm 29 from The Message — A Psalm of David Bravo, God, bravo! Gods and all angels shout, “Encore!” In awe before the glory, in awe before God's visible power. Stand at attention! Dress your best to honor him! God thunders across the waters, Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness—God, across the flood waters. God's thunder tympanic, God's thunder symphonic. God's thunder smashes cedars, God topples the northern cedars. The mountain ranges skip like spring colts, The high ridges jump like wild kid goats. God's thunder spits fire. God thunders, the wilderness quakes; He makes the desert of Kadesh shake. God's thunder sets the oak trees dancing A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches. We fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!” Above the floodwaters is God's throne from which his power flows, from which he rules the world. God makes his people strong. God gives his people peace. What words, what phrases stood out to you? What games of God moved your spirit to worship? Listen once again to the final verses: We fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!” Above the floodwaters is God's throne from which his power flows, from which he rules the world. God makes his people strong. God gives his people peace. As you walk through hardships and the challenges of your life, remember that Your God is the God of the thunder, of the rain, and of glory and power. He has you. He holds you. To make you strong. To give you peace. Let's pray: “Father, I realize Your power. I recognize Your glory. Today, in this quiet moment, I worship You. Thank You for Your strong arm that protects my life. Thank You for Your gentle Spirit to give me peace. As above, so below.”

The Promise of the Spirit in the New Covenant has 2 aspects, as exemplified by Jesus: (1) The Spirit WITHIN, at the New Birth. (2) The Spirit UPON, at the Baptism in the Spirit. The apostles received the Spirit in 2 stages. (1) In the evening of His resurrection day they received the Spirit WITHIN (John 20:22). (2) Then 50 days later they received the Baptism in the Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), when He came UPON them. Acts 2:33 says Christ only gave His Spirit (within and upon) after His Ascension. But if it was 40 days after His resurrection, how could He give them the Spirit on the resurrection evening? The solution is there were 2 Ascensions: (1) His 1st Ascension on the resurrection morning (John 20), and (2) His 2nd Ascension 40 days later (Acts 1). *The 4 Purposes for His 1st Ascension: *1. To fulfil the Feast of FIRST FRUITS, He had to ascend to Heaven and present Himself to God as the First Fruits from the dead, on the day of His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). *2. To appear before God's throne to receive ALL AUTHORITY (Daniel 7:13-14). During the 40 days, in Matthew 28:18-19, He claimed He had already received this authority, so He must have ascended at the start of the 40 days. This is confirmed by Ephesians 1:19-22 which connects together His resurrection, ascension and receiving all authority as the result of a single working of God's mighty power. Also Philippians 2:9-11. The authority He received included the authority to receive and pour out the Holy Spirit. *3. To present His BLOOD in the heavenly Holy of Holies, as the final and full satisfaction for our sin, and for the New Covenant to come into full operation, including the Promise of the Spirit (Hebrews 9:11-15). Although He died and rose again, He had to accomplish the final consummation of His atoning work in Heaven, by taking His Blood into God's throne room and sprinkling it there, where it speaks for our forgiveness and grace (Hebrews 12:24). He had to do this before giving the New Covenant Gift of the Spirit to us. He is given not on our merits, but on the basis of His completed atonement, which was not consummated until His Blood was sprinkled in Heaven. So the giving of the Spirit testifies the Blood has availed for us, to cleanse us from sin and purchase the blessing of the Spirit (1John 5:6). So the Spirit could not be given before the Blood was presented in Heaven at His 1st Ascension (Acts 2:33). Having purchased our redemption, He ascended and presented His Blood in Heaven, for acceptance by the Father as the seal of His completed work. Only then could He receive the Spirit to pour out on all who believe. *4. To receive the Promise of the Spirit from the Father on our behalf, in order to pour Him out within and upon His people. This required Him to ascend to Heaven (Acts 2:33) and be glorified with all authority, power and glory (John 7:39), which must have happened on the resurrection morning (John 20:22). So He first ascended to Heaven, before returning to earth for 40 days. That is why He was able to impart the indwelling Spirit to His apostles that evening (John 20:22). The Purpose of this 1st Ascension was to officially inaugurate the New Covenant in Heaven, by presenting His Blood there, making it fully operational, as confirmed by His words to Mary, as He was about to ascend. He revealed He was ascending, and that the purpose of His Ascension was to complete the establishment of our New Covenant relationship with God. John 20:17: “Do not touch Me for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to MY BRETHREN and say to them: ‘I AM ASCENDING to My Father and YOUR Father, and to My God and YOUR God." The reason He did not allow Mary to touch Him was that He was ascending to offer Himself to God as the First Fruits. So it was not appropriate for her to touch Him. This holy offering included many saints who were raised with Him (Matthew 27:52-53). So, at His 1st Ascension, (1) He offered Himself to God as the First Fruits, the Head of the new creation of humanity, and (2) presented His Blood (which purchased and guaranteed every blessing of salvation and the Spirit for us) as the basis of the New Covenant, He was accepted by God on our behalf as our representative Man. (3) He then received all authority from God, including the right to pour out His Spirit upon all who believe. (4) Therefore, at this time, He also received the Spirit from the Father on our behalf, along with all the blessings in the New Covenant. Therefore, He now has the authority to pour out His Spirit on all those in Christ, who submit to His Headship. That is why, that evening, He was able to impart the Spirit into His disciples (John 20:22). Then He started to PREPARE them to receive the Spirit UPON (Luke 24:49), which they did 50 days later. We have a PURPOSE, for Christ has commissioned and sent us on a MISSION to be His WITNESSES (Luke 24:47), so we need His SPIRIT UPON, to EMPOWER us to fulfil this MINISTRY (Acts 1:4-8).

Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 488 - I Am, Alone, Your God and Lord: vv. 1-5 - The Fifth Commandment (p. 31): Read responsively - Devotion - Prayer - Hymn 333 - Christ, the Life of All the Living: vv. 1, 2, 6, 7 - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Rev. Shawn Stafford (Preacher), Tamara Omar (Organist)

In this insightful episode "Managing Your Manageables," Pastor Ken takes us deep into the art of decision-making and how it impacts our lives. We kick off this episode by discussing the consequences of mismanaging our lives, which can lead to long-term problems, stress, and regret. Managing your life well means aligning your choices with what is right, ultimately inviting God's blessings into your journey. We've previously explored managing relationships and the power of our words. In today's discussion, we unravel the intricate process of managing our decisions. Over the coming weeks, we'll also tackle how to manage your body and finances, offering you a comprehensive guide to holistic life management. Bad decisions can leave emotional, mental, and relational scars, which is why we believe it's crucial to equip you with five essential tests to help you make good decisions: **1. The Agreement Test:** Does it align with God's Word? Discover why seeking guidance from God's wisdom is crucial in decision-making and how it can illuminate your path. **2. The Integrity Test:** Would you want everyone to know? Learn why maintaining integrity in your decisions is vital and how it impacts your reputation and character. **3. The Improvement Test:** Will it make you a better person? Explore the concept of making decisions that contribute to personal growth and purpose. **4. The Freedom Test:** Could it become addicting? Understand the importance of safeguarding your freedom in Christ and avoiding decisions that might lead to bondage. **5. The Influence Test:** Will it negatively impact anyone else? Dive into the significance of considering how your choices affect those around you, both within and outside the Christian community. Throughout this episode, we emphasize the value of making decisions that honor God, even in situations where there may be shades of gray. Your God-given conscience, coupled with God's Word, can serve as a reliable compass in navigating life's complexities. We wrap up with a reminder of the ultimate decision – choosing to follow Jesus. This decision, we believe, is the best one you can make, offering salvation, direction, purpose, and hope. Visit www.youronechurch.com to explore more resources and connect with our community. For inquiries, reach out to us at info@youronechurch.com. #ManagingYourManageables #LifeManagement #FaithfulDecisions #PurposefulLiving

Proper 19 First Psalm: Psalms 61–62 Psalms 61–62 (Listen) Lead Me to the Rock To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David. 61   Hear my cry, O God,    listen to my prayer;2   from the end of the earth I call to you    when my heart is faint.  Lead me to the rock    that is higher than I,3   for you have been my refuge,    a strong tower against the enemy. 4   Let me dwell in your tent forever!    Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah5   For you, O God, have heard my vows;    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. 6   Prolong the life of the king;    may his years endure to all generations!7   May he be enthroned forever before God;    appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! 8   So will I ever sing praises to your name,    as I perform my vows day after day. My Soul Waits for God Alone To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. 62   For God alone my soul waits in silence;    from him comes my salvation.2   He alone is my rock and my salvation,    my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. 3   How long will all of you attack a man    to batter him,    like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?4   They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.    They take pleasure in falsehood.  They bless with their mouths,    but inwardly they curse. Selah 5   For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,    for my hope is from him.6   He only is my rock and my salvation,    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.7   On God rests my salvation and my glory;    my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 8   Trust in him at all times, O people;    pour out your heart before him;    God is a refuge for us. Selah 9   Those of low estate are but a breath;    those of high estate are a delusion;  in the balances they go up;    they are together lighter than a breath.10   Put no trust in extortion;    set no vain hopes on robbery;    if riches increase, set not your heart on them. 11   Once God has spoken;    twice have I heard this:  that power belongs to God,12     and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.  For you will render to a man    according to his work. (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 68 Psalm 68 (Listen) God Shall Scatter His Enemies To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. 68   God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;    and those who hate him shall flee before him!2   As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;    as wax melts before fire,    so the wicked shall perish before God!3   But the righteous shall be glad;    they shall exult before God;    they shall be jubilant with joy! 4   Sing to God, sing praises to his name;    lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;  his name is the LORD;    exult before him!5   Father of the fatherless and protector of widows    is God in his holy habitation.6   God settles the solitary in a home;    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,    but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. 7   O God, when you went out before your people,    when you marched through the wilderness, Selah8   the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,    before God, the One of Sinai,    before God,1 the God of Israel.9   Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;    you restored your inheritance as it languished;10   your flock2 found a dwelling in it;    in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. 11   The Lord gives the word;    the women who announce the news are a great host:12     “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”  The women at home divide the spoil—13     though you men lie among the sheepfolds—  the wings of a dove covered with silver,    its pinions with shimmering gold.14   When the Almighty scatters kings there,    let snow fall on Zalmon. 15   O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;    O many-peaked3 mountain, mountain of Bashan!16   Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,    at the mount that God desired for his abode,    yes, where the LORD will dwell forever?17   The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,    thousands upon thousands;    the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.18   You ascended on high,    leading a host of captives in your train    and receiving gifts among men,  even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there. 19   Blessed be the Lord,    who daily bears us up;    God is our salvation. Selah20   Our God is a God of salvation,    and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.21   But God will strike the heads of his enemies,    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.22   The Lord said,    “I will bring them back from Bashan,  I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,23   that you may strike your feet in their blood,    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.” 24   Your procession is4 seen, O God,    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—25   the singers in front, the musicians last,    between them virgins playing tambourines:26   “Bless God in the great congregation,    the LORD, O you5 who are of Israel's fountain!”27   There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,    the princes of Judah in their throng,    the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. 28   Summon your power, O God,6    the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.29   Because of your temple at Jerusalem    kings shall bear gifts to you.30   Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,    the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.  Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;    scatter the peoples who delight in war.731   Nobles shall come from Egypt;    Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God. 32   O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;    sing praises to the Lord, Selah33   to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.34   Ascribe power to God,    whose majesty is over Israel,    and whose power is in the skies.35   Awesome is God from his8 sanctuary;    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.  Blessed be God! Footnotes [1] 68:8 Or before God, even Sinai before God [2] 68:10 Or your congregation [3] 68:15 Or hunch-backed; also verse 16 [4] 68:24 Or has been [5] 68:26 The Hebrew for you is plural here [6] 68:28 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew Your God has summoned your power [7] 68:30 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain [8] 68:35 Septuagint; Hebrew your (ESV) Old Testament: 1 Kings 21:17–29 1 Kings 21:17–29 (Listen) The Lord Condemns Ahab 17 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. 19 And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Have you killed and also taken possession?”' And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: “In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood.”'” 20 Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD. 21 Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. 22 And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin. 23 And of Jezebel the LORD also said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.' 24 Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat.” Ahab's Repentance 25 (There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. 26 He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the people of Israel.) 27 And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. 28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son's days I will bring the disaster upon his house.” (ESV) New Testament: 1 Corinthians 1:20–31 1 Corinthians 1:20–31 (Listen) 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach1 to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,2 not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being3 might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him4 you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” Footnotes [1] 1:21 Or the folly of preaching [2] 1:26 Greek according to the flesh [3] 1:29 Greek no flesh [4] 1:30 Greek And from him (ESV) Gospel: Matthew 4:12–17 Matthew 4:12–17 (Listen) Jesus Begins His Ministry 12 Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 15   “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,    the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—16   the people dwelling in darkness    have seen a great light,  and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,    on them a light has dawned.” 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”1 Footnotes [1] 4:17 Or the kingdom of heaven has come near (ESV)

With family: 2 Samuel 14; 2 Corinthians 7 2 Samuel 14 (Listen) Absalom Returns to Jerusalem 14 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart went out to Absalom. 2 And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, “Pretend to be a mourner and put on mourning garments. Do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead. 3 Go to the king and speak thus to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth. 4 When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage and said, “Save me, O king.” 5 And the king said to her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 And your servant had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. 7 And now the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Give up the man who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed.' And so they would destroy the heir also. Thus they would quench my coal that is left and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.” 8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.” 9 And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “On me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father's house; let the king and his throne be guiltless.” 10 The king said, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again.” 11 Then she said, “Please let the king invoke the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood kill no more, and my son be not destroyed.” He said, “As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.” 12 Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Speak.” 13 And the woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again. 14 We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast. 15 Now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid, and your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant. 16 For the king will hear and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the heritage of God.' 17 And your servant thought, ‘The word of my lord the king will set me at rest,' for my lord the king is like the angel of God to discern good and evil. The LORD your God be with you!” 18 Then the king answered the woman, “Do not hide from me anything I ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king speak.” 19 The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered and said, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, one cannot turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who commanded me; it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant. 20 In order to change the course of things your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God to know all things that are on the earth.” 21 Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom.” 22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground and paid homage and blessed the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant.” 23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 And the king said, “Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence.” So Absalom lived apart in his own house and did not come into the king's presence. 25 Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 26 And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels1 by the king's weight. 27 There were born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman. 28 So Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, without coming into the king's presence. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. And he sent a second time, but Joab would not come. 30 Then he said to his servants, “See, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom's servants set the field on fire.2 31 Then Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” 32 Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent word to you, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.” Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.'” 33 Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom. Footnotes [1] 14:26 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams [2] 14:30 Septuagint, Dead Sea Scroll add So Joab's servants came to him with their clothes torn, and they said to him, “The servants of Absalom have set your field on fire.” (ESV) 2 Corinthians 7 (Listen) 7 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body1 and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. Paul's Joy 2 Make room in your hearts2 for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. 5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. 8 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. 12 So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. 13 Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14 For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. 15 And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you. Footnotes [1] 7:1 Greek flesh [2] 7:2 Greek lacks in your hearts (ESV) In private: Psalm 68; Ezekiel 21 Psalm 68 (Listen) God Shall Scatter His Enemies To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. 68   God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;    and those who hate him shall flee before him!2   As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;    as wax melts before fire,    so the wicked shall perish before God!3   But the righteous shall be glad;    they shall exult before God;    they shall be jubilant with joy! 4   Sing to God, sing praises to his name;    lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;  his name is the LORD;    exult before him!5   Father of the fatherless and protector of widows    is God in his holy habitation.6   God settles the solitary in a home;    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,    but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. 7   O God, when you went out before your people,    when you marched through the wilderness, Selah8   the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,    before God, the One of Sinai,    before God,1 the God of Israel.9   Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;    you restored your inheritance as it languished;10   your flock2 found a dwelling in it;    in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. 11   The Lord gives the word;    the women who announce the news are a great host:12     “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”  The women at home divide the spoil—13     though you men lie among the sheepfolds—  the wings of a dove covered with silver,    its pinions with shimmering gold.14   When the Almighty scatters kings there,    let snow fall on Zalmon. 15   O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;    O many-peaked3 mountain, mountain of Bashan!16   Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,    at the mount that God desired for his abode,    yes, where the LORD will dwell forever?17   The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,    thousands upon thousands;    the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.18   You ascended on high,    leading a host of captives in your train    and receiving gifts among men,  even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there. 19   Blessed be the Lord,    who daily bears us up;    God is our salvation. Selah20   Our God is a God of salvation,    and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.21   But God will strike the heads of his enemies,    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.22   The Lord said,    “I will bring them back from Bashan,  I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,23   that you may strike your feet in their blood,    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.” 24   Your procession is4 seen, O God,    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—25   the singers in front, the musicians last,    between them virgins playing tambourines:26   “Bless God in the great congregation,    the LORD, O you5 who are of Israel's fountain!”27   There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,    the princes of Judah in their throng,    the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. 28   Summon your power, O God,6    the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.29   Because of your temple at Jerusalem    kings shall bear gifts to you.30   Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,    the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.  Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;    scatter the peoples who delight in war.731   Nobles shall come from Egypt;    Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God. 32   O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;    sing praises to the Lord, Selah33   to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.34   Ascribe power to God,    whose majesty is over Israel,    and whose power is in the skies.35   Awesome is God from his8 sanctuary;    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.  Blessed be God! Footnotes [1] 68:8 Or before God, even Sinai before God [2] 68:10 Or your congregation [3] 68:15 Or hunch-backed; also verse 16 [4] 68:24 Or has been [5] 68:26 The Hebrew for you is plural here [6] 68:28 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew Your God has summoned your power [7] 68:30 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain [8] 68:35 Septuagint; Hebrew your (ESV) Ezekiel 21 (Listen) The Lord Has Drawn His Sword 21 1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries.2 Prophesy against the land of Israel 3 and say to the land of Israel, Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am against you and will draw my sword from its sheath and will cut off from you both righteous and wicked. 4 Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall be drawn from its sheath against all flesh from south to north. 5 And all flesh shall know that I am the LORD. I have drawn my sword from its sheath; it shall not be sheathed again. 6 “As for you, son of man, groan; with breaking heart and bitter grief, groan before their eyes. 7 And when they say to you, ‘Why do you groan?' you shall say, ‘Because of the news that it is coming. Every heart will melt, and all hands will be feeble; every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming, and it will be fulfilled,'” declares the Lord GOD. 8 And the word of the LORD came to me: 9 “Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord, say:   “A sword, a sword is sharpened    and also polished,10   sharpened for slaughter,    polished to flash like lightning! (Or shall we rejoice? You have despised the rod, my son, with everything of wood.)3 11 So the sword is given to be polished, that it may be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished to be given into the hand of the slayer. 12 Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people. It is against all the princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with my people. Strike therefore upon your thigh. 13 For it will not be a testing—what could it do if you despise the rod?”4 declares the Lord GOD. 14 “As for you, son of man, prophesy. Clap your hands and let the sword come down twice, yes, three times,5 the sword for those to be slain. It is the sword for the great slaughter, which surrounds them, 15 that their hearts may melt, and many stumble.6 At all their gates I have given the glittering sword. Ah, it is made like lightning; it is taken up7 for slaughter. 16 Cut sharply to the right; set yourself to the left, wherever your face is directed. 17 I also will clap my hands, and I will satisfy my fury; I the LORD have spoken.” 18 The word of the LORD came to me again: 19 “As for you, son of man, mark two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come. Both of them shall come from the same land. And make a signpost; make it at the head of the way to a city. 20 Mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah, into Jerusalem the fortified. 21 For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shakes the arrows; he consults the teraphim;8 he looks at the liver. 22 Into his right hand comes the divination for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth with murder, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, to build siege towers. 23 But to them it will seem like a false divination. They have sworn solemn oaths, but he brings their guilt to remembrance, that they may be taken. 24 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have made your guilt to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your deeds your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand. 25 And you, O profane9 wicked one, prince of Israel, whose day has come, the time of your final punishment, 26 thus says the Lord GOD: Remove the turban and take off the crown. Things shall not remain as they are. Exalt that which is low, and bring low that which is exalted. 27 A ruin, ruin, ruin I will make it. This also shall not be, until he comes, the one to whom judgment belongs, and I will give it to him. 28 “And you, son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach; say, A sword, a sword is drawn for the slaughter. It is polished to consume and to flash like lightning—29 while they see for you false visions, while they divine lies for you—to place you on the necks of the profane wicked, whose day has come, the time of their final punishment. 30 Return it to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you. 31 And I will pour out my indignation upon you; I will blow upon you with the fire of my wrath, and I will deliver you into the hands of brutish men, skillful to destroy. 32 You shall be fuel for the fire. Your blood shall be in the midst of the land. You shall be no more remembered, for I the LORD have spoken.” Footnotes [1] 21:1 Ch 21:6 in Hebrew [2] 21:2 Some Hebrew manuscripts, compare Septuagint, Syriac against their sanctuary [3] 21:10 Probable reading; Hebrew The rod of my son despises everything of wood [4] 21:13 Or For it is a testing; and what if even the rod despises? It shall not be! [5] 21:14 Hebrew its third [6] 21:15 Hebrew many stumbling blocks [7] 21:15 The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered taken up is uncertain [8] 21:21 Or household idols [9] 21:25 Or slain; also verse 29 (ESV)

So today we're back to our series, Every Book A Promise, and here we are in 1 Samuel. You know, I first thought we'd look at the life of Hannah and her son Samuel, because it's beautiful and encouraging and just causes hope to spring forth.  But as I prayed over this episode, I landed on chapter 8.  In the Amplified, this chapter has a header title - Israel Demands A King.   Sometimes the results of the things we want the most are not so great. And it's really critical to yield to the Lord, to let the Holy Spirit do what only He can do in us and through us, and not just fight for our own way. The work of yielding is, at times, hard work. It takes effort on our part to bend the knee to the Lord, and let Him have His way fully and completely, while we choose to trust Him even when we know that our own desires may need to be placed on the altar, given fully to Him, and we step back and choose trust and gratitude and ask Him to give us a heart that wants what He wants for us. His ways are best, and what He chooses for us is best…but boy, it can be hard to get to the place of accepting that and yielding to His will when we really really want some certain thing.   Here we find the nation of Israel in 1 Samuel chapter 8. Israel demands a king.   Samuel was a prophet, and in this chapter we find him older, verse one says Samuel was old, and he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. Verse 3 tells us that his sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. Now that's a sad, sad result. Those boys were not like their daddy. Isn't that just so sad?    Verse 4 says the elders of Israel went to see Samuel and just told him, Hey, you've gotten old and your sons don't walk in your ways. Now give us a king, appoint a king over us to judge us and rule over us. Like all the other nations. (verse 5)   When we want to be like the crowd, like they have over there, and they have this and everybody else has it and is doing it this way, so that's what I want too, that can be a sign that we're on the wrong path, the wrong track. Cuz usually when everybody is doing some certain thing, it's likely not honoring the Lord. What the world does, well, that doesn't look like the Kingdom of God. Let's put it that way. When, say, your kids want to do what everybody else is doing, do you just say yes, sure, go for it, I don't care what you do, go on, be like everybody. Be a photocopy of the world. UHHH, ya probably don't react that way. And God doesn't want us, His people, His Church, to look and act and demand the things of the world. Our citizenship is in heaven, it says in Philippians 3:20, so we're here but as ambassadors, not as citizens. Pilgrims. Just passing through.    Now here's what it sort of takes a turn as far as what we might expect God's response to be. In verse 7 the Lord tells Samuel that the people hadn't rejected him, but had rejected God from being King over them. Verse 9 from the Amplified says this, and this is God speaking to Samuel here: “So now listen to their voice, only solemnly warn them and tell them the ways of the king who will reign over them.”   That's a powerful verse. God's response to being rejected by the people He'd rescued out of Egypt and given this nation to, like He made them into a nation, and His response to being rejected as their King was to let them have what they're demanding but to warn them solemnly and tell them what is going to be life under a king. The king will reign over them, because that's what kings do.    Verses 10-18 provide the record of Samuel's warning to the people. The king will take your sons for these tasks and your daughters for these other tasks, and he will take the best of your fields and vineyards and your olive groves and your grain and your donkeys and your flocks and you will be his servants, and then one day you're going to cry out because of the king you've chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you on that day because you have rejected Him as King.   There is a twofold promise in chapter 8.  A promise of living with the result of what you demand, and by this I mean any area of life that we reject God's Lordship and Kingship over, we can't demand what we want, reject His reign and rule, and then expect Him to make it all right in the snap of a finger when we realize we don't like the results of that which we demanded from God. (Now I believe per the New Testament there is grace but that comes with repentance, and that's not always a theme that folks in the Church like to hear about. Often churchy people don't like to repent. We like the grace, we like the forgiveness, but it's kind of goes with repenting, doesn't it?)    In the end, the people got their king. Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin.   And God did a profound work down through the lineage of the next king, David.  God gets done what He aims to get done, and we don't really have the power to thwart His eternal plans…because guess what? He knows every word we speak before it is formed on our tongues so says Psalm 139:4.  So we don't mess up and trash and thrash His eternal plans. We are created, He is the Creator, and we don't have the power to ruin what He wills to be accomplished. But that's not an excuse to demand our own way. It should be a warning that we don't understand the holiness of God the way that we ought to.    God's holiness reminds me that I should trust Him fully and serve Him honorably and repent when I find myself demanding my own way.    And when He solemnly gives me a warning about what will happen if He gives me that which I am pining and whining for…do I listen, or do I say, “Yeah yeah, just give it to me.”   So what's the positive promise here? That we can listen and heed and be blessed beyond measure, if we have ears to hear and hearts to understand. If we yield. If we say, “Not my will, but Yours be done in this area, in this part of my life, where I really want this, but Your will, not mine.” There's a blessing to be had in those moments of yielding, a blessing that may well be unique to those situations.    You know, kings like the one they were demanding in 1 Samuel chapter 8, kings recruit. That's evidenced clearly in this passage. He'll take this, he'll take that, he'll take the other, and then he'll take even more. Kings recruit. Sometimes people in other positions of leadership recruit. But God, He doesn't treat us like recruits, like a mass of numbers, because that's not very personal or loving. Your God is so personal. Your God loves you so incredibly much. Isn't that the reality of John 3:16 and 17? For God SO loved. That tiny word SO is awfully important, it packs a huge punch and gives us a mighty big glimpse into the heart of our Father.    God will have assignments for you, tasks that fit into what Paul told us about in Ephesians, good works created in advance for you to do. I think that's in chapter two of Ephesians. Super encouraging chapter, by the way, Ephesians 2. And 3. Well, the whole book…who am I kidding, it's powerful and man you need a boost about your life and if you matter in the whole scheme of things? Read Epheisans. It'll boost ya!   Being recruited feels so very different than being granted a Kingdom assignment straight from the God who SO loves you. No comparison between the two. Man recruits. God assigns out of the depths of His great and unending love.  One feels heavy and burdensome and wearying. The other brings joy and nearness to the Lord and fits us. Like a cookie back in the shape of the cutter, ya know? Okay, this fits me exactly and perfectly, this is the cloth I was cut from, wow oh wow, this is not heavy and cumbersome and awkward. It fits. And feels like a gift even as I do the work of it.  Does that kind of make sense as a distinction? Recruit vs assign.    Yield to Him, ask Him for His assignments, the good works He has planned for you to be doing, and enjoy the truth that you are SO loved by your King. The promise of 1 Samuel for this series on the podcast is basically this: you will never regret yielding to your one true King rather than demanding what you want, and you will be blessed by the God who SO loves you each and every time you say, “Not my will, Lord, but Your will be done.”

Psalms 66–69 Psalms 66–69 (Listen) How Awesome Are Your Deeds To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm. 66   Shout for joy to God, all the earth;2     sing the glory of his name;    give to him glorious praise!3   Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!    So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.4   All the earth worships you    and sings praises to you;    they sing praises to your name.” Selah 5   Come and see what God has done:    he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.6   He turned the sea into dry land;    they passed through the river on foot.  There did we rejoice in him,7     who rules by his might forever,  whose eyes keep watch on the nations—    let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah 8   Bless our God, O peoples;    let the sound of his praise be heard,9   who has kept our soul among the living    and has not let our feet slip.10   For you, O God, have tested us;    you have tried us as silver is tried.11   You brought us into the net;    you laid a crushing burden on our backs;12   you let men ride over our heads;    we went through fire and through water;  yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. 13   I will come into your house with burnt offerings;    I will perform my vows to you,14   that which my lips uttered    and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.15   I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,    with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;  I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah 16   Come and hear, all you who fear God,    and I will tell what he has done for my soul.17   I cried to him with my mouth,    and high praise was on1 my tongue.218   If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,    the Lord would not have listened.19   But truly God has listened;    he has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20   Blessed be God,    because he has not rejected my prayer    or removed his steadfast love from me! Make Your Face Shine upon Us To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. 67   May God be gracious to us and bless us    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah2   that your way may be known on earth,    your saving power among all nations.3   Let the peoples praise you, O God;    let all the peoples praise you! 4   Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,    for you judge the peoples with equity    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah5   Let the peoples praise you, O God;    let all the peoples praise you! 6   The earth has yielded its increase;    God, our God, shall bless us.7   God shall bless us;    let all the ends of the earth fear him! God Shall Scatter His Enemies To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. 68   God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;    and those who hate him shall flee before him!2   As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;    as wax melts before fire,    so the wicked shall perish before God!3   But the righteous shall be glad;    they shall exult before God;    they shall be jubilant with joy! 4   Sing to God, sing praises to his name;    lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;  his name is the LORD;    exult before him!5   Father of the fatherless and protector of widows    is God in his holy habitation.6   God settles the solitary in a home;    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,    but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. 7   O God, when you went out before your people,    when you marched through the wilderness, Selah8   the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,    before God, the One of Sinai,    before God,3 the God of Israel.9   Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;    you restored your inheritance as it languished;10   your flock4 found a dwelling in it;    in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. 11   The Lord gives the word;    the women who announce the news are a great host:12     “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”  The women at home divide the spoil—13     though you men lie among the sheepfolds—  the wings of a dove covered with silver,    its pinions with shimmering gold.14   When the Almighty scatters kings there,    let snow fall on Zalmon. 15   O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;    O many-peaked5 mountain, mountain of Bashan!16   Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,    at the mount that God desired for his abode,    yes, where the LORD will dwell forever?17   The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,    thousands upon thousands;    the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.18   You ascended on high,    leading a host of captives in your train    and receiving gifts among men,  even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there. 19   Blessed be the Lord,    who daily bears us up;    God is our salvation. Selah20   Our God is a God of salvation,    and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.21   But God will strike the heads of his enemies,    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.22   The Lord said,    “I will bring them back from Bashan,  I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,23   that you may strike your feet in their blood,    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.” 24   Your procession is6 seen, O God,    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—25   the singers in front, the musicians last,    between them virgins playing tambourines:26   “Bless God in the great congregation,    the LORD, O you7 who are of Israel's fountain!”27   There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,    the princes of Judah in their throng,    the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. 28   Summon your power, O God,8    the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.29   Because of your temple at Jerusalem    kings shall bear gifts to you.30   Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,    the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.  Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;    scatter the peoples who delight in war.931   Nobles shall come from Egypt;    Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God. 32   O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;    sing praises to the Lord, Selah33   to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.34   Ascribe power to God,    whose majesty is over Israel,    and whose power is in the skies.35   Awesome is God from his10 sanctuary;    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.  Blessed be God! Save Me, O God To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. Of David. 69   Save me, O God!    For the waters have come up to my neck.112   I sink in deep mire,    where there is no foothold;  I have come into deep waters,    and the flood sweeps over me.3   I am weary with my crying out;    my throat is parched.  My eyes grow dim    with waiting for my God. 4   More in number than the hairs of my head    are those who hate me without cause;  mighty are those who would destroy me,    those who attack me with lies.  What I did not steal    must I now restore?5   O God, you know my folly;    the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you. 6   Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,    O Lord GOD of hosts;  let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,    O God of Israel.7   For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach,    that dishonor has covered my face.8   I have become a stranger to my brothers,    an alien to my mother's sons. 9   For zeal for your house has consumed me,    and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.10   When I wept and humbled12 my soul with fasting,    it became my reproach.11   When I made sackcloth my clothing,    I became a byword to them.12   I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,    and the drunkards make songs about me. 13   But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD.    At an acceptable time, O God,    in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.14   Deliver me    from sinking in the mire;  let me be delivered from my enemies    and from the deep waters.15   Let not the flood sweep over me,    or the deep swallow me up,    or the pit close its mouth over me. 16   Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good;    according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.17   Hide not your face from your servant,    for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.18   Draw near to my soul, redeem me;    ransom me because of my enemies! 19   You know my reproach,    and my shame and my dishonor;    my foes are all known to you.20   Reproaches have broken my heart,    so that I am in despair.  I looked for pity, but there was none,    and for comforters, but I found none.21   They gave me poison for food,    and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. 22   Let their own table before them become a snare;    and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.1323   Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see,    and make their loins tremble continually.24   Pour out your indignation upon them,    and let your burning anger overtake them.25   May their camp be a desolation;    let no one dwell in their tents.26   For they persecute him whom you have struck down,    and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.27   Add to them punishment upon punishment;    may they have no acquittal from you.1428   Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;    let them not be enrolled among the righteous. 29   But I am afflicted and in pain;    let your salvation, O God, set me on high! 30   I will praise the name of God with a song;    I will magnify him with thanksgiving.31   This will please the LORD more than an ox    or a bull with horns and hoofs.32   When the humble see it they will be glad;    you who seek God, let your hearts revive.33   For the LORD hears the needy    and does not despise his own people who are prisoners. 34   Let heaven and earth praise him,    the seas and everything that moves in them.35   For God will save Zion    and build up the cities of Judah,  and people shall dwell there and possess it;36     the offspring of his servants shall inherit it,    and those who love his name shall dwell in it. Footnotes [1] 66:17 Hebrew under [2] 66:17 Or and he was exalted with my tongue [3] 68:8 Or before God, even Sinai before God [4] 68:10 Or your congregation [5] 68:15 Or hunch-backed; also verse 16 [6]

Old Testament: Proverbs 13–14 Proverbs 13–14 (Listen) 13   A wise son hears his father's instruction,    but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.2   From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good,    but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.3   Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life;    he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.4   The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,    while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.5   The righteous hates falsehood,    but the wicked brings shame1 and disgrace.6   Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless,    but sin overthrows the wicked.7   One pretends to be rich,2 yet has nothing;    another pretends to be poor,3 yet has great wealth.8   The ransom of a man's life is his wealth,    but a poor man hears no threat.9   The light of the righteous rejoices,    but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.10   By insolence comes nothing but strife,    but with those who take advice is wisdom.11   Wealth gained hastily4 will dwindle,    but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.12   Hope deferred makes the heart sick,    but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.13   Whoever despises the word5 brings destruction on himself,    but he who reveres the commandment6 will be rewarded.14   The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,    that one may turn away from the snares of death.15   Good sense wins favor,    but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.716   Every prudent man acts with knowledge,    but a fool flaunts his folly.17   A wicked messenger falls into trouble,    but a faithful envoy brings healing.18   Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction,    but whoever heeds reproof is honored.19   A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul,    but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.20   Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,    but the companion of fools will suffer harm.21   Disaster8 pursues sinners,    but the righteous are rewarded with good.22   A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children,    but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.23   The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food,    but it is swept away through injustice.24   Whoever spares the rod hates his son,    but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.925   The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,    but the belly of the wicked suffers want.14   The wisest of women builds her house,    but folly with her own hands tears it down.2   Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD,    but he who is devious in his ways despises him.3   By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,10    but the lips of the wise will preserve them.4   Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,    but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.5   A faithful witness does not lie,    but a false witness breathes out lies.6   A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,    but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.7   Leave the presence of a fool,    for there you do not meet words of knowledge.8   The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,    but the folly of fools is deceiving.9   Fools mock at the guilt offering,    but the upright enjoy acceptance.1110   The heart knows its own bitterness,    and no stranger shares its joy.11   The house of the wicked will be destroyed,    but the tent of the upright will flourish.12   There is a way that seems right to a man,    but its end is the way to death.1213   Even in laughter the heart may ache,    and the end of joy may be grief.14   The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,    and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.15   The simple believes everything,    but the prudent gives thought to his steps.16   One who is wise is cautious13 and turns away from evil,    but a fool is reckless and careless.17   A man of quick temper acts foolishly,    and a man of evil devices is hated.18   The simple inherit folly,    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.19   The evil bow down before the good,    the wicked at the gates of the righteous.20   The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,    but the rich has many friends.21   Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,    but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.22   Do they not go astray who devise evil?    Those who devise good meet14 steadfast love and faithfulness.23   In all toil there is profit,    but mere talk tends only to poverty.24   The crown of the wise is their wealth,    but the folly of fools brings folly.25   A truthful witness saves lives,    but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.26   In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence,    and his children will have a refuge.27   The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,    that one may turn away from the snares of death.28   In a multitude of people is the glory of a king,    but without people a prince is ruined.29   Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,    but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.30   A tranquil15 heart gives life to the flesh,    but envy16 makes the bones rot.31   Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,    but he who is generous to the needy honors him.32   The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing,    but the righteous finds refuge in his death.33   Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding,    but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.1734   Righteousness exalts a nation,    but sin is a reproach to any people.35   A servant who deals wisely has the king's favor,    but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully. Footnotes [1] 13:5 Or stench [2] 13:7 Or One makes himself rich [3] 13:7 Or another makes himself poor [4] 13:11 Or by fraud [5] 13:13 Or a word [6] 13:13 Or a commandment [7] 13:15 Probable reading (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); Hebrew is rugged, or is an enduring rut [8] 13:21 Or Evil [9] 13:24 Or who loves him disciplines him early [10] 14:3 Or In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride [11] 14:9 Hebrew but among the upright is acceptance [12] 14:12 Hebrew ways of death [13] 14:16 Or fears [the Lord] [14] 14:22 Or show [15] 14:30 Or healing [16] 14:30 Or jealousy [17] 14:33 Or Wisdom rests quietly in the heart of a man of understanding, but makes itself known in the midst of fools (ESV) New Testament: 2 Timothy 3:1–9 2 Timothy 3:1–9 (Listen) Godlessness in the Last Days 3 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 68:19–35 Psalm 68:19–35 (Listen) 19   Blessed be the Lord,    who daily bears us up;    God is our salvation. Selah20   Our God is a God of salvation,    and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.21   But God will strike the heads of his enemies,    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.22   The Lord said,    “I will bring them back from Bashan,  I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,23   that you may strike your feet in their blood,    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.” 24   Your procession is1 seen, O God,    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—25   the singers in front, the musicians last,    between them virgins playing tambourines:26   “Bless God in the great congregation,    the LORD, O you2 who are of Israel's fountain!”27   There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,    the princes of Judah in their throng,    the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. 28   Summon your power, O God,3    the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.29   Because of your temple at Jerusalem    kings shall bear gifts to you.30   Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,    the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.  Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;    scatter the peoples who delight in war.431   Nobles shall come from Egypt;    Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God. 32   O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;    sing praises to the Lord, Selah33   to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.34   Ascribe power to God,    whose majesty is over Israel,    and whose power is in the skies.35   Awesome is God from his5 sanctuary;    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.  Blessed be God! Footnotes [1] 68:24 Or has been [2] 68:26 The Hebrew for you is plural here [3] 68:28 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew Your God has summoned your power [4] 68:30 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain [5] 68:35 Septuagint; Hebrew your (ESV) Proverb: Proverbs 23:13–14 Proverbs 23:13–14 (Listen) 13   Do not withhold discipline from a child;    if you strike him with a rod, he will not die.14   If you strike him with the rod,    you will save his soul from Sheol. (ESV)

Old Testament: Proverbs 13–14 Proverbs 13–14 (Listen) 13   A wise son hears his father's instruction,    but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.2   From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good,    but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.3   Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life;    he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.4   The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,    while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.5   The righteous hates falsehood,    but the wicked brings shame1 and disgrace.6   Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless,    but sin overthrows the wicked.7   One pretends to be rich,2 yet has nothing;    another pretends to be poor,3 yet has great wealth.8   The ransom of a man's life is his wealth,    but a poor man hears no threat.9   The light of the righteous rejoices,    but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.10   By insolence comes nothing but strife,    but with those who take advice is wisdom.11   Wealth gained hastily4 will dwindle,    but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.12   Hope deferred makes the heart sick,    but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.13   Whoever despises the word5 brings destruction on himself,    but he who reveres the commandment6 will be rewarded.14   The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,    that one may turn away from the snares of death.15   Good sense wins favor,    but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.716   Every prudent man acts with knowledge,    but a fool flaunts his folly.17   A wicked messenger falls into trouble,    but a faithful envoy brings healing.18   Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction,    but whoever heeds reproof is honored.19   A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul,    but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.20   Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,    but the companion of fools will suffer harm.21   Disaster8 pursues sinners,    but the righteous are rewarded with good.22   A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children,    but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.23   The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food,    but it is swept away through injustice.24   Whoever spares the rod hates his son,    but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.925   The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,    but the belly of the wicked suffers want.14   The wisest of women builds her house,    but folly with her own hands tears it down.2   Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD,    but he who is devious in his ways despises him.3   By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,10    but the lips of the wise will preserve them.4   Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,    but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.5   A faithful witness does not lie,    but a false witness breathes out lies.6   A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,    but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.7   Leave the presence of a fool,    for there you do not meet words of knowledge.8   The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,    but the folly of fools is deceiving.9   Fools mock at the guilt offering,    but the upright enjoy acceptance.1110   The heart knows its own bitterness,    and no stranger shares its joy.11   The house of the wicked will be destroyed,    but the tent of the upright will flourish.12   There is a way that seems right to a man,    but its end is the way to death.1213   Even in laughter the heart may ache,    and the end of joy may be grief.14   The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,    and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.15   The simple believes everything,    but the prudent gives thought to his steps.16   One who is wise is cautious13 and turns away from evil,    but a fool is reckless and careless.17   A man of quick temper acts foolishly,    and a man of evil devices is hated.18   The simple inherit folly,    but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.19   The evil bow down before the good,    the wicked at the gates of the righteous.20   The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,    but the rich has many friends.21   Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner,    but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.22   Do they not go astray who devise evil?    Those who devise good meet14 steadfast love and faithfulness.23   In all toil there is profit,    but mere talk tends only to poverty.24   The crown of the wise is their wealth,    but the folly of fools brings folly.25   A truthful witness saves lives,    but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.26   In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence,    and his children will have a refuge.27   The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,    that one may turn away from the snares of death.28   In a multitude of people is the glory of a king,    but without people a prince is ruined.29   Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,    but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.30   A tranquil15 heart gives life to the flesh,    but envy16 makes the bones rot.31   Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,    but he who is generous to the needy honors him.32   The wicked is overthrown through his evildoing,    but the righteous finds refuge in his death.33   Wisdom rests in the heart of a man of understanding,    but it makes itself known even in the midst of fools.1734   Righteousness exalts a nation,    but sin is a reproach to any people.35   A servant who deals wisely has the king's favor,    but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully. Footnotes [1] 13:5 Or stench [2] 13:7 Or One makes himself rich [3] 13:7 Or another makes himself poor [4] 13:11 Or by fraud [5] 13:13 Or a word [6] 13:13 Or a commandment [7] 13:15 Probable reading (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate); Hebrew is rugged, or is an enduring rut [8] 13:21 Or Evil [9] 13:24 Or who loves him disciplines him early [10] 14:3 Or In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride [11] 14:9 Hebrew but among the upright is acceptance [12] 14:12 Hebrew ways of death [13] 14:16 Or fears [the Lord] [14] 14:22 Or show [15] 14:30 Or healing [16] 14:30 Or jealousy [17] 14:33 Or Wisdom rests quietly in the heart of a man of understanding, but makes itself known in the midst of fools (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 68:19–35 Psalm 68:19–35 (Listen) 19   Blessed be the Lord,    who daily bears us up;    God is our salvation. Selah20   Our God is a God of salvation,    and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.21   But God will strike the heads of his enemies,    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.22   The Lord said,    “I will bring them back from Bashan,  I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,23   that you may strike your feet in their blood,    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.” 24   Your procession is1 seen, O God,    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—25   the singers in front, the musicians last,    between them virgins playing tambourines:26   “Bless God in the great congregation,    the LORD, O you2 who are of Israel's fountain!”27   There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,    the princes of Judah in their throng,    the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. 28   Summon your power, O God,3    the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.29   Because of your temple at Jerusalem    kings shall bear gifts to you.30   Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,    the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.  Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;    scatter the peoples who delight in war.431   Nobles shall come from Egypt;    Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God. 32   O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;    sing praises to the Lord, Selah33   to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.34   Ascribe power to God,    whose majesty is over Israel,    and whose power is in the skies.35   Awesome is God from his5 sanctuary;    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.  Blessed be God! Footnotes [1] 68:24 Or has been [2] 68:26 The Hebrew for you is plural here [3] 68:28 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew Your God has summoned your power [4] 68:30 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain [5] 68:35 Septuagint; Hebrew your (ESV) New Testament: John 9 John 9 (Listen) Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind 9 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. 8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.” 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” 18 The Jews1 did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus2 to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”3 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt;4 but now that you say, ‘We see,' your guilt remains. Footnotes [1] 9:18 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verse 22 [2] 9:22 Greek him [3]

Hebrews 1:8-14 8 Of the Son [God] says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness beyond Your companions.” 10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of Your hands; 11 they will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment, 12 like a robe You will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will have no end.” 13 And to which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? Key Words: Throne, Forever, Scepter, Footstool, Ministering Keystone Verse: verse: Your throne O God is forever and ever. (Hebrews 1:8) Download Bulletin

Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 488 - I Am, Alone, Your God and Lord: vv. 1-3, 10 - The Third Commandment (p. 31): Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it. - Devotion - Prayer - Hymn 432 - Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness: vv. 1, 2, 5, 6, 8 - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Chaplain Don Moldstad (Preacher), Kaleb Schmidt (Organist)

Are we seeking God's will or our own will? Do we trust that our all-powerful Lord and Savior has EVERYTHING under control? Read this story of Lazarus' resurrection with fresh eyes and bask in the power of God! (John 11:38-45) **** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical Teaching arm of the Women World Leaders' podcast. I'm your host, Julie Jenkins. This podcast has been created by Women World Leaders in an effort to help YOU step into YOUR God-given purpose. On this, the Wednesday edition of the podcast, we are currently walking through the gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - chronologically. The Word of God is living and active, and is designed to be a guide for our lives. As we study, we look at what circumstances the scripture was written under, who it was written by, and who it was written to – striving to discern the original intended message. And then, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we bridge to what the writing means for us today – discerning what God wants EACH of us to know and how He wants to apply it to our lives. No matter what your season of life looks like right now, God has GREAT things planned for you. I've heard it said that if you are still breathing, you are still on mission from Christ. And it is our hope that you will allow us at Women World Leaders to walk WITH you on that mission! We invite you to subscribe to our podcast; join us on Facebook, where we share in community and offer daily devotions; jump on our Zoom gatherings on the third and fourth Monday of every month; and read the digital version of Voice of Truth magazine for free or subscribe to receive your own physical copy of Voice of Truth by becoming a monthly donor to the ministry. Join our email list by filling out the contact form at womenworldleaders.com so you can find out all you need to know. Let's begin in prayer… Most Holy God – as we begin the study of your Word today, we offer you ourselves. Father, we are coming to you from different places—mentally, physically, spiritually and psychologically—but one thing we have in common is you. Father, you ARE our creator, our sustainer, and our guide. I give my words to you today, and I pray for each woman listening, that she would hear directly from you. You are a faithful God who will never let us down, who will walk with us, and who has great plans for each of us! I ask that you speak to us in these next few minutes – meet each woman where she is and guide her into a deeper walk with you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. For the last two weeks, we have been studying the story of Jesus as He was called by His dear friends Martha and Mary to respond to the needs of their brother, Lazarus. The sisters sent an urgent message to Jesus regarding Lazarus' illness, yet Jesus delayed His visit for two days. By the time Jesus did arrive, Lazarus had already been dead for four days. Jesus had forewarned His disciples of this, but He told them, “Now I will go and wake him up.” And He also shared the purpose behind this upcoming miracle, saying, “For now you will really believe.” After Jesus arrived in Bethany, He told Martha, who was grieving the death of Lazarus, “Your brother will rise again…I am the resurrection and the life.” And when Mary arrived weeping and distraught, Jesus wept with her. Today, our study continues as we open the Gospel of John to chapter 11, verses 38-45, and read from the New Living Translation.  38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance.  I don't care too much for this translation which states that Jesus was “angry.” Other translations state that Jesus was deeply moved, very sad in his heart, greatly disturbed, intensely troubled, or even groaning in himself. As you can see, this original Greek is not easily translated! I read the views of different theologians, and the most common description of Jesus' demeanor as He arrived at the tomb was that He was physically releasing agitation, anguish, and sympathy in the face of human suffering. Kind of an audible snort ...”huh.” What we do understand for sure is that Jesus was led to the tomb by very real people who were suffering greatly due to the loss of a loved one. It had been four days since Lazarus death and, for many of them, the reality of it had sunk in. You may remember last week when we talked about the fact that the first phase of intense mourning lasted 3 days, because it was after three days that the face of the corpse would have decomposed beyond recognition. Still, although time has now passed, anyone who has lost someone can empathize with the fact that grief continues to come in waves for quite awhile. And as these mourners arrived at the tomb, those waves likely fell fresh on both the family and Jesus. The tomb was, basically, a cave with a stone positioned in front of the entrance. The sites of tombs were often quarries that were no longer in use. The newly dead body would have been treated with spices and wrapped in a large sheet of linen that was more than twice the length of the body. The normal practice was that fabric would be laid out, and then the body laid on it, with its feet at one end. Then the sheet was folded over the top of the head and pulled back down to cover the whole front of the body. Next, the fabric would be secured by wrapping strips of linen around the feet and arms and then binding the face with another cloth. Once prepared, the body would be laid in the main part of the cave, where it would remain for the next year, protected from the outside world by the stone covering the opening to the cave. After a year, the stone would be rolled away, and the bones of the deceased would be collected and placed in a small box which was then placed into a horizontal niche cut into the rock. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus body had been spiced, wrapped, tied, and fully and completely laid to rest. Which is why it must have been shocking to hear Jesus' next words… 39 “Roll the stone aside.” Verse 39 continues… But Martha, the dead man's sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” 40 Jesus responded, “Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?” Earlier, Jesus had asked Martha if she believed. She replied yes, but from her answer, we could sense that although she DID fully believe Jesus, she likely didn't understand all He was saying. When I was a child, with a very immature faith, I used to wonder incessantly about my future. Will I get married? Will I have kids? Will I have a career? I can remember thinking, I wish I could just know that everything will turn out ok! As we walk through life, we don't know what is around the corner! We don't have a crystal ball that tells us the future. But we DO know, as God's children, that everything will be okay! Our God is in total control, and He loves you more than you can imagine. Martha didn't understand, but she BELIEVED Jesus! She trusted Him. It didn't make sense that He was telling them to roll the stone away, disturbing her brother's decaying corpse, but Jesus HAD said, believe, and you will see God's glory. We, also, need to believe to see God's glory. We can trust Him even when we don't understand His methods. Martha, evidently, came to this conclusion. Because she, as the next of kin, gave the go-ahead for the stone to be rolled away. Veres 41…  41 So they rolled the stone aside. I want to pause here to share an aha moment I had as I was reading and studying this passage. The only other entombment of a Jewish man I have ever studied is that of Jesus. And it's kind of similar, right? Jesus was laid in a cave, and a stone was rolled in front. What struck me as I read this was the immense power residing in Jesus. In this instance, we see Jesus call for the removal of Lazarus' stone. We, in retrospect, know that we are about to see the glory of God unleashed as He raises Lazarus from the dead. But what struck me is that Lazarus was as much of a bystander in this situation as Martha and Mary and the rest of the crowd were. Lazarus was just chilling up in heaven, probably dining on the most amazing food ever! But, when JESUS died, it was all about Jesus. Jesus was separated from God. He was sitting in the depths of hell for 3 days – until God ordained the moment of His resurrection. At which point Jesus, still completely filled with the power of God, raised HIMSELF and moved His own stone away! Maybe that's elementary Christianity, but it just drove home to me that there is NOTHING WE can do to save ourselves, to raise ourselves from the dead. Not only could Lazarus not raise himself, he couldn't even move his own stone away so he could get out of the tomb. We NEED Jesus! Only He is able to to save us. Only He can grant us a peaceful eternity with the Father. Without Jesus, we are just a pile of bones destined to turn into dust. But although Jesus seemed to be the star of the show, He clearly shows us that this resurrection is about pointing to God the Father, who holds all the power and glory. Verse 41 continues…  Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.”  Jesus is the obedient Son who stands aligned with God the Father in His power. Jesus, who is in constant contact with God the Father, only and always does GOD's will. And that's what we are called to do, too. When we pray the Lord's prayer, we pray that GOD'S will be done. Our journey on this earth is not about doing what WE think we should do, but it is about doing God's will. He has made YOU for a purpose. Even as He was forming you in your mother's womb, He had a plan for your life. Is your prayer REALLY to do the will of God? Do you seek His guidance and follow in faith even when you don't understand? We already saw that Martha obey in faith, and now we see Jesus' outward display of following God's heart. Jesus does exactly as God instructs. He raises Lazarus—a man who has been dead for four days, his face no longer recognizable, and who was carefully wrapped in linen and laid in a tomb. Verse 43… 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Can you imagine? The scene I picture is right out of a B movie…from the opening of the cave, a man emerges, hopping or scuffling along, wrapped in a linen cloth with his feet tied together, his arms strapped to his sides, and a full covering over his head. If you think about it, it was probably a bit scary. It is no wonder Jesus had to give another instruction…  “Unwrap him and let him go!” Next week we will get into the aftermath of the miracle, but can we, for a moment, just pause to take in the awe of the scene? We don't know who went to Lazarus side. We don't know if they rushed to him or approached carefully. I wonder if Lazarus was disoriented as they unwrapped him. I wonder what He said? He had experienced so much. He saw God's glory. He felt God's power reunite him with his physical body. He understood what complete healing felt like. I imagine that Jesus didn't bring Lazarus back to the sickly body he had left or even to the well-on-its-way-to decomposing body that had been dead for four days. I imagine that the power of Jesus recreated Lazarus's body in perfection. That as the linen cloth was unraveled, Lazarus perfect skin and bright eyes were revealed. Verse 45 says simply that Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. I bet! John includes this miracle in His gospel as the climax of Jesus' public ministry. As we study next week, we will see the clear division that this miracle brought. Yes, some people believed, but many also turned staunchly against Jesus. And I can imagine why. God's power is awe-inspiring and life-changing. I had a very limited foray with playing sports when I was young. In grade school, I played on a basketball team with a powerhouse of an athlete. She was quick, adept, and smart at moving the ball. The rest of us were, well, typical grade-school athletes. But this girl, she was our key to winning. I always thought, thank goodness she is on our team, because I would be scared silly to play against her. Jesus' power is way beyond that of a powerhouse athlete! Jesus works in total and complete cooperation with an all-powerful and all-sufficient God. That means that, as His teammates—we are SO COVERED! We are NEVER going to lose. But go against Him, and you would have every reason to put up your guard and reach for any weapon available. Jesus, in God's power, ROSE LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD! He said,  Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Then He asked Martha if she believed Him. And then He showed her that she COULD believe Him. We can believe everything that Jesus says! We can move the stone when He says to move it. We can rise in power when He calls. We can unravel death cloths expecting to see healing. We can trust in our future, knowing that with Jesus, everything WILL be okay. But if we decide to go against Him, He will still be God. And if decide not to be on His team, we will lose for eternity. Because God wins. Will you trust His will and His call? Let's pray… Dear Most Holy God! We stand in awe as we read through this story verse by verse. Father, thank you for teaching us of your power, strength, and perfect will. Thank you for reminding us that when we commit to your will, we will see re-birth and renewal like we could never imagine. As we say yes to your will and seek to walk in the path you have given each of us, we look up to you and say thank you for giving us the power to do all you have called us to and for choosing us to be on your winning team. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Faction Cannot Prevail (9)      (audio)  David Eells – 8/20/23  Word From The Lord  Debbie Fenske 6/29/23   I want to share a word Jesus shared with me as I was sitting before Him, praying, and just waiting on Him. I heard Him speak a couple thoughts to me. After writing down the second thought Jesus just kept speaking this encouraging word.   “Many, so many who have, in the past, been a part of UBM, are beginning now to understand the evil, and the dangers of faction. The truth that they are receiving from Me is instilling a holy fear within them. This is why I rise up in David, My servant, moving within him to keep talking and warning about this. It has been imperative for him to do so, for faction is a disease, killing many. So many who have not understood this are now finally listening, and repenting, and many will return to My ministry of UBM to receive truth once again. For they are aware of the great deadness of their spiritual womb. My truth, and a holy fear of Me will produce life in them once again.   My servant, David, must not stop speaking about these things. For I will have My way, which is revealing to all I have chosen, the true condition of their hearts. My truth will break out again like a wildfire through the mouth of My servant, for My anointing will not leave him. And My anointed chosen will soon be revealed, and many, many blind eyes will be opened, and the deaf ears will hear. Hearts will be healed, and they will rush under the presence of My anointing, and will grow, and will with much Joy, and spiritual vigor, produce much fruit which will come forth from My life within them.  My provision, in every way, will flow once again. Press in, and I will give abundant blessings. Receive them now, as you press in to Me, that I may make them manifested to you. For My Spirit is moving, stirring hearts to come back to Me, and My anointing. They are coming back to the truth. Trust Me, and wait on Me, and you will see, soon, the outpouring of My Spirit, and My great supply of provision for my people, as the unleavened bread continues to go forth from My anointed, and spoken forth from all who have received, and believe, and are walking the unleavened walk. The time is set for my life received to pour forth from you, a flowing stream of life. Remain faithful, humble, and pure. I have not, and will not fail of any of My good promises to My unleavened bread ministry.”  Before I got on the zoom meeting, I prayed that God would somehow, someway, confirm this word. And I believe that He did that through some verses that were shared.   Deb Horton's scripture that she shared was Jeremiah 32:6-15. The confirming verse is the second part of verse 15. “Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.” I also felt confirmation was received in verse 15 of her scripture verses. “For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel. Houses, and fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”  Shay shared, Philippians 4:19-23. Verses 19 and 20: “And my God will supply all your needs, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God, and Father glory forever and ever. Amen.”   Amen! Yes, Lord. All glory belongs to You! Thank You, faithful Father, for delivering and rescuing those who you will from the evil faction, and opening the eyes of those who just could not see to receive the awful truth about faction, and so gave up and set aside your truth. Thank You for your blessings now, and those you are about to abundantly bestow upon UBM, and for your faithfulness to all, all over the world, who are faithful to you in giving out the unleavened truth of Your Word. Amen!      Satanist's Abuse of Young Women    David Eells  First I would like to say that we have pretty well used language in the following to make as sure as possible not to arouse any individual but any who would like to opt out can do so. The information is important because satanists depravity against against Christians is becoming rampant. Satanists astral project themselves to rape young women or otherwise control them. They then can have perverse thoughts they never had before. https://youtu.be/M9IV550e2ko   Satanists rape their own children to impart perverse spirits to them by injection so they can take advantage of them and also impart their evil gifts to them. One of the local satanists young girl who was very Christian when we knew her and opposed her father's faction was now seen to be a boy with very short hair, plus mannerism and dress, this is clearly bisexuality and historically satanists impart this and other evils by incest spirits. The father had a very long pony tail and kind of sickly looking. I am convinced that the local satanists who focus on us as their main hatred under Kevin C. Rea are astral projecting themselves into 2-3 of our young women to have sex with them at night without their knowledge. From research I discovered that this is common with satanists and more than one satanist can do this at a time. The women often awake with symptoms of pain in their vagina area. I am not sure of any other places. This is common with satanic night time rapes. Also, incubus demons molest women, but I do not think they are needed in astral projection cases by satanists. These are all from the same Devil. We can cast incubus out and bind any molestation by satanists in the name of Jesus.  Demonic Sexual Abuse  Excerpts from:  The Young Female Body as a Site of Demonic Sexual Abuse: The Case of Christians in Charismatic Pentecostal Churches in Durban South Africa By: Vivian Besem Ojong'  Ten young girls were interviewed for the study drawn from three churches in Durban South Africa. … The article exposes how young women under such forms of abuse have been silent (until now) and the alienation they suffer as a result of their experiences.  INTRODUCTION  The young female body is beginning to draw attention within the Pentecostal charismatic circles through the process of ‘deliverance'. These bodies are being perceived and represented differently through the local churches, the young women themselves and the media. …   Turner's (2004:71) concept of embodiment increases understanding of the subject matter because it talks about the body as a life process that requires learning techniques; practices which gives a body its place in everyday life. For young girls (with little experience in life), it is a bit challenging for them to separate what happens to their bodies and how they view their bodies and are viewed in society. Viewing the body from a phenomenological perspective, Merleau-Ponty (1962) describes the body as a province of meaning. Through the concept of embodiment, the paper examines how young women view their bodies after demonic sexual activity.   The realm of religion and sexuality is one which fueled with conservative and traditional values. Within the Pentecostal charismatic circles, sexual relations between demons and humans are an essential part of their belief and practice. Through the Pentecostal charismatic churches, the female body is portrayed as a site of active demonic sexual activities and exoticism and as one trapped in secrecy and shame. …   The aim of this research was to explore the meanings and explanations that young women gave to their experiences of sexual abuse of demons and the interpretations they gave to the public display of the process of exorcising these demons from their bodies. Since little or no research has been done on the experiences of such women, it is exploratory in nature, designed to understand general meanings the women gave to their experiences. Instead of sticking to the taken-for-granted definitions of sexual abuse, I relied on the specific explanations given to me by the women in my sample.   These understandings were then mirrored around the other existing forms of sexual abuse and forms of violence against women. Several key questions were asked: what are the different forms of demonic sexual abuse? How do the young women know that they have been sexually abused? Are they able to narrate these experiences to friends, families or pastors? What avenues exist for women sexually abused by demons? How do the women feel about aspects of their private lives being displayed openly in public? Are they able to exercise agency? Do the Pentecostal charismatic pastors take advantage of the women's situation for church growth? How can the feminist movement contribute to the empowerment of such women?   From the different churches I have been ministering deliverance to young women; I was able to utilize a sample of ten young women who were willing to explain and talk openly about their experiences. The data was gathered through in-depth interviews with ten women over a period of twelve months. These women fell within the ages of 13 to 21 years… These young girls are caught between telling their stories and keeping quiet. By the women maintaining silence and not narrating their experiences may be misconstrued as entirely an individual matter. But from a feminist perspective, women's continuous abuse lay in the ability of the abusers to stay hidden and keep the women quiet about their suffering. These young women have on a whole maintained silence about their experiences of sexual abuse for fear of further cultural and religious images of being depicted as some sorts of evils themselves. From the different interviews conducted, it was clear that most of them were willing and anxious to get help but at the same time, had remained silent about their suffering. Seven out of the ten women had become very reserved and withdrawn (even within the context of the church) as a result of their abuse, while the other three have become overly outwardly spoken.   These behaviors to me seemed to have been shaped as coping mechanisms in response to their abuse. Three of the women said they had decided to distance themselves from the rest of the women by either having no friends in Christian circles, or coming late to church and leaving early to avoid any communication with people. Whenever they found themselves in group meetings, they remained quiet throughout. These may be seen as some form of dysfunctionality; but actually these are means through which these girls survive sexual abuse on a daily basis. In order to get these young women to speak to me about the “unspeakable” experiences of their lives, I had to apply empathy.   When I first decided to conduct research of this nature on women who were sexually abused by demons, my main aim was to highlight their experiences and bring their suffering to the fore in a critical manner. (From what I have researched it is actually satanists using demons to do this for their own lusts in some cases but incubus demons don't need satanists to do this. Also the demon of asmodeus (spirit husband) God has also revealed is part of the raping of women and making them supernaturally attracted to him. This is used by the satanists to rape women. The author here also goes into the abuse of pastors trying to get notoriety with their deliverances and possible other abuses by them.)… Sexual abuse of women by demons is not a new phenomenon, but also not very clear within the Christian circles. … During the deliverance of these evil spirits, different voices are heard; the young woman's voice, the voice of the Pentecostal and the voice of the demon speaking through the women.   What appears to be strange about the two voices heard from the woman is that, she has no recollection of the demonic voice that speaks through her. To her ‘embarrassment' after each deliverance session, the young woman is told by those who attended the church services or those who watched the church services through live television broadcasts.   … Being a church minister, I have come to the understanding that this sexual demonic abuse of women is fast becoming a social/religious problem and warrants academic attention. …   As I moved from interviewing one young woman to another gathering their stories, I realized that these women's sexuality is being damaged as a result of continuous abuse and they are struggling dealing with sexual relations with men. As one of the young women narrated, ‘whenever a man approaches me and tells me that he loves me, I see the face of the demon' (Anna, 21yrs). M (18yr old) explained that, whenever she is approached by a man for a romantic relationship, she develops a fear that he may violate her body the same way the male demon does… The experiences of S (22yr olds) explain how dehumanized young women feel about these abuses…  When I was thirteen years old, I woke up one night and thought that I had peed on the bed. When I properly examined myself, it felt like someone poured prepared jungle oats on my private part… (As we will see this is the satanists doing their usual thing.) After one month, it became a weekly event and I began seeing faces of men but was unable in most instances to even shout for help or raise my hand until the person leaves me. This continued until I turned 21yrs. This demon started showing himself to me and claiming I am his wife. I don't know how he enters my room and he is very rude and harsh. He does not discuss anything with me. He only comes and has sex with me. There is something about him; whenever he comes, I am unable to speak, shout or run away. Since I turned 21, he ensures I see him before he will leave me.  E (19yr old) feels that she is used as a sex tool by multiple demons. (and Men) Every night from when I turned 15 yrs I have been waking up every morning angry because some short dark men have sex with me… They come straight for sex at night and leave the next morning. When it is night time, they come again. What is strange is that, one handsome demon came twice but I could not see him clearly when I looked at him. And sometimes, I see different men, some I recognize because they come often (these men don't exist in my community; I see them only when they come to sleep with me). I do not recognize most of them. There was a time I asked one who pretended to be nice to me; where he came from. He said that he lives under the sea, that I am his wife… Sometimes when I pray, I will be able to refuse to have sex with them. Sometimes, even if I did not sleep with a man, I will wake up in the morning angry because I will have the feeling that something was in my private part. As a result of these assaults, something in me hates men. I feel like I should be with a woman who cannot hurt me. Many of the men who do this to the women are bisexual and they are imparting these demons to the women.) I remember when I was 15yrs old, I had a dream whereby I was handed to a man in some sort of a wedding ceremony I can boldly say is among those who come and have sex with me. …..   At this point, she turned and starting weeping, asking me whether there is something in her that attracts these spirits… She said that early this year in January, she was walking and came face-to-face with the one she thinks married her, immediately she saw him, he smiled and disappeared before she could even think of what to do. Since then, she explained that… He has been appearing in my bedroom. (This is most likely a satanist who astral project themselves to and in the women.)  I will open my door and find him sitting and waiting for me. I cannot run away. I feel helpless. I have attempted suicide twice by talking overdose of sleeping pills but it did not work.      Testimony of a Sister in Christ    Being the age of about 4 years old is the youngest I can remember. When I was a child, demons, or unclean spirits, whether they were human or just demons I am unsure, but they would come to me especially when I was alone in my room at night and also attack me when I was physically asleep.  I remember as a child they would appear to me as a cartoon character or a character from a toy or doll, or sometimes to do with children's things. (The Lord did a lot of deliverance with me relating to demons that entered me as a child through children's films, children music, toys and dolls. (The origin of dolls was for voodoo and witchcraft and there are many demons in them.) I believe because as a child, I trusted and was comfortable with these things, demons would disguise themselves as that.  These demons or spirits in disguise would trick me into having sex with them and it was probably almost nightly. As I got a little older new demons came and some of them would threaten to kill me if I didn't give in to them. They promised to protect me from other spirits if I let them do what they wanted. These sexual things were not just spiritual but also manifested in physical things, and I would experience the physical feelings and sensation and soreness and smell etc.   Other demons would disguise themselves as a person that I had a “crush” on, which caused me to easily submit in this way. But mostly I remember as I got older, most of these spirits used fear and threats of death or torture, unless I let them do what they wanted.  Because this had been a normal thing since I was about 4, sexual sin was normal to me which I fell into around the age of 7. This was so normal that I didn't understand that it wasn't normal until after God woke me up to Himself.  When I had just turned 18, I was drugged by a couple that were involved with witchcraft, satanism and snuff porn. I had no knowledge of what had happened to me until I woke up in the morning lying naked in their bed. I had no memory for the past 12 hours. They told me of the physical satanic abusive things they did to me, but I had no memory of any of it, probably because of the drugs. The lady in the relationship was pregnant at the time.  When I was 19 and travelling in the USA, I met a man and some of his friends and I stayed with him at his hotel for a while. He had an extreme amount of money, and he wasn't very old. He told me it was from getting bitcoin before it went big and all money he had, he had to get from a crypto machine. I guess we got along because we had an extreme amount in common. (I did not know Jesus at the time) but one night God supernaturally opened the spiritual realm for me, and he showed me that this man was involved in human trafficking. He would get the women and take them to a specific place, and he would hand them over to the next line of people and he would get paid. I saw this was all true and this was what this man's original intentions were for me.   I was in extreme sin, and I didn't care if I lived or died, I didn't care about myself, so I kept staying with this man even though I knew of the evil he was involved in. I did not have much knowledge of human trafficking at that time, but I was interested to know more about it, so I asked him about it. He freaked out for a while and was worried that I was with the FBI or a spy or something. But after a little he could see I wasn't with the FBI and we were like friends with a lot in common, had similar personalities and desires in life, both in love with drugs and we both knew the truth about conspiracy theories etc.   I pretended to be interested in what he did and he opened up about it. The hotel and some of the hotel workers where he was staying, were involved with the human trafficking. This was a high-class hotel very close to an airport in California. This man would basically get women (Usually young women that were from overseas and traveling alone.) and take them to a party. (There they would be drugged and given to the next person involved.) Or sometimes they would trick the women to travel overseas (commonly to Brazil) with them where they would get kidnapped once they arrived. This man was just the front-line guy that would find the women, lure them to a place, where the next person would take them, and he would get paid usually between $15,000-$25,000 depending on what the women looked like and her age and virginity etc.   I found out long after this experience that the traffickers work and get paid in bitcoin etc. In my ignorance I kept staying with this guy for a while but then after God allowed another significant event not related to this, I left safely all by God's grace.   After learning of God's existence and my own will to follow Jesus, I wanted nothing to do with sexual sin in my mind or with my physical body. So, when these spirits would try to attack me sexually when I was awake, I would reject it and lean on Jesus, and they would flee after making many threats to hurt me.  But they continued to attack me while I was in my sleep state. They would disguise as my ex-boyfriend and do some bewitchment on me where I had no control or thought. Other times they would paralyze me physically where I couldn't move. They would sometimes sit on my chest or lie on my body and were so strong that I was unable to physically move, and I could only think of Jesus. They could now only attack me at night when I fell asleep. This would happen frequently.  The only Christians I knew at the time thought I was crazy as they didn't have any understanding of the spiritual realm.  I recall one time when I was physically asleep but I was awake. I was like rolled away, doing constant underwater somersaults, in this underwater kingdom. I knew this was real, it was not just a dream, and I knew that I was underwater. In this place there were many creatures that were half human and half sea creatures, and I saw them having sex with actual humans. Whether they were awake or asleep I don't know but it was so real. I saw where these creatures would do strong spells and enchantments on these humans that would force them to not resist but to give into having sex with these creatures.  Later I learned that the marine kingdom is real and the biggest satanist kingdom on earth. It is underwater where humans gather with demons and do evil rituals, and the marine spirits are responsible for all the sexual depravity in the world. They are the ones seducing people and giving them lust; they control and are manipulating them in sexual sins.  After I got married the attacks became less frequent. When they did occur when I was asleep, I would either recognize that the spirit in front of me was trying to seduce me and I would reject it, or I would wake up immediately unharmed. Sometimes it would paralyze me, and I couldn't physically move or do anything until it left.   Other times when I was asleep, the spirit would disguise itself as my husband, being all innocent and use some enchantment to make me attracted to it and make me desire sex. Because I really thought it was my husband, I would give into it, and I would wake up and realize it was a demon and I would have physical pain in my vagina (Like the attacks on our sisters by the satanists) and sometimes other symptoms.  When asleep, these spirits, whether they are humans or just demons, will disguise as someone or something we desire. They know our weak spots and they know what attracts us. Now, when they attack me, they would disguise as my husband and there have been times when I'm asleep, I literally see my husband and I lying in bed at the exact same time one of these spirits is also there. The feelings to have sex would be so real as if being physical awake, and then I would just wake up and realize that I was being tricked by an unclean spirit again.  These spirits also use enchantments or spells to make us feel physical and spiritual pleasure to make us unable to resist them. Sometimes the witchcraft enchantment- spell thing is so strong it just takes over your whole body and it's so real and hard to resist. Many times, after something like this has happened, the next day I have gross thoughts that I never had before.  From my experience, once a sexual act takes place with any of these spirits, even while asleep, a covenant with them is made and they have legal right, and they think they are your husband or wife etc., so they are given more control. Since finding God they have tried many times to convince me that they are my friend by disguising as something familiar and trying to trick me to think I want them because they have been there such a long time, but they are all liars.  But we only want to and have covenant with Jesus, so I have renounced all these spirit spouses and unclean spirits. I want nothing to do with them, I don't want their lies or seduction or witchcraft or enchantments or spells. They all must stop and cease in Jesus Name. And thank You Father for blessing all of us that we can and will be aware of what is really going on when we are physically sleeping. That You for always making it known to us when it's a demon disguising as our husband or another person. Thank You for only Holy experiences when we are physically asleep and awake and thank You that You have made us clean by The Blood of Jesus! ALL praise and Glory and Honor to You Holy One now and forever! AMEN.      Sunshine Daughter of Sacrifice     A Summarization of Parts and Excerpts  https://www.ubm1.org/sunshine.pdf    Teresa learned the following about James and Helen in her investigation and research of her daughter, Sunshine's death:  The two satanists, James and Helen put an ad in the newspaper for employment to ‘lure' Sunshine to them for an interview. They hired her immediately for a job position in their home. They knew she was a Christian and she confessed this to them up front.   James was born to a very wealthy family in the east and raised with the best of everything. After being educated in private schools and graduating from West Point, he served as an officer in the military. He has a highly charismatic personality, warm and outgoing. He dresses well, and appears to have everything going for him. Helen's grandparents were from Haiti. She was raised in the Midwest by her grandmother. Tall, thin and elegant, she managed to raise herself to respectability by her appearance. She claims her uncle is an attorney in this city. She is very straightforward, projecting an authoritative and intimidating persona.   As mentioned, Helen is of Haitian descent. She had not only taken up some of their traditions, but incorporated some of her own. Two hundred years ago some Haitians made a pact with satan in the third week of August, and now, during that week, their commitment was reaffirmed by the offering of human sacrifices. Helen told Teresa that she and James would be greatly elevated in power and be given 50,000 souls to rule over because of their sacrifice of Sunshine. The sacrifice of a Christian is supposed to increase their power especially.   Teresa learned through her own research in Sunshine's case, how James and Helen controlled and manipulated the police, the judicial system, and any witnesses to continue to get away with all their satanic crimes. She no longer trusted the police. There were too many discrepancies in the stories they had given her.  She was not comfortable contacting the detective again. She was told by him that Helen was dead, but learned from two women who knew Helen, that she was alive. They told her of Helen's and James' involvement in Sunshine's death. They said they knew beyond a doubt that Helen and James had murdered Sunshine, that Helen had admitted it – or, more exactly, she bragged about it to them, about what they did before and after. It was plain enough that they were frightened of Helen. When asked if they'd told the police, their response was, “We weren't asked.” Teresa had found these two women in five minutes and three phone calls, yet the detective hadn't managed to get in touch with them.   They told Teresa that the police wouldn't arrest Helen and James. Helen told them this herself. (The satanists bind the police with witchcraft and fear so that they will get away with it.  That is why it is better to go to God because His angels have authority over the witchcraft and murder and the sexual things they always do to their victims.)  Then they told her about Helen's involvement in satanism and witchcraft. “She's real powerful,” they said. Somehow Helen had convinced them she had great and mighty powers; you could see it when they spoke of her. They were certainly afraid of her. “We're not her friends anymore – we only know her,” they said.   Teresa went to the information counter at the police station and gave the woman the number of Sunshine's case and asked where she might go to get the transcript of the original police report. She was told that the record number was a child support case, not a homicide number. She was told to go to Homicide and was able to get the correct case number from the woman there. Here, she learned that James had been “in the system” several times with many arrests and the charges dropped for one reason or another. She then went to the deputy in charge of records, was able to look at the file and found very little information in it. There were no transcripts of a court hearing, nothing but a few copies of subpoenas and a letter from an investigator on behalf of James' attorney. When inquiring about the detectives' findings, she was told those files were with the sheriff's office and she would not be able to obtain them because it's a murder case and still open. She could not trust anyone at the police station.  (Go to God, prayer and faith.) Teresa contacted an old friend who had lived there for many years who knew a lot of people in high places and low, asking him to see if he could find out anything about Helen, James, the detective and the judge from the hearing. He got back to her about her inquiry with a warning. He told her that an old friend of his, a retired deputy sheriff, knew enough about the case to ask him to tell Teresa to drop it. He said her life would be in danger if she continued, not necessarily by James and Helen but others. He went on to explain “a scenario” to make her understand.    “Okay. Let's say there's this businessman who, for many reasons – be they financial, or he's on some kind of power kick – decides to benefit himself. He buys or operates a brothel or a massage parlor or whatever you want to call it, but it boils down to one thing: he has women who do sexual favors for money.”   “Okay, now this businessman throws a party, at some exclusive club, hotel, his home or wherever, and invites as many influential people as he can. Chances are it's taken him some time to build up this rapport with them, but, nevertheless, he invites these influential people – some of them might be police, lawyers, maybe even a judge or a congressman – you know, people who can make a difference to any kind of situation this guy might find himself in. Now, at this big party he has these girls give his influential friends any and every kind of sexual favor they can dream up with their sick, devious minds. And, unbeknownst to these influential friends, the businessman is taking all kinds of pictures of them in compromising positions. Then, guess what? If this businessman were ever to get into any kind of trouble, all he'd have to do is tell one of his influential friends about the pictures he happened to take at his party. Are you beginning to understand, Teresa?”   “Of course, I do. James and Helen keep getting off because they blackmail whoever they have to with these smut pictures. Right?”     (So they did this to Sunshine and it was possibly a snuff video?  She wrote that “Six Satanists, brutally tortured her while performing their chantings and rituals using her blood, as Satanists do, for hours until they were interrupted by a vehicle showing up, and they all fled the place leaving her there. She was just barely alive and still reciting Psalm 23.)    He answered, “You've got it. Now, can you see how much danger you're in? You can't trust anyone, because you never know whether the one you go to might have been a photo'd friend.”  (This they do with the police and judges and politicians. Its Epstein Island all over again and again and again. They have taken over the nation this way. The Children of God cult sent a pretty woman to seduce me but totally failed. They did this to men they wanted to capture. The faction sent one woman they captured to me; another failure. By the grace of God I had no interest.) Teresa wanted to find out why James and Helen murdered Sunshine and was able to contact a woman who was listed in the police report. She agreed to talk with her and her story correlated point-for-point with what she had already been told by Tinker, Helen, the two women, and with what the autopsy indicated.    Teresa wrote letters home telling Sissy and another dear friend all the details of what she had found, just in case something did happen to her. Then they'd have some idea why, and possibly even who.   She remembered a conversation with the detective a long time ago, when he'd told her there were some pictures of Sunshine in his file, and that she could have them later. She called and was told she was allowed to come and get them but when she arrived, the property sergeant told her that he had looked all through the homicide files and couldn't find the one for Sunshine's murder. He said that it was nowhere in the homicide department, and he would go to the archives across town to look for her file thinking it must have been transferred there. However, the next day when they spoke again, he told her that the file was nowhere to be found after he looked through all the archives, under every possible number. He confirmed to her that everything pertaining to the case, all the evidence, all the statements, all the confessions would be in the file. Teresa asked if new evidence were obtained, could the case be reopened and the sergeant told her, it's like it never happened. There's no case to reopen. It's all lost!   And the moment after Teresa had hung up the phone with the sergeant, God said to her, “It's finished. You can go home now.”  **The Lord had instructed Teresa to pray for Helen and pray specifically that she would confess. Helen eventually called her; the following is Teresa's account of their conversation:  About ten minutes later the phone rang again. I ran and answered it.  “Hello.”  Again, the question: “Sunshine's mother?”  “Yes, it is. Please talk to me. Please don't hang up this time. Please talk to me.”   She paused a long time, then said, “I don't know if I can.”  “This is Helen, isn't it?”  “I don't know if I can answer you...I don't know if I can talk to you.”  I started to speak again, and she hung up.  I resumed praying for her. God, she sounded like such a tormented soul! Help her, Father, and help me to understand and help her. I waited and waited, praying for her to call again. Eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock, one o'clock. I finally went to bed. As I lay there dozing, in my mind I kept praying, Father God, please have her call again. I know so little about Sunshine's death. I fell asleep, and the phone rang again at two-thirty. I ran and picked it up.   “Hello, please don't hang up – hello?”  After a long silence: “Sunshine's mother?”  “Yes, Helen, don't hang up. Please talk with me.”  “He'll kill me, you know.”  “Who, Helen? Who will kill you?”  “James. He's already tried. He'll kill me for talking with you. I made the confession…but I don't know why.”  “I do, Helen. I know why.”  “Why?”  “Because I prayed for you, too.”  “You prayed. Huh,” she snorted. “Your God has no control over me.” She was bitterly scornful.   “If my God has no control over you, then why did you confess? Why are you talking to me now?”  “Just you shut up and listen!” she snapped.  I knew I had made her angry, and I didn't want her to hang up again, so I said, “Okay, Helen, I'll listen. Go ahead.”  “I guess you want to know why we murdered Sunshine.”  “Yes, Helen, I would like to know. It would help me so much to understand.”  She paused a long time. “You wouldn't understand it if I told you.” she said contemptuously.  I felt she was trying to provoke me, but this was too important for me to let her get the better of me now. “Maybe not, Helen, but I'd like to try. I just need to know why. Why Sunshine? Please tell me.”  There was another long silence. Then, in a very arrogant tone, she said, “We ran the ad to attract girls like her. We chose her from the beginning.”  “Chose her for what, Helen? What are you talking about?”  “You ignorant, (blankety-blank) Christians, you have no idea what's going on, do you? You live in your own little (blankety-blank) dream world.”  “Well, Helen, why don't you inform me?” I already had a good idea of what she was talking about. But I wanted to hear her say it, in her own words. “What, Helen? What do us ignorant Christians have no idea about?”  “We do whatever is necessary. You understand?”  “No, I don't, Helen. Explain it to me.”  “I'm a witch. My mother and grandmother were witches. We do whatever is necessary. You understand!”  “Helen, please explain to me why it was necessary to murder Sunshine. Where does she fit into all this?” I was pushing her. I wanted to hear her confirm what I had suspected from the moment I saw Sunshine in the casket.  “Sunshine told me all I needed to know when I interviewed her for employment,” Helen sneered.  “What's that, Helen?”  “Well, she said, ‘I'm a Christian – I won't do anything that will hurt my walk with God.”  Of course, I'd heard Sunshine say this often. “Explain more, Helen, please.”  “It's time you all knew, you're losers,” she said.   She then went on to tell me every detail of the evening they murdered Sunshine. She told me how and why, when and where. There was no guilt or remorse in her explanation. On the contrary, she was bragging about what she had done. I regret that I didn't have more of a spiritual impact on her. I tried. I sincerely wanted to lead her to Christ, but she would have absolutely none of it.  Her last statement was, “The police will never get us. You'll see. You'll see.”      Protection In Ignorance    Anonymous - 2020   A few months after I started following Jesus, my husband and I were visiting my hometown and I didn't know it at the time as I hadn't been walking with The Lord for long, but demons kept giving me all types of thoughts and feelings to go visit my private catholic elementary school on our way out of town. (The enemy tries everything to lead astray.)   Mar 13:5 And Jesus began to say to them, Beware that no one deceive you.   Out of ignorance of spiritual knowledge and the devils' tricks, we went to visit the school, at nighttime and the school was in a secluded area, and there weren't houses anywhere close and it was so dark.   My whole life I had nightmares about trying to leave this school at home time, but I couldn't run quick enough, and it got late at night, and I was still trying to leave. Also, after this experience I remembered that so many times in my childhood where I almost went to this school alone at nighttime with friends, but it never ended up happening.   So, we got out of the car, and it was dark, and we walked inside to a main area in the school and there was barely any light, it felt like we were being watched in the physical the whole time when walking around. We went to a part of the school where I had spent many years and much time.   I saw a person in the physical standing from a distance and I saw them teleport to the left and then run to the right and move around so fast, it was completely supernatural but in the physical. (Satanists can do crazy manifestations in the physical with their witchcraft.)  I also saw another human shapeshift into a crow and then they flew around us making loud creepy bird noises. The presence of fear and evil was so strong in this place, and there were multiple people gathered here all doing creepy weird manifestations. We felt them all staring at us with extreme hatred.  My husband heard a loud growling noise and then said for us to go. We didn't know of real spiritual warfare or deliverance at this time. (The enemy will try all methods to isolate anyone to devour.)  1Pe 5:8 Be sober, watch: the devil, your Adversary, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking to gulp down:   We turned to walk away and then this bright purple light sort of the shape of a human appeared from the distance and we still aren't 100% sure what it was. We think it was either a Holy Angel protecting us, or a false light trying to distract us to stay.   Mat 18:10-14 See ye despise not one of these little ones: for I say unto you, that their angels in the heavens see at all times the face of my Father who is in the heavens. 12 How think ye? if any man come to have a hundred sheep, and one of them go astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains, and go and seek that which goeth astray? 13 And if he come to find it, Amen I say unto you that he rejoiceth over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14 Thus it is not a thing willed before my Father who is in the heavens that one of these little ones perish.   We left and were safe praise God. It was later revealed to us that it was a coven of satanists gathering and that The Lord had many Holy Angels around us protecting us even though we were on the enemy's territory.   I had a dream not long later where I saw that it was the satanists intention to kill us, but praise God that He protected us even in our ignorance.  Jas 1:16 Be not deceived, my beloved brethren.      Some Have Lost their Place in God    Anonymous (David's notes in red)  I dreamed I was taking a walk and came upon a beautiful forest. The beauty of this forest was breathtaking; I just had to walk through this forest. What caught my attention was all the trees were beautiful. There wasn't an ugly tree in this forest. As I got into the middle of the forest, there stood an even more beautiful tree. I looked at my watch and saw that I needed to get home for dinner, so I left. But I decided I would return to this forest the next morning.  I got up the next morning and went back into the forest to once again see the beautiful tree in the middle of the forest. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me; it appeared this most beautiful tree had moved left of where it was the day before, but I wasn't sure. (Just a little compromising the Word leads to worse and then you can be gone. Satan was once beautiful in the garden of God. The goats move to the left, according to Jesus. Goats represent stubborn self-will. At the time of this dream, we were watching some people move to the left, away from God, toward unforgiveness, bitterness, criticism and faction. I have heard from other parts of the world that this is happening there, too, right now. It is the separation Jesus spoke of between sheep and goats.) So I looked around and found a nice-size rock and placed it by the tree and then I went home.  The next day, I returned back to the beautiful forest to check on this most beautiful tree. Sure enough, the tree had moved a few more feet to the left. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on with this tree. Once again, I found a rock and put it by the tree and left. This went on and on until this beautiful tree was completely outside the boundaries of the forest. I remember being sad for this tree. Also, I observed this tree wasn't the most beautiful anymore. It looked like any other tree you would see in the world. So I went home very sad.  The next day, I decided to go back and look at the once beautiful tree to see if there had been a change. My heart just sank when I saw that once most beautiful tree; it had completely withered. I went and got some water from a place I knew that was pure water. I put the pure water on that tree for many days but it didn't help. (The true water of the Word has no effect on them anymore, because there is no repentance. If this could happen to a once beautiful tree how much faster could it happen to a not so beautiful tree? Quite often it's the not so beautiful tree that draws the beautiful tree away from the Kingdom.) Then I woke up.  This tree was once most beautiful and died a slow and progressive death, and lost its place in the forest because it wasn't beautiful anymore. I noticed it wasn't pushed out; it progressively moved farther to the left (away from God). (The offended cannot blame anyone for their unforgiveness. It is they who chose to separate. It is a matter of sowing and reaping what has been sown. God is not mocked: whatsoever a man sows, so shall he reap.)  Our tongue can give life or it can give death. If we are not walking in holiness before the Lord, what happened to this most beautiful tree can happen to us and we won't look so beautiful before the Lord.  I have a very unsettling feeling in my spirit for the factious. I strongly believe the Lord is shouting at them to repent and He is not going to give them a lot of time and will possibly reprobate some! I pray for their speedy repentance. (Yes, many have run out of time.)      Kevin Kills Eve and Her Sisters    Heather Guinn 4/26/20 (David's notes in red)  It was dark outside and I was inside a mall with my 3 girls and friend Petronique. All the shelves were empty and there was only one store open; JcPenney. People were rushing to buy things. (Its going this way now) My friend laid sleeping bags down for my girls to sleep on the floor that was close to the door.  I felt really thirsty. I told her that I was going to walk across the street to the Perkins restaurant and get some water. She looked at me and said, "Okay, but be careful." I told her I would. I started walking and the only light I could see was a street lamp on the right side of the building. There was a woman on the side of the hill behind the restaurant smoking a cigarette. (This is what she was to be careful of; the faction imparted by slander and witchcraft. Smoking represents partaking of unclean breath representing evil spirits Eve and sisters received from Kevin.)  She saw me and started to walk down. She was on the heavier side and had red hair. (Eve is dumbed down by their demons and full of fleshly desires put in her by Kevin. Kevin has always had lust and fornication. In her right mind Eve would never desire Kevin for she knew the great evil perversion of this man. Her sin was to go after her boys, contrary to God's and my commands to her.)  We went inside the restaurant and it wasn't decorated like a traditional Perkins. It was smaller and was decorated with all old wood. I asked her for some water and she seemed really annoyed. (The factious spirits are annoyed with UBM people.) She said, "Wait here." She went up these narrow stairs to the right. I followed close behind her. She began to panic as she noticed the white stand up freezer to the right was completely emptied of the meat it was stocked with. (This represents the righteous truth that should be preserved in a person's life. She lost the spiritual meat of the word and ability to do the will of the Father when she was deceived by Kevin's faction. She forgot about Cindy her friend, who was seduced into being a “rib wife” for the lusts of Doug Perry and left her husband and children to brainlessly be one of several wives in that cult. This man knows Kevin. They are kindred spirits.)  The left freezer was still fully stocked. (The leftist factious spirits and slander and hatred had replaced the truth.) She looked at me and I knew her thoughts without her saying anything. She was thinking that I distracted her and set her up for someone to steal the meat out. (She has Kevin's demons injected into her by him and they always blame the righteous for their own sins.) She was like, "no, no, no, my boss (Kevin) is going to kill me for this." (He killed her by taking this from her as we will see.)  There was a door that was open to the left that had a small glass window in it. I peaked my head out and looked to see a long metal grate staircase. I then saw a heavy set man that was wearing a bright orange vest. (Kevin is very heavy and the orange represents your life is in danger from what is in his heart.) He began to walk up the stairs to get the rest of the meat. He was whistling and I felt the most evil presence from him. One I've never felt before. (Kevin is her boss and is totally satanist. He stole the spiritual meat and was going back for more. Jesus said, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me.” Meat also is the solid food of scripture that is for spiritual grownups. All of the faction had this meat stolen by slander, witchcraft, and faction spirits. They forgot everything they learned from UBM. They died to God.)  I put my head back in and the woman said, "Hide," so I hid behind the door. (Does she have enough heart left to warn this woman?) I saw him walk up and the woman said, "Hey you can't be in here." (He, by witchcraft and slander, entered her soul and stole her meat.)  He was suddenly behind her and stabbed her several times in the neck and killed her. (He stole her meat and spiritually killed Eve.) I was then asking God what I should do. Should I rebuke him? What should I do?   I then woke up in the natural briefly and was so disturbed but God took me right back to the dream in the same spot where I left off. I rose up, pointed my finger at the man and said, "God kill that man." He dropped dead immediately. (In this case a spoken Word from the Lord could give Kevin over to death for the murder of many like Eve and then the elect will be set free from his principality and their captivity will be over. The apostle got such a word for Annanias and Sapphira and they died for far less than Kevin's murders and rapes have done.)      What Kevin Did to Eve and Sisters    Heather Guinn 1/10/23  It was nighttime and I was riding in a bus with a bunch of teenagers on this narrow mountainous road. I felt like I was my teenage self as well while on the bus. We were going to some camp-like place. (This represents a wilderness situation. An opportunity for teenagers to exercise faith and obedience for God to supply His benefits.) We arrived there and I was then my current age. (The wilderness is a place one can grow up fast for there is no means for self-sustainability forcing one to trust and obey God.)  I said I needed to use the bathroom. I go in and lock the door behind me for privacy. I walked slowly looking through the cracks of the stainless steel stalls. I get to the very end one and see a woman using the restroom. I knew it was Eve Brast. She looked at me and said, "What are you doing here?" (Some insight into Eve's situation at that point. Obviously they ran into the faction but at least Eve is getting rid of some waste that is not needed in the body. We know she and those like her will make it. :0)  I then walked slowly back to the door to leave and unlocked it. (2Th 3:14 And if any man obeyeth not our word by this epistle, note that man, that ye have no company with him, to the end that he may be ashamed. Eph 5:11-12  and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them; 12  for the things which are done by them in secret it is a shame even to speak of.)  There were a bunch of ladies waiting in line. (Danger) I knew I wanted to go out on the dock to get to the water but had to go through this room where people were gathered. It was decorated in all wood. (Representing dead trees which represent dead people in the Word.)  A man was at the podium and said, "And this award goes to Eve Brast." (Kevin always wanted a position of authority even if it was over satan's people so this is him.) She was sitting in the back and shot right up. She had short loosely curled blonde hair. (She has red hair so this is faking submission to the sun/Son; a fake Bride. If a satanist like Kevin rewards you, it is for pleasing his flesh to do evil.)  She was wearing a two-piece white outfit with her belly fat hanging out. (The flesh is still there at this point in the dream but we believe it is passing away. They will be free soon. She dines with Kevin regularly and he got huge from no restraint, just like his sex life.)  She slowly ran up to the podium with her arms flared up like a prissy girl.  I walked out to the dock and the moon was shining bright on the water. I knew I was going to search the bottom to see what my husband had down there. (The light of the Son reflected into the water of the Word will reveal much. The moon glory represent death to self and 60 fold fruit.) The water looked completely still but when I got in, it was flowing quickly. (This is called living water.)   My husband (Representing Jesus) was then in the water with me (where the light was in the Word). I told him I needed oxygen (thinking it would be deep.) (Oxygen is life to the body as the Spirit is life to the soul. Breath and Spirit are often the same word.) He handed me the small oxygen tubes that they use in the hospital. I thought, "How the heck is this going to help me?" I grabbed it anyway.  I went down thinking I would find something but it was shallow and there was just sand there. (The sand on the seashore represents Abraham's seed.) I got up out of the water and just hugged him. Then a clear condom goes floating by us. I thought, "What the heck is that doing in here?" (Kevin's sin has always polluted the waters of the seed of Abraham but God drove him from us through faction. (He was not a beautiful tree as long as I have known him, but he drew away some beautiful trees.) His days of polluting us are almost up. I have prayed for him to repent but always get the same answer. In one dream he was killed trying to kill us and in another he was witnessed to go to hell when he died. Kevin just got caught stalking one of our women in her phone.  Then he sent emails from her to insult her friends. He then sent me a nasty message from there. A woman who never did anything to him and served her fellow man sacrificially.)      Eve Resurrected   Heather Guinn 6/29/21 (David's notes in red)  I was in a two-story house with my husband in a tiny room and it was nighttime. We were sitting down on a daybed couch. There was a little boy in a crib to the right. (Representing your fruit of Jesus in you.) I felt a very evil presence in the room. There were two smaller closets to the right that were completely pitch black. I then saw a little puppy that had a collar with a green light on it. (Puppies are small dogs capable of being big dogs and are not supposed to be among the righteous.) He started to go into the room and I said, "No puppy, don't go in there." It yelped and came out. The light on his collar then turned red and he became vicious. (He went into the darkness of Faction, which is vicious towards the saints and their own families.)  He lunged in my husband's face and almost bit him. The baby boy began to cry and suddenly there was a tall man with a long trench coat facing away from us. He picked up the baby, laid him across his arm and snapped his neck. (Kevin is antichrist, which hates the baby boy representing the fruit of Jesus in us and will kill that if one disobeys the warnings of scripture to forgive from the heart and avoid the factious.) I was then outside and there was the biggest moon I've ever seen shining upon this woman. (The reflected light of the sun/Son shining its glory on Eve.) The woman was slender with long red soft wavy hair. She was wearing a white lace dress. (Eve in a wedding dress, meaning she will be in the Bride as many dreams have shown.)  There was a bunch of zombie-like people (The faction are the walking dead seeking who they can kill to be like them.). They had the same red light collars on as the dog ravaging around. (They are vicious murderers.) One came up to me and bit down as hard as he could on my right hand but could not penetrate through the skin, so he went away. I then looked at her and asked her how she was being protected. She looked up at the moon and said, "I have a special protection." (The moon only reflects the light of the sun/Son. It doesn't have its own glory and represents death to self. This is protection. “Righteousness delivereth from death.”)  Pro 29:16 When the wicked are increased, transgression increaseth; But the righteous shall look upon their fall. When they fall like Judas everyone knows who the wicked are. Pro 17:4 An evil-doer giveth heed to wicked lips; And a liar giveth ear to a mischievous tongue. So the wicked are the ones who believe the slandering faction and they are cleased from the body. The righteous will stand the test and grow stronger with more fruit.     Demonic Satanist Attack   Zoé Osegueda - 8/19/23 The past couple to few days I had been greatly under attack, have been fighting, and have felt a bit weak from the warfare. The attacks were very intense mental attacks that I was not in agreement with. I believe it was definitely faction witchcraft sent to me and/or the body because things that normally wouldn't bother me were magnified in my mind.  At this point I knew it was oppressive demons and not just temptations of the flesh. I felt like the enemy was trying to kill me and make me fall away, so I asked the Lord if there was witchcraft being sent against me to please show me, and then Zoé woke up from the following dream that very morning: I had a dream that Lana told me that she was having a sleepover, and she invited me to come. I wanted my mom to come too, and so my mom came to the sleepover as well.  When it was dark, we went outside to look at the stars in the sky and I saw a lighthouse constellation. I said "Look, look! It's a lighthouse!" I was very excited because I had never seen that before. (A lighthouse is a guide to cause ships to avoid death on the rocks.) After looking at the stars and constellations, it was time to go to bed, and we all slept together in Fio and Lana's bed.  While we were all asleep in bed, I had a dream that there were several ninjas dressed in all black, with red ties on the back of their heads, chasing and attacking my mom. (These are the colors of Anarchy. All satanists and especially factious people are in anarchy because they willfully break all laws of God and man.)  I knew these ninjas were demonic and trying to kill my mom.  The ninjas had small swords in their hands and they were trying to slash my mom, until finally one got her and killed her.  Then I woke up from the dream in the dream, and I saw that my mom was still lying there in the bed with us asleep, and then I really woke up. End of dream. My mom received by faith at random: Psalm 72:4 He will judge the poor of the people, He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor.     Kevin's Reprobation   Anonymous - 8/18/23 During the morning prayer meeting, I was asking the Father if He could grant Kevin repentance to be like a Paul. I then said, to the Father "because he's going to hell in a hand basket."  After I said that, I had an open vision of a round black wicker handbasket that had a handle going across it with a black string tied to it.  I saw a  demon lowering the basket by the black string into a fiery hell slowly. I knew Kevin was in the handbasket. I then saw the arm of Lord, He had black scissors in His hand. The Lord cut the black string that was attach to the basket, and the basket descended faster into the fiery hell. 

Isaiah 49–53 Isaiah 49–53 (Listen) The Servant of the Lord 49   Listen to me, O coastlands,    and give attention, you peoples from afar.  The LORD called me from the womb,    from the body of my mother he named my name.2   He made my mouth like a sharp sword;    in the shadow of his hand he hid me;  he made me a polished arrow;    in his quiver he hid me away.3   And he said to me, “You are my servant,    Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”14   But I said, “I have labored in vain;    I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;  yet surely my right is with the LORD,    and my recompense with my God.” 5   And now the LORD says,    he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,  to bring Jacob back to him;    and that Israel might be gathered to him—  for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD,    and my God has become my strength—6   he says:  “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant    to raise up the tribes of Jacob    and to bring back the preserved of Israel;  I will make you as a light for the nations,    that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” 7   Thus says the LORD,    the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,  to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,    the servant of rulers:  “Kings shall see and arise;    princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;  because of the LORD, who is faithful,    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” The Restoration of Israel 8   Thus says the LORD:  “In a time of favor I have answered you;    in a day of salvation I have helped you;  I will keep you and give you    as a covenant to the people,  to establish the land,    to apportion the desolate heritages,9   saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,'    to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.'  They shall feed along the ways;    on all bare heights shall be their pasture;10   they shall not hunger or thirst,    neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,  for he who has pity on them will lead them,    and by springs of water will guide them.11   And I will make all my mountains a road,    and my highways shall be raised up.12   Behold, these shall come from afar,    and behold, these from the north and from the west,2    and these from the land of Syene.”3 13   Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;    break forth, O mountains, into singing!  For the LORD has comforted his people    and will have compassion on his afflicted. 14   But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;    my Lord has forgotten me.” 15   “Can a woman forget her nursing child,    that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?  Even these may forget,    yet I will not forget you.16   Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;    your walls are continually before me.17   Your builders make haste;4    your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you.18   Lift up your eyes around and see;    they all gather, they come to you.  As I live, declares the LORD,    you shall put them all on as an ornament;    you shall bind them on as a bride does. 19   “Surely your waste and your desolate places    and your devastated land—  surely now you will be too narrow for your inhabitants,    and those who swallowed you up will be far away.20   The children of your bereavement    will yet say in your ears:  ‘The place is too narrow for me;    make room for me to dwell in.'21   Then you will say in your heart:    ‘Who has borne me these?  I was bereaved and barren,    exiled and put away,    but who has brought up these?  Behold, I was left alone;    from where have these come?'” 22   Thus says the Lord GOD:  “Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations,    and raise my signal to the peoples;  and they shall bring your sons in their arms,5    and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.23   Kings shall be your foster fathers,    and their queens your nursing mothers.  With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you,    and lick the dust of your feet.  Then you will know that I am the LORD;    those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.” 24   Can the prey be taken from the mighty,    or the captives of a tyrant6 be rescued?25   For thus says the LORD:  “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken,    and the prey of the tyrant be rescued,  for I will contend with those who contend with you,    and I will save your children.26   I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh,    and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine.  Then all flesh shall know    that I am the LORD your Savior,    and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” Israel's Sin and the Servant's Obedience 50   Thus says the LORD:  “Where is your mother's certificate of divorce,    with which I sent her away?  Or which of my creditors is it    to whom I have sold you?  Behold, for your iniquities you were sold,    and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.2   Why, when I came, was there no man;    why, when I called, was there no one to answer?  Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?    Or have I no power to deliver?  Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea,    I make the rivers a desert;  their fish stink for lack of water    and die of thirst.3   I clothe the heavens with blackness    and make sackcloth their covering.” 4   The Lord GOD has given me    the tongue of those who are taught,  that I may know how to sustain with a word    him who is weary.  Morning by morning he awakens;    he awakens my ear    to hear as those who are taught.5   The Lord GOD has opened my ear,    and I was not rebellious;    I turned not backward.6   I gave my back to those who strike,    and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;  I hid not my face    from disgrace and spitting. 7   But the Lord GOD helps me;    therefore I have not been disgraced;  therefore I have set my face like a flint,    and I know that I shall not be put to shame.8     He who vindicates me is near.  Who will contend with me?    Let us stand up together.  Who is my adversary?    Let him come near to me.9   Behold, the Lord GOD helps me;    who will declare me guilty?  Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment;    the moth will eat them up. 10   Who among you fears the LORD    and obeys the voice of his servant?  Let him who walks in darkness    and has no light  trust in the name of the LORD    and rely on his God.11   Behold, all you who kindle a fire,    who equip yourselves with burning torches!  Walk by the light of your fire,    and by the torches that you have kindled!  This you have from my hand:    you shall lie down in torment. The Lord's Comfort for Zion 51   “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,    you who seek the LORD:  look to the rock from which you were hewn,    and to the quarry from which you were dug.2   Look to Abraham your father    and to Sarah who bore you;  for he was but one when I called him,    that I might bless him and multiply him.3   For the LORD comforts Zion;    he comforts all her waste places  and makes her wilderness like Eden,    her desert like the garden of the LORD;  joy and gladness will be found in her,    thanksgiving and the voice of song. 4   “Give attention to me, my people,    and give ear to me, my nation;  for a law7 will go out from me,    and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.5   My righteousness draws near,    my salvation has gone out,    and my arms will judge the peoples;  the coastlands hope for me,    and for my arm they wait.6   Lift up your eyes to the heavens,    and look at the earth beneath;  for the heavens vanish like smoke,    the earth will wear out like a garment,    and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;8  but my salvation will be forever,    and my righteousness will never be dismayed. 7   “Listen to me, you who know righteousness,    the people in whose heart is my law;  fear not the reproach of man,    nor be dismayed at their revilings.8   For the moth will eat them up like a garment,    and the worm will eat them like wool,  but my righteousness will be forever,    and my salvation to all generations.” 9   Awake, awake, put on strength,    O arm of the LORD;  awake, as in days of old,    the generations of long ago.  Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,    who pierced the dragon?10   Was it not you who dried up the sea,    the waters of the great deep,  who made the depths of the sea a way    for the redeemed to pass over?11   And the ransomed of the LORD shall return    and come to Zion with singing;  everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;    they shall obtain gladness and joy,    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. 12   “I, I am he who comforts you;    who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,    of the son of man who is made like grass,13   and have forgotten the LORD, your Maker,    who stretched out the heavens    and laid the foundations of the earth,  and you fear continually all the day    because of the wrath of the oppressor,  when he sets himself to destroy?    And where is the wrath of the oppressor?14   He who is bowed down shall speedily be released;    he shall not die and go down to the pit,    neither shall his bread be lacking.15   I am the LORD your God,    who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—    the LORD of hosts is his name.16   And I have put my words in your mouth    and covered you in the shadow of my hand,  establishing9 the heavens    and laying the foundations of the earth,    and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.'” 17   Wake yourself, wake yourself,    stand up, O Jerusalem,  you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD    the cup of his wrath,  who have drunk to the dregs    the bowl, the cup of staggering.18   There is none to guide her    among all the sons she has borne;  there is none to take her by the hand    among all the sons she has brought up.19   These two things have happened to you—    who will console you?—  devastation and destruction, famine and sword;    who will comfort you?1020   Your sons have fainted;    they lie at the head of every street    like an antelope in a net;  they are full of the wrath of the LORD,    the rebuke of your God. 21   Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted,    who are drunk, but not with wine:22   Thus says your Lord, the LORD,    your God who pleads the cause of his people:  “Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering;  the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more;23   and I will put it into the hand of your tormentors,    who have said to you,    ‘Bow down, that we may pass over';  and you have made your back like the ground    and like the street for them to pass over.” The Lord's Coming Salvation 52   Awake, awake,    put on your strength, O Zion;  put on your beautiful garments,    

Morning: Psalms 68–69 Psalms 68–69 (Listen) God Shall Scatter His Enemies To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. 68   God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;    and those who hate him shall flee before him!2   As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;    as wax melts before fire,    so the wicked shall perish before God!3   But the righteous shall be glad;    they shall exult before God;    they shall be jubilant with joy! 4   Sing to God, sing praises to his name;    lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;  his name is the LORD;    exult before him!5   Father of the fatherless and protector of widows    is God in his holy habitation.6   God settles the solitary in a home;    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,    but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. 7   O God, when you went out before your people,    when you marched through the wilderness, Selah8   the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,    before God, the One of Sinai,    before God,1 the God of Israel.9   Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;    you restored your inheritance as it languished;10   your flock2 found a dwelling in it;    in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. 11   The Lord gives the word;    the women who announce the news are a great host:12     “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”  The women at home divide the spoil—13     though you men lie among the sheepfolds—  the wings of a dove covered with silver,    its pinions with shimmering gold.14   When the Almighty scatters kings there,    let snow fall on Zalmon. 15   O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;    O many-peaked3 mountain, mountain of Bashan!16   Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,    at the mount that God desired for his abode,    yes, where the LORD will dwell forever?17   The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,    thousands upon thousands;    the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.18   You ascended on high,    leading a host of captives in your train    and receiving gifts among men,  even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there. 19   Blessed be the Lord,    who daily bears us up;    God is our salvation. Selah20   Our God is a God of salvation,    and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.21   But God will strike the heads of his enemies,    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.22   The Lord said,    “I will bring them back from Bashan,  I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,23   that you may strike your feet in their blood,    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.” 24   Your procession is4 seen, O God,    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—25   the singers in front, the musicians last,    between them virgins playing tambourines:26   “Bless God in the great congregation,    the LORD, O you5 who are of Israel's fountain!”27   There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,    the princes of Judah in their throng,    the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. 28   Summon your power, O God,6    the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.29   Because of your temple at Jerusalem    kings shall bear gifts to you.30   Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,    the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.  Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;    scatter the peoples who delight in war.731   Nobles shall come from Egypt;    Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God. 32   O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;    sing praises to the Lord, Selah33   to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.34   Ascribe power to God,    whose majesty is over Israel,    and whose power is in the skies.35   Awesome is God from his8 sanctuary;    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.  Blessed be God! Save Me, O God To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. Of David. 69   Save me, O God!    For the waters have come up to my neck.92   I sink in deep mire,    where there is no foothold;  I have come into deep waters,    and the flood sweeps over me.3   I am weary with my crying out;    my throat is parched.  My eyes grow dim    with waiting for my God. 4   More in number than the hairs of my head    are those who hate me without cause;  mighty are those who would destroy me,    those who attack me with lies.  What I did not steal    must I now restore?5   O God, you know my folly;    the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you. 6   Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,    O Lord GOD of hosts;  let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,    O God of Israel.7   For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach,    that dishonor has covered my face.8   I have become a stranger to my brothers,    an alien to my mother's sons. 9   For zeal for your house has consumed me,    and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.10   When I wept and humbled10 my soul with fasting,    it became my reproach.11   When I made sackcloth my clothing,    I became a byword to them.12   I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,    and the drunkards make songs about me. 13   But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD.    At an acceptable time, O God,    in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.14   Deliver me    from sinking in the mire;  let me be delivered from my enemies    and from the deep waters.15   Let not the flood sweep over me,    or the deep swallow me up,    or the pit close its mouth over me. 16   Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good;    according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.17   Hide not your face from your servant,    for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.18   Draw near to my soul, redeem me;    ransom me because of my enemies! 19   You know my reproach,    and my shame and my dishonor;    my foes are all known to you.20   Reproaches have broken my heart,    so that I am in despair.  I looked for pity, but there was none,    and for comforters, but I found none.21   They gave me poison for food,    and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink. 22   Let their own table before them become a snare;    and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.1123   Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see,    and make their loins tremble continually.24   Pour out your indignation upon them,    and let your burning anger overtake them.25   May their camp be a desolation;    let no one dwell in their tents.26   For they persecute him whom you have struck down,    and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.27   Add to them punishment upon punishment;    may they have no acquittal from you.1228   Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;    let them not be enrolled among the righteous. 29   But I am afflicted and in pain;    let your salvation, O God, set me on high! 30   I will praise the name of God with a song;    I will magnify him with thanksgiving.31   This will please the LORD more than an ox    or a bull with horns and hoofs.32   When the humble see it they will be glad;    you who seek God, let your hearts revive.33   For the LORD hears the needy    and does not despise his own people who are prisoners. 34   Let heaven and earth praise him,    the seas and everything that moves in them.35   For God will save Zion    and build up the cities of Judah,  and people shall dwell there and possess it;36     the offspring of his servants shall inherit it,    and those who love his name shall dwell in it. Footnotes [1] 68:8 Or before God, even Sinai before God [2] 68:10 Or your congregation [3] 68:15 Or hunch-backed; also verse 16 [4] 68:24 Or has been [5] 68:26 The Hebrew for you is plural here [6] 68:28 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew Your God has summoned your power [7] 68:30 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain [8] 68:35 Septuagint; Hebrew your [9] 69:1 Or waters threaten my life [10] 69:10 Hebrew lacks and humbled [11] 69:22 Hebrew; a slight revocalization yields (compare Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome) a snare, and retribution and a trap [12] 69:27 Hebrew may they not come into your righteousness (ESV) Evening: Romans 3 Romans 3 (Listen) God's Righteousness Upheld 3 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,   “That you may be justified in your words,    and prevail when you are judged.” 5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. No One Is Righteous 9 What then? Are we Jews1 any better off?2 No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:   “None is righteous, no, not one;11     no one understands;    no one seeks for God.12   All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;    no one does good,    not even one.”13   “Their throat is an open grave;    they use their tongues to deceive.”  “The venom of asps is under their lips.”14     “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”15   “Their feet are swift to shed blood;16     in their paths are ruin and misery,17   and the way of peace they have not known.”18     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being3 will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. The Righteousness of God Through Faith 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. Footnotes [1] 3:9 Greek Are we [2] 3:9 Or at any disadvantage? [3] 3:20 Greek flesh (ESV)

Proper 12 First Psalm: Psalms 61–62 Psalms 61–62 (Listen) Lead Me to the Rock To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David. 61   Hear my cry, O God,    listen to my prayer;2   from the end of the earth I call to you    when my heart is faint.  Lead me to the rock    that is higher than I,3   for you have been my refuge,    a strong tower against the enemy. 4   Let me dwell in your tent forever!    Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah5   For you, O God, have heard my vows;    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. 6   Prolong the life of the king;    may his years endure to all generations!7   May he be enthroned forever before God;    appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! 8   So will I ever sing praises to your name,    as I perform my vows day after day. My Soul Waits for God Alone To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. 62   For God alone my soul waits in silence;    from him comes my salvation.2   He alone is my rock and my salvation,    my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. 3   How long will all of you attack a man    to batter him,    like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?4   They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.    They take pleasure in falsehood.  They bless with their mouths,    but inwardly they curse. Selah 5   For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,    for my hope is from him.6   He only is my rock and my salvation,    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.7   On God rests my salvation and my glory;    my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 8   Trust in him at all times, O people;    pour out your heart before him;    God is a refuge for us. Selah 9   Those of low estate are but a breath;    those of high estate are a delusion;  in the balances they go up;    they are together lighter than a breath.10   Put no trust in extortion;    set no vain hopes on robbery;    if riches increase, set not your heart on them. 11   Once God has spoken;    twice have I heard this:  that power belongs to God,12     and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.  For you will render to a man    according to his work. (ESV) Second Psalm: Psalm 68 Psalm 68 (Listen) God Shall Scatter His Enemies To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. 68   God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;    and those who hate him shall flee before him!2   As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;    as wax melts before fire,    so the wicked shall perish before God!3   But the righteous shall be glad;    they shall exult before God;    they shall be jubilant with joy! 4   Sing to God, sing praises to his name;    lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;  his name is the LORD;    exult before him!5   Father of the fatherless and protector of widows    is God in his holy habitation.6   God settles the solitary in a home;    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,    but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. 7   O God, when you went out before your people,    when you marched through the wilderness, Selah8   the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,    before God, the One of Sinai,    before God,1 the God of Israel.9   Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;    you restored your inheritance as it languished;10   your flock2 found a dwelling in it;    in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. 11   The Lord gives the word;    the women who announce the news are a great host:12     “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”  The women at home divide the spoil—13     though you men lie among the sheepfolds—  the wings of a dove covered with silver,    its pinions with shimmering gold.14   When the Almighty scatters kings there,    let snow fall on Zalmon. 15   O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;    O many-peaked3 mountain, mountain of Bashan!16   Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,    at the mount that God desired for his abode,    yes, where the LORD will dwell forever?17   The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,    thousands upon thousands;    the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.18   You ascended on high,    leading a host of captives in your train    and receiving gifts among men,  even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there. 19   Blessed be the Lord,    who daily bears us up;    God is our salvation. Selah20   Our God is a God of salvation,    and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.21   But God will strike the heads of his enemies,    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.22   The Lord said,    “I will bring them back from Bashan,  I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,23   that you may strike your feet in their blood,    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.” 24   Your procession is4 seen, O God,    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—25   the singers in front, the musicians last,    between them virgins playing tambourines:26   “Bless God in the great congregation,    the LORD, O you5 who are of Israel's fountain!”27   There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,    the princes of Judah in their throng,    the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. 28   Summon your power, O God,6    the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.29   Because of your temple at Jerusalem    kings shall bear gifts to you.30   Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,    the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.  Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;    scatter the peoples who delight in war.731   Nobles shall come from Egypt;    Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God. 32   O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;    sing praises to the Lord, Selah33   to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.34   Ascribe power to God,    whose majesty is over Israel,    and whose power is in the skies.35   Awesome is God from his8 sanctuary;    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.  Blessed be God! Footnotes [1] 68:8 Or before God, even Sinai before God [2] 68:10 Or your congregation [3] 68:15 Or hunch-backed; also verse 16 [4] 68:24 Or has been [5] 68:26 The Hebrew for you is plural here [6] 68:28 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew Your God has summoned your power [7] 68:30 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain [8] 68:35 Septuagint; Hebrew your (ESV) Old Testament: 2 Samuel 3:6–21 2 Samuel 3:6–21 (Listen) 6 While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?” 8 Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog's head of Judah? To this day I keep showing steadfast love to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David. And yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman. 9 God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for David what the LORD has sworn to him, 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.” 11 And Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him. 12 And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf,1 saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you.” 13 And he said, “Good; I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you; that is, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face.” 14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, for whom I paid the bridal price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” 15 And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish. 16 But her husband went with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” And he returned. 17 And Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, “For some time past you have been seeking David as king over you. 18 Now then bring it about, for the LORD has promised David, saying, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hand of all their enemies.'” 19 Abner also spoke to Benjamin. And then Abner went to tell David at Hebron all that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin thought good to do. 20 When Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron, David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21 And Abner said to David, “I will arise and go and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace. Footnotes [1] 3:12 Or where he was; Septuagint at Hebron (ESV) New Testament: Acts 16:6–15 Acts 16:6–15 (Listen) The Macedonian Call 6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul1 had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. The Conversion of Lydia 11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the2 district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us. Footnotes [1] 16:10 Greek he [2] 16:12 Or that (ESV) Gospel: Mark 6:30–46 Mark 6:30–46 (Listen) Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand 30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii1 worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men. Jesus Walks on the Water 45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. Footnotes [1] 6:37 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer (ESV)

Hey there! Welcome to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show Podcast - getting the promises of God into the people of God one episode at a time   This episode has a special invitation for you - in October, the Come All Revival 2023 event is happening in Austin, Texas, and my fellow podcaster and speaker Courtnaye Richard is a pivotal part of this important and timely event. The tag line for this event says: The King is coming again. It's time to get ready from the inside out. My friends, Jesus is the King and He is coming again, and soon. Be sure to check out this event at the link in the show notes * Home | Inside Out Media (insideoutww.org) And here's the link to the Summer 2023 Online Prayer Retreat Event. Sessions begin to be released on July 30th, and with your ticket you have lifetime access plus bonus content that will be added in the coming weeks. Join this important prayer event today because prayer changes lives...why not let it change your life? $7PrayerRetreatTicket   Verse - Numbers 23:19 NLT God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not a human, so He does not change His mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through? *Also note Numbers chapter 4, which has specific duties for tribes re: the Tabernacle and moving it when God led them to move. The Gershonite clan had the assignment of carrying loads, like the coverings and curtains for the Tabernacle, and so on. They also had a specific person they were responsible to, like giving an account, and they received their instructions from a select few people from Aaron's lineage. (They did have a load to carry…but notice it wasn't ALL the loads and they didn't take orders from ALL the people nor did they give an account to EVERYONE. What can we learn from this? We'd better heed this lesson well, or we are likely to find ourselves wiped out, strung too far, weary and wondering why the load feels so heavy when Jesus promised that His burden is easy, His burden is light.)   God is not a man. How often do we relate to Him wrongly? Yes, our Savior Jesus came to earth as a man, but still the God-man, the Messiah. Keep in mind that our God is still the all-consuming fire the Bible says He is, and since He is the same yesterday, today and forever, we don't want to forget that He is the Lord God Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And because He is the Creator, not the created, He does not lie. A promise that God makes to us in the book of Numbers is that He does not lie. What does that mean for you today? Does it mean you can trust Him for what He has promised? That you can set aside the weight of the world that keeps resetting itself atop your shoulders? That you can be at peace, true and lasting peace, because you have this promise that your God does not lie to you? If you didn't have much hope left when you queued up this podcast today, let me assure you that you came to the right place (anybody seen the film Hoodwinked? You came to the right goat! Well, the word of God is the place to go when we need hope. And we will always, always find it.) Your God does not lie. There's your hope. I could end the show right here, with that as a blanket statement over anything and everything you're facing right now, and it would be a big enough promise to carry you on to a place of real victory in Jesus and complete peace. And that, my friend, is just one of God's promises to us in His word. Just one has this kind of impact! I'm telling you, when I say the word of God is life-changing & why shouldn't one of the lives it changes be your life, I really do mean it and I believe it with everything in me. He is not a human, so He does not change His mind. Not gonna happen, He will not change His mind. His promises, they are solid. And the trust you place in God is never misplaced. He won't flip flop around like people do. Isn't that reassuring? To do a bit of a reset, to refocus and realize that He just won't change His mind, and so you can take that concern off the table. Look, to be super blunt, let me say this: God is not going to change His mind about you or about the things He has planned concerning you. Rest!  Has He ever spoken and failed to act? How's that for a question! Well, has He? So far, how is His track record? There is a worship song on my Tidal playlist and the worship leader sings, “You've got a resume, Jesus. You've got a history.” And that is so true it should make us shake and quake in our boots, because so often we behave as if Jesus doesn't have a resume. As if He doesn't have this amazing history. Another line says, “Years and years of goodness go before me, miles and miles of mercy close behind.” Is that not the total and utter truth? Can you abandon your worries to this truth today - Jesus has a resume, He has a track record, and His history and your future are all tied up together. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever failed in any manner? Just think of His faithfulness. Can you ponder it for a moment and not be grateful, overwhelmed even at the evidence and the proof of His goodness that is all over your life?  And now, the big finale for this episode…Has He ever promised and not carried it through? The answer is NO! And I want to challenge you today to take the lies of the devil and the doubts that crop up as a result of living in a messed up, jacked up, hurting and broken world and throw them onto the junk heap where they belong. Say this aloud if you possibly can - Has my God ever promised and not carried it through? Has my God EVER promised and not carried it through? Won't He come through for me? Won't He do it? He most assuredly will!  You have mighty promises given to you by a mighty God and you will see Him do amazing things in your day. Kick doubt to the curb and enjoy the fruit of living a believing life, because you are numbered among those who know their God and believe His promises! 

July 24, 2023Today's Reading: Isaiah 44:6-8Daily Lectionary:Joshua 24:1-31, Acts 13:1-12Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last;  besides me there is no god.”  (Isaiah 44:6)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Today, we tend to think that one of the worst jobs in the world was that of the Old Testament prophet. We see them standing on the street corner in shabby clothes, with wild hair and a long beard, just yelling at people that God's punishment is right around the corner and YOU BETTER REPENT OR DIE!While there are plenty of examples of that in both the Old and New Testaments (thanks, John the Baptist!), these men of God were not one-trick-ponies. They spoke the fullness of God's Word to his people. Sometimes, it was a word of condemnation, but just as often it was a word of consolation, peace, or love.While Isaiah has just given God's people a tongue lashing for their faithlessness, he starts Chapter 44 with a “but…” He reminds them that they are still His chosen people, and that He will restore them. Then he reminds them who He is as their God with the words above, and a few verses later reaffirms his vow to save and preserve them through all trouble.Much like a loving parent who needs to discipline a child, so also is our God. The Lord God Almighty—he who spoke into existence the entirety of the universe, He who made you and all you see, He who became man for your salvation—is your champion and defender, even when you sin against him.Sure, you may have days when you feel like God has “gone all Old Testament” on you; that He's allowed wrath to fall on you. Even then, your Lord God is with you. Even then He is acting in love for you.There are examples throughout Scripture where these words of comfort follow words of discipline. Your God never wants you to think that He has abandoned you, or that He is powerless in the face of this sinful and broken world. You are always safe in his hands, always preserved from evil when He is your defender and champion.St. John quotes Jesus in his Revelation, that He is “the Alpha and the Omega,” that He is “the first and the last,” and He will never leave you. So it has always been for God's people, and so it will be for you. Your God is with you now and always, He is all-powerful for you, and—oh, yeah—He's the only God there is. And He is your Savior. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.The Lord, my God, be praised, My God, the everliving, to whom the heav'nly host Their laud and praise are giving. The Lord, my God, be praised, In whose great name I boast, God Father, God the Son, And God the Holy Ghost.  (LSB 794:4)-Pastor Duane Bamsch is the Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley, CA  and the President of Higher Things.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, Ky.Study Christ's words on the cross to see how you can show more Christlike grace in your life. Perfect for group or individual study, each chapter has a Q&A at the end, and the back of the book includes a leader guide. Available now from Concordia Publishing House.

Your God is Too Small Isaiah 45 | Slim Thompson The Mystery of the Unlikely The Majesty of the Unexpected The Message for the Nations

The post Fear or Trust – How Big is Your God? | Judges 6-7 appeared first on Living Stones Community Church.

Never too let to "Let Your Divine Shine!" So silly that we focus on a weakness of ours and then compare it to someone else who is probably...their strength! Focus on your strengths.  And guess what? If it's not a strength...yet...what is something you can do to improve that quality? A small step you can take towards change..all the small choices we make add up to life per Delinda, my guest today! And a positive attitude! Delinda Layne is the author of Fun Fearless Female – How to Step into Your God-sized Dreams, which she wrote in her 60s. She's the founder of Fun Fearless Female, also in her 60s and formed a non-profit. As a women's EmpowerMentor, she mentors women to Empower themselves. She helps us think differently so we can make better decisions and experience more success. It starts with one decision… one choice. Delinda's mission is to help women realize their significance and value by encouraging them to stop the negative self-talk, believe in themselves, their gifts, and their value to their families and to the world... no matter what their age! Connect with Delinda Layne: delinda@delindalayne.com or on LinkedIn @DelindaLayne Freebie from Delinda: "Keys to Making Better Choices" Surround yourself with positive peopole and with me by joining my Neora Team today! To find me on social media: Debbi-Jo Horton Join my podcast community Learn more in my Facebook Group: Advantages to Aging 

This media has been made available by Mosaic Boston Church. If you'd like to check out more resources, learn about Mosaic Boston, or donate to this ministry, please visit mosaicboston.com.Today, we are continuing in our series, Graduate Level Grace, and we are walking through chapter by chapter through Genesis 37-50. Today, we're in Genesis 43, and we are studying the life of Joseph. The constant theme that keeps coming up is that salvation is by grace. It's not something that we earn. It's not a process that we initiate by our good works, our own efforts to conjure up righteousness before God. It's something that God initiates, that God blesses us with. He bestows us with His grace to get us into right relationship with him. As we go forward in the Christian life, he continues to give us more and more of it to carry out his work faithfully. Today, we're going to keep in touch into the theme of grace again, and talk further how Joseph points us to Christ in his engagement with his brothers. Again, these are long chapters. I'm going to read Genesis 43, the whole chapter. It's verses one through 34.Pastor Jan has not been reading at the beginning and doing more longer quotations, walking through the text. I'm going to read it now, and just go in and out of the text quickly throughout the sermon. So if you do have a Bible, open up to Genesis 43:1-34 and follow along, and we'll have it on the screen as well. Furthermore, we are going to partake in communion today. This is something that we, as a church, practice the first Sunday of every month. I'll preach the word, we'll respond, and then we will partake in communion and I'll explain the steps along the way once we get there. I'm going to read Genesis 43 verses 1-34, and the sermons is about the mercy of God. Genesis 43:1-34. Now, the famine was severe in the land and when they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go again, buy us a little food."But Judah said to him, "The man solemnly warned us, saying, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you. 'If you'll send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. But if you'll not send him, we'll not go down, for the man said to us, 'You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you.'" Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly as to tell that man that you had another brother?" They replied, "The man questioned us carefully about ourselves and our kindred, saying, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' What we told him was an answer to these questions. Could we in any way know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?"And Judah said to Israel his father "Send the boy with me, and we'll rise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. I will be a pledge of his safety. For my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. If we had not delayed, we would now have returned twice." Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry a present down to the man, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. Take back with you the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks. Perhaps it wasn't oversight. Take also your brother and arise, go again to the man. May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."So the men took this present, and they took double the money with them, and Benjamin. They arose and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Bring the men into the house and slaughter an animal and make ready for the men, for the men are to dine with me at noon." The man did as Joseph told him and brought the men to Joseph's house. And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house, and they said, "It is because of the money which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we were brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys."So they went up to the steward of Joseph's house and spoke with him at the door of the house, and said, "Oh, my Lord, we came down the first time to buy food. And when we came to the lodging place we opened our sacks, and there was each man's money in the mouth of his sack and money in full weight. So we have brought it again with us, and we have brought other money down with us to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks." He replied, "Peace to you. Do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you. I received your money." Then he brought Simeon out to them. And when the man had brought the men into Joseph's house and given them water, and they had washed their feet and when he had given their donkeys fodder, they prepared the present for Joseph coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground. And he inquired about their welfare and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?" They said, "You're serving our father as well. He's still alive." And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves and he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son." Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he saw a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. Then he washed his face and came out.And controlling himself he said, "Serve the food." They served him by himself, and then by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. Portions were taken to them from Joseph's table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were Mary with him. This is the word of the Lord. Let us pray.Heavenly Father, we praise you that your word says the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord remains forever. We thank you, Lord, for this ancient book that is so much more than a book. We thank you, Lord, for this story of the life of Jacob and his sons, Judah, Joseph. We thank you Lord that this story is not just a story, not just a piece of history. It's something that your spirit turn alive in our hearts that can use to sanctify us, to grow us, to mold us, to grow our dependence on you and see our need for you in greater forms. We pray, Lord, for the blessing of your word. Bless the word as I preach it, but it'd go out in power and force. Let each one of here convicted to trust you through the hardship of day-to-day life, convicted of their need to look for your work in their lives, more closely, convicted of their need to cling to your word in all trials and circumstances. Lord, I pray these things in Jesus' holy name. Amen.Well, today, we are talking about Genesis 43. And yesterday, I sent out an email. We sent out a weekly email before the sermons go out, and I ask you to think about if you were God, how would you tell him to work on you? And if you're a believer, I'm wanting you to think about how would you want God to grow you, to shape you. I know that for me, even though I know God, Christ calls us to take up our cross daily and follow in his footsteps. I think my plan for myself would involve lots of isolation. My wife would be there, my kids would be there, but sometimes I'd be able to escape and get full freedom from them. There'd be a babysitter for me and my wife when we want to spend time together. And then, there'd be a lot of opportunity to grow by watching soccer, to grow by exercising about three hours a day, to grow by just processing things, facts, knowledge, the word of God in isolation without really engaging other people.So, what is it for you? If you had the choice as a believer, how would you like God to grow you? What do you think is best? I think a lot of us, we don't really go, we know it's not really mature to think like that. But oftentimes, when God follows his classic means, shown to us in scripture, we resist and we think we could do it better. And if you're a nonbeliever, you say, "God, show me. Woo me. I want you to talk to me in this specific way." And what is that for you if you're a nonbeliever here today? Because this is a chapter where in Genesis 43, and God is dealing with Jacob and his sons... Who's Jacob? Jacob is the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham and God. This is the first book of the Bible, the book of the beginnings of the creation, the book of the beginnings of the family of God, and God's work in creation.God creates the world, all things are good. Adam and Eve walk in perfect unity and peace and perfect knowledge of him. There's no sin, there's no tension, there's no conflict, there's no brokenness in the world. And Genesis 2 comes, and Adam and Eve sinned. Genesis 3 talks about how there's going to be thorns and thistles to life. The creation is impacted by man's sin. And really, Genesis 3-12, it's a story of the spread of the sin of mankind, in the hearts of man and in relationships and in the creation. So God calls Abraham, and he says, "Abraham, I'm going to bless you. I'm going to make you into great people." He's a man. I think he's 75 years old when he calls him, and he doesn't have a child. He says, "I'm going to make you a great people, and I'm going to bless you. I'm going to make you the father of many kings, the father of many nations."So his son, Isaac, receives that promise. His son Jacob receives that promise. And what we're finding out in this series is that Jacob, though he had some good moments in his youth where he showed true faith in the Lord, he is a bit of a bonehead and his sons are worse than him. They are adulterers, his 12 sons. They've committed incest, they are prideful, they're slanderous. They're all fighting inwardly. They're competing with each other. And furthermore, at one point, 20 years ago, they put the Father Jacob's prize son, the son that he had with his favorite wife, they left him in a pit for dead. What they don't know is that God preserved his life, and put him through a process to bring him to the right hand of Pharaoh. So God's dealing with this broken family while the lingering promise that they're going to be a blessing to the earth stands, so God has to work.These people are not perfect. God's people are never perfect. But what we see is that these people probably aren't saved, these people probably don't know God, and it's kind of offensive that God would choose to work through these people. This is kind of a stance that, "God is doing something new. Why would he save the world from the slavery to sin through such a broken family?" It's a statement that religion that says, "I do right. I earn favor before God is wrong." It's a statement that salvation is initiated by God, not by any individual man as he tries to approach God. It's a statement that God uses broken people. And how can he use broken people? It's because he gives grace to them. We're talking about this family and their brokenness, but we're talking about how God is dealing with them.Again, think about how would you like God to deal with you? But in this chapter, compare that with how God is working on these people as a model of the family of faith. Last week, we discussed a lot of this already. In chapter 42, Genesis, we discussed how God has been working on them through the hardship of famine. When the famine hits the land for about a year, they're forced to look for a source of food. We discussed how God has been dealing with them through the hardship of sojourning, of temporarily turning to foreign land for help and relief. It's the hardship of being a refugee or a migrant worker looking for the best for their family. You're engaging with hard travel, engaging foreign officials, engaging with bureaucracy stacked against them. There's a language barrier and there's stereotypes that they're engaging with.We discussed how God has dealt with this family through the pain of unjust imprisonment. We saw that after three days in prison, they go to Egypt, there's the famine, you're one of the famine. They run out of food, they go to Egypt, and they approach the Egyptian ruler and they receive food, but he places them unjustly in a jail for three days. They don't know that it's their brother Joseph and he's trying to chip away, get a sense of have these men repented, "Are they right before God? Are their hearts still the same as when they put them in the pit?" And they go unjustly to prison, they're sent unjustly to prison, and in Genesis 42:21, they exclaim, "In truth, we are guilty concerning our brother." For them, this is the first time probably in 20 years since abandoning Joseph, leaving him for dead, telling their father that he is gone to the point that he thinks he's dead, this is the first time that their guilty conscience is probably coming alive.And furthermore or less, we talked about how actually the awakened conscience was actually a grace of God, a gift of God. As the men process all the hardship that happened to them in the chapter last week and the things that I just list listed out, they ask in verse 28, "What is this that God has done to us?" God is doing something. He's dealing with Jacob and his sons, but the process is slow. So in this chapter, God continues the work of bringing these men into his family. As we process how God chose to work on this family, we should ask him to show us how he is... If we're not walking with him calling us back, or those walking with him, we should be asking him to show us how he is continuing to stay near us, to refine us.What the New Testament shows us is that the Christian life is like that. We are a piece of gold in the refiner's fire. So we're saved, but then God is exposing us to trials to burn out the impurities that we... Until we grow to the fullness of Christ likeness, God is going to be refining us. So ask Lord, "How are you working in me to save me, to grow me?" And a key verse, "How does he do that?" The key verse in the chapter and one of the key verses in the book, all the Book of Genesis is verse 14. And this is Jacob saying, "May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man." This is the first occurrence of mercy in all of Genesis and all of the Bible. The chapter is all about God's mercy to guilty, fearful, hopeless, lost sinners.The condition of these men as they are contemplating having to go back to Egypt, when they approach Joseph at his house. This chapter is all about the mercy that God offers to guilty sinners like you and me. It's by the mercy of God that God is using life circumstances, and the Egyptian ruler, who Jacob and his sons don't know to be Joseph, to refine these men, to draw them into saving an intimate relationship. And what we see in this chapter is that God dispatches different kinds of mercy. You kind of see it. Last week we touched on it, and this week there's a little bit. Joseph to them, the Egyptian ruler, he deals with the brothers in kind of a bad cop, good cop method. At some moments, God, through Joseph, dishes out tender mercy to the men. And just through pure kindness, gentleness, there's some moments he dishes out severe mercy by inflicting tough circumstances upon them.We're going to learn about different kinds of mercy. How does God try to draw us in, draw non-believers in through mercy? How does God grow and refine Christians through mercy? I'm going to point out three different kinds of mercy. God calls his children home and grows them through severe mercy, common mercy, and tender mercy. And know, the term mercy and grace, and then how they relate to love as you grow in the faith, they're kind of hard terms used because you can't really use them by fully separating them from the other, particularly grace and mercy. Know that I use the term mercy in this outline because I think the key verse talks about God's mercy to the men in this process of going back to Egypt. But I could have equally used the term grace. So to say that God gives mercy to someone has a connotation that God gives leniency when it is not required of him.To say that God gives grace, it means that God gives favor when it is not merited by the recipient and that they're intertwined. Because when God is extending leniency, he is extending favor or grace. When God is extending grace or unmerited favor, he's extending leniency. But this, today, I want to step away from the title of the sermons here and talk about mercy as it relates to grace. God calls his children home and grows them through severe mercy. In verses 1-14, we see that God calls his children home, and I use the term, by extending severe mercy. This is a term that I first became acquainted with in the book, A Severe Mercy by an author Sheldon Vanauken. I probably butchered that. To say that God calls his children home and grows them through severe mercy, put most broadly, it's to say that God calls his children home and grows them by exposing them to severe situations.God purposes that his children face severe, hard, difficult, challenging situations in order to draw them in. In the book, Vanauken, he talks about how God used the death of his wife of a couple of decades. He thinks to actually save him, because ultimately he saw all of his engagement with Christianity was really tied to this desire to build this perfect marriage with his wife. He never really wanted God for God's sake. God had to strip, he says, and he talks about how his engagement through personal letters with CS Lewis helped him. He saw that through taking his wife, he could finally treasure a relationship with God. And that was a severe mercy. Because if that's what it took to get him into a right relationship with God, to see his need for God, to treasure relationship with God that's offered through Christ, then it's a mercy.It's a confusing term, a severe mercy. But when you chew on it, it can really help you understand how God works. To face the severe mercy is severe because it's hard and difficult to face such circumstances. To face the severe mercy is an experience of God's mercy. Because though the severe mercy may be severe and difficult to face or endure, the experience altogether is so much better than what a sinner deserves. So severe mercy, it leads to a person to have a greater understanding of who God is and it leads one to see their limitations of their own power. Furthermore, it leads one to see the boundless limits of God's infinite power, and it's hard to swallow. By exposing people as children to hardship, God is actually being very gentle or merciful to them. How is this true? The whole narrative of scripture says that God is a holy God, and that from the beginning, man was to walk in a holy manner before him.And if he did not, the penalty would be death. Eternal expulsion from the loving presence of God. For the just punishment of sin against an infinite holy God is infinite wrath and eternal punishment. Romans 3:23 says that all have fallen, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Because nobody has met the mark perfect holiness before God, any moment where God withholds or delays the carrying out of his wrath, it's a blessing, a severely merciful act where he is shown leniency. So even as Christians or people approaching the faith, when life is really difficult or hard for any person because it's not anything close to facing the just wrath of God, such a moment is an act of severe mercy extended to them by God. So in this, I'm going to step into the text verses 1-14. I'm going to talk about different forms of severe mercy that God extends, that he exposes his followers too.He uses it to save people, he uses it to grow people, and he is merciful in doing so again. Because the lessons that they learn are so much more important than the idols that they're clinging to, that he's stripping away. In this chapter, we find Jacob's brothers a long while after their initial experience of guilt in the last chapter. Remember, in verse 21, they said, "In truth, we are guilty concerning our brother, this is the last chapter, in that we saw the distress of his soul, they're talking about Joseph in the pit, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us." They exclaimed this and felt their conscience stirred. But now that they're back home, away from Egypt, away from the tension of the moment, away from the threat of imprisonment, away from this man who has authority over them, things have gone back to normal.Maybe the famine will end, they think. Maybe they won't have to go back to Egypt, if that happens. Perhaps, they can forget their past sins. Maybe they can push those ideas of God that crept up in their mind and his authority over their lives, off their consciences forever. They've made an idol. They've gone back home and they've made an idol out of the facade of a peaceful status quo on the surface of their lives, while there's guilt for sin on their conscience they've not dealt with. If this is their thinking, whether the text shows us, is that God has another plan in mind. If you're wrestling with guilt or fighting to suppress guilt, God has another plan in mind for you. He's relentless in his pursuit of them. And in these verses, we see the three forms of severe mercy.First, he exposes them to famine. More broadly, he exposes them to the pressures of living in a fallen world. Genesis 43:1-2. Now, the famine was severe in the land. And when they had eaten the grain that they had bought brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go again, buy us a little food." So God exposes them to continued famine. This is probably close to the end of year two of famine based on what other chapters tell us. And famine, honestly, as a modern American, I can't fathom this. Apparently, 49 million people in 46 countries are experiencing severe food crisis or famine in the present day. And that's according to a quick Google search, an organization called Action Against Hunger. Famine occurs when drought and her infestation and her plant disease and her war continuously plague a huge region of land for months or years at a time.It's a severe hardship that, when faced, lingers on your mind all day every day until there is relief. Hardship that adds uncertainty to all matters of life, to every minute, every hour, every week. It kills you physically and it kills you psychologically, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. You're powerless to put an end to it. All you're left to do is know how to respond to it and engage with it and survive through it. Obviously, today, we praise God. We have a lot of knowledge, materials, technology, pesticides, and means of food preservation to try to confront famine, but it clearly arises in many lands today. But the point is, back then, they did not. Jacob and his family, this family called to bless the world and become numerous nation of people of kingdoms, they're facing famine. They are almost at the point of not surviving.So the famine, it exerts pressure on them, they have to deal with it and they're powerless. But famine, it's something that the greatest schemes of men, greatest schemes of America, of science and technology cannot control. There are other forms of natural disasters, severe forms of mercy that we face, drought, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, biological and airborne microorganisms. I was reminded of this while I'm reading this, studying this, writing this yesterday. I got multiple notifications on my phone and on my computer from Apple talking about the fine particulates that are floating around, the bad air quality because of the wildfires in Canada. We can't control the weather and the shifting of the earth and microorganisms and fine particulates. And our increased ability to track a lot of these things, it seems to cause more paranoia and anxiety than actually helps us at times.So God speaks to us again and again through pressures of famine still, but pressures of a fallen sin, fallen world through weather, through disease, through political, international turmoil that we cannot control. 9/11, floods, hurricane Katrina, hurricane Harvey in Houston several years back, COVID, heated elections, Russia-Ukraine, the threat of personal sickness and death at any minute, struggles with conception still plaguing the world. Miscarriage, race, gender, class battles, the Lord... These things have entered the world because of sin and we have to face them. What is God telling us in all of it? We are not in control. He is sovereign. He is in control to be brought to this knowledge, to love this knowledge, to find peace in this knowledge. It's a mercy, a grace of God. He's in control. He's in charge. We know he is good. Look at how he redeemed the travesty of the cross of Jesus Christ.So all of natural history, world history align with the words of St. Paul in Romans 8:18-22, I'm just going to read 22. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now, Jacob and his sons face it. We still face it. It impacts our lives and our decisions. So I ask you, what is God telling you through the Earth's groaning? It's going to keep happening until Jesus comes back to make all things new. Paul has to think about it. How has God used natural circumstances or pressures of a fallen world to make you think or act in life? What have you learned from them? What do you think you can learn right now? Second, God extends mercy to Jacob and his brothers to draw them into fellowship with him by exposing them to the pressure of broken people.Verse three. But Judah said to him, "The man, the Egyptian ruler, solemnly warned us saying, 'You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.'" So the will of a relatively random governor in Egypt, according to the brothers as they don't know it is Joseph, he's forcing them in a certain direction. He's adding pressures and limitations to their freedom. They have to deal with the fact that one brother, Simeon, is still imprisoned by him there. And specifically in this chapter, they're pressured to send Benjamin to Egypt upon his command simply to have food for their families to survive. Like Jacob, we still face these unwanted pressures from other people and these are appointed by the severe mercy of God. We can try to create vacuums to avoid such people. We can seek out echo chambers of those who are like-minded. It's easier than ever.We can seek spouses with the exact same interests, companies and departments, literally through search algorithms on apps online. We can find neighbors, churches, work departments that are the perfect fit. But people are inevitable, they're broken, they're sinful. We can't escape them, we can't cancel them, and that's by God's design. The tendency when we engage people and they inflict their presence and authority on our lives, whether we seek it or not, is that we think we can change them. When we're first confronted with hard people, we say to ourselves, "That's okay. Give me a little time, I'll change you." But with time, we see that we can't. This is the husband and the wife almost on a day-to-day basis. This is parents trying to change their children, grow their children, save their children on their time. Children trying to change their parents.This is the boss trying to change the employee, the employee trying to change the boss. No matter how many phone apps, forms of counseling or technology we have that can teach us how to change people, we have to realize that we can't. Only God can. Only God can change someone from the inside out, change them at the heart level such that their behavior, their presence, their communication changes. We need to just approach these moments, this lack of power with humility. We can fight it, we can keep pressing on and nagging on the people of our lives to change them, or we can ask God what is he trying to do through this, the presence of these people.What is that you trying to do through the engagements of them? We have to allow our lives to be shaped by the necessity of engaging people. So ask God, how are you changing me? How are you calling me home to you to crave your presence, your sinless presence, your loving presence more? How are you refining me through other people? This is a severe mercy of God that we have to engage people. Third, God extends severe mercy to Jacob and his brothers to draw them into fellowship with him by exposing them to undesirable circumstances. Verse 6, Jacob says, "Why did you treat me so badly as to tell the man that you had another brother?" So Jacob, the neglectful father, comes off as an angry old curmudgeon, as a victim of the folly of his sons as he processes the situation. He's just whining. Honestly, my first engagement with this was laughing as I read it because I was just sitting and whining with my wife in the minutes before I'd started to study this.And I just want to say, "Men, we think that our wives and children are blessed when we sit down and tell them how we have it right, everyone else in our life has it wrong, and that we are victim of our circumstances." We need to stop. We need to be models of faith and steadfast faithfulness to God. There's no way to avoid difficult circumstances. Jacob and his sons had no control over the fact of the famine and the extension of the famine, and they had no control over the fact that Egypt had all the grain in that period. Similarly, in our lives, there's seasons, moments, trials that just fall into our lap. Things that we didn't invite into our households, our churches, our neighborhoods, our schools, our local state and national governments, financial downturns, wars that we have to engage, that we have no interest in engaging but we have to.We can get depressed, we can get paralyzed, we can busy ourselves to avoid the fact that these tensions and these situations exist. We can distract ourselves with relationships, devices, and shows, adrenaline rushes. We can try to ignore them by engaging in drink, smoke, other chemicals, or we can face the fact that circumstances are part of life. We're called to face them in faith, and find the faithful narrow way forward that brings glory to God. As we do that in the process, the Lord is teaching us, shaping us, saving many all along. These moments, these undesired circumstances shouldn't always be viewed as hindrances, but as opportunities for us to see God's wisdom at work in our lives, to see his power moving in our life. So in some, I've talked about the severe mercy of God as he exposes us to it through the effects of living in a sinful world through people, through random undesired circumstances.And know, the message that I want you to take is not just expect hardship to be a part of your life, but not become a stoic. It's not a, "Pick-up your bootstraps. This is life, just face it. Everybody has to deal with it. Find a way to cope." No, it's find a way to see God's hand through it all. Ask him to grow your wisdom, your insight to engage such moments in a way that pleases him. Ask him to show you what he's teaching you. Ask him how he wants you to respond, one day at a time, without getting overcome with anxiety, thinking about how hard it will be in the future. I like the framing of, "You need to see that as you think about severe mercies, a lot of these external circumstances forcing their pressure on onto your life. You need to see that what makes you you, and the Lord is not just the things that you have done but the things that also have happened to you.God's using it all in his grand plan and glorious plan to save you, to shape you, prepare you for his work. We've seen him do such work in the life of Joseph as we meditated upon his experience in the pit. We meditated upon facing false accusations of adultery. We meditated upon him being forced to be in an Egyptian jail for several years. We've seen how God prepared him to handle this moment with grace and mercy. So the same thing that he did with Joseph, the same thing he's doing with you and you need to trust him as he does it. See here, the text says that God is shaping these men through severe mercy. I just want to take time to look at Judah and Jacob to show you that transformation is actually happening. Let's look at Judah. Judah, who we know from our study in Genesis 38, was a very hard and stubborn man.He slept with his deceased son's wife when he thought she was a prostitute. This Judah is changing by God's severe mercy and becoming the family leader in this chapter. In the text, at the beginning when after Jacob resists sending the brothers back with Benjamin, Judah honestly, respectfully, directly speaks to his father. He still honors him, but he stands on truth before him. In verse 8, to convince his father, he takes a wise strategy. He repeats to his father, "Send the boy with me, and we will rise and go, that we may live and not die." Jacob said when he first sent the sons to Egypt, he said, "Go to Egypt to get grain, so that we may live and not die." He's using Jacob's words to convince him. And then he adds an element so that both we and you and also our little ones may be saved, may stay alive.Judah's not thinking of himself as we saw him do. Primarily, he's thinking of others. So further, Judah, the biggest thing that he does is he pledges his life to Jacob. He commits to taking personal responsibility if Benjamin does not return. This is in comparison to the author that Ruben makes in the last chapter in verse 7. Ruben says to Jacob, this harsh approach, "Kill my two sons if I go to Egypt with Benjamin and don't return with him." We see Jacob's wisdom. We see him taking responsibility. And this foreshadows, a little side note, the precedence that the tribe of Judah eventually takes among the other tribes of the nation of Israel. It points to the time that Jesus Christ, a descendant of Judah, the line of the tribe of Judah's scripture calls him, takes responsibility for the sins of the lost sons of God by going to the cross, offering himself in their place.Judah changes but we see an incredible change in Jacob through the severe mercy of God, through the providential appointment of hardship. Jacob, again, he is a whiny curmudgeon at the start of the chapter, blaming everyone else for the situation that they're in. He's still showing extreme preference for his son Benjamin over the other 10, but there's great change taking place as the chapter goes forward. This is noted most clearly by the fact that, for most of the story today, Jacob's story is that God does save him. Jacob does have faith in God. And God, at that point, he passes his promises of the covenant from Abraham and Isaac to him, and God gives him a covenant named Israel. But Jacob, even after a profound experience in earlier chapters of Genesis, he goes back to his old ways. So the story, the narrative throughout Genesis primarily calls him Jacob over and over again.In chapter 42, he's Jacob. In this chapter, he moves from the old angry man to the new man Israel. He starts off complaining, but then he takes charge as these situations force him to. He provides decisive and wise leadership in granting the brother's permission to bring Benjamin, and giving them instructions to pack gifts, local delicacies that they don't have in Egypt to earn the favor of the ruler, to double the money that they bring back after the Egyptians did not keep their money last time. He takes practical matters. He thinks responsibly. But the most notable change that we see in Jacob as he faces the severe mercy of God is that he has revival in his faith. In verse 14, he's brought to the point where he knows he's powerless to change the situation, and he says, "May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I'm bereaved of my children, I'm bereaved."Jacob, now Israel, he appeals to the covenant name of God of Genesis, El Shaddai, Genesis 17 particularly, the mighty God. This God, he's trusted in before, he will trust in again. Furthermore, in this verse, he appeals to the mercy of God for the success of the journey for Egypt. He knows only God can give them favorable outcome here. Lastly, what's most profound, he entrusts Benjamin's safety and the desire for the return of Benjamin's brother Joseph to God, right? He's been grieving the loss of Joseph, basically not functioning, not engaging the other brothers for 20 years, all the while preserving Benjamin's life at all costs and just ignoring those other brothers. And Jacob relinquish his grip on the matter. He goes as far as showing peace over the fact that if it's the Lord's will to bereave him of his children, then so be it.You got to remember, he did not forget that God said that He's carrying this promise to be the father of many nations, like that was passed down from Abraham and Isaac. He says, "God, I trust you. You have the power to fulfill your promises even when there seems to be no hope." So I elaborate on Judas' transformation, Jacob's transformation to illustrate how God uses severe mercy, hard circumstances to change them, to save them, to grow them in the faith. We can spend all of our life begrudgingly facing the appointed personal, familial, cultural, global circumstances that we're born into or approach them with faith. We can see how they deepen our dependence on God, make us better men and women, grow our vision and appreciation for the daily mercies and graces of God, and increase the fruit of the spirit within us. We're becoming more like Christ as we engage them faithfully.Some may ask, why does God act like this? Why does he have a point to choose to use severe mercy? This is my second point, and it's really short. If God calls his children home and grows them through severe mercy, common mercy, why does he use severe mercy? Because he is offering common mercy constantly, and we don't receive it. Matthew 5:45 says, "For he makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." God is actually trying to tell us through the basic mercies, basic graces of daily life that he is God and he is in control, and we owe him our worship and faithfulness. Through the rising of the sun, every day on all people, through the sending of rains, through daily health, through the beauty of nature, through the provision of daily bread, through the joyful spirit and faith that children have as they wake up and just expect God to provide through the majesty of just the creative world, he's talking to us and it's not enough for us.We are stubborn. We are selfish. We choose to say that that is not enough. We place ourselves in the position of God, and we don't accept his means of communicating that. That's the mistake that Adam and Eve made in the garden. They think that God is keeping something from them in just the basic provision of life in the garden. So we commit the same sin and we don't receive common mercy, which I'm also basically saying is the same thing, historically-referred to as common grace. But praise God, he doesn't stop at common mercy. He doesn't stop at severe mercy to draw us in. He gives us tender mercy, and this is my third point. God calls his children home through severe mercy, common mercy, tender mercy.The use of tender mercy, it's a little redundant. I could have just said mercy. But to drive home in the point and emphasize how good it is, I went forward with tender mercy. He said that he speaks to us through tender mercy, expose us to tender mercy. He treats us and speaks to us with very loving treatment. He engages our fears and guilt uniquely. He mercifully and graciously condescends to speak to us at a level that we understand, in his process of calling us to him and refining us once we're in the family. This is what verses 15-34 really show us. God calls the brothers back by tender mercy. Verse 18 says, "And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph's house." So they bring the goods, they bring the money, they bring Benjamin back to Egypt, and they're told by a servant to go to his house.Can you imagine these tent dwellers, these back country men when they're about to go to the house, the property of this powerful Egyptian ruler, essentially a billionaire of their day? They're rolling up on their donkeys, not even camels, to palace with dozens of camels. It's like driving a rusty old pickup truck to a mansion with multiple Teslas and model cars. And they're weary from facing God's severe mercy, the famine, the travel. The anxiety of how they will be received by the ruler after they return, as they know that the ruler did not receive the money the first time, it would've been paralyzing them. Just not knowing, "Is this ruler just going to come down and arrest us and make us his slave?" Their worst fear would probably be over the fact, "That as we engage this man, are we going to be brought to that point where we feel guilty again for throwing Joseph into the pit?"Again, they don't know that Joseph is the ruler. But they know that through engagement with this man, they were brought back to this thing that they just want to depress. But God brings these men back to Egypt as part of the process to draw him in. And how are they received? It's with kindness, with love. Remember, Jacob/Israel's prayer in verse 14, May God Almighty grant you mercy before him. Jacob's prayers come true. It's answered. The ruler and his servant receive them with tender mercy. They arise in Egypt, guilty, fearful. What does the servant say to them? He says, "Peace," shalom in Hebrew, "Peace to you. Do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has put treasure in your sacks for you." This is after they say hello and confess that they went home with the money. It says, "Don't worry about it."As the text continues, the servant brings him out, Simeon. He's released as promised, upon their return in their last chapter, and he's in good shape. Then though they're foreigners, they are brought into the private residence of a ruler. Further, the text says they're given water, their feet are washed, their donkeys aren't stolen but are given fodder from the royal feed, and they're invited to a feast. When they approach Joseph at the feast, they bow down to him. And what does he do? He inquires of their welfare, asks them how they are doing, and I'm sure it would've been a little bit of a sugarcoated answer of, "Oh, we're great." Like not acknowledging the fact that they're in turmoil for the months and weeks as this moment approached. But he inquires about their welfare, asks about their father. The ruler further goes to greet the younger brother that he didn't meet during the last visit, Benjamin, and blesses him saying, "God be gracious to you, my son."Altogether, God, after providentially offering common mercy throughout their lives, after offering a lot of severe mercy recently, God has arranged for them to taste his tender mercy as part of the process to draw him in, to fellowship with him. In a situation where Joseph, the ruler, could have brought down justice for the situation with the money as things appeared. For his sin, their sin against him 20 years ago, he treats him with mercy. He treats him with love and kindness. One of the most notable things about the merciful treatment that God has arranged for the brothers is that he goes above and beyond to show the brothers that he's speaking to them through these mercies in ways that are uniquely designed for them. Verse 33 says, And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth. And the men looked at one another in amazement. God, through Joseph, announces this moment in such a way that the brothers should know that they're talking to him.Just think, there's 11 brothers sitting down. And in this moment, they're arranged from oldest to youngest. If you think about how many ways that the ruler could have arranged them, it's equal to 11 factorial. Yes, I'm making you think about middle school math right now. 11 factorial ways that he could have arranged these men. That's 39,916,800 ways that the ruler could have seeded them, and one of them is the perfect way and he does it. God is clearly speaking to them. And do they see it? Further, in verse 34, the text mentions that the ruler gives Benjamin, the brother of Joseph, five times the portion of food. God's trying to communicate to them that he is God. He knows what they did, and he is mercifully dealing with their sin toward Joseph right now by bringing attention to Benjamin. In this specific communication to the brothers, God is just calling them home.He wants them to cry out mercy as they see that he is God. And they need his mercy for their sin, for their rebellion against his authority over their life, for their specific sins, and particularly, the sin against Joseph. Through tender mercy and the generalness of the ruler's reception, through the specific details of the seating arrangement and serving, God's talking to them. He's trying to stir their minds to acknowledge him as God. But what is their response? Verse 33 says, They looked at one another in amazement. They looked around at each other as if the way they were seated was a coincidence. They looked at each other and said, "Well, forgot about it," and set their minds to the feast before them. Verse 34 says, after Benjamin was given a huge portion, they just enjoyed themselves and had a nice meal like at any other banquet. With their youngest brother, nobody would ever have given the youngest brother this kind of portion. He gets five times more than them in this patriarchal society.And furthermore, at the start of the next chapter, the brothers after this experience where God is just talking to them, offering them mercy, showing them gentleness, tender mercy, they're just content to wake up and go home. They're not inclined to think about everything that's happening. Their reception of the mercy of God, it's dull. They're not moved. It gives them no more than a smile and the satisfaction of a good day and full belly gives them. Isn't that very similar to the reaction that the world has toward God and his mercy? Isn't that very similar to the reaction that you have toward it, on some days? If you're a believer, you can't be a believer without truly cherishing this moment, at one point. But it grows dry and worn out. That's because we're not seeing how God is moving through everything to save us, grow us, shape us.You see, Joseph's brothers, they have an excuse. The ruler didn't reveal himself as Joseph. They don't know that's him, but we know who the ruler is. We know who the governor is. We know who the king of kings, the Lord of Lord is, over all of the earth and over us all as individuals. It's the Lord Jesus Christ. It's written on our heart, our conscience, and it's written in the creation. We long for God's perfect and just rule and reign and the comfort of his presence, when the storms and trials, the rulers and people and circumstances of the broken world impress their unjust influence on our lives and decision making. We long for his unique and tender love toward us as we face these hardships. We know that for all of history, all the time, God has supremely shown his love to man.He has communicated his desire to extend love and grace to each of us in a million unique different ways. Most clearly, he has mercifully and graciously shown his love for us. In coming to deal with our greatest need as parched, guilty, dead sinners. He took on flesh, went from heaven to earth and walked the earth. He came to deal with our greatest need, our thirst for him. God broke the barrier by sending a son to take on flesh, bear the hardship and temptations of this world perfectly as we could not, and to go to the cross in our place. We know that God chosen his love for us and, that while we are still sinners, Christ died for us. How much more clearly could God in all of his glory condescend to speak to us in our greatest need to communicate his love to us? And yet we're often reluctant to receive it.We're reluctant to see our need to entrust our lives to him. Joseph and his brothers had an excuse, but we don't. So Colossians 2:9-10, it says, we're in him the whole fullness of the deity dwells bodily. And you have been filled in him who is the head of all rule and authority. We have no excuse. God is showing his mercy, communicating his love and desire to be in relationship with us over and over again, and we need to receive it. Christ, he broke the divide between heaven and earth. His crowning act of glory with all of his authority was to lay side as glory and die for us. That's really what Joseph is doing. Joseph could be using his authority to squash these sinners to just pour out wrath, but he doesn't. God, Christ did all of this in order that we might live and dine at the same table with him, with a portion due to the firstborn and rule with him and his eternal kingdom.That's what Joseph was doing. That's what Christ offers to us. So I ask you today to close, how is God extending severe mercy to you? How is he extending common mercy? How can you see it better? How is he extending tender mercy, specifically speaking to you, in ways that speak to your greatest fears, your greatest sense, your areas of guilt, your questions of the truth? As you see that, just bow and humble submission to him. Genesis 43 says, you're doubtful, sinful, guilty people like Jacob's family and us with a bad record of bad conscience. There is one power. One of great power and great honor who loves you, who wants to bless you and deliver you from the guilt of your sin and circumstances. He's doing so much to get you to see that. Try to see it. Come into his family, his love, his grace, his mercy. It's sufficient. Let us pray.Heavenly Father, we praise you that Christ has come and he came out of love. He initiated the process that procured our salvation. It's not anything that we can do, but it's all that he has done. And Lord, we praise you that you do not leave us in the condition that we're in. When you save us, you give us your righteousness, but you appoint seasons and trials and circumstances and engagement with the fallen world to grow us. We get to see your hand of redemption at work in us and through us every day. Lord, we praise you that we know we have a savior who has lived perfectly, died in our place, roses from the dead, and ascended to your right hand of authority just like Joseph was at the right hand of Pharaoh. And he is working for our good, for our preservation, for our growth in the faith. We pray all these things in Jesus' name. Amen.Now, we're going to transition to a time in the service of communion. This is something that we do as believers to commemorate the fact that by offering his body, pouring out his blood for us on the cross, Jesus invites us to live and dine guilt free at his table. For whom is holy communion—it's for repentant Christians, repentant children of God. If you're not a Christian, not sure where you stand before God, we ask you to withhold from partaking and meditate on the gospel, meditate upon the sermon, the message of today. But if you have decided today to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you're welcome to partake. And if are a Christian, we emphasize that this is for repentant believers. If you have unreconciled sin in your life that you have not brought to the Lord, if you have it on your conscience to approach other brothers and sisters where there is sin, we ask you to with withhold.So if you haven't received a cup with a little wafer and the elements, please raise your hand. As I pray, one of the ushers will give you one. Heavenly Father, we praise you for your grace and mercy. Jesus, we thank you for procuring salvation for us. You suffered, Lord, and triumphed for us. Today, we remember your suffering. Holy Spirit, I pray that you prepare our hearts now to focus on the attention of the cross of Jesus Christ dying for us, the primary act of showing your tender mercy toward us. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Take off the bottom layer. I think all of our cups now have the bread on the bottom. Take the bread out and follow along with me. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he took the bread and after eating it, he said, "This is my body broken for you. Take, eat, and do this in remembrance of me."He then proceeded to take the cup, and he said, "This cup is the cup of the new covenant of my blood, which is poured out for the sins of many. Take, drink, and do this in remembrance of me." Let's pray. Lord God, we glorify you. We pray, Lord, Holy Spirit, help us in glorifying God as we meditate upon the wisdom of his ways, the ability to redeem and use the brokenness of this world, the broken moments of our life, the broken moments of our personality, and redeem them and use them to be a blessing to others. Help us, Lord, as we worship. Help us to cast off all of our burdens and anxieties and stresses for situations, relationships that we cannot control to you. Help us to focus on you on the greatness of your power, your majesty, holiness, righteousness, truth, perfect plans, and sovereignty. Help us to sing with all that we have because you are worthy of all worship and glory and honor in all seasons. We pray this all in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.