“These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. At that time Xerxes ruled his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa. In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces. The celebration lasted 180 days—a tremendous display of the opulent wealth of his empi

“After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar.” (This was another name for En-gedi.) Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek t

Most of us think we know who Jesus is because of the Bible stories we heard in Sunday school. Most think they’ve met Jesus because they repeated a few words one day at church. Still others believe they’ve met Jesus because they read the Bible on occasion. But have we truly met Him? I can hear the wheels turning and see the furrowed brows. I can even hear some emphatic yeses. But have we met Him? I’m not speaking of the gentle Jesus meek and mild Jesus. I’m not speaking of the

“Listen, O heavens, and I will speak! Hear, O earth, the words that I say! Let my teaching fall on you like rain; let my speech settle like dew. Let my words fall like rain on tender grass, like gentle showers on young plants. I will proclaim the name of the Lord; how glorious is our God! He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! “But they have acted corruptly toward him; whe

Today we will look at life with and without our Mediator. As I prayed this morning over the nations, the church and our families, I stopped to reflect on all that’s happening around me, witnessing the open rebellion against God and His Word. The persecution of Christians worldwide, the debauchery and filth that is being paraded as normal. The daily onslaught by legislators of godless and reckless policies that are being forced upon us and our children. The threats for noncomp

Aren’t you glad that He does? Most of us wouldn’t be here if He hadn’t intervened when we were about to make some really horrible decisions. I for one can’t thank Him enough for the times He has stood between me and death. What may have seemed like a setback, delay or disappointment, may just have been our Heavenly Father getting in the way. In Numbers chapter 22 we read a very humorous account of Balaam and the talking donkey. I won’t even attempt to write out the scriptures

Most of you have read these words in past messages. Sin will take you farther than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you intended to stay, cost you more than you’re able to pay. The pleasure of sin is seasonal. Hebrews 11:24-26. No one would participate if it wasn’t, and Satan’s kingdom would be bankrupt. But we’ve all fallen under its spell at one time or multiple times. The lure of sin does allow for an initial comfort. Here’s one: I’m not hurting anyone. That’s a bold

“Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. Look! The

When it comes to Jesus’ response to what we’re faced with throughout our lives. His answer remains the same. “So what?” The choice of remaining a cripple is ours, be it spiritually or physically. He has the answer for both. Both forms of infirmity have a spiritual component to it. How can I say that? Let’s listen to Jesus’ own words as He addressed the Pharisees and teachers of the law. “One Sabbath day, while Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, He encountered a seriously ha

Find your delight and true pleasure in Yahweh, and He will give you what you desire the most. Give God the right to direct your life, and as you trust Him along the way, you’ll find He pulled it off perfectly! He will appear as your righteousness, as sure as the dawning of a new day. He will manifest as your justice, as sure and strong as the noonday sun. Quiet your heart in His presence and wait patiently for Yahweh.” Psalms‬ ‭37:4-7‬A TPT Here’s a caution about desire that

Anything seen through the eyes of fear, never ends well. Most of you know the acronym for the word fear. False evidence appearing real. The mind may be a terrible thing to waste. But a mind controlled by fear can also be a train wreck if not renewed by the Word of God. It will turn assumptions into truths, friends into enemies, ants into giants and perception into misconception. It’s a useful tool and a formidable foe. Whenever fear is sown in the mind and allowed to go unche

“One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.” When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a

Go ahead! Yell at me! Tell me I have no idea what you’re going through. You’re right. I don’t know, but I’m not the one telling you to Dance. Jesus is. He’s asking you to demonstrate your absolute trust in Him, and dance through the noise of whatever you’re facing. Can I share what that does to the enemy after you calm down? It PARALYZES him. “You have built a stronghold by the songs of children. Strength rises up with the chorus of infants. This kind of praise has power to s

Elijah, Jeremiah, Job, Jonah all prayed or wished they were dead. But in all four instances God answered their heartache, disobedience and discouragement in astonishing ways. Sometimes life overwhelms us to the point of depression and anxiety. Checking out seemed reasonable in the moment, but is it better? It’s a temporary desire that if granted or explored, is irreversible. Pushing through whatever seems unbearable is the better option but in the heat of the moment, you’re n

“Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭9:1-3‬ ‭NIV First we l

Do you believe that? Or do you believe the lies of the enemy that you’re all alone, no one sees or even cares about you? That may be true of people, but not your Abba. He knows all about you, your deepest darkest thoughts, your desires, dreams and aspirations. He knows it all because He created you for bigger and better things. Things greater than your wildest imaginations. He sees our beginnings and stands at the end. He loved you before you were conceived Jeremiah 1:5. No o

Have you ever gone to purchase a particular thing and left with something more wonderful than anything you could’ve ever imagined? You left feeling like you’ve hit the jackpot? Well in our study today someone actually did. Her day started like every other day. Ostracized, dejected and dissatisfied. She had chosen this particular hour of the day to avoid the name calling, finger pointing and gossip of the other women. What she didn’t realize was, this day was to be like no oth

How would you fill in the blank? Have you ever had it filled in for you by someone who was angry or hurting themselves, and attributed their pain to you? Or maybe it was you who was using those words because you were disappointed with the way a relationship turned out, or with life in general. Whatever the reason may be, those words can sting if they’re said angrily, but what if they were words of caution, but you didn’t heed? Jesus used those words to warn one of His discipl

Those two words leaped off the pages of my Bible and caught my attention as I read the text I’m about to share. I had never noticed the contrast before. There really is a marked difference between the death of a saint and the death of the unsaved. No wonder the apostle Paul wrote that we don’t grieve or handle death as one without hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13. We may be buried in the same way, but we don’t rise or are received the same. The account in Luke 16 serves as a warni

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:33‬ ‭CSB‬‬ “Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on Him.” ‭‭John‬ ‭6:26-27‬ ‭CSB‬‬ What