Junkyard Outreach: Recent Episodes
Todd
The Junkyard Outreach offers to listeners a down to earth perspective on the Scriptures with the outcasts of society in mind. God's love extends to all who are willing to receive it and this effort is simply to share that love through short episodes discussing a variety of topics. For more episodes and info visit Junkyardoutreach.com.
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Many times people who are exposed to Jesus are discouraged from surrendering to Him for a variety of reasons. But to forfeit such a great King is really foolish. We should examine the Scriptures and prayer continually do address any doubt. Then we have those questions answered we need to go for it and not hold back.
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There are several places in Scripture were the conduct of a redeemed follower of Jesus is described. This is not "old fashion religion" rather the result of a life impacted by the presence of the Holy Spirit within a person. The change in behavior is not a will power issue, it's a supernatural regeneration issue.
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Life presents its trials to everyone. Nobody lives without suffering at some level and this suffering can be confusing when it seems unfair. But to the child of God, suffering is a process God uses to grow and refine us. Therefore we can have peace in the suffering if we trust God in the process.
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Paul confronts a sorcerer on the Island of Cyprus and uses the power of the Holy Spirit to defend the Gospel and lead a high ranking Roman official to Jesus.
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As believers we can easily get distracted by life's monotony and become frustrated thinking of life as "the grind" where every day we simply grind away with no real purpose or end in sight. But as children of God our lives are more than a mundane existence in a screwed up world. Every day presents new opportunities to show this world the love of God and find blessings in those places God directs us to go. So life can be turn from the grind to a blessing.
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In this episode two kings of Judah are compared. King Asa and King Hezekiah, both described as doing was right during their reigns. However, Asa didn't finish that well whereas Hezekiah did. We, as believers, must strive to finish our race well because that's what Jesus expects from us. And He will provide the necessary things to make that happen. All we need to do is trust Him and obey continually.
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In our journey with Jesus, we can trust that He will do the work in our lives day by day. He will show the child of God how much He can be trusted. In the Scriptures we see the trustworthiness of God and how he provides for His people.
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Deliverance from darkness is a part of every person's journey with Jesus. In this interview we discuss what that looked like in the life of one man.
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God shows His mercy to Ahab, a very wicked king, which causes Ahab to repent and avoid the immediate judgment of God.
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The Scriptures teach us to respect those who are older and this is something our culture has lost sight of both in that we are not taught to respect older people when we are little, and old people who are degenerates make it hard to respect them. But for believers we know what God wants from us and respecting our elders is one of them. But the thing that we really miss is seeking the wisdom from these older people who have been through the grind. We could learn a lot from them.
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Peter addresses several issues in this chapter including the marriage relationship and how spouses are to treat one another.
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The life of Peter is a good model for our understanding of what it takes to be a witness. Peter's own confidence became a real stumbling block in his relationship with Jesus. But through his journey, he found what it takes to be an effective witness for Jesus.
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Every child of God is a leader in something. We are not empowered by the Holy Spirit to simply do nothing. We act when He tells us to. We go where He tells us to go and we do what He tells us to do. But godly leadership and worldly leadership have differences and as believers, understanding we are leaders in His Kingdom here and now show prompt us to seek wisdom from Him to lead.
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Continuing through Peter's first letter and pursuing a deeper knowledge of God, chapter 2 addresses living our lives as "living stones" in the structure of the Kingdom of God reminding us that we are no longer people without spiritual direction so we must live in accordance with the will of God. Submitting to the governing authorities is part of God's will for the child of God.
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Lust is something that effects a lot of people. It's craving that which we know we should not have and it's consequences can be devastating. We have an example of Eve and her bout with lust and the consequences but we also have a path toward victory for those who are serious about Jesus.
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My friend and brother in Christ and I discuss men's leadership roles in this life and more.
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1 Peter is a letter packed with valuable insight and instruction for the believer. Its 5 chapters declare the glory of God through the lives of obedient believers and how they can achieve victory in this life through the power of Jesus.
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A shout out to all those listeners. We are entering our 6th season at the Junkyard Outreach. Thanks for listening!!
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As believers our lives now belong to God and we live to serve Him. Or at least that's supposed to be what is happening. And when we are living a life that is not real exciting or eventful, are we taking the opportunity in that season to grow and prepare for what the Lord has next? If you are in a slow season, then prepare for whatever the Lord has next.
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Many people in scripture experienced rejection including Jesus Himself. Rejection is a reality in life but for many it can be crippling and really divert their lives into a pit. But there is hope for the one who is rejected. In Christ we will suffer many things in this world but the promise of Jesus is that He has conquered the world and we, who are serious about Him, will inherit eternal life. And when that day comes, we will be able to look at our life and marvel at what God did through our suffering.
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If you have questioned your value in the Kingdom because you believe you don't have what it takes or you are too old and out of touch with many things, then realize that God's plan for your life doesn't depend upon your own understanding rather on His will. And He will give you what you need to accomplish His purposes in your life.
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One question a believer may ask when they are just starting out on their journey with Jesus is "what do I do with all this?" We may have a preconceived idea that following Jesus is a very complicated ordeal and the devil will certainly exploit the idea to veer us off our path. But really what Jesus' requirements are may surprise us. It's not that complicated rather just doing what we know is right. All the theological stuff is not the answer. It's simply to abide in Him and do what is right. That's where we start. Then as we grow the deeper things will be revealed.
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Being a disciple of Jesus is a commitment that requires total submission to Him. When we are confronted with this, many skirt the issue by rationalizing their own opinions which doesn't work with Him. So how can we have this kind of relationship with our Creator? It's all wrapped up in being filled with the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to guide us into all truth.
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We are created in the image of God and because of this our minds were designed to be captivated by our Lord. Instead we become captivated by many other things in this life that compete with our relationship with the Lord. So setting our minds on things above and allowing our spirit to become captivated by the Holy Spirit brings with it those promises in the Scriptures that abound for the believer.
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As believers we are expected to live by faith or as it says in 2 Cor 5:7 "for we walk by faith, not by sight." But when life gets scary we can quickly become desperate for a solution and try to obtain that solution when all we need to do is wait and God will fix it.
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Many of us have had this experience routinely - we think we are doing good and then we do something that reveals our heart is not good. We try to be good but to no avail it seems. Trusting in Jesus and being open and honest with Him about our wretched hearts is the first step to victory.
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True riches in this life come from God and includes the knowledge and wisdom of Him. Material riches can be a blessing but can also be a trap that drags us away from the will of God into our will. But with Jesus at our helm, we can experience the true riches of God and not have a lot of baggage attached to them.
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Staying in the fight as a believer is a challenge especially when seasons in our lives drag on for years. But the hope we have in eternity should spur us onto continue in the faith. And when we are led by the Holy Spirit, even during those uneventful seasons, we can still see God's hand moving in our lives.
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Walking in the Spirit produces spiritual light which can be seen by others. Jesus commands us to let that light shine so all can see. This involves obedience and a life spent serving Him. And by doing this there are promises from God for those who are faithful.
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As a believer we are called to sacrifice or do things without getting things in return. This is a fundamental in the faith and is pertinent until we die. When we learn to sacrifice we become more familiar with God's love which is sacrificial. He gives us a lot of love but what does He ger in return? Many times nothing or worse something negative. This is how we learn to love - give and don't expect to get.
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As a new believer begins to experience the presence of God in their lives and the new life which God brings into the heart of those who believe, the process of growth continues as we are now faced with challenges to the way we are currently living. We read scripture and find out there are commands to love others as ourselves, avoid behavior offensive to God, and go where the Holy Spirit leads us. We now have a choice. Do I obey or not. And obedience is often not easy. But when we obey that growth continues as does the interaction with God in our lives so if we want to grow and we want that interaction with God then we need to, as Joshua said in:
Jos 24:15 ......But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
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Psalm 16 is a short psalm but provides a good checklist for us to evaluate our lives and see if we are living in a way that is pleasing to God. The psalm ends with "at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." The result of a life of obedience to God is eternal life where there will be pleasures forevermore.
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Many places in the Scriptures we are given a choice and that choice begins with the word "if." If we do this then God will do this. For example - 1 John 1:9 "If" we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When we come across one of these "if" verses we have an opportunity to evaluate our own relationship with Jesus and see whether or not we are pursuing His will.
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Paul ends his letter to the Galatian believers by encouraging them to keep up the fight and not fall into the hands of the false teachers that had already deceived many of them.
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Paul, continuing his letter to the churches in Galatia, now asks the believers "who hindered you from obeying the truth?" Like the Galatians who were being deceived by false teaching bringing people under a religious legal system that was totally unnecessary, we too can fall victim to religious systems, traditions, dogmatic teachings and hinder our freedom in Jesus. This brings us back into bondage of the world and the master of the world - Satan. Paul clarifies certain behavior, like he did in his letter to the Ephesians and the first letter to the Corinthian believers, that is a disqualifier from the kingdom of God if we do not surrender that behavior to Jesus. This is helpful in our lives to know what is expected of us but at the same time challenges our faith. Do we really surrender all to Jesus?
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When Jesus breathed on His disciples and said "receive the Holy Spirit" that moment was a turning point for the disciples as the Holy Spirit that was "with" them was now going to be in them. When a person receives the Holy Spirit, it's a real even that initiates the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which is a foundational component of our salvation.
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There are times in our lives as believers where we suffer. This is nothing new and is actually a part of God's development plan for us. But how we receive and accept the suffering can be either edifying, or builds us up, or we can withdraw and become bitter which sinks us in the opposite direction.
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A "religious" person may have all the right stuff on the outside but never achieve any victory in Jesus because they are not concerned with God's will in their life rather "checking the box." But to the person who is seeking the will of God and is willing to trust in Him no matter what the circumstances, they will be the ones who will receive the forgiveness and cleansing of God.
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The Apostle Paul continues his correction in this letter to the churches in Galatia now comparing the life of freedom in Christ verses the life in subjection to the Law of Moses to Ishmael and Isaac the sons of Abraham.
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Repentance plays a critical role in our relationship with Jesus. It's not a one time deal where we repent, receive Jesus then we live our lives perfectly until we die. Rather it's a lifestyle rooted in obedience to the Holy Spirit where the battle we experience in our own flesh or natural mind rages and we have a choice to continue in repentance or return back to the flesh and be miserable as believers.
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In the process of growing in Christ, we are faced with another crossroad. One way is to stay status quo and not get too excited about anything because people will think we are weird. The other way is to get serious about Jesus and let Him radically change us into a child of God as He gives us the power to become His child.
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How we approach the Lord declares our relationship with Him. Are we doubting Him or demanding from Him? Or are we seeking His will to be done over all else. In this episode there are two men each with a different approach to Jesus and a different response from Jesus. Both received what they were asking but it is very telling in their approach why Jesus responded differently to each one.
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Paul presents several questions, answers and arguments defending the sole sufficiency of Christ and it's superiority over the Law reminding those Gentile believers that the Law of Moses doesn't cleanse them nor does it give them spiritual power to draw close to God.
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Paul continues his letter to the churches in Galatia and in chapter 2 we see Paul rebuking Peter for separating himself from the Gentiles when certain Jewish brothers came to Antioch to pay the church a visit. This demonstrates Paul's insistence that Jews and Gentiles are no longer separated rather they are all one in Christ.
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After God calls a person they either accept the call or refuse. When a person accepts the call things change and it's time to get serious about Jesus then follow Him.
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In chapter one of the letter to the churches in Galatia, Paul introduces himself and begins immediately to address the issue at hand. That is the false teaching that was sweeping through their new churches drawing them into the Law of Moses instead of liberating them from legalism.
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"Nobody comes to me unless the Father draws him." That calling of God is something I believe every human experiences at some point in their lives if not multiple times. It's the Father pulling us to Jesus so that we can be empowered by the Holy Spirit and have true communion with God. Understanding that God is calling us can have a dramatic effect upon a person who is reluctant to come to God or go to church for whatever reason. So understanding "the call" is huge.
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Spiritual growth is an important part of every believer's life. Child of God should never be content with "business as usual" in their walk with Jesus. A life spent learning Christ is a life of spiritual abundance that prepares us for our eternal home. In this series I will share my experience with Jesus and the steps throughout the years that He has compelled me to take and the results of those steps have been a closer walk with Him throughout time since the early 1990s.
I want to share 9 steps, seasons, phases what every you want to call them that were built on the foundation of Christ and are still continuing to this day. The first episode is a summary of all 9 and then the following will focus on one.
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The letter to the churches in that region called "Galatia" defends the freedom of Christ from legalism or unreasonable rules. The Apostle Paul ministered to the cities in this region on his missionary journeys resulting in the Gospel taking root in several cities. However teachers came in after Paul and persuaded the new believers to follow their way of teaching involving adhering to the law of Moses despite the fact there were many Gentiles among the believers. Paul defends this freedom from Legalism in this letter.
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In our world of business and chaos we can become so distracted that our relationship with God goes on a shelf. But in the chaos, we can trust Jesus and simply be still and know that He is God. If we are able to do this it makes life much less chaotic as He is with us.
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Chapter 22 concludes the Revelation of Jesus Christ and in it we are warned that He is coming soon. Living our lives being ready for the day when we meet Him should motivate every believer to stay faithful to Jesus and obey the Holy Spirit day by day ensuring our lives are used for the glory of His Kingdom.
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The life of a believer requires some things. Salvation by grace through faith is the starting point but with that comes a cleansing when the Holy Spirit is invited into a person's life. The process of cleansing is ongoing throughout the believer's life and brings us closer to Jesus as we distance ourself from our own iniquity.
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Ch.21 reveals the New Heavens and the New Earth foretold in the Old Testament. Now we get a glimpse, in human terms, what it will be like.
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Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem which is the focus of the Christmas holiday. However, why he was born and the significance to the believer individually, is often times overlooked during the holiday. That baby was born to die for the sins of the world so that those who believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life.
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The book of Revelation and its many interpretations often collide in Ch.20. Jesus is said to bind Satan, establish the Long awaited Kingdom which lasts 1000 years, Satan is released at the conclusion of the 1000 years and there is a final rebellion on earth where all the wicked are slain and the transition is ready from this current reality into the New Heaven and New Earth.
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Revelation Ch.19 reveals the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in heaven prior to the return of Jesus to establish His kingdom. The chapter also includes His return and the battle of Armaggedon.
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As children of God we are called to live free in Christ. To a person who has never experienced the new birth and new life in Christ this probably will not register. But to those who have we understand that we are free from those things that chained us as unbelievers. So staying free is now the task for the believer and that can be a challenge but walking in the Spirit, pursuing God's will is the path to continual freedom.
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The Power of the Holy Spirit in a believer is the power of God within them. This doesn't mean a person can conjure up power and use it at will rather it's the power that is always ready to move a believer toward and in the will of God. This is how we function as children of God - with our Father's power.
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Revelation Ch.18 reveals the destruction of Babylon the Great also called the Great City and the Women who sits on the Beast. The Great City is identified as Jerusalem in Ch.11 so it appears to me that Babylon the Great is Jerusalem under the reign of the Antichrist. The city may become the center of the world economy when the Antichrist or "Beast" begins to exert political power over the nations including the world's trade.
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This new vision or new part of the overall vision shows the finality of the judgments of God up to the end of the Great Tribulation.
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Living in harmony with one another and God is a lofty task. And the reason is that we can get stuck in our old nature and never experience the deliverance that comes from the Holy Spirit. But with the Holy Spirit we can be transformed into children of light and that harmony increases. Staying in that place where we are being renewed day by day is the key.
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Chapter 17 introduces John to a women who sits on a beast. The women, also known as the "great city," "the great prostitute" and "Babylon the Great" is a key player in the tribulation period. I believe the "great city" being defined in Rev 11:8 as the city of Jerusalem, or the city where the Lord was crucified, is represented in all these other names and represents those in Jerusalem who are connected to the antichrist and benefit from his power during the first 3 1/2 years of the final 7 years of Daniel's 490 year prophecy.
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Being thankful is a part of the believer's experience with God. When our hearts are given over to Jesus and we are made new in Him, we have so much to look forward to in eternity and in this life as well. He will empower us with a new life serving Him and doing things for the Kingdom which will reap big rewards in eternity and in many cases here as well.
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John's vision which started in ch.7:9 comes to an end here in ch.15:4 where the scene is heaven with the end of the Great Tribulation in view.
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John sees the 144,000 standing with Jesus on the earth. The final message of salvation is given to the earth by angels and then Jesus gathers the nations for the judgement of the sheep and goats in Matt 25.
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King David had his ups and downs. But his heart was yielded to God and through those times when life was very difficult for him, he soon learned that God was with him when his heart was right.
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As a child of God we are ministers of the Gospel. That means we have a ministry and fulfilling that ministry is crucial to our eternal rewards. Being faithful to that which God has given us and serving Jesus throughout our lives, until the end, in obedience to the Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us through this life will result in fulfilling our ministry in this life.
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Chapter 13 gives us a spapshot summary of the Antichrist and False Prophet's role in the Great Tribulation.
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Victory in Christ comes when we allow Him to lead us through this life. What is hard about this is the things we are called to do and the manner in which to do them are often not something we want to do. So we often rationalize ways to avoid God's will. And that leads to spiritual desolation. Whereas trusting in Him no matter what brings about God's will which is often something we cannot grasp on our own.
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Chapter 12 opens with a look at the history of Israel when Jesus was born and gives a heavenly perspective on the battle between Satan and Israel up into the tribulation period.
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Reading through the Scriptures we see references to the righteous, the foolish and the wicked. For each person there is a trajectory in life that lands in eternity. Some think it's not subject to change as they were destined for the life they live. But God can change things and bring a person out of darkness into the light if they are willing to receive Him.
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In chapter 11 we are introduced to two witnesses who will become known worldwide for preaching Jesus. The Beast, or Antichrist, will ultimately kill them although God has realistically completed their ministry so it's time to bring them home. Following this revelation, John sees the 7th Trumpet and the effects of it. This brings the tribulation period to a close as Jesus is seen as having set up His kingdom on earth.
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Chapter 20 is a short chapter where John is given a scroll to consume and instructed to continue to prophesy (speak forth the word of God). We also see what is referred to a the 7 thunders. We are not told what they are but we are told that the mystery of God would be revealed when the 7th Trumpet sounds.
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Chapter 9 introduces the reader to a horde of demonic creatures resembling locusts in the natural world. These creatures torment those who are not sealed by God for 5 months giving those who willing an opportunity to turn to Jesus and repent.
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We see the title "sluggard" in the Scriptures referring to those who are not willing to work or really contribute at all. And studying this we can see that God does not condone sluggishness rather expects people, especially those who claim Him as their God, to be diligent in their character and take care of business. Poverty is one consequence of being "sluggish" although some in poverty are not sluggish rather they work but are stuck in poverty. God doesn't condemn them as they are diligent in their lives. And a sluggish person can have a sluggish relationship with God resulting in nothing but failure because they don't pursue God diligently.
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In chapter 8 we see the 7th seal loosed which appearsto me to signify the end of the tribulation period as does the 7th Trumpet and the 7th Bowl judgement. So the seals, trumpets and bowls all terminate at the end of the 7 years in my mind.
The 7th and final seal looses and reveals the writing on the scroll but we are not told what that writing is. However, what transpires after the scroll in now open appears to be what is contained in the scroll, that is the judgments of God from heaven declared one by one by the blowing of a trumpet for each of the judgments.
The trumpet was used as a battle cry in the Old Testament among other things and that's what I see this as - God sounds the alarm and begins His attack and does so until the end of the tribulation period when the 7th Trumpet declares Jesus is now reigning on earth and the 7th Bowl declares "it is done."
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Psalm 2 is short and deals with man's continued rebellion and God's authority over this world. It also refers to the future when Jesus is set up as King in Jerusalem. It's a psalm of warning to the wicked and hope for the faithful.
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Revelation chapter 7:9 begins a new section of the overall vision of the book beginning with the phrase "after this." This section continues into chapter 15:4. In this episode we will see a multitude standing before the throne of God waiving palm branches who are identified as those who have come out of the great tribulation. This appears to me to be John witnessing the entire population of believers who have died during the final 7 years of Daniel's 490 year prophecy and shows John those who will perish in the judgements he will see starting in chapter 8.
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In Chapter 6 Jesus opens 6 of 7 seals from a scroll that kick off a world wide war. The 6th seal appears consistent with the 7 and final bowl judgment of Revelation chapter 16. The seals and corresponding events represent the authority of Jesus to initiate the time in the Scriptures called by many names most notably the Great Tribulation.
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Chapter 7 verses 1-8 are a small section of the Book of Revelation separated by the phrase "after this." Again this to me seems to indicate that John is seeing different parts of the last 7 years of Daniel Ch.9's prophecy wrapping up the age of the rule of man before Messiah or Christ returns and sets up the long awaited kingdom. In this section, we see God having 144,000 Jewish men sealed or marked as His own during this last 7 years. No harm will come to them as God pours out His wrath on this world. These will be witnesses for Jesus during the 7 years.
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In the Scriptures there are many references to the knowledge of God. Reviewing these it becomes clear this is something we not only need to pursue but also possess if we want to know Jesus.
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Chapter 5 is a continuation of Chapter 4 where John is seeing the Throne Room of God preparing for the Great Tribulation Period which will kick off in Chapter 6.
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The ancient city of Philippi was a proud Roman colony in the days of the Apostle Paul. He visits the city and he and Silas, his traveling companion, experience a crazy few days but those days allow a church to be born that Paul would later write a letter to - Philippians.
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In our modern day world, with information available in real time, we can become overwhelmed with the negativity that seems to never end. However, for the child of God there is a hope that is so much greater than than the drama of this life, that it is worth giving thanks to our King. Staying focused on Jesus and being content with our lives, is key in living a life of thanksgiving which helps override the feeling of hopelessness we can fall into.
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Chapter 4 begins with the words "after this" and begins a new component of this vision from God. John will see the events of the great tribulation all the way to the end where God establishes the New Heavens and the New Earth.
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Living our lives in obedience to Jesus should be evident. Walking in the light is simply living day by day trusting Jesus and doing what we know He wants us to do. That involves being in tune with the Holy Spirit and listening carefully for instruction for the day.
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A view among some is that the 7 churches in chapters 2 and 3 represent 7 successive eras of church history in the order the 7 churches are listed in these two chapters. I think this is interesting and see the connection while others don't. This is my summary of this view.
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Loadicea was a very wealthy and proud city. And the Christians in that city appear to be the same. This was the church where we find the word "lukewarm" describing their true character. This was unacceptable to Jesus and He warns them that He would "spit them out of His mouth" if they continued down this road.
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In a age where people are seemingly free to do what the Scriptures has declared evil, we have the Holy Spirit to provide is the wisdom and more to be a light in this world and show those in darkness the goodness, grace and mercy of God. Our life as a believer must be lived "walking in the Spirit" so we can discern and accomplish the will of God.
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Most don't realize that our city of Philadelphia comes from this ancient city in Turkey. This church, like Smyrna, receives no rebuke rather only encouragement. They too were in the midst of hate and apparently did according to what Jesus would have them do as His followers.
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The church in the city of Thyatira has good things and bad things happening in the church. Jesus points out those who are faithful and those who really need to stop and turn the other direction. There is a promise of deliverance for the faithful and tribulation for the rest.
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The church in this city, at the time John wrote this, appeared alive. But from Jesus' perspective the church was dead. There is nothing good said about this church and there were only a few faithful among the congregation. Their instruction was to remember what they had received and heard and then keep it. Then repent.
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Believer's new lives in Christ are not simply given to us by the Lord to sit idly by and while the battle for the souls of mankind rage in the spirit realm. There is a purpose for each of us in God' plan to reveal His love to this world. And when there are storms, we need to understand we are built for storms and our Captain goes before us and will lead us through.
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The church in the city of Smyrna suffered severe persecution. They were faithful and received no correction from Jesus rather they were called to be faithful until the death.
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The city of Pergamos has been well documented in history and the believers in this city, during the time of John, experienced people in the church who had compromised their faith when they began to bring paganism into the church.
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As children of God we need to have the mind of Christ or in other words we need to think in a manner consistent with His will. This is only truly possible when His Holy Spirit has the reigns of our lives. And when we are loving one another we are doing His will. But there are times when our liberty in Jesus can be a stumbling block to someone else's faith. And we don't want that. So being on guard so that we avoid hurting someone's relationship with the Lord is crucial in maintaining unity in the Spirit.
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Kicking off the Book of Revelation, we see John and his interaction with the post-resurrected Jesus who gives John instruction to write this book and deliver it to 7 churches.
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The first church listed in chapter 2 is the church in the city of Ephesus. This would be the church Timothy was involved with and John would return to after his exile. Their church was solid but the love of God was shelved and they are called to repent.
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Amaziah was a king in the southern kingdom. He started his reign well but went sideways and ultimately ended up dying in disgrace and leaving the kingdom in shambles. What happened to Amaziah happens to many people in the church, they get tired of doing good and instead go after forbidden fruit which often times takes them down. However there are others who continue to live their lives following Jesus and finish their life pleasing the Lord. And that's where we want to be.
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Pre-Millennial, A-Millennial, Post-Millennial, Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation, Post-Tribulation. If a student of the Bible is interested in the End Times events or Eschatology, these are terms that they must be familiar with. Each one takes a different spin on the book of Revelation. In this episode we explore these camps.
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In this episode I share my personal journey into studying the book of Revelation and what brought me to the Pre-Tribulation view. While I don't expect this to change everybody's conviction to mine, this is why I land where I land based on by understanding of Scripture and experiences which lead me there.
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The Book of Revelation is a very intriguing book to many and to those who wish to delve into a study of the book there are many things that are helpful to the student that, if learned ahead of time, they learn these things it will be easier to navigate through the book. One of those issues is how the book has been interpreted over the centuries. And there are four main ways the book has been interpreted all of which are different.
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There are several places in the Scriptures where God's goodness and love are proclaimed. One such phrase is "Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!" If we delve into this we find interesting circumstances surrounding these verses that remind of us God's goodness and love.
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King Jehoshaphat was a good king reigning over the southern kingdom of Judah. But he allied himself with Ahab, the wicked king of the north, and that caused a lot of issues not only in Jehoshaphat's life but in his son's life as well. But Jehoshaphat was rebuked and made things right and in this story we see a process of repentance and trusting in the Lord which brings about the victory in our lives.
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Wrapping up this series on conflict we look at ways to avoid conflict and also ways to enter into conflict when appropriate. The big issue is being led by the Holy Spirit so we know we are on the right track.
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Dealing with people who are annoying but their behavior doesn't rise to the point where they have sinned against you can be frustrating and cause conflict. But ensuring we are walking in the Spirit and living a life pleasing to God can be a tremendous help in dealing with difficult people.
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Jesus gives us instruction on conflict resolution within the family of God that is very effective but sadly is not often used when conflicts arise. The result is the conflict doesn't get resolved and in some cases destroys relationships among God's family. But following these step (being filled with the Holy Spirit) brings about reconciliation which is very important in the Church.
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My friend Robert has led a very interesting life with a lot of hardship experiences including being homeless as a kid, a broken marriage, nearly dying twice while serving in the military in Iraq. But when he came to Jesus things changed and now he is in the process of moving his family out of state because God called him to do so. And in this process he has seen the hand of God move in many ways preparing the way into a new chapter in his life.
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If we are walking in obedience and allowing the Lord to guide us, then the things we are instructed to do by the Holy Spirit will come to be and remind us of how God provides for us in all things. Let Him lead.
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When we look at salvation from a biblical perspective, we see many things occur when a person receives Jesus and believes upon His name. Forgiveness is one of those things we are granted when we come to Jesus. And for many, who understand their need, being forgiven of their wickedness is absolutely liberating. David mentions this in Psalm 32 when he suffered for his sin which tormented him but when he confessed he was liberated by forgiveness.
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Many of us will admit we want to be blessed by God in our lives and will try to do things where God will bless us. And in the Scriptures there are many verses throughout the entire Bible that give us instruction on how to be blessed by God. I did a search for the words "blessed is" going off Ps 1:1 blessed is the man.... searching for more verses that indicate a path to blessing and these some of these verses I want to share. These do not include Jesus' famous sermon on the mount in Matthew's Gospel chapter 5 so there are more to read and apply as well.
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The last chapter of this letter to the Ephesian believers, deals with more relationships and how believers are to behave also understanding our protection through spiritual warfare. Paul then signs off this letter to a church very dear to him that would be a beacon of hope for many years.
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Chapter 5 of the letter to the Ephesians, brings with it a lot of practical instruction for the "saints," or believers, to live a victorious life avoiding a lot of land mines that destroy lives daily in our world. Chapter 5 also addresses the roles of wives and husbands which when looked upon through the eyes of a person who wants to please God, makes sense. But through the eyes of those outside of a relationship with Jesus, the "rules" are not popular. Great chapter for instruction in our walk with Jesus.
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In this Episode I share a few things that over the years have proven very valuable for me and our family. These things were sometimes difficult but God was always there leading us through them even when my heart was rebellious. Looking back on these biblical principles and commands, God has given us a good life and we can see His handiwork that brought us to this place.
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As believers out priorities change upon entering into this experience with Jesus. Our human nature needs to be set aside and replaced with a willingness to give it all to Jesus. This is where the power of God is. And pursuing Jesus and His will for our lives is what is referred to as seeking the Kingdom of God. This Kingdom exists currently within the believers but will one day be established on earth with Jesus as the literal King of the planet. So we seek Him and all that He has for us to fulfill our ministry. We don't want to waste our lives away seeking our own kingdom rather His.
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Paul's letter to the believers in the city of Ephesus, is very instructive for the person sincerely desiring a closer relationship with Jesus. In this chapter we find many concrete instructions for believers that if implemented draw us closer to our Lord.
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The mystery of the church bringing into it's fold the non-Jews or "Gentiles" was likely something nobody saw coming. But Jesus brings in those believers from outside the nation of Israel along with those faithful Jews of that day into what is called the "Church." To many today, this is not that important but it was a very important shift that allows us to inherit eternal life.
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Mi interpretación de la blasfemia contra el Espíritu Santo es un cargo para cualquiera que se haya resistido al esfuerzo de Dios por rescatarlo de su pecado, negándose a escuchar o ver la obra que Dios está haciendo por él para que sea perdonado. Me parece que esto será una acusación en el Juicio del Gran Trono Blanco, donde los presentes serán juzgados según sus obras. Si alguien ha hecho algo horrible hacia Dios o hacia los demás, siempre tiene la oportunidad de arrepentirse en esta vida. Pero en la eternidad, esa opción ya no es válida.
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Fearing God brings about a lot of blessing in a believer's life and it's important to understand the fear of the Lord because without it, believers can be set adrift in their faith and not receive the blessings of God in their lives.
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Jesus not only created the way for man to be reconciled to God but also broke down the walls of separation among people so we can all be part of one family - the Church.
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Jesus was involved in many arguments with the leaders as He tried to teach the people the truths of God. In John 8 Jesus is once again going toe to toe with leaders and teaches them and us valuable lessons which strengthen our relationship with God.
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In the Old Testament there are many stories that teach us spiritual truth. In 1 Samuel, there is a story of Israel's desperation leading repentance which serves as a great model for believers.
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The ancient city of Ephesus was home to a church started by the Holy Spirit using the Apostle Paul to teach the believers in this city the way to Jesus. It is one of my favorite books in the Bible because it's packed with so many great truths that if the believer receives them, their lives are radically impacted by God.
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God is in the midst of those who love Him. If we desire to be close to Him, we need to understand He requires of us to love and trust Him. When we do this we can experience that sweet fellowship and have confidence that we are truly a child of the King.
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Chapter 12 is the final chapter in the book of Daniel and explains what will happen at the end of the age. 3 1/2 years (1,260 days) after the abomination of desolation Jesus returns. 1,290 days Jesus' government is established on the earth. 1,335 days He judges the nations on earth and those found in the book of life are allowed to enter into His kingdom while those who are not will be destroyed and await the final judgement of Revelation 20.
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God commanded Joshua to meditate upon His word before Joshua set out to conquer the promised land. Joshua's task was impossible and required him to completely trust in God and God's Law given to Moses. The result of trusting in God and meditating on His word was victory in the impossible. Same principle applies to believers today. Trust Him and meditate upon His word.
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In our relationship with Jesus, our willingness to obey Him and follow wherever He leads us is critical if we want to see God's work being done in our life. Those who have religion without a willing heart toward God, simply miss out on the glory of God being present in their lives. Those who have a willing heart are those who please Him.
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Daniel chapter 11 deals with the Grecian Empire and the history of it related to Israel and the end of the chapter appears to refer to the coming world leader (Antichrist) and his exploits.
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I have discovered that a willing heart does a person a whole lot more good than a brain filled with theology. Being willing to serve God with a heart that is grateful for Him and His grace and mercy allows us to experience more of Him and His goodness.
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En el episodio cuento mi historia de cómo pude superar la dificultad que tenía al compartir mi fe en Jesús con los demás.
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As we begin season 5 at the Junkyard Outreach, I want to say thanks to all those listening and pray that God is impacting your life more each day. Thank you for listening!
Todd
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We as believers are living a life where God is using us to demonstrate His love, grace forgiveness, etc. And our role in this life is to obey Him and demonstrate to this world what the life of the believer looks like. The things we do are referred to, in Scripture, as "fruit." As a tree naturally bears fruit, because it's designed to, so too we also produce things in our lives consistent with godliness if we are truly abiding in Jesus.
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Reading the Scriptures brings us to places where we see God's commands for His people. In the Old Testament Law of Moses, we find many "you shall" commands. And this may come across as oppressive to someone who is not familiar with the love of God but upon closer examination we, as believers, can find something special in the "you shalls" in Scripture.
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Many promises in Scripture may seem to lofty to grasp but when we are still before God and obedient to His calling, these promises will begin to creep in. We need to put in the work by being obedient to His calling and the prompting of the Holy Spirit, then we can see these promises more clearly.
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In the Bible the name Korah is synonymous with rebellion. Korah was a cousin to Moses and Aaron and tried to overthrow them and assume the leadership of Moses and the newly created priesthood established by God for Aaron and his descendants only. It's a tragic story that reflects many of our own rebellious desires against God and a careful study of the story reveals how human ambition and pride can easily destroy a family, community, church etc. On the other hand, when we realize we are in God's will and things aren't going well with our leaders, we can trust that God is teaching us how to submit to Him by submitting to the leaders in a way that is pleasing to God.
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Daniel receives another vision 2 years after the vision in Ch.9. The introduction to this vision is contained in Ch.10 and the vision itself is in Ch.11.
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"Be still and know that I am God" is a verse in Psalm 46. In this psalm we see a picture of the believer's life and the things that can distract us from our relationship with Him and His command to us to simply be still reminds us that we are cared from by a great God.
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Daniel Ch.9 is an important chapter in the Scriptures due to it's prophetic declarations. While not all agree on one "end times" scenario, this chapter lays out important details worth studying in the area of prophecy.
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Aaron was made to be the first priest in the nation Israel. He had four sons who were also commissioned by God to be priests as was the linage of Aaron forever. But Aaron and his sons had to learn some lessons about being a spokesperson for God and some of those lessons were very difficult and many of the same lessons can be difficult for us. However, staying faithful to our King gives us the assurance He is with us in the midst of these hard lessons.
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La ley natural del pecado en nuestras mentes es algo que podemos abordar con el poder del Espíritu Santo. Somos criaturas caídas y necesitamos la santidad para compensar nuestra propia oscuridad interior. Esa santidad viene del Espíritu Santo que habita en nosotros.
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In Psalm 31 David boasts of his security in the Lord and how God has always watched his back. It's starts with the fear of the Lord, then learning to trust Him.
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Daniel sees, in a vision, the second and third world empire battling it out. He also sees a historical villain named Antiochus IV, who persecuted the Jews and defiled their temple. This person is a forerunner to the coming world leader who will, in many ways, mimic him with persecution and hate for the Chosen People.
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Jesus speaks often about "the Kingdom." Here we take a closer look at this kingdom from the point where it is physically established on Earth.
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Daniel receives a vision of the four world empires , paralleling King Nebuchadnezzar's dream in chapter 2. Daniel gets more insight on how the final empire transitions to the Messianic Kingdom or the Kingdom of Christ.
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Rejoicing in moments when things are good is pretty simple. But can we rejoice when things are not simple? Yes we can because the hope we have can overcome the sorrow of this world.
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Jesus warned all believers to stay awake and pay attention to the kind of lives we live ensuring that we are ready at any moment to meet the Lord. He also shares information about His return when He will set up His kingdom. This is a topic that every believer needs to really focus on because what we do now has great influence upon our eternity.
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La palabra "fruto" en el Nuevo Testamento a menudo se aplica a las acciones de una persona. Así como un árbol produce naturalmente frutos, así también una persona produce naturalmente cosas en su propia vida. Al observar la obra del Espíritu Santo en nuestras vidas, las cosas producidas por la presencia de Dios en nosotros deben ser evidentes para todos los que nos rodean. A esto se le conoce como el "fruto del Espíritu".
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Daniel is put to the test and passes at the risk of a violent death in a den of lions. God is with him and rewards Daniel for his faithfulness.
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Babylon is conquered only after God sends the presiding king, Belshazzar, a haunting message which requires Daniel to interpret.
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Perversion is turning away from what is right. And when we examine our own hearts we can often see our own tendency to turn away from what’s right. But remaining in Christ and under the conviction of the Holy Spirit can steer us back to truth and victory in Jesus.
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In the Scriptures we see the heart mentioned many times and keeping our heart in a place that pleases the Lord requires faith, power from the Holy Spirit and instruction from the Word.
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En las Escrituras vemos dos tipos de tristeza. Tristeza piadosa y tristeza mundana. Cada uno es diferente y tiene un efecto diferente en nuestro arrepentimiento.
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Believers can sometimes find themselves overwhelmed in their relationship with Jesus when things get complicated and the walls feel like they are closing in. It can feel so complicated that we question if it's even worth it. But the simplicity in Jesus is not overwhelming, nor is it a heavy burden. What makes it overwhelming is our natural tendency to pile on a lot of stuff thinking it's what God wants but in reality it's not from God at all. Getting back to the simplicity of Christ means we can dump a lot of junk and free up a cluttered spiritiual life.
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Daniel interprets a dream of the King of Babylon when none of the wise men could.
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In 1973, in Stockholm Sweden, bank robbers took several hostages in their failed robbery. What emerged from that incident was an understanding that people can become sympathetic to those doing evil and actually support them in their evil. This is referred to as Stockholm Syndrome. In the spiritual world, this is nothing new as the Devil has convinced many to play ball in his court and go along with his rebellion resulting in many deceived people paying a horrible price for their ignorance. But in Christ we are made aware of the Devil's schemes and given the Holy Spirit to combat the Devil's deception. Sadly however, many victims of the Devil's deception sit in pews week after week living as spiritual hostages and don't even realize it. In Christ we are liberated from the Devil's chains and set free from sin. It no longer has power over us but if we are not careful is can still influence us as it sits crouching at our door continually.
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The book of Daniel is an interesting book in the Scriptures. It's argued over, rejected, accepted and can easily become a difficult book to really grasp. I am in the camp where I take the book of Daniel serious and consider it to be divine scripture as compared to others who believe the book is not divinely inspired. Jesus has no issue with the book and quotes from it. Also the nature of the book is apocalyptic meaning it speaks of things that pertain to the end times and compliments the New Testament book of Revelation so there is imagery, symbolism and strange things spoken of that have their camps of interpreters battling over whose interpretation is correct. But the book can be a source of encouragement for the student of Scripture if the Holy Spirit is allowed to lead.
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In the Scriptures we clearly see two realities. The physical and the spiritual. The physical world and all the things we can observe compared to the spiritual world which is invisible. In our natural mind we process what we know based on what we have experienced in our learning from birth until the present. It's how we survive. But the spirit, or the spiritual mind, is one that is governed by the Holy Spirit and is not dependent upon our own understanding rather our faith - trusting Jesus regardless of whether or not we can fully grasp the reason(s) why. When our natural mind submits to the Spirit then we can know we are in our right mind.
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En muchos episodios, he animado a los oyentes a ser llenos del Espíritu Santo continuamente. Esto significa que debemos creer y recibir a Jesús. Una vez que esto sucede, el Espíritu Santo está listo para guiarnos y usarnos para el Reino y para glorificar a Dios. La morada del Espíritu Santo es clave para nuestro trabajo para Jesús y nuestras recompensas eternas.
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In this episode I share my own experience this Christmas and how it translated into a deep moment of worshiping the king.
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When we study the Christmas story we find there are many very interesting things about the story that many have never considered. In this episode I summarize the story in chronological order and encourage listeners to tell the story this holiday season to whoever the opportunity presents itself.
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A blessed home is something I always wanted but couldn't seem to really achieve. But then when Jesus revolutionized my life, we obtained it not by acting nice rather by obeying Him and His Word.
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Jesús dijo que Él vino a darnos vida en abundancia. Pero cuando miramos la palabra vida cuidadosamente, no significa necesariamente una vida materialista, sino una vida espiritual. Y cuando Él es nuestro Rey, y nosotros le obedecemos, podemos comenzar a vivir una vida que es verdaderamente abundante ahora y en la eternidad.
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Many women cringe when they read God's word and discover they need to submit to their husbands. But a look into the topic reveals a few things. First a women who wants to please God will obey Him regardless of their feelings. Second, when God commands us to to something it's for the best in His eyes and this should be enough to convince us it's the best for us. But when we, as believers draw closer to Jesus, we realize something very critical in our relationship with Him. We ALL have to submit to God first. And when we do this the rest falls into place a lot easier.
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One of our responsibilities in our relationship with Jesus is that we are always striving to live with a renewed mind that happens when we are truly born from above or born again in Jesus. Peter reminds us of this and if we really want to win this race of life we would do well to heed the Scriptures and push forward into a closer relationship with Jesus and pursue holiness.
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When Peter understood that he was going be executed for Jesus, he wrote his second letter imploring the believers to take their relationship with Jesus serious and grow strong in Him. He instructs believers to pursue Jesus, adding things to their faith that would draw them closer to the Lord.
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Jesús dijo que Él vino a darnos vida en abundancia. Pero cuando miramos la palabra vida cuidadosamente, no significa necesariamente una vida materialista, sino una vida espiritual. Y cuando Él es nuestro Rey, y nosotros le obedecemos, podemos comenzar a vivir una vida que es verdaderamente abundante ahora y en la eternidad.
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Paul is wrapping up his letter to the Romans with a promise to see them at some point as he knew he was going to Rome, by revelation, to testify to the Emperor.
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Jacob starts out his adult life coercing his brother, Esau, out of his birthright. He then, with the help of his mom, lies to his blind father and receives the blessing of the firstborn. His parents send him away to get a wife from his relatives and not from the corrupt people among them in the land of Canaan. In his journey God presents Himself to Jacob and tells him that He will be with Jacob and bring him back to the land of his father. This is the beginning of Jacob's spiritual journey which will culminate with him lying on his deathbed in Egypt surrounded by his 12 sons whose descendants would become the nation Israel. There are a lot of lessons he will learn that we would do well to learn by his example and not the hard way.
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Every believer should become familiar with Romans 14. It's here that we are taught to be respectful toward other believers who don't share some of our convictions. We focus on Jesus and His love for us and stay in fellowship with those believers who are focusing on Jesus and His love as well and let all the little things go.
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For the believer, victory is something we can achieve in many areas of our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. But to get to the victory dance, we need to yield to God and obey Him. This can be difficult for many people for a number of reasons but when we come into that place of obedience, we can then find the victories God has for us.
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Submitting to the governing authorities as commanded by God is a very good witness. Those who refuse to submit to authority and claim to be Christians are behaving contrary to God's commands and character.
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In Roman's Ch. 12 Paul begins with a call to be renewed in the power of the Holy Spirit. He then goes into what the power of the Holy Spirit looks like regarding the behavior believers are accountable for as the Holy Spirit gives certain gifts to certain people in accordance with God's will. Then wrapping up the chapter Paul describes what a true child of God's behavior should look like and things we are expected to not only do but also be known for.
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Preparar nuestras mentes para la acción con anticipación ayuda a mantener nuestro carácter y testimonio donde debe estar. Esperar hasta la mitad de la batalla para prepararse deja a un soldado desprevenido y hace que la pelea sea aún más difícil. El Espíritu Santo renueva nuestras mentes y crea oportunidades de victoria a lo largo del día para el creyente.
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In the time of Jeremiah the prophet, there was another prophet who was living in Babylon after the Babylonians took Jews captive from Israel a few years earlier. His name was Ezekiel. God showed Ezekiel what the leaders in Jerusalem were actually doing in God's temple. They were doing all kinds of evil in secret but in plain view before God and it resulted in their holy city being destroyed along with God's temple. God sees all. Even the things in our hearts and minds (Revelation 2:23). We, as believers, can't serve God faithfully when our own spiritual house is secretly harboring our wickedness. We need to clean house routinely to keep the wickedness out.
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Believers who want to walk in truth need to understand how evil works so that we can avoid being deceived. The Holy Spirit will reveal evil for what it is if we are willing to yield to Him. The result will be a very interesting look at the life we live and those who surround us.
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Humility is something most of us can use a lot more of. It's important for the children of God to be humble but it's difficult for many of us. But with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can experience humility and see the power it brings with it.
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Paul concludes his discussion about whether or not God has rejected the nation Israel.
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Paul will now challenge the unbelieving Jews according to their own Scriptures regarding Jesus in an effort to get through to them.
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There a lot of hate in the world. What is the believer's response to hate? Here's my take.
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En nuestra relación con Jesús, la fe es esencial. La fe es simplemente confiar en alguien o en algo en lo que has encontrado razones para creer. La fe en Jesús es simplemente confiar en Él y cuando las cosas se ponen difíciles, no necesitamos tratar de desarrollar más fe, sino confiar en Él con la fe que tenemos. Si sentimos que necesitamos más fe, tenemos que preguntarnos a nosotros mismos: ¿realmente creo? Porque la fe es creer. Y la respuesta puede no ser la necesidad de más fe, sino preguntarse si realmente creo. Creer es la plataforma de lanzamiento de nuestra fe y sin ella, nuestra fe no despegará.
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In chapter 9 Paul is now coming to the defense of the Jews who were at this time being looked upon as a people whom God was finished with. Now that God was moving through the church and the gospel was bringing a multitude to Him through the Holy Spirit's work in the lives of many, what further need was there for the Jews? Paul declares the still relevant in God's plan.
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A life serving Jesus can lead us to difficult places where God wants to use us. We can easily get discouraged because we can't see the positive results we want to see immediately. But God's work behind the scenes is taking our labor and using it for His Kingdom which we can't yet see. But sometimes we may only do a little and the results are eventually really good. It's not because of us rather, God is bringing His work into view. So we stay the course knowing we are doing the work of the ministry and when God wants to prosper it He will.
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In my opinion, Romans chapter 8 is one of the most important chapters in Scripture to really delve into and heed. I often emphasis walking in the Spirit because the alternative, walking in the flesh, does nothing good for the believer, their eternity or the Kingdom of God. We must live our lives obedient to the Spirit and battle the flesh moment by moment if we want to please God and be rewarded in eternity. Romans 8 reveals a lot about this battle between the flesh and the Spirit.
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To judge is something we often think of as a bad thing. But realistically we judge things everyday to ensure we are doing the right thing. God's judgment is often thought of as something bad but in reality God is always judging this world and it's people. It's how He convicts us back to repentance. As believers we can be thankful that God is always judging our behavior otherwise we would be lost in our own world of selfishness without any real call to repent.
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I believe there is a difference between God's judgment and His wrath. His wrath means he takes action in punishing wickedness whereas His judgment is rendering a correct verdict concerning sin. We see God withholding his wrath in many places after He has condemned wickedness but when He decides to execute His wrath, it's something very evident.
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One thing unbelievers will say, on occasion, about Christians is that we are too "judgmental." And in some cases this is absolutely true. But followers of Jesus are to judge the things of this world discerning what is God's will and what is not. But how we do this is the important part. Being faithful to the Lord and continually filled with His Spirit is how we can judge effectively. And we need to always judge ourselves first with the Scriptures as our standard not leaning on our own understanding. This keeps us in sync with the will of God and can prevent us from blowing our witness.
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El engaño de Satanás ha cautivado y destruido a la gente desde el jardín. Conocer sus planes puede ayudarnos a vivir nuestra vida en victoria.
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Most of us have lives where spending time with God competes with many other things. However, the time we spend with God yields big dividends both now and in eternity. Learning to set time aside and meditating on God's word and listening to the Holy Spirit, is our weapon against the flesh and the world's wickedness.
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The greatest battle believers fight is the sin within us. Getting people to understand that the sin in us is something God can overcome in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit seems to be a task that constantly needs to be reiterated. Chapter 7 is basically the defeating power of our flesh and chapter 8 is the victory in Jesus. So the two chapters go together forming a sobering look at each at the state of our lives without the power of the Holy Spirit and the victory that we can have if we are willing to surrender to Jesus.
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The book of Proverbs contains several short verses instructing the reader in wisdom while warning of the dangers of wickedness and/or foolishness. Chapter 5 warns against adultery and the consequences which follow.
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The evil that plagues this world is something we cannot stop. However, we can resist this evil and overcome it with good through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. The supernatural battle has been raging since the beginning and our enemies are often unseen so we need to be diligent in our relationship with the Lord so He can navigate us through this life to victory.
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The wisdom of the world is not the wisdom of God and as believers we need to be wise in how we live. So pursuing God's wisdom become key in any believer's life who wants to please the Lord. And this wisdom begins with the Fear of the Lord where we find God's pure wisdom.
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Manoa es un hombre en el Antiguo Testamento del que la mayoría nunca ha oído hablar porque no lee el Antiguo Testamento. Él fue el padre de Sansón, quien era el juez rojo de la nación de Israel. Manoa y su esposa tienen interacción con Dios y sus respuestas reflejan un corazón obediente de servicio al Señor.
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My take on the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is a charge laid upon anyone who has resisted God's effort to rescue them from their sin by refusing to listen or see the work God is doing for them so that they may be forgiven. It appears to me this will be an indictment at the Great White Throne Judgment where those present will be judged according to what their works. If a person has done something horrible toward God or others, they always have the opportunity to repent during this life. But once in eternity that option is no longer valid.
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Being "baptized into Christ" brings the believer into that real relationship with Jesus. Afterward "water baptism" is a declaration that the spiritual baptism has occurred and the new life has now begun.
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Continuing our study in the book of Romans we come to chapter 5 where our suffering serves as a process ending with the love of God being poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Also sin abounds but grace abounds more.
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In the episode I tell my story of how I was able to overcome the difficulty I had with sharing my faith in Jesus with others.
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Betel (Bet = Casa, El = Dios {Casa de Dios}) fue el lugar donde Jacob se reunió con el Señor después de haber conspirado contra su padre Isaac, por instrucción de su madre, para robar la bendición de su hermano (Esaú) el primogénito. Dios se revela a Jacob y le da a Jacob un vistazo del plan en el que estaba a punto de embarcarse. Más tarde, Dios llama a Jacob de regreso a Betel para vivir allí, después de eso, sus hijos causan mucho dolor al atacar la ciudad de Siquem después de un incidente que involucró a la hija de Jacob y al príncipe de la ciudad. Para nosotros, esta historia nos recuerda que siempre debemos regresar al lugar donde nos conectamos con Dios y confiamos en Él.
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Romans ch. 4 shows us the important of faith and uses Abraham as the example.
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Continuing in the letter to the Romans, we now learn the entire world is guilty of sin before God. But God has provided salvation through Jesus despite our guilt.
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In this episode I discuss one question - how do I study the Bible.
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Paul, after revealing the gentile's hearts toward obeying the Word, now comes to the point where he will challenge those Jews who relied on their own self righteousness to be right with God. They appear to have had an attitude where they could practice sin yet condemned the gentiles for their sin.
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The natural law of sin in our minds is something we can address with the power of the Holy Spirit. We are fallen creatures and need holiness to offset our own darkness within. That holiness comes from the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
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Nuestras últimas palabras pueden revelar mucho acerca de nuestra verdadera fe. En este episodio, exploramos las últimas palabras de algunas personas notables y lo que revelaron sobre ellas.
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The word "fruit" in the New Testament is often applied to the actions of a person. As a tree naturally produces fruit so too a person naturally produces things in their own life. Looking at the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the things produced by God's presence in us should be evident to everyone around us. This is referred to as the "fruit of the Spirit."
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Paul's letter to the believers in Rome is a classic theological gold mine for the believer. Ch. 1 discusses the steps of rebellion mankind has continually taken and God's response to allow the consequences to enter in.
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In the Scriptures we see two types of sorrow. Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. Each one is different and has a different effect upon our repentance.
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In many episodes I have encouraged listeners to be filled with the Holy Spirit continually. This means we must believe and receive Jesus. Once this happens, the Holy Spirit is ready to lead and use us for the Kingdom and to glorify God. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is key to our work for Jesus and our eternal rewards.
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Listeners, on occasion, email a question. In this Q&A episode, I answer 6 questions.
Dealing with kids who walk away from God.
Alienating your children when they rebel.
Talking to the dead.
The levels of heaven.
Gluttony.
Unanswered prayers.
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Jehoshaphat was one of the few kings in the southern kingdom who honored God. He commissioned the teaching of the Word of God throughout the Kingdom which was something rarely done in these times. He goes down as a righteous king who, despite some flaws, did a good job reigning as King of Judah.
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Las madres siempre han sido cruciales para el éxito de la humanidad y para que se cumpla el plan de la voluntad de Dios en nuestro planeta rebelde. Las Escrituras tienen muchos ejemplos de madres en una variedad de circunstancias y cómo Dios reaccionó de acuerdo con los corazones de las madres.
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Jesus said He came to give us life abundantly. But when we look at that word life carefully it doesn't necessarily mean a materialistic life rather a spiritual life. And when He is our King, and we obey Him we can begin to live a life that is truly abundant now and on into eternity.
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Preparing our minds for action ahead of time helps keep our character and witness where it should be. Waiting until the heat of the battle to prepare for battle leaves a soldier unprepared and makes the fight even more difficult. The Holy Spirit in us renews our minds and creates opportunity for victory throughout the day for the believer.
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In our relationship with Jesus, faith is essential. Faith is simply trusting in someone or something you have found reason to believe in. Faith in Jesus is simply trusting Him and when things get difficult, we need not try to develop more faith rather trust in Him with the faith we have. If we feel we need more faith we need to ask our self - do I really believe. Because faith is believing. And the answer may not be the need for more faith rather to challenge if I really believe. Believing is the launching pad for our faith and without it, our faith will not get off the ground.
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The Spiritual Gifts are a topic which causes division in the church. In this series I want to share my experience with the gifts and encourage everyone to seek the Lord in this topic to be used for His glory.
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When God moves through His people using the gifts of the Spirit, there are practical reasons for doing so. He wants His people to glorify Him, know Him and Love Him. We can do this by being obedient to His calling for our life and stepping out in faith when He wants to demonstrate His supernatural power to someone through us.
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The "gift of tongues" or the ability to supernaturally speak a legitimate language unknown to the speaker, is the main gift that discourages believers away from the subject. But we have clear parameters in Scripture to help discern whether or not a person is using the gift appropriately.
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If you feel comfortable with being very uncomfortable while serving Jesus, then pursue the gifts and ask the Lord to identify how He wants to use you. You may get a clear answer but chances are you will rather get a clear opportunity to step out in faith. And when this happens, listen to the Holy Spirit.
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The love of God expressed in 1 Corinthians 13 is sandwiched between chapters 12 and 14 and reveal the central theme of the Spiritual Gifts - the love of God.
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Knowing about the gifts is very helpful when exploring the topic. The Scriptures provide enough information to establish reasonable parameters governing the gifts.
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Se prometen recompensas en el cielo a aquellos que fielmente siguen y obedecen a Jesús. Pero estas recompensas no se dan simplemente por ser amables, sino por obedecer a Jesús y Su palabra con un corazón para complacerlo. No queremos ver que todas nuestras buenas obras no agraden al Señor en ese día, así que debemos hacer las cosas de acuerdo a Su voluntad, no a la nuestra.
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Satan's deception has captivated and destroyed people since the garden. Knowing about his schemes can help us live our lives in victory.
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Biblical counseling means teaching what the Bible says in context and without compromise. Unfortunately many churches have gone away from this approach and have compromised. But the Word of God gives us our direction and teaches us to live lives that are pleasing to God through obeying the word, staying in prayer, being in communion with God and being part of the family of God's community. For those seeking counseling in the issue of pornography, understand God is holy and wants His people to be holy. That requires action on our part - obey the Word.
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Addressing the deeper issue with porn (our love of sin) we can find a path of deliverance in Jesus as we are commanded to put off the old, wickedness and put on the opposite. We now, through the power of the Holy Spirit, put on Christ who becomes our deliverer.
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Pornography has been around forever in various forms from carved statues to our modern day videos. It's a tool the devil uses to enslave people and it's very effective. Understanding that pornography is perversion and people who partake in perversion are perverts sheds a little more light on why porn is so evil. It turns good people into perverts. For those who want to break their love relationship with porn the answer is the same for any wicked stronghold - Jesus.
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En los días de Jesús, los judíos y los no judíos (gentiles) no tenían el hábito de asociarse unos con otros. Pero Jesús habló de "otro rebaño", refiriéndose a los gentiles que entrarían en la familia de Dios y Pedro sería el que iniciaría la inducción de los nuevos miembros a la familia. Cornelio también sería el gentil que Dios escogió para el plan.
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Manoah is a man in the Old Testament who most have never heard of because they don't read the Old Testament. He was the father of Samson who was the rouge judge of the nation of Israel. Manoah and his wife have interaction with God and their responses reflect and obedient heart of service to the Lord.
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Bethel (Beth - House El - God or House of God) was the location Jacob met with the Lord after he had conspired against his father Isaac, at his mother's instruction, to steal his brother's (Esau) blessing of the first born. God reveals Himself to Jacob and gives Jacob a glimpse of the plan he was about to embark upon. Later God calls Jacob back to Bethel to dwell after Jacob returns to the land and his kids cause a lot of grief by attacking the city of Shechem after an incident involving Jacob's daughter and the prince of the city. For us this story reminds us to always return to the place where we connected with God and trusted in Him.
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Jesús llama a sus seguidores a seguirlo, no solo a reconocerlo. ¿Qué significa esto para nosotros? Significa lo mismo que en el día cuando Él habló estas cosas a sus discípulos. Lo seguimos. Vamos a donde Él nos dice y hacemos lo que Él nos dice que hagamos. Aquí es donde se experimenta la vida en Cristo.
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Our dying words can reveal a lot about our true faith. In this episode we explore a few notable people's dying words and what it revealed about them.
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Simón, también conocido como "Pedro", tiene una historia muy interesante tanto en los Evangelios como en el Libro de los Hechos. Es una persona de la que podemos aprender mucho en nuestra propia relación con Jesús, ya que Pedro batallo a veces, pero también venció en el poder del Espíritu Santo.
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Mothers have always been crucial to humanity’s success and the plan of God’s will to be accomplished on our rebellious planet. The Scriptures have many examples of mother in a variety of circumstances and how God reacted according to the hearts of the mothers.
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Rewards are promised in heaven to those who faithfully follow and obey Jesus. But these rewards are not given for simply being nice rather for obeying Jesus and His word with a heart to please Him. We don't want to see all our good works fail to please the Lord on that day so we must do things according to His will not our own.
A life dedicated to serving Jesus is not just valuable during this life rather it's an investment into our eternal retirement where the dividends are eternal. Focusing on our finish line with Jesus in our sights will help us not only finish the race but win the race and win big.
En el mundo encontramos principios en el liderazgo, los negocios, las finanzas, etc. que nos ayudan a tener éxito. Muchos de esos mismos principios se aplican a nuestra relación con Jesús y a nuestro papel en Su Iglesia. Sin embargo, aprender a tener éxito espiritualmente a menudo implica voltear algunos de esos principios. Por ejemplo, si quieres recibir, entonces da generosamente de manera que agrade al Señor. Si quieres ser el primero, ofrécete como voluntario para ser el último. Subir la escalera del éxito significa que descendemos a la humildad en lugar de ascender a la confianza en nosotros mismos. Ser diligente y no perezoso es fundamental en nuestra relación con Jesús.
La parábola de las Diez Vírgenes tiene un mensaje muy importante para cada creyente: prepárate. Estad siempre listos para encontrarnos con el Señor, dar un paso de fe o cualquier otra cosa que el Señor nos pida que hagamos. Si tenemos el hábito de descartar las instrucciones del Señor para nuestras vidas, entonces estamos en peligro de perdernos al Señor por completo.
Every true child of God is filled with God's Spirit. Having His Spirit in us will have an impact upon our behavior where we are now acting upon what the Holy Spirit is instructing us to do. "Works" means actions. And believers are compelled to act in a manner that glorifies God even when it's embarrassing, difficult, scary, awkward etc. We know what we must do so we do it despite what our feelings are telling us. This not only reveals to others our sincerity toward God but also gives us confidence in our relationship with God as we step our in faith.
Travis and I discuss communication which is a key issue in marriage and can be difficult to accomplish between spouses.
Travis and I discuss the basics in marriage and our foundation in a marriage with Jesus in the center.
Travis and I discuss forgiveness in a marriage which is something that can mend many wounds and the lack of forgiveness can poison a marriage quickly.
This series will be continuing in the near future when schedules align.
Travis and I are beginning a series on marriage. Travis has been involved in marriage ministry for several years and has a lot of insight not only from his own marriage but his own life's story as well. In this episode we learn about Travis' upbringing and get an idea where he is coming from.
Dejar ir nuestra vieja naturaleza y abrazar la vida llevada por el Espíritu Santo puede ser un desafío, por decir lo menos. Pero eso es necesario como dijo Jesús: "El que encuentre su vida, la perderá, y el que pierda su vida por causa de mí, la encontrará". Esto significa que nosotros, como creyentes, ya no nos servimos a nosotros mismos, sino que estamos al servicio de nuestro Rey y nuestras propias agendas no tienen lugar en el Reino de Dios.
Jesus's provision at the cross brought about salvation for eternal life for whosoever would believe in Him. He also promised to send the Holy Spirit who would dwell in us so that God's very presence resides within every true child of God that has received Jesus and believed upon His name. The role of the Holy Spirit is to always be present with us guiding and teaching us in our journey with Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the only antidote for believers to overcome our natural cravings and actions which offend God so it's vital every believer ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit daily and obey Him.
Part of our responsibility as children of God is to learn as much as we can about Him during this life. This is so we can know and serve Him better. Being ignorant of God and His word makes us very vulnerable to the enemy's attacks which can devastate our relationship with our King.
In response to speaking to many believers recently who seem to be struggling with their relationship with God I wanted to share some things I have found very helpful in my journey with Jesus to overcome those obstacles which hinder our relationship with Him and others making us ineffective in the Kingdom of our God.
Hay quienes enseñan maldiciones generacionales. No encuentro que esto sea una verdad bíblica, sino que Jesús pagó por todos los pecados de la humanidad. Y un hijo no es maldecido por la maldad de sus padres.
In Jesus' day, Jews and non-Jews (Gentiles) were not typically in the habit of associating with one another. But Jesus spoke of "another flock" meaning the gentiles who would be coming into the family of God and Peter would the one who kicked off the new members' induction into the family. Cornelius would be the gentile God chose for the plan as well.
En nuestra relación con Jesús, podemos experimentar Su amor de muchas maneras. Pero ¿experimentamos la llenura de este amor en nuestros propios corazones? El amor de Dios es poder y este amor es derramado en nuestros corazones por el Espíritu Santo. Así que, si realmente queremos agradar a Dios, entonces debemos pedir este poder continuamente para que podamos amar (con el amor incondicional y sacrificial de Dios) a este mundo perdido.
Hay una diferencia entre nuestra perspectiva y la de Dios. Lo que consideramos una bendición puede no ser visto de esa manera por Dios. Además, lo que no parece una bendición en nuestra vida, tal vez sea lo que Dios ve como verdaderamente bendecido.
We are beginning Season 4 at the Junkyard Outreach. Thank you listeners who have faithfully listened, shared the light of Jesus and continue to be a light in this world.
Todd
Jesus calls followers to follow Him not just acknowledge Him. What does this mean for us? It means the same thing it did back in the day when He spoke these things to His disciples. We follow Him. We go where He tells and do what He tells us to do. This is where the life in Christ is experienced.
Who was St Patrick and what do we know about him? He was, as one puts it, "one of the greatest missionaries of all time." His life was a story of God calling a person out of hard times to become one of the greatest men of God of his time.
Simon, also known as "Peter" has a very interesting story in the Gospels as well as in the Book of Acts. He is a person we can learn a lot from in our own relationship with Jesus as Peter struggled at times but also conquered in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Cuando una persona recibe un fuerte golpe en la cabeza, a menudo hay un momento de conmoción y miedo que puede durar un breve momento o un largo período de tiempo. Esta sensación puede hacer que una persona sea completamente incapaz de seguir adelante si no ha sido entrenada para superarse y seguir adelante. Nuestra vida espiritual es similar. Entrenar en rectitud no siempre consiste en estudiar las Escrituras o escuchar un sermón. A veces implica cosas difíciles que pueden fortalecernos o paralizarnos dependiendo de nuestra capacidad de superación.
In the world we find principles in leadership, business, finances etc. that help us to succeed. Many of those same principles apply to our relationship with Jesus and our role in His Church. However, learning to succeed spiritually often involves flipping some of those principles upside down. For example if you want to receive then generously give in ways that please the Lord. If you want to be first then volunteer to be last. Climbing the ladder of success means we descend into humility rather than ascend into confidence in ourselves. Being diligent and not sluggish is critical in our relationship with Jesus.
Como creyentes entendemos que nuestra existencia más grande está en la eternidad. Mientras estamos aquí, en este cuerpo y en esta vida, somos siervos de Dios que nos estamos preparando para nuestro hogar eterno. Ser útil para el Reino requiere que nuestros corazones y mentes estén sincronizados con la voluntad de Dios y ese es el desafío para los creyentes. Y hacer que nuestras vidas sean provechosas para el Reino requiere que estemos dispuestos a seguir a Jesús dondequiera que Él nos guíe.
The parable of the Ten Virgins has dire message for every believer - be ready. Always be ready to meet the Lord, step out in faith or any other thing the Lord may require us to do. If we are in the habit of dismissing the Lord's instructions for our lives, then we are in danger of missing the Lord all together.
Letting go of our old life and embracing the life led by the Holy Spirit can be challenging to say the least. But this is necessary as Jesus said: "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." This means we as believers no longer serve ourselves rather we are in the service of our King and our own agendas have no place in the Kingdom of God.
There are those who teach generational curses. I don't find this a biblical truth rather Jesus paid for all the sin of mankind. And a child is not cursed because of their parents wickedness.
David escribió muchos de los salmos que tenemos en las Escrituras. En el Salmo 145 David está ofreciendo alabanzas a Dios como Su Rey. Al leer este salmo, el lector recuerda que una vida dedicada a servir a Dios no es necesariamente fácil, pero vale la pena, ya que vemos la mano de Dios moviéndose a lo largo de nuestras vidas y nos vemos obligados a adorar a nuestro Rey como lo hizo David.
El sistema de sacrificios del Antiguo Testamento, en el que una persona traía un animal u otras ofrendas ante el Señor, fue reemplazado por la Cruz. Ya no se necesita un sacrificio para expiar el pecado, ya que el Hijo de Dios se hizo pecado por nosotros, para que pudiéramos llegar a ser la justicia de Dios. Pero eso no significa que no ofrezcamos sacrificios al Señor. El sacrificio más grande que podemos ofrecer al Señor es obedecerle. Esto le agrada a Él y aquí es donde tenemos comunión con Él.
In our relationship with Jesus, we can experience His love in many ways. But do we experience the filling of this love in our own hearts? God's love is power and this love is poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. So if we truly want to please God, then we must ask for this power continually that we may love (with God's unconditional, sacrificial love) this lost world.
Una lección que todo creyente debe aprender es que Dios es luz y en Él no hay oscuridad. Cuando jugamos con la oscuridad le estamos demostrando a Dios que no estamos tomando en serio nuestro perdón y esto reduce la luz de Dios en nuestras vidas. Así que ponerse lo nuevo y despojarse de lo viejo se convierte en algo que haces diariamente y no en algo que se hace una sola vez. Este es el camino hacia una vida victoriosa en Jesús.
There is a difference between our perspective and God's. What we consider a blessing may not be looked upon that way by God. Also what does not look like a blessing in our life maybe the thing that God sees as truly being blessed.
La mayoría de las personas familiarizadas con la historia de Jesús recuerdan que Pedro, uno de los apóstoles prominentes de Jesús, negó conocer a Jesús no una sino tres veces. Después de la resurrección, Jesús le preguntó a Pedro tres veces: "¿Me amas?". Es una hermosa historia de perdón y reconciliación. Si Jesús te preguntara hoy: "¿Me amas?" ¿Qué dirías?
When a person experiences getting hit hard in the head, there is often a moment of shock and fear that can last for a brief moment or a lengthy amount of time. This sensation can render a person completely incapable of proceeding if they haven't been trained to overcome and move forward. Our spiritual life is similar. Training in righteousness is not always about studying the scriptures or listening to a sermon. I sometimes involves hard things that can either strengthen us or cripple us depending on our ability to overcome.
As believers we understand that our greatest existence is in eternity. While we are here, in this body and this life, we are servants of God who are preparing for our eternal home. Being useful for the Kingdom requires our hearts and minds are in sync with God's will and that's the challenge for believers. And making our lives profitable for the Kingdom require us to be willing to follow Jesus wherever He leads us.
David wrote many of the psalms we have in the Scriptures. In psalm 145 David is offering God praise as His King. Looking at this psalm reminds the reader that a life spent serving God is not necessarily easy but worth it as we see the hand of God moving throughout our lives and are compelled to worship our King like David did.
Cuando oramos, realmente estamos buscando la voluntad de Dios para una situación o para la nuestra. Y cuando un verdadero creyente ora, ¿estamos dispuestos a aceptar un "no" por respuesta? Sabemos que Dios nos escucha, así que si pedimos algo y no sucede, ¿somos lo suficientemente fuertes en nuestra fe para decir como lo hizo Jesús antes de que las autoridades se lo llevaran: "Sin embargo, no se haga mi voluntad, sino la tuya"? Escuchar a Dios es increíble, pero cuando escuchamos de Él y la respuesta o declaración es contraria a nuestra voluntad, podemos confiar en que la respuesta de Dios es la mejor y darnos cuenta de que hay un panorama mucho más amplio que rodea nuestras vidas.
Wrapping up this letter to the church in the city of Colosse, Paul gives final instructions to the church.
One of the most instructive passages in the Scriptures, Colossians Ch. 3 gives insight into our responsibilities as followers of Jesus.
The Old Testament Sacrificial system where a person brought an animal or other offerings before the Lord was superseded by the Cross. There is no longer a sacrifice needed to atone for sin since the Son of God became sin for us that we could become the righteousness of God. But that doesn't mean we still don't offer sacrifices to the Lord. The biggest sacrifice we can offer to the Lord is obeying Him. This is pleasing to Him and this is where we have fellowship with Him.
During Paul's ministry he wrote letters to churches and individuals. Each letter has it's purpose and provides something valuable not only to those it was addressed to but to all who read it as well. And such is the case with letter to the church in the ancient city of Colosse. This short 4-chapter letter is packed with insight for the believer to help understand Jesus better and grow in our faith. Chapter 1 hits on key doctrinal issues regarding Jesus deity and more.
Nuestra relación con el Señor puede ser evidente para aquellos que nos conocen al observar nuestro comportamiento externo, pero ¿qué es lo que realmente hay debajo en los lugares secretos de nuestro corazón y mente? Jesús dijo que escudriñaba el corazón y la mente, y esta verdad aleccionadora debería obligar a cada creyente a entregar esa oscuridad interior a nuestro Señor para que podamos caminar en la verdad, sin encubrir nuestro interior feo.
A lesson every believer must learn is that God is light and in Him there is no darkness. When we play around with darkness we are demonstrating to God that we are not taking our forgiveness seriously and this reduces the light of God in our lives. So putting on the new and putting off the old becomes an everyday thing not a one time deal. This is the path to a victorious life in Jesus.
Most people familiar with the story of Jesus recall Peter, one of the prominent Apostles of Jesus, denied knowing Jesus not once but three times. After the resurrection Jesus then asked Peter, three times, "Do you love me." It's a beautiful story of forgiveness and reconciliation. If Jesus asked you today - "do YOU love me?" What would you say?
La familia es crucial para la civilización y fue diseñada por Dios para ser así. Dios demuestra Su amor, gracia, misericordia, etc. a través de familias que confían en Él, mostrando a otros que no confían en Él que la familia es en realidad muy especial. La familia de Dios está compuesta por muchos miembros de todo el mundo y es una bendición ser parte de ella.
Si queremos estar seguros de que somos hijos de Dios y que estamos eternamente seguros, entonces recibir a Jesús en nuestras vidas es el camino que debemos tomar. Cuando una persona recibe genuinamente a Jesús la diferencia es muy evidente más allá de cualquier experiencia emocional. Pero recibir a Jesús requiere una fe verdadera y bíblica de que sin ella es imposible agradar a Dios. La buena noticia es que no tenemos que ganarnos a Jesús, simplemente decimos sí a Su invitación y luego nos preparamos para que comience la aventura.
When we pray we are we really seeking God's will for a situation or our own. And when a true believer prays are we willing to accept "no" for an answer? We know God hears us so if we ask for something and it doesn't happen are we strong enough in our faith to say like Jesus did before he was taken away by the authorities, "Never-the-less, not My will but Your will be done?" Hearing from God is awesome but when we hear from Him and the answer or statement is contrary to our will, we can trust that God's answer is the best and realize there is a much bigger picture surrounding our lives.
Our relationship with the Lord may be evident to those who know us by observing our outward behavior, but what is really lying beneath in the secret places of our heart and mind? Jesus said He searched the heart and mind and this sobering truth should compel every believer to surrender that darkness within to our Lord so that we may walk in truth not covering up our ugly inner being.
En nuestra sociedad encontramos muchos grupos religiosos con diferentes enseñanzas y culturas. Algunos enseñan las Escrituras con precisión, mientras que otros son débiles en su enseñanza. Pero algunos enseñan cosas que contradicen totalmente la Biblia, lo que llamamos "falsa doctrina". Se nos ordena ser sabios y defender la verdad, por lo que, naturalmente, nos encontramos en desacuerdo con estos grupos llamados sectas. La forma en que compartimos la verdad con ellos es muy importante y si nos acercamos a ellos como enemigos y los tratamos como tales, probablemente arruinaremos nuestro testimonio y obstaculizaremos cualquier oportunidad que tengamos de compartir el conocimiento de las Escrituras con ellos.
Lo sepamos o no, tenemos influencia en esta vida. Tener una influencia positiva es la meta y eso es posible cuando simplemente confiamos en el Señor y le obedecemos. No es fácil, pero cuando somos fieles para ser un buen testigo de Jesús, esa influencia iluminará la oscuridad y dará a los que nos rodean un vistazo de la obra de Dios en nuestras vidas.
The family is crucial to civilization and designed by God to be this way. God demonstrates His love, grace, mercy etc through families that trust Him showing others that don't trust Him that the family is actually very special. God's family is made up of many members from all over the world and is a blessing to be a part of.
La unidad entre los creyentes es una parte asombrosa de la familia de Dios, pero lamentablemente hay poca de ella. Sin embargo, en nuestras vidas podemos ser un miembro unificador del cuerpo de Cristo apreciando a otros creyentes que también tienen una relación legítima con Jesús y haciendo el esfuerzo de salir de los círculos de nuestra iglesia y ser una luz en las vidas de los demás.
If we want to know, for sure, that we are a child of God who is eternally secure then receiving Jesus into our lives is the path we must take. When a person genuinely receives Jesus the difference is very evident far beyond any emotional experience. But receiving Jesus requires true, biblical faith that without such, it's impossible to please God. The good news is we don't have to earn Jesus, we simply say yes to His invitation and then get ready for the adventure to begin.
Los creyentes, así como todos los demás, experimentamos momentos difíciles en nuestras vidas. Dios permite estos tiempos y, a menudo, cuando el tiempo o la temporada están completos y las cosas van mejor, podemos ver un resultado positivo de esos días de dificultad. Dios nos fortalece usando muchas cosas y es similar al forjar y fabricar metal. Las cosas se calientan y parece que nos golpean, pero al final salimos más fuertes como resultado.
In our society we find many religious groups with different teaching and cultures. Some teach the Scriptures accurately while others are weak in their teaching. But some teach things that totally contradict the Bible what we refer to as "false doctrine." We are commanded to be wise and stand for the truth so naturally we find ourselves at odds with these groups called cults. How we share the truth with them is very important and if we approach them as enemies and treat them like such, we will likely blow our witness and hinder any chance we have to share are knowledge of the Scriptures with them.
En nuestras vidas como creyentes, a veces podemos sentirnos débiles en espíritu, lo que hace que nuestra fe se sienta como si estuviera fallando. Pero Dios no nos deja, sino que está esperando nuestro clamor a Él para que pueda traernos de regreso a ese lugar de paz con Dios. Entonces nuestras fuerzas se renuevan, o se hacen nuevas otra vez.
Whether we know it or not we have influence in this life. Having a positive influence is the goal and that is possible when we simply trust the Lord and obey Him. It's not easy but when we are faithful to be a good witness for Jesus, that influence will light up the darkness and give those around us a glimpse of the work of God in our lives.
Al observar los recientes acontecimientos mundiales, podemos asustarnos, ya que es probable que estas cosas también ocurran en nuestro país. Pero Jesús habló de estas cosas con respecto a los últimos días y la condición de nuestro mundo, animándonos a esperarlo, pero no nos dejemos abrumar por el mal que acontece en el mundo. Es parte de las consecuencias de la humanidad por abandonar a Dios y nuestra esperanza no está aquí, sino en la eternidad con Jesús.
En nuestra relación con Jesús, Su voluntad a menudo no es consistente con la mía, dejándome con una decisión que tomar. Su voluntad o mi voluntad. ¿Cuál? Recordar que Dios es eterno y tiene una perspectiva eterna debería hacer que le demos el beneficio de la duda porque Él ve el futuro, nosotros no. Y muchas cosas que ocurren en nuestras vidas hoy, tendrán resultados en el futuro que no podemos ver ahora. Así que aprender a confiar en Dios y en Su voluntad no solo nos acerca a Él, sino que también nos da la confianza de que Su voluntad es la mejor, sin importar si la entiendo o no.
Cada hijo de Dios es un ministro. Ministro significa siervo y como hijos de Dios que sirven a su Rey, ahora somos ministros del evangelio. A lo largo de los siglos, las iglesias han tomado el concepto de ministro y lo han atribuido a una persona que es un líder en la iglesia, pero eso no es el punto. La obra del ministerio ocurre fuera de los edificios de la iglesia más que dentro. Servir a Dios significa servir a las personas y eso es lo que hace un verdadero hijo de Dios cuando sigue la guía del Espíritu Santo.
Cuando una persona "adquiere religión" no significa que se convierta en un hijo de Dios. Convertirnos en hijos de Dios significa que respondemos al llamado de Jesús a recibir su Santo Espíritu y creer en Su nombre o confiar en Él. Responder a este llamado es lo que inicia el cambio de la oscuridad a la luz y comienza el proceso de convertirnos en la persona para la que fuimos creados.
Beginning November 6th, episodes 125-129 will be available in Spanish with additional episodes coming soon.
Thank you!
Unity among believers is a such an amazing part of the family of God but sadly there is little of it. However, in our lives we can be a unifying member of the body of Christ by appreciating other believers who also have a legitimate relationship with Jesus and making that effort to step outside our church circles and be a light in the lives of others.
Believers as well as everyone else experience times of difficulty in our lives. God allows these times and often when the time or season is complete and things are going better we can see a positive outcome of those days of difficulty. God strengthens us using many things and it's similar in principle to forging and crafting metal. Things heat up and we seem to get beat up but in the end we come out stronger as a result.
There is no mandated day to attend a gathering of believers - period. Traditionally we attend church on Sundays because that is what is seen in the NT. The primarily Jewish church in the New Testament would have likely also attended Synagogue on the Sabbath since they were Jews but in Christ, especially for the non-Jews or "gentiles" there is no mandate or command to attend a gathering of believers (which is what church is) rather we are called to live our lives in obedience to Jesus every day of the week. If we can get this right then there will likely be gatherings throughout the week continually where we meet with believers.
In this series I would like to walk listeners through a path I went down years ago when I was confronted with the issue of "keeping the Jewish Sabbath" by a person that had, what appeared to be, a good argument for going to church on Saturday. That led me on a quest to better understand the Sabbath and if followers of Jesus are bound to this Jewish command. It starts with learning about covenants and signs in the OT.
The Israelites were commanded to keep the Sabbath and keep it holy. What does that require? In this episode we will look at what those requirements were and realize how much mankind has added to them which made the Sabbath more of a burden than a blessing.
The word Sabbath simply means "rest" and reading Ex 20 we could read it as "remember the day of rest and keep it holy." Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath in that in Him we find our rest as He said in: Mat 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. So while the principle of the Sabbath is physical rest, and we still should find time to physically rest, the more important rest is that of our souls and ceasing from our own works to try and please God. Rather, resting in Him gives us that freedom to simply trust in Him and find our true rest we so long for.
Looking at recent world events we can become frightened since these things are likely to occur in our country as well. But Jesus spoke of these thing regarding the latter days and the condition of our world encouraging us to expect it but do not be overwhelmed by the evil that boils over in the world. It's part of humanity's consequences for abandoning God and our hope is not here rather in eternity with Jesus.
In our relationship with Jesus, His will is often not consistent with my will leaving me with a choice to make. His will or my will. Which one? Remembering that God is eternal and has an eternal perspective should cause us to give Him the benefit of the doubt because He sees the future, we don't. And many things that occur in our lives presently, will have results in the future which we can't see now. So learning to trust God and His will not only brings us closer to Him but also gives us confidence that His will is the best no matter if I understand it or not.
Public School has been the topic of many discussions in these days as we have seen traditional education changing over the years. Robb is a Dean of Students at a large High School and offers his insight as a believer in the public schools.
In our lives as believers we may, at times, feel weak in spirit causing our faith to feel as if it's failing. But God does not leave us stranded rather He is awaiting our cry to Him so He can bring us back to that place of peace with God. Then our strength becomes renewed, or made new again.
Every child of God is a minister. Minister means servant and as children of God who serve their King, we are now ministers of the gospel. Churches over the centuries have taken the concept of a minister and attributed it to a person who is a leader in the church but that's missing the point. The work of the ministry occurs outside church buildings more-so than within. Serving God means serving people and that's what a true child of God does when following the lead of the Holy Spirit.
When a person "gets religion" that doesn't mean they become a child of God. Becoming a child of God means we answer Jesus' call to receive His Holy Spirit and believe upon His name or trust Him. Answering this call is what initiates the change from darkness to light and begins the process of becoming the person we are created to be.
In all the negativity that inundates our world, especially the media's continual picture of gloom over our country, there is a beautiful hope we have in our God that when mediated upon can lift us out of our darkness and into the light.
The end times is a hot topic now days and I want to share my thoughts and understanding on the subject.
One very important piece to understanding the end time events is to understand God's purpose for the nation Israel and the future plans during the chaos of the "times of Jacob's trouble" referring to the great tribulation period.
Perhaps one of the strangest teachings in the Scriptures, the rapture of the church or the "harpazo" is clearly taught and we need to understand what it is and what it means for humanity.
In the Old Testament God promised Israel a new covenant between Himself and the nation after establishing the covenant with them at Mt Sinai. This new covenant would be different in that God putting His spirit in them and more. Jesus, declared this new covenant with his Apostles when he took the cup and declared it to be the new covenant in His blood. Israel, as a nation, rejected the covenant but many did receive it and God indeed put His Spirit in them. Afterwards the non-Jews or gentiles also partook of this new covenant. However this new covenant with the Jews will be fulfilled at the conclusion of the great tribulation period.
In the Old Testament there are hints of gentiles coming to faith but for the most part the Church was a mystery until Jesus said in Mat 16:18 "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The Church was melting pot of the Lord for whosoever would believe both Jew and Gentile. However, the Church does not replace the nation of Israel in the plan of God for this world. They have a role to play in the future when they, as a nation, will receive Jesus as their Messiah.
A great lesson we can learn from the Old Testament story of the Jew's history is how many times they did things contrary to God's law because it seemed right in their own eyes. Leaning on our own understanding is a huge problem in the lives of believers today because we are not created to depend upon our own limited understand rather the leading of Holy Spirit. The narrow gate and difficult way that Jesus said leads to life, often has moments where we need to do what we don't want to do. But we understand God wants us to do it. Learning to lean upon the Lord, putting our complete trust in Him, is difficult but the rewards are amazing.
We will understand this a lot better in eternity but the only sufficient payment for eternal life is in the blood sacrifice of Jesus. And for those who have entered into that New Covenant He spoke of, the expectation of obedience and being led by the Holy Spirit, should be in the forefront of our mind. We were bought with a price and now we are not our own rather we are the property of Jesus.
The battle in our spiritual lives involves our minds being renewed. If we are walking in faith, filled with the Holy Spirit our minds take on a vital new role. Putting on the mind of Christ and renewing our minds prepares us not only to be a good witness, but to discern the will of God. Not having the mind of Christ or renewing our minds leaves us in the natural mind, relying upon our own understanding. And that does us more spiritual harm than good.
When an unbeliever comes to faith in Jesus, through whatever circumstance, they change. And along with those changes life now becomes a different experience where those things once thought to be good are now filtered through the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. And that new path can be challenging because it can be a lonely path at times and Jesus made it clear that difficulties await the child of God because of that new path. But it is the path that leads to real life here and in eternity.
I have discovered that biblical giving can be a tool in our lives that God uses to do many really cool things including breaking the chains of selfishness in our own lives. Giving is not a topic people usually want to hear because of what they may have experienced when a preacher compelled them to give when they didn't want to. That's not Jesus, it's not biblical and it robs a person of something very cool.
The letter from the writer known as "Jude" is a short, 1 chapter, power packed letter addressing false teachers. False teaching has been around since teaching began. It's simply taking something taught and twisting it then passing the twisted version on to anyone who is willing to listen. False teachers are not necessarily those with opposing views on non-essential doctrines, rather those who are actively teaching things in opposition to sound biblical teaching. Many people have fallen victim to teachers who have not imparted the truth of God to them resulting in a stifled or non-existent relationship with Jesus and Jude is going to expose such teachers.
When we give to bless God we can bless Him many ways other than giving money. Time, skills etc are also ways that bless Him and others. And those things given in faith will have an eternal reward as well.
The word "tithe" means "a tenth." I give my take on this issue and the difference between giving whatever a person determines in their own heart and a mandated 10%.
The Old Testament contains so much recorded violence that it is often unpleasant to read. Understanding about the history of those days and learning more about the character of God may help us recognize a scary trait among many people that is a fascination with violence. And the Lord is no stranger to violence as He Himself inflicts His wrath on occasion upon those who oppose Him. Also He allows violence to afflict those who are seemingly innocent. But what should our attitude as children of God be toward violence? See it for what it is.
When a person is expecting an upcoming event where they will be in the spot light, they prepare for that day so that they may not feel ashamed when the time comes. A singer will rehearse, an athlete will train, a student will study. All to ensure they are at their best for the event.
With Jesus, the concept is the same. We will be standing before Him, and this life is our time to prepare to meet our King. So being ready to meet Him at any minute is not only is wise, but it creates in us a seriousness about following Him that brings about really cool things. And then we can rest assured that if I am taken out suddenly, I am good to go.
A common complaint against Christians is that we often are "judgmental" and condemning. And it's interesting that most unbelievers know the verse in Matthew Ch. 7:1 "Judge not, that ye be not judged." They even know it in the Old King James version. But as believers we are to be judgemental not in condemning others rather continually evaluating ourselves and ensuring we are on the right track. That is why it's so important to spend time in the Word daily and in prayer so that we don't find ourselves going of the rails again. Always being mindful of our own tendencies to slip back into the flesh or our carnal selves, helps us to stay in the Spirit and pleasing to God.
,In the Old Testament, cities of refuge were established by God to protect people who were involved in the death of a person where there was no intent to harm that person - a place of refuge for those who were fleeing judgment of a really angry relative of the deceased. Jesus is our place of refuge and that is the idea of a strong tower. A place of protection for those who seek it.
Paul exhorts the Philippian believers to rejoice in Christ and live a life that pleases Him.
Paul ends his letter to the believers at Philippi by acknowledging their gift they sent Paul in his time of need commending their faith for being willing to sacrifice for the Kingdom.
Paul's letter to the believers in the church at the ancient of Philippi is packed with spiritual truths and practical wisdom given to a church adored by Paul.
Paul addresses destructive people in the church, referring at this time to those insisting Gentiles (Non-Jews) must undergo circumcision to come into fellowship with Jesus and be saved. He also addresses those who are confident in their own righteousness and not in humility.
The issue of sexual lust has been around forever. Dealing with lust, as a believer, involves a complete surrender to obtain the victory and when this is done, the victory will come.
Sacrifices in the Old Testament were designed by God to atone for rebellion against Him until the final sacrifice for sin was complete - the Crucifixion. Now in our lives we are commanded to present ourselves as "living sacrifices" which puts a new spin on sacrificing to the Lord. It's a permanent lifestyle that brings us closer to God and shows the world what living a life for Jesus looks like.
When the Israelites left Egypt, that generation rebelled against God resulting in their forfeiting the promised land. Their children, however, were allowed in to the land God had promised them and ultimately fulfilled God's word that they would occupy the land of Canaan. That generation, led by Joshua, was the up and coming people of God who throughout the years of Joshua were faithful to the Lord and were blessed because of it. Our new generation has the same opportunity to shine for Jesus so it's critical for all of us to model that faith and love so they can see what it means to follow Him.
The word faith is not an unfamiliar word but true biblical defined faith may be to many. Jesus commends the innocent faith of child and told his disciples that they must become like a little child regarding their faith. That lesson is a difficult process but not when the Holy Spirit is running the show. When a believer surrenders their life to Jesus and the Holy Spirit now connects with them, their faith is now influenced and developed by God and becomes like that of a child.
David commits adultery with one of his men's wife then kills that man. This wickedness will ruin David's life, witness and family. Despite the sin being atoned for by God, David's life is never the same and his family is torn apart.
We often hear the word blessed echoing through the churches. But do we recognize the true blessings from God when we are going through suffering? Often times suffering refines us and provides an opportunity to demonstrate our faith not simply declare it verbally. When we go through difficulty keeping our eyes open for the hidden blessings can reveal a depth of faith that we may not know we have.
David has overcome a very stressful time of his life and now has is established as the king of Israel. His difficult experiences are now revealed to have been valuable training ground for his new role as king. He is trusting in God to run the show and God provides victory after victory securing David's place as king and glorifying God.
I believe the more familiar with the Scriptures we become, the closer we can draw to Jesus and learning the stories about those "heros of the faith" can encourage us and also teach us a lot of lessons about what they did right and what they did wrong. In David's life there are a lot of great examples of what he did right and a few examples of where he really went sideways and the aftermath that resulted was devastating. David's life is story of triumph, crash and burning, patience, faith, pride, humility etc.
In our relationship with Jesus, it becomes helpful when we understand more about our role as a follower of His. What we think and do is important because He holds us accountable to walk in faith trusting in Him. Looking at the principle of what is required of us to be in right standing with Him reveals simple instructions in living our lives as believers.
Gideon lacked all confidence to fight against his seemingly invincible enemy but God showed Gideon that when you follow Him He will fight against your enemies and bring about the victory.
When a person becomes a child of God through faith in Jesus and the Holy Spirit then fills them, it brings about new life. At the beginning it's very typical for the change in a person to be evident but as time goes on the old life, from which they were delivered, begins to creep back in. Many fall back into their old life and leave Jesus behind but that's not the plan or will of God for a person rather it's to grow in grace and humility all the while seeing the power of God moving in and through us keeping us on the right track.
The presence of God in our lives reflects the light of God which Jesus said He was. Understanding He is the light and light illuminates the darkness gives us another perspective regarding our role as children of the light - to illuminate the darkness around us.
Joshua is in the midst of a successful military campaign when he makes a foolish mistake I have made many times. He agrees to something without asking the Lord first and it becomes a problem for him and Israel.
Following Jesus requires we surrender everything to Him and seek His will over our own. This is pretty difficult and not really appealing to many who want to go to heaven but live like hell. But when we meet the true risen Savior we find out just how amazing He is in and the life we live in submission to Him beats anything we could build on our own.
Joshua became the leader of Israel after Moses died. The Lord tells Joshua to be strong and courageous several times. His task was monumental in leading the Israelites into the promised land. Joshua learned a lot of lessons that are applicable to our relationship to the Lord including being strong and courageous in our calling from God.
James and John were leaders in Jesus' rag tag group of disciples. They learn a hard lesson when they want to kill people for disrespecting Jesus. They were operating in their flesh and not the spirit and did what many of us are also guilty of. Jesus rebukes them for their impulsive reaction.
Walking through life with Jesus as our Guide is a difficult road at times. But being in the midst of solid believers helps up in our journey. However, being around those who are not believers can pull us away from that road and really do damage to our relationship with our Lord. Balancing our time between believers and unbelievers is important so we may be a witness to our unbelieving loved ones while not be dragged back to that place where we came from.
Jesus spoke often in parables using things familiar to the audience to explain a spiritual truth difficult to understand. In this parable Jesus emphasizes living in a constant state of readiness awaiting the Lord's coming.
Jesus teaches how we must be responsible with what He has given us so that we may profitable for His kingdom and receive good things in eternity.
Jesus teaches how humanity will be divided in half at the time of the end. One half are faithful who demonstrate their faith in ways that are evident and please God. The others do not regard the needs of others therefore demonstrating the apathy toward them and toward God.
Getting real with Jesus is something we must do in order to grow in our faith. Studying the Word is a vital part of discovering the truths and beauty of God that transforms our lives from the darkness to the light. Reading the Scriptures is like food for our soul and learning the Word requires we take it seriously and study the context of the passages, meaning we strive to understand what the passage is truly saying. This is critical in a believer's life and helps identify false teaching that is all around us.
How we handle and recognize a rebuke from the Lord is important in our journey with Jesus. I share a personal rebuke that just happened to me at the time of this writing.
As believers, we are called children of God. If we are children of God we should be able to communicate with our Father and we can. Keeping ourselves in that place where we are walking in faith and obeying the Word allows us the opportunity to hear from God through answers to prayer, through reading the Word, through fellowship where someone may have be used by God to convey something to us. The key is being real with Jesus.
Jesus delivers a man possessed by evil spirits and then sends him back to his family to declare the power of God. The man wanted to follow Jesus but instead received a commission to go and be a light in his community. He was set free and redeemed so that he may experience deliverance and glorify the name of the Lord.
Guarding what comes out of our mouths is vital in our life as believers. If we are continually speaking evil then according to Jesus the issue isn't that our mouths are evil rather our hearts. Our relationship with Jesus doesn't go well when we don't address our deceitful and wicked hearts. But a broken and contrite heart He will receive.
Isaiah is one of the great prophets in the Scriptures. His calling into ministry reveals key fundamentals for anyone interesting in serving Jesus.
The difference between the righteous and the wicked from a biblical perspective is simple. The righteous are those who have forsaken their own wickedness by receiving Jesus and being sealed by the Holy Spirit for that day of redemption. Now our wickedness is no longer a barrier between us and God it's been forgiven. So it's not that the righteous, in God's eyes, are better than the wicked rather the righteous are forgiven and that forgiveness breaks down the barrier between God and us.
Paul concludes his letter to Titus with a few powerful instructions that we would do well to honor as well.
For those who really desire a true community of believers, being a part of a small group is very helpful in our growth as believers. If you can't find one, pray about starting one. With the right people a small group can help a believer focus on their relationship with God much better than simply attending a Sunday service.
The Apostle Paul continues giving Titus instruction to help the new churches in the area of Crete.
The OT book of Amos is one not really on the top 10 books of the Bible to read in the minds of many mainly because of its negative vibe where God is rebuking the Children of Israel for their wickedness and warning them of the impending judgment. But reading this book through the eyes of a believer can reveal valuable insight into the character of God who really takes no delight in judging anyone rather He calls all to repentance and in their repentance, they will find the goodness of God.
Titus is a short book packed with valuable information about church leadership as well as personal qualities of a mature believer. Anyone serious about walking with Jesus should be familiar with this short, 3 chapter, book and its contents.
As believers, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to love those around us. While this may be difficult we can take a biblical approach to befriending and maintaining those friends, in love, with wisdom and minimize getting burned.
Jesus asks the question, "for what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?" We strive to gain many things in this world but when it comes to eternal life, we can't gain it we can only receive it by faith in God's grace. So how important is eternal life in our lives?
Sex, money and respect are common issues in troubled marriage. Briefly discussing these three sheds light on them and where believers go for victory - back to Jesus.
What is the role for the believer whose spouse is not interested in Jesus? The believing spouse can be a light in the home and show the unbelieving spouse the love of God which can be a great witness in the marriage.
Marriages that are exploding still have the hope of God and when both spouses surrender to Jesus and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit can resurrect a dead marriage.
Throughout life we experience many seasons where things become different. Some for the better and some for the worse. This is life and going through life trusting in Jesus, we find that life is a lot better with Him than without.
There are times in our lives when we are being wronged. Jesus says turn the other cheek but why? Simply put - it gives God room to work in the situation and deal with both parties according to His will.
I discovered something amazing as I grew in Christ. He is good, He takes care of us and He blesses us with things we don't deserve. Then I understood I needed to be like Him and look for opportunities to bless others. So when it came to finances, I learned that giving to others, as the Spirit leads us, is actually giving to God. And God gives back big time.
Anyone considering marriage should give a lot of attention to preparing for marriage. In preparation for marriage it is very helpful both at the beginning and in the long run that wet consider things that destroy marriage and ensure we have an understanding of those pitfalls and are on the same page as our potential spouse. Being willing to work through these issues prior to committing our lives to our potential spouse will help out tremendously as the two begin their lives together.
Studying the Scriptures, we will see God's name being revered and guarded by those faithful to Him. But the Lord Himself also proclaims His name to be great because He is great. He can do this because He is God and His greatness is infinite. It now becomes important for those faithful in our time to continue to honor His great name by more than mere words, rather a life of obedience to the calling of our God.
In this series I want to share what I have learned about the ups and downs in marriage and give hope through Jesus to those seeking to honor Him and to inform and encourage those who are struggling to pursue Jesus and find the victory He has prepared for them.
Once the wedding is complete and the new bride and groom go off on their new life of adventure, they will quickly understand that two people now living together, sharing their lives together has its challenges. Walking in obedience to the Lord will bring both spouse's perspective closer and provide direction to overcome a lot of obstacles in the marriage.
Believers usually understand there marriage is a covenant not only with their spouse but also with God. It's a covenant that is holy and honored before God. That's why it used to be called "holy matrimony." But for those who don't know this, it's important to realize that God is interesting in marriages both believers and unbelievers. Because marriage is a picture of Jesus (groom) and the church (bride). When people walk out of their marriage, the kids and other spouse are not the only ones grieving. God is grieving as well because of the holiness of the marriage covenant that has now been broken.
Coined several years ago the 7 year itch is a term describing a marriage that has settled into a state where it's no longer exciting and fun rather it's boring. We are all going to experience seasons in our marriage but there is no reason a marriage has to lack adventure and excitement. Getting into the spiritual battle for planet earth can pair a married couple together like to warriors facing an enemy line. Following Jesus, praying fervently, advancing in our own spiritual growth can bring about that excitement in a marriage and rescue it from the mundane routine we can easily fall in to.
Preparing for the wedding involves much more than getting ready the day of. It starts when we are young. Parents have the responsibility to demonstrate what a good marriage is so the kids will see that marriage is good and desire that relationship. Then throughout the years, that future relationship is honored by preparing to be a good spouse. We then enter marriage on the right foot where the bride the groom are physically, emotionally and spiritually prepared to enter into the marriage covenant initiated and honored by God.
God communicates with His people. Anyone who has a committed relationship with God will likely experience some form of communication with Him. Being open to God's supernatural intervention in our lives creates opportunities to witness the miraculous. The spiritual gifts are very practical in a marriage and when used according to the Scriptures AS GOD LEADS they become a great blessing to the family.
Searching the Scriptures for the phrase "the will of God" reveals an important element of our relationship with the Lord. The will of God, or doing what God wants to be done, becomes our responsibility when we leave the kingdom of darkness that covers this world and enter the kingdom of Light or God's kingdom. Also doing the will of God puts us in that place where we can experience a deeper intimacy with Him. So if you are looking for a closer relationship with the Lord, one where the cool things happen, then meditate on the will of God and do what He is calling you to do.
Making Christmas about Jesus is a blessing to any family who believes. Secular society embraces the Christmas holiday and season but not the religious element of it but that shouldn't discourage believers because Christmas is all about Jesus as every day should be. So celebrate Christmas putting Jesus in the midst and enjoy the day and season.
Throughout the Scriptures we see times when people grumbled against their leaders and God. Grumbling is a complete waste of time and really is something we are commanded not to do rather we are to build up (edify) one another, our leaders, our friends etc. So making it a habit to avoid grumbling benefits everybody.
The introduction to the book of Psalms begins with a short Psalm that in it's simplicity is actually profound. The simplicity of the Gospel is faith in and obeying the creator God. Rejecting God has consequences that are very visible to the believer but may be completely concealed to the unbeliever until their eyes begin to be opened by the Holy Spirit.
Compassion for others including the lost, the unlovable, the wretched etc, is something that may be difficult to muster up for a person. But the love of God being poured out in a person's life brings about a new heart and love for the lost. Compassion is something Jesus demonstrated and taught on routinely.
James wraps up his letter with several key principles in living a life of victory in Jesus.
James discusses the responsibility teachers of the Word have before God and also keeping what we say under control and not blowing our witness by gossip, slander or being a loud mouth as well as wisdom that comes from above
Examining what simple faith is and how it allows access into God's grace is very encouraging for the person who is serious about Jesus. Simply trusting in Him and His Word opens the door for the supernatural relationship to begin where we can now experience the Holy Spirit and the life we were meant to have.
James writes about worldliness in a believer's life commanding followers of Christ to resist the devil which causes him to flee. Also he touches on foolish boasting.
The book of James is one I go to when I need a spiritual tune up. The writer is pretty blunt and pulls no punches when discussing sin and our responsibility to walk in a way that is pleasing to God.
When our kids leave the nest our relationship automatically changes. When that change occurs parents now have new opportunities to bless their kids and grandkids when they arrive however, in this new path of life there are landmines we need to be aware of and avoid if we want to continue enjoying our kids.
James discusses showing favoritism and having a superficial faith that is void of actual evidence.
As believers, holidays can be really cool as we celebrate the Lord and all He has done for us. But when we are around unbelieving friends and family it can be challenging to enjoy the event. But treating those around us like Jesus treats us can really have a lasting impact and show our loved ones the love of God instead of coming off as religious fanatics that can't have any fun.
We experienced some teen drama when our kids arrived there but really the teen years, if prepared for, can actually be great years with your kids. By their mid teens, our kids were behaving better than we anticipated, we still had drama and attitudes, but overall our kids were ready enough to leave the house when they turned 18 and begin their own lives. The teen years were for our kids were not as crazy as I expected and we still spent time together as a family.
Toddlers soak up instruction so we tried to input as much age appropriate instruction into our kids as we could. But it took preparation and homework to understand what age is appropriate for instruction. And our kids did fine.
As believers we have a responsibility to build up the body of Christ or the Church. Speaking to another in love and truth is part of that process where we are used by God to build up others. This process is contagious and is used by the Lord to strengthen believers as well as to witness to unbelievers.
In Christ a person has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them giving them the power, direction, encouragement etc to fight the battle of faith and bring light into this dark world. Sadly, as we grow older in Christ, many step back to the sidelines and sort of opt out of the battle. But those who stay in the battle still have the power of God in them no matter how old they are and they are still making a difference for the kingdom.
We discovered we must learn our kids to more effectively parent them. Learning them means studying their behavior, discover what they do and do not like and what natural things they are good at, then let them be the kids God created them to be.
Marriage is crucial in raising a family. And a marriage obedient to the Scriptures opens the doors of opportunity to see God's hand at work in the family.
Our home can be a picture of heaven if we understand a things about heaven itself. Purging our homes of wicked things is one of the first things we can do to push toward this goal.
Church history is a subject that is not only vast but also pretty complicated. But knowing some things about church history and where many of the mainstream churches originated helps the student of Scripture understand defending the faith often ends up in conflict where churches split and also how complacent churches settle into a religious state far away from the Gospel. This episode will explore a very brief summary of European church history.
In our experience with our new baby there were a few things we did that helped us set the tone for our parenting. Most of them we can chalk up as successes and a few of them didn't get us to the place we thought it would.
Making good memories in a family is huge. We learned early in our parenting experience, by seeking advice, that making our own special memories is something that strengthen that bond between parents and kids. And it worked.
I had an opinion about church kids when we were new believers based on my experience growing up with some of them. Many of them were weird in my opinion and I didn't want my kids to be weird. I wanted then to be well-rounded, mature, socially accepted and most important - I wanted them to know Jesus. We focused on teaching our kids about Jesus knowing we are all sinners and that they were going to disobey God and us throughout the course of their lives but we stayed the course and did our best to raise them that they may be profitable in God's kingdom.
A real prayer life with Jesus, where we are talking to Him continually and obeying His Word, offers the believer a much better defense in the battle of life that those who don't take it seriously. Pray is essential in a believer's life. It's where cool stuff happens and when you are trusting in God for His provision for your marriage and family He delivers.
Jeremiah, one of the major prophets of the Old Testament had a pretty rough ministry. His calling was to tell the wicked kingdom of Judah and all its leaders that they would be conquered by an enemy king who God was bringing up against them for their rebellion. In his time he was persecuted many times but God always stood by him because Jeremiah was faithful to his calling.
I spoke with a young mother of a small tribe about parenting. She encouraged me to publish something that would help the young parents who are desperately seeking biblical principles for raising their children. This series is an attempt to share my journey as a parent and what my wife and I did to prepare and stay sane during our parenting years. I will emphasize several times that the information is my take on things based on my victories and failures as a father. In the end our kids turned out good and are now raising their own kids.
People outside church can have a negative view of church people. The problem, of course is that all church people don't have the same commitment to Jesus. But understanding that a person who follows Jesus is simply a believer trusting Jesus regardless if they attend a church. Whereas a person who attends a church is not necessarily a follower of Jesus.
Paul arrives in Rome awaiting trial and spends 2 years in Rome. This is the final chapter in this amazing story of the Acts of the Holy Spirit through those believers who were serious about Jesus. The book ends abruptly as if there is more to the story. And there is. The same Holy Spirit is still impacting this world through believers.
As we search for identity in this world, we must understand we were created in the image of God therefore our identity should be in Him. When we have surrendered to Him being changed from darkness to light, our identity takes on an entirely different meaning. We now live for Jesus and it's awesome.
Pastors are responsible for shepherding their flocks or congregations. We will take a closer look at the role of a pastor.
Paul is headed off to Rome on a ship. He will become shipwrecked on the journey but still trusting in the Lord he will soon be in Rome.
Believers are supposed be a light in this dark world. Voting is one way we can be a light in this dark world. Being a good witness in our political views involves means we look at the issues and bump them against scripture not a particular political philosophy. And diligently praying for ALL our leaders is biblical and expected for children of God.
Paul is now standing before the new governor, Festus and makes his case appealing to the next higher court - the emperor or Rome - Nero.
Many people in the Scriptures dealt with fear beyond what we have experienced. Overcoming fear by trusting Jesus allows us to walk in faith knowing it's going to be alright. He has the answers.
There are many people in the Scriptures who God raises up for the time to steer people back to Him. Jehoiada the priest was one of those. His faithfulness in ousting a wicked queen, who had taken the throne of Judah by murdering off the royal family, led the people back to a place of reverence for God. Sadly his name along with many other men and women in Scriptures is often forgotten in the pulpits of the modern churches.
Paul is now standing before the governor answering to the allegations brought about by the leaders in Jerusalem.
Paul is standing before the Jewish leaders to make his defense and ends up causing another big disturbance leading the Roman leader to pull him out and send Paul off to Caesarea to the governor - Felix.
Wrapping up the series on the Fruit of the Spirit self control is something everybody needs. For believers the supernatural power of God allows us to exercise self control at a level we normally wouldn't have the ability to do.
Jesus makes reference to those faithful followers calling them laborers. He adds "the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few." People may have the idea that laborers simply refer to church staff but really all children of God are the laborers and as such we must understand we all play a part in the harvest.
Paul is now standing before the Roman authorities for the outrage caused by the Jews in Jerusalem.
Temptation is not sin. If we submit to a temptation that we know is sin, then we sin. If we resist the temptation and surrender it to the Lord, then we achieve victory over it. Recognizing temptation and being ready for it, is critical in a successful relationship with Jesus.
Paul makes his way to Jerusalem where the Holy Spirit has told him that he will suffer. Many people also hear from the Holy Spirit that Paul will suffer and try to persuade him not to go but Paul understands Jerusalem is on God's path for him and he will go knowing suffering awaits him.
Meekness is a word that we really don't hear a lot and most do not desire to be known as "meek" because of its negative connotation but what the word really means becomes important to the child of God in our relationship with Jesus and others.
Paul departs from Ephesus and later calls the leaders together and tells them this will be the last time they see him.
Jesus uses the phrase workers of iniquity to describe religious people who outwardly have a profession of faith but inwardly no relationship with Him preventing them from inheriting the Kingdom.
Paul teaches in Ephesus for 2 years as the Holy Spirit performs many miracles greatly impacting the city for Jesus.
As believers we walk by faith and not by sight. Our faith is not a blind faith rather a faith in something we know is real because we can experience Jesus and the radical things He can do in our lives.
Bring forgiven for our wickedness is something I wish everyone could experience. And as forgiven people we must also be forgiving people, forgiving those who have wronged us. This is hard but with the power of God's love at work in us He makes the way clear for us to forgive and free up our lives from the control and agony inflicted on us by others.
Paul lands in the corrupt city of Corinth and begins ministering there. We are introduced to a couple named Aquila and his wife Priscilla from Italy as well as a man from Alexandria Egypt named Apollos.
Paul leaves the city of Philippi and visits other cities where he finds opportunities to minister the gospel and opposition that drives him on to the next city.
Understanding that in Christ we are reconciled to Him because the penalty for our sin was administered to Him on the Cross is a foundational component of our relationship with Him. Being forgiven and seeking forgiveness continually brings about a relationship with Jesus that is real and life changing.
I really enjoy encouragement every once and a while. But it seems like there are spells where it isn't happening and I get bummed. One way to overcome this is to be that person who encourages others. You may not get a whole lot in return immediately but bringing light into someone's life when they need it can really help us when we need it too.
In the beginning God created everything good. We screwed it up. But God still remains the source of true goodness and by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, God's goodness is available for us to receive and to pour out.
King David wrote Psalm 22 about1000 years before Christ. In this Psalm we see the crucifixion of Jesus foretold matching the words and actions of the crucifixion.
Kindness is demonstrated by God throughout the Scriptures. When the Holy Spirit is calling the shots in our lives, the Kindness of God is present to use according to His will. It's not our own natural kindness, which falls short, rather the supernatural kindness of our God available to His children.
Paul and his traveling companions are led to Macedonia by the Holy Spirit. They end up in the Roman City/Colony of Philippi where they have an interesting experience and end up unjustifiably punished and thrown in Jail.
As believers friends can play a huge role in our relationship with the lord buy building us up and by us building them up. It's mutually beneficial. But good friendships are not easy to find and sometimes our close friends can tear us down. This is my take on friendships and how to find and maintain friends who will not throw you under the bus.
In my opinion Acts 15 is one of the most important theological chapters in the Scriptures. It is here that the rules of religion are dumped and the freedom in Christ alone is proclaimed at what is referred to as the Jerusalem council. Believers conform to Jesus not religion and that is refreshing.
Ruth's redemption is complete and her new life with Boaz provides Naomi with a grandson and a hope once again.
Patience is very valuable to a person in their relationships. God is patience and when we are walking by faith and not by sight, He grants us patience by simply trusting in Him and putting off the old person that we once were.
We worry way too much and worrying about things we cannot change hinders our lives unnecessarily. Trusting in Jesus is antidote to worrying.
The story of Ruth is a beautiful story of redemption painting a picture of God's love for us.
Continuing in this series on the Fruit of the Spirit we discuss peace and how the Lord offers that peace to anyone who believes.
Ruth is introduced to Boaz who shows great compassion on her and allows her to work in his field during harvest.
Continuing the study on the fruit of the Spirit, Joy is next on the list. Joy comes when Jesus inundates our souls with his presence and we realize that we are secure in Him forever. The natural response is joy.
James the Apostles is killed by Herod and Peter is next on the list and in jail awaiting his execution. During the night he is delivered by an angel.
In this series we will look at the effect the Holy Spirit brings into our lives upon receiving Him. The effect or "Fruit" of the Holy Spirit is necessary in our lives if we want to have a close relationship with Jesus. Not only do we receive the fruit but we also must allow it to bud, blossom and prepare it to be used for God's intended purposes.
Peter explains to the church leaders that the Gentiles have received the Holy Spirit. This is alarming at first to them but ultimately they realize it's God's universe not theirs. Also Barnabas goes to Tarsus to get Paul and brings him to the church in Antioch which is seeing a great move of God.
The church at the time of the book of Acts was primarily Jewish. The thinking of the Jewish mind was that their position in the Kingdom of God was exclusive because God chose them, gave them the Law (of Moses) and temple for the center of worship. Little did they know that the non-Jewish (Gentiles) world would be opened up to the family of God. And God uses Peter to kick it off.
Jesus is our Good Shepherd and as we draw closer to Him and become like sheep to a shepherd, He will lead us to those places where we can see His work being done in our lives.
Acts 9 documents the famous "road to Damascus" experience where the young, zealous Pharisee named Saul has a life changing encounter with the risen Jesus whom he vowed to stamp out of existence.
Fellowship with God and other believers is vital in our relationships within the family of God. Finding like-minded people who want to seek the Lord and glorify His name however, is not as easy as one would think. Fellowship strengthens us and allows us to minister to others creating in us a heart to serve the Lord even more.
Acts 8 introduces Simon Magnus who would in church history become a false teacher and deceive many. Also Samarians receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and Phillip baptized a royal official from Ethiopia.
Barnabas is a name students of Scripture will recognize as a traveling companion of Paul the Apostle but a closer look into the ministry of Barnabas we see much more to this man than a companion of Paul.
Stephen, after a powerful defense for the Gospel before the Jewish leaders, is stoned to death becoming the first martyr for Jesus.
Barabbas was on his way to be crucified for a crime he committed. But upon being presented to the crowd he was set free and Jesus was instead crucified as the crowd demanded the Innocent die and the guilty set free. A powerful picture of our own salvation as Jesus paid the debt we owed that we could never pay.
Acts Ch. 6 shows how to deal with overworked ministers. We are also introduced to Stephen who will become the first martyr of Jesus.
The word Bema was used to describe a seat of judgment. We, as believers, need to understand that we are also going to undergo a judgement from Jesus at the Bema of Christ or the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is where the believers are rewarded for their faithfulness to Jesus. We should look at that day as test day where everything we do in response to His instructions will receive a grade. Sort of like a report card.
Psalm 16 shares the heart of King David toward God as David acknowledges all the goodness that God has shown him over the years.
Acts 5 - the preaching of the Word continues in the temple causing a lot of drama for the religious elites.
In our lives as believers we are constantly facing obstacles that hinder our relationship with God. Choosing to walk in the light and not trying to walk in the light as well as the darkness is key to victory in our relationship with Jesus.
Prayer is one of the most neglected parts of many believer's lives but when we consciously put our minds to prayer we can then expect God to answer and see things happen as the Scriptures promises.
The church is growing and the believers are growing more bold in their witness. The religious establishment wants no part of it and attempts to silence them despite the power of God being demonstrated in healing of a lame man.
Acts Ch 3 begins with Peter and John healing a lame man. This turns in to an opportunity to share the gospel with all those in the immediate area - the Temple. Peter then delivers a powerful sermon to the listeners.
Throughout the Scriptures we meet people God ultimately uses mightily. Many of them are really unfit in society's eyes to be used by God to do great things but God uses them anyway and accomplishes His purposes through that person. For those that feeling no confidence in serving God, there is power for anyone who denies themselves, takes up their cross and follow Him. He will do great things through a person like this.
Acts chapter 2 tells how the church was born by the power of the Holy Spirit. The supernatural power Jesus promised now came upon the disciples allowing them to become witnesses for Jesus.
Music is a powerful tool to worship the Lord but is equally powerful in its ability to sway a believer's heart to darkness. The Scriptures say a lot about music and singing and becoming familiar with what the Scriptures say helps us understand the beautiful gift music can be.
Continuing the discussion on music in the Scriptures, the old music that glorifies the world and evil is lodged in our memories and it hinders our relationship with God.
Jesus tells his disciples in Luke 9:23 “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. " What does this mean and what application does it have for believers today?
Brokenness is something that really not a lot of people desire for their lives but God meets the broken where they are and begins to put them back together piece by piece the way He wants to do things. And learning to live in a spiritually broken state, realizing our own efforts are nothing if God's not in them, can strengthen our relationship with God like few other things can.
Perspective is key in understanding controversy. Jesus shocked people doing what they felt was highly inappropriate in God's eyes when in fact it was not rather it expressed the love of God which the opposition had missed.
Racism plagues mankind and the church. We can't change anything until we address our own sin. Looking in the mirror and judging ourselves is the first thing we must do to if we want to make a difference.
Things I have learned over the years dealing with many people and gaining insight into culture.
Mentors are vital in our lives and mentors of different races can really broaden our perspective teaching us things we are oblivious to and help us understand our differences as well as our own ignorance.
The disciples had many moments of failure in the gospels trying to follow Jesus. Their experiences should comfort us when we falter because they did too. As they learned more about Jesus they became stronger in their faith and after the resurrection when they received the gift of the Holy Spirit their faith became solid. Our journey with Jesus is a journey of faith and as we mature in Christ we can expect our faith to grow as well.
Suffering is experienced by everyone and in the Scriptures we see that suffering creates a process where we grow as believers as we watch the hand of God work through the circumstances.
Suffering is a part of life for everyone. God's love is in our suffering if the Holy Spirit is in control of our lives and the maturing process suffering initiates allows us to become strengthened in our faith which brings about many cool things.
The hope of eternal life has been a hot topic among humans since the beginning and many religions have their teaching on the after-life. In Christ we have a new life when we receive Him by faith and there is change in our being as we begin to communicate with God now knowing God is real and if God is real then we can trust His Word. If we trust His word then death has a different path for the believer that is glorious.
Understanding biblical basics is necessary for anyone desiring to know Jesus. Many professing Christians have very little knowledge of the New Testament much less the Old Testament really causing them to miss out on many cool things. One area of understanding that helps clarify the Scriptures is the nation Israel. Jacob, whose name was changed by God to Israel, is the father of the nation Israel and the Jews. Understanding who he was and the covenants made with his family can give us a better understanding of the Law (God's covenant with Israel) and the New Covenant (God's covenant with all humanity).
Honoring parents pleases God. Even if a parent of both are not honorable people or have done things that have hurt their children, when children show honor to their parents it is a good witness to everyone including the parents. It may be difficult but stand your ground and give your parents honor. This pleases God.
Jesus describes following Him as a narrow gate and a difficult way or road. Most of us want to live a good life but how do we life a good life if it's difficult and narrow? Simple, we look at what is truly good in life and realize that it's not easy to obtain. But when we strive to enter that narrow gate and endure the difficult way true goodness is there.
Maintaining our witness or in other words being a good example of a follower of Jesus is very important in our lives for several reasons. We represent the Jesus of the Bible not a watered-down version of Him. People need to see who Jesus is and if we are following Him faithfully others will see His goodness in us.
Is there information in the Scriptures on a healthy sexual relationships? Yes. Check it out.
We can get victory over our defeated sexual relationship with our spouse if we simply obey the Lord and abide in His love. It's simple but we can make it difficult by our selfishness and refusing to obey. But when we do obey we will see His love and power enter our marriage and address many issues including our sexual relationship.
Fornication introduces emotional and physical toxins into our marriage. Repenting of fornication can bring about new life in our sexual relationship with our spouse.
Purity is huge in God's sight and many of us have tossed out our purity like a bag of trash. How can we get our purity back? Trust Jesus and be washed.
Recovering from Fornication. How can we move beyond our fornication into a blessed sexual relationship?
Understanding our spouse from a biblical perspective helps mend our relationships. Things that we do, if according to the the Scriptures, can bring about a newness in our sexual relationship with our spouse.
God created sex to be good. We are the ones that have messed everything up. How do we get back to that place where our sexual relationship with our spouse is good? We trust Jesus with our sexual relationship and behave in a manner that is consistent with the Scriptures. Then we can expect the blessings from God to land upon our marriages.
Throughout the Scriptures, both Old Testament and New Testament, we see references to books in the presences of God. The Book of Life contains names of those who belong to God. Getting our names in that book requires a sincere relationship with Jesus where we surrender to His will and obey Him. Those written in the Book of Life inherit eternal life.
Psalm 23 is a famous passage in Scripture and many have heard of it, or at least portions of it, recited at weddings or funerals. Growing up as a shepherd himself, King David expresses his love for God as his Shepherd and using shepherd language explains what God has done for him and why he loves Him.
Believers may have seasons in their lives where they return to things that God has delivered them from. This is called backsliding. God does not leave nor forsake those He calls His own but we can walk away from Him and find ourselves in the same old lifestyles as before we knew Him. If we want to return it's as easy as simply denying ourselves, taking up our cross and following Him again.
Acts 2:42 is a fundamental verse in the Scriptures where the simple instruction, when practiced, enriches a believer's life.
Breaking down Philippians Ch. 4 verse 6 we find encouragement as we see the recipe for peace in our lives.
The Roman soldier's breastplate protected his heart and other vital organs. The Apostle Paul calls our righteousness a breastplate for spiritual warfare protecting our hearts from wickedness which weakens and ultimately defeats a soldier.
Using Roman armor as an illustration, the piece of the armor that held everything together is the belt. The belt was centrally located and secured the other critical armor together. The Apostle Paul uses the belt to illustrate the truth of the Gospel and how it is also central to holding everything together.
Spiritual Warfare Part 1 is the introduction to this multi-part series discussing the reality of the spiritual war that we are all in regardless of our knowledge or belief in it.
The Roman soldiers used shoes with spikes coming out of the bottom of the sole for traction. The Apostle Paul compares the shoes to the Gospel of peace.
Abiding in Jesus, making our permanent home in Him, involves our willingness to trust Him. When we learn that we can actually trust Jesus with everything in our lives, we have moved in to that place of abiding.
The word disciple comes from the word discipline. When we receive discipline it is often not something we enjoy. But God disciplines those He loves and the discipline is very profitable for the believer if we receive it in faith that God is teaching me something I need to know.
Understanding the structure of the Bible helps to grasp the overall message of redemption for humanity. In this episode the breakdown of books contained within the Bible is discussed allowing us to learn more about the Scriptures,
Cain was a man who knew God but allowed his own wickedness to take control of him to the point that he murdered his innocent brother Abel. Instead of putting Cain to death, God allowed Cain to wander under a curse that Cain put on himself by allowing sin to control him. God calls wanderers like Cain to come home to Him but requires faith and obedience to really make it work. All the while His mercy and grace are present for the one seeking Him.
John the Baptist experienced doubt regarding Jesus as the Messiah or Christ as many other did and still do. But Jesus is concealed in the Old Testament in many passages and revealed in the New Testament.
Jesus encounters a non-Jewish Roman Centurion who demonstrates unusual humility and faith. As a result of the man's faith Jesus heals the man's sick servant.
In the book of Acts chapter 4 the disciples, under threats from the religious establishment, pray fervently in the manner Jesus instructed them when He taught them to pray. God answered their prayer.
The disciples realized their way of ritualized prayer was not effective so they asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Jesus gave them a model for prayer that is solid and changes the way we pray.
The Scriptures reveal Jesus not only as the Christ (or Messiah) but actually as the Creator of all things. Can we know this for sure or more importantly can we accept this?
Worship connects us with God in a way that is very evident. When we come to Him with a right heart and motive God does great things.
The Word "lord" in the New Testament carries the idea of a master or owner. If Jesus is our lord then we are his servants and as servants we must obey Him.
The fear of the Lord is repeated several times in scriptures with many great promised for those that fear Him. Many misunderstand the phrase.
Humans are created with a body, mind and spirit. Our spirit connects with God's Spirit as children of God and His Spirit guides us through life. The problem is we have this body and it's natural cravings that are contrary to God's Spirit and we need to understand the battle to be victorious.
Jesus calls us to love our enemies and which is very difficult without the power of God pouring into our lives. But with it we can love our enemies, free ourselves from the control they may have in our minds and be a witness for Jesus.
Jeremiah was a prophet from God and had a very difficult ministry to his people. He suffered for his obedience to God and later saw God's hand protecting him the entire time.
Moses' older brother Aaron acted as Moses' helper in the Exodus. He made mistakes but God maintained Aaron and established the Jewish priesthood through Aaron.
When we receive Christ, He does an amazing thing in us and will continue that work until it's complete. However, we have the responsibility of rejecting the former things of our life that were contrary to God and putting on the new things that please Him. This brings victory.
Jeremiah had a tough calling from God. He was responsible for telling a rebellious, proud nation that judgment for their wickedness was coming. The religious leaders and other rulers didn't want to hear it but Jeremiah couldn't contain the words that God put in his heart. So he suffered at their hands but through the suffering the hand of God was continually upon him.
God qualifies the unqualified for the work of the Kingdom of God. You may be surprised at what God has in store for you.
In Christ we have been shown mercy and receive mercy continually. We now have the obligation, since we have received such great mercy, to show mercy to others.
Be aware of those ministries that are geared toward simply trashing every ministry they don't like. Addressing false doctrine is one thing but laying the hate on anyone who doesn't conform to a their way of thinking is unbiblical.
Waiting on the Lord can be frustrating but as we grow in our relationship with Jesus, waiting proves to be very beneficial.
Adam and Eve were given the garden as a home. They rebelled and found themselves alienated from God. He called out to them "where are you?" knowing where they were but not things have changed and their relationship was compromised. Like us, they found themselves in a place where they wanted to run from God but He still pursued them because He loved them. And he loves us as well, even in our rebellion.
The Bible is a small library of 66 books written by around 40 authors over a 1500 year period of time. It's consistent theme, prophecy and accuracy still stand up against critic's allegations of it's unreliability.
Jonah was tasked with traveling to the capital city of the Assyrian empire (Nineveh) and "call out against it" (proclaim judgment upon it). The result was Jonah asked God to take his life because God had mercy upon the city and relented from judgment which Jonah didn't agree with. Jonah's anxiety over the entire ordeal is evident.
A child of God's hope is not only for this life but eternity. Anyone can access this hope because it is a gift from God so our own screwy past does not void the gift.
Learning to fight the battles of God starts with obedience and letting God call the shots. He takes vengeance on behalf of believers and we are instructed not to seek vengeance rather let God have room to deal with the wicked as He did when He pulled us out of wickedness.
Jesus said I came to give them life and that more abundantly. What does that mean? I will give my take on this based on my experience as a believer.
Many places in the Scriptures we see God communicating with His people. He often lays out the plan and outcome with the condition that "if" you obey "then" I will make it happen. In this episode we discuss some of the "if and then" promises using King Asa's reign as an example.
King Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs for his son. In chapters 5, 6 & 7 he warns his son about the trap of adultery.
Jepthat was an illegitimate son who was banished from his family. He became a leader of Israel and made an innocent vow that blew up in his face.
Michaiah was a prophet in the Old Testament that appeared before the wicked King Ahab upon summons. Michaiah had a reputation for speaking what the Lord told him and standing firm in his convictions. He rebuked Ahab to his face and ended up in prison without compromising.
While asleep in prison for preaching Christ to the people, Peter is set free by an angel.
King Josiah reads the Word of God for the first time and realized why things are so screwed up in his kingdom. He obeys God's newly discovered commands and sets things straight during his reign.
In this episode we discuss the spiritual birth into the family of God experienced by every true child of God.
In this episode we discuss the meaning of baptism as well as the different baptisms in the scriptures.
Brief intro to the podcast and host. The Podcast's purpose: Share the Scriptures to those outside a traditional church, teaching listeners whose lives are wrecks that they can find a new life in Jesus without belonging to a local church or becoming stereotypically "religious."
Followers of Jesus are told to simply "deny yourselves, take up your cross and follow Jesus." The simplicity yet depth of this command leads the broken to a new life that is very cool and adventurous.
King Manasseh was an evil man and despite God warning him to changes his ways Manasseh continued defying and offending God. Manasseh was captured, taken into exile and repented. He was restored as King and changed his ways.