Hold Fast Apologetics

What Does Scripture Say?

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A former Speech and Language Pathologist for nearly 20 years, I began educating our 3 children full-time in 2015 and have cherished every gifted moment (even the challenges). But what is interwoven into all aspects of daily life (as a wife, via motherhood, teaching, friendship, fitness, etc.) is Christian Apologetics (1 Peter 3:15)… which is why this blog exists.
  • A Collection of Scripture about Hope

    A Collection of Scripture about Hope

    Dear Sister, you might be gazing at this post with a deep longing for encouragement. For this very reason, it’s my genuine prayer that the words shared below (Scriptures) will fill your heart and mind today,…as they are the only ones which can truly meet the real need you hold.

    Elisabeth Elliot, one of my favorite authors, penned trust with these words “If my life is surrendered to God, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safer in mine!” Be encouraged, friends- what is unknown to us, is known by God. (Psalm 139; Hebrews 4:13) What appears impossible to us, is not to God (Luke 1:37) And while we may not understand His plans, we can certainly trust His heart. (James 4:7; Proverbs 3:5) Wherever you may be right now, take a breath and pray. No question is too lofty; no sorrow is too deep; and no past is beyond His Grace. The hope God provides through His Son and in His Words (Bible) will be sufficient. God’s got you!

    What is the Gospel? 3 minutes with Greg Koukl

    Jeremiah 29:11
    For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

    Romans 15:13
    May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

    Romans 12:12
    Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

    Psalms‬ ‭34:18‬ “The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he delivers those who are discouraged.”

    Hebrews 11:1
    Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

    Isaiah 40:31
    But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

    Romans 8:24-25
    For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

    1 Peter 1:3
    Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

    Romans 15:4
    For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

    Psalm 39:7
    “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.

    1 Corinthians 13:13
    So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

    Colossians 1:27
    To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

    Romans 5:5
    And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

    Deuteronomy 31:6
    Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

    Romans 8:25
    But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

    Romans 5:2-5
    Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

    Revelation 21:4
    He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

    Proverbs 23:18
    Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

    2 Corinthians 4:16-18
    So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

    Proverbs 24:14
    Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

    Psalm 71:5
    For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.

    Isaiah 41:10
    Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

    Titus 3:7
    So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

    1 Peter 3:15
    But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

    Zephaniah 3:17
    The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

    Hebrews 6:19
    We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,

    1 Thessalonians 5:8
    But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

    Psalm 31:24
    Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!

    Lamentations 3:24
    “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

    Hebrews 10:23
    Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

    Psalm 119:114
    You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.

    Jeremiah 17:7
    “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.

    Romans 8:24
    For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?

    Titus 2:13
    Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

    Ephesians 1:18
    Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

    Psalm 71:14
    But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.

    Psalm 33:18
    Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,

    Mark 9:23
    And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

    Proverbs 13:12
    Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

    1 Thessalonians 1:3
    Remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Psalm 130:5
    I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;

    Psalm 33:22
    Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

    John 3:16
    “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

    Psalm 147:11
    But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

    1 Corinthians 15:19
    If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

    Galatians 5:5
    For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.

    1 John 3:3
    And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

    Titus 1:2 ESV
    In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

    Psalm 9:18
    For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

    Titus 1:1-2
    Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

    Romans 8:28
    And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

    1 Peter 1:13
    Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

    Job 11:18
    And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security.

    Psalm 42:11
    Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

    Psalm 146:5
    Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,

    Ephesians 4:4
    There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—

    Psalm 62:5
    For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

    Micah 7:7
    But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

    Psalm 10:17
    O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

    Philippians 3:13-14
    Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

    1 Thessalonians 4:13
    But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

    Hebrews 6:18-19
    So that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,

    1 Timothy 6:17
    As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

    2 Corinthians 3:12
    Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,

    Hebrews 3:6
    But Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

    Psalm 43:5
    Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

    1 Corinthians 2:9
    But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—

    Psalm 119:81
    My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.

    Romans 5:2
    Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

    2 Timothy 1:7
    For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

    Matthew 11:28
    Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

    Psalm 23:1-6
    A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. …

    1 Timothy 1:1
    Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

    2 Corinthians 5:17
    Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

    Matthew 25:21
    His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

    Romans 4:18
    In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”

    Romans 8:18
    For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

    Joel 3:16
    The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.

    Psalm 130:7
    O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.

    Proverbs 10:28
    The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

    Romans 5:3-4
    More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

    Zechariah 9:12
    Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.

    Matthew 12:21
    And in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

    Numbers 23:19
    God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

    1 Peter 5:10
    And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

    1 Peter 1:21
    Who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

    Colossians 1:23
    If indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

    Lamentations 3:21
    But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

    Job 13:15
    Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.

    Colossians 1:5
    Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,

    Psalm 78:7
    So that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;

    Ephesians 2:12
    Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

    Hebrews 6:11
    And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end,

    Acts 24:15
    Having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.

    Psalm 25:5
    Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

    2 Corinthians 4:17-18
    For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

    Psalm 38:15
    But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.

    Ephesians 3:20-21
    Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

    Proverbs 18:10
    The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

    John 14:27
    Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

    Philippians 1:6
    And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

  • Did Jesus Teach “Christ Consciousness?” (By Steven Bancarz)

    Did Jesus Teach “Christ Consciousness?” (By Steven Bancarz)

    What exactly is, “Christ Consciousness?” Below you will find an article written by Steven Bancarz, a former New Age writer and teacher, which not only provides a definition of Christ Consciousness but also includes a Biblical Perspective. Per his apologetics website, Reasons for Jesus, Steven gave his life to Jesus in 2015, and “has since been in full-time ministry after exposing the deception of the New Age movement.” It’s my hope and prayer that Steven’s post below provides the Biblical answers you need as to confidently answer the question provided in the title, “Did Jesus Teach Christ Consciousness?” Keep reading God’s Word (the Bible), Sisters…and by it, test everything that is said, and hold on to what is good! His, Mer

    A brief answer to the title? No, Jesus didn’t.

    Facebook Post written by Steven Bancarz:

    March 1, 2022

    Did Jesus teach Christ Consciousness? In the New Age, it’s believed that “Christ” references the I Am Presence within all things. Jesus is thus someone who became Christ by realizing His intrinsic connection to Source, and it’s claimed that His real teachings lead us to the state of Higher Consciousness that He obtained that we may be Christ too. Jesus taught us how to access our own divinity and live from the Christ Consciousness He accessed in Himself. I used to teach this myself, **but Jesus actually teaches something much different, and we can be sure of this for several reasons:

    1) Jesus warned twice in Mat. 24 against those who claimed to be “Christ”, claiming this would be a sign of deception before the end of the age. “I Am Christ” is what many will say to deceive others. This teaching of Christ consciousness is not only absent from Jesus ministry, it’s something He warned of as a coming deception.

    2) The promise of god-hood is the first lie told to man by Satan in the Garden (Gen. 3:3-5). Jesus came to “destroy the works of the devil” (1 Jn. 3:8), the first of which was to convince man they could become God. Jesus came into the world to clean up the mess that unfolded when people (Adam and Eve) were allured away from the truth into the pursuit of self-godhood.

    3) Jesus says John the Baptist was the most spiritually advanced man ever (next to Himself), and John denied being “Christ” twice. If greatest man ever isn’t Christ and didn’t become it, then “Christ” is not a state of consciousness belonging to the spiritually advanced. Moses, David, Abraham, and every other spiritual giant in history couldn’t knock at John’s door. If John still wasn’t a Christ, than neither are we.

    4) “Christos” in the Greek is used hundreds of times in the NT, and every time it references a person; Jesus. It never references an “it”, but only a “he”. This word is never used in a sense compatible with an impersonal force or a state of mind, or any other “it”. It is only used in just one sense; as a title for the personal Messiah. “Christ” is said to have died for our sins, been buried, and raised bodily from the dead. “Christos” is a personal word referencing Jesus, and never anyone or anything else.

    5) The Bible tells us that we are not divine beings who can ascend to godhood. We are “but men” (Ps. 9:20), “men and no gods “ (Ez. 28:9), and “man and not gods” (Eze. 31:3). We are not gods with amnesia, and all those in Scripture who claimed to be gods were issued the death penalty by God (Acts 12:20-23, Eze. 28:1-10, Isa. 14:12-22). The Bible has a lot to say about the pursuit of Godhood, but only in the context of it being sin worthy of judgement.  

    What Jesus really taught is that He is the divine Saviour, we are human sinners in need of redemption, that in His life, death, and resurrection Heaven has been earned for us, and if we repent of our sins and trust in Him we will receive the free gift of eternal life and be reconciled unto God.  

    For more on this teaching of Christ consciousness from a Biblical perspective:

    13 minutes by Steven Bancarz

    Additional Resources

    ✏️What is Christ Consciousness by GotQuestions.org

    ✏️ Reasons for Jesus

    ✏️Christian Answers for the New Age

    3h 12m with Steven Bancarz and Alisa Childers
    33 minutes
    48 minutes
  • The 7 Letters to the 7 Churches

    The 7 Letters to the 7 Churches

    The following 7 sermons were both prepared and delivered by Pastor Brock Graham from Redeemer Bible Church in Greenwood, Indiana: https://www.redeemerbible.church/sermons/

    It’s my prayer that these messages from the Book of Revelation not only get us into God’s Word with greater fervency, but also with hearts which listen. Also included at the end of this post is a documentary called, “Trial and Triumph: Revelations’ Churches,” produced by Appian Media (not directly connected to Redeemer Bible Church). Sisters, let’s keep His Word close throughout the day…as God’s Words are the ones we need filling our hearts and minds the most. Love, Mer

    Revelation 1:1-20 “The Prologue”

    The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

    Greeting to the Seven Churches

    4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

    Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

    To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

    8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

    Vision of the Son of Man

    9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

    12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

    17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

    Teaching begins at 33 minutes

    To the Church of Ephesus

    Revelation 2 :1-7

    “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

    2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

    Message begins around the 33-minute mark

    To the Church in Smyrna

    Revelation 2:8-11

    And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

    9 “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander[a] of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

    Message begins @ 30-minute mark

    To the Church in Pergamum

    Revelation 2:12-17

    And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

    13 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

    Message begins @ 32-minute mark

    To the Church in Thyatira

    Revelation 2:18-29

    “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

    19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,27 and he will rule[c] them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

    Message begins around the 28-minute mark

    To the Church in Sardis

    Revelation 3:1-6

    And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

    “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

    Teaching starts around the 30-minute mark

    To the Church in Philadelphia

    Revelation 3:7-13

    “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

    8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

    Sermon Notes: https://notes.subsplash.com/fill-in/view?page=DeNqFvcHiB

    Message begins around the 28-minute mark

    To the Church in Laodicea

    Revelation 3:14-22

    And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

    15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

    Message begins around the 37-minute mark
    1h 55m
  • 💌 An Email to Friends About the Enneagram

    💌 An Email to Friends About the Enneagram

    Dear Sister,

    Would you please pray alongside me for the Church?

    This prayer request is specifically regarding the Enneagram and it’s surprising impact upon numerous hearts. You see, while the Enneagram is marketed primarily as a personality assessment…there is more to it than our friends realize. Please allow me to explain…

    When the nine-pointed shape was designed around the turn of the 20th century by early New Ager, George Gurdjieff, it was done with a Gnostic worldview in mind. Gnosticism is the belief that everyone is inherently divine (given a “divine spark”)…and that with extra help, someone can obtain “hidden knowledge” (gnosis) regarding that spark. This concept led Gurdjieff to create the shape as a way of gleaning secret wisdom particularly about the universe.

    In addition to the shape, the Types were also formulated via practices that did not include God. In the late 1960’s, Claudio Naranjo, a Chilean Psychologist, derived the personality types via Automatic Writing…which is a form of Divination. This means that he was “channeling” and/or “dictating” information given to him via spirit guides, which we can also term, “disobedient spirits.” Why seek wisdom from these sources? The basic premise of this tool was to uncover what the New Age Movement calls the “True Self” or the “Divine Self.” A divine nature that (in their worldview) was given to all of creation…to God and Jesus, as well. Yep, they believe both God and Jesus were created beings.

    Biblically, two major red flags jump-out at us here: 🚩First, the act of Divination is strongly prohibited by God in both the Old and New Testaments (Deut 18; Lev 19; Acts 16 & 19). Seeking guidance and wisdom through any spirit other than the Holy Spirit is dangerous…It’s putting oneself in a position to receive potentially harmful influence from that spirit. 🚩Secondly, we were not created equal with God, nor are we permitted to worship anything or anyone but God alone. These two red flags need to be taken seriously!

    – Marcia Montenegro’s CANA (Christian Answers for the New Age) Facebook Page

    The Enneagram was a tool hence utilzied as a way to discover one’s “True Self” that was masked by sin (their belief). Richard Rohr is someone who promotes this viewpoint. His book, “The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective” ushered an increased usage of this occult tool in the Emergent, now Progressive Christian Church (not Christian), and is now in Evangelical Churches. Per Marcia Montenegro, a former Astrologer (now Christian), there are now churches advocating that the Enneagram will help you know your “Divine Personality” and show you the “face of God.” Oh my...🚩

    This is tragic. Rohr further teaches that we have never been separated from God but that we all have the “Universal Christ” within all of us. He shares that Jesus and the Christ were two seperate beings (Jesus created and Christ, Divine). Rohr claims that the Christ in Jesus declared that it was the way to God…and that Jesus showed us that way, by being an example. Rohr’s faith is that of both Panentheism and Perinnialism, not Christian.

    To tolerate this New Age protocol under the premise of “entertaining different viewpoints,” is far from discussing end times eschatology, Calvinism and Arminianism, etc…Promoting the Enneagram is spiritual syncretism! And combining other spiritual worldviews with Christianity is not Biblical (click here for why)! Friends, slapping Bible verses upon a New Age tool does not make it Christian…No more than, per GK Chesterton, “standing in a garage makes someone a car!”

    “What you tolerate today, you accept tomorrow. What you accept today, you embrace tomorrow. What you embrace today, you promote tomorrow.”

    Hillary Morgan Ferrer, Mama Bear Apologetics

    By this point of the email, you get my genuine concern…There are legitimate red flags for which to examine Biblically! As prayer warriors, we need to pray for our friends and family who are really immersed in this tool. They are not only placing their identity in a self-focused tool with a self-reliant gospel, but they are hearing unbiblcal information about God, Jesus, and their need for the cross. Gals, if Peter could get off-track and add to the cross (as recorded in Galatians 2), we all can and possibly will. Paul corrected Peter as we all should do… both by praying for one another and by sharing scripture (2 Tim 3:16-17). If you ever want to pray together about this or anything else, please do not hesitate to email me (gal220bkack@gmail.com)…I love you, ladies!! Thank you for praying!

    His, 
    Meridith 

    “As Christians, it is important to investigate any new practice or teaching prior to use, and the Enneagram is no different.” – Dr. Chris Berg

    Q͟u͟i͟c͟k͟ L͟i͟n͟k͟s͟:

    🎞Occult Origins…Marcia Montenegro

    🎞Alisa Childers interviews Marcia

    🎞Sean McDowell interviews Dr. Chris Berg

    📝Psychometrics w/ Jay Medenwaldt

    📝Theology Mom examines the Enneagram

    🔍Christian Answers for the New Age

    🎞What is the Gospel?

    🎞Who is Richard Rohr? (Bancarz and Childers)

    🎞Made in the Image of God (David Wood)

    https://gal220life.wordpress.com/2022/01/25/examining-the-enneagram-a-biblical-perspective/


    For more information regarding Gnosticism, here is a 6-hour teaching by Dr. Michael Heiser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBVGGeN5GXM&t=3251s

    Ryan Reeves teaches about Gnosticism and the Early Church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXc-vvCivp4&t=1236s

  • Holy

    Sisters, we need to be in God’s Word.

    When we neglect the Bible, we tend to look at God through the lens of our emotions and circumstances. We create an inaccurate view of God which looks a lot like us, with desires like our own. We mold Him into what we are able to perceive through experience, when in reality, His ways are not like ours at all! You see, if we are honest with ourselves, we would admit that we are broken…and that we are in desperate need of help. We would be quick to admit our selfishness, and how tentative we are to trust. But thankfully, God knew this…and planned accordingly.

    You see, at the perfect time…God came down, put on flesh, and paid the debt that you and i deserve to pay. Jesus made a way back to God that only He (the 2nd Person of the Trinity) could make. Not so we can revel in ourselves…but so that we know God accurately. For when we know God accurately, we witness Him in His Holiness. And when we are captured by His Holiness, we are humbled in comparison. It’s when we look to God in His Word that we see our need all the more, and run to repentance readily…Worshipping Him rightly!

    This is why the focused message of our churches should not be relevancy but God’s Holiness. For the Gospel is the only true refreshment for a weary soul…when it knows how parched it truly is. Worship the God of the Bible, friends…For He is Holy, and worthy to be praised!

    And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

    Isaiah 6:5


  • Set Your Mind

    Set Your Mind

    Friends, I’ve written this before but it certainly bears repeating…What we focus upon can eventually consume us. And what consumes us, ultimately leads us. And what leads us, inevitably rules our hearts. And what rules our hearts, most assuredly becomes our hope.

    Sisters, in what or in whom are you placing your Hope? In a world where many voices compete for your attention, please open-up that Bible and focus upon what God says. Fill your mind with Truth, and be utterly consumed with the Gospel that saved you…No other words are more important. Set your mind on things above…Hope in Him!

    God wants to renew our minds, not remove them.

    RC Sproul

    How to Read the Bible

    What is the Difference Between Exegesis and Eisegesis? By GotQuestions ✏️

    55 minutes with Professor Walt Russell, “Why We Need Hermeneutics”
    3 minutes with Mike Winger. We need the Bible as to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1).
  • What Does God Say about “Love?”

    What Does God Say about “Love?”

    1 John 4:8 “…God is love.”

    John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (God, through Jesus, supplies all we need for loving others well)

    1Corinthians 16:14 “Let all that you do be done in love.”

    Philippians 2:4 “in humility count others more significant than yourselves. “

    Philippians 2:1-8 “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

    1 John 3:18 “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

    John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

    Romans 5:8 “but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us…”

    John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

    Galatians 5:13-14 “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””

    1 John 4:8 “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

    1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love (God) is patient and kind; Love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

    1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”

    John 15:5 “…apart from Me, you can do nothing…”

    Matthew 5:46-47 “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?
    Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”

    1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since Love covers a multitude of sins.”

    Colossians 3:14 “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

    Ephesians 4:2 “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,…”

    Mark 29:-31 “Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

    Luke 6:35 “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”

    1 John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us.”

    Acts 17:2-3 “And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.””

    Psalm 86:15 “But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”

    Luke 6:35 “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”

    Psalm 40:11 “As for you, O Lord, You will not restrain Your mercy from me; Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness will ever preserve me!”

    Romans 12:9 “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”

    Proverbs 17:9 “Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.”

    Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

    Romans 12:10 “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

    Philippians 2:8 “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

    Romans 13:10 “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore LOVE (Jesus) is the fulfilling of the law.”

    Galatians 6:2-3 ”Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

    1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”

    Ephesians 5:33 “However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

    1 John 4:7-8 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

    1 Corinthians 13:2 “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

    1 John 3:18 “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

    Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

    Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,”

    Ephesians 2:4-5 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—”

    Ephesians 4:2-3 “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in Love (in Christ), eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

    Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

    Psalm 63:3 “Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You.”

    1 Peter 1:22 “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,”

    2 Corinthians 5:14 “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;”

    Galatians 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

    Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”

    Romans 8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”

    Romans 8:37-39 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

    1 John 3:16-18 “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

    Psalm 63:3 “Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you”

    Jeremiah 31:3 “the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”

    Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,”

    2 John 1:6 “And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.”

    Philippians 2:4 “Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others”

    Romans 5:8 “but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

    Philippans 2:2 “Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”

    1 John 4:12 “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides (John 15:5; Gal 2:20) in us and His love is perfected in us.”

    Ephesians 4:2 “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,”

    James 1:19 “let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;”

    1 John 4:20 “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

    Galatians 6:9-10 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, (John 15:5; Proverbs 3:5-8; Galatians 2:20) for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

    Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

    Hebrews 5:8 “Although he was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.”

    Psalm 143:8 “Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”

    Galatians 5:13-14 “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

    Ephesians 3:17-19 “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

    ⓁⓄⓋⒺ

    The greatest gift we could ever receive, God gave…He gave us Himself. Love came down from Heaven (4-6 BC), put on human flesh, and selflessly placed the source of our brokenness (sin) upon Himself (AD 30). He died a death that we deserved and made a way back to our Creator which only God could make. A free gift that only Jesus could provide. Allow that type of love…Agape love…to sink in.

    God’s Love Exhibited Through The Gospel

    3 minutes with Greg Koukl
    20 minutes with David Wood
    55 minutes with Nabeel Qureshi

    Biblical Love

    9 minutes with Jon McCray
    9 minutes with Mike Winger and Melissa Dougherty
  • Praying for the Church 2/20 @ 2:20pm

    Praying for the Church 2/20 @ 2:20pm

    Ladies, wherever you might be on 2/20 at 2:20pm, would you please consider praying alongside me for a moment?

    There is a genuine need to pray specifically for our churches regarding the Enneagram. The heartbreaking tendency of pragmatism today has strengthened it’s usage around us…with God’s Word being misused for it’s purposes. This is extremely important as it’s not only distorting the Biblical Gospel, but it is focusing hearts and minds inward instead upon Jesus and God’s Word. Friends, slapping Bible verses upon a New Age tool does not make it Christian, no more than (as GK Chesterton announced) standing in a garage makes someone a car! We really need to be praying!

    Why 2/20 at 2:20pm? 1) Galatians 2:20 is a verse that hits home regarding this topic. 2) It’s coming-up soon.

    “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20

    Praying alongside you!
    Meridith

    Quick Links

    🎞 Occult Origins…Marcia Montenegro
    🎞 Alisa Childers interviews Marcia
    🎞 Sean McDowell interviews Dr. Chris Berg
    📝 Psychometrics w/ Jay Medenwaldt
    📝 Theology Mom examines the Enneagram
    🔍 Christian Answers for the New Age
    🎞 What is the Gospel?

    A Compilation of Resources

    https://gal220life.wordpress.com/2022/01/25/examining-the-enneagram-a-biblical-perspective/
  • Isaiah 53

    Isaiah 53

    Written 700 years before Christ Jesus came down to earth and put on human flesh, Isaiah wrote the incredibly vivid words of Isaiah 53. In what some term, “the heart of the Bible,” the Prophet Isaiah describes in jaw-dropping detail – the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, foretold in the Old Testament. Jesus entered humanity at the perfect time in history…a time planned by a holy and sovereign God. Only God could live a perfect life on our behalf, and then die a death that we deserve…Only God could be the adequate substitute for our sins. At the risk of sounding redundant, Jesus made a way back to God that only He could make. A way for His creation to be redeemed and reconciled back to Himself. There is nothing more important that the Gospel!

    And friends, this is not blind faith! God has provided evidence for Jesus’s Crucifixion and Resurrection…both in the Scriptures, and outside of the Scriptures. In the Bible, we have Jesus fulfilling more than 100 prophecies from Old Testament (click here), which would be statically impossible for a mere created being. In the New Testament we have James, Jesus’s 1/2 brother, and Paul, formerly Saul who persecuted Christians, both coming to faith after His Resurrection. Not to mention, the Apostles being martyred for their belief in the risen Jesus! As Sean McDowell says, “Liars make horrible martyrs!” For more, please watch the videos below under “Evidence for the Resurrection.” Let’s go outside of the Bible now for historical documentation. Scholars (both Christian and Skeptic) have found there to be approximately 17 sources acknowledging Jesus’s existence, crucifixion, empty tomb, and His being worshipped by a group called, Christians.

    Ladies, God gave us His Word (Scripture) as a way to both know Him and hear Him. God, in His sovereignty, knew we would hear competing messages that would discredit His character, distort the Gospel, and attempt change Jesus’s identity. Getting into Scripture often is so, very important. Please take time to watch these videos, read Isaiah 53, as well as to test every message you hear alongside/against God’s Word. He is Risen indeed! His, Mer

    ✏️Have you met the real Jesus?

    ✏️Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary on Isaiah 53

    54 minutes with Mike Winger on Isaiah 53
    5 minutes, Jesus and Old Testament Prophecies w/ Lee Strobel and Mark Mittleberg

    Isaiah 53

    Who has believed what he has heard from us?
    And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
    2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
    and like a root out of dry ground;
    he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
    and no beauty that we should desire him.
    3 He was despised and rejected by men,
    a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
    and as one from whom men hide their faces[f]
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

    4 Surely he has borne our griefs
        and carried our sorrows;
    yet we esteemed him stricken,
        smitten by God, and afflicted.
    5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
        he was crushed for our iniquities;
    upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
        and with his wounds we are healed.
    6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
        we have turned—every one—to his own way;
    and the Lord has laid on him
        the iniquity of us all.

    7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
        yet he opened not his mouth;
    like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
        and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
        so he opened not his mouth.
    8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
        and as for his generation, who considered
    that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
        stricken for the transgression of my people?
    9 And they made his grave with the wicked
        and with a rich man in his death,
    although he had done no violence,
        and there was no deceit in his mouth.

    10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
    he has put him to grief;
    when his soul makes[h] an offering for guilt,
    he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
    the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
    11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see[i] and be satisfied;
    by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
    make many to be accounted righteous,
    and he shall bear their iniquities.
    12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
    and he shall divide the spoil with the strong
    because he poured out his soul to death
    and was numbered with the transgressors;
    yet he bore the sin of many,
    and makes intercession for the transgressors.

    Who is Jesus?

    6 minutes
    12 minutes
    12 minutes, The Trinity

    The Resurrection

    75 minutes with Gary Habermas

    Healing and God’s Sovereignty

    40 minutes
  • Christ and Him Crucified: Psalm 22 and Mark 15

    Christ and Him Crucified: Psalm 22 and Mark 15

    Question: Have you ever wondered why Jesus exclaimed, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” before yielding His spirit to the Father?

    In order to adequately address this heartfelt query, we need to highlight an important cultural detail concerning how scripture was both memorized and shared around AD 30. Per numerous scholars, if someone quoted the beginning of a Psalm, he would do so knowing that the listener could recite the rest. It is likened to when we sing the first few words of a song (“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound…”), anticipating that our friends could finish the tune. Therefore, when our Lord and Savior spoke the words of Psalm 22:1…“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He did so with the whole Psalm in mind! The final verse of Psalm 22, written 900-1000 years prior to the crucifixion, tells of a victorious outcome! It provides us with tremendous hope regarding the rule and reign of our God among His people.

    Ladies, please take time to read both Mark 15 and Psalm 22 (shared below), as well as to examine the resources provided alongside. It’s my hope and prayer that these scriptures point your heart and mind to the faithful purposes of our God…and how no adversary could thwart God’s rescue plan from taking place!

    85 minutes with Mike Winger about Psalm 22
    5 minute, artistic teaching of Psalm 22
    18 minutes with Nabeel Qureshi

    Inspired by God, the book of Mark was written by Peter’s attendant, Mark (John Mark), in the mid-to-late 50’s AD. While Psalm 22 was penned by King David approximately 1000 years earlier (before Roman crucifixions). Note: The book of Mark was composed in Rome and is primarily written to a Church “audience largely unfamiliar with Jewish customs.” One example of this is that the Roman day began at 12am, but the Jewish day commenced at 6am. Therefore, an account of the time of Jesus’s crucifixion would vary from Mark’s account to another Gospel’s account (i.e. John), as the intended audiences were different.

    Mark 15

    Jesus Delivered to Pilate

    And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things.4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.

    Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

    6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up.11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.”14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

    Jesus Is Mocked

    16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters),[b] and they called together the whole battalion.[c] 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.

    The Crucifixion

    21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour[d] when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.[e] 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.

    The Death of Jesus

    33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (see Psalm 22:1) 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he[h]breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son[i] of God!”

    40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

    Jesus Is Buried

    42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died.[j]And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46 And Joseph[k] bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

    Psalm 22

    (WRITTEN MORE THAN 900-1000 YEARS BEFORE THE CROSS)

    22 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
        Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
    2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
        and by night, but I find no rest.

    3 Yet you are holy,
        enthroned on the praises[a] of Israel.
    4 In you our fathers trusted;
        they trusted, and you delivered them.
    5 To you they cried and were rescued;
        in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

    6 But I am a worm and not a man,
        scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
    7 All who see me mock me;
        they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
    8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
        let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

    9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
        you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
    10 On you was I cast from my birth,
        and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
    11 Be not far from me,
        for trouble is near,
        and there is none to help.

    12 Many bulls encompass me;
        strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
    13 they open wide their mouths at me,
        like a ravening and roaring lion.

    14 I am poured out like water,
        and all my bones are out of joint;
    my heart is like wax;
        it is melted within my breast;
    15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
        and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
        you lay me in the dust of death.

    16 For dogs encompass me;
        a company of evildoers encircles me;
    they have pierced my hands and feet[b]—
    17 I can count all my bones—
    they stare and gloat over me;
    18 they divide my garments among them,
        and for my clothing they cast lots    .

    19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
        O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
    20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
        my precious life from the power of the dog!
    21     Save me from the mouth of the lion!
    You have rescued[c] me from the horns of the wild oxen!

    22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;
        in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
    23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
        All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
        and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
    24 For he has not despised or abhorred
        the affliction of the afflicted,
    and he has not hidden his face from him,
        but has heard, when he cried to him.

    25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
        my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
    26 The afflicted[d] shall eat and be satisfied;
        those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
        May your hearts live forever!

    27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord,
    and all the families of the nations
    shall worship before you.
    28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations.

    29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
    even the one who could not keep himself alive.
    30 Posterity shall serve him;
    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
    31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
    that he has done it.

    Who is Jesus?

    6 minutes
    45 minutes with Mikel Del Rosario
    18 minutes, The essential Christian Doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus is the Son of God.

    Jesus’s Resurrection

    56 minutes with Nabeel Qureshi. The overwhelming evidence for both the crucifixion and the Resurrection.
    75 minutes w/ Gary Habermas
    < 3 minutes w/ Lee Strobel

    Essential Christian Doctrine

    62 minutes with Alisa Childers and Krista Bontrager
  • Jesus is the “Son of Man”

    Jesus is the “Son of Man”

    Mark 8:31

    Jesus’s Disciples documented Jesus’s teachings and miracles with the utmost care and reverence. Therefore, every title Jesus gave Himself, not to mention every act that represented His authority as Messiah, was written down for His Church. And what title did Jesus use most?? The answer may not be what you’d expect!

    Many might presuppose that “Son of God” was Jesus’s most utilized designation,…but it wasn’t! Instead, what is recorded in the gospels demonstrates that Jesus referred to Himself as the “Son of Man” predominantly. That’s right! Jesus uses “Son of Man” as His title more than 80 times! The title, Son of Man, references Daniel 7 in the Old Testament. This prophetic scripture was emphasizing Jesus’s pre-existence as the 2nd Person of the Trinity. To be more succinct, this passage was declaring His Deity!

    Mark‬ ‭14:60-64‬ “And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.”

    Matthew 26:63-66 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.”

    Daniel‬ ‭7:13-14‬ “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

    Study note: Per Gary Habermas from Biola, “Coming on the clouds” is used over 100 times in scripture and is always a reference to Deity.

    Jesus came down to save His creation from sin…Something only God could do. Fully man, as to sacrifice on our behalf (without ever sinning). And fully God…as to provide an eternal rescue from death that only He could gift us. Jesus’s Resurrection made a way back to God for God’s creation. And therefore by believing in Him, we are made new…adopted as children into His Kingdom. Paul chronicled this in 1 Corinthians 15, written possibly less than 10 years after the Resurrection: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” This was God’s plan from the very beginning. It is the free gift of His Grace and mercy to us. (Ephesians 2; Romans 5:8) Sisters, please allow Truth to soften your heart. You can stop striving! Put down that religious ladder you’ve been building, rest in the reality that God came down to save you! He not only wants to give you new life, but will, Himself, be your life. Friend, the cross was enough!

    ✏️ Bible Verses referencing Son of Man

    ✏️No Real Jesus Without the Trinity

    Who is Jesus?

    10 minutes with Nabeel Qureshi
    10 minutes w/ Alan from Stand to Reason. Is Jesus God? Is He the Only Way to God?

    What is the Gospel?

    20 minutes with David Wood
    3 minutes

    The Resurrection

    70 minutes w/ Gary Habermas
    20 minutes with David Wood
  • The Fear of the Lord: Studying Proverbs 1 & Luke 12

    The Fear of the Lord: Studying Proverbs 1 & Luke 12

    10 minutes w/ Paul Washer, “What does it mean to Fear God?”

    Sisters, we tend to set our minds and affections upon the things or the persons to whom we fear most. What we focus upon consumes us. And what consumes us, leads us. And sadly, what leads us, rules our hearts. God knows the waywardness of the human heart…and therefore instructs us to set our minds completely upon Him. Why? Because He loves us!

    The following two chapters are God’s Words written down for the Church. Proverbs 1 tells of the relationship between fear and wisdom…and Luke documents Jesus’s teaching about fear and worship. Please read both of these texts in full as opposed to isolating single verses. Every verse has a context…this is important! Sisters, these words were given to us by God. Let’s dwell in them often!

    ✏️Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Proverbs 1

    ✏️Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Luke 12

    Proverbs 1

    The Beginning of Knowledge

    1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

    2 To know wisdom and instruction,
    to understand words of insight,
    3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
    in righteousness, justice, and equity;
    4 to give prudence to the simple,
    knowledge and discretion to the youth—
    5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning,
    and the one who understands obtain guidance,
    6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.

    7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.

    The Enticement of Sinners

    8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
        and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
    9 for they are a graceful garland for your head
        and pendants for your neck.
    10 My son, if sinners entice you,
        do not consent.
    11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
        let us ambush the innocent without reason;
    12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive,
        and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
    13 we shall find all precious goods,
        we shall fill our houses with plunder;
    14 throw in your lot among us;
        we will all have one purse”—
    15 my son, do not walk in the way with them;
        hold back your foot from their paths,
    16 for their feet run to evil,
        and they make haste to shed blood.
    17 For in vain is a net spread
        in the sight of any bird,
    18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood;
        they set an ambush for their own lives.
    19 Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
        it takes away the life of its possessors.

    The Call of Wisdom

    20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
    in the markets she raises her voice;
    21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
    at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
    22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
    How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
    and fools hate knowledge?
    23 If you turn at my reproof,[a]
    behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;
    I will make my words known to you.
    24 Because I have called and you refused to listen,
    have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
    25 because you have ignored all my counsel
    and would have none of my reproof,
    26 I also will laugh at your calamity;
    I will mock when terror strikes you,
    27 when terror strikes you like a storm
    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come upon you.
    28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
    they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
    29 Because they hated knowledge
    and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
    30 would have none of my counsel
    and despised all my reproof,
    31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
    and have their fill of their own devices.
    32 For the simple are killed by their turning away,
    and the complacency of fools destroys them;
    33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
    and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

    Luke 12

    Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees

    12 In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.”

    Have No Fear

    4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

    Acknowledge Christ Before Men

    8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, 9 but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say,12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

    The Parable of the Rich Fool

    13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully,17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

    Do Not Be Anxious

    22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,[d] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

    32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

    You Must Be Ready

    35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

    41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

    Not Peace, but Division

    49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

    Interpreting the Time

    54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

    Settle with Your Accuser

    57 “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.59 I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.”